Starbucks’ most popular seasonal drink, the pumpkin spice latte (aka, the PSL!), is finally back, y’all. The return of the pumpkin-and-cinnamon-flavored beverage that warms the hearts of millions of Americans every year means summer is officially over, and fall has finally begun. #SorryNotSorry, pumpkin spice haters and summer lovers.
In 2018, Starbucks released a new pumpkin spice coffee creamer, so you can skip the PSL line.
Starbucks has enabled all of us to satisfy our PSL cravings with Starbucks’ Pumpkin Spice Latte creamer, which was released at the end of summer 2018. The product is sold at most grocery stores across the country, and the autumnal syrup only sets you back a mere $4.99, which — let’s face it — is much cheaper than snagging a grande PSL from your neighborhood Starbucks. Sorry, but it’s true!
Source: Starbucks
Our beloved Starbies has also given #basic guys and gals what they want in the comfort of their homes, an entire line of pumpkin-inspired items. Between pumpkin spice K-Cups, instant lattes, ground coffee, and cookie straws, there are so many ways to satisfy our basic, fall-loving taste buds.
Break out your flannel, a beanie, and your duck boots, guys — PSL season is basically in full swing, whether you like it or not. And TBH, we are loving it.
Republican National Convention (Day 1)
Day one of the Republican National Convention gets underway virtually due to the coronavirus pandemic. https://www.c-span.org/video/?475001-1/republican-national-convention-day-1
To the moooooooon!!! 🚀🚀🚀🚀 Come check out my stream right now my dudes: https://www.twitch.tv/casuallyexplained Second Channel Here: ►https://www.youtube.com/…
Children’s Health Defense (CHD), an anti-vaccine group headed by Robert F. Kannedy, Jr., filed a lawsuit alleging that Facebook’s fact-checking practices violate its constitutional rights and amount to “censorship.” The suit names Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg as well as three fact-checking organizations, Science Feedback, Poynter, and PolitiFact.
A statement released by CHD says that their suit charges them with “censoring truthful public health posts and for fraudulently misrepresenting and defaming CHD.”
Source: Getty Images
Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.
The statement also says, “Facebook has insidious conflicts with the Pharmaceutical industry and its captive health agencies and has economic stakes in telecom and 5G. Facebook currently censors CHD’s page, targeting its purge against factual information about vaccines, 5G, and public health agencies.”
According to Ars Technica, the suit also alleges that Facebook and the other fact-checking organizations “colluded to commit wire fraud by ‘clearing the field’ of anti-vaccine ads.”
Additionally, they claim that these organizations created “oppositional content” on the CHD page, “literally superimposed over CHD’s original content.” Ostensibly, these images were warning viewers that the content posted by CHD contained misinformation and scientific inaccuracies.
CHD also claims that Facebook deactivated the “donate” button on their page and used “a variety of deceptive technology” to keep their page and posts from reaching too many people. “In short,” the statement reads, “Facebook and the government colluded to silence CHD and its followers.”
Source: iStock Photo
Ars Technica reports that “Kennedy, through CHD and an affiliated group called the World Mercury Project, was responsible for more than half of anti-vaccine advertisements on Facebook when they were permitted.” In 2019, Facebook updated its policies and began to crack down on misinformation.
Facebook’s fact-checking process led to ads with false claims being banned and pages promoting anti-vaccine misinformation being pushed down in search results and recommendations. Actual anti-vaccine posts too began appearing with a link to bring readers to factual sites so they could get truthful information about the topic.
CHD claims that these actions are violations of “the First and Fifth Amendments, the Lanham Act, and RICO.” The CHD statement reads, “While earlier court decisions have upheld Facebook’s right to censor its pages, CHD argues that Facebook’s pervasive government collaborations make its censorship of CHD a First Amendment violation.”
Source: iStock Photo
The Verge reports that CHD’s lawsuit “doesn’t have a clear precedent for success.” “Much of the lawsuit simply contradicts Facebook fact-checkers’ claims, rather than establishing why the fact-checking would be illegal,” Adi Robertson writes.
