The U.S. Surgeon General is urging folks to rally around the parents and young families in their lives.
In a new advisory and corresponding op-ed in the New York Times, Dr. Vivek H. Murthy warns that parents today are navigating “overwhelming” levels of stress, leading them into a national health crisis.
“Addressing parental mental health conditions, and importantly the underlying stressors and causes is critical for the well-being of children and society,” he wrote in the advisory.
In his NYT op-ed, Murthy speaks from experience as a father of two and adds, “The joys are indeed abundant, but as fulfilling as parenting has been, the truth is it has also been more stressful than any job I’ve had,” he wrote. “I’ve had many moments of feeling lost and exhausted.”
He continued, “The stress and mental health challenges faced by parents — just like loneliness, workplace well-being, and the impact of social media on youth mental health — aren’t always visible, but they can take a steep toll. It’s time to recognize they constitute a serious public health concern for our country. Parents who feel pushed to the brink deserve more than platitudes. They need tangible support.”
Murthy refers to multiple studies that paint a picture of the emotional and mental well-being of parents today. One such study by the American Psychological Association found that 48% of parents find “most days their stress is completely overwhelming.”
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Murthy calls for policies to reflect the needs of families, including enacting “a national paid family and medical leave program and ensure all workers have paid sick time.”
In the meantime, he also emphasizes how integral a community can be in supporting a family.
“Too often, when someone is struggling, we wait for an invitation to help, or perhaps we worry we don’t have anything of value to offer. Simply showing up can make all the difference in the world to another person,” he wrote in his op-ed.
He continued by recalling a time when a friend showed up while his son was just four months old and sat and played with their child for 15 minutes. This allowed a sleep-deprived Murthy and his wife a much-needed break.
“Even that was long enough for us to catch our breath. My friend probably thought nothing of it, but that feeling of relief and gratitude is still fresh for me,” he said.
Julia Vavilova, a 24-year-old known in cryptocurrency circles as a “crypto coach,” has mysteriously vanished after reportedly traveling with Telegram CEO Pavel Durov, who was recently arrested in Paris.
Vavilova’s disappearance has sent shockwaves through the online community, particularly among her followers and those in the cryptocurrency world. Her family has expressed growing concern, as they have been unable to make contact with her since Durov’s high-profile arrest.
In the days leading up to her disappearance, Vavilova had been sharing a series of glamorous photos on social media, documenting what appeared to be a luxurious trip to Azerbaijan. Her posts featured images of lavish settings, including high-end resorts and private jet travel, raising curiosity about her connection to Durov, a figure known for his reclusive lifestyle and cryptic public persona.
Speculation about the nature of Vavilova’s relationship with Durov has been rampant, with some suggesting that her social media activity might have inadvertently revealed Durov’s location, leading to his arrest by French authorities. Despite the growing rumors, the precise details of their association remain unclear.
Pavel Durov, the enigmatic founder of Telegram, a popular encrypted messaging app, was detained in Paris under circumstances that have yet to be fully disclosed by law enforcement. His arrest has sparked a flurry of theories, with some linking it to his outspoken views on privacy and digital freedom, while others believe it may be connected to ongoing investigations in the tech world.
The disappearance of Julia Vavilova has only added to the mystery surrounding the case. French authorities have yet to confirm whether her vanishing is connected to Durov’s arrest, but the timing has raised eyebrows among those following the developments.
Vavilova’s family, desperate for any news of her whereabouts, has reached out to the public for assistance. “We are extremely worried,” said a family spokesperson. “Julia has always been in touch, even during her travels. This sudden silence is deeply troubling.”
As the search for Julia Vavilova continues, both her supporters and those in the cryptocurrency community are left in suspense, wondering what might have transpired. The unfolding situation has also intensified scrutiny on Durov, whose detainment is shrouded in secrecy.
This case has captivated the attention of those who follow the tech world, with many hoping for answers regarding Vavilova’s sudden disappearance and the circumstances leading up to Durov’s arrest. For now, the mystery deepens as authorities work to piece together the events that led to this disturbing turn of events.
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Officers with the New Castle Police Department said they responded to a home on Stonegate Drive the evening of Aug. 20. The report mentioned a woman hitting someone with a bat, police said. Dispatchers clarified the report came in from 49-year-old Angela Canaday who admitted she hit another woman with the bat, per CBS 4 Indy. The woman in question was Canaday’s pregnant neighbor.
