Friday, August 5, 2016

Roundup: George Zimmerman Punched; Millennials Can"t Take a Joke; Gymnastics Scandal


Raw Video: George Zimmerman reenacts incident for Sanford Police

Can Millennials take a joke? Was George Zimmerman bragging about killing Trayvon Martin? Inconsistencies in Melania Trumps immigration story Disturbing revelations involving USA Gymnastics and sexual abuse Cattle truck overturns Denard Robinson gets small fine for pond crash Donald Trumps continued contact with Corey Lewandowski is a bad look for CNN Missouri governor ordered to serve as a public defender Troncx and Troncmsound like a pair of evil robots Georgia man allegedly too fond of goats Massive mob bust in New York City Nick Foles joins Chiefs Taliban militants target tourists with rocket launcher Jordy Nelson needs to be Jordy Nelson again This is the perfect way to cut a bagel Confirmation of every conspiracy theory youve ever heard ABC reviews Sundays Fun and Games lineup Bachelor Chad and Spencer Pratt becoming good friends This is Coach Ks last dance with Team USA Dylan Roof reportedly assaulted in jail shower Alabama addressed Maurice Smiths transfer request David Huddleston, who played The Big Lebowski, dies at 85 Little update on that Van Gogh ear story dominating the headlines Sheriff tracks down blogger who called him corrupt Katy Perry.

Canadian Olympic swimmer flips off his father before every race. Extremely heartwarming. [Fox Sports]

Here is what Brett Favre will touch upon during his Hall of Fame induction speech. [USA Today]

How the Oklahoma City Thunder could land a max player to help Russell Westbrook. [The Vertical]

Joe Biden figured out what to get Barack Obama a man who literally has everything for his birthday.

All-in on Dunkirk.

Whale gives whale-watchers a good look.

I, for one, welcome our new robot overlords.

Source: http://thebiglead.com/2016/08/05/roundup-george-zimmerman-punched-millennials-cant-take-a-joke-gymnastics-scandal/

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Britney Spears, By the Numbers: On the Billboard Charts & Beyond


Britney Spears "Glory" Announcement

As Britney Spears prepares to release her ninth studio album, Glory, on Aug. 26, its an appropriate time to look back on her chart-topping Billboard history. The diva has amassed an incredible string of hit singles and albums, stretching back to her 1998 debut smash Baby One More Time through her current single, Make Me.

Britney Spears" "Glory": Our Wish List for Her 9th Studio Album

Heres a look at Spears stellar run on the charts:

70 Million in U.S. Sales: In the U.S. alone, Spears has sold more than 70 million albums, singles and digital songs, according to Nielsen Music. Her biggest-selling album is her debut effort, Baby One More Time, with 10.6 million copies sold.

Six No. 1 Albums: The pop princess has scored six No. 1 albums on the Billboard 200 chart -- all of which debuted in the top slot. All eight of her studio efforts have reached the top five on the chart. Shes additionally charted a top 10 set with the best-of package Greatest Hits: My Prerogative (peaking at No. 4 in 2004).

34 Hits on the Billboard Hot 100: Starting with her debut single, 1998s Baby One More Time, through her latest entry Make Me, the entertainer has notched 34 hits on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. Baby One More Time flew straight to No. 1 -- her first of five leaders on the tally. She also topped the list with Womanizer, 3, Hold It Against Me and her collaboration with Rihanna, S&M.

From "...Baby One More Time" to "Britney Jean": Vote for Britney Spears" Best Album

15 Top 10s on Pop Songs: Spears has been a staple of top 40-formatted radio stations for her entire career, and she has the Pop Songs track record to prove it. Among her top 10s are six No. 1s: Baby One More Time (No. 1 for five weeks), Oops! I Did It Again (three weeks), Toxic (four weeks), Womanizer (two weeks), Circus (one week) and I Wanna Go (one week).

9 No. 1s on the Dance Club Songs Chart: Its appropriate that the singer -- who is a force in both pop and dance music -- has claimed nine No. 1s on the Dance Club Songs chart. Shes led the list with such tracks as Gimme More, Piece of Me, Break the Ice, Till the World Ends and Pretty Girls (with Iggy Azalea).

