UPDATE: 8/14/19:

City officials in Modesto, California have denied a request from Don Grundmann, who wanted to organize a "straight pride parade. The proposed event generated a national controversy, which was only heightened after Grundmann "accidentally" admitted to having racist, nationalistic and, of course, homophobic views.

Modesto officials cited safety concerns surrounding the straight pride parade and noted that organizers, i.e. Grundmann, had not obtained the necessary insurance coverage for such an event.

"There's many, many new plans. Five at least, maybe 10," Grundmann said while appearing at City Hall on Tuesday to outline his backup plans. When pressed for specifics, he reportedly had ... nothing.

Technically, he can still re-apply to have the event held in a non-residential part of the city if he is able to obtain insurance coverage but local affiliate ABC7 said that is an unlikely scenario.

And if he does somehow get his straight pride parade up and running, Grundmann is likely to face a counterdemonstration far larger than his actual event.

"Our community is made up of every color of the rainbow and every marginalized community is in fear of them bringing violence," local opposition activist Chris Holland told CBS.

Original story begins below:

Perhaps you've heard of Don Grundmann, a California man who founded the National Straight Pride Coalition. The organization's goal is to defend "heterosexuality," "Caucasians," "Western Civilization," and, of course, promote "nationalism," according to his website. He's garnered attention for partnering with Modesto resident Mylinda Mason to hold a "Straight Pride" event later this month. At a meeting with the Modesto City Council Wednesday to defend his intentions, Grundmann revealed the truth about his organization, a "totally peaceful racist group," leaving the audience and council members in a fit of laughter.

Don Grundmann Gaffe “We’re a totally peaceful racist group” www.youtube.com

There was once a time in Florida where you could park your boat in your front lawn, but you were SOL if you wanted to grow squash and lettuce there. However, thanks to one Miami Shores couple, that's about to change.

Hermine Ricketts and Tom Carroll had been growing a front yard garden for 17 years, but in 2013, Miami Shores changed its city ordinance, making the activity illegal. The new city ordinance said that backyard vegetable gardens were a-OK, but Ricketts and Carroll couldn't keep a garden in their backyard because it didn't get enough sun. So the couple could either dig up their garden or face $50 in daily fines for letting it continue to grow. The couple opted to do neither and instead, they sued the city.

Ricketts and Carroll took their case to the Florida Supreme Court. Initially, the courts sided with Miami Shores, but the fight wasn't over. Florida State Senator Rob Bradley introduced legislation preventing "a county or municipality from regulating vegetable gardens on residential properties." Earlier this year, the Senate passed the bill 35-5.

RELATED: Atlanta turned a food desert into a 7.1-acre food forest to provide healthy produce to the community

Senator Bradley recognized the shift in the way people are eating, specifically when it comes to organic foods."What we've seen over the last several years is a movement to locally source food to have food be more organic and be more natural and not have to be subject to so many preserves and chemicals so that it travels across the country," he said during the bill's second reading. "Instead, it can be in your backyard to be eaten."

Keeping a vegetable garden is a way to combat foot deserts. Now residents are more empowered to grow their own food, thus fighting against potential food shortages. "The world is changing when it comes to food. There's a big interest when it comes to locally sourced food or organic products," Senator Bradley said.

RELATED: The first bike path to cross America coast-to-coast is more than half-way finished

"It is our role, our duty, to review decisions that are made in the courts that uphold local government actions that violate property rights in the State of Florida ... When you own a piece of property, you should be able to grow food on that property for your family's consumption," he added.

As Ari Bargill, the lawyer who represented Ricketts and Carroll, puts it, "I look forward to the day where no Floridian would worry about crippling fines for the offense of growing cabbage." So let those cabbages grow, Florida!

Few things seem to get under Donald Trump's skin more than Barack Obama's legacy. In some ways, Trump's entire presidency is a reaction to Obama's, with Trump systematically working to unwind each of Obama's legislative and symbolic achievements.

So it's reasonable to assume that nothing would enrage Trump more than pulling up to his eponymous piece of real estate and seeing the street out front named after his biggest political nemesis.

That's exactly what Elizabeth Rowin had in mind when she launched a new online petition to rename the street in front of Trump Tower "President Barack H. Obama Avenue."

RELATED: President Trump said something racist this week

"I honestly started it as a joke," Elizabeth Rowin, the petition's organizer told Newsweek. "I saw a comedian joke about how it would make Trump so mad if it was named after former President Obama and thought why not."

Well, if it's a joke, a lot of people want to be in on it. Since being posted, over 100,000 people have already signed the petition. And with media attention swelling around the news, those numbers are only likely to rapidly expand.

RELATED: Jameela Jamil wants women to stop apologizing for 'being ambitious'

So, could it actually happen? Maybe.

The petition is addressed to Mayor Bill de Blasio and the City Council. De Blasio is running for president and is no fan of Trump. Bragging about having changed the street name could be a nice talking point for him on the campaign trail.

However, current city guidelines stipulate that if you're going to name a street after a person, the honoree has to be deceased and you need 75 percent of local residents to sign a formal petition authorizing the change. The neighborhood where Trump Tower is located also has placed a moratorium on street name changes.

That said, it's all a formality. Especially if there's a groundswell of support for making the change.

"I am sure the conditions can be changed," local District Manager Wally Rowin told Newsweek. "These laws are arbitrary and can be worked around."

In other words, he's saying there's a chance.

Americans on both sides of the political aisle can agree on one thing: our infrastructure needs a huge upgrade. While politicians drag their feet on high-speed rail projects, fixing bridges, and building new airports, one amazing project is picking up steam.

The Great American Rail-Trail, a bike path that will connect Washington state to Washington, D.C., is over 50% complete.

The trail is being planned by the Rails-to-Trails Conservancy, a nonprofit that is working with local governments to make the dream a reality.

RELATED: Poland has beautiful solar-powered bike lanes that glow in the dark

"Picture yourself pedaling across the entire country on a safe, seamless and scenic pathway—or walking a local trail that connects along historic routes. The experience of exploring America's heritage … it's beauty and bounty … from the most personal vantage point: the trail," says a press release by the Conservancy.

The bike path will be separated from vehicle traffic and will traverse 12 states from the Pacific to the Atlantic, covering 3,700 miles.

It aims to serve 50 million people living within 50 miles of the route as well as countless tourists who will flock to the trail.

A recent 12-month assessment of route options identified 90 gaps between 125 current trails that need to be filled for the dream to become a reality. It's believed it should take about two decades for the complete path to become a reality.

The rail-trail is made possible by a law passed in 1983 that allows companies with abandoned rail lines to turn them into trails until the lines are needed again. Lines that are railbanked can reopen within a year's time, whereas completely abandoned lines may take years to begin re-operation.

RELATED: These 'public pantries' are popping up all around the world to help fight hunger

The Rails-to-Trails Conservancy believes that crossing the halfway point with the trail has created a greater sense of urgency and enthusiasm from local communities and governments to complete the project.

