‘The Light Switch' Episode 4: Risk and rewards from the Angola Prison Rodeo
This week's episode of 'The Light Switch' focuses entirely on the Angola Prison Rodeo, now in its 60th year at Louisiana State Penitentiary.
While the rest of the state is deep into its unofficial festival season, about 75 incarcerated men take part in a rodeo that's not your traditional apple pie, bucking broncos and fancy horses event.
Its critics describe it more like a sordid gladiator exhibition from peak Roman Empire times. They say this exploitation of inmates reflects outdated views on incarceration in Louisiana, a state where more than 1,000 of every 100,000 residents are behind bars according to the Promise of Justice Initiative.
But the rodeo also has its supporters – and some of the most ardent are the inmates who are part of the show. Reporter Piper Hutchinson attended the event last month and heard why they see the rodeo as a key part of positive prison culture. Read more about her visit to 'The Wildest Show in the South.'
There are two ways to listen to 'The Light Switch' …
Spotify (listen below on the embedded player or use this link)
Apple (listen with the embedded player or use this link)
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Yahoo
4 hours ago
- Yahoo
Spotify Takes Flight on United Airlines: Here's What You Get
PCMag editors select and review products independently. If you buy through affiliate links, we may earn commissions, which help support our testing. has taken flight on United Airlines–but its 1.0 appearance on the seatback screens of United's planes is more like a Little Free Library with wings than a jukebox in the sky. The Chicago-based carrier that it's bringing the to the on-demand entertainment displays aboard 680-plus aircraft. On Friday, I gave it some extended listening and viewing on a United flight from San Jose to Houston. On the seatback screen of that Boeing 737 Max 9, a 'Spotify' category replaced the 'Audio' option on the home-screen menu. That offered selections of podcasts, what United's press release calls 'specially curated versions of Spotify's most popular playlists,' and audiobooks–all, United explained, cached locally for now instead of relying on . The selection was deepest in podcasts, with 31 available for a listen. Somebody at Spotify or United must be a fan of , because the studio had 18 of those slots. Instead of that, I listened to a Wall Street Journal recap of . I counted 15 playlists, and they proved to be more of a throwback listening experience than the for each suggested. The tunes in such playlists as 'Good Vibes,' 'Jazz Classics,' 'Sunny Day,' and decade-specific mixtapes from the 1960s to the 2010s played on a loop, with no option to jump to a particular song or see which one was playing–an experience not that different from the inflight soundtrack options of two decades ago. The audiobooks category had 13 titles, many of which would require more than one flight to listen to. , the 2023 deep dive into by Ben McKenzie and Jacob Silverman, would have run 633 minutes, so I had to content myself with hearing one chapter. That part will become more useful next year, when United plans to add a feature that will allow passengers with Spotify's app on their devices to log into their accounts within the seatback screen. That should make it easier to resume and pause listening to Spotify's longer-form content. The video podcasts that , however, lurked under the home-screen menu's 'TV' heading. The 13 video podcasts available included a handful of Joe Rogan's episodes, but not any of the more notorious or guests of Spotify's ; other video hosts include Amy Poehler and Trevor Noah. The United aircraft with Spotify onboard include international-service planes with Polaris business-class cabins (which also feature screens throughout economy) as well as an increasing number of narrowbody planes that have received that include screens at every seat for . A database maintained by aviation enthusiasts shows that the airline has brought those 'United Next' interiors to . United's announcement also notes that streaming to your own devices via is an option on United's small but growing set of –27 aircraft Thursday, . But on Friday, The Points Guy, a travel-news site, that United had turned off Starlink on those planes to fix a radio-interference glitch. When that returns (which TPG's Zach Griff quoted United as saying will be "soon"), that will be your best inflight connectivity for streaming United's longtime theme music, George Gershwin's 'Rhapsody in Blue.' To my surprise and dismay, that Jazz Age classic isn't in any of the prefab playlists. If the airline feels inspired to create one based solely on , it has options: A search of Spotify Friday found dozens of versions of that work, the most interesting being a bluegrass adaptation titled 'Rhapsody in Blue(grass).' Editors' note: We revised this post extensively after giving the service an audition in the sky.