7 Billboard Music Awards: Before Spears was honored with the Billboard Millennium Award at the 2016 Billboard Music Awards, she took home six trophies at earlier ceremonies, including female artist of the year in 1999.

Vegas, Baby! Spears Las Vegas residency show, Britney: Piece of Me, has played to more than 590,000 attendees and grossed over $85 million, as reported to Billboard Boxscore. So far, 163 concerts in the long-running show have been reported, from its opening night on Dec. 27, 2013 through July 13, 2016. The show has scheduled performances through February 2017.

Source: http://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/chart-beat/7461674/britney-spears-by-the-numbers-billboard-charts

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Musicians like Frank Ocean and Troye Sivan are finding a space for ...


Thinking About You - Frank Ocean (Lyrics)

After months and months of speculation, it seems like we"re about to get swept up in Frank Ocean"s musical undertow once again.

The widely beloved, if elusive, artist is rumored to be releasing "Boys Don"t Cry" -- the long-awaited follow-up to his debut album, "Channel Orange" -- on Friday.

On "Orange," he talked candidly about s*x, money and, perhaps most revelatory, his unrequited love for another man. Singing about an honest desire for someone of the same s*x is a rarity in mainstream music, and was especially bold at the time of the album"s release in 2012. Although Ocean has not put a specific label on his sexual identity, he has been open about his experiences with both men and women.

MOST READ ENTERTAINMENT NEWS THIS HOUR

The LGBTQ community has often struggled to find its footing in a pop world that celebrates queerness more for shock value or as a punchline than as a genuine experience. After all, you can"t be mainstream if you"re not seen as marketable to a larger audience.

Recently, that"s started to change. Ocean and several other queer artists like him have been in the trenches, fighting to shirk that stigma as niche and as something that isn"t able to sell. They"re celebrating their sexuality and gender identity like we really haven"t seen before -- and doing so in ways as vast as the many identities in the community itself.

The use of same-s*x pronouns

Using a correct pronoun to identify a lover might not seem like a big change to some, but it"s turned into one of the most defiant ways that artists can identify their same-s*x relationships.

Synth-pop duo Tegan and Sara know this all too well. Both women are attracted to other women, and use their music to showcase that. "You turn me on like you would your boyfriend," the two sing on "Boyfriend." "But I don"t want to be your secret anymore."

This song could have taken other approaches. It could have been a vague, woe-is-me about feeling used by a "lover." They never needed to use the word "boyfriend," but that"s exactly why it"s powerful: They used words that described the situation exactly as they felt it, and as many in the overall LGBTQ community have felt it, too.

Years & Years frontman Olly Alexander has consistently noted how important using "he" is in his music, because it takes the pain of past relationships to a more authentic place; his band"s album includes two songs that use that pronoun. And country artist Steve Grand completely throws out the genre"s rule book when he pines for his "All-American Boy" with an equally emotional video to match.

But it"s not only in sad cases.

Rapper Le1f fires off a shade storm of take downs in "Koi," squashing another man"s feeble attempts to hit on him. "Boy, come try your luck, four-leaf clover / If you ain"t got no swag, then this conversation"s over," he spits confidently. (Apparently, the dude really didn"t have swag.)

The flirty fun of Who Is Fancy"s "Boys Like You" tells the story of a man falling for the bad boy ... as a boy yourself. Featuring Ariana Grande and Meghan Trainor, the song is unapologetic about putting a gay man"s perspective right alongside two straight women.

For queer artists like these, using "he" when you mean "she" just doesn"t cut it anymore. The story just isn"t complete or compelling unless it"s honest.

Translating music stories into visuals

Some LGBTQ musicians opt for the "show, not tell" approach when it comes to expressing their queerness.

If they"re not specifically calling out their love interests by name or gender pronoun, many are using the visual part of their art to make a statement.

YouTuber-turned-pop-star Troye Sivan is a prime example. Weaving together the series of singles from his debut "Blue Neighborhood," Sivan created a trilogy of music videos that tell the complete story of a troubled same-s*x relationship.

