Ladies, gentlemen, and Love Island fans all across America — I got a text! Love Island: USA is back and better than ever for season 6, arriving even sooner than you might think…

For those who are unfamiliar with the beloved competition series — with the American iteration streaming exclusively on Peacock — Love Island: USA brings a group of sexy singles together in a stunning Fijian villa to look for love with one another, as well as vie for a massive cash prize. With recoupling ceremonies and dumpings that are sure to leave your jaws dropped, as well as hot new bombshells that arrive every so often to shake up the current couples, Love Island: USA will undoubtedly have your eyes glued to your television screen almost every night, jam-packed with juicy drama, and season 6 will be no exception.

According to a synopsis for season 6, contestants (also known as islanders) will “face more drama than ever before with jaw-dropping revelations, brand new couples challenges, and even a few surprise guests,” but when will it finally grace our television screens? Today (May 7), Peacock shared the official premiere date via social media — as well as a sneak peek of the brand new host of the hit competition show — in a Barbie-esque teaser trailer. Keep scrolling to find out all of the nitty gritty details for yourself…

Love Island: USA season 6 will premiere on June 11

In the teaser trailer — which shows the season 6 host, Vanderpump Rules star Ariana Madix, channeling her inner Barbie while heading off to the Fijian villa, enjoying the sunshine, riding a moped, sitting atop a plane, parachuting, surfing, and more — narrator Iain Stirling announces that Love Island: USA will premiere on June 11.

Naturally, fans of the hit competition show took to the comment section to express their enthusiasm for both the sooner-than-expected premiere date, as well as Madix’s hosting debut (with the exception of guest hosting a few challenges on season 5 of Love Island: USA and season 1 of Love Island Games):

“Omfggggg yessssssss soooooo excited for this and happy for the queeennnnn to host! @arianamadix ”

“@iaindoesjokes and @arianamadix on my screen for my favorite show of all time?! I’m so excited!!! 🩷🩷”

“Summer is going to be lit ”

“Summer is SAVED ”

With this teaser trailer alone, it looks like season 6 of Love Island: USA is gearing up to trump all of the others. After all, Ariana Madix is a real life Barbie!

Nonetheless, be sure to mark your calendars and renew your Peacock subscriptions, as well as keep up with @loveislandusa on social media for updates regarding the season 6 cast and more. It is impossible to know for sure until the cast is announced, but hopefully some hunks and heartthrobs will be gracing our television screens this summer!

After season 25 of Big Brother was a train wreck (for lack of a better phrase), the beloved competition series is getting a chance at redemption with season 26, premiering this summer on CBS.

For those who have been living under a rock — AKA those who are unfamiliar with the hit competition show — Big Brother brings a group of individuals from all different backgrounds and walks of life together in a mansion (or should we say a soundstage) in Los Angeles, California for a high-stakes social and strategic game to earn a $750,000 cash prize.

With each and every contestant (or should we say each and every houseguest) under 24/7 surveillance, cameras and microphones capture their every move as they compete for the Head of Household (HOH). The HOH is able to nominate people for eviction — who can avoid being on the block by winning a Power of Veto (POV) competition later in the week — but the week ends with someone being eliminated from the show nonetheless. Naturally, Big Brother is filled with backstabbing and betrayal!

With season 25 having a later start and lasting longer than ever, fans of the show were thrilled to see that season 26 will get back to its usual summertime slot. What is the official premiere date, you may ask? Fortunately, we got you covered, as CBS took to social media to announce the premiere date today (May 7).

Big Brother 26 will premiere on July 17 and July 18

Big Brother will return to our television screens with a two night premiere on July 17 and July 18, with the network sharing the oh-so exciting news in an Instagram reel:

“Wait, did you see that? #BB26 is coming your way for a TWO NIGHT premiere on Wednesday July 17 and Thursday July 18! Mark your calendars for a whole new season of #BigBrother“

Some Big Brother alums expressed their excitement in the comment section of the post as well:

Derek “Big D” Frazier: “It’s that time again! We are ready to JUDGE these houseguests ”

Derek Xiao: “Lock in!”