Gizmodo
15 hours ago
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The Best Tech Gifts for Father's Day 2025
Getting a gift for Father's Day (reminder: it's Sunday, June 15) is no easy task. What more could the dad in your life need other than your unconditional love? Turns out, physical gifts—preferably something useful or entertaining—are exactly what he needs to escape the hellscape that is our current timeline. Like we did for Mother's Day, we've curated a selection of the finest tech to get your favorite dad. With options for budgets under $100, under $300, under $500, and over $500, we're sure pops will like something from this list. Gifts Under $100 Anker 6-Foot USB-C Cable ($10) Nothing screams 'man of the house' like a 6-foot USB-C cable that can probably reach any outlet from the couch. For $10, you get two of 'em. Gotta keep the phone charged up when the commercials on the big screen hit. Buy at Amazon 8BitDo USB Wireless Adapter 2 ($20) It'll feel wrong at first to use a PS5 controller to play Xbox and vice versa, but it beats buying a completely new gamepad when you can just pair existing ones to your consoles using this USB dongle. The 8BitDo USB Wireless Adapter 2 even works with Switch, so dad can play Super Smash Bros. Ultimate with a PS5 or Xbox controller. Buy at Amazon Apple in China: The Capture of the World's Greatest Company ($30) Whether dad loves Apple or hates it, the company's sheer scale producing devices like the iPhone and iPad unexpectedly gave birth to China's technology scene and helped give rise to its largest Asian competitors such as Xiaomi and Huawei. Apple in China is a fascinating dive into how Apple's growth has made the world go round. Buy at Amazon Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 ($50) It's the talk of the gaming scene for good reason. Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 offers a feast for the eyes and ears, and a wonderful story wrapped in gameplay that feels new while scratching the itch of any dad still nostalgic for early Final Fantasy titles. Buy at Amazon Arcs ($60) Leder Games' Arcs is the kind of board game that does so much in such a small space. It's a trick-taking conquest game about gaining space supremacy in the vein of 4X games on PC. If you want to make it extra spicy, also buy the Blighted Reach expansion to connect multiple games into epic, multi-session storylines. Buy at Amazon Anbernic 34XXSP ($67) Anbernic's latest Game Boy Advance SP mimic is the kind of device that will put a smile on the face of any dad who grew up with a Game Boy in tow. The 34XXSP is powerful enough to play most games from early handhelds, and even a select few games from the N64 or Dreamcast era. Buy at Anbernic SETI: Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence ($70) SETI: Search for Extraterrestrial Life is one of those games that will get both the space-loving and mechanics-minded dads excited to sit at the table with you. It's a game that will run for several hours, but it ends with such an epic climax that everyone will be jonesing for another round anyway. Buy at Amazon Xbox Design Lab Controller ($80) That skin oil-worn controller he's using to play Xbox may work just fine, but that doesn't mean he wouldn't love an upgrade. Microsoft's Design Lab is full of unique customization options—from colors to patterns to grips and more. Buy at Xbox Gifts Under $300 Backbone One ($100) A quality mobile controller may be the perfect gift if he has ever complained about aching thumbs while trying to play a game on a phone. Our current choice remains the Backbone One, but if you want to spend more, the Backbone Pro is a good upgrade with tighter controls. Buy at Amazon Govee Gaming Pixel Light ($120) Your dad deserves to jazz up his decor beyond bland paintings you can find at a thrift shop. The Govee Gaming Pixel Light lets the man in your life add his favorite 8-bit art (32×32 pixels) to his wall. Buy at Amazon Razer Pro Click V2 Vertical Edition ($120) Logitech's Lift is the go-to for vertical mice, but if your dad wants one for gaming, Razer's Pro Click V2 Vertical is the only way to go. Not only does it come with a more ergonomic design, but it also has more programmable buttons, faster polling rates for gaming, and RGB—gotta have RGB for dad to prove he's a real gamer. Buy at Amazon Nothing Ear ($130) There are a lot of wireless earbuds out there, but not everyone (dads included) is okay with defaulting to AirPods. Nothing's Ear, with its ceramic drivers, is fantastic for a dad who needs great audio with a style that's just a little bit different than most. Buy at Amazon Klipsch One Plus Premium ($170) Without making any assumptions about your dad, there's a chance that he may appreciate tech that's a little more analog. Klipsch's Bluetooth speaker brings great sound but also a slick mid-century design with knobs to boot—a design that combines modern tech with a vintage look. Buy at Amazon Lego Mario Kart ($170) What better way to spend time with a dad than over a Lego set? Even better is when that Lego set is a giant Mario riding a go-kart. 