The following article‚ Will The American People Determine If Biden And Trump Run For President—Or The Permanent State?‚ was first published on Conservative Firing Line. “[U]nder established Department principles‚ we decline criminal charges against Mr. Biden relating to the classified Afghanistan documents and his classified notebooks… We would do so even if we were not bound by the Office of Legal Counsel’s legal conclusion that a sitting president may not be charged with federal crimes.” That was Special Counsel Robert … Continue reading Will The American People Determine If Biden And Trump Run For President—Or The Permanent State? ...

Rodney Smith Jr.‚ of Huntsville‚ Alabama‚ was recently profiled by KMBC for his generous donation to two 11-year-olds who fulfilled his 50 Yard Challenge in Gadsden‚ Alabama. Ja’Torrian Taylor and Tevin Rice‚ founders of TJ &; JT Mowing Service‚ completed Smith’s challenge to mow 50 yards for the elderly‚ veterans‚ and people unable to care for their lawns for free."I’m heading down to Gadsden right now. These are good‚ hard-working kids that deserve some gratitude‚" Smith‚ known as "The Lawnmower Man‚" told KMBC. Smith had been told that Taylor and Rice were sharing an old lawnmower that a neighbor had donated to them.When he arrived‚ he gave both teens a mower‚ a blower and a trimmer for their hard work‚ hoping they’ll use their new equipment to expand their business. "Giving these boys lawn equipment is teaching them discipline‚" Smith said. "If they tell someone they are going to mow a lawn‚ they need to mow the lawn.""Remember‚ this is not the end; it’s just the beginning‚" Smith added. "This could be the beginning of a successful lawn service."Smith’s commitment to taking care of people’s lawns started in 2015‚ and the following year he went viral for helping a 93-year-old woman who could no longer mow hers. The photo of Smith and the woman received over 1 million likes.Five years ago‚ Upworthy profiled Smith for setting a bold goal of mowing lawns for free in all 50 states. His goal was to promote his initiative that "provides free lawn care to our elders‚ those who are disabled‚ single mothers‚ and our veterans‚ who do not have the time‚ resources‚ and/or money to manicure their yards."As part of this goal‚ he created the 50 Yard Challenge‚ which has been a smashing success.As of May 2023‚ 4‚588 pre-teens and teens are participating in this challenge across the United States. If everyone completes the challenge‚ that will bring the total number of lawns mowed for free by Smith’s Raising Men &; Women Lawn Care Service to 229‚400.Kids and teens can take part in the challenge by sending them a photo holding up a sign that says‚ “I accept the 50 Yard Challenge‚” and in return‚ they’ll receive a white Raising Men/Women shirt along with shades and ear protection to get started. For every 10 lawns cut‚ they will get a new color shirt.• 10 lawns earn an orange shirt• 20 lawns earn a green shirt• 30 lawns earn a blue shirt• 40 lawns earn a red shirt• 50 lawns earn a black shirtAfter completing the challenge‚ the child or teen will receive a mower‚ a blower‚ and a trimmer‚ just like Ja’Torrian Taylor and Tevin Rice from Alabama.Smith’s story is an incredible example of how one good deed from a kind-hearted person can lead to an outpouring of kindness across the country. It also teaches young people the values of giving back and self-discipline as well as the entrepreneurial spirit.Learn more about Smith’s nonprofit and donate at Weareraisingmen.com.This article originally appeared on 6.23.23

On March 8‚ 2023‚ a keeper at World Bird Sanctuary in St. Louis County‚ Missouri‚ noticed something odd. A male bald eagle named Murphy was guarding what appeared to be a large depression in the ground. “The spot was sparsely but carefully decorated with leaves and branches‚ and featured a simple rock right in the center‚” the nature preserve shared on its Facebook page. Murphy began sitting on the rock‚ nudging it and becoming fiercely protective of it‚ as it if were an egg. People visiting the sanctuary would inquire about the bald eagle just sitting there‚ wondering if he was okay. The keepers finally put up a sign that read:“If you see an eagle lying down in the back left corner under a perch‚ that’s Murphy! Murphy is not hurt‚ sick‚ or otherwise in distress. He has built a nest on the ground‚ and is very carefully incubating a rock! We wish him the best of luck!”In case you’re wondering if this is unusual behavior for a 31-year-old male bald eagle‚ the answer is "not really‚ but…." Male bald eagles do share equally in nesting and baby-raising‚ so the paternal instinct part is normal. Murphy's channeling of that instinct onto a rock…maybe not so much. And at 31‚ he's more like a great-granddad than dad‚ as bald eagles usually live 20 to 30 years in the wild (though they do live longer in captivity). Murphy takes fatherhood seriously‚ though. Soon he began screaming and charging at the four other eagles in the aviary if they came anywhere near RockBaby. (That's the official name the keepers gave Murphy’s…well‚ rock baby.) Naturally‚ the screaming and charging caused a fair amount of stress for all involved‚ so Murphy and RockBaby were moved to their own enclosure for everyone's protection.People who saw this unfold started suggesting sanctuary staff replace Murphy’s rock with a real egg or get him a mate‚ but 1) Eagle eggs aren’t just lying around waiting to be given to wanna-be dads‚ 2) hatching a different kind of bird's egg would be potentially dangerous for it‚ and 3) Murphy had two females right there in the aviary‚ and none