Category: Worldwide

This article originally appeared on 07.02.15

In 2008, a young boy named Johnny Jackson went swimming and accidentally swallowed some water.

He had a short coughing fit, toweled off, and then went home. No big deal.

Or so his parents thought.

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A few hours later, after going down for a nap, Johnny passed away.

In 2014, a toddler named Ronin came frighteningly close to the same fate. He slipped briefly into a pool before being pulled to safety by his mother. Ronin was shaken up but seemed fine.

Later that night, he lay stretched out in an ambulance as it screamed toward the hospital, where he arrived just in time.

Stories like these have resulted in an outburst of news coverage around what’s being referred to as “dry drowning.” But that’s a bit of a misnomer.

Since we’re entering the season of pool parties and beach trips, here are a few things you really need to know about what actually happened to Ronin and Johnny.

Ronin is doing great, by the way. Here he is learning how to swim. Photo from Delighted Momma, used with permission.

First, there is a difference between dry drowning and delayed drowning.

With dry drowning, water never enters the victim’s lungs. Rather, it causes the vocal chords to spasm and shuts off airways without actually filling the lungs with water. Otherwise, it looks a lot like normal drowning because it occurs in real time and causes asphyxiation.

Delayed drowning, sometimes called secondary drowning, is a bit different. In cases like Ronin and Johnny’s, water gets into the lungs in small amounts — not enough to disable breathing right away. Instead, it sits there and inhibits the lungs’ ability to oxygenate blood. From there, the victim starts to have more and more trouble breathing over the course of several hours.

Second, drowning doesn’t look the way it does in the movies.

Whether you’re dealing with normal, dry, or delayed drowning, don’t expect a dramatic scene full of thrashing, coughing, and yelling.

According to Dr. Anna Mendenhall of the Children’s Physicians Medical Group, 9 out of 10 children who drown do so even though they were being supervised by a parent because it’s so easy to miss the signs.

Here’s what you need to look for, even hours after you’ve left the pool or beach:

• Difficulty breathing, coughing, chest pain, or throwing up. Look for rapid and shallow breaths, nostril flaring, or a pronounced gap in the ribs when breathing. These are all signs a child is working too hard to get oxygen.
• Extreme tiredness. Big-time fatigue can be a sign that the brain isn’t getting enough oxygen.
• Any odd change in behavior. Kids in the beginning stages of delayed drowning may be really cranky, argumentative, or combative.
• Odd physical changes. Look out for blue lips or pale skin.

Most likely these symptoms will go away over time. But if they don’t or they get worse, you might want to call your pediatrician on the way to the emergency room.

And the best way to watch for drowning in the moment? Get in the pool with your kids and stay within an arm’s reach. It’s the only way to make sure you don’t miss anything.

Watching from the patio is a no-no. Get in the pool! Photo from Thinkstock.

Third, don’t panic. Delayed and dry drownings combined make up only 1% to 2% of all drowning incidents.

There’s no getting around it. This is really scary stuff, especially to a parent.

I have a 2-month-old daughter, and my first reaction to all of this is to literally never let her near a swimming pool. Ever.

But as scary as they are, these unusual cases are just that — unusual.

It’s a really good idea teach your kids about basic water safety and get them comfortable in the pool with swim lessons at an early age (experts say 4 or 5 is a good age to start). But I’ll say it again:

The single best thing you can do to protect a child from drowning — wet, dry, or otherwise — is to get in the pool with them.

As long as you’re prepared, pools can be great for fun things like throwing your children! Photo from Thinkstock.

At least until they’re old enough to be embarrassed by your presence.

This article originally appeared on 08.10.15

When you see or hear an Amber Alert, what do you usually do?

Sometimes it’s the middle of the night, and the buzz of your cell phone stirs you out of a deep sleep before you can silence it. Other times, the alert interrupts your favorite song on the radio. Maybe you wait patiently for it to end. Maybe you change the station.

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After all, who hasn’t wondered, “What are the odds?”

Sure, the alerts are heartbreaking, but what are the odds you’ll bump into the missing kid? What are the odds you’ll see the getaway car? What are the odds you’ll be able to do anything about it?Turns out, better than you think.

Here are five recent stories of people who suddenly found themselves face to face with a kidnapped child … and rose to the occasion.

High intensity situations require calm nerves and quick thinking. Kudos to these people for noticing the Amber Alerts at the right time and, in some cases, for having the courage to act right then and there.

