Israel hit Hezbollah targets in Lebanon in what it called a preemptive strike to stop an imminent attack by the militant group, and Hezbollah followed up with hundreds of rockets, a major exchange between the two that came as fears of escalation in the Middle East increase—and negotiators work toward a delicate Israel-Hamas cease-fire. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu tweeted early Sunday morning Israel identified “Hezbollah preparations to attack Israel” and he directed...

Israel and the Hezbollah militant group launched their heaviest exchange of fire after months of strikes and counterstrikes. By mid-morning Sunday, it appeared to have ended, with both sides saying they only aimed at military targets. Authorities in Lebanon said the Israeli strikes killed three people, while Israel said one of its soldiers was killed. President Biden is closely monitoring the events in Israel and Lebanon. "At his direction, senior U.S. officials have been communicating...

No matter our age, we all want kindness and respect from our peers. No one enjoys being judged or criticized, and negative comments about our appearance sting even if we don't want them to.Unfortunately, that doesn't always stop people from pointing out things they think we should change about ourselves. Issues like hair shaming and body shaming are all too common, despite greater awareness of the hurt they cause.Elementary school teacher Natalie Ringold shared a lesson about this phenomenon, and though it's geared toward kids, it's one a lot of grown-ups could take to heart as well. Holding a tube of toothpaste, Ms. Ringold explained when it's appropriate to say something about someone's appearance and when it's not. See on Instagram "If somebody can't change something about themselves in 30 seconds or less," she said, "then you shouldn't be mentioning it to them." She gave examples of things that do take 30 seconds or less, such as if someone's shoe is untied or they have something stuck to their shirt or their fly is unzipped. For those things, it's okay to tell the person (politely, and in private if it's something that might embarrass them to point out in front of other people) so they can fix it.But if it's something that would take more than 30 seconds to change or isn't even possible to change, like their hairsytle or hair color or body shape, then that's not something you should comment on."Your words have power," Ms. Ringold said. Squeezing toothpaste out of the tube, she explained that when you say something about someone that they can't change in 30 seconds or less, it can be hurtful, and just like toothpaste once it's out of the tube, you can't fully take it back once it's out there."You try to apologize, you try to take the words back…and you try to undo what you said, undo what you did. But it's something they couldn't change about themselves, and so it get very messy. You can't totally take those words back. You can't totally fix it.""Your words have power and your words matter," she said. "If you walk out of this room spreading kindness to the people around you, spreading love to the people around you, that is what truly makes a difference." Ms. Ringold shared that she does this lesson with her students on the last day of school because she wants them to remember this concept for the rest of their lives. People in the comments were so appreciative of the message for all ages. "I think many adults need to hear this message!""Exactly my thoughts. A lot of adults need to hear this too.""BLESS YOU!!! As a person who was relentlessly racially harassed as a child, I wish this was taught.""If they are old enough to be mean on purpose they are old enough to be kind on purpose.""This should be required viewing for anyone who wants to join social media.""This made me cry. Can I start my college courses with this?""I saw you post this and had this conversation with my 4th graders!! It helped so much!!"Here's to teachers teaching lessons beyond academics, helping kids learn that their humanity matters just as much as their grades. This article originally appeared on 6.19.24

