The U.S. corporate executive who spent the most money on private jet travel last year was Eric Foss, the CEO of Aramark, a company that serves food that it pulls out of the trash to prisoners.

Adam Sandler is currently in New Mexico filming The Ridiculous Six, his first original movie for Netflix. Details about the film are scant. We know that it is apparently a parody of the classic Western The Magnificent Seven; we also know that a portion of the film features portrayals of American Indians so offensive that a dozen Native actors, including the film’s “cultural advisor,” straight-up walked off the set yesterday.

Per Indian Country Today Media Network, here are some of the retrograde jokes that prompted the American Indian extras—most of whom are members of the Navajo Nation—to ditch the movie:

The examples of disrespect included Native women’s names such as Beaver’s Breath and No Bra, an actress portraying an Apache woman squatting and urinating while smoking a peace pipe, and feathers inappropriately positioned on a teepee.

Two extras interviewed by ICTMN’s Vincent Schilling said they were initially uneasy about participating in the film, but were assured by Sandler’s producers that the portrayals would not be racist. That promise was quickly revealed as a lie.

Said an extra named Loren Anthony:

“I was asked a long time ago to do some work on this and I wasn’t down for it. Then they told me it was going to be a comedy, but it would not be racist. So I agreed to it but on Monday things started getting weird on the set.”

According to Anthony, the actors were supposed to be portraying members of the Apache tribe, but, in their costumes, “[W]e did not look Apache at all. We looked more like Comanche.” He also expanded on the aforementioned “Beaver’s Breath” gag:

“One thing that really offended a lot of people was that there was a female character called Beaver’s breath. One character says ‘Hey, Beaver’s Breath.’ And the Native woman says, ‘How did you know my name?’”

A Navajo film student named Allison Young said the producers told the extras that if they were going to be “sensitive,” that they “should leave”:

“We talked to the producers about our concerns. They just told us, ‘If you guys are so sensitive, you should leave.’ I was just standing there and got emotional and teary-eyed. I didn’t want to cry but the feeling just came over me. This is supposed to be a comedy that makes you laugh. A film like this should not make someone feel this way.”

David Hill, a 74-year-old man of Choctaw descent, compared the film’s producers to Washington Redskins owner Dan Snyder:

“They were being disrespectful,” he said. “They were bringing up those same old arguments that Dan Snyder uses in defending the Redskins.”

There is probably a strong crossover between people who support the sovereignty of the Washington Redskins and people who would willingly watch an Adam Sandler movie in 2015. That group of people is also, I guess, Netflix’s new target audience.

If you have any more info about the film, including the script, email me at jordan@gawker.com

UPDATE (4:38 p.m.) Via Vulture, Netflix has released the following statement regarding the film:

A spokesperson for Netflix says, “The movie has ridiculous in the title for a reason: because it is ridiculous. It is a broad satire of Western movies and the stereotypes they popularized, featuring a diverse cast that is not only part of — but in on — the joke.”

[image of Adam Sandler dressed as an American Indian via Loren Anthony’s Instagram]

Disgraced former CIA Director and general David Petraeus was sentenced today to two years’ probation and fined $100,000 for leaking classified information to Paula Broadwell, his biographer and mistress.

Petraeus, whose military career fell apart after news of the affair broke two years ago, pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor count of unauthorized removal and retention of classified material two months ago.

Image via AP. Contact the author at taylor@gawker.com.

For several months Yamini Karanam, an Indiana University Ph.D. student, had been plagued by neurological distress: forgetfulness, difficulty understanding simple writing, and headaches so severe that she couldn’t read.

Karanam, 26, told the Washington Post she first started noticing symptoms in September of last year; she started blogging about her doctor’s visits and growing pain. Doctors told her she had a pineal tumor that was inoperable because of its location in her brain.

But she eventually found a doctor in Los Angeles, Dr. Hrayr Shahinian of the Skullbase Institute, who said he could remove the tumor in a specialized “keyhole” brain surgery.

Armed with more than $30,000 her friends collected in a fundraiser for her treatment, Karanam underwent the surgery this month in Los Angeles. Her tumor, it turns out, was something...else. From the Post:

Shahinian made a tiny incision in the back of Karanam’s head, then strung an endoscope into her skull and through a natural channel in her brain to the site of the tumor. That’s when the doctor made a startling discovery.

Karanam’s tumor wasn’t just a tumor. It was a teratoma: a clump of bone, hair and teeth. A Frankenstein’s monster within Karanam’s own mind.

Teratomas have baffled scientists for almost a century. Some have speculated that they are basically twins that never quite develop and are instead absorbed into the surviving baby’s body. In fact, newborns occasionally have large teratomas attached to them like a conjoined twin.

Shahinian told NBC Los Angeles that the teratoma was not cancerous, and that Karanam is expected to make a full recovery from what she calls her “evil twin sister who’s been torturing me for the past 26 years.”

Screengrab via NBC Los Angeles. Contact the author at aleksander@gawker.com .

It’s hard to imagine a conspiracy theory so off the rails that it makes people involved with one of the country’s major Tea Party groups throw their hands up in the air and go “whoa, man, this is too much,” but lo and behold, chemtrails rose to the challenge. http://thevane.gawker.com/paper-writes-d...