Matt “Turner” Turner: “Oh we are so back.”

With longtime host Julie Chen Moonves serving as the face of the Instagram reel, it is safe to say that she will be returning as the host of season 26. While this is unsurprising, fans of the beloved competition series were thrilled to see her reprise her role nonetheless.

Be sure to mark your calendars and keep up with the hit competition show via Instagram @bigbrothercbs for cast announcements and more. With season 25 having some mixed reviews (mostly negative reviews) from viewers all across America, hopefully season 26 proves that Big Brother is back and better than ever!

Ever since Drive to Survive became a Netflix favorite, Formula One fans have been waiting for the world’s biggest streaming service to produce more driving content. And, now it seems they have their wish.

Last week the entertainment giant dropped their first trailer for the mini-series Senna, which will detail the short but eventful life of the iconic Brazillian racer.

If you’re excited about seeing this incredible life brought to the small screen, or you got hooked on Drive to Survive and want to learn more about the man who is widely considered to be the best driver of all time, then read on to find out all about Senna, including its cast, release date, and more!

Who was Ayrton Senna?

Ayrton Senna da Silva was a world famous racing driver from Brazil who won three Formula One World Drivers’ Championships. His victories came in 1988, 1990, and 1991. He also won 41 Grands Prix and was in pole 65 times, the latter of which was a record he held until 2006.

Senna was known for his prodigious talent and fast speeds, as well as butting heads with the big wigs in F1 and his famous rivalry with Alain Prost, who Senna claimed received favorable treatment for being French. Like many famous racers, he began his career in karting, before working his way up the racing ladder and finally signing for the F1 team Toleman-Hart in 1984 at just 24. His career really took off when he joined Prost at McLaren-Honda, leading to the first of his world championships.

Senna was incredibly famous for his wet weather performances, as well as having a number of famous collisions with Prost. Their near violent hatred of each other, plus these on-track incidents, enhanced one of F1’s spiciest rivalries.

Sadly, Senna eventually lost his life in an accident in Italy in 1994, during a race. The aftermath of his fatal crash led to a wealth of safety reforms in the sport, and he has since been solidified as a Brazillian sporting legend in a way that only Pele can match. Prost, his onetime rival, was intimately involved in a number of projects that sought to conserve his legacy.

What will Senna be about?

The six-episode mini-series will dive into Senna’s career and personal relationships. It will begin in his early twenties, when he moved to England to compete, and will follow the ups and downs of his career until his fatal accident.

Although the audience will be missing out on Senna’s early life, it’s fair to say that the most exciting narratives are from this time in the driver’s life. He grew up relatively privileged in Brazil and, while he undoubtedly suffered trials and setbacks as a youth, it was only when he was placed on the global stage that his truly astounding nature began to shine through.

The series will cover a lot of great ground, notably his famous feud with Prost, but will also undoubtedly show off his genius. Senna was well known for being in tune with his cars and being able to pick up on minute details other drivers might miss.

Senna was also highly religious, and saw driving not only as his vocation, but a way for him to make sense of the universe. This type of profundity is likely to make its way into the series too.

The show is set to be in a mixture of English and Portuguese, but as a Netflix production, will undoubtedly have plenty of different language options for both dubbing and subtitles.

Is there a Senna Netflix release date?

For now, Netflix has only given late 2024 as a release date for Senna. We expect there will be more information as the premiere date edges closer.

Who will be in Senna?

Senna will be played by Gabriel Leone, who recently starred in Ferrari, which also takes place in the high octane world of Formula One. Brazillian Pâmela Tomé will play his TV star girlfriend, Xuxa, and his French rival Alain Prost will be portrayed by Matt Mella. Ron Dennis, the head of the McLaren racing team and one of the most important people in the Senna story will be played by Patrick Kennedy (Downton Abbey). Brit Kaya Scodelario (Skins, The Maze Runner) is also set to appear.

The series was created with the help of Senna’s family.

With the gazillion characters that exist in the One Piece universe, it’s no wonder that at some point, we’d all be interested in finding out who our perfect match is — even if it’s an antagonist. And here enter Zodiac signs — the world’s most infallible personality test. Well, more or less.

