The Alabama legislature voted Thursday to protect providers and patients doing in vitro fertilization from criminal or civil liability if embryos they create are subsequently damaged or destroyed. The fast action by both the House and Senate on bills to shield IVF came less than two weeks after the state’s Supreme Court ruled that frozen embryos are people and that individuals could be liable for destroying them. The unprecedented decision‚ which gave fertilized eggs the same...

It was a rough week for Wendy’s. In the span of just a few days‚ the fast food giant went from an onslaught of attention to remarks by its CEO about “dynamic pricing” that were barely noticed at the time they were made two weeks ago; to a slew of headlines comparing that to Uber-style “surge pricing”; to burger memes galore on the internet; to a quick back-track that “dynamic pricing” isn’t “surge pricing” at all; to a cautionary tale in fast corporate PR.

The Department of Justice is planning to begin its annual process of renewing a powerful surveillance program that Congress has vowed to reform after revelations surfaced in recent years that the FBI has abused its access to it. Matthew Olsen‚ assistant attorney general for national security‚ said in a statement the DOJ is “taking the steps necessary” on its end to obtain certifications for Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act. Critics warn this...

There seems to be a constant war between children’s clothing retailers who want to push the boundaries of modesty and parents who push back‚ saying they are sexualizing children. On top of that‚ when young girls believe they are supposed to wear clothes that are tight-fitting and revealing‚ it's very damaging to their self-esteem and body image.“I think it’s one thing that the girls’ clothes are very fitted and small‚ and it’s another that they’re in such direct contrast to what you find on the boys’ side‚ and those two things send a pretty strong message about what they’re supposed to look like‚ dressed to be slim and to be fit‚” Sharon Choksi‚ a mom of two and founder of the clothing line‚ Girls Will Be‚ told CNN. The topic came up again recently when Meghan Mayer‚ a mother of 2 and a 7th-grade school teacher‚ posted a video on TikTok about a dress she saw at Target that received over 1.6 million views.Meghan was reacting to a smock-style patterned dress with balloon sleeves that appeared modest at first glance. But after closer examination‚ it has holes on the waist on both sides‚ revealing the girl’s midriff and possibly more. @thecrazycreativeteacher Thoughts? “My oldest daughter and I are at Target and there’s some cute spring stuff‚” Mayer started the video. "I am a little bit more conservative when it comes to my kids’ clothing‚ so maybe I’m overreacting‚ but let me know what you think of these dresses.”She added that the dress may be okay for a 12-year-old but was inappropriate in her opinion for a 6-or 7-year-old.Mayor asked her followers what they thought of the dress. “Like I said‚ I know I’m a little bit more conservative. I don’t usually even let my girls wear bikinis‚ but maybe I’m overreacting‚ I don’t know. Thoughts?”For reference‚ she then showed the sizes of the dresses to show they were for kids and then revealed the holes in the sides. “Look at these little slits on the sides of these dresses‚ right at the hips on all these dresses‚” she said.Most people commenting on the video thought the dress was a bit much for such a young girl to wear."You're not overreacting. You're parenting properly‚" Paper Bound Greetings wrote. "No‚ no. There is no reason for those holes to be there. They should have pockets! Not holes!" Anna wrote. "I think retailers are trying to mature our kids too fast. I agree with mom!" HollyMoore730 commented.But some people thought that that dress was acceptable and Mayer was overreacting."Unpopular opinion‚ I think they’re cute‚" Dr. Robinson wrote. "When I was a kid in the ‘70s I wore halter tops and tube tops; they were not seen as big deals. I don’t think this is scandalous‚" Kimberly Falkowsi added. "Overreacting. Both my girls have the blue and white‚ you can’t even tell much. It’s not that big of a hole. The dresses are so cute‚" LolitaKHalessi commented.Some commenters told Mayer that she should buy the dress and have her daughter wear a shirt beneath it so it doesn’t show skin. But Mayer believes that would be supporting Target for making questionable kids' clothing."No‚ I'm not going to buy it and have them wear a tank top with it‚ because then that's showing Target that it's OK‚" she told Today.com. "And over time‚ the cutout will get bigger and bigger."