Last summer, Arizona State Senator Kelli Ward (R-Lake Havasu City) held a meeting in Kingman at the request of several residents who were concerned about the white streaks in the sky they called chemtrails.

These streaks, of course, are condensation trails, or contrails for short. Contrails are cirrus clouds that form from the warm, moist jet exhaust produced by high-flying aircraft—just as you can see your breath on a cold winter’s day, this jet exhaust condenses when it comes in contact with the bitterly cold, moist air of the upper-atmosphere. If the atmosphere is too dry, the moisture will evaporate and contrails won’t form at all. If the atmosphere is near 100% relative humidity, dozens of contrails can stick around for hours and spread out, covering the sky in a thin, translucent haze.

The tin foil hat crowd believes that physics and natural processes are incapable of producing such a thing (condensed water vapor? in MY sky!?), and that the only logical explanation is that these white streaks are really trails of chemicals (hence, “chemtrails”) being sprayed into the atmosphere on a daily basis by thousands of government airplanes in order to make us sick or control the weather.

Obviously. http://thevane.gawker.com/why-i-write-ab...

Chemtrail activists are working to enshrine their conspiracy theory in as many government records and documents as possible, so they can point to their own work as proof of something that doesn’t exist. Ward indulged these theorists last June, inviting two employees from the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality to the meeting in Kingman. Instead of taking the opportunity to debunk chemtrails and explain elementary science to the attendees, the employees punted on the issue, telling the crowd that the state has no control over so-called chemtrails, so go talk to someone else:

Sherri Zendri, administrative counsel, and Beth Hager, public affairs director, of the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality will make a short presentation at the meeting and focus on the department’s lack of regulatory authority over any type of chemical spraying, according to department communications director Mark Shaffer.

Fast forward ten months, and the world is a much bleaker place— Parks and Recreation is over, Boston broke its all-time winter snowfall record, and John McCain is seeking reelection to his 87th year in the United States Senate. McCain is a mainstream conservative politician—right-of-center, sure, but just not conservative enough for the fine folks who run the many splinter groups that make up the seething ball of elderly rage that is the Tea Party.

It’s not exactly a secret that State Senator Kelli Ward would like to drop the word “state” off of her title, and her name is floating around as one of many Arizona Republicans who would love to contest fellow Republican (but not Republican enough) John McCain in a primary next year. However, some Arizona political activists are concerned that Sen. Ward’s federal aspirations might be derailed by that little chemtrail thing.

In an interview this past month, Ward told The Arizona Republic that she “has no opinion either way” on the issue of chemtrails, and turned her answer towards her concern for environmental quality.

FreedomWorks CEO Adam Brandon told Politico last week that conservatives are concerned about Sen. Ward’s handling of the chemtrail meeting.

So far, the only candidate who appears to be laying the groundwork for a 2016 run is state Sen. Kelli Ward. But she’s struggling to consolidate support among people on the right. Some of her actions in office, such as holding a field hearing on whether chemicals sprayed from airplanes are part of a government plot — known as the chemtrail theory — have prompted conservative groups to keep their distance.

“McCain’s going to call her ‘Chemtrail Kelli,’ or something like that. I worry about that,” said Adam Brandon, CEO of FreedomWorks, a conservative group active in primaries.

When pressed about the issue on Twitter, Ward responded to an individual who asked “is she gonna set up a Bigfoot conference next? Chupacabra?”

@stephenlemons @FreedomWorks @lorihack_az @MacStoddard LOL - funny when disconnected elite make listening to voters a bad thing

April 15, 2015

Farther down the Twitter rabbit hole, Jim Small, the editor of Arizona News Service, directly asked Ward if she believed in chemtrails.

@stephenlemons @lorihack_az @JimSmall @FreedomWorks @MacStoddard Let's just be clear - I don't believe in that

April 15, 2015

@JimSmall I've never believed it - many in my district do

April 15, 2015

Small pointed out that Ward had recently told the Republic that she had no opinion either way, a point she deflected like a skilled politician:

@JimSmall Not sure anyone cares about this - seems like a distraction from the real issues - border, Ocare, out of control spending...

April 15, 2015

It remains to be seen if the chemtrail conspiracy theory will play any part in Ward’s bid to unseat McCain and be the one on the plane to Washington in January 2017, but campaigns have been derailed by much stranger things.

[Image: AP]

You can follow the shill on Twitter or send him an email.

As Americans, we are all partisans for the oddities and specialties of our own local cuisines. You can get a bagel anywhere, but only in New York are they great; you’re lucky to find a Goo Goo Cluster at all outside of Nashville. But the good stuff is boring—what makes your stomach turn?

I am a born-and-raised Marylander, and steamed blue crabs are my only birthright. On their own, they are unimpeachable—even if most come from Louisiana these days—but not so for the orangish mix of spices with which crabs and everything else in Maryland are customarily smothered. Old Bay on seafood or french fries or potato chips or chili is perfect; Old Bay in pasta or beer is unconscionable decadence.

In Philly, they have Peanut Chews. In Chicago, they have Jeppson’s Malört. (Tastes like pencil shavings and heartbreak!) In Arizona, they have Sonoran dogs. In Minnesota and the Pacific Northwest, they have lutefisk. (Jellied cod “rendered edible only by a special mustard,” says Seattleite Jay Hathaway, and “edible is kind of a stretch.”)

