Leila Roker, the daughter of Al Roker and Deborah Roberts, has big plans for 2026. She and her fiancé, Sylvain Gricourt, will marry, but this won’t be a simple celebration. Since Leila lives in Paris and her family lives in the United States, she’ll have two weddings. According to People, Deborah stopped by Live with Kelly and Mark and discussed the upcoming nuptials. “We have to do a small ceremony in France because she lives in Paris,” Deborah explained. “And so they have to do something small there, and I said, ‘Let’s keep it teeny tiny’— and then she wants to come home.” Deborah Roberts Said Leila Roker Will Celebrate Big Deborah told Kelly that Leila Roker will have a small ceremony in Paris, but her celebration back home will be the big one. “And blow the budget,” Kelly joked. “That’s where we’ll blow the budget. She wants to come home,” Deborah said. The family has made some big decisions, but is still deep in wedding planning mode. “I think we’re gonna survive,” the mother-of-the-bride joked. Leila Roker shared her engagement news in a March Instagram post. “8 years ago, I moved to Paris, 7 years ago I met my person and best friend, and 2 days ago, that person took me on the most amazing surprise trip to Venice to ask me to spend the rest of our lives together,” she wrote. “Congratulations! I am so happy for you, you’re such a beautiful couple,” the comment reads. “Leila and Sylvain! We are so happy for you both. Wishing you a lifetime of abundant happiness, great health, good luck, endless laughter and much much love,” another post reads. “Can’t wait to celebrate you!!!” We hope daddy Al sees nothing but sunny skies in the forecast for Leila Roker’s big day. This story’s featured image can be found here. The post Al Roker’s Daughter Is Set To “Blow The Budget” With An Extraordinary Wedding Experience appeared first on InspireMore.

Derek Hough has danced with many partners on Dancing With The Stars. He took home six Mirrorball Trophies through the years with Nicole Scherzinger, Jennifer Grey, Kellie Pickler, Amber Riley, Amy Purdy, and Bindi Irwin. He traded in his dancing shoes to be a judge on the show, joining the ranks in 2020. Derek also works as a host for Extra and, during a recent interview with Kristen Bell, made a big confession. Derek Hough told the Nobody Wants This star that if he were ever to compete on DWTS again, he’d want Kristen along with him. “You know, when people have always asked me in the past, they’ll be like, ‘Who would be your dream partner on Dancing with the Stars?’ ” he said. “And I’m gonna be honest with you, Kristen, you’ve been my number one for a while.” View this post on Instagram A post shared by Derek Hough (@derekhough) Kristen Bell Gasped When Derek Hough Said He Wanted Her On “DWTS” Kristen Bell doesn’t consider herself a suitable partner for Derek Hough on DWTS. “Derek, do you know that I tip over all the time, like even just watching?” Kristen joked. The pair then bantered back and forth about Kristen’s skills and how Derk would have to move her around the floor like a “super malleable” mannequin. “Are we doing this?” Derek asked Kristen. “Is this happening?” She seemed up for the challenge and replied, “I mean, maybe we could do it. I feel like I would need a lot of rehearsal.” Derek Hough has no problems showing Kristen Bell the ropes on DWTS. “That’s fine, we’ll put in the work, and will turn you from a tipper to a dipper,” Derek told Kristen. She thought about it for a second and cheerfully responded, “I’m in.” We would love to see Kristen Bell and Derek Hough cut a run on DTWS. Talk about a dream team. The post Derek Hough Shares His Surprising “DWTS” “Dream Partner” appeared first on InspireMore.

When asked by reporters if he is open to meeting with North Korean Supreme Leader Kim Jong Un during his multi-country tour of the Asian continent, which kicks off Saturday, President Donald Trump replied, “100 percent.” The president said he would meet with the totalitarian dictator if Kim “would contact” him. During his first term, […]

'He doesn't want publicity.'

Cutting your couch time by 30 minutes every day would give you an energy boost by improving metabolism, according to new research. It shows that reducing the time you’re seated can improve your body’s ability to utilize fats and carbohydrates for energy production. Study author Dr. Taru Garthwaite explained that it’s particularly beneficial for people […] The post Just Half an Hour Less of Sitting Each Day Can Boost Energy and Metabolism appeared first on Good News Network.

