House Speaker Mike Johnson defiantly rejected a new call for his resignation‚ a day after the embattled party leader introduced a plan to pass bills funding Ukraine‚ Israel and other overseas allies. The comments came after Rep. Thomas Massie (R.‚ Ky.)‚ a sharp critic of further aid to Ukraine‚ said Tuesday morning that he is planning to join Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R.‚ Ga.) on her motion to vacate the speaker chair‚ which could lead to a vote to oust the speaker. Greene filed the...

The California Highway Patrol is warning that tactics used by &;quot;unlawful&;quot; anti-Israel protesters that temporarily blocked roads and created a traffic nightmare yesterday on the Golden Gate Bridge and along Interstate-880 in Oakland &;quot;will not be tolerated.&;quot;  The CHP’s Golden Gate Division says 38 people have been arrested following the incidents‚ in which demonstrators held up a banner with the message &;quot;Stop the world for Gaza&;quot; and attached themselves to 55-gallon...

Conservative Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) is joining Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) in her efforts to oust Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) after the Louisiana Republican announced plans to bring multiple foreign aid bills to the floor. Why it matters: Johnson's speakership is in the most precarious place its been since taking over the gavel‚ coming under fire from conservatives over his handling of an array of policy issues. Massie told the room he feels Johnson should resign and asserted...

For those who love the oh-so fresh feeling of immediately running to brush their teeth after a meal‚ we got some bad news. London-based dental surgeon and facial aesthetics practitioner Dr. Shaadi Manouchehri recently shocked around 12 million viewers on TikTok after sharing the three occasions when you should “never” be scrubbing those pearly whites—if you want to actually protect your teeth‚ that is. The hardest part about this video‚ which some viewers are undoubtedly still processing‚ is that each of these no-no times is exactly when brushing your teeth is the only thing you’ll want to do. So much for instincts. Number one on Manouchehri’s list‚ which caused the most controversy in the comments‚ is right after vomiting. Yep‚ you read that right. “This is because the contents of the stomach are extremely acidic and the mouth is already in a very acidic state so if you brush straight after [vomiting] you’re basically wearing away your enamel‚” Manouchehri explained.Of course‚ commenters weren’t willing to let this one go without a fight. One viewer wrote‚ “I would rather lose all of my teeth than not brush after vomiting.” Manouchehri also says to avoid brushing your teeth directly after eating breakfast. This is because “when you’ve just eaten‚ the mouth is‚ again in a “very acidic state‚” so if you’re brushing your teeth you’re rubbing that acid on the tooth‚ which wears down the enamel.” Other sources have also confirmed that brushing your teeth tight after any meal isn’t really recommended. This goes double for right after sweets. Manouchehri says to wait a full 60 minutes before putting a toothbrush anywhere near your mouth after having something sugary. Because…you guessed it…acid. Does this advice seem counterintuitive&;#63; Don’t worry‚ you’re not alone. @drshaadimanouchehri #dentist #dentistry #dentaladvice #learnontiktok #funfacts #londondentist #dentalcleaning #teethbrushing #teethbrushingmadeeasy #teethbrushingtips #londondentistry #marylebonedentist #fypã‚· ♬ original sound - Dr Shaadi Manouchehri “Ah‚ yes‚ the three times I want to brush my teeth more than any other time‚” one person joked. Luckily‚ there are few alternatives to try if you want that good‚ clean mouth feeling but don’t want to compromise your enamel—the simplest being to either rinse with or drink water. You can also use sugar-free chewing gum or conclude your meal with dairy or non-acidic foods‚ according to Advanced Dental Associates. If you still crave a little more of a hygiene bang‚ you can opt for a mouthwash with fluoride and using a tongue cleaner‚ which removes excess acid‚ per Curetoday.com. Guess there’s a time and a place for everything‚ even when it comes to dental hygiene.