What about you? Which of your local cuisine’s specialties are bitter, pungent, trash-tasting, gag-making? What do your fellow residents eat—perhaps they even take pride in it, those cretins—that would make a junkyard dog turn up its nose? The only acceptable answers come from your home state; this is not the place to point fingers at others. Sound off below.

Scorpion lollipop photo via Mr. Laazik/Flickr. Contact the author at andy@gawker.com.

With a vote of 56-43, Loretta Lynch became the 83rd U.S. Attorney General on Thursday. As her first act as AG, we propose she indict Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell for delaying her nomination for several months. Or, better yet: just abolish the Senate altogether.

Groupon became famous and went public in 2011 by hawking restaurant discounts to people who Instagram their food, but since then, they’ve realized that emailing people coupon spam isn’t a profitable model. Now they’ve switched from pushing coupons to selling a motley assortment of very strange shit, like a mane for your cat, or counterfeit Durex condoms riddled with small holes.

The condoms, knock-off versions of Durex’s Thin Feel, Performa, and (irony of ironies) Extra Safe models were on sale through Groupon Australia from March 12 to April 10. This week, Mashable reports, the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission’s (ACCC) recalled them due to possible “defects such as holes in the latex.”

The holes may cause some features of the product, like “prevent[ing] pregnancy” or “protect[ing] users against sexually transmitted diseases” not to work. Otherwise they’re fine, though.

So, what should consumers do with the “Edgelounge Enterprises Ptd Ltd (trading as Citrus Beat)—Mix Pack Durex Condoms” they bought on Groupon? The ACCC is glad you asked!

Consumers should not use these products. Customers are asked to immediately destroy and dispose of the products. Any consumers concerned about their health should seek medical advice.

Cool.

Groupon Australia is also contacting the customers who bought the fake Durexes and has offered to accept returns for a full refund, according to the Australian government’s Therapeutic Goods Administration.

It’s almost enough to make you reconsider trusting a struggling daily discounts website with all your birth control needs.

[h/t Mashable, Photo: Alibaba]

I'm on vacation this week. Here's a photo of Kristin vacationing with two Kardashians in Miami Beach in 2008. At the time, she was the most famous person in the picture.

[Photos via Getty and Splash News]

Porn has existed since man first discovered how to draw naked people on cave walls, and we’ve debated whether or not it’s healthy for just about as long. I doubt we’re ever going to have a clear consensus on the effects of porn usage, but there are still some simple guidelines you can follow if you’d like to improve your relationship with porn.

Practice Moderation

This is perhaps the single most important suggestion I can make: when it comes to porn, it’s tricky to define addiction, or to clearly draw the line between healthy and unhealthy behaviors. The best thing that you can do is practice moderation.

Experiment with setting guidelines for yourself, based on your porn consumption habits and your particular concerns. Here are some examples:

• Alternate your masturbation sessions to allow porn one time, and avoid it the next.
• Set a 30 minute timer for yourself, so you don’t get sucked into video after video.
• Only watch porn on the weekends.
• Only watch porn with your partner.

There’s no one right answer, and some may be more effective for you than others—but establishing some guidelines can help.

Take a Break Once in a While

Even if you feel relatively comfortable with your porn habits, it’s still a good idea to take regular breaks from porn. Stepping away from RedTube every once in a while will give you the opportunity to evaluate your habits more objectively and make necessary changes to your behaviors.

It’s also great to take breaks when you feel like your porn watching tendencies have gotten a little out of control. If you find yourself watching porn more often than you’d care to admit, try going on a hiatus for two to four weeks. Use apps like Self Control if you don’t trust your own willpower.

You may also notice that regular breaks from porn can rev up your desire for sex. For some men, porn has a way of making real life sex seem less appealing or enticing. If you notice that effect, it’s yet another reason to reconsider your habits.

Seek Out Variety

Many people tend to watch the same type of porn over and over. I like to encourage my clients to broaden their horizons, and even try watching porn in genres they never thought they’d be into. Doing so is a good way to explore your sexuality and find out more about what you like. It can also open up conversations with your partner about the kinds of behaviors you’d like to incorporate into your sex life (“You like cock and ball torture? Well shucks, me too!”). There’s so much out there to explore, so why limit yourself to female-female-male threesomes?

Pay Attention to Your Body

Lots of people zone out while they’re masturbating to porn, and don’t actually pay any attention to their bodies. This can lead to a disconnected relationship with your body, which can in turn lead to things like less orgasmic control (the less you’re paying attention, the easier it is for the point of no return to sneak up on you). Try to view porn as a complement to your masturbation sessions, rather than the star of the show. When you’re watching, take breaks to look away from the screen and down at your body. Or try closing your eyes and really feeling into the sensations of touching yourself.

Recognize When You’re Doing It for the Wrong Reasons

There are a wide variety of motivations that drive people to watch porn. Some are simple and obvious—“I’m horny”—while others are more complex. Many men use porn as a way to soothe emotions like anger, sadness, frustration, or loneliness. Some men have relied on porn to regulate their emotions for so long that they don’t even realize they’re turning to it for those reasons. You don’t want porn to be your only coping mechanism, nor do you want it to make it harder for you to identify what you’re feeling.