Anyone paying attention to Washington’s criminal justice system knows that some judges on the Washington Superior Court are now so anesthetized to persistent and chronic crime that they hand out notoriously lenient sentences to recidivist and violent defendants. Don’t believe us? According to the District of Columbia Sentencing Commission’s 2024 annual report, 88% of sentences that were outside the guidelines range were downward departures, meaning they were shorter than the recommendation. The 2023 annual report found that, by the end of 2023, only 38% of the more than 5,322 felony arrests in Washington had led to findings of guilt. The data is even more compelling—or frightening, depending on your point of view—with respect to sentencing gun-wielding criminals to prison. From 2018 to 2022, only 1.7% of people arrested for carrying a pistol without a license in Washington were sentenced to prison. While the percentage of prison sentences per arrest increased for 2023-2024, it remained a meager 3%, District of Columbia Sentencing Commission data shows. In other words, you could carry an illegal gun in the nation’s capital with a 97% chance of avoiding a prison sentence—a relatively safe gamble for a career criminal. At the same time, crime exploded. Homicides in Washington, which averaged 134 per year during the 2010s, increased to an average of 222.5 from 2021 to 2024. Despite the combination of high crime and low sentences, prosecutors in the nation’s capital currently have no tool to effectively challenge or remove overly lenient judges from presiding over criminal cases. In other words, prosecutors have no mechanism to address judges whose pattern of decisions in criminal cases consistently undermines public safety. That’s where California comes into the picture. Yes, you read that right: Heritage Foundation scholars are recommending a California rule. Read on. Unlike most states, California allows prosecutors and defense attorneys to remove the trial judge assigned to a case without litigating whether the judge has a specific bias towards a particular party or case. The state’s Code of Civil Procedure §170.6 makes judge disqualification automatic: Once a party files a motion and submits an affidavit alleging bias, the presiding judge (the head judge) must immediately reassign the case to a different judge. Here’s how it works: Line prosecutors or public defenders who want to “challenge” a judge ask permission from their supervisor to “paper” a judge whom they know, based on experience, has ruled against their office in what they believe is a biased manner. If the supervisor says yes, the judge is “papered” and no longer presides over that case. If a particular judge is routinely “papered” in criminal cases, the presiding judge will eventually reassign that judge to hear cases exclusively from the civil docket. Most other state-level systems require the party seeking a new judge to provide proof of bias or prejudice, but in California, such proof is not required. This provides an effective tool that keeps judges honest and fair to both sides in criminal cases. At the same time, it averts potentially time-consuming (and potentially embarrassing) hearings about whether a judge is unfairly prejudiced—while still preserving public confidence in judicial impartiality. By contrast, attorneys in Washington (and in most other places) must file a formal motion stating “the facts and the reasons for the belief that bias or prejudice exists” by the judge against one of the parties. Thus, the prosecutor must allege specific prejudice, not just general dissatisfaction with the judge’s rulings in many similar cases over time. This creates a high bar that effectively prevents prosecutors from seeking reassignment, even when a judge’s track record suggests tendentious leniency or bias against the government. The same holds for defense attorneys seeking to challenge judges they believe are biased against their clients. Given the current sad state of affairs, it’s time for Washington to implement this blue state policy to balance the scales of justice in the Superior Court. Washington should amend its rule and adopt a provision like California’s into its code of criminal procedure, allowing prosecutors and defense attorneys to challenge judges whom they believe are prejudiced against them. As of September, there were 15 vacancies on the Superior Court, and the court is expecting additional retirements next year. Once those are filled, the court will be more evenly split between lenient judges and Donald Trump-appointed, law-and-order judges. In that light, now is precisely the moment to adopt a peremptory challenge system that protects both sides from general bias—whether that be from soft-on-crime judges who reflexively favor defendants, or from overly hardline judges who might systematically favor the state. By following in California’s footsteps, Washington can ensure that both prosecutors and defense attorneys can secure impartial adjudication and preserve public confidence in the judicial system.Originally published by The Washington Times. The post Congress Should Adopt a California Rule to Remove Biased Washington Superior Court Judges appeared first on The Daily Signal.