While Neil deGrasse Tyson might usually break down the more complex mysteries of our universe‚ he also has a knack for discussing the mundane in a way that makes it every bit as interesting. On a recent episode of the StarTalk Podcast‚ where the popular astrophysicist chats about “everything under the sun; Or rather under the universe!” Tyson sat down with comedian Chuck Nice to break down how and why Leap Day came to be. “People seem to be mystified by it. A day just shows up on the calendar‚” Tyson told Nice. But really‚ there’s nothing all that mystical about it. We know a year consists of 365 revolutions around the sun‚ aka a “year.” However‚ “there's no law in the heavens that requires” a year to consist of exactly 365 revolutions. In reality‚ a year is 365 revolutions…plus one-fourth. Or six hours. Tyson then pondered‚ “so what are you gonna do with the six hours?” Which brought on a pretty intriguing concept: a rotating New Year’s celebration. Celebrating at the standard midnight one year‚ followed by a 6am celebration the following year‚ then midnight again‚ and so on. “That’d be kinda dope‚” Nice and Tyson agreed.But regardless‚ we don’t do that. Instead‚ in ancient Rome‚ which used the Julian calendar‚ they “pocketed” the extra six hours and technically celebrated New Year’s early. When 24 hours accrued every 4 years‚ they’d give an extra day to the”month that needed it most‚” i.e. February. But here’s the thing: Ancient Romans didn't know that it actually takes “a little less” than 365 for the Earth to go around the sun‚ Tyson explained. Therefore days that should have been “reckoned” were not‚ causing key moments of the calendar to keep shifting. The spring equinox‚ for instance‚ which was originally on March 21st‚ continuously moved up a day.Neil deGrasse Explains Why We Have Leap DaysThis became more of a glaring problem in the Late 16th century‚ when the religious holiday of Easter‚ which closely followed the spring equinox‚ had gotten dangerously close to Passover on the calendar. So‚ Pope Gregory XIII had his team of scientists (aka the Jesuits) rectify the situation and account for the skipped days.The result? October got 10 of its days swiped that year‚ and we got the Gregorian calendar commonly used today. Which‚ like the Julian calendar‚ adds a day to the calendar every 4 years‚ except when the year is divisible by 100 and not divisible by 400.This is what makes the year 2000 so remarkable‚ Tyson told Nice. It was an incredibly rare “century year” that met the parameters needed to be a leap year. 1900‚ 1800‚ 1700 couldn't claim that. And perhaps this is the most amazing part of all: the Jesuits were able to figure all of this out “without a telescope‚” Tyson said. Leap Years might feel a bit wonky‚ arbitrary even. But really‚ it’s a nod to human ingenuity. The concept of time is such a complex‚ almost incomprehensible aspect of existence. It’s extraordinary that we have been able to even come up with a measuring system‚ albeit an imperfect one‚ in the first place.

