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Back on January 22 (a few months after the failed January 6 MAGA coup), Roger Stone penned a scathing op-ed, in which he tore into Donald Trump’s pardon of Steve Bannon for his defrauding of Trump supporters. Bannon had allegedly embezzled donations to help Trump build that “big, beautiful” U.S.-Mexico border wall, and Stone was incensed that Trump was cool with letting his guy off the hook. Did Stone’s saltiness have a defensive air to it as well? Perhaps, because although Trump commuted Stone’s own seven-felony sentence, there may have been some jealousy and cross-pollination behind Stone’s anger.

The political strategist and Nixon fanboy who helped Trump get elected remained loyal to Trump throughout his presidential tenure and even held a MAGA rally a week before January 6. And as it turns out, members of Congress like Josh Hawley (who appeared to be quite concerned over cell phone records) aren’t the only ones who should possibly worry about what the feds uncover about the planning that led up to January 6. LA Times legal affairs columnist Harry Litman appeared on MSNBC on Sunday to discuss how Stone is reportedly under investigation by the Department of Justice.

Via Raw Story, here’s part of what Litman said about the alleged involvement of Stone and Alex Jones:

“They were not just there. They made really incendiary comments and, look, we already do have a conspiracy — nine people have been charged so anyone, including Stone, Jones, [Ali] Alexander who adopted that unlawful purpose and did any overt act would be guilty of conspiracy. In the case of a Stone, we know from previous conduct that the [Justice] Department isn’t spoiling generally to go after him and former Trump people, but the paramount goal here is to really leave, forgive the expression, no stone unturned with respect to Jan. 6.”

Litman added that the DOJ is keen to piece together exactly how MAGA followers “were radicalized” into believing the “Stop The Steal” propaganda. Given that Stone’s been pushing Stop The Steal disinformation since the 2016 election (while possibly anticipating a Trump loss against Hillary Clinton) alongside Steve Bannon, well, Stone should probably be very worried. And that’s even more reason to explain why he was so irritated about Bannon’s pardon (because Stone obviously won’t be getting one from Trump if this DOJ effort comes to shove against Stone).

(Via Raw Story)

Fans have known for a little bit now that Lorde’s next album is titled Solar Power and that it’s on the way in the not-so-distant future. Now, we have some more concrete info: Today, Lorde shared the Solar Power tracklist and confirmed the album will be released on August 20.

Lorde says of Solar Power, “The album is a celebration of the natural world, an attempt at immortalizing the deep, transcendent feelings I have when I’m outdoors. In times of heartache, grief, deep love, or confusion, I look to the natural world for answers. I’ve learned to breathe out, and tune in. This is what came through.”

Another interesting note from the announcement is a new physical release format for the album, dubbed the “Music Box.” Described as “a first-of-its kind, discless format” and “an alternative to a CD,” it “will contain extra visual content, handwritten notes, exclusive photos, and a download card. The card will give purchasers a high-quality download of the music, two exclusive bonus tracks, and access to some special surprises along the way.”

Lorde said of the format, “I decided early on in the process of making this album that I also wanted to create an environmentally kind, forward-thinking alternative to the CD. I wanted this Music Box product to be similar in size, shape and price to a CD, to live alongside it in a retail environment, but be something which stands apart and that’s committed to the evolving nature of a modern album.”

Check out the Solar Power tracklist and Lorde’s upcoming tour dates below.

1. “The Path”
2. “Solar Power”
3. “California”
4. “Stoned In The Nail Salon”
5. “Fallen Fruit”
6. “Secrets From A Girl (Who’s Seen It All)”
7. “The Man With An Axe”
8. “Dominoes”
9. “Big Star”
10. “Leader Of A New Regime”
11. “Mood Ring”
12. “Oceanic Feeling”

