Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin on Wednesday defended an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officer who shot a pastor with a pepper ball from a rooftop, after a video of the incident went viral this week. Videos of the Sept. 19 incident, which circulated widely Wednesday on social media, showed the Rev. David Black of the First Presbyterian Church being struck in the head by an officer outside an ICE processing facility in a Chicago suburb. It stoked anger toward federal officers who have been deployed to the city by President Trump.

Leaving his home in Ontario to work at a food bank Thursday morning, Carlos Jimenez pulled over to warn a group of federal agents that they should wrap up their stop of a car quickly because school-age children would soon gather there to take the bus, his lawyers said Sunday. In the following moments, the attorneys said an ICE officer shot Jimenez, a U.S. citizen and father of three, from behind. Tricia McLaughlin, a spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security, said at the time that Jimenez had “attempted to run officers over by reversing directly at them without stopping” and that the shots were “defensive.”

A man from Honduras was wounded Wednesday morning after a shooting during a traffic stop involving Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) near Phoenix, Arizona. The shooting happened at 4 a.m. Wednesday after ICE officers pulled over Jose Garcia-Sorto along Interstate 17 in north Phoenix. Garcia-Sorto, the driver, initially stopped but started to pull away as the officers walked up to his vehicle, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) told Fox News Digital.

Have you ever seen something in a movie or online and thought, "That's totally fake," only to find out it's absolutely a real thing? That's sort of how this house in Pennsylvania comes across. It just seems too fantastical to be real, and yet, somehow, it actually exists.The home sits between Greencastle and Mercersburg, Pennsylvania, and houses a pretty unique public secret. There's a cave in the basement. Not a man cave or a basement that makes you feel like you're in a cave, but an actual natural cave you can't get to unless you go through the house.Turns out the cave was discovered in the 1830s on the land of John Coffey, according to Uncovering PA, but the story of how it was found is unclear. People would climb down into the cave to explore occasionally until the land was leased about 100 years later and a small structure was built over the cave opening.The idea was to make it accessible to visitors and use the cave as a tourist attraction, and the small structure was eventually built into a two-story house. It was closed to the public in 1954 after the land was purchased for limestone mining and it remained closed for nearly 70 years. Sometime during that 70-year closure, the home that contains the cave was purchased by Dara Black, and in 2021, it reopened to the public.Currently, the home is occupied by Black, but to gain access to the cave you can simply book a tour. The best part about booking a tour is that you only have to make a donation to enter. It's a pay-what-you-can sort of setup, but since someone actually lives in the home, you can't just pop in and ask for a tour. You have to go during the "open house" times available.According to the Black-Coffey Caverns Facebook page, they treat the tours truly as an open house, complete with snacks and drinks. There's a waiting room area where people can chat and eat while they wait for the tour to start. They also offer cave yoga once a month. According to Uncovering PA, the tour takes about 45 minutes to complete and there are about 3,000 feet worth of passageways.Imagine living on top of a cave and just taking strangers on a walk under your floorboards essentially. It makes me wonder if the house is quiet at night or if you can hear echoes of the cave sounds while you're trying to sleep. From the Facebook page, it appears that the cave doesn't have any lights, but there were pictures with some Christmas lights mounted to the cave walls. Otherwise, you have to use flashlights.Hopefully, no mischievous children decide to play hide and seek or you just might have to call in a rescue crew. Literally. But what an unbelievable "pics or it didn't happen" kind of story to tell. It's not every day you run into someone that has a door that leads you to an underground cave.If you want to see what a cave tour looks like starting from the outside of the house, check out the video below: - YouTube youtu.be This article originally appeared three years ago.

