Just ahead of its blowout first-quarter earnings report last week‚ Google laid off at least 200 employees from its “Core” teams‚ in a reorganization that will include moving some roles to India and Mexico‚ CNBC has learned. Google’s Core unit is responsible for building the technical foundation behind the company’s flagship products and protecting users’ online safety‚ according to Google’s website. Core teams include key technical units from information technology‚...

Contestants on &;quot;Britain's Got Talent&;quot; (as well as &;quot;American Idol&;quot; and &;quot;America's Got Talent&;quot;) have long feared Simon Cowell's judgment‚ so imagine auditioning with a song choice that automatically brings out his sour side.That's what contestant Sydnie Christmas did when she chose to sing &;quot;Tomorrow&;quot; from the musical &;quot;Annie‚&;quot; which is Simon Cowell's least favorite song. But much to everyone's surprise‚ she totally blew him away with her beautiful soulful rendition‚ causing him to change his tune.Before performing‚ Christmas bounded onto the stage with her genuine smile and spunky energy‚ which endeared her to the judges and audience immediately. She even cracked a joke about her middle name being &;quot;Mary&;quot; (Sydnie Mary Christmas would be quite the name choice) and got everyone laughing with her. However‚ when she announced she'd be singing &;quot;Tomorrow‚&;quot; Cowell winced and the other judges groaned. &;quot;That is Simon's worst song‚&;quot; warned judge Amanda Holden.But when Christmas‚ who works as a receptionist at a gym‚ began to sing‚ it soon became clear that this wasn't an ordinary rendition of the musical classic. Soulful‚ heartfelt‚ sad but hopeful‚ she built the song up bit by bit‚ bringing the audience along with her on an emotional ride.Watch:Not only did she get the coveted Golden Buzzer‚ but she also managed to get Simon Cowell to say he now loves the song he said he'd hated just minutes before. Viewers loved it‚ too.&;quot;That was the first time I could take this song serious. Before today I hated it‚ too‚&;quot; wrote one person.&;quot;When they say you have to make the song your own‚ she did just that. I have never heard a better version‚&;quot; wrote another.&;quot;Absolutely beautiful; love how the word “tomorrow” always sounded unique EVERY TIME&;#33; Listened over and over…&;quot; added another.&;quot;I've heard that song a million times and she REALLY got the poignancy of it‚&;quot; shared another. &;quot;It is a sad song‚ but a song of hope‚ and it is hard to walk that line and she KILLED IT. It's not just about her voice‚ it is how she sold that song.&;quot;She even pulled in people from various walks of life‚ moving them with her performance:&;quot;I'm a 60 year old highway worker. Just got off work and my wife sent this to me. What I'm trying to figure out is who's been cutting onions in my vehicle&;#63; Seriously‚ teared me up. This took me COMPLETELY off guard and I am so delighted to have experienced this diamond&;#33;&;quot;&;quot;41 year old hip hop head here and never did I think I would be touched like this. The sound of suffering with a glimmer of hope in the sound. Who is cutting onions at this time.&;quot;&;quot;I’m a 60 year old builder sitting in my van having lunch. I just watched this. The guys in the next van are taking the P coz I’m crying my eyes out&;#33; Brilliant&;#33;&;quot;As someone named Annie‚ I've had &;quot;Tomorrow&;quot; sung to me countless times over the years‚ so I shared Simon Cowell's initial grimace upon hearing what she was going to sing. But I too was moved by Christmas's performance and gained a whole new appreciation for the song after her gorgeous rendition. Not an easy feat. What a delightful surprise for us all.

By now many people heard of positive affirmations and how well they can work for building self-esteem or confidence. They're generally short‚ positive phrases that relate to whatever the person my be struggling with. People say positive affirmations in the bathroom mirror‚ on their commute to work or while waiting to pick kids up from school. The phrases vary from person to person‚ but the sentiment is always the same‚ building the person up. Jen Butler‚ the woman behind the Instagram page‚ jenbutlersays‚ put a new spin on positive affirmations that others may want to try. Butler explains in her video that she decided to do an experiment by speaking to herself in the mirror like she speaks to her dog.The results were surprising to the comedian. Of course there were feelings of ridiculousness‚ but Butler noticed she actually started to feel better. Initially the experiment was supposed to last 30 days‚ but with the results being so positive‚ she says she may keep it up.&;quot;I did not do anything or talk to anyone between when I opened my eyeballs and shimmied my little tush on into the bathroom and stared in the mirror. And then was like‚ 'You're a little baby angel. It's the babiest little angel‚' and something about having that aggressive‚ intense‚ ridiculous love first thing in the morning just absolutely terrified any sort of insecurities into fight‚ flight or freeze‚ and then they just shut down‚&;quot; Butler explains.Watch: View this post on Instagram A post shared by Jen Butler (@jenbutlersays) People often talk to their pets in an especially happy‚ over-the-top tone‚ giving them praise for simply existing‚ but humans aren't usually that kind to themselves. Based on the comments‚ the comedian may have just unlocked a new way to do positive self-talk.&;quot;Absolutely LOVE this&;#33; On my very first day‚ using the very words I use on my furry baby‚ I said 'I love you so much‚ you bring joy to the world by simply existing and you teach us so much on a daily basis. Thank-you for being part of our family and loving us so much‚' I had no idea how much I needed to hear that‚&;quot; one person writes.&;quot;This is so good because I realized that I say to my dog every day 'you are handsome‚ and smart‚ and successful‚ and I am so proud of you' but I don’t even say that to myself‚&;quot; someone says.&;quot;I’m starting tomorrow talking to myself like I talk to my cat. So tomorrow I full expect to have an incredible day like the squishiest mamasita Bonita conchita burrito Dorito should‚&;quot; another shares.&;quot;Why does the thought of doing this for myself absolutely terrify me and bring me to tears‚&;quot; a commenter asks.So‚ if you've ever needed motivation to start doing your daily affirmations‚ just go ahead‚ stand in front of the mirror and tell yourself what a good human you are. You have the fluffiest best tush there ever was.

