Donald Trump and his cronies have made a meal out of criticizing Joe Biden’s supposed cognitive decline. But what if it’s mere projection? What if Trump — who is a mere three years younger than his also very old presidential successor — is the one whose brain is mush? The other week Trump claimed Biden would lead us into “World War II.” On Monday he blamed the Iraq War on Jeb Bush.

At a rally in South Carolina, Trump did things like trash Fox News while they were airing his speech. He also said some things that suggested his brain was seeping out of his ears. At one point Trump reflected on the 2016 primary, when he was up against the likes of Jeb Bush.

“You know the beauty was? When I came here, everyone thought Bush was gonna win,” he recalled. “And then they took a poll and found out Trump was up by about 50 points.”

Trump then…seemed to get his Bushes confused. “They thought Bush because Bush was supposedly a military person,” he remembered. He then claimed Jeb Bush, the Bush he ran against, “got us into the, uh, he got us into the Middle East. How did that work out, right?”

Trump then kept ragging on Jeb Bush, whom he ran against seven years ago and who was never president: “Remember Jeb? He used the word ‘Jeb,’ he didn’t use the word ‘Bush.’ I said, ‘You mean he’s ashamed of the last name?’ And he started using the name ‘Bush.’ Never forget it.”

Truly.

Trump also went on an inexplicable rant about “windmills causing whales to die” or whatever the heck he’s talking about here.

Then again, three years ago Trump “aced” a very basic cognitive test. If you forgot about that one, don’t worry because he’s still bragging about it.

According to NPR—and the ABBA blaring from my young adult daughter’s headphones—we’re in the midst of an 80s music revival. As a Gen Xer who came of age in the 80s, I think most of that decade should stay locked in a time capsule, but there are a few songs that have managed to remain timeless despite the synthesizers and bad hair.

A-ha’s “Take On Me” is one of them. Despite its consummately-80s sound, the song with the famous sketch animated video is still enjoyable (if not a little earwormy—good luck once it gets stuck in your head).

But a lesser-known 2017 arrangement of the song is actually, miraculusly, even better. A-ha performed “Take On Me” for an MTV Unplugged Summer Solstice album, and it’s significantly different than the original. The Norwegian band filmed the performance live on the island of Giske, dropping the electric piano as well as the tempo for a stripped-down version that has become a fan favorite. As of this writing, the video has 97 million views on YouTube.

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“Take On Me” is one of 17 songs in the unplugged performance, but naturally the most popular.

“We’ve talked about this idea for so many years,” guitarist Paul Waaktaar-Savoy said. “And in many of our concerts we’ve also played some acoustic songs. But if you consider that we don’t use much technology at all when we write the songs, the idea of an entirely acoustic show makes total sense. Playing all these songs now in their acoustic versions is like returning to their origins.”

Watch and see how the slower tempo and simple instrumentation creates a sadder, more haunting version of their biggest hit.

“The fact he’s still got such a good voice after decades is incredible,” wrote one fan.

This is music at its purest form. No light show, distortion pedals, autotune and massive audiences. Spotless,” wrote another.

“By far the best version of this song that I have ever heard. It totally transforms the song when performed like this,” shared another.

Another commenter made a poignant observation:

“The original version is like a soundtrack for a man living in the fast-paced life in the 80’s all cool and hip. This one is like when the same man grows old and saying farewell to the fun memories of his youth.”

And another summed up what most people feel seeing this:

“One version makes you dance and the other version makes you cry.”

Dads are ridiculous. But perhaps, in the world today, there is no dad quite so ridiculous as Rob Lopez:

Photo via Rob Lopez/YouTube.

On a morning not too long ago, Lopez apparently had the following thought: “I’m going to dress up as Darth Vader and wake up my 2-year-old.”

Photo via Rob Lopez/YouTube.

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Clearly, the correct follow-up thought is, “No. That’s silly. Why would I ever wake up a 2-year-old. Like, on purpose.”

But not for Rob Lopez. Oh, no.

After suiting up…

…and receiving the mission critical sign-off from his wife.

He grabbed his lightsaber and gave it a go. The results … pretty much speak for themselves (fast-forward to 1:05 for the main event).

