GoneTrending

Imagine your 12-year-old son is helping take part in his school’s Valentine’s Day fundraiser. You’d probably be proud and encouraged at the way he’s getting involved and doing something good, right?

Now imagine, as part of that effort, he decided to email the CEO of Costco, one of the most beloved big box retailers in the world. Well, that’s cute, right? But what if he told you the CEO not only wrote back but went out of his way to donate exactly what your son asked for?

It may sound too good to be true, but that’s exactly what happened when Grant Cerwin sent an email to Costco CEO Craig Jelinek. The sixth grader emailed Jelinek asking if he would donate one of Costco’s famous 93-inch teddy bears to his middle school’s fundraiser in Los Angeles:

---

“Hi Mr. Jelinek,

My name is Grant Cerwin and I am 12 years old. I go to [removed] Middle School and am the 6th grade class rep. We want to raffle one of your giant bears as a Valentine’s Day fundraiser for our school. We are part of the Los Angeles Unified School District. Is there any chance Costco might donate one? My dad has a truck and we could come get it at the store. I would make sure everyone knew you gave it to us in our school newsletter, on social media and with a big sign by the bear. I know it is a long shot but I thought it couldn’t hurt to ask. We are also seeing how we might get enough money to buy one. Thanks for considering. Your friend, Grant.”

Well, it turns out the long shot was perfectly timed.

Jelinek not only saw the email but jumped into action, asking his colleague “Can we find him a teddy?” Then his lieutenant emailed their colleagues to quickly find a bear for Cerwin’s school, writing: “Do whatever it takes to find a Big Bear and set up pick up for Lesley. Keep me posted.”

Grant then received the following message from Costco:

“Good morning Grant. I am the Toy Supervisor at our Costco’s LA Regional office. I have good news, Costco will be donating a 93” Plush Bear to your school to use in your Valentine’s Day fundraiser! We could have it delivered to the school directly so your parents don’t have to worry about transporting it.”

With time to spare, the Big Bear was delivered to Grant and his school was able to include it in their fundraiser. And while moments like this don’t happen every day, they are a great reminder that even the biggest companies are run by real people and those people often have big hearts. Big, as in 93” plush bear big.

And let’s be honest, we’re not entirely shocked that this happened at Costco, a company that has built a well-earned reputation for treating both its customers and its employees with dignity and respect.

“It speaks volumes about the leadership at Costco that Grant got the response he did,” Grant’s mother Lesley Cerwin told Upworthy. “He is a boundlessly optimistic child and as a parent you worry the world will chip away at that positivity. I’m grateful that the team at Costco reaffirmed my son’s belief that the world is full of good people.”

“I couldn’t believe that they responded so fast and that so many people helped,” Grant told Upworthy. “They didn’t want anything, just to help our school.”

Something as seemingly simple as a donated teddy bear might not sound like much, but it’s examples like this that show the power of bridge-building between companies and communities.

An act of kindness in itself can go a long way. And when that is coupled with the impact it had not only on Grant and his mom, but on Grant’s classmates, you can start to see a real impact that all started with a single email.

“My teachers and friends at school are excited,” Grant said. “We all can’t believe how big it is. It takes a bunch of us to move it around. Our ASB class is working on a thank you card.”

Plus, let’s be honest, a personal touch from someone as high-profile as Craig Jelinek and his team isn’t a bad way to build customer loyalty either. As Lesley told us, “I’ve always liked Costco. Will I be even happier to shop there now? You bet. It is a great store and now I am acutely aware that it is run by amazing people.”

This article originally appeared on 2.16.23

Although it is difficult to tell if there is a trend of Americans moving out of the country, rough estimates show that around 8 million currently live in other countries—double the 4.1 million living abroad in 1999.

The most popular countries for Americans to move to are Mexico, Canada and the United Kingdom, in that order.

A big reason why some are leaving the U.S. is that an increasing number of employers allow people to work abroad. Others are choosing to leave because of cost of living increases and “golden visa” programs. Golden visas offer the chance to get a foreign residency permit by purchasing a house or making a significant investment or donation.

---

A couple is going viral on TikTok because they’ve decided to leave America and move to Spain. Luna Ashley Santel had wanted to move for a long time, but her husband wasn’t on board with the change until he had a lightbulb moment while visiting a Spanish café. The couple are parents of a 4-year-old daughter, and a big reason for their decision to leave is her safety.

