Toya Wright Talks Divorce, New Show And New Love? On The Big Tigger Show
Toya Wright and her music producer husband Memphitz have tried time and time again to repair their marriage, but the time has come for it to come to an end--the reality star has officially filed for divorce.
Wright filed earlier in the month and according to public paperwork, she cited the dissolution of the marriage asirretrievably broken and there is no hope of reconciliation.
Toya Wright Says She And Memphitz Are Planning To Divorce
Wright,who is the ex-wife of rapper Lil Wayne,had a concrete prenuptial agreement with Mickey Memphitz Wright,stating that in the event of a divorce each had protection oftheir personal assets.
The couple who was not exempt from the spotlight and drama appeared on Marriage Bootcamp: Reality Stars, where the tried to repair the damage done to their union but, alas nothing worked.
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Phillies (48-58) at Braves (36-68)1:35 p.m. on CSN
Two sellers take the field in Atlanta one day before the trade deadline. Jerad Eickhoff is the starter for the Phillies as they try to take three of four from the last-place Braves.
Here are five things to know for Sunday afternoon"s game:
1. Eickhoff and the curveFor the third time in four starts, Eickhoff took a loss on Tuesday in Miami. The loss said little about his actual performance though.
Eickhoff returned to form in his seven-inning performance, allowing just one run on five hits and a walk. He struck out eight and would have gotten a win if his lineup had, you know, scored. The game was his 12th loss, which leads baseball, but it was more a funciton of his 3.25 runs of support per start, one of the worst marks in baseball.
Stats-wise, there were two big numbers in Tuesday"s start for Eickhoff: 28 and eight. He threw 28 curveballs, which helped him strike out eight Marlins. It was his highest strikeout total since July 4 against the Braves, who he"ll face on Sunday.
But let"s focus on the curveball. He threw it 31 percent of the time on Tuesday, his highest percentage for a start since May 11 (also against Atlanta). Could Eickhoff"s curve be a key to unlocking success? He had struggled with the same Marlins lineup just five days prior and the mid-70s curve provides a strong contrast to his low-90s fastball.
How Eickhoff utilizes his curveball on Sunday will be interesting to watch. The Braves have certainly seen him and that pitch before, although they have a shuffling cast that could be different from the beginning of the month. Can Eickhoff simply stick with his fastball and slider to stop the weak Braves" offense, or will the curveball play a big role this afternoon?
2. Crowded outfield in AtlantaThe Braves got out from under a Hector Olivera"s contract on Saturday night just to take on Matt Kemp"s big money in a deal with San Diego Padres. Olivera, who was arrested for domestic violence, was promptly designated for assignment by the Padres, so the Braves essentially took on a bigger deal for slightly more production.
Kemp is far from his old self. He is still an above-average hitter, but is deep in decline. He has hit 23 home runs (as many as he did last season), b, so he still has power. Kemp is batting .262, his worst batting average since 2010 and has drawn just 16 walks to 100 strikeouts.
It doesn"t help that Kemp isn"t very fleet of foot. He can play a barely passable corner outfield at this point and hasn"t played centerfield since 2014.
With young outfielders like Ender Inciarte, Jace Pederson and Mallex Smith in Atlanta and Nick Markakis under contract for a few more seasons, it makes little sense for Kemp to be on the Braves" young roster. At least as long as Markakis is there, which may not be the case after the trade deadline.
A player who is traded has three days to report, so Kemp may not be in the lineup on Sunday. However, the Phillies will certainly see him in a Braves uniform later this season and likely in the years to come. He has a .310 average in 56 career games against the Phillies, hitting nine home runs and compiling 33 RBI. But remember, he"s not the Kemp of old.
3. Scouting De La CruzJoel De La Cruz will be the Braves starter on Sunday afternoon. He was a reliever for them in the series opener on Thursday. Because he isn"t fully stretched out, one has to imagine he won"t be lasting very long into Sunday"s game.
De La Cruz is a 27-year-old rookie who bounced around the Brewers, Nationals and Yankees" farm systems for the last decade before making his debut with the Braves this year. The 6-foot-1 righty made two starts, one against the Phillies, before moving the to the bullpen.
In his first start against the Phillies, he got through six innings on July 4 (against Eickhoff) and allowed seven runs (four earned and all in second inning) on nine hits. He didn"t walk anyone but allowed home runs to Odubel Herrera and Maikel Franco.
On Thursday, he needed just four pitches to retire two batters.
De La Cruz relies on a low 90s sinker that he throws more than half the time. His offspeed offerings include a mid-80s slider and change-up. Hitters have had far more success off his sinker than his off-speed stuff, but it is also a small sample size.
Since the start against the Phillies, he has a 3.68 ERA in 7 1/3 innings out of the bullpen.
4. Players to watchPhillies: Maikel Franco had a bad night all around while the Phillies offense scored nine runs on Saturday. He went 0 for 5 and misplayed a ball in the ninth inning to prolong the game (scored a hit). How will he bounce back?
Braves: If it wasn"t for a $135 million contract, it"d be easy to feel bad for Freddie Freeman. He"s in the midst of another good year for the Braves, but he"s under contract through 2022 for a team that is far from contention.
5. This and that In three starts this season against Atlanta, Jerad Eickhoff is 2-1 with a 2.37 ERA. That means 33 percent of his wins have come against the MLB-worst Braves.
Freeman is 5 for 12 in his career against Eickhoff with a solo home run. Markakis is 3 for 10 with two RBI.
Herrera and Cesar Hernandez both had multiple hits off De La Cruz in the July 4 start.
RAIN. THAT ALL CAME DO INTO-THREE HOURS. MY ADVICE WOUL NOT BE TO LEAVE UNTIL ALL OF THI HAS A CHANCE TO SETTLE DOWN. THREE INCHES OF RAIN IN BALTIMORE. EVERYWHERE UNDER RED -- IN THE WARNING. TAKES A LONG TIME FOR THE WATER TO RUN THROUGH THE STREAMS AND CREEKS. THIS IS A SERIOUS SITUATION IN HOWARD COUNTY. THE HEAVIEST RAIN TAPERING OFF. -- WE HAVE A PACKET OF HEAVY RAIN OVER THE EASTERN SHORE. IF YOU ARE WATCHING AROUN THROUGH. YOU ARE GOING TO PICK UP A GOOD 1-2 INCHES OF RAIN. SEE SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS BACK IN THE MOUNTAINS. CAN"T RULE OUT THE POSSIBILITY YOU MIGHT SEE MORE RAIN IN YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD. DE POINT, 71. A LOT OF MOISTURE AVAILABLE PRODUCE HEAVY RAIN. THE LOW 70"S BUT NOT DROPPING OF TOO MUCH FURTHER. DEW POINT. TONIGHT. SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS. DON"T THINK IT WILL BE LIKE TODAY, MORE HIT AND MISS. WITH A CHANCE OF A THUNDERSTORM. WARM AND HUMID AGAIN. 40 CHANCE, TEMPERATURES IN THE UPPER 80"S TO AROUND 90. SEVEN-DAY FORECAST, 30% CHANCE.
Malia Obama Shows Off Her ASS At Lollapalooza 2016!! - The Breakfast Club
If we learned anything from the 1998 Disney movie My Date with the Presidents Daughter (we learned everything), its that the life of a teenager in the White House consists of Secret Service hijinks, daddy-daughter tensions and, of course,a personalized theme songyou cant stop singing 18 years later.
The eldest first daughter decided to eschew expectations of what her duties should be and skipped theDemocratic National Conventionto enjoy the Lollapalooza festival in Chicago instead.
Malia Obamawas spotted at the Cashmere Cat set on Thursday amid a crowd of concertgoers around the same time Hillary Clinton wasmaking history as the first woman to secure a major partys presidential nomination.
The Secret Service was also in attendance to ensure the 18-year-olds safety at the festival. One Twitter user snapped a team of agents dressed in matching plaid shirts and khaki pants at the venue.
Unfortunately, some Twitter users took the opportunity to blast Malia on social media for being A COMPLETELY NORMAL TEENAGER. Cause that worked out so well last time, right?
Thankfully, the sane side of Twitter quickly clapped back at the critics to remind everyone that its perfectly fine for Malia to go to a concert of her choosing, especially after almost eight years of being in the political spotlight.
French Montana and Kodak Blacks Lockjaw is lowkey the song of the summer. Gucci Mane, who has had an impressive run of guest features since coming home from prison, is adding one more with a remix to Lockjaw.
On the track, Guwop delivers lines about being incarcerated and "sleeping on a bunk for 20 months," as well as other Gucci-isms.
Since his release from a three-year prison bid, Gucci is making up for lost time. So far, hes appeared on Kanye Wests Cruel Winter single Champions. Drake has blessed Gucci with a hook for Back on Road, while hes linked up with newer artists like Dreezy and Kodak Black for hard-hitting anthems. Gucci has also done songs with his former 1017 Records artists, making tracks with Young Thug, Migos, and Peewee Longway.
As long as he keeps this up, its going to feel like Gucci was never gone from the rap game. His upcoming album Everybody Looking is set to drop on July 22, which will include songs like No Sleep (Intro), 1st Day Out tha Feds, and All My Children. Check out the remix to Lockjaw below.
French also premiered a new solo cut called "Two Times." Hear that one below.
POKÉMON GO UPDATE: MAJOR BALANCE CHANGES TO MOVES + MORE
A major Pokemon Go update might make it harder to find actual Pokemon but youll be able to re-customize your avatar, so theres that.
Available forAndroid and iOS, it seemsthat the footprints of nearby Pokemon have been removed. You no longer get a sense of where the Pokemon are, only that theyre nearby.
All Killer, No Filler
Were bringing Momentum to New York: our newest event, showcasing only the best speakers and startups.
Niantic and Nintendo might be bothered some players are already catching em all.