There have been several lawsuits and much disagreement about the role and rights of social media companies when it comes to free speech and “censorship.” Back in May, President Donald Trump signed an executive order to try to prevent “online censorship.”
The problem, of course, is that facts are indisputable, a fact that some do not seem to grasp. You cannot lie and then claim you are being censored when someone corrects you and provides the right information. It’s not censorship to correct medically spurious advice. Lies and false information are not “opinions.” Period.
The Dallas Mavericks managed to tie their first round series with the Clippers at 2-2 thanks to the heroics of Luka Doncic, whose 43 points, 17 rebounds, and 13 assists in Game 4 was punctuated with a stepback game-winner for the ages, sending the Mavs and the entire NBA world into a frenzy.
It was the kind of moment that will live on highlight reels forever, and what made the Mavs Game 4 performance so impressive was that they orchestrated a 21-point comeback without the services of Kristaps Porzingis. While Doncic has been able to play through his sprained ankle, Porzingis was a late scratch due to knee soreness in Game 4, and on Tuesday the team downgraded his status to officially OUT for Game 5 with the same issue.
Dallas' Kristaps Porzingis (knee) has been listed as OUT for tonight's Game 5 against the Clippers
Given Porzingis’ knee issues in the past, it’s understandable why he and the Mavs would be cautious with any soreness, but it certainly puts a damper on their hopes of pulling off the series upset. That said, with Doncic playing the way he is coupled with the emergence of some of the Mavs bench pieces like Seth Curry and Trey Burke taking on much larger scoring roles in this series, they’ve been able to manage. The bigger issue likely comes on the defensive end, where Porzingis was, by far and away, their best rim protector. They’ll have to continue upping Boban Marjanovic’s minutes, but his positive contributions almost all come on the offensive end.
While technology continues to advance at a rapid rate, it’s the basic inventions that have the power to really enhance our life. While we may not have all of the money in the world to purchase the following items, we’re beyond glad they were created to better our lives in 2020. Here are 15 products collected from the subreddit /r/DidntKnowIWantedThat that were designed by geniuses. Please tell us where we can buy that cross-legged office chair immediately.
My anxiety convinces me that flirtatious banter is never going to turn into a serious relationship. Someone could be giving me a million signs that they’re interested, but I’ll assume they’re secretly stringing me along. I’ll assume they only want to use me. I’ll assume they are playing some sort of trick on me.
Instead of sticking around to see whether their feelings are authentic, I’ll close off my heart before they can break it. I’ll stop answering text messages out of nowhere. I’ll stop acting so excited to see them. I’ll refuse to wear my heart on my sleeve, to admit how I feel about them, to give them ammunition to tear me apart.
My mind plays tricks on me when it comes to my friendships, too. It doesn’t matter how well someone treats me. My brain will pick up on the smallest shifts in their behavior, the tiniest indications that they’re annoyed by me.
Even if someone invites me out to a party, I won’t believe they actually want me to show up. My brain will twists truths, convincing me they only invited me to be polite. They don’t actually want me to tag along. They wouldn’t actually miss me if I stayed home.
I do the same thing with text messages. I’ll think about getting in touch with a friend — but then I worry I’ll be bothering them. I’ll worry it’ll be a bad time. I’ll worry they won’t answer me.
Instead of reaching out to them to remind them how much they mean to me, I’ll keep quiet. I’ll keep to myself. I’ll keep my distance.
My anxiety makes it hard to build new relationships because my guard is up too high for me to see clearly. I can’t tell the difference between someone who is going to hurt me and someone who is always going to be there for me. In my mind, everyone is the same. Everyone has the potential to shatter my heart into pieces.
Of course, it has nothing to do with them. I don’t think the people surrounding me are liars or cheaters or manipulators. I don’t think they would set out to hurt me on purpose. I don’t think they’re that cruel.
The problem is with myself. I’m worried I’m not worth their effort.
I’m worried they’ll wake up one day and realize hanging out with me is more stress than it’s worth.
I’m worried everyone is going to leave because my anxiety convinces me they have no reason to stay.
I don’t mean to cut myself off from the world. I don’t mean to spend so much time on my own. I don’t mean to ignore texts or go months without hanging out with someone who matters to me.
