If you learned that the human head weighs 8 pounds from the movie Jerry McGuire, we’re about to blow your mind. Jonathan Lipnicki was only 5 years old when he was cast in the film and stole America’s heart with the now-iconic line. Here’s the wild part- the movie came out nearly 30 years ago, and Jonathan is now a married father of three. He continues to act and will appear in the upcoming psychological thriller, Williston, alongside Matt Walsh and Geneva Carr. “The psychological thriller follows three landmen who descend on Williston, North Dakota, to secure the rights to the last remaining undeveloped parcel of land—owned by a Native American man who harbors a deep hatred for the oil industry,” he shared on Instagram. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Jonathan Lipnicki (@jonathanlipnicki) Jonathan Lipnicki Can’t Wait for the Movie to Come Out Jonathan Lipnicki told Deadline all about the upcoming project. “I had the pleasure of working briefly with Adam on his debut feature, Anywhere, and was eager to collaborate with him again,” he explained. “When he brought me Williston—a play he had brilliantly adapted into a film—it presented a rare opportunity to explore the moral ambiguity of three deeply distinct personalities confined within a gripping, contained arena. We couldn’t have asked for more compelling performances than those delivered by Geneva and Matt—they brought extraordinary depth and complexity to their roles. It’s intense, unsettling, and profoundly challenging.” “Congrats my friend – you were terrific in Anywhere, I can’t wait to see what this talented bunch does with this film!” A fan shared. “Wonderful Jonathan!!!! Way to GO and so excited to see it!!!! I was filming with @kirk_roos and @mrmattwalsh simultaneously on ANOTHER SHOOT in Tulsa! This sounds incredible! “Arts & Crafts!” is abounding, HOORAY!!” Another friend shared. This fan can’t wait to see Jonathan Lipnicki’s new film. “That’s fantastic news! I’m super excited for you!!” They wrote. This story’s featured image is by  Ron Galella/Ron Galella Collection via Getty Images

'I love cops. They made me who I am'

The new law is not a shield for the vulnerable but a sword for the powerful

A cold winter is well underway in the American Midwest, and the ice is taking many forms. The weather has been dark and forbidding, but the other frozen form is in the shape of assisted suicide. On Dec. 12, Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker, a Democrat, signed into law a bill that makes his state the 13th jurisdiction in the nation (assisted suicide is already lawful in 11 other states and the District of Columbia) to permit physician-assisted suicide, euphemistically referred to as medical aid in dying, or MAID. As a nation with a concentration of liberal public policies on its West and East coasts, the United States now has its first heartland state to embrace a practice that is spreading around the world. Coincidence or not, the assisted suicide debate is taking place against a background of soaring health care costs and governments operating at historically high deficits. Illinois is not an exception to the general trend, with a projected budget deficit of $267 million in 2026 that could rise as high as $2 billion in fiscal year 2027. Much of the deficit is attributed to spiking pension costs for retirees. Illinois is in the second-lowest tier for total fertility among the states, hovering in the range of 1.50 to 1.59 children per woman. Its law imposes no limits of substance on abortion. The pressure under the new MAID law to choose death near the end of life is likely to be as intense there as it has proved to be everywhere else assisted suicide has been legalized. Meanwhile, across the pond, the grueling, yearlong debate in the British Parliament grinds on. There, resistance from disability groups and medical institutions has remained consistent with the rare result that, to date, the House of Lords has proved itself capable of mounting serious opposition to an aid-in-dying bill that has lost altitude at each stage of what was expected to be a smooth path to passage. The leading figure in advocacy for the revolutionary bill is Lord Charles Leslie Falconer, a 74-year-old member of the Labour Party who has served in a variety of high positions in the British government, most notably as lord chancellor and secretary of state for justice under Prime Minister Tony Blair from 2003 to 2007. The legislation formally known as the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) bill is pending in what is called the Committee Stage of the extended process. During this stage, bills are scrutinized line by line, and lords may offer amendments as they see fit. As of Dec. 19, the fourth day of reviews and votes on the amendments, peers had introduced more than 1,000 amendments to the bill, leading to the prospect that the traditionally required debates and votes on the amendments would forestall any vote on final passage. If that occurs, the clock would run out on the bill in this session of Parliament and it would be defeated. The situation has been likened to a filibuster, and it has prompted some members of the lords who oppose the bill to urge that a final vote be allowed to occur out of concern that a tactical defeat of the bill by the unelected House of Lords would put that body at risk of severe reform or even abolition. However, the amendments being offered concern serious topics that were left unaddressed when the House of Commons passed the bill last June by the relatively narrow margin of 314 to 291. One persistent theme is the long record of assisted suicide bills threatening the lives of the poor, the disabled, and other vulnerable members of society. On Dec. 19, Baroness Sue Gray, former chief of staff