Sadly, footprints havent worked correctly for some time, so itwasnt the most useful of in-app features. Still, wed rather see them fixed that ditched but some reports point to footprints having been a cause of Pokemon Gos ongoing server issues, so perhaps the problem was bigger than we know.
Other fixes include adjusted battle damage, improved memory issues and several in-app animation and visualization tweaks.
The real story is footprints, so if youve been using them with any measure of success to find Pokemon, youll need to find another way.
Read next: Kanye West tweetstorm suggests Apple really is trying to buy Tidal
TNW"s West Coast writer in the PNW (Portland, Oregon). Nate loves amplifying developers, and codes in Swift when he"s not writing. If you need to get in touch, Twitter or email are your best bets.
Clint Frazier May 31st, 2016 Akron RubberDucks Post-Game Interview
CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Bradley Zimmer and Clint Frazier, the Indians" top two minor-league prospects, are on the move.
The organization promoted the young outfielders to Triple-A Columbus following their game on Sunday.
Baseball America ranked Frazier and Zimmer the No. 21 and No. 26 prospects in the league onits midseason top 100 list.
The Indians selected Frazierwith the fifth overall choice in the 2013 amateur draft. The 21-year-old posted a .276/.356/.469 slash line (.825 OPS) in 89 games with Double-A Akron this season. He has slugged 13 home runs and tallied 48 RBI to go along with 25 doubles and 13 stolen bases. Frazier has totaled 41 walks and 86 strikeouts.
The Indians nabbed Zimmerwith the 21st overall selection in the 2014 amateur draft. The 23-year-old compiled a .253/.371/.471 slash line (.842 OPS) in 93 games with the RubberDucks. He has racked up 14 home runs and 53 RBI, with 20 doubles, six triples and 33 stolen bases. Zimmer has amassed 56 walks and 115 strikeouts.
Zimmer has struck out in 28.3 percent of his plate appearances this season. Last year, he struck out in 23.9 percent of his trips to the batter"s box. Zimmer"s walk rate has increased this season as well, to 13.8 percent from 10.0 percent.
Clint Frazier and Bradley Zimmer will share the outfield in Columbus after doing so in Akron.Chuck Crow/PD
The Indians promoted outfielders Greg Allen and Luigi Rodriguez to Akron to take the place of Frazier and Zimmer. Allen is batting .298 with a .425 on-base percentage, with 93 runs scored and 38 stolen bases. Rodriguez is batting .330 in 24 games.
The timing of the promotions falls in line with how the Indians have operated with some of their top prospects in years past. Zimmer advanced to Akron from High-A Lynchburg in mid-July last season. Two years ago, shortstop Francisco Lindor relocated to Columbus from Akron in late July.
Of course, the shift to Triple-A likely will not prevent the prospects" names from being tossed around in various trade rumors. Both Zimmer and Frazier could spark the interest of opposing teams who have pieces that the Indians covet.
Baseball America also includes pitcher Brady Aiken (No. 59), first baseman Bobby Bradley (No. 64), pitcher Justus Sheffield (No. 69), catcher Francisco Mejia (No. 70) and pitcher Mike Clevinger (No. 71) on its midseason top 100 list.
The Indians have selected an outfielder in the first round in four of the last five drafts. Tyler Naquin, the club"s top pick in 2012, is making a case for the AL Rookie of the Year Award.
Naquin"s case for AL Rookie of the Year
The team took high school outfielder Will Benson in the first round last month.
If you get a second chance in life, you have to make the most of the opportunity. According to UFC president Dana White, that"s exactly what UFC welterweight Jake Ellenberger did on Saturday at UFC 201.
Ellenberger, 31, went into Saturday"s fight with Matt Brown not merely as the betting underdog, but having lost five of his last six fights. The UFC never stated Ellenberger"s job was on the line, but as it turned out, it may have been.
Speaking to FS1 after UFC 201, White revealed the UFC briefly parted ways with Ellenberger after his last loss to Tarec Saffiedine in January.
"I didn"t know what to expect from him," White said. "I said in the standup with [UFC commentator Joe] Rogan before the fights started, if he comes out and does what he"s capable of doing, then this is going to be a very fun fight.
"With the UFC, we had cut him," White added. "He flew out to Las Vegas and he met with me and said, "Don"t cut me, please." He said, "Give me one more shot. I promise I will come out and deliver.""
Brown was ranked ninth in the division with Ellenberger not even in the top 15. While it"s unclear how the outcome will precisely affect their rankings, the win gives "The Juggernaut" his first victory since February 2015. It brings his professional record to 31-11.
"We put him against Matt Brown and he came out and delivered," White said.
Manchester United vs Galatasaray 5 - 2 Match Analysis: Marcus Rashford & Jose Mourinho
Zlatan Ibrahimovic is expected to make his Manchester United debut in their pre-season friendly against Galatasaray in Gothenburg on Saturday evening.
The Sweden legend joined up with the first-team squad and manager Jose Mourinho after their tour of China and will be hoping to get some minutes under his belt in his home country.
The game will take on more significance given that the Manchester derby in Beijing was cancelled and players will be desperate to impress the Portuguese boss.
What will the Manchester United team be?
Jose Mourinho has named the same 23-man squad that trained at Carrington on Thursday, omitting the likes of Bastian Schweinsteiger, Andreas Pereira and Adnan Januzaj.
Timothy Fosu-Mensah and Chris Smalling are notable absences. Fosu-Mensah deleted a tweet on Thursday saying he was "recovering", amid reports he had been told he was not in Mourinho"s plans for the forthcoming season.
Centre-back Smalling, it is assumed, is injured.
The Galatasaray game is a chance for a number of players to make their first appearances in pre-season. Wayne Rooney and David de Gea travelled to China but did not feature, while Anthony Martial, Morgan Schneiderlin, Marouane Fellaini and Matteo Darmian are available after their Euro 2016 commitments.
Full squad list for Manchester United vs Galatasaray
David de Gea
Sergio Romero
Sam Johnstone
Matteo Darmian
Antonio Valencia
Eric Bailly
Phil Jones
Marcos Rojo
Daley Blind
Luke Shaw
Marouane Fellaini
Michael Carrick
Morgan Schneiderlin
Ander Herrera
Jesse Lingard
Ashley Young
Juan Mata
Memphis Depay
Wayne Rooney
Henrikh Mkhitaryan
Anthony Martial
Marcus Rashford
Zlatan Ibrahimovic
See the new United squad numbers for 2016/17 here. How to watch United vs Galatasaray on TV
United vs Galatasaray will be shown live on channel MUTV from 5:30pm on Saturday 30 July, kick-off is 6:30pm.
The match is being played at Ullevi Stadium in Gothenburg.
The M.E.N"s coverage of Manchester United"s pre-season tour is in association with Marathon Bet. New customer welcome offer of up to 20. Promo code MUFC20. Claim Now!
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RAIN. THAT ALL CAME DO INTO-THREE HOURS. MY ADVICE WOUL NOT BE TO LEAVE UNTIL ALL OF THI HAS A CHANCE TO SETTLE DOWN. THREE INCHES OF RAIN IN BALTIMORE. EVERYWHERE UNDER RED -- IN THE WARNING. TAKES A LONG TIME FOR THE WATER TO RUN THROUGH THE STREAMS AND CREEKS. THIS IS A SERIOUS SITUATION IN HOWARD COUNTY. THE HEAVIEST RAIN TAPERING OFF. -- WE HAVE A PACKET OF HEAVY RAIN OVER THE EASTERN SHORE. IF YOU ARE WATCHING AROUN THROUGH. YOU ARE GOING TO PICK UP A GOOD 1-2 INCHES OF RAIN. SEE SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS BACK IN THE MOUNTAINS. CAN"T RULE OUT THE POSSIBILITY YOU MIGHT SEE MORE RAIN IN YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD. DE POINT, 71. A LOT OF MOISTURE AVAILABLE PRODUCE HEAVY RAIN. THE LOW 70"S BUT NOT DROPPING OF TOO MUCH FURTHER. DEW POINT. TONIGHT. SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS. DON"T THINK IT WILL BE LIKE TODAY, MORE HIT AND MISS. WITH A CHANCE OF A THUNDERSTORM. WARM AND HUMID AGAIN. 40 CHANCE, TEMPERATURES IN THE UPPER 80"S TO AROUND 90. SEVEN-DAY FORECAST, 30% CHANCE.
French Montana and Kodak Blacks Lockjaw is lowkey the song of the summer. Gucci Mane, who has had an impressive run of guest features since coming home from prison, is adding one more with a remix to Lockjaw.
On the track, Guwop delivers lines about being incarcerated and "sleeping on a bunk for 20 months," as well as other Gucci-isms.
Since his release from a three-year prison bid, Gucci is making up for lost time. So far, hes appeared on Kanye Wests Cruel Winter single Champions. Drake has blessed Gucci with a hook for Back on Road, while hes linked up with newer artists like Dreezy and Kodak Black for hard-hitting anthems. Gucci has also done songs with his former 1017 Records artists, making tracks with Young Thug, Migos, and Peewee Longway.
As long as he keeps this up, its going to feel like Gucci was never gone from the rap game. His upcoming album Everybody Looking is set to drop on July 22, which will include songs like No Sleep (Intro), 1st Day Out tha Feds, and All My Children. Check out the remix to Lockjaw below.
French also premiered a new solo cut called "Two Times." Hear that one below.
Blake Lively and Kristen Stewart CANNES 2016 Footage - CAFE SOCIETY Photocall (HD)
Caf Society3 out of 5 StarsDirector: Woody AllenWriter: Woody AllenStarring: Jesse Eisenberg, Kristen Stewart, Steve CarellGenre: Comedy, DramaRated: PG-13 for some violence, a drug reference, suggestive material and smokingRecommended to: Those looking for Woody Allens take on infidelity in 1930s Hollywood.