02/26/2022 — Christchurch, NZ @ Electric Avenue Festival
02/27/2022 — Upper Moutere, NZ @ Neudorf Vineyards
03/01/2022 — Wellington, NZ @ Days Bay
03/02/2022 — Havelock North, NZ @ Black Barn Vineyards
03/04/2022 — New Plymouth, NZ @ Bowl of Brooklands
03/05/2022 — Auckland, NZ @ Outerfields
03/10/2022 — Brisbane, AU @ Riverstage
03/12/2022 — Melbourne, AU @ SMMB
03/15/2022 — Sydney, AU @ Aware Super Theatre
03/19/2022 — Perth, AU @ Belvoir Amphitheater
04/03/2022 — Nashville, TN @ Opry House
04/05/2022 — Detroit, MI @ Masonic Temple Theatre
04/07/2022 — Montreal, QC @ Salle Willfrid Pelletier
04/08/2022 — Toronto, ON @ Meridian Hall
04/12/2022 — Boston, MA @ Boch Center – Wang Theatre
04/15/2022 — Uncasville, CT @ Mohegan Sun Arena
04/16/2022 — Washington, DC @ The Anthem
04/18/2022 — New York, NY @ Radio City Music Hall
04/20/2022 — Philadelphia, PA @ The Met
04/22/2022 — Chicago, IL @ The Chicago Theatre
04/25/2022 — Minneapolis, MN @ The Armory
04/27/2022 — Denver, CO @ Mission Ballroom
04/30/2022 — Seattle, WA @ WaMu Theatre
05/01/2022 — Portland, OR @ Theater of the Clouds
05/03/2022 — San Francisco, CA @ Bill Graham Civic Auditorium
05/05/2022 — Los Angeles, CA @ Shrine Auditorium
05/07/2022 — Santa Barbara, CA @ Santa Barbara Bowl
05/25/2022 — Leeds, UK @ O2 Academy
05/26/2022 — Edinburgh, UK @ Usher Hall
05/28/2022 — Manchester, UK @ O2 Victoria Warehouse
05/30/2022 — Birmingham, UK @ O2 Academy
06/01/2022 — London, UK @ Roundhouse
06/02/2022 — London, UK @ Roundhouse
06/07/2022 — Paris, FR @ Casino de Paris
06/08/2022 — Amsterdam, NL @ AFAS Live
06/10/2022 — Barcelona, ES @ Primavera Sound
06/13/2022 — Zurich, CH @ Halle 622
06/14/2022 — Munich, DE @ Zenith
06/16/2022 — Rome, IT @ Cavea – Auditorium Parco della Musica
06/17/2022 — Villafranca di Verona, IT @ Castello di Villafranca
06/18/2022 — Sibenik, HR @ Saint Mihovil Fortress
06/21/2022 — Cologne, DE @ Open Air am Tanzbrunnen
06/23/2022 — Berlin, DE @ Verti Music Hall

Solar Power is out 8/20 via Republic. Pre-order it here.

As video games have advanced over the years, and technology improved, one aspect of gaming has dominated the future and it’s online multiplayer. All the biggest titles today like Fortnite, Call of Duty, and Grand Theft Auto all feature some kind of online multiplayer. However, while online multiplayer is definitely fun, it misses a part of gaming that really can’t be replicated: Couch co-op and in-person party games. Yes, we’ve all played a round of Among Us and screamed at each other on discord, or done raids in Final Fantasy XIV until the early morning, but there’s a certain joy to screwing over a friend and seeing their reaction in person or working together as a team and overcoming an obstacle on the couch together. It’s an aspect of gaming that’s sorely missing today.

There are still games out there though that create these feelings. More often than not they’re party games, video games designed to bring a group of people together and have some fun. Party games don’t have to be the most well-designed games, and sometimes they can even be intentionally infuriating, but they are always at their best when a group of friends is in the same room together. These are some of the best party games that are currently available.

Mario Party

The most classic and well-known party games. Everyone has played Mario Party at some point in their life. The concept of it is so simple. Take four players, put them on a board, and try to collect stars. Whoever has the most stars at the end of the game wins. Where Mario Party shines of course is the wackiness that occurs throughout the board and the pure rage that takes place during those matches. Players can make each other mad, stealing stars, using items to mess up your friend’s strategy, or just being a general menace. However, that’s just one aspect of Mario Party. The game itself is designed to fight the player in every way. Negative spaces, moments that will take away stars and give it to other players, and general chaos can reign at any moment. There’s a reason it’s known as the game made to be mad at your friends.

