Representative Cori Bush is reportedly facing a Department of Justice (DOJ) investigation related to alleged misuse of funds. "THE JUSTICE DEPARTMENT is conducting a criminal probe into @CoriBush‚" Punchbowl News founder Jake Sherman posted on X‚ formerly Twitter. He cited six anonymous sources "familiar with the investigation." The New York Times also reported that Bush‚ a Missouri Democrat‚ is under investigation‚ also citing anonymous sources. Bush responded to the investigation in...

Seeing the northern lights is a common bucket list adventure for many people. After all‚ it ticks a lot of boxes—being a dazzling light show‚ rich historical experience and scientific phenomenon all rolled into one. Plus there’s the uncertainty of it all‚ never quite knowing if you’ll witness a vivid streak of otherworldly colors dance across the sky…or simply see an oddly colored cloud. It’s nature’s slot machine‚ if you will. Traveler and content creator Pency Lucero was willing to take that gamble. After thorough research‚ she stumbled upon an Airbnb in Rörbäck‚ Sweden with an actual picture of the northern lights shining above the cabin in the listing. With that kind of photo evidence‚ she felt good about her odds. However‚ as soon as she landed‚ snow began falling so hard that the entire sky was “barely visible‚” she told Upworthy. Martin‚ the Airbnb host‚ was nonetheless determined to do everything he could to ensure his guests got to see the spectacle‚ even offering to wake Lucero up in the middle of the night if he saw anything. Then one night‚ the knock came. In a video Lucero posted to TikTok‚ which now has over 12 million views‚ we hear Martin ushering her out to take a peek. Then we see Lucero’s face light up just before seeing the sky do the same.“I thought it was a prank‚” the onscreen text reads in the clip. “And then I see it….”Watch: @penslucero I’m on the verge of crying every time I watch this video I still cannot believe it. 📍 Rörbäck‚ Sweden “I was mostly in awe of what this Earth is capable of‚” Lucero recalled. “I never expected it to be THAT beautiful for the naked eye.” This is a hopeful sentiment against the widely accepted notion that the northern lights are often better looking in photos than they are in real life.As Lucero asserted in a follow-up video‚ “Our video doesn’t do it justice at all…I would argue it’s even better for the naked eye.” @penslucero Replying to @PatriotFamilyHomes ♬ Golden Hour: Piano Version - Andy Morris Others were quick to back Lucero with anecdotes of their own experience.“It’s definitely possible to see it like in the pics. I saw it this winter in Norway‚ there was bright green‚ purple and so much movement.”“They’re so much better in person‚ the way they dance and move around is insane and beautiful.”Of course‚ if you ask Martin‚ who everyone agreed was the best host ever‚ seeing guest reactions of pure wonder and joy is even “better than the lights themselves.” But still‚ he can’t deny that there’s a breathtaking magic to it all. He shared with Upworthy that “Sometimes it feels like it will pull you up in the sky like you are in the middle of it. I wish everyone would have the chance to witness it.”When it comes to tips for actually seeing the northern lights‚ Martin admits it still mostly comes down to being in the right place at the right time. Luckily‚ his Airbnb listing can help with that.Nature has a great way of reminding us that beyond the distractions and distresses of modern life‚ there is sublime beauty waiting for the chance to capture our hearts. This article originally appeared on 03.27.23