Synopsis: Set in the 1930s, Bobby (Jesse Eisenberg) leaves the comforts of the Bronx to try to make it in Hollywood working for his uncle, Phil Stern (Steve Carell), an infamous agent.
Review: Woody Allen channels his inner F. Scott Fitzgerald in this lovely, but ultimately misguided story about Hollywood in the 1930s. Steve Carell stars as Phil Stern, a powerful agent with an inflated sense of purpose; Jesse Eisenberg plays his nephew Bobby who has relocated from the Bronx in hopes of finding new adventures; Kristen Stewart is Vonnie, Phils attractive employee tasked with showing Bobby around town, and Blake Lively plays the beautiful blonde.
What follows is a boy meets girl sort of tale where hearts are broken as secrets are made public. Its all very glamourous and flashy, but Allen seems to believe that there is happiness to be found in the mess of infidelity and lies. Fitzgerald was wise enough to see the emptiness behind the faade. His characters werent given the space to revel in their fleeting pleasures. The hollow nature of their relationships always came crashing down upon them. In Caf Society there is frivolity, but nary a consequence to be found.
Watch Hillary Clinton"s Full Democratic Convention Speech
PHILADELPHIA I was there, in the arena of the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, when a woman accepted the nomination of a major American political party for president. But dont envy me for witnessing history, because thats not really how it felt.
To people watching Hillary Clintons Democratic National Convention speech on TV, like my colleague Dylan Matthews, The first speech as nominee of the first woman nominated by a major party was always going to be a moment. And sure enough, Clinton delivered [...] She nailed it.
She delivered the speech fluidly. The crowds enthusiasm seemed to boil over spontaneously into chants of HIL-LA-RY!. The speech ended with a spectacle that included not only more balloons than Bill Clinton or anyone else had ever seen, but fireworks.
But in the arena, Clinton couldnt hold the audience; it wasnt hers to hold. There were just too many pockets of dissent and rejection.
Chants of No more war! and No TPP! felt liable to erupt at any moment. The back of the California delegation booed for 20 or 30 seconds at a time.
What sounded on TV like oddly-timed Hillary and USA! chants were usually attempts by Clinton supporters to drown out attempted disruptions. In the arena, youd hear a buzzing undercurrent for a few seconds, then an over-strident Hillary! chant surge dutifully to meet it.
Pockets of Bernie Sanders supporters in Day-Glo T-shirts refused to participate in the card stunt at the end of the speech. Cards distributed to audience members was supposed to turn the audience into a living bunting of red and white; it ended up looking like an awning someone had tried to deface with a highlighter.
The interruptions werent constant, but they were frequent enough. Even after one round of boos subsided, it was hard to return attention to the speech instead of bracing for the next one. The arena never felt uncontrolled, in the literal sense. But despite the amount of energy the Democratic Party poured into the spectacle, the dissenters managed to signal-jam the vibe.
The Democrats wanted transcendence. But politics is about dissent.
Its ironic that Clintons speech felt a lot more momentous on television than it did to those of us who were in the room. (And I cant help but feel bad for the delegates whove exhausted themselves for months, only to see or hear less of the speech than their less-invested peers who were watching at home.) But in a way, its fitting.
Its often true in politics that things that look very smooth and unified from a distance are actually, up close, the result of a lot of scuffling and scratching: a coalition held together with athletic tape and bruises.
As others have pointed out, Democrats convention presented democracy as a kind of civic religion; it was designed to give everyone watching at least one reason to feel proud to be American. It was brilliant stagecraft. Hillary Clinton is not a candidate who inspires the ecstasy weve seen this year at rallies for Bernie Sanders and Donald Trump; her party built up an ecstasy around her.
(Stan Honda/AFP/Getty Images)
It made sense as a declaration, over the next three months, of a unified threat against Donald Trump; it was not in any way a coherent expression of who the party will be if Trump fails. At a certain point, it will have to choose between the patriotism of the Chamber of Commerce lobbyist who spoke against Trump on Thursday and the patriotism of the Sanders supporters who Clinton, and everyone else, bent over backwards to praise.
Actual politics is about making choices. It is about dissent. Things only happen because people disagree and someone wins.
For eight years, weve had a president whose rhetoric, almost to a fault, always emphasized unity and endorsed the middle path between two competing extremes. But the things hes done of consequence are the result of fights his side won. And Obama and his administration, in turn, have been pressured to change along with the rest of society in how it views same-s*x couples, transgender people, unauthorized immigrants, black communities relationships with the police by activists challenging the status quo.
Its impossible to say, especially after the last several years, that dissent and disruption whether its Black Lives Matter activists blocking intersections, or Lt. Dan Choi chaining himself to the White House fence to protest Dont Ask, Dont Tell dont work as tactics. It feels inappropriate, honestly, to get mad when a political event is interrupted by a reminder of how politics actually works.
Clintons going to continue to be challenged from the left but shes shown she responds to strategic demands
So far, the media has characterized dissenters within the Democratic Party as Bernie Sanders supporters. So far, thats made sense. Sure, Clinton formally defeated Sanders during the roll call vote on Tuesday, but hundreds of delegates had come to Philadelphia for the purpose of supporting Sanders over the course of the week.
After this week, that wont make much sense. Opposition to Hillary Clinton, from the left or right, is going to be about opposition to Hillary Clinton. (Support for another candidate, like Jill Stein, isnt necessarily about Clinton but protesting Clinton rallies with Stein signs is.)
Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post via Getty
Its going to continue. Maybe not over the next few months, during the general election (though maybe so). But definitely after the election. Winning for Clinton doesnt mean her leftist dissidents will go away. The American public may like Hillary Clinton better when shes holding office than running for it, but activists of all stripes have been aware from the start that theyre going to have to mobilize to pressure a President Hillary Clinton to do right by them.
There were times during the Obama administration when it was fair to assume hed be interrupted during a big public speech: before the repeal of DADT during his first two years; before he implemented the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program for young unauthorized immigrants in 2012.
Whenever it happened, you could almost feel Obama stiffen in annoyance. President Obama usually believes hes doing something (or not doing it) because its the right thing to do; that always makes it hard not to take a heckler personally.
But in private, he more or less acknowledged it worked. In meetings with progressive activists, Obama often tells a story about Franklin Delano Roosevelt telling labor leader A. Philip Randolph, "I agree with you, now go out and make me do it." Ironically, FDR probably never said that but Obama"s use of it reflects how he himself understands politics. And when pressured enough, on immigration or the Keystone XL pipeline, he delivers.
Hillary Clinton has also shown that she can be made to do it. She"s a transactional politician; her biggest selling point is that she can deliver things to her constituents. If her constituents demonstrate that she"d better show an awareness of mass incarceration to earn their trust, she"ll call for criminal justice reform and become the first nominee to use the phrase "structural racism" when speaking to a primetime convention audience.
Is there anything Hillary Clinton can do to redeem herself to you?
Heres the thing, though, about working to get a politician to move to the left (or in any other direction): when the politician tells you what you want to hear, and supports a policy to pander to you, thats a victory. It doesnt matter whether they actually believe the sentiment. It matters that they know you believe the sentiment, and theyve decided the most important thing is to do what you want.
That usually means that the most effective activists in this style make clear demands of politicians about what they want to see, and then praises the politician when it happens.
When Bernie Sanders was asked to say that black lives matter, and did and started name-dropping Sandra Bland in speeches that was a victory. The activists whod criticized Sanders and his campaign acknowledged and praised it (even while remaining annoyed with some Sanders supporters).
Compare that with, say, Code Pink which is very good at interrupting speeches, but less good at articulating what it is asking politicians to do (beyond ending war). Its worth noting that, by the end of the week in Philly, the loudest and most constant protests in the arena were from antiwar protesters even though Sanders barely touched on foreign policy in his campaign (another indication that ultimately, this is about Hillary Clinton).
If you believe that Hillary Clinton is a fundamentally corrupt politician in a fundamentally corrupt system, this makes sense. In fact, Clintons willingness to tell you what you want to hear merely confirms your thesis that shes insincere and not to be trusted. But at that point, your problem is not with the things that Hillary Clinton is saying or not saying its with Clinton herself.
At a certain point, moving a politician to the left is not the goal anymore. The goal is to demonstrate that the politician is illegitimate. When protesters interrupt speeches as part of a pressure campaign, the interruption is usually finite; they know theyll make their point and be escorted out. Constant booing and chanting doesnt communicate a discrete point; rather, it delegitimizes the politician, and the whole pageant. (Think of the Chicago protesters who successfully shut down a Donald Trump rally before it began.) Breaking the spell of the Democrats convention stagecraft was a goal itself; it exposed the whole thing as a sham.
Denying a politicians legitimacy is a very, very big deal. You can no more be half-legitimate than half-pregnant; you cant make fine distinctions between two illegitimate politicians (or rather, you can make them in your head, but you shouldnt be surprised when you fail to communicate them clearly).
Its essentially a call for revolution. And if the revolution fails to materialize, its just an expression of belief that it should.
This is the question that left dissenters need to ask themselves about Hillary Clinton, if they havent already: is there anything that Hillary Clinton can do to redeem herself to you?
If there isnt, you can continue to protest her existence, but dont be upset if she doesnt respond you wouldnt accept a response if you got it.
If there is, figure out how you can make her do it especially (if she is elected) in January. You wont be alone. In fact, you might be surprised to see that some of the people who supported Clinton in 2016 are right alongside, waiting to remind her of what she owes.
Web Extra! - Trinity River, Texas Alligator Gar Related Coverage
SCHENECTADY, N.Y. (NEWS10) Several people are at Schenectadys Central Park hoping to hook the elusive Alligator Gar.
NEWS10 ABCs Ayla Ferrone is told the best bet is to use live bait like worms.
Several people heading back out to Iroquois Lake on Friday, hoping to catch the Alligator Gar that found its way into the water.
The invasive fish is proving to be hard to catch. People are using everything from lures, to worms, even raw chicken and shrimp to try and snag the beast.
