The House Judiciary Committee on Wednesday announced an investigation into massive bungling by the Homeland Security Department‚ which failed to file summonses with the immigration courts for hundreds of thousands of illegal immigrants‚ causing some 200‚000 cases to be dismissed. The department has managed to refile the charges in only one-quarter of the cases‚ according to data from the Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse‚ leaving the rest free to roam the U.S. without any case...

Is there anything more poisonous or ridiculous than insisting that corporations and the government treat people fairly regardless of race? Apparently not. An Axios report on the Trump team’s intention to use civil-rights laws to target DEI policies discriminating against whites has occasioned sneering and denunciations. (By the way‚ that this is a priority for Trump isn’t exactly a secret — he’s spelled it out quite plainly.)

A Lawton‚ Oklahoma‚ student who goes by the Facebook user name Rose Lynn had the last laugh after being sent home from school for wearing an outfit deemed "distracting." Rose Lynn believes her outfit attracted the attention of school officials because of her figure.She proved it by posting a photo on Facebook of her modest outfit‚ which consisted of black leggings‚ a t-shirt‚ long cardigan‚ and boots. In her post‚ she wrote that she was sent home "because I'm developed farther than the average girl my age‚" and because she's a "CURVY woman." Rose Lynn also thinks the appropriate response shouldn't have been to tell her to cover up‚ but to teach boys to "to respect the boundaries of young ladies."Her father‚ Lance Miles‚ agrees with her. "If she was built like a board or as round as a ball she wouldn't have been sent home but [since] she has a figure she was told she had to change‚" he said in the comments of her Facebook post."This is 100 percent on [Lawton Public Schools] because they have left the rule up to interpretation. She has been taught that if you believe in something‚ do what you must and be prepared for the consequences. She has done that‚" he continued.Rose Lynn's post:"So today I was sent home from class‚ after being in school for two hours‚ for my outfit. Because I'm developed farther than the average girl my age‚ I am required to go home and change... Because I look like a CURVY woman and may distract young boys‚ I have to miss class and change my outfit.So once again‚ society has failed to advocate young ladies‚ by confining them in a box‚ where they are stripped from their sense of self respect and self expression‚ rather than teaching young men to respect the boundaries of young ladies. My response: #Feminism #YoullDistractTheBoys #SocietyIsFailing"On the day Rose Lynn was sent home‚ she was due to take a 20-minute algebra exam. She asked school officials if she could take the test before changing her outfit‚ but her request was denied. So the next day‚ she got her revenge.Rose Lynn returned to school wearing an oversize t-shirt. On the front she scribbled a quote from school officials in black Sharpie‚ "It doesn't cover your crotch"; on the back‚ "You'll distract the boys." That day‚ Rose Lynn was called to the office and sent home again. This time it wasn't for her outfit but for not wearing her student I.D.‚ which she had left in the classroom after being called to the office.This article originally appeared on 05.17.19

One dad is delighting readers on X with an epic tale of nearly missing his daughter’s birth after fainting. His story of rushing to make it in time feels like something straight out of a movie—complete with a happy ending. Luke Epplin’s wife had gone into labor on a Friday. Most of that night‚ and all of Saturday‚ Epplin stayed awake‚ waiting. Finally‚ on Sunday‚ he began to doze off. That’s when he got word that his wife had gone into active labor. And this is where our hilarious saga begins. “I got on my feet‚ threw on my clothes‚ and then was thrust in the middle of the action. Whether because of exhaustion‚ lack of food‚ or having just gotten up‚ I don't remember anything else. I fainted‚” he wrote.I was awoken at four in the morning today (Sunday) to active labor. I got on my feet‚ threw on my clothes‚ and then was thrust in the middle of the action. Whether because of exhaustion‚ lack of food‚ or having just gotten up‚ I don't remember anything else. I fainted.