There are quite a few ways to find out more about yourself. On one hand, you have MBTI, but psychologists say it’s all nonsense. Then, we have blood types, which apparently are a thing in Eastern cultures. But here in the West, we’re far more… astrologically driven. So, if you’re hoping to find the character that best matches your zodiac — and thus, your personality — keep on reading.

Aries – Eustass Kid

Nothing screams Aries quite like the most impatient character you know — in this case, it’s 100 percent Eustass Kid. The captain of the Kid’s Pirates is incredibly multifaceted, and even with all his temperamental and arrogant personality traits, we can surely see all of his positive characteristics. He’s confident, courageous, and bold, always willing (and hoping) to be the one on the frontline of a fight. If you’re an Aries, congrats, you’re one step away from being Luffy’s “friend.”

Capricorn – Jinbe and Fisher Tiger

Capricorns are arguably some of the best people you’ll ever find — so it’s no surprise that Jinbe and Fisher Tiger perfectly represent Capricorns. This Earth sign is known for being hard-working and practical, and we all know how neither of them has ever given up in the face of adversity. At the same time, we’ve also seen some of Capricorn’s worst traits in Fisher Tiger, as his suspicious and condescending nature surfaces whenever he deals with humans — although we absolutely understand him.

Saggitarius – Luffy

If you’re a Sagittarius, congratulations — you’re more like Luffy than you might have noticed. Sagittarians are known for their sense of adventure, always seeking freedom and independence, just like our captain. At the same time, if you’re a Sag, you also relate to Luffy in his selfishness. Despite his inherent need to care for others, his dream comes first and foremost. He’s also overly confident, and while thus far it has worked in his favor, the same might not happen for Sagittarians in the real world without plot armor.

Scorpio – Trafalgar Law or Donquixote Doflamingo

Don’t kill me — but Law and Doflamingo are the best matches for a Scorpio. Nothing screams Scorpio quite like a secretive and highly independent character — cue in Law, with his mysterious aura and independent streak. He’s reserved yet driven, just like any true Scorpion. For Scorpio’s worst traits, though, we have Doflamingo with his passion for revenge. At the same time, both Law and Doffy are incredibly loyal — though in entirely different ways.

Leo – Franky

We can just about picture every Leo in our life picking up a guitar and dramatically making a rendition of a made-up emotional song — which is just about the most Franky thing ever. While Franky is not a Leo, he might as well be treated like one because he’s the poster character for any Leo out there: He’s creative, dramatic, slightly egotistic, and very confident in his abilities as a shipwright.

Gemini – Nami or Boa Hancock

Of course, we’re seeing double with Gemini — the two faces of this zodiac. Hancock is unpredictable, a master manipulator, and overall, she’s a beautiful snob, just like most Gemini. But Nami’s got her fair share of Gemini flair too. She’s wickedly clever, always itching for knowledge on the Grand Line maps, and she’s a legendary quick-wit. They’re both outgoing extroverts and generally, no one in One Piece better matches the Gemini vibes than these two queens.

Pisces – Usopp

We’re honestly surprised that Eiichiro Oda didn’t make Usopp a Pisces, after all, he’s practically the poster child for Pisces. Usopp’s emotions run wild, he’s as sensitive as they come, and he’s the one guy who wouldn’t even blink at Perona’s pessimistic ghosts — he practically radiates pessimism. But Pisces isn’t all doom and gloom — Usopp’s got a Piscean’s imagination too, especially when he’s getting creative in battle, or while fixing up the Going Merry in earlier arcs.

Aquarius – Brook and Koby

While you may not think of Brook and Koby’s personalities as being similar, at their core, they’re actually like any Aquarian. Brook’s a musician, and inherently tied to him is creativity and innovation. In Whole Cake, we got to see his altruism shine through as he consistently put his life on the line as Big Mom’s favorite doll. At the same time, a more analytic side of Aquarians is seen in Koby. He’s a progressive humanitarian, individualistic in his beliefs — aiming to become a Marine when no one believed in him — and despite his ranking in One Piece‘s hierarchical society, he’s still a member of SWORD, showing how humane he really is — like a true Aquarian.

