In the final days of September 1982, seven people in the Chicagoland area died suddenly after ingesting extra-strength Tylenol that, unbeknownst to them, was laced with potassium cyanide. The Tylenol Murders, as they became known, sent shockwaves through the country, forever changing our idea of safe medicine and how we consume over-the-counter drugs. 

Forty years later, the victims—who ranged in age from 12 to 35—remain unvindicated as no charges have been made against the killer or killers responsible. But recent developments suggest investigators are once again turning up the heat on this infamous cold case. 

Here’s what we know (and, more importantly, what we still don’t know) about the ongoing investigation.

1982: The Tylenol Murder Victims

The string of deaths related to the tainted Tylenol began with 12-year-old Mary Kellerman; followed by 27-year-old Adam Janus and his brother and sister-in-law, Stanley (25) and Theresa (19); 35-year-old Mary McFarland; 35-year-old Paula Prince, and 27-year-old Mary Reiner.

All otherwise healthy individuals, each victim suddenly collapsed within minutes of taking the medication. It was the Janus killings—and an insightful nurse, Helen Jensen—that tied the deaths to the OTC acetaminophen. After comparing notes of all three Janus deaths, Jensen noticed Tylenol was the one common factor.

CBS News Chicago reports that Jensen counted out pills from the Janus’ poisoned Tylenol bottle in front of police, showing six capsules missing (three adult doses for Adam, Stanley, and Theresa). Despite digging through the trash to recover Adam’s original receipt for the medicine, investigators initially disregarded Jensen’s theory. 

The following day, news outlets everywhere warned viewers of the link between the deaths and the common painkiller. As the body count continued to rise, the public grew more uneasy. Without the help of social media to communicate a warning quickly to the masses, police drove up and down Chicago streets, yelling ‘don’t take Tylenol’ through their bullhorns.

1983-2022: Hunting For The Killer

As stores and households began purging their Tylenol stock, a 15-agency task force began their work of finding the killer(s) responsible. The force found three potential leads in 1982. After ruling out the first two suspects, the investigators had only one name: James Lewis. 

Lewis was the author of a letter sent to Tylenol’s manufacturer, Johnson & Johnson, in which he threatened further cyanide poisoning unless $1 million was placed in a postal box at Continental Bank in Chicago. A jury convicted Lewis of extortion, and the judge sentenced him to ten years in prison. While this seemed like a step in the right direction, it still wasn’t a serial murder charge.

Moreover, Lewis continued to deny his involvement in the actual murders. “I could send a letter to the Roman senate and say, ‘give me one million gold pieces, and I will stop the killing of Caesar,” Lewis said in a 1984 interview with CBS. “But that doesn’t mean that I killed Caesar.” 

Despite being linked to other crimes, including the 1978 murder of Raymond West, Lewis managed to slither free on technicalities. After his release from prison, Lewis settled down in a Cambridge, Massachusetts, apartment where he still lives today. In 2022, CBS reporter Brad Edwards paid him a visit. Shortly after, the cops did, too.

2020-2023: Investigators Order New DNA Tests

CBS showed their exchange with Lewis to Arlington Heights Police Sergeant Joe Murphy, who currently heads the Tylenol Murder task force. The force asked for a copy of the interview but was unable to comment on their intentions due to the ongoing nature of the investigation. 

However, in January 2023, CBS obtained AHPD investigation reports through a Freedom of Information Act request. Those documents reveal that police have been collecting new DNA samples and testing old samples with new technology in collaboration with Houston-based company, Othram. 

The new DNA includes samples from the Morgan family, another Chicago family who narrowly escaped being the next victims of the Tylenol Murders when they decided not to take the medication after “sensing something was off.” The old DNA likely includes samples from the contaminated pills and bottles, though police cannot confirm the exact evidence. 

The AHPD’s new collaborator, Othram, uses highly specialized technology to extract trace amounts of human DNA from items and analyze them. Kristen Mittelman, chief development officer at Othram, told CBS that the company “can successfully analyze DNA smaller than the top of a pin needle.” She also said that the company has returned investigative leads in thousands of cases, including identifying a murder victim from 1881.

2023: Does This Mean They’ll Solve The Case Soon?

Because the Tylenol Murder investigation is ongoing, we likely won’t know whether the AHPD has found new, more useful evidence anytime soon. Still, this is more active investigating than this case has seen in decades. 

So, one could assume there is a valid reason for the heating up of this cold case. And indeed, modern DNA technology solves decades-old cold cases all of the time. For the peace of mind of all the families involved, we hope that the new DNA testing helps investigators finally convict the Tylenol Murder killer after four decades of searching.

If you’ve ever compared your ex to a cockroach, rat, or other vermin in general, the San Antonio Zoo has some news for you: Now, they actually can be. The fourth annual Cry Me A Cockroach fundraiser is back, allowing us to live out our pettiest daydreams with some harmless fun (well, except for the rats and roaches). 

Whether you’re harboring hard feelings for an ex, old boss, or former BFF, here’s how you can blow off some steam—and help out the San Antonio Zoological Society, a non-profit organization committed to securing a bright future for wildlife. 

Er, yeah … that’s the main reason we’re doing this.

Cry Me A Cockroach

The San Antonio Zoo finding a way to capitalize on our common urge to be petty is nothing short of pure, slightly-evil genius. Its Cry Me A Cockroach fundraiser took the world by storm in 2018, and it’s easy to see why. Equal parts gross and hilarious, this novel format shook up the traditional fundraising model in the best possible way.

In exchange for a $5, $10, or $25 donation, Texas’ San Antonio Zoo will symbolically name a cockroach, rat, or veggie after your not-so-special someone. Zoo workers will feed “(Insert Your Ex’s Name Here)” to one of the zoo’s animals. Then, you’ll receive two digital download cards: one showing your support of the fundraiser and another informing your honoree that an animal at the SAZ “ate” them.

If sending a card to someone informing them they were named after a bug and devoured by a wild animal isn’t petty enough, you also have the option to up your donation to $150 in exchange for a personalized video message of the vermin of your choice being fed to one of the zoo’s animals, like this owl.

(We should note that the SAZ prohibits the use of profanity in its customized videos. So, you know—prepare to edit.)

Throwing Shade And Raising Funds

The zoo’s annual fundraiser is open to participants around the world. All proceeds from the Cry Me A Cockroach fundraiser go toward helping the non-profit achieve its goal of “inspiring the community to love, engage with, act for, and protect animals and the places they live.” 

Not to discourage you from naming your ex after a cockroach, but the SAZ even takes good care of those creepy crawlers, too. The SAZ was the first zoological facility in the world to be accredited and certified by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums, the Zoological Association of America, and the American Humane Conservation program. So when you participate in this fundraiser, you’re helping an institution that cares for all its critters, big and small. 

The zoo even offers additional Cry Me A Cockroach merchandise, including t-shirts and mugs—which are great for anyone who wouldn’t have a heart attack upon seeing a “cockroach” on a shirt or coffee cup out of the corner of their eye. 

The real question is, which ex gets the honor of being named first?

Who knew Mozart had such a fiendish sense of humor? According to operatic legend, famed classical period composer Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart once wrote an entire song just to embarrass his prima donna. However, the joke may have been on the composer, as it’s still one of his most beloved arias to this day.

Adriana Ferrarese Del Bene Had An Impressive Range

Adriana Ferrarese del Bene was an Italian operatic soprano singer whose vocal abilities were heavily touted in the late 18th century. Notably, Ferrarese was an early performer of Mozart’s legendary opera Le nozze di Figaro, and the composer even rewrote two songs in the production to better suit her vocal range.

Per the archived blog Divas of Mozart’s Day, the publication Rapport von Wien once reported that Ferrarese had “in addition to an unbelievable high register a striking low register and connoisseurs of music claim that in living memory no such voice has sounded within Vienna’s walls.”

However, despite her obvious vocal prowess, others found her stage presence lackluster, per the Cambridge Opera Journal. According to Opera Omaha, Ferrarese had a tendency to throw back her head while singing high notes and tilt it forward during lower ones.

This habit certainly caught Mozart’s attention. By the time Mozart was writing his opera Così fan tutte, the composer had grown to dislike Ferrarese. So, in an apparent ploy to humiliate the prima donna, he wrote the showpiece aria “Come Scoglio.”

This song required repetitive leaps from low to high registers, forcing Ferrarese’s head to “bob like a chicken” as Robert Greenberg wrote in his book Great Masters – Mozart: His Life and Work.

‘Come Scoglio’ Is Beloved By Opera Buffs

Così fan tutte premiered for the first time on January 26, 1790. The comedic opera was about two sisters whose husbands decide to test their loyalty by dressing in disguises and trying to woo them. 

Audiences enjoyed the opera at the time, but by the 19th century, its themes were considered far too taboo and scandalous. However, the opera saw a revival in the 20th century and companies now perform it regularly. 

While Mozart may have harbored cruel intentions when writing the “Come Scoglio,” the song is considered the centerpiece of Così fan tutte, which remains one of Mozart’s most beloved operas and is still performed today.

This is because, while the song had the unfortunate effect of exposing Ferrarese’s performance quirk, it presumably put her widely-celebrated vocal range on full display. Today, it’s considered one of Mozart’s more difficult arias.

I think it’s safe to say most Gen Xers remember mononucleosis (aka “mono”) as the “kissing disease” that some unfortunate souls were unlucky enough to catch as teenagers back in high school. Didn’t everyone have at least one person in their class who randomly disappeared for a week or two?

Women over 40 may think they don’t need to worry about mono again unless they’re actually raising teenagers, but that’s not necessarily the case. According to writer and editor Sari Botton, it’s possible to get mono even in your mid-50s—and she has a harrowing tale of her own experience with the disease to prove it.

Botton wrote an essay for Oldster about how in 2021, she was excited for a post-COVID summer and the thought of getting back out into the world again. But as she was busy making all those plans to travel, meet up with family and friends, and connect with new acquaintances, Botton started to get sick.

She said it all began with a terrible pain in her neck that yielded a “large lump—a visibly swollen lymph gland” nestled between her jaw and right ear. Within hours, she was experiencing the worst throat pain of her life and a fever that had spiked to 103 degrees.

Botton wrote that after a few days, she went to see the first of several doctors. Her quest resulted in being given multiple antibiotics and misdiagnoses before her true diagnosis was revealed: mononucleosis.

The author says she never would have received that diagnosis if she hadn’t convinced her doctors to give her the test. During one of her many appointments, when she asked if it could be mono, Botton said the doctor told her she was “too old” for that and didn’t take the idea seriously.

She begged them to do the test anyway and even explained why, telling the doctor she had a close friend her age who’d come down with mono the year before. The doctor responded, “Well, I’d like to see her labs. I bet it wasn’t actually mono.”

“I was 55,” Botton wrote. “I later learned that I was one of five 50-something women in my broader social circle to have contracted mono recently. Even later, I came to realize later-in-life mono was frustratingly like so many conditions affecting older women: largely unresearched.”

Her doctors’ dismissiveness about the mono idea actually led to a cancer scare. Her doctor had a theory that she had a peritonsillar abscess, a “quinsy”, which would require an ENT doctor to lance it. But when she entered the specialist’s exam room for what she’d been told would likely be an “excruciating” procedure, Botton was told, “Whoa! That’s not an abscess! It’s a tumor! It’s cancer!”

For a moment, Botton foresaw a future in which she would need radiation, surgery, and possibly chemo. Luckily, her labs came back and confirmed it was actually mono after all, just as she’d thought. It took her months to recover.

When it comes to mono in older adults, the symptoms often develop slowly, around four to eight weeks after infection. When you’re in your 40s or older, the symptoms of mono can be easily mistaken for lymphoma, leukemia, or biliary obstruction. It could be classified as what’s called a “fever of unknown origin.”

The three most common mono symptoms in adults are fever (100.4 degrees or higher), a swollen liver, and body aches. Most often caused by the Epstein-Barr virus, antibiotics won’t do you any good when you have mono. The only treatment is lots of water, tons of rest, and over-the-counter meds like ibuprofen.

For years, all Prados Beauty founder Cece Meadows needed was a chance. Meadows is a survivor of both cancer and domestic abuse who’s been dealt her fair share of bad hands. She is an indigenous woman with Yoeme and Nʉmʉnʉ ancestry who has experienced homelessness. Yet, she never let her struggles dim her spirit.

At just 27 years old, Meadows was diagnosed with ovarian cancer, and the life-changing diagnosis didn’t only affect her health. Like so many cancer patients, the treatment changed how she saw herself.

According to Meadows in an interview she gave to Beauty Independent, it was at this point in her life that she really embraced the transformative powers of makeup.

As she recalled, it was after her friends at the MAC counter gave her a makeover that she had a revelation. “I remember vividly thinking to myself, ‘I look like a completely different person, and I want to spend the rest of my life helping people feel and look beautiful,'” Meadows remembered.

When her cancer went into remission, she never let go of her purpose. According to Meadows, she began volunteering at children’s hospitals and Ronald McDonald Houses to sit with people going through treatment and do their makeup.

For years, Meadows tried to chase her dream of working in the beauty world. However, she was forced to drop out of cosmetology school when she became homeless while suffering from the effects of domestic violence. Still, that wasn’t the end for Meadows. As a mother of two, she was determined to make the most out of her situation.

Eventually, Meadows met her husband, got married, and finally had the financial support she lacked for so long. She became a stay-at-home mom, but her drive to work still persisted. That was when she started pouring her energy—all of the energy she saved for so long to just stay alive—back into makeup.

Prados Beauty, Meadows’ beauty company, wasn’t an overnight success. Wanting to operate completely independently, she worked to fund the project herself. When she finally made the leap, she only had $6,000.

As she recalled, the business didn’t turn a profit for years. After pouring her blood, sweat, and tears into the company—and taking on thousands and thousands of dollars in debt—the dam finally broke loose.

Prados Beauty signed a deal with J.C. Penny and Thirteen Lane. Within a few years, Prados Beauty went from earning $17,000 in yearly sales to $1.5 million in 2022. Still, Meadows’ vision remains clear.

According to the founder, she still is focused on investing right back into her community. “The Prados promise is us giving back to our communities where we live and the communities that are all around us,” Meadows told Beauty Independent.

Cece Meadows is proof that so many of us have the drive to turn our dreams into reality. All we really need is for someone to give us the opportunity to prove ourselves.

Everyone loves going to concerts, but one man took it to a whole new level! Robert Matonis—better known as Beatle Bob—is infamous for attending 9,439 consecutive concerts over the last 26 years, but unfortunately, that streak has come to an end. 

Matonis started his concert streak on December 25, 1996 and has been to a show every night since, barring 85 days during the COVID-19 lockdowns. So, what caused Matonis to give up his nightly concert routine? 

He explained it all in a recent Instagram post, telling fans he has been reflecting on the last year. “For myself, it was the worst year of my life ever as in February of last year I was diagnosed with ALS, Lou Gehrig’s Disease,” Matonis revealed. 

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, commonly referred to as ALS, is a neurodegenerative disease that leads to a loss of control in the muscles. Some people who are affected by the disease experience stiff muscles and weakness, while others experience difficulty speaking and eating. 

Matonis explained that weakened muscles in his neck have made it hard for him to lift his head, talk, and even swallow. This difficulty with eating caused Matonis to lose around 25 pounds, which has left him in “a weakened condition.”

Beatle Bob isn’t the only person who has had to end a long-running streak due to ALS. The disease is also known as Lou Gehrig’s Disease, named after the baseball star who had to end his sports career after the disease seriously affected his motor skills. His retirement ended his own streak; Gehrig played a whopping 2,130 consecutive major league games during his baseball career. 

Matonis’ condition has left him unable to dance, or even stand, during concerts and he has undergone some medical treatments to help him recover his strength. “It was a good concert run while it lasted,” Matonis concluded. “And hopefully my weight will return fast enough to put me back on the dance floor.” Beatle Bob fans are disappointed that he won’t be out and about at shows for the foreseeable future but are eagerly rooting for his health and return to the St. Louis concert scene!

The sinking of the Titanic is a well-covered topic, earning blockbuster movies, bestselling books, and TV specials about the tragedy. Most remember the people who were lost in the sinking, but what about the survivors? Charles Joughin, a baker in the ship’s kitchen crew, made it out alive and some people think he had alcohol to thank for his survival. 

Joughin was the chief baker on board the Titanic. His kitchen skills would not seemingly translate to survival skills, but a viral Twitter thread revealed Joughin’s quick thinking saved not only his life but also those of his coworkers. 

Author Laura Keating posted a series of tweets about Joughin, sharing that he ordered his staff on deck shortly after the ship struck the iceberg. Once he saw the lifeboats were being prepared, he had his staff collect provisions for the passengers, then helped load women and children into the boats. 

According to Keating, Joughin even chased down hysterical passengers who were too scared to board the lifeboats and began throwing them in. Despite being captain of Lifeboat 10, which secured him a place on the boat and off the sinking ship, Joughin refused to board and gave his spot up for someone else. 

He continued to help get passengers on the lifeboats and off the ship. Once all the boats were gone, Joughin was trapped, along with thousands of others. So, he did what many would do in such a hopeless situation: he started drinking. 

As Joughin walked the decks, steadily drinking, he also threw wooden deckchairs into the water as flotation devices for people who would end up in the water. The baker then heard a loud crash and ran to the back of the boat, where he climbed over the ship’s railing and calmly rode the sinking ship down into the water. 

Joughin swam in the 28-degree Fahrenheit water for two hours—Keating pointed out that most people would not survive 15 minutes in such conditions. So, how did Joughin make it out alive?

How Drinking Saved Joughin’s Life

Some have hypothesized that Joughin’s multiple drinks warmed him up enough to help him survive in the frigid conditions. However, hypothermia expert Gordon Giesbrecht told the National Post that the water would have been too cold for the alcohol to sufficiently warm his body. 

The alcohol did save Joughin, though. The “liquid courage” the drinks gave him meant that the baker kept his head while others were panicking. He was calm, cool, and collected as he helped others get into lifeboats.

This phenomenon isn’t new; according to a recent study of Illinois hospital data, the more inebriated a stab or gunshot victim was, the more likely it was they would survive. 

Joughin suffered no serious injuries and ended up moving to the United States, where he lived until his death in 1956 at the age of 78. His amazing story of survival is a reminder to keep calm and help others in a crisis—as well as proof that sometimes a drink can save your life!