'It's-a-me-Mario!' voice not included. Buy at Lego Shun Classic Chef Knife ($170) This isn't the most high-tech product on this list, but it may be among the most practical. We can say with conviction that dad will never struggle with carving a bird ever again if you give the gift of Japanese steel. Buy at Macy's Polaroid Flip ($200) The Polaroid Flip is all nostalgia wrapped in a retro veneer, and it's now one of the better ways to take full-size instant photos at home. The camera is a hefty device, so dad may feel like a big, strong man lugging it around. Buy at Best Buy Flipper Zero ($200) The hardware-hacking dad in your life interested in his next DIY project would be absolutely thrilled to have the Flipper Zero. It's a signal multitool that can connect with various RFID and other radio protocols, plus the GPIO pins and custom firmware can be used to create a whole host of interesting use cases. Buy at Flipper Zero Boox Palma ($246) Kindles and Kobo e-readers are great for reading ebooks, but they don't fit into pockets. The Boox Palma is exactly the solution—a phone-sized e-reader that runs Android apps (though using it for anything more than ebooks is slow AF) that dad can actually grip with one hand. Buy at Amazon Meater Pro XL ($280) Grill dads who don't want to stand by the open flame constantly for every cookout will appreciate the Meater Pro XL. The device's four smart meat probes will let him monitor the temperatures and finish times for multiple meals through a single app, which means no more sprinting back and forth between oven and grill. Buy at Amazon Gifts Under $500 Meta Quest 3S ($300) Has your dad ever expressed any interest in VR, or even doing some at-home workouts? Set him up with the Quest 3S, and he won't need anything more. Buy at Amazon Philips Hue Play Sync Box ($334) If your dad needs an upgrade to his entertainment system, Philips' Hue Play Sync Box has him covered. This tiny box can coordinate the lighting of a movie with Hue smart lights and syncs TV content at 8K 60Hz and 4K 120Hz for a unique home theater experience. Buy at Amazon Google Pixel Watch 3 ($350) Everyone has an Apple Watch. Let dad feel different with the Google Pixel Watch. It tracks almost everything an Apple Watch does, including health and fitness, and the battery life is excellent. The only caveat is that it works with Android phones, not iPhones. Buy at Amazon Meta Ray-Bans ($350) Smart glasses might seem like an overboard gift if dad isn't tech-inclined, but Meta's Ray-Bans might be the right ratio of tech-to-style goodness. They have a classic look and are surprisingly nice for Bluetooth audio. Buy at Amazon Breville Paradice 9 ($395) Don't fault dad if his knife skills are subpar. Fortunately, a high-powered food processor like the Breville Paradice 9 can slice and dice just about any ingredient more evenly and faster. Technology saves time! Who'd have thunk it? Buy at Amazon Sony WH-1000XM8 ($448) Whether it's blocking out a crying baby or angsty teenager, Sony's latest WH-1000XM6 over-ear headphones deliver best-in-class active noise cancellation. Bonus points: they fold up neatly and come with a case that doesn't look like a bra (looking at you AirPods Max Smart Case). Buy at Amazon Gifts Over $500 Xreal One ($500) Maybe some lucky dads will get a $3,500 Apple Vision Pro for Father's Day, but if all dad needs is a pair of video glasses for watching Netflix and YouTube, Xreal's One is more than good enough and stupid easy to setup (just plug it into any device that supports USB-C video out). They're barely larger than a pair of sunglasses, the 1080p video is super sharp, and the screens even dim for a see-through effect. Buy at Amazon reMarkable Paper Pro ($680) If you're gonna get dad an e-reader and can splurge for the very best, the reMarkable Paper Pro is the one to get. It's got a color E Ink screen that's great for reading comics, supports a stylus for notetaking, and you can even get a keyboard folio case for it. Buy at Amazon
Business Insider
16 hours ago
- Business Insider
Addison Rae and the art of the rebrand
The business of being Addison Rae was booming. It was March 2021, and the then-20-year-old had recently become the world's top-earning TikTok star, dancing and lip-syncing her way to nearly 80 million followers and a vast portfolio of brand deals. She'd dropped out of school at Louisiana State University to sign with an agent and move to LA, was preparing to launch her own cosmetics line, and had already secured a second season of her Spotify-exclusive podcast. That summer, she'd make her film debut in Netflix's "He's All That," a role that would lead to a multimillion-dollar deal with the streamer. There was only one thing left to do: Become a pop star. But when the single and music video for Rae's debut single " Obsessed" dropped that month, listeners were anything but. The song was panned as phoned-in influencer slop. "This is proof that nowadays it's so easy to get into the music industry by using the clout you have," one YouTube commenter wrote. Critics weren't much kinder. "'Obsessed' proves she should stick to lip syncing," Langa Chinyoka wrote for entertainment blog Popdust. While the song's reception was almost unanimously negative, the real inciting factor was Rae's audacity to release original music at all: How dare an influencer best known as a purveyor of corny TikTok dance trends envision herself