Libra – Sanji

While Sanji might not have been born between October and November, he’s the pitch-perfect example of a romantic Libra. And, of course, no one in One Piece is as romantic (read: a simp) as Sanji. Even amidst his bordering-on exaggerated simping persona, the Straw Hats’ cook still embodies many of Libra’s best traits. He’s fair (unless it involves women, of course), idealistic, and extremely charming — at least from Pudding’s point of view.

Cancer – Chopper and Donquixote Rosinante

If you’re a Cancer, you might have more in common with Chopper and Risonante than you might think. These two are the epitome of clinginess and emotionality, always sticking close to their favorite friends — yes, I’m talking about Zoro and Law. Chopper is basically the primary carer of the Straw Hats, patching them up more times than we can count. So, if you’re a Cancer, embrace your nurturing, childlike side, because you’re in good company with Chopper and Corazón.

Virgo – Robin

If you’re a Virgo, you likely relate to many of Robin’s qualities: She’s kind to her friends, and highly intelligent — she’s quite literally a history buff and an archeology genius. She’s practical and reliable, and even Sanji trusts Robin for help. At the same time, we also know how reserved she can be — cue in Enies Lobby. Over time, though, she’s learned she can trust her friends and rely on them more and more, like an emotionally intelligent Virgo.

Taurus – Roronoa Zoro or Portgas D. Ace

While Zoro may be a Scorpio, his personality screams Taurus through and through. Leave it to the Straw Hats’ right-hand man to be as steadfast and reliable as a bull. His loyalty to Luffy is one of the most iconic friendships in One Piece, and of course, we can’t forget his love for sake and sleeping — just like an overindulgent Taurus. But of course, he’s not the only one. Ace is another perfect Taurus. Stubborn as they come, yet fiercely — and deadly — devoted to his crew and family, just like a true Taurus.

Every day, TikTok outdoes itself on Karen Sagas. It seems that these women have an internal competition as to who can push their temper, ignorance, and sense of entitlement further and further.

Unfortunately for all of the Karens terrorizing the streets, Joesphine Alarie has found a winner. And it’s not even close.

Josephine takes a train from Connecticut to Harlem, New York City to get home in the evening. On a rather crowded day, she finally found an empty seat across from an older woman. The woman promptly asked her to move so that she could put her feet up on Josephine’s seat.

Naturally, since the train was crowded and she’d finally found a place to sit, Joesphine declined. After much back and forth, the woman decided she’d be putting her feet up anyway, whether Josephine was in the seat or not.

As the woman put her feet in Josephine’s face, around her leg, in her lap, and touching her thigh, Josephine continued to tell her to stop touching her. The incident quickly escalated as Josephine kept yelling at the woman to stop harassing her and the woman held strong in her stubborn obstinance.

Eventually, both train conductors and law enforcement got involved in the situation, but it only led to Josephine being escorted to another train car and the woman getting a slap on the wrist.

Once Josephine realized what was happening, she took some footage of the incident, and that combined with her own retelling left viewers with quite a few suggestions. Several urged her to go to the police for assault and harassment since the woman would not stop touching her or leave her alone. A few people presented more chaotic approaches to justice including taking the woman’s shoes and throwing them across the train, grappling her in a heel hook, and a “Birds of Prey Harley Quinn knee breaker.”

Others pointed out how horrifying it was that the woman was staying so calm while being so blatantly disrespectful, and trying so hard to continue doing it. They commended Josephine for keeping her computer, many admitting that, put in a similar situation, they would’ve been taken to jail.

Josephine chose not to get violent and instead figured out the name of the woman who was bending over backward to put her feet everywhere, and took that information to the police. In a later update, she noted that law enforcement told her that they couldn’t do anything to help her situation. Because Josephine had not been verbally threatened or blatantly put in harm’s way, she could not press charges.

Although many people asked, Josephine is staying on the safe side and declining to share this woman’s name. She smartly wants to stay on the right side of the law and doesn’t want anyone to take things too far and have it traced back to her. If the name gets out on its own…well, that’s out of her hands.