There are a couple of things about Lopez’s son’s reaction that we should talk about.

(First, this child is objectively the hardest core human on the face of planet Earth right now.)

He grabs the lightsaber he keeps next to his bed (just in case) and it’s game on, Dark Lord of the Sith. Game. On.

Think about how you would feel, as an adult person, in complete control of your faculties, with a firm grasp on the difference between fiction and reality, being aggressively prodded awake by a six-foot-tall man in a full-body Darth Vader mech-suit complete with voice modulator and terrifyingly heavy breathing.

Think about how loud you would scream and the volume of pee you would pee into your pants.

Meanwhile, this toddler — who is probably no more than three feet tall, groggy and vulnerable, with no cognitive ability to discern this is not the real Darth Vader — didn’t even think twice about taking him on.

Perhaps the most impressive part? At a mere 2 years of age, he’s already learned, perhaps, the single greatest lesson of “Star Wars.”

You don’t defeat the dark side with mad lightsaber skills (although they are fun to show off).

You defeat it with compassion.

…which, in this kid’s case, involves casually grabbing a book and asking Darth Vader to read him a story.

Empathy for Siths — with an assist from curiosity and literacy: That’s a lesson we could all use.

This article originally appeared on 05.06.16

The past two centuries have seen humanity transform into a truly interconnected global community. Like any community, we have our virtues and strengths as well as our challenges that require collective effort to overcome.

The United Nations created 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in 2015 to help us focus our efforts on vital areas of concern, including poverty, gender equality, education, food security, health, climate and more. And every year since then, changemakers have arisen to meet those goals in various ways. Some of these changemakers are already leaders on the world stage, from heads of state to global celebrities. But others are grassroots activists doing incredible work on the ground to move us toward meeting our SDG targets by the 2030 deadline.

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The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation calls these people Goalkeepers and honors them at an awards ceremony each year. This year’s young activist Goalkeepers hail from Cameroon, Ethiopia and the United States, and their work on different goals in different countries is an inspiring example of how any one of us can arise and be of service to humanity no matter where we live.

Meet this year’s award recipients:

2023 Changemaker Award: Ashu Martha Agbornyenty

The Changemaker Award celebrates an individual who has inspired change either from a position of leadership or through personal experience. Ashu Martha Agbornyenty is a midwife dedicated to making pregnancy and childbirth safer in Cameroon, where maternal mortality rates are high. She writes about the work of midwives and shares her knowledge of pregnancy through her blog, Marthie’s Midwifery Diary, and she also founded the For Mom & Baby Foundation, which provides community workshops and distributes emergency kits containing essential birth supplies to pregnant women in crisis-stricken areas. Since 2021, the foundation has distributed over 1,000 emergency kits and reached more than 2,400 women and girls in the region.

“Midwives are essential to achieving the Global Goals for Sustainable Development, including Goal 3: Good health and well-being for all. They provide care to millions of women and children around the world, and they play a vital role in improving maternal and child health outcomes,” Agbornyenty shared on her Facebook page.

However, she added, “Despite their important role, midwives are often underrepresented in policy-making circles. This is a problem because it means that the voices of midwives and the people they serve are not being heard when important decisions are being made about maternal and child health.” She dedicated her award to all midwives. Learn more about her work here.

2023 Progress Award: Eden Tadesse

The Progress Award celebrates an individual who supports progress via a science, technology, digital, or business initiative. This year’s award was presented to Eden Tadesse, an Ethiopian journalist, social entrepreneur, digital innovator, and human rights activist dedicated to helping refugees thrive. Tadesse founded the online global impact platform Invicta, which promotes digital financial inclusion, skills development and access to job opportunities for urban refugees. More than 35,000 people from 90 countries have registered on Invicta, 7,000 have completed online courses and more than 2,200 refugees have employment through the platform.

According to the UNHCR, the United Nations’ refugee agency, 108.4 million people worldwide are currently forcibly displaced, and the majority of refugees are hosted by low-income countries. Refugees often face a mountain of obstacles as they resettle away from their countries of origin, from legal hurdles to access to education to finding work to prejudice and discrimination.