If you suspect you may have used porn for some not-so-great reasons in the past, try this simple technique: each time you feel pulled to watch porn, ask yourself, “what am I actually feeling right now? Is there something I’m not wanting to pay attention to or acknowledge?” If you notice something coming up for you, try to address it in another way, like by going for a run or talking to a friend. Or try setting a ground rule for yourself that you’ll only watch porn when you’re in a good mood.

Incorporate Porn into Your Relationship

No matter how porn-positive you are, it’s hard to deny that porn destroys a lot of relationships. I get so many emails from people who complain that their partner doesn’t make any effort to be sexual together, but watches porn alone all the time. It’s understandable — after all, people and relationships are far more complicated than cracking open your laptop—but it’s still hurtful. It’s perfectly okay to have your own private relationship with porn, but you also want to make sure that you’re not cutting out your partner with your porn usage.

Perhaps the most important aspect of incorporating porn into your relationship is being honest with your partner about your habits. When porn has been a problem for my clients, it’s mostly because one partner was lying about their porn usage. I know it can sound embarrassing to talk about your predilection for cumshot videos openly with your significant other, but most people are pretty realistic about the fact that porn is popular. They’re also less likely to be offended if they feel like you’re prioritizing quality time with them over quality time with your Tumblr GIFs. You can also try watching porn together as foreplay. Or you can try setting a guideline that you won’t watch porn alone when you and your partner are in the same place.

Remember That Porn Isn’t Realistic

The way that sex works in porn isn’t the way it works in real life. That sentence is so important that I will repeat it: The way that sex works in porn isn’t the way it works in real life. In the porn world, every woman loves double penetration, getting their clits slapped with a dick, and getting a face full of jizz. In the real world, some women love these activities, and some will never talk to you again if you attempt them. In the porn world, men’s dicks get rock hard immediately, stay hard for eternity, and only orgasm at the precise moment the actor (or director, rather) chooses. In the real world, penises are much, much less cooperative. There are so many things to be said about this topic, but for now, let’s stick with these:

• Don’t expect your partners to like everything you’ve seen in porn. Ask your partners what their boundaries are, and what they like and what they don’t.
• Don’t expect your body (or your partner’s body) to respond the way bodies do in porn.
• Don’t expect that the techniques you see in porn are actually doable in real life. For example, many of the positions favored by porn directors are popular because they make for good camera angles, not because they make for good sex.
• Look to actual sex education resources, like books or workshops to help you develop your technique.

Just remember that you don’t always need to recreate what you saw in that one video and partner will thank you. (By the way, these are also good lessons to teach your kids, if you have them.)

Support a Healthier Porn Industry

We can all create healthier relationships with porn by supporting better porn. Check out the Feminist Porn Awards or Indie Porn Revolution, both of which aim to create more authentic and diverse porn. Read about Cindy Gallup and her Make Love Not Porn crusade. Become a member of sites like Bright Desire, which showcases porn made by real couples, or O’Actually (currently in beta), which is geared towards creating more female-friendly porn. Go to Dan Savage’s HUMP! festival, which showcases amateur porn made by real people. I can’t think of a sexier kind of activism than that!

Deadspin Ian Desmond Is A Special Kind Of Disaster Over At Shortstop | io9 Can Superheroes Assert Legal Rights Without Revealing Their Identities? | Jalopnik Do I Have To Pay Income Tax If I Sell My Car Privately? | Lifehacker Simplify Your Diet with Alton Brown’s Four Lists Method | Kinja Popular Posts

A car crashed through a set of gates and caught fire outside of the National Weather Center in Norman, Oklahoma, late Thursday afternoon, as part of what police are calling a “suspected suicide.” The building is a major nerve center for weather forecasting and research in the United States.

Details about the incident are scarce, but late this afternoon, a vehicle crashed through the gates of a sealed loading dock/parking lot on the east side of the National Weather Center, coming to a stop halfway between the gates and the building before catching fire. KFOR reports that authorities have found a body in the car, and they’re ensuring there are no lingering hot spots before continuing with their investigation.

The area where the vehicle came to a rest appears to contain numerous agency vehicles, including two critically important Dopplers-on-Wheels, which are flatbed trucks with Doppler weather radars attached to them—when deployed, these devices provide critical research and insight into severe weather.

The university’s student newspaper OU Daily quoted a university spokesman as saying that police were investigating the incident as a “suspected suicide,” though it’s unclear if the individual intended to harm just themselves or others in the process.

The "unsafe condition" on the E side of the NWC. #fire pic.twitter.com/kE1Qzm9E1t

April 23, 2015

Car fire at the National Weather Center. Photo credit: David Speheher @OUNightly @OUDaily pic.twitter.com/uzSouYygiI

April 23, 2015

This post will be updated through the evening as details about the incident come to light.

The National Weather Center is a major hub for meteorology in the United States; sitting on the University of Oklahoma’s campus on the south side of Norman, the center is home to university, state, and federal offices such as the Storm Prediction Center, the National Weather Service office for Oklahoma City, the National Severe Storms Laboratory, and numerous classrooms and offices for the university itself.

[Top Image: Robin Tanamachi via Twitter]

You can follow the author on Twitter or send him an email.