“Do you remember…the 21st night of September&;#63;” has been one of the most iconic song openings of the past 45 years‚ as the R&;B hit by Earth‚ Wind and Fire perpetually serves as a catchy favorite for dance clubs‚ movie scenes and TikTok clips alike. However‚ &;quot;September&;quot; has also gained wild popularity among an unlikely group—pet cockatiels. One cockatiel in particular has taken a shining to the song to the point of obsession‚ to the combined delight and chagrin of his owner. You see‚ Kiki doesn’t just like listening to the song‚ he sings and dances to it. Loudly. Over and over. At uncomfortable hours of the morning.Kiki’s owner has shared multiple examples of her pet bird reveling in his favorite song‚ and it’s hilarious every time.Watch: @kiki.tiel Send help plz wheres the off button on parrot #fyp #foryou #bird #cockatiel #parrotsoftiktok #birdsoftiktok &;quot;Kiki…it's 7 o'clock in the morning…&;quot; Yeah‚ Kiki does not care. Kiki is feelin' the groove.This isn't just a one-off and it's also not just a random song. Here we can see that Kiki recognizes it and sings it when his owner plays it. (Just after pooing on her leg—the reality of having a bird‚ in case these videos make you want one). @kiki.tiel Babywipes handy at all hours 🫡 #bird #cockatiel #fyp #foryou #september #parrot But Kiki doesn't even need anyone else around in order to sing his favorite song. Here he is singing and dancing all by himself when his owner left the room and left her camera running to see what he would do. @kiki.tiel Partying without me :( #cockatielsoftiktok #birds #fyp #for you As cute and hilarious as this is‚ it surely gets old after a while‚ right&;#63; It's one thing to watch in a video—it's got to be entirely another to hear it all the time at home.It's also not just a Kiki quirk. Apparently‚ &;quot;September&;quot; is a &;quot;thing&;quot; among cockatiels. Other cockatiels have been known to love it and sing it‚ though not quite as well as Kiki does. Someone on Reddit asked why so many cockatiels love the song—one person even said it was basically the cockatiel national anthem at this point. No one knows exactly why‚ but this explanation by Reddit user nattiecakes is as good an explanation as any: &;quot;Yeah‚ cockatiels genuinely like the song in a way they don’t universally take to many other songs. My cockatiel is 17 and early in life basically seemed to max out his harddrive space learning a little bit of La Cucaracha‚ The Flintstones theme‚ the phrase 'pretty bird‚' and this horrible alarm clock sound that is similar to the hungry baby cockatiel sound. We thought we could not get him to learn anything else because they do have some limits.Then 'September' came. Every cockatiel loved it. We decided to see if our cockatiel loved it.I sh*t y’all not‚ within a DAY he whistled the first three notes‚ which is really all that matters. He hasn’t been able to learn more‚ but he loves it.Now our African grey whistles it to him constantly. He used to reliably whistle La Cucaracha to our cockatiel when our cockatiel would get angry and upset‚ and our cockatiel would start singing instead and forget he’d been upset. But almost immediately our grey switched to using 'September' 90% of the time. Like‚ it’s so plain even to our grey that 'September' is the song to unlock a cockatiel’s better nature. I think the grey likes it a lot too‚ but he has many other songs he likes better.As for why cockatiels like this song so much… all I can guess is it really resonates with their cheery vibe. I think the inside of a cockatiel’s mind is usually like a disco.&;quot;Rock on‚ Kiki. Just maybe not so early in the morning.

