What was supposed to be a time of celebration for Asna Tabassum – the University of Southern California’s 2024 valedictorian – has turned to disappointment after the university denied her the chance to give a speech at commencement over security concerns. “Over the past several days‚ discussion relating to the selection of our valedictorian has taken on an alarming tenor‚” USC Provost Andrew Guzman said in an online campus-wide letter. “The intensity of feelings‚ fueled by both social...

The University of Southern California canceled a commencement speech by its 2024 valedictorian who has publicly supported Palestinians‚ citing security concerns‚ a rare decision that was praised by several pro-Israel groups and lambasted by free speech advocates and the country’s largest Muslim civil rights organization. Andrew T. Guzman‚ provost and senior vice president for academic affairs for the private university in Los Angeles‚ said in a statement April 15 that debate over the...

The University of Southern California valedictorian who was barred from delivering a commencement speech while accused of promoting antisemitic rhetoric has doubled down on her views. “I stand by exactly what I stand by‚” Asna Tabassum told KABC-TV Wednesday of the views that led to her ban. “It is the very values and the very lessons USC taught me that I stand by.” The biomedical engineering major with a 3.98 grade point average spoke to the Los Angeles station after...

A mostly Democratic group of lawmakers are among those launching a renewed push for the Justice Department to condemn racist Supreme Court rulings from a century ago that shaped a legal landscape in which people living in U.S. territories were essentially treated as second-class citizens. Civil rights groups and professional legal associations are also joining the effort targeting the so-called Insular Cases‚ beginning with a letter sent to the Attorney General Merrick Garland this week.

Boeing whistleblower Sam Salehpour has doubled down on his claims that Boeing 787 Dreamliner planes need to be grounded due to widespread safety concerns. Salehpour‚ a Boeing engineer‚ previously alleged in documents to the FAA and during an interview with The New York Times that shortcuts taken when manufacturing the jets could become a serious problem as the airplanes get older‚ raising even more questions regarding the company's manufacturing practices. &;quot;I think it's as serious as I...

A Boeing whistleblower spoke up Wednesday about a &;quot;cover-up&;quot; of an incident involving one of the company's planes. Ed Pierson‚ a former senior manager for Boeing‚ on Wednesday appeared before the Senate Homeland Security &; Governmental Affairs Committee to speak about several incidents involving Boeing planes. During his testimony‚ Pierson spoke about the incident where a Boeing 737 MAX-9 plane‚ operated by Alaska Airlines‚ had a door panel break off shortly after take-off. &;quot;I'm...

A Boeing engineer who went public last week with safety concerns about the company’s 787 Dreamliner told a Senate panel on Wednesday that he was concerned that shortcuts the company was taking would eventually lead to a crash if they continued unchecked. The engineer‚ Sam Salehpour‚ testified that in an attempt to address bottlenecks‚ Boeing introduced production shortcuts with the potential to lead to planes breaking apart during flights. Mr. Salehpour said that the company was knowingly...

A recently posted story on Reddit shows a mother confidently standing up for her family after being bullied by a teacher for her culture. Reddit user Flowergardens0 posted the story to the AITA forum‚ where people ask whether they are wrong in a specific situation.Over 5‚600 people commented on the story‚ and an overwhelming majority thought the mother was right. Here’s what went down:“I (34F) have a (5M) son who attends preschool. A few hours after I picked him up from school today‚ I got a phone call from his teacher‚” Flowergardens0 wrote. “She made absolutely no effort to sound kind when she‚ in an extremely rude and annoyed tone‚ told me to stop packing my son such ‘disgusting and inappropriate’ lunches.&;quot; &;quot;I felt absolutely appalled when she said this‚ as me and the teacher have‚ up until now‚ always maintained a very friendly relationship. She added that the lunches I’m packing my son are ‘very distracting for the other students and have an unpleasant odor.’ I told her that I understand her concerns‚ as the lunches I pack are definitely not the healthiest‚ but the lunches are according to my son’s preferences.”The mother added that she usually sends her son to school with small celery sticks‚ blue cheese and goat cheese‚ kimchi‚ spam and spicy Sriracha-flavored Doritos.“I ended the call by saying that I very much appreciated her worries‚ but that at the end of the day‚ I am not going to drastically change my son’s lunches all of a sudden‚ and that it’s not my fault if other students are ‘distracted’ by his meal‚” the mother continued. “It is very important to me what my son enjoys‚ and I want him to like my lunches.”The teacher replied with an email saying the mom's response was &;quot;unacceptable&;quot; and that his lunches were “just too inappropriate to be sent to school any longer.”“I haven’t responded yet and don’t want to. I want to maintain a healthy relationship with my son’s teachers. I am confused as to what to do‚” the mom ended her story.It’s clear that the teacher is way out of line in this situation because the child is eating food that is entirely normal in Korean culture. It may have a strong odor to those who aren’t used to it‚ but that’s just an opportunity for the teacher to explain to the children how people from different parts of the world eat different types of food. It’s not that hard.The only reason the teacher should have any choice over what the child eats is if it is egregiously unhealthy and may cause them harm.The most popular commenter on the forum suggested that the mother bring the issue to the principal’s attention.&;quot;Report her to the principal‚&;quot; Thatshygal717 wrote. &;quot;Her comments regarding your son’s food are 'disgusting' and 'have an unpleasant tone' aka cough cough racist tone. She’s too inappropriate to be teaching at the school any longer.&;quot;Another commenter‚ muffiewriters‚ assured the mother that she was doing nothing wrong. &;quot;Your son's food is perfectly normal‚&;quot; they wrote. &;quot;For a 5-year-old. Your family's food is normal. The teacher is TA for not recognizing that.”The mother hasn’t shared what she did next‚ but she’s handled the situation perfectly so far. She told the teacher that it’s not her fault if other kids are distracted by her food and that she will not change her son’s diet to please other people.The beauty of America is that we are a country of many different cultures mixed like a beautiful bowl of salad. It’s great that so many people supported the mother and reminded her that her family has every right in the world to eat the food they love‚ and if it bothers anyone‚ they can keep it to themselves.P.S. That teacher has no idea what she’s talking about. Korean food is delicious.This article was originally published on 3.20.23.