of them were interested in each other. Alas‚ the heart cannot be forced.However‚ a different opportunity presented itself in late March when an aerie with two chicks in it was blown down by high winds. One chick didn’t survive the fall‚ but the other was brought to World Bird Sanctuary’s Wildlife Hospital.A bit bruised‚ but otherwise healthy‚ the chick was given a good prognosis. Staff began feeding it while wearing a camouflage suit and holding an eagle stuffy to prevent the eaglet from imprinting on humans. What the baby really needed was a foster parent—an adult eagle who would feed and care for it. “Murphy’s dad instincts were already in high gear‚” the sanctuary wrote on April 11‚ “but at 31 years old‚ he had never raised a chick before. It’s definitely a gamble‚ but also the chick’s best chance.”Introducing an eaglet to an adult eagle isn’t as simple as dropping it in the enclosure. First‚ the eaglet is put into what the sanctuary refers to as a “baby jail‚" which is a heated‚ comfy cage made of wood and wire that protects the eaglet but still allows some interaction between the birds so they can get used to one another. Once the desired bonding behavior is observed‚ then they try out some direct one-on-one interaction without the cage.On April 12‚ World Bird Sanctuary announced‚ "IT'S HAPPENING!!!!"The eaglet (referred to as Bald Eaglet 23-126—they don't name foster babies at the sanctuary for superstitious reasons) was released from baby jail‚ and after an hour or so Murphy approached it with curiosity. Was he wondering if his RockBaby had hatched? Maybe. Would he be the nurturing dad everyone hoped he would be? It appears so.As the sanctuary shared:"This morning‚ Murphy got his chance to be a full parent as 23-126 left the nest to go be closer to Murphy. The food is being dropped through a blind drop tube into the nest and baby appears unable to be able to get over the lip to get back into the nest to get the chopped food. When we checked back‚ we found that baby was still out of the nest and all the chopped food was still in the nest. However‚ Murphy’s whole fish had been removed from the nest and baby had a full crop. 23-126 is not yet old enough to tear food which means MURPHY FED THE BABY!!!!"The comments on the update‚ of course‚ are pure gold as people have become fully invested in this story:"I can’t believe I’m crying over eagles!""Murphy’s going to be giving a TedTalk: Manifest The Eaglet You Need In Your Life.""So happy for Murphy &; eaglet Dwayne (the rock Johnson).""'Rock‚ I am your Father.'""Omg I’m crying! Murphy never gave up on his rock and now has a baby of his very own The wonders of nature never cease. Ty‚ WBS‚ for making this possible. These two are saving each other ."Many people have lamented that there is not a live cam so we can all watch this pair as their relationship develops‚ but staff reminded everyone that the sanctuary is out in the middle of the woods and they don't have a strong enough signal for a live stream. But WBS staff has been posting updates on social media and will share the story as it continues to unfold. Follow World Bird Sanctuary on Facebook here. And if you feel compelled to donate to help feed little Dwayne or 23-126 or whatever you'd like to call Murphy's new baby—who apparently eats a ridiculous amount—you can donate here or check out their Amazon baby registry (yes‚ seriously!) here. Congratulations‚ Papa Murphy! This article originally appeared on 4.14.23

The typical kid’s experience in school is a lot different today than it was 30 to 40 years ago. It’s hard to say whether things are better or worse‚ but there’s been a sea change in how children are raised.One negative development is that teachers tend to think parents are more likely to side with their kids over faculty in disputes than they were decades ago. On the positive side‚ corporal punishment is on the decrease‚ so students are much less likely to be physically punished for breaking the rules.A Reddit user with the username u/theSandwichSister asked the ‘80s and ‘90s kids on the forum‚ “What’s something a school teacher did to you that would not fly today?” A lot of the responses were about the type of physical punishment and humiliation that used to happen in schools that would never happen these days.There were also a lot of posts about teachers who smoked around their students. Can you imagine a kindergarten teacher lighting up in front of their students these days? They’d be fired in a flash.Overall‚ the responses show that schools are a lot more concerned with the mental and emotional health of their students these days‚ which is a wonderful improvement. Schools also seem to be much more friendly environments to students who are people of color‚ LGBTQ or have disabilities.Here are 17 of the best responses to the question‚ “What’s something a school teacher did to you that would not fly today?”1. "Not a teacher‚ but school one. If you read enough books during the year in elementary school you got to have a sleepover in the library. Like we brought sleeping bags and slept on the floor. In the morning they had griddles out and we made pancakes. I know‚ total nerds‚ but it was my favorite elementary school memory." — 7askingforafriend2. "My elementary school principal would pull loose teeth. You could go to his office‚ have him pull your loose tooth and he would give you a lollipop." — snowfuckerforreal3. "I told my biology teacher that I wasn't feeling too well‚ he said that I didn't look sick‚ and as punishment made me stand in the corner until I fainted." — AustrianReaper4. "In high school‚ we would sometimes play knee soccer