Sweden and Switzerland have over 1,000 years of peaceful relations, but that doesn't mean there aren't any issues between the two countries. An annoying thorn lingers in the side of both nations, but it's neither country’s fault. The problem? The rest of the world can’t tell them apart. People simply don’t know their kroppkakor (Swedish potato dumpling) from their birchermüesli (a Swiss breakfast dish), and constantly mix up Sweden with Switzerland. The fact that both countries start with the same letters hardly seems like an excuse, yet here we are. Swedish people who move to the United States often complain of being introduced as Swiss. The New York Stock Exchange flew a Swiss flag to honor Spotify (a Swedish company), and a French hockey team once greeted their Swiss opponents, SC Bern, by playing the Swedish National Anthem and raising the Swedish flag. Skämtar du med mig? (“Are you kidding me?” in Swedish)To end the confusion once and for all and help the world finally recognize the differences between the two nations, Sweden has created a landmark proposal to Switzerland. It is dry, wry, and genuinely hilarious. - YouTube youtu.be “If people struggle to separate our two countries, we need to help them. We can’t change the names of our nations, but we can become more distinct. Sweden offers the luxury of a different nature, that’s why we think it’s time to decide who promotes what, and hopefully, we can reach an agreement,” said Susanne Andersson, CEO of Visit Sweden.The Swedish proposal is simple and practical, just like its citizens. The country hopes to make a clear distinction between the two countries by deciding who talks about what. “We will be able to communicate things like sandbanks, rooftops and silence. Meanwhile, Switzerland will focus on banks, mountain tops, and loud noises,” Andersson said in a statement. Sweden get the Northern Lights.Photo: David Schreiner/Folio/imagebank.sweden.se The Swedes hope that people will learn to distinguish Switzerland's technological advancements, such as particle accelerators and luxurious watches, from Sweden’s natural phenomena that, instead of winding you up, help you wind down. "Switzerland will offer luxury, including its expensive watches. And Sweden will offer a different kind of luxury, like forgetting about time," Andersson proposed.The first draft of the official settlement was presented to Switzerland and provided to visitors of the Visit Sweden website. “We’re hoping that Switzerland will negotiate with us on this important matter. But if they want contemporary fashion, the answer is no. They get to have leather couture, and we think that’s fair,” Andersson said, referencing the yellow-painted leather pants traditionally worn by herdsmen in Appenzeller. Sweden gets rooftops. Switzerland gets mountatintops.Photo: Emmie Bolmstedt/Visit Sweden If Sweden and Switzerland come together on an agreement to distinguish their national identities, it’ll be a big win for the entire world. But, until then, the best way for you to truly learn the difference is to visit Sweden yourself.Sweden’s calming, beautiful nature will refresh your spirit like no place on Earth. Imagine sailing on its pristine lakes while a sharp breeze runs through your hår (hair). Enjoy a hike in perpetual daylight during the Midnight Sun Period, or feast your ögon (eyes) on the mesmerizing Northern Lights in Swedish Lapland.Looking for some high-altitude adventure? You and a friend could even take a yodeling tour in the Alps in the shadows of the magnificent Matterhorn. Sounds like fun? Sorry, got you. The Matterhorn is in Switzerland, and Swedish people don’t yodel; it throws off their lagom—a unique brand of Scandinavian chill. Yay, Sweden. Giphy Of course, Switzerland is nice, too. As long as you know what country you're heading to when you get on the plane, you'll surely find plenty of beauty and bliss in either one. But we have to hand it to Sweden for their tongue-in-cheek diplomacy throwing friendly shade at its "Sw" counterpart. Find your lagom by planning your trip to Sweden today.