"With open trials comprising more than 50 percent of the potential route, combined with strong local and state enthusiasm, we are now confident that the Great American Rail-Trail can be completed. RTC is ready to lead the effort to connect the trail across communities, counties and state lines to create a seamless off-road biking and walking journey for the country," Keith Laughlin, President of the Rails-to-Trails Conservancy, said in a statement.

Here are just a few of the beautiful paths one can enjoy when the Great American Rail-Trail opens.

Washington D.C. to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

via Rails to Trails

Fredericksburg to Dayton, Ohio

via Rails to Trails

Norfolk to Valentine, Nebraska

via Rails to trails

Cedar Falls to Beverly, Washington

via Rails to Trails

Americans throw away enough glass every week to fill a 1,350-foot building. Glass takes up to a million years to completely decompose in a landfill, but it's easy to recycle, so there's no reason we should ever have to make anymore glass. We already have enough.

But, sadly, that's not how the world works.

• 42 kWh of electricity
• 5 gallons of oil714.3 Btu's of energy
• 2 cubic yards of landfill space
• 7.5 pounds of air pollutants from being released
• 1,330 pounds of sand.

Researchers have found a brilliant way to reuse glass that not only saves energy by being recylced, but actually generates power. They have figured out how to take used glass bottles and transform them into high-performance lithium-ion batteries — the kind that could power an electric car.

via UC Riverside

Not only are the batteries eco-friendly, but they are powerful as well. The researchers found a way to make them last longer and provide more electricity batteries by using silicon anodes — an electrode through which the current enters into an electrical device — instead of traditional graphite.

RELATED: The car of the future is so green, it has a garden beneath the hood

"Today graphite is used as the main commercial material for fabricating the anode electrodes," Cengiz Ozkan, a professor of mechanical engineering at UC Riverside explained.

"We replaced graphite in the anodes with our new nanosilicon material derived from waste glass bottles," he continued. "In the half-cell configuration, our batteries demonstrate performance about four times higher compared to graphite anode batteries."
Researchers at the University of California, Riverside's Bourns College of Engineering used a three-step process to use a discarded glass bottle into lithium-ion batteries.

First, they rushing and grinding the glass bottles into a fine white powder. Second, they used hot magnesium to reduce to the silicon dioxide into nanostructured silicon. Finally, they coated the silicon nanoparticles with carbon to improve their stability and energy storage properties.

"We started with a waste product that was headed for the landfill and created batteries that stored more energy, charged faster, and were more stable than commercial coin cell batteries. Hence, we have very promising candidates for next-generation lithium-ion batteries," Changling Li, a graduate student in materials science and engineering and lead author on the paper, said.

This isn't the researchers' first attempts to create batteries out of alternative materials.

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"In the past, we have demonstrated lithium-ion battery anodes fabricated using bio-mass (mushrooms), beach sand, and diatom fossils as nature-abundant precursor materials," Mihri Ozkan, a professor of electrical engineering, told Design News.

"Such natural resources can help reduce the cost of lithium-ion batteries, as well as minimize the carbon footprint from graphite-based anodes in lithium-ion batteries," she continued.

The researchers at UC Riverside may be working on some great advancements in the field of mechanical engineering, but their work also points to an important fact we should all understand. When we throw away "disposable" material such as glass or aluminum we should never forget that we are discarding something with enormous potential.

"I look at philanthropy the same way I look at my business investments," Muneer Satter, Founder and Chairman of Satter Investment Management, once told me. "I'm looking for exponential returns." In the humanitarian sector where I operate, we've unfortunately grown accustomed to less-than-optimal returns. We do our best to improve security and quality of life for the world's vulnerable populations, but we rarely make a dent in solving the most intractable conflicts or dire emergencies.

As I describe in my book, "To Stop a Warlord," nontraditional partnerships are one strategy that can make the impossible possible. In corporate and nonprofit spaces, and everywhere in between, when we collaborate in unprecedented ways, we buck the status quo and step outside our comfort zones. This retrains us to think without limits and gives us an augmented capacity to make major change in the world.

The results of nontraditional partnerships can be successful in solving problems and lasting in their innovation—and the results can also be surprising. The massive problem we were trying to tackle was to end a long-standing armed conflict in Central Africa where a rebel group called the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) had been terrorizing citizens of four countries for twenty-five years. More than one hundred thousand people had been killed, almost two million innocent civilians displaced, and at least thirty thousand children abducted and forced to become soldiers or sex slaves in what was already Africa's longest-running war.

Ending the LRA conflict seemed like a lost cause. But we set forth on forging an unlikely alliance of private and public entities—including philanthropists, humanitarian organizations, local civil society leaders, and the U.S. and Ugandan militaries—to intervene. By the end of our intervention, many top-tier LRA leaders and at least fourteen percent of the LRA's core fighting force had defected or been captured; and there had been a ninety percent reduction in LRA killings.

There are four major lessons to be drawn from the unparalleled success of this unlikely partnership.

RELATED: A group of women in Angola are bravely working to clear their country of landmines

Thoroughly Dissect the Goal or Mission Statement

Too often, organizations get caught up in the jargon of their work, glossing over the fact that the outcomes don't match the stated goals. It's imperative that leaders encourage the hard work of scrutiny and honesty so that the desired results and the actual results are in better alignment. For example, part of Bridgeway Foundation's mission statement reads: to prevent oppression, genocide, and human rights abuses throughout the world. But our outcomes — researching ongoing violence, performing analysis, supporting victims of violence, making policy recommendations, creating campaigns to motivate political leaders to prioritize ending crises around the globe—didn't match our mission: to stop mass atrocities. Acknowledging this discrepancy was the first step toward a major course correct.

Rethink the Approach, Start by Listening

In any field, but especially in humanitarian work, there's a risk in taking strategies that have been successful in other contexts and imposing them in new environments and situations where they might not be the right fit or fill the most important needs. The only way to know what's needed is to ask and to listen. In seeking information and guidance, it's important to consult these three sources:

1) The experts in the area where your organization needs to change or grow.

2) The people with the most direct experience in the area where your organization needs to change or grow.

3) The people most impacted by the success or failure of your work.

While the first group probably goes without saying, the third group is often neglected, especially when the people who stand to benefit or suffer most from a decision are disenfranchised in some way. It's important to ask, who isn't being heard?

Ask What You're Willing to Risk for What You Believe In

An unprecedented alliance can be risky. So how do you know if it's the right move? Ask yourself which is greater: the risk of doing nothing, or the risk of pushing beyond the bounds of business as usual? If doing nothing is the greater risk, it's time to pivot how you partner.

In my experience, a nontraditional alliance isn't a one-off risk—it's a collaboration that will push each partner again and again to discover how far they're willing to go. For example, in the work to stop the LRA, an opportunity for a critical operation arose, but the mission was short on aircraft. If the team couldn't come up with the funding to contract helicopters and pilots on short notice, the critical moment would be lost. Vital contributions at the last hour allowed the operation to continue. Partnering in unlikely ways often requires huge risk and commitment—and it might push us to go farther than anyone would have thought possible in service of the goals. That's because, from the get-go, these partnerships require those involved to act in service of their highest ideals—to find what motivates them, individually and collectively, to make the sacrifice, and to accept opportunities to go all-in in the investment.