If you can find any justification for putting your feet in a seat that you did not pay for and harassing the person sitting there, then you may just be in a Karen League of your own. As for the rest of us who have to deal with it, it might be time for a support group.

Poor Josephine has survived her first Karen; with such a doozy, she’s had enough for a lifetime.

Nowadays, especially for you professionals recently out of college or trying to by house, having money in your checking account is a luxury few can afford.

Sometimes even paying of a credit card bill is a luxury few can afford. So having upwards of $10,000 sitting in a checking account is a stretch for most of us, right?

Tenille Sokolow posted TikTok asking the same question when she got a call from Bank of America informing her that she would be charged a maintenance fee for every month that her checking account was lower than $10,000.

She swears she could hear the employee laughing on the phone. Her outrage, which was echoed by many others, prompted @LilAnxiety1999 to share her own horror story with Bank of America, and the combo has people enraged.

She shares that she’s had an account with Bank of America since she was 17. They house her longest-standing credit card as well as multiple bank accounts. She’s never missed a payment or so much as an overdraft on any of her accounts. She’s 25-years-old and she works a regular, salaried position.

Unfortunately, she got scammed, but she was able to freeze and cancel all of her accounts before the scammer could get any money from her. Because she’d been such a solid and loyal customer, she didn’t think she’d have any trouble getting back into her Bank of America accounts, and at first, she didn’t.

But about a week after she got back into her account, she tried to log in only to find it locked again. Naturally, she called Bank of America and the customer service representative helped her change her username and password and get back into her account.

But this time, she could only see her credit card.

She’d heard horror stories about banking with Bank of America before so these were secondary accounts, but she still needed access to her checking and savings to pay her credit card bill. The customer service representative transferred her to an accounts representative.

Thsi account representative took down her name and her date of birth and told her that she was no longer eligible for a Bank of America checking or savings account. Essentially, they had decided she was no longer fit for these accounts, and had closed them on her behalf.

Naturally, she was very confused and upset and asked why they’d chosen to terminate her accounts. It turns out that’s something officials at Bank of America can just do, with no explanation necessary.

Now, without checking and savings, she’s also worried that they’re going to randomly cancel her longstanding credit card and ruin her credit. So she makes an appointment and goes to a Bank of America location in person, explaining her whole situation and her concerns. She asks them if she can get a written agreement stating that Bank of America won’t cancel her credit card without her permission. The employee tells her that she can’t speak on behalf of the company and when she asks for the manager he says the same thing.

They told her that when signed up she agreed that Bank of America could do whatever they wanted with her accounts. Then proceeded to advise that she open another credit card with another company and begin building credit elsewhere because they couldn’t give her any guarantee or reassurance.

Commenters are suggesting that she join a credit union instead, which is a not-for-profit organization that is a community-oriented way to keep money and take out loans, often eliminating fees and complicated agreements, according to My Credit Union.

Some chimed in with their own horror stories using Bank of America, pointing out that multiple lawsuits and legal troubles weren’t usually the mark of a good place to keep your money. Many had also had their accounts closed without their knowledge and one woman even said her husband had been banned from opening an account until 2135, despite never working with Bank of America.

Former employees even chimed in saying that even they would never bank there, echoing some of the same sentiments of the employees she talked to herself.

The general sentiment is “Credit Unions all the way” and it seems like people are even trying to start their own in the comments. @LilAnxiety1999 hasn’t updated on whether or not her credit card ever closed or how she got her money back, but she did make one thing very clear.

Her mantra going forward is, “Screw Bank of America.”

Falling in Reverse have just announced a brand new album after seven years, but many will not be listening after lead singer Ronnie Radke made some controversial statements on social media last year.

Falling in Reverse and Ronnie Radke

Falling in Reverse is a pretty well known emo/metalcore/rock band that has seen massive success despite numerous controversies revolving around lead singer Ronnie Radke. The group initially formed in 2008 while Radke was behind bars for his involvement in a fatal shooting from 2006. This was actually the second successful band that Radke had helped create, the first being Escape the Fate. 