In the videos, Sivan"s love interest struggles with a father who isn"t accepting of his son"s sexuality -- so much so that the son pushes past his feelings for Sivan"s character and dates a girl.

Alone, these videos act as chapters in a novel, but together they show a complete narrative that"s important for the public to see. There is kissing and intimacy. There is hand-holding. And there"s fighting -- all of it done with two male characters. It"s a beautiful story that demands its rightful spot in the mainstream.

Alex Newell, a dance artist and "Glee" alum with a powerhouse voice, goes even further in his music video.

Newell, dressed from head-to-toe in beautiful drag, gets sweet revenge on a jilted male lover in "Basically Over You (B.O.Y.)" Filled with humor and heart -- oh, and "America"s Next Top Model" winner Nyle DiMarco, who himself identifies as sexually fluid -- the video confidently throws gender roles and dating norms to the wind.

British crooner Sam Smith, who has a complicated history with the LGBTQ community, tells a heartbreaking tale of falling for someone who doesn"t reciprocate in "Leave Your Lover." Smith, part of a trio of friends and/or lovers, is longing for the other man in the group. The man consistently chooses someone else -- whether that someone is a man or a woman.

Even if the music isn"t explicitly expressing a more gendered approach, it doesn"t mean the queerness isn"t there.

Advocating and activism

Some queer artists also use their music to make more forceful statements of queerness. It"s not all breakups and heartbreak -- sometimes it"s about calling for equality.

Enter Lady Gaga"s "Born This Way." It"s a screaming, prideful anthem that reminds people, critics and the LGBTQ community alike that what you are is perfectly perfect, and you don"t need to change for anyone.

When Gaga sings "No matter gay, straight or bi / lesbian, transgendered life / I"m on the right track, baby / I was born to survive," she delivers a clear message: Accept the LGBTQ community as they are, or keep moving.

Folksy singer Lowell"s "Lgbt" gleams as another shining example. The 2014 pop tune might not be the ubiquitous hit it could have been, but it"s thematically focused on acceptance.

"Oho, don"t hate our love," she sings on the refrain. With just five words, Lowell delivers a commanding take-down of discrimination.

Mary Lambert captures similar sentiments on "She Keeps Me Warm," which you may remember hearing during Macklemore"s "Same Love." While it clearly touches on love, its focus is much more on the fact that she "can"t change, even if she tried."

Owning personal identity

Historically, there have always been prominent gay artists whose mere existence and success paved a path for the many expressions of identity. Artists like Elton John, Freddie Mercury, RuPaul and more have helped to slowly bring queerness into the mainstream.

Today, many artists are picking up that mantle simply by embracing their identities and being truthful in how they present themselves -- regardless of the gender or sexuality in the actual music.

Look at Shamir, an alt-electro musician who also just happens to have "never felt latched to a gender." Look at Miley Cyrus, the sometimes-problematic wrecking ball of a performer who came out as pansexual in 2015. Look at the army of drag queens RuPaul has inspired.

Or look at Ocean again.

He, like many of the artists represented here, is helping bring his queerness to the public in a way that is both authentic and personal. That"s an undertow we"ll gladly get swept up in.

RELATED STORIES:

Frank Ocean hints release date for long-awaited album "Boys Don"t Cry"

Troye Sivan is taking his "Neighbourhood" on the road

Why Tegan and Sara broke free of the "stifling" indie scene and found freedom in pop

Source: http://www.chicagotribune.com/entertainment/music/ct-frank-ocean-troye-sivan-lgbtq-pop-music-20160804-story.html

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Suge Knight allegedly tried to have Eminem killed twice


Eminem - Lose Yourself [HD]

"I notice Em is in the aisle and he is beefing with all these guys in red shirts.This is what they said: "Death Row motherf-----s.Suge Knight sent us to strong arm Eminem and its going down."

"I had to s****h him up, I had to call Dre and his bodyguards and tell them what was going on.

"I said, "Look, I need you all to have that car around when I call youall. But the way they had it set up, the limos can only stay seated for, like, 30 seconds at a time in front of the red carpet for security reasons.

