Month: September 2025

Country music superstar Jelly Roll, whose real name is Jason DeFord, has been very open about his criminal record, which has made it difficult for him to travel and tour overseas. But this summer, he got the chance to do something he never thought he’d be able to do: travel Europe.

Over the past several weeks, Jelly Roll has been touring throughout Europe alongside Post Malone, who transitioned into country music with his most recent album, F-1 Trillion. The pair has already played concerts in several European countries, like England, Austria, Italy, and Switzerland, with more stops planned in countries like France, Germany, and Portugal.

It’s been a wide-ranging tour beyond anything Jelly Roll ever thought would be possible just a few years ago, and it sounds like he’s nothing but grateful for the way his life has changed.

Jelly Roll’s Criminal Record

Due to some mistakes in his younger days, Jelly Roll has a criminal record that has largely prevented him from traveling outside of the United States, even though the charges stemmed from incidents long in his past.

The country music star has been seeking a pardon for those crimes that would allow him to travel overseas and become an “inspiration” to people.

“I want to be an inspiration for people who are now where I used to be — to let them know that change is truly possible,” Jelly Roll told the Tennessee Board of Parole earlier this year, via the Associated Press. “One of the reasons I’m asking for your recommendation for this pardon is because I’m looking to take my message of redemption through the power of music and faith through the rest of the world.”

Jelly Roll even indicated that he would use such a pardon to do missionary work following his music career.

Permitted to Travel

Back in May, Jelly Roll shared what he called the “biggest announcement” of his entire career as he revealed that he was permitted to travel to England to perform with Post Malone.

“London, England! London, England! Listen, y’all – biggest announcement of my career,” Jelly Roll said in a video posted to Instagram back in May. “They let me come to England, baby! That’s happening. That’s real, dude. I am playing Tottenham Stadium with Post Malone. The first night’s already sold out. I’ll be there. The second night is on sale.”

“I can’t believe I’m even coming to England, but the fact that my first time is doing two stadium shows with Post Malone. Please come out to see us, y’all,” Jelly Roll added. “Love y’all man. I can’t wait to see y’all. I’m excited.”

The country music superstar was later granted permission to travel through other parts of Europe, as well.

Jelly Roll in Disbelief

Given Jelly Roll’s previous restrictions, he never actually expected he would have the chance to travel through Europe. This summer, however, that has been a reality.

In an Instagram post this week, Jelly Roll expressed his disbelief at the summer he has spent traveling through Europe while also expressing his sincere gratitude to Post Malone for bringing him along on the tour.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Jelly Roll (@jellyroll615)

“STILL cannot believe I’m in Europe right now,” Jelly Roll wrote in his caption. “I love you Posty I love you Posty I love you Posty.”

It goes without saying that Jelly Roll’s ability to travel outside of the United States has been life-changing for the country music superstar, allowing him to perform in places he never thought he’d get the chance to go in front of fans he never thought he’d get a chance to see.

Over the past few months, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) has moved forward with some pretty significant changes at its security checkpoints at airports throughout the country, highlighted by its expanded use of facial recognition technology.

While these changes have led to some privacy concerns and some warnings from some whistleblowers and experts, a security expert recently spoke to me to explain how the changes have made the security screening process more efficient and effective while also clearing up some misconceptions regarding any privacy concerns.

Facial Recognition Sparks Concerns

Over the past few months, the TSA has been gradually expanding its use of facial recognition technology at its airport security checkpoints throughout the country, but not everyone is sold on the technology.

Some security experts have expressed concern about how the data is stored and used, as well as about the rights of travelers to opt out of the technology. Travis LeBlanc, a lawyer and a former member of the Privacy and Civil Liberties Oversight Board, recently urged travelers to opt out of the facial recognition technology.

Additionally, lawmakers on both sides of the aisle have put forward legislation that aims to protect Americans’ ability to opt out of TSA facial recognition screenings at airports and prevent abuse of passenger data.

