Ella Langley has hopes of acting one day… but maybe not in the genre that you’d think. The pipeline from singing to acting feels like it’s happening more and more these days, with many country music stars venturing beyond the stage to a set, making their acting debuts. From Lainey Wilson first starring in Yellowstone to soon making her feature film debut in Colleen Hoover’s Reminders of Him, and Riley Green entering the Taylor Sheridan sphere with his Marshals acting debut, to Jelly Roll appearing in CBS’s Fire Country, it’s a common career addition for many country singers. And another country music star is sharing her dreams of making her acting debut as well. It’s no stretch to say that Ella Langley is not only the hottest country artist on the planet right now but also one of the hottest artists in all of music. Riding the momentum gained throughout 2024 and 2025, due to her smash hit with Riley Green, “You Look Like You Love Me,” Langley shattered any previously set career expectations upon the release of her all-genre #1 hit, “Choosin’ Texas.” “Choosin’ Texas” became Langley’s first career #1 hit on the aforementioned Hot Country Songs chart. In turn, it became the fastest solo female song to reach the top 10 at US Country Radio this decade, taking just eight weeks to crack the Top 10. The hit song also went #1 on the all-genre Billboard Hot 100. In turn, she became just the seventh female artist IN HISTORY to go #1 on the Hot 100 with a country song. Additionally, she became the first woman ever to triple up and score #1s on Billboard’s Hot Country Songs, Country Airplay, and Hot 100 chart simultaneously. In case you were wondering just how rare the feat was, Langley became just the seventh female artist IN HISTORY to go #1 on the Hot 100 with a country song. Ella Langley is crushing it, to say the least, but even with the massive amounts of success she’s achieved in the country realm, she’s also thinking about what could come next for her and her career. Recently on The Jesse James Morning Show, Langley revealed that she hopes to appear on the big screen one day. But Langley does not have dreams of getting her start on a Western-related TV series, as many of her country music colleagues do. She hopes to make her acting dreams come true by appearing in a much different genre. “(A) Thriller probably first, maybe. But I really want to do a horror movie. That’s like one of my big goals. Like an old school horror movie, not like this stuff that you can’t put on and let your daddy walk through the room.”  I didn’t peg Ella Langley as a horror movie fan, but based on the clip, it seems she’s into classic thrillers with a spooky twist, not the jump-scare-filled horrors that end up in theaters today. I feel like Langley would crush a role like this, and I hope that her dream of starring in a film like this comes true one day. Perhaps she already has something in the works, and we can see Ella Langley on our TV or movie screens soon. Check it out: The post Ella Langley Hopes To Act In A Horror Movie One Day: “That’s One Of My Big Goals” first appeared on Whiskey Riff.

As the American-Israeli war on Iran entered its second day Sunday, Iranian missiles and drones struck targets across the Persian Gulf, hitting U.S. installations and energy infrastructure in allied Gulf states, while Israel continued air operations over Iranian airspace amid reports of heavy losses to the Islamic Republic’s senior leadership. Three U.S. service members were killed and five seriously wounded in the conflict, U.S. Central Command said. Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei was among several senior officials already killed by American-Israeli airstrikes. Others include Iran’s army chief of staff, General Abdol Rahim Mousavi, Defense Minister General Aziz Nasirzadeh, and Secretary of the Defense Council Ali Shamkhani. Thousands of Iranians, led by Shiite clerics, filled the main square in the central city of Yazd on Sunday to mourn Khamenei, with many chanting and holding vigils. Social media footage also showed some Iranians celebrating Khamenei’s death. Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian appeared on Iranian TV in a recorded address, offering condolences for Khamenei’s death and announcing that an interim three-member leadership council had been formed. It will consist of Pezeshkian himself, Judiciary Chief Gholam-Hossein Mohseni-Ejei, and a senior jurist from the Guardian Council, Ayatollah Alireza Arafi. In Israel, at least nine people were killed in an Iranian missile strike on the town of Beit Shemesh, according to local emergency officials. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps broadcast warnings that no ships could pass through the Strait of Hormuz, which carries roughly 20 to 30 percent of global seaborne oil shipments. Tehran has not issued a formal blockade.  An oil tanker, the Palau-flagged Skylight, was struck on Sunday near Oman and began sinking, with four crew members injured and all 20 sailors evacuated, Omani authorities said. Iranian state media said the vessel was targeted for attempting to cross the Strait of Hormuz after its declared closure. Major shippers including Maersk have suspended use of the shipping route in response. President Donald Trump said Sunday he was open to speaking with Iran’s new leadership. “They want to talk, and I have agreed to talk,” Trump told the Atlantic from Mar-a-Lago. A new Reuters/Ipsos poll released Sunday found that just 27 percent of Americans approve of President Trump’s strikes on Iran, while 43 percent disapprove and 29 percent are unsure. Roughly half of respondents, including about one in four Republicans, said the president is too willing to use military force. The poll surveyed 1,282 U.S. adults on Saturday. The post Iran War Enters Second Day: Gulf Nations Take a Beating appeared first on The American Conservative.