Ronnie Radke and the word “controversy” go hand in hand; the man has been arrested on numerous occasions for some pretty heavy stuff. In one instance, he was charged for a misdemeanor after his girlfriend accused him of striking her; in another instance he was charged with assault when he threw a microphone stand off-stage, hitting a member of the crowd at a show. There was also the time he was accused of sexual assault, although there was no evidence to support the claim, and Radke filed a defamation lawsuit shortly thereafter.

Ronnie Radke’s recent controversy

One could argue that Radke has done his time for most of his transgressions, and that it’s all in the past, and some fans actually do argue that, but he has proven himself to be a pretty polarizing figure on numerous occasions since to say the least. His actions from last year when he went full on J.K. Rowling with an anti-trans rant on social media are still fresh in a lot of peoples’ memories, even if his earlier controversies have been forgotten.

Back in July 2023, Radke expressed his views on gender identity and trans issues, which ultimately led to him being banned from TikTok. According to an article from Loudwire, he then took his rant over to X (formerly Twitter) to continue spouting his archaic beliefs.

The same people that call me a womanizer, abuser, and bigot are the same people that support the ideology that trans can have periods and support tampon companies making trans the spokesperson. It’s extremely offensive to all women, to mock their biology. stop pretending this is okay.

The whole idea that this is coming from Radke’s desire to “defend women” doesn’t really fly when you remember the accusations and his actions against women in the past. He’d honestly be better of just admitting he’s a bigot instead of hiding behind that lame excuse.

Anyways, Radke argued with fans for a while afterwards, although eventually the whole thing seemed to die out on its own, with the singer speculating he’d been shadowbanned on X as well. Of course, there’s been no apology from him yet, and he doesn’t really seem like the type to admit when he’s wrong, so there probably never will be.

With filming for The Bachelorette officially underway — and quickly coming to a close — it is safe to say that season 21 will be a season like no other. The leading lady and first Asian-American Bachelorette, Jenn Tran, is truly a trailblazer!

While the Bachelor Nation encyclopedia in human form, Reality Steve, has been sporadically teasing this season’s dates as they film — such as the first group date of the season, which will feature “men in boxers and thongs” — as he receives paparazzi pics and spoilers from anonymous sources, he is now down to the biggest week that the beloved competition series has to offer: hometown dates.

During the coveted hometown dates, the Bachelorette visits the families of her final four men in their hometowns, respectively, proving that she is seriously considering a marriage with at least one of said suitors. With the hometown dates wrapping up as we speak, Reality Steve managed to pinpoint two of the contestants who undoubtedly advanced to the final four, and it is safe to say that Jenn has a hunky batch of men on her hands.

Who were these two contestants exactly? Fortunately, we got you covered — keep scrolling to see for yourself…

Hometown Date #1: Marcus Shoberg

According to Reality Steve himself — in a post shared to his X (formerly known as Twitter) account on April 26 — Jenn had a hometown date with Marcus Shoberg, a 31-year-old from Raleigh, North Carolina. Given the fact that their date took place in Tacoma, Washington instead of out East, he also gave some context as to why they were spotted flirting up a storm at Titlow Beach.

“Marcus lived in the Seattle area after the army. A lot of his army friends currently still live there. He does not have a great relationship with his parents who don’t live in Washington, so my guess is that’s why his hometown is being filmed there.”

Hometown Date #2: Devin Strader

After her date with Marcus, Jenn embarked on a hometown date with Devin Strader, a 27-year-old from Houston, Texas. While it is unclear where their date occurred — with Reality Steve sharing no photos from the actual event — we will just have to take his word for it that this handsome fella actually makes it to the final four…

While it is unclear what either of these men are actually like until season 21 hits our television screens, it is safe to say that Jenn likes brunette boys nonetheless. To see if either one of them steals the New Jersey native‘s heart in the end — and to see who earns the other two hometown dates — catch brand new episodes of The Bachelorette when it starts airing on ABC later this summer.

