For some artists, controversy could end up proving to be beneficial. With a devoted enough fanbase and talent, the bad publicity might not negatively affect them. However, for many, it can radically alter the trajectory of their lives. For Ryan Adams, it’s currently making him hit rock bottom.
In a since-deleted post on Instagram captured by The Sun andThe Daily Beast, the North Carolina rocker announced that his European tour had to be cancelled. He shared that he was “wildly sick” and was even having to sell some of his most prized possessions due to being broke. Ultimately, Adams felt like he had simply run out of options, as life kept him in the gutter.
While he may not be going on tour any time soon, Ryan Adams did vow to continue making music for his fans. “I’m broke and sick and tired and defeated but my heart is blasting with hope and love and riff optimism,” he shared.
“I appreciate anybody who can give these treasured things a new life. I’m proud that I did this. That I remain transparent. This business is vile and full of snakes. But I’m proud to call it and man up to this. I’ll keep making records as long as I can afford to. Now I’m going to go sit in the sunlight with my cats and cry because I need to and I’m not sure how many more times I can hit this wall. When is it enough?”
Ryan Adams Cancels His European Tour Amidst a Sea of Controversy
Adams is best known for his debut album Heartbreaker in 2000. However, in 2019, several women, including indie rock darling Phoebe Bridgers and Adams’ ex-wife Mandy Moore, came forward with harassment allegations. In a report from the New York Times, they recalled how Ryan Adams offered to help artists with their careers before attempting to pursue them romantically.
When they would deny his advances, he allegedly retaliated, harassing them on social media and in personal texts. Moreover, they claimed he hindered their careers in a variety of different ways. Initially, Ryan Adams denied all of the claims before eventually pleading for forgiveness.
“There are no words to express how bad I feel about the ways I’ve mistreated people throughout my life and career. All I can say is that I’m sorry. It’s that simple,” the musician wrote in a statement. “This period of isolation and reflection made me realize that I needed to make significant changes in my life.”
Eight new Fortnite Sprites are being added when Fortnite Chapter 7 Season 4 launches on August 20. The new Sprites were revealed in the official Fortnite Override trailer, including Sonic, Tails, Klombo, and several other fan-favorite characters. Here is every new Fortnite Sprite confirmed for next season so far.
All 8 New Fortnite Sprites Coming on August 20
Screenshot: Epic Games
Eight new Fortnite Sprites are coming to the game in the major August 20 update. The Sprites were revealed today in the official Fortnite Override trailer. So far, the newChapter 7 Season 4 Sprites includes Sonic, Tails, Klombo and more.
There is even a new Sprite based on a Victory Crown, as well as several other fan-favorite Fortnite characters. For your convenience, here is the complete list of new Fortnite Sprites confirmed for Chapter 7 Season 4 so far:
Complete List of Fortnite Override Sprites Confirmed So Far
Screenshot: Epic Games
Sonic Sprite – Lets you use Sonic’s Spin Dash and boosts your sprinting speed.
Tails Sprite – Lets you hover through the air.
Jazz Jackrabbit Sprite – Power TBA.
Klombo Sprite – Power TBA.
Bushranger Sprite – Power TBA.
Killswitch Sprite – Power TBA.
Victory Crown Sprite – Power TBA.
Battle Pass Skin Sprite – Power TBA.
Fortnite Override Sprites First Look
As mentioned above, we still don’t know what most of the new Chapter 7 Season 4 Sprites actually do. Based on the preview we got of them in the trailer, however, we can determine that the Sonic Sprite lets you run fast, while the Tails Sprite allows you to hover through the air. And well, that’s kind of obvious.
Although their abilities haven’t been fully revealed yet, we do have our first look at what the new Fortnite Override Sprites look like.
Sonic Sprite
Screenshot: Epic Games
Tails Sprite
Screenshot: Epic Games
Jazz Jackrabbit Sprite
Screenshot: Epic Games
Klombo Sprite
Screenshot: Epic Games
Bushranger Sprite
Screenshot: Epic Games
Killswitch Sprite
Screenshot: Epic Games
Victory Crown Sprite
Screenshot: Epic Games
Battle Pass Skin Sprite
Screenshot: Epic Games
Epic Games will likely reveal the remaining Sprite abilities before Fortnite Chapter 7 Season 4 launches on August 20. Either way, Sonic’s Spin Dash and Tails’ hovering ability already show that Override Sprites will offer more unique powers than the ones currently available in the game.
The BTS Army rides for their favorite artists unlike any other working in popular music today. K-Pop fans in general are deeply devoted to their favorite groups and singers, mobilizing to shut down any of their biggest critics. However, there’s a reason they’ve compared themselves to the military and not just some generic name for a fanbase. So you could imagine their disappointment when two members of the group met and took a picture with Chris Brown.
During one of the stops on his massive R&B tour with Usher, Brown shared a moment with J-Hope and Namjoon of BTS. Given the group’s stylistic influences, it makes sense that they might align with an R&B legend.
However, due to numerous allegations and run-ins with the law, fans were disturbed. They couldn’t envision their favorite artists aligning with someone who has a history of allegations involving domestic violence and sexual assault.
One fan highlighted the head of the group, Kim Namjoon, in particular. They expressed their frustrations about how the leader would make such a decision without thinking of their audience. “Honestly I expected better but most of all i’m very disappointed in Namjoon,” they wrote on X. “Like you’re their leader and supposed to set an example. But I’m also not shocked because his words and actions haven’t been matching lately.”
BTS Disappoints Fans Online After Taking Picture with Chris Brown
Additionally, another fan shrugged, arguing that this is why it’s impossible to “separate art from the artist.” “This is exactly why disgusting men keep thriving and getting away with crimes,” they tweeted. “’I have no moral compass. No ethics. Zero concern for victims. I want to make an atrocious man more rich and void of consequences.’”
While BTS fans may be particularly incensed that they’re taking pictures with Chris Brown, the R&B star has bigger visions. He and his manager are eyeballing one of the biggest stages an artist could perform: the Super Bowl. “I think it’s safe to say… they need me!” Brown exclaimed after Bad Bunny’s performance in February 2026.
Meanwhile, his manager Anthony “Ant” Wilson toldBillboard that it’s an inevitability that he graces the stage. “I also think the Super Bowl would be a great place for him. I believe it will happen,” Wilson shared.