New Technology Improves Safety, Expert Says

Given all the controversy and conversation surrounding this new technology, we decided to speak to security expert Jake Parker, who is the Senior Director of Government Relations of the Security Industry Association (SIA), to clarify some things.

One of the primary things Parker stressed was just how much the new technology improves security. In the past, passenger identification was verified manually by a TSA agent. This process involved a human verifying the validity of a form of identification and then comparing the photo to the face of the person standing in front of them, all with just their eyes.

Within the past several years, technology has improved to allow the TSA to verify the validity of an ID card with a machine instead of by hand, helping the agency crack down on false or invalid forms of identification. However, this still required an agent to manually verify that the ID matched the traveler, causing a security limitation.

“That only gets you so far,” Parker told me during a recent phone interview. “So you could have someone who say, is on the terrorist watchlist, obtain a legitimate ID, but under a false identity, and they still might match that identity.”

The new facial recognition technology allows for more effective screening, using more objective biometric data to ensure that the form of identification matches the person attempting to use it. Additionally, Parker said that this information can be compared to the terror watchlist to potentially catch high-risk individuals.

“You’re catching what they call impostors – people who are traveling with false documents or false identities, whether they’re on the watchlist or not,” Parker said.

Parker said that since the program began, around 2,500 of these “impostors” have been caught thanks to the new technology.

Technology Improves Efficiency, Too

While the new technology offers major security benefits, as Parker explained, it also has the potential to make the entire screening process much faster and more efficient, too.

The TSA recently rolled out TSA PreCheck Touchless ID at several airports throughout the country. This new technology allows eligible passengers to have their identity verified through facial recognition technology without even having to present their physical IDs.

“That’s actually one of the more exciting developments is the frictionless ID for TSA pre-check where all you have to do is just use your face, and it basically matches your face to your stored information,” Parker said. “You don’t even have to pull out your boarding pass or ID or anything.”

While I have not used the new technology myself, I did witness it in action during a recent trip through Seattle, and I was stunned at how fast the line moved. On average, the TSA PreCheck Touchless ID line moved about four times as fast as even the standard TSA PreCheck line.

It’s very clear that facial recognition technology has a chance to greatly improve speed and efficiency at airport security checkpoints.

Clearing Up Misconceptions

While the technology has obvious positives, there are still the aforementioned privacy concerns. However, Parker thinks those concerns stem from misconceptions about how the technology works.

Parker claims that not much has actually changed since all the new technology does is compare a snapshot of the traveler’s image against data and information that the government already has.

“Really, from a privacy perspective, there isn’t really anything new going on here that would change your privacy expectations or you know alter anything there because this is just basically verifying information that the government already has about your travel
and yourself,” Parker said. “So really, there’s nothing new. It’s just a quicker and more efficient, and more accurate way to do a verification.”

As far as the data obtained from the facial scan, the TSA insists that the data is not stored.

“Photos are not stored or saved after a positive ID match has been made, except in a limited testing environment for evaluation of the effectiveness of the technology,” TSA states on its website.

If you are still uneasy about the technology for any reason, all travelers are allowed to opt out of the facial recognition technology. However, it seems pretty clear that the TSA is looking to expand the use of this technology in the coming years.

Ben Stiller has built a long and versatile career—Tropic Thunder, The Secret Life of Walter Mitty, Severance—but ask him about his favorite time making a movie, and you’ll get an unexpected answer: 1988’s Fresh Horses.

The lesser-known Brat Pack-era drama flopped hard at the box office, but for Stiller, it was a turning point. Speaking on The Prof G Pod With Scott Galloway, the actor and director said it was the only time he truly thought he’d made it.

“I was like, ‘Oh man, I’m going to be in the Brat Pack. I’m going to be in the movies. This is it. This is my moment,’” Stiller recalled.

A Cast of Twenty-Somethings Just Having Fun

Fresh Horses starred Andrew McCarthy and Molly Ringwald, reuniting after Pretty in Pink. The plot followed McCarthy’s college student as he left his fiancée to pursue a mysterious young woman (Ringwald), only to find out she was already married. Stiller played Matt’s wisecracking best friend, Tipton.