I’m not trying to push other people away — but my anxiety makes it hard to keep them close. It makes it hard to show the world how much I care because it feels like caring always gets me in trouble.
Alter egos have always been creative tools of the masters, but they can get tricky. In literature, most protagonists are written in some likeness to their authors. Marcel Duchamp was one of the first conceptual artists to step out as a second self. Music has many prolific examples: Bowie did it with Ziggy Stardust, Nicki Minaj has several, George Clinton created an entire alternate universe out of them. And sports are rife with them because there’s something to be said for creating an in-game persona that’s capable of consuming nerves and doubt and converting them to confidence when it’s time to compete.
But a cross-vocation hybrid?
JaVale McGee’s alter ego, “Pierre,” isn’t a secret. He released a self-titled album with it in 2018, and continues to produce music under it, most recently on Justin Bieber’s February 2020 album on the track Available. McGee has dabbled in producing media with him behind or around the camera for just as long. He hosted the Parking Lot Chronicles during his time with Golden State, a funny and candid show where he interviewed teammates in the parking lot outside Oracle, and since arriving in Orlando for the season restart has been releasing his Life in the Bubble vlogs that chronicle the charming daily ennui of he and his teammates.
It’s clear that McGee is a true creative, in the sense that he is most happy when he is turning his gaze out on the world and producing something, free to try new things. For his latest interpretation, a new podcast called Finding Pierre, McGee’s turned all the way inward, going past Pierre as a veneer and attempting instead to find and simultaneously write the origin story of his alter ego.
“Ever since I was little, I wanted to make music.” McGee muses in the opening line of the podcast’s trailer, over his own new original track, Round of Applause, “But when you can run the floor and protect the rim like me, basketball, it just kind of chooses you.
The story that’s promised to unfold is loosely based on McGee’s own trajectory into the league, a young first-round draft pick who was “picked from my mama’s house in Flint, Michigan and thrust into the big leagues.” McGee narrates the intro to Finding Pierre as himself, at first, but shifts in and out of person and persona in the way one would in their own head.
“Basketball by day, alone in a strange new city by night with nothing but my music to keep me company,” McGee recalls, delving into some of the stress that came with his success and self-interpreted doubt. “I was a lottery pick, Slam Dunk Champion, but I’ve also led the league in air balls and been traded three times in four years. My commitment to the game was questioned from day one.”
When McGee introduces his on-court alter ego, Sly Malone — the one who’ll be narrating the new Audio Up produced podcast — he slips easily into the story. We haven’t spent any time with him but he’s as fully realized as McGee, plucked directly from his brain completely whole, an NCAA basketball player living a secret identity by night as a music producer, navigating two paths at once.
“The real truth is, without my music I’d never survive the stress of NBA life. I needed an alter ego. A mask, to shield Sly Malone, the basketball player, from the scrutiny of fans and media. So I created Pierre,” McGee says sunnily. “Super producer. He saved my life.”
The show will feature new and original music by McGee in every episode, a chance to showcase what he’s done since he was a freshman in college. You can hear an exclusive snippet of one of his tracks, “Let’s Get Loud,” below.
On his venture into podcasting, following a handful of other NBA stars like his teammate, Danny Green, McGee says, “Podcasting is something that I’ve always been interested in. The way Audio Up and CEO Jared Gutstadt takes both music and stories, and turns them into something much bigger, is catching a lot of people’s attention. I’m excited to be a part of this first wave.”
“I’m creating a whole new album, featuring music by my alter ego Pierre. It’s going to be unlocked throughout the original stories within each of the eight episodes. It will be the perfect way for us to expand my digital brand and get some music out in a dynamic way. Folks discover music in all sorts of ways, and Podcasting could just be that new primary avenue. It could turn from being a podcast, into the next big summer blockbuster or animated series!”
Will Sly Malone ultimately pick basketball, like McGee did, will Pierre the producer prevail, or will both find a happy coexistence in each other’s heads, much like McGee himself has created a cerebral coalescence with.