RELATED: Justice finally served in the case of a Nazi who unleashed a troll army on a Jewish woman

Step "Out of Bounds"

When you try something unprecedented, there's no road map for success.

This alliance wasn't perfect, nor did it achieve one hundred percent of its original goals. But with an over ninety percent reduction of LRA violence, a war criminal on trial at the ICC in the Hague, and 730 peaceful defections over a five-year period, there is no question that, together, we moved the needle forward and dramatically altered the global landscape of conflict resolution and security.

Such nontraditional alliances can prove fruitful in any industry—joining forces with diverse partners allows us to fill gaps and augment capabilities. And sometimes, nontraditional partnerships are precisely what we need to achieve exponential returns.

Shannon Sedgwick Davis is the CEO of Bridgeway Foundation, a philanthropic organization dedicated to ending and preventing mass atrocities around the world. As an attorney, activist, passionate advocate for social justice, Sedgwick Davis has guided Bridgeway Foundation in pioneering solutions to these seemingly intractable issues. She is also the author of To Stop A Warlord: My Story of Justice, Grace, and the Fight for Peace.

Swiss auto manufacturer Rinspeed has a released a new concept car called the Oasis that's jam-packed with every feature you could possibly want — plus some you didn't even know you needed — including a garden beneath the hood.

Most importantly, it provides the industry with a glimpse into the future of transportation. The car is great for the environment, has incredible safety features, and can senselessly integrate into its passenger's lifestyle via artificial intelligence.

The Oasis is an electric car designed for personal ownership or as a self-driving, ride-sharing vehicle. Its hatchback design is almost completely see-through and it has a 5K display screen.

In the future, when everything is self-driving, the Oasis' steering wheel can be turned into a table, so you can start work early on your morning commute. It has a top speed of 80 miles per hour and solar panels are integrated into the roof design.

RELATED: Scientists discovered a mushroom that eats plastic, and believe it could clean our landfills

The car also has an on-board “personal assistant" that uses artificial intelligence to link your personal social media accounts and calendar to the vehicle's navigation system and real-time traffic information. that way you're sure not to miss any appointments or show up to work late.

If the car battery runs low, no problem: a robot with a fresh one will be on its way.

It also has a heads-up display to help you maneuver the vehicle through tricky turns.

The car can also sense when traffic lights have gone from red to green.

It alerts you when obstacles, such as people, are in front of the car.

When entering the vehicle, you're greeted with a light display.

RELATED: Finnish company making food of the future out of thin air

The car shows its commitment to sustainability by having a garden beneath the hood that has enough space for growing radishes or even little Bonsai trees.

“Urban gardening on wheels as a new trend? A little bit out there? Maybe. But as always, the creation of Swiss mobility innovator Frank M. Rinderknecht is an oasis for inspiration in the otherwise rather expansive automotive wasteland," the company said.

via Rinspeed

The car made its debut in 2017 at the Consumer Electronics Show and the Detroit auto show. Currently, there are no plans to mass produce the Oasis, but it's given automakers a lot of great ideas to consider when planning the future of transportation.

Sarah Silverman recently raised questions about cancel culture on "The Bill Simmons Podcast" while talking about how she was recently fired from a movie for appearing in blackface during a 2007 sketch on her Comedy Central show, "The Sarah Silverman Program."

"I recently was going to do a movie ... a really sweet part and a cool little movie," Silverman said. "Then at 11 p.m. the night before, they fired me because they saw that picture of me in blackface from that episode."

In the sketch in question, Silverman wears blackface to see if it's more difficult to be black or Jewish. Silverman has since tried to distance herself from the sketch before. "I don't stand by the blackface sketch. I'm horrified by it, and I can't erase it. I can only be changed by it and move on," she told GQ last year. "That was such liberal-bubble stuff, where I actually thought it was dealing with racism by using racism. I don't get joy in that anymore. It makes me feel yucky." Regardless, Silverman ultimately got canned for it.

The comedian went with the producer's decision. "I didn't fight it," she continued. "They hired someone else who is wonderful but who has never stuck their neck out. It was so disheartening. It just made me real, real sad because I really kind of devoted my life to making it right."

Silverman in the 2007 episode of The Sarah Silverman show.

Blackface is something that is clearly offensive, and has been for quite some time. However, Silverman says that where we were regarding race 12 years ago and where we are now are two very different places. "[T]here was so much I didn't know," Silverman said. "I knew there was racism, I knew that there was and I wanted to illuminate that in some way in comedy. But I didn't know that cops were killing black people and unarmed black teenagers on the regular, and that changed me forever."

RELATED: Buccaneers coach Bruce Arians clearly has his priorities straight with this zero-tolerance rule

Silverman said that cancel culture might be taking things too far, calling it, "righteousness porn." There's a difference between pointing out someone's mistakes so they can change their behavior and taking enjoyment in someone else's shortcomings. "It's like, if you're not on board, if you say the wrong thing, if you had a tweet once, everyone is, like, throwing the first stone," she said. "It's so odd. It's a perversion. It's really, 'Look how righteous I am and now I'm going to press refresh all day long to see how many likes I get in my righteousness.'"

Silverman's comments on cancel culture raised some interesting points. Should we cancel people who have already owned up to their faults and vowed to change them? Are we preventing people from growing by canceling them? Is loudly demanding we cancel someone just as toxic as the bad behaviors we're trying to cancel?

Note: This an excerpt is from Sarah Cooper's latest book, How to Be Successful Without Hurting Men's Feelings.

In this fast-paced business world, female leaders need to make sure they're not perceived as pushy, aggressive, or competent. One way to do that is to alter your leadership style to account for the fragile male ego.

Should men accept powerful women and not feel threatened by them? Yes. Is that asking too much? IS IT? Sorry, I didn't mean to get aggressive there. Anyhoo, here are twelve non-threatening leadership strategies for women.

When setting a deadline, ask your coworker what he thinks of doing something, instead of just asking him to get it done. This makes him feel less like you're telling him what to do and more like you care about his opinions.

When sharing your ideas, overconfidence is a killer. You don't want your male coworkers to think you're getting all uppity. Instead, downplay your ideas as just “thinking out loud," “throwing something out there," or sharing something “dumb," “random," or “crazy."

Pepper your emails with exclamation marks and emojis so you don't come across as too clear or direct. Your lack of efficient communication will make you seem more approachable.

If a male coworker steals your idea in a meeting, thank him for it. Give him kudos for how he explained your idea so clearly. And let's face it, no one might've ever heard it if he hadn't repeated it.

When you hear a sexist comment, the awkward laugh is key. Practice your awkward laugh at home, with your friends and family, and in the mirror. Make sure you sound truly delighted even as your soul is dying inside.

Men love explaining things. But when he's explaining something and you already know that, it might be tempting to say, “I already know that." Instead, have him explain it to you over and over again. It will make him feel useful and will give you some time to think about how to avoid him in the future.