When two barbers noticed a young girl racing by their window and into oncoming traffic‚ they only had seconds to act. And thankfully‚ they did without hesitation.Osvaldo Lugo recently posted a harrowing surveillance video to the Instagram account of his Connecticut-based business‚ the Look Sharp Barbershop‚ which shows himself and an employee‚ Rafael Santana‚ racing out to scoop up a young girl mere seconds away from bolting into oncoming traffic.Lugo tells ABC7 that he simply went into “dad mode” the minute he spotted the girl in the shop window‚ who had escaped her mother at a nearby bus stop. Thank goodness he did‚ and that he and Santana were able to help the girl reunite with her mom‚ who seemed “confused and shocked but grateful‚” per Today.com.Even knowing this story has a happy ending‚ viewers found the footage terrifying‚ and commended the barbers on their bravery and fast action.“I can’t believe how long I was holding my breath while watching‚ even knowing that you both were to save her before she ran into the traffic‚” one person wrote.Another added‚ “Omg this gave me chills&;#33; Thank God you guys saw her &; most importantly went into action.” See on Instagram The East Hartford Police Department also praised Santana and Lugo in a Facebook post‚ which read:“Heroic Barbers to the Rescue&;#33; Today‚ we want to give a massive shoutout to the quick-thinking and brave duo‚ Osvaldo Lugo and Rafael Santana of LookSharp Barbershop.Their swift action saved a little toddler who had escaped from his mother and started moving towards traffic on Main Street. Thanks to them‚ a potential tragedy was averted‚ and a family remains whole. We’re incredibly grateful for these everyday heroes among us&;#33;”As for Luca and Santana‚ their actions aren’t considered anything out of the ordinary. As Santana shared with TODAY.com‚ “We did this out of love and we’d do it a million times again. We protect and serve our community at all costs.”It’s never a bad time to share stories like these. But right now‚ they seem more important than ever.

Grandparents are often stereotyped as doting and eager to be a big part of their grandchildren's lives. In movies and TV‚ we often see parents of child-free women begging them to have kids so they can be grandparents. However‚ that’s not always the case. Many grandparents are unable to help raise their grandkids because of their location or health. There are also far too many who aren’t that eager to do the work. For many parents‚ the presence of grandparents who actively participate in raising their kids can be a game-changer. The support they provide‚ whether it’s watching the kids on a Friday night or picking them up from school‚ can significantly ease the juggling act of modern parenting.Kelsey‚ a popular TikTok and Instagram mother of two‚ recently celebrated the joy of having “voluntarily involved” grandparents‚ calling them the biggest “parenting flex.” Of course‚ the subtext of the post is that‚ unfortunately‚ many grandparents are uninvolved with their grandchildren’s lives and their families could use their help.Warning: Strong language. @kelsey_p90 Top tier 🙌🏻🙌🏻 #fyp #foryourpage #foryou #momtok #mom #moms #momlife #momsbelike #momsoftiktok #sahm #grandparents #grandparentsoftiktok #grandma #grandpa #parenting #parentsoftiktok “Without question‚ the biggest parenting flex isn’t the mom car‚ not how much you make a year. It’s not how well-behaved your kids are‚” Kelsey starts her video. “Biggest flex is having involved grandparents. Voluntarily involved. Holy f***‚ having that midday struggle with my children and then getting that text from grandma: ‘Hey‚ can I pick so and so up for a sleepover tonight&;#63;’ Ha ha ha‚ funny‚ you should say that&;#33; Her bag has been packed. Never unpacked it. She’s ready.”She noted that “voluntarily involved” grandparents aren’t just doing the bare minimum. They’re stepping up and taking charge of their role in the family.“Ones that you can text like‚ ‘Hey‚ can you fly up this weekend&;#63; We need your help.’ ‘Sure‚ no problem&;#33;’ I don’t know what kind of reaction that was. But it came within the depths. Nothing beats it. Nothing beats a grandparent that wants to do more than required to get that yearly Facebook Happy Birthday Grandma post‚” Kelsey continued.Unfortunately‚ many moms and dads don’t have parents they can rely on to help them raise their kids and it’s a big loss. “A lot of the times‚ people don’t have help‚ and I am sorry‚” Kelsey said. That f****** blows. We know it’s their loss. We know. Who doesn’t want to be involved with their grandchildren&;#63;”Many commenters shared why raising kids without grandparents is so hard.&;quot;I recently read a quote that said 'uninvolved grandparents never intended to be parents themselves' everything made sense‚&;quot; Isabel Cardenas wrote. &;quot;You definitely got that right. That is the biggest flex of all time. There’s not enough money in the world that would take the jealousy I have for people who receive that type of love freely‚&;quot; Katy Alltop added.Kelsey shared her thoughts on why some grandparents aren’t voluntarily involved with their grandkids.“I think a lot of times grandparents have the point of view like ‘I did my time‚ I raised my children‚ now it’s my time to do whatever I want.’ They don’t want to be tied down with babysitting and other commitments‚” she told Upworthy. “Which I don’t think is necessarily a bad thing&;#33; They deserve a fun retirement. I would never want to force a grandparent (or anyone really) to be a part of my children’s lives. But it is so nice to see so many grandparents who go out of their way to foster relationships with their grandkids and who want to spend quality time with them (not just to give mom and dad a break).”

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