Police said the victim told them she was standing outside her home, yelling for her friend’s child when Canaday – seemingly at random – stepped outside her home in a tirade. The woman said Canaday began yelling at her and calling her a racial slur.
In response, the woman told the police she began to approach Canaday and advised her to watch her language because of the group of children outside. Canaday then went back into her house and emerged with a black wooden back and things went wayyy down hill, according to police.
“[Canaday] said ‘go on you n—– lovin’ f—— b—-.,’” the documents allege. “[Canaday] lunged towards [the woman] in an aggressive manner with the bat raised in her right hand, swinging it at [the woman] while [she] was holding her baby.”
The bat struck the pregnant woman, the documents said. Canaday then reportedly told the woman that she would “kill” her, calling her a “f—— b—-” once again. The documents said that this caused the woman to be “fearful [for] her life.”
Canaday was charged with battery resulting in bodily injury to a pregnant woman and intimidation, both felonies. It’s unclear if she will face enhanced hate crime charges for her use of a racial slur.
Wendy Williams was out and about for the first time in more than a year.
The former talk show host was spotted with her son, Kevin Hunter Jr. — whom she shares with ex-husband Kevin Hunter — at Bolingo Balance in Newark, N.J., on Monday, Aug. 19, according to Page Six, who were the first to report the news. The visit was the first time Williams has been seen publicly since March 2023, People reported.
A Bolingo Balance employee told Page Six that Williams was “sharp, upbeat and aware” and “very bubbly” during her visit to the holistic store, which is owned by Alfredo “Dr. Sebi” Bowman’s son, Victor Bowman. The employee added that Williams was “engaging but wasn’t as familiar with what we do here, so her son was more explaining things.”
“She talked about circulation improvement but didn’t want to get into too much detail on their first meeting and plans to come back in the near future,” the employee said, per Page Six.
TV personality Wendy Williams attends the 2019 NYWIFT Muse Awards at the New York Hilton Midtown on Dec. 10, 2019, in New York City. (Photo by Lars Niki/Getty Images for New York Women in Film)
The store’s official Instagram shared a photo of Williams smiling with a shopping bag in hand and her arm wrapped around Bowman. “Much love to Wendy Williams and her son @topfloor_kev I remember when I met Kevin in Usha village, my dad told me I want you to meet Wendy’s son. At that time, we were the only ones of the same age in Usha,” the caption read.
Williams’ son replied with a series of emojis, including the chart and clapping hands emoji, in the comment section.
Bowman shared the same photo of Williams and himself on his Facebook page, writing, “Wendy Williams come to my store much love Queen.”
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Williams last appeared on her legendary talk show “The Wendy Williams Show” in July 2021. She has been battling several ailments in recent years, including Graves’ disease, lymphedema, primary progressive aphasia and frontotemporal dementia (FTD), which her medical team revealed in February.
“Wendy is still able to do many things for herself,” the team said in a statement about her FTD diagnosis, per People. “Most importantly she maintains her trademark sense of humor and is receiving the care she requires to make sure she is protected and that her needs are addressed. She is appreciative of the many kind thoughts and good wishes being sent her way.”
Jennifer Pamplona, a 31-year-old social media influencer who has spent over $1 million to emulate the look of Kim Kardashian, is facing a heartbreaking setback. Doctors have revealed that her extensive cosmetic procedures, specifically buttock fillers, have significantly reduced her chances of conceiving a child.
Pamplona, who has long expressed her desire to start a family, shared her devastation in a recent interview. “Since I was young, I imagined the moment I would have my own children and start a family,” she explained. “Now I see that being destroyed by something I thought was a solution to improve my appearance.”
According to medical experts, the substance used in dermal fillers, polymethyl-methacrylate (PMMA), can migrate from the injection site to other parts of the body, including the pelvic area. This migration can interfere with the functioning of the reproductive organs, making it difficult or impossible to conceive.
Pamplona’s case serves as a stark reminder of the potential risks associated with cosmetic procedures. While many people seek these procedures to enhance their appearance, it’s essential to be aware of the potential long-term consequences. As Pamplona’s story demonstrates, the pursuit of beauty can sometimes come at a significant cost.
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Last week, we told you about the viral “demure” trend that had everyone from Khloe Kardashian to RuPaul showing fans how to be “very mindful” and “very cutesy” while doing – everything.
