In one of the clearest demonstrations to date of how the West’s approach to arming Ukraine against Russia is shifting under President Trump, four European countries are buying U.S. military equipment valued at roughly $1 billion for delivery to Kyiv’s forces. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, after a phone call with Trump about the war, said Tuesday on X that he had discussed the European purchases and “our bilateral defense cooperation with America.”

Denmark, Norway and Sweden have promised to collectively spend $486 million on a NATO-led initiative to send U.S.-manufactured weapons to Ukraine, the Norwegian government announced Tuesday. The project takes advantage of the new Prioritized Ukraine Requirement List NATO mechanism, created last month in an agreement with President Trump. Under the mechanism, NATO and Canada will fund regular packages worth around $500 million, containing essential equipment...

President Donald Trump’s day began typically enough, with a television interview and a call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Then it took an unexpected and unusual turn when he appeared on the roof of the White House’s West Wing. Late Tuesday morning, Trump emerged from a door connected to the State Dining Room and stepped onto the roof above the press briefing room and west colonnade that walls the Rose Garden. He spent nearly 20 minutes surveying the rooftop and...

Have you ever noticed that some families can get into heated arguments—raised voices, vehement disagreement, rhetorical takedowns—and then act as if no actual conflict has taken place? If you come from a totally-conflict-avoidant or a genuinely-conflict-ridden family, such passionate debates might feel uncomfortable. If you come from a "recreational argument" family, it's just what people do when they get together.A woman's realization that she grew up in the latter kind of family has prompted discussions about the whole idea and has people from all kinds of backgrounds feeling seen. Emmaline (@emmaleendryer) shared in a video, "As someone who came from a recreational argument family…I just learned the term "recreational argument"—which I thought we were all doing—and I owe a lot of people a lot of apologies." @emmaleendryer Why does she owe some apologies? Because if you come from a recreational argument family, where argument is treated as a form of entertainment and debate is seen as an enjoyable activity like playing cornhole, you might assume that's the norm for everyone. And if you assume it's normal, you might argue with someone just because, or perhaps even to try to bond with them, and wind up surprised when they don't respond the way you expect them to. Either the person doesn't volley with you at all and just seems confused, or they engage in the debate but leave genuinely upset by the interaction. A Reddit post explained the phenomenon like this:"There are some people who 'argue' for fun. Flexing their rhetorical skills over something of no real-life consequence is a nice way to pass an afternoon. My In-Laws are like this. My father-in-law will argue with anyone about literally anything because to him, this is a fun game and he'd like to play with you, so Thanksgiving and Passover are always somewhat fraught holidays. I suspect a number of people online who are 'trolling' aren't actually trolling, but engaging in what they see as a Perfectly Normal Invitation to play. @thebadbroadcast_ "There are about the same number of people, in my experience, that find being in the general proximity of other people arguing the most agitating bullsh_t imaginable. Some people experience this as extreme, irrational annoyance, like people with misophonia when they hear chewing, and for some people the clinical meaning of the term 'Triggered' is applicable here because disagreements will, genuinely, trigger major psychological distress. Often, the more pointless and trivial the argument, the more agitating it is."The majority of people are somewhere in the middle of these extremes, and would like everyone else to mind their manners." Some people love to argue for fun, others hate it. Giphy To be clear, recreational arguing isn't fighting. There's no actual conflict taking place, but for those who are used to only experiencing debates or disagreements as fights, a passionate debate can feel like—and therefore be mistaken for—real conflict. People in the comments clearly fell into different camps, further elucidating the point. Those who came from recreational argument families discussed the enjoyment they get out of arguing:"It’s fun to debate vigorously.""What’s the point in having a brain if you aren’t going to use it? I could argue about literally anything because it’s fun to really think about sh_t. I don’t understand how you can enjoy life without a little recreational argument tbh." @thelivstorygoes gotta go write some apologies hold on #recreationalarguing #familydynamics #roastfest #siblings #highcortisol "I love recreational arguing. Growing up my siblings and I were constantly like we’re not fighting — this is just how we talk.""Why are you arguing??' Bro I thought this was just a conversation?""I have never heard the term recreational arguing before but this is the perfect explanation for why I enjoy a good debate and other people hate me for it ?.""I married outside of the recreational argument community. I love him but it’s tough.""I come from a playful roasting family and i for sure accidentally bullied some kids in elementary school that I thought I was friends with."However, those who didn't grow up with that normalized explained how uncomfortable it is to be around:"It’s so stressful for someone who does not do recreational arguing. ?""YEP I go into full fight or flight every single time. It’s so emotionally taxing for me to even witness it!" Arguments are stressful for some people, even when they're fun for others. Giphy GIF by 5A5Bseries "Yep my husband and father in law discuss politics and religion regularly and energetically. they get so riled up sometimes and I just hide in my room. I don't do raised voices well, even when I know they aren't mad, they are just loud talkers. ?""Cannot emphasize enough how much I DESPISE recreational arguing and debates. Literally hell on earth to be in a group of people like that."And then there were the people who came from one kind of family but felt like they belonged in another:"i grew up in a household where people just did not talk to each other. The first time i spent time with a recreational argument family it was like i was freed from a cage. I love it. i love talking and thinking and exploring and learning.""Try being a recreational arguer in a family where people argue argue. I just wanna have a nice fun disagreement but now everyone is mad." There can sometimes be a fine line between debating and fighting.Photo credit: Canva"I yearn to be a recreational argument family so I married into one… visiting my own family I often forget & get labeled argumentative… like yeah I’m trying to have stimulation conversation here.""What is it called when your family tries to be a recreational argument family but it almost always blows up into real fights? ??"Emmaline's admission that she might owe some apologies highlights the importance of understanding these different perspectives. If we assume all people view passionate discussions the way we do, we risk creating actual conflict or at the very least some uncomfortable feelings. When we listen to different people's perspectives like those shared in the comments of Emmaline's video, it's easier to see when it may not be the right time—or the right person—to engage in a debate, especially if it's just for fun.