Pointing out a mistake is always risky so it's important to always apologize for noticing the mistake and then make sure that no one thinks you're too sure about it. People will appreciate your “hey what do I know?!" sensibilities.

Asking your manager for a promotion could make you seem power- hungry, opportunistic, and transparent. Instead, ask a male coworker to vouch for you. Have your coworker tell your manager you'd be great for the role even though you don't really want it. This will make you more likely to actually get that promotion.

Sometimes not everyone is properly introduced at the start of a meeting. Don't take it personally even if it happens to you all the time, and certainly don't stop the meeting from moving forward to introduce yourself. Sending a quick note afterward is the best way to introduce yourself without seeming too self-important.

When you get interrupted, you might be tempted to just continue talking or even ask if you can finish what you were saying. This is treacherous territory. Instead, simply stop talking. The path of least resistance is silence.

When collaborating with a man, type using only one finger. Skill and speed are very off-putting.

When all else fails, wear a mustache so everyone sees you as more man- like. This will cancel out any need to change your leadership style. In fact, you may even get a quick promotion!

Many women have discovered the secret power of non-threatening leadership. We call it a “secret power" because no one else actually knows about it. We keep our power hidden within ourselves so that it doesn't frighten and intimidate others. That's what makes us the true unsung heroes of the corporate world.

About the Author: Sarah Cooper
Sarah Cooper is a writer, comedian, and author of 100 Tricks to Appear Smart in Meetings. Her new book, How to Be Successful Without Hurting Men's Feelings, was just released.

Image courtesy of Sarah Cooper.

A satirical take on what it's like to be a woman in the workplace, Cooper draws from her experience as a former executive in the world of tech (she's a former Googler and Yahooer). You can get the book here.

This article was originally published on March 25, 2019.

Neo-Nazi Andrew Anglin, founder and editor of The Daily Stormer, must pay $14 million to Tanya Gersh, a Jewish woman he organized a troll army against.

The Daily Stormer is an American neo-Nazi, white supremacist, and Holocaust denial commentary website and message board that advocates for the genocide of Jewish people.

Five years ago, Anglin encouraged his readers to harass Gersh after he accused her of attempting to extort the mother of white nationalist Richard Spencer. Gersh has denied the allegations.

Spencer was famously punched in the face on camera at Donald Trump's Inauguration, prompting the people to debate: Is it OK to punch a Nazi?

RELATED: The Internet Debates: Is it Ok to punch a Nazi?

At Anglin's prompting, Gersh received over 700 messages saying, "I hope you die," "Kill yourself," and "We will take pleasure in your pain." One voicemail said: "You are surprisingly easy to find on the Internet. And in real life."

The lawsuit was brought by the Southern Poverty Law Center two years ago on Gersh's behalf and was ruled on Thursday.

"This win isn't just for me, my family and my community; this is a win for everyone who has been harassed, terrorized, and bullied," Gersh said in a statement.

RELATED: In 1938, Nazis demanded to know if 'The Hobbit' author was Jewish. He responded with a high-class burn.

"Even though I don't like to admit that what he did broke a part of me, I am now a stronger person for it. Don't be afraid to take a stand against hatred and don't let hateful people define who you are. We will not let them win," she continued.

Anglin did not show up to court and his whereabouts are unknown. He only has to pay for the judgement if he's living in the U.S., but Gersh's lawyers are intent on making him pay, regardless.

"We will go to the ends of the earth to collect the judgment on behalf of our client, Tanya Gersh, whether it's cash, assets or intellectual property," Gersh's lawyer, David Dinielli, said.

While we may debate whether it's appropriate to punch a Nazi, everyone should be fine with holding them accountable for threatening people.

The judgement sends a strong message to anyone who attempts to threaten or harass anyone online.

In America we have freedom of speech, but we should also be free to live our lives without being harassed for our religion or ethnicity. And, if you do harass someone, it's gonna cost you.

As a response to the recent mass shootings in El Paso, Texas and Dayton, Ohio that claimed the lives of 31 people last weekend, a human rights organization has issued a warning to all people traveling to the United States.

The Amnesty International advisory was announced "in light of ongoing high levels of gun violence in the country."

The advisory reads as follows:

IF YOU DECIDE TO TRAVEL TO THE UNITED STATES:
- Be extra vigilant at all times and be wary of the ubiquity of firearms among the population.
- Avoid places where large numbers of people gather, especially culture events, places of worship, schools, and shopping malls.
- Exercise increased caution when visiting local bars, nightclubs, and casinos.

The advisory also made note that certain people may be in greater danger of violence given their "gender identity, race, country of origin, ethnic background or sexual orientation."

RELATED: Republican senator calls out GOP for 'enabling white supremacy'—then gets asked to leave

According to a press release, Amnesty International issued the warning partially due to the inaction of American politicians to pass legislation to curb the violence.

"Travelers to the United States should remain cautious that the country does not adequately protect people's right to be safe, regardless of who they might be. People in the United States cannot reasonably expect to be free from harm – a guarantee of not being shot is impossible," said Ernest Coverson, Campaign Manager for the End Gun Violence Campaign at Amnesty International USA.

"Once again, it is chillingly clear that the U.S. government is unwilling to ensure protection against gun violence."

The announcement comes as many Americans are fearful of going out in public due to the mass shootings.

RELATED: 'Straight Pride' leader slips up at City Council meeting: 'We're a totally peaceful racist group'

This fear was on full display Tuesday night when a motorcycle backfired in Times Square in New York City, a major tourist destination. The loud noises sounded like gunshots, causing people to run for their lives. Twenty people were injured during the chaos.

Yep, this whole country has PTSD, people panic in times square after a motorcycle backfires thinking it was a mass shooting. pic.twitter.com/4w7rPbk2A4
— 𝕸𝖆𝖘𝖙𝖊𝖗 𝕬𝖓𝖉 𝕮𝖔𝖒𝖒𝖆𝖓𝖉𝖊𝖗 (@DasCommander21) August 7, 2019

"Everyone thought there was a shooter coming down the streets. I thought I was going to watch my daughter get shot down in front of me," Bridget Siljander told NBC News.

A new report from the United Nations warns that climate change is threatening to shrink our global food supply. Extreme weather such as droughts and floods plus our own exploitation of natural resources might prevent the human race from being able to feed itself. The report also shows we are losing soil between 10 and 100 times faster than soil is forming. But one company in Finland might have found the solution.

Start-up company Solar Foods is ready if the day ever comes where we finally consume all of our resources thanks to a new protein powder they've created based on a concept by NASA. The company pulls carbon dioxide from the atmosphere by using carbon capture technology, then adds water, nutrients, vitamins, and electricity to the CO2, triggering a fermentation process that's not too different from beer, according to CNN. The finished result is a white, powdery, high-protein substance known as Solein.

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Solein sounds like the food of the future that we've seen in science fiction movies. It looks kind of like flour, and just like flour, can be turned into other foods. It can also be used to boost protein in current foods without making it taste any different, just in case the idea of eating raw protein powder sounds unappealing.