Jackbox Party Pack

The Jackbox Party Pack is a literal party game. While it’s certainly possible to play it with two or three people, the Party Pack is at its best with groups above five. Only one person needs to own the game, and the only thing necessary for everyone to have is their phone and access to a web browser. There’s a variety of games from trivia, drawing, or weirdly competitive. While some packs are better than others, everyone will surely find a favorite to play with their specific group of friends. The large variety across seven different packs has made it a must-have for any party host.

Castle Crashers

An oldie but a goodie. Castle Crashers gained fame as one of the early indie titles on Xbox Arcade to breakout. Up to four players can go on an adventure to rescue multiple princesses and defeat their kidnapper the evil wizard. Along the path, the player will gain animal companions, fight bizarre monsters, and upgrade their knight. Compete with each other for the princesses’ love at the end of stages and try to earn more money than the rest, or just work together to get to the end. While Castle Crashers can be played online, it is best experienced sitting aside each other with a group of friends. The main story typically takes a little over seven hours, so it probably won’t be beaten in one sitting, but if you want to be thrown back to high school gaming sessions all night long then this is the title for you..

Super Smash Bros.

The greatest crossover series in the history of video games. Super Smash Bros. is still going strong and the roster of characters is unspeakably large at this point. 80+ characters are available when including DLC and they range from some of Nintendo’s greatest IPs like Mario to Ken from Street Fighter. What started as a Nintendo crossover has grown to just video games as a whole. Anyone can find someone to play in Smash Bros. and what’s great about it is the competition level of matches really depends on the group. Want to be serious? Turn off all the items and put your skills to the test. Just trying to have a good time? Leave everything on and let chaos rain down from the heavens. It’s going to be a fun time no matter what.

Warioware

The Mario anti-hero may be most famous for being a selfish treasure hunter, but his series of minigame collections are some of the best out there. They’re wacky, energetic, and going to make everyone laugh at some point. Warioware isn’t the best for all-night gaming sessions, but for a quick fun time, there may be nothing better. This is another game that succeeds thanks to the variety in it and if there is one thing Warioware is known for it’s an absurd amount of minigames. Their minigames are unashamedly weird and it’s a huge part of why the series is beloved.

Fortune Street

What’s the worst part about Monopoly? It’s how long every match takes to reach a winner. What if you could have Monopoly but shorter? Well, that’s what Fortune Street is. This series actually first started all the way back in 1991, but it wasn’t released in the United States until 2007. Developed by Square Enix, they’re kind of a weird Mario/Dragon Quest crossover. Similar to Mario Party, everyone plays on themed boards, but unlike Mario Party, the gameplay itself is more similar to Monopoly with the goal of each playing being to collect properties.

Dokapon Kingdom

If Mario Party is a game about getting mad at your friends then the Dokapon Kingdom exists to end those friendships. Dokapon Kingdom, made by Atlus, is notorious for being the party game full of the most rage-inducing moments of any series. The concept of the game is pretty simple. Take your hero and save as many towns from monsters as possible. Collect the most towns, and money, to reach the end to win the game. However, there are two different ways to play. Players can either play custom games with each other that have a set time limit or the story mode. The story mode is 20 to 30 hours on it’s own and that’s if each player is playing as efficiently as possible. This should only be attempted by friends with bonds so strong that someone stealing every single town you own, killing you, and then changing your name to butts will not lead to a broken controller. Of course, that’s if the game itself doesn’t decide you’re playing too well and let a monster get a cheap 1-hit KO on you thus leading to you losing all your items. This game is brutal, but with the right group it can be a really fun marathon to keep your Friday nights entertaining for a month if not longer.

On Monday, the USA Basketball women’s roster was announced, headlined by longtime legends Diana Taurasi and Sue Bird, with an All-Star cast around them of both veterans and newcomers.