Some fisherman saying theyve noticed the Alligator Gar in the water over the past month or so. Monitoring its movement and trying to figure out exactly the best way to catch, what is now being called, the Schenectady Lake Monster.
Hes real sluggish. He moves real slow, Justin Franchi said. Hes a night feeder, so during the daytime its going to be hard to wrangle him in.
Some people have had enough, packing up and leaving. The fish is still out here somewhere in these waters.
The fish is garnering so much attention, someone has even crated a parody Twitter account. The Alligator Gar talking about how full he is, announcing a ransom, and evening telling people to leave him alone.
Some fisherman just wont quit.
Big draw. Something big in here something different. So I hope I wind up with him.
I am hoping to get it. If nothing else I got some good fishing.
The mayor of Schenectady is offering a $100 reward to the person who catches the fish.
Tyler Posey Talks Dylan O"Brien Accident & Bromance Teen Wolf Season 6 - Comic Con 2016
Screen grab from Teen.com /Tyler Posey
Its been two years since Tyler Posey split from his childhood girlfriend, Seana Gorlick, but it seems that the Teen Wolf star is still not yet over her. The young actor surprised everyone when he announced his engagement to Gorlick at the young age of 22. The couple had been dating for 10 years. But a year into their engagement, the pair called of their walk down the aisle.
Earlier this year, Posey sat down with People magazine where he shared his thoughts on the breakup. In the interview, he confessed that he still misses Gorlick. He also shared that since the split, he has been reluctant to commit to a serious relationship.
A year after the breakup, I said, Okay. Im going to see if Im ready to get back into relationships. But I wasnt ready, Posey said.
Read Also: Teen Wolf Season 6 Spoilers: No Scott McCall Love Life As Tyler Posey Ditches Season 7
The actor certainly shocked his fans when the Tyler Posey girlfriend breakup hit the news. But Posey admitted that he did not know how to handle relationships at that time. He revealed in another interview that he wanted his relationship with Gorlick to be perfect but did not realize that there would be a lot of hard work involved. Obviously, he still has a lot to learn.
For now, the star seems to be enjoying being single again and admits to going out on casual dates. But though Posey is dating, he is not exactly the player type. He revealed that he is not into one-night stands and playing the field. I need to be single for a little while. I need time to grow, he shared.
The Tyler Posey girlfriend breakup issue seems to be fading away, though. The actor is now seen honing his music career. This may be unknown to many but Posey used to be the frontman of a punk band called Lost in Kostko. Though he sings, he described his vocal prowess to be something of a yell.
In a recent interview with Billboard, Posey shared his plans of producing and writing music with his friend Jack from the All Time Low band. Could this be the start of a stellar career in music for the actor? For now, this remains to be seen.
Read Also: Teen Wolf Season 6 Spoilers: Series Introduces New Character Replaces Tyler Posey?
For comments and suggestions, leave a message in the comments section below. Like and Follow ourFacebook pagefor more stories and to stay up-to-date with the latest happenings.
BALLOONS! Tim Kaine & Bill Clinton join Hillary Clinton on stage - Democratic National Convention
DETROIT (AP) - Volkswagen owners can finally dump their cheatin" cars, if they want to.
The German automaker has agreed to an unprecedented U.S. settlement to make things right after admitting that it programmed about half-million of its diesel cars to cheat on emissions tests. When driven on the road, the vehicles put out levels of nitrous oxide well above U.S. pollution standards.
If the settlement with owners and government agencies is approved by a federal judge - which could happen as early as this fall - Volkswagen will spend up to $10 billion to either buy back or fix the cars and compensate owners for their trouble.
Here are answers to questions about the deal, which is the largest class-action settlement in the history of the American auto industry:
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Q: WHAT EXACTLY AM I GETTING FROM VW?
A: You can choose. VW will buy back your car - regardless of its condition - at the National Automobile Dealers Association clean trade-in price before the cheating was made public on Sept. 18, 2015. Or the company will fix your car. The fix has not been determined and still must be approved by the Environmental Protection Agency and the California Air Resources Board. VW is expected to submit possible fixes beginning in November.
In either case, if you owned the car on or before Sept. 18, VW will pay you $5,100 to $10,000 for your trouble, depending on the age of the car and whether you owned it on or before Sept. 18. Buybacks will begin this fall if the settlement is approved. Owners will have until Sept. 1, 2018 to make a decision.
You"ll get bigger payments for your trouble if you owned your car on or before Sept. 18, 2015. The payments are smaller if you bought it after that. VW also will buy out your lease if your vehicle was leased through Volkswagen Credit.
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Q: HOW MUCH ARE THESE CARS WORTH?
A: Owners will get $12,500 to $44,000, depending on the model, age, mileage and options on their car.
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Q: SHOULD I TAKE THE BUYBACK OR THE FIX?
A: It depends. From a financial standpoint, it"s probably better to wait. You have until Sept. 1, 2018 to seek a buyback. So you can drive the car for more than two years without penalty, as long as you don"t go over 12,500 miles per year. You"ll still get the clean trade-in value from before the scandal was made public. Also, fixes are not ready and may not be submitted by VW until at least November. Then they have to be tested and approved by government regulators. Repairs could hurt mileage or performance. And if you keep driving, you"ll continue to pollute the air.
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Q: CAN I JUST KEEP MY CAR WITHOUT GETTING IT FIXED?
A: You could, but eventually you would violate the Clean Air Act by spewing too much nitrogen oxide. If you live in a state that doesn"t test diesel cars, then you might be able to do nothing. But in states that have pollution tests, you run the risk of being caught.
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Q: WILL ATTORNEY FEES TAKE ALL OF MY PAYMENTS LIKE THEY DO IN MANY CLASS-ACTION LAWSUITS?
A: No. They are not included in the settlement and will be negotiated later with VW.
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Q: I"M JUST GOING TO TAKE THE MONEY AND BUY A NEW CAR. DOES ANY OTHER AUTOMAKER SELL SOMETHING THAT PERFORMS LIKE A VW DIESEL?
A: Your choices are pretty limited because VW had a lock on lower-cost diesels in the U.S. The closest would be the Chevrolet Cruze diesel, but it was made only through the 2015 model year. There are only about 30 left at dealers nationwide starting at $25,660. Otherwise, the options get pricier. The BMW 328D diesel starts at $39,850, and the Jeep Grand Cherokee diesel starts at more than $41,000.
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Q: CAN I BUY A NEW VOLKSWAGEN DIESEL?
A: Volkswagen has been under a stop-sale order for its 2016 diesels until they can be fixed. Since there"s no approved repair ready yet, they still can"t be sold. They could go back on the market when fixed, but you run the risk of reduced performance depending on the repairs.
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Q: I OWN A 3-LITER V6 VOLKSWAGEN. WHAT HAPPENS TO ME?
A: That"s still being worked out by all the attorneys. You are not covered by the package announced Tuesday.
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Q: IF I BUY AN AFFECTED VW DIESEL TODAY, WILL I BE ELIGIBLE FOR COMPENSATION?
A: Yes. The eligibility for the compensation transfers to the new owner. Former owners who sold their VW diesels between Sept. 15, 2015, and June 28, 2016, are also eligible for some compensation.
___
Q: WHERE CAN I LEARN MORE?
A: The official settlement web site is https://www.vwcourtsettlement.com .
(Copyright 2016 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)
UFC 201 takes place tonight (Sat., July 30, 2016) inside Philips Arena in Atlanta, Georgia. It features Welterweight champion Robbie Lawler, who will attempt to defend his 170-pound belt for the third consecutive time against No. 4-ranked contender Tyron Woodley in the pay-per-view (PPV) main event of the evening. Flyweight champion Demetrious Johnson was supposed to fight Wilson Reis in the co-main event; however, "Mighty Mouse" was forced to withdraw from the show after suffering an undisclosed injury in training. As a result, the women"s Strawweight scrap betweenRose Namajunas vs. Karolina Kowalkiewicz was promoted to second billing.
UFC 201"s PPV main card, which will start promptly at 10 p.m. ET, will feature three other match ups.Hard-hitting Welterweight standouts Matt Brown and Jake Ellenberger will hook "em up in what should be a ferocious fire fight, while Bantamweight brawlers Erik Perez and Francisco Rivera will go toe-to-toe at 135 pounds. And kicking off the PPV action is a 125-pound clash between up-and-coming prospects Ryan Benoit and Fredy Serrano.
To check out the complete UFC 201: "Lawler vs. Woodley" fight card and line up, clickhere.
As is always the case, UFC will also deliver a complete "Prelims" undercard that features six bouts, four of which will air on FOX Sports 2, beginning at 8 p.m. ET. The remaining two will stream on its subscription-only online digital network, "Fight Pass," starting at 7 p.m. ET.
Below are the numerous ways in which you can watch UFC 201: "Lawler vs. Woodley" later tonight (all times ET):
More UFC 201 coverage from SB NationOnline:
Fight Pass (Early "Prelims), starting at 7 p.m. (Exclusions: Brazil, Libya, Sudan, Lebanon, Syria, Cuba, Iran, North Korea and Somalia.)UFC.TV (PPV main card), starting at 10 p.m.YouTube (PPV main card), starting at 10 p.m. (United States, Canada, Australia, Philippines, New Zealand, Hong Kong, Japan, Taiwan, Austria, Belgium, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Switzerland, Ukraine, Russia, Argentina and Mexico only.)
Cable/Satellite:
FOX Sports 2 ("Prelims"), starting at 8 p.m. (Channel Finder)DirecTV and Dish (PPV main card), starting at 10 p.m.On your television (PPV main card), starting at 10 p.m. (contact your local cable provider)
Tablet/Mobile:
Android MarketApp Store
Local Area:
Bar / Restaurant (Check your area here)
You can also watch UFC 201 through your television or set-top box, including Apple TV and Roku, as well as through a video game console such as PlayStation 4 or Xbox One.