Being a parent can put someone under incredible stress. Whether it's dealing with tantrums, a partner who isn’t helping, the laundry that keeps piling up, spills, awful smells, or French fries stuck in the back seat, parenthood is not for the faint of heart. In fact, just about every parent has a moment when they are pushed to the brink and may have had to resort to questionable tactics to get by.Recently on Threads, Victorious Mamas, a site that provides moms with a "daily dose of mom-life and motivation," asked a very personal question to the mothers out there, and many were unafraid to give an honest answer. “Give me your most UNHINGED mom sanity hacks. I'm not talking about ‘take a bubble bath’ or ‘drink more water,’” the viral post read. “I mean the most feral, desperate thing you've ever done to survive motherhood.” View on ThreadsThe parents responded with the “I did what I did to survive” type of responses that you’d hear from a war veteran, and their candor is refreshing to parents everywhere who may have acted a little unhinged when they were pushed to the limit. Some parents even bragged about the ways they’ve gone against time-honored parental wisdom on food, sleep, and disciplinary tactics just to make it through the day.Here are 15 of the most 'desperate’ and ‘unhinged’ things moms have done to keep their sanity.1. Scheduling breakdowns"Unhinged hack?I started scheduling my breakdowns. Not kidding! (Don’t judge!)If I know the week ahead is chaos ..double childcare, big project, sleep regressionI’ll literally block off a 30-min cry session in my ? Yip it sounds bonkers (I already know)Because if I don’t plan for the crash, I end up spiraling during school pickup, or crying into a cold coffee with one boob out ?Some people plan yoga. I plan emotional triage.And you know what? It’s batsh*t crazy but it works for me."2. What's on my butt?"I used to play 'What’s on my butt?' when I was sick and home with the kids alone. This game required me lying down on the couch and closing my eyes while my kids randomly placed items on my backside. I had to guess what each item was. I was a very bad guesser so this game took a long time and I got to rest. I also played 'Mom’s in the crypt' which required me lying down on my back on the couch with my eyes closed while they built Legos that had to be magnificent enough to rouse me." A son grbs his mom's glasses.via Canva/Photos3. They eat what they like"Food is food. If he wants to eat French fries for breakfast, then whatever.""Same. I truly don't get why food is assigned to certain meals. Sometimes I want fries for breakfast, too."4. No more grounding"Never ground your teenager. Tell them you’ll tag along to all their activities instead and join in. Game changer."5. Unlimited screen time"I know people fear this, but I’ve noticed my kids regulate themselves when it comes to screen time. I don’t have to monitor it heavily because they’re usually done after an hour or so.""You say this now, but that just causes behavioral issues, honestly"6. This mamma moved"We moved from Australia to rural Latin America so we could easily afford a nanny, cook and cleaning lady.""This is what me and hubby did as well, we moved to Ecuador and life is amazing, food is better and my baby is happy!"7. Stop folding clothes"Stop folding their clothes, just sort 'em a bit and put 'em in the drawer. Laundry is done in 5 min.""I do this too. 4 girls plus my own clothes to fold? No