It’s official folks…. The campaign that went on too long and probably never should have been launched in the first place is over. Ron DeSantis has just ended his bid for President and shut down his campaign. And he also endorsed President Donald J. Trump! Here’s the announcement from his own Twitter account: “Success is not final‚ failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts.” – Winston Churchill pic.twitter.com/ECoR8YeiMm — Ron DeSantis (@RonDeSantis) January 21‚ 2024 From CNN: Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis‚ who entered the Republican presidential primary as Donald Trump’s greatest threat‚ announced Sunday that he is ending his White House bid and endorsing the former president. His announcement‚ made in a video posted on X‚ comes after a disappointing second-place finish in last week’s Iowa Republican caucuses. “If there was anything I could do to produce a favorable outcome‚ more campaign stops‚ more interviews‚ I would do it‚ but I can’t ask our supporters to volunteer their time and donate their resources if we don’t have a clear path to victory. Accordingly‚ I am today suspending my campaign‚” DeSantis said. He then touted his support for Trump: “While‚ I’ve had disagreements with Donald Trump‚ such as on the Coronavirus pandemic and his elevation of Anthony Fauci‚ Trump is superior to the current incumbent Joe Biden. That is clear.” “I signed a pledge to support the Republican nominee and I will honor that pledge. He has my endorsement‚ because we can’t go back to the old Republican guard of yesteryear or repackaged form of warmed-over corporatism that Nikki Haley represents‚” he said. Endorsement of Trump: Ron DeSantis drops out of 2024 race Endorses Donald Trump pic.twitter.com/9dTIiEXLEQ — Jack Poso (@JackPosobiec) January 21‚ 2024 Kari Lake supported the move: GREAT move by Governor Ron DeSantis! President @realDonaldTrump is uniting the GOP &; we are closer than ever to taking our country back! #Trump2024 pic.twitter.com/BPzUloP90b — Kari Lake (@KariLake) January 21‚ 2024 This gives President Trump an additional huge leg up in New Hampshire. From NBC News: Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis‚ once seen as the most formidable opponent to Donald Trump in the Republican presidential primary‚ suspended his campaign Sunday and endorsed the former president. The move comes two days before the New Hampshire primary. DeSantis made the announcement in a video on X — the same social media platform where he did the glitchy rollout of his White House bid. “Now‚ following our second-place finish in Iowa‚ we’ve prayed and deliberated on the way forward‚” he said. “If there was anything I could do to produce a favorable outcome‚ more campaign stops‚ more interviews‚ I would do it. But I can’t ask our supporters to volunteer their time and donate their resources. We don’t have a clear path to victory. Accordingly‚ I am today suspending my campaign.” “It’s clear to me that a majority of Republican primary voters want to give Donald Trump another chance‚” he said‚ adding: “He has my endorsement because we can’t go back to the old Republican guard of yesteryear‚ a repackaged form of warmed-over corporatism that Nikki Haley represents.” In the end….Ron “backed down”: In the end‚ Ron backed down…. https://t.co/yMxerafXOa — DailyNoah.com (@DailyNoahNews) January 21‚ 2024

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has officially dropped out of the 2024 GOP presidential primary. On Sunday‚ DeSantis issued a message from the Sunshine State. “Following our second place finish in Iowa‚ we’ve prayed and deliberated on the way forward. If there was anything I could do to produce a favorable outcome‚ more campaign stops [and] more interviews‚ I would do it‚” DeSantis explained. “But I can’t ask our supporters to volunteer their time and donate their resources if we don’t have a clear path to victory‚” he continued. “Accordingly‚ I am today suspending my campaign‚” DeSantis announced. “It’s clear to me that a majority of Republican primary voters want to give Donald Trump another chance. They watched his presidency get stymied by relentless resistance. And they see Democrats using lawfare to this day to attack him‚” he continued. “While I’ve had disagreements with Donald Trump‚ such as on the coronavirus pandemic and his elevation of Anthony Fauci‚ Trump is superior to the current incumbent‚ Joe Biden. That is clear‚” DeSantis said. DeSantis endorsed Donald Trump moving forward. “I signed a pledge to support the Republican nominee and I will honor that pledge. He has my endorsement because we can’t go back to the old Republican guard of yesteryear‚ a repackaged form of warmed-over