As for BTS, they may not abstain from taking pictures with Chris Brown. But they did withdraw themselves from the 2027 Grammys. The band cited the institution’s new category for ‘Best Asian Pop Performance’ as their primary reason. “We hope our music can be heard and loved for what it is, rather than being divided by region or language,” they told their fans. “We thank Army and everyone who has always stood by us.”
Epic Games has officially released the Fortnite Override trailer, revealing all of the gaming crossovers coming to the battle royale in Fortnite Chapter 7 Season 4. Here is every collab confirmed so for the major August 20 update, including which characters are in the Battle Pass and which cosmetics are expected to be released in the Item Shop.
Fortnite Override Trailer Reveals Chapter 7 Season 4 Collabs
Screenshot: Epic Games
After months of anticipation, Epic Games has finally released the Fortnite Override trailer and key art, showcasing what players can expect from the next season. The promotional video confirms every major gaming crossover that will be featured in the August 20 update, including Sonic, Persona 5, Mega Man, and more.
However, Epic also finally confirmed that the long-rumored Kingdom Hearts Fortnite collab is real. In the official key art, we can see the Fortnite Sora skin and Keyblade pickaxe in action. The trailer also featured some additional surprises as well, such as Crash Bandicoot and Spyro the Dragon.
For your convenience, here is the complete list of every Fortnite Override collab confirmed for Chapter 7 Season 4, along with how each cosmetic can be obtained:
All Fortnite Chapter 7 Season 4 Collabs – Complete List
Screenshot: Epic Games
Collab
Character or Cosmetic
How to Get
Release Date
Sonic the Hedgehog
Sonic Skin
Battle Pass
August 20
Sonic the Hedgehog
Dr. Eggman Skin
Item Shop
TBA
Sonic the Hedgehog
Shadow Skin
Item Shop
TBA
Sonic the Hedgehog
Rush Sidekick
Item Shop
TBA
Sonic the Hedgehog
Tails Glider
Item Shop
TBA
Kingdom Hearts
Sora Skin + Keyblade Pickaxe
Item Shop
TBA
Mega Man
Mega Man Skin
Item Shop
TBA
Pac-Man
Sidekick
Item Shop
TBA
Persona 5
Joker Skin
Item Shop
TBA
Persona 5
Morgana (Backbling or Sidekick)
Item Shop
TBA
Spyro the Dragon
Spyro Sidekick
Item Shop
TBA
Crash Bandicoot
Crash Bandicoot Skin
Item Shop
TBA
99 Nights in the Forest
The Deer Skin
Item Shop
TBA
Tetris
Tetris Skin
Battle Pass
August 20
Screamer
Hiroshi Jackson Skin
Item Shop
TBA
Street Fighter
Returning Skins
Item Shop
TBA
The Witcher
Geralt Skin
Item Shop
TBA
Tomb Raider
Lara Croft Skin
Item Shop
TBA
Halo
Master Chief Skin
Item Shop
TBA
Honkai: Star Rail
Blade and Kafka Skins
Item Shop
TBA
The FortniteChapter 7 Season 4 Battle Pass will be available as soon as the Override update launches on August 20. However, the Item Shop skins are expected to be released gradually throughout the season, so players may have to wait a little longer for certain crossovers.
Epic Games should reveal additional details about each collaboration closer to its Item Shop release date. We will update this guide as soon as the prices, bundles, and complete cosmetic lineups are confirmed.
Two of pop music’s biggest young stars united for a stirring duet that shows us the future of music. During a sold-out show in Los Angeles, Noah Kahan brought out Chappell Roan to perform “California”. The heartfelt ballad is from Roan’s breakout debut album The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess, with “Hot to Go!” and “Pink Pony Club” as the big hits. The song revolves around the pop star leaving her stomping grounds in Missouri to try to make a living from her music in LA.
As Kahan strummed his guitar to her singing, Chappell Roan expressed how much love and affection she has for the “Dial Drunk” artist. “Noah always stands up for me, he’s a good person, for real,” she told the audience, according to NME.
Naturally, all the fans who couldn’t make it to see Noah Kahan in person during the sold-out Los Angeles show are seething in jealousy. One fan on Instagram shared the intense FOMO they have for not getting to see the ballad live. However, there is a feeling that they’d turn into a puddle if they experienced it too. “omg i am so jealous. but i feel like if i saw this live i would never recover,” they wrote.
Noah Kahan Brings Out Chappell Roan for the Stirring Ballad ‘California’
Currently, Kahan is embarking on his world tour in support of The Great Divide. According to videos online, it appears to be going great. However, he did have to beg his fans not to soil their pants while at his shows. Back in June 2026, he pleaded with his fans to just go use the restroom.
“If you have to poop at a show please dear god just go to the bathroom lmao,” Noah Kahan tweeted to his fans. “I’ve pooped my pants as much as the next 29 year old but you guys gotta understand there’s a venue worker out there with a 1000 yard stare after dealing with that. I s**t myself onstage in Charlottesville but that’s because I am dedicated to my craft.”
As for Chappell Roan, she was pretty silent before her performance with Noah Kahan. The last time she made major headlines was during her controversy in Brazil. At the time, a young fan was scolded by security for trying to approach her. What they didn’t know was that the fan was soccer star Jorginho’s daughter. Consequently, people throughout Brazil were incensed at the pop star.
(Photo by Sacha Lecca/Rolling Stone via Getty Images)
Dungeons and Dragons players who want to further explore the world of Eberron can now dive deeper into the setting with tons of new player creation options.
Frontiers of Eberron: Quickstone Adds Tons of New Player and DM Resources
Dungeons and Dragons recently took the stage at Gen Con 2026 and announced a huge roadmap of content coming to the game in the next years. From a World of Warcraft crossover to the return of the Dark Sun campaign setting, there was a bit of something for everyone.
As players wait for those next major sourcebooks and adventures to arrive, there is still plenty of other content to check out. Fans of the Eberron campaign settings may be excited to learn that a new partnered content release is bringing 254 new pages of Eberron content to the game.
“Frontiers of Eberron: Quickstone is a comprehensive guide to Western Frontier, describing its towns, themes, customs and denizens in addition to options for players and Dungeon Masters. This includes a detailed exploration of the town of Quickstone, the ideal hub for a campaign on the frontier, as well as an adventure path that’s the perfect start to an Eberron campaign. Learn more about the Tieflings of the Venomous Demesne, the secretive Three Faces of Coin, the deadly cult of Orlassk, and far more. The Frontier awaits!”