Solar Foods claims Solein is the "most environmentally friendly food there is," and it might live up to those claims. Since Solein is literally pulled out of thin air, it doesn't consume natural resources. The carbon-neutral process removes CO2 from the atmosphere instead of releasing it. It also doesn't have the same limitations as agriculture and it's not as problematic for the environment as the meat industry. And while certain crops can only grow in certain environments, air is everywhere. According to Solar Foods CEO Pasi Vainikka, Solein would allow us to "disconnect food production from agriculture," he told Food and Wine.

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Because Solein can be made from the air we breathe, it gives us options. If resources like land and water become scarce, we can still have food thanks to Solein. If we have to completely abandon the wasteland we've turned the Earth into and live in space, Solein can feed us there, too.

What's the future of this futuristic protein? Solar Foods wants to start selling Solein by 2021, with the aim to produce two million meals made from the product, Dezeen reports. The company is applying for a novel food license from the EU so that it can go into commercial production. Solar Foods envisions Solein as an environmentally sustainable plant-based meat alternative and wants to use it to boost the protein in other meat-alternatives, like Beyond Meat and Impossible Burger.

Perhaps you've heard of Don Grundmann, a California man who founded the National Straight Pride Coalition. The organization's goal is to defend "heterosexuality," "Caucasians," "Western Civilization," and, of course, promote "nationalism," according to his website. He's garnered attention for partnering with Modesto resident Mylinda Mason to hold a "Straight Pride" event later this month. At a meeting with the Modesto City Council Wednesday to defend his intentions, Grundmann revealed the truth about his organization, a "totally peaceful racist group," leaving the audience and council members in a fit of laughter.

Don Grundmann Gaffe “We’re a totally peaceful racist group” www.youtube.com

Celebrities and other gym-goers are canceling their memberships to Equinox, a pricey fitness center often frequented by the rich and famous, over the owner's decision to financially support Trump.

Billionaire Stephen M. Ross, owner of the Miami Dolphins, Equinox, and SoulCycle, has planned a fundraiser for the president in The Hamptons this Friday.

Trump is expected to attend the event where guests will pay $100,000 for a photo with the president or $250,000 to sit at a private round table meeting with him.

Chrissy Teigen has been one of the most vocal about the boycott, tweeting a response she received from Equinox after cancelling her membership. The gym has apparently been so inundated with cancellation requests that they're response time is delayed due to the "high volume of email.

Jonathan Van Ness of "Queer Eye" said he canceled his Equinox membership, too.

Cancelled that membership @Equinox & as if! I never paid those outrageous non discounted ass soul cycle prices 🏳️🌈 pic.twitter.com/L3Pf5N18P5
— Jonathan Van Ness (@jvn) August 8, 2019

MSNBC's "Morning Joe" co-host Mika Brzezinski — once a target of Trump's cruelty — announced she'd never go to SoulCycle again.

No more soul cycle. Will never go there again. Will never go to Hudson Yards or Equinox. Ever. https://t.co/X9fU9j2agK
— Mika Brzezinski (@morningmika) August 8, 2019

RELATED: The American Psychological Association says bigotry and gun laws are to blame for mass shootings, not 'mental illness'

Kenny Stills, wide receiver for the Miami Dolphins, calling out Ross' hypocrisy on Twitter. Ross runs a nonprofit called the Ross Initiative in Sports for Equality that works to reduce discrimination and racism in sports.

In 2017, Trump called the African-American NFL players who protested racial inequality by kneeling for the national anthem "bastards" and "sons of bitches," which leaves one to wonder if Ross shares the same feelings.

🤔 You can't have a non profit with this mission statement then open your doors to Trump. https://t.co/sNBWfEXvLn pic.twitter.com/nNkRf2wJep
— Kenny Stills (@KSTiLLS) August 7, 2019

Additionally, his gym brands have a history of supporting the LGBTQ community, so his decision to back Trump is contradictory to say the least.

Equinox responded to the backlash by claiming that none of its profits go to political causes, which is disingenuous to say the least. While the gym itself may not be making political donations, the man who profits from the gym does.

Over the past few years, there have been numerous business boycotts in response to their owners' support for right-wing political causes. Chick-fil-A and Hobby Lobby's financial backing of conservative Christian groups were some of the most publicized.

However, if one looks deeply into the political dealings of some of their favorite businesses, they're bound to discover donations to organizations they may not like.

Some of businesses support is for purely practical reasons, as they often make donations to political parties in order to gain sway with lawmakers over issues that affect them, whether it's labor regulations or simply getting a stop light in front of a brick-and-mortar store. But there are also other business owners such as the Koch Brothers that use their considerable capital in an attempt to change the basic fabric of American life.

RELATED: After Instagram deleted her topless photo, Sarah Silverman responded with the perfect post

Given the fact that many businesses support political organizations, how should we handle those that give money to the politicians and ideas that contradict our own beliefs? Where do we draw the line as individuals?

Will this burst of celebrity outrage actually change Ross' plans? It remains to be seen. But celebrities like Teigen are right for calling out those who attempt to financially support a politician who promotes hatred and bigotry.

"I have known Donald Trump for 40 years, and while we agree on some issues, we strongly disagree on many others and I have never been bashful about expressing my opinions," Ross said in a statement.

But it doesn't matter which parts of Trump's agenda he supports or doesn't. By giving him money, he is promoting everything he does, like it or not.

As we know, the police and parking enforcement officials aren't always the most accommodating when it comes to taking circumstances into account before writing a ticket. In fact, they're generally the absolute worst.

But that didn't dissuade one Wisconsin man from requesting leniency from the powers that be, when he left his car at a meter overnight after drinking too much.

The note he left on the windshield of his car, where any ticketing agency would see it, read, "Please take pity on me. I walked home … safe choices."

Sure enough, the car in violation of an expired meter was discovered by the Wausau Police Department the next day. Fortunately, the man found a sympathetic soul in Officer Jim Hellrood, who heeded the man's request for pity.

So the note worked … this time. But the police are also aware that this could serve as a convenient excuse for those who are just looking to weasel out of a ticket, so a higher-up at the department, Lt. Cord Buckner, issued a statement following up on the post.

"We're pleased people follow what we do and take an interest and understand the decision. But if you are planning on drinking, avoid driving altogether," he said.

Because, really, what's a run-in with the cops without a stern lecture and a “Have a nice day, then" at the end?

This article was originally published on May 16, 2019.

There are a million little things that women have to worry about that most men will probably never understand. A lot of those things have to do with personal safety.

Women have to worry about whether it's safe to walk home alone. They are concerned when getting into an Uber alone after a night out. They also have to be cautious when selling things online because they could unknowingly be making a deal with a predator.

A woman known as Amber J. shared a scary conversation on Reddit that she had with a man trying to purchase an iPhone she was selling online.

RELATED: NSFW: A student collected over 300 d**k pics on Tinder and turned them into an art project

The conversation shows why women should be cautious when meeting strangers in public, and also how some men are completely oblivious to the safety concerns women have.

via Reddit

via Reddit

via Reddit

via Reddit

via Reddit

via Reddit

via Reddit

"I realized something was wrong with him as soon as he said the part about being scared 'because you're a woman,'" Amber told Bored Panda. "But there are so many weirdos online that I was 'eh, ok so he's a little sexist, it's fine, I'll sell the phone and never talk to him again.' But then of course, it got way weirder."

