Category: News

This article originally appeared on 07.10.21

When Michael Todd started his freshman year at MLK prep school in Memphis, Tennessee two years ago, he only had one outfit to wear to school. High school kids can be incredibly cruel and Michael was mocked for three weeks for wearing the same clothes every day.

“I really don’t have clothes at home,” he told KTVI. “My mom can’t buy clothes for me because I’m growing too fast.”

Kristopher Graham, a football player at MLK Prep, thought the bullying had gone too far and wanted to do something to help. “When I saw people laugh at him and bully him, I felt like I needed to do something,” Kristopher said. He texted his friend Antwan Garrett asking for help.

The next day, Michael was taken out of third period and when he stepped out of the classroom he was approached by Kristopher and Antwan. He froze with nervousness when he saw the two football players stopped him by the lockers.

Football players give student clothes

“I want to apologize to you for laughing at you and I want to give you something to make it up,” Kristopher told Michael. The football players handed Michael a gift, bags full of shirts, shorts, and shoes.

Michael couldn’t believe the football players’ kindness.

“I’ve been bullied my entire life.” But getting the gift was “awesome,” he said according to USA Today. “The best day of my entire life, basically.”

Video of the gift exchange went viral and has been seen millions of times. A few weeks later, the three teenagers were invited to appear on “The Ellen DeGeneres Show” where they were greeted by Will Smith who gave them $10,000 each.

Antwan plans to use the money for trade school to become a diesel engine mechanic and Kristopher wants to invest his portion.

Antwan helped Michael because he understood what he was going through.

“We weren’t expecting the video to go viral. We just wanted to make a change,” Antwan said according to Commercial Appeal. “I know how it feel not to have nothin’. I don’t have much, but it made me feel better by seeing somebody else have. I haven’t had like the best of life. Everybody struggles.”

“My life has changed from sleeping in a house without no lights. With what is going on the outside affected me in school,” Antwan added. “I didn’t want to be in school. I wanted to help Michael and make him happy and it made me happy.”

The good deed was also commemorated by the Memphis City Council who honored the teens with a resolution and a round of applause.

Kristopher and Antwan are wonderful examples of what can happen when teens are taught that they have a responsibility to one another. While countless kids mocked Michael for something well beyond his control, they saw his plight as an opportunity to drastically change his life by taking action.

Just imagine if everyone saw others’ misfortune as an opportunity to help instead of judge.

This article originally appeared on 08.27.18

In addition to being the star of Marvel franchise “Thor,” actor Chris Hemsworth is also a father-of-three? And it turns out, he’s pretty much the coolest dad ever.

In a clip from a 2015 interview on “The Ellen DeGeneres Show,” Hemsworth shared an interesting conversation he had with his 4-year-old daughter India.

“My daughter’s kind of envious of my boys,” Hemsworth told Ellen. “She came to me the other day, and she’s like ‘You know, Papa, I want one of those things that Sasha and Tristan have.’ And I’m like, ‘What do you mean?’ She said, ‘You know the things in between their legs that you have.'”

Hemsworth said he tried to explain the differences between male and female bodies, but his daughter wasn’t having it.

“She goes, ‘I really want one!’ Hemsworth said. “I’m like, ‘A penis?’ And she’s like, ‘I want a penis!’

And then, Hemsworth had the best possible response. He recalls:

She’s four and I’m like, ‘You know what, you can be whatever you want to be.’ And she goes, ‘Thanks, Dad.’ Runs off into the playground and that was it.

And then, I cannot confirm, but I’m pretty sure the Ellen audience did this:

Major kudos to Hemsworth for taking a potentially awkward parenting situation and turning it into a lesson about love and acceptance.

You can watch the full clip here:

This article originally appeared on 07.06.17

A baseball cap on his head, his hands tucked snugly in his front blue jean pockets, Ken Ballard stood in front of a room of onlookers, admittedly a little out of his element.

But the issue at hand was so critical, Ballard said, he couldn’t keep quiet.

Ballard was speaking during Texas’ 85th Legislative Session this past winter about his 14-year-old transgender son, Ashur, who attempted suicide twice.

Ashur, like many trans people, had wrestled with his identity in a world where ignorance and irrational fear-mongering continue harming people like him.

“Was I going to be his bully?” an emotional Ballard said in response to his son’s coming out. “Was I going to try and put him back into a box that fit the rules of my world at the time or wait it out and see if it would just pass and go back to the way it’d use to be?”