Nurses have seen it all, but sometimes, what they hear is what really takes the cake. After working eight years as a labor and delivery nurse Holly, 30, has heard a lot of inappropriate remarks made by men while their partners are in labor. “Sometimes the moms think it’s funny—and if they think it’s funny, then I’ll laugh with them,” Holly told TODAY Parents. “But if they get upset, I’ll try to be the buffer. I’ll change the subject.”Some of the comments are so wrong that she did something creative with them by turning them into “inspirational” quotes and setting them to “A Thousand Miles” by Vanessa Carlton on TikTok.“Some partners are hard to live up to!” she jokingly captioned the video. Once you read these, you'll want to throw a headbutt or two. Giphy The first video featured the following facepalm-inducing quotes:“I think you should just get a C-section. This is taking too long.”“How long is this gonna take? I have plans this weekend.”“Are you sure you want an epidural? My mom didn’t have one. Before you make a decision, we should talk about it.”“Sew an extra stitch down there for me, doc. We want everything just the way it was before all of this.” @citruspeachco Part 1: Some partners are hard to live up to! Get you a good one #laboranddelivery #labor It’s unbelievable that anyone would make such selfish comments while their partner is in the throes of giving birth. Anyone who would ask, “How long is this gonna take?” definitely isn’t prepared to raise a child.Some TikTok users thought that these women should have left their partners right there in the delivery room."LOL immediate divorce, I'm not joking," Rig wrote. Little_n_often agreed saying, "I’d be getting the divorce papers ready."“I would sign the divorce papers while in labor and pushing,” another commenter wrote.The video was a massive hit on TikTok, receiving over 10 million views. So, the nurse followed it up with a sequel where she shared more “inspirational” delivery room quotes from men. @citruspeachco Part 2: some partners are hard to live up to! Get you a good one! #laboranddelivery #babydaddy #labor "Wake me up when the baby gets here I'm tired." (Rolls over, puts cover over head and slept thru the birth of his baby.)"Can you move to the birthing ball so I can sleep in the bed?"(As the patient is pushing) "Do you guys do DNA tests here? My mom wants me to get one before we leave.""Call me when you're about to have the baby. I'm gonna go with [name redacted] to the bar and watch the game."Holly also told TODAY Parents that men should also keep their thoughts on pain medication to themselves and to stop looking at the contraction monitor and making comments.“She can feel it!” Holly said. “You don’t need to ask her if she felt it. Trust me, she did.”If you thought that was more than enough, well, it wasn't. Holly continued the series due to a never-ending supply of oblivious quotes:"The position you just put her in is blocking my view of the TV.""You took the easy way out [re: C-section]. This isn't even bad, you don't have to do any work to have the baby, they do it all for you." @citruspeachco PART 4: inspirational BD’s, pick a good one Ladies! #laboranddelivery #babydaddy #birthtrauma #labornurse @mariah_b14 @kaylenelanders Holly’s public airing of men’s bad behavior had to be therapeutic, because, as a nurse, she can’t tell them off in the delivery room. But it's also a warning to men out there on how not to behave when their partners are giving birth. If there was ever a time in the world to stop thinking about yourself, it’s while your partner is giving birth.Remember guys, think before you say anything in the delivery room, the nurses are listening.This article first appeared three years ago. It has been updated.

Many great comedians have sat at the helm of the “Weekend Update” desk on Saturday Night Live over the show’s 50 seasons. Chevy Chase was known for his cool deadpan. Dennis Miller was the hip intellectual. Norm Macdonald will go down in history for his endless OJ jokes that eventually got him removed from the desk. Tina Fey and Jimmy Fallon were a great double act that was a fun mix of high-brow and low-brow humor, and who could forget Amy Poehler and Seth Meyers?The current anchors, Michael Che and Colin Jost, will probably be best known for making fun of each other. Over the years, one of the duo’s signature bits has been writing jokes for each other and reading them live for the first time. It seems like every time they do that bit, Che finds a new way to embarrass Jost.On April Fools' Day 2023, Che was at it again, this time with a brutal prank—he secretly asked the audience not to laugh at any of Jost’s jokes. Che and Jost opened their segment with jokes about the indictment of then-former President Donald Trump, but the audience laughed much harder at Che than at Jost. A few minutes into the bit, Jost made a joke at his own expense and it received only a smattering of laughter. - YouTube www.youtube.com "At this point, it feels like even pro-Trump people have moved on," Jost said, referring to the trial before a superimposed image of him wearing a "Make America Great Again" hat and a sign that read, "LET OUR BOY GO!" appeared on the screen.The gag was met with an audience member screaming, “You stink!" The heckle was the last straw for Jost, who dropped his head in his hand in shame. At that point, Che gave up the gag. "I told them not to laugh at you for April Fools," Che told Jost, and the two couldn’t keep it together. "That's the meanest thing you've ever done to me. I'm covered in sweat,” Jost told Che through fits of laughter."I was truly like, 'Am I not mic'd?' And then I was like, 'Oh, I just suck," Jost joked.The crowd broke out in applause for Jost, but he wouldn’t give them the satisfaction of acknowledging them after they refused to laugh at his jokes: "No, no! Don't even dare! Don't you even dare try now."When it was Jost’s turn to tell his next joke, a bit about Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, Che said, “They’ll probably laugh at this next one.” And the audience did.The episode was hosted by Abbot Elementary’s Quinta Brunson, who shined in “Traffic Altercation,” a sketch where she and Mikey Day played motorists screaming at each other in traffic. The crux of the bit was that they couldn’t hear what each other was saying, so they had to argue using hand signals. - YouTube www.youtube.com This article originally appeared two years ago.