“I imagine a world where every refugee in every part of the world leads a meaningful, dignified life where they are economically empowered, safe and self-reliant,” Tadesse says. Invicta is a one-stop tool for refugees to get connected with the educational, financial, mental health and other tools they need. Learn more about Invicta here.

2023 Campaign Award: The Farmlink Project

The Campaign Award celebrates a campaign that has raised awareness or built a community by inspiring action and creating change. This year’s Campaign Award was presented to The Farmlink Project, founded by Aidan Reilly, Ben Collier, and James Kanoff, for its work advocating for and building community around food equity in the United States.

The Farmlink Project was started in response to the COVID-19 pandemic and its purpose is to connect people experiencing food insecurity with surplus produce that will otherwise go to waste.

“No one should have to go to bed hungry while perfectly viable produce goes to waste. This produce shouldn’t have to be ‘rescued’ from rotting in fields or being sent to the landfill, either; why were we ever letting this produce go to waste in the first place?” asks The Farmlink Project. “These are systemic issues that our society needs to address.”

In a perfect world, The Farmlink Project says, their organization wouldn’t need to exist because “systems would be in place to streamline the supply chain so that zero percent, rather than 30 to 40 percent, of food grown in the United States went to waste.” For now, though, it acts as a “link” connecting the broken supply chains.

“Our long-term goal is to set up infrastructure which will render our work obsolete,” the organization shares on its website. “If there were no food waste, if there were no hungry people lining up outside understocked and underfunded food banks, there would be no need for The Farmlink Project. That’s the dream. We’ve got a lot of work to do before we get there, though. We need you to help us put ourselves out of business.”

Through its network of more than 600 student fellows and 6,000 volunteers, The Farmlink Project has provided 83 million meals and transferred more than 130 million pounds of nutritious food to communities facing hunger. Learn more here.

We are at the halfway mark toward the 2030 Sustainable Development Goal deadline. We have a lot of work ahead of us, but if leaders like these Goalkeepers can inspire more of us to action, we’ll be that much closer to reaching our collective targets for a more sustainable global society.

British singer and songwriter Jorja Smith has amassed an immense base since her 2018 debut album, Lost & Found. Although Jorja’s last EP, Be Right Back, was made available in 2021, the demand for a featured-length follow-up has continued to grow. Now, the wait is nearly over.

Jorja’s sophomore album, Falling Of Flying, will hit streaming platforms later this week. Here’s everything to know about it, including the release date, tracklist, and more.

During an interview with Billboard in August, Jorja spoke about the inspiration behind the album’s title. “I don’t really have an in-between,” she said. “I’m either happy or sad, obsessed or completely unfocused, up or down. I feel like I’m flying in my career, and then other times, I feel like I’m falling because the pressure can feel [like] too much.”

Release Date

Falling Or Flying is out 9/29 via FAMM. Find more information here.

Tracklist

View the full tracklist for Falling Or Flying below.

1. “Try Me”
2. “She Feels”
3. “Little Things”
4. “Flights Skit”
5. “Feelings” Feat. J Hus
6. “Falling Or Flying”
7. “Go Go Go”
8. “Try And Fit In”
9. “Greatest Gift” Feat. Lila Iké
10. “Broken Is The Man”
11. “Make Sense”
12. “Too Many Times”
13. “Lately”
14. “BT69 JJY”
15. “Backwards”
16. “What If My Heart Beats Faster?”

Singles

Ahead of the album’s release, Jorja shared several singles slated to appear on it, including the title track, “Little Things,” “Go Go Go” and “Try Me.” For each of the singles, Jorja dropped a supporting video.

Artwork

Here’s the official artwork for Falling Or Flying. The cover features a grayscale image of Jorja captured by photographer Liz Johnson Artur.

Tour

Instead of embarking on a robust international tour, Jorja will do only a few smaller, intimate live performances. The Falling Or Flying Intimate Tour consists of three shows in the United Kingdom. View the dates below. Tickets for the show are on sale now. Find more information here.