The Frontiers of Eberron: Quickstone content is available now on D&D Beyond for $39.99. The digital content is fully compatible with the current version of Dungeons and Dragons and offers a ton of player and DM tools to help kick off a new adventure in the Western Frontier.
Here’s a full list of everything players and DMs can find inside the Frontiers of Eberron: Quickstone materials:
6 subclasses. Explore the Demonshard Barbarian, Nemesis Sorcerer, Bloodhound Ranger, and more!
6 species and 5 backgrounds that allow you to play as a denizen of Droaam. Charm foes with your voice as a Harpy, petrify enemies as a Medusa, or play a true predator as a wild Worg!
15 feats that support the species introduced in this book as well as options for wandslingers and Eberron’s unique druidic traditions! Hone your skills with Staff and Wand, or master the secrets of the Greensingers!
3 new spells and over 35 magic items including Daelkyr symbionts, treasures of Droaam, and fiendish relics!
25 monsters, including powerful Archfey, the Daelkyr Orlassk, and the dreadful Overlord Tol Kharash!
Heart of Stone, an adventure path that will take player characters from 1st to 5th level!
That’s a ton of new source material for D&D players and dungeon masters to add to their tool box. Dungeons and Dragons has already promised more Eberron partnered content will be coming from Visionary Production & Design as part of the new studio partnerships deal, so this is possible the first of multiple Eberron products coming up.
“Three new studio partnerships will bring official content to more D&D settings: a return to Ravenloft and the Domains of Dread with Ghostfire Gaming in 2027; an Eberron adventure featuring the Lord of Blades from Visionary Productions in 2028; and new Forgotten Realms content from Kobold Press also coming in 2028.”
Be sure to check back soon for lots more Dungeons and Dragons news and updates.
Dungeons and Dragons is available now at local game shops and digitally through D&D Beyond, Roll20, and other similar online services.
At one point, there was no limit to what networks would do to create the next great reality show that would bring them viewership. MTV and VH1 were notorious for this, creating shows like Room Raiders, Flavor of Love, and Next. Some ideas were so insane that if they were pitched in the 2020s, they’d never see the light of day.
In January of 2005 Fox premiered Who’s Your Daddy? a series that would take an adopted person and present them with several men that could be their biological father. Amongst a sea of paid actors was the person’s real relative. The contestant’s job was to suss him out and win $100,000.
If they failed to, the imposter would win the cash prize instead.
Intense Backlash got this Fox show canned
It’s a sensitive topic that really shouldn’t be reduced to reality television, but that was the early aughts for ya. The show immediately drew backlash from various groups, including Adam Pertman, executive director of the Evan B. Donaldson Adoption Institute (National Center on Adoption and Permanency).
“The very idea of taking such a deeply personal, complex situation and turning it into a money-grubbing game show is perverse, destructive and insensitive to others,” Pertman penned in a scathing letter to Fox.
The immediate backlash led Fox to canceling it after just one episode. However, the tasteless exploitation of an individual trying to find her birth parents was already done.
While Fox never issued a formal apology, the show’s executive producers—Scott Hallock and Kevin Healey—offered an explanation in a 2005 interview. “I can understand the reservations,” said Healey. “But the people came to it with great excitement and a willingness to play the game. It’s a fun and healthy way to get to know this person that they’ve never met.”
They both emphasized that they didn’t surprise anyone with the concept, and they worked with a company that specializes in helping adopted children find their biological parents.
It wasn’t Fox’s first foray into the tasteless side of television, either. They aired The Swan, where contestants were “beautified” with cosmetic surgery, and The Littlest Groom, a play on The Bachelor featuring a little person. While looking back on it is tough, it’s important to see how much reality television has evolved.
MTV’s The Hills is one of the most unforgettable reality shows of the early aughts. A bunch of people in their mid-20s trying to figure it all out (and eventually having that mid-20s crash out), the cinematic soap opera-style editing; it’s peak millennial culture.
Initially centering around Laguna Beach standout Lauren Conrad and her Hollywood friends and frenemies, it followed the group around the city of angels. The Hills exploded in popularity, averaging over 2 million viewers per episode. During the height of Conrad’s ongoing feud with Heidi Montag, the show peaked at over 4 million viewers.
However, as the seasons went on, fans began to question what was real and what wasn’t. By the series finale, The Hills cast and crew decided to play into the long-standing rumors about the show. The rest wasn’t unwritten after all…
Reliving ‘The Hills’ Meta Ending 15 Years Later
Conrad departed The Hills in Season 5, making Kristin Cavallari the new standout. At the time, she was “dating” Brody Jenner, but the finale brought everything fans thought they knew into question. The group is ready to move on to their next stage of life. Lo and Scott move in together, Audrina has decided to buy a gorgeous beachfront property, Jenner is doing the usual nepo baby bachelor things.
As for Cavallari… she’s moving to Europe? As she heads to the airport after saying goodbye to her on-again-off-again fling, Jenner, the camera pans to show they’re on a studio set. The backdrop of the Hollywood sign is just a screen.
”The ending was genius,” Cavallari admitted in a recent episode of her podcast, Let’s Be Honest with Kristin Cavallari. “This ending to me is one of the cooler endings to any show.”
Cavallari acknowledges why it was very controversial at the time, particularly for fans who bought into the show.
“It was mixed feelings on that ending, and I get that. For those hard fans who really also thought everything was real, I can get why that kind of rocked your world,” she said. “I think for me, not only did I think it was so creative, but I also think it was nice for me as someone who really felt like I was acting in a lot of ways or doing improv. I think for me it was nice to be like, ‘thank you,’ because this sort of tips our hat at the fact that not everything was real.”
A theme park next door would probably come with some trade-offs. Like, horrific screams whirring past your house, for example.
Universal Studios Hollywood’s “Fast & Furious: Hollywood Drift” coaster—its first-ever outdoor roller coaster—has been in technical rehearsals since July, when a limited number of park guests were invited to test it. The ride hits 72 mph and features 360-degree rotating vehicles designed to simulate drifting. It sits on a hillside in the park’s upper lot, elevated above the Lakeside Golf Course, overlooking the residential streets of Toluca Lake below.