The men’s squad is still taking shape, as commitments from stars have been steadily trickling in for the last week, starting with Damian Lillard and Draymond Green and continuing to now include Kevin Durant, Jayson Tatum, Bradley Beal, and Devin Booker. Two more NBA stars made their commitments to the USA Basketball men’s roster on Monday, as Bam Adebayo of the Miami Heat will join as a much needed big man on a roster currently with just one in Draymond, and James Harden has committed in a bit of a shocker given his hamstring injury, per Shams Charania.

https://twitter.com/ShamsCharania/status/1407029773268885514

Harden said he was dealing with a Grade 2 hamstring strain when he returned to the Nets lineup for Games 5-7 of their conference semis loss to Milwaukee, and given the fickle nature of hamstring injuries a good chunk of time off figured to be a good thing for Harden this summer. However, he chose to join Kevin Durant on the USA roster in what is suddenly a loaded backcourt based on the current commits. The frontcourt remains a bit of a question mark, but Adebayo’s presence will bolster that in a big way and one would expect them to be focus their efforts on rounding out a few more bigs at the 4 and 5 spots in the coming week-plus.

With their upcoming Verzuz battle inching nearer, Bow Wow and Soulja Boy have gotten into the competitive spirit, spending the past few days trading trash talk and trolling each other over their various missteps and shortcomings.

On one end, Soulja revived Bow Wow’s infamous private plane faux pas, reminding fans that his opponent once posted a photo of someone else’s private plane before boarding a commercial flight to New York, only to be caught out by a fan who recognized him and posted his own candid shot of Bow Wow on his flight. “Because of me u get to fly private for real for Verzuz,” Soulja crowed. “U don’t gotta cap no more wit the challenge and commercial Spirit flights.” He also challenged Bow Wow’s current absence on the charts (although to be fair, Bow Wow hasn’t released many new singles recently. He did drop “My Pain” this year).

Meanwhile, Bow Wow, who knows a thing or two about hyping a competition after an earlier, wrestling-based back-and-forth, argued that he didn’t need to release any new records because of his multiple revenue streams, including appearing in the next installment of the Fast And Furious film series, F9. The trolling appeared to be in good nature, though, as Bow Wow also offered this observation: “I dont think @THEREALSWIZZZ and @Timbaland understand the magnitude of this #VERZUZ brodie.”

We’ll all find out this Friday, June 26, when the two rappers face off in a 20-song hits battle. Check out their WWE-style promos below.

“Fear is something we choose,” a voiceover says as extremely large waves crash in the trailer for 100 Foot Wave. Those surfers searching for waves that tall are certainly not afraid, but the rest of us who do fear 100-f00t tall mountains of ocean water can choose to just watch that harrowing quest unfold on HBO later this year.

The network shared a trailer for its 100 Foot Wave docuseries on Monday, giving us plenty of looks at lots of water all ready to crash on top of very eager surfers. A 100-foot wave is described as “the holy grail” and “the ultimate quest” in the trailer, framing it as an elusive and terrifying feat for surfers daring to dream.

“Even though Mount Everest had been climbed, the 100-foot wave has never been ridden,” a voice says.

The HBO Sports series is a look at a decade-long journey of Garrett McNamara to surf the titular wave, a quest that began after visiting Nazaré, Portugal, a small fishing village that became one of the most notable big-wave surfing destinations on the planet thanks to him.

The six-episode series captures the common spirit and fearless passion shared by McNamara and big-wave surfers from across the world as they push themselves through life-altering injuries and tantalizing near-misses in their collective pursuit of the inconceivable. Spanning four continents, 100 FOOT WAVE is an inspirational story of a group of people on a quest to achieve new heights, and a town and a sport that were forever changed by one seemingly impossible dream.

We’ll see if history is made when 100 Foot Wave‘s 6-part series debuts on July 18.

Black Country, New Road’s general rock vibe is high school band class discovers David Byrne. All seven of them play a different instrument, but they all come to wreck the stage with Big “Smoke On The Water”-Riff Energy. Last night at a live show in the UK, they injected some of that post-punkitude into ABBA’s “Mamma Mia.”