Raising kids is tough and no parent does it perfectly. Each child is different‚ each has their own personalities‚ strengths and challenges‚ and each of them requires something different from their parents in order to flourish.But there's one thing that parents have long said‚ with their actions if not with their words‚ that justifiably drives kids bonkers: "Do as I say‚ not as I do." To be fair‚ both moral and actual law dictate that there are things that adults can do that kids can't. Children can't drive or consume alcohol‚ for example‚ so it's not hypocritical for adults to do those things while telling kids they cannot. There are other things—movies‚ TV shows‚ books‚ etc.—that parents have to decide whether their kids are ready for or not based on their age and developmental stage‚ and that's also to be expected. But there are some gaps between what adults do and what they expect kids to do that aren't so easy to reconcile.In fact‚ there's a lot of hypocrisy when it comes to the way adults behave and the way they think kids should behave that warrants some examination. Here are 10 things some people punish kids for that adults do with total impunity: 1. Being hangryGrown-ups are so familiar with being cranky when they need food that they coined the term "hangry." And yet‚ if a child melts down because they're hungry‚ they are expected to pull themselves together and "stop that fussing." Sure‚ kids have to learn to regulate their emotional expression‚ but being punished for needing food and not being able to control their reactions to hunger yet isn't going to teach them that regulation. They have a hard enough time learning that skill when they aren't hungry‚ so give kids a little grace when the hanger hits. (And always carry snacks.)2. Not wanting to share something specialThe concept of sharing is something most parents try to instill into their kids in order to move them away from self-centeredness. That's not a bad thing‚ for sure.But it's worth noting that most adults have certain special belongings that they don't want other people to use‚ which is totally fine‚ so expecting kids to always share everything doesn't really make sense. Instead‚ teach kids that if they have something special that they don't want to share‚ to keep that item put away when other kids are around. They can also learn to kindly say‚ "Actually‚ that toy is extra special to me‚ but I'm happy to let you play with this one" while offering something else. 3. Breaking dishes‚ dropping drinks‚ or other oopsiesHow many of us don't break a dish on occasion‚ simply due to fumbling fingers? Accidents happen‚ and it's not always because we're being careless. If a kid is tossing a dish up in the air and trying to catch it behind their back or some other foolish game‚ that's worth a talking to about carelessness. But if a child breaks something or drops something‚ our first reaction shouldn't be to get angry and blame or shame them. Grown-ups don't get in trouble when they drop something. Kids‚ who have a lot less experience with their hands‚ definitely shouldn't. Model forgiveness and compassion by helping them clean up the mess‚ and move on. 4. Not responding immediately"Did you hear what I said? Are you listening?" we ask our children mere minutes after they had to repeat "Mommy‚ Mommy‚ Mommy‚" to us before we were able to respond to them. We can't expect our kids to immediately pull their attention away from what they are doing every time we want to say something to them‚ just as we can't always immediately shift our focus to them if we're putting together a recipe or typing out a thought or in the middle of a calculation. It's reasonable to teach kids to respectfully say‚ "One second‚ please‚" if we want their attention when they're in the middle of something. That teaches them that their learning/play is worth concentrating on‚ but also that responding to their parents is important. Give them a little time to disengage‚ just as adults grant one another all the time if we need to talk. 5. Forgetting thingsAdults sometimes forget their lunchbox at home. Adults sometimes leave their jacket someplace by accident. Forgetting things is a normal human phenomenon‚ not limited to children‚ and we all give one another grace when we forget something.With kids‚ we tend to be less forbearing. If forgetting is a daily occurrence‚ then sure‚ it might need to be addressed. But making a kid go hungry because they forgot their lunch even though we could easily bring it to them because "this will teach them to remember it" is kind of silly. Would we do that to our spouse if they forgot their lunch? No. Why do it with a kid (again‚ unless it's a recurring habit)?6. Refusing to eat somethingWe all have likes and dislikes‚ and one man's feast is another man's napkin food. We would never force an adult who doesn't like sweet potatoes to stay at the table until they finish their sweet potatoes. Why do that to kids?Encouraging kids to try something they've never tasted is one thing‚ but making them eat something they've tried and didn't like is just ick. Kids can learn to be grateful for the food they have without being made to eat everything on their plate. Provide lots of options‚ encourage tasting‚ but don't force kids to eat anything. That's a quick way to take the enjoyment out of trying new foods and create a negative association with eating certain foods—the exact opposite of what you're wanting. Most kids will grow out of picky eating‚ but there will always be certain things people don't care for. It's okay to let that be.7. FidgetingSome people have a really hard time sitting still for long periods of time‚ adults and children alike. But kids are the ones who get in trouble for not sitting still. Look at how popular standing desks‚ under-the-desk treadmills and walking meetings have become for working adults—and that's even when they have comfortable‚ ergonomic office chairs to sit in. Yet kids are expected to sit in uncomfortable desks most of the day without being able to get up and move around as they need to? No wonder some kids get fidgety. 8. Being in a bad moodWe all have our moments‚ don't we? Times when we're just feeling salty or irritable and we don't even know why? Maybe it's hormones‚ maybe it's hanger‚ maybe it's a full moon—whatever it is‚ we let people know we're feeling prickly and do what we need to do to either stay away from people or put ourselves right. What certainly wouldn't help is having someone chide us for having a "bad attitude" and insist that we "shape up." Helping kids manage their mood or alter their environment when they're struggling to manage it is a much more effective life skill than punishing them for being in a bad mood. 9. ComplainingEver seen a grown-up sit down to do their taxes without a single complaint? No‚ you haven't‚ because even if we're getting a refund the process of figuring it out is painful. Plenty of adults complain when we have to do something we don't want to do‚ and it's not because we were raised that way‚ most of the time. It's because some things just suck and it makes us feel better in the moment to express how much they suck. What kids complain about may seem trivial or silly to us‚ but it's not to them. Totally find to teach kids that complaining doesn't do any good‚ but not worth punishing them for it. 10. Sneaking sweetsUmm‚ hi. Guilty‚ pretty much daily. It's technically not sneaking when you own the sweets and you're a grown-up‚ but it feels like it. And who can blame kids for wanting to raid the cookie jar or the chocolate chip stash? Not saying they should. Just saying I get it‚ kid. What else belongs on this list?