Advocacy group Equality Texas, who’s worked with Ballard in fighting for LGBTQ rights in the state, recently shared a video of him speaking during the session. Although it was captured on video several months ago, Ballard’s emotional plea in front of his fellow Texans is just now making waves online.

Since Equality Texas shared the video on Facebook, the comment section has filled with loving messages of support and admiration.

The comments, although mostly positive, are a bit bittersweet to Ballard.

“I … see comments that too many parents missed out on what could have been an amazing journey for them and their child by not accepting them,” Ballard explains. “Be as excited about your kid’s life as you were at the sonogram, when ‘we are having a baby’ was enough.”

The ongoing debate over trans rights isn’t isolated in Ballard’s home state. Legislatures at both the state and local level across the country are pushing forward with harmful bills this very moment.

A recently proposed Texas “bathroom bill” — which would have forced trans Texans to use the restroom that corresponds with the sex they were assigned at birth (not the gender they identify) — was just rejected by House Speaker Joe Straus, which was great news for human rights groups like Equality Texas.

But there’s still much at stake in the Lone Star State and in jurisdictions from coast to coast.

A handful of states, including Montana, Virginia, and Minnesota — as well as local school boards spanning the U.S. — deliberating similar bathroom bills. Research shows these laws leave trans people even more vulnerable to dangerous circumstances in their own communities — yet, their passing doesn’t protect anyone.

Chances are, equality — and trans lives — might be at stake in your own region of the country.

As for Ballard and Ashur, they’re living proof that acceptance and inclusion save lives.

And, as Ballard’s moving speech illustrates so well, it’s important our laws reflect that critical reality.

“I’ve watched a kid go from someone who, 26 months ago, was in despair,” Ballard says of his son’s mental health. “Now, [he’s] flourishing.”

This article originally appeared on 06.27.17

Summer is here. The season of backyard barbecues, long evenings by the bonfire, and a nagging worry that every parent can relate to — the dangers that come with a swimming pool.

The chances a child will die from drowning are relatively low, according to the CDC. But still — it’s great to be prepared to step in and help with CPR, should it ever be necessary.

Actor Ryan Reynolds definitely thinks so.

Reynolds recently went to a CPR training class focused on toddlers and infants.

Reynolds and his wife, fellow A-lister Blake Lively (who also attended the class), are parents to two young daughters: 2-year-old James and 9-month old Ines.

u201cWe’re #ThankfulFor Ryan Reynolds’ Twitter. We’re also thankful his daughters don’t have Twitter. (ud83dudcf7: Getty Images)u201d

— E! News (@E! News)
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The actor posted a photo from his CPR class to Instagram on June 27, noting how being certified once helped him save a family member’s life.

“Years ago, I took a CPR course thru the Red Cross,” Reynolds wrote. “And holy shit, I ended up saving my nephew’s life because I knew what to do! True story!”

See on Instagram

“Yesterday I took a refresher course — focusing on infant and toddler CPR,” the actor continued. “It takes only a few hours and it’s also kinda, sorta fun.”

Lively also encouraged her followers to get trained if they haven’t already.

“Google ‘infant CPR class near me’ and you’ll see lots of listings,” she wrote.

See on Instagram

The Livelys are right: Learning CPR is quick, easy, and certainly worth the trouble.

Nothing can give you the same in-depth instruction as a course taught by a professional (you can easily find an American Red Cross CPR training in your area). But there are still plenty of helpful guides online with free resources you can access to help you get started.

As Lively noted, just knowing you have the know-how to help in a critical moment will let you enjoy those backyard poolside barbecues this summer, feeling a little more carefree.

“For those of you who haven’t done it, you will love it,” she wrote on Instagram. “It’s so helpful by giving you knowledge, tools, and some peace of mind.”

Here’s an overview on CPR instructions so you can better understand what a training course entails:

Full Playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLLALQuK1NDrgdKHwEDIburNOPcothH2Ud–Watch more How to Give First Aid videos: http://www.howcast.com/vide…

When most people think of Julia Roberts, they think of “Pretty Woman” or “Ocean’s Eleven” or one of the other plethora of films she’s acted in. Most people don’t see her signature red hair and broad smile and immediately think of a civil rights icon. But there’s a connection that Gayle King encouraged Roberts to share during a recent interview.

Martin Luther King Jr. and his wife Coretta Scott King paid for the birth of the Academy Award winning actress when her parents were in a bind with medical bills.