corporatism that Nikki Haley represents‚” he continued. WATCH: “Success is not final‚ failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts.” – Winston Churchill pic.twitter.com/ECoR8YeiMm — Ron DeSantis (@RonDeSantis) January 21‚ 2024 X users reacted to DeSantis dropping out of the presidential race: DeSantis just dropped out and endorsed Trump. Thank you for doing the right thing. Trump 2024. https://t.co/HlND99tvBP — Catturd (@catturd2) January 21‚ 2024 Florida gets our Governor back‚ and it’s time for America to get its President back. Trump 2024 https://t.co/42DT3ROgbI — Cory Mills (@CoryMillsFL) January 21‚ 2024 Thank you‚ Governor. Classy‚ patriotic move. Republicans‚ let’s unite around @realDonaldTrump and bring this country back! To all my friends who supported DeSantis‚ I’m sure this is a tough day‚ but tomorrow let’s work together again to defeat the corrupt left. #MAGA2024! https://t.co/xCGM6Ppe2B — Harmeet K. Dhillon (@pnjaban) January 21‚ 2024 It's time to unite behind Donald J. Trump and Make America Great Again! This is the right decision by Governor DeSantis.#Trump2024 https://t.co/4PnGcBIekC — Byron Donalds (@ByronDonalds) January 21‚ 2024 He seems more relaxed in this video than he has been in months. Maybe even relieved https://t.co/FfJDg7BD5h — Jack Poso (@JackPosobiec) January 21‚ 2024 Smart choice by Gov. Ron DeSantis! I was a big fan until he brought in establishment republicans to advice him. It’s a classy move to drop out before the vote Tuesday because polls show 90% of his voters will go with Trump and not the neocon robot Bird Brain. Despite democrats… https://t.co/ollAp7efnt — Alex Jones (@RealAlexJones) January 21‚ 2024 Thank you Governor @RonDeSantis . https://t.co/9PNFjamNph — Anna Paulina Luna (@realannapaulina) January 21‚ 2024 CBS News reports: After placing a distant second in Iowa‚ losing to former President Donald Trump by 30 points‚ DeSantis has failed to articulate his path to the nomination and what states he would be able to win against Trump‚ dropping out of the race two days before the New Hampshire primary. He had invested large amounts of time and money in trying to win Iowa‚ as he and his super PAC bet that an aggressive approach of retail politics and building a ground game operation would result in an upset or a closer race. DeSantis finished 30 points behind Trump last week in the Iowa caucuses. With DeSantis dropping out and endorsing Donald Trump over Nikki Haley‚ it’s only a matter of time before Haley also bows out. According to the latest figures‚ Trump is poised for a dominant victory over Haley in Tuesday’s New Hampshire GOP primary. Per CNN: The race for the New Hampshire Republican presidential primary appears to be former President Donald Trump’s to lose‚ according to a new CNN poll conducted by the University of New Hampshire following Trump’s 30-point win in Iowa’s caucuses last week. Trump holds 50% support among likely Republican primary voters in the Granite State‚ while his closest competitor‚ former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley‚ stands at 39%. Both have gained supporters since the last CNN/UNH poll in early January – when Trump held 39% to Haley’s 32% – as the field of major contenders has shrunk from six candidates to three. Both Trump and Haley now hold their highest level of support in UNH polling on the race since 2021. But Haley’s sharp gains since late last summer have not been enough to catch Trump‚ as the gap between them has once again widened to double digits. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis‚ who led the race in UNH’s polling in early 2023 but has recently pulled back his efforts in the state‚ stands at just 6% in the poll‚ below the 10% minimum support he would need to win delegates there per the Republican Party’s rules. For Trump’s opponents‚ New Hampshire has long appeared to be the place in the early primary calendar that offered the best shot at knocking him off track in his bid for a third straight GOP presidential nomination. It was the only early state where polls consistently found Trump without majority support‚ and where voters often showed the most openness to his rivals. But this latest survey suggests that Trump’s popularity within the GOP base and the commitment of his supporters outweigh the appeal of his challengers.

Florida Governor Ron Desantis suspended his campaign for president Sunday afternoon and endorsed Donald Trump as the 2024 Republican Nominee. “Success is not final‚ failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts.”– Winston Churchill pic.twitter.com/ECoR8YeiMm— Ron DeSantis (@RonDeSantis) January 21‚ 2024 Watch the Governor’s announcement above.

A big step closer.