1) 2-year-old Ronnie Tran was found when his baby sitter, John Tuong, saw an Amber Alert … for Ronnie.

John Tuong had no idea he was baby-sitting a missing kid.

Ronnie was kidnapped by his 65-year-old maternal grandmother, who, along with an accomplice, had attacked and restrained his mother. She left Ronnie with a family friend, John Tuong, who merely thought he was baby-sitting his sister’s boyfriend’s son.

Tuong saw an Amber Alert on his phone the next morning and realized the kid in the alert was actually asleep in the next room. John called the police immediately and Ronnie made it home safe.

2) 6-year-old Kloe was taken from her bed on February 21, 2015. Thanks to a gas station employee, she was back home on February 22.

Kloe was abducted in the middle of the night by a family friend. After she was reported missing, an Amber Alert went out, which, luckily, was seen by a clerk at a local gas station. The clerk recognized Kloe from the alert and tipped off police that he had seen the girl, the man who had taken her, and the van he was driving.

The clerk’s account helped police narrow their search, and Carlin was eventually stopped on the interstate by a trooper, some 300 miles from Kloe’s home, and taken into custody.

Kloe made it home to her family safe and sound the next day.

3) Leah and Jordan’s kidnappers’ RV broke down. The cops that pulled over to help had just seen the Amber Alert.

Amber Alerts aren’t just for bystanders, they’re for law enforcement too.

After 3-year-old Leah and 4-year-old Jordan were taken by relatives of their mother, the kidnapper’s RV broke down on the side of the highway. Two deputies stopped by the vehicle to try to help them get back on the road. Luckily, the deputies had seen the Amber Alert and recognized the kids inside the vehicle.

Both made it back home safely the next day, but who knows what might have happened had the RV not broken down or if the cops weren’t on the lookout for the missing kids.

4) A stranger stole a car with 3-year-old Bella inside. Later, a quick-thinking bystander physically pulled her to safety.

Leslie and Bella pose inside her bakery, Mini Cupcakes. Photo courtesy of Leslie Fiet, used with permission.

A strange woman asked to bum a cigarette from Bella’s father as he walked into the 7-Eleven convenience store. He gave it to her. Then, the woman jumped in the car, with Bella still inside, and drove off.

Later on, the owner of a local cupcake bakery, Leslie Fiet, spotted the car after seeing the Amber Alert and she heroically pulled Bella from the backseat.

“My initial thought was to call 911 (when I discovered the car) but then I looked closer and saw Bella was in a tremendous amount of stress, hyperventilating and crying,” Fiet told ABC News. “I just dropped my phone and ran out the door.”

She locked Bella, and herself, inside the bakery until Bella’s parents and police could arrive.

5) A pizza shop employee on her break spotted 7-year-old Nicolas and followed his kidnapper until police could arrive.

Courtney was brave to follow the kidnapper; and it paid off. Photo courtesy of KRIS TV.

Courtney Best, who was working at a small pizza shop in Corpus Christi, Texas, saw an Amber Alert on her phone while on her smoke break. She looked up and just happened to see the vehicle in question, a white Dodge Avenger, sitting in the parking lot in front of her with a child inside.

She followed the car, while on the phone with police, as it drove away.

“Cause, what are the odds? What are the odds of me looking at my phone?” Courtney told KrisTV. “And I usually don’t even look at Amber Alerts, as bad as that sounds. I look at them and I don’t really pay attention.”

Thanks to her quick thinking, the police were able to recover Nicolas and return him safely to his family.

According to Robert Hoever of the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children, about 95% of Amber Alerts are resolved within 72 hours.

Robert, who is Director of Special Programs at the NCEMC, told Upworthy, “You can definitely see a huge change in how fast children are recovered today. The technology out there today helps.”

In addition to wireless alerts, his organization also partners to issue alerts via Internet service providers, search engines, Internet ad exchanges, and even digital billboards.

And, Robert adds, if you ever find yourself in a situation like this, with any sort of information about a missing child, call 911 before you do anything. Emergency personnel will be able to help you navigate the situation.

We see a lot of Amber Alerts go viral, which is great, but we don’t often get to see the happy endings.

Sadly, not every Amber Alert ends with a reunion. But the more we share these alerts with our networks, the more people they reach and the more likely they are to be seen by the right people.

In the meantime, it’s comforting to know that most of these kids eventually make it home safely.

