An Arizona teen allegedly killed his brother with a car on accident as he tried hitting someone else, which his family said was in self-defense. Officers announced they had arrested Juan Figueroa, 19,…

A 100-year-old American World War II veteran, Harold Terens, and his 96-year-old bride, Jeanne Swerlin Terens, toast each other with glasses of champagne after their wedding at the Carentan-les-Marais…

Time can be particularly complicated—especially when politics and war are involved.

When we participate in something collectively, it’s easier to meet goals and maintain the enthusiasm to get things done. While the support of a friend or two is great, imagine having the power of an entire online community cheering you on and offering advice along the way. This is where the Daily Decluttering Challenge Facebook group comes in. This online community offers easy-to-implement advice for decluttering, organizing, and cleaning up your home with support from 125,000 members. “By building a network of people who can support and encourage you along the way, you can make progress towards your goals faster and more effectively. Remember, no one achieves success alone, and having a strong support system can make the difference in a goal set versus a goal achieved,” says Kristin Burke, a goal achievement coach. A to do list of chores. Credit: PexelsIn addition to tips for tidying up around the house, members share advice on how to tackle one thing at a time, where to donate excess items, and what they do to exercise more willpower to avoid buying new things.For anyone hoping to declutter their lives, this Facebook group has the perfect challenge to get you started.Members kicked off the challenge by focusing on junk mail, emails, and drawers for the first week. Then they moved into different areas of the house, breaking it up into one room a week. There are also 17 different community chats that offer additional tasks to challenge you every 2-3 days, and encourage you to keep going. - YouTube www.youtube.com Here are a few tips from Stacey Smith, the group admin, to get you started: Start small. Set a timer for 15 to 20 minutes and see what you can accomplish during this time.Focus on a single area at a time. A lot of the group members recommend focusing on a flat surface area, such as your bedside table or an area near where you sit. Keeping a space decluttered that you always see can inspire you to take the next step.Take pictures of your progress. You don’t always notice the progress that you’re making, so taking a before and after photo of your decluttering projects can help you see the transformation you’re making.Break up your tasks. If you get overwhelmed, take a step back and break your project up into smaller tasks. For example, if you’re working on a junk drawer, start by getting rid of all the trash and broken items first so it becomes more manageable.Don’t worry about how long it takes you. If it takes you a week to clean out a single drawer, that’s OK. It isn’t a race. The clutter didn’t happen overnight, so you can’t expect to have it cleared out overnight, either.This post originally appeared on 01.10.24.