to the current and very liberal Labour Prime Minister Keir Starmer, criticized the bill sharply as a menace to the vulnerable, saying there was “nothing in the Bill that would stop a person accessing an assisted death for reasons that were nothing to do with their illness but simply because they had been too worn down for too long by problems that could have been solved with the right care, attention and funding.” She cited the homeless as at particular risk, with their numbers rising across the United Kingdom. Supporters of the assisted suicide measure broadly contend that 90% or more of the amendments being discussed are not substantive and many are designed merely to deter movement through the Committee Stage. At this point, the amendments’ substance is debated but no individual votes are held on them. Supporting groups like Humanists UK and My Death, My Decision are striving to convert the arguments from the content of the bill to the procedures involved in reaching a final vote. The House of Lords has already scheduled up to 10 Friday debates on the bill in 2026, which will carry the fight to the threshold of the March deadline for passage or expiration. Opponents of assisted suicide seem as determined as ever to defeat the bill, and they have garnered support from an array of forces that is difficult to stereotype—even as assisted suicide proponents deplore the participation of many in the debate, including U.K. religious leaders. Care, Not Killing is an alliance of individuals and groups that champion the disabled and human rights, including health care providers and faith-based organizations. It has focused on research- and policy-based arguments against the assisted suicide bill, pointing to the evolution of practices in other countries where assisted suicide and euthanasia have advanced. It states, “The pressure people will feel to end their lives if assisted suicide or euthanasia is legalized will be greatly accentuated at this time of economic recession with families and health budgets under pressure. Elder abuse and neglect by families, carers and institutions are real and dangerous and this is why strong laws are necessary.” Lord David Alton, a lifelong advocate for the right to life of the unborn (an issue where further liberalization of the law is also being pursued), cites a particularly stark example of the pressure and coercion that can be imposed on certain patients. He quotes the late Baroness Warnock’s statement that “if you’re demented, you’re wasting people’s lives—your family’s lives—and you’re wasting the resources of the National Health Service. … Maybe it has to come down to saying: ‘Okay, they can stay alive, but the family will have to pay for it.’ Otherwise, it will be an awful drain on public resources.” Baroness Warnock, who passed away in 2019, gained worldwide fame over her involvement in establishing the British policy on embryo research that created the 14-day rule, a construct under which new human life could be subjected to experimentation and destruction up to two weeks after fertilization. Other key amendments to be debated and voted on in the House of Lords deal with vital matters like the scope of eligibility for assisted suicide, how and when the subject may be broached with patients who have not raised it, the value of the six-month-left-to-live rule, the conscience rights of objecting health care personnel and institutions, and other matters. For example, the bill as introduced defines, in line with similar measures around the globe, a terminal illness as a patient that “(a) has been diagnosed by a registered medical practitioner as having an inevitably progressive condition which cannot be reversed by treatment (‘a terminal illness’); and (b) as a consequence of that terminal illness, is reasonably expected to die within six months.” Clauses like this are widely cited but deserve far deeper scrutiny. Examples of patients outliving their diagnosis are numerous, and there is the related question of how a given diagnosis may inhibit treatments that may be expensive or that come into being during this “reasonable” six-month interval. A cursory look at new drugs approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in 2025 lists eight with application for cancer treatment out of 41 total approvals year to date. What was reasonable as the year began regarding any particular condition may be obsolete as the year ends. Medical science is providing increased hope and increased options at an unprecedented rate. Assisted suicide ends options and ignores the fact that (and here the contribution of artificial intelligence analysis of mass amounts of data may prove invaluable) we live in an age of exploding medical possibilities (in tandem with challenges regarding cost and other factors that will challenge us to reach consensus). The long and short of it is that assisted suicide represents science and ethics gone off the rails. The tendency of these laws to grow in scope, to expand the idea of terminal conditions, or abandon them altogether, continues. Canada is a mere 16 months away from potentially adding mental illness as a criterion for eligibility for assisted suicide. Data on suicide and mental illnesses in Western nations shows a negative trend that is worrisome even in the absence of a debate over assisted suicide as a solution. The events in Illinois, and another domino about to fall in New York state, show how quickly protections for life can crumble. Today there truly is heartbreak in the heartland. We publish a variety of perspectives. Nothing written here is to be construed as representing the views of The Daily Signal. Originally published by The Washington Stand The post Assisted Suicide Comes to the American Heartland appeared first on The Daily Signal.