A 5-year-old with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) wandered off into a swamp near Tampa‚ Florida‚ around 5:00 pm on Monday‚ February 26. The good news is that the girl was saved in about an hour thanks to the work of some brave sheriff’s officers and their incredible thermal technology.The girl wandered from her home and was quickly reported missing by her family to the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Department. The sheriff quickly dispatched its aviation unit that used thermal imaging technology to scan the nearby swamplands to try to find the young girl before nightfall.Thermal imaging technology captures images based on the heat emitted by objects‚ allowing us to see temperature differences even in the dark‚ making it super handy for night vision and heat detection. The thermal technology helped the officers quickly identify the girl from high above the trees."Hey‚ I think I got her in the woods‚" a deputy in the helicopter told deputies on the ground. "She might be able to hear her name if you call her. She might be about 80 feet in front of you."Helicopter's thermal imaging camera helps deputies find child in Florida swampWhen the deputy on the ground spotted the girl‚ she lifted her arms and walked toward him. He picked her up and brought her to safety. "Let's get you out of the water. I'll get you to everyone‚" he told her as they walked out of the swamp.The sheriff’s department said it was all in a day’s work for the deputies. "Their quick action saved the day‚ turning a potential tragedy into a hopeful reunion‚" it said in a statement. "Their dedication shows what service and protection are all about here at the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office."The Sheriff’s Office shared a video of the rescue on its Facebook page and people loved how the deputy greeted the girl‚ who must have been extremely scared. “I love how happy they were when they found her—they made it seem normal and a good time‚ keeping her calm. Well done!” Jan Murray wrote. “I just love how the deputy greeted her. What a beautiful ending. You guys are the best!” Sandy Schlabaugh-Kmentt added.Crime and safety analyst explained how the thermal technology works to News4Jax in Jacksonville‚ Florida. “It is a piece of equipment that actually will lock on to that heat signature‚” Hackney said. “So no matter where that helicopter is moving‚ trying to orbit a certain area to look for the missing child‚ once it picks up on that heat signature and identifies it‚ it doesn’t lose it. So the units on the ground are able to move in like you saw.”It is common for children with ASD to wander off from their caregivers or secure locations. The behavior is known as eloping. Children with ASD elope for a wide variety of reasons. Loud‚ frantic situations such as a child’s birthday party may be too stressful for a child with ASD‚ so they may leave the event unaccompanied to get to somewhere more calm. Others may elope because they enjoy the thrill of being chased by a parent or caregiver‚ even though it may unknowingly place them into a dangerous situation.

Her voice shone through the conflict of male ego. The post A bottle of vodka and a bunch of jaded men: the night Aretha Franklin scored a record deal first appeared on Far Out Magazine.