The film bombed. But to Stiller, the experience was unforgettable.

“The movie just tanked, but it was, literally to this day, my favorite experience ever making a movie,” he said.

Three Months of Freedom

The film was shot in Kentucky, and for Stiller, it was less about career momentum and more about the moment. “It was the dream,” he said. “We were all twenty-somethings making a movie, having fun, hanging out, hooking up.”

While it wasn’t the breakout he imagined, it gave him an early footing in Hollywood. He soon landed a short-lived stint on SNL, then found his voice behind the camera with 1994’s Reality Bites. His first true box office success wouldn’t come until 1998’s There’s Something About Mary.

Sometimes It’s Not About the Hit

Fresh Horses might be a footnote in Brat Pack history, but for Stiller, it was the kind of youthful, chaotic, all-in experience that Hollywood doesn’t offer much anymore.

There’s been a lot of talk about the Big Beautiful Bill that was signed into law on July 4, 2024, but one of the more under-the-radar aspects of the bill is that it offers $1,000 for some United States citizens.

Those citizens are the littlest among us. According to the bill, each child born between 2025 and 2028 is getting a gift from Congress and the president in the form of a $1,000 deposit into a bank account. While it’s free money, they can’t spend it right away. The idea is for this little bit of money to grow over time and encourage investing. The accounts start at birth and with a $1,000 balance.

“It’s an IRA for kids,” Evan Morgan, a principal in the tax advisory group at Kaufman Rossin, an accounting and advisory firm, told USA Today in an Aug. 30 feature.

“To me, if I drew a best-case scenario on that thousand dollars, it would be sitting in that IRA, compounding, until I retired,” J. Spencer Williams, founder and CEO of the Retirement Clearinghouse, a financial technology firm, also told USA Today.

According to this bill, the government will make an account for any baby born as an American citizen between 2025 and 2028, and they’ll put a one-time deposit of $1,000 in it. To get the money, the baby just needs to have a Social Security number.

“Parents and others may contribute up to $5,000 a year into the accounts until the child turns 18,” USA Today adds. “An employer may contribute up to $2,500 toward the $5,000 cap. State and local governments and private charities will be allowed to make broad contributions.”

Also, nobody is allowed to put money in the accounts until 2026. So, how do you get the cash? To get an account, parents will likely have to check a box on a tax form saying that they are new parents, Williams of the Retirement Clearinghouse told USA Today.

Also part of the Big Beautiful Bill, “the Bill expands many provisions from the TCJA, impacting qualified small business stock, business income deductions, employee retention credits, and more,” according to Stinson. They add that “the Bill changes the global intangible low-taxed income and foreign derived intangible income regimes, along with other rules for controlled foreign corporations.”

So, those expecting to be new parents between 2025 and 2028 should stay alert of how to claim their account.

Alexander Bublik had a tall order in front of him, playing the world’s number 1-ranked men’s tennis player, Jannik Sinner, at the U.S. Open on Sept. 1.

So, many fans would understand a loss. However, Bublik was getting absolutely roasted on social media for a near-total collapse.

“Bublik having a double fault bonanza! Quick match,” wrote on X user. “Bublik looks pathetic today,” wrote another. Another fan wrote of Sinner. “It seems he is destroying Bublik.”

“It’s a beat down,” an announcer declared. Some fans seemed mystified once Bublik reached 10 double faults within the first hour of the match, especially since, although unpredictable, he is known for his powerful serve.

10 double faults from Bublik. Never gonna beat Sinner playing like that. He doesn’t know what to do right now. Sinner is playing lights out. This is a beatdown. #USOpen

— dylon (@dylonthoms) September 2, 2025

I’m sorry but jannik is literally looking like he’s practicing rn 😂💀 what was all this fuss about bublik??

— Zhelan⁷ siempre (@walkingtoglory) September 2, 2025

About 46 minutes into the match, he was losing 1-6, 1-6, and racking up the double faults while Sinner broke his serve time and again.

