Shakira is putting her pain on display. But in the most beautiful way possible. Today (May 11), the Colombian superstar shared a new single, “Acróstico.”
In the song, she reflects on a lost love, and while she is confident in her choice to end the relationship, she still admits she sometimes misses this person and is grateful for what she learned over the course of their time together.
“You taught me that love is not a scam / and that when it’s real it doesn’t end / I tried that you don’t see me crying / don’t see my fragility, but things are not always as we dream / Sometimes we run, but we don’t arrive / Never doubt that I will be here,” she sings in Spanish, over a soft, stripped-back piano.
It appears a new era of Shakira is finally upon us. Back in January, she teamed up with Argentine DJ Bizzrap to release the scorching breakup anthem, “Music Sessions Vol. 53.” Since then, she’s teamed up with Karol G for their steamy collaboration, “TCQ.”
In a recent interview with Televisa (per Billboard), Shakira celebrated the fact that many of her recent hits are Spanish-language songs.
“I am glad this is happening to a Colombian, to a Latin American woman, and that it’s happening for me in Spanish,” said Shakira. “That’s when I say that it is worth it and that I have a purpose in society, a place, a role.”
Over the past few days, Swifties had the internet going wild with theories surrounding a mysterious book. Many fans of Taylor Swift had taken to TikTok to express excitement over an upcoming title set to be released this July via Flatiron Publishing. The book was rumored to be Swift’s memoir. One of the key components in the fan theories was that the book contained 544 pages, and 5+4+4 adds up to 13, which is Swift’s favorite number.
But it turns out, the book is actually a memoir by another iconic pop act. K-Pop group BTS will release Beyond The Story: 10-Year Record of BTS on July 9.
According to New York Times, much of the book was written by journalist Myeongseok Kang and members of the group. While Flatiron will publish the US edition, which was translated by Anton Hur in collaboration with Clare Richards and Slin Jung, the South Korean edition will actually be published by the group’s label, Big Hit Music.
Much of the theories about the book being Taylor Swift’s memoir came from the fact that the book was originally set for release on June 13. The official July 9 release date also set off an alarm for Swifties, as she alludes to that date on a song of hers called “Last Kiss.”
But those two dates are actually significant to BTS, as ten years ago, the group formed on June 13. On July 9 of that year, the group’s fanbase, known as the Army (Adorable Representative M.C. for Youth).
In addition to several stories and accounts from the group, the book will also reportedly contain exclusive photographs.
Elon Musk is reportedly stepping down as CEO of Twitter. While many Twitter users were elated over the news, the future of the social platform is still uncertain.
In a post shared to Twitter today, Musk revealed that he has lined up his replacement.
“Excited to announce that I’ve a new CEO for X/Twitter,” said Musk. “She will be starting in ~6 weeks! My role will transition to being exec chair & CTO, overseeing product, software & sysops.”
Excited to announce that I’ve hired a new CEO for X/Twitter. She will be starting in ~6 weeks!
My role will transition to being exec chair & CTO, overseeing product, software & sysops.
At the time, Musk had not yet named the woman who will be taking on the role, however, one Twitter favorite has teased that she, herself, will step in after Musk. Singer Dionne Warwick revealed, seemingly as a joke, that she will be Twitter’s new CEO.
“I am excited to officially take on the role as CEO of Twitter,” said Warwick. “This has been in the works for months.”
I am excited to officially take on the role as CEO of Twitter. This has been in the works for months. https://t.co/I46A4zKh1O
On Thursday afternoon, ballots for every end-of-season NBA award were publicized. In the MVP race, runner-up Nikola Jokic made the top five of every voter’s ballot except for one person’s: Mark Jackson. When folks on Twitter caught news of that wind, the app was a firestorm, with a slew of people upset by Jackson’s decision. While I’m not personally one to haggle of a single voter’s ballot, the frustration was understandable to a degree. Jokic had a phenomenal season and was certainly deserving of a top-three finish, let alone a top-five finish.