Rauw Alejandro dropped his highly-anticipated album Saturno today (November 11). The Puerto Rican superstar also released the music video for “Lejos Del Cielo” that’s in-line in the LP’s sci-fi feel.

In Saturno, Alejandro explores the roots of reggaeton music while sonically pushing the genres to new places. Two of the genre’s pioneers are featured on the LP. Alejandro remade Baby Rasta‘s classic “Punto 40” with the Puerto Rico artist himself. DJ Playero, who helped shape the sound of reggaeton, produced “De Carolina,” Alejandro’s ode to the city where he was born.

“I wanted to take my fans on a ride through my mind, my emotions, and the sounds that influenced me,” Alejandro said in a statement.

Alejandro embraces elements of electronica throughout the 18-track LP. The sexy reggaeton romp “Que Rico Ch**gamos” features flourishes of synth. “Lejos Del Cielo” is another dreamy moment where he adds an electronic allure to reggaeton. Alejandro also released the video for “Lejos” where he is working at a factory with aliens — a fitting theme since the album was inspired by his mom telling him that he was from another planet.

“I believed my mom because I knew I was destined for something out of this world. That’s why I named the album ‘Saturno,’” Alejandro said.

Alejandro also explores other genres like rock and new wave in the computerized “Corazon Despeinado” and frenetic “Dime Quién???” He will be performing at the 2022 Latin Grammy Awards on November 17. He is up for eight nominations. Alejandro is tied with his girlfriend, Spanish pop star Rosalía, who also received eight nominations.

Jack Harlow might appear to be an overnight success, but like many of the artists who’ve been tagged with that title, his rise to fame actually took longer than his detractors might think. Success is a marathon, not a sprint, and Harlow’s story is peppered with anecdotes about performing for empty venues and lackluster talent show performances. Fortunately, he’s got a useful reminder of the patience it takes to accomplish so much right on his wrist, courtesy of none other than Pharrell.

In a new GQ feature, Harlow recounts how and why he now sports a Rolex watch, which he affectionately calls “the Batman,” thanks to some advice from the veteran producer. “He was like, ‘Go get you a Rolex, so every time you look down at it you think: take your time,’” he recalls. He still remembers where he started, though, even with his fancy new accessories. “I always say I looked like I worked at GameStop,” he jokes of his not-so-distant past.

Elsewhere in the interview, he processes the critical reaction to his latest album, Come Home, The Kids Miss You, emphathizing with critics who might feel awkward about lauding someone who still seems to at least appear an outsider in hip-hop, even if he grew up on the genre.

Jack Harlow is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

As the Republican Party sifts through the midterm elections that failed to produce a heavily touted “red wave,” there has been one consistent message coming from both the GOP and its counterparts in the right wing media: Donald Trump should not run for president in 2024. So, naturally, that’s exactly what Trump is planning to do.

Despite a palpable shift behind Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, who easily won his re-election campaign, Trump is moving full-steam ahead with another shot at the White House. The former president has a primetime announcement set for Tuesday, November 15, and his longtime adviser Stephen Miller has confirmed that Trump will announce his presidential run. However, Miller went to the odd step of noting that the whole endeavor will be “very professional” unlike, well, everything else Trump does.

Via Mediate:

“President Trump is going to announce on Tuesday that he is running for president and it’s gonna be a very professional, very buttoned-up announcement. We did a run-through this morning with the logistics team that some great folks that are on board,” Miller said.

He added that Trump wants people to know he’s “fired up.”

“He said ‘there doesn’t need to be any question. Of course, I’m running. I’m gonna do this and I want to make sure that people know that I’m fired up,’” Miller said.

Of course, there are concerns about how Trump’s announcement could affect the Georgia runoff election between Herschel Walker and Raphael Warnock. More pointedly, those concerns came from Miller himself. Earlier in the week, he told Newsmax that he advised Trump to “to hold off until after the Georgia race.” You can see how well that went.

(Via Mediaite)

The hip-hop community continues to mourn the untimely passing of Atlanta rap giant, Takeoff. This grief extends to the late rapper’s cousin, Offset.

After cancelling his Boston show, then changing his profile image on Instagram to the fallen musician, the former Migos member has kept a low profile. However, with his sophomore album scheduled to be released today, fans wondered if they would still get the project despite his online hiatus. In a reported private exchange with a super fan, the “Clout” rapper confirmed the project was indeed “pushed back.”

