In this guide‚ we'll explore practical steps to help you find the best vet in your area‚ ensuring your beloved companions receive the quality care they deserve.

‘I’m devastated’

There were no concessions on either side‚ yet the debate showed how conservatives with starkly different views could compare them productively. It also showed a college campus can still hold a mature debate‚ not just another protest.

'Sat and watched the Seinfeld finale‚ trying to figure out what went wrong'

While popular culture has had its share of incredibly talented female vocalists‚ there has always been only one Queen of Soul. Aretha Franklin’s musical career set the bar so high that very few have ever come close to matching the singer’s brilliance. For years‚ Aretha Franklin’s musical performances and studio recordings have brought joy to millions of music fans around the world. One does not have to be a music fan to be touched by her incredible musical spirit. Her passing was a significant loss to us all. From her first single released in 1956‚ entitled “Never Grow Old‚” until The post 10 Essential Aretha Franklin Songs appeared first on ClassicRockHistory.com.

The Baltimore Harbor’s most beloved resident is celebrating his decennial‚ and what better way to look back on his years of service than listing a few of his achievements&;#63; Mr. Trash Wheel is a national icon. Since his installment in the Inner Harbor in 2014‚ his popularity led to the installment of other trash-collecting wheels‚ […] The post Baltimore’s Mr. Trash Wheel: a Decade of Garbage Gobbling Equates to 5.2 Million Pounds appeared first on Good News Network.

News The Ritual Al Pacino and Dan Stevens to Exorcise Each Other (and Demons‚ I Guess) in The Ritual Pretty much the opposite of The Devil’s Advocate&;#63; By Vanessa Armstrong | Published on April 23‚ 2024 Comment 0 Share New Share Exorcism movies are so hot right now. There was the much-maligned The Exorcist: Believer‚ the first in a promised trilogy set to take place in the world of The Exorcist. There was also the Russell Crowe-starring feature The Pope’s Exorcist in 2023 and the exorcism-adjacent The First Omen‚ which came out earlier this month.   A-list actors Al Pacino and Dan Stevens (the latter of whom is pictured above getting up close and personal with the Shadow King in Legion) want to get in on the exorcist action‚ it seems‚ and Variety reports that the two are set to star in an exorcism horror film called The Ritual. The movie comes from director David Midell‚ who co-wrote it with Enrico Natale. Here’s Variety’s description of the film: Based on a true story‚ The Ritual follows two priests—one questioning his faith (Stevens) and one reckoning with a troubled past (Pacino)—who must put aside their differences to save a possessed young woman through a difficult and dangerous series of exorcisms. That young woman mentioned in the synopsis is Emma Schmidt‚ and Variety reports that the film is “an authentic portrayal” of her demonic possession and subsequent exorcisms. Schmidt’s case is also apparently the most documented exorcism in U.S. history. Take that‚ The Conjuring franchise&;#33; The project is still in its early days‚ so no news yet on when the film will scare its way into theaters. [end-mark] The post Al Pacino and Dan Stevens to Exorcise Each Other (and Demons‚ I Guess) in &;lt;i&;gt;The Ritual&;lt;/i&;gt; appeared first on Reactor.