Former president has to explain his use of sarcasm as MSM tries to smear him as mentally unfit. Former President Donald Trump knocked Democrats’ desperate efforts to portray him as mentally unfit amid his tremendous momentum in the 2024 race‚ slamming the mainstream media’s recent fake news falsely claiming he forgot his wife Melania’s name. “Radical left Democrats are at it again. They’re constantly making up stories about me because their candidate is a mental and physical basket case‚” Trump said in a video posted to Truth Social Wednesday‚ adding‚ “There’s never been anything like it — he’s also the worst president in the history of our country.“ The Radical Left Democrats are at it again… pic.twitter.com/uPqOjljW9O— Donald J. Trump Posts From His Truth Social (@TrumpDailyPosts) February 29‚ 2024 Trump went on to point out that during an appearance by Joe Biden on Late Night with Seth Meyers earlier this week‚ the corrupt 81-year-old Democrat puppet president deflected concerns over his age by falsely claiming Trump called Melania by the wrong name during a recent CPAC appearance. “You got to take a look at the other guy‚” Biden told host Seth Meyers. “He’s about as old as I am‚ but he can’t remember his wife’s name.”Our fan-favorite Turbo Force Plus is now 40% off! See for yourself the delicious one-of-a-kind energy boost infowarriors CRAVE! Trump continued: “[Biden] went on a very poorly rated show last night and he talked about Donald Trump and his wife. ‘I don’t know the name of my wife.’ He was referring to the fact that at CPAC – we had a sold-out speech the biggest audience they’ve had in years. I think maybe ever – I made this statement that Melania was very popular‚ because when I mentioned her name‚ the audience went wild.” “I then looked at the two people‚ man and wife‚ Matt and Mercedes Schlapp‚ and I said‚ ‘Wow‚ they really like the First Lady.’ “So this got taken as the fact that I thought Mercedes was the First Lady. It has nothing to do with that.” “These people are really dishonest‚” he added. “They are absolutely something. They have a horrible candidate who’s a horrible president. They make up things constantly.“ Trump went on to point out the disingenuous media frequently takes him out of context when he sarcastically swaps Biden’s and Barack Obama’s names during speeches to illustrate that Biden’s is Obama’s third term. “You take a look at when I use ‘Barack Hussein Obama’ and I interject him into where it’s supposed to be Biden‚ and I do it purposely for comedic reasons and for sarcasm‚ because a lot of people say that Obama’s running the country‚ not Biden‚ because he’s sleeping all the time. “They say‚ ‘Oh‚ I don’t know the name of the president‚’ or when I imitate this guy getting off the stage. What they do is they say‚ ‘Oh‚ he had trouble getting off the stage.'” “I have no trouble getting off the stage‚” Trump stated. “And anybody that watches what I do at rallies would say‚ ‘Wow‚ that’s amazing. He can go two hours without a teleprompter not making even a little mistake.’ Very few people – maybe‚ almost nobody – can do what I do. “ “So here’s the story: The disinformation of the Democrats is unbelievable. They do it because they have a horrible candidate.” Trump added‚ “Don’t associate me with the mental midget that you portray‚ because I want to tell you‚ he should not be leading this country. And hopefully‚ on November 5th‚ he’s not going to be.” The former president’s forceful rebuke of the media’s fake news comes as concerns over Biden’s mental fitness reach fever pitch‚ with White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre this week having to bat down questions over why Biden wouldn’t submit to a cognitive test in light of a recent special counsel’s report describing him as an “elderly man with a poor memory.” Breaking: Karine Jean-Pierre‚ White House Press Secretary‚ asserts‚ "It's important for people to realize that the president undergoes a cognitive assessment daily." Watch for more details. pic.twitter.com/YsPObxyUi0— Okoli Stephen Izuchukwu (@OkoliStephenIz3) February 28‚ 2024 KJP: “The president doesn’t need a cognitive test.”Meanwhile‚ Joe Biden is an “elderly man with a poor memory” who didn’t know when he was VP. pic.twitter.com/V8ZzxN1ad7— Steve Guest (@SteveGuest) February 28‚ 2024 It’s gotten so bad other countries have taken to making fun of the U.S. and its bumbling‚ comically senile president: Italian TV just aired this skit mocking Joe Biden and his cognitive decline pic.twitter.com/uAMai8BBTQ— End Wokeness (@EndWokeness) February 25‚ 2024