The Unconscionable Loss of Conscience for Virginia Democrats

Imagine if in the middle of a heated political contest one of the candidates is forced off the campaign trail. That would be big news right? And also very strange. But do you know what would be even stranger? If the country's primary outlet for reporting political news declines to explain the reason for such a candidate even needing to leaving the campaign trail or even the fact that she was being forced to cease campaigning. You really don't need much of an imagination to dream up such a seemingly implausible scenario because that is exactly what Politico is currently doing. They're failing to point out that Virginia's Lt. Governor, Winsome Earle-Sears, would be forced to cease campaigning for governor against her Democrat opponent, Abigail Spanberger, due to the Democrats' legally dubious plan to call the state legislature into special session during the closing weeks of the campaign in order to attempt steps towards redistricting Virginia's congressional seats for next year.  You can read Politico's descent into what appears to be journalistic malpractice in their Thursday story by Brakkton Booker, Andrew Howard, and Liz Crampton, "Virginia Democrats are the next surprising entrant into the redistricting battle." Virginia Democrats are poised to enter the nationwide redistricting battle, according to three Democrats familiar with the plans, taking on an effort to redraw the state’s congressional lines just days before closely watched elections in the state. ...The surprise effort would need to come together quickly, and it could face procedural and political hurdles. Virginia has a constitutionally mandated process that hands redistricting over to a bipartisan commission, and the decision to circumnavigate or eliminate that commission must ultimately go in front of voters. To do so, both chambers of Virginia’s Legislature must pass the proposed amendment in sessions bookending an election. Democratic leaders in the state are relying on a special session called by GOP Gov. Glenn Youngkin in May 2024 that was left open to push through the measure for the first time, ahead of the state’s elections in less than two weeks. The Legislature would then need to pass the proposal again in a new session after the November elections. Of course, since the current election started happening already with early voting that began in September, it can't be bookended since votes have already been cast. But no matter, Politico is on a roll and, of course, won't mention the real result of this last minute maneuver, namely to take the Republican candidate off the campaign trail. The last-minute move risks upending the election for governor in November, along with legislative contests. Democrat Abigail Spanberger is considered a favorite over Republican Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears for the state’s open governorship; all 100 of the state House seats are on the ballot in November as well, with Democrats currently holding 51 of those seats. Spanberger, a former member of Congress, said in August that she had “no plans” to draw new lines in Virginia. Virginia’s redistricting process does not require buy-in from the governor. A spokesperson for Spanberger did not respond to a request for comment on Thursday. Earle-Sears’ campaign sought to paint the redistricting fight as a “cheap political stunt.” “This is what panic looks like,” Earle-Sears spokesperson Peyton Vogel said in a statement. “It’s pathetic. Voters see through it.” Politico mentioned "upending the election" but, astonishingly, did not even make reference to how that would happen, namely by forcing Earle-Sears off the campaign trail. To find out how that would happen, you need to turn to Fox News which informs the readers right away in the title WHY the campaign would be upended in this Thursday article by Charles Creitz, "Winsome Sears blasts Virginia Dems’ surprise redistricting session as a ‘stunt’ to pull her off the trail." Virginia Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears lambasted Virginia Democrats after they signaled a plan to suddenly call the legislature back in a last-minute special session to address potential redistricting before the election. Virginia’s state redistricting commission is statutorily charged with crafting new congressional maps after every decennial census, but state Democrats appear poised to try to do an end-round around that process, potentially via the constitutional amendment process. "In a desperate political stunt, Democrats in the Virginia General Assembly are calling for a special session to drag Lieutenant Governor Winsome Earle-Sears off the campaign trail," the Earle-Sears campaign said in a statement to Fox News Digital. As lieutenant governor, Earle-Sears is the presiding officer over the otherwise Democratic-majority state Senate. So now we know exactly WHY this redistricting attempt by the Democrats in Virginia would cause the "upending" of the gubernatorial election that Politico merely  referred to with no explanation . Because it would require that Earle-Sears in her role as presiding officer of the state senate would be required to sit in the special session due to a last minute political redistricting ploy by the Democrats. Something clearly pointed out in the Fox News report but which three (count 'em, THREE) Politico reporters were somehow unable to report. Could it be that reporting on the obvious would have lent credence to Earle-Sears' claim of this being a "cheap political stunt?"