as an actual artist worthy of any stage bigger than an iPhone? Back then, no one could have predicted Rae's debut album, "Addison," would arrive Friday amid a flurry of praise from pop heads and critics alike. Four years after "Obsessed" became a spectacular flop, Rae has masterfully rebranded as the music industry's newest "It" Girl. This time, her strategy is working: her face is back on major magazine covers, she's collaborating and associating with pioneering pop stars like Charli XCX and Rosalía, and is being anointed " the new pop princess" by fans on social media. Against all odds, Rae has pulled off a rare pivot, trading a massive but unenthusiastic audience of passive social media scrollers for critical acclaim and a passionate niche of die-hard fans. As Walden Green wrote for Pitchfork, "Addison Rae has achieved something arguably more impressive than success: coolness." How did she do it? Act I: Flipping the script Rae is hardly the first celebrity to switch lanes, but the transition from TikToker to bona fide celebrity is particularly difficult — just ask Charli D'Amelio or Bella Poarch, both of whom boasted more followers than Rae in 2020, but have so far failed to parlay social-media fame into traditional Hollywood prestige. Lili Colwell, the vice president of digital at Night, a talent representation platform for online creators, said her clients face greater stigma when transitioning into a new discipline, as skeptics often assume that influencers are lazy trend hoppers, not creative forces in their own right. "They don't give these people enough credit," Colwell said. "They're like, 'Oh, they have no talent.'" Growing an audience on TikTok demands a constant churn of content. Rae recently told The New York Times' Popcast she was posting "ridiculous amounts of videos" at her peak popularity, sometimes up to 12 videos per day. Meanwhile, carving a fruitful path in the music industry demands discernment and a distinct point of view. The biggest stars like Taylor Swift and Beyoncé deploy tightly controlled communications strategies to keep their brand identities compelling and consistent. Tara Goodwin, a PR expert and founder of Goodwin Consulting, said for Rae to be taken seriously beyond social media, it was essential that she rejected TikTok's ethos of oversaturation and began sharing with more intention. "On TikTok, she had random posts all the time, never any rhyme or reason," Goodwin said. "Now, it's very curated, it's very strategic." In May 2025, Rae only shared 12 videos on TikTok for the entire month, mostly to promote music videos that were painstakingly styled, shot, and edited — a far cry from the off-the-cuff, low-effort clips that defined her early days on the app. Now, if she's going to lip sync or dance, it's to her own songs. Taking a step back from algorithmic ubiquity not only gave Rae more control over her narrative but also added a crucial layer of mystique to her persona — a key element in transforming her reputation from regular Louisiana girl with a knack for nailing TikTok dances to an aspirational, slightly unknowable celebrity and artist. "She's releasing bits and pieces to intrigue the audience and make them want more," Goodwin said of Rae's current social media strategy. "She's actually now creating a story." Online and in interviews, Rae has managed to sell her rebrand as an earnest progression in her creative coming-of-age. She told The New York Times that, after her TikToker days of hustling for mass appeal and millions of followers, she can finally afford to take risks. "I have this luxury now to be able to play and explore," she said. The fact that it's taken four years for Rae to re-emerge with a different, more adventurous musical persona only makes this arc more convincing. Her evolution didn't happen overnight; instead, Rae's dogged commitment to her new vision is a selling point. "She's no longer just an influencer making music — she's a pop artist who happens to come from an influencer background." Sara Andréasson, PR expert Rae has proudly told news outlets about how she convinced Columbia Records to give her another chance after the failure of "Obsessed" by presenting an elaborate mood board that laid out her new sound and aesthetic in buzzwords ("intense," "glitter"), colors (aquamarine, hot pink), and iconic pop performances. She has been working to personify that character ever since, with every carefully selected public appearance, red carpet look, and new song revealing another layer of her new self-mythology. Sara Andréasson, cofounder of Michele Marie PR, told Business Insider that this strategy has created demand and curiosity. "She's no longer just an influencer making music — she's a pop artist who happens to come from an influencer background." Act II: Finding a backer During her TikTok reign, Rae told BI, "You are who you hang out with." Though she was speaking at the time about how close she was with her family, the statement has become a key tenet of the Rae Rebrand. Rae's music earned its first major stamp of approval from the alt-pop star Charli XCX, who, after hitting it off with Rae in a studio session, asked to contribute a verse to "2 Die 4," a ringtone-era throwback track that was included on Rae's 2023 EP "AR." Before Charli XCX had her major crossover moment in the summer of last year with the ubiquitous acid-green rollout of her album "Brat," the British singer was known as a platinum-selling songwriter for other artists and an ahead-of-the-curve pop prophet in her own right. Her interest in supporting and collaborating with Rae, whom she'd also recruit for the remix of her "Brat" single, "Von Dutch," around the same time, legitimized Rae's artistic pursuits. DJ Louie XIV, a music critic and host of the Pop Pantheon podcast, said he's "keen to ascribe agency" to Rae, even if it could seem like her fame has been propelled by her shrewd choice of collaborators. It's not that he believes Charli is pulling the strings — it's that he trusts her eye for talent. "Maybe I'm buying the hype," he told BI, "but I think if Charli sees something in her, that means something to me." Rae's connection to Charli introduced her to a wider audience, made her more chic by association, and staved off doubts about her staying power. As Brat Summer raged on, Rae took a page out of Charli's cool-girl playbook, crashing parties and smoking cigarettes with club kids, and winning respect from celebrated songwriters like Lorde and Lana Del Rey. To top it off, she generated buzz when she joined Charli onstage for surprise performances during the singer's tour stops at Madison Square Garden and Coachella, and cheekily announced her album release date via a pair of pink underwear while performing the "Aquamarine" remix with Arca at the festival. Act III: Dressing the part Having good style is relatively easy; making your fashion serve a narrative purpose is harder. Rae is largely focused on the latter, using her outfits to signal her new priorities. Gone are the Brandy Melville sweatpants and backward baseball caps that made her look laid-back and accessible, like the average girl at Erewhon. Instead, she's worked closely with Interview magazine fashion director Dara Allen to execute a series of looks that aren't simply pretty or well-fitted, but edgy, flamboyant, and evocative. Rae savvily uses her clothing to evoke movie stars and pop icons and project herself into that lineage, landing a series of indelible fashion moments, from her pap walk in a baby tee accessorized with Britney Spears' memoir to the white satin lingerie set she wore for her VMAs red carpet debut, which Vogue described as "'Swan Lake' meets Las Vegas showgirl." Andréasson, who has experience dressing A-list celebrities for events, said Rae's style evolution stands out for its use of surrealism and storytelling. Rae in 2021. Gotham/GC Images Rae in 2024. XNY/Star Max/GC Images "She does a great job avoiding the costumey elements of nostalgia and instead reinterprets it with modern tailoring and fresh beauty choices," Andréasson said. "Nostalgia only works when it's recontextualized, and Addison seems to understand that." In a media landscape where rewearing a historic Marilyn Monroe gown or recreating a memorable look from a '90s sitcom are easy ways to score headlines, Rae has avoided the plug-and-play approach. Her style may be full of references, but crucially, she doesn't mimic other celebrities or copy exact outfits. Instead, she prefers to arouse a broader feeling of familiarity. For example, Rae cited the 2006 friendship comedy "Aquamarine" as an inspiration for her song of the same name and her mermaid-inspired look for the 2024 CFDA Awards — not in terms of the movie's content or plot, but in how watching it made her feel. "I wanted to find what aquamarine meant to me," she said. Act IV: Living up to the hype Rae's flair for refracting nostalgia through her own original lens is evident in her new music as much as in her aesthetic. Her debut album "Addison" is full of dreamy, mid-tempo pop that flirts with its influences, from Madonna's "Ray of Light" and Björk's "Post" to Spears' "Blackout" and Del Rey's "Born to Die." As the tracklist dances between decades, genres, and moods, Rae's personal touch fills the gaps. This kaleidescopic technique isn't always radio-friendly, but Rae no longer seems to be aiming for immediate chart success (none of the album's five singles have yet cracked the Billboard Hot 100's top 40, with "Diet Pepsi" peaking the highest at No. 54). And why should she? If there's anyone who knows the drawbacks of an abrupt rise to fame without a sensible plan to sustain it, it's Rae. Instead, she and her team are executing a strategy that prioritizes artistic legitimacy and real staying power, something Rae hinted at in a recent interview with Elle. "I feel like I've surpassed Addison Rae," she said. "It's just Addison now." Going mononymous is a shorthand for prestige: think Madonna, Cher, Beyoncé. Rae hasn't earned that level of name recognition yet, but if her journey thus far is any indication, her ambition, marketing savvy, and willingness to play the long game are not to be underestimated — at least, not anymore. "Back in the '50s, people were discovered in Hollywood by sitting at a lunch counter on a stool. TikTok was her stool," Andréasson said. "It's going to fade away, and all of the new things that she's doing are what she's going to be known for. That's just going to be a postscript in the Addison story."
