It's not uncommon for parents to puzzle over their kids' homework. Sometimes, it's just been too long since they've done long division for them to be of any help. Or teaching methods have just changed too dramatically since they were in school.And other times, kids bring home something truly inexplicable.Trameka Brown-Berry was looking over her 4th-grade son Jerome's homework when her jaw hit the floor."Give 3 'good' reasons for slavery and 3 bad reasons," the prompt began.You read that right. Good reasons ... FOR SLAVERY.Lest anyone think there's no way a school would actually give an assignment like this, Brown-Berry posted photo proof to Facebook.In the section reserved for "good reasons," (again, for slavery), Jerome wrote, "I feel there is no good reason for slavery thats why I did not write."Yep. That about covers it.The school assignment was intended to spark debate and discussion — but isn't that part of the problem?The assignment was real. In the year 2018. Unbelievable.The shockingly offensive assignment deserved to be thrown in the trash. But young Jerome dutifully filled it out anyway.His response was pretty much perfect.We're a country founded on freedom of speech and debating ideas, which often leads us into situations where "both sides" are represented. But it can only go so far.There's no meaningful dialogue to be had about the perceived merits of stripping human beings of their basic living rights. No one is required to make an effort to "understand the other side," when the other side is bigoted and hateful.In a follow-up post, Brown-Berry writes that the school has since apologized for the assignment and committed to offering better diversity and sensitivity training for its teachers.But what's done is done, and the incident illuminates the remarkable racial inequalities that still exist in our country. After all, Brown-Berry told the Chicago Tribune, "You wouldn't ask someone to list three good reasons for rape or three good reasons for the Holocaust."At the very end of the assignment, Jerome brought it home with a bang: "I am proud to be black because we are strong and brave ... "Good for Jerome for shutting down the thoughtless assignment with strength and amazing eloquence.This article originally appeared on 01.12.18

Land ice: We got a lot of it. Considering the two largest ice sheets on earth — the one on Antarctica and the one on Greenland — extend more than 6 million square miles combined ... yeah, we're talkin' a lot of ice. But what if it was all just ... gone? Not like gone gone, but melted?If all of earth's land ice melted, it would be nothing short of disastrous.And that's putting it lightly.This video by Business Insider Science (seen below) depicts exactly what our coastlines would look like if all the land ice melted. And spoiler alert: It isn't great.Lots of European cities like, Brussels and Venice, would be basically underwater.In Africa and the Middle East? Dakar, Accra, Jeddah — gone.Millions of people in Asia, in cities like Mumbai, Beijing, and Tokyo, would be uprooted and have to move inland.South America would say goodbye to cities like Rio de Janeiro and Buenos Aires.And in the U.S., we'd watch places like Houston, San Francisco, and New York City — not to mention the entire state of Florida — slowly disappear into the sea.All GIFs via Business Insider Science/YouTube.Business Insider based these visuals off National Geographic's estimation that sea levels will rise 216 feet (!) if all of earth's land ice melted into our oceans.There's even a tool where you can take a detailed look at how your community could be affected by rising seas, for better or worse.Although ... looking at these maps, it's hard to imagine "for better" is a likely outcome for many of us.Much of America's most populated regions would be severely affected by rising sea levels, as you'll notice exploring the map, created by Alex Tingle using data provided by NASA.Take, for instance, the West Coast. (Goodbye, San Fran!)Or the East Coast. (See ya, Philly!)And the Gulf Coast. (RIP, Bourbon Street!)I bring up the topic not just for funsies, of course, but because the maps above are real possibilities.How? Climate change.As we continue to burn fossil fuels for energy and emit carbon into our atmosphere, the planet gets warmer and warmer. And that, ladies and gentlemen, means melted ice.A study published this past September by researchers in the U.S., U.K., and Germany found that if we don't change our ways, there's definitely enough fossil fuel resources available for us to completely melt the Antarctic ice sheet.Basically, the self-inflicted disaster you see above is certainly within the realm of possibility."This would not happen overnight, but the mind-boggling point is that our actions today are changing the face of planet Earth as we know it and will continue to do so for tens of thousands of years to come," said lead author of the study Ricarda Winkelmann, of the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research.If we want to stop this from happening," she says, "we need to keep coal, gas, and oil in the ground."The good news? Most of our coastlines are still intact! And they can stay that way, too — if we act now.World leaders are finally starting to treat climate change like the global crisis that it is — and you can help get the point across to them, too.Check out Business Insider's video below:This article originally appeared on 12.08.15