11/07 — Birmingham, UK @ 02 Academy
11/09 — Manchester, UK @ Manchester Albert Hall
11/10 — London, UK @ London Troxy

Not everyone gets to grow up with pets so they don’t get the first hand knowledge of how it feels to love an animal. Sure, they may have experience with friends’ or family members’ pets but that’s not the same as caring for one under your own roof. The memories and mini serotonin boosts you get when pets snuggle up to you on a hard day are missed by those who never own a pet.

Up until recently, Caleb had been in the “never had a pet” camp, then one day he found a tiny little kitten. He knew when he saw how little and helpless she was that he just had to rescue the sweet baby.

“I was walking home and I looked down and there was this little kitten,” Caleb told The Dodo. “I feel chosen, this is my first pet.”

He named the itty bitty kitty, Nala Jaye and takes her everywhere he possibly can.

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Caleb put Nala on a leash to take her out on walks but when he wants to keep her close, the new cat dad wears a little cat pouch. Just a sling of sorts to keep the kitten tucked away as he takes her with him to run errands. The pair do everything together, she even supervises him brushing his teeth. It’s clear the duo are quickly becoming best friends, Caleb sings to her, they dance together and she hangs out on his shoulder like a parrot.

“This is a house cat. We will not be outside unless she’s on my shoulder like this or strapped to a harness,” Caleb says.

So glad to see a new pet parent blossom. Nala Jaye is one lucky rescue kitty.

Donald Trump has always done whatever wants, and why not? No one’s ever seriously made him pay the consequences of his actions. Right now he’s testing the law more than ever. He’s racked up four indictments, and while he’s out on the streets as a free man (for now), he’s still doing things like witness tampering and threatening judges and prosecutors, all while facing nothing more than some stern words. Now he’s seeing if he can buy a gun — which, by the way, legally he cannot.

As per The Daily Beast, the former president stopped by Palmetto State Armory while in South Carolina for one of his wackadoodle rallies. Video shows him joshing around with the staff, who present him with a glock.

“I wanna buy one,” Trump repeatedly said. After someone said he could have one on the house, he insisted he pay for it, saying, “I wanna buy it.”

How much of a gun nut is Trump? So much that he held as weirdly as he holds a bible.

The moment was shared by campaign spokesperson Steven Cheung, who tweeted, “President Trump purchases a @GLOCKInc in South Carolina!”

Alas, people on social media were quick to point out that it’s actually illegal for those under indictment to purchase firearms. Trump, as it happens, has four of those: one in Atlanta, one in Miami, one in New York, and one in D.C.

As The Daily Beast points out, anyone buying a gun from a licensed dealer, as Palmetto State Armory is, has to fill out a form, which asks the following question: “Are you under indictment or information in any court for a felony, or any other crime for which the judge could imprison you for more than one year, or are you a current member of the military who has been charged with violation(s) of the Uniform Code of Military?”

Trump would have to answer “yes.”

A spokesperson later denied that Trump had actually left the store with an illegally obtained firearm.

The Daily Beast also points out a fun tidbit: The federal law that Trump may have violated is the same one that the feds used to indict Hunter Biden. But as always, the big guy avoids punishment.

(Via The Daily Beast)

While nobody will fault you for making your martini with vodka, an “authentic” martini is made with gin and vermouth and often has an olive and/or lemon twist garnish. It’s simple, elegant, and a great way to let the herbal and botanical juniper-driven flavors of a good gin shine. But not all gin is created equal and the industry is booming — begging the question: “What’s the best gin for making a martini at home?”

Before we dive in, let’s get a little background. Like a shaken martini, the drink’s history is quite murky. Supposedly, the drink was created during California’s Gold Rush in the mid-1800s. The legend goes that a miner found some of the shiny stuff and wanted to celebrate with a cocktail at a nearby bar. Since the champagne he wanted wasn’t available, the bartender made him a celebratory cocktail of gin, vermouth, bitters, maraschino cherries, and lemon. They deemed it the “Martinez Special” (this was at the Occidental Hotel in San Francisco and the spot where people stopped for drinks while waiting for the ferry to Martinez, CA). By 1904, that recipe was refined to what we know today and often called a “Marguerite Cocktail.” Then Martini Rosso started dominating the conversation around 1911 in New York City’s cocktail scene, the drink grew significantly more straightforward, and… here we are.