Without explicitly stating, it can be inferred that the delay is out of respect for Takeoff as it is being reported that his funeral will be held later this afternoon at the State Farm Arena in Atlanta. The service will be officiated by Reverend Jesse Curney III of New Mercies Church, where Takeoff, whose real name was Kirshnik Ball, was an active member.

Although the project’s new release date hasn’t been shared, fans still have Offset’s previously released singles “54321” and “CODE” featuring Moneybagg Yo to hold onto while they wait for the untitled album to drop.

Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

Even though many people are celebrating the release of the long-awaited Marvel film Blank Panther: Wakanda Forever, some people (or governments) are very upset about the minuscule moment that probably went unnoticed by most.

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever is playing in theaters in Kuwait, though there will be approximately one less minute of content compared to everywhere else. The country has cut a scene where Michaela Coel’s character Aneka and Florence Kasumba’s Ayo share a small forehead kiss (yeah, you probably missed it among all of the war and gut-wrenching familial moments). Officials also requested that a birthing scene be edited out to remove the line “A god to his people.”

It’s pretty common for Disney-adjacent movies to be combed through and edited for various reasons for international releases. Just earlier this year, Thor: Love And Thunder and Lightyear received edited cuts in different markets, when they weren’t banned from being shown all together. Doctor Strange, Eternals, and West Side Story all had trouble hitting screens in various Persian Gulf countries due to small references or scenes.

What is surprising about this particular situation is that the movie will be released unedited in just about every other country. The Hollywood Reporter confirmed the movie will be screening unedited in Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Oman, Bahrain, and Qatar. As we know from earlier this year, Saudi Arabia is quick to ban Marvel movies from theaters.

All in all, just 60 seconds of footage was scrapped, which might seem like a lot, but compared to other movies, this is actually pretty tame! Has anyone checked in on that one theater in Oklahoma, though?

(Via The Hollywood Reporter)

Earlier this year, Sharon Van Etten unveiled her sprawling album We’ve Been Going About This All Wrong. She then announced a deluxe to follow it, teasing it with “Never Gonna Change,” a song that she said was “about managing depression and anxiety in the midst of isolation.”

The extended version of We’ve Been Going About This All Wrong is officially out today. Along with the recently released deluxe tracks “Porta,” “Used To It,” and “Never Gonna Change,” there’s now the atmospheric, poignant new song “When I Die,” which doesn’t hesitate to dive into the cosmos.

Before releasing We’ve Been Going About This All Wrong, she announced she wouldn’t be releasing any singles. “I wanted to approach this release differently, to engage my fans in an intentional way, in an effort to present the album as a whole body of work,” she explained in a statement. “These ten songs are designed to be listened to in order, at once, so that a much larger story of hope, loss, longing, and resilience can be told. I wanted to convey that in an image with me walking away from it all, not necessarily brave, not necessarily sad, not necessarily happy.”

Listen to “When I Die” above — or listen to the album in full, as she intended.

The 2022 U.S. midterm elections spawned utter chaos in several districts, including in Colorado, where no one knows yet whether Lauren Boebert will continue to root and toot in Washington, D.C. And down in Georgia, the also-controversial, Trump-endorsed Herschel Walker will head into runoff territory against Senator Raphael Warnock. It remains wild that these are close races for both Boebert and Walker, considering their fringe behavior, but this timeline grows stranger by the day.

Speaking of strange, Senator Lindsey Graham is out there stumping (and apparently soliciting donations) for Herschel. In the process, Graham is arguing that it’s Democrats who are out to “destroy” a self-destructing candidate, who has been trounced by his own son over his contradictory abortion stance. A Black Georgia preacher also called out the GOP for pushing “the lowest caricature of a stereotypical, broken Black man.”

And here’s Lindsey Graham, who at 0:40 nearly starts crying over poor, destroyed Herschel. The wishy-washy senator from South Carolina argues that if Herschel goes down, that will be the end of the Black Republican movement.

“Here’s the most important point I’m going to make tonight: [Democrats] are trying to destroy Herschel to deter young men and women of colour from being Republicans,” Graham emphatically insisted. “If they destroy Herschel, it will deter people of color from wanting to be a conservative Republican because you just have your life ruined…. We need to have his back.”

“If Herschel wins, he’s going to inspire people all over Georgia, of colour, to become Republicans,” Graham continued. “Herschel Walker is a nightmare for liberals, he’s an African American conservative. They have treated him like crap, his family, stand by Herschel tonight, if you can give, give.” Yep, gotta ask for those dollars.