The sweet-faced‚ loveable Labrador Retriever is no longer America’s favorite dog breed. The breed best known for having a heart of gold has been replaced by the smaller‚ more urban-friendly French Bulldog.According to the American Kennel Club‚ for the past 31 years‚ the Labrador Retriever was America’s favorite dog‚ but it was eclipsed in 2022 by the Frenchie. The rankings are based on nearly 716‚500 dogs newly registered in 2022‚ of which about 1 in 7 were Frenchies. Around 108‚000 French Bulldogs were recorded in the U.S. in 2022‚ surpassing Labrador Retrievers by over 21‚000.The French Bulldog’s popularity has grown exponentially over the past decade. They were the #14 most popular breed in 2012‚ and since then‚ registrations have gone up 1‚000%‚ bringing them to the top of the breed popularity rankings. None — (@) The AKC says that the American Hairless Terrier‚ Gordon Setter‚ Italian Greyhound and Anatolian Shepherd Dog also grew in popularity between 2021 and 2022.The French Bulldog was famous among America’s upper class around the turn of the 20th century but then fell out of favor. Their resurgence is partly based on several celebrities who have gone public with their Frenchie love. Leonardo DiCaprio‚ Megan Thee Stallion‚ Alexandra Ocasio-Cortez‚ Reese Witherspoon and Lady Gaga all own French Bulldogs.The breed earned a lot of attention as show dogs last year when a Frenchie named Winston took second place at the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show and first in the National Dog Show.The breed made national news in early 2021 when Gaga’s dog walker was shot in the chest while walking two of her Frenchies in a dog heist. He recovered from his injuries‚ and the dogs were later returned.The French Bulldog's complicated past took them from brothels (yes) to royals.Listen to their full history and more in the Uniquely Urban podcast episode of Down &; Back: https://t.co/Jx2jPNCVMb pic.twitter.com/wBQd9fsRlt— American Kennel Club (@akcdoglovers) March 16‚ 2023 They’ve also become popular because of their unique look and personalities.“They’re comical‚ friendly‚ loving little dogs‚” French Bull Dog Club of America spokesperson Patty Sosa told the AP. She said they are city-friendly with modest grooming needs and “they offer a lot in a small package.”They are also popular with people who live in apartments. According to the AKC‚ Frenchies don’t bark much and do not require a lot of outdoor exercise.The French Bulldog stands out among other breeds because it looks like a miniature bulldog but has large‚ expressive bat-like ears that are its trademark feature. However‚ their popularity isn’t without controversy. “French bulldogs can be a polarizing topic‚” veterinarian Dr. Carrie Stefaniak told the AP.French Bulldogs have been bred to have abnormally large heads‚ which means that large litters usually need to be delivered by C-section‚ an expensive procedure that can be dangerous for the mother. They are also prone to multiple health problems‚ including skin‚ ear‚ and eye infections. Their flat face means they often suffer from respiratory problems and heat intolerance.Frenchies are also more prone to spine deformations and nerve pain as they age.Here are the AKC’s top ten most popular dog breeds for 2022.1 French Bulldogs2 Labrador Retrievers3 Golden Retrievers4 German Shepherd Dogs5 Poodles6 Bulldogs7 Rottweilers8 Beagles9 Dachshunds10 German Shorthaired PointersThis article originally appeared on 03.17.23