After watching so many funny and lighthearted episodes ofJohnno And Michael Try, we thought it was impossible for these two to argue. We thought their friendship was perfect, we thought these two would never succumb to the primitive behavior of arguing.
IF JOHNNO AND MICHEAL’S BEAUTIFUL FRIENDSHIP CAN’T WITHSTAND THE THROWS OF LIFE, HOW CAN ANY OF US TO EXPECT TO HAVE ANY TYPE OF LONG TERM FRIENDSHIP!?
And this fight appears to be a losing battle: Johnno lost their pet lizard Rodriga due to accidentally leaving the apartment door open. Yikes. Though Johnno’s mistake was due to being a busy police officer who was rushing across town to save another cop’s life, Michael doesn’t have sympathy; he is a nurse who just saved a kid from a shark attack – which means Michael is able to save lives AND remember to be a good roommate – unlike Johnno.
Oof. Is Johnno and Michael’s friendship gonna survive this? You’ll just have watch the most dramatic episode of Johnno And Michael Try to find out!
In recent years, there seems to be a trend of musicians putting their beef behind them. Katy Perry and Taylor Swift smoothed things over with a batch of chocolate chip cookies, and Rick Ross recently announced he’s willing to reconnect with 50 Cent if the rapper agrees to promote his partnered brands. Some feuds, though, still live on — like the infamous rivalry between ’90s boybands NSYNC and Backstreet Boys. But NSYNC’s Joey Fatone wants to settle things once and for all with a nostalgia-inducing Verzuz battle.
TMZ caught up with NSYNC star Joey Fatone and asked the singer who he thought would win in a Verzuz battle. “Well, first of all, there’s no contest, between Backstreet Boys and NSYNC. NSYNC will always win,” Fatone quipped.
Fatone then detailed the possibility of a Verzuz battler happening, saying it would be pretty unlikely: “What I will say is it would be hard to do because, believe it or not, a lot of our writers and producers are the same writers and producers as the Backstreet. Let’s be real here — It depends on where we’re going, what outlet, because then if we go with Justin too, Justin also wrote a couple of his own albums, the same thing you could go with AJ [McLean] too, he wrote an album or two. But I think it would be a tough decision of really how that would go down because of the style.”
Though the singer doesn’t believe the battle would be possible, he still thinks it would be a “fun” thing to do: “I don’t think it would be a good thing to have. I think it would be fun, don’t get me wrong, but I don’t know if everybody would agree. That’s the thing with us — the five of us always have to agree on it together. If we don’t, we don’t do it.”
For now, it seems as though fans will have to keep an eye out on the Verzuz Instagram page to see if the battle between the two boybands becomes a reality.
Last week, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez replied to a “blatantly misleading tweet” from NBC News, which reported that the congresswoman “did not endorse Joe Biden.” While technically true, this was standard procedure (AOC backed Bernie Sanders) and, as she noted, her remarks were shared “WELL in advance” to the media, including NBC News. “This is completely unacceptable, disappointing, and appalling… @NBC knew what was going to happen & that it was routine,” she wrote, adding that the tweet “sparked an enormous amount of hatred and vitriol, & now the misinfo you created is circulating on other networks.” To reduce the amount of, well, actually fake news (shudder) online, Ocasio-Cortez shared tips “for consuming media and staying informed” on Instagram.
The tips include “don’t rely on only one source,” “get an idea for each outfit’s slant / vibe / perspective / whatever you want to call it (in other words, never trust anything on Breitbart), “identify journalists whose work you respect and trust.” Ocasio-Cortez also noted that “many journalists are not responsible for the headlines above their work,” so even if you don’t like the headline, that doesn’t mean the story isn’t worth reading.
AOC then added a few more quick-hit important tips, like “support local journalism,” “don’t fall down the ‘fake news wormhole but still keep a critical eye,” and (the all-caps emphasis is hers), “PAY FOR A NEWS SUBSCRIPTION (if you can). News outlets that don’t have to chase click ads as much can invest in investigatory journalism.” You can probably get a subscription to your city’s newspaper for around $10/month — use the money you’re not spending on a Quibi membership to support local journalism.