@lunagoestospain

Here’s what shifted for him. I’m sure this’ll piss the right people off. No pun intended. #movingabroad #spaindigitalnomadvisa #movingabroadwithpets #movingtospainwithkids

While spending time in Spain, the couple went to a crowded café, which would have made them uncomfortable back home in St. Louis, Missouri.

“There’s a ton of people walking around. Being from St. Louis, that’s not a very comfortable place for me to be in,” the husband said. “And you turn to me and say, ‘Have you seen all these people?’” he recounted his wife saying.

“And you’re like, ‘None of them have guns,’” he continued.

At this moment, he realized that living in America caused him to be on alert whenever he was out in public. A feeling he never got in Spain. “And I realized this weight that I had been carrying around my whole life wasn’t necessary. Like what we think is normal is not normal,” he said.

When it comes to firearm policy, Spain and Missouri couldn’t be more different. In Spain, owning a handgun for self-defense is allowed when you are in verifiable danger. In Missouri, there is no permit requirement to carry a firearm, whether it’s concealed or carried openly.

In Spain, the gun death rate per 100,000 people in 2019 was 0.64. Whereas, in Missouri, the chance of being killed by a gun is more than 36 times greater, with 23.2 people per every 100,000 dying by gun in 2021.

The video resonated with many Americans who feel uncomfortable living in a country that has become accustomed to mass shootings.

“There’s so much mental energy we dedicate to simply existing in the U.S.,” Mintmage wrote.

“As a father of two young boys, your husband’s explanation has me shook because I cannot disagree,” Astrolo-G added.

“That is literally my main motivator for leaving the country. I am terrified for my son,” Doula Faye wrote.

Luna’s husband isn’t the only one in the family concerned about school safety in the U.S. Luna, a former teacher of 7 years, believes that sending her daughter to a school where they have “terrifying” intruder drills is unacceptable.

“It’s nothing that I want my 5-year-old child to have to accept or learn as normal,” she says in another TikTok post.

@lunagoestospain

Replying to @CholeraMeBadd a huge reason we are getting out. #gettingoutoftheusa #movingabroad #alicedrill #alicedrills #iquitteaching #ididntsignupforthishit #movingtospainwithkids

This article originally appeared on 7.14.23

It has been four months since Tory Lanez was sentenced to 10 years in prison for shooting Megan Thee Stallion in her feet but he and his defenders continue to put forth the idea that it wasn’t him. After a court document featuring a statement from Lanez’s bodyguard that he saw Megan’s friend Kelsey Harris holding a gun became public, gossip blogs and social media accounts almost immediately began running with the story, insinuating once again that Megan was either lying or mistaken about just who pulled the trigger.

However, Thee Stallion herself remained adamant in the face of the renewed attacks from Lanez’s supporters (or Megan haters), questioning some of the commenters’ adherence to so-called “street code” in an Instagram Live stream. “Imagine y’all sayin’ somebody is following the street code, not snitching,” she said. “Y’all trying to pretend like Kelsey shot me. Kelsey didn’t shoot me… Her main problem with me was, ‘You won’t tell people I didn’t shoot you!’ I was like, ‘Kelsey, I don’t wanna talk about this on social media at all.’ But now you won’t even get online and defend yourself. So that really just proves my point: Either you took some money or your life is in danger!”

She also addressed Tory directly in the stream, saying, “If you say you didn’t shoot me, why wouldn’t you get on the stand and say, ‘I didn’t shoot this bitch?’ You say it online every day. You figure out how to get your n****s to say you didn’t do it, you figure out how to get the blogs to say you didn’t do it, but the one motherf*cker it would have mattered from was you. You should have said, ‘I didn’t do it. Kelsey did it.’ Kelsey, if you didn’t do it, why won’t you say, ‘I didn’t do it?’”

“I know who shot me,” she continued. “I said who shot me and that’s why you’re in jail…. You’re dragging online like there’s no evidence, there’s no new evidence… It’s 2024, y’all still f*cking with me!”

It does seem a lot like someone doesn’t want to move on — and it isn’t Megan Thee Stallion (to be fair, the US prison system sucks, and nobody wants to spend 10 years inside, but at this point, an apology and request for leniency would probably be better strategies than whatever this is).

Megan Thee Stallion is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

It has been four months since Tory Lanez was sentenced to 10 years in prison for shooting Megan Thee Stallion in her feet but he and his defenders continue to put forth the idea that it wasn’t him. After a court document featuring a statement from Lanez’s bodyguard that he saw Megan’s friend Kelsey Harris holding a gun became public, gossip blogs and social media accounts almost immediately began running with the story, insinuating once again that Megan was either lying or mistaken about just who pulled the trigger.