More UFC 201 coverage from SB Nation
SB Nation combat sites will also cover the entire event in our live UFC 201: "Lawler vs. Woodley" threads here,here andhere. Updates will begin with the first fight at 7 p.m., and run right through the main event that will likely start sometime around midnight.
In the meantime, get up to speed on all things UFC 201, including previews, predictions, interviews, breakdowns, videos, analysis and so much more. Be sure to check out the most comprehensive collection of stories available anywhere for "Lawler vs. Woodley" righthere.
Hier bringt Supermodel Gigi Hadid einen Paparazzo zu Fall!
07/29/2016 at 12:30 PM ET
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Gigi Hadid and her fashion father Tommy Hilfiger have been very busy lately. Hot on the heels of her campaign for Hilfigers brand new fragrance, The Girl, the 21-year-old model was seen shooting a new project with the brand in L.A.
Hadid was snapped on set sporting a cheeky, red-and-white-striped suit a cutout neckline, which was paired with a denim, patch-covered bomber jacket from Hilfigers resort 2017 line and patriotic lace-up wedges. The model also wore a white t-shirt with a large H in the center, blue high-waisted patchwork jeans, and a red bomber, followed by a white-on-white outfit during the shoot.
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RELATED PHOTOS: Unforgettable! 13 Times Gigi Hadid Wore Her Name on Her Clothes
Hadid, who announced her role as the Global Brand Ambassador for Tommy Hilfiger late last year, will be launching a capsule collection called Gigi by Tommy Hilfiger this fall. The line will include clothing, footwear, and accessories.
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RELATED VIDEO: Gigi Hadid Reveals Which Sports Illustrated Bikini Shot Zayn Loves Most!
I never thought I would be asked to design a capsule collection, so it still feels like a dream that Tommy approached me to collaborate There are styles that are really hippie-chic, styles that are sporty streetwear, and styles that are tomboy but girly; everyones is going to love a different part of it, she said about the line.
And its no surprise that Hilfiger chose to collaborate with model of the moment. He recently told PeopleStyle, [Gigis] relaxed, chic and shes beyond a supermodel. Shes a super person. Shes an Instagram star. Shes the woman of today.
Polisen Mikaela Kellner på Ninjabanan By: Express Web Desk | Published:July 30, 2016 12:59 pm Mikaela Kellner pinning down a thief in a park in Stockholm/ Instagram
When Mikaela Kellner, a Swedish policewoman, was spending some quality time while off-duty with her friends in a park in Stockholm, she didnt know there would be a call for duty. As soon as she got to know that one of her friends phone has been stolen, she immediately ran for the suspect and pinned him to the floor. The photo that caught her unawares was posted by her on her Instagram account and has gone viral.
In the picture, Kellner is dressed in a bikini and can be seen slamming him to the floor with her knee as her friend helps her in the action. My first intervention while wearing a bikini during my 11 years as a police officer. It was fun, reads the caption.
When the women were sunbathing, this man came to sell some newspapers and magazines, to which, the girls refused. He still lingered on. Thats when Kellner suspected something wasnt right with the man. She told her friends to take care of their belongings. As soon as he left, one of her friends couldnt find her phone.
Kellner immediately ran towards him, beat him and arrested him.
There was no time, so I ran after him, maybe 15 metres or so. One of my friends is also a police officer, so we got hold of him. He tried to get away so we held onto him harder, she told The Local.
She has been an officer for over 11 years now but it was her first time to catch a thief while wearing a bikini. When I sat there I looked over at our other two friends who are not police officers and realised that it probably looked pretty funny. But I would have stepped in no matter my outfit, she was quoted as saying.
La policía Mikaela Kellner arrestó a hombre en bikini
Off-duty Swedish police officer Mikaela Kellner was sunbathing in a Stockholm park this week when one of her friends" mobile phones went missing.
Kellner, who was dressed in a bikini at the time, quickly realised that the most likely suspect was a man who had just passed by pretending to sell newspapers.
Swedish police officer Mikaela Kellner, left, arrests a thief.Photo: Instagram
So she didn"t hesitate, and chased him with a colleague, then tackled him to the ground and arrested him.
Because this is 2016, the ordeal was caught on camera, and Kellner posted it on Instagram, where it has already been liked more than 15,000 times.
"My first intervention while wearing a bikini during my 11 years as a police officer," the caption said.
Later, in an interview with the TheLocal website, Kellner explained that she "acted on instinct and didn"t think about it so much until after we had pinned him down."
"When I sat there I looked over at our other two friends who are not police officers and realised that it probably looked pretty funny," she said. "But I would have stepped in no matter my outfit."
According to her social media profile,Kellnerisalso a power lifter andCrossFitathlete as well as a former contestant on Swedish Ninja Warrior.
We"ve seen many high-profile screw-ups by the different governing bodies, leagues and institutions that lead golf this year. But this is a new one. Apparently the PGA either forgot to put the hole in the right spot, or just put it in a totally different spot than it had originally told players. The PGA would eventually catch the mistake, but only after the first group of the day played the 10th hole (their opening hole) operating with a pin sheet that had the old information on it. Old information that told them the hole was on the opposite side of the green. Really.
The bad info also may lead to one player, Colt Knost, missing the cut by a shot.
Knost was in that first group and had every right to be ticked off Friday morning when he took tournament organizers to task on Twitter after he set out for his second round of the PGA Championship with the wrong pin sheet.
At the time, we didn"t have the full background of the screw-up and know why Knost was upset. But this is an inexcusable screw-up. The PGA of America recognized its mistake and later apologized for the error.
The following official statement was issued:
"The second round hole location sheet provided to Group 14 the first group of the day to play from Tee #10 listed the hole location as being on the left side of the green (20 paces from the front of the green and four paces from the left edge of the green).
"In error, the hole was actually cut and positioned on the right side of the green (19 paces from the front of the green and five paces from the right edge of the green). The PGA of America Rules Committee did not notice the hole had been cut in the incorrect location until after each member of Group 14 had hit his second shot to the green.
"The hole location played by Group 14 was provided a revised hole location sheet to all subsequent groups, meaning all groups today are playing this same hole location. PGA Chief Championships Officer Kerry Haigh met with the players in Group 14 (Colt Knost, Joe Summerhays and Yuta Ikeda) after they signed their cards to offer an explanation, express his disappointment and apologize to them."
Knost made a bogey-5 on the hole and finished his round on the projected cut line at 2-over. He was not pleased.
Knosts earlier tweet, of course, referred to the way the USGA screwed up a penalty call on Dustin Johnson in the final round of the U.S. Open.
Making matters worse: the bogey from that hole could be the difference between Knost missing the cut. He"s at 2-over and the cut line is jumping all around that number. It just jumped to 1-over, meaning Knost would go home if things hold.
Hier bringt Supermodel Gigi Hadid einen Paparazzo zu Fall!
It"s about time you show your stripes.
Sure, it"s a year-round trend that"s always appropriate, but celebs are just now inspiring us to line things up in fresh, fun ways.
Leave it to Olivia Palermo to show us how to do pin stripes, the street-style way. What used to be pressed, buttoned up and relegated to the boardroom is now easy, breezy and oh-so comfortable for everyday wear. Just make sure the thin stripes are featured in a slouchy silhouette, and if wearing pants, crop the hem.
Neil Rasmus/BFA/REX/Shutterstock
Jenna Dewan Tatum, for example, has sweet summer style down patin an affordable black-and-white frock from Target, no less. Think horizontal stripes are unflattering? Pair the pattern with an A-line silhouette, so it gives you an illusion of a cinched-in waist. Baring your sleek shoulders will also help ground those lines.
Broadimage/REX/Shutterstock
Gigi Hadid may look like she"s ready for fall, but the foundation of her look is summer-ready all the way. Pair a Briton shirt with high-waisted white jeans or pants, and you"re set for any BBQ, boat party or picnic in your future.
Beretta/Sims/REX/Shutterstock
Singer-songwriter Pixie Lott is a-head of the celeb curve with this trend, wearing a striped topper to elevate her very classic, simple outfit. To add a bit more interest, opt for a pop of color with your accessories, like Pixie"s Kelly-green bag.
Stripes and casual wear go hand-in-hand. But when you want to dress up a look, use structural pieces, like Olivia Munn"s bag and over-the-knee boots, to elevate any laid-back vibes.
Rumor Report | Tyrese Addresses His Statements Against Jay Z, DJ Khaled, & Future Photo DJ Khaled during a listening party in Manhattan for his new album, Major Key. Credit Rebecca Smeyne for The New York Times
On a recent muggy evening, the music producer, Snapchat philosopher and Beyonc tour mate DJ Khaled sat at a mixing board in a recording studio six floors above Times Square enjoying a large sundae. A scrum of journalists, photographers and record label employees waited for permission to enter the control room, where DJ Khaled, a 40-year-old artist known for his collaborations with hip-hop and R&Bs biggest stars, was to play his new album, Major Key, out this Friday.
Once this ice cream goes in, Ill be ready to go, he said.
Listening sessions for new albums dont frequently feature enthusiastic appearances by the talent, but DJ Khaled is a brand ambassador as much as he is a producer: major keys are the steps to success that he repeatedly touts on his preferred platform, Snapchat. So the event wasnt just a chance to hear his trademark phrases (most often his own name) yelled over a series of polished, star-studded songs; it offered a close-up look at the kind of brilliantly executed boosterism his millions of social media followers usually see at a carefully curated remove the chance to see DJ Khaled build a four-hour commercial for himself and his sponsors in the flesh.
The throng had been growing for an hour and a half. A TV in the studio lounge had been playing the video for I Got the Keys, the first track on Major Key, featuring Jay Z and Future, on repeat. Representatives for Croc vodka and Belaire Champagne had been arranging their products; a brief, tense moment arose when Crocs people found their ice bucket occupied by bottles of Belaire. Placards of the albums cover (DJ Khaled on a throne in a garden of flowers, beside a lion) were mounted on easels.