Regardless of whether the above stories are true, this doesn’t change the fact that the martini is still one of the most popular cocktails to this day. And since we’re all about keeping with modern tradition when it comes to mixed drinks, we make ours with gin. So do many bartenders. That’s why we asked a handful of well-known bartenders to tell us their go-to gins for mixing into a martini. Keep scrolling to see all of their selections.

Monkey 47 Schwarzwald Dry Gin

Aleksander Simic, bartender at Hutong in Miami

ABV: 47%

Average Price: $65

The Gin:

For martini enthusiasts, there’s no better choice than Monkey 47 Gin. This gin is known for its complexity and aromatic character.

Tasting Notes:

The palate begins with minty and herbal notes followed by the herbaceous juniper, blackthorn, lavender, and a resiny pine note that adds a touch of spruce and rosemary. Monkey 47 Gin elevates the classic martini to new heights.

The Botanist Islay Dry Gin

Alex Barbatsis, head bartender at The Whistler in Chicago

ABV: 46%

Average Price: $38

The Gin:

The gin we use for our house martini at The Whistler is Botanist Islay Dry Gin. It’s made in a seaside town on the island of Islay in the Inner Hebrides off the coast of Scotland.

Tasting Notes:

You get to enjoy a bit of salinity that works beautifully with dry vermouth. We also add a dash of orange bitters to bring out the citrus notes in the Botanist gin.

Bombay Sapphire London Dry Gin

Federico Doldi, food and beverage director at Gansevoort Meatpacking in New York City

ABV: 47%

Average Price: $23

The Gin:

I love gin martinis, and I love London Dry Gin, so my recommendation is to go with Bombay Sapphire London Dry Gin. It’s a classic, dry, easily mixable gin well-suited for this drink.

Tasting Notes:

It’s an incredible crisp spirit with a hint of citrus. If you are a classic martini lover, this will match perfectly with your needs.

Tin City Gin

Mark Mamay, bar supervisor at The Wayfarer DTLA in Los Angeles

ABV: 43%

Average Price: $30

The Gin:

One of my ‘secret weapon’ spirits, is Tin City Gin. It is made in Paso Robles, California, using a little less juniper, and a lot more locally grown citrus fruits by a small distillery involving only four staff members who have been working in the restaurant industry for decades.

Tasting Notes:

Mix Tin City Gin into a classic martini (or any other cocktail) for a slightly botanical, bright citrus, and magical flavor balanced better than a master tight-rope walker.

St. George Dry Rye Reposado Gin

Alex Fitzgerald, beverage director at Paseo in Louisville, Kentucky

ABV: 49.5%

Average Price: $56

The Gin:

We love St. George Dry Rye Reposado Gin. It’s a nicely balanced spirit that plays well with the smoked olive brine we use for our dirty martinis at Paseo.

Tasting Notes:

St. George Dry Rye Reposado Gin is a unique and beautifully complex gin offering an oaky, spicy, and dark fruit aroma with some punchy black peppercorn, coriander, and bitter citrus.

Citadelle Jardin d’Ete

Ryan Smith Jr., assistant food and beverage manager at The St. Regis Bal Harbour Resort in Miami

ABV: 41.5%

Average Price: $28

The Gin:

Citadelle Jardin d’Ete is a great choice for a martini. Created to pay tribute to the garden at Château de Bonbonne, it’s known for its complex flavor profile featuring Charentais melon, and lemons. Yuzu, orange zest, and more.

Tasting Notes:

It has a nice balance of fruit and botanicals, so it is easy to sip. There are subtle melon, citrus, and floral notes.

Hendrick’s Gin

Steven Dinsmore-George, bartender at The Pembroke in Washington, DC

ABV: 44%

Average Price: $36

The Gin:

Hendrick’s Gin is my preferred gin to use in a martini. Hendrick’s also releases seasonal variations every year which brings a fresh twist to the classic gin martini. What makes Hendrick’s even more appealing is its widespread availability and affordability; its value cannot be underestimated.

Tasting Notes:

Its unique blend of vegetal and floral botanical notes, including cucumber and rose, creates a complex flavor profile.