After getting her heart broken by Joey Grazadei on The Bachelor, we cannot help but hope Jenn finds her happily ever after!

Starbucks is easily the most profitable coffee chain on the planet, but that won’t stop it from tweaking its formula to encourage yet more cash-flow.

There are a good number of people out there who see Starbucks as a lifeline — a necessary element to their daily lives. They pick up a fresh beverage every day, and memorize the menu anew each time new additions join the classic lineup. That happens more often than you might think, as the beverage giant works to keep things interesting for its frequent customers.

Some drinks are popular enough to earn a permanent spot on the menu, which others emerge as seasonal or limited items that later disappear to join an array of interesting, but ultimately lackluster, drink options. That won’t change with 2024, so if you’re looking to try out the chain’s fresh summer selection, make sure to do it soon.

Starbucks’ new summer drinks

The chain by no means needs it, but if you’re just dying to put more money in its overflowing coffers, its new summer menu has a assembly of options tailor-made for the year’s hottest months.

First in the lineup are a trio of refreshers, each offering up popping raspberry flavored pearls, like boba, to add some extra intrigue to the drinks. The Summer-Berry Refresher leads the pack with its combination of raspberry, blueberry, and blackberry flavor all served up over those raspberry flavored pearls, but the Summer-Berry Lemonade is just behind. It combines those same pearls with lemonade and Starbucks’ Summer-Berry Refreshers for a perfect poolside drink. The final Refresher in the lineup eliminated dairy and replaces it with coconut milk, which blends with those same Summer-Berry Refreshers and pearls to make the new Summer Skies Drink.

This summer will also see the return of the White Chocolate Macadamia Cream Cold Brew, a fan-favorite option from last year. The cold brew adds rich macadamia syrup to some Starbucks Cold Brew and tops it all off with toasted cookie crumbles and white chocolate macadamia cream cold foam.

Within the vastness of what you can study about World War II lies the country of Vietnam, a small, French-occupied country that borders Thailand and lies coastal to the South China Sea.

A few decades after WWII, Vietnam’s communist beliefs had spread throughout the country, sending America to war with it out of fear of communist spread, but in the 1940s, it fell victim to the occupation of the empire of Japan. Japan’s influence over Asia during World War II was massively violent. Its tactic of invading Vietnam had a lot to do with China, and its main goal with the occupation was to put a stop to China importing guns and fuel through a region called “French Indochina.”

Like Japan’s ally Germany, whose invasion of France has fueled history books, Japan ultimately took Vietnam, which was under French rule at the time. Japan forced France to let go of the rule it had over Vietnam in the early 1940s. By August of 1945, Japan had at last surrendered to Allied forces. To capitalize on this opportunity, Vietnam’s communist leader, Ho Chi Minh, declared independence from the rule of Japan and France for decades. All of this is titled the August Revolution, a two-week-long uprising that propelled the country forward.

Even as wars end, the ripple effect can create global issues down the road for the next conflict. The revolution that Vietnam had as it declared its independence post-World War II put it in the sights of U.S. foreign policy. This, of course, could be read as the first sign of what would become a conflict that later led to the Vietnam War.

Out of the many Ridley Scott historical pictures, Kingdom of Heaven is one of the most underrated. Despite a stacked cast including Orlando Bloom and Eva Green, it is somehow rarely in the conversation.

At the height of Bloom’s popularity in the mid-aughts, he was the focal point of a film that delved into the brutal realities of the Crusades. He plays the character of Balian, a blacksmith who reluctantly joins the fight in Jerusalem. By putting the protagonist in the Christian camp of armies waging war against Muslims, the film could have easily subjected to anti-Islamic rhetoric. Instead, Ridley’s vision handles the subject matter with grace, showing the Christian defeat at the hands of the Muslims, Saladin’s (Ghassan Massoud) fascinating characteristics, and painting the Knights Templar in a gruesome light.

Though Kingdom of Heaven is admittedly heavily fictionalized, it is based on historical figures of the time. Notably, the ruling class of King Baldwin (Edward Norton) and his sister Sibylla (Green), with whom Balian becomes close. Balian’s romance with Sibylla should be taken with a grain of salt, but King Baldwin’s portrayal lies closer to reality, down to his real-life ailment.