Some people just haven't gotten the memo: You really don't want to heckle comedian Steve Hofstetter. He's become one of my favorite stand-up acts both because he's just funny but also because of his brilliant ways of shutting down hecklers and other rude patrons who show up for his live act.In this case, Hofstetter was in the middle of a bit where he quipped, "I don't like people." It was part of a larger joke recalling how he'd had a bad interaction with a police officer but that he was "still alive" because he was a white male.Hofstetter was talking about how most cops like the joke but others get offended. His point was that if you get offended by a joke about cops killing innocent people, you're probably not a good cop. Just as he was finishing up the joke, a person in the front of the audience got up. When Hofstetter politely asked the guy to stop talking so loudly, the man said, "I'm going."He then followed up, telling Hofstetter, "You disrespected me, so I'll disrespect you."The man then went on a tirade, stealing a drink from another customer and getting into an argument with the club's bouncers. He also got into a shouting match with another patron before finally stepping outside.Hofstetter tried to lighten the mood, joking, "I think he's mad that the Meghan Trainor concert was canceled last night. Maybe he's all about the bass, I don't know."He then disclosed to the audience that the heckler had actually approached him before the show, asking Hofstetter to roast some of the friends the man had shown up with, which he refused to do.That's when one of the heckler's companions told the comedian that the heckler was actually himself a cop. And that the man the heckler was shouting down was actually another cop who was embarrassed by his bad behavior."I know to drive slowly when I leave," Hofstetter joked.But just to make it clear that he wasn't out to give all cops a hard time, the comedian noted that he actually thinks most cops are good people; he just wants them to speak up more when a bad cop does something wrong, comparing it to how comedians call out each other all the time when one of them crosses the line. And that's something we should all be able to get behind without the need for a hilarious punchline.This article originally appeared on 12.12.16

Pets are lifetime companions that can quickly become part of your family, including extended family. Family members build their own unique bonds with pets residing in other family members' homes, especially if they visit frequently or are prone to longer visits. While it may be difficult to discern if an animal like a cat or pet snake misses their people when they're gone, dogs wear their hearts on their full body wagging tails.So when a pet owner dies before the pet, it can be difficult for the dog left behind without a familiar face to reassure them. This human-pet bond was the cause one man to trek from Seattle, Washington all the way to Gulfport, Mississippi. Traveling from the Pacific Coast to the Gulf Coast to pick up his four-legged family member left behind.In a post shared by the Humane Society of South Mississippi, they explain that a dog named Alex was brought to them after his owner passed away. Alex's human brother, fresh with grief was all the way in Washington state trying to handle final arrangements for his parent. But the distance wasn't going to stop the man from reunited with his furry brother so he could live out the rest of his years with family. "Yesterday, Alex and his owner’s son were joyfully reunited. Alex’s happiness was palpable, reminding us all of the incredible bond between pets and their families," the Humane Society writes.This act of determination and love has commenters feeling all warm inside, wishing other animals have the same luck."This makes my heart so happy. Kudos to this amazing young man. Some people don’t have any idea how we as humans can break an animal’s heart. And then some people just get it. Thank you, sir," one person writes."Thank you for caring about your family animal. God bless you both. Thank you HSSM for taking care of him in the meantime," another says."This! Pets are a connection to our loved ones. I wish more people could understand. Happy blessings to Alex and his human brother. His dad is resting peacefully knowing Alex is in a good loving home," a commenter shares."This man is awesome and a testament to how he was raised!! So sorry on the loss of his Dad. I am sure he is looking down on his son, proud and thankful that his fur baby is safe and loved. That photo makes me so happy you can see how happy the pup is," someone praises.Hopefully, Alex spends the rest of his days knowing he's the goodest boy who was not only loved by his owner but by his big brother too. This article originally appeared on 6.21.24

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In honor of National Dog Day, let's celebrate some of the most beloved TV dogs.