KI NO BI SEI Kyoto Dry Gin

Alex Pisi, lead bartender at The Wells in Washington, DC

ABV: 54.5%

Average Price: $85

The Gin:

I am in love with KI NO BI SEI from the Kyoto distillery. It’s a navy strength gin that does not lose its balance, maintains its subtle complexity, and (added bonus) packs a punch.

Tasting Notes:

Ingredients like juniper berries, yuzu, lemon, green tea, ginger, and Sanshō pepper make for an interesting, flavorful martini.

Coit’s Cape Tea Gin

Jared Bailey, bar manager at Soho Cigar Bar in New York City

ABV: 47%

Average Price: $32

The Gin:

Coit’s Cape Tea Gin is no doubt one of the most interesting Gins around. Coit, unlike most tea liquors that infuse the tea after distilling, distills the tea directly in the gin. Coit’s Cape Tea Gin proves its worth with its amazing flavors and ability to be enjoyed straight or as James Bond would drink it (in a martini).

Tasting Notes:

Distilled with Rooibos Tea, among other herbs and botanicals, it’s known for its herbal and citrus flavor palate that works perfectly as the base for a martini.

Fords Gin

Amir Babayoff, bar director at Ophelia in Midtown East in New York City

ABV: 45%

Average Price: $25

The Gin:

Fords Gin would be my immediate go-to as far as classics are concerned, though it’s versatile enough to play around with when new cocktail creations are born. A fun note: the innovative bottle, which is beautiful and unique, was designed for ease of use by bartenders, and it does just that.

Tasting Notes:

The Juniper forward character provides a solid foundation for gin enthusiasts, while its citrusy and floral notes add complexity. The high ABV of 45% provides a solid backbone to the Martini and allows it to maintain the gin’s aromas and flavors if you mix it with other vermouths or liqueurs.

Beefeater London Dry Gin

Jaap Schothuis, bar supervisor at Ocean Restaurant at Cape Arundel Inn & Resort in Kennebunkport, Maine

ABV: 44%

Average Price: $20

The Gin:

In my opinion, a great martini uses a London dry gin, and in that category, I’ll reach for Beefeater most often. And this is a traditional dry gin that shines when used as the base for a classic martini.

Tasting Notes:

The lemon zest and juniper that are at the forefront of the flavor profile of this gin work incredibly well with any dry vermouth you’d choose to make a martini with.

Martin Miller’s Gin

Bijan Ghiai, beverage manager and Sommelier and Urban Hill in Salt Lake City, Utah

ABV: 40%

Average Price: $26

The Gin:

For this quintessential classic cocktail, my go-to gin (and it should only be gin if it is a real martini) is Martin Miller’s Gin with its gentle bouquet of botanicals, charming minerality, and exceptional mouthfeel.

Tasting Notes:

Martin Miller’s Gin imparts what I believe a real martini needs to embody. Couple this gin with a touch of aromatized wine, a dash of orange bitters, a twist of lemon and that’s the definition of sophistication in a glass.

Forthave Blue Gin

Collin Frazier, head bartender at Great Jones Distillery in Noho, New York City

ABV: 43%

Average Price: $38

The Gin:

Forthave Blue Gin is a great choice. This underrepresented Brooklyn gem makes a stellar martini base. It’s an underrated gin that deserves to be on your radar.

Tasting Notes:

Its citrusy overtones give way to juniper, mint, and cardamom, creating a smooth palate on which to construct something crisp and dry, or savory sipper.

Tanqueray 10 London Dry Gin

James Macinnes, lead bartender at Klaw Restaurant in Miami

ABV: 47.3%

Average Price: $32

The Gin:

There are way too many gins to isolate down to one particular brand that takes the throne for the beloved martini. Though, my personal favorite is Tanqueray 10. There are a couple of boxes that this particular gin checks that lend wonderfully to the martini’s simplicity and complexity.

Tasting Notes:

When it comes to martinis, I want a gin that packs a juniper punch but also compliments the citrus zest that comes along with my preferred build. Tanqueray 10 does just that.