Later in the day, Jackson appeared on SiriusXM to speak with Justin Termine and Eddie Johnson. During the interview, Jackson clarified that Jokic’s omission was a mistake. Jackson’s apology was lengthy, sincere and contrite. He clearly felt remorse for his gaffe and relayed that on-air.
“I apologize to Nikola Jokić. I apologize to the Denver Nuggets”
“One thing I live by, you make a mistake, you own it. I’m not a guy that does it for clicks or to be trending, absolute mistake made by me,” Jackson said. “I apologize to the Denver Nuggets. I apologize to Nikola Jokic, who is not only in the MVP discussion and deserved to be on my ballot, but he’s one of the greatest players in the history of this game. He’s a top-10 center of all-time.
“If you wanna take away my vote or do whatever, you’re more than welcome. I made a mistake. … Incredible year by him. He continues to make history. I own the mistake and I apologize.”
Jackson said Joel Embiid, who earned his first MVP award this season, was still his top choice, joined by Jokic and Antetokounmpo in the top three. But it was rather apparent how he felt about this misstep and he took full responsibility for failing to include Jokic on his ballot.
If you’re new to beer, you might not know that there is a ridiculously large, almost Grand Canyon-sized, difference between a classic West Coast IPA and the more recent phenomenon, the New England-style IPA. While the classic IPA is floral, piney, and known for its bitter (almost aggressively so) hop finish, the New England-style is known for its juicy, tropical fruit flavors with a ton of aromatic hops but little to no bitterness.
The New England-style IPA was first invented in 2004 when famed brewer John Kimmich brewed Heady Topper at Vermont’s The Alchemist. But while beer fans flocked to the small New England brewery to get this now iconic beer, the style didn’t really gain national exposure for another decade. Now it seems like every brewery from Montpelier to Montecito brews its own version of this hazy, juicy, citrus, and tropical fruit-filled beer.
Why is it so popular? Well, it’s a great beer for warm-weather drinking. But if I’m going to drink hazy IPAs, I’m going to drink the best of the best. Not simply juice bombs with no substance. The highest-rated, still juicy, but well-balanced New England-style IPAs. So I grabbed ten of the highest-rated and most well-known New England-style IPAs on the market and decided to blindly nose and taste them. I used the blind taste test to rank them. Keep scrolling to see if your favorite beer made the list and where it landed.
The Lineup:
Trillium Congress Street
The Veil White Ferrari
The Alchemist Focal Banger
Industrial Arts Wrench
Bissell Brothers Swish
Other Half Green City
Lord Hobo Boom Sauce
Fiddlehead IPA
Toppling Goliath King Sue
Tree House Julius
Part 1: New England-Style IPA Blind Tasting
Taste #1
Christopher Osburn
Tasting Notes:
The nose is surprisingly light with some yeasty bread, orange peel, mango, lime, and pine. But not much else. Sipping it revealed honeydew melon, ripe peaches, mango, grapefruit, and lightly dank, resinous pine. The finish is a nice mix of sweetness and bitterness. It’s all just a little boring and lacking in flavor.
Taste #2
Christopher Osburn
Tasting Notes:
Ripe mango, pineapple, lime peel, sweet wheat, freshly cut grass, tangerine, passionfruit, and a cornucopia of other fruit aromas make up a very memorable nose. On the palate, I found notes of peaches, mangos, pineapples, honeydew melons, lime zest, guava, berries, and light floral hops.
The finish is dry, sweet, lightly acidic, and memorable.
Taste #3
Christopher Osburn
Tasting Notes:
A nose of bready malts, light tropical fruits, and dank pine greet you before your first sip. The palate is loaded with freshly baked bread, honeydew melon, mango, orange peel, and a good kick of resinous, dank pine. The finish is dry and more bitter than I prefer when it comes to a hazy IPA.
Taste #4
Christopher Osburn
Tasting Notes:
Classic hazy aromas of mango, peach, orange peel, and light floral hops are prevalent on the nose. Drinking it revealed notes of cracker-like malts, mango, tangerine, and peach. The finish is dry and lightly bitter.
It’s all just a bit unexciting and a little watery.