You know the end of the interview where they ask‚ "Do you have any questions for us?" It's a dreaded question for a lot of people. Even though you know it's coming‚ the question still catches you off guard and you wind up asking something possibly irrelevant or nothing at all. Then the whole ride home‚ approximately fifteen questions pop into your head.But don't you fret‚ because TikTok creator Kyyah Abdul has a list of five questions to keep tucked in your brain's pocket to close out an interview. And folks in the comments are applauding the creator's ability to figure out if the company is a fit for you and clarify any concerns the interviewer may have. Her advice was so genius that even a person who is involved in candidate recruitment chimed in saying‚ "Being in both senior leadership and directly involved in candidate recruitment‚ these questions are fire. 10/10 recommend."The video has well over 800‚000 views on TikTok and nearly 200‚000 likes. In the nearly 3-minute video‚ Abdul is sitting in her car and explains how one of her questions always trips up interviewers‚ but says‚ "It would give me the opportunity to address any concerns they had as a result of my interview." One of the first questions on her list is‚ "How do you and senior leadership respond to errors made in the workplace?" Most people who have held more than one job have experienced being in an environment where minor mistakes were ridiculed or caused you to be micromanaged. So asking this sort of question in the interview seems like it would give you a better understanding of that company's work environment. Some commenters have tried her methods and others are eager to continue to soak up her knowledge. "I always incorporate your questions and am told that this was the best interview they ever had‚" one commenter wrote."This is the first interview question video I've seen NOT from a recruiter or manager. And it was actually really helpful. Thank you so much‚" someone else wrote. "I used these questions during my last interview and they thought I was brilliant‚" another person said. Clearly viewers think Abdul's interview hacks are invaluable. Watch the video below to hear the rest of the questions: @kyyahabdul A lot of people have asked me about interview questions so I am reposting my most viral interview video #interview #interviewtips #interviewquestions #interviewtipsandtrick #interviewprep This article originally appeared on 5.26.23

Writing a book is no easy task‚ even for adult professional writers. Many would-be authors dream of a day when their work can be found on library shelves‚ unsure if it will ever come.But for 8-year-old Dillon Helbig‚ that day has already arrived—in truly unconventional fashion—thanks to his own determination to make it happen. Dillon wrote his 81-page graphic novel‚ "The Adventures of Dillon Helbig's Crismis" (written by "Dillon His Self") in a hardcover journal with colored pencils over the course of a few days. He even put a label on the back of the book that reads "Made in Idho" [sic] and put an illustrated spine label on it as well. Then‚ without telling anyone‚ he brought it to his local library in Boise‚ Idaho‚ and slipped it in among the books in the children's section. The library Facebook page shared that it had officially added the book to the collection at the branch‚ writing‚ "Imagine our surprise yesterday when Dillon's mom called to tell us that her son had authored an entire book‚ shelved it at the Lake Hazel Branch‚ then announced to his family later that he had written a book and it could be checked out at the library."The library also announced that Dillon's book had won the first-ever Whoodini Award for Best Young Novelist—an award created in his honor.Dillon told local news station KTVB that the book features him‚ his mom‚ Santa‚ a bomb‚ a portal and a giant carnivorous turkey. Because of course. "I've been wanting to put a book in the library since I was five‚" Dillon told the station. Nearly half his life‚ in other words. Dillon said there were a lot of librarians he had to sneak past with his book to surreptitiously put it on the shelf‚ but he did it. "I'll always be sneaky‚ like how I get chocolate‚" he explained. Classic. The adults on every front handled this kid's creativity and determination the best possible way. His mom called the library to let them know the book was there so it wouldn't get lost or taken. And rather than just returning the book‚ the librarians actually put it into circulation. "His parents were worried we would find his book and we would get rid of it‚" Lake Hazel Branch Library manager Alex Hartman told KTVB. "Which was an unfounded fear because if there's ever a place a book would be safe‚ it would be here."The librarians loved Dillon's book.“It deserves a spot on our library shelves‚” said Hartman. “It’s a good story.”At the time of this local news report‚ the book had a handful of people in line to check it out. But The New York Times reports that as of the end of January‚ the waiting list has grown to a whopping 56 people. If each person kept the book for the maximum four-week checkout period it would take four years to get to the people at the bottom of the list. The experience has made Dillon decide to become an author‚ his mom said‚ and he even has some career goals laid out. “I’m going to stop writing when I’m 40‚” Dillon said. After that‚ he will switch to game creation. In the meantime‚ he has a sequel to his first novel in the works. “My next book is going to be called ‘The Jacket-Eating Closet‚’" he said‚ "based on actual events.”Amazing. Kudos to Dillon for following his dream and making it happen‚ kudos to his mom for encouraging him and kudos to the librarians who saw an opportunity to support a child's creativity and ran with it. This article originally appeared on 09.13.22