Louisiana governor and presumed 2016 presidential contender Bobby Jindal has an op-ed in The New York Times in which he takes a stand against everyone taking a stand against businesses taking a stand against gay marriage, and publicizes his push to pass a bill forbidding his state from taking “adverse action” against businesses that discriminate against same-sex couples. How brave.

The op-ed is wholly unsurprising coming from Jindal, who is gunning for the (rather substantial) evangelical vote in the Republican primaries. (During his a years-long flirtation with a presidential run, Jindal has also positioned himself as a Conservative Intellectual, but pandering to the God crowd is both easier and more popular.) Last week Jindal declared that passing the discriminatory legislation was one of his top three priorities as governor. That said, there is quite a bit going on between the lines. Allow us to translate some of Bobby’s doublespeak into something resembling truths.

Bobby says:

The debate over religious liberty in America presents conservatives and business leaders with a crucial choice.

What it means:

The debate over religious liberty in America has forced business leaders to pretend to support LGBT rights for the sake of their brands.

As nice it is to see big players like Walmart stand up for what the increasing majority of Americans believe is right, Walmart the corporate entity doesn’t really give a shit about whether or not gays can marry. They do, on the other hand, give quite a big shit about people continuing to shop at Walmart. Bobby’s attempt to dragoon major corporations onto his side of the culture is mainly posturing, done for the sake of his own brand.

Bobby says:

...Why shouldn’t an individual or business have the right to cite, in a court proceeding, religious liberty as a reason for not participating in a same-sex marriage ceremony that violates a sincerely held religious belief?

What it means:

Why shouldn’t Bobby Jindal glom on to the hot new trend of passing intentionally discriminatory religious liberty laws as a means of riling up the left for fun and profit?

Conservatives argue that this bill, along with the similar bills in Arkansas and Indiana, are about guaranteeing religious freedom. Fortunately for them, they needn’t worry. That’s already been guaranteed in both the state and federal constitutions. You’re good! Except that Jindal’s definition of religious liberty has a funny way of falling directly in line with what more rational humans might call systematic discrimination. Because here, “participating in a same-sex marriage” effectively means conducting business with anyone in the LGBT community. An absurd bit of vaguery that Jindal has to lean on because, as we’ve seen in Arkansas, standing up for your right to discriminate generally doesn’t go over well.

Bobby says:

The legislation would prohibit the state from denying a person, company or nonprofit group a license, accreditation, employment or contract — or taking other “adverse action” — based on the person or entity’s religious views on the institution of marriage.

What it means:

The legislation would make it legal to be scum.

Bobby says:

Some corporations have already contacted me and asked me to oppose this law. I am certain that other companies, under pressure from radical liberals, will do the same. They are free to voice their opinions, but they will not deter me.

What it means:

Bobby Jindal wants you to know that he will not be bullied by corporations, especially ones that aren’t likely to donate money to a potential Bobby Jindal-supporting PAC or outside interest group.

Jindal here is referring, specifically, to a letter penned by IBM earlier this month imploring him to oppose the act while not-so-subtly implying that not doing so could come with dire financial consequences for the state. Except that, as Salon points out, IBM’s not quite telling the whole story. As much as Louisiana may be relying on IBM for jobs, those jobs wouldn’t exist in the first place without the state’s precious tax dollars. Just the office portion of IBM’s new Baton Rouge complex alone was subsidized with $30.5 million from state and local governments. And that is just a sliver of the $3 billion in taxes Louisiana used to lure other big corporations to its shores.

So while Jindal is, on the one hand, making a play to the basest of conservative bases (religious fundamentalism), he’s also telling IBM and all the other companies eagerly taking the state’s handouts to, in so many words, go fuck themselves.

Bobby says:

As a nation we would not compel a priest, minister or rabbi to violate his conscience and perform a same-sex wedding ceremony. But a great many Americans who are not members of the clergy feel just as called to live their faith through their businesses.

What it means:

Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for my small catering business is with me; my mini-quiche and my option of meat, they comfort me.

Bobby says:

The bill does not, as opponents assert, create a right to discriminate against, or generally refuse service to, gay men or lesbians. The bill does not change anything as it relates to the law in terms of discrimination suits between private parties.

What it means:

This is demonstrably untrue. Sure, the bill doesn’t specifically say “You may go discriminate against gays.” But it does stop the government from attaching any negative consequences to doing so. Whereas the First Amendment forbids the government itself from doing anything that might step on someone’s religious rights, Louisiana’s bill forbids the government from punishing those who would step on someone’s civil rights.

Bobby says:

Since I became governor in 2008, Louisiana has become one of the best places to do business in America. I made it a priority to cut taxes...

What it means:

As mentioned, Jindal has been heaping tax money to onto businesses in the form of subsidies, and the rest of his state is all the worse for it. Bobby’s big “fuck you” to all the gay-lovin’ corporations out there is particularly bold, since Louisiana also has the fourth highest unemployment rate and the third worst education system in the country. He is basically threatening to turn his back on the only thing he’s actually invested in.

Now, let’s all take a moment to remember that in 1994, Bobby Jindal performed an exorcism on a cancer patient.

Image via AP.

Contact the author at ashley@gawker.com.