In the quiet charm of a fading small-town theater, where faded curtains still hold echoes of glory, a once-celebrated Broadway star—fresh from a spectacular public implosion—returns home to his family’s struggling playhouse.    The post American Classic first appeared on Worth it or Woke.

LaShonda Adams, who runs the TikTok page “I Am Chronicles of Mrs. Adams,” found herself becoming the primary caregiver for her husband after a medical emergency nearly caused her to lose him. When a young couple says their wedding vows, they’re not thinking much about the “sickness” part. Typically in that moment, both parties are presumably healthy and an illness changing things feels like a distant possibility, not an inevitability. Adams recently uploaded a video of herself explaining to her 48-year-old husband how he knows her. He appears confused, and Adams soon reveals why. A couple looks at a shopping list. Photo credit: Canva “What you’re going through is called sundowning,” Adams says gently to her husband. “It’s where you go through this space where you don’t understand, and then you get in this very confused state where you don’t understand what’s going on or where you are, or who’s around you.” Forty-eight is young for a dementia diagnosis, but after a massive heart attack, he received life-changing news. He was without oxygen to his brain for more than 20 minutes. This form of dementia is typically not associated with the elderly. The once-vibrant man is experiencing vascular dementia. @iamchroniclesofmrsadams #lifenlovewithdementia #iamchroniclesofmrsadams ♬ original sound – iamchroniclesofmrsadams According to the Alzheimer’s Association, “Vascular dementia is a decline in thinking skills caused by conditions that block or reduce blood flow to various regions of the brain, depriving them of oxygen and nutrients.” The diagnosis appears to have occurred within the past two years, based on older videos. She displays a lot of patience and grace, which is melting the hearts of viewers. @iamchroniclesofmrsadams When you the whole team #lifenlovewithdementia ♬ original sound – Geovanna | Life+Style Content “I’m your wife. Those are your kids, and you’re at home,” Adams says calmly. “You had a heart attack, baby, and you lost oxygen to the brain. When you lost oxygen to the brain, it made you lose your memory of 24 years, okay? So sometimes you remember me, sometimes you don’t. You’re having a moment. You’re going to be alright.” He then asks her name, and she quietly responds. After clarifying that he no longer works, his wife explains that he’s off right now due to his disability. “This is the first time I’m hearing anything,” he says. “I’ve been here all day. Nobody said nothing.” @iamchroniclesofmrsadams Trying to keep my husband calm while he experiences Sundowner Syndrome#lifenlovewithdementia ♬ original sound – iamchroniclesofmrsadams Adams reassures him that she reminds him daily, but he insists this is his first time waking up in someone else’s house. She responds with patience: “Well, I’m here. I’m your wife, and I love you. I’m going to take care of you and make sure that you get cared for, okay? Alright? And any questions you have, or anything you want to know, I’m here to answer. Alright? We have pictures, we have memories that I can show you to kind of help.” @iamchroniclesofmrsadams The Day I became Mrs.Adams The day I vowed to love for better ,for worse ,for rich ,for poor, in sickness and health ,to cherish and love til death do us part ♬ Only You X Playdate –