Conniption American Dry Gin

Dana Lachenmayer, head bartender at The Wesley in New York City

ABV: 44%

Average Price: $28

The Gin:

At The Wesley, we actively champion badass women in spirits and wine. Melissa Katrincic, the only U.S. female distiller inducted into The Gin Guild, is not only one of those women, but she is also the creator of our favorite gin to use in a martini, Conniption.

Tasting Notes:

Fresh and floral notes of cucumber, citrus, and honeysuckle dance with juniper, angelica root, and cardamom with every sip of this modern American-style gin.

Editor’s Pick: Farmer’s Organic Gin

ABV: 46.7%

Average Price: $30

The Gin:

Farmer’s Organic Gin cuts no corners in any part of the process. The juice starts with non-GMO wheat to create a truly farm-to-glass process out in Idaho. Once distilled, the spirit is distilled again with a gin basket of botanicals that focus on locally sourced juniper, elderflower, lemon grass, coriander, rosebud, orange, lime, angelica root, and hemp seed. While hemp is, of course, associated with cannabis, the gin contains no THC or CBD but instead imparts a deep nuttiness that helps this gin truly stand out.

Tasting Notes:

The nose opens with a nutty sense of fresh walnuts off the tree next to honed sesame crackers before diving into sharp dried citrus rinds, light juniper, and woody botanicals reminiscent of a holiday potpourri bundle. The taste leans into the nuttiness with an almond nutshell vibe next to more dried orange and lime leaves over soft notes of creamy floral honey and soft touches of winter spice berries and plum pits. The finish is soft and lush with a light sense of almost earthy spice barks next to soft citrus honey and a touch of wildflowers on a summer’s day.

Bottom Line:

The crystal clear notes on this gin make for a spectacular martini in that each note is invigorated by the vermouth and water in the cocktail. They bloom in the glass and take you on a stroll through a blooming botanical orchard on a perfect summer day with every sip of an ice-cold martini. — Zach Johnston, Head Drinks Writer

Two weeks ago, Drew Barrymore had enough. The beloved actress announced that, after four months of being on hold during the Writers Guild of America strike, she was bringing back a writer-less version of her talk show. The backlash was so severe that she quickly reneged on her decision. Had she only waited a hair longer…

On Sunday, the WGA reached a tentative agreement with the AMPTP, which represents various studio heads. The strike isn’t officially over; the guild still has to vote on the renewed (and allegedly decent) contract. But shows and movies are already planning to get back on track. As per Entertainment Weekly, that includes The Drew Barrymore Show.

There is no official return date. (Again, the WGA strike isn’t technically over yet.) But EW reports that they’re eyeing sometime in October to bring back one of daytime TV’s strangest and most endearing programs. What’s more, even though the SAG-AFTRA strike is still ongoing, actors can appear on talk shows, such as Barrymore’s, as long as they’re not promoting specific new projects.

Barrymore’s terrible timing — holding out until a fortnight before the WGA strikes came to a probable end — did not go unnoticed. We won’t spoil the shocking conclusion of the Stephen King movie The Mist, but if you know, you know:

When Barrymore announced her show’s return, she insisted the show would technically be compliant with the strike. She also argued the show needed to be back on the air. “Our show was built for sensitive times and has only functioned through what the real world is going through in real time,” she wrote at the time.

The following week, after chaos ensued, she backed off. But expect her to be back to doing things like playing mom to Aubrey Plaza in a handful of weeks.

(Via EW)

The best new hip-hop this week includes albums, videos, and songs from Doja Cat, Drake, Lola Brooke, and more.

For all the fanfare surrounding two of the above-mentioned releases, the last week saw possibly the slimmest pickings in hip-hop of 2023 to date. That said, there were still a few worthwhile standouts. Doechii dropped “Pacer,” another genre-bending fave in a seemingly never-ending stream of them leading to her debut album, and two acts, Snoop Dogg and Flyana Boss, flexed a little brand synergy to remind everyone that hip-hop is still big business despite not setting the charts on fire lately. Then, of course, there’s the music below.

Here is the best of hip-hop this week ending September 22, 2023.