When we see someone dealing with the loss of a loved one or some other major life crisis‚ it's instinctual for many of us to ask how we can help. Often‚ the conversation looks something like this:Us: I am SO sorry you're going through this. What can I do to help&;#63; Person in crisis: I honestly don't know right now. Us: Okay…well…you let me know if you need anything—anything at all.Person in crisis: Okay‚ thank you.Us: I mean it. Don't hesitate to ask. I'm happy to help with whatever you need.And then…crickets. The person never reaches out to take you up on the offer. Was it that they didn't really need any help‚ this person going through a major life crisis&;#63; Unlikely. As sincere as our offer may have been‚ the problem may be that we didn't really offer them what they actually needed. One of those needs is to not have to make decisions. Another is to not have to directly ask for help. When a person is in a state of crisis‚ they can feel like they're drowning. They might be disoriented and fatigued‚ and doing anything other than keeping their head above water long enough to breathe can feel like too much. If someone is drowning‚ you don't ask them what you can do to help or wait for them to ask. You just take action. Here are some specific ways you can take action to help someone who you know needs help but isn't able or willing to ask for it:1. Make them foodIt may be tempting to ask if you can make them a meal and wait for them to say yes or no‚ but don't. Simply ask if they or anyone in their household has any dietary restrictions‚ and then start shopping and cooking.Meals that can be popped in the refrigerator or freezer and then directly into the oven or microwave are going to be your best bets. Include cooking or reheating instructions if it's not obvious. Disposable aluminum trays are great for homemade freezer-to-oven meals and can be found at just about any grocery store. Casseroles. Stir fried rices. Soups. Comfort foods. If you don't cook‚ you can buy them gift cards to local restaurants that deliver‚ or give them a DoorDash or UberEats gift certificate (large enough to cover the delivery‚ service fees and tip as well‚ which combined can be as much as a meal sometimes). Even better—organize a meal trainIf you want to make it a community-wide effort and no one else has done so yet‚ set up a &;quot;meal train‚&;quot; where different people sign up for different days to bring meals to spread out the food help over time. There are several free websites you can use for this purpose‚ including Give In Kind‚ Meal Train‚ and Take Them a Meal. These sites make it super easy for anyone with the personalized link to sign up for a meal. 2. Clean their kitchen and/or bathroomsKitchens are always in use‚ and keeping up with dishes‚ especially in a house full of people‚ is a challenge even under normal circumstances. Same with keeping the refrigerator cleaned out. Same with cleaning the bathroom.Rather than asking if they want it done‚ as many people won't want to say yes even if they would appreciate the help‚ try saying something like‚ &;quot;I want to come and make sure your kitchen is ready for you to make food whenever you want to and that your bathroom is a clean space for you to escape to whenever you feel like it. Is Tuesday or Wednesday at 1:00 better for you&;#63;&;quot; The fewer complex decisions a person in crisis has to make the better‚ so saying‚ &;quot;Is this or that better&;#63;&;quot; rather than offering open-ended possibilities can be helpful. 3. Do laundryOffer to sit and chat with them‚ let them vent if they need to…and fold their laundry while you're at it. Are they the kind of people who might be embarrassed by you seeing or handling their underclothes&;#63; Fine. Wash‚ dry and fold towels or bedsheets instead. Just keep the laundry moving for them. And if it doesn't feel appropriate or desirable for you to do their laundry at their house‚ you can offer a pick-up laundry service‚ either yourself or an actual hired service. Tell the person to put bags or bins of laundry at the door and you (or the service) will come pick it up and bring it back clean and folded the next day. That's a great way to be of service without feeling like you're intruding.4. Run errands for them&;quot;Hey‚ I'm heading out to the store‚ what can I grab you while I'm there&;#63;&;quot; is always a welcome phone call or text. Let them know when you're going to be running your own errands and see if there's anything they need dropped at the post office‚ picked up from the pharmacy‚ or anything else. You can also offer to run errands with them. &;quot;Hey‚ I've got some errands to run. Do you want to join me&;#63;&;quot; They may have no desire to leave the house‚ or they may desperately want to leave the house‚ so be prepared for either answer‚ but the offer is solid. Even just not having to drive might be a relief if they have things they need to pick up or drop off places. 5. Provide childcareIf the person is a parent‚ taking their kid(s) out for a chunk of the day can be a big help. Caring for yourself is hard when you're going through a difficult time‚ and the energy a person might use to actually do that often gets usurped by caring for others. Obviously‚ parents can't just neglect their children‚ so anything you can do to relieve them of that responsibility for a while is gold. Offering to take the kids to do something fun—a day at the park‚ ice skating‚ etc. is even better. A parent knowing their kid is safe‚ occupied and happy is its own form of relief. 6. Ask what they're struggling with and focus your help thereWhile all of these practical household things are helpful‚ there might be some people who find comfort or solace in doing those things themselves. If that's the case‚ talk with them about what their immediate needs are and what they're having a hard time dealing with. Then focus your energies there. &;quot;What can I do to help&;#63;&;quot; may not be as effective a question as &;quot;What are you having a hard time doing right now&;#63;&;quot; They may not know what kind of help they need‚ but they probably know how they're struggling.One person might be lonely and just want some company. Another person might need a creative outlet or a mindless distraction or something physical like going for a walk or a hike. Someone else might have pets they need help caring for‚ a garden that need tending or the oil changed in their car. Someone might even need a person to serve as a shield or buffer between them and all the people coming to offer their condolences. Note that many of these things are basic life maintenance stuff—those are often the things that get hard for people when they're dealing with the emotional and logistical stuff surrounding whatever they're going through‚ and they're often the easiest things other people can do for them. A time of crisis is not a normal time‚ so normal etiquette‚ such as asking if you can or should do something rather than just letting them know you're going to do it‚ doesn't always apply. If there's a specific thing with specific tasks‚ such as planning a funeral‚ that might be a good opportunity to ask how you can help. But people deep in the throes of grief or struggle often need someone to the reins on basic things without being asked to. Again‚ there's a good chance they feel like they're drowning‚ so don't wait for an invitation. Just grab the life preserver‚ put it around them and do whatever needs to be done to get them to shore.This article originally appeared on 2.5.24

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