In Lisa Guerrero’s new memoir, Warrior, the journalist reveals she suffered a miscarriage on live TV. For nearly 20 years, Guerrero has stayed quiet about the traumatic experience. Now, the acclaimed journalist is opening up about how the tumultuous period affected her personal life.

Suffice it to say, 2003 was not an easy year for Guerrero. At the time, the former LA Rams cheerleader was just getting settled into a dream job as a sideline reporter for Monday Night Football.

“I wanted to be the Barbara Walters of sports,” Guerrero recently told People. While it was a huge step for Guerrero’s career, it turned out to carry devastating consequences.

As Guerrero now reveals, late in the season, she suffered a miscarriage while on-air. At the time, MNF was pulling in a weekly audience of 40 million people, meaning Guerrero gritted her teeth and suffered through the agonizing experience in front of a national audience.

“I was dizzy and nauseated but reminded myself to stand up straight,” the reporter wrote in an exclusive excerpt shared with People. “The pain was excruciating. I heard myself mispronounce a player’s name and knew I’d hear about it later. As soon as I finished, I raced off to interview a coach. Then I headed to the bathroom. As I sat on the toilet, I couldn’t believe the blood pouring out of me.”

According to the journalist, she was somewhere between eight and twelve weeks into her pregnancy.

“It never occurred to me to tell anyone. It never occurred to me that maybe I should have gone to a hospital or, at the very least, sat out the rest of the game. The only thought that crossed my mind was that I could get through the rest of the game as long as I buttoned up my long winter coat. That way, no one would see the blood. It was as if I were on autopilot. Get back on the sideline.”

As Guerrero explained in her book, her miscarriage was just the climax of an arduous battle she’d been fighting that entire season. At the time, Guerrero was being pummeled by horrible, misogynistic taunting from various men in the media.

“I was trying to be Barbara Walters while all these radio sports-show guys were trying to be the next Howard Stern,” Guerrero explained to People. “They did it for sport—just eviscerating me constantly and talking about my breasts and sexual acts and how I probably was able to get all these big athletes to talk to me.”

In the days before social media, radio disc jockeys were the biggest trolls out there, and, in 2003, they had their sights set on Guerrero.

“There was an ugly misogyny running rampant through sports radio airwaves—and I was their perfect target,” she wrote. “To them, I was the worst. I was everything that was wrong with sports. I alone had set women back decades. They’d attack my clothes, hair (why was it so long?), even my nail polish (how dare I wear red—I must be a whore!).”

The backlash became so palpable, so unavoidable, that the network ended up letting Guerrero go after a single season. Because of the torment, Guerrero never felt comfortable telling anyone about the miscarriage.

“I was a shell of myself,” she told People. “I felt such shame and embarrassment that the last thing I was going to say is, ‘Oh, and by the way, I just had a miscarriage.’ Most of my best friends will learn about it by reading the book.”

While Guerrero describes a nightmarish situation, her feelings about the matter are all too familiar. Too often, women blame themselves after suffering a miscarriage. They’re often filled with shame and feel like they failed in some way. At the same time, society tells them that these matters shouldn’t effect their ability to function in day-to-day activities when they absolutely do.

Still, Guerrero insists she doesn’t blame anyone in particular for what happened. However, she does think that the stress contributed to her miscarriage. “I don’t blame one person for this. The miscarriage wasn’t because of [Guerrero’s boss], and it wasn’t because of one radio talk show host or one bad column. It was a culmination of the entire season of negativity and cruelty. It was really cruel.”

What she does want people to take from her story is that bullying has real, painful consequences. “Somebody is the target of that. Somebody feels that,” she told People. Guerrero’s memoir, Warrior: My Path to Being Brave, hits shelves on January 24, 2023.

Remote work has changed the way people view their jobs. Working from home might mean more leeway when it comes to your work hours, but one Canadian woman is facing a hefty fine from a company that fired her after claiming she engaged in “time theft.” 

Canadian Accountant Got Fired After Being Accused Of ‘Time Theft’

Karlee Besse worked remotely for Reach CPA, a Canadian accounting company. Last year, she was fired, and Besse claimed it was without “just cause.” However, her employers stated that she engaged in time theft and misrepresented the hours she was actually working. 

Reach CPA used a time-tracking software system called TimeCamp, which makes note of the files that are accessed and how long a user is on the file. According to the TimeCamp records, Besse reported working 50 more hours than what was logged on the software system. A Canadian court ruled that she would have to pay $2,756 to Reach CPA . 

Besse is fighting back, though, claiming that she struggled to use the software properly. She accessed the company computer for personal use during non-work hours—something her bosses okayed—and claimed TimeCamp did not differentiate between work and personal use. 

She also said she spent a significant amount of time working with paper documents and didn’t want to tell her bosses because “they wouldn’t want to hear that.” However, TimeCamp also tracks employees’ printing and there is no record of Besse printing the documents she claims she made hard copies of. 

When confronted about the different timesheets, Besse did admit she incorrectly logged her hours on TimeCamp, saying, “I’ve plugged time to files that I didn’t touch and that wasn’t right or appropriate in any way or fashion, and I recognize that and so for that I’m really sorry” (per NPR).

The Battle Between WFH Employees And Employers

The Canadian courts ruled in Reach CPA’s favor and gave Besse 30 days to pay back the accounting firm, but this incident has opened up a discussion about employers and employees’ work-from-home relationships. 

Many companies claim that they have a right to know what their employees are doing while on the clock or with company property. However, workers argue that tracking computer activity is intrusive and will encourage workplace surveillance both at home and in the office.

There are also concerns about the software tools companies use, with some employees pointing out that glitches or user errors could make it seem like they hadn’t actually worked the hours they put in. 

The pandemic changed the way people around the world work and the business world is struggling to keep up with work-from-home systems. Time-tracking software is one way for employers to regulate what their workers are doing, but it’s clear there are still issues to figure out in the work-from-home world.

These days, it seems like authors will do just about anything to get their books to sell, but one writer took things to a whole new level—the Great Beyond, to be exact.

Fans thought romance writer Susan Meachen was dead, but she recently returned to social media to explain why she faked her suicide. Understandably, this news was met with a less-than-favorable response.

Romance Author Fakes Death After Allegations Of Bullying

In 2020, a post allegedly written by Meachen’s daughter announced that the author had committed suicide following bullying and harrassment from the online book community. The allegations of harassment confused many writers and fans, who supported and loved Meachen’s books. 

More posts, allegedly from Meachen’s daughter, came out, where she talked further about the bullying her mother had faced. She then announced that she would be publishing Meachen’s final book.

RELATED: ‘Grey’s Anatomy’ Writer Under Fire, Suspended Indefinitely

Fans and fellow authors bought the book, promoted it on their pages, and held fundraisers and auctions to combat bullying. For two years, everyone believed Meachen was dead—until she revealed it was all a lie. 

Meachen Returns To Social Media: ‘Let The Fun Begin’

“I debated on how to do this a million times and still not sure if it’s right or not,” Meachen wrote in a Facebook post. She went on to say that her family members were the ones behind the suicide hoax and did it because she did attempt suicide.

“Returning to [social media] doesn’t mean much but I am in a good place now and I am hoping to write again,” she wrote. “Let the fun begin.” 

The post quickly went viral, and the authors and readers who grieved the loss of Meachen were outraged at her use of the word “fun.”

Samantha A. Cole, a fellow author and online friend of Meachen, shared that she felt guilty she hadn’t done more for Meachen following the alleged suicide and was even personally harassed by people who claimed she was one of Meachen’s bullies. 

“This tore the book community apart when everyone started pointing fingers at people who allegedly bullied her,” Cole said. “To have it end up being a hoax that was dragged out for almost two and a half years is a slap in the face to anyone who ever supported her.”

Meachen has not made any further comments on her “resurrection,” but her editor, Kasey Hill, has refuted claims that fans and friends donated money for funeral expenses.

Whether this truly was an attempt by Meachen’s family to remove her from a toxic social media environment, or just a way to sell more books, Meachen’s return from the dead has rocked the literature world—and not in a good way.

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Bad news for pasta lovers everywhere. In a recent social media post, Ronzoni announced it will be discontinuing its beloved pastina pasta. It’s safe to say that people aren’t happy about this development, and they haven’t been afraid to voice their disappointment.

Ronzoni Discontinues One Of Its Most Popular Pastas

For people all across the country, Ronzoni’s pastina noodles are a pantry staple. So, when the company announced that it will cease selling the tiny star-shaped noodles for the foreseeable future, people were understandably outraged.

Last week, the official Ronzoni Instagram account released a statement detailing the devastating news. “We hear you and greatly appreciate your love for Ronzoni Pastina. After extensive efforts, we regretfully announce that Ronzoni Pastina is being discontinued. This wasn’t a decision that we wanted to make,” the first slide of the post read.

The company went on to explain how its pastina supplier stopped producing the pasta, forcing the company to seek a new supplier. “We searched extensively for an alternative solution but were unable to identify a viable option to make pastina in the same beloved small shape, size and standards you have come to expect from Ronzoni.”

The company assured customers that it hasn’t given up its search, but it is unable to produce pastina at the present moment.

Fans Mourn Ronzoni Pastina

Immediately, fans rushed to the comment section to voice their disappointment. “I’m putting my last box in a glass case and framing it in my living room,” one commenter wrote. “Who’s the long term supplier? I just wanna talk,” wrote another.

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Given the pasta’s tiny size and fun shape, pastina is a go-to for parents of young children. According to Ronzoni’s product description, pastina, Italian for “tiny dough,” was its smallest shape to date. “Pastina works best in light soups. It is often made in single servings for one of toddler’s first foods,” the description reads.

While Ronzoni is widely credited with popularizing pastina in North America, fans shouldn’t say goodbye to the dish just yet. The tiny pasta is actually a staple in Italy as well, and Ronzoni certainly hasn’t cornered the market.

Plenty of other brands sell their own version of pastina, also called seline. Of course, loyal Ronzoni customers may be able to tell the difference. However, if in need of a quick Pastina fix while waiting for Ronzoni to bring its version back, there are plenty of options available!

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For centuries, people have been attempting to survive a trip over Niagara Falls. The first woman to achieve this feat and survive was a woman named Annie Edson Taylor. However, despite making a name for herself in the stunt world, the rest of Taylor’s life was anything but happy. 

Annie Edson Taylor’s Decision To Go Over Niagara Falls

In 1829, a man named Sam Patch jumped from a high tower into the body of water the falls flows into. He survived the leap, which kickstarted a long tradition of people trying to go over Niagara Falls in increasingly strange ways. 

By 1900, Taylor, a widowed American schoolteacher, had fallen on hard times. She decided the only way for her to make enough money to live on and restore her way of life was to go over Niagara Falls in a barrel. Taylor used a barrel made of oak and iron and then padded with cushions and a leather harness for protection to make the trip over the waterfall in. 

Her trip was put off several times, as no one wanted to be considered an accessory in what could have very well ended as a suicide. Two days before Taylor’s planned trip, she and her team supposedly did a test-run with a cat to see if the barrel would break. According to the tale, the cat survived and signaled that Taylor was ready to take the plunge. However, Canadian historian Patrick Sirianni wrote a fascinating piece about Taylor’s trip that pointed out that none of the press at the time referred to a cat on any of the group’s multiple trips on the rivers.

She Survived The Trip With Just One Injury

On October 24, 1901—her 63rd birthday—Taylor traveled to the top of the falls to carry out the dangerous stunt. She climbed into her barrel with only her lucky heart-shaped pillow for safety. The lid was screwed shut and a friend used a bicycle pump to pressurize the barrel. 

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The barrel was set loose and Taylor went over Niagara Falls. The barrel was found around 20 minutes after she went over and, according to legend, Taylor was nearly unharmed except for a small gash on her forehead. More personal reports, as Sirianni found, indicate that Taylor suffered a more serious head wound and exhibited signs of what would now probably be considered a serious concussion in the days after the trip.

The Stunt Was Not A Money-Maker

Even though Taylor did the stunt to raise money for herself, she never found the wealth she had been chasing. Taylor earned some money doing public speaking engagements about her trip and wrote a memoir, but she reportedly spent most of her savings on private detectives after her manager stole her barrel and disappeared. 

Taylor spent her final years taking pictures with tourists at a stand in Niagara Falls and working as a clairvoyant and performer of magnetic therapeutic treatments. She passed away in 1921, penniless and in terrible health, which she reportedly blamed on her traumatic Niagara experience. As she herself said to the press after emerging from the barrel back in 1901, “If it was with my dying breath, I would caution anyone against attempting the feat … I would sooner walk up to the mouth of a cannon, knowing it was going to blow me to pieces than make another trip over the fall.”

While Taylor will forever be remembered for being the first person to survive a trip over Niagara Falls in a barrel, her daredevil stunt was not the money-maker she thought it would be and possibly prematurely ended her life. Hopefully, her legacy can live on as a testament to her bravery and determination.

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If your child received a life-altering diagnosis, you would probably stop at nothing to be sure they received the treatment needed to fight the disease—but what if it were incurable? What if three of your kids were diagnosed with the disease?

That’s exactly the situation Canadian couple Edith Lemay and Sebastien Pelletier found themselves in a few years ago. Three of their four children have a rare genetic condition: retinitis pigmentosa. The disease causes vision loss over time and eventually leads to blindness.

Their oldest child Mia, now 12, was diagnosed when she was only 7. A few years later, Colin, 7, and Laurent, 5, were also found to have the condition, which slowly causes vision loss.

Just how rare is retinitis pigmentosa? Turns out, both parents have to carry the gene in order to pass it on to their children. As Lemay shared in an interview with Pipeaway, she and Pelletier had never heard of the disease. In fact, “Nobody had it in our families.”

The mom of four continued, “Both mum and dad need to have defective genes, so it is pretty rare. You really need to be unlucky to get it. Even if both of us have a gene, we statistically only have a 1-in-4 chance to transmit it. Well, it ended up being 3 out of 4,” alluding to the fact that their son Leo, 9, does not have the condition.

A Lifetime Full Of Visual Memories

Even though there is no cure for retinitis pigmentosa, Lemay and Pelletier knew they had to do something for their children. After talking with a specialist who recommended creating “visual memories” for their daughter, the couple decided that it was time to act.

“I thought, ‘I’m not going to show her an elephant in a book,” Lemay shared in an interview with CNN, “I’m going to take her to see a real elephant. And I’m going to fill her visual memory with the best, most beautiful images I can.”

So that’s exactly what the couple decided to do! They immediately made plans to travel the world as a family for an entire year. As Pelletier said in the same interview, “With the diagnosis, we have an urgency. There’s great things to do at home, but there’s nothing better than traveling.”

As the couple began to save for the trip of a lifetime, they received a boost thanks to Pelletier’s job. Since he had shares in the company he worked for, he received a nice sum when the company was bought. “That was like a little gift from life,” reflected Lemay. “Like, here’s the money for your trip.”

However, their excitement was short-lived once the pandemic began. The family planned to begin their adventure in the summer of 2020. Obviously, COVID-19 restrictions threw off their plans.

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Instead of being dissuaded, the Quebec natives decided to seize the day and explore their homeland of Canada. They jumped in their car, socially distanced from others, and visited places closer to home.

As the family shared on Instagram, “It won’t be as exotic as Mongolia and probably a bit cooler than Tanzania, but we’re lucky enough to be confined in a beautiful country as well to enjoy!”

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As the pandemic continued, the family decided to keep their plans flexible. Finally, in March 2022, they were able to leave their home base of Montreal and begin their year-long globetrotting adventure!

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Seeing The World Through A Child’s Eyes

The first stop on the trip was Namibia. The family set up a campsite, explored the coast, learned about the local culture from native people, and saw giraffes, elephants, and zebras. As for one of their favorite memories in Namibia, Lemay shared a surprising story with Pipeaway.

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“When we were in Namibia, we visited these amazing sand dunes in Sossusvlei,” the mom of four remarked. “Laurent was so fascinated with their little black beetles they call toktokkie.” In fact, when the 5-year-old was asked what he liked most at the end of the day, toktokkie was his answer.

Laurent’s answer made his mother stop and think. She reflected, “[Our children] show us the beauty of the world. Beauty can be anywhere. So we need to be open to how they see the world and learn from it.”

Horseback Riding, A Train Ride, Kilimanjaro, And…Drinking Juice On A Camel?

After an amazing start to their adventure, the family continued on to Zambia and Tanzania. Then, they spent a month in Turkey followed by time in Mongolia. Turns out, their stint in Mongolia has been Mia’s favorite part of the trip so far.

The 12-year-old was set on going horseback riding on the Mongolian-Manchurian steppe, a grassland that covers over 340,000 square miles. Luckily, she was able to cross it off her bucket list!

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In an Instagram post showcasing Mia’s adventure, the family shared, “What a moment she had being able to gallop in the steppe! The feeling of freedom! Walking in these vast landscapes, crossing herds of sheep or yaks, crossing rivers… Magic!”

Mia isn’t the only child who is crossing items off their bucket list. Although Lemay shared with Pipeaway that 9-year-old Leo was disappointed not to find any Pokémon in the wilderness of Japan, “His favorite moment so far was on a little hike we did on the foot of Kilimanjaro. The vegetation was so amazing, it was a really nice hike in the misty jungle.”

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For 7-year-old Colin, going on a train ride has been the best adventure so far. “Colin’s best moment was in Tazara, the Tanzania-Zambia Railway, as he really wanted to sleep on the train,” remarked Lemay.

“It’s a 24-hour ride that we took through Tanzania, and it’s a really old slow train so it was amazing…And just sleeping on the train while it was rocking us, was really a cool moment of the trip.”

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If you’re curious about what a 5-year-old has on their bucket list, just ask Laurent. Before even leaving their home, he knew exactly what he wanted to do: drink juice on a camel!

As the mom of three said, “He was 4 at the time when he made the request, but he was really specific. It was not about seeing a camel, he wanted to drink juice on a camel.”

Living Life To The Fullest

Although the family continues to have a great trip full of “visual memories” that will last a lifetime, Lemay and Pelletier also hope that the trip will help their kids develop coping skills. Since retinitis pigmentosa worsens with time, “[Our children are] going to need to be really resilient throughout their life,” Lemay told CNN.