On keys, May Kershaw played the song’s teetering intro, as Georgia Ellery (violin) and Lewis Evans (sax) answered it with a roiling strings-and-brass combo. Ellery held her own as the violin strings stood in for ABBA’s high synths, while singer Isaac Wood led the crowd in a shambolic shout-a-long. Check out the full performance above, as well as the band’s other recent cover, of Weezer’s “Say It Ain’t So,” below.

Last week, Black Country, New Road announced their first-ever North American tour in support of their debut album For The First Time. The stretch begins on the east coast in February 2022, and winds up on the west coast, ending in mid-March. See the full list of tour dates below.

02/18 — Washington, D.C. @ DC9
02/19 — Boston, MA @ The Sinclair
02/22 — Brooklyn, NY @ The Sultan Room
02/23 — Brooklyn, NY @ Elsewhere
02/25 — Philadelphia, PA @ Johnny Brenda’s
02/26 — Montreal, QC @ Bar Le Ritz PDB
02/28 — Detroit, MI @ Third Man Records
03/01 — Chicago, IL @ Lincoln Hall
03/03 — Seattle, WA @ Barboza
03/04 — Portland, OR @ Polaris Hall
03/05 — Arcata, CA @ The Miniplex
03/06 — San Francisco, CA @ Great American Music Hall
03/08 — Los Angeles, CA @ Zebulon
03/09 — Los Angeles, CA @ Regent Theater

Black Country, New Road’s album For The First Time is out now via Ninja Tune.

At this point, there’s not much explaining that needs to be done about BTS in terms of their popularity. On a global scale, they are perhaps the world’s biggest pop act, and over the past year-plus, that has finally translated to major US chart success. Their latest No. 1 song is “Butter,” which spent its third consecutive week at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 after debuting in that spot. That tied it with “Dynamite” for the group’s longest-running No. 1 single, but now the band has a new king in that department: “Butter” is No. 1 for a fourth week on the Hot 100 chart dated June 26.

On top of that, of all the songs to ever debut at No. 1, “Butter” is now just the 13th of them to spend its first four weeks at No. 1. The last song to pull that off was Olivia Rodrigo’s “Drivers License,” which was No. 1 for its first eight weeks. The most recent song by a group to do that was Aerosmith’s “I Don’t Want To Miss A Thing,” which spent its first four weeks (which also made up its entire No. 1 run) on top in 1998.

Even if “Butter” had only spent one week at No. 1, it would have still been historically impressive, considering it was BTS’ fourth No. 1 song in a span of just nine months.

Margot Robbie recently teased the existence of a “20-hour cut” of Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, which is far longer than any movie should be (unless it’s two hours of plot and 18 hours of Brad Pitt saying the word “horsie”). Sony will never #ReleaseTheTarantinoCut, but unused footage from the 2019 film does appear in the trailer for Once Upon a Time in Hollywood: A Novel.

The bonus scenes include Rick Dalton (Leonardo DiCaprio) and Trudi Fraser (young standout Julia Butters) chatting on the phone; Sharon Stone (Margot Robbie) radiating pure joy; Marvin Schwarz (Al Pacino) rambling about pocket combs; and Charlie Manson speaking gibberish to freak out Cliff Booth (Brad Pitt). That one appears as a deleted scene on the Blu-ray, but there’s more Dewey Crowe’s Manson in the trailer above.

The book will explore “the characters further and deeper, and learning secrets that you didn’t know, and were not in the movie,” according to writer and director Quentin Tarantino. “It’s not just me taking the screenplay and then breaking it down in a novelistic form. I retold the story as a novel… It was a complete rethinking of the entire story and not just a rethinking as far as throwing some scenes that were left out of the editing room.” It will also explore Cliff Booth’s potentially murderous backstory.

Once Upon a Time in Hollywood: A Novel comes out on June 29.

Marim Albajari was a high school senior living in New York City during the onset of the pandemic. Suddenly, the prospect of starting college directly after graduation no longer seemed like a sure thing.

Due to a lack of resources to help her navigate the college application process, she was almost a victim of the “summer melt”—a term used to describe students who cancel plans to attend college before classes begin.