What was King Baldwin’s disease in Kingdom of Heaven?

King Baldwin of Jerusalem ruled from 1174 to 1185 and was generally considered a kind and fair king. The terrible irony was that his reign was littered with war, infighting, and disease. These events are depicted in Kingdom of Heaven when Balian first arrives in Jerusalem. He is taken by Sibylla, but notices that her brother is never without his ornate mask. Baldwin’s mask was in place to obscure his diagnosis of leprosy. A common ailment at the time, Baldwin would get sicker and sicker throughout his reign as his body rotted away. 

Baldwin’s disease was the cause of much of the unrest within the kingdom. His leprosy was well known throughout his court and threw doubt on his succession. Baldwin had not married due to his ailment and, therefore, never provided any heirs. At the time, women could ascend the throne, so long as they were married. Sibylla would be the prime candidate for his successor. Her claim was strong because she had a son who would continue the family line. But because of the uncertainty, others found an opportunity to disrupt this reign. Sibylla’s husband Guy de Lusignan (Marton Csokas), who was a Templar Knight, was particularly interested in gaining power for himself.

Ultimately, Sibylla’s young son, Baldwin V, succeeded his uncle after Baldwin IV died from his illness. The reign ultimately did not matter in the end, however. Saladin’s defeat of the Christian ruling class made the Leper King’s activities during this time a moot point. All of these events and more fictionalized ones are depicted in Scott’s epic historical film. There is no evidence to suggest that the real king wore such a mask, though he did suffer from the disease depicted.

As always, Scott proves to be a filmmaker with a specific vision and dedication to his craft. He implemented the mask as a source of fiction, which ultimately inspired a subdued and moving performance from Norton. The film would go on to be appreciated due to the Director’s Cut, viewed as the definitive version of the film.

What a fascinating journey Helldivers 2 has been on. Ever since the third-person shooter first began its explosive lampooning of fascism back in February, gamers and Starship Troopers enthusiasts alike have been flocking to Arrowhead’s juggernaut in unprecedented droves; unprecedented to the point where the game’s servers simply weren’t able to handle its legion of players.

PlayStation, who acted as the distributor for the game, launched Helldivers 2 without PC players needing to sign into a PlayStation Network account to play ⏤ a requirement that PlayStation previously intended on enforcing from the get-go, but dropped in order to better manage server stability at launch (which, as alluded to above, was anything but stable at the time). Now that said servers are stabilized, PlayStation wanted to reinstate the requirement of being logged in to a PSN account in order to play. The reason for said requirement, according to PlayStation, is that the company tracks player discipline using its internal systems, meaning that a PSN account would have been Helldivers 2‘s way of laying the smackdown on grief, abuse, and other behaviors conducive to a negative gaming environment. It would have also been the service banned players used to appeal the decision to ban them.

Well, the Helldivers 2 community wasn’t particularly fond of that, especially those who lived in one of 177 countries that didn’t have access to PSN (and who would subsequently be unable to player Helldivers 2). What followed was over 200,000 negative reviews on Helldivers 2‘s Steam page and a myriad of refund requests. The mammoth backlash has since caused PlayStation to walk back its decision to make PSN logins mandatory to play Helldivers 2, and we’ve all since returned to our regularly scheduled programming.

In short, PlayStation was preparing to roll out a game that you could play on your PC, but required a PSN account to do so. It then decided at launch to drop the PSN account requirement because the servers became severely overloaded, and it needed as few headaches as possible during its quest to remedy that. Now that the servers are steady, it wanted to make a PSN account mandatory to play again, but that would have locked certain regions (full of players who already paid for Helldivers 2) out of the game, so players got angry and review-bombed the game on Steam, among other such actions. It got bad enough that PlayStation decided to drop the PSN requirement permanently, so it’ll need to find a different way to deal with bad-faith players now.

In other words, the Helldivers 2 saga is a comedy of errors with a happy ending, and it’s a comedy of errors that’s available on both Steam and PlayStation 5.