thanks." A tired mom in a pile of clothes.via Canva/Photos8. Caterpillar Bowl"My kids are picky about eating vegetables, but also they don't understand the Super Bowl and love to play make-believe; stay with me: we somehow invented a game called Caterpillar Bowl in which they compete as two caterpillars who squirm around the living room and have to eat lettuce leaves to win. They have consumed entire heads of lettuce in this fashion.""When my kids were little I would peel half a cucumber and told them they were like popsicles. They’d hold the non-peeled part and eat away. Idk but it worked better than just cutting them up.""I did this, but with dinosaurs! I used to put a handful of spinach on their plate and tell them they were TRexes that can’t use their arms to eat aso they’d rawr and eat the whole plate."9. Let them stay up"Going to bed and letting them kids stay up until sleep wins because that means they sleep until midday and my husband and I have quiet, slow mornings together alone. It’s the only way we’re surviving summer with them.""Yessss. I’ve been doing this all summer with my 12-year-old. He stays up gaming with friends, and I get peace and quiet till around noon. Fucking amazing!"10. Have two kids"It's too tiring to entertain 1 child all the time. So we made another. The moment she could walk, we decided that THAT was the best parenting decision we ever made.""I did this. Worked like a charm."11. Retire from motherhood"I locked myself in my room before. Told my kids "nope. I'm done. I've retired from motherhood." And locked myself in my room. My daughter drew a picture of her and her 2 siblings outside the door crying. They even video-called Nana. She texted me asking if I'm alright."12. Pretend you're a cow"When my kid is in full meltdown mode, I start making random animal sounds in response. Nothing diffuses a tantrum like a sassy cow.""I sing in Opera. It's kinda the same as this. Something about using random sounds to respond instead of words in that moment."13. Pull an all-nighter"About once a month, I pull an all-nighter and get sh*t done. Laundry, dishes, finishing a crochet project, showering, cleaning out the fridge, etc. In the morning, I am the calmest, pleasant, and PRESENT mom. Sometimes it just builds up so much that I get too restless to really rest, and I get tired of staying up until 3 or 4 am trying to catch up on one thing each night and just need a full reset."14. Enjoy a car wash"I bought a car wash membership, and I hit that thing every time I was out. Something about putting your car in neutral and being dragged through life for two and a half minutes grounded me. They used recycled water.""I usually scream loudly while going through, I feel so much better after."15. Saturday is Dad Day"I kick my family out of the house on Saturdays. Saturday = Dad day. And I don’t do any to help him prep. He makes lunches and snacks and decides where to go, and they come home at 7 with dinner in hand. Sometimes I clean the house. Sometimes I sleep all day. It is *my* day to do with I want.""We call it 'Daddurday.'”

An enduring classic. The post Late Night Lounge: The Motown classic Paul Shaffer calls his “favourite” record first appeared on Far Out Magazine.

Eighty Years Ago, Truman Did the Right Thing

On the Democratic Protests in Texas and Nebraska

Governors Harbor Fugitive Texas Legislators

Senate Democrats Continue Crusade to Fund Freezing and Discarding of Humans