Roberts explained to Gayle King that her parents became acquainted with the Kings after Coretta Scott King asked if her children could attend the acting school Roberts’ parents owned. The two couples became good friends after that, and thanks to a fateful phone call, Roberts was welcomed into this world carrying a little bit of unknown history with her.

The internet is buzzing with disbelief, because who the heck can say their birth was paid for by the Martin Luther King Jr.? Jay Willis commented on Twitter “No this is one of those history facts that my brain can’t process.”

Another commenter reminded us how recent this piece of history was, saying, “Illustrates just how young MLK was when he was assassinated and how recently he lived. Too many of us think America’s racist past was long ago. It is living memory.”

Most other reactions were just complete shock that this happened and isn’t documented, while others noted how uncomfortable Roberts appeared when she relayed the story. Turns out, there was likely good reason for the discomfort. Someone reposted a tweet from 2021 by Ashley Reynolds that included an article detailing how Roberts’ parents were targets of hate after they cast Yolanda King, one of the King’s children, as the lead in their play where she had to kiss a white boy.

The whole connection between the Roberts family and the iconic King family is simply fascinating. Listen to Roberts tell how the friendship happened below.

u201cToday is Julia Roberts birthday! 55 years ago MLK and Coretta Scott King paid for her parents hospital bill after she was born. Canu2019t stop thinking about this since I read it. Here she is talking about it with @GayleKingu201d

— Zara Rahim (@Zara Rahim)
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Here’s the problem with starting an argument with someone who’s clearly wrong. People with opinions that are not based on facts or logic have trouble with critical thinking, which also makes having a discussion with them terribly tricky because they don’t know the rules of engagement.

The first step to avoiding these situations is not having an argument. But if you have to settle a disagreement, it’s best to frame it as a discussion instead of an argument. The difference? “A discussion is a respectful exchange of information. An argument is a coercive attempt to be acknowledged as right or smart or sensitive,” Steven Stosny, Ph.D. writes in Psychology Today.

“In arguments, we invalidate feelings and undermine perspectives. In discussions, we validate feelings and expand perspectives,” Dr. Stosny continues.

One of the keys to having a good discussion is to listen to the other person and ask plenty of questions. This makes the other person feel heard and more likely for the two of you to find common ground. It can also reveal how much they know about the topic at hand.

But if you wind up getting into an argument, there are some telltale signs that you won the debate because the other person has been thrown from their facts and talking points and has to save face. A Reddit user by the name ViForYourAttention asked the forum, “What statement screams ‘I just lost the argument’? And they received a ton of great tactics and sayings that people turn to as a last resort.

The discussion wasn’t just full of great “gotcha” moments but a frank discussion on how to have an honest debate by learning to spot cheap tricks and personal attacks.

Here are 17 statements that scream, “I lost the argument.”

1.

“Pointing out a small discrepancy in an otherwise factual statement and pretending that invalidates their whole argument. ‘I saw you get in a blue car and drive off with your secret lover when you said you were going for a walk.’ ‘You’re completely wrong. It was a blue SUV, and I did go for a walk after.'” — jiyida8112

2.

“As soon as someone shifts the goalposts. It is important to be able to identify this. It is also important to know the difference between this and someone wording their initial argument poorly. … But in general shifting goalposts means that they were losing an argument because of a unstable basis, so they’ll shift their previously dogmatic basis to something more broad or they’ll change their entire opinion midway through a conversation. The way to combat it is simply to always keep in mind the original intent of the conversation. Know what the initial claims were and move on from there always keeping those in mind.” — Sovreign_grounds

3.

“I concede.” — Southern_Snowshoe

4.

“You spelled ‘x’ the wrong way.” — GustavoAlex7789

5.

“I know you r but what am I?” — MineDamnBrain

6.

“Any personal insult. As soon as you comment on the person and not the topic, you’ve lost.” — Aunt_Anne

7.

“[The moment someone says] ‘I don’t even care’ or ‘this is dumb.”‘ — KarlaKaress

XXXSimply unstable added:

“‘Whatever’ or ‘I’m over it’ or both combined into ‘Whatever, I’m over it!'”

8.

“You just lost a customer.” — Sucros

9.

“When my husband sits there with that look on his face. That look that says he is waiting for me to put together some obvious pieces that I missed. I always find those pieces eventually. And then I concede, with an air of torture because he’s always right. Always! As soon as I see that look, I lost.” — gecepix937

10.