The biggest movie explosion of the year is almost upon us. This year’s summer movies include superheroes, post-apocalyptic warriors, dinosaur bikers, and some strange and wonderful fantasies. Here are 28 movies to watch out for this summer.

Top image: Terminator Genisys.

Note: This list includes science fiction, fantasy, horror and a few other things that are of interest to io9 and Gizmodo readers.

MAY

Avengers: Age of Ultron (May 1)

The long-awaited sequel to the biggest superhero team-up of all time. This time around, Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) has created Ultron, an artificial intelligence that’s decided to wipe out the human race. Oops. This film also introduces three new Avengers: Vision, Scarlet Witch and Quicksilver.

Maggie (May 8)

What do you do when your daughter has gotten infected with a zombie virus and is slowly transforming into one of the living dead? That’s the dilemma faced by Arnold Schwarzenegger, who’s determined to protect his little girl (Abigail Breslin) to the bitter end. You don’t think of Arnie as giving heart-breaking performances, but maybe this film will change that.

Mad Max: Fury Road (May 15)

The ultimate post-apocalyptic survivor is back, and so is original director George Miller. This film had such a long struggle to get off the ground, and seems to have been so much a creation of raw bloody determination, that it might just be something really unique. This time around, Mad Max (Tom Hardy) has to team up with a group of special women, led by Imperator Furiosa (Charlize Theron), in the face of unbelievable vehicle destruction.

Good Kill (May 15)

Gattaca director Andrew Niccol reteams with star Ethan Hawke for a movie that’s set in the present, but treats present-day technology (drone strikes) almost like a science fiction premise. What if we could kill from the air, via remote control? How would that change warfare? Hawke plays a drone pilot who grapples with the morality of killing from thousands of miles away.

Tomorrowland (May 22)

The latest film from Brad Bird ( The Incredibles) is playing with themes of retro-futurism and nostalgia for a Disneyfied future that never happened. George Clooney is an inventor who knows a secret about a mysterious place that only a few people can visit.

Poltergeist (May 22)

Another horror classic gets remade, with everything bigger and better this time. The good news? It’s produced by Sam Raimi, and everyone involved seems eager to honor the original. Star Sam Rockwell has been talking up how “scary and intense” this version is. Fingers crossed!

When Marnie Was There (May 22)

This may be Studio Ghibli’s last ever movie, so better enjoy it while you can. A young girl gets sent to the countryside for health reasons, and there she makes a most unusual friend — a girl with long flowing blonde hair. The trailer looks as beautiful and sweet as you’d expect.

Aloft (May 22)

Jennifer Connelly is a New Age healer who apparently has psychic powers. And the guy who comes to do an article on her turns out to be her long-lost son. The movie is apparently full of mysticism and supernatural weirdness, along with a lot of magical-realist touches.

San Andreas (May 29)

A disaster movie! Basically, the San Andreas Fault opens up and swallows L.A., and Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson has to get his family away from the biggest earthquake of all time. But will San Francisco be far enough away? (No.) Johnson reunites with Brad Peyton, the director of Journey 2: The Mysterious Island.

JUNE

Insidious Chapter 3 (June 5)

This low-budget horror series has officially become an unstoppable juggernaut. In true fashion, we’re now doing a prequel in which we learn more about the character of the psychic, Elise, as she reluctantly uses her power to help a teen girl who’s been trapped by a supernatural monster. This one is directed by Leigh Whannell, who wrote the first two.

Spy (June 5)

The latest Melissa McCarthy genre send-up, in the vein of The Heat, sees her as a CIA analyst who has to go out in the field as an agent. The real agents (Jude Law and Jason Statham) have gone missing, and it’s up to McCarthy to prevent some kind of global catastrophe.

Jurassic World (June 12)

At long last, the fourth Jurassic movie — and this one is directed by Colin Trevorrow, who blew us away with the indie time-travel film Safety Not Guaranteed . Chris Pratt is a raptor behavior researcher who gets caught up in the middle of total madness when the park decides to create a whole new genetically modified hybrid dinosaur, Indominus Rex. Which is a cooler name: Indominus Rex or Imperator Furiosa? Discuss.

Inside Out (June 19)

Pixar’s first original film in a while — and actually, the first Pixar time in a while, full stop. We get to see the actual emotions inside young Riley’s head guiding her decisions and actions, including Joy, Fear, Anger, Sadness and Disgust. Early buzz suggests this is another emotional-but-clever Pixar movie.

Batkid Begins (June 26)

A documentary about Batkid, the Make-A-Wish beneficiary that captured the world’s imagination. See for yourself how San Francisco was transformed into Gotham City for a day, to grant the wish of a boy with leukemia.

Ted 2 (June 26)

Seth MacFarlane’s raunchy comedy about a teddy bear come to life was an unexpected box office sensation, so of course there’s a sequel. This time around, Ted wants to have a baby using sperm from John (Mark Wahlberg), but first Ted has to prove he’s a person in a court of law, so he can have custody of the child.

JULY

Terminator Genisys (July 1)

The fifth Terminator movie puts the focus back on time-traveling shenanigans and killer robots running around the twentieth century. This time, the Terminator and Kyle Reese go back to 1984, only to find a whole new timeline where another version of the Terminator was Sarah Connor’s surrogate dad. Ultra-high concept, but possibly kind of thrilling at the same time.