Taste #5
Christopher Osburn
Tasting Notes:
Complex aromas of ripe peaches, berries, tangerines, passionfruit, juicy mango, and light grassy hops make up a great nose. Drinking it brings forth hints of honeydew melons, tangerines, peaches, lemon peels, caramelized pineapple, freshly cut grass, and light, floral hops. The finish is sweet and dry.
Taste #6
Christopher Osburn
Tasting Notes:
A lot is going on with this beer’s nose. Ripe pineapple, peach, mango, guava, grapefruit, caramel malt, fresh-cut grass, and light pine. On the palate, I found notes of juicy peach, mango, passionfruit, caramel malts, light citrus, and just a hint of pine needles. Somehow, even though there are pine aromas and flavors, there’s almost no bitterness to be found.
Taste #7
Christopher Osburn
Tasting Notes:
Whiffs of grapefruit, tangerine, other citrus fruits, and light floral pine are big on the nose. I couldn’t find much else though. The palate is all orange peel, lime zest, grapefruit, pineapple, grass, and dank pine needles.
The finish has a bit of a bitter bite that wasn’t expected.
Taste #8
Christopher Osburn
Tasting Notes:
The nose is filled with aromas of ripe berries, tangerines, peaches, mango, passionfruit, wet grass, and gentle, floral pine. The palate is sublimely juicy and fruity with ripe peaches, guava, mango, pineapple, tangerine, and grapefruit taking center stage. The finish is dry and lightly bitter — a great combination.
Taste #9
Christopher Osburn
Tasting Notes:
This beer’s nose is like breathing in the aromas of a tropical vacation. Papaya, passionfruit, mango, tangerine, guava, lime peel, and light pine make for a very welcoming nose. Drinking it brings forth notes of juicy grapefruit, peach, caramel malts, light yeasty flavor, pineapple, mango, and a nice kick of lightly bitter, resinous pine at the finish to bring everything together nicely.
Taste #10
Christopher Osburn
Tasting Notes:
The nose is a symphony of tropical fruit aroma. Caramelized pineapple, mango, tangerine, guava, passionfruit, lime peel, yeasty bread are prevalent. There’s also a touch of pine needles. The palate continues this trend with more bready malts, tangerine, pineapple, grapefruit, mango, peach, and pine. The finish is crisp, dry, and semi-sweet.
Other Half is so popular the New York City-based brewery has opened up offshoots in various other areas of the country. One of its best is Other Half Green City. This Simcoe, Centennial, and Citra-hopped double dry-hopped hazy is the brewery’s flagship IPA.
Bottom Line:
As hazy IPAs go, this one can best be described as “okay”. It’s not great and it’s not bad. It’s just a little muted and unexciting.
Vermont is a beer-lover’s dream. The state that invented the hazy IPA is home to many options including the popular Fiddlehead IPA. The brewery’s flagship beer, it’s hazy, juicy, and known for its lightly bitter, dry finish.
Bottom Line:
While this is technically a New England-style IPA, it’s much more bitter than most of the hazies you’ll find. It’s a good gateway for West Coast IPA fans.
Located in New York’s Hudson Valley, Industrial Arts makes IPAs, pale ales, lagers, and even non-alcoholic beers. One of its best is Industrial Arts Wrench, a New England-style IPA brewed with Mosaic and Citra hops known for its juicy, sweet, citrus flavor profile.
Bottom Line:
This is not a bad beer. It has everything hazy IPA fans enjoy. It’s just a little more muted than I’d prefer in a New England-style IPA.
There’s a good chance you’ve never owned nor driven a white Ferrari, but you can still drink one. This double IPA is brewed with Galaxy and Citra hops. The result is a fresh, juicy, flavorful New England-style IPA bursting with hop aroma and flavor.
Bottom Line:
This is a beer for the New England-style IPA fans who enjoy a citrus punch. It’s also bitingly bitter at the finish which isn’t for drinkers expecting more fruit.
This 7.8% ABV double IPA is Lord Hobo’s flagship beer. This juicy, tropical fruit, and citrus-filled beer is brewed with Pilsner malt, Planet malt, red wheat, spelt, oat malt, and flaked oats. It gets its hop flavor and aroma from the addition of Warrior, Amarillo, Mosaic, Falconers Flight, and Ella hops.