WASHINGTON, Dec 31 (Reuters) – U.S. President Donald Trump said on Wednesday his administration was removing the National Guard from Chicago, Los Angeles and Portland, but he added in his social media post that federal forces will “come back” if crime rates go up. Local leaders in those cities and Democrats have said the deployments, which have faced legal challenges, were unnecessary. They have accused the Trump administration of federal overreach and of exaggerating isolated episodes of violence at mostly peaceful protests to justify sending in troops. Trump, a Republican, has said troop deployments in Los Angeles, Chicago, Washington, D.C., Memphis and Portland were necessary to fight crime and protect federal property and personnel from protesters. “We are removing the National Guard from Chicago, Los Angeles, and Portland, despite the fact that CRIME has been greatly reduced by having these great Patriots in those cities, and ONLY by that fact,” Trump wrote. “We will come back, perhaps in a much different and stronger form, when crime begins to soar again – Only a question of time!” Trump started deploying troops in June amid protests against his hardline immigration policies including efforts to ramp up deportations. He also deployed troops to Washington and took control of local police in response to what he said was rampant crime using his unique authority as president over the U.S. capital. Military officials have been winding down and scaling back the deployments in recent months as litigation has left them in limbo. (Reporting by Kanishka Singh and Ryan Patrick Jones; editing by Diane Craft) The post Trump Says He’s Pulling National Guard From Chicago, LA, and Portland appeared first on The Daily Signal.

Finding interesting dog articles online shouldn’t feel like searching for a needle in a haystack. The internet is flooded with dog content, but not all of it is worth your time. At DogingtonPost, we’ve learned that knowing where to look and how to spot reliable information makes all the difference. This guide walks you through the best sources and practical strategies for finding dog articles that actually matter. Where to Find Quality Dog Content Established Dog Blogs and Websites Established dog blogs and websites should be your starting point because they employ editors and veterinary consultants who fact-check content before publication. Whole Dog Journal offers well-researched, in-depth articles about all aspects of dog care and training. Canine Journal earns recognition from Forbes, Reader’s Digest, and The Washington Post for its dog gear reviews, breed guides, and health coverage. The American Kennel Club maintains about 200 breed profiles and offers expert advice on grooming, training, and health. Adopt A Pet’s blog emphasizes adoption guidance and senior dog ownership, while iHeartDogs covers breeds, health, nutrition, and product reviews. These sources share a common trait: they cite studies, include author credentials, and update content regularly. Avoid blogs that lack publication dates, author information, or veterinary review. These red flags signal that the site prioritizes clicks over accuracy. Quality sources make their editorial standards transparent, so you can verify who wrote the article and what qualifications they hold. Community Forums and Social Media Social media communities like r/dogs on Reddit serve as starting points for dog owners seeking advice. The subreddit’s Top Posts section reveals what thousands of dog owners found genuinely useful, though you should always verify forum-derived tips with credible professionals before applying them to your dog’s care. Treat forum posts as conversation starters rather than final answers. Public access means content spreads widely, so misinformation can circulate quickly without fact-checking. Mainstream News Outlets and Peer-Reviewed Sources Mainstream news outlets with dedicated pet coverage offer another reliable layer. The Washington Post, CNN, and NBC News publish veterinary Q&As, recalls reporting, and investigative pieces with established fact-checking standards. These outlets employ journalists who verify information with veterinary organizations before publishing. For health and behavior claims, peer-reviewed sources matter most. The Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association, PubMed, and the American Animal Hospital Association guidelines provide evidence-based information that filters out opinion-driven content. Cross-check any significant health claim across at least three independent sources before trusting it (this multi-source verification approach catches misinformation quickly and protects your dog from harmful advice circulating online). Google News Alerts configured