Rodney Smith Jr., of Huntsville, Alabama, was profiled by KMBC in 2023 for his generous donation to two 11-year-olds who completed his 50 Yard Challenge in Gadsden, Alabama. Ja’Torrian Taylor and Tevin Rice, founders of TJ & JT Mowing Service, completed Smith’s challenge to mow 50 yards for the elderly, veterans, and people unable to care for their lawns for free."I’m heading down to Gadsden right now. These are good, hard-working kids that deserve some gratitude," Smith, known as "The Lawnmower Man," told KMBC. Smith had been told that Taylor and Rice were sharing an old lawnmower that a neighbor had donated to them.When he arrived, he gave both teens a mower, a blower, and a trimmer for their hard work, hoping they would use their new equipment to expand their business. "Giving these boys lawn equipment is teaching them discipline," Smith said. "If they tell someone they are going to mow a lawn, they need to mow the lawn.""Remember, this is not the end; it’s just the beginning," Smith added. "This could be the beginning of a successful lawn service." - YouTube www.youtube.com Smith’s commitment to caring for people’s lawns began in 2015, and the following year he went viral for helping a 93-year-old woman who could no longer mow her lawn. The photo of Smith and the woman received over 1 million likes.Five years ago, Upworthy profiled Smith for setting a bold goal of mowing lawns for free in all 50 states. His goal was to promote his initiative that "provides free lawn care to our elders, those who are disabled, single mothers, and our veterans, who do not have the time, resources, and/or money to manicure their yards."As part of this goal, he created the 50 Yard Challenge, which has been a smashing success.As of May 2023, 4,588 pre-teens and teens are participating in this challenge across the United States. If everyone completes the challenge, the total number of lawns mowed for free by Smith’s Raising Men & Women Lawn Care Service will reach 229,400.Kids and teens can take part in the challenge by sending them a photo holding up a sign that says, “I accept the 50 Yard Challenge,” and in return, they’ll receive a white Raising Men/Women shirt along with shades and ear protection to get started. For every 10 lawns cut, they will get a new color shirt.• 10 lawns earn an orange shirt• 20 lawns earn a green shirt• 30 lawns earn a blue shirt• 40 lawns earn a red shirt• 50 lawns earn a black shirtThe 50-Yard Challenge also promotes safe gardening. "This challenge is meant to be fun and also to help people, but first and foremost, like I said, safety comes first," Smith says. In the video, he and his friends explain why it's important for those who take the challenge to always wear safety equipment, ensure the lawn is cleared of debris, and wait until the lawn is dry before mowing. - YouTube youtu.be After completing the challenge, the child or teen will receive a mower, a blower, and a trimmer, just like Ja’Torrian Taylor and Tevin Rice from Alabama.Smith’s story is an incredible example of how one good deed from a kind-hearted person can lead to an outpouring of kindness across the country. It also teaches young people the values of giving back, self-discipline, and entrepreneurship.Learn more about Smith’s nonprofit and donate at Weareraisingmen.com.This article originally appeared two years ago.