Dessert vanquished, DJ Khaled asked for water and napkins. Facing a semicircle Yall are some powerful people in the game he began his pitch. Major Key is his ninth album; the previous eight, with titles like We the Best, We the Best Forever and I Changed a Lot (Because I changed a lot, he said.) have gathered the leading artists in his genre, much as one of DJ Khaleds idols, Quincy Jones, did in the 1970s and 80s.
For this album, DJ Khaled explained, he wanted every song to be a potential hit single.
I aint playing no games, he said, citing as an example of his seriousness the albums first two songs, I Got the Keys and the Drake-fronted For Free.
I dont know who did that or whos done that, he added, referring to his ability to enlist such marquee names. I havent met them yet. And Im not going to wait for somebody to tell me they have.
He swiveled back to the mixing console and began playing the album which features collaborations with the rising rapper Kodak Black and the established rappers Nas, Jeezy, French Montana and Kendrick Lamar at a blistering volume. He described the ballad Do You Mind? (featuring Rick Ross, Nicki Minaj, Future, Jeremih, Chris Brown and August Alsina) as having a We Are the World aesthetic. A song for the ladies, as opposed to the many about them.
With the entire album having been played, DJ Khaled turned to what else? Snapchat. He assembled the room behind him, urging everyone to hold up a bottle Champagne, vodka, DUss cognac. Then his audience moved in for selfies.
Suddenly, excitement rippled through the room: Busta Rhymes had materialized, his neck draped in glistening stones. He remarked on DJ Khaleds sneakers.
Get Busta Rhymes some of these ASAP, DJ Khaled said to a man responsible for obtaining sneakers.
Elevens? the man asked.
Busta Rhymes approached an easel holding the album artwork. You went and got the lion for real! I was so against the lion, he said. Dont sit next to the lion.
Busta Rhymes left.
Another ripple of excitement quickly followed: The rapper Travis Scott, who duets with Lil Wayne on one of the albums tracks, and his companions had arrived unexpectedly. DJ Khaled was pleased. He conjured a Snapchat scenario in which the duo were pursued by a mob of photographers not a stretch, because they were.
Too much paparazzi! DJ Khaled yelled in mock anguish, his phone extended in front of him as he and Mr. Scott fled the camera flashes.
DJ Khaled began playing the album again for Mr. Scott, who was overcome with excitement, leaning on the shoulders of others as if physically depleted. They danced together like no one was watching, but everyone was watching. Mr. Scott played a song from his own coming record.
You got one, DJ Khaled said, meaning a hit. They held their shimmering wrists together for a Snapchat video. Then the night beckoned, and DJ Khaled sent his designer backpack and its handler out into the world, where a blue Rolls-Royce and a black van awaited.
Olympic athletes are arriving in Rio, full of confidence, hope and concerns about Zika.
Will they get it? How will they know if theyre at risk? Enter Silicon Valley, and the smart thermometer, as it is called.
Thats what San Francisco-based Kinsa calls its thermometer, which hooks up to your smart phone to monitor and store your symptoms as they change.
Doctors and teammates will then know if theres a health problem on a specific team or in a specific area.
It"s kind of a social network for health or an early warning system.
"With a few simple taps you can add in symptoms, results, notes, in addition to the fever history that you have," said Kinsa CEO Inder Singh.
The thermometer is catching on so quickly with athletes that Kinsa is now offering them its product for free. Singh says six teams have already requested the thermometer and hundreds of them have been sent out.
You can track your health, with the thermometer and Kinsa app, from the Android or iOS store.
Scott tracks the Olympics on Twitter: @scottbudman
Welcome back to This Week in Black Twitter, your weekly digest of the happenings on Black Twitter and cultural conversations on the web. Topics will span the gamut with pop culture, politics, sports, lifestyles and everything in between. This week: Those hoping justice would be served in favor of Freddie Gray come to terms with case"s outcome, Bill O"Reilly downplays slavery and#ArthurMemes take over.
1. In a surprising decision to some and expected for others,all charges against all officers were dropped in the Freddie Gray case on Wednesday.
The announcement by State"s Attorney Marilyn Mosby came a day after the Democratic National Convention featured onstage #MothersoftheMovement, such as Sybrina Fulton, the mother of Trayvon Martin;Lesley McSpadden, the mother of Mike Brown; Gwen Carr, the mother of Eric Garner; and several others.
ActivistBrittany Packnett wrote for The Guardian about how it felt to hear the news after witnessing that moment at the convention.
"And in the wake of acquittal after acquittal, the message continues to be clear: not only do black lives, hearts and spines not matter to a system that continually kills us, but the only people who seem to be guilty of our deaths are ourselves," she explained. "When we die, our homicides are ruled suicides. When we die, there must have been some act, some moment, some single bad decision that caused it. When we die, we must have done something to deserve it."
In a series of tweets, activist/actor Jesse Williams spoke out about the dismissals and questioned the point of the Constitution,beginning with a quote from anarchist Max Stirner.
Others online shared his sentiments.
But not everyone. Some felt the officers never should have been charged.
2. According to Bill O"Reilly, the slaves who built the White House were "well-fed."
It all started Monday when first lady Michelle Obama gave an impassioned speech at the DNC, saying: I wake up every morning in a house that was built by slaves, and I watch my daughters two beautiful, intelligent, black young women playing with their dogs on the White House lawn."
On his Fox show "The O"Reilly Factor,"O"Reilly said that those slaves were "well-fed and had decent lodgings provided by the government." He also took the time to point out that slaves weren"t the only ones working on the structure.
O"Reilly downplayed a system that sold humans like cattle and slaves" role in creating the important complex, critics contended.
Late-night TV host James Corden called out O"Reilly"s remarks.
"If you"re a privileged, older white man, maybe you should not be pointing out thepositive aspects of slavery," Corden said as his audience erupted in laughter and applause.
3. Don"t ask why. Don"t ask how. Just enjoy the#ArthurMemes from a favorite childhood show.
Making fun of Birdman"s meltdown on "The Breakfast Club."
If you haven"t seen the angry Apple store lady vine, then do yourself a favor and watch it.
Don"t y"all start with "Little Bill." Some TV shows are sacred.
Rumours have been flying on social media following an ominous statement from a North Korean diplomat regarding US relations on Thursday.
Han Song Ryol, director-general of US affairs department at the countrys Foreign Ministry, said the American governments decision to include Kim Jong Un on a list of sanctioned individuals amounted to a declaration of war.
The United States has crossed the red line in our showdown, Han said. We regard this thrice-cursed crime as a declaration of war.
By doing these kinds of vicious and hostile acts toward the DPRK, the US has already declared war against the DPRK. So it is our self-defensive right and justifiable action to respond in a very hard way.
Some interpreted Hans words as the secretive states declaration of war with the US, and the rumours soon spun out of control on social media.
Despite what appeared to be an imminent threat from a country with hordes of nuclear weapons, the people of Twitter were remarkably chilled about it, responding with streams of memes.
Thatll show em.
This was all sparked when North Koreas Supreme Leader Kim Jong Un was placed on a list of 11 people personally barred from conducting business with US citizensin connection with alleged human rights abuses, documented by the United Nations Human Rights Commission.
Days later, North Korea cut off communications with the White House and said all dealings between the two nations should be conducted under war law.
Despite regular sanctions against the DPRK, this is the first time the USA has personally placed restrictions on Kim Jong Un.
Shining city on a hill? No. Thats just another cartoon. America is a real place, a real nation, full of a diverse peoples, contrasting ideas, and no single concept ofthe American dream.
But there are also real heroesreal people whose stories so rise above the noise that they cant help but speak to all those people.
Thursday night, a couple stood on stage at the Democratic National Convention to tell the story of their son, of their family, and of their deep commitment to America. It was one of the most moving moments, not just of this convention, but in the history of public speech in America. This was a defining speech for an America thats not a one-size-fits-all cartoon, but can still light up the world.
And whenKhizr Khan brought out his pocket version of the Constitution, you knew it wasnt just something he carries as ashibbolethof patriotism. Its a well worn, well read, well loved document.
Khizr Khans speech didnt go unnoticed, especially by those whountil that moment had been sitting on the sidelines, maybe feeling that they werent part of the story. Because along with the tears and pride, heres what else happened withKhizr Khan told his story.
Wedding Photos of Chelsea Clinton and Marc Mezvinsky Marc Mezvinsky is the husband of Chelsea Clinton and father to her two children. Mezvinsky is a former investment banker and the co-founder of the hedge fund Eaglevale Partners, which recently closed its Greece focused Hellenic Opportunity fund. Both of Mezvinsky"s parents were members of Congress Marjorie Margolies-Mezvinsky and Edward Mezvinsky, and was raised in a conservative, Jewish home. Mezvinsky"s parents were friends with the Clintons over the years and their children (Marc and Chelsea) met at a retreat. While attending Stanford University, Mezvinsky and Chelsea Clinton remained friends, but the couple didn"t start dating until 2005. They became engaged around Thanksgiving in 2009 and, in 2010, the couple married in an interfaith ceremony in New York. Unfortunately, Mezvinsky"s father was not at the wedding because his relationship with his family was very strained due to acts of fraud. Edward Mezvinsky served five years in prison after being convicted of 31 charges of felony fraud in 2001. According to Politico, former President Bill Clinton once had the opportunity to pardon Edward Mezvinsky, but there was no pardon. Wife Marjorie is reported to have pleaded for her husband to be saved from prison. Click here to read Edward Mezvinsky"s request for leniency from the President at the time. Bill Clinton served as President until January 20, 2001.Marc Mezvinsky has two children with wife Chelsea Clinton - a daughter named Charlotte and son named Aidan. Many try to find photos of Mezvinsky and Clinton online, but haven"t been able to locate Instagram accounts, so we"ve collected their best photos together. Click through our gallery to see the happy couple, even featuring photos from their wedding. (Getty) Next Image: Chelsea Clinton Marries Marc Mezvinsky In Rhinebeck, New York
Rumours have been flying on social media following an ominous statement from a North Korean diplomat regarding US relations on Thursday.
