It’s being reported that mass layoffs are happening this afternoon in the Trump administration because Chuck Schumer’s shutdown. According to this MSNBC News White House reporter, thousands are being laid off and . . .

Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth was joined by Qatar’s Minister of Defense Sheikh Saoud bin Abdulrahman al-Thani at the Pentagon Friday to finalize an agreement that will permit the Qatari Emiri Air Force to build a joint military facility at the Mountain Home Air Force Base in Idaho.  “Today, we’re announcing a letter of acceptance in building a Qatari Emiri Air Force facility at the Mountain Home Air Force Base in Idaho,” Hegseth said. The facility will be used to train Qatari fighter pilots to fly F-15 jets. The agreement is further evidence of a growing alignment between the Trump administration and Doha. In late September, President Donald Trump signed an executive order vowing to defend the Qataris and ensuring the security of the Middle Eastern nation only weeks after Israeli airstrikes struck the capital of Doha. The post U.S. and Qatar Agree to Joint Military Facility in Idaho appeared first on The American Conservative.

Cats have attracted a lot of different superstitions over the years—some easier to believe than others.

Warning: This map may cause pizza cravings.

Generation X, those born between 1965 and 1980, is also referred to as the "middle child" generation. And like most middle children, they are easily forgotten about and overlooked. It's a sentiment that many Gen X'ers can relate to.In an online community of Gen X'ers, one member named @BizarroMax opened up about a story he recently heard from a leadership expert during a recent leadership conference. The expert humorously discussed the "generational strife" between Boomers, Millennials, and Zoomers, making a hilarious point about why Gen X seems to be frequently forgotten about. The post went viral among Gen X'ers who feel 'seen' by her expert take.@BizarroMax shared the three reasons why Gen X is ignored according to the leadership expert. "Gen X, I didn’t forget you, even if the rest of the world has. But I have no advice for you. For a few reasons. First, you don’t need it. You are the most independent and self-sufficient generation in the history of mankind and there is literally nothing I can teach you," she said. A group of Gen Xers hang outCanvaThe expert continued with two more reasons. "Second, even if I did have something to tell you, you wouldn’t care. Third, the reason we ignore you is because the rest of us are all terrified of you. If the zombie apocalypse ever happens, we are all hiding behind you. Somehow, you’ll know what to do.”Many fellow Gen X'ers agreed. In the comments section, member @Sirenista_D wrote, "We wouldn't 'know' what to do but we def are the 'figure it out' crew," and member MNConcerto replied, "Because we had to. Damn we were left alone nobody helped us figure it out or problem solve, we had to do it. You got yourself into this mess, now get yourself out." Gen X, Generation X, forgotten generation, middle child generation, latchkey kids, leadership, generational differences, viral post, workplace culture, zombie apocalypse YouTube Others leaned into the comedic nature of the expert's observation about Gen X: "My body already hurts for no reason. You fight the zombies," member @fohktor wrote, to which fellow member @DocMcCracken humorously responded, "Zombie apocalypse? I've seen enough movies, not worth the hanging around in the after suffering, just get it over quick, I'm tired already and I just woke up."Some poked fun at their generation's independent ways: "Gen X doesn't do 'leadership conferences'," @corneliusvanhouten wrote, followed by @Chalice_Ink's reply, "We might go, but we don’t pay attention." Member @Efficient_Weather_13 also commented, "I’ll go, but I’m gonna complain the whole time," to which member @Current-Anybody9331replied, "And make it awkward for anyone who talks to me."According to Michele M. Kroll, Ph.D., a University of New Hampshire Older Adult Health & Well-Being Field Specialist, Gen X is often called the "forgotten generation" as well as the "latchkey" generation, "as they were often left unsupervised at home or after school until their parents came home from work. This was due to increased numbers of dual income households and parental divorce," she wrote in her article, "Generation X... "The Forgotten Generation". Dr. Kroll notes that this instilled independence and resilience, adding that "the sandwich generation causes additional stress by juggling many responsibilities from caregiving of children to aging parents." Giphy Despite these challenges, Dr. Kroll adds that Gen Xers are "notably satisfied with their life, health and career." And another member of the Gen X community, @Sensitive-Question42, summed it up perfectly: "God I’m so happy that this is my generation. I love being overlooked (not being sarcastic or ironic either, surprisingly for us). I just like being left to my own devices and working things out for myself."This article originally appeared earlier this year. It has been updated.

If you know anything about dog breeds, you likely know that border collies are known for their smarts. They're also known for their running ability and agility, which makes them perfect sheepherding dogs. Border collies are a shepherd breed, so rounding up flocks is in their blood. But unless you've seen what that looks like in real life, it's hard to know exactly what it means to be a shepherd dog in the literal sense. Thanks to a Scottish sheep herder, delightfully known as Sean the Sheepman on TikTok, we do get to see it, and it is quite a feat to behold. Sean's sheep flock in the Scottish countryside, roaming vast green fields that look like something out of a children's book. But when he wants the sheep to come home, he sends his border collies out to gather them up and direct them wherever he wants them to go. Watching them work is impressive. Check out this video of the dogs moving the sheep in the right direction when some of them went the wrong way: @seanthesheepman #fyp #bordercollie #sheepdog #fypシ #onlyinmycalvins The dogs follow Sean's commands without fail:Come by = clockwiseLie down = stopThat'll do = recallAway = counter-clockwiseWalk on = keep goingSean's dogs —Storm, Echo, Kate, and a new puppy named Copper —are an important part of the team and perfectly suited to the work they do. Watch how Storm waits for the signal, then takes off like a flash of lightning. We can't even see the dog in much of the video, but we can see the results of her work as the sheep gather closer and closer together in the right direction. @seanthesheepman Amazing border collie dog storm is brilliant to watch when herding sheep #fyp #foru #foryou #foryoupage❤️❤️ #tiktokviral #viral_video #tik_tok #viralvideos #dog #dogsoftiktok #bordercollie #trendingvideo Sean explained in a video that training dogs to herd sheep begins with basic obedience training commands—sit, lie down, etc.—and it takes about two years to train them fully. Border collies are naturally intelligent, and they seem to actually enjoy being put to work. They also have energy coming out of their ears. Just watching them run across the fields is impressive, much less follow commands from far away and move an entire herd of sheep where they're supposed to go. It's mind-blowing. As one person wrote, it "almost looks like an elegant dance." It truly is magnificent to observe. @seanthesheepman #bordercollie #fypシ #fyp #sheepdog #tiktok #amazing People love Sean's videos showcasing his dogs' talents. (He's gained 5 million followers on TikTok alone.) The comments are filled with people in awe of what they can do."Such respect for these working dogs, awesome to watch & they look like they love it.""Oh my goodness - how well do they listen to their own commands! So impressed!!""I love watching these! The prey instinct is so strong in sheep- love to see how they respond even to subtle movements by the dogs.""Such clever puppers ? I love watching the teamwork between you and your amazing dogs.""Me over here trying to teach my dog to lie down like ?.""My dog doesn't even sit when I tell him to. ?"Rain or shine or muddy mess, the trusty doggos are diligent in their work: @seanthesheepman Kate #fyp #fypシ #foryou #bordercollie #amazing #viral #trending #tiktok #beautiful Another reason people love watching Sean's videos is that they hearken back to a simpler time and give us a glimpse of pastoral farm life that many of us don't get to see. While we wouldn't necessarily want to become sheep herders ourselves, there's something comforting in watching something so traditional, using dogs that have long been bred for that very purpose. You can follow Sean the Sheepman on TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, and Facebook.