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Chicago-based TikTok content creator Jools Lebron has been credited with starting the trend which has expanded well beyond her over 2 million followers to become the latest pop culture buzz word.
But Lebron, who parlayed the trend into collabs with cosmetics brand Patrick Ta Beauty and Verizon, thought it all might slip away when a man named Jefferson Bates filed an application in Washington to trademark the expression, “Very Demure .. Very Mindful …” according to NBC News.
“I’ve just invested so much money and time into this, and I feel like I did it wrong. Like, I feel like I didn’t try hard enough,” Lebron said in a now-deleted video.
But what could have been a bitter legal battle looks like it will have a happy ending. On August 24, Raluca Pop filed paperwork with the United States Patent and Trademark Office for the words “very demure very cutesy.” As of this post, the paperwork has been accepted but is still awaiting review.
Pop, founder of the social media app Hive Social, told NBC news she filed the paperwork to protect the phrase LeBron coined and plans to transfer the trademark to her so she can “reap the benefits.”
“Once I saw that this other guy tried to steal it out from under her, I realized that he didn’t trademark the remainder of her phrase, ‘very cutesy.’ And that’s when I went and I did it, instead.” she said.
“We got it handled” she said. “Momma got a team now.”
Lebron, who was a cashier at a local grocery chain before her online glow up, told TikTok followers she has used income made from the success of the “demure” trend to pay for her gender transition and help her best friend get out of an unhealthy living situation.
Editor’s note: The following article is an op-ed, and the views expressed are the author’s own. Read more opinions on theGrio.
When I was growing up in the 1960s and 1970s, the idea of a Black person or a woman becoming president seemed like an impossible dream. Even when I went to work on Rev. Jesse Jackson’s 1984 presidential campaign, I realized his candidacy faced enormous obstacles.
Despite being ahead of his time with proposals that once seemed radical but are now mainstream, Jackson was unable to win the Democratic presidential nomination in 1984 and 1988. Yet he paved the way for Barack Obama to make half of my impossible dream come true with his election as our nation’s first Black president in 2008.
Now that I’m back home from the electrifying Democratic National Convention in Chicago, I believe that Vice President Kamala Harris has a real shot at making the second half of my dream come true by becoming our first female president as well as our second Black president and the first South Asian American to lead our nation.
But Harris’ success is far from guaranteed. She needs staunch support and voter turnout by Democrats, independents, people of color, women and Republicans disgusted with former President Donald Trump’s radical transformation of their party into a cult of personality that ignores his failures, extremism, incompetence and lies.
Importantly, I don’t support Harris simply because of her gender and race. With an outstanding record in 20 years as an elected official — San Francisco district attorney, California attorney general, U.S. senator and now vice president — Harris is a proven leader and freedom fighter.
Our vice president has fought for the freedom of all Americans to vote, obtain affordable health care (including reproductive health care), get a good education and a decent job, be protected from gun violence and crime, and much more. She is a crime fighter running against a convicted criminal who wants to return to the White House to stay out of prison and weaponize government against his opponents as an authoritarian ruler.
Harris has climbed the ladder of political success thanks to her own talents and hard work but also because many people of all races have worked for many years to give Black people and women equal opportunities in politics and government, long before Jesse Jackson, Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton sought the presidency.
For example, Rep. Shirley Chisholm of New York unsuccessfully sought the Democratic presidential nomination in 1972. But few in the media and public took her candidacy seriously. How could a Black woman possibly be elected president?
Among the most effective though least recognized fighters for equality was Fannie Lou Hamer, a Black woman who burst onto the national scene at the 1964 Democratic National Convention for her efforts to gain voting rights for Black people in the South.
Born in 1917 on a Mississippi plantation where her parents were sharecroppers, Hamer left school at age 12 to pick cotton full-time.
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Hamer began working to register Black people to vote in 1962. Racist policies and practices, such as poll taxes and literacy tests — along with violence by the Ku Klux Klan, law enforcement officers and others — had long barred the vast majority of Black Mississippians from participating in elections. Only about 5% were registered to vote in 1964.
As a result of her voter registration work, Hamer was fired from her job. In 1963, she was one of several Black women arrested in Winona, Mississippi, for sitting in a whites-only bus station restaurant, after they completed a voter registration drive in South Carolina. She was beaten in jail, resulting in her suffering injuries to an eye, severe kidney damage and a life-long limp.