Albums/EPs/Mixtapes

Doja Cat — Scarlet

Doja returned to her roots on her latest release, delving back into the classic hip-hop sounds that first informed her style. It works, unless you expected more “Say So” or “Kiss Me More” style pop-rap anthems. This is a grittier, more combative Doja Cat and she isn’t making any apologies for it here.

Earthgang — RIP Human Art

While the Atlanta duo continues to promise their third LP Earthgang Vs. The Algorithm, they release this five-song warm-up EP to give fans an idea of what to expect. Fortunately, while these projects’ titles suggest high-concept shenanigans, Earthgang remains every bit as grounded — such as they are — in the cosmic funk they’ve always produced.

Lil Tecca — Tec

At 21 years old, Lil Tecca is no longer the teen sensation he once was — that position has been filled by Luh Tyler — and now, his mission is to prove his staying power. I don’t know if anything on this, his third studio album, is quite as sticky as his breakout hit “Ransom,” but I really respect that he seems to be putting his head down and going for it on his own, refusing to rely on big-name features to lend him attention.

Marco Plus — Joints

I can’t lie, Marco Plus is a new name to me, but that gave me all the more reason to check him out when he appeared on Tidal’s Suggested New Albums tab. Right off the bat, he presents a laid-back, easygoing vibe reminiscent of Curren$y, Wiz Khalifa, et al. Smoke DZA puts in an appearance so that should give you an idea of the stoner-ific, punchline-heavy flow Marco brings to the table. Lade the above names with a T.I.-esque Atlanta drawl (what’s a consonant?), and it’s a project I can see myself returning to.

Nick Grant — Sunday Dinner

After taking a funkadelic detour into last year’s Welcome To Loveland, the South Carolina rapper returns to his boom-bap-influenced lane. He still sounds cozy as hell on the bluesy, soulful samples, rapping about life’s rough edges. I’m sure he hates it when folks make this comparison, but if you’ve been going crazy with anticipation waiting for J. Cole’s The Fall-Off, Sunday Dinner will surely hold you over.

Singles/Videos

Chika — “Demigod”

One of the albums I didn’t get a chance to write about more fully this year was Chika’s long-awaited Warner debut, Sampson. A heady, high-concept album, it proved worthy of Chika’s Grammy-nominee talents despite being a little overlong. A standout was “Demigod,” which receives a pensive video this week paying homage to the Alabama rapper’s Nigerian roots.

Dame D.O.L.L.A. — “Paid In Full” Feat. Tobe Nwigwe

Speaking of Nigerians, Tobe Nwigwe is building quite the resume… rapping alongside two of the NBA’s best point guards in a two-month span has to be some kind of record. This video, which features Cam’ron, the unequivocal core of the hood classic Paid In Full, comes from Dame’s new album, Don D.O.L.L.A.

iCandy — “Big Mad” Feat. Flo Milli

Say what you want about the Zoomers sampling the ever-loving hell out of millennial faves… it’s about time someone got around to “Lip Gloss.” Lil Mama deserved so much better than she got for the past decade or so, and I can’t think of anyone more fitting to help spark a Renaissance for her career than Flo Milli, one of her most direct stylistic descendants.

Little Brother — “Wish Me Well”

This one’s for the 35-and-up crowd. LB’s reunion a couple of years ago was ambrosia for elder millennials, so to so it continue is truly manna from heaven. Some nice bars in here for fans of that “real hip-hop” — which is really all hip-hop, but you know what I mean.

Lola Brooke — “You” Feat. Bryson Tiller

Here’s another sample; this one’s from Eugene Wilde’s 1984 single “Gotta Get You Home Tonight, which most folks over 30 might remember as the basis for Foxy Brown’s “Get Me Home” featuring Blackstreet. It’s a good choice for a stylistic successor who is doing her best to capitalize on the viral success of “Don’t Play With It.”

Moneybagg Yo — “Big Dawg” Feat. Sexyy Red

Moneybagg Yo promised more new music to go along with his Hard To Love mixtape (check out his Uproxx cover story here). After making sure to tap in with GloRilla, he now offers his blessing to Sexyy Red. Honestly, if this becomes his new lane, I won’t be mad.

Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.