As the leader of the free world, many people outside of the U.S. have strong opinions about America and its residents. Not all of them are accurate, of course, which can lead to some misunderstandings with non-Americans. However, it also opens the door for plenty of humor.Americans are admired by many across the world for our creativity, entrepreneurial spirit, and can-do attitude. But they also draw some side-eye for their love of huge portions, guns, and patriotism. Non-Americans are also skeptical about why they have garbage disposals and love putting ranch dressing on just about everything.A Reddit user asked Americans for “the funniest thing a foreigner has said to you about America.” The answers were a great mix of cultural misunderstandings, myth-busting, and much-needed geography lessons. Here are 15 of the funniest things non-Americans have told Americans about the U.S.1. Slick Willy President Bill Clinton plays the saxophone presented to him by Russian President Boris Yeltsin at a private dinner hosted by President Yeltsin at Novoya Ogarova Dacha, RussiaWikimedia Commons "While being transported from the airport to the hotel in Morocco, the cab driver said, 'American?' I responded, 'Yes.' His response: 'Ahhh yes. Bill Clinton.'""Buddy was in Eastern Europe in the 90s, and a little old lady who spoke no English found out he was American and just said 'Monica Lewinsky' and then laughed."2. American monsters"An International Student (from Malta) and I were hanging out at the 'Smoker's Lounge,' aka the place in front of the dorms where people smoked. A raccoon popped out of one of the trash cans, and he freaked out and said that the animals in North America were the size of monsters."3. It's a big country"A Japanese person once told me that the US is 'enviably wide.'""Because Japan is similarly tall, but lamentably skinny." Map of the United States on a globeCanva4. Melon farmers?"A guy from the UK I know loves to refer to Americans as melon farmers. Melon farming imbeciles. Doesn't know what some object I refer to is? Must be some kind of weird melon farming contraption. Where have I been the last few days? Must have been tending to my melon farm. I wish I had a backyard instead of a dumb asphalt apartment parking lot? Ah, I must be missing life back on my melon farm."5. No wood houses"This man I knew in college was from rural Kenya. Apparently, your temporary house was constructed of wood. Folks that had gained enough wealth no longer had a wooden house.""We had a guy from Kenya bring pumpkin spice muffins to a potluck. He said something like 'I see how you keep pumpkins on your porches, so I figured you must really love them.'"6. We love ranch"A French guy asked me if we really put ranch on everything. I said, 'Yes, even salad,' and he stared at me like I’d just admitted to living in a dumpster."Gif of a man eating salad with a lot of rancg dressing 7. Guns, guns, guns"A Persian man that I worked with did a redneck impression. He said 'I'm an American and I like guns and Jesus' in a perfect southern accent.""When I lived in Italy, one of the first questions my neighbors asked was 'How many guns do you have and where do you keep them all?' They were absolutely floored that I didn’t own any guns."8. Small world"A waiter in Prague asked where I was from. I told him Boston. He said, 'Oh, I have a friend named Tomas Dvorak in Wyoming. Do you know him?'"9. We love peanut butter"When I studied abroad in Germany, my host family told me 'We bought lots of peanut butter for you. We know Americans need peanut butter.' I do love peanut butter, but I had definitely never heard that stereotype before!""I did once startle a lovely Australian couple with my PBJ. Apparently, PB and J are only considered compatible here in North America. They looked at the sandwich I made with the same kind of horror I might’ve used on something with, IDK, tuna and marshmallow fluff."10. Are cheerleaders real?"'Are cheerleaders real?' Cheerleaders were in movies, but a teenager in London had no idea if that was a real thing. It was a charming conversation as a teenager.""I like how foreigners will believe that everyone in America is dodging gunfights and car chases on their morning commute, but then think we made up cheerleaders and yellow busses for the movies." Three cheerleaders in formationCanva11. Sweet tea is addictive"A British friend of mine called southern sweet tea 'the most vile, disturbing, horrific swill ever created. Please bring another pitcher.'""If they don't have to amputate a foot after your first glass it needs more sugar."12. Angry sink"Saying I had an angry sink because it had a garbage disposal in it."13. Crossed-up"My fiancé from the Netherlands asked what the 'zing' road sign meant that he kept seeing everywhere. I couldn’t figure out what the heck he was talking about at first. It was the X-ing (crossing) sign.""My international colleague thought it was a word in Chinese (Xing) and was very confused by this lol." A no-crossing the railroad signCanva14. It's bigger than you think"My wife's Swedish cousins thought they could go explore both New York City and Los Angeles in a single weekend.""Also had Swedish visitors, and we live in New England. They wanted to take a drive to California during the 5 days they were going to be here, and they wanted to stop and see the Grand Canyon along the way, then be back in time to catch their flight home out of Boston."15. The Ohios"Was at a pub in Italy with a friend, and some of the guys found out we were American. Proceeded to take shots with them toasting ‘to the Ohios!’… we’re not from Ohio lol.""Which Ohio are you not from, North Ohio, or South Ohio?"This article originally appeared earlier this year.