Han Song Ryol, director-general of US affairs department at the countrys Foreign Ministry, said the American governments decision to include Kim Jong Un on a list of sanctioned individuals amounted to a declaration of war.
The United States has crossed the red line in our showdown, Han said. We regard this thrice-cursed crime as a declaration of war.
By doing these kinds of vicious and hostile acts toward the DPRK, the US has already declared war against the DPRK. So it is our self-defensive right and justifiable action to respond in a very hard way.
Some interpreted Hans words as the secretive states declaration of war with the US, and the rumours soon spun out of control on social media.
Despite what appeared to be an imminent threat from a country with hordes of nuclear weapons, the people of Twitter were remarkably chilled about it, responding with streams of memes.
Thatll show em.
This was all sparked when North Koreas Supreme Leader Kim Jong Un was placed on a list of 11 people personally barred from conducting business with US citizensin connection with alleged human rights abuses, documented by the United Nations Human Rights Commission.
Days later, North Korea cut off communications with the White House and said all dealings between the two nations should be conducted under war law.
Despite regular sanctions against the DPRK, this is the first time the USA has personally placed restrictions on Kim Jong Un.
As the Democratic National Convention wrapped up Thursday in Philadelphia, Malia Obama was spotted at the Cashmere Cat set at Lollapalooza. Social media users photographed and filmed Obama, 18, in the crowd watching the Norwegian producer.
A White House spokesperson declined to comment. This is not Obama"s first visit to Chicago"s largest music festival. She caused a stir in 2014 when she was spotted at Chance the Rapper"s set.
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Covering Lollapalooza every year since the festival decided to call Chicago home in 2005, Tribune critic Greg Kot picks his top five shows from the last decade.
(Chicago Tribune)
Tribune critic Greg Kot remembers the times in Lollapalooza"s history when the festival was anything but drama-free.
Reports from Thursday, day one at Lollapalooza in Grant Park, from Greg Kot (GK), Kevin Williams (KM) and Tracy Swartz (TS):
12:15 p.m.: The newly expanded Lollapalooza got off to a slow start Thursday as gates opened about 40 minutes late. Organizers tweeted that they were watching the weather at Grant Park. Light rain fell on the restless crowd waiting outside the main gate, which was scheduled to open at 11 a.m. Just after 11:30 a.m., some of the crowd began to chant "let us in." Security officials obliged a few minutes later. (TS)
Noon: Canadian electronic duoTennyson is a brother-sister act, Luke Tennyson Pretty and Tessa Rain Pretty, that specialize in the sorts of genteel little bleeps and burbles that slide innocuously past the ear. Boring? That"s a strong value statement for music that aspires to precious little. "For You" oozed along pretty much like "With You." She slays at playing the drums, metallic, basic beats, while he hops around behind a couple of laptops. This isn"t EDM enough for Perry"s, part of the trend we"re seeing more of -- humanizing EDM with a few organic touches, such as voice or percussion. It rarely works, and certainly doesn"t here. But still, there is guilt: It"s almost unfair beating on these two, like kicking puppies or something. This legit adorable sibling duo even have the right last name: Pretty. But it"s ambient stuff that Brian Eno was doing eons ago, way before it was cool, in a vastly more interesting manner. Now, in a festival setting, it"s suitable for nap time. There are hints of funk, but mostly a childlike trilling that betrays the still-forming tastes and creative urges of the brother/sister tandem. They might become something interesting later. The nuclei of cool music is here. Keep an eye on Tennyson. (KM)
1 p.m.: That massive thud you heard around this time was a whole bunch of folks, falling hard for Frances. This young lady took the stage at a rock festival, armed with nothing more than a piano, great songs and a bared heart. And it was glorious. Tribune critic Greg Kot called Sophie Frances Cooke "fast rising." And then some. Great songs don"t need a band, but rather for someone to get out of the way. Frances got her exquisite "Grow" out of the way, four songs in. Yes, the song that blew up the web last year. It wasn"t even the best song of a set that rocked. Hard. Rock in this case isn"t noise, but attitude. Frances is a singer. It feels like she can do it all, buttressed by an absolutely beautiful voice that manages to couple vulnerability and power at the same time. Like Adele, in the live setting her voice loses some of the luster that it has after some studio sheen has been applied. But that sometimes quavering vulnerability adds a looser, competely human quality that made her gushed "Thank you!" feel heartfelt. The piano work is rudimentary, a setting for tunes about love, empowerment and life. In the hands of another, a lyric such as "You"re putting my heart in your hands" would be insufferably cheesy. From Frances, you were ready to kick the person"s b**t who dared damage said heart. The crowd of young ladies didn"t have phones out, they weren"t chattering or doing the "Lolla Yell." They were transfixed. "Don"t Worry About Me" starts a cappella, and she introduced it with a story about her chickening out the first few times she did it. Frances needn"t have worried. It was the moment of her set. She knows the range of her voice, and uses that knowledge to poke and prod at those limits. The crowd was right there with her. "And if I rise/We"ll rise together." That"s exactly what happened, and it was wonderful. Set of the day? A tough call at 1 in the afternoon, but she"ll be in the mix. (KM)
1:35 p.m.: Lucy Dacus saves the best for last in a set that richly rewards early arrivals. The Richmond, Va., singer-songwriter delivers "Pillar of Truth," a song about family and mortality that is part hymn, part catharsis. Dacus" voice cracks as the music surges behind her. Till that moment, the singer"s voice remains unperturbed as she delivers lyrics that veer from self-deprecating to cutting over combustible rhythms. She describes how four years ago she attended the same festival as a fan, and now finds it "surreal and weird" that she"s performing at it. But rather than be overwhelmed by the moment, she crushes it. (GK)
2:15 p.m.: Wonder if this is what Daniel Burnham had in mind? The old merch stands of Woodstocks past just can"t compare to the Lolla Shop, which resembles a mini box store abutting the lakefront. As festivalgoers line up outside to gain access to the roofed, air-conditioned retail outlet, the place inside is packed like Forever 21 on a Saturday afternoon at a suburban shopping mall. Who needs music? (GK)
2:37 p.m.: Instagram favorite Kehlani is the first buzz act of the day, with fans rushing from the entrance gates across the park to catch her set. The big field on the south end of the park is about half full -- a rarity for an artist performing this early on a weekday afternoon at Lolla. The singer splits the difference between R&B and hip-hop, a mix of street savvy and round-the-way-girl sweetness. She bumps and grinds with two dancers in "We are not Disposable" T-shirts, and sings in a voice that mingles sincerity and just enough brassiness. But her set list becomes a little redundant, a parade of midtempo ballads that never quite builds enough momentum to command the big stage. (GK)
2:50 p.m.: My heavens, Bob Moses is awful. It"s the kind of music that can make you mad if you let it. As in angry. Because a Lolla ticket costs a lotta cash, and people should be hearing better than this insipid, droning thud. The "music, not EDM" trend continues, and people are eating it up. There are guitars, mostly for stage adornment. There"s the obligatory electrics and a drummer. But it"s all like when a rock band invites a string quartet to sit in -- they don"t really do anything with it. This was a poor EDM set with a synth providing live chorus assist. But it sure was loud. And don"t the kids like that. New York/Canadian duo Tom Howie and Jimmy Vallance bore not entirely because of the mostly monotone vocals, drab electronic textures and guitar fills, though that certainly has a lot to do with it. This isn"t a show. It"s a few guys, standing around while beats pulsate. It could be at Perry"s. The songs are all the same: atmospheric beats, repetitive and a primal, thumping beat. When the beat stops, there is just atmospheric drone. The rain intensified during this set, like the upstairs neighbor stomping on the floor to make it stop. To no avail. After the soaring high of Frances, this is a low. (KM)
2:55 p.m.: Melissa Stratton, a spokeswoman for the Chicago Office of Emergency Management and Communications, said the opening of Lollapalooza gates were delayed by about 40 minutes Thursday because organizers were "watching a storm cell to the west that had potential for lightning. Event organizers and the city felt it was safer to temporarily delay the opening while we verified the direction of the weather." (TS)
3:20 p.m.: Mellanie Martinez continued the string of acts that shouldn"t be at Lollapalooza. If you"re wondering where you"ve heard this name before, you have betrayed yourself as a devotee of "The Voice." Ha! Sucka! Martinez didn"t last all that long on the show, but quickly decided that her almost was good enough. And now look, she"s at Lollapalooza with a keening sorta semi-rap that spends as much time talking as singing. It"s a safe bet she wouldn"t last all that long on the current version of "The Voice" either, her nominal degree of fame notwithstanding. The ambition is that sort of pop-infused, big beat jamming backed by female voice that we"re hearing a lot of these days. The reality, in the case of Martinez, is more high school talent show than rock fest performer. There is no vocal range, no emotion, no real quality, wrapped around insipid songs. "Training Wheels" opened with a music box sample, which raised the curtain on what she called a love song, but was in fact the same song at a different tempo. This was, essentially, a female version of the tripe that Bob Moses was ladling out earlier. But instead of thud/drone/moan, it was thud/drone/chirp. (KM)
4:01 p.m.: Rainfall at Lollapalooza tends to bring attention to the condition of Grant Park. Festival organizers were billed $236,000 for park repairs after last year"s festival, which was marked by periods of rain. In an amendment to its multi-year festival agreement, Chicago Park District superintendent and CEO Michael Kelly and Lollapalooza promoter C3 Presents agreed to "use commercially reasonable and good faith efforts to develop a long-term strategy to enhance drainage at the venue." A Park District spokeswoman said this week no plan has been finalized. (TS)