for specific terms like “dog food recall” or “canine health outbreak” deliver breaking news directly to your inbox, ensuring you catch important safety updates faster than general searches. This strategy keeps you informed without requiring constant manual checking. How to Identify Reliable Dog Information Find the Author and Their Credentials Spotting a credible dog article takes three practical checks you can complete in under two minutes. Start by locating the author’s name and credentials. Articles written by veterinarians with DVM credentials, certified professional dog trainers holding CPDT certification, or journalists with established bylines carry real weight. The American Animal Hospital Association and the Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association only publish content reviewed by board-certified specialists, which is why these sources matter. If an article omits the author’s name or lists credentials as vague as “dog lover” or “pet enthusiast,” skip it. Quality publishers display author information prominently because they stand behind their work. Websites that hide authorship hide accountability. Trace the Sources and Citations Hunt for actual sources within the article itself. Strong dog articles cite specific studies, mention which veterinary organization published guidelines, or link directly to research. When an article claims that dogs have 220 million olfactory receptors compared to humans’ 5 million, it should cite where that data comes from. Articles making health claims without referencing the AVMA, Merck Vet Manual, or PubMed studies are guessing, not reporting. Count the citations: articles with three or more named sources beat those with zero every time. This simple metric separates opinion from evidence-based reporting. Cross-Check Claims Across Multiple Sources Verify claims across multiple independent sources before accepting them as fact. If one blog claims a certain training method works but three other established sources don’t mention it, that’s a red flag. The Washington Post and CNN maintain fact-checking standards that catch errors before publication, so when mainstream outlets cover dog topics, they’ve already completed verification work. This three-source rule protects you from adopting advice that sounds reasonable but lacks real evidence. Before trusting any significant health or training claim, evaluate their credibility and accuracy across multiple outlets, and you’ll filter out misinformation that circulates widely online. Tools and Strategies for Discovering Dog Articles Use Targeted Search Terms and Filters Effective dog article searches require precision instead of vague queries. Generic searches like “dog health” return millions of results, most irrelevant to your needs. Pair breed names with specific actions: search “French Bulldog breathing problems study” or “Golden Retriever hip dysplasia research” to surface articles addressing your exact concern. Add date modifiers like “past month” or “past year” to filter out outdated advice that no longer reflects current veterinary science. This targeted approach cuts search time dramatically and surfaces articles from established sources rather than clickbait farms. When you search for “dog training methods 2025,” you’ll find recent articles reflecting current best practices instead of outdated techniques published five years ago. Set Up Google Alerts for Dog Topics Google Alerts automate the discovery process entirely, delivering breaking news directly to your inbox without manual checking. Set up alerts for specific terms relevant to your dog’s life: if you own a Beagle, create an alert for “Beagle health issues” or “Beagle training tips.” If you’re concerned about recalls, set an alert for “dog food recall” or “dog treat contamination.” The FDA and major manufacturers announce recalls through official channels, and Google Alerts catches these announcements faster than scrolling social media. Configure alerts for “canine influenza outbreak” or “pet legislation changes” to stay informed about emerging threats affecting dog owners. Most people miss critical safety information simply because they don’t know it exists; Google Alerts solves this problem by pushing important updates to you automatically. Subscribe to Newsletters from Trusted Dog Resources Newsletter subscriptions from trusted sources like the American Kennel Club, Whole Dog Journal, and iHeartDogs deliver curated content weekly or monthly, eliminating the need to hunt for quality articles yourself. These newsletters filter thousands of published pieces down to the most valuable ones, saving hours of research time. Quality newsletters include author credentials and source citations, maintaining the same standards