Bottom Line:
There’s a reason Boom Sauce is Lord Hobo’s flagship beer. It’s complex, balanced, and has everything New England-style IPA fans love. It could just use a little bit more of it.
Boston’s Trillium is a big name in the craft brewing world. Its flagship American IPA is Congress Street. This New England-style IPA is brewed with American 2-row barley, white wheat, C-15 malt, dextrin, and dextrose. It gets its tropical fruit and pine flavors from the addition of Columbus and Galaxy hops.
Bottom Line:
Trillium Congress Street is as well-balanced, juicy, and fruity as any New England-style IPA you’re going to find today.
Sure, Heady Topper was the first New England-style IPA ever, but many believe that The Alchemist Focal Banger is an even better example of the style. Featuring British malts and Citra and Mosaic hops, this IPA is known for its unpasteurized, hazy, balanced flavor profile.
Bottom Line:
Focal Banger is a great example of a hazy IPA done the right way. It’s a perfect balance of sweet juice and bitter hops.
Toppling Goliath King Sue is an epic New England-style IPA adorned with a ferocious, roaring Tyrannosaurus Rex. While many hazy IPAs are brewed with multiple different hops, King Sue’s tropical fruit and citrus-driven flavor profile was created solely by the use of Citra hops.
Bottom Line:
Juicy, tropical fruits, and gentle bitterness. What’s not to love with this surprisingly easy-to-find New England-style IPA?
Tree House Julius is one of the most popular New England-style IPAs on the market. Brewed with an unidentified group of proprietary American hops, Tree House’s flagship beer is known for its juicy, hazy appearance and tropical fruit and citrus-forward flavor profile with a gentle bitterness.
Bottom Line:
Pillowy soft, juicy, yet surprisingly well-balanced, this is the kind of NE-IPA you’ll think about long after your last sip.
This 8% ABV double IPA from Bissell Brothers is brewed with Golden Promise malts, Maine wheat, and Simcoe, Mosaic, and Citra hops. Its name is a reference to the homemade hooch imbibed in the cult comedy The Trailer Park Boys.
Bottom Line:
Bissell Brother Swish is as perfect of a New England-style IPA as you’re likely to find. It’s perfectly balanced in every way.
Part 3: Final Thoughts
Judging New England-style IPAs can get a bit tricky. You want a nice juicy, fruity aroma and flavor profile. But you also want some hop bitterness with neither aspect skewed too far in either direction. The IPAs that landed higher on this ranking managed to walk the line between the two. Semisweet is the name of the game with hazy IPAs — Swish nailed that.
If you’re not in on the “Ready to Drink” (aka RTD) bandwagon by now, you’re probably in the minority. RTDs were the fasting growing spirits category in 2021. They’ve only continued to gain in popularity since. This is likely because of the ease involved. Instead of taking time to mix together the ingredients for a margarita, old fashioned, or negroni, you can simply crack open an RTD, pour it into a glass and you’re ready to go.
What could be simpler?
“Ten years ago, if someone would have told me how popular canned cocktails would become, I wouldn’t have believed them,” says Erica Dimmig, lead mixologist at Bar Pendry in Chicago. “We have far surpassed the basic hard seltzers like White Claw and have thousands of options, spirits, and brands to choose from.”
Bartenders often shy away from RTD beverages, because the quality is sometimes lacking compared to a freshly mixed cocktail.
“Most RTDs are overly sweet and made with fake ingredients,” says Sam Nelis, beverage director at Gin Lane Bar in Montpelier, Vermont. “They usually are around 5% ABV and drink more like a spiked seltzer than a cocktail.”
But this isn’t the case with every ready-to-drink cocktail. With the rise in the category’s popularity, a myriad of great options have emerged. To find them, we asked the professionals who spend their days behind the bar to recommend one fave. Keep scrolling to see their picks.