"I would like to add that a bunch of men got offended by my use of 'mansplaining' and I think that's messed up," Amber pointed out.

RELATED: The Dalai Lama is 'deeply sorry' for saying a female successor should be attractive

The interaction shows how some guys are totally oblivious to their own double-standards.

"Here there's a guy literally saying rape doesn't happen and that feminists are Nazis, but they're choosing to be offended by a word. It's not a word I use daily; I just knew with a guy like him, it would get under his skin."

According to Bored Panda, Amanda was able to sell the phone, just not to the creepy mansplainer.

Illustrator John Atkinson of Wrong Hands perfectly summed up the differences between Baby Boomers, Gen-Xers, and Millennials in one brilliant cartoon, “anatomy of generations." His clever and funny take on generations is sure to bring a smile to your face no matter when you were born.

Image via Facebook/ Wrong Hands

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An ambitious scientific study conducted in Germany shows how discrimination can work on a spectrum. It also shows how anti-Muslim bigotry is affected by how much the target appears to have assimilated into mainstream society.

"It's a common argument, mainly by parties on the right, that immigrants are resistant to integrating," Nicholas Sambanis, a political scientist at the University of Pennsylvania, told the Los Angeles Times.

"They justify conflict and negative attitudes toward immigration and arguments to reduce immigration by referencing these fears that immigrants don't want to integrate," he continued.

The results were published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

The researchers chose Germany because it's known for upholding a strict set of societal norms and also has the largest immigrant population in Europe.

RELATED: A drunk man was filmed harassing an immigrant on their train ride. The woman next to him responded in the most British way.

For the experiment, a man would drop a cup in the train station and a nonwhite woman who appeared to be a Muslim immigrant would ask him to pick it up. This signaled to the bystanders that she "shared their norms and was a civic-minded person," the study's authors wrote.

Shortly after, the woman's phone would ring and a bag of fruit she was holding would rip open, spilling the contents to the floor. After the spill, researchers would document how many bystanders rushed to help the woman.

The researchers changed the scenarios to determine how different variables affected the bystanders' reactions. About half the time, the immigrant woman wouldn't respond to the dropped cup and another researcher would ask the man to pick it up.

In some cases, the immigrant woman would answer her phone in German and other times a foreign language. They also tried different scenarios in which she wore secular clothing or her head was covered by a hijab.

In a different scenario, a white, German women played the role of the fruit-dropper.

RELATED: What this teen wants you to know about the hijab after her dad's text went viral

The results showed that people were more likely to help the woman when she appeared to be more assimilated into German culture.

When the orange-dropper was white and spoke German, bystanders helped her 78.3% of the time, and if the woman was nonwhite and appeared secular (no headscarf, spoke German) she was helped by just about the same percentage of people, 76.4%.

However, if she wore a headscarf, bystanders helped her only 66.3% of the time.

If the Muslim woman asked the man to pick up his trash, bystanders came to her aid 72.9% of the time; when she didn't, bystanders only helped 60.4% of the time.

A white German woman who did nothing to stop the cup-dropping man was helped about as often (73.3%) as the Muslim woman who went out of her way to do some social good.

Therefore, in order to receive the same treatment as the white woman, the Muslim woman had to first prove her social worthiness.

Finally, if the white woman asked the litterbug to pick up his trash, she received the most bystander help — a full 83.9% of the time.

However, there is a silver lining to the study.

The better we understand this type of bigotry, the greater opportunity we have to change people's attitudes. Not all discrimination is intentional, so by educating people on how immigrants share a common humanity with ethnic- or religious majority citizens, we can hopefully work to reverse this particular form of anti-immigrant sentiment.

In 2015, the American Enterprise Institute — a conservative think tank that researches government, politics, economics, and social welfare — hosted a panel discussion to explore the challenges and possible solutions of homelessness on the street. One speaker on the panel was law enforcement consultant and LAPD officer of over 24 years, Deon Joseph.

Joseph, who spent 22 of his years on the force in downtown Los Angeles' Skid Row Community, discussed his experiences and what he believes the best approach is to help the homeless population, including how society can take better care of the mentally ill. Check out his impassioned discussion, below.

How we can help people off Skid Row: Lessons from LAPD Officer Deon Joseph

Is there anything a man isn't willing to mansplain to an unsuspecting woman? Men have tried to explain comedy, literature, and my own body to me. Thanks, dudes, but I've got all those subjects covered.

One mansplainer learned the hard way that these days, women can do anything — even astrophysics. Katie Mack is an astrophysicist/cosmologist and freelance science writer. She knows what she's talking — or rather, tweeting — about. Apparently, someone didn't read her bio.

The doomed mansplainer enters.

via Twitter

Katie volleys it back and emerges victorious!

Rest in peace, “Gary P Jackson #Conservative." We hardly knew ye, and that's probably a good thing.

This article was originally published on April 16, 2019.

Alanis Morissette's 1995 song “Ironic" was a massive hit, making the top five in Australia, Canada, the U.S., and Norway. It would go on to be nominated for two Grammys and its video featuring Morissette singing in a large automobile would be nominated for six MTV video music awards. But the song has drawn more than a few raised eyebrows from pedants across the English-speaking world for being about coincidences, not irony. But who cares? It's still a good song.

Twenty years later, Morissette updated her song with the help of “The Late Late Show" host James Corden to reflect modern problems, including Facebook, vaping, Netflix, and Southwest flights. She even made fun of her original song singing, “It's singing 'Ironic,' but there are no ironies / And who would've thought it figures?"

An old friend sends you a Facebook request
You only find out they're racist after you accept
There's free office cake on the first day of your diet
It's like they announce a new iPhone the day after you buy it
And isn't it ironic, don't you think?
It's like swiping left on your future soulmate
It's a Snapchat that you wish you had saved
It's a funny tweet that nobody faves
And who would've thought it figures

It's a traffic jam when you try to use Waze

A no-smoking sign when you brought your vape
It's 10,000 male late-night hosts when all you want is just one woman, seriously!
It's singing the duet of your dreams, and then Alanis Morissette shouting at you
And isn't it ironic, don't you think?
A little too ironic, and yeah I really do think

It's like you're first class on a Southwest plane

Then you realize that every seat is the same
It's like Amazon but your package never came
And who would've thought it figures

It's like Netflix but you own DVDs

It's a free ride but your Uber's down the street
It's singing “Ironic," but there are no ironies
And who would've thought it figures

This article was originally published on January 31, 2019.

_

Being a server in a restaurant is hard work. You're on your feet all day, you have to deal with needy customers, and the pay can be downright terrible. In fact, most U.S. states permit employers to pay tipped workers less than the federal minimum wage. In 21 states, servers are paid only $2.13 an hour before tips. According to a report in The Wall Street Journal, “nearly 15% of the nation's 2.4 million waiters and waitresses live in poverty, compared with about 7% of all workers. They are more likely to need public assistance and less likely to receive paid sick leave or health benefits."