When the holidays roll around, it’s time for families to decide where they will meet to celebrate. For the most part, parents with younger kids dread packing their bags and traveling to a family member’s house where things aren’t set up for young children. You fumble around setting up the pack ‘n plays, can’t find your bottle brush, and freak out because the electrical sockets aren’t child-proof. However, many grandparents aren’t keen on enduring the mental and physical strain of traveling at an older age. So, who’s right? Grandma Jan, founder of Grandma Camp and a TikTok influencer who shares fun ideas for grandparents and grandkids, argued that parents should pack up their kids and visit Grandma. @grandmacampplanner Is it Grandma’s job to travel to the kids, or should the family come to her? Let’s hear it—#GrandmaCamp #FamilyDebate #momsoftiktok #GrandmaLife #HolidayTravel ♬ original sound – GrandmaCamp by Grandma Jan “Okay, so, here’s the debate: families say, ‘Grandma, why don’t you come visit us?’ But let’s be honest, Grandma’s house is where the traditions are, the cookies are, and all of the toys are,” Grandma Jan begins. “But if grandma is driving, flying, hauling all the gifts, and packing up her car to come see you, maybe it’s time to flip the script. When did it become normal for Grandma to pack up all her stuff and come see you? Should the kids pile into the car, bring all their toys, and just go visit grandma? Bring all that love and chaos to her?” So she asked her followers: “Should grandmas be the one on the road or should families pick everything up and drive to her?” Just about everyone in the comments said that grandparents should have to travel to see their grandchildren. “Nope. I want Christmas morning in pajamas with my family. I want my traditions. My parents and in-laws (the grandparents) got all of this how they wanted. It’s my turn now,” Maggie wrote. “Gramma is retired and now has a shit ton of time. Kids and parents have a very finite amount of time off in the holidays that they do not want to spend on the road,” Mrs. Wright added. Some grandparents also checked in to disagree with Grandma Jan. “Why would I put that on my kids and grandkids? It’s so hard traveling with kids, not to mention expensive to fly for more than one person,” Populustultus wrote. “What a weird way to think about that. Why wouldn’t you help your kids create magic in their home? Signed a grandma,” LifestylebyKat added. @grandmacampplanner Disclaimer: My last post was meant to spark conversation, not advice. It came from what I witnessed as an OT — older grandmas struggling to travel alone. Every family is different #GrandmaCampByGrandmaJan #FamilyDecisions #GrandmaLife #OTperspective #momsoftiktok ♬ original sound – GrandmaCamp by Grandma Jan The response inspired Grandma Jan to release a follow-up video clarifying her opinion. She admits she came up with the idea after seeing older people having a hard time getting through the airport. “[I saw] older grandparents struggling their way through airports carrying their own heavy bags while managing a walker or a plane or a wheelchair, struggling through all on their own with no one to assist,” Grandma Jan said. “And as an occupational therapist, that actually broke my heart. For younger, healthier grandparents, travel can be fun, but for the older generation, it can be quite a struggle.” Ultimately, Grandma Jan didn’t intend to put anyone out; she just wanted to have a conversation about what’s best for families as a whole. “And Grandma Camp by Grandma Jan is about having those conversations, not making rules. And at the end of the day, it’s about connection, not distance,” she concluded her video. This article originally appeared last year. It has been updated.The post Boomer grandma challenges family norms by asking why she has to do the traveling for visits appeared first on Upworthy.