The neighbors noticed immediately. “When it’s running, it’s constant, and it sounds like bloody murder over there,” Toluca Lake resident Colby Jensen told KTLA. “It’s like a horror film going on. Constant screaming, yelling. Very intrusive.” Patrick Nazari described it to the LA Times with similar alarm: “You think something is happening. Like someone is getting murdered out there.” A third resident, Leonard R. Garner Jr., added: “I heard it, and I thought to myself, there are going to be problems with this.”
Universal Is Adding Sound Barriers After Complaints About Its New ‘Fast & Furious’ Coaster
The ride’s location compounds the issue. An outdoor coaster at 72 mph on an open hillside, with no natural buffer between the track and the residential neighborhood below, sends rider screams across the golf course and into homes with the doors shut.
Universal had tried to get ahead of this. Inside the Magic reported that sound-shield panels were incorporated around portions of the coaster in February, months before riders ever boarded. The park also promoted “sound reduction technology” as part of the ride’s design. Then the actual screaming started. LA City Councilmember Adrin Nazarian this week announced Universal would install two additional barriers, with construction expected to be complete by early September. Universal says the ride currently meets sound ordinance requirements and is adding more barriers in response to community feedback.
Universal’s statement walked a careful line, noting it welcomed community input, planned a meeting with HOA leadership, and would “continue to engage with our neighbors as the coaster remains in technical rehearsals ahead of its opening.” An official opening date has not been announced.
Universal’s first outdoor roller coaster doesn’t have an opening date yet. The neighbors, though, know exactly what it sounds like.
There was a lot of angst and pent-up anger featured in the music of the late 90s and early 2000s. Fans and artists vented through genres such as emo, nu-metal, and hard rock. These four rock songs from the 2000s have probably caused at least one hole in a rental property during that time.
“down with the sickness” by disturbed
One of the most recognizable nu-metal hits of the early 2000s is “Down With The Sickness”. Disturbed vocalist David Draiman had recently undergone vocal cord surgery for acid reflux. One day during a vocal warm-up, Draiman belted out the signature “ooh-wah-ah-ah-ah” that was then attached to the song. Overall, it’s about a struggle with individuality in an oppressive, conformist society. The intensity of this nu-metal track is sure to have lit a fire in many fans, resulting in holes in multiple rental properties’ drywall.
“break stuff” by limp bizkit
It’s just one of those days. Limp Bizkit penned this nu-metal anthem in 2000, leading to countless acts of violence. Notably, their Woodstock ’99 crowd committed various violent acts and is among the most chaotic live performances in history. Basically, vocalist Fred Durst incited a riot with this track. With lyrics such as “Don’t you know I pack a chainsaw / I’ll skin your a** raw / And if things keep going this way I just might / Break your f**king face tonight / Give me something to break.” Fans of the band looking for something to break most likely focused their anger on nearby drywall.
“the kill” by thirty seconds to mars
Initially known for his successful acting career, Jared Leto is also the vocalist of the emo-pioneering group Thirty Seconds to Mars. Their signature track, “The Kill”, is about a broken relationship. The desperation in the chorus: “Come, break me down / bury me, bury me / I am finished with you” is sure to bring out the emotion in anyone suffering heartbreak. Additionally, the song is an anthem about finding yourself. “The Kill” was a massive emo hit, peaking at No. 3 on the US Alternative Airplay chart in 2006. Subsequently, their follow-up single “From Yesterday” reached No. 1 on the chart.
Svalbard sits about 620 miles from the North Pole and is one of the few places left on Earth where polar bears roam freely. Thousands of tourists visit every year to see them in their natural habitat, and the Golden Rule is—look, snap some pics, and move on. Not everyone gets that.
Earlier this month, an unidentified boat operator sailing through a fjord in northeastern Svalbard spotted a bear resting on land and responded by blasting the ship’s foghorn. The bear woke up and moved. The governor of the territory’s office issued a fine of $5,255 under Section 30a of the Svalbard Environmental Act, which prohibits needlessly disturbing, attracting, or pursuing a polar bear. The operator agreed to pay.
This wasn’t the first time this has happened. In June 2024, two guides with a French shipping company were each fined around $2,100 after steering paying guests in rubber boats toward a polar bear and cub feeding on a whale carcass in northern Svalbard. That incident was at least somewhat understandable, however dumb and misguided. Someone wanting a closer look is a human impulse. Blasting a foghorn at a sleeping bear is just being an a**hole.
Norway Fined a Boat Operator for Disturbing a Sleeping Polar Bear in Svalbard
The rules have gotten stricter because tourism has boomed. Svalbard saw 506 cruise ships carrying 67,000 passengers in 2024 alone, a number that has doubled in under 15 years. Protections that took effect in January 2025 now require vessels to stay at least 300 meters from bears in summer and 500 meters through June. Fines are just the starting point for violations. In serious cases, the penalty goes up to five years in prison.
The bears are doing better than the headlines around them suggest. Jon Aars, a senior scientist with the Norwegian Polar Institute, led a team that tracked the weight and size of nearly 800 bears in Svalbard between 1992 and 2019 and found them healthy and reproducing despite major sea ice loss. “I was quite surprised,” Aars told CBS News, “because we have lost so much sea ice since I started.” His data suggests the bears have adapted, hunting more efficiently as shrinking ice concentrates their prey. “Some of us would predict that they should be in trouble already,” he said.
They’ve outlasted unregulated hunting and a warming Arctic. A foghorn is a minor problem by comparison, but it’s still a d*ck move.
The tiny microbes in your gut play a big role in who you are, how healthy you are, and, apparently, according to new research published in Translational Psychiatry, whether or not you exhibit psychopathic tendencies.
Scientists have found a link between certain gut and oral bacteria and traits associated with psychopathy. Don’t start chugging Greek yogurt and gobbling barrels of kimchi to veer your microbes away from psychopathy, because there are some huge caveats to that eye-popping claim.
The study involved 200 healthy adults who completed a questionnaire measuring psychopathic traits. They also supplied blood, saliva, and fecal samples. The researchers found that people with higher levels of three types of bacteria tended to score higher for traits including callousness, impulsivity, manipulation, and antisocial behavior—all hallmarks of the common psychopath.