— Luke Epplin (@LukeEpplin) March 26‚ 2024 When he finally woke up‚ blood was “oozing” from his head and he was whisked away to the emergency room. EMT’s told him he might need a CT scan‚ "which would make me miss the birth of my daughter."Thankfully‚ all that Epplin ended up needing was staples. Which meant it was all smooth sailing from here on out‚ right? Guess again. There was still a “massive” hospital to navigate‚ the nurse guiding him through the multiple hallways was called away on an emergency. Leaving him to make it through the labyrinth to the opposite side‚ with nothing but some verbal directions the nurse had given him. Which somehow got him to the bone marrow center. “Granted‚ I'm in the clothes I slept in‚ with a massive white bandage wrapped around my head‚ like something you'd see in a World War I movie‚” he wrote. As he frantically tried to tell another nurse that his was was in labor‚ she said‚ “I think you need to see security.”I told him the same thing: "My wife is in labor!" Again‚ he looked at me‚ bandage and all‚ patient tag on my wrist‚ and said‚ "Sir‚ I'm gonna need to see some discharge papers." I had no ID‚ no visitor's badge‚ no cellphone‚ nothing. Suddenly‚ it dawned on me: I'm in trouble.— Luke Epplin (@LukeEpplin) March 26‚ 2024 Cut to Epplin saying the same thing to a security guard‚ who asks to see some discharge papers. That’s when Epplin realizes he has nothing on him. No papers‚ no ID‚ no visitors badge. Not even a cellphone. Pulling a Hail Mary‚ Epplin told the guard the truth: that he had fainted while his wife was in labor‚ cut a gash into his head‚ got that treated‚ and then got himself lost. That must have done the trick‚ because the guard let him out.Epplin had to sprint down two blocks (in slippers‚ mind you) and get past a parking valet and yet another security guard before making it up to the 10th floor of the correct building and into the maternity ward. By this time‚ he had somehow become famous. “The attendant looked at me‚ and said‚ ‘Oh‚ you're the guy everyone's talking about‚” he recalled. Epplin’s determination ultimately paid off. He had made it before his daughter Ava had been born. Below is their first photo together‚ head bandages and all. I dashed into the maternity ward‚ the attendant looked at me‚ and said‚ "Oh‚ you're the guy everyone's talking about." I came back to my daughter not yet born. My wife asked how it went. I said‚ "I'll tell you later." An hour later‚ this photo was taken. pic.twitter.com/cke7bbmlmS— Luke Epplin (@LukeEpplin) March 26‚ 2024 “Every picture of me during Ava's first day on Earth looks like this. I hope that she has a good sense of humor about it some day.” It’s not completely uncommon for soon-to-be dads to faint in the delivery room. Often‚ as it seemed to be in Epplin’s case‚ the cause is low blood sugar. So it might be wise to pack snacks‚ drinks and meals in a cooler‚ according to Father Resource. Of course‚ packing snacks might be the last thing that’s on a father’s mind when the time comes. But the point is: the situation is nothing to be ashamed of. In fact‚ it can make for a great birth story. Just ask Epplin!

Humanity is amazing‚ truly. The way we're continually advancing in nearly every arena of learning‚ the scientific discoveries we've made‚ the technologies we've created‚ the innovative improvements that are constantly being made—it's all quite remarkable. But in all of this forward movement‚ we haven't alway struck a healthy balance. Technological and scientific advancements are only a net positive when they are tempered with wisdom‚ thoughtfulness and conscientiousness of the greater good‚ and there are notable times when those virtues have been lacking.jReddit user /leo_78 asked‚ "If you could dis-invent something‚ what would it be?" and people's responses highlight how vital it is to think about the consequences of innovations and inventions before they get put out into the world. (In fact‚ as we'll see‚ some of the people who came up with these inventions even regretted it later.) In no particular order‚ here are some of the top answers:1. Pop-up ads"The creator of them even apologized creating them." – ChefExcellent13"I remember when they went away for a bit and then made a resurgence with mobile. Trying