Minions (July 10)

It’s a spin-off of the ultra-successful Despicable Me movies, focusing on those lovable twinkie henchguys. The storyline actually sounds kind of complicated — we follow the evolution of the Minions from single-celled organisms at the beginning of time, and their progress as servants of a T-Rex, Dracula, Napoleon, Genghis Khan and other figures from the past. Until it’s 1968, and they wind up working for a supervillain called Scarlet Overkill.

Self/Less (July 10)

Ben Kingsley is a rich older guy who wants to be young and healthy forever, so he pays tons of money to steal Ryan Reynolds’ body. But Reynolds may still be able to fight back, and there are things the old guy doesn’t know about the origins of the boy he now inhabits. It’s directed by Tarsem Singh, who usually musters some batshit visuals if nothing else.

Ant-Man (July 17)

One year after Guardians of the Galaxy , Marvel has another risky project — a movie about one of the less well-known Avengers. Ant-Man (Paul Rudd) can shrink to ant-size and also communicate with ants, but he’s up against a well-armed shrinking villain, Yellowjacket. As long as this one can bring the funny and a smidge of heart, it should be fine.

Mr. Holmes (July 17)

In 1947, Sherlock Holmes is 93 years old, and his brilliant faculties are finally deserting him. But he still has one last case to solve. This movie reunites Sir Ian McKellen with Bill Condon, who directed him in the wonderful Gods and Monsters.

Pixels (July 24)

Yup, it’s that Adam Sandler movie about aliens sending giant versions of 80s video games to attack Earth that everybody’s already rolled their eyes over. You never know, it might be fun — it does feature Peter Dinklage sporting an insane mullet, and giving what sounds like a totally bonkers performance.

Mission Impossible: Rogue Nation (July 31)

Tom Cruise, Simon Pegg and the rest of the team are back, and they’re facing a mysterious new organization called the Syndicate. Judging from the early footage we saw from this film, it looks funnier than Ghost Protocol, but Cruise is once again doing insane stunts, this time on a plane at 5,000 feet. This movie reunites Cruise with his Jack Reacher director Christopher McQuarrie. [Thanks to everyone who corrected me saying this is McQuarrie’s debut!]

Beyond The Brick: A LEGO Brickumentary (July 31)

You’ve seen The LEGO Movie , and soon you’ll see a dozen LEGO sequels. But for now, here’s a fascinating-looking documentary about the history and worldwide impact of those bricks and minifigs.

AUGUST

Fantastic Four (August 7)

Marvel’s most cosmic (and joyfully goofy) heroes are back on the big screen at last, in a movie that looks neither joyful nor goofy. Director Josh Trank, who brought a grounded, character-based, dark sensibility to superpowers with Chronicle, seems to be aiming to repeat the trick here, with a distinct David Cronenberg vibe. It may not be exactly like Lee and Kirby, but that’s probably not what you hire the guy who made Chronicle for.

The Man From UNCLE (August 14)

Speaking of Mission Impossible ... here’s another classic spy show getting a shot on the big screen. Director Guy Ritchie makes the probably wise move of keeping the story set in the 1960s instead of trying to “update” it, and that means the core concept of an American spy (Henry Cavill) reluctantly teaming up with a Russian spy (Armie Hammer) remains intact.

Sinister 2 (August 21)

Another hit low-budget horror film gets a sequel. This time, the demon Bughuul is targeting a young mother and her two sons. Director Scott Derrickson (who’s busy with Dr. Strange) isn’t back, but instead Ciaran Foy ( Citadel) takes the helm. Derrickson did co-write the screenplay with original co-writer C. Robert Cargill.

Hitman: Agent 47 (August 28)

An adaptation of the hit video game (no pun intended), this follows a genetically engineered assassin who’s fighting a massive corporation that wants to create an army of genetically enhanced killers. This could be this year’s Max Payne.

Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon: The Green Legend (Aug 28)

This sequel to the 2000 smash hit Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon has a few things going for it. Michelle Yeoh is back. It’s directed by Yuen Woo-Ping, who’s responsible for all your favorite movie fight scenes ever. And it’s actually based on the fourth book in the series that inspired the first movie. This film is coming to Netflix and theaters simultaneously.

Sources: Box Office Mojo , studio calendars, Entertainment Weekly

Amy Pascal made some mistakes. Nobody is going to dispute that. But here’s at least one good decision she made: turning down some aging tech schmuck’s pitch to turn Spiderman into an EDM-loving, Tough Mudder-participating, humblebragging shithead.

In November 2013, as spotted by a Twitter user named @DukeLovesYou, Pascal and Sony Pictures CEO Michael Lynton received an email from Nick Shore, an ex-MTV executive who now helps run a new Sony venture called Astronauts Wanted: No Experience Necessary, which aims to help Sony reach millennials via Vine or whatever.

So, what happens when a middle-aged one-time television executive tries to figure out what appeals to teens? Why, how about making Spiderman really into working out and Skrillex, plus having “him” create a “very buzzworthy and cool” Snapchat “circle”?

Spidey thought

Hey Amy - just a couple of rando thoughts from 35,000 LAX-JFK:

- A rising trend we see with Millennials are the really extreme forms of experiential exercise like Tough Mudder (a sort of filthy triathalon), the Color Run and even things like Hot Power Yoga, veganism etc. Millennials will often post “N.B.D.” on their social media after doing it , as in No Big Deal, also known as the “humble brag”.....wondering if Spidey could get into that in some way....he’s super athletic, bendy, strong, intense....and it’s all NBD to him, of course.