Those three bacteria were Allisonella, Prevotella, and Cloacibacillus evryensis. If you’re wondering if there’s a bacterium that shows the opposite association, that would be Treponema vincentii.
Your Gut Bacteria May Be Linked to Psychopathic Tendencies
Now here’s the big caveat: the study does not show that bacteria make people psychopaths. As is often the case with scientific research, especially some of the more sensationalistic headlines you read out there, this study found correlation and not causation. A link and not a firm, fully established cause and effect. For now, this is merely a finding that makes you go “hmm” as you stroke your beard.
There’s also the matter of this particular study not yet undergoing peer review, so please do not use it as a means of accusing your roommate of being a psychopath because he didn’t take his probiotic that morning.
All that said, it’s an interesting find since psychopathy has traditionally been studied almost exclusively through the brain, genetics, and behavior. Examining it through the gut is a burgeoning concept that different research teams may explore down the line. Researchers already know that certain brain regions can be involved in the development of psychopathy; knowing that doesn’t provide the full story of its development. Our gut microbiome could be a huge missing piece of the puzzle.
Exactly how it fits in needs much more study. Maybe it has something to do with inflammation, neurotransmitters, or how gut bacteria influence emotional processing. For now, the researchers only have theories.
The “protein in everything” trend is rapidly approaching its logically ludicrous endgame. Recently, I wrote about how scientists are using a “gene gun” to shoot pig DNA into produce to create protein-packed lettuce. Now comes word that a separate research team is using algae proteins to create protein-enriched ketchup.
We’re really well on our way to creating a burger that, on its own, helps people get all their protein macros for an entire day in just a few bites. What hath man wrought.
According to a new study published in ACS Food Science & Technology, researchers in Russia and New Zealand experimented with adding protein extracted from Chlorella vulgaris, a protein-rich microalgae, to homemade tomato ketchup.
Regular ketchup contains a pathetic 1.6 percent protein by weight. Researchers managed to push that number to 6.3 percent by adding algae protein. The fortified ketchup also contained more essential amino acids, minerals, and antioxidants. It’s ketchup so healthy you can practically rub it on your skin as a beauty cream.
The Protein-in-Everything Trend Has Reached Ketchup
But the researchers did find a limit to how much algae humans are willing to put up with in their ketchup. A taste panel of 15 people found that ketchup containing 1 to 3 percent algae still looked and tasted like traditional ketchup. Once things tipped over into the five percent range, that’s when the unmistakable flavor of algae started to pop up.
At 13 percent, the ketchup was darker, thicker, and the algae-ness of it was dominating the flavor profile, causing its popularity to plummet. Turns out, people are willing to tolerate a precise amount of pond scum in their ketchup as long as it means a little protein boost.
Researchers say that microalgae could be a sustainable protein source and say can be grown year-round using just a little land and freshwater. This would make it perfect for adding a sustainable, affordable bit of protein to nearly any food on grocery store shelves. At the rate that we’re turning junk foods into health foods, it won’t be long before your mayo is filled with creatine and your American cheese is loaded with HGH.
We’re all going to be shredded, and we’ll have our greasy, 1,500-calorie burgers to thank.
There’s a reason dogs are trusted as emotional companions. If it seems like they have a nearly supernatural ability to sense human emotion, it’s because they practically do. As researchers at the University of Vienna recently found, dogs are especially good at parsing the emotions we humans are expressing with our faces.
The study, published in iScience, used fMRI scans to watch what happened inside dogs’ brains while they looked at photographs of human faces showing happiness, sadness, anger and fear. One of the study’s limitations is also one of the reasons the researchers were able to complete it at all. It’s difficult to get humans to sit still for an MRI scan, let alone a dog. The researchers had to use a specific breed, border collies, because they were especially good at sitting still on command. Border collies are great at following social cues and love following human orders.
In the first experiment, researchers found that happy human faces activated areas including the dogs’ temporal cortex and caudate nucleus. In a follow-up experiment involving 12 dogs, researchers went further, finding distinct brain activity patterns when the animals viewed fearful, angry and sad faces.
Dogs Can Apparently Read Your Face, Even When You’re Trying to Hide It
The researchers found that the dogs could distinguish between several nuanced expressions of emotion, particularly negative ones. That doesn’t necessarily mean that dogs totally understand emotion. They don’t look at your sad face and know that you’re sad because of your recent breakup. They just know that you’re sad.
In the real world, they have more information to work with than a still image of a sad face. Dogs pick up on and respond to a variety of cues, including body language, vocal tics, and even a person’s smell can tip off their mood.
While the study primarily focused on collies, broadly speaking, the study does offer some direct evidence of something that dog owners have long suspected: our precious, angelic little pooches really do seem to know what we’re feeling.
They don’t know why you’re in a bad mood. But they know you’re in one, which is a lot more than some people can say about their human partners.
Everyone, get your crochet beanie and chunky owl necklace out of the donate pile. We’re talking about late-2000s indie pop, whether you like it or not. Are these the best indie pop albums of the late 2000s? I wouldn’t say so. But are they still pretty good considering all the other stuff that was coming out at that time? Yeah, they’re not bad.
‘Aim and Ignite’ by Fun.
A lot of us like to dunk on Fun. for being the quintessential Millennial indie pop guys. But they did give us “Some Nights” and “We Are Young”, which have aged into their cloying sentimentality pretty well. Before that, however, they debuted in August 2009 with Aim and Ignite. This album featured “Be Calm” as the opening track, which was sort of like a precursor to “We Are Young”.
The final chorus of “Be Calm” is the real heavy hitter. “Oh be calm, be calm / I know you feel like you are breaking down / I know it gets so hard sometimes / Be calm / Take it from me, I’ve been there a thousand times / You hate your pulse because it still thinks you’re alive and everything’s wrong / It just gets so hard sometimes / Be calm, be calm.”
‘Volume One’ by She & Him
Nothing says Spring 2008 like Volume One by She & Him. Zooey Deschanel and M. Ward’s indie-twee-pop project didn’t make the most involved music. But its retro simplicity was what drew people in. Plus, the obvious flaws in Zooey Deschanel’s singing voice just added to the strange charm. I admit, I had both Volume One and Volume Two on CD and listened to them a lot. I was going through a twee pop phase, whatever.