which was in our wrestling room (wall to wall wrestling mats) and was really just handball but on our knees. The PE teacher (football coach) let us play rough since it was an all male class and we were on our knees and couldn't do too much damage. During the game‚ two of the students were grappling for the ball and as these things go‚ one of them accidentally knocked the other a little too aggressively. The kid that got hit (an known asshole of the school) got pissed and stood up and kicked the other kid.The PE teacher (225lb jacked military hair cut) stormed over and shoved the kid who flew about 10 feet before crashing to the ground. The kid gets up ready to fight whoever shoved him and the teacher had closed the gap and started screaming at him. Then the teacher lectured the entire class about sportsmanship and honor. The teacher never got in any trouble." — hangingonwith2fingers5. "In 5th grade‚ I was called to the office at my public school. I was a goody two-shoes so I had no idea why I was called‚ so I started tearing up thinking something bad must've happened to my family. Eventually‚ I was ushered into a room as my two best friends left. The principal and 2 other staff members then sat me down and showed me a piece of paper. It was a silly poem I wrote one of my friends about a good witch who granted wishes by mixing together some mundane ingredients. Apparently‚ their mother found the poem and complained to the school. Their response was to interview my friends about MY RELIGION." — ktbunny6. "6th grade teacher Ms. Sullivan would take 3 kids every Friday to McDonald’s for lunch. She was cool as hell. Smoked during the drive and everything." — SigP365SAS7. "My 3rd grade teacher had the whole class camp in her backyard after the last day of school. She took us to see the original TMNT movie in the theater‚ then we stayed up late telling ghost stories. One of my absolute fondest memories." — Cambot11388. "Yeah‚ there are a lot of negative things in this thread‚ which makes sense‚ but there are some 'cool teacher' things that we lost too. I got a ride home from school once from a male teacher in middle school (I'm female) when it was pouring rain and my mom wouldn't come get me‚ but I bet that's not allowed these days." — rabidstoat9. "English teacher in high school used to cuss kids out for being noisy in class and if that didn't work‚ he'd throw the blackboard eraser at us. I wasn't on the receiving end of the eraser. That chalk would leave marks on kid's backs for the rest of the day so everyone knew who pissed off Mr Charvet." — Roscoe_Cracks_Corn 10."7th-grade science class‚ the teacher walked around with a beaker full of mercury and told us to stick a finger in it to feel how dense it was. Then he gave us each our own penny-size drop of mercury to play with at our desks‚ so we could see how it moved. I’m sure we were poisoned that day. Nowadays if a thermometer breaks they clear the school." — weirdkid7111. "Not something done to me per se‚ but my 3rd grade teacher had a little office with a door inside our classroom‚ and she would smoke cigarettes in there while we were at lunch/recess." — HutSutRawlson 12."Cheese Day in the Midwest. It was in first grade. For an entire day‚ all you ate was cheese. Cheese puffs‚ curls‚ sticks‚ slices‚ balls‚ and Doritos. Drank orange Hi-C as well. For 10+ years‚ smelling that fake cheese made me gag. After her wedding‚ and the birth of her son‚ my sister says Cheese Day the best day of her life. Wasn’t Wisconsin either." — 2_Spicy_2_Impeach13."They told us Pluto was a planet." — Representative-Fig9614. "Best math teacher ever made us say numerator/denominator in Schwarzenegger voices as we were learning fractions." — kittensington15. "High School‚ we were on campus‚ drove a van to the locker rooms because I was with The QB‚ Linebacker and a couple of linemen who needed to get crap from their lockers. We were drinking beer in the van‚ it was 1:30‚ the football coach sees us‚ stops the van‚ looks inside and sees the beer‚ and shook his head and told us to be careful and get off campus. I don’t think that would fly today." — kentro200216. "A lot of people are posting bad stuff‚ so let me share a good one. In 9th grade‚ in 1984‚ I had a class analyzing lyrics in pop music. Students brought in records by Led Zep and John Cougar and we'd discuss what they meant. Seriously a life-changing class. It makes me sad that younger students in America are so caught up in the rat race that they never had experiences like that." — Adventuresphere 17."I had an awesome teacher who would send one of us to the shop (just a minute’s walk away) with enough money to get ice creams for everybody whenever it was hot and she didn’t feel like teaching." — wanderingstephThis article originally appeared on 08.30.22

Chris Starkey posted a video to Facebook on Monday of himself and his daughter Brooklyn doing a dance-off to Flo Rida's "Low"—and it's unexpectedly awesome. Starkey wrote‚ "My daughter challenged me to a dance off and said I don't have it anymore. See that closet in the back she is still crying in it!!!" So much silly shade thrown around in this family‚ it's delightful.When you see their fun banter and Starkey's middle-aged-man moves‚ you'll see why the video has been shared more than 280‚000 times in two days. Starkey wrote in a comment that the reaction has brought tears to his eyes and encourages everyone to "Give back to your community" right now. He also says another video will be coming on Monday.Excellent. We need this kind of levity right now more than ever.Chris StarkeyThis article originally appeared on 03.25.20