Having lived in small towns and large cities in the Pacific Northwest‚ Southwest‚ and Midwest‚ and after spending a year traveling around the U.S. with my family‚ I've seen first-hand that Americans have much more in common than not. I've also gotten to experience some of the cultural differences‚ subtle and not-so-subtle‚ real and not-so-real‚ that exist in various parts of the country.Some of those differences are being discussed in a viral thread on Twitter. Self-described "West coaster" Jordan Green kicked it off with an observation about East coasters being kind and West coasters being nice‚ which then prompted people to share their own social experiences in various regions around the country.Green wrote:"When I describe East Coast vs West Coast culture to my friends I often say 'The East Coast is kind but not nice‚ the West Coast is nice but not kind‚' and East Coasters immediately get it. West Coasters get mad.Niceness is saying 'I'm so sorry you're cold‚' while kindness may be 'Ugh‚ you've said that five times‚ here's a sweater!' Kindness is addressing the need‚ regardless of tone.I'm a West Coaster through and through—born and raised in San Francisco‚ moved to Portland for college‚ and now live in Seattle. We're nice‚ but we're not kind. We'll listen to your rant politely‚ smile‚ and then never speak to you again. We hit mute in real life. ALOT.So often‚ we West Coasters think that showing *sympathy* or feeling *empathy* is an act of kindness. Sadly‚ it's really just a nice act. Kindness is making sure the baby has a hat. (s/o to breenewsome and BlackAmazon)When you translate this to institutions or policy‚ you'll see alot of nice words being used‚ &; West Coast liberals/radicals are really good at *sounding* nice. But I've seen organizers &; activists from other places get frustrated because nothing happens after ALOT of talk. \u201cWhen you translate this to institutions or policy‚ you'll see alot of nice words being used‚ &; West Coast liberals/radicals are really good at *sounding* nice. But I've seen organizers &; activists from other places get frustrated because nothing happens after ALOT of talk.\u201d — Jordan K. Green (@Jordan K. Green) 1611263478 Nothing happens after the pronoun check-ins and the icebreakers. It's rare we make sure that people's immediate needs are addressed. There's no kindness. You have people show up to meetings hungry‚ or needing rides home‚ and watching those with means freeze when asked to help.As we begin to 'get back a sense of normalcy' or 're-calibrate' to what people in Blue Statesâ„¢ think is Rightâ„¢ and Justâ„¢‚ I want us to keep in mind the difference between Niceness and Kindness. If something sounds nice‚ doesn't mean that it's kind."Of course‚ there are genuinely kind and surface nice people everywhere you go‚ so no one should take these observations as a personal affront to them individually. Generalizations that lead to stereotypes are inherently problematic‚ and broad strokes like "East coast" and "West coast" are also somewhat meaningless‚ so they should taken with a grain of salt as well.In reality‚ a small town in South Carolina is probably more culturally similar to a small town in Eastern Oregon than it is to New York City‚ and there are some strong differences between various subregions as well. A more specific cultural comparison‚ such as "big cities on the West coast vs. big cities in the Northeast" might be more accurate as far as generalizations go‚ but regardless‚ many people related to Green's observations based on their own experiences.To kick things off‚ a slew of responses poured in from people describing how New Yorkers can be cold on the surface while simultaneously reaching out their hand to help you. \u201c@SikePiazza @jordonaut Stand at a flight of stairs in the NYC subway with a stroller. Someone will grab the other end‚ help you carry the stroller‚ and then walk away without saying a word.\u201d — Jordan K. Green (@Jordan K. Green) 1611263478 Several people explained that the hustle required to afford the expense of living in New York explains why people skip the niceties. It's about valuing people's time; wasting it with nice words is ruder than just quickly helping out and then moving on. \u201c@mcgowankat @MikeDeAngelo @SikePiazza @jordonaut Yeah‚ this is the kind of thing people who have't spent time in NYC don't really grasp. Someone will be like‚ "Hey‚ you fucking yo-yo! You're money's falling out. Why the fuck is it in your back pocket? Get your shit together‚" and saved you all the cash in your pocket.\u201d — Jordan K. Green (@Jordan K. Green) 1611263478 \u201c@jordonaut In the South‚ politeness takes the form of "I will talk to you and inquire as to your day; I will give my time to you"; but in New York that CAN NOT WORK. In New York‚ politeness is "I will not waste your time"\u201d — Jordan K. Green (@Jordan K. Green) 1611263478 Many people chimed in with agreement with the original post (even some Canadians confirming that their East/West differences aligned with ours). \u201c@candaceforpdx @jordonaut I used to travel to the West Coast a lot for work. Everyone was \u201cnice‚\u201d but they had no sense of urgency and didn\u2019t give one fuck about inconveniencing everyone around them. I\u2019m from the DMV. We get shit done. Smiling!