The standout track on Volume One has to be “Why Do You Let Me Stay Here?”. It’s a bubbly, cutesy little tune about liking someone a lot and wanting to hang out with them, but not wanting to make the first move. “Why do you let me stay here / All by myself / Why don’t you come and play here / I’m just sitting on the shelf”. As if saying, “Hey, why don’t you ask me out? I’m just sitting here with nothing to do!”
‘Ray Guns Are Not Just the Future’ by The Bird and the Bee
Indie pop duo The Bird and the Bee released their second album Ray Guns Are Not Just the Future in January 2009. This album is one of the better ones that came out of late-2000s indie pop with a hint of twee, and it holds up surprisingly well today.
That longevity has a lot to do with the layered styles on the album. For example, “My Love” is a quintessential 2009 romantic pop song, while “Witch” is a luxurious swirl of vintage style. By utilizing a range of stylistic elements, the duo created a timeless collection of indie pop delights.
Some weeks ask you to dream bigger. This one asks you to be honest about what you’ve already got. Saturn opposing Venus hits exact Friday, stargazer, and whatever you’ve been carrying — a relationship running on hope, a desire you haven’t fully accounted for, an image of yourself you’ve been maintaining for other people — is going to need a clear-eyed look before the week is out. It’s not asking you to give anything up, just to see it clearly.
That’s not as grim as it sounds. Leo season closes Saturday, which means the sky is already in transition, asking what comes next. The First Quarter Moon midweek pushes for action rather than contemplation. Uranus squaring the Sun from Thursday adds a jolt to the identity question — not destabilizing, just honest. What this week wants from you isn’t a breakdown. It’s an accurate read. Those are different things; this week knows it.
How will your sign fare this week?
Aries: March 21 – April 19
Mars in Cancer has had you running on instinct and loyalty all month — protecting what you care about, moving from feeling rather than strategy. That’s not wrong, Aries, but Saturn opposing Venus this week puts a harder question underneath it: is what you’ve been so fiercely defending actually built on something solid, or just something that’s always been there?
Sit with that before Friday. The fog that’s been clouding your drive starts to lift right as Saturn’s opposition hits exact, and what you’re left with is a cleaner look at where your energy has actually been going. Some of it will check out. Some of it won’t. Either way, you’ll know — and you can adjust without making it a whole thing.
You know what you want — that’s never been the problem, Taurus. What Saturn opposing Venus this week is actually asking is whether you’ve been honest with yourself about what getting it costs. Not just money, though that’s part of it. Time, energy, compromise, the whole shape of your life you’d need to rearrange to actually have the thing you keep coming back to.
Saturn opposition Venus goes exact Friday, and it’s not here to take things away — it’s here to make the accounting visible. Jupiter sextile Venus is still in play early in the week, keeping the warmth alive. Use that window to get honest about what you actually want to fight for. By Friday you’ll need to know the answer.
Last week had a lot of words in it — big ones, pointed ones, ones you can’t entirely take back. Mercury trine Saturn on Monday is the follow-through ask, Gemini: did you mean what you said, and can you back it up with something concrete? Saturn doesn’t let bold declarations just float — it wants the structure underneath them.
Mercury conjuncting the Sun is building all week, which means how you think and how you present yourself are starting to converge in ways that will stick around longer than usual. That’s not pressure, it’s an invitation. Get your thinking straight early in the week while Saturn’s trine is keeping things grounded. What you settle on this week about who you are will hold.
You’re good at making people feel taken care of — it comes naturally, Cancer, and most of the time you don’t even track the cost. But with the Moon moving through relational territory all week and Saturn opposing Venus hitting exact Friday, the sky is asking a question you usually deflect: who’s holding you while you’re busy holding everyone else?
This isn’t about keeping score. It’s about noticing the imbalance before it becomes resentment. Mars in your sign has you running on protective instinct, which means you’ll feel the impulse to keep giving even when you’re running low. Resist it this week. What you need is allowed to count too — Saturn’s opposition is as much an invitation as it is a limit.
The eclipse last week started something internally — a revision of who you are versus who you’ve been presenting. This week, Uranus squaring the Sun takes that process external, Leo. Something in your outside world is going to push back against the image you’ve been maintaining, and it won’t be polite about it.
That’s not a punishment. Uranus square Sun is the universe stress-testing what you’ve built around your identity — if it holds up, good. If it doesn’t, better to find out now than later. Saturday is the last day of Leo season, which means this week is also a closing. Whatever needed renegotiating about how you move through the world gets one more push before Virgo season asks something entirely different of you.
You’ve been in preparation mode for a while now — refining, adjusting, finding the one more thing that needs fixing before you feel ready. Mercury trine Saturn on Monday is the sky telling you the work is actually done, Virgo. The thinking is sound. The plan holds up. You’ve done the analysis. You don’t need another revision pass.
Virgo season starts Sunday, which means this week is the threshold between getting ready and actually going. Mercury conjuncting the Sun is building all week, pulling your mind and your sense of self into alignment — that’s not an accident. Who you are walking into your season doesn’t need to be perfected first. The prep work is finished, and it was good. Put it down and go.
You’re generous with people — you extend the benefit of the doubt, find the charitable read, hold space for the possibility that things will improve. That’s one of your better qualities, Libra. But Saturn opposing Venus in your sign this week, hitting exact Friday, is asking you to look at the evidence rather than the potential.
This isn’t about pessimism — it’s about accuracy. Jupiter sextile Venus keeps some warmth in the early part of the week, which helps. But by Friday, Saturn’s opposition makes the distance between what a relationship feels like and what it actually delivers hard to paper over. You already know which ones are holding up and which ones you’ve been carrying on goodwill alone. Saturn just makes it official
You’re careful about how much of yourself you let through — what you show, what you hold back, how much access people actually get. It’s not manipulation, it’s self-protection. But Saturn opposing Venus this week, hitting exact Friday, starts making that strategy feel costly in a way that’s harder to ignore than usual, Scorpio.
Not because anyone is pushing. Because you are. Pluto trine Uranus running in the background all week is loosening something at a structural level — the part of you that decided a long time ago that full visibility wasn’t safe. Saturn’s opposition isn’t asking you to throw the doors open. It’s asking whether the level of distance you’re maintaining is still actually protecting you, or just keeping you alone.
Jupiter sextiling Venus to start the week puts something warm and actually good in front of you, Sagittarius — a connection, an opportunity, a moment that feels easy in a way you don’t always let yourself enjoy. Your instinct will be to treat it as a stepping stone to something bigger. It isn’t. It’s the thing.