As their kids learn how to cope, the parents hope that traveling will also be a teaching tool. “Traveling is something you can learn from. It’s nice and fun, but it also can be really hard,” remarked Lemay. “You can be uncomfortable. You can be tired. There’s frustration. So there’s a lot that you can learn from travel itself.”

While they want their children to learn how to cope with their condition, Lemay and Pelletier are also focused on living in the moment and “putting their energy into the positive things.”

As Pelletier said, “We never know when it can start or how fast it can go. So we really want to take this time as a family and to cater to each of our kids to be able to live this experience to the fullest.”

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The family appears to be doing just that. After Mia fulfilled her dream in Mongolia, the family visited Indonesia, Malaysia, and then Thailand. Now the family is traveling around Cambodia. They’re taking in the breathtaking waterfalls and deserts while learning about the country’s history.

As the family continues their globetrotting adventure, the parents hope that their children will continue to live in the present and strengthen their sibling bond.

As Pelletier said about their kids, “They’re great together. Over and above, I think it helps solidify that link between them. And hopefully that will continue in the future, so that they can support each other.”

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Many of us have made New Year’s resolutions to be healthier. These resolutions typically include eating better, exercising more, and losing weight. But shedding those extra pounds can be difficult, especially when menopause sets in. Although weight loss can be daunting as we get older, one doctor is revealing how she lost 100 pounds in her 50s.

Even though she’s been a doctor for decades, Dr. Emi Hosoda (better known as Dr. Emi on TikTok) knows the struggles of living a healthy lifestyle. In an interview with TODAY, the doctor admitted that she reached her heaviest weight of 235 pounds after having kids in her 30s. 

Although Dr. Emi was able to lose the extra pounds at the time, she was unable to keep the weight off for very long. As she continued to age and experienced menopause, weight loss seemed impossible.

The doctor explained, “Perimenopause hit around 2010 and I started working nights in a hospital, then all bets were off. So I gained pretty much all of my weight back.”

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The doctor decided to invest in a new fitness routine and different eating habits. Eventually, she lost 100 pounds due to her discipline and commitment to living a healthy lifestyle. In fact, Dr. Emi continues to focus on these changes since her energy has returned.

Although diet and health needs vary for each person, Dr. Emi recently revealed the five things she always does to keep the extra weight at bay. And some of these tips are easy enough for most of us to follow!

1. Stop Counting Calories

The one that we can all get behind is to stop looking at calories! Yes, you read that right. Instead of looking at the calorie count, Dr. Emi shared that we should be looking at the sugar value instead. Surprisingly, Dr. Emi even revealed, “I don’t really care about calories at all.” 

2. Take The Right Supplements

The doctor also shared that we should take the right supplements for our genetics and hormones. Then she mentioned the one thing most of us know: “drink enough water.”

3. Drink Water Based On Your Body Weight

How do you know if you’re drinking the right amount of water? According to Dr. Emi, “Each of us should be drinking a half ounce to an ounce of water per pound of body weight depending on how active we are.”

The caveat is that people with medical conditions should check with their doctors to find out how much water they should be drinking.

4. The Magic Of Magnesium For Menopause

Next, Dr. Emi shared that magnesium was a huge game-changer for her, and could be for women over the age of 35. Apparently, magnesium can help with sugar cravings and sleep. That’s good news for anyone who is menopausal or perimenopausal!

5. Strength Training Is Key

Lastly, Dr. Emi revealed that aerobic exercises aren’t enough. Strength training is also important, especially for those over the age of 50. However, this takes discipline even for Dr. Emi. In fact, she wakes up at 4:00 a.m. at least three times a week to work out. Her exercise routine includes 30 minutes on a stationary bike and then one hour of weightlifting.

If you’ve resolved to be healthier and want to follow Dr. Emi’s tips, check with your doctor to be sure these steps are right for you.

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You may remember the shocking story of Abby Hernandez, a 14-year-old who went missing on October 9, 2013, when she was on her way home from Kennett High School in North Conway, New Hampshire. The teen seemed to have vanished into thin air, confounding everyone. An exhaustive, massive search for her turned up nothing.

What had happened to Hernandez was beyond belief. She had been abducted and was held against her will thirty miles from her home. Her makeshift cell was a storage container. She was cruelly subjected to torture and sexual assault.

Hernandez, who was born on October 12, 1998, weathered this nightmare for nine hideous months. Her mental and emotional fortitude was—and is—amazing.

According to Hernandez in an interview with ABC’s 20/20, she prayed during her time in captivity. “I remember I never said ‘amen’ in my mind. I never wanted to end my prayers because I didn’t want God to leave me,” Hernandez recalled. “I just really wanted to live.”

The man who kidnapped her, Nathaniel Kibby, finally let Hernandez go on July 20, 2014. He was the focus of a counterfeiting probe and he was nervous about the police closing in on him. Hernandez also persuaded him to liberate her from captivity.

She was thrilled to have her freedom back. “I remember looking up and laughing, just being so happy,” Hernandez said. “Oh my God, this actually happened. I’m a free person. I never thought it would happen to me, but I’m free.”

Kibby was subsequently arrested. As for Hernandez, she has a heightened awareness of life. “Every time I go outside now, I really try to appreciate sunlight and fresh air. It really went in my lungs differently … I really try to never take that for granted.”

Hernandez Now Works As A Hairdresser

In February 2022, Oxygen True Crime reported that she has a little boy and is a hairdresser. North Conway is still her home. She is, of course, quite close to her family, who also held out faith she would be returned to them during the ordeal.

Faith and resilience seem to have been the dual keys to Hernandez’s survival. She was also shrewd beyond her years, managing to connect with Kibby so that he would eventually allow her to leave. That clever strategy may have saved Hernandez’s life.

“I told him, ‘Look, you don’t seem like a bad person. Like, everybody makes mistakes … If you let me go, I won’t tell anybody about this.’ I really always kinda put it—you know, ‘This strategy is always there.’”

She Got To Tell Her Own Story On Film

Hernandez was an executive producer of the film that portrayed her ordeal, titled Girl In The Shed: The Kidnapping of Abby Hernandez. It sounds like participating in the making of the film was cathartic for her.

“I don’t feel as scared anymore,” Hernandez said, according to KGET. “Obviously, it’s a weird experience to have this happen in the first place. And then to have it made into a movie is obviously like an even weirder experience. But ultimately, I did find it healing in a weird way just to have it out there.”

Lindsay Navarro, the actress who plays Hernandez in Girl in the Shed, said that Hernandez “wants to […] inspire people in that way, to show that it is possible that you don’t have to be defined by your circumstances.”

Abby Hernandez went through something that would severely test the strength of a person far older and more worldly than she was at the time of her abduction. That tremendous strength may also have enhanced her ability to return to life in her hometown and restore her equilibrium. It’s just an incredible feat.

Verna Volker may not be a name you recognize, but she’s a woman everyone should know. An Indigenous person from the Navajo Nation, Volker has started a movement unlike any other.

For the athlete, representation matters in all areas of life, especially when it comes to female runners. In fact, through her activism on the race course, Volker is lifting up Native women through running.

Volker’s running journey began back in 2009 as a way to lose weight. However, the now 48-year-old quickly realized that there was little representation of herself and her community in the world of running. She soon became determined to carve out a space for Indigenous women runners, and the ultramarathoner has done just that!

As Volker shares on the Native Women Running website, “I started Native Women Running (NWR) out of frustration. One day, I was scrolling through Instagram and noticed a lack of Native women runners. When I realized many runners don’t look like me, I decided to start NWR.”

Now the NWR community is over 30,000 strong thanks to their social media presence. Their Instagram account provides visibility and inspiration to Indigenous women, including this reel of one Native woman running with her sister and grandma through Canyon de Shelly in Arizona on the lands of Navajo Nation.

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‘Running Has Long Been Part Of Native Culture’

In a recent interview with Bustle, Volker discussed the importance of creating a space for Indigenous women in the world of running. “Many people don’t realize that running has long been part of Native culture,” reflected the marathoner. “A lot of that has been lost over time because of erasure.”

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Volker is doing something about that. She wants people to know that running is for “every body type and every group of people, specifically Native women representing their tribes and sharing their journeys, no matter what level they’re at.”

The runner went on to share a story she heard growing up “that was passed down from one generation to the next: When you wake up in the morning before the sun rises, you run to the east to greet Creator and say your prayers, which helps you stay in balance in life. Now that I run, that makes so much sense to me.”

For Volker, running is more than just a way to stay healthy. In fact, running helps her connect with her culture and her family. As she shared, “Running is medicine. Running is healing. Running is our prayers. I think that’s pretty powerful.”

Beyond being a runner, Volker is also a leader in the running community. She ensures that her sponsors—HOKA, Suunto, and Lily Trotter—are held accountable for their diversity policies. Plus, companies need to do a better job of giving a voice to Indigenous people.

As Volker remarked, “Companies need to offer a safe, welcoming space for Native runners that recognizes the trauma we carry. These conversations can be hard, but we need to be heard.”

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In August 1984, in Amstetten, Austria, Josef Fritzl asked his daughter, Elizabeth, for help installing a new door to their family home’s newly-renovated basement. When Elisabeth turned to leave, her father, Josef Fritzl, forced an ether-soaked cloth over her mouth until she lost consciousness.

For the next 24 years, she was locked in that basement, starting at the tender age of 18 years old. Elisabeth endured unimaginable horrors during her captivity at the hands of her father. Now that she’s free, here’s what we know about Elisabeth Fritzl’s life.

A Quick Recap Of Her Horrifying Ordeal

On August 28, 1984, Elisabeth Fritzl went missing. Her mother, Rosemarie Fritzl, immediately filed a missing-persons report.

Elisabeth wasn’t seen or heard from for weeks until a letter arrived. In the letter, Elisabeth said that she was tired of her life at home and ran away. Her father, Josef, told police that she’d previously mentioned an interest in joining a religious cult. He said that this was his best guess as to where she’d gone.

Josef knew much more about her whereabouts than he let on, however. In fact, he was actually the one who wrote the letter supposedly from Elisabeth. He had her locked in the basement of his home.

Elisabeth Experienced Frequent Sexual Assault And Multiple Pregnancies During Her Captivity

For the first two days of Elisabeth’s captivity, she was unable to move, bound by an iron chain. On the second day, Josef began sexually assaulting her. This abuse would continue for the next two and a half decades.

As a result, Elisabeth bore seven of her father’s children. One of the children died just after birth, and Josef threw the baby’s body in an incinerator. 

Three of Elisabeth’s children remained in captivity with her in the cellar, never seeing daylight until their release. For the other three, Josef staged discoveries of the babies outside the house in the bushes or on the doorstep.

He planted the babies with notes supposedly written by Elisabeth. They said that she couldn’t care for these children and that she wanted her parents to raise them for her. Those three children enjoyed the outside world while the others were stuck in the basement, fearing that the door was rigged to kill them should they make an attempt at escape. 

Josef managed to keep Elisabeth and the children’s location a secret for all those years. He dictated notes for Elisabeth to write to her mother. He claimed that he was working when he spent time in the basement. To cover his tracks with the neighbors, he blamed any noises that emerged from the soundproofed cellar on noisy heating and pipes.

How She Got Finally Free

On April 26, 2008, when Elisabeth was 42, she finally got her freedom. Her 19-year-old daughter, Kerstin, became extremely sick. Because of the dire situation, Josef made the uncharacteristically merciful decision to drive Kerstin to the hospital.

Shortly after, Elisabeth and her two sons saw Kerstin’s doctors on the news imploring that her mother come forward with information if there was any hope of saving her life.

Elisabeth begged her father to let her leave and go to Kerstin’s side. Josef had already been looking for a way out of the horrible situation he’d created, growing old and tired of leading his harrowing double life. He agreed to let Elisabeth go.

Once she made it to the hospital, she told police that she’d give them the full story as long as they promised to keep her father away from her.

In 2021, Lifetime premiered an original movie based on the Fritzl case called Girl in the Basement.

 Where Is Elisabeth Fritzl Now?

After Elisabeth’s release, Josef was immediately arrested. He is in prison, where he has been serving a life sentence since 2009. 

Though Elisabeth is now a woman in midlife, the most recent known photograph of her was taken when she was 16. Authorities have gone to great lengths to conceal E

Elisabeth’s identity from the public in hopes of giving her the most normal life possible after the horrors she endured. She has taken on a new name since her release, and it has been alleged that she currently lives in an Austrian village referred to as “Village X” to keep its location hidden.

According to The Sun, Elisabeth lives with her children, who are now all adults. They have all undergone therapy to work through their myriad traumas. Still, they sleep with their bedroom doors permanently open.

Security guards always patrol the two-story home, and it has constant CCTV surveillance. Though there is little public information about her post-imprisonment life, in 2019, reports claimed that Elisabeth and her bodyguard “found love.” 

People all over the world are getting ready for the holiday season, from picking out the perfect gifts to deciding what to serve guests at a party. One Twitter user recently went viral after sharing his mom’s hilarious schedule of what they’ll do over the holidays, as well as what they’ll eat. 

One Twitter User’s ‘Incredibly Thorough’ Holiday Plans Go Viral

“My mom’s annual ‘home for the holidays’ email to me and my siblings just dropped,” writer Khalid El Khatib tweeted, along with a screenshot of his mom’s email. “An incredibly thorough, detail-rich look ahead at how it’s possible for me to gain 15 lbs in one week.”

The email is a detailed schedule and menu for the days leading up to Christmas, with entries about the activities the family will do and what meals they will eat. “Sunday, the 18th: Arrivals,” Khatib’s mom wrote. “Rest and Happy Joes Pizza for dinner. There will be puffed popcorn, Chex mix, and various candies available for grazing throughout the day.”

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The schedule went on to detail a “work day” with chili for dinner, a “summer burger night,” a trip to a local brewery for lunch, and an “evening out.” The Friday before Christmas Eve, Khatib’s mother wrote, “Ladies have manicures…Boys babysit…Lunch out at Stonecliff Winery. Boys can join if they want.”

Khatib followed up the original tweet with screenshots of the rest of the email, which included an extremely detailed menu of what the family will eat on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. The tweets quickly went viral, and many jokingly asked if they could join in on the family’s holiday plans. 

People Ask How They ‘Sign Up For This Week Of Wonder?!’

“invite me pls, I want to join [the girls’] mani pedi wine tasting day,” one person replied. Another wrote, “Bourbon tasting? Ina’s mac and cheese? Hallmark of The Midwest? Manicures? Taco dip? How do I sign up for this week of wonder?!”

Others praised Khatib’s mom for her organization skills. “Anyone thinking this is ‘over scheduled’ doesn’t appreciate how much stress this removes from the week for everyone involved,” one person wrote. “No last-minute planning, no surprises. It sounds like heaven.”

Khatib’s family plans sound like an amazing way to celebrate Christmas—his mother’s commitment to organization has impressed Twitter users and given us plenty of ideas about how to run our own holiday celebrations! 

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Just months after Serial subject Adnan Syed was released from prison, two men walked out of a Georgia prison after serving 25 years for crimes they didn’t commit. Apparently, the exoneration was at least partially due to the work of two investigative true-crime podcasters.

Brian Bowling Died In 1996

On October 18, 1996, 15-year-old Brian Bowling died of a gunshot wound to the head. According to the Georgia Innocence Project, Bowling was on the phone with his girlfriend when the shot rang out, and he told her just moments prior that he was playing Russian Roulette.

The gun wasn’t Bowling’s—it belonged to 17-year-old Cain Joshua Storey, who was in the room when Bowling was shot. Storey was almost immediately arrested for involuntary manslaughter.

Despite overwhelming evidence that Bowling’s death was a tragic accident, the police soon began investigating it as a homicide on the basis of a single tip.

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A neighbor of the Bowling family told police that Storey and his friend, Lee Clark, confessed to her that they had planned Bowling’s murder after the younger boy paid witness to a robbery Storey and Clark had committed.

Shortly after, Storey’s charges were upgraded to murder and police arrested Clark in connection to the alleged homicide.

Clark And Storey Were Sentenced To Life In Prison

During the lengthy and controversial trial, jurors heard from a hearing and speech-impaired man who was in the Bowling home at the time of Brian’s death. He communicated to police that he saw Clark running through the yard on the night of the shooting.

Based on the two testimonies, along with a coroner who had his doubts that the shooting was self-inflicted, both Clark and Storey were sentenced to life in prison.

However, many years later, podcasters Susan Simpson and Jacinda Davis unraveled the state’s case in their show Proof. Apparently, the investigative podcasters uncovered two crucial points that were never shared with the defendants or their council.

Firstly, the neighbor was coerced into giving false statements and testimony under the threat of the police removing her children from her care.

Secondly, it was revealed that the hearing and speech-impaired man had witnessed an unrelated but similar shooting 20 years prior, and he was confusing the two incidents.

Judge Overturns Clark’s And Storey’s Convictions

25 years later, the Rome Judicial Circuit District Attorney’s Office and Floyd County Superior Court Judge John Neidrach agreed that, in light of the evidence, Clark’s conviction should be overturned and his charges dismissed.

As for Storey, his charge was reduced back to involuntary manslaughter. He entered a guilty plea and his 10-year sentence was considered time served after his 25 years behind bars. Like Clark, he was also exonerated of the murder charge.

Now, both Clark and Storey have a long journey ahead of them as they rebuild their lives. However, they are both reuniting with families that never gave up on them or doubted their innocence.

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For some people, Christmas is the most wonderful time of year. From eggnog and mistletoe to singing carols and trimming the tree, there are many ways to celebrate the holiday.

Plus, many people have their annual tradition of hanging Christmas lights. For them, lining the roof with lights and trimming the trees in the front yard signal that Christmas is coming. 

I can relate. Not only does my family hang Christmas lights, we’re usually the first house on our block to do so. Thankfully, I’m no Christmas Karen. Even though my husband and I just drove around looking at Christmas lights last night, I know people who don’t care for holiday decorations.

Some of them don’t celebrate Christmas. For others, the holidays are full of grief and bad memories—and some people just don’t have the time, money, or desire to decorate. Try telling that to Christmas Karen, though.

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In a letter recently shared on a Karen Reddit thread, Christmas Karen is appalled that her neighbor has neglected to decorate for Christmas. In trying to convince the grinch to get out their decorations, Christmas Karen tries the passive-aggressive approach: a handwritten letter.

