We should not have to live in a world where we fear our kids getting shot while at school mass

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Travis Kelce and Taylor Swift finally get engaged ending Reuvers cynical nature of their relationship. Our friend comedian Erica Rhodes goes viral in a Chicago TV interview, and some interesting thoughts on the South Carolina lockdown situation.

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SPPS working to fill teacher vacancies before new school year starts

St. Paul Public Schools (SPPS) is working to fill job openings with less than two weeks to go before the new school year starts.

“I’m confident we will have those teaching positions filled,” said Superintendent Dr. Stacie Stanley.

She explained SPPS Human Resources has been doing new intensive hiring fairs in the community to meet that goal.

The district had more than 135 teacher vacancies as of last week, according to a progress report to the Board of Education on Tuesday.

Cracker Barrel shares plummet after pushback on new logo, brand refresh

Shares of Cracker Barrel Old Country Store

plummeted roughly 10% on Thursday after the restaurant unveiled its new logo earlier this week as part of a larger brand refresh.

The new logo removes the image of a man leaning against a barrel that was prominently featured in the original, leaving behind just the words “Cracker Barrel” against a yellow background. The phrase “old country store” has also been removed.

The company said the colors in the logo were inspired by the chain’s scrambled eggs and biscuits.

The change is part of a “strategic transformation” to revitalize the brand that started back in May 2024. Under that mission, Cracker Barrel’s brand refresh includes updates to visual elements, restaurant spaces and food and retail offerings.

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Twin Cities scream club builds community through relieving stress

Hollie Carr started the group after seeing a Chicago scream club on TikTok. Many people found her group the same way.

“Are you here to scream?” Hollie Carr asked people who strolled by her Sunday night as the sun began to set near the Cedar Nichols Trailhead in Burnsville.

Carr founded Scream Club Twin Cities MN in early August. The group travels to different lakes, rivers and streams every week to scream across the water. And they’re always looking for new participants.

“Screaming is inclusive of everyone,” Carr said. “It doesn’t matter what your issues are or what your stress is. Our goal is to scream in community.”

Minnesota spent nearly $46,000 on welfare per person in poverty in 2023

Every year, the U.S. Census Bureau publishes the Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances. This is the country’s only source of state and local spending data, allowing a detailed state-by-state comparison. The survey also divides spending data into categories, making it possible to analyze which public services states prioritize.

Overall, public welfare is the largest expenditure for most states. However, the level at which states prioritize assistance programs over other public services, such as roads and police, differs.

Minnesota, for instance, has a massive welfare system, dedicating a larger share of its revenue to assistance programs than most states. Additionally, Minnesota ranks among the top states for poverty-adjusted welfare spending, making it one of the most generous in the nation. In 2022, Minnesota spent approximately $42,000 (in 2023 $) per person on poverty, ranking second-highest in the entire country.

This trend continued in 2023, as newly released data from the U.S. Census Bureau reveals.

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The power of social media and how it can influence almost anything, including a Hardware Store. The first ever female umpire in MLB history. No it is not A.I. a boat in New Jersey struck and killed a whale!!!!

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Canadian Man Fined $28,872 for Walking in Woods During Wildfire Ban

For the first time in recent memory, Nova Scotia has closed hiking trails, backcountry routes, and all forest access across the province and one Canadian Air Force veteran just found out exactly how serious the government is about enforcing it.

Jeff Evely, a retired Master Warrant Officer with 20 years of service, shared a now viral video showing himself deliberately stepping into the woods in Coxheath, Nova Scotia, despite a province wide “Stay Out of the Woods” order. Moments later, conservation officers handed him a ticket for $28,872 CAD, the maximum fine under the new rules.

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MLB attempted to play a game at Bristol Speedway and it was a total disaster.

 A record-breaking crowd filled Bristol Motor Speedway to watch the Atlanta Braves take on the Cincinnati Reds, but not everyone left with a winning experience.

Among the attendees was Lester Tate and his family, who traveled to the Tennessee venue for the unique ballgame. 

What they're saying:

Tate said while the concept of hosting a baseball game at the iconic NASCAR track was exciting, the execution left much to be desired. He described long waits for basic concessions—claiming he stood in line for two hours for either a bunless hot dog and nachos without cheese—and criticized stadium signage and overall logistics.

"Frankly, if they'd spent half the time hyping to try and get 85,000 people there planning on what you’re going to do when the 85,000 get there, it would have been a total success," Tate said.

Certain states will no longer allow you to buy junk food with SNAP.

In a win for Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) advocates, six more states have gotten waivers allowing them to ban soda, candy and other high-sugar junk foods from being purchased through the federally funded, but state-operated Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, known as SNAP. 