going to any website now that sells something and give it 2-3 secs and you have a “Want 15% off?!” Pop up. Infuriating." – drhiggs"Any intrusive ads really. Usually when I'm watching Twitch‚ there will be ads randomly playing right in the middle of the actions/fun parts." – Claudia-Roelands2. Household appliances tied to subscription services"We're looking at YOU‚ H.P.!" – SuperEP1C-FA1L-GUY"Yo‚ wait‚ wtf? When did this happen? You telling me I have to pay $9.95 a month or something so that my dishwasher works? I'm so confused." – Parada484"A friend of mine had a CPAP that would stop working if you stopped paying. She's dead now. Those two things are not directly related but her health issues that led to her death were certainly not helped by her sleep apnea." – PixelOrange"Yo‚ what? I'm hacking anything that comes into my house so that it's dumb as rocks‚ I don't need super intelligent robots‚ I want dumb hammers hammering away at dumb nails." – TheUnkindledLives3. Coffee pods"Coffee Pods -- they are disgustingly wasteful." – Anim8nFool"The k-cup inventor regrets how much extra trash they cause." – LittleOrangeBoi (It's true‚ he does.)"I won a Keurig through a work raffle. I already hated the idea of it and did some research. The guy sold all his shares in the company before it took off. He tried making reusable ones but Keurig got all legal on his ass before there was enough pressure for them to make their own‚ but most people just use the disposable ones anyway.In 2015‚ enough k-cups were made (and dumped into landfills) to wrap around the planet over 10 fucking times. What an environmental disaster.I donated the machine to a non-profit my wife works with and they are adamant about using reusable k-cups and not the single use pods. Also I don't drink coffee so it was wasted on me anyway." – vonkeswick4. Landmines"Landmines. Seriously. They f**k up people long after wars are finished." – NaughtyDaisyDelight"There’s an estimated 800‚000 TONS of unexploded ordnance still in Vietnam‚ that would take hundreds of years to clear out. For context‚ the bomb dropped in Hiroshima had a yield of about 15‚000 tons of TNT." – Redshift_1"There is also the so called red zone or zone rouge in France - from Word War 1...The zone rouge was defined just after the war as "Completely devastated. Damage to properties: 100%. Damage to Agriculture: 100%. Impossible to clean. Human life impossible" (Wikipedia) – Drumbelgalf"I think it’s the most nefarious war machine ever invented. Infrastructure can be rebuilt‚ land can heal‚ people can forget and move on. But landmines are forever until some poor child or civilian steps on them and is maimed or killed. You can argue that nukes are worse‚ but at least we don’t really use them." – WeatherfordCast5. Impossible-to-open plastic packaging"The packages they put scissors in… that you need scissor to open. Wtf?" – AnxiousTelephone2997"Out of everything you could've chosen you chose this one and I 100% get it.." – waveradium"i get so many papercuts trying to open that sharp strong plastic sealed packaging." – i4mknight"I would expand that to all single-use plastic packaging." – boondoggie426. On-screen tipping prompts…or just tipping in general"The tipping option when I check out on those computers at the checkout counter." – PotatoshavePockets"Maybe tips in general. Just pay people for the work they do." – Euphoric_Wolf7227"This is getting so bad in Canada the default options are starting at 18% and go as high as 25%. I have to hit "other" to enter the long time cultural standard of 15% nevermind that I'm being prompted this on take out and fast food." – ReeG"It's so refreshing travelling outside of NA to countries that don't do tipping. You go to a restaurant or to just do stuff and the price is what it actually costs you." – 0neekPeople added plenty of other things like child beauty pageants‚ the 24-hour news cycle‚ the medical insurance industry‚ HOAs‚ vapes‚ reality television and more. With most of the things people shared‚ it seems like someone could have or should have foreseen the problems they would create‚ which highlights how care and compassion for humanity must be at the forefront of innovation and an integral part of the decision-making process of what gets produced and what doesn't. What would you add to the dis-invention list?