Karen notes that LED lights are “inexpensive to run and can be purchased even in second-hand stores. They can last years!” Plus, lights “bring a smile to those in need.” 

If the neighbor in question doesn’t celebrate Christmas, the perturbed letter writer has that covered, too. Christmas Karen suggests that lights be put up “for other faiths” and reminds her neighbor how to “show [their] pride” with color.

Then, in the most passive-aggressive closing she could come up with, Christmas Karen wishes her neighbor “Happy Holidays!!”

Can You Ever Be Too Festive?

Reddit users far and wide are calling Christmas Karen out for the letter. In fact, the post has over 5,000 comments, showing just how much it’s rubbed people the wrong way.

Commenters are so fired up that they’re even sharing how they would react if they received a similar letter. As one user said, “I would blow this up into a yard sign and make that my decoration.”

Others would just become annoyingly festive for all holidays. One user commented that they would “put them up and never take them down next year. Then add various other holidays until it’s one big mishmash of Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, Easter, Memorial Day, etc. Can’t be too festive now.”

While some people would use the opportunity to decorate in creative ways, one commenter shared that they would let the neighborhood know how they felt about receiving such a letter.

As one Reddit user said, “I can see myself writing “merry f*cking Christmas” on the lawn in petrol, but that’s about it.”

Even with all the poking fun at Christmas Karen on the thread, some users have pointed out that a person’s mental health could be the reason for the lack of Christmas decorations.

As one person shared in a more somber comment, “[Seasonal affective disorder] hit unexpectedly hard for me this year…I’ve never NOT done anything. Didn’t even bother bringing the storage totes out…I am just gonna focus on my own self care instead of stressing over holiday decorations.”

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The world’s tallest man just celebrated a pretty major milestone—his 40th birthday! Sultan Kösen stopped by Ripley’s Believe It Or Not! in Orlando to pose for a picture with a statue of the man who previously held the title. 

Kösen Celebrates Birthday With A Fellow Giant

Born in 1982, Kösen was of average size up until he turned 10. After that, he grew at an incredible rate due to a condition called pituitary gigantism, which happens because of an overproduction of growth hormone. Kösen’s condition was caused by damage to his pituitary gland, which released an excess of the growth hormone. 

Kösen, standing at 8 feet and 3 inches, made his way from his native Turkey to Florida for his birthday celebration. While visiting the Ripley’s museum, he got his picture taken with a towering statue of Robert Wadlow. 

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Wadlow was once the tallest man alive, and he still holds the title of the tallest man to have ever lived. In 1940, at the time of his last measurement, a 22 year-old Wadlow came in at 8 feet 11.1 inches. He died shortly after. 

How Being The Tallest Man In The World Changed His Life

Ripley’s Believe It Or Not! reported that there are only ten confirmable cases of a person measuring 8 feet or more. When measured in 2009, Kösen became the first person to come in at over 8 feet in more than 20 years. 

“After that day [that I was announced the tallest man in the world], I was born,” Kösen told Ripley’s. “Before that, I was a very silent person. Now, I can talk. I’m happy. I’m funny. I enjoy my life.”

Kösen’s Birthday Wish: ‘Travel … And To Keep My Record’

His title as the tallest man in the world has meant worldwide recognition for Kösen, as well as opportunities to travel the globe. So far, he has visited 127 countries. When he blew out his candles at Ripley’s Orlando location, Kösen shared his birthday wish—to continue traveling. 

“[I want to] travel the remaining countries which I have not visited so far,” Kösen said, then joked, “And to keep my record title. I hope there will be no one taller than me!” It looks like he’ll be holding on to his title of tallest man for many years to come! 

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Today marks 42 years since the world lost one of the best musicians and songwriters of the past century, John Lennon. On December 8, 1980, the former Beatle was shot dead outside of the Dakota, the New York City home he shared with his wife, Yoko Ono.

Earlier in the day, a man named Mark David Chapman had greeted Lennon as the Beatle left his apartment. In fact, Lennon signed a copy of his Double Fantasy album for Chapman. As he signed the record, Lennon couldn’t have imagined that this inconspicuous fan was carrying the gun that would take his life in just a few short hours.

When Lennon and Ono returned to the recording studio that evening, Chapman was waiting outside their apartment, and he shot the 40-year-old former Beatle. It didn’t take long for Chapman to be arrested as he remained at the scene, waiting for the police to show up. Chapman was later sentenced to 20 years to life in prison.

Sometimes Fame Comes With A Hefty Price Tag

Now that it’s been 42 years since the murder, where is Chapman? Apparently, he recently requested parole for the 12th time and was denied yet again. While the murderer has expressed remorse for killing the famed musician, Chapman has also admitted to taking Lennon’s life as a way to garner fame and attention.

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As the murderer told the parole board, killing Lennon was “my big answer to everything. I wasn’t going to be a nobody anymore.” In fact, Chapman admitted to having “evil in my heart. I wanted to be somebody and nothing was going to stop that.”

He went on to take responsibility for the murder. “I am not going to blame anything else or anybody else for bringing me there,” Chapman remarked. “I knew what I was doing, and I knew it was evil. I knew it was wrong, but I wanted the fame so much that I was willing to give everything and take a human life.”

Chapman, 67, has certainly received attention for killing the “Strawberry Fields Forever” musician. However, it has come with a heavy price tag. 42 years after the murder, Chapman is still serving time at Green Haven Correctional Facility in the Hudson Valley in New York state—and he won’t be eligible for parole again until February 2024.

After Lennon was murdered, Ono requested that the world remember his life and legacy with 10 minutes of silence. Perhaps we can offer a moment of silence to the musician who just wanted the world to live as one.

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Amanda Berry endured an inconceivably horrific ordeal when she was kidnapped in Cleveland, Ohio on April 21, 2003, one day prior to her 17^th birthday. During her captivity, she was abused physically and emotionally and even gave birth to a daughter fathered by her abuser.

Berry’s captor, Ariel Castro, also kidnapped and held two other young women, Michelle Knight and Georgina “Gina” DeJesus. He kept all three of them imprisoned in his home for years. They, like Berry, were brutalized during their captivity.

Berry and her then-six-year-old daughter finally escaped from Castro’s home on May 6, 2013, when Berry called 911. In the call, she can be heard saying “Help me, I’ve been kidnapped, and I’ve been missing for ten years. And I’m here. I’m free now!” DeJesus and Knight were rescued shortly after.

Despite having been exposed to the worst that humanity has to offer at such a young age, Berry has managed to use her experience for good. She currently hosts a segment on Fox 8 in Cleveland where she sheds light on other missing person cases. Here is more about Amanda Berry’s incredible story.

Berry Helps Find Other Missing People On Fox 8

Since 2017, Berry has done a segment on Fox 8 television in Cleveland called “Missing With Amanda Berry” to help others who have vanished and their families. On each segment, Berry spotlights missing persons’ cases from Northeast Ohio, believing that the renewed media exposure might generate fresh leads regarding their whereabouts.

“I’m just excited to be able to help families who need it and give [the missing] more than just a name,” Berry told Fox 8.  “They have a face. They have a family. They have a sister or brother. Just to make it more personal means the world.”

She also recorded a public service announcement on behalf of the U.S. Marshals imploring people to keep their loved ones’ missing persons’ cases in front of the public and telling them and law enforcement officials not to stop searching and hoping.

Berry’s efforts were recognized in 2022 when she was honored with the 69^th Attorney General’s Award for her dedication.

Another young woman who was kidnapped and survived is Elizabeth Smart, someone Berry called “one of [her] personal idols.” Berry interviewed her in February 2017, and they had an emotional exchange when they talked about the despair they felt while they were being held against their will.

Smart was abducted from her home in Utah in 2002 when she was 14. She was held by two captors, a married couple, for nine months. Smart now speaks up for those who were sexually assaulted and for people who have disappeared.

“Meeting her was a turning point for me,” Berry said. “I always admired the way she used her voice to help others.”

Berry speaks to students about the dangers of sex trafficking and warns them to be careful and cautious. She said to them that getting into Castro’s van when he offered to give her a ride “was the biggest mistake [she] ever made in [her] life.”

She Is Raising Her Daughter, Jocelyn

Berry gave birth to a baby girl, Jocelyn, three years into her captivity on December 25, 2006. DNA indicated that Castro had indeed fathered the infant. Naturally, Berry experienced an unimaginably complicated range of emotions surrounding her pregnancy, but she did her best to describe them in her memoir.

“I think my mom sent me this baby. It’s her way of giving me an angel. But I worry about what [Castro is] going to do. … When the baby started kicking, I reached for his hand and placed it on my stomach. … I knew the baby would be safer if he was excited about being a new father.”

Miraculously, Berry was able to keep her now-teenage daughter safe, and she has said her little girl is growing up to be a compassionate person who loves animals and is very caring.

One of Jocelyn’s former teachers, Erin Hennessey, told ABC, “Jocelyn is more special than I could even use words to describe. I always describe her as wise beyond her years.”

Berry’s Relationships With DeJesus And Knight Are Complicated

Castro deliberately prevented the three girls from getting too friendly, possibly to prevent them from drawing comfort from each other. He may also have felt that if they bonded, his iron grip on them could weaken.

Good Morning America co-host Robin Roberts hosted “Trapped,” a 20/20 broadcast in 2020 about Berry’s, Knight’s, and DeJesus’ plight as Castro’s captives. She spoke to Inside Edition about the cruel mind games Castro played on them.

He “pitted them against each other,” Roberts said.

During her time as Castro’s prisoner, Berry kept a journal on anything she could find, such as scraps of cardboard boxes, napkins, and paper bags from take-out food. By the time she escaped, Berry had penned a 1,200-page epic tale of courage.

Berry’s writings eventually became a book, Hope: A Memoir of Survival in Cleveland (2015). DeJesus collaborated on the published version, as did journalists Kevin Sullivan and Mary Jordan.

Michelle Knight authored a book herself, Finding Me (2014). According to Cleveland.com, the three women did not explain the rift that eventually arose between them.

Berry wrote in Hope, “We endured the unthinkable together, and we’ll always have that bond. I wish [Knight] happiness.”

In 2013, when Knight was interviewed on television by Dr. Phil McGraw, she said that Castro singled her out for particularly vicious mistreatment because he said that her family wasn’t even searching for her.

Per CBS News, she told McGraw that Castro said, “I can abuse you and nobody would care. No one.”

Knight also claimed that Castro had a soft spot for Berry. “He would always say, ‘I don’t want to make her cry, I don’t want to make her upset or I don’t want to hear her whiny mouth. He would try to make her happy instead of sad.”

Knight mentioned that she helped to deliver Berry’s baby and was told by Castro that if the infant did not live, Castro would kill her.

In contrast, Knight said she had five pregnancies while she was kept in Castro’s home, and each time, she said Castro did things to induce her to miscarry, such as punching or jumping on her stomach.

Of Berry, she said, “Amanda was one of those girls that really didn’t get it.” She acknowledged that they are not close.

Like Elizabeth Smart, Amanda Berry’s harrowing experience has motivated her to help others who have vanished. She is making an impact and has succeeded in reclaiming her life and living it her way.

As a generation, we grew up on bikes. We cruised on two wheels. To school, to the park, and if we were feeling particularly brave, we hightailed it past the graveyard.

Now, the vehicle that gave us our childhood freedom could one day deliver us to our final resting spot. Here’s why a French company is operating on pedal-powered hearses. 

The Rise Of Eco-friendly Funerals

Eco-friendly funerals are gaining popularity and interest in green burials is on the rise. Isabelle Plumereau hopes to reduce the funeral industry’s collective carbon footprint with good, old-fashioned pedal power. 

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Plumereau owns and operates The Sky and the Earth, a funeral home in Paris. As more and more customers begin opting for green funerals, she thought it wise to design cargo bikes to carry coffins. 

The Corbicyclette, which mashes the French words for hearse—corbillard, and bicycle—bicyclette—has electrical assistance to maneuver steep inclines. 

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A post shared by Isabelle Plumereau (@lecieletlaterre_pompesfunebres)

“The Corbicyclette is to propose a new ritual for families that I accompany, especially at the cemetery,” Plumereau said in a Euronews article. The Corbicylette offers “a slow, silent, quiet procession, to the rhythm of the steps of the people who walk behind and who make the procession.”

Green Is The New Black

Black clothing may be symbolic of mourning, but Plumereau says many mourners find comfort in going green. 

“For me, it is very important to accompany the families by giving them meaning in the ceremony, but also by giving them beauty. Because beauty is what will also bring comfort,” she said.

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For mourners looking for a more somber procession, bicycle-drawn hearses provide a new option. The Corbicyclette rolls out in Paris this fall and similar pedal hearses are already available in the United States. 

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A generational shift is happening in US politics. The 2022 midterm elections are showing us that “the times they are a-changin’,'” to quote Bob Dylan. The song, released in 1964, is just on the border of the generational shift that we’re seeing in Washington. Baby Boomers and Gen Xers are fighting for control.

This election cycle, we’re hearing a lot about a couple of generational changes in America’s political landscape. We’re seeing political forces of the Silent Generation, such as Nancy Pelosi, stepping down from positions of power, and Andrew Frost as the first Gen Z member elected to Congress at the age of 25. But where does Gen X fit into the equation?

Before we discuss the roles Generation X is taking on in American politics, let’s look at what ages we’re referring to: according to the Pew Research Center, Generation X was born between 1965–1980.

From Latchkey To Leading The House Of Representatives

During this midterm election cycle, Gen X is proving to be a force to be reckoned with. In fact, the so-called “Slacker Generation” is taking control of leading the House of Representatives. While we’re still awaiting the final results at the writing of this article, it appears that Gen X will hold the top leadership positions in the House. As the majority of the House flips from Democrats to Republicans, party lines don’t seem to matter for this generational shift.

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On the Republican side, at least the top two positions will be held by Generation X. Kevin McCarthy, who will be the new Speaker of the House, was born in 1965. He has served as the House Minority Leader since 2019. As for the Majority Leader, Steve Scalise will take that role. Also born in 1965, Scalise served as the Minority Whip in the House and has held his House seat since 2008. 

Generation X leadership doesn’t fall just on one side of the aisle. Even as the Democrats become the House minority and Pelosi steps down as Speaker of the House, Gen Xers are likely to be the ones in leadership roles.

According to Jim Clyburn, the current House Majority Whip, two of the three expected new Democratic leaders are in the MTV generation. Clyburn recently tweeted that he would stay on as the Assistant Democratic Leader as he works alongside a new generation of leaders. The leaders Clyburn mentions include Hakeem Jeffries, born in 1970, and Pete Aguilar, born in 1979. Jeffries is expected to be the House Minority Leader, while Aguilar will most likely be the House Conference Chair.

Generation X is letting Washington know that there are a force to be reckoned with.

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At this year’s New York Marathon, the largest number of nonbinary runners in the history of the race competed for the top prize. The marathon also made history for being the first World Major Marathon to award prize money to a nonbinary athlete. 

‘I Have To Go Prove That We Belong,’ Says One Racer

45 nonbinary runners signed up to compete. Justin Solle, who finished in third place, spoke about the importance of seeing nonbinary competitors in the race before the New York Marathon. 

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“I have to go prove that we belong,” they explained to The 19th News. “I have to run a fast time to show that we’re just as good and deserve to be acknowledged for what we’re doing. But we shouldn’t have to feel that. We should be able to just go out and run a fantastic race.”

Jake Caswell Takes Home Top Prize

New York City native Jake Caswell crossed the finish line first, taking home $5,000 in prize money. The marathon handed out prize money to the top five runners in the category, decreasing the amount by $1,000 as they went down the list. 

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A post shared by Jacob Caswell (@jacobcaswell)

This is a major step in the world of nonbinary sports, but there is still a long way to go. Currently, World Marathon Majors’ governing body doesn’t pay for cash prizes for nonbinary competitors. New York Road Runners provided the prize money for nonbinary runners out of their won pockets. 

For comparison, male and female winners of the Open Division take home $100,000 each. The male and female winners of the USA Division get $25,000, as do the male and female winners of the Professional Wheelchair Division. Competitors can also score bonus money if they break any course records. 

Caswell: ‘I Try To Stop Caring What Other People Think’

Caswell might have taken home the top prize, but they aren’t planning on continuing to compete. Instead, they will take some time off and stop planning their life around running in marathons. 

They also said that they don’t listen to any critics, and just try to concentrate on the race. “I try to stop caring what other people think and just go on and run it, and whatever happens, happens,” Caswell shared. 

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The large group of nonbinary runners that competed in the New York Marathon shows how far the sports world has come in terms of diversity. However, the lower prize money for nonbinary people shows how much work there still is to do. 

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A Los Angeles judge has denied the requests of over a dozen people who want a portion of a Netflix documentary to be removed or altered. The documentary, Orgasm Inc, allegedly contains material that is “misappropriated” and sexually explicit. 

What Is OneTaste?

Orgasm Inc. follows OneTaste, a sexual wellness company that touts “orgasmic meditation” to its followers. Things started to fall apart when Bloomberg reported that OneTaste employees were pressured into taking expensive courses and going on pricey company retreats. 

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According to Women’s Health, former employees claimed OneTaste was a “prostitution ring” where staffers were forced to have sex with and perform “orgasmic meditation” with clients. A lawsuit was filed in 2018 that claimed sexual abuse and fraud, but it was dismissed in 2019.

Amid all the bad press, OneTaste rebranded. The company is now called the Institute of Om and still offers workshops and events. 

A Group Filed A Lawsuit Over Documentary Footage

The documentary contains video footage from OneTaste events and lectures, and does not show any footage of private orgasmic meditation sessions. However, some of the people shown in the videos do not want to be part of Netflix’s documentary. 

A suit was filed after more than 400 people currently or formerly affiliated with OneTaste petitioned Netflix to remove certain scenes, demanding “privacy and protection,” according to NBC. The formal complaint named 15 plaintiffs who wanted a temporary restraining order that would halt the distribution of “private, sexually explicit materials.”

This petition claimed the material was sold to Netflix by a former OneTaste employee without their “knowledge, permission, or consent.” It was sent to the streaming company in September. 

Why Their Suit Has Been Dismissed

Their request to remove or blur the footage has been denied. Los Angeles Superior Court Judge James Chalfant said the plaintiffs had no evidence that the documentary includes explicit footage of them. 

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Chalfant also stated that nothing shown in the film could irreparably harm them. A lawyer for the plaintiffs declined to comment. Netflix and the film’s director, Sarah Gibson, have not yet commented on the suit. 

The group of plaintiffs—all of whom were identified as “Doe”—also alleged that the documentary was a privacy violation and an intrusion into their private affairs. These allegations are still under investigation.

Orgasm Inc. is already racking up views, and with the dismissal of this lawsuit, it doesn’t look like Netflix has any plans to remove or alter any of the documentary’s footage. 

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In February of 2017, two girls went missing from a hiking trail in Delphi, Indiana. The following day, a search party found their remains on that same trail. Since making that gruesome discovery, the details of their case have been shrouded in mystery, yet highly speculated upon.

Now that a man has finally been charged with the murders, the true crime community runs the risk of jeopardizing a meticulously-investigated case.

The Girls Went Missing On February 13, 2017

On Monday, February 13, 2017, 13-year-old Abigail “Abby” Williams and 14-year-old Liberty “Libby” German had the day off of school.

According to the official case file, the friends decided to spend the day hiking and were dropped off by a family member at 1:45 p.m. by an abandoned bridge that led into the popular trail. However, the girls didn’t return to the bridge to be picked up, and they were reported missing less than four hours later at 5:30 p.m.

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A post shared by Kelsi German (@libertyg_sister)

Authorities immediately organized search efforts, and searchers discovered Abby and Libby’s bodies at a nearby creek bank around noon the very next day. The double homicide rocked the small town of Delphi, Indiana—which has a population of fewer than 3,000 people.

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The media coverage surrounding the case has been something of a contradiction. While the public has maintained national interest in the girls’ case, there’s been very little information to go on in the last five years.

All we have is a location, a couple of eyewitness sketches of a potential suspect, a couple of blurry photographs of the suspect, and a short video recording obtained from Libby’s phone.

However, while these pieces of evidence have generated thousands of tips, they also allude to the existence of more evidence. Yet, the public still hasn’t seen all of the footage Libby was able to capture, nor has their official cause of death been released.

Law Enforcement Has Finally Made An Arrest

This level of privacy is normal, even for such a high-profile case. The public never has the full story when it comes to active investigations.

When law enforcement seals certain details, it’s usually for a good reason. However, the breadth of evidence that law enforcement has withheld from the public in this case has confused media outlets and true crime fans alike.

That confusion came to a head earlier this month when Carroll County law enforcement made an arrest in the case. Over five years after the murders of Abby Williams and Libby German, Circuit Judge Benjamin Diener found that there was probable cause to arrest and charge Richard Matthew Allen with the crimes.

Allen, who has not been on the public’s radar until now, has pleaded not guilty to both murder charges.

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A post shared by Kelsi German (@libertyg_sister)

Yet, instead of celebrating just yet, law enforcement has surprised the public by making a plea for patience. They’ve urged those who’ve followed the case not to jump the gun, reminding them that the case is far from closed.

Strangely, the arresting officers have even reminded the public that Allen must be presumed innocent until they have definitively proven his guilt in a court of law. They’ve also encouraged the public to keep the tips coming in, even if their information has nothing to do with Allen.

Prosecutors have even filed a motion to keep the probable cause affidavit—the document containing law enforcement’s reasoning for arresting Allen in the first place—sealed from public viewing.

The Public Questions The Investigation

There’s no doubt that Libby and Abby’s case has been highly unusual, and it seems like things are just getting stranger. Jack Crawford, a former Indiana prosecutor, has spoken out, insisting that he’s never filed a motion to seal a probable cause affidavit.

“That’s an important public document and advises the public what is going on in the case. Considering this is one of the most notorious murders in Indiana history … the public has a right to know important facts about this most serious case,” Crawford, who’s practiced criminal law for 35 years, told Fort Wayne’s 13News.

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It seems like prosecutors are trying to get as much time as they can to bolster the case against Allen before releasing any more information to the public. Even Libby German’s older sister Kelsi—who has worked tirelessly to bring awareness to the case on social media—supports the prosecution’s plea.

“All parties are innocent until proven guilty. Please do not wish harm on anyone or convict anyone before there is a trial,” German Tweeted on November 2. “At this point there has been an arrest, but the investigation is not over.”

German has even promoted a petition to keep the probable cause affidavit sealed. Right now, observers in the true crime community are being put to the test. Do true crime enthusiasts just want access to all of the gory details? Or do they truly want to see justice prevail in these tragic cases?

We’ll find out at the public hearing scheduled for November 22 where a judge will consider the prosecution’s motion to keep the records sealed.

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Prince William’s Earthshot Prize organization just released its list of finalists for the prestigious environmental award. The nominees include many special people, but one woman is cleaning the air with her stoves. Here’s the scoop on Charlot Magayi.

Prince William’s Earthshot Prize

William launched the Earthshot Prize in 2020, having been inspired by President John F. Kennedy’s Moonshot mission to land men on the moon. The Prince of Wales hopes to incentivize environmental change and encourage others to help repair the planet. Earthshot hopes to make the planter a cleaner, safer place by 2030. 

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There are 15 Earthshot Prize finalists and five awards. Over 1,000 people and organizations submitted their environmental solutions to be considered for the awards—30% more than last year. The winners will be announced in December at the awards ceremony, which will take place in Boston. 

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A post shared by The Prince and Princess of Wales (@princeandprincessofwales)

A panel of judges including Prince William, Queen Rania of Jordan, and Sir David Attenborough will choose the winners. The five winners will receive a $1 million grant towards their project and support from the Earthshot organization and its network.

Charlot Magayi, Mukuru CEO, Is One Of The Nominees

One of the nominees this year is Charlot Magayi, the founder and CEO of Mukuru Clean Stoves. She was inspired to start her company through her struggles growing up in the Mukuru Kwa Njenga slums. After becoming a teen mom, she dropped out of school to sell charcoal. 

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A post shared by Charlot Magayi (@charlottemagayi)

Magayi used the charcoal herself as well due to its affordability. “My daughter and I kept suffering from respiratory tract infections, and when she turned two she suffered a severe burn injury from a traditional stove,” she shared on the organization’s website. 

After saving up enough money, Magayi was able to reenroll in school. There, she realized the health hazards caused by charcoal and other solid fuels. “An enthusiast of science and social studies, I wanted to inspire fellow women to lead the fight against household air pollution in Africa!” she said of her decision to found Mukuru. 

Mukuru’s Mission

The company designs, produces, and distributes cook stoves that are made from recycled waste metal throughout Kenya. These amazing stoves can decrease fuel consumption by 30-60%, reduce toxic smoke emissions by 50-90%, and lower the risk of burns in children under 5 years by 40%.

So far, Mukuru has sold over 70,000 stoves, served over 2,000 learning institutions, and impacted the lives of over 350,000 people. All of their sales agents are female, and 85% of the women who sell the stoves live in the communities that Mukuru serves. 

Mukuru’s long-term mission is “to significantly reduce household air pollution in underserved markets in Africa [and] to be the most reliable cooking asset for [Kenyan] households.” Magayi spoke to People about her company’s nomination and what she still hopes to achieve with Mukuru.

“Women are the ones who are most impacted by household air pollution and energy poverty on the continent [of Africa],” Magayi explained. “So being able to empower them to distribute a solution that helps prevent that, mitigate the risks of climate change, but also keep their children safe, is very exciting for me. For me, that’s the most important part of it.”

Magayi: ‘I Really Do Want To Win’

Magayi said she was honored to be nominated for the Earthshot Prize, but emphasized that the attention and support Mukuru is receiving from the nomination is a prize in and of itself. “I feel like even if we do not win, the validation and the platform that Earthshot provides is going to ensure that we do get there by attracting us to the partners that we’ve been looking for for years,” she shared. 

The CEO continued, “I really do want to win, but even if I don’t get the top prize, it gives me a platform that we’re going to be able to leverage to get the financing and the resources that we need to scale our business.”

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Magayi and her company are competing in the “Clean Our Air” category. They are up against The Ampd Enertainer, an electric battery energy storage system that powers construction sites, and Roam, a Kenyan group that produces electric vehicles like motorcycles and buses. 

As Magayi said, simply receiving the Earthshot Prize nomination will bring attention to these organizations and their mission—no matter who ends up taking the prize home. Through the nominees’ work, Earthshot will get closer to their goal of creating a safer world by 2030. 

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It’s a story straight out of a romantic comedy. Two pageant queens shocked the world last week when they announced that they not only had been secretly dating for years, but that they secretly tied the knot as well. Here’s what we know about Fabiola Valentín and Mariana Varela’s romance.

They Met At The Miss Grand International Competition

Before announcing their love to the world, Fabiola Valentín and Mariana Varela met at the 2020 Miss Grand International Competition in Thailand, representing Puerto Rico and Argentina respectively. Both women fared well in the competition, making it into the pageant’s top ten. Neither pageant queen advanced to the final five, but it’s clear meeting each other was the best prize they could have gotten out of the event.

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For two years, Valentín and Varela appeared to remain very close. It seemed like they never had a moment apart. They popped up on each other’s social media profiles constantly. For example, this photo Varela shared in August showed the couple dancing the night away.

They’ve even attended events together, and they’ve worn some stunning matching outfits.

However, despite their obvious love for each other, fans still assumed it was the love of two platonic best friends.

Fabiola Valentín And Mariana Varela Announce Marriage

That all changed after the secret couple announced they were actually married. The couple’s announcement, which they delivered in Spanish, translated to, “After deciding to keep our relationship private, we opened the doors to them on a special day.” They also announced that their wedding date was October 28.

In the post, the couple shared a compilation of images from their relationship that they had kept private all this time. There were plenty of PDA snaps, photos from beach trips, and even a video from their proposal. The special moment included balloons, rose petals, sushi, and two gorgeous diamond rings.

There was also a photo of a large gathering with the two women in their wedding outfits, making it look like their families have been supportive. In the final shot, the newlyweds can be seen standing outside of the city courthouse in San Juan, Puerto Rico.

Their fellow Miss Grand contestants flooded the comments with their congratulations. The Miss Grand International Instagram page even shared its own congratulations post, writing “MGIO always support ‘LOVE’ without boundaries.”

We’re so glad that Valentín and Varela made the brave decision to share their love with the world. We wish them many, many years of happiness!

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You may not be surprised to hear that back in 2009, Kanye West criticized Twitter for allowing impersonator accounts of the superstar. However, West wasn’t the celebrity who ultimately sued the company and caused the social media platform to begin using the blue check mark verification system. Instead, the unlikely celebrity who sued Twitter was a previous MLB manager.

Tony La Russa, former St. Louis Cardinals manager, was the first person to sue Twitter over imposter accounts. At the time, a Twitter parody account existed that used La Russa’s name. The account made fun of drinking and driving, as well as St. Louis Cardinals who had died. In the lawsuit, La Russa claimed that the tweets were “derogatory and demeaning” and that the feed damaged his trademark rights.

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“There is a law against improperly using a person’s name without authorization, and it wasn’t authorized,” La Russa said. “You can’t sue everybody for criticizing you. But it seemed like that was the perception, that I or we were upset with the criticism. No, it was improper use of the name.”

In the end, La Russa and Twitter reached a settlement. The parody account that had only four followers was deleted. Twitter ended up paying the former manager’s legal fees and making a donation to his animal rescue nonprofit. Although La Russa was criticized heavily for taking on the social media giant, it did result in the blue checkmark verification system that we all now recognize.

Should You Be Charged To Be Twitter Verified?

It’s difficult to remember a world when the verification system on Twitter didn’t exist. So why are we talking about a blue check mark that’s been around for more than 13 years? Because Elon Musk has decided that people should be charged to have a blue check mark by their name.

That’s right. For a monthly fee of $8, you too can have the blue checkmark by your name. It’s part of Twitter Blue, a monthly subscription that “offers exclusive access to premium features that let you customize your Twitter experience,” according to Twitter’s website.

It appears to be just one of many changes Musk is making now that he’s Chief Executive of Twitter. The billionaire acquired the social media platform for $44 billion and has only been running the company for a few days. Since that time, he’s already received pushback from multiple advertisers and celebrities, including Stephen King.

Will Twitter become a site that no longer calls for proof but a nominal fee to claim you are who you say you are? Only time will tell if people will be willing to dish out $8 a month for a blue check mark.

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This Friday, the psychological drama Causeway comes to Apple TV+. The film will see Jennifer Lawrence’s long-awaited return to indie dramas, and it’s sure to make a big splash. Here’s what we know about the film’s director, Lila Neugebauer.

Lila Neugebauer Got Her Start In Theater

New York City native Lila Neugebauer is making waves for her directorial film debut, Causeway, however, she’s no newbie when it comes to show business. The director made her acting debut at 13 years old when she performed in a school production of Seven Minutes in Heaven, a play written by her fellow student, Lin-Manuel Miranda.

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Neugebauer went on to study English at Yale University. While attending the prestigious school, she befriended actress and playwright Zoe Kazan, whom audiences might recognize from films like The Big Sick. However, it was when Neugebauer began her career as a theater director that she really began to shine. She got her start directing student works at Yale’s Playwrights Festival before launching a freelance career in regional theater.

Neugebauer directed several Off-Broadway plays throughout the 2010s before making her Broadway debut directing Kenneth Lonergan’s The Waverly Gallery in 2018. The production was nominated for two Tony Awards. Neugebauer then directed her first TV episode for HBO’s Room 104 in 2018. She also went on to direct episodes for Maid and The Sex Lives of College Girls.

‘Causeway’ Rakes In Glowing Reviews

Causeway premiered at the 2022 Toronto International Film Festival in September. The film follows a soldier’s journey back into normal life after suffering a traumatic brain injury while deployed in Afghanistan. The story promises an in-depth and emotional look at trauma and recovery.

Neugebauer’s direction has been lauded, indicating a promising start to a career in film. She even took home the award for Best First Feature at the Rome Film Festival. So far, the film has garnered an 88 percent critic rating on Rotten Tomatoes. In an interview with The Daily Northwestern, Neugebauer elaborated on just how different film direction is from theater direction.

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“The processes of filmmaking and theater directing are almost opposite. Philosophically, what they’re up to is also quite different. Theater is the spontaneous invention of an ephemeral, temporary community one night at a time with a live audience. Film is capturing lightning in a bottle and freezing it in time,” she explained. However, not everything was foreign.

“One of the more joyful revelations of the process is how applicable my whole life in the theater felt to the work of filmmaking. In terms of the development of shared language with an actor, the primacy of visual composition, the basic and core storytelling impulse and the project of creating a community — those impulses all felt deeply connected to me and so fairly intuitive,” Neugebauer remarked. Hopefully, this is just the beginning for director Lila Neugebauer.

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Model Kelly Crump made headlines for baring her mastectomy scar in a Sports Illustrated swimsuit shoot. The model recently opened up about why she decided to bare her scar for the magazine and what she wants women to know about breast cancer. 

Crump Was ‘Shocked’ By Breast Cancer Diagnosis

Crump was diagnosed with breast cancer five years ago after discovering a lump on her breast. She had been feeling tired at the time but thought it was because of her high-stress job. Crump went to a breast surgeon, who formally diagnosed her with stage 3 breast cancer just a few days later. 

“All I’ve seen in the movies is people walking for breast cancer to raise money, or someone is bald, older, and in a hospital dying. And that’s not necessarily what happens,” Crump explained. “I think for most people they think of breast cancer as one thing, but I was shocked to know there are so many different kinds and subtypes—where it can be in the breast, and how it can show up.”

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Crump had always struggled with body image and felt like she “lost everything” when she lost her hair and gained 40 pounds due to the cancer treatments. However, things quickly came into perspective for her. “During cancer treatments, nobody is noticing that you have stretch marks, cellulite, or how big your pores are,” she shared. 

Her ‘Sports Illustrated’ Shoot Bared Her Scars

One of Crump’s friends encouraged her to apply to be a guest model for Sports Illustrated, but she was unsure about her chances: Would the magazine want a 43 year-old cancer patient as a model? However, she applied—”What do I have to lose at this point?”—and soon found herself on a plane to the Dominican Republic as one of thirteen finalists. 

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A post shared by Kelly Crump |✨Changing your mindset on life💫 (@itskellycrump)

The photo of Crump that was featured in Sports Illustrated shows her in a blue swimsuit with zigzagging cutouts. One of those cutouts bared her left breast—and her mastectomy scar. Crump was apprehensive about the picture, and experienced a moment of self-doubt about baring her scar. 

Messages From Fellow Survivors ‘Keep Me Going’

However, she quickly understood the power the image held and shared it with her social media followers. Messages from women who also had mastectomy scars poured in, letting Crump know her decision to show her scar was worth it. 

“These messages and comments are what keep me going every day,” she shared. Crump continues to share her breast cancer journey online and wants to encourage people to be aware of their health and educate themselves. Her dedication to showing every part of her experience has inspired people around the world who are also living with breast cancer.

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TikTok has become more than just a place to see funny videos or participate in dance challenges. The app’s videos cover everything from fashion to politics to psychiatry. A new video from TikTok’s “Cursing Counselor” is giving users an answer to why many Gen Xers don’t want to take on the responsibility of caring for their aging parents. 

‘Cursing Counselor’ Discusses ‘Basically Feral’ Gen X Kids

The Cursing Counselor, also known as Janet, posts videos that cover topics like emotional neglect, forgiveness, accountability, and resentment. She typically factors in the Gen X experience when discussing these issues. In one of her latest videos, Janet covered the topic of Gen X adults taking care of their aging parents. 

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“I’m Gen X,” she started. “In my generation, we were basically feral. We sort of raised ourselves. Our parents were very busy doing their own things—lots of working parents, especially newly working parents—and so, we were latchkey kids.”

She admitted that, while “problematic,” working parents leaving children on their own was “unavoidable.” However, Janet went on to say that the “emotional neglect” was what really stuck with Gen Xers. 

Counselor: ‘We Were Not Taken Care Of, But Now We Are Expected To Take Care Of’

“We came home from school, we made our own dinners a lot of times, nobody really checked our homework or helped us with school or anything like that, because again, they were really busy,” Janet explained. “We didn’t have a lot of people to talk to, or our emotions were not seen as important.”

These issues of emotional neglect are now resurfacing as Gen Xers are faced with the reality of their aging parents. “Now our parents are older and they need us,” she said. “And many of us are struggling because we were not taken care of, but now we are expected to take care of, and that’s creating a lot of issues.” 

Viewer Reactions: ‘Yes My Parents Need Me—I Don’t Want To Help Them’

The Cursing Counselor’s words clearly resonated with many of her viewers. “Yes!” one person commented. “It’s all emotional, yes my parents need me—I don’t want to help them. I keep telling myself I’m not guilty for not helping. Don’t come for me.” Another wrote, “This is my life right now! My mom was never really a mom (raised by grandma) but now mom has to live with me. I have so much rage for her I can’t cope!” 

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Though this hasn’t been a universal experience for Gen Xers, The Cursing Counselor’s Gen X-specific videos are connecting with viewers. It seems like many people who watched this clip are happy to hear that others feel the same way they do about caring for aging parents. 

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This week, an Iowa woman unleashed allegations that, if true, could uncover a decades-long crime spree that went completely undetected. The woman in question is named Lucy Studey, and she’s accused her father, Donald Dean Studey, of killing as many as 70 women throughout his lifetime. Here’s what we know so far.

Iowa Woman Goes Public With Details Of Traumatic Upbringing

In an interview with Newsweek published on October 22, Iowa woman Lucy Studey brought her harrowing story to a national audience. What’s followed is a massive investigation that could potentially uncover one of the most prolific serial killers in American history.

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As Lucy told Newsweek, she’s tried to uncover her father’s crimes for decades. She insists that her story isn’t just suspicion—shockingly, she claims that she helped bury the bodies of her father’s victims. According to the interview, Donald would direct Lucy and her siblings to help transport the remains to a well in the woods adjacent to their property. They were then directed to pile dirt and lie on top of the victims.

“He would just tell us we had to go to the well, and I knew what that meant,” Lucy remarked. “Every time I went to the well or into the hills, I didn’t think I was coming down. I thought he would kill me because I wouldn’t keep my mouth shut.”

The Investigation So Far

Lucy Studey’s stories have become local legend. Up until now, the word of one woman hasn’t been enough to spur an investigation sure to cost the state tens of thousands of dollars. However, that was until Jim Peters, the head of Samaritan Detection Dogs, got involved. Peters took on the case pro bono, leading his tracking dogs to the area Lucy insists hides upwards of 50 victims.

The dogs picked up on the scent of human remains at four different locations, however, the last location took most of the canines’ attention, getting multiple “hits,” as Peters tells it. “Today told me there is the odor of human decomposition in the area,” said Peters. “More work needs to be done to confirm that … I feel pretty good about what I saw from the dogs, but I’m not going to hang my hat on that.”

The Fremont County Sheriff’s department is now involved, and Sheriff Kevin Aistrope is convinced that there’s something to Lucy’s story. “I really think there’s bones there,” said Aistrope. “It’s hard for me to believe that two dogs would hit in the exact same places and be false. We don’t know what it is. The settlers were up there. There was Indian Country up there as well, but I tend to believe Lucy.”

However, as it stands, there is no evidence of a crime. No bones have been recovered, and no potential victims have been identified. “No one would listen to me,” Lucy told the outlet. “The teacher said family matters should be handled as a family, and law enforcement has said they couldn’t trust the memory of a child. I was just a kid then, but I remember it all.” Yet, finally, after 45 years, law enforcement is finally unpacking Lucy’s horrifying tale.

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For many brides, their wedding day means getting their nails done, applying flawless makeup, and having their hair colored to perfection, especially if gray hairs are showing. However, one bride in Coral Gables, Florida is setting a new trend. Kadeja Jackson Baker, 38, decided to leave her hair au naturel for her wedding day. Turns out, we’re not the only ones who can’t get enough of her gorgeous gray hair—she went totally viral!

‘Embracing My Natural Hair And Look’

Baker’s silver hair is taking social media by storm, and it’s all thanks to her makeup artist, Tia Codrington. Although Baker’s hair was styled by a bridal hair specialist named Martine Saintval, Codrington posted the video of the bride’s hair and makeup.

Since Codrington is a bridal makeup specialist, she often posts bridal videos. “I initially didn’t have any expectations when posting the videos other than to share her beauty through my eyes, but witnessing how she embraced and embodied the beauty of her hair was something I felt compelled to share,” Codrington shared with Good Morning America.

Just like her makeup artist, Baker didn’t expect much attention from the video. Although she loved how her “timeless” hair and makeup looked for the big day, the color of her locks wasn’t on her mind. As Baker said, “I did not expect for the responses to be as plentiful as I look at myself in the mirror every day and did not think it was that big of a deal that I was embracing my natural hair and look.”

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Turns out, Baker’s shades of gray are a big deal. Social media is loving the bride’s gray hair. In fact, the viral video showing Baker’s hair and makeup has over 2.2 millions views.

Be The Best Version Of Yourself

As she shared in the video, Baker has been graying since she was 16 years old. Initially, Baker had a difficult time accepting her silver hair. She even dyed her locks until her early 30s. About seven years ago, she fully embraced herself and her fabulous mane. Since then, she hasn’t colored her hair.

Now that Baker is receiving all this attention, she is overwhelmed “in a good way.” In fact, she hopes that her gray hair journey will inspire other people to fully embrace themselves, even with their gray hair. As she said, “Being the best version of yourself is the best thing you can offer to the world.”

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Gen X (and even us elder Millennials) grew up in an era where cars meant freedom, getting out of the house on the weekend was everything, and we were willing to throw caution to the wind. We rebelled against our upbringing and our families, and most of us never considered talking with our parents about taboo issues back in the day. However, teenagers today are more than content to—gulp—stay at home. Gag me with a spoon!

How did things change so much in only a few decades? One answer is that we’re living in an age of technology. For those born from roughly 1961–1981, the world was a different place in the ’70s, ’80s, and ’90s. Social media wasn’t even an idea. Computers were the size of rooms or at least took up an entire tabletop. Plus, cell phones didn’t exist when Generation X were teens. At best, you were lucky enough to have a car phone.

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With the advent of technology, most people would assume that there are differences between Gen X and their kids. After all, teens today communicate more online than in real life, are overscheduled, and are more ok with staying home thanks to COVID-19 lockdown orders and virtual schooling. However, other differences between Gen X and their teenage children may surprise you.

Gen X Couldn’t Wait To Start Adulting

If you’re part of Generation X or even an elder millennial, what was the one thing you and your friends looked forward to as a teenager? Getting a driver’s license! Most of us celebrated our 16th birthday at the DMV. It was a rite of passage. Plus, it gave us the radical independence so many of us sought but couldn’t get elsewhere.

Not so with teens these days. In fact, the Federal Highway Commission Administration confirms this. In 2018, 61% of American 18-year-olds had a driver’s license, down from 80% percent in 1983. During this time, the number of 16-year-olds with licenses dropped from 46% to 25%.

Several Gen Xers recently shared on Reddit their experience with their teenage children not wanting to drive. The sentiment shared by many parents is summed up in this Reddit user’s comment: “I wanted to drive pretty much anything with tires and a motor as soon as I could reach the pedals and steer. My kids, not so much. Both of my sons were seniors in [high school] before getting their learner permits, and that was just to shut me up. They really weren’t interested.”

Teenagers today just don’t have the same interest in driving. Why not? Because teens just don’t leave the house that we did decades ago. For those of us who couldn’t wait to get out of the house on the weekends or during the summer, we just don’t understand why our kids want to stay home. As one Reddit user recently posted, “[My kids are] more than happy to gather 5-6 friends on Zoom or whatever and giggle and shriek at each other that way. The in-person hangout time just isn’t as important.” Perhaps teens today are more willing to hold onto their childhood and not rush into emulating adults.

Does Community Still Exist?

As teenagers grow up today in an era impacted by COVID-19, social media, and information being available at a moment’s notice, one searing difference between Gen X and their teens is the sense of community. One area where community is vastly different between the generations is religious institutions. 

While Gen X was growing up, nearly 70% of Americans belonged to a church, synagogue, or mosque according to a Gallup poll. In 2020, that number had dropped to 47% and had declined for over 20 years. Although Gen X remembers well the hypocrisy many experienced in houses of worship, some lament that they destroyed these communities without replacing them with a better communal option.

As one self-described atheist said on Reddit, “I never really considered how much of a role the churches played in the community aspect of people’s lives. I grew up in a Catholic family, and the community was massive. It was far from perfect, but it made a difference in people’s lives. Arguably, the positives outweighed the negatives by a large margin.”

Teens today are also more accustomed to online communities. Teenagers play video games and connect with friends all over the world through social media. However, even though these online communities exist, this generation may be defined by a lack of cultural touchstones. Since there is so much online media to absorb, no one is taking in the same content. 

One Reddit user reflected, “I wonder what it will be like for them when they reach our age and don’t have the same cultural touchstones. There is so much media that no one is consuming the same thing.” While Gen X has plenty of cultural touchstones to connect them as a generation, teens today may not.

Teens Today Are Healthier And More Socially Conscious

Just as driving was a teenage rite of passage back in the day, so was drinking, getting high, or having sex. For teens today, they’re much more conscious of the effects of drinking, smoking, drugs, and having lots of sex. In fact, the National Survey of Sexual Health and Behavior recently confirmed what many Gen Xers have seen with their own kids. Though the study focused on sex, the lead researcher also found teens were driving less and drinking less alcohol.

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Today’s teens are also more socially conscious than most of their parents were as teenagers. They’re involved in important discussions around racism, climate action, politics, and gender equality. As a parent remarked on Reddit, “At the age we were arguing which popular media franchise character was cooler, they’re engaging with discussions about the sociopolitical implications of how…characters’ roles are framed and presented.”

Plus, they’re more inclusive and understand that much in life is fluid, including gender, sexuality, and interests. According to one Reddit user, “They do have these amazing inclusive attitudes toward gender and sexuality—it goes beyond accepting others as they are, but more like you can be whatever you like and that’s just how it goes. I would say the current conservative political climate has no idea what is coming for them.”

Today’s Teens Are Cooler Than We Ever Were

At the end of the day, teenagers today are just way cooler than we ever were. As one parent shared on Reddit, “My teens are way cooler than I ever was, and so are all their friends. They are confident and put-together, and the agonizing awkwardness I went through is nowhere to be seen. They are somehow more sophisticated than I was at this age.”

They’re also full of creativity, as evident in their social media posts and videos. Plus, teens today aren’t concerned with stigmas that existed around mental health when we were growing up. They have the language to describe their anxiety and stress while seeking mental health support.

If anything, teens today are much more empathetic and caring than many of us were at that age. They’ve grown up in an era where bullying isn’t ok. They aren’t afraid of standing up to prejudice In fact, teens today stand up for each other and even stand up for themselves. They’re a generation that may just be defined by their kindness.

Overall, the sentiment Gen X has about their teenage children is best summed up in this parent’s Reddit comment: “I have a 25 [year old] and a 14 [year old]. Both are gamers and not at all interested in any sports, which I’m ok with. I wish they would get outdoors more though, both are stuck in their gaming routines. But both are caring and empathetic towards others. So I did something right.”

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It’s no secret that STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) is a male-dominated field. For years, women in science and educators alike worked to pave the way for young women and girls to pursue careers in STEM. No one’s quite exemplified this effort better than Dr. Jessica Wade.

Jessica Wade Uses Wikipedia To Honor Women In STEM

Dr. Jessica Wade is a 33-year-old London-based physicist who’s spent years advocating for women in STEM. According to the American Association of University Women, women make up only 28 percent of the STEM workforce in the United States. As it stands today, only one in five engineering or computer science majors are women. Not to mention, women in STEM earn an average of only $60,000 a year compared to $85,000 for men.

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Because they’re so underrepresented, plenty of women who’ve made meaningful contributions to science have gone unnoticed. This is something that Wade is actively trying to change. In her 20s, Wade began writing Wikipedia biographies about women and minority scientists who never got the public recognition they deserved.

As it turned out, this was no small undertaking. Quickly, a few sparse entries climbed into the hundreds, and eventually into the thousands. She’s since dedicated herself to promoting gender equality in STEM and has gained international recognition for her work.

Wikipedia Didn’t Immediately Accept All Of Wade’s Entries

While Wade has since achieved numerous accolades and was even honored by Queen Elizabeth, the world of Wikipedia contributors didn’t immediately accept her with open arms. Several of her entries were deleted by high-ranking Wikipedia editors.

Their excuse was that many of the women Wade wrote about weren’t well-known enough to have their own dedicated page. However, Wade argued that this was exactly the problem: For their contributions, these women should be better known.

Clarice Phelps was one name Wade had to battle to keep on Wikipedia. The African-American nuclear chemist contributed to a team that discovered a new periodic table element at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory. Wade would publish Phelps’ biography, only for editors to delete it. This happened multiple times until, ultimately, Wade won. Now, readers will be able to read about Phelps’ impressive career for years to come.

Of course, Wade’s advocacy work has expanded well-beyond Wikipedia entries. Today, along with her work as a doctoral research fellow at London’s Imperial College, she helps develop programs to make STEM more accessible to young women and people of color.

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“I genuinely believe that science is better when it’s done by diverse teams,” she explained, according to Today. “Even if you don’t care about any of that, the world desperately needs more scientists and engineers… Science can help solve the world’s biggest challenges—climate change, antibiotic resistance, emerging pandemic-inducing viruses.”

Thankfully, there’s no shortage of recognition for Wade’s important work!

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Are you ready for some football? If you’re like most Americans, the answer is yes! Across the nation, football season is in full swing. From young kids to pro athletes, many Americans aren’t just watching the game—they’re also playing it. However, it’s not just young boys and men who are taking to the field. Young girls and women are also part of the sport, and one of them just made history.

Bella Rasmussen, 18, is a senior football player at Laguna Beach High School in California. Although women do play football throughout the country, Rasmussen is unique not necessarily because she’s the only female on the team, but because she’s also a running back. When girls and women play the male-dominated sport, running back is usually a position that’s thought of as one only for guys.

In Case You Missed It, ‘I’m Going to Do It Again’

Rasmussen’s unique position helped her make history last week. In a game with Santa Ana Godinez, the running back scored not one but two touchdowns that helped her team win 48-0 over their opponent. With her touchdowns, Rasmussen became the first female player in California history to score two touchdowns in a varsity game.

“I was like, just in case you didn’t get to [see it] the first time, I’m going to do it again,” Rasmussen told TODAY.

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With her first touchdown, the running back became the eighth female player in state history to score a touchdown in a varsity football game. Apparently, that wasn’t enough for Rasmussen, and she went on to score another. Her touchdowns included runs of one and four yards in the second quarter of the game. 

However, Rasmussen was out on the field just to have fun. She didn’t set out to enter the history books. As the running back shared, “I had no idea that was such a big deal. I felt that I had just played a game, a great game with some of my favorite people.”

‘Be The Hammer, Not The Nail’

Rasmussen’s love for football began at an early age. At just 3 years old, the running back was already playing the sport with her older brother and cousin. However, she has been on the receiving end of skeptics over the years.

“I get it all the time,” Rasmussen remarked. “Those boys are going to hurt you. They’re not going to want you, this is a male sport.” Good thing Rasmussen didn’t listen to the doubters. As the only female on the team, she’s making history and showing the world that girls can play just as tough as boys. In fact, she’s played the demanding positions of running back and defensive end all four of her years at Laguna Beach.

As Rasmussen continues to reflect on her football team and making history, she has a few inspiring words for us all: “Be the hammer, not the nail.”

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Since first appearing in the 1958 children’s book, Paddington Bear has become a household name. This year, the iconic children’s book character even became entwined with Queen Elizabeth II’s legacy. However, the very first Paddington Bear plush toy has a little-known link to a divisive British TV personality. Here’s what we know about the long history of the ever-popular Paddington Bear plush toys.

Paddington Bear Meets The Queen

To celebrate Queen Elizabeth’s Platinum Jubilee this June, the creative minds behind the Paddington movies helped create a short video of the animated bear meeting the queen herself. The palace released the clip, and it immediately resonated with fans of both the royal family and Paddington Bear alike. Of course, most UK citizens land in at least one of those camps. The clip was nothing short of a pop culture phenomenon, and it was still fresh in people’s memories when the queen passed on this September.

In honor of the departed monarch, people began leaving Paddington Bear plushies at Buckingham Palace. Along with the many, many flowers, cards, and other sentimental items, the palace collected 1,000 of the red-capped teddy bears. However, the palace wants to assure people that their donations will go to good use. In a post shared on the royal family’s official Instagram page, Camilla Parker Bowles announced that the bears were being sent to Barnardo’s, the UK’s largest children’s charity.

Of course, this is only the latest phase in the long life of the fictional bear. From children’s book character to cinematic sensation, Paddington has charmed generation after generation. For many adults today, the very first memories they have of Paddington Bear are of the same fluffy plush toy that flooded the gates of Buckingham palace last month.

Shirley Clarkson Designed The First Paddington Bear Plush

While the first book in Michael Bond’s beloved series, A Bear Called Paddington, hit shelves in 1958, Paddington plush toys weren’t first available until the early ’70s. While teddy bears have been a popular toy since the early 20th century, it would be hard to find one specially made to resemble the book character.

Paddington is recognizable due to his (usually red) hat, his old suitcase, his (usually blue) duffel coat, and his love for marmalade sandwiches. Sometimes he carries a yellow umbrella. Over time, toy companies have used a combination of these qualities to produce their own Paddington plush toys. However, the first Paddington plush toy on record was designed by a UK woman named Shirley Clarkson. She made her first Paddington plush as a Christmas gift for her children, Joanna and Jeremy Clarkson.

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This is the very same Jeremy Clarkson who hosted the popular BBC show Top Gear for decades—and who now appears on Clarkson’s Farm. It’s certainly a fitting coincidence that the very first child to have a Paddington Bear plush has forged his own place in British pop culture. Of course, Clarkson’s controversial career has deviated slightly from the wholesome fictional bear, but it’s interesting all the same.

Gabrielle Designs Procured The First Paddington Product License

It’s unclear when Shirley stitched her very first Paddington plush, but they quickly became popular. She made them in an unofficial capacity for a while before her company, Gabrielle Designs, procured an official license to sell them in the UK in 1972. This was the very first Paddington product license distributed. The company had immense success.

In fact, the teddies were so popular that Gabrielle Designs struggled to meet demand. The earliest Paddington Bear toys were dressed in children’s Dunlop rain boots. However, when the Dunlop brand couldn’t produce enough boots to keep up, Gabrielle Designs started producing their own teddy shoes.

In 1975, the US company Eden Toys acquired its own license and began distributing Paddington toys as well. As it turned out, there would be more than enough room for competition. In 1976, Paddington, the very first TV show starring the fictional bear, hit the airwaves. As a consequence, demand skyrocketed not only for plush toys but for novelty items like greeting cards and wallpaper as well.

Paddington Plush Toys Became A Childhood Staple

That being said, there was a clear difference in quality between the two companies. Eden Toys outsourced its production to large factories in other countries. By contrast, Gabrielle Designs continued hand-making its Paddington plushies in a small factory in Doncaster, England. As a consequence, there were far fewer of Gabrielle Designs’ Paddington Bears in circulation. They’re now considered collectible items and fetch a pretty penny if they’ve been well-preserved.

The Paddington Bear plush became a well-recognized symbol in the UK. It was so popular that, in 1994, workers constructing the Channel Tunnel between England and France chose the stuffed bear as the first item to pass through the channel to their French counterparts once the two sides met.

Unfortunately, Gabrielle Designs closed shop in 1997, followed soon after by Eden Toys. While the two companies were active, they were the only licensed manufacturers of Paddington plush bears—so, if you had a Paddington plush toy before 1997, it most likely came from one of the two companies. Today, a multitude of toy manufacturers produce Paddington plush toys. With the popularity of online shopping hubs like Amazon, it’s easier than ever to procure a Paddington teddy bear. That fact was only exemplified by the hundreds of plush bears that were left at Buckingham Palace in tribute to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.

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It’s no secret that our society favors youth and beauty. But there’s a darker side to this reality that isn’t as readily apparent: We value effortless youth and beauty. Try too hard to achieve either, and you’re deemed fake, vain, in denial, or a mix of all three. 

Silicon Valley professional and blogger Andrea Berman recently shared her experience with this impossible catch-22, and her thoughts were eye-opening (and not just because of the blepharoplasty she’s had done on her upper eyelids).

Making The Choice To Go Under The Knife

Berman explained on her over-50 beauty blog, The Beauty Maestra, that she never imagined she’d ever have “work” done. But it didn’t take long for the pressure of her professional career in Silicon Valley to take root in her psyche. 

“As an adult, my livelihood depended on [how I looked],” she wrote. “I lived in a youth-obsessed mecca, the HQ of the tech world, the San Francisco Bay Area/Silicon Valley. After all, it was Facebook’s Mark Zuckerberg who coined the adage (at the ripe old age of 23) that ‘young people are just smarter.'”

Berman held off on going under the knife for a while. But eventually, the inquiries about her (still far-off) retirement, an increasingly daunting beauty routine, and a newfound aversion to being photographed convinced her otherwise.

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A Decision Three Years In The Making

Of course, this wasn’t an overnight revelation. It took about three years for Berman to commit to plastic surgery, a decision she was still unsure of even while lying on the operating table. She had a neck lift, lower facelift, and upper blepharoplasty. She outlined her lengthy recovery process on her blog. 

Berman also wrestled with anxiety regarding her plastic surgery. What if she ended up looking worse? Does having plastic surgery mean you’re a failure or a cheat? Moreover, what about the risks of the surgery itself? Was the financial and physical toll worth what some might call a “vanity project?”

But now, post-op and on the mend, Berman said she’s come to terms with her decision. The way she discussed (and reconciled with) the contradictions around cosmetic surgery really spoke to me—and it might speak to you, too.

Making Peace With Her Choices

“It took me a while to realize that my end goal was to look as good as I possibly could—for my age,” Berman wrote. “If the surgery resulted in a bit younger-looking me, then that was great but not mandatory. Vain, frivolous? Maybe.” 

At the same time, Berman pointed out that cosmetic procedures make up a multi-billion dollar industry ($14.6 billion in 2021, with 2022 prepped to exceed that). Facial surgeries like Berman’s increased 54% in 2021 alone.

“This tells me that the demand is high … yet the numbers of those who admit to it are not equivalent to the numbers getting it,” said Berman. “It is a consummate open secret … What catch-22 world places such immense importance on appearance and youth yet frowns on those who pursue it?”

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‘My Mojo Is Back’

I see myself and the women around me in Berman’s struggle. Society starts its onslaught of beauty propaganda early: I remember having a “dream plastic surgery” list at the age of 10. As Berman wrote, “Ageism exists, and we all have internalized it to some extent … The stigma of aesthetic plastic surgery does nothing but continue the ageism status quo.” 

Berman’s experience is a refreshing contrast to the overwhelming stigma around cosmetic surgery. She acknowledged that “there would likely be a lot less plastic surgery if aging were truly lauded. This would require a heavy cultural shift.” And since it’s doubtful whether that shift will ever happen, she did what she felt was best for her within the confines of our current society—and she’s happy with her decision. 

“Do I wish we lived in a less ageist world? Absolutely,” she said. Still, “after all of the rumination and self-judgment, I am good with my decision and can live with the contradictions … My mojo is back. In fact, I wish I had pulled the trigger sooner.”

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A recent game of Texas Hold ’em at California’s Hustler Casino has sent shockwaves through the professional poker community. On September 29, player Robbi Jade Lew won a $269,000 pot against Garrett Adelstein, one of the most famous cash game players in the business. However, after cheating accusations, bullying accusations, a massive refund, and the looming possibility of polygraph tests, the controversy has only skyrocketed in the days since the competition. Let’s break down the divisive game.

‘Why Call With Jack High?’

If you’ve ever played poker, then you know that it’s so much more than a game of cards. It’s also a test of strategy and deception, something poker enthusiasts were reminded of last Thursday when Garrett Adelstein lost $269,000 in a game against player Robbi Jade Lew. However, a dark cloud moved over the Hustler Casino after the competition. The establishment shared a clip of the controversial game on its Twitter account.

Unless you’re well-versed in poker lingo, it probably feels like you’re trying to decipher a foreign language while watching the video. Here’s the rundown: Throughout the game, Lew had a poor hand with a Jack of clubs and a four of hearts. From the first deal, there was no chance she’d land more than a single pair. So, Lew repeatedly raised the stakes knowing the odds were against her. If you watch the clip, you’ll notice that the announcer is absolutely baffled by her decision to match Adelstein’s all-in bet.

Adelstein, on the other hand, had a better chance of victory throughout the game. He just needed any card of clubs to have a flush. If he got a Jack or six of any suit, he would have come out with a straight. If he was lucky enough to get a Jack of clubs or a six of clubs, he’d have a straight flush—the second-highest ranking five-card hand you can get. Those are pretty fair chances. Of course, it was still a big risk on Adelstein’s part, but his confidence makes a bit more sense considering he just needed one good card to pretty much seal the deal.

Adelstein Accused Lew Of Cheating

So, after going all-in, Adelstein and Lew agreed to “run it twice,” meaning the dealer would deal out two more community cards, giving both players two chances to sweeten their hands. Lew didn’t benefit from the community cards. Adelstein also had poor luck, and he failed to fill out a hand. That means that the ruling would have to be made on each player’s “high card,” so, essentially, the player with the highest valued card wins. By sheer luck, Lew’s Jack high bested Adelstein’s eight high, meaning she took the pot.

Immediately, Adelstein thought something felt off. Even the announcer pointed out that Adelstein isn’t usually a sore winner. However, the pro quickly accused Lew of cheating. The proof? Well, his own intuition mostly. The only thing going for Adelstein is the sheer unlikelihood that an experienced player would bet so high on such a poor hand, though Lew is still technically an amateur.

After the game, Adelstein apparently confronted Lew. The players have provided contradictory statements on what exactly transpired—all we know is that Lew returned Adelstein’s chips, effectively erasing her victory. Adelstein insists he didn’t ask for the money back, and her returning it was as good as admitting guilt. Lew, on the other hand, has a different story.

According to her Twitter feed, Adelstein was extremely threatening. He allegedly cornered her while she was alone and demanded the money back. Essentially, she’s accusing Adelstein of bullying her.

In response to the controversy, the Hustler Casino has launched an investigation into the events. “We are in the process of hiring a law firm to conduct a comprehensive investigation, which will include staff and player interviews, a review of relevant records, and possibly the use of polygraph testing,” a statement from the establishment read.

A Problematic Accusation

Here’s the deal: There’s absolutely no evidence available to the public that would suggest Lew cheated. The most likely scenario here is that she got in over her head on a bluff, and, despite the unlikelihood, it worked out in her favor. This seems to be supported by her behavior at the table. She was noticeably flustered at the end, giving nonsensical explanations for her gameplay. She said as much afterwards.

However, the findings of the investigation are sure to be enlightening. If Lew hadn’t returned the money, most people probably would have dismissed Adelstein’s behavior. Yet, Lew did return the money. As a consequence, the players have opened a can of worms much larger than their individual game.

How much power does a high-roller in a male-dominated industry have over a newer player like Lew? Would any other woman have the confidence to stick to her guns in that situation, even if you played a risky—possibly even ill-advised—game? Lew wouldn’t be the first woman to compromise in order to avoid conflict. If the investigation comes out in Lew’s favor, it will certainly speak to a larger problem that transcends the poker industry.

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Bumper sticker. Bullseye. Butt antlers. Though it has many names, we all know one when we see it. You know what I’m referring to: the infamous lower back tattoo. Although slang terms abound for this popular tattoo, most of us know it by the most popular of its many vulgar and misogynistic terms, “tramp stamp.” In fact, if you were a teenager or young adult during the late 1990s or early 2000s, you may not just know of them—you may have one of these relics from the past.

Do Gen X Women Really Regret Their Lower Back Tattoos?

We recently put a call out to our Facebook friends to hear firsthand from women with lower back tattoos. We asked a series of questions: Do you like your lower back tattoo? Do you regret it? How do you really feel about it? Many of our friends responded. Although each woman is part of Generation X, they all had various opinions about their tattoos.

One of our friends, Pamela, has several tattoos. When asked if she received a lower back tattoo in the ’90s, she immediately admitted to it. She went on to say that she doesn’t usually see it. “But when I do……!!!!! Actually thinking about getting it removed.” Although Pamela has a lot of body art, the ink on her lower back is the only one she mentioned wanting to have removed. Another friend, Sarah, responded to Pamela’s comment and said, “Same. I forget I have it and then slightly curse my 18 [year-old] self when I [remember].” 

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Other women had a slightly different take on their lower back tattoos. “I got one in 1998 I think,” shared Sonia. “I’ve regretted it at times, but I’ve come to accept it. People always ask what my tattoos mean, and well, for the most part the tattoo doesn’t mean much. It’s the moment in time. My lower back tattoo was my first tattoo and it was when I first moved away from my parents. It was a momentous occasion of feeling free, yet vulnerable.”

Though many people responded that yes, they have a lower back tattoo and yes, they regret it, not all women agreed. Women across the country not only like their body art, but they’re proud of it. In fact, Chandler remarked, “I actually got mine in 1997…as soon as I turned 18 and could show the world what I thought. It’s actually right off-center on my upper right butt cheek. I left it there alone for 20 years and then just last November I added on to it and even expanded into a full blown sleeve on my left arm…I wanted to show my children that’s it’s ok to be your authentic self at any age.” 

Why Did So Many Women Ink This Body Part?

Why were lower back tattoos so popular for women in the ’90s and early ’00s? Just as the 1990s were a time when many taboo issues and topics became more culturally accepted, women having tattoos also became more mainstream.

The lower back became a prime spot for women to ink during this time for several reasons. The lower back is one area where there’s little fat, which makes it an ideal place for a tattoo not to stretch over time (think pregnancy and childbirth). It’s also a body part that is often covered by clothing, which is nice if you don’t want your ink visible everywhere you go.

Even celebrities hopped on the trend at the time, with everyone from Britney Spears to Khloe Kardashian and Amy Schumer getting their lower backs inked.

From Mainstream To Misogynistic

Although women loved the new mainstream acceptance of getting tattoos, misogyny still reared its ugly head. If women had a lower back tattoo, they were immediately thought to be promiscuous. Sexist language began being used to describe the ink. “Tramp stamp” became one of the most well-known phrases thanks to a May 2004 Saturday Night Live skit.

The next year, Hollywood followed the trend in Wedding Crashers. In the movie, Vince Vaughn’s character remarks of a young woman, “Tattoo on the lower back? Might as well be a bullseye.”

Some women began hiding their lower back tattoos because of the media’s response. In fact, one of our Facebook friends, Julia, admitted that she “narrowly avoided getting the so-called ‘tramp stamp.’ I think hearing that they were called such dissuaded me.”’

High-profile celebrities were eventually deterred by the sexism as well. Khloe Kardashian referred to her lower back ink as a “tramp stamp” in 2015 and had it removed.

In 2016, Amy Schumer wrote a book about her many mistakes in life and appropriately titled it The Girl with the Lower Back Tattoo.

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Although chauvinistic remarks and promiscuous terms came to define the lower back tattoo for a generation, Gen X women and even Gen Z women have had enough of the criticism. Just when we thought the lower back tattoo would never see the light of day again thanks to high-waisted pants, some people are revitalizing the lower back tattoo and leaving behind the “tramp stamp” connotations. Could lower back tattoos be making a comeback? Just search #lowerbacktattoo to see for yourself.

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The law is a tedious thing. There’s no shortage of bizarre, outdated local laws throughout the United States. Did you know it’s illegal to run out of gas while driving in Youngstown, Ohio? Trust us, there are more odd laws where that came from. In Mississippi, an obscure state law is keeping a prisoner behind bars indefinitely.

Frederick Bell Has Spent 31 Years Behind Bars

On May 6, 1991, 19-year-old Frederick Bell entered a convenience store in Grenada County, Mississippi armed with a .22-caliber pistol. He and his acquaintance, Anthony Doss, planned to rob the establishment. It’s unclear when or why things when south, but Bell shot the cashier, 21-year-old Bert Bell (of no relation to the perpetrator) nine times. He fled with a .38 caliber pistol, a box of bullets, and a bag of cash.

Bell left the scene with three other men. They made their getaway to Memphis, Tennessee, where Bell decided to rob yet another store. He shot another cashier, 20-year-old Tommy White, in the process. The four men were eventually arrested at a Memphis residence. After two years of due process, the courts found Bell guilty of capital murder—meaning he would be put to death.

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For 20 years, Bell’s legal team repeatedly appealed his death sentence, sending the prisoner for countless evaluations. In 2013, the state changed Bell’s sentence to life in prison, declaring that his mental state left him ineligible for capital punishment. Only two years later, Bell was deemed eligible for parole. Finally, this August, the parole board authorized his release from prison.

“In our opinion, Bell has been rehabilitated, and at this point, we feel that parole supervision will be more beneficial than further incarceration,” Chairman Jeffery Belk wrote in a statement released on August 25. It’s clear that this decision wasn’t made lightly, so there’s been some confusion as to why Bell is still sitting behind bars. As it turns out, Bell’s release has been delayed indefinitely due to a longstanding Mississippi law.

Frederick Bell’s Release Delayed By Red Tape

In Mississippi, before an inmate convicted of a capital crime can be released on parole, a newspaper local to the area where the crime was committed must run a notice of parole for two consecutive weeks prior to the inmate’s release. From our research, it looks like Mississippi is the only state with a formal law of this nature. While it’s not widely known, the law is still strictly adhered to in the state.

The practice stands so that the community has a chance to provide their input on the parole board’s decision. As it says in the official Mississippi State Parole Board Policies & Procedures, the board takes “community opposition” into consideration when deeming an inmate eligible for release.

“Any inmate convicted of a capital offense shall not be (initially) considered for parole until notice concerning his/her possible parole is published at least once a week for two (2) weeks in a newspaper published and having general circulation in the county where the crime was committed,” the law states.

However, this process has been at a standstill for Bell. Despite being approved for release in late August, the local Grenada County paper, the Grenada Star, still hasn’t run his parole notice. The paper’s publisher, Adam Prestridge, told Vice News that he has yet to receive any word from the parole board. Until the board gives his paper the go-ahead, there isn’t anything he can do.

Frederick Bell’s Future Is Uncertain

Sen. Angela Hill told a local radio show that she was made aware of the hold-up. “Over the weekend, we confirmed that the notice was not run in the local paper where the murder occurred, as required,” Hill noted. “We contacted the Attorney General’s Office, and the Attorney General’s Office indicated to us that she had contacted the parole board and that he would not be released unless or until the proper notification to the community was run in the local paper.”

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It’s unclear why the parole board hasn’t moved forward with the newspaper notice, but the longer it waits, the longer it will be before Bell’s release. “If we receive something by our deadline of 5 p.m. on Thursday, it would run the next immediate Wednesday, as we are a weekly publication. It would run for two consecutive weeks, 30 days prior to his release,” Prestridge told Vice.

Yet, even if the board does eventually send notice, there’s still the obstacle of community judgement. There’s been significant community opposition to Bell’s release. The victims’ families and state workers alike have been outspoken against the parole board’s decision. As the case stands right now, this publishing delay has been the only thing holding back the floodgates. Once the parole board opens the channel of community input, it will likely be pressured to reconsider its initial decision.

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For the last 29 years, Gary Muehlberg has sat behind bars in a Missouri prison for a single heinous crime. The state knew this man was dangerous; he was given a life sentence for a 1993 slaying. However, as DNA evidence recently revealed, no one even knew the half of his criminal past.

The Package Killer Terrorized St. Louis

In the early spring of 1990, St. Louis resident Robyn Mihan was doing what she could to get by. Already a mother of two at 18 years old, Mihan was dealing with addiction and relied on sex work as a means to make money. On March 22, Mihan got into the car of a stranger and was never seen alive again. Four days later, authorities found Mihan’s lifeless body pinched in between two mattresses bound together and discarded on the side of the road.

In May, 27-year-old mother Brenda Pruitt’s family reported her missing. It wasn’t until October of that year that two municipal employees discovered Pruitt’s decomposed remains in a garbage bin left in between an apartment building and a nearby park. The container was poorly sealed by a garbage bag pulled tautly and bound by a wire. It was clear the young woman had been deceased for a long time.