The week gets more demanding as it goes — Saturn trine Jupiter is still building, still asking the structural questions, and the First Quarter Moon midweek wants action, not contemplation. But the window Monday and Tuesday gives you is one to actually inhabit before the week picks up speed. Not everything has to be the setup for something larger. Some things are just good. Let this one be that.
You’re comfortable with what Saturn asks — discipline, accountability, doing the hard thing without complaint. What’s less comfortable, Capricorn, is when that same energy turns toward your relationships. Saturn opposing Venus exact Friday isn’t about your work or your ambitions. It’s pointed squarely at whether the people in your life are getting the same investment you give everything else.
The honest answer for most Capricorns is: not quite. It’s easier to go cold than vulnerable, easier to be busy than present, easier to optimize what responds to effort than sit with what doesn’t. This week the opposition makes that trade-off visible in a way that’s hard to rationalize past. You don’t have to overhaul anything. But you do have to look.
Uranus squaring the Sun from Thursday onward is making a lot of people uncomfortable this week — identity feeling shaky, outside circumstances refusing to cooperate with the image they’ve been projecting. You recognize this feeling, Aquarius. Disruption is where you’re most at home, and watching the rest of the sky get rattled by your ruling planet is not exactly a hardship. That’s not a problem. It’s just something to be clear-eyed about.
Because there’s a difference between using instability as fuel and just enjoying watching things get complicated. Uranus square Sun gives you energy this week that others don’t have access to — the question is whether you’re pointing it at something that actually moves or just running it in circles. Use it deliberately.
The fog that’s been sitting over your desires and decisions starts to lift this week, Pisces — Neptune opposition Venus clears Monday, and Neptune square Mars is waning fast. You’ve been navigating by feel for a while now, which is comfortable territory for you. What’s less comfortable is what happens when you can actually see.
Because what comes into focus isn’t always what you were hoping for. Saturn opposing Venus exact Friday means the clearer picture arrives with an edge to it — not cruel, just honest. Some of what you’ve been holding onto in the blur looks different in the open. That’s not a loss. It’s just the information you needed to make a decision you’ve been putting off. Now you have it.
The Fortnite Chapter 7 Season 4 Battle Pass has been leaked early after Epic Games sent teaser packages to streamers. The Fortnite Override battle pass appears to feature major gaming collabs such as Sonic and potentially Tetris, alongside several original skins.
Fortnite Chapter 7 Season 4 Battle Pass Skins Confirmed So Far
Screenshot: X @HypeX, Epic Games
The Fortnite Override season officially launches on August 20, 2026. However, days before its release, the Fortnite Chapter 7 Season 4 Battle Pass was seemingly leaked early online by streamers who received gift baskets from Epic Games.
In a post on X, Littlest Snail Gaming uploaded a picture of a card that reportedly features six of the eight Fortnite Override Battle Pass skins. The biggest collab included in the pass is a Fortnite Sonic cosmetic. According to Loolo Leaks, there may also be a Tetris-inspired outfit that can be customized similarly to the Toona Fish skin from Chapter 2 Season 8.
The Fortnite Override Battle Pass skins lineup was further supported when an unfinished version of the season’s key art leaked online. By combining the two images, Fortnite dataminers have been able to compile a list of the Chapter 7 Season 4 Battle Pass skins, which we’ll break down below with images:
All Fortnite Chapter 7 Season 4 Battle Pass Skins
Screenshot: X @SnailFortnite
Sonic Fortnite Skin
Screenshot: X @HypeX
Tetris Skin
Screenshot: X @HypeX
New Original Chapter 7 Season 4 Skin
Screenshot: X @HypeX
Original Fighter Skin
Screenshot: X @HypeX
Geno
Screenshot: X @HypeX, Epic Games
Warrior With Shield Skin
Screenshot: X @HypeX
Soldier Skin (Rumored to be Jonesy The Legend Outfit)
Screenshot: X @HypeX
Kart Racer Skin
Screenshot: X @hypex, @blortzen
Note: We will update this list with official images and skin names as soon as Epic Games reveals them.
Most Fortnite Override Gaming Collabs wiill Not Be in the Battle Pass
Screenshot: Epic Games
Based on the images shared online, it appears that the Fortnite Chapter 7 Season 4 Battle Pass may only feature two gaming collabs. It could even have fewer, as dataminers are currently unsure whether the rumored “Tetris” skin is actually connected to the classic puzzle game or is simply a new original cosmetic.
That means the vast majority of the Fortnite Override collabs revealed so far may not be included in the pass. For example, Epic Games has already confirmed a Persona 5 Joker skin is coming. However, the character doesn’t appear to be part of the Chapter 7 Season 4 Battle Pass based on these images.
Here are the Fortnite Override gaming collabs that will likely be sold separately in the Item Shop:
Persona 5 – Joker
Sonic the Hedgehog – Dr. Eggman and Shadow the Hedgehog
Mega Man
Crash Bandicoot
Pac-Man
Kingdom Hearts – Sora and the Keyblade
Screenshot: Epic Games
However, we can’t stress enough that Epic Games has not officially confirmed that all of the above collabs are receiving skins. It’s also possible that some of these cosmetics could be released through events or other promotions instead of being sold in the Item Shop.
Still, based on the official Fortnite gift baskets sent to streamers, it looks like most of the Gaming Legends crossovers will not be included in the Fortnite Override Battle Pass. We should learn the complete lineup when the official Chapter 7 Season 4 trailer is released tomorrow on on August 16.
R&B changed significantly when Aaliyah dropped One In a Million in 1996. Jodeci producer and R&B icon Devante Swing was leaving his stylistic imprint on the future of the genre by mentoring the likes of Timbaland, Missy Elliott, and more. Through Aaliyah’s connection to them, we get her classic sophomore album that challenged our preconceived notions of music at the time. The drums were sexy, the samples were creative, and the vibe was sexy. After working with R. Kelly on her debut Age Ain’t Nothing But a Number, Aaliyah desperately needed a change of scenery.
\Unfortunately, the R&B legend passed away far too soon at 22 years old in 2001. Now, 30 years after One In a Million, Missy Elliott is celebrating her close friend and collaborator. In a heartfelt tribute on X, she talked about how the album aged incredibly all these years later. Moreover, she highlighted how Aaliyah was one of one when it came to her stardom and presence on records.