Vervet Pale Mary
Vervet
Michael Carlisi, beverage director at Barrio in San Francisco
I lean towards Vervet, a woman and minority-owned LA-based company. Using real ingredients, these clean craft cocktails are made from scratch. The Pale Mary, a clear Bloody Mary, is savory and crisp.
Tasting Notes:
Using tomato water instead of tomato juice, it’s full of flavor but light instead of thick and heavy. It’s a much more refreshing, flavorful version of the classic bloody Mary.
Cutwater Ranch Water Lime
Cutwater
Jill Caron, bar principle at The Salty Pig in Boston, Massachusetts
The best RTD for me would be the Cutwater Ranch Water, it’s totally crushable especially when you’re getting the backyard ready for an amazing summer of hangs and BBQs. Ranch water is a classic, refreshing cocktail and Cutwater manages to recreate it well with this RTD.
Tasting Notes:
The Ranch Water is super well balanced between the tequila, fresh lime, and bubbles. It’s light and refreshing on a hot spring or summer day.
Luxardo Aperitivo Spritz
Luxardo
Tom Muscolino, director of beverage Innovation at Landmark Hospitality in Plainfield, New Jersey
Luxardo Aperitivo Spritz. Drinks like an Aperol Spritz (but better). It’s made with Luxardo Aperitivo Liqueur, sparkling water, and natural flavors.
Tasting Notes:
It’s lightly carbonated and very refreshing, with notes of fresh orange peel and a pleasant bitterness. Just like the classic cocktail version.
Campari Soda
Campari
Alex Barbatsis, head bartender at The Whistler in Chicago
ABV: 10%
Average Price: Limited Availability
The RTD:
The newish Campari Soda RTD. Perfect amount of carbonation and bitterness, plus the bottle is so much cooler than all the cans out there. This 10% ABV RTD is simply a mix of the classic semisweet Campari and soda. It’s suggested that you crack one open and pour it into an ice-filled glass and garnish it with an orange slice.
Tasting Notes:
Just like the classic Campari Soda, this RTD is refreshing and bittersweet. It’s the kind of drink you’ll want to have on hand for a hot summer night.
Barr Hill Canned Gin & Tonic
Barr Hill
Sam Nelis, beverage director at Gin Lane Bar in Montpelier, Vermont
Barr Hill’s canned Gin & Tonic, coming in at 9.3% ABV, sips more like a true cocktail. It’s made with Barr Hill Gin and a Barr Hill Tonic created by their bartenders. It’s the same cocktail served at their bar, but it just happens to be in a can now too.
Tasting Notes:
The tonic is made with real cinchona bark, the raw ingredient in which quinine is contained, other botanicals for flavor, and sweetened with regional raw honey.
Fishers Island Lemonade has all the components of a great warm-weather drink. Lemon, honey, and vodka, with the surprise appearance of whiskey. It makes a refreshing addition to any spring picnic, patio gathering, or the early beach days of summer.
Tasting Notes:
This canned cocktail is the perfect mix of sweet and tart like a fresh squeezed lemonade, while also packing a punch at 9% ABV.
Finnish Long Drink is a great RTD. It was originally designed as a quick way to serve beverages at the 1952 Olympics in Helsinki. They also make an equally good cranberry version, especially during the holiday season.
Tasting Notes:
It uses Finnish juniper berries and grapefruit for a great blast of flavor that is perfect on a sunny day. What more could you want?
Coit Spirits North Beach Peach Cocktail
Coit Spirits
Jared Bailey, bar manager at Soho Cigar Bar in New York City
Coit Spirits Craft Drafts are perfect for Spring. I especially enjoy its North Beach Peach Cocktail. Their gins are known for infusing 21 botanicals and tea directly into the spirits and their RTDs have a whopping 15.5% abv in their cans which were designed with famous street artist Hektad.
Tasting Notes:
North Beach was crafted to be like a classic Bellini with flavors like herbal gin, passionfruit, orgeat, mint, and peach.
Fly Embers Hard Kombucha. Hands down one of the best RTD cocktails, a perfect balance of beer-meets-seltzer. Its Pineapple Sunset is an 8% ABV hard kombucha take on the classic sunrise cocktail.