“Saying something completely irrelevant to the argument that they found on your post/comment history.” — PM_ME_UR_FEET_69

11.

“‘Oh yeah? Well, I know someone else who thought that way. Adolf Hitler!'” — hawt_pawket

12.

“Do your research.” — Orenge01

13.

“‘You always have to get the last word.’ A statement made exclusively by people who are trying to have the last word, but are out of points.” — ScruffyTuscaloosa

14.

“‘I’m not talking about it anymore!’ Yeah, because you know youre making absolutely no sense.” — WRA1THLORD

15.

“Bringing up an entirely different topic. Whataboutism as they say.” — TDeath21

16.

“When they start projecting. For example, they start accusing you of something that they’re doing – like being bigoted. Or they start threatening to report or block you even though they’re in the wrong.” — HyperDogOwner458

17.

“You just always have to be right.” — sugabeetus

Earlier this month, Donald Trump may have played a large part in nixing the GOP’s hoped-for “red wave.” Has he learned his lesson, namely that he needs to at least cool down his evidently unpopular rhetoric? Of course not. Instead, he ignored party pleas and announced his third presidential campaign. And now he’s dining with anti-Semites (and Kanye West), which is horrifying even one of the most pro-Trump “news” sites out there.

As caught by Raw Story, even Breitbart was horrified to learn Trump had dinner at the resort in which he now lives with Ye as well as his new pal: Nick Fuentes. Who is Nick Fuentes? He’s the world’s most famous 24-year-old white nationalist Holocaust denier. He thinks women should lose the right to vote. He’s a self-described incel who thinks “dating women is gay.” Marjorie Taylor Greene has spoken at an event where he suggested Hitler wasn’t such a bad guy. Trump, Ye said, liked him a lot, saying he was “really impressed” with the cut of his jib.

Trump has since tried to backpedal on the dinner, claiming that he thought he was only meeting with Ye, who, he alleged, “arrived with a guest whom I had never met and know nothing about.” Is it better that Trump and his team don’t vet those who dine with the presumptive leader of the Republican Party?

The news was met with widespread disgust. How widespread? It even grossed out Breitbart News, the fervently pro-Trump site known for publishing creatively nonsensical conspiracy theories about the pandemic.

“These latest revelations turn what could have been a minor story into a major national narrative, where the GOP frontrunner for president in 2024 — the former president and as of now the only formal GOP candidate for the office in the next election — seems to have met with an open white nationalist, antisemite, and Holocaust denier in Fuentes,” two of the site’s writers wrote in a report. “Fuentes’ now-shut-down YouTube page is shot-through with racist and antisemetic rants that date as far back as 2014.”

Did Trump lose Breitbart? Almost certainly not. But enjoy this probably brief period in which they favor basic standards over fealty.

(Via Raw Story)

Thor has arguably the wildest arc of the MCU. Where Tony Stark/Ironman went from a ruthless businessman and snark machine to a selfless hero willing to lose his life to save the world, Chris Hemsworth’s Norse god has taken a stranger path. He began as a musclebound fish out of water. Then, with Taika Waititi’s Ragnarok, he got weirder. Then he got weirder still. If there’s a fifth solo installment — which may not even happen, given the already-packed MCU to-do list — it would have to go in yet another unpredictable direction.

“I don’t know if I’m even invited back,” Hemsworth admitted during an appearance on the Happy Sad Confused podcast (as caught by Screenrant), “but if I was, I think it would have to be a drastically different version in tone, everything, just for my own sanity.” He added, “Thor lost his mind that last one. He’s got to figure it out now.” (Elizabeth Olsen, as you may recall, also isn’t sure if she’s coming back as her own character, Scarlet Witch.)

But change is really for Hemsworth’s benefit, as he explained:

“You look at Thor 1 and 2, they were quite similar. Ragnarok and Love and Thunder are similar. I think it’s about reinventing it. I’ve had such a unique opportunity with Infinity War and Endgame to do very drastic things with the character. I enjoy that, I like keeping people on their toes. It keeps me on my toes. It keeps me invested. I’ve said this before but when it becomes too familiar, I think there’s a risk in getting lazy then because I know what I’m doing.”

Waititi himself feels much the same way. Over the summer, the filmmaker, who helmed the last two Thors, admitted he’d want to change it up if he returned for the fifth installment. One thing they could change: Thor would be less ripped, so as not to irritate Hemsworth’s wife. Maybe not the doughy Thor of Endgame, but maybe somewhere in between?