\u201d — Jordan K. Green (@Jordan K. Green) 1611263478 "No sense of urgency" is definitely a West coast vibe‚ but is generally viewed a positive out here. And "inconveniencing everyone around them" might be a subjective observation. Maybe.Plenty of people with bicoastal experience weighed in with their stories of how their experiences lined up with the basic premise of the thread‚ though. \u201c@jordonaut I am blunt‚ I cuss‚ I call shit like I see it‚ and if you need it I'll give you the shirt off my back‚ and that's East Coast culture.\u201d — Jordan K. Green (@Jordan K. Green) 1611263478 \u201c@KLDoorC @jordonaut This. I\u2019m from Pgh and talking to my friend in Seattle.. She lives by herself and needed some help moving something. I said why don\u2019t you ask your neighbors? She quickly replied we don\u2019t do that around here. It\u2019s frowned upon. I just couldn\u2019t live like that\u201d — Jordan K. Green (@Jordan K. Green) 1611263478 Though certainly not universally true‚ the tendency for West coasters to be more hands-off might extend back to the frontier days. The pioneer and gold rush mindset was necessarily individualistic and self-sufficient. In my experience‚ West coasters assume you don't need help unless you directly ask for it. But people don't ask because of the individualistic and self-sufficient thing‚ so automatic helpfulness just hasn't become part of the dominant culture.Things got even more interesting once the South and Midwest entered the chat. \u201c@jamieleefinch @jordonaut @yumcoconutmilk Moving from the Midwest to the south my experience tells me this is true. If you drive your car into a ditch a Southerner will offer to call someone for you. The Midwesterner will jump into the ditch to help push you out.\u201d — Jordan K. Green (@Jordan K. Green) 1611263478 But the takes on warm/nice/kind thing varied quite a bit. \u201c@jamieleefinch @jordonaut @yumcoconutmilk Midwest is warm/kind of you are or LOOK like you\u2019re \u201cfrom around here.\u201d\n\nThe other difference is that East/West coasts will never think of you again‚ while the South &; Midwest will gossip about you til the end of time.\u201d — Jordan K. Green (@Jordan K. Green) 1611263478 \u201c@alexschiff @zsr5 @jordonaut I moved to Michigan after spending my whole life on the East Coast. It took me MONTHS to make friends. People were nice but already had friends from their old neighborhood‚ high school‚ college‚ church‚ kids' playgroups...they didn't need any more friends and didn't reach out.\u201d — Jordan K. Green (@Jordan K. Green) 1611263478 One thing that seems quite clear if you read through the various responses to the thread is that specific states and cities seem to have their own cultures that don't break down as simply as East/West/Midwest/South. There's an entire book about how the U.S. can actually be subdivided into 11 different regions that are almost like nations unto themselves. Even this map from 1940 included 34 different cultural regions in the U.S. \u201cCultural Regions in the United States‚ 1940. https://t.co/RGGBgP5OzO\u201d — OnlMaps (@OnlMaps) 1601417553 And don't even get a Californian started on the differences between Northern CA‚ Southern CA‚ and the Central Valley. "Culture" can even be narrowed down even to specific neighborhoods‚ and people's experiences and perceptions vary for all kinds of reasons‚ so once again‚ generalizations only go so far before they fall flat.If you're curious about what the data says about all of this‚ a cursory search of surveys about which states are the kindest brings up a fairly mixed bag‚ but people seem to find Minnesota quite friendly. A Wallethub ranking of charitability by state based on 19 factors including volunteerism also placed Minnesota at number one‚ followed by Utah‚ Maryland‚ Oregon‚ and Ohio. Pretty hard to make a regional generalization with those states.Then again‚ there's the whole "Minnesota nice" thing‚ which brings us full circle back to the original thread. \u201c@SejalShahWrites I'm from Minnesota‚ where we have a whole theme of how "Minnesota Nice" means only on the surface.\u201d — Sejal Shah (@Sejal Shah) 1611281404 So many elements go into the culture of a place‚ from population density to the history of settlement to the individual personalities of the people who make someplace their home. And nothing is set in stone—the atmosphere of a place can change over time‚ as anyone who's visited a city a decade or two apart can attest.One thing that's true‚ no matter where we live‚ is that we play a role in molding the culture of our immediate surroundings. If we want where we live to be friendlier‚ we can be friendlier ourselves. If we want to see people help one another‚ we can serve as that example. We might stand out‚ but we also might inspire others who yearn for the same thing."Be the change" might seem a bit cliche‚ but it truly is the key to shifting or world in the way we want it to go‚ no matter what part of the country—or the world—we live in.This article originally appeared on 01.22.21