Tasting Notes:
This is a great choice for the warmer months. It’s tart, highly refreshing, and features pineapple, toasted coconut, and other tropical fruit flavors.
Crafthouse Cocktails Moscow Mule
Crafthouse Cocktails
Erica Dimmig, lead mixologist at Bar Pendry in Chicago
Hailing from Chicago, Crafthouse Cocktails was created by two of Chicago’s well-known bar experts, Charles Joly and Matt Linder. They offer everything from a Moscow Mule to a Dark Matter Coffee Old Fashioned. Only fresh ingredients and pure spirits are used, no ‘natural’ flavors or malt beverages here. The best part? You can have them delivered to your doorstep. If I had to pick one, it would be the Moscow Mule. Made with vodka, lime, and house-made ginger beer, it’s known for its refreshing, spicy flavor profile.
Tasting Notes:
Fresh lime and spicy ginger beer are the main flavors in this surprisingly complex, summery cocktail. It’s definitely your usual canned cocktail.
After several months of rumors and reports, Paramount Network’s Yellowstone was recently confirmed to end its flagship series after Season 5’s conclusion. This may or may not be a relief to Kevin Costner, but he seems like he’s been through plenty lately. He did stay relatively quiet amid rumors of his departure from the series, but he’s also watched his fellow cast members be quizzed at every opportunity, too.
Costner is also back in the director’s seat for Horizon, which is currently filming, and then there are those personal life matters, too. With all of that said, it’s not too surprising that a Costner source wants to clear the air a bit, and US Weekly has heard from such a source, who insists that any Yellowstonedelays or a “holdup is not coming from Kevin.” The source added that Costner is “disappointed by the delays, which are beyond his control.” US Weekly relays how the insider says the holdup is coming from inside the house:
According to the insider, the issues are coming from behind the camera. “The drama is between some of the writers and producers,” the source tells Us, adding that the production has been “troubled” for a while. “They all have busy schedules and other projects, and that has caused delays. It’s been upsetting for Kevin because he has a family and a schedule to stick to.”
Additionally, whatever went wrong with the Paleyfest debacle surely didn’t help on Costner’s end, given that no one knows why the schedule included both him and creator Taylor Sheridan, and no one knows why plans seemingly changed at the last minute. In any event, though, Yellowstone will begin shooting at some point in August, and the back half of Season 5 will start to air in November. And maybe one of these days, we will hear more about the mystery project including Matthew McConaughey in Yellowstone mode, which will be one more of many Taylor Sheridan shows in the works.
Beyoncé fans are known for being some of the most enthusiastic in the music world. But there’s such a thing as being a little too enthusiastic — as one fan apparently learned at the singer’s Renaissance World Tour, which is currently winding its way through Europe.
There’s a video circulating among Beyoncé fans online of a fan who was apparently arrested during the concert for allegedly sneaking into the “Club Renaissance” section — a sort of VIP section with a “VIP concierge team and onsite hosts.” Unfortunately, it seems the fan was unaware that “concierge team” also probably means “top-flight security.”
The Renaissance World Tour has generated more than its fair share of headlines and potential drama in just two days. At the kickoff show, fans wondered whether Queen Bey had shaded the creators of Swarm, the buzzy Amazon show based on the over-the-top antics of certain members of her BeyHive fan base.
Meanwhile, the concert itself finds her addressing fans’ thirst for music videos from the album while her father reflects on her drive for stardom. Fans shared photos of the tour program, which included a handwritten setlist, and fawned over her lustrous, custom tour wardrobe, which even found her dressing as a bee and fully embracing the camp elements baked into the drag ball concept of the album.
We’re sure more Renaissance World Tour news will continue to trickle out as the tour continues, but for now, just remember: Unless you paid to get into Club Renaissance, it’s best not to test your luck.
British singer Jorja Smith is best known for her lower-tempo, hazier songs but her latest single, “Little Things,” switches things up. Upping the tempo and incorporating elements of garage and Afrobeats, “Little Things” finds Smith revealing all the small actions and details that turn her on in a romantic partner.