We've all thought about it. Almost every one of us has been at the beach, at a resort, or on a cruise and thought, "Wow, I really wish we could just stay forever." The dread of going back to "real life" hits hard on that last day of vacation, and it's hard to stop your mind from wondering what exactly it would look like to just... stay.Some bold folks actually do it. Cruise ships, in particular, are a popular destination for people who want to permanently live on "vacation" because they can be relatively affordable and come with built-in food, adventure, and entertainment.Emma, who is in her thirties, recently decided to pull the trigger and do exactly that. Earlier this year, she quit her six-figure job in order to live full-time aboard cruise ships.Emma's partner of several years makes a living gambling on cruise ships as a professional poker player. Emma, who goes by A Broad That Travels, says he would be gone for weeks or months at a time sailing, and she finally had enough of all the time apart. "There was a point in time where we were just apart for more than half the year while he was cruising and I was doing my corporate grind, and it was really difficult," she says. "There were some cruises and some adventures he was doing where I was like...we have to do this together."So she decided to leave her six-figure career in corporate tech sales behind and join him. Though they had cruised a lot together, the couple had their first cruise as a part of their new lifestyle just two months ago, the first of a four-month stretch of non-stop cruising."At the end of the day, if you're not with the ones you love and you're not doing something you enjoy, then what's the point?" she says. "What's the point of having a job that makes you a lot of money if you can't enjoy the perks?"Everyone wants to know how Emma manages the finances of only working part-time and living on a cruise ship, and the answer is unique and fascinating: "The finances of the cruise actually work really well because we get free cruise offers from the casino. All we pay are port fees and taxes, which are minuscule in comparison to the standard costs of a cruise."(Emma's partner, Cael, for his part, also vlogs about the inner workings of his life as a poker player and how he's able to get so many free cruises.)Living on Royal Caribbean cruises, sailing to exotic ports, partying, eating incredible food. They're living the dream. Right? - YouTube www.youtube.com Except Emma says that, while living aboard cruises is fun and adventurous, the lifestyle comes with its challenges. Two months into her journey, she was hit by some of the "dark side" of full-time cruising.Many people who choose to live permanently on cruise ships are older and retired, or have enough savings to live off of for a while. Emma is young and still working part-time in data analytics and studying for her MBA, which poses some unique hurdles."Too much of a good thing is challenging," she says. "It's fun and it's really difficult."Emma says the overstimulation—the constant noise, music, people, crowds—is a lot to handle. Finding a quiet space on the ship other than her tiny room to work or study has proven to be almost impossible. About four to six weeks in, she says in a video update, she found herself wanting to go home."I think the biggest misconception is that people think it's going to be just fun non-stop and that I'm on vacation the entire time," she says. "I work and go to school, so I'm quite busy!"She says it's challenging to get up every day to work, study, eat normally, and exercise when the entire cruise atmosphere is built around excess and partying.The lifestyle can also, surprisingly, get lonely. Emma says that it's fun meeting people and making friends aboard the ship, but almost all of them disembark at the end of the week, never to be seen again. It's hard to build community and lasting connections."I'm definitely missing community engagement, things like that," she says. On the cruise, everyone is a stranger, all the time. The other high-status cruisers Emma and her partner meet are often much older, so making friends their own age is a challenge. - YouTube www.youtube.com However, Emma says that they have found ways to make it work, and they're adjusting to their new way of life.One thing that's helped is making connections and friendships with the staff aboard. Those are the only other people that are doing anything close to resembling "living normal life."They've found other ways to find community, family, and friendship as well: "We [recently] sailed with family for a 10-day cruise and had a blast! It's really great to spend time with family after being away from home for so long." See on Instagram She adds that the longer they stay aboard Royal Caribbean cruises, the more they start to see some of the same familiar faces. "We also ran into some friends on a cruise last month that we met on a cruise in the summer of 2024 going from Miami to Spain," she says. "We ended up hanging out with them most of the cruise and catching up. We're starting to notice a little bit of a community of frequent cruisers!"In the end, living permanently aboard a cruise ship (or any kind of vacation environment) seems appealing, but it's not for everyone. The lifestyle shift can be jarring, and it can be a huge adjustment."A few people have said it's their dream to do what I'm doing and think there's no way anyone could have any difficulty with the lifestyle," Emma writes. "While it is fun a lot of the time, and it is an amazing experience, there are also many aspects of living on a cruise ship that are difficult for me. Travel is often glamorized and I don't think people like when I break even a small part the illusion."

"...I think that our styles are kind of complementary”. The post The guitarist Frank Zappa said played “everything I don’t” first appeared on Far Out Magazine.