However, Thee Stallion herself remained adamant in the face of the renewed attacks from Lanez’s supporters (or Megan haters), questioning some of the commenters’ adherence to so-called “street code” in an Instagram Live stream. “Imagine y’all sayin’ somebody is following the street code, not snitching,” she said. “Y’all trying to pretend like Kelsey shot me. Kelsey didn’t shoot me… Her main problem with me was, ‘You won’t tell people I didn’t shoot you!’ I was like, ‘Kelsey, I don’t wanna talk about this on social media at all.’ But now you won’t even get online and defend yourself. So that really just proves my point: Either you took some money or your life is in danger!”

She also addressed Tory directly in the stream, saying, “If you say you didn’t shoot me, why wouldn’t you get on the stand and say, ‘I didn’t shoot this bitch?’ You say it online every day. You figure out how to get your n****s to say you didn’t do it, you figure out how to get the blogs to say you didn’t do it, but the one motherf*cker it would have mattered from was you. You should have said, ‘I didn’t do it. Kelsey did it.’ Kelsey, if you didn’t do it, why won’t you say, ‘I didn’t do it?’”

“I know who shot me,” she continued. “I said who shot me and that’s why you’re in jail…. You’re dragging online like there’s no evidence, there’s no new evidence… It’s 2024, y’all still f*cking with me!”

It does seem a lot like someone doesn’t want to move on — and it isn’t Megan Thee Stallion (to be fair, the US prison system sucks, and nobody wants to spend 10 years inside, but at this point, an apology and request for leniency would probably be better strategies than whatever this is).

Megan Thee Stallion is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

Is Home Alone 2: Lost in New York the best Christmas movie? No. It’s not even the best Home Alone movie (that would be the one without a bullying cameo from Donald Trump). But it’s not without its holiday season charms, especially the scene where Kevin (played by Hollywood Walk of Fame inductee Macaulay Culkin) is in front of the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree and asks to take back “every mean thing I ever said to my family.” Even Buzz.

Kate McKinnon, who is hosting this weekend’s SNL, also dropped by the Rockefeller tree in a promo for the episode. But she has a different request.

“I’d really love to host SNL this week with musical guest Billie Eilish,” the returning cast member said. “I know, I know, it’s a big ask. But hear me out. I’ve been throughly cleaning my cat food cans before recycling them.” McKinnon, who noted that she was in Barbie (“I played the hot one”), wants to host because “I really miss it. I miss the stage. I miss Lorne.” She even misses “wearing Giuliani teeth.”

When Kenan Thompson tells McKinnon she got the gig, he wonders why no one told her. She responds, “I dropped my phone in the toilet in September.” Good to have you back, Kate.

You can watch the promo above.

Is Home Alone 2: Lost in New York the best Christmas movie? No. It’s not even the best Home Alone movie (that would be the one without a bullying cameo from Donald Trump). But it’s not without its holiday season charms, especially the scene where Kevin (played by Hollywood Walk of Fame inductee Macaulay Culkin) is in front of the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree and asks to take back “every mean thing I ever said to my family.” Even Buzz.

Kate McKinnon, who is hosting this weekend’s SNL, also dropped by the Rockefeller tree in a promo for the episode. But she has a different request.

“I’d really love to host SNL this week with musical guest Billie Eilish,” the returning cast member said. “I know, I know, it’s a big ask. But hear me out. I’ve been throughly cleaning my cat food cans before recycling them.” McKinnon, who noted that she was in Barbie (“I played the hot one”), wants to host because “I really miss it. I miss the stage. I miss Lorne.” She even misses “wearing Giuliani teeth.”

When Kenan Thompson tells McKinnon she got the gig, he wonders why no one told her. She responds, “I dropped my phone in the toilet in September.” Good to have you back, Kate.

You can watch the promo above.

A few months after a class action lawsuit had been filed by fans against Live Nation for the sales of Taylor Swift’s The Eras Tour tickets, their lead plaintiff has reportedly dropped the claim, according to Rolling Stone.

As of August, the two sides had “agreed to continue their ongoing settlement discussions through mediation,” but developments hadn’t really happened since. If there is any sort of settlement in the rest of the lawsuit, it will happen “no later than Jan. 31, 2024.”

The lawsuit was first filed after fans claimed that the Live Nation-owned Ticketmaster was violating “antitrust and unfair competition laws” and wasn’t entirely honest about the ticket sale process. Fans even went to the US District Court in March to participate in a hearing — as it affects a bunch of other artists, not just Taylor Swift.