That's why a Facebook post by waitress Taylar Cordova needs to be seen by everyone.

Cordova, a server at a P.F. Chang's in Colorado, received no tip on a bill totaling $187.43. A standard tip of 15% would have given Cordova $28.11. Tired of being stiffed by rude customers, she posted about the situation on Facebook, and it has been shared more than 12,000 times.

Image via Facebook.

The caption read:

“This. This is the reason I work so much. This is why I cry in the shower. I STRUGGLE to put clothes on my daughter's back and food in our bellies because of THIS. You, are the lowest of the low. Whenever you feel like it's probably fine to not tip your server, that's one more bill stacking up because they're short on money. This is food for the week that our families will go without because you didn't think it was necessary, even after asking for everything under the sun and receiving it free of charge, mind you. This is one less basic necessity my daughter needs because even TWO more dollars is too much for you.
Every decision has a consequence. Servers are paid a base pay of $2-5/hr depending on the employer, so next time you don't want to tip, regardless of the situation prior to receiving your bill, think about how much you would have to work that week off $2-5/hr to feed your family, not just you. Could you pay your bills based on that pay alone? Could you feed your family AND yourself? Because that's what happens when you choose to not tip. Please, please tip your servers. Even if it was the worst service you've ever received. A 10% tip is a big enough slap in the face, this completely tore me apart. Don't even bother walking into a restaurant if you can't afford to tip. There's a McDonald's down the street if you're that cheap."

But things may be looking up for servers in the future. According to Eater, “seven states — including New York — have already increased or eliminated the lower tipped minimum wage and seven more are in the process of increasing or eliminating it altogether." This change is necessary because, according to the National Restaurant Association, by the end of this year, 12.9 million people will work in the restaurant industry, which will account for 10% of the U.S. workforce.

This article was originally published on January 24, 2019.

Each and every day, 23 people are killed by landmines all over the world. That's almost one per hour — and half of those are children, according to The Guardian.

During times of war, landmines are deadly killers. After the war is over, landmines are left behind to kill people even when there's no more enemy. But thanks to the efforts of a brave group of women in Angola, landmines are less of a threat and the community is a safer place.

Between 1975 and 2002, Angola was engaged in a civil war following their independence from Portugal. During the war, many men in the region were killed, and now this group of women are the ones dealing with the aftermath. "People might say it is not work for women, but we can do what men can do, we just need to believe and be strong — this is what I am doing," Olimpia Nduva Chicoma Dala told Global Citizen.

RELATED: Atlanta turned a food desert into a 7.1-acre food forest to provide healthy produce to the community

Chicoma Dala is one of a team of women taking part in "Women in Demining," a project run by the HALO Trust, a nonprofit organization that removes debris left behind from war. Last year, 14 of these women worked for nearly 100 days in order to clean up over 20,400 square feet of land, the size of about 75 tennis courts.

Before the Women in Demining project came along, Chicoma Dala says she struggled to find a job. "It is really hard for women to find work in Angola, especially for my generation. When I first heard that the job with HALO involved removing landmines I was frightened — I thought maybe I will die doing this!" she said.

HALO Trust

All-female teams are being trained in landmine clearance, vehicle mechanics, and paramedic first aid, and despite being scary work, the women find it empowering. "I remember excavating my first real mine, I was very afraid but now I am happy that I can do this work," Chicoma Dala said.

RELATED: The US women's soccer team isn't just fighting for equal pay for themselves, they're fighting for all of us

Members of Chicoma Dala's family died during the civil war in Angola, but she's working hard to make sure that they're out of danger now that the fighting has ceased. "My family suffered during the war," Chicoma Dala said. "Some of them died running from the soldiers, some were killed by bullets. The landmines from the war represent a big danger to our lives, but as a woman I am able to contribute to my country by removing them."

Chicoma Dala has a message for women all over the world, even those who aren't involved in work as dangerous as demining. "I would like to say to all women in the world, whatever you want to do in your life, do not give up, keep on going. Do not say this is men's work, we women can do anything too," she said.

After back-to-back mass shootings this weekend, it has become nearly impossible to deny that our nation's current political climate is playing a role in catastrophic gun violence. While we can't create a direct line between President Trump and mass shootings, the anti-immigrant rhetoric he has co-opted from the political fringes has become integrated into our national dialogue and filtered down into the language used by those perpetrating gun violence on innocent victims.

For those who still don't see a direct correlation, this Twitter thread is impossible to ignore.

After some backlash from fellow progressives, Friedman chimed back in to make an important point: Those who want to maintain the status quo regarding gun laws and gun crimes aren't afraid to push extreme ideas and false narratives. That makes his evidence-based claim all the more vital.

Fireflies were as ubiquitous in the summer night sky as stars. Now the insects are facing extinction, and yes, humans are to blame.

Of the nearly 2,000 species of fireflies across the world, 200 are found in the U.S. However, many of those that were once common have now disappeared. There are two main reasons why these insects are on the decline: light pollution and development. On top of that, pesticides, weed killers, and logging have also played a role in the species' disappearance.

The marshes and meadows that were once lit up by the bioluminescent bug are slowly disappearing thanks to increasing development of the environment they call home. "The problem is that in America and throughout the world, our open fields and forests are being paved over, and our waterways are seeing more development and noisy boat traffic. As their habitat disappears under housing and commercial developments, firefly numbers dwindle," according to Firefly Research and Conservation.

RELATED: Biologist repopulated rare butterfly species in his backyard all by himself

Because fireflies rely on their bioluminescence for reproduction, artificial light pollution has been detrimental to their population. Male fireflies attract mates through the familiar glow that gives them their name, and in order to do this successfully, darkness is required. "We believe the fireflies' mating can be interfered with by too much light around their population," Christopher Heckscher, an entomologist at Delaware State University, told USA Today.

The fact that fireflies are dying out should be a big concern because it's an indicator of a much larger issue. "If fireflies are disappearing that means we're losing a lot more than fireflies. They can be an indicator of the quality of the wetlands. As the wetlands go, so go the fireflies" Heckscher said.

RELATED: Historic 3,000-year-old olive tree still producing olives to this day

Once fireflies are gone, they're gone forever. But it's not too late to save them. In order to make sure future generations enjoy fireflies in all the summers to come, we must take action. Turning off outside lights can give fireflies the darkness they need to find a mate. Additionally, if you live near a wetland, keeping taller grass in your yard can give fireflies a place to live. Also, avoid using pesticides and weed killers when taking care of your yard.

Fireflies shouldn't just be something we remember from our childhood, they should be part of our future, too.

The installation is inspired by the opening words of the 1948 document which reads, "Whereas recognition of the inherent dignity and of the equal and inalienable rights of all members of the human family is the foundation of freedom, justice and peace in the world..."

