Special counsel Jack Smith warned the judge overseeing Donald Trump’s classified documents case that she is pursuing a legal premise that “is wrong” and said he would probably appeal to a higher court if she rules that a federal records law can protect the former president from prosecution. In a near-midnight legal filing‚ Smith’s office pushed back hard against an unusual instruction from U.S. District Judge Aileen M. Cannon — one that veteran national security lawyers and former judges...

An outbreak of the bird flu could make future trips to the grocery store more expensive. The average price of a dozen Grade A large eggs came in at just under $3 in February‚ according to Bureau of Labor Statistics figures. Although this is well below highs of $4.82 a carton seen in January 2023‚ it marks an almost 50% increase from lows of around $2 in late summer and early fall. The sky-high early 2023 prices of the grocery cart staple — which had more than doubled from a year...

Ex-ESPN anchor Sage Steele revealed that an interview she conducted with President Joe Biden had been scripted “to the word” and that she was told not to deviate from her script at all during the segment. The interview in question happened on March 31‚ 2021‚ approximately two months after the president began his term in the White House. In reflecting on her interview‚ Steele described it as “an interesting experience in its own right” because of how scripted it was.

A lone electoral vote in Nebraska could have a decisive impact on the 2024 presidential election.  And that reality is now being seized upon by prominent Republicans.  Nebraska is a reliably red state in presidential races. The last Democratic presidential candidate to win statewide was Lyndon B. Johnson over half a century ago.  But Nebraska is one of only two states — Maine is the other — that awards a portion of its respective electoral votes to the candidate who...

Additional funding to help Ukraine fight its war against Russia has divided Republicans on Capitol Hill — but it’s also dividing candidates and voters in GOP primaries. The latest example is outside Indianapolis‚ where a narrator in an ad that recently hit the airwaves in Indiana’s 5th District says‚ “Why does Victoria Spartz put Ukraine first? Chuck Goodrich will put America first.” The ad from Goodrich‚ a state legislator‚ knocks Spartz‚ a two-term congresswoman‚ for...

The governor of a northern border state is taking matters into his own hands to help secure the southern border after receiving "crickets" from President Biden on a plan to resolve the crisis. Montana Republican Gov. Greg Gianforte signed a declaration on Tuesday‚ which authorizes the deployment of several Montana National Guardsmen to aid in Operation Lone Star. He joined "The Faulkner Focus" to discuss his decision to take action as a northern governor.

Optical illusions are wild. The way our brains perceive what our eyes see can be way off base‚ even when we're sure about what we're seeing. Plenty of famous optical illusions have been created purposefully‚ from the Ames window that appears to be moving back and forth when it's actually rotating 360 degrees to the spiral image that makes Van Gogh's "Starry Night" look like it's moving.But sometimes optical illusions happen by accident. Those ones are even more fun because we know they aren't a result of someone trying to trick our brains. Our brains do the tricking all by themselves. The popular Massimo account on X shared a photo that appears to be a person and two dogs in the snow. The more you look at it‚ the more you see just that—two dogs and someone who is presumably their owner. But there are not two dogs in this picture: This is how optical illusions mess with your mind. \n\nFirst you see two dogs and their owner‚ and then... — (@) There are three dogs in this picture. Can you see the third? Full confession time: I didn't see it at first. Not even when someone explained that the "human" is actually a dog. My brain couldn't see anything but a person with two legs‚ dressed all in black‚ with a furry hat and some kind of furry stole or jacket. My brain definitely did not see a black poodle‚ which is what the person actually is.Are you looking at the photo and trying to see it‚ totally frustrated?The big hint is that the poodle is looking toward the camera. The "hat" on the "person" is the poodle's poofy tail‚ and the "scarf/stole" is the poodle's head. Once you see it‚ it fairly clear‚ but for many of us‚ our brains did not process it until it was explicitly drawn out. @Rainmaker1973 That one took me AGES to see. \nOwner is is a 3rd dog closer to the camera. The black fur hides the contours. — (@) As one person explained‚ the black fur hides the contours and shadows‚ so all our brains take in is the outline‚ which looks very much like a person facing away from us. People's reactions to the optical illusion were hilarious. One person wrote‚ "10 years later: I still see two dogs and a man." 10 years later:I still see two dogs and a man— Farhad (@farhadge) January 8‚ 2024 Another person wrote‚ "I agree with ChatGPT :)" and shared a screenshot of the infamous AI chatbot describing the photo as having a person in the foreground. Even when asked‚ "Could the 'person' be another dog?" ChatGPT said it's possible‚ but not likely. Ha. @Rainmaker1973 I agree with ChatGPT :) — (@) One reason we love optical illusions is that they remind us just how very human we are. Unlike a machine that takes in and spits out data‚ our brains perceive and interpret what our senses bring in—a quality that has helped us through our evolution. But the way our brains piece things together isn't perfect. Even ChatGPT's response is merely a reflection of our human imperfections at perception being mirrored back at us.Sure is fun to play with how our brains work‚ though. This article originally appeared on 1.8.24

If you grew up in the U.S. from 1968 on‚ you're most likely familiar with the Big Wheel tricycle. There's a good chance that you have your own visceral memories of riding one‚ whether you were lucky enough to have one or just mooched from a kid in the neighborhood.The the sound of the wheels rolling over pavement. The invincibility you felt flying down the sidewalk peddling as hard as you could. The pain in your butt when you hit a rogue rock. The smell of plastic as you skidded to a stop. The impossibility of driving that thing over grass. The Big Wheel was a portal to grown-up driving—no shaky balancing required like a two-wheeler‚ just pure power and speed in a flash of bright red and yellow. And every year‚ fully grown adults relive that 3-wheeler childhood thrill in San Francisco's Bring Your Own Big Wheel race. Bring Your Own Big Wheel (or BYOBW) has been delighting people in San Francisco for 24 years. The event takes place at 20th and Vermont Street on Easter Sunday afternoon. While some kids go hunting for eggs in their Sunday best‚ others are racing Big Wheels down San Francisco's crookedest hill. Kids 12ish and under go first (this year‚ they had the 2:00 to 3:00 time slot) and then the adults get their turn. It's quite an event to witness. Watch: See on Instagram The event is free‚ with participants being asked to make a small donation to cover the costs associated with putting on the event (permits‚ hay bales‚ port-a-potties etc.). And there is no advertising or corporate sponsorship allowed in the event—just pure‚ childlike fun—with helmets‚ gloves‚ knee pads and elbow pads recommended‚ of course. Clearly‚ people take "Big Wheel" loosely‚ as people brought a whole range of tricycles‚ but the effect is still sheer delight. A former BYOBW participant called it "terrifyingly fun." As one commenter wrote‚ "Ya know - society would be so much better if we just did a bunch of fun events like this. It's certainly a lot more fun than the 'red vs. blue' routine we got going now."I mean‚ check out these dudes in suits up front: See on Instagram And every video is more fun than the last. See on Instagram Learn more about BYOBW at bringyourownbigwheel.com.

The fear of needles—technically known as trypanophobia—is an extremely common fear that can range from "Eh‚ I'm not so comfy with the idea a needle going into my body" to full-on fainting at the sight of a syringe. For some‚ the idea of having blood drawn adds another layer to the fear of needles ("Wait‚ you mean you're taking some of the life-sustaining blood OUT of my body?") and can the fear can be so strong that it leads to people avoiding lab work altogether. Perhaps that's one reason a video of vets and/or vet techs dancing for a dog who was nervous while getting a blood draw is resonating with so many people. The video‚ shared by Hawaii Kai Vet Clinic on Instagram‚ is delightful on its face—the music‚ the dancing‚ the commitment‚ the random woman in the background‚ the good doggo‚ all of it. But it's the desire to have that kind of distraction as a human in a phlebotomist's chair that really got people. I mean‚ who wouldn't enjoy a blood draw with this kind of entertainment? See on Instagram "Distraction team ready!" they wrote. "Treats‚ head pats and even dancing can help keep the nervous fur babies from focusing on the treatments being done‚ we love doing our best to keep things fear free as much as we can.""Do you have to own a pet to see this performance live and where can I purchase tickets?" wrote one commenter. "I’m hoping these kind people are available for my next Dr appointment‚" wrote another. "Can you guys come with me to MY doctor's appointment next week?" added another.Here's to the vets and vet techs who go the extra mile to make their patients as comfortable as possible. Check out Hawaii Kai Vet Clinic on Instagram for more veterinary joy. This article originally appeared on 10.14.23

LinkedIn is primarily a platform for working professionals to connect and find employment that aligns with their skills and values. With company layoffs continuing (even increasing in some industries) people have also used the website to courageously share their layoff experiences. While the main intent behind this is‚ of course‚ finding a new job‚ there have also been some lovely displays of humanity that not only challenge the stigma of being laid off but show the power of a supportive community.Take this heartwarming story‚ for example. Patrick McCarthy‚ Communications Management &; Marketing Leader‚ recently posted about a layoff that quickly went viral on the platform. Not for himself—for his father. “This is Pete. He’s my dad‚” his post began. “My dad lost his job yesterday. I would tag him here‚ but he doesn’t have a LinkedIn.”Pete‚ who has had a “starkly different professional journey” than his son‚ spent most of his life working in the service industry and absolutely loved interacting with customers. His empathy and knack for listening made him perfect for the role. Over his career‚ Pete had collected thousands of interactions from working at Walgreens‚ Fry’s‚ and (most recently) Winco‚ often being the reason folks came back.And then‚ Pete was laid off. His job as a cashier‚ one that he loved and was good at‚ was gone.“As anyone would be‚ he’s shocked. Overwhelmed. Scared. Emotional‚” Patrick wrote.Knowing his dad didn’t have the same network to easily find a new job‚ Patrick reached out on his behalf‚ wholeheartedly believing in the “magic” of the LinkedIn Community. He implored that anyone looking for a candidate with “a LOT of customer-facing‚ customer service‚ and service industry experience” send him a message so that he could put them in touch with Pete.Patrick’s faith paid off—way more than he thought it would. In less than a week‚ the post was shared over 500 times‚ with over 600 comments from people wanting to help.A manager at a nearby Sprouts grocery store said Pete sounded like a perfect match for a clerk position that could even pay his daily wage ahead of time. Another suggested he could be an excellent outdoor tour guide for REI. Someone else referred them to a weekly meetup group led by a career coach.Even LinkedIn responded‚ writing‚ “Pete sounds like a top-tier employee! 💙 Keep us posted as he progresses on his journey‚ as well as any tips or insights either of you learn along the way—it may help those in a similar situation.”Truly‚ Pete’s story already provides some helpful insight. While he might still be in the job-seeking phase‚ things certainly look more optimistic. And all it took (besides Pete being a lovely human being) was one simple‚ honest post. As Patrick told Upworthy‚ "Clearly something about his story connected with others. Humanity. Vulnerability. Empathy."The words “social media” and “job market” can elicit some pretty negative visceral responses. Of course‚ this viewpoint has some merit‚ but it’s refreshing to see the power of human connection break through the disheartening headlines. Here’s to Patrick and his father Pete‚ for reminding us that even when things seem bleak or uncertain‚ the world is full of people trying to help out one another.This article originally appeared on 2.28.23