“Ticketmaster intentionally and purposefully misled millions of fans into believing it would prevent bots and scalpers from participating in the presales,” the lawsuit originally said. “However, millions of fans were unable to purchase tickets during the TaylorSwiftTix Presale and the Capital One Presale, due in large part to unprecedented website traffic caused by Ticketmaster allowing 14 million unverified Ticketmaster users and a ‘staggering’ number of bots to participate in the presales.”

A few months after a class action lawsuit had been filed by fans against Live Nation for the sales of Taylor Swift’s The Eras Tour tickets, their lead plaintiff has reportedly dropped the claim, according to Rolling Stone.

As of August, the two sides had “agreed to continue their ongoing settlement discussions through mediation,” but developments hadn’t really happened since. If there is any sort of settlement in the rest of the lawsuit, it will happen “no later than Jan. 31, 2024.”

The lawsuit was first filed after fans claimed that the Live Nation-owned Ticketmaster was violating “antitrust and unfair competition laws” and wasn’t entirely honest about the ticket sale process. Fans even went to the US District Court in March to participate in a hearing — as it affects a bunch of other artists, not just Taylor Swift.

“Ticketmaster intentionally and purposefully misled millions of fans into believing it would prevent bots and scalpers from participating in the presales,” the lawsuit originally said. “However, millions of fans were unable to purchase tickets during the TaylorSwiftTix Presale and the Capital One Presale, due in large part to unprecedented website traffic caused by Ticketmaster allowing 14 million unverified Ticketmaster users and a ‘staggering’ number of bots to participate in the presales.”

Back in May 2021, a major scandal rocked the film world as Paddington 2 lost its perfect score on Rotten Tomatoes score thanks to a singular, negative review. Well, the sequel’s star Hugh Grant and director Paul King have collaborated again on Wonka, and they had a few things to say about the notorious takedown that deprived poor Paddington of a 100% Fresh rating.

The conversation started during a new Entertainment Weekly “Around the Table” video where Wonka star Timothée Chalamet referred to Paddington 2 as a “truly nearly perfect film,” prompting King to jokingly ask, “What was the problem? You were very clear with ‘nearly.’”

“The problem is the 1 percent standard deviation that I think exists on Rotten Tomatoes,” Chalamet respond, referring to the now-infamous negative review from Film Authority‘s Eddie Harrison. Or at least that’s what we’ve all been lead to believe — until now.

“I wrote it,” Grant jokingly admitted. “Why did I do that?!”

King took a more measured approach, but also fired a barb at the negative review. “Somebody was so angry that they wanted to bring it down,” he said. “It’s a great human impulse to go, ‘Not you!’”

However, ultimately, King doesn’t put much stock in Rotten Tomatoes, which also knocked Citizen Kane from its 100% rating after an 80-year-old review was unearthed. That chain of events put Paddington 2 at the top before its own fall from the top.

“It’s a strange metric, because it’s people who are broadly positive,” King said via EW. “Do you think Orson Welles is sad? Just going, ‘I thought I did good, and then Paddington.’”

(Via Entertainment Weekly)

In Civil War, director Alex Garland‘s new movie for A24, America is at war with itself. Believable enough premise so far.

But in the action-packed trailer, President Nick Offerman informs the nation that the “so-called Western Forces of Texas and California have suffered a very great defeat at the hands of the United States military.”

It sounds like the two states, along with 17 others, have seceded from the union. Again, believable, especially for Texas. But what’s less realistic is California (63 percent blue in the 2020 election) and Texas (52 percent red) agreeing on anything, politically speaking. It’s why so many of California’s finest — Elon Musk, Joe Rogan, etc. — eventually move to the Lone Star State.

The Texas and California line has inspired a lot of reactions online. “I’ll give Garland some credit. Having Texas and California team up and start a new civil war is a brilliant way to make sure your dystopian movie about the rise of American fascism is NOT political,” @BivouacChillin wrote on X, while @CarmanTse noted, “The alliance of Texas and California in the Garland movie will be easily explained: they’re two biggest states by population and area, easy to connect geographically and—most importantly—there’ll be a fake Elon Musk technocrat he’ll write into the movie that unites them.”

Speaking as someone who lives in Texas, we have Whataburger and In-N-Out Burger. We’re thriving without California’s help, thank you very much.

Civil War, which stars Kirsten Dunst, Wagner Moura, Stephen McKinley Henderson, Jesse Plemons, Nick Offerman, and Cailee Spaeny, opens in theaters on April 26, 2024. You can watch the trailer below.