The “melt” is a common problem disproportionately affecting students from low-income families—many high-school graduates who have been accepted to college and plan to enroll are quickly knocked off-course if they do not obtain sufficient financial aid, miss administrative deadlines, or most importantly, lack support from family and friends.

The COVID-19 pandemic worsened the problem, as high school graduates who immediately went on to college in Fall 2020 declined by nearly 7% when compared to the previous year, for obvious reasons. Even without a pandemic, finding the right information about things like course load, financial aid, and housing can be time-consuming and overwhelming for students without a guide.

That’s where Oli comes in.

A free AI chatbot service, nicknamed “Oli”, is offered by The Common Application (Common App). In 2018, the Reach Higher Initiative merged with Common App and partnered with AdmitHub to develop the AI chatbot that would eventually become Oli. The group then joined forces with the College Advising Corps to offer counseling services to get more first-generation, low-income, and diverse students enrolled in college.

Courtesy of Common App

With the help of $1.4 million in grant funding from the Capital One Foundation, nearly 675,000 high school students applying to colleges through Common App have gained access to information on admissions and scholarship opportunities.

“The Capital One Foundation saw the need and stepped up to help by moving as quickly as possible to maximize the number of people that could be helped,” says Eric Waldo, executive director of the Reach Higher Initiative at Common App. “Our colleagues at The Foundation have gone over the top to connect us with resources across their organization and are continuing to help us achieve our mission to assist as many students as possible through its continued support to the Class of 2021 and beyond.”The result? Resources provided by Oli have saved students nearly 18,000 hours that traditionally would’ve been spent consulting with an advisor. Now a freshman at John Jay College of Criminal Justice, Albajari can attest to the value of Oli’s help.

“Oli was my guardian angel,” Albajari said. “As a first-generation college student, I didn’t have the privilege to get the help I needed at home on my college journey. Even though Oli may be a robot, I felt like someone had my back.”

Courtesy of Capital One

The result? Resources provided by Oli have saved students nearly 18,000 hours that traditionally would’ve been spent consulting with an advisor. Now a freshman at John Jay College of Criminal Justice, Albajari can attest to the value of Oli’s help.

“Oli was my guardian angel,” Albajari said. “As a first-generation college student, I didn’t have the privilege to get the help I needed at home on my college journey. Even though Oli may be a robot, I felt like someone had my back.”

“It is imperative that all graduating high school students be equipped with the tools necessary to avoid delaying their dreams of attending college,” says Andy Navarrete, Head of External Affairs at Capital One. “The playing field of opportunity in higher education has never been level, and the COVID pandemic only made that fact more clear. We’re committed to continuing our efforts to support equitable access and persistence for aspiring college students of all backgrounds.”

That support from The Foundation comes alongside an initial $200 million, multi-year commitment from Capital One to advance socioeconomic mobility through the Capital One Impact Initiative.

In addition to exclusively funding the initial launch of the AI chatbot for Class of 2020 students, Capital One is continuing to expand this resource by contributing both financially and through pro bono support from its tech associates. Since the chatbot’s inception, nine associates from Capital One have volunteered 500 hours of pro bono service to optimize the chatbot’s ability to help prospective college students.

“As a first-generation college student, I remember having a lot of the same questions that students interacting with the chatbot were seeking answers to,” says Elizabeth Souza, a Capital One associate who helped support the development of this chatbot. “Volunteering to support the development of this chatbot has been a tremendous opportunity to ensure equitable access to technology and resources for all.”

Photo courtesy of Jennifer Sanchez

Those efforts in turn helped first-generation college student Jennifer Sanchez, a California native now finishing her freshman year at the University of La Verne. With the help of resources provided by the AI chatbot, Sanchez earned a scholarship, received a grant to help offset the cost of housing and was connected with councilors at each university she received admission to best decide which school would be the best fit for her.

“I was considering not even going to college because of how the pandemic financially impacted my family, but that chatbot gave me access to financial and educational resources that I would’ve never known existed without it,” Sanchez said. “I think of that Oli like a friend. It supported me on my journey, like a friend would, every step of the way.”

A little encouragement and access to the right information can take us places we never imagined.