as their websites. Try subscribing to three to five newsletters from sources you’ve already verified, then unsubscribe from any that drift toward clickbait or unverified claims (this subscription strategy transforms passive scrolling into active learning tailored to your interests). Final Thoughts Finding interesting dog articles online becomes straightforward once you know where to look and what to evaluate. The best sources combine three elements: transparent author credentials, cited research, and regular updates reflecting current veterinary science. Established dog blogs, mainstream news outlets with pet coverage, and peer-reviewed journals form your foundation because they employ fact-checkers and veterinary consultants who verify information before publication. Your evaluation process takes minutes, not hours. Check for author credentials first, then hunt for citations and sources within the article itself. Cross-verify any significant claim across at least three independent sources before trusting it-this three-source rule catches misinformation quickly and protects your dog from harmful advice circulating online. Red flags like missing publication dates, vague author credentials, or zero citations signal that a site prioritizes clicks over accuracy. Set up systems that work for you and stay informed with minimal effort. Google Alerts deliver breaking news about recalls, health outbreaks, or breed-specific concerns directly to your inbox, while newsletter subscriptions from trusted resources filter thousands of published pieces down to the most valuable ones. Visit DogingtonPost to explore engaging stories, practical care tips, and expert advice on dog health, nutrition, and lifestyle that help you find reliable information for your dog’s wellbeing.

The Backlash to Rep. Ro Khanna Continues

Sipa USA/Alamy Stock PhotoIconic actress Betty White suffered a stroke six days before her death at the age of 99. Betty White was one of America’s most beloved celebrities. Known for starring in The Golden Girls and The Mary Tyler Moore Show, she was a legendary actress and comedian. She also successfully reinvented herself time and time again throughout her long life, winning the hearts of generations around the world. As she approached the age of 100, it seemed like she might be adding “centenarian” to her long list of accomplishments. Sadly, just weeks before her 100th birthday, Betty White suffered a stroke on Christmas Day that would ultimately claim her life six days later, on Dec. 31, 2021. She reportedly had no other illnesses leading up to her death, and while she was physically frail, her agent and friend Jeff Witjas said that she was still “all there” mentally, and “her sense of humor was there.” She died peacefully in her sleep at her Los Angeles home, and the last thing she reportedly said attests to a life that was full of love: “Allen,” the name of her late husband Allen Ludden, who had succumbed to cancer in 1981. Despite her heartbreaking loss, her own lifelong optimism helped turn what would otherwise be considered a tragedy into a celebration of life instead. White also had a remarkably positive view on aging. As she famously wrote in her memoir, If You Ask Me (And of Course You Won’t), “If one is lucky enough to be blessed with good health, growing older shouldn’t be something to complain about. It’s not a surprise, we knew it was coming — make the most of it.” And make the most of it she did. The Early Life Of Betty White Long before she graced television screens across the nation, Betty Marion White was a young girl living in Oak Park, Illinois. Born on Jan. 17, 1922 to Horace and Tess White, Betty would only spend the first two years of her life in Oak Park, before the family packed their bags and set out for Los Angeles. Here, the young Betty White first dreamed of one day becoming a zookeeper or a park ranger. Then, she fell in love with performing. Throughout her school years, she appeared in various school plays, reflecting once to NPR that the “show biz bug” had already bitten her by the time she graduated high school in 1939. She had to put any plans on hold, however, when the world was plunged into World War II. Before long, White joined the American Women’s Voluntary Services, driving a delivery truck to support the war effort and lifting the spirits of soldiers as best she could. Betty White Ludden TrustBetty White in her American Women’s Voluntary Services uniform. By the time the war ended, White found herself in drastically different circumstances. She was married now, to an Army pilot and chicken farmer named Dick Barker, and living in Ohio, seemingly set to settle into the life of a Midwestern housewife. Just four months into that marriage, though, she