“30 years ago, Aaliyah ushered in a new sound that was FUTURISTIC and DISTINCTIVE. She had her own sound,” Elliott wrote. “Her SMOOTH vocals & choreography complemented every beat. One in a Million wasn’t just an album; it was ART & a MASTERPIECE A BODY of WORK that, til this day, feels FRESH & NEW, & studied by many great artists today.”
Missy Elliott Honors Aaliyah 30 Years After Her Classic Album ‘One In A Million’
The Virginia rapper and singer similarly honored her late friend Aaliyah in 2025. It would’ve marked Aaliyah’s 46th birthday. “Babygirl the IMPACT that you have left in the years you spent here with the world is UNDENIABLE. Leaving generations to know your name ‘AALIYAH’,” she wrote. “They continue to learn of your UNIQUE Music ORIGINAL Style & GLOWING personality. You will NEVER be 4Gotten.”
Missy Elliott famously wrote a number of iconic records for Aaliyah, including “One in a Million” and “If Your Girl Only Knew”. Initially, Elliott and Timbaland recalled being a little nervous because they were still relatively unknown. Consequently, they thought Aaliyah might’ve been a bit standoffish towards them, questioning how legit they were. But immediately, all the worries about her being a “diva” washed away, likening her to a comedian.
“We were nervous when we first worked with her because nobody knew who we was,” Missy Elliott told MTV in 2012. “She came in and was so warming; she made us immediately feel like family.”
Everyone who has ever suffered from addiction and beaten it has almost always had a profound wake-up call. There’s a moment in our lives where we don’t want to struggle with the things that slowly kill us. For Travis Barker, that moment happened after he nearly died in a fatal plane crash in 2008. The incident caused four people to pass away, while the iconic drummer and Adam “DJ AM” Goldstein survived with intense burns.
Admittedly, the plane crash kept him horrified from flying again for 13 years. But his near-death experience did help him realize he “never wanted to touch a drug again.” In an interview with the Associated Press, Travis Barker recalled his intense nerves about flying. Consequently, he found drugs were the only efficient way to calm him down. Additionally, he admitted that being away from his kids also screwed with his nervous system.
“I have no clue where that even comes from except for flying when I was a kid and I was with my mom and I saw her terrified,” Barker told the publication. “I don’t know if that really had an effect on me or what it was. But my drug use started from first being able to get on planes because they scared me so much. Then to not only being afraid of flying, but I had to leave my children for long periods of time to go on tour.”
Travis Barker Candidly Opens up About His Drug Addiction and Fear of Flying
Then, the drug habit became a full-blown addiction. It wasn’t until he had to endure dozens of surgeries and was placed on morphine that he realized he never wanted to be so low again.
“Instead of ever going to rehab or quitting, I got into a plane accident where I nearly lost everything and I was in a burn center for six months on morphine and I had 30 surgeries,” Travis Barker added. “70 percent of my body was burnt and I never wanted to touch a drug again in my life. So, I don’t know if that didn’t happen to me if I would still be using drugs in some way, shape, or form. But that was my wake-up call. That was my rehab.”
The aftermath was particularly difficult for Travis Barker. DJ AM was the only one he felt like he could confide in for a long time. However, once he died from a drug overdose, he vowed to never fly again. It wasn’t until his wife, Kourtney Kardashian, finally convinced the Blink-182 legend to try again. Nowadays, flights and turbulence don’t bother him anymore.
A lot of people don’t realize that tensions between Drake and Kendrick Lamar had been brewing for over a decade. Dating at least back to 2013, the pair have thrown shots at each other. The only reason things didn’t absolutely explode sooner was that Drake made an abundance of other enemies that took priority in the years since. Moreover, Lamar had different aspirations and grander ideas to exercise than bickering with the Toronto MC.
To properly document the years of beef simmering between the two hip-hop giants, we’ve collected four verses where the Compton legend threw shots at his biggest rival.
4 Kendrick Lamar Verses That Proved His Beef With Drake Long Before ‘Not Like Us’
“Control”
The funny thing about Kendrick Lamar’s infamous “Control” verse is that the “diss” in question was extremely tame. All he did was list his many contemporaries, including Drake, and challenge them to be the best rapper in the game. “I got love for you all but I’m tryna murder you n***as/Tryna make sure your core fans never heard of you n***as/They don’t wanna hear not one more noun or verb from you n***as,” Kendrick Lamar spit.
Still, it was enough to get Drake in his feelings and start a long cold war for the next decade.
“All The Stars”
Who knew that you could throw subliminal disses at your enemies in a song for a Disney soundtrack? Kendrick Lamar’s verse on “All The Stars” for the Black Panther soundtrack is largely subliminal in the shots fired. You might even think it’s too broad to apply to any specific person.
But knowing that Kendrick Lamar had constantly questioned Drake’s moral integrity in 2024, the shoe fits on “All The Stars”. He scoffed at ego and entitlement, wanting nothing to do with fake people. “I hate people that feel entitled/Look at me crazy ’cause I didn’t invite you/Oh, you important? You the moral to the story? You endorsin’?/Mothaf***a, I don’t even like you,” he rapped.
2013 BET Hip-Hop Awards Cypher With TDE
In the immediate aftermath of the “Control” verse, Drake threw some scattered shots and complained a little bit during interviews. Lamar largely scoffed at his reactions during the 2013 Hip-Hop Awards, dropping a sly reference to Drake and telling him to toughen up.
“Yeah, and nothing been the same since they dropped ‘Control’/And tucked a sensitive rapper back in his pajama clothes,” Kendrick quipped.
“King Kunta”
Ever since he battled ghostwriting allegations from Meek Mill in 2015, Drake’s legitimacy as a rapper started to come into question. Skeptics turned to full-blown haters, and pre-existing haters only had more fuel to argue Drake wasn’t that great.
Kendrick Lamar also indulged on “King Kunta”, wondering what happened to hip-hop for ghostwriting to be acceptable. Moreover, he even teased that he quietly knew about the allegations long before we did. “I swore I wouldn’t tell, but most of y’all sharing bars/Like you got the bottom bunk in a two-man cell,” Lamar rapped.
(Photo by Michael Buckner/Billboard via Getty Images)