Hamer came to the 1964 Democratic National Convention to protest the seating of Mississippi’s all-white delegation and to demand that an integrated delegation be seated instead. While she lost that fight, her remarks to the Credentials Committee at the convention denouncing racial discrimination in the South drew national attention. She became a member of Mississippi’s first integrated delegation to the Democratic National Convention in 1968.
This year, former Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Marcia Fudge co-chaired the Credentials Committee. I was honored to serve on that panel as we approved and certified a historic number of Black delegates to the Democratic National Convention.
Sadly, Hamer died of breast cancer in 1977 at age 59 — the same age that Kamala Harris is today. Hamer had a harder life, with fewer opportunities. But thanks to her and so many others — including President Joe Biden, who selected Harris to be his vice-presidential running mate four years ago and selflessly stepped aside to enable her to become the Democratic presidential nominee this year — Harris could make history and become our president in January.
I don’t know if Hamer ever envisioned a Black woman president, but she clearly foresaw better days ahead. “One day I know the struggle will change,” she said in 1964. “There’s got to be a change — not only for Mississippi, not only for the people in the United States, but people all over the world.”
If elected president of the United States, Kamala Harris will lead that change. As she so eloquently stated in her acceptance speech at the Democratic National Convention, “Our nation, with this election, has a precious, fleeting opportunity to move past the bitterness, cynicism and divisive battles of the past, a chance to chart a new way forward. Not as members of any one party or faction, but as Americans.”
As a young girl, I looked up to and admired Fannie Lou Hamer. As a young woman, I worked for Shirley Chisholm in the 1980s. And today, I am honored to count Kamala Harris as a friend. Harris is carrying on the work of Hamer, Chisholm and the other trailblazers who came before her, moving our nation forward to build a better and more just future for the American people.
Donna Brazile is a veteran political strategist, Senior Advisor at Purple Strategies, New York Times bestselling author, Chair of the J. William Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board, and sought-after Emmy- and Peabody-award-winning media contributor to such outlets as ABC News, USA Today and TheGrio. She previously served as interim Chair of the Democratic National Committee and of the DNC’s Voting Rights Institute. Donna was the first Black American to serve as the manager of a major-party presidential campaign, running the campaign of Vice President Al Gore in 2000. She serves as an adjunct professor in the Women and Gender Studies Department at Georgetown University and served as the King Endowed Chair in Public Policy at Howard University and as a fellow at the Institute of Politics at Harvard Kennedy School. She has lectured at nearly 250 colleges and universities on diversity, equity and inclusion; women in leadership; and restoring civility in American politics.
In a candid and emotional statement on her Instagram story, Amandla Stenberg, the star of the now-canceled Disney+ series The Acolyte, opened up about her reaction to the show’s unexpected cancellation and the backlash it faced even before its debut.
“It’s not a huge shock for me [that it was canceled],” Stenberg revealed. “Of course, I live in the bubble of my own reality, but for those who aren’t aware, there has been a rampage of vitriol that we have faced since the show was even announced… when it was still just a concept and no one had even seen it.”
Stenberg went on to describe the intensity of the backlash. “That’s when we started experiencing a rampage of hyper-conservative bigotry and vitriol, prejudice, hatred, and hateful language towards us. This really affected me when I first got the job because it’s just not something—even though I anticipated it happening—it’s not something you can fully understand what it feels like until it’s happening to you.”
Despite the show’s premature end, Stenberg expressed gratitude for the opportunity to be part of the Star Wars universe, calling it “an incredible honor and dream.” She also took a moment to thank those who supported the project: “I just want to let those people know out there who supported us in that way, and supported us vocally in the face of all the vitriol that we received, and the kind of targeted attack I would say we received by the alt-right, just that you were deeply loved and appreciated, and it made this job all the more worthwhile for me.”
Stenberg also expressed deep appreciation for The Acolyte‘s showrunner, Leslye Headland. “I have to thank Leslye Headland… I just fing love that bh… one of the best people in the world… she’s so incredibly talented and unique. I will love this experience with her forever.”
The cancellation of The Acolyte marks yet another surprising turn in the world of Star Wars television, leaving fans to wonder what the future holds for the galaxy far, far away. Stenberg’s comments reflect a complex and emotional journey, highlighting both the challenges faced by those creating diverse and inclusive content and the deep connections formed along the way.