There are few things sweeter than finding out what kids want to be when they grow up. From firemen to professional athletes to pop stars, their pure-hearted picks run the gamut.For one preschooler at Weekday Preschool of the First Baptist Church in Clinton, Mississippi, his pick made hearts melt and eyes teary. The four-year-old student decided that he wanted to be like his beloved custodian, Mr. Bubba. Students were encouraged to dress up for the special day at the preschool, and he understood the assignment. He showed up to school dressed up just like Mr. Bubba, nailing every detail. From a bald cap to drawn on mustache, no one got more of a kick out of his precious costume than Mr. Bubba himself. from MadeMeSmile In a sweet video shared by his preschool (and reshared on Reddit r/MadeMeSmile), teachers captured the moment that Mr. Bubba realized the student was dressed up like him. He immediately bursts into a full belly laugh, before going over to stand beside the student to get a closer look. As he does, he becomes emotional."Ask any of our Weekday Preschool Children who their favorite person is and the answer is easily 'Mr. Bubba!'," the video's caption said. "Today was 'dress like what you want to be when you grow up' and we had a kid choose Mr. Bubba! Complete with phone case, keys and radio!"In an interview with Baptist Press, Bubba Cable (aka Mr. Bubba) shared, “It’s just a surprise that anyone would even look up to me like that. I’m just an average Joe here,” Cable said. “He’s a good kid. All the kids here are. I interact with them. I’m walking by all the time and they’ll go to hollering, even out of their classrooms, ‘Mr. Bubba.’ And on the playground. My goodness, I walk by there and they all line up inside the fence hollering at me. ‘Come in here and play with us.’ I’m like I can’t. I’ve got work to do.” Kids on career day. Canva Photos.He noted that he is a grandfather of four, and added, “To me, there’s no more honest person than a child.”Kim Evrard, Weekday Preschool Director, told Baptist Press, “Mr. Bubba does everything for us. I mean, all we have to do is text Mr. Bubba and he’s on it. He doesn’t just take care of us. He takes care of our whole church.” hey arnold nicksplat GIF Giphy Viewers on the Reddit post featuring the video were touched by the duo's sweet relationship. "Custodian here??♂️ I just know this made his day ?❤️?," one commented. Another added, "Oh his parents committed, I’m obsessed!!!!! Shoutout to facilities, y'all are so important!" Another wrote, "Awww the custodian got emotional!? I’m telling y’all, you never know who is watching and admiring you!!♥️" One more pointed out, "Not the bald cap ? omg too cute." Evrard said that she hopes the video is uplifting for others. "It’s a feel-good video, and it was sweet, and I think we need that so much. And if our little church and this little preschool can be a small part of that, I love it. I love everything about it. I’m glad that we got to be a part of making somebody smile."

It's true, not every Gen X movie is suitable for teenagers. But does that really ring true for movies that were quite literally made for teens? According to two Gen Zers, yes. Their argument over the musical, Heathers, being performed by high school students perplexed me because I watched the movie when I was around the age of eight or nine. Now, it has been years since I've seen the movie, so I figured that I must be misremembering it. But I also know that I once considered it tame enough for my own child to watch it in middle school—eighth grade to be exact. It's still one of her favorite movies at the age of 25, and the only reason I was aware there was a musical based on the 1988 cult classic. The Heathers the Musical poster. Joel Kramer/FlickrVery rarely am I around young adults or older teens (who are not my own children or their friends), where topics like these might come up. But currently, I'm in the production of a community play where people of all ages are cast, so I've gotten to know quite a few younger and older people. Two girls, 17 and 20, were chatting with me about different subjects when the topic of favorite Broadway shows came up. Heathers was at the top of the list for the younger one, but she expressed her dismay when she revealed that one of her friends performed in the show at her high school. This raised my curiosity. I had never seen the musical, so I decided to inquire about the reaction both girls had to a high school performing a musical about high school girls. Immediately, they deemed high schoolers putting on a production of Heathers to be inappropriate. That made me even more curious, so I asked about their thoughts on the movie and informed them that I watched it as an elementary-aged child. The Gen Zers explained that neither the movie nor the musical is appropriate due to the themes of drug use, promiscuity, and suicide. Three of the Heathers from Heathers the MusicalUark Theater/FlickrCuriouser and curiouser, I thought, because sex, drugs, and suicide were all things that high schoolers have been dealing with for decades. It hardly seems inappropriate for teenagers to view a movie or musical with teens experiencing those themes, but according to the girls, "It was a different time" when I grew up. Indeed, it was a different time, and I was a cusper, which put me on the edge of two generations within my own household and society. The only reason I was watching Heathers at such a young age is that I had a Gen X brother in the house with parents still adjusting their parenting style in accordance with the changing times. But when I asked my own daughter about the appropriateness of the movie and musical for teenagers, her answer shocked me as well. She explained to me via text that she, too, didn't think high schoolers should be performing the play, saying, "The movie is fine the play is not. There's a full sex scene with a song." But that was where her agreement ended. Heathers the MusicalUark Theater/FlickrIn all fairness to high school drama teachers everywhere, the sex scene is likely cut for the high school version. Still, the initial concern makes me wonder if we were desensitized to themes that should've been treated more seriously, or if we've possibly been too overzealous in protecting our Gen Z children from themes in life they'd inevitably have to navigate? Teenagers have essentially been the same since the first human infant made it to adolescence. Sure, technology, slang, and other things have changed, but child brain development is consistent. Teens are going to push boundaries. They're going to experiment with things they've been told to avoid. Teenagers are going to lack impulse control and participate in risk-taking behaviors, whether it's 2078 or 1802; it's part of normal human brain development. 1989 Heathers movieRotten Tomatoes Classic Trailers/YouTubeSo, it's surprising that these Gen Z kids feel like themes that occur in real-life high schools across the country are inappropriate for real-life teenagers to watch in a movie. This may be specific to these two young girls, but it does seem that Gen Z in general has a much different reaction to '80s teen angst movies than older generations. Maybe it's due to having more understanding of how toxic certain behaviors were that were once normalized, or something more inherent to this generation. Either way, getting to know how the younger generations interpret things can be quite fascinating, and I always feel privileged when their thoughts are shared with me.

Groceries are a major expense these days. And grocery prices are continuing to go up in 2025, according to the USDA. Still, making meals at home versus going out to eat is cheaper, and a big way to save money. But getting creative with low-cost ingredients can be a hang-up.In an online community of frugal people, member samdaz712 posed the question to fellow savers: "What’s the cheapest meal you actually enjoy eating regularly?"They continued, "We all have that one budget meal that somehow never gets old. For me, it’s rice, eggs, and frozen mixed veggies with soy sauce and chili flakes. Costs next to nothing, takes 10 minutes, and I actually look forward to it."The post wrapped up with a call-out for others' favorite and frugal meals. "Curious what everyone else’s go-to cheap meals are not the I’ll suffer through this to save money kind, but the ones you genuinely like and would still eat even if you weren’t budgeting. Always looking for new ideas that don’t break the bank," they added.Frugal people happily shared their cheap (and yummy) go-to meals. Here are 30 cheap meals that they never get sick of. "PB&J sandwiches. I could eat one every day of my life if I allowed it to happen. If I'm feeling fancy, I'll make a PB, banana, and honey sandwich. Then I'll pan toast with a generous amount of butter on each side until the bread is golden brown and the PB starts to melt. It's so decadent yet so cheap." - Kom4K"Fried egg sandwich." - Major9000"Every week-ish we make pinto beans, smash em up into a refried situation, melt some cheese, spread them on toasted torta bread with avocado. Then use leftovers in your eggs the next day or make burritos for lunch. You can never go wrong with a pot of beans." - BoardNo1459"A pot of pinto beans with a link of kielbasa sausage and corn bread...Absolute baller." - Bigram03"'Hobo-potatoes,' diced potatoes, onions, salt and pepper, mixed up in a bag of foil with oil and left to cook in the coals of a camp fire. Goes great with any protein and has more potassium per serving than bananas." - BlaqueNight"Pasta and butter. Sometimes with grated parmesan." - RuthlessLidia"Quesadilla." - babe_ruthless3"Toast." - FrauAmarylis"Pan fried tofu slabs braised in a pan with chopped kimchi, green onion, kimchi liquid or rice vinegar, soy sauce, sesame oil, bit of water to make it saucy, a tsp of sugar seems to help it meld together. Takes 10-12 min. Served over short grain rice. Optional toppings, toasted sesame seeds, chopped cilantro, sliced green onion. Edit: this was from The NY Times food, from Sue Li for exact proportions." - LavaPoppyJax"Costco’s $1.50 hot dog and drink." - StarWolf478"Rice and eggs for me too. It can be enjoyed in so many ways! My favorite is a crispy egg that’s still yolky on sushi rice with seaweed, salt and sesame oil." - theyrejusttoys"For me it's an egg foo young - type dish! Stir raw eggs into leftover cooked vegetables (and optional protein, like leftover chicken or whatever you have). Ladle the mixture into a hot pan with a little oil, and fry up into patties. Serve over rice, and top with a drizzle of some kind of Asian sauce and a little hot pepper. You can look up a recipe for Egg Foo Young sauce, but that's not necessary; it tastes great with almost any kind of Asian sauce, or simply soy sauce. The cooked patties last for days in the refrigerator and can be reheated. Bonus: This is a fantastic way to use up any small bits of leftover veggies or meat. And if I have wilted vegetables that are in danger of spoiling, I just chop them up and quickly sauté them together, and freeze them in small containers. Now I have lots of veggies ready to go to make delicious egg foo young." - TIL_eulenspiegel"For me, it’s instant noodles with a soft-boiled egg, some greens, and a splash of sesame oil. Dirt cheap but feels like comfort food every time!" - Wajid-H-Wajid"Baked potatoes. So cheap, so good." - killyergawds"Over-night oats. Eat it every morning before work." - Non_Binary_Goddess"Nachos for the win." - HappyBear4Ever"Rice and lentils cooked together." - RichCoast7186"Potatoes, baked beans, fried eggs. Potatoes, corned beef, fried eggs. Rice (Mexican, Spanish, or Asian), beans, fried eggs. Cottage cheese, bran, frozen blueberries, milk. Home made salsa or pico de gallo on anything. Ground beef, rice, tomato and whatever else I have around. Rotisserie chicken, use the carcass to make soup with rice. Use the chicken that you can get off with tortillas and verde/enchilada sauce. With rice and beans. My advice, get really good at cooking rice, beans, and potatoes. Make sure you have a good selection of spices. Throw whatever extra money you have at whatever meats you can." - himthatspeaks"Sweet potato black bean burrito a la moosewood. The most basic version is just a sweet potato and a can of black beans (but much better with an upgrade of caramelized onions and some cumin)." - Upbeat-Poetry7672"Sardines on toast with a over easy egg." - Gandi1200"Green bean casserole! Takes 10mins and lasts me all week for dinner and lunch." - Kihakiru"Pan fried Spam, sunny side up egg, over rice. Furikake seasoning to taste." - Cajunsalmon"I don't make meals I don't enjoy eating, but these are easy, quick, healthy and yummy. 1/2 rice , 1/2 red lentils + cubed veggies (frozen or fresh) eventually crushed tomatoes or coconut milk. Baked savory oats : shredded veggies +oats and eventually eggs or cheese or tomato sauce. Dhal sooooooo delicious. Split pea soup." - sohereiamacrazyalienThis article originally appeared in July

The Supreme Court has upheld a prior order allowing the Trump administration to freeze $4 billion in foreign aid approved by Congress

by Leo Hohmann, Leo’s Newsletter: This explosive information shows the Trump administration is part of the swamp, not an enemy of it, as the administration seeks to protect powerful friends with connections to the Epstein affair. President Donald Trump told the nation that the Epstein affair was a hoax. There was no client list and […]