When Arnold Ford went to work on his birthday in February of 2024, he knew he was in for a treat. One of his students, a girl named Cali, has the same birthday as he does, and Ford was ready.As soon as he saw Cali come bounding down the hallway with her arms spread wide, the assistant principal tossed his backpack aside, swooped the girl up and spun her around in joyful celebration. Then the two raced down the hallway, arm in arm, so Cali could give him a balloon and a cupcake she had saved for him. All of this was captured on the security cameras at west Philadelphia's Mastery Charter School, Mann Elementary, and the footage has people cheering for amazing educators."I’m so grateful to God for allowing me to see another year," Ford wrote when he shared the video on his Instagram page. "I’m even more grateful that LOVE continues to be the centerpiece of my entire life.""And… as you can see… I’m also grateful that I get to share a birthday with one of my favorite students," he continued. "And yes… she brought me a balloon and a cupcake, and in exchange, I told her she could dress down today. Fair trade if you ask me!Watch: See on Instagram People are gushing over the exchange in the comments."Do y'all teach 25th grade!? I need an elementary school experience do-over!" wrote one person."Bro my own parents never been that happy to see me ?," wrote another."Can you imagine marinating in that love on a daily basis? What a gift this man is!" shared another.Several people pointed out that no one else in the video so much as blinked, which is a testament to the fact that this wasn't out of the ordinary. Clearly, Mr. Ford brings this energy to work every day."I think it’s important for us to celebrate WITH our students and families," Ford tells Upworthy. "[Cali's] birthday is a big deal to her, and so is mine. We talk about it ALL year. So when that day came, what you saw was just a natural, genuine reaction that we both had. She was excited to be celebrating me, and I was excited to be celebrating her." Educators like Ford can make such an enormous difference in children's lives, transforming a school into a place filled with positive interactions where kids know people genuinely care about and enjoy being around them. That's what Ford loves about his job as well. "It really is the reciprocal nature of the work," he tells Upworthy. "We get so much more than we ever put out. Love. Joy. Laughter. The more we sow those things, we see them return exponentially in this work. That’s why when I often say 'Love is the curriculum,' it’s because I recognize how blessed I am to be able to put positivity and joy at the center of my experience with them. It’s humbling.""In other words, I love that I don’t have to wait until Fridays to get paid." he adds.Here's to Mr. Ford and all of the dedicated, incredible educators out there who pour their love into helping children learn and grow and thrive. They really do deserve all the balloons and cupcakes—and all the pay raises as well. You can follow Arnold Ford on Instagram.This article originally appeared on 4.7.24

David C. Smalley, a comedian and podcaster, regularly gives us some generational humor by exposing his 19-year-old daughter Talissa to relics of the past. You know, things like CDs, phonebooks, remote controllers…feeling old yet? Recently, Smalley challenged Talissa with navigating a standard U-Haul storage truck. She had to 1) unlock the door 2) roll down a window and 3) start the engine.For those of us who grew up before the 90s, this might sound like the easiest challenge ever. But apparently, for Gen Z, it’s like being asked to maneuver a horse and buggy.Despite growing up in a key fob generation, where simply pressing a button on a tiny remote controller could magically open doors, Talissa aced unlocking the door with a key. Next, she was understandably baffled over the amount of physical labor required to simply roll down a window. “Are you serious? They haven’t updated that?!” she exclaimed while doing the tedious hand-cranking move we all know so well. “Are you kidding me?! I would not do this every time.” She definitely had a point on this one. Electronic windows have been the standard for decades. Is U-Haul just sentimental or what? Having checked off two of the three tasks, Talissa then had to start the car—which proved to be the biggest challenge of all. Looking on the center console, where she’s used to seeing the ignition button, Talissa found the airbag and radio (two foreign objects in their own right) but no way to start the car. Finally…success! Talissa found the ignition hiding behind the steering wheel. “I’m not going to make it explode, am I?” she joked as she turned the key and celebrated her victory. Watch below. Hearing Talissa ask if the radio is a “fidget game” is entertainment in itself. @davidcsmalley #daughterissues #daughterpod ♬ original sound - David C. Smalley It’s always fun to see the ways in which different generations navigate the world through fashion, slang, entertainment, dating, food, the list goes on. But technology, which continues to evolve at a rapid rate, always feels like the biggest culture shock. And unlike bell bottoms, outdated tech rarely makes a comeback. So once the more energy efficient, more convenient appliance becomes mainstream, its predecessor is forever obsolete. Unless of course you count the cool, hipster folks hanging onto vinyl for the superior sound quality.Speaking of vinyl, Talissa was also previously challenged by Smalley to work a record player, to equal hilarity: @davidcsmalley #daughterissues #daughterpod #genz #genx #recordplayers #vinyl #talissa ♬ original sound - David C. Smalley Somehow, seeing how far we’ve come through the look of bafflement from the young ones is the only thing that never gets old.Enjoy more fun interactions from Smalley and Talissa on TikTok. This article originally appeared on 9.25.23

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Why I’m Voting for President Trump

We need to overhaul the voting system and reconsider the “one man one vote” principle. The current system allows people who live off the state to have significant influence, leading to a […]