Jannik Sinner Lost to Alexander Bublik the Last Time They Met, So Expectations Were High

Sinner lost to Bublik the last time they met, at Halle, and he said, according to the Independent, “He won the last encounter against me on grass. So let’s see what’s coming. Obviously a big, big server and very unpredictable.”

That wasn’t the case on Sept. 1, though, when it came to Bublik’s serve, although the unpredictability reputation was proving true.

The reaction on social media was brutal. “he’s just getting pounded,” an announcer said in the live broadcast. “It’s stifling what Jannik’s doing to him,” said the other announcer. But fans were even harsher.

Bublik, 28, plays for Kazakhstan but was born in Russia, according to the ATP Tour. He’s ranked number 24 in the world and has played since 2016. He defeated a higher-seeded player, Tommy Paul (#14), to meet Sinner, earning praise for his powerful serve.

“Yes, it is,” Bublik told the crowd of his serve’s power after that victory, according to the ATP Tour. “I have no explanation, but I was playing today and I was like, ‘Eventually it’s going to happen, right?’ He had a couple of set points and then I was serving for the match. I was like, ‘Okay, let’s hope not today’. I have [my] next match against Jannik, so probably that will be the match I will drop a couple of serves.”

It was a different story on Sept. 1, although the announcers indicated that he was losing with a positive attitude, at least.

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Nearly eight years ago, Jason Aldean was on stage performing at the Route 91 Harvest Festival in Las Vegas when the largest mass shooting in United States history broke out. Now, the country music star is opening up about the tragic incident.

In the middle of Aldean’s performance, a gunman opened fire into the crowd from a nearby hotel, leading to by far the most casualties of any mass shooting in recorded history.

Aldean has not spoken much about the tragic incident, but he recently opened up a bit during a recent interview, admitting that a busy schedule left him unable to fully process the tragedy. Months later, he explains, it finally hit home.

Deadliest Shooting in History

On Oct. 1, 2017, Aldean was performing as one of the headliners at the Route 91 Harvest Festival on the Las Vegas Strip when 64-year-old Stephen Paddock opened fire on the crowd from his 32nd-floor suite in the nearby Mandalay Bay hotel.

Paddock, the lone gunman, fired more than 1,000 rounds into the crowd, killing 60 people and wounding at least 413 others with bullets and shrapnel. The ensuing panic caused by the shooting brought the total number of injuries to around 867.

It was the deadliest mass shooting by a lone gunman in American history.

Aldean Opens Up About the Tragic Incident

Though the incident happened nearly eight years ago, Aldean had not spoken very candidly about it until a recent appearance on the “Armchair Expert” podcast with host Dax Shepard.

“It was a festival like we’ve done a million times,” Aldean recalled. “It was just obviously something that we weren’t prepared for.”

Aldean explained that due to a busy schedule immediately following the incident, he was distracted and didn’t have much time and space to process his emotions and thoughts. But when his wife gave birth to their first child together two months after the shooting, that gave him the space to finally process it all.

At that point, Aldean admits he “kind of had a breakdown” one day.

“All of a sudden at home, we kind of had something else to focus on versus watching that on the news every day,” Aldean said. “I think for me, you know, I kind of had a breakdown in my house one day. It was after my son was born and just all that heaviness of everything, just getting laid on you.”

Aldean struggled thinking about what happened and what could have happened.

“I ended up having a moment at my house where I kind of broke down thinking about just all the people that I could have lost, all the people that we did lose as far as fans, but my inner circle of people and my wife was there eight months pregnant with my son and all these things,” he said.

Aldean Didn’t Go to Therapy Himself

Despite the emotional toll the incident took on him and the survivor’s guilt he dealt with, Aldean said that he actually never attended therapy himself, relying on his friends and family instead.

“I guess [I’m] too Southern,” he said of his decision not to attend therapy. “Here’s the ironic thing. We funded a ton of therapy for all the crews and everybody else.

“My therapy was me, my wife, my band, all of us that were kind of there. We all talked about it amongst each other.”