A TikTok video by the mother of a gender non-conforming son is a masterclass in refusing to be baited into a confrontation‚ no matter how tempting it may be. It all started when TikTokker Jolene Dolo’s 8-year-old son‚ Sam‚ sent out invitations to his Taylor Swift-themed birthday party.Jolene told Upworthy that Sam doesn’t have a favorite Swift song‚ but his favorite album is “Lovers.”“My 8-year-old Sam is having a Taylor Swift birthday party‚ and yesterday I received a text message from a parent of a child who was invited letting us know that their child will not be attending because it is against their beliefs‚” Jolene began.“I'm not exactly sure what belief system you have‚ like what religion is out here saying‚ ‘Thou shalt not listen to Taylor Swift?’” she continued.Even though Taylor Swift is probably the closest thing to being America's Sweetheart‚ a quick search on the internet reveals she is a threat to some with extreme religious and political views.Top 5 Taylor Swift conspiracy theories:1. She’s secretly a queer woman in love with model Karlie Kloss.2. She’s working to swing the election for Joe Biden.3. She’s a Pentagon psychological operative manipulating the minds of Americans.4. Her success as an unmarried businesswoman in her 30s is a bad example for girls and young women.5. She performs witchcraft on stage.Even if the parents aren’t conspiracy theorists‚ they may think that an 8-year-old boy having a Taylor Swift party is wrong because young boys shouldn’t be into “girly” things. @jolenedolo They are allowed to have their beliefs and i’m allowed to have feelsing about their beliefs. I didnt try to change their mind‚ i just wanted to talk about it on MY page. Tha ks for listening ❤️ #taylorswift #gendercreativeparenting #taylorswiftparty After reading the cryptic text‚ Jolene and her husband could easily have let curiosity get the best of them and asked the parents why a Taylor Swift-themed birthday party was against their beliefs. But they were strong and didn’t take the bait."Me and my husband talked about it and we decided that their text message seemed a little confrontational because they could have just said 'No‚ thank you‚ we will not be attending.' It seemed like they probably wanted a response from us and we didn't want to give them what they wanted‚" Jolene said.Further‚ the declined invitation was better for everyone involved. Who wants someone at a Taylor Swift party who doesn’t like her or what she may or may not stand for? “We do not want anybody coming to our party who is going to be feeling uncomfortable or making us feel uncomfortable so you know it's a good thing‚” Jolene continued.On a deeper level‚ the story touches on an important topic. Why is it okay for young girls to look up to men‚ but young men can’t look up to women? No one would bat an eye if a young girl had a Jonas Brothers-themed birthday party‚ but many people are shocked by a young boy loving Taylor Swift.“Are little girls not allowed to listen to male artists‚ or is it just like certain male artists who give off like‚ masculine vibes? Because I've always found it kind of weird that we don't want boys liking women like that or looking up to women. What's the problem in boys liking women?” Jolene asked.The TikTokker believes the double standard is rooted in misogyny. “Society tends to see women as weaker or less than men‚ so a boy looking up to a woman is essentially below him in their eyes‚” Jolene told Upworthy. “That's why most people wouldn’t bat an eye at a girl who likes Spider-Man or had a Harry Styles-themed birthday. Meanwhile‚ boys are shamed for even participating in women-dominated hobbies and interests.”The good news is that‚ in the end‚ the party went off without a hitch and the decorations were fabulous. @jolenedolo Taylor swift birthday party for my 8 year old son #taylorswift #taylorswiftparty #gendercreativeparenting Taylor swift birthday party for my 8 year old son #taylorswift #taylorswiftparty #gendercreativeparenting

The cat distribution system always works. Even for celebrities. Just ask Matt Damon. While appearing on “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert‚” the “Jason Bourne” actor shared the wildest story about a stray cat he had adopted 10 years ago during a month-long stay at an Airbnb in Costa Rica. After hearing him describe this next level kitty‚ you’ll understand why he describes him as “the coolest cat you’ve ever seen.”