Grief is a universal experience that touches everyone—from kids to adults. And for fourth grade teacher Ryan Brazil, she used her own recent loss to help educate and open up to her students about grief. In a touching video, Brazil tenderly explained what grief is to her students after they finished reading A Kids Book About Grief by Brennan C. Wood. She tells her class, “More than half our class is in tears and is being vulnerable and brave and sharing stories of their own grief.” She then pulls out an empty vase that she explains represents her “brain and her heart,” before adding: “I normally have more space for patience, focus, and calm. I showed them how little things that happen during the day like noise, questions, mistakes are like colorful pom poms filling up the vase. Normally, there’s plenty of space to handle those things.” View this post on Instagram However, due to grief, she added that she has less space—and put a crumpled up piece of black construction paper in the vase to demonstrate the space grief can occupy in a person’s heart and mind. “It can make you more tired, less patient, and quicker to feel overwhelmed. I wanted my students to understand that if I seemed off lately, it wasn’t about them. It’s just my brain and heart are doing a lot of extra work right now,” she added in the video caption. “It turned into one of the most healing moments I’ve ever had in my classroom.” Brazil tells Upworthy that the lesson deeply impacted not just her students, but herself. “My sister passed away recently and very unexpectedly, so I’ve been having a difficult time. I was feeling overwhelmed and in pain, and I needed a way to discuss what was happening in my brain and my heart,” Brazil says. So, she decided to share with her students rather than hide. “Discussing grief with my students changed something in our classroom. So many kids opened up about their own losses,” she says. “Some were more recent and some were before they were born, but they were still hurt by them. There was this release of emotions that felt like they were probably holding on to those feelings for a long time. We really rallied around each other and were there for each other. It was really helpful for me, personally. I felt understood in that moment and part of a community.” She hopes that her video will encourage others (including educators) to open up to students. “I am not an expert (on most things, honestly), but I don’t think that’s what kids need,” she adds. “They don’t need us to be perfect, they just need us to give them space to feel and understand that feelings are welcome. We all learned that grief isn’t something to hide. It’s something we can learn to hold onto together.” Expert tips for how to teach kids about grief Looking for more ways to explain what grief is to your kids? These are five tips from grief experts to help. Name the feelings, not just the loss “Kids often mirror our emotions but don’t always have the words for them. Instead of avoiding words like sad or angry, model using them out loud: ‘I’m feeling sad today because I miss Grandpa’,” Angie Hanson, a certified grief coach, educator, and author of Chapters of a Resilient Heart, tells Upworthy. “This helps kids name and normalize their own emotions. Grief becomes less scary when it’s spoken about openly.” Tip #2: Use simple, honest language “It is commonplace to use words like ‘passed away’ or ‘lost’ when talking about death, but these words can be confusing and add to misconceptions and anxiety for young children,” Jessica Correnti, MS, Certified Child Life Specialist at Kids Grief Support and author of The ABCs of Grief, tells Upworthy. “It is recommended to use concrete, factual words like ‘death,’ ‘died,’ and ‘dying’ even though these may feel blunt or difficult to say. Grief is a small word, but a very confusing and layered experience.” Create a “heart space” ritual “Like the vase activity, give grief a visual home. Create a small jar or box called a heart space,” says Hanson. “When they miss someone, they can place drawings, notes, or keepsakes inside. This teaches them that love doesn’t disappear, it changes form, and it’s okay to keep that connection.” Keep grief in the conversation, not just the moment “Children revisit grief as they grow. Keep their loved one’s memory woven into everyday life,” says Hanson. “Bake their favorite cookies, tell stories, or say, ‘I wonder what Grandma would think of this.’ It shows that grief isn’t a one-time event but an ongoing expression of love and remembrance.” Recognize that you may be grieving too “It is important for adults to have trusted spaces and people to confide in about their grief reactions so they can be present and available for their child(ren),” Dr. Micki Bruns, Ph.D., a childhood bereavement experts and CEO of Judi’s House/JAG Institute, a childhood bereavement center in Denver, Colorado, tells Upworthy. “At the same time, adults should normalize grief reactions and model healthy coping.” This article originally appeared last year. It has been updated.The post Fourth grade teacher beautifully explains what grief is to her students using a vase appeared first on Upworthy.