apparently realized that it was not the life she wanted. The couple separated, and White revisited her dream of being a performer. Her professional career actually didn’t begin in front of the camera, but behind a microphone. Told she wasn’t photogenic enough for on-camera jobs, Betty White instead began working in radio to get her foot in the door. Nigel Dobinson/Getty ImagesBetty White and Eddie Albert on Hollywood on Television in 1952. It paid off, as by 1949, she was co-hosting the televised talk show Hollywood on Television, which broadcasted live for five and a half hours a day, six days a week. To say it was exhausting would be an understatement, but it also allowed White to sharpen her improvisational skills and comedic timing — assets that would be invaluable for her seven-decade-long career. Career-Defining Roles In The Mary Tyler Moore Show And The Golden Girls While Betty White found some early success producing and starring in the live-action sitcom, Life With Elizabeth, during the early 1950s, it was her career pivot that cemented her as an icon. At the age of 51, White was cast as Sue Ann Nivens in The Mary Tyler Moore Show. Wikimedia CommonsBetty White as Sue Ann Nivens. Sue Ann Nivens proved that White could play more than just the “girl next door.” She could be sickly sweet or a man-eating viper. The role proved her skills so well, in fact, that she won two Emmys for her performance. Of course, White would later take on another career-defining role: Rose Nylund in The Golden Girls. Portraying a different character, who was sweet yet scatterbrained, White once again struck gold. The chemistry between White, Bea Arthur, Rue McClanahan, and Estelle Getty established the show as a cultural touchstone, even decades after its finale. Betty White was the last of the show’s stars to die, and she spoke about missing her friends. “I’m the last of the old broads,” she said in 2010, “and I miss them very, very much. But [The Golden Girls] was such a great experience. We loved each other, it was that simple.” That same year also saw a massive resurgence of White’s career. As she said, she was the last Golden Girl alive at that point, but it was clear that she was still sharp as ever. And at 88 years old, she witnessed a level of interest in her as an actress that few others had ever experienced. Betty White’s Final Reinvention Betty White’s “third act,” so to speak, began partly due to her memorable appearance in a Super Bowl commercial for Snickers. In the ad, she played a character named “Mike” who looks like an older lady when he’s hungry, but once the character eats a Snickers bar, “Mike” looks like a young man once more. It was part of the brand’s “You’re not you when you’re hungry” campaign, which was a huge success. Betty White’s memorable Super Bowl commercial. The commercial was so popular that it prompted a Facebook campaign titled, “Betty White to Host SNL (please?),” which garnered signatures from hundreds of thousands of fans. Lorne Michaels listened, and on May 8, 2010, White became the oldest person to ever host Saturday Night Live, a performance that earned her a seventh Emmy Award. “When I first heard about the campaign to get me to host Saturday Night Live, I didn’t know what Facebook was, and now that I do know what it is, I have to say, it sounds like a huge waste of time,” she quipped. Betty White’s iconic Saturday Night Live monologue. Her career resurgence wasn’t just a brief flicker, either. It led to a starring role in the sitcom Hot in Cleveland, which ran for six seasons. White was working harder in her 90s than some actors do in their prime. Her energetic demeanor gave the impression that nothing could stop Betty White — except for death. Inside Betty White’s Heartbreaking Death As Betty White’s 100th birthday approached, many were sure that she would be around to celebrate the milestone. People magazine, for instance, was so confident that White would live to reach 100 that it prematurely published a cover celebrating her birthday just a few days before her death. Even White herself seemed confident about her health. Just 11 days before her death, she had recorded a video message for her fans, which was intended to be shared on her 100th birthday. In the clip, she appeared clear-eyed and radiant, saying, “I just want to thank you all for your love and support over the years. Thank you so much — and stick around!” But on Christmas, White suffered a “mild stroke” at her home, as one source told People. Mild or not, it was more than White was able to handle. Six days later, on Dec. 31, 2021, Betty White died in her sleep. ZUMA Press, Inc./Alamy Stock PhotoBetty White with her third and last husband, Allen Ludden. “Even though Betty was about to be 100, I