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There may be questions about the status of The Fugees reunion tour, but Ms. Lauryn Hill definitely has time to hang out with another group of old friends. The Grammy winner recently popped up for a surprise performance at her high school reunion.
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Before she became a game-changing hip-hop star, the “Lost One” artist attended Columbia High School in Maplewood, NJ. Alongside her classmates, Hill seemed to revel in an imperfect, yet joyful medley featuring The Fugees’ “Ready or Not” and her break up classic “Ex-Factor.”
A clip of the performance circulated through social media, with many fans complimenting her endless talent, while others got their jokes off.
Yes, there were plenty of comments about her frequent tardiness, with one person posting, “She actually meant to show up to perform at her graduation but she was a few decades late.”
One user pointed out a common brag among these alums, writing on X, “I know that whole class main line was ‘you know I went to school with Lauryn Hill?’”
Someone else found it funny that she missed out on celebrating one of her most popular projects, but had time for old friends, writing on X, “Lauryn Hill being MIA for the ‘Sister Act 2’ 30th Anniversary but popping out to her high school reunion has me HOLLERING!”
As previously reported by The Root, Hill has been in the news lately, as the U.S. dates for The Fugees’ reunion tour were canceled at the last minute. She blamed the low ticket sales on media coverage of her frequent tardiness and late show cancellations. She blamed “sensationalism and clickbait headlines” for causing the lack of ticket sales.
In response, bandmate Pras expressed his frustration in a song titled, “Bar Mitzfa,” which features the lyrics, “Don’t blame me, blame her, she made the mess / Not another fucking penny is what I told ‘Clef.”
Surrounded by her old classmates, Hill looked like she was having more fun than we’ve seen her have in a long time. If the group is truly moving forward with the European leg of its tour, hopefully she brings that same energy to those shows.
Garcelle Beauvais has announced that her son Jax is stepping away from the “Real Housewives of Beverly Hills.”
While appearing on Tuesday’s episode of ABC Audio and GMA’s “Pop Culture Moms” podcast, the “RHOBH” star shared that one of her 16-year-old sons will not be on the upcoming 14th season of the show. Beauvais explained how her son Jax had to endure a “negative” experience since first appearing on the show.
“Right before this season, Jax said to me, ‘Mom, I can’t do it anymore. It was too negative for me.’ I respected that, and so he’s not on this season at all,” the mother of three said.
Beauvais shares Jax and his twin brother Jaid with her ex-husband, CAA agent Michael Nilon. She is also mom to son Oliver Saunders, 33, whom she shares with her first ex-husband, producer Daniel Saunders.
In August 2022, Jax was subjected to intense social media bullying from adult fans after an incident involving fellow “RHOBH” castmate Erika Girardi, who drunkenly cursed at Jax during a 55th birthday celebration for Beauvais. Despite Girardi herself being apologetic in the aftermath, fans didn’t hold back in subjecting the teen, who was 14 at the time, and other castmates’ children to an onslaught of online hate.
“…I’d like to start off by saying I am still a kid and wish to not be viewed as a fully matured adult, because I am not one. it is currently my first week of high school and, instead of enjoying it like most kids at my school, I have to deal with being attacked on social media,” he began in the post to his Instagram Stories.
He added, “I did not sign up for this show, nor do I have anything to do with the show’s drama. I just want to be a normal kid.”
He noted that his Instagram account is for his peers and “not for publicity nor the public’s gaze.”
He explained how he wanted to avoid going private, “However, middle-aged women spamming me with racist and crude comments about my family is not what I expected for my first week of high school.”
He also thanked others for their support and noted that it was making things “tolerable.”
“When that happened with Jax, it blew my mind, because nobody deserves it. Nobody’s kids deserve it. But I thought, you know, he’s doing this because of me and it’s our family,” Beauvais recalled. “And it was his first week of high school. And for him to be subjected to such ugliness and such, it was just horrible. It was horrible.”
Even though Jax still participated in season 13 after the social media attacks, the teen has decided that ultimately, reality TV isn’t for him.
Since Beauvais first joined the cast of “RHOBH” in season 10, which premiered in 2020, she has revealed quite a lot about her family. The show has touched on her teen sons’ dating, them airing out their frustrations with her, and Oliver’s past struggles with addiction.
“I always leave it up to them every season,” Beauvais said on the podcast.