No drug is as sacrosanct in today’s sexually “liberated” culture as oral contraceptives. But the proliferation of the birth control pill since the 1960s has fostered a number of grave consequences for our society: hook-up culture, delayed marriage, and the destruction of the nuclear family.None of this would surprise Margaret Sanger, the founder of Planned Parenthood. In the early 20th century, she promoted contraception as the mechanism for female emancipation. “Birth control is the first important step a woman must take toward the goal of her freedom,” she wrote. “It is the first step she must take to be man’s equal. It is the first step they must both take toward human emancipation.”Though the perceived benefits of birth control pills are loudly and publicly celebrated, their costs need to be fully exposed.Feminist author Betty Friedan agreed, asserting that the pill gave women “the legal and constitutional right to decide whether or not or when to bear children” and established the basis for true equality with men.Because oral contraception has been touted as a cornerstone of women’s equality and freedom, its health repercussions are rarely called into question. Even Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who regularly wades into controversy by calling for investigations into seed oils and food dyes, remains relatively silent on oral contraceptives.This is to the detriment of women across the country. As Dr. Sarah Hill demonstrates in “This Is Your Brain on Birth Control: How the Pill Changes Everything,” birth control has had numerous repercussions on women, relationships, and society. She shows that women at the peak of their cycle feel sexier, more outgoing, and more confident with the natural increase in estrogen. And men find them more attractive at that time, too.More than mere ‘birth control’As Hill points out, birth control pills do more than just prevent pregnancy: They affect a woman’s hormones more generally — hormones that affect everything from her brain to her fingertips and her overall emotional, mental, and physical health. Many of the women Hill interviewed described feeling emotionally blunted, or as if they were moving through life in a fog, while on the pill.A woman’s menstrual cycle is often known as the fifth vital sign, and a disruption signals a concern to be addressed, not to be masked. Birth control is, in fact, “medicated menopause.” While it can be a difficult reality for many to face, studies show that women who no longer menstruate are not as attractive to men, which is why trying to find a mate in the latter years of life can be challenging. The drive to partner up and reproduce is diminished, making marriage less of a necessity and mere companionship more of the goal.Studies comparing women who use contraception with those who do not reveal that the pill lowers libido, can lead to mood swings or depression, disrupts natural cycles, can cause infertility after discontinuation, interferes with the endocrine system, and can lead to bloating and a gain of nearly five pounds on average. Other studies have found that estrogen-containing pills raise the risk of venous thromboembolism and, to a smaller extent, strokes and heart attacks.America lags behindEuropean countries have conducted many tests that demonstrate such effects. A nationwide Danish cohort study of over one million women found higher rates of first antidepressant use and first depression diagnosis among users of contraceptives than nonusers. Another large Danish study found that women who were currently or recently on hormonal contraception were more likely to attempt suicide or die by suicide than women who had never used it.A Finnish study and a Swedish one produced similar results. A British database shows that the first couple of years of being on the pill brought an increased risk of depression and that women who began using the pill in their teens sometimes had a lasting higher risk.Few, if any, comprehensive American studies have been conducted, even though about 15% of American women between 15 and 49 use oral contraceptives.Environmental havocPotential problems are not limited to those who ingest the hormones. Synthetic estrogen, an endocrine-disrupting compound used in oral contraceptives, makes its way from America’s toilets to the water supply. Wastewater treatments can reduce, but never fully remove, such psychoactive drugs from drinking water.U.S. regulators and scientists treat these as “contaminants of emerging concern.” The Environmental Protection Agency and the United States Geological Survey publish methods for measuring the prevalence of such hormones in wastewater and waters used for our drinking supply.RELATED: Women’s infertility is Big Pharma’s cash cow simarik via iStock/Getty ImagesMale fish begin growing female genitals, and fish populations collapse in water containing the synthetic estrogen from birth control, according to some studies. As RFK Jr. has mentioned, boys are “swimming through a soup of toxic chemicals today, and many of those are endocrine disruptors.”Though some studies show that typical concentrations of synthetic estrogen in drinking water pose negligible risks to women, perhaps the cumulative exposure to endocrine disruptors affects the sexual development of young males.Long overdue accountabilityRFK Jr. promised to “follow the law regarding access to birth control” during his confirmation process. That could include commissioning the National Institutes of Health to conduct “gold standard science” on oral contraception, as he has sworn to do for other food additives and pharmaceuticals, studies that many European countries have already done.While calling for restrictions on birth control pills would likely cause a frenzy among many, informed consent is a paramount health priority. Though the perceived benefits of birth control pills are loudly and publicly celebrated (women, you too can have sex like a man!), their costs need to be fully exposed if we are going to restore human health and flourishing among both sexes.Editor’s note: This article was published originally at the American Mind.

DHS Just Referred What Dems Called a FEMA 'Conspiracy Theory' to the DOJ for Possible Prosecutions