(Via ScreenRant)

Election Night 2022 may be over, but NBC Sports gave political correspondent — and analytical legend — Steve Kornacki a good reason to dust off his khakis once again: Dogs!

As Digg spotted, Kornacki broke out his beloved Big Board to break down some of the most interesting findings related to the National Dog Show, which airs each year on Thanksgiving and this year was ruled by a French bulldog named Winston. That French bulldogs are the second most popular dog breed in America — just behind the Labrador Retriever, which has held the top spot for 31 years straight — are just some of the many facts Kornacki trotted out about our canine companions with no less of the enthusiasm he has for all things political.

The “big surprise,” according to Kornacki, was that the Standard Poodle is now the fifth most popular dog breed in the country — marking the first time in 25 years that the fancy-haired pup has cracked the top five, knocking out the Bulldog. “The Bulldog had been in the top five for two decades,” the stats daddy enthused, “but the Standard Poodle has bumped the Bulldog in terms of popularity.”

Kornacki went on to break down which cities you’re most likely to see these most popular breeds, and extrapolate the reasons why — though Cleveland’s favorite dog seemed to stump him. “I’m not sure why exactly, but in Cleveland the Labrador Retriever [is] the most popular dog,” he said.

Kornacki’s “favorite” part of the stats, for some reason, was a breakdown of the most popular dog names in the country, with Max and Luna dominating for male and female pups, respectively. As Teddy and Bear took the fourth and fifth most popular spots for male dogs, Kornacki guessed that this could be “people getting dogs in pairs and naming one Teddy and one Bear.” Is he correct? Who knows! Who cares!?

He also shared that in New York City alone, there are more than 5,500 dogs named Bella and more than 4,800 Maxes. “So go to a dog park in New York City, shout out one of those names, and prepare to be swarmed,” Kornacki gleefully suggested. (We would not recommend doing that.)

You can watch the full video above.

(Via Digg)

The end of the year tends to be mostly uneventful when it comes to new music releases, but Stormzy put his stamp on the holiday season with his third album, This Is What I Mean, which dropped today (November 25). Ahead of the release, he shared a personal letter inspired by Tyler The Creator.

The message concludes with Stormzy’s hopes for the new project: “People been tryna box me in for years but I hope this chapter at least makes my biggest critic say, ‘Hey, he’s sh*t but he loves music and I guess he’s gonna do whatever me likes’ lol. I pray you listen to this album in your own time, whenever you can. Listen to it properly with no distractions. I pray you listen to this album with an open heart and if you hate it after I promise to god I’m perfectly fine with that, I’m just grateful that you listened with openness. I pray that it moves you and captures your imagination. And I pray that someone, somewhere feels it.”

Read the full letter below.

“When Tyler, The Creator released the masterpiece that is ‘Igor’ he shared a message with it and I wanted to do the same but I was hesitant. Mainly because I would love for my music to do all the talking but I thought I’d share this message anyway.

I do a lot of interviews and I forget that everything I say will be shared far and wide, which is probably naive of me. Things that I say in real life don’t feel the same when I see it in text. I feel like I overshare, which makes me feel naked at times. But I do it so that you guys can understand me a bit better and to give the art that I make some context. I’m never ever purposely trying to defy genres or go against the grain. I’m never tryna do what is unexpected of me or what is expected of me. If I rap for 7 minutes it’s because in my spirit, in that moment, I just really wanted to f*cking rap. If I sing my heart out then it’s because my soul just absolutely had to. I love music. I love, love loveeeee music. I will rap for the rest of my life. I will sing for the rest of my life, I will make art for the rest of my life. And at no point will I ever do any of those things for any other reason than I just wanted to and it just felt good. I am not a calculated mastermind with the ability to gauge what kind of music to make and when I’ll make it, I literally just feel and then let it out. People been tryna box me in for years but I hope this chapter at least makes my biggest critic say, ‘Hey, he’s sh*t but he loves music and I guess he’s gonna do whatever me likes’ lol. I pray you listen to this album in your own time, whenever you can. Listen to it properly with no distractions. I pray you listen to this album with an open heart and if you hate it after I promise to god I’m perfectly fine with that, I’m just grateful that you listened with openness. I pray that it moves you and captures your imagination. And I pray that someone, somewhere feels it.

This is what I mean
and it’s what l’ve always meant.

God bless. Stormz x.”