“He was living by himself in the jungle…He was hunting. He had two giant holes in his side. He was fighting for his life every night‚” Damon began. Damon and his family fed this tough jungle kitty every night‚ and by the time came for them to head home‚ they decided to take their new furry friend with them. "We decided we gotta take the cat‚ he's gonna die‚ now he's relying on us‚” Daman joked with Colbert. Once Damon got the cat home‚ he figured it would prefer staying out in their backyard. Nope."He never went outside‚ ever again." Now‚ this is where the story takes a slightly darker turn. Eventually the cat developed a brain tumor. However‚ Damon became determined to not “let a brain tumor take this cat out.” After all‚ this is the toughest jungle cat!Eventually the Damon family and Jungle Cat moved to New York City. And by this time‚ the cat had lost a lot of weight and was only walking around in circles (a common symptom of cat brain tumors).Hoping to find a cure‚ Damon took his feline friend to a cat neurologist named Chad (which cracks Damon up to share)‚ and Dr. Chad at first tells him to prepare his children and teach them that part of a pet owner’s responsibility is giving them the “dignity” of a humane death when quality of life is too far compromised.But just when things seem at their worst‚ this story does a 180 into hilarity. @colbertlateshow Matt Damon shares an incredible story about the cat he adopted from Costa Rica. #Colbert ♬ original sound - colbertlateshow “Chad said‚ ‘I could load him up on steroids. And I go‚ ‘What do you mean?’ He goes‚ ‘I mean‚ I could give him like a BUNCH of steroids.’” At this point‚ Damon‚ Colbert and the audience are all laughing. Damon apparently asked “are there long term issues?” to juicing his cat‚ which got an emphatic “YEAH! Massive long term issues with that but we can just see what happens‚” from Dr. Chad. This was apparently two-and-a-half years ago. And not only is Jungle Cat still around‚ but “jacked like Arnold Schwarzenegger‚” Damon joked. Down in the comments‚ viewers were begging to see photos of Jacked Jungle Cat. "MATT WE GOTTA SEE THE CAT!!!" one person demanded. "WHERE CAN I DEMAND A PICTURE OF ARNOLD SWAGGERCAT?" echoed another. Others were just enamored by Damon’s storytelling skills. "Matt Damon always delivers the funniest stories‚" one person wrote‚ while another said that he “needed a podcast.”And perhaps the best comment goes to the person who said‚ "At no point in this story did I have any idea what would happen next." While Dr. Chad might have seemed a little out there in his methods‚ it’s fairly common for pet oncologists to try incorporating steroids like Prednisolone to treat the inflammation associated with brain tumors. However‚ that’s normally low doses‚ not using a bunch and seeing what happens. But hey‚ it seemed to work! And Damon got a really great story out of it. Not to mention more time with a pretty awesome jungle cat.

As inflation following the COVID-19 pandemic peaked in the summer of 2022‚ Americans keenly felt it at the grocery check-out. It seemed as if prices had gone up on everything‚ and our food budgets took a hit. Even though inflation has eased since then‚ many of us are still lamenting the amount we're spending on groceries and dining out every month.A New York Post headline ominously pronounced in February 2024 that "Americans have not spent this much of their incomes on food since the Gulf War‚" citing a federal statistic that U.S.consumers spent 11.3% of their disposable income on food—a higher percentage than we've seen in the past 30 years. But as they say‚ it's all relative. While we balk at spending 11% of our income on food‚ families in the early 1900s would have been thrilled at spending that little on food. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics‚ Americans spent a whopping 42.5% of their household budgets on food in 1901‚ nearly four times what we spend now. In real numbers‚ that means the equivalent of a household with the current median income of almost $75‚000/yr spending $2‚610 a month on food. And that was the reality for a long time—even a few decades later in the 1930s‚ people were still spending more than a third of their income on food compared to our 11% today. And the economy‚ while different in its nature‚ wasn't drastically different in terms of numbers at that time. The unemployment rate for Americans in 1901 was 4.0%‚ approximately the same as March of 2024. The country was between two mild recessions and it would only be two more years before it overtook Britain as the world's wealthiest nation. It's not like there was some huge economic downturn that had caused food prices to soar at that time. Food just cost a whole lot more relative to people's income back then. Okay‚ so food budgets were high relative to income back then‚ but what about housing? Surely‚ people spent far less of their money on housing at that time‚ right? Less‚ yes‚ but not by as much as we might assume. In 1901‚ housing made up 23.3% of the average household budget‚ while in 2022 it was 33%. Definitely an increase‚ but not as drastic as the decrease in our food budgets. (Caveat: Those percentages don't