"So long story short, we ended up going backstage, Eminem did his presentation and we had to watch out for guys backstage. So I pretty much had to have him stand behind me and I just had to be on knockout mode, man.

"So it was me, Dre, Dre"s bodyguards, we were in beast mode the whole time. So anybody that got anywhere close trying to get an autograph or trying to talk, trying to speak, they were gonna get laid out, man because that was the kind of atmosphere that was set up."

Source: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/music/news/suge-knight-allegedly-tried-to-have-eminem-killed-twice/

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Thursday, August 4, 2016

Mike Pence Endorses Paul Ryan: 5 Times The VP Candidate Contradicted Donald Trump


Military Mom Booed At Mike Pence Rally Speaks Out | Andrea Mitchell | MSNBC

A running mateis meant to shoreup or expandsupportfor the name at the top of the ticket. In other words, a candidate and his or her running mate are supposed to be on the same page. But Indiana Gov. Mike Pence, the vice presidential pick of GOP presidential nominee Donald Trump, sometimes seems like he is running an entirely different campaign.

Mike Pence "strongly" endorsedHouse Speaker Paul Ryan Wednesday, breaking rank with Trump, who has withheld his support ofthe Wisconsin representative.

"I strongly support Paul Ryan, strongly endorse his re-election," Pence said in a phone interview with Fox News. "He is a longtime friend. He"s a strong conservative leader. I believe we need Paul Ryan in leadership in the Congress of the United States."

Ryan is currently fighting in a competitive primary race against challengerPaul Nehlen, which will come to avote July 9. But Trump, perhaps in retaliation for Ryan"s rebukes of some of the nominee"s recent controversial statements, told the Washington Post that he was "not quite there yet" in response to a question about his support for the House Speaker. The quote itself seemingly doubles as a play on words and a reference to Ryan"s previous reluctance to endorse Trump for President.

Trump"s refusal to endorse Ryan has angered many GOP leaders, including RNC chairman Reince Priebus. Pence"s endorsement can be seen as an olive branch to the Republican establishment, putting himself yet again in the role of clean-up man for Trump"s controversialand bombastic positions.

Republican Vice Presidential candidate Mike Pence addresses a crowd of supporters before introducing Donald Trump on July 27, 2016 in Scranton, Pennsylvania. Photo: John Moore/Getty Images

Here are 5more times Mike Pence contradicted Trump in their still-new partnership:

1. Russia

When news broke that Russian intelligence agencies were suspected in the hack of the Democratic National Committee that revealed party favoritism of Hillary Clinton over Bernie Sanders, Trump made an unorthodox move. The GOP nomineeinsinuated that Russia should also try to find Clinton"s missing State Department emails, which have been the focus of much scrutiny from the right.

Pence, on the other hand, responded more conventionally.

"If it is Russia and they are interfering in our elections, I can assure you both parties and the United States government will ensure there are serious consequences," Pence said in a press conference at almost the exact time of Trump"s arguably treasonous comments.

2. NATO

Throughout his campaign, Donald Trump has repeatedly claimed that if he were President, he would be willing to pull out of NATO if member countries did not start contributing more to the military alliance group financially. He has suggested that the United States carries an unfair burden in the alliance.

However, many foreign policy experts, even those who agree with Trump that the United States is exploited financially in the alliance, believe that a willingness to back out on NATO commitments would be disastrous.

Pence seemed to contradict Trump on this issue, assuring voters that the United States would "absolutely" defend its NATO allies if attacked.

"We"ll uphold our treaty obligations, including the mutual defense agreement that is NATO," Pencetold the PBS NewsHour earlier this month.

3. Khizr Khan

Since the final night of the 2016 Democratic National Convention, Donald Trump has been engaged in a media feud with Khizr Khan, a Muslim-American lawyer whose son, Humayun Khan, was killed in the Iraq War in 2004. Khan accused Trump of disparaging Muslim-Americans and questioned if he had sacrificed for the country or read the U.S. Constitution. Instead of taking a more sympathetic stance to the Gold Star family, as most politicians would have done, Trump has continued to fire back at the Khan family, accusing them of courting media attention.