Book Recommendations Horror Read an Excerpt From Nick Medina’s Indian Burial Ground On this reservation‚ not all is what it seems… By Nick Medina | Published on April 23‚ 2024 Comment 0 Share New Share We’re thrilled to share an excerpt from Indian Burial Ground by Nick Medina‚ a mythological horror novel available now from Berkley. All Noemi Broussard wanted was a fresh start. With a new boyfriend who actually treats her right and a plan to move from the reservation she grew up on—just like her beloved Uncle Louie before her—things are finally looking up for Noemi. Until the news of her boyfriend’s apparent suicide brings her world crumbling down.But the facts about Roddy’s death just don’t add up‚ and Noemi isn’t the only one who suspects that something menacing might be lurking within their tribal lands.After over a decade away‚ Uncle Louie has returned to the reservation‚ bringing with him a past full of secrets‚ horror‚ and what might be the key to determining Roddy’s true cause of death. Together‚ Noemi and Louie set out to find answers… but as they get closer to the truth‚ Noemi begins to wonder whether it might be best for some secrets to remain buried. Prologue She couldn’t feel her feet. Not her knees or her hips either. Running like a Thoroughbred in a race‚ no one would know that she’d been limping just thirty minutes earlier‚ from her front door to her Jeep‚ favoring her left ankle‚ swollen and plum purple. Maximus bore the blame for her sprain. If the damn dog hadn’t snatched her phone from her hand‚ she wouldn’t have chased him yesterday in the yard‚ and she wouldn’t have rolled her ankle on the knot of wood—probably chewed up by old Maximus himself—hidden in the grass. Pain had made her grimace with each tender step thereafter‚ but now‚ despite the force of her wide‚ rapid strides driving her feet hard against the asphalt‚ she didn’t feel any pain at all. Just worry and dread. He might still be alive‚ she thought. Please‚ let him be alive. It couldn’t have taken her more than a minute to run down the road to the Grand Nacre Casino and Resort‚ which was glittering in the light of the descending sun. She would have called for help from the Jeep if she could have found her phone. It’d been in the cupholder beside her when she’d set off for work‚ earlier than usual because the bum ankle would slow her down—thanks again‚ Maximus—but after she’d swerved the Jeep to the left in a desperate Hail‑Mary‑hold‑tight at‑ tempt to avoid the inevitable‚ the cupholder was empty‚ the Jeep was on its side‚ and the man she’d tried not to hit was partially wrapped around the base of the tree trunk that’d prevented him from flying into the woods that bordered the road. Sounds from the impact remained within her. Taylor Swift singing “Anti‑Hero‚” silent now. The deafening crash of the Jeep. The report of the man’s ribs meeting metal. The sickening crack of his skull against glass. Its top down‚ she’d clung to the Jeep’s steering wheel as the vehicle‚ toppling in slow motion‚ rolled onto its side like her ankle on that knot of wood. Call an ambulance‚ she’d shrieked at Caleb Guidry‚ ragged nails between his teeth‚ at the security station just beyond the casino’s sliding glass doors. What’s wrong‚ Lena&;#63; A piece of nail shot from his mouth. Used to her flirty smiles as she enticed high rollers to her blackjack table through the swing shift hours‚ he’d never seen her so worked up before. She’d shouted other things at him in response … Man… … Hit him… … Up the road… HURRY&;#33; before turning right around and pounding the pavement again. Buy the Book Indian Burial Ground Nick Medina Buy Book Indian Burial Ground Nick Medina Buy this book from: AmazonBarnes and NobleiBooksIndieBoundTarget Please don’t be dead. She wondered if Caleb had summoned the ambulance yet. The resort had medics on‑site. It wouldn’t take them long to arrive. I’m alive‚ had been her first thought after the toppled Jeep touched down‚ relief and disbelief swelling within her. Her fingers made quick work of disengaging the seat belt that had kept her head from cracking against the ground‚ an old commercial surfacing in her mind. This is your brain on drugs. But it was only half an oxy she’d taken‚ for the pain in her ankle‚ and it’d worn off by the time she’d left for work. Having retched on the road’s shoulder upon spying the unmoving man‚ she’d been too terrified to scurry toward the trees to see if he still had a pulse. The blood was what kept her at bay‚ spreading through his clothes‚ his hair. His heart must have been beating‚ she thought hopefully as she returned to the Jeep‚ lying like a murdered elephant in the road. He wouldn’t be bleeding if his heart wasn’t beating. Feeling the sprint’s toll on her neglected cardiovascular system‚ she slowed to a brisk walk‚ wheezing all the way. Even when she took Maximus to the park‚ he did all the running while she stood station‑ ary‚ throwing sticks and balls for him to fetch. “Please‚” she gasped‚ then‚ “Why&;#63; WHY&;#63;” as she tried to make sense of what the man had done‚ her ears searching for sirens. Still‚ they didn’t come. Feeling wavy inside‚ as if her skin were a sack filled with water‚ she wanted to collapse like the Jeep. Maybe then someone would come along and do the things she couldn’t‚ like put pressure on an open wound or start mouth‑to‑mouth resuscitation. His back was broken‚ his spine curved the wrong way around the tree trunk. Just seeing it again in her mind’s eye made her stomach judder. She spat on the road‚ which was littered with shattered glass‚ amber bits of a broken side marker‚ her handbag‚ empty and half‑full water bottles that she’d habitually tossed into the passenger side foot‑ well‚ the Starbucks cup that had held her Salted Caramel Cream Cold Brew—ordered only minutes earlier—and the cherry‑blast‑scented Little Trees air freshener that had somehow come loose from the rear‑ view mirror. Still‚ there was no sign of her phone. And still‚ she saw no ambulance on the horizon. Dizzy and defeated‚ she staggered to the shoulder‚ then screamed and leaped back toward the middle of the road—much the way the man had seemingly leaped in front of the Jeep—at the sigh of a coyote‚ half the size of Maximus yet far more fearsome‚ standing over the man’s body. Head low‚ ears up‚ mouth open‚ glistening red teeth on display‚ the canine growled. Its muzzle was matted with blood. Excerpted from Indian Burial Ground by Nick Medina Copyright © 2024 by Nick Medina. Excerpted by permission of Berkley. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher. The post Read an Excerpt From Nick Medina’s &;lt;i&;gt;Indian Burial Ground&;lt;/i&;gt; appeared first on Reactor.

California state Sen. Shannon Grove‚ a Republican‚ blasted her Democratic colleagues for weakening a bill that would make buying a child for sex a felony offense. The California bill‚ which Grove introduced in February‚ would have made soliciting a minor for sex a felony with the potential for up to four years of prison time‚ a fine of up to $25‚000‚ and required those convicted to register as sex offenders. Democrats on the state Senate’s Public Safety Committee passed amendments to the bill last Wednesday without Grove’s approval. The changes would drop prison time upon conviction to a maximum of one year in jail and reduce the charge to a misdemeanor if the child was 16 or 17.  “When I was standing at that podium I was shocked at what was happening‚ and I said‚ ‘Are you forcing these amendments on me&;#63;’ And the chair said‚ ‘Yes.’ And the audience‚ with all of our survivors in the background‚ gasped‚” Grove told the Daily Caller News Foundation. “Some of them cried out. They’re mortified. They are hurt. They feel like they’ve been assaulted all over again by what happened.” The amendments also would make it so that a person could face charges or pay a $10‚000 fine and “buy their way out of a crime” if the victim was under 16 years old‚ Grove said. “I’ve thought through this process and I thought through any rational reason that they could have‚ but I think somebody just needs to ask them why they don’t want to put people in prison for buying children‚” Grove said. “My mind cannot wrap around a rational reason not to do that.” Today‚ the Senate Public Safety Committee refused to pass my bill to send child sex buyers to prison. Instead of making the buying of kids a felony with prison time‚ the committee forced me to take amendments I didn’t agree with and watered down my bill to allow a fine or…— Senator Shannon Grove (@ShannonGroveCA) April 16‚ 2024 California is the fifth-worst state in the nation for human trafficking‚ with 3.43 cases per 100‚000‚ according to the World Population Review. Sex trafficking accounted for 89% of all human trafficking cases in California in 2021‚ according to the Public Policy Institute of California. California lawmakers‚ however‚ have pushed legislation that weakens protections for minors who have been sexually abused. In 2020‚ Gov. Gavin Newsom‚ a Democrat‚ signed a bill authored by state Sen. Scott Wiener‚ a Democrat. A member of the Public Safety Committee‚ Newsom voted in favor of the amendments to Grove’s bill relaxing sex offender registry requirements for offenders not more than 10 years older than victims who are minors. A similar amendment to Grove’s bill would remove the requirement to register as a sex offender for buying or engaging in sexual behavior with a minor 15 years old and under‚ if the perpetrator is less than 10 years older than the victim‚ according to a press release from Grove’s office. Grove said the change was “bizarre‚ convoluted‚ and confusing … but purposeful.” “I think every Californian—well‚ just about every Californian—believes that buying sex from a child should be a felony‚” Grove said. “And I don’t think that these senators wanted to take that vote or face the public backlash‚ so they watered it down hoping that I would pull the bill entirely.” Wiener’s office did not respond to the Daily Caller News Foundation’s request for comment. State Sen. Craig Bradford‚ a Democrat‚ also voted in support of the amendments‚ according to the Legislature’s website. Bradford noted during Wednesday’s hearing that although he was supportive of measures to prevent human trafficking‚ he “generally” hesitated about “creating new felonies” due to their potential “consequences on communities of color.” Bradford supported a previous bill proposed by Grove to make the selling of a minor for sex a felony. However‚ he said at the hearing that he was concerned about the new bill because the offender might not have known the minor’s age at the time of the crime. Grove said she worked with the Public Safety Committee by proposing an amendment to make the sex offender registry requirement for repeat offenders only‚ but her fellow senators didn’t accept her revisions. Bradford’s office referred the Daily Caller News Foundation to his Wednesday testimony. “We negotiated a second chance for offenders before you get on a registry‚ because there were things brought to us such as if they met somebody in a bar or they’re drinking‚ you would think that they were old enough to be there but come to find out the person was only 16‚” Grove said. “You don’t want to destroy anybody’s life‚ but if you’re a repeat offender‚ I want you in prison for a long time away from our children. We negotiated in good faith‚ but the whole time they were negotiating in bad faith. And I can tell you that someone told me that in 21 years‚ they have never seen that happen.” The bill now must make its way through the state Senate’s Appropriations Committee before going to the Senate floor‚ and Grove said her team is working to strengthen the bill. This setback was extremely disheartening for victims of sex trafficking and would only embolden sex traffickers‚ she argued. “These amendments say‚ ‘Buyers‚ you have free rein‚” Grove said. “Any perpetrator that enjoys engaging in sexual activity with a child is going to just continue to do it‚ because it’s going to still be just a slap on the wrist.” Originally published by the Daily Caller News Foundation The post GOP Lawmaker Bashes Dems for Making It Easier to Get Away With Trafficking Minors appeared first on The Daily Signal.

Kansas university officials have spent millions of dollars on diversity‚ equity‚ and inclusion (DEI)‚ in what appears to be just a jobs program for DEI staff. A state auditor could not determine what DEI means at state universities or what DEI programs produce‚ and Kansas lawmakers made a proactive decision to reinforce civil rights laws and protect everyone on state college campuses from the discriminatory effects DEI programs have had on campuses around the country. Kansas legislators last week adopted a law that prohibits state university officials from requiring prospective employees to complete a DEI statement as a condition of employment or requiring students to write a DEI statement when they apply to a university. Faculty also cannot require professors to write a DEI statement as a condition of being promoted. Research has found that such “loyalty oaths” to DEI are not uncommon. Those pledges to DEI advocate for racial preferences in college admissions and other university activities‚ though nearly all DEI offices have been silent on the recent antisemitic incidents that have occurred on campuses nationwide. Some races appear more important than others. On Friday‚ Gov. Laura Kelly‚ a Democrat‚ who has vetoed similar proposals that would have protected civil rights‚ allowed this new bill prohibiting DEI statements to become law without her signature. She said she has “concerns” about the legislation‚ but does not “believe” state universities are requiring such statements. Yet in Kansas State University job postings‚ the school’s DEI statement is stamped on the announcements. Meanwhile‚ a state auditor released a report in March finding that state universities spent $9 million in taxpayer funds on DEI in the 2022-2023 school year. The six state universities spent $45 million in total on DEI‚ money that funded more than 500 DEI staff positions and 202 training programs. At Kansas University‚ school officials spent $689 per student on DEI activities. In a legislative hearing that reviewed the report‚ audit supervisor Heidi Zimmerman said the state universities did not have “a single shared definition of what DEI activities are”—which means the audit could be underreporting the actual figures‚ according to Heartlander News. Kansas’ auditor is not the only one still searching for a definition for DEI. The Iowa Board of Regents also struggled to determine what‚ exactly‚ DEI is when it released a report calling for an end to DEI on state campuses last year. A survey of human resource officers at private businesses found that 71% of respondents said their organizations did not have a definition of DEI‚ though many have mandatory DEI training programs. While DEI staffers have failed to define their ideas‚ the offices at colleges have found time to host drag queen shows and sponsor parades advocating for radical ideas on “gender.” Kansas lawmakers have added their state to a list that includes Florida‚ Texas‚ Oklahoma‚ Alabama‚ Utah‚ Idaho‚ Wisconsin‚ and Indiana where policymakers are doubling down on state and federal civil rights laws and rejecting DEI. Officials in other states delay the condemnation of DEI at their own risk. Columbia University has resorted to online classes after antisemitic protests broke out late last week. The school has not been able to guarantee student safety—and neither have school officials at Yale‚ where similar violence is occurring‚ causing injury to at least one student. Both schools have DEI offices—so‚ if DEI staffers are not fostering a diversity of ideas‚ promoting equal treatment‚ and making students feel included‚ then how are they defining “diversity‚ equity‚ and inclusion”&;#63; And in case Kansans think these problems only happen at Ivy League institutions‚ the state’s two flagship universities‚ KU and Kansas State University‚ both have DEI offices. To its credit‚ KU’s DEI office issued a statement opposing antisemitism in November 2022‚ though the office sidestepped Hamas’ terrorism in its newsletter of September-October 2023‚ following the Islamic militant group’s terrorist acts of Oct. 7.   Around the country‚ DEI offices prove to be radical operations that show little interest in civil rights or equality under the law. Kansas taxpayers should not have to pay for them. State lawmakers have taken a crucial step that protects free expression and embraces the fundamental idea that we are not defined by our skin color. The post Kansas Universities Spent $45 Million on DEI. Lawmakers Want to Know What They Paid For. appeared first on The Daily Signal.