speak to everyone's individual situation—some Americans are spending upwards of 50% of their income on rent and utilities.) Our clothing expenditures have also gone down by a lot since 1901‚ from 14% of income to less than 3%.So where is all of our money going to make our budgets feel squeezed? One spending category that's not even included in the 1901 statistics‚ which makes up double digit percentages of our spending today‚ is transportation. In 1901‚ the automobile industry was in its infancy‚ still a couple decades away from its first big boom that made cars commonplace. Now we have cars‚ buses‚ subways‚ air travel—and the fuel for all of those things—that people in 1901 simply didn't have to consider. We also have technology like computers and smartphones now that have become more necessity than nice-to-have. And along with that‚ of course‚ we have copious entertainment extras that most of us can't imagine living without. Another expenditure that doesn't show up in 1901 is healthcare‚ which takes up 8% of our budgets now. Did people simply not have healthcare expenses back then? Basically‚ no‚ they didn't. According NPR‚ Americans spent around $5 a year ($100 in today's dollars) on medical care in 1900‚ primarily because there wasn't a whole lot of medical care to be had. We forget how far our advancements in medicine came in the 20th century‚ and that those advancements have a cost. Throw in the health insurance industry evolving in the middle of the 1900s‚ and now medical costs make up a decent chunk of our budgets.It's fascinating to take a step back and look at the big picture of history when we find ourselves complaining about the price of a banana or a bag of rice. It's not that we can't or shouldn't feel frustrated when our cost of living increases‚ but when it comes to food budgets‚ we're living in pretty flush times‚ relatively speaking. Especially when we consider how much more access we have to different kinds of foods than ever before. Fluctuations in retail prices have always occurred‚ of course‚ due to wars‚ recessions‚ etc.‚ and some items have become more expensive while others have gotten cheaper‚ relatively speaking. But regardless of individual prices‚ if we find ourselves lamenting our curren grocery bill‚ it might help to remember how much more of the average budget food used to be. Even if grocery prices were to rise more‚ we still won't be anywhere near the percentage of our paychecks that food used to take up‚ and that's certainly something to be grateful for.

People come by things in all sorts of ways. Sometimes you find something while at a garage sale and sometimes it's because a family member passed away and it was left to them. After coming into possession of the item‚ the owner may be tempted to see how much it's worth so it can be documented for insurance purposes or sold. On a recent episode of BBC One's Antique Roadshow‚ a woman brought an ivory bracelet to be appraised. Interestingly enough‚ the expert didn't meet this rare find with excitement‚ but appeared somber. The antique expert‚ Ronnie Archer-Morgan carefully explains the purpose of the bracelet in what appears to be a tense emotional exchange.There would be no appraisal of this antique ivory bracelet adorned with beautiful script around the circumference. Archer-Morgan gives a brief disclaimer that he and the Antique Roadshow disapprove of the trade of ivory‚ though that was not his reason for refusing the ivory bangle."This ivory bangle here is not about trading in ivory‚ it’s about trading in human life‚ and it’s probably one of the most difficult things that I’ve ever had to talk about. But talk about it we must‚" Archer-Morgan says. Turns out the woman had no idea what she had in her possession as she purchased it from an estate sale over 30 years before. One of the elderly residents she cared for passed away and the woman found the ivory bracelet among the things being sold. Finding the bangle particularly intriguing with the fancy inscription around it‚ she decided to purchase the unique piece of jewelry. After explaining that his great-grandmother was once enslaved in Nova Scotia‚ Canada before being returned to Sierra Leone‚ Archer-Morgan concluded he could not price the item."I just don’t want to value it. I do not want to put a price on something that signifies such an awful business. But the value is in the lessons that this can tell people‚" he tells the woman.In the end the woman leaves without knowing the monetary value of the item but with a wealth of knowledge she didn't have before visiting. Now she can continue to share the significance of the antique with others. Watch the full explanation below.

The magnum opus of a punk icon. The post ‘Generation Indigo’: the triumphant return of Poly Styrene first appeared on Far Out Magazine.