Pence took an objectively softer stance.

Donald Trump and I believe that Captain Humayun Khan is an American hero and his family, like all Gold Star families, should be cherished by every American," Pence said, according to Politico.

4. Muslim Ban

One of the cornerstones of Trump"s campaign has been his suggestion that the United States should temporarily ban Muslims from entering the country until the government can more properly address the threat of terrorism. Many people on both sides of the aisle have rebuked the proposal, noting that it probably constitutes a First Amendment violation. One of those people wasPence, who tweeted his disapproval of the ban before being selected as Trump"s running mate.

5. Name Calling

Donald Trump has introduced a new level of public discourse into presidential elections. From remarks about the size of his, ahem, manhood, to his perpetuation of conspiracy theories, like one that Texas Sen. Ted Cruz"s father played a role in the Kennedy assassination, Trump has set a new bar. One of the hallmarks of his politically incorrect candidacy has been name-calling. He has attempted to brand opponents like Cruz and Clinton as "Lyin" Ted" and "Crooked Hillary," while calling others "stupid," "low energy" or "a disgrace."

Yet, whenPresident Obama referred to Donald Trump as a "homegrown demagogue" at the DNC, Pence responded the next day in a radio interviewcalling Obama"s remarks unbefitting of his office.

"I dont think name-calling has any place in public life," Pence said. "I thought that was unfortunate that the president of the United States would use a term like that."

Pence did not seem to see the irony in the statement.

Source: http://www.ibtimes.com/mike-pence-endorses-paul-ryan-5-times-vp-candidate-contradicted-donald-trump-2397521

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Hillary Clinton, Mike Pence make campaign stops in Denver


Pence endorses Ryan, says Trump "strongly encouraged" it
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DENVER -- Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton and Republican vice presidential candidate arecampaigning in the Denver metro area on Wednesday.

Hillary Clinton appeared at Adams City High School in Commerce City. She talked abouther plan to "create an economy that works for everyone, not just those at the top, including passing the largest investment in job creation since World War II," the campaign said.

Before that event, Clinton visited Knotty Tie Co. on West 10th Avenue in Denver. She wore a scarf during her speech that the employees there gave her.

Pence helda town hall meeting at Mile High Station (2027 Old W.Colfax Ave.) on Wednesday afternoon.

Pence appeared in Colorado Springs later Wednesday night.

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Source: http://kdvr.com/2016/08/03/hillary-clinton-mike-pence-to-campaign-in-denver-on-wednesday/

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Martellus Bennett On Rob Gronkowski: "He"s Really [Expletive] Good"


ESPN First Take - Martellus Bennett Compares Tom Brady to Jay Cutler

BOSTON (CBS) Martellus Bennett is a man who tends to tell it like it is, and the fact that hes now a member of the Patriots isnt turning him into a shy person.

On Tuesday after practice, Bennett was asked what he likes about Rob Gronkowski on the football field.

Bennetts answer was as simple as it gets.

Gronk? Gronk is just really [expletive] good, Bennett said with a laugh.

After that, Bennett did get into detail about what it is that makes Gronkowski such a great player.

Its been a pleasure playing with him. I think weve been raising each others game. He does some things very well, and I do some things differently. The thing is, were built alike but were two totally different players. The way we run routes, the way we go about our business is totally different, Bennett said. Its been very fun playing with him. Hes very passionate, he brings it every single day in meetings, on film. And its just been a joy to play with him, because hes one of those guys that makes you up your game. And I try to do the same thing for him. I think weve been feeding off each other a lot. Hes been in this offense for a long time, so I just ask him a lot of questions and he helps me out a lot. Theres so many different plays. Ill be like, Hey, Rob, we got this on this play? And h**l be like, Yeah, thats what we got. I always double-check with him.

Before fully finishing the question, Bennett just had to reiterate: But hes really [expletive] good.

Source: http://boston.cbslocal.com/2016/08/03/martellus-bennett-on-rob-gronkowski-hes-really-expletive-good/

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