thought she would live forever,” her agent and friend Jeff Witjas said. “I will miss her terribly… I don’t think Betty ever feared passing because she always wanted to be with her most beloved husband Allen Ludden. She believed she would be with him again.” Allen Ludden, who was married to Betty White for 18 years, tragically died from stomach cancer in 1981. White never remarried, and as Business Insider reported, Betty White’s assistant had told Carol Burnett shortly after White’s death that the last word out of her mouth was “Allen.” It’s difficult to know for certain if that was true, but given that White had always referred to Ludden as the love of her life, perhaps she truly was ready to reunite with him at the end. One thing that we do know for sure is that Betty White once said she had “no fear or dread of death” and praised her mother’s approach to dying: “She said, ‘We know we have managed to find out almost anything that exists, but nobody knows… what happens at that moment when it’s over.’ And she said, ‘It’s the one secret that we don’t know.’ So whenever we would lose somebody very close and very dear, she would always say, ‘Well, now he knows the secret.’ And it took the curse off of it somehow.” After reading about Betty White’s life and death, read about the death of actor Luke Perry. Or, learn how Hollywood icon Audrey Hepburn died. The post ‘I Thought She Would Live Forever’: Inside The Death Of Legendary Actress Betty White appeared first on All That's Interesting.

Sipa USA/Alamy Stock PhotoThe Times Square “Constellation Ball,” which made its debut in November 2025. Every year on New Year’s Eve, millions of eyes around the globe turn to a single rooftop in Midtown Manhattan, watching as a glittering sphere begins its descent down a pole atop One Times Square. The Times Square Ball Drop has become synonymous with ringing in the new year, a tradition so ingrained in American culture that it sometimes feels like it has always been around. Of course, it had to start somewhere and sometime — and many people may be surprised to learn that the celebration has been around for more than a century. First emerging in 1907, the Times Square ball has a fascinating history, evolving from a relatively modest 700-pound iron sphere to a modern technological marvel that weighs 12,350 pounds. It is, in many ways, a symbol of American innovation — and it all started thanks to a newspaper. How The Times Square Ball Drop Began The annual tradition likely wouldn’t exist at all — at least, not in its current form — if not for a man by the name of Adolph Ochs, the owner of The New York Times at the start of the 20th century. In 1904, when the newspaper moved its headquarters to what was then called Longacre Square, the city soon renamed the area to Times Square. Public DomainAdolph Ochs, the former owner of The New York Times, and the man responsible for the Times Square Ball Drop. To celebrate Times Square’s new name and to ring in the upcoming new year, Ochs threw an extravagant party in the area on New Year’s Eve 1904, complete with a massive fireworks display. However, by 1907, the city grew concerned about fire hazards in such a densely packed place and the possibility of debris falling down on the crowds, so fireworks were banned in the area. Ochs, not wanting to stop the party, needed a new spectacle to impress revelers who gathered there. According to historical records from the Times Square Alliance, it was The New York Times’ chief electrician, Walter Palmer, who suggested a “time-ball.” Public DomainOne Times Square during its construction in 1903. It wasn’t an entirely new idea. A “time-ball” was actually an old maritime tradition that involved a ball dropping at a specific moment at observatories to help crews of passing ships keep track of the time. It’s believed that there were 150 public time-balls installed around the world at one point. At Palmer’s suggestion, Ochs took what was once considered practical nautical advice and successfully repurposed it for entertainment. Palmer and a Ukrainian immigrant metalworker named Jacob Starr quickly got to work on creating the first-ever Times Square ball for New Year’s Eve. The first ball, made of iron and wood and adorned with 100 lightbulbs, was five feet in diameter and weighed roughly 700 pounds. It made its debut on New Year’s Eve 1907, when it began its descent just before midnight. The crowd watched as the Times Square Ball Drop rang in the new year. Meanwhile, restaurant and hotel workers nearby donned battery-powered top hats, decorated with the numbers “1908,” which were embellished with tiny lightbulbs. The new spectacle and the festive hats created an instant sensation, and soon enough, a new global tradition was born. Every