The waivers, which amend the statutory definition of eligible food for purchase under SNAP, were granted to West Virginia, Florida, Colorado, Louisiana, Oklahoma and Texas. The new restrictions on what can and cannot be purchased will go into effect in 2026.

The six new waivers bring the number of states that have sought to restrict SNAP purchases of junk food to 12. The other states who received waivers from the Trump administration earlier this year were Nebraska, Iowa, Indiana, Arkansas, Idaho and Utah.

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Reuvers had his Mike Frattallone moment last night camping with his family.

Alpha-gal syndrome is a type of food allergy. It makes people allergic to red meat and other products made from mammals.

In the United States, the condition usually begins with the bite of the Lone Star tick. The bite transfers a sugar molecule called alpha-gal into the body. In some people, this triggers a reaction from the body's defenses, also called the immune system. It causes mild to severe allergic reactions to red meat, such as beef, pork or lamb. It also can cause reactions to other foods that come from mammals, such as dairy products or gelatins.

The Lone Star tick is found mainly in the southeastern United States. Most cases of alpha-gal syndrome are reported in the south, east and central United States. But the condition appears to be spreading farther north and west. Deer are carrying the Lone Star tick to new parts of the country. Other types of ticks carry alpha-gal molecules in different parts of the world. Alpha-gal syndrome has been diagnosed in parts of Europe, Australia, Asia, South Africa, and South and Central America.

Some people may have alpha-gal syndrome and not know it. There are people who often have serious allergic reactions, also called anaphylactic reactions, for no clear reason. Tests also show that they don't have other food allergies. Researchers think that some of these people may be affected by alpha-gal syndrome.

There's no treatment other than avoiding red meat and other products made from mammals. If you have a serious allergic reaction, you may need medicine called epinephrine and treatment at the emergency room.

Avoid tick bites to prevent alpha-gal syndrome. Wear long pants and long-sleeved shirts when you're in wooded, grassy areas. Use bug spray too. Check your whole body for ticks after you spend time outside.

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Mike has officially been bit by the Town Baseball bug!!!

Nancy Pelosi erupts when asked by CNN's Jake Tapper about allegations of insider trading

Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi appeared agitated Wednesday when CNN’s Jake Tapper confronted her about insider trading allegations.

On "The Lead," Tapper tried to show President Donald Trump’s comments earlier that day accusing Pelosi of becoming rich "by having inside information" in stock trading. When he attempted to read Trump’s comments after a technical error, she quickly shut him down.

"Why do you have to read that?" Pelosi erupted. "We‘re here to talk about the 60th anniversary of Medicaid. That‘s what I agreed to come to talk… and what that means in the election."

'Biden migrant child hotline ignored 65K calls': Shocking testimony rocks Homeland Security hearing

During a heated House Homeland Security Committee hearing, shocking revelations emerged about the Biden administration's migrant child protection efforts. Lawmakers learned that a federally operated hotline, meant to report safety issues for unaccompanied migrant children, failed to respond to 65,000 calls between August 2023 and January 2025. Ali Hopper, founder of GUARD Against Trafficking, testified that both federal agencies and non-governmental organisations (NGOs) are failing to protect vulnerable children caught in the ongoing border crisis.

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American Eagle sparks backlash for touting Sydney Sweeney's 'great jeans'

American Eagle’s “great jeans” advertising campaign with actor Sydney Sweeney is at the center of the latest political firestorm online, drawing accusations of racial undertones in its messaging.

Sweeney, who rose to fame for her starring roles in HBO’s “Euphoria” and “The White Lotus,” is the star of the clothing retailer’s latest denim-focused fall campaign, with the tagline, “Sydney Sweeney has great jeans.”

It’s a play on words for Sweeney’s “great genes.” Indeed, in one clip, which accrued more than 1.1 million views on American Eagle’s Instagram page, Sweeney stands before a poster of herself titled, “Sydney Sweeney has great genes,” before the word “genes” is crossed out and replaced with “jeans.”

Round-the-world walker prepares for home stretch

A man hoping to become the first person to complete an unbroken round-the-world walk is preparing for the last leg of his journey.

Karl Bushby set off from Chile in 1998. Since then he has walked across American and Asian continents, swam 186 miles (300km) across the Caspian Sea and fought off ice lumps and polar bears through the Bering Strait, all without using any form of transport.

The former paratrooper has less than 2,000 miles (3219km) left to walk before he arrives at his home city of Hull.

Mr Bushby, who is currently in Mexico waiting for a visa to complete his challenge, has said returning home will be a "very strange place to be" after being away for some 27 years.

Following his 31-day swim across the Caspian Sea last year, Mr Bushby said he continued his journey to Azerbaijan and then through to Turkey.

The traveller, originally from Sutton Park, said he "had to step aside" from his mission, named the Goliath Expedition, while he waited for a visa.

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