In a statement about the new single, Smith said, “The song is pretty self-explanatory, I had a lil concoction – rum, ting and a magnum. When we started creating this song I was just imagining hearing this walking into a party and seeing someone I’d had my eye on. It’s fun!”
Meanwhile, the video, which depicts a series of connections being made at a party (with a cameo from Headie One), is “about finding the stylistic language that made sense,” according to director Bolade Banjo. The inspiration was “a snog with someone you’re crushing on… Speaking with Jorja about how she wanted to approach this it became apparent; ‘Little Things’ was within itself…”
“Little Things” is Jorja’s second new single of 2023 following “Try Me” and continues her comeback after an unplanned hiatus in the wake of the pandemic in 2020. Since then, she’s appeared on songs from Ibeyi, Brent Faiyaz, and her recently discovered cousin, FKA Twigs.
The city of Buffalo, New York is called the “city of good neighbors.” And with a blizzard that has dumped more than 50 inches of snow on them, the world is getting to learn how they earned that name.
A woman named Sha’Kyra Aughtry went viral on Facebook after she reluctantly put out an emotional plea. Aughtry went live on the platform explaining that she heard someone calling for help outside, so she sent her boyfriend out to see who needed assistance. Turns out, it was a 64-year-old developmentally disabled man by the name of Joey White, who was stuck in the cold snow. Aughtry’s boyfriend helped the man out of the snow and physically carried him into the house.
White was so frozen that they had to use a hair dryer to melt the ice off of his pants that were frozen to him. The couple also had to cut his socks off along with the bags he was carrying, which were stuck to his hands. White was in a dire position and Aughtry, a mom of three preparing for Christmas, was desperate.
The woman said during the live video, “I’ve called the National Guard. I’ve called 911. I’ve called everybody – they just keep telling me I’m on a list. I don’t want to be on a list. I don’t care about nothing else. This man is not about to die over here.” It was clear to her that he needed immediate medical attention, but conditions were so bad, help never came. According to CNN, at least 31 people have died in the winter storm that pummeled the state.
WE NEED HELP‼️
I have a 64 year old special needs man with frost bite on both of his hands and has turn into Gangrene…
Aughtry realized no one would be coming to her rescue any time soon, and the following day after FaceTiming a doctor that confirmed the severity of White’s condition, she made a last ditch effort. In the two days that she was caring for Joey, she was without her children for the holidays until a friend walked them home. Aughtry explained that White had the mental capacity of a 10-year-old, but he was able to remember his sister’s phone number and the number for his job.
The good samaritan called White’s sister to inform her that he was safe at her home and she was attempting to get him help. According to Sweet Buffalo, White was trying to get home from work when he got stuck in the storm. His sister credits Aughtry for saving her brother’s life.
During the live Facebook video, several people volunteered to come and help the man get to the hospital after seeing how severe his frostbite was. Aughtry relayed that the doctor that did the video call with them explained he could lose his fingers, or worse, if treatment wasn’t provided immediately. The frustration and desperation in her voice was palpable, and at one point, White innocently asked if he was going to die. Aughtry assured him he would not.
Within a short period of time, someone who saw Aughtry’s video came by with their snow plow to clear a path, and others showed up with a pick up truck to transport White. Since he was not only physically vulnerable but mentally vulnerable, White’s temporary caretaker insisted on riding with him to make sure he got to the hospital safely. The men that came to help had to carry White into the hospital due to his condition.
Thankfully, White received the care he needed and is currently being treated in the ICU at ECMC Hospital for fourth degree frost bite. And as a thank you for saving White’s life, North Park Theatre, where White works, set up a Go Fund Me that has reached over $100,000 in donations for Aughtry. There was also one set up for White. Buffalo really is the city of good neighbors.
If you’d like to send Joey well wishes while he recovers, you can send them here:
Joe White
ECMC462 Grider Street Buffalo, NY 14215
Room #1956
If you’d like to send cards to Sha’Kyra and her family, you can send them here:
Sha’Kyra Aughtry
P.O. Box 348
West Seneca, NY 14224
This article originally appeared on 12.23.22
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