year since then, the tradition has been carried out — except for just two years during World War II, 1942 and 1943, when wartime “dimout” restrictions prevented the ball drop from happening. The Evolution Of The Times Square Ball FacebookAn old version of the Times Square ball, used in 1978. The original Times Square ball served its purpose well until the Roaring Twenties ushered in a need for an upgrade. So, in 1920, a new iteration was introduced. This time, it was made entirely of wrought iron and weighed about 400 pounds, making it a little easier to lower for the men who were assigned that task. (Back then, the ball was lowered by hand.) That iteration served Times Square for 35 years. Then, in 1955, the ball received another update. This time, an aluminum frame replaced the heavier iron, reducing the weight once more. Now weighing just 150 pounds, the new ball was comparatively modern and sleek, and though its design would change, aluminum was the standard for years. SuperStock/Alamy Stock PhotoA crowd of roughly 900,000 people, gathered in Times Square for the ball drop on New Year’s Eve. 1947. In the 1980s and 1990s, however, the ball’s design took some creative turns. The most distinct visual design was used from 1981 to 1988, when the ball was modified to resemble a “Big Apple” to align with the popular “I Love New York” marketing campaign. Red lightbulbs and a striking green stem turned the sphere into a massive glowing fruit, meant to symbolize the city fighting its way back from a tumultuous fiscal crisis. After the memorable apple design was phased out, the traditional white lightbulbs returned, and in 1995, the ball received a striking makeover for the rising computer age: an aluminum skin fitted with glitter, rhinestones, computer controls, and strobes — much of which was done for the benefit of those watching the ball drop on their televisions at home. But a new millennium was on the horizon, and that meant that the ball had to evolve yet again, to keep up with the changing times. The Millennium Ball And Beyond Wikimedia CommonsThe Millennium Ball used to ring in the year 2000. Despite some concerns around the dreaded Y2K, organizers knew that the celebration in Times Square needed to reflect the magnitude of the year 2000. That meant a new ball, reflective of the modern age. A completely new ball was commissioned for the millennium celebration, with a design that married tradition with the cutting-edge technology of the day. A collaboration between Waterford Crystal and Philips Lighting, the new ball measured six feet in diameter and weighed about 1,070 pounds. It featured 504 Waterford Crystal triangles, illuminated by halogen lightbulbs. As technology continued to rapidly develop throughout the early 2000s, the ball continued to evolve as well. The 100th celebration of the Times Square Ball Drop in 2007 saw another big leap, this time replacing incandescent and halogen bulbs with LED lighting technology that shined brighter and more colorfully than ever before, all while offering new energy savings. Wikimedia CommonsThe Times Square Ball, seen from above, in 2012. By 2009, the permanent “Big Ball” had debuted, measuring 12 feet in diameter and weighing almost six tons. It was covered in 2,688 Waterford Crystal triangles and illuminated by 32,256 Philips Luxeon LED lights, which were capable of creating a dazzling display of countless vibrant colors. Even more recently, ABC News reported that a new ball was introduced in November 2025. Dubbed the Constellation Ball, the latest version measures 12.5 feet in diameter, weighs 12,350 pounds, and features 5,280 handcrafted Waterford crystals and stunning LED lights, while also incorporating new signature sound and interactive capabilities, with an audio system that can create reactive designs based on musical input. It just goes to show that despite the tradition’s more modest origins, the spectacle of the event has never failed to keep up with the times. And while the changes to the ball’s appearance have always stood as a testament to technological advancement, its symbolic meaning has remained the same. For people around the world, the Times Square Ball Drop on New Year’s Eve is a symbolic gesture to acknowledge the passage of time, to celebrate survival and achievement, and to look toward a brighter future. After reading about the history behind the Times Square Ball Drop, see how Times Square has changed over the years with our photo galleries of Times Square at its lowest point and Times Square during its glory days. The post How The Times Square Ball Drop Became One Of The World’s Most Iconic New Year’s Eve Celebrations appeared first on All That's Interesting.

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