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In early September of 1990, 21-year-old Sandy Little disappeared from the Southside Stroll—the same street Robyn disappeared from that March. The new mother had landed a job at a fast food restaurant just a few months prior, but she kept going back to sex work when money got tight. It’s believed Little was held captive in close proximity to Pruitt’s remains before her death. Five months later, a motorist discovered Little’s body alongside a highway, crammed into a box.

Authorities quickly connected the three women’s cases. They were all strangled with a ligature, were tortured prior to their deaths, had matching dog hairs on their clothing, and were all left out in the open in conspicuous containers. The killer didn’t as much dispose of his victims as he delivered them to public places in makeshift parcels. For that reason, this 1990 killing spree came to be known as the Package Murders. The perpetrator evaded justice for 30 years, making the string of killings one of St. Louis’ most disturbing cold cases.

Gary Muehlberg Had A Long Criminal History

By 1993, law enforcement knew Gary Muehlberg was a dangerous man. In 1972, Muehlberg was living in Salina, Kansas, where had his first brush with the law. At only 23 years old, he broke into the home of an 18-year-old girl, held her at knifepoint, raped her, and then forced her to go with him to the bank in order to steal $25 out of her account. The young Muehlberg was swiftly captured and convicted of robbery. He somehow weaseled his way out of serving any time for the violent rape—a sign of the times, perhaps.

After spending only a month in prison, Muehlberg walked free. His prison stint did little to quell his violent tendencies. The next year, Muehlberg invaded the home of a 14-year-old girl who happened to be babysitting even younger children at the time. After telling the girl he only wanted to rob the home, he tied her up, gagged her, and locked her in the bathroom.

He was filling the bathtub with water when he got spooked by a passing car. It’s unknown what exactly he planned to do with the girl, but the bathtub only conjures worst-case scenarios. However, fearing that the girl’s parents had come home, Muehler fled the scene.

He was charged with aggravated assault and sentenced to five years in prison. His wife of three years divorced him after the incident, severing him from all contact with their son. After his release from prison, Muehlberg appeared to settle down. He remarried in 1980 and had two children before his second wife filed for divorce in 1986.

Muehlberg Was Sentenced To Life In Prison In 1993

In the early ’90s, Muehlberg’s only social life existed within the confines of a local 24-hour diner. Fellow regulars at the establishment described Muehlberg as a narcissist. They remember him haunting the diner to keep an eye on his girlfriend—she was a waitress there at the time.

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Standing at 6 feet 3 inches and carrying a distinctive stench, he was intimidating to even the steeliest of his acquaintances. In February of 1993, Kenneth “Doc” Atchison, another regular at the diner, told some friends he was going over to Muehlberg’s to purchase a vehicle he was selling.

They warned him not to go alone, but he shrugged them off. The last anyone heard from him, he was on his way to Muehlberg’s home with $6,000 in cash. While Atchison was never seen alive again, Muehlberg showed up at the diner that very night with a large stack of newly acquired cash. He fled to Illinois after the incident. He made multiple phone calls to his acquaintances, trying to coerce someone to dispose of Atchison’s body for him.

Muehlberg was arrested just one month later. After confessing to Atchison’s murder, authorities were able to search his home. After trudging through filth of his living space, they found Atchison’s remains in the basement. His body was concealed in a makeshift wooden box—a “crude coffin,” officers called it.

Identifying Muehlberg As The Package Killer

Almost thirty years later, we are just now learning the full extent of Muehlberg’s crimes. In the three decades since the Package Killings, DNA testing has come a long way. In cases as cold as Mihan, Pruitt, and Little’s were, DNA testing is about the only hope families have of finding justice. So, investigators sent the little viable physical evidence they had from Little’s murder off to the lab.

Then, just like that, investigators got the breakthrough they’d waited 30 years for. The DNA extracted from key pieces of evidence matched an inmate in the FBI’s Combined DNA Index System. That criminal, as you’ve probably guessed, was Gary Muehlberg. When investigators confronted Muehlberg about the crimes, he folded. Now in his 70s, he confessed not only to the three connected murders, but he also told detectives about two other victims.

There was 40-year-old Donna Reitmeyer, who disappeared from the Southside Stroll in June of 1990. Police found her body eight days later disposed of in a trash bin in a similar fashion to Brenda Pruitt. Muehlberg couldn’t name his fifth victim, only stating that he picked her up sometime in ’91 and left her in another trash bin at a self-serve car wash.

An Uneasy Resolution

There are clear silver linings to this breakthrough. The families of the victims now know who took their loved ones. They have someone to blame as well as the reassurance that he won’t be able to hurt anyone else. However, at a press conference, they expressed how hard it is to know he likely won’t face sentencing for the murders. His nearly thirty years in prison have been unrelated. Despite spending decades behind bars, for all of those years, he was still technically getting away with it.

Muehlberg provided little in the way of an explanation for the killings, leaving curious minds unsatisfied. He expressed remorse, although investigators have taken it with a grain of salt. There’s no explaining crimes this heinous, but Muehlberg didn’t even try. That fact speaks volumes. Muehlberg wasn’t a criminal mastermind. He didn’t evade police because of his charm or intellect. He was sloppy, repugnant to most who met him, and he did little to cover his tracks.

It was his cowardice that helped him avoid justice. He preyed on the most vulnerable members of our society. He didn’t know them and didn’t care to—taking life without even learning names. As his case stands today, it seems like Muehlberg is an unfortunate mark in the “nature” column in the “nature vs. nurture” debate. However, while it’s unsettling to the very core to know that people like Muehlberg exist, citizens of St. Louis can rest easier knowing that the Package Killer is behind bars.

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On October 14, 2022, we’ll celebrate the 35th anniversary of the astonishing rescue of Baby Jessica. Jessica McClure Morales was only 18 months old when she fell 22 feet down an abandoned well in her aunt’s back yard in Midland, Texas. Rescuers worked around the clock for 58 hours to successfully free the baby from the deep well. The story garnered worldwide attention and was even turned into a made-for-TV movie, Everybody’s Baby: The Rescue of Jessica McClure.

From Local Firefighter To National Hero

When the world tuned in to see the incredible event thirty years ago, they watched paramedic Robert O’Donnell rescue Baby Jessica. O’Donnell was chosen to shimmy down the small rescue shaft parallel to the well due to his small frame. However, the shaft was so small that O’Donnell entered head first and descended down the narrow tunnel on his back.

“He told me it was just agonizing down there … claustrophobia, the physical pressure on your chest,” said actor Whip Hubley, who spoke with O’Donnell after being cast to play the firefighter in the television movie. “You really felt like you were in a grave.”

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58 hours after the rescue began, on October 16, 1987, the paramedic freed the baby from the well. The entire nation celebrated, as well as viewers watching the remarkable rescue around the world. O’Donnell went from a local firefighter to a world renowned hero overnight. He was even cast as a reporter in the television movie about Baby Jessica’s rescue. However, O’Donnell could not escape the fame nor the trauma he endured from that life-changing rescue.

Forever Branded As Baby Jessica’s Rescuer

A seasoned firefighter, O’Donnell was no stranger to harrowing rescues. “I’ve saved other people’s lives before,” he shared in an interview with People. “But there’ll never be nothing like this again.” 

As it turns out, O’Donnell was correct. The famous rescue was life altering not just for the baby but also for the paramedic. Although O’Donnell was happy to share his story in interviews and on talk shows, the limelight quickly faded. Once his fifteen minutes of fame were up, the paramedic had a difficult time returning to his way of life before the astounding rescue. In 1991, he divorced his wife. Then the next year, he quit the Midland Fire Department.

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Over time, being branded as Baby Jessica’s rescuer became too much for O’Donnell. On April 23, 1995, O’Donnell tragically succumbed to the trauma from the aftermath and took his life. As the 35th anniversary of the rescue quickly approaches, we remember O’Donnell for the life-changing role he played in Baby Jessica’s life, but also for all the other lives he saved as a firefighter.

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Covid reset our way of thinking on everything from where we work to how we learn. It’s even changed how people are starting to think about retirement. Instead of just assessing their financial capital, people are learning that placing emphasis on their social capital is equally important. Those who once thought retirement meant enjoying the silence while gardening and reading books are now rethinking their view of their golden years to include group activities, such as games.

Why D&D?

One such game that has increased in popularity among those retiring is Dungeons & Dragons. Nope, Dungeons & Dragons isn’t just for teenagers anymore. Many senior citizens are starting to play the game—instead of fishing, retirees are finding it more fun to dodge traps and defeat monsters. Many older players enjoy the escape aspect of the game and have even been using it to connect with their grandkids.

Dungeons & Dragons is a fantasy tabletop role-playing game. In the game, players pretend to be fantasy characters who embark on a group adventure. They battle monsters, explore terrain, and roll the dice to decide outcomes. A Dungeon Master guides the narrative.

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The game has come a long way since Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson invented it in 1974 as an alternative to miniature-military war gaming. The latest version includes new online playing options and can be seen in classrooms, therapist’s offices, and even bars. Game rule books have been topped best-seller lists.

The game’s popularity has fluctuated over its 48-year history, but in 2018, its developers, Wizards of the Coast, sold more units than ever before. The game is now considered cool and is showing up everywhere, from being a major part of the Stranger Things plot to references on shows such as The Big Bang Theory and Futurama.

Celebrities Are On Board, Too!

It’s not surprising that Anderson Cooper is a fan, but even tough guys like Vin Diesel and Dwayne Johnson have recently come out as D&D fans. Celebrities such as Drew Barrymore, James Franco, and Stephen Colbert have also been quoted as being fans of the fantasy game. Joe Manganiello is so obsessed that he wrote a D&D movie script.

Today, people play it at bar and restaurant pop-up events such as “Joke and Dagger: Dungeon, Dragons, and Improv” in Brooklyn, New York, or “Dungeons, Dragons, and Drafts with Kevin” in Milford, Delaware.

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How can you play? You can look for an existing group of players and join a campaign, or you can buy a D&D starter pack and create your own world.  Starter packs come with game rules, multi-sided dice and maps that help aspiring dungeon masters create castles and worlds. Then, think about your friends who may be a good fit for your campaign: Who always wants to talk about bingeing Game of Thrones? Who named their cat Bilbo? Who spends their weekends at Renaissance fairs? Once you have a group, you are on your way to battling goblins in the halls of Castle Retirement.

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It’s a story as old as time: A man berating a woman for doing her job. Only it’s now 2022, and misogynists aren’t getting away with their sexist and condescending remarks as often as they once did.

Last week, a male St. Louis radio host and Fox 2 news anchor went on a tirade against one of his female co-workers, Crystal Cooper. The rant occurred during a commercial break for the radio show the two of them work on together, “The Edge.”

Even on air, the tension was palpable between the two. Vic Faust, the male radio host and news anchor, called Cooper a liar, immature, and stupid for bringing up a what he considered to be a dumb topic on air. It’s no surprise that his rant continued off the air. However, what is shocking is how often he used foul language, insults, and sexist comments while berating his colleague.

On-Air Tension Turns Into Off-Air Threats

In Faust’s off-air tirade that was leaked to the St. Louis Post Dispatch, Faust went beyond pointing out issues he has with Cooper’s broadcasting skills. His four-minute long rant criticized Cooper’s looks, intelligence, and even her parenting skills. Plus, he used profanity at least 40 times. As he berated his colleague, Faust tells Cooper, “You’re nothing!” and “You’re trash.”

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As the rant escalated, Faust even told Cooper that she shouldn’t come back to the show. “If you come back, I’m going to be in your [expletive] every [expletive] day,” Faust threatened. When Cooper replied that she wasn’t going anywhere and that Faust isn’t her boss, she was met with even more threats from Faust: “Then I will nail your [expletives] … I will do whatever I [expletive] need to do to you.” The show’s recording no longer features the fight that sparked the issue, though the awkwardness is obvious throughout the recording and after the cut ends.

Even as Faust prepared for the show to go back on air, he couldn’t help but get in one last jab at Cooper. “Your kids have a [expletive] terrible mom,” Faust criticized. “I feel sorry for them.” Cooper’s one word response summed up exactly how she’s feeling at the end of the rant: “Wow. Wow.”

Are There Consequences For Sexist Rants?

We’re now living in a day and age where these tirades aren’t as acceptable as they used to be. However, the repercussions of this sexist rant are still unclear. According to Crystal Cooper’s Facebook page, her final day on the morning show was September 13, the day of Faust’s tirade. Tuesday’s show was also the last one posted online for “The Edge.” Only time will tell what is to become of the morning show and if there will be any consequences for Vic Faust at either of his hosting positions.

[UPDATE:] According to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Vic Faust has been fired from Fox 2.

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Adnan Syed, subject of the popular true-crime podcast Serial, could be getting out of jail on bond soon. The Baltimore man who was convicted of murdering Hae Min Lee in 1999 will possibly be granted a new trial. However, if the courts do decide to vacate his original conviction, there’s still some debate as to where he should spend his time awaiting his new trial.

Adnan Syed Garnered Global Attention In 2014

In January 1999, Korean-American high school student Hae Min Lee disappeared from her school in Baltimore, Maryland. The following month, a passerby discovered Lee’s partially buried body in a local park. Less than three weeks later, authorities arrested Lee’s ex-boyfriend Adnan Syed in connection with her murder. The next year, a jury found Syed guilty of first-degree murder, kidnapping, false imprisonment, and robbery. The judge sentenced Syed to life in prison plus 30 years.

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Flash forward over a decade later, journalist Sarah Koenig became invested in Syed’s case. After poring over the evidence, Koenig became convinced that the then-teenager was not granted a fair trial. In the fall of 2014, she released the first episode of Serial, a true crime podcast documenting Lee’s murder and Syed’s conviction.

The show generated international attention, with the first season receiving over 100 million downloads by 2016. It inspired other podcasts and documentaries, all of which cast doubt on Syed’s guilt. Syed’s lawyers have since filed requests for a new trial. In 2018, a special appeals court in Maryland granted the request, only for the conviction to be reinstated by the highest court in the state one year later.

Adnan Syed Could Get A New Trial

On Wednesday, September 14, 2022, the Baltimore State’s Attorney’s Office moved to vacate Syed’s conviction. The new motion claims prosecutors at the time had another suspect in mind during their investigation, but they never shared that information with Syed’s legal team. Failure to share evidence that could result in the exoneration of a defendant is known as a Brady violation.

If the court finds that a Brady violation was committed, the conviction will be overturned. This time around, it looks like a new trial is likely. The motion was filed not by Syed’s legal team, but by the prosecuting office itself. Baltimore State’s Attorney Marilyn Mosby does not concede that Syed is innocent, but that they no longer have faith in his conviction.

That leads us to another matter entirely: Will Syed be let out on bail while awaiting a new trial? Prosecutors have suggested as much. As reported by the Baltimore Sun, prosecutors say Syed’s continued incarceration is a “miscarriage of justice.”

Of course, there are those who still think Syed poses too much of a risk to society. Hae Min Lee’s family, for example, still believes Syed is guilty even after his Serial fame. If Syed is granted a new trial, he will have to stand for a bail hearing. At that time, a judge will likely hear from both sides before determining Syed’s bail eligibility.

Adnan Syed has always maintained his innocence. With this new motion, Syed is now closer to freedom than he has been in 23 years.

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For one reason or another, the thought of getting nude in front of strangers would make anyone terrified, much less at 50. Yet we came across an empowering tale of one woman who did just that: ‘At 50 I Started Getting Naked For Cash.’ 

In terms of getting naked, Asha Sanaker has never been particularly shy. Whether skinny dipping or streaking, the 50-year-old mother said she had always been comfortable being nude.

However, Sanaker views her willingness to shed her clothes in public in a non-sexual way. Rather than seeking affirmative gazes from strangers, she said it made her feel “wildly and defiantly free.”

Upon being offered the chance to model for a life drawing class, Sanaker became immediately intrigued. Despite her excitement, she also harbored some concerns. Even though she wasn’t bothered by being naked in front of a crowd, she expressed how intimate this particular experience felt.

Her body would be displayed for others to observe, and their perceptions would be captured in an artistic medium. This gave Sanaker the chance to discover some vulnerabilities she hadn’t previously considered.

In our society, ageism exists, as women are thought to become less “beautiful” as they age. A common thread that all women share is the changes that come with aging. Sanaker discussed how she is now more aware of her less than firm breasts and cellulite from her navel to her knees. She wondered, however, if others are overly focused on her flaws. She questioned whether or not it’s more appealing for artists to depict a female form that is youthful.

Despite her apprehension, Sanaker bravely gave modeling at the life drawing class a shot. Posing as a nude model for long periods of time, even for five to ten minutes per pose, was tiring for her.

As a result, she had to sit, kneel, or recline. But, when it came to the twenty-minute poses, this took a lot of effort. Imagine staying still for 20 minutes in an interesting pose that won’t cause your extremities to fall asleep.

As the session came to a close, she found herself needing to lay down on the platform, and the artists assured her that she isn’t the only one to do so. In fact, they share, that it’s not uncommon for models to fall asleep. However, Sanaker said she couldn’t fall asleep as the only naked person in the room, “Women are too habituated to the reflexes of prey,” she wrote. “If I had to guess, I’d say the only people falling asleep while nude modeling are men.” 

Once done, Sanaker had the opportunity to view some of the artists’ work. One, in particular, from a professional DJ and new father who was a regular at the studio, took her by surprise. Through its thick layers, the painting magnified her “bumpy juiciness.”  In fact, that’s all that Sanaker could see—her imperfections. 

“All the parts of me I actually love—the line of my neck, the weighted curve of the underside of my breasts, the intense blue of my eyes—were absent,” she said. “Just the parts of me I struggle to love were there—the pooch of my belly, the width of my hips, the heaviness of my upper thighs. I thought, “That’s all you see when you look at me?” she questioned.

Sanaker realized something incredibly powerful at that moment. The way she looks and feels about herself makes her happy. Regardless of how he perceived her body, it does not have to matter to her. It’s an important message that more women, of all ages, should try to adopt in their lives. There is great power in not only accepting yourself for who you are but loving yourself and bringing that confidence into the world.

Sanaker’s choice to pose nude and to love herself while doing so is indeed empowering. As she put it, “Capture me in all my beauty and imperfection. This is what 50 looks like.”

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