Over the past few years‚ book bans have been happening in public libraries and schools across America. In the 2022-2023 school year alone‚ over 3‚300 books were banned in 182 school districts in 37 states.Most books that have been banned deal with LGBTQ and racial themes. According to a report from PEN America‚ Florida has been the most aggressive state regarding book bans‚ accounting for about 40% of those taken off the shelves. On November 5‚ Collier County‚ Florida‚ announced that it was banning 300 books from its school libraries out of an effort to comply with state law HB 1069‚ which says books that depict or describe “sexual content” can be challenged for removal.Among the books banned by the school district was “Shopgirl‚” a novella by author Steve Martin published in 2000. Martin is also the star of the hit Hulu show‚ “Only Murders in the Building‚” featuring Martin Short and Selena Gomez.Upon hearing about his book being banned‚ Martin responded with his iconic wit on Instagram‚ saying‚ “So proud to have my book Shopgirl banned in Collier County‚ Florida! Now‚ people who want to read it will have to buy a copy!" See on Instagram “Shopgirl” is a story about a young woman who works in a luxury department store and has an affair with a wealthy older man. It was made into a movie in 2005 starring Claire Danes and Martin. It’s believed the book was banned for its mild sexual content. On Amazon‚ the book is recommended for readers ages 13 and up. This article originally appeared on 11.11.23

Most people have seen those fancy transition videos on social media. The person starts off either in a bath robe or oversized lounge wear while music plays‚ suddenly their hand waves in front of the camera and poof‚ they're a bombshell. It's often so flawless that it looks like there was some sort of magic involved. But there's no magic and in most cases‚ there's not even a trick of the camera. These are just people determined to make the most flawless transition as possible and one influencer is pulling off the veil on what actually goes into these trends. Courtney Michelle Dlugos posted a behind the scenes recently and it hilariously captures what is actually happening on the other side of the camera.Dlugos starts off in a bathrobe and towel lip syncing to the music playing before closing the bathroom door and immediately reopening it to stop the camera. Then she's seen brushing her teeth‚ cleaning her ears and burning herself with the curling iron.There are several instances where she's uncomfortably close to the camera and shouting while looking for things. After reappearing fully dressed she finishes the transition making it appear that she never missed a beat. Commenters are praising her realness and also demanding to see the finished product."Do you know how many 'before' transitions I have saved in my drafts‚" someone laughs."When the towel on the back of your door moves and ruins the entire clip anyway...‚" another commenter writes."i love these - a) yes it [sic] hella funny‚ very accurate‚ b) there's a real destigmatization that's happening at the same time. A+ comedy‚" someone else shares.Who knew so much work went into doing those trending transitions? They look like a lot of fun but the magic that happens behind the camera may have some folks just enjoying the show while they sit in their sweats scrolling TikTok. See how it all takes shape below. @itscourtneymichelle If the phone moves your life might as well be over #fyp

Actress Jessica Biel has caused quite an online commotion after sharing her unconventional eating habit of eating in the shower.The discourse first started in 2020‚ when Biel shared a since-deleted Instagram post of an empty plate‚ fork and coffee cup sitting on the ledge of her shower. In her caption‚ Biel wrote‚ "Yes. I eat in the shower. I admit it‚” adding that this particular shower meal consisted of chicken‚ apple sausage and an espresso.Biel has gone on to list other things she considered “shower appropriate items‚” which include cereal‚ yogurt‚ coffee‚ tea and popsicles (which are “safe” from being too messy even though they’ll start melting pretty fast).Most recently‚ the “7th Heaven” actress gave others some helpful “pro-tips” to get the ultimate shower snacking experience‚ such as utilizing a handy shower ledge‚ and keeping your mouth closed while chewing if you’re going under the water while noshing. @jessbiel Replying to @Ryan ♬ original sound - Jessica Biel And while Biel’s shower eating “movement” might have caused a few to scratch their heads‚ those who enjoyed eating while taking a bath could see where she was coming from“For me it’s a cheeseburger from In-N-Out and the bath‚” one person wrote. Plus…you know who's totally onboard with the idea? Moms‚ that’s who. “I got four kids‚ they eat my food. I stand by this 100% since it’s the only place I have privacy‚” one mom commented. Another person shared‚ “it’s the only place you can probably eat without having to share with kids.” Still another wrote‚ “mom life. We know this too well.”Let’s face it. Moms who are doing a million things at once for their kids have to be both diligent and creative when it comes to carving out time alone. Compared to the all-too-common fantasy of going to the hospital in order to get some R&;R‚ eating in the shower seems like a way healthier alternative.And as far as the hygienic soundness of the trend—well‚ the jury seems to be out on this one.Some experts warn that eating in the bathroom is inherently risky‚ given the proximity to the toilet (and therefore fecal matter). Others argue that unless the food is basically directly in contact with the toilet—apologies for the visual—that the bathroom is no more germ and bacteria ridden than any other part of the house. Although the general rule of thumb is to simply make sure your bathroom is clean beforehand. Something tells me this isn’t something Biel struggles with.So if you’re a tired mom‚ chronic multitasker or simply looking for a self-care ritual that ticks off many boxes at once‚ maybe join this shower-eating movement. Just be sure to clean the bathroom beforehand. Bon appétit!

College is generally a time where kids are feeling much more freedom than they're used to. They're finally able to come and go as they please‚ stay out as late as they want and sleep in as long as they feel like it without immediately having to answer to a parent. It's a mix of freedom and privacy that nearly every adolescent craves and as long as they do well in classes‚ no one asks too many questions. Well‚ about that privacy‚ professors are saying not so fast in feeling untethered. Apparently the software used on many college campuses is not just for submitting assignments or downloading readings. After a recent article was published by The Markup titled‚ He Wanted Privacy. His College Gave Him None. written by Tara García Mathewson‚ college professor and doctoral candidate Victoria Alexander took to social media to help ring the alarm. There's some level of privacy expected while attending college but according to Alexander‚ that privacy is simply an illusion. The educational software the schools use not only track when you log on‚ off and how long you spend logged into the site‚ it tells so much more. It lets professors know where you logged on from‚ what materials you accessed and how long you accessed the material. But the lack of privacy doesn't stop there according to Alexander and Mathewson."Those are just what I can see as a professor. The general university surveillance can see many other things‚" Alexander explains. "If your phone's connected to university WiFi they can tell where you're going on the internet and where you're physically going on campus. Many universities also use facial recognition through their security cameras so they know where you are in person and they know where you are online and if you've logged into your social media they can also know what you're up to on there and what your friends are sharing."This information gathering isn't just for the universities to use‚ some may also sell it. And this isn't something that college campuses are forthcoming about or really give students the option to opt out. "Still‚ whether living on campus or off‚ taking classes in person or remotely‚ students simply cannot opt out of most data collection and still pursue a degree‚" Mathewson says in The Markup. @victoria_phd #stitch with @The Markup 💥 Read: He Wanted Privacy. His College Gave Him None by Tara García Mathewson #Surveillance #Privacy #DataPrivacy #MarkupPartner #SchoolSurveillance Some professors let it be known in the comments of Alexander's video that they don't use the excess information provided by the learning management systems. "I make it a point not to use this information against my students. They're adults‚ they can lie‚ I will judge their work and participation‚" one professor writes."I choose not to access ANY of this info about my students. They're adults‚ I'm not their keeper‚" another professor says. While it's great that most of the professors who revealed themselves in the comments aren't using this private information‚ the average commenter was flabbergasted and a bit upset that it's available. "There's actually zero justification for my professor knowing my location...like ever. I'm an adult who's PAYING to be there‚" one person says."Help me out‚ why would any college or university need access to that kind of information? How is that not an invasion of privacy‚" someone asks."So you're telling me universities are practically FBI agents‚" another person questions.Certainly this isn't something that is advertised when taking college tours and surely if students knew how much they were being monitored‚ many tech savvy kids would find a way around most of it. But when using facial recognition and location tracking via student IDs it may be a bit more tricky. Either way it seems the concerns raised are valid and something that may need to be discussed before sending your student off to college in the fall.

The sounds of rock and roll progression. The post The song sequence Bob Weir called “instructional for me” first appeared on Far Out Magazine.

Not at home on the four-string. The post The Rush song Geddy Lee didn’t like playing bass on first appeared on Far Out Magazine.

Not having the same musical vocabulary. The post The classic band Ritchie Blackmore thought were “idiots” first appeared on Far Out Magazine.