- EDM (electronic dance music) is the defining music for Millennials. Wondering if there’s an EDM angle somewhere with Spidey? His movements are beautiful, would be awesome with a killer DJ behind it

- Snapchat just launched a “story” functionality, which is sort of “day in the life of me” told in a series of snapchats that expire after 24 hours. It has a very VIP quality about it, since invitation only. Getting invited into Spidey’s Snapchat circle would be huge, and very buzzworthy and cool.

This entire email is a great argument for moving up the retirement age to 35.

[image via Sony]

Professional franchise stars Chris Evans and Jeremy Renner are two grown men who really should know better.

The actors were apparently doing a televised interview to promote Avengers: Age of Ultron when they decided that was a good time to make a slut joke about the fictional Black Widow character.

“She’s a slut,” Renner responded when asked about the superhero’s rumored romance with the Hulk (Mark Ruffalo) over Captain America and Hawkeye. Evans laughed before agreeing, “I was going to say something along that line... a complete whore.”

It’s a rude joke, but ultimately it doesn’t really matter what Chris Evans or Jeremy Renner think. If you were planning on seeing Avengers before they eagerly revealed they’re idiot frat boys at heart, why let that stop you from watching them pretend to be someone else? There’s really only one question that needs to be asked at these idiot junkets, and that question is, Hey, can you act? The jury, of course, is still out on both of them, but I think the answer is yes, they can. OK question time is over.

Here is some press junket advice for franchise stars, free of charge. Don’t make slut jokes. That’s pretty much all you have to do.

Update 4/23/15 8:10 p.m.:

Their weak apologies.

[image via AP]

Contact the author at gabrielle@gawker.com.

The great thing about America is you can say pretty much anything you want, if you pay a filing fee. Like this Georgia lady who was so dissatisfied with the outcome of her case, she filed a duly executed “Notice to Fuck This Court and Everything that it Stands For.”

The original federal complaint, concerning the arrest of Tamah Jada Clark’s husband and subsequent custody issues with her child, had major issues to begin with.

So it wasn’t surprising the case was thrown out by Judge Willis B. Hunt, Jr., apparently “on the grounds that her husband had not signed a complaint that was supposed to represent both parents.”

More surprising is the unlikely support the brief has received. They say a lawyer who represents himself has a fool for a client, but I don’t know about this lady.

[image via AP]

Contact the author at gabrielle@gawker.com.

Nobody has ever Boston sports fan’d harder than these Celtics bros whooping, hollering, heckling, and bird-flippin’ after the Cavaliers went up 3-0 in the series with a 103-95 win. Sully, Knucklefuckle, and Phart are really enjoying themselves here in this video.

[TNT]

To contact the author of this post, write to tim@deadspin.com (PGP key) or find him on Twitter @bubbaprog.

Washington State teen hero Ibrahim Ahmad got the girl plus a bonus paid vacation this week when he schemed up an idiot prom invite that centered around a fake bomb.

Reports the Washington Post:

The 18-year-old wore a paintball vest, which held wires and paper tubes. The get-up, which he situated around his waist, was supposed to resemble an explosive device.

The senior also carried a sign, which read: “I kno it’s A little Late, But I’m kinda…THE BOMB! Rilea, Will U Be My Date To Prom?”

“I’m Middle Eastern, and I thought the bomb was kind of funny and clever,” he told the Columbian. “I wasn’t wearing the vest for more than, like, 20 seconds. I asked her, took a picture, took it off, and then the school got upset.”

Among those amused by the prom bomb was Rilea, who said yes. Not amused was Ahmad’s school, which banned him from prom and suspended him from school for a week.

“I want all my kids to feel safe and supported, but there’s a line,” school superintendant Michael Mansell tells the Columbian. “Given the way the world is today and school safety, even if one parent or one student was upset about this, it causes issues.”

Pretty sure this kid isn’t bothered in the slightest.

Contact the author at gabrielle@gawker.com.

Sawyer Sweeten, a former child actor who portrayed Ray Romano’s son on Everybody Loves Raymond, died Thursday in an apparent suicide. He was 19.

“This morning a terrible family tragedy has occurred,” Sweeten’s sister reportedly said in a statement. “We are devastated to report that our beloved brother, son, and friend, Sawyer Sweeten, took his own life. He was weeks away from his 20th birthday. At this sensitive time, our family requests privacy and we beg of you to reach out to the ones you love.”

Most stories reporting Sweeten’s death cite the website Radar Online, which apparently broke the sad story:

A source very close to the situation tells Radar, “Sawyer was visiting family in Texas. He went on the front porch and killed himself with a gunshot to his head.”

The source tells Radar, “Sawyer’s entire family is absolutely devastated by this tragedy.”

Sweeten grew up in front of an audience as a child actor on Everybody Loves Raymond, which ran from 1996-2005. According to Variety, Sweeten and his twin brother Sullivan started acting on the show when they were just 16 months old and appeared in 139 episodes.

[image via IMDB]

Contact the author at gabrielle@gawker.com.