The art, which is designed to inspire curiosity and engagement with the UDHR, includes an eight-foot-tall mirrored lenticular that reads, "MEMBER OF THE HUMAN FAMILY." Other messages become visible when the object is viewed from different perspectives. On the back is a mirror highlighting the 30 individual articles of the UDHR.

"We're giving one of the most important documents humanity's ever crafted the social currency it deserves," Gabriel Reilich, VP of Content and Development at GOOD, said. "We want the Universal Declaration of Human Rights to enter the public consciousness as easily as any viral post or highly photographed moment can."

Via GOOD

In 1946, as the horrors of WWII began to slowly come to light, the United Nations realized its charter did not go far enough to help protect the world's citizenry. The next year, the U.N. established a committee, chaired by former first lady Eleanor Roosevelt, to draft the UDHR to protect everyone, everywhere. Ratified by the U.N. in December 2018, it's the first to ever declare fundamental rights for all of humanity.

Eleanor Roosevelt and United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights in Spanish text. Via Wikimedia Commons.

The document outlines 30 articles affirming an individual's rights which include: dignity, liberty, brotherhood, and the prohibition of slavery and torture. It also affirms the right to freedom of thought, opinion, religion, conscience, and peaceful association.

It's been translated into 500 different languages and served as the basis for customary international law for over 50 years and served as a precursor to the International Bill of Human Rights, which came into force in 1976. The celebration of its anniversary comes at a time when Americans need to recommit themselves to human rights, especially given the current administration's track record on the matter.

People have been posting their interactions with the art installations under #HumanFamily.

If you haven't heard of Rep. Will Hurd (R-TX), he's a fascinating study in American democracy. Hurd is the only black Republican serving in Congress. He represents a district that covers the longest stretch of land covering the U.S./Mexico border and his district is 71 percent Latino. Needless to say, he has some complicated feelings about building a wall with our southern neighbors and says President Trump has never reached out to him to discuss border policy.

And now, he's also decided he's decided to get out of Congress.

Whether you're a Democrat, Republican or fiercely independent, this is a big deal. It's a huge embarrassment for our country that only one black Republican currently serves in the U.S. House and after the 2020 election, that number could very well be zero.

In an announcement on his page, Hurd said he wants to "grow a Republican Party that looks like America," and he knows we have a long way to go:

As the only African American Republican in the House of Representatives and as a Congressman who represents a 71% Latino district, I've taken a conservative message to places that don't often hear it. Folks in these communities believe in order to solve problems we should empower people not the government, help families move up the economic ladder through free markets not socialism and achieve and maintain peace by being nice with nice guys and tough with tough guys. These Republican ideals resonate with people who don't think they identify with the Republican Party. Every American should feel they have a home in our party.

Again, even if you disagree with those ideals, they are well within the bounds of normal political debate in America and are ideas that resonate half or more of all Americans. That's not the problem. The real problem is that proponents of those ideals rarely look or sound like our increasingly diverse electorate and often don't even make an effort to connect with Americans outside the homogenous block of center-right, white Americans who increasingly fill the ranks of the Republican Party.

It's sad that Hurd thinks he can do a better job of addressing this problem outside of the federal government. It's even sadder that his party is losing their sole African American member in the House.

Putting ideology aside, it's vital for all of us as Americans to have a diverse elected body of leaders that looks like, sounds like, and listens to the problems of the people they are voted to represent. A more representative democracy is good for everyone and more vital than ever.

Carrollton, Texas is a relatively small city with a population of just over 100,000 people. It's the perfect testing ground for how powerful, and positive, real community policing can be. And in this case, local law enforcement absolutely nailed it.

A group of officers was called to respond to a noise complaint at a local, daytime house party. The on-duty police officers had body cameras, so the entire thing was caught on camera. Showing up at the scene, it becomes immediately apparent to them that nothing inappropriate is happening.

In fact, what is happening is clearly a touching and entirely appropriate gathering of family and friends celebrating a young woman's graduation. The officers prepare to leave the scene when their new host asks if they want to come and join the party for a bit. After the officers agree, they're given one stipulation by the woman in question: They have to agree to dance with her.

As one commenter noted: "Now this is the police a community deserves."

via Steve Baker / Flickr and Lynn Friedman / Flickr

Fast food chains have been fighting it out for customer foot traffic for decades. But now, in the age of social media, they're doing battle for likes and retweets by throwing some solid shade at one another.

Taco Bell is in on the act.

via Taco Bell / Twitter

Burger King dissed Wendy's after they dropped the 4 for $4 deal by beating it with a 5 for $4 deal.

via Burger King / Twitter

But Wendy's is the undisputed king or queen, that is, of the fast-food social media wars.

via Wendy's / Twitter

via Wendy's / Twitter

via Wendy's / Twitter

Given the importance that having a strong Twitter game has become, Wendy's now has a team of five men and women in their 20s and 30s who come up with sassy one-liners.

But with all this back-and-forth going on, why has McDonald's been relatively silent? McDonald's has been slow to the game. Maybe it's because, as the number two fast-food chain in America, there's no need to punch down? Or that Mayor McCheese doesn't have any witty comebacks?

Regardless, the creators of the Big Mac did get a bit saucy in Belgium recently, taking a shot at Burger King with a banner that reads, “Served by a king, or served as a king?" The smaller text below urges patrons to, “Discover our table service."

via Burger King Belgie / Facebook

First of all, McDonald's with servers? That just doesn't sound right. But, it is Europe after all where they dip their french fries in mayonnaise.

Burger King fired back at McDonald's with a banner few feet away that had a Whopper of a zinger. “Why try to roast when you can't even flame-grill?" Just like the McDonalds burn, the banner also had a call to action in a smaller font that reads, “Discover our flame-grilled burger."

via Burger King Beljie / Facebook

Game. Set. Match.

Burger King may have won the beef, McDonald's gets the last laugh. McDonald's is the number two most popular fast-food chain in the world while Burger King is number five. Subway takes the top spot.

Having a snarky Twitter feed is great for getting followers and keeping your brand top-of-mind with consumers. But, in the end, does this type of cheeky back and forth actually lead to an increase in sales?

“If you're not driving revenues, at end of the day, the CEO doesn't care," Peter Shankman, author of 'Zombie Loyalists: Using Great Service to Create Rabid Fans,'" told USA Today. “Does it drive enough to pay for the 26-year-old kid who's handling the social account? Sure."

It seems like once or twice a year Tomi Lahren will say something so outrageous that the general public can't help but be outraged. Honestly, it's clearly her strategic bread and butter. Offend the snowflakes, generate attention, cash in on said controversy for fame and fortune from her army of followers on the right. Rinse and repeat.

Except for this time, it backfired entirely.

As Wednesday night's Democratic primary debate was getting underway, Lahren took to Twitter to attack Sen. Kamala Harris.

The attack has nothing to do with policy or even political ideology. Instead, it's a smear stemming from the early days of Harris' professional career when she dated former San Francisco Mayor Willie Brown. Though there is no supporting evidence to the attack, Lahren was playing into an idea floated by some conspiracy theorists that Harris only had a romantic relationship with Brown in order to jumpstart her then-nascent political career. No steam-affair, no rise to California Attