Society

An unusually fluffy rescue dog has captured viral attention this week after her owners shared a picture of her on sharing site Reddit . The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) reports that in the U.S., approximately 4.1 million animals are adopted each year, including 2 million dogs and 2.1 million cats. While 6.3 million animals enter shelters across the country each year, around 69 million Americans report owning at least one dog , making them the most popular pet in the U.S. On Monday, Greta Weber from Asheville, North Carolina, shared pictures of 1-year-old Ruby the pit bull on Reddit's popular r/rarepuppers forum where it has received over 31,000 upvotes and hundreds of comments. Alongside the caption: "My pittie has a rare recessive long-haired gene that makes her fluffy," images of Ruby and her extra fluffy fur have delighted thousands. Weber told Newsweek : "We adopted her last September from a local shelter. When we adopted her … [Read more...] about “Fluffy” pit bull with long hair due to rare recessive gene stuns internet

Beijing — China carried out fresh military drills around Taiwan Monday, Beijing said, defying calls to end its largest-ever exercises encircling the island in the wake of a visit by U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. Beijing has raged at the trip by Pelosi — the highest-ranking elected U.S. official to visit Taiwan in decades. The visit, which Beijing warned against for weeks, prompted China to tear up a series of talks and cooperation agreements with Washington, most notably on climate change and defense. It has also deployed fighter jets, warships and ballistic missiles in what analysts have described as practice for a blockade and ultimate invasion of the self-ruled democratic island that China claims as its territory. Those drills had been expected to draw to a close on Sunday, but China said Monday they were still ongoing. "The eastern theater of the Chinese People's Liberation Army continued to carry out practical joint exercises and training in the sea and airspace … [Read more...] about Tension soars as China prolongs military drills around Taiwan

A young Saudi woman has fled from her family and is seeking asylum, fearing for her life after she denounced Islam. "My life is in danger. My family threatens to kill me for the most trivial things," the young woman, identified as 18-year-old Rahaf al-Qunun, told Reuters on Sunday. Al-Qunun was stopped at the airport in Thailand after escaping from her family during a trip to Kuwait. She was en route to Australia to seek asylum but was reportedly stopped by Saudi and Kuwaiti officials when she arrived for a layover in Bangkok. According to Al-Qunun, they forcibly confiscated her passport and she was threatened with deportation. "My brothers and family and the Saudi embassy will be waiting for me in Kuwait," she warned in her comments to Reuters. "They will kill me," she added. Although Thai immigration officials initially attempted to return the young women to her family in the Middle East, they have since vowed to allow her to stay. "She is now under the sovereignty of … [Read more...] about “My family threatens to kill me,” asylum-seeking Saudi woman says after denouncing Islam

On Friday, Hollywood star Ashton Kutcher, a fierce advocate in the fight to end human trafficking , posted to his Facebook page a powerful pro-life video of Special Olympian and actor Frank Stephens speaking before Congress in 2017. In the video, Stephens, born with Down syndrome, talks about the dangerous trend of mothers aborting their babies when prenatal screenings come back positive for the disability, and advocated for the need to fund more research into Down syndrome. Kutcher appropriately captioned the post, “Everyone’s life is valuable.” Thus far, the post has generated over 100,000 shares and amassed hundreds of comments that share moving testimonials, and some that scold the actor for standing against a woman’s “right to choose” — a euphemism for abortion. “I am not a research scientist. However, no one knows more about life with Down syndrome than I do,” Stephens started his moving testimony. “Whatever you learn today, please remember this: I am a man with Down … [Read more...] about Ashton Kutcher Posts Powerful Pro-Life Video: ‘Everyone’s Life Is Valuable’ | The Daily Wire

Few celebrities or mainstream media figures have come out in defense of Ellen DeGeneres in response to the mounting allegations that executive producers for her daytime talk show routinely engaged in workplace abuse. Journalist Geraldo Rivera expressed bafflement that nobody has defended Ellen in the face of what he referred to as a “cancel mob” “Watching the #CancelCulture mob turn on @TheEllenShow and work hard to undo everything Ellen DeGeneres has accomplished in her groundbreaking career should be instructive to all,” tweeted Rivera. “She made history bringing acceptance to a marginalized segment of society. Where are her defenders?” Watching the #CancelCulture mob turn on @TheEllenShow and work hard to undo everything Ellen DeGeneres has accomplished in her groundbreaking career should be instructive to all. — Geraldo Rivera (@GeraldoRivera) August 3, 2020 In fact, the only celebrities to speak out about the Ellen controversy were those with strong negative … [Read more...] about Geraldo Rivera On Ellen DeGeneres Cancel Campaign: ‘Where Are Her Defenders?’ | The Daily Wire