4:02: Yeasayer"s Chris Keating can"t help himself. He"s fallen for another woman, hard. "I"m in love with a special Chicago lady ... her name is Michelle Obama." Pandering aside, Keating is clearly all wound up about the upcoming election, as he pauses between songs to speak his mind about the candidates. Fortunately, there"s also music, and in this case, the third time"s the charm. Keating recalls how he was so nervous when Yeasayer played Lolla several years ago he threw up on stage. On the band"s third trip to the festival, it clearly has mastered how to make its music translate on a big outdoor stage. Its skewed art-pop songs suggest the legacy of David Bowie and Talking Heads, with touches of funk, hip-hop and Bollywood movie soundtracks. "Ambling Alp" and "O.N.E." become extended pieces that energize the set, and Anand Wilder"s guitar playing splits the difference between scratchy funk rhythms and psychedelic textures. (GK)
4:30 p.m.: Wild Child is neither, but is kinda fun in controlled doses. This group is from Texas, and revs up folky-sounding country with rock slam. Twang and bang combine for an engaging presentation, the complexity being that the potentially interesting instrumentation (cello, trumpet, trombone) gets lost in the need to compete with the surrounding din. Yes, you"ve heard it before, but stop being a snob. You"ve heard everything before. This Bjork-goes-to-a-hootenanny approach works because it"s different enough to be charming, but not so different that people get scared. In many ways that describes the pop music template in the here and now. And they"re from Austin, so they got a head start. Because everything that comes from Austin is cool, right? Problem is after that controlled dose wears off, the stultifying sameness sets in. And frontwoman Kelsey Wilson flung panties into the audience. Yes, panties. Why? Lord only knows. Told you Wild Child was a party. You never listen. (KM)
5:30 p.m.: Elena Tonra"s Daughter project first caught the ear in 2013 via one of those NPR Tiny Desk concerts. The music was almost impossibly beautiful, basic arrangements buttressing Tonra"s fragile voice wrapping its high-toned self around introspective lyrics: "Most of us are bitter over someone." The band has grown since then, looping in the oh-so-trendy electronic textures that everyone"s doing now. It has lost something in the grab at full maturity, but man, that voice. There"s still that voice. Always that voice. It"s smooth and elegant, it quakes with vulnerability, digging deep into a song to convey beauty and subtlety. The shame is that in swinging for the Lolla fences with volume and fury, it"s hard to get Tonra"s luster. It"s like she"s a background singer in the band that she fronts. Would but that the noisy, droning arrangements were as interesting as her voice. "Alone/With You," a haunting, almost dirge-like number, came closest of any to making clear what makes this band so worth your time. Tonra leaned in close to the mic as if afraid a word would escape. But even this song was, eventually, sabotaged by the great thud. It"s the dilemma of a lovely band. Guitarist Igor Haefeli said "We"re going to try a quiet song," tossing off an aside about the "rave going on over there." Perry"s. Always Perry"s. (KM)
5:52 p.m.: Towkio"s cameo-filled 2015 mix tape, "Wav Theory," should"ve provided a few hints. His set is equally loaded with guests. Typical of the Chicago music community, he likes to share, and the MC brings out Joey Purp, keyboardist Peter Cottontale and finally Vic Mensa to share his limelight. With rain spilling, the fans maintain their enthusiasm from the get-go, but Towkio takes his time finding his stride. His delivery of "Reflection" finally connects, and the gospel-stoked surge of "Heaven Only Knows" ratchets things to the next level. How to top that? Why bring out a cast of dozens, including Mensa, for a closing Save Money crew celebration on "G W M (Gang With Me)," that"s how. So-so start, strong finish. (GK)
6:30 p.m.: "I got it all / I"m young, rich and handsome." Presumably that list doesn"t include flow, because that is something G-Eazy doesn"t have as his raps battle against the beats -- courtesy of drummer and DJ -- rather than working with them. That said, G-Eazy has solved the dilemma of how to make live rap work, with an almost feral stage presence that relies heavily on his charisma. Lots of pauses for effect, even a nod to a truly international audience by translating "B---- You Got Me F----- Up" into about a dozen languages. Working the stage edge to edge, sweating like a field worker, he leaned heavily on his hook-rich, anthemic choruses that are tailor-made for a full-throated sing-a-long. There"s a connection. He did shout-outs to individual audience members, as well, an exceptional touch that"s different from too many self-absorbed rappers. He"s a very intelligent performer, whose fame is clear to comprehend, even if you aren"t a fan. Would but that all live rap sets had this kind of life. With some serious flow, G-Eazy might rule the world ... well, the rap world, anyway. P.S. There was fire. Because, yeah. Every scene needs fire. And speaking of hot, G-Eazy knocked off a little ditty called "F--- Donald Trump." As a contemporary protest song, it was simple, effective and there was that chorus. (KM)
6:40 p.m.: Kurt Vile drawls his lyrics like he just rolled off the hammock after smoking a freshly rolled spliff, and his lyrics often feel just as dazed and confused. He can load a line as simple as "I"m already gone" with multiple meanings simply because of his ultra-casual delivery, but at other moments he can"t seem to be bothered. The hook in one of his better recent songs, "Wakin on a Pretty Daze," consists of the word "yeah" repeated several times. But the guitar playing, that"s something else. Switching among acoustic and electric guitars and banjo, he trips wildly but expressively across the strings. His hair tumbling across his face like a veil, he at times resembles J. Mascis in the way he seems to lose himself inside the storm his finger tips create. (GK)
7:45 p.m.: Cashmere Cat is late. Once Magnus August Haiberg arrives, he does little to dispel notions that DJs should be heard and not seen. What makes this suitable for Pepsi and not Perry"s? That"s the million-dollar question, and one that separates electronica from EDM. These are beats that are elegant and almost comtemplative, danceable but with layers, intriguing textures that make the constructions hit the ear as complete soundscapes. The point, in other words, isn"t as much booty shaking as immersion. The Perry"s refugees didn"t quite know what to do with these elegant structures, until the beat got big. Then up went the hands, even if you sort of got the sense that Haiberg would rather people took the journey with him. The enduring issue is also what does the beat manipulator do? Haiberg mostly bopped along in an introspective semi-trance, working as diligently to make his epics as a guitarist would at a particularly daunting solo. That these were, however, more than beats was evident by the difficulties folks at the Pepsi stage were having in going full Perry"s. The trips were at times metallic and grimy, working vocals in flawlessly as part of the complex rhythms. Was this a satisfying electronica set? Sure was, even if it was like watching paint dry as a shaggy dude stood there and twiddled knobs. (KM)
7:58 p.m.: The Undisputed Truth revival starts now, thanks to the Arcs, who drop a cover of the Motown group"s 1971 hit "Smiling Faces Sometimes" into its set. The Arcs are led by Dan Auerbach, the singer-guitarist who can"t seem to take any time off. When not playing in his longtime band with drummer Patrick Carney, the Black Keys, he"s producing albums by the likes of Dr. John and Lana Del Rey, who"s headlining tonight at the opposite end of Grant Park. The Arcs are his latest musical detour, a big band that approximates the soul-rock template of such "60s ensembles as Delaney and Bonnie and Joe Cocker"s Mad Dogs and Englishmen road show. With two drummers and three back-up singers plus bass and keyboards, Auerbach swings through ambitious arrangements with heavy gospel and soul overtones, raucous harmonies and winding guitar solos. It"s not a particularly new idea, but Auerbach looks like he"s having a ball and the mood informs the boisterous arrangements. (GK)
8:30 p.m.: Grant Park was almost ready to tilt to the south as J. Cole drew an immense crowd for his headlining set. Clad in a Chicago Bulls 45 jersey (hipster cred, right?), J. Cole came with his A-game early, before falling into the usual live rap pitfalls. Did the incendiary G-Eazy set on the same stage have something to do with his hot early start? Possibly. Because J. Cole stomped the terra like a mastodon, full of energy and flow, each song shooing its predecessor aside almost as if he was impatient. The momentum loss began, oddly enough, when J. Cole engaged in what he self-hyped as a "dazzling lyrical display." It wasn"t, and things got messy from there. This is exhortation rap, creating its energy from vehemence as much as flow. When J. Cole settled down to rap he was convincing, particularly when he leaned on the rolling, fat beats from his "2014 Forest Hills Drive" album. But it was also here that the set continued to go off the rails. Is a rapper a party MC or a singer? The songs became increasingly disjointed as J. Cole stopped rapping to let the crowd sing along. But instead of ego gratification, it sounded like one of those YouTube versions of a J. Cole song with the naughty words zapped. After a while things degenerated into a dude just stalking the stage, screaming intermittently into a mic. And the old quandary returns, one answered by the people leaving his set in droves: At what point is it just as much fun to stay home and play the album really loudly? Armed with backup singers, the obligatory live drummer, etc, the trappings of a real concert were there, but J. Cole never fully integrated with his band, so it never felt like a concert. And after the first 10 minutes, it stopped being convincing, or all that interesting. (KM)
9:15 p.m.: Lana del Rey brings her headlining set to a dead stop to descend into the pit separating the stage from the front row, and greets her fans. She poses for selfies and signs autographs. The reaction is over-the-top, and one expects nothing less from a singer who has turned that much-derided wooden performance on "Saturday Night Live" a few years ago into a kind of anti-charisma that cannot be easily dismissed. Even when she slips her left hand under her right arm pit in the most blase of poses, her fans continue to shout the lyrics of her songs back at her. While a keyboardist summons dramatic chords and a guitarist conjures waves of Grand Canyon reverb, Del Rey sings of drugs, decay, regret and vixen-as-victim love affairs gone horribly wrong. The songs move slowly, but there"s an undeniable creepiness -- if the Weeknd ever wants to record a duets album of his twisted love songs, del Rey should be first on the list of candidates. In a lineup filled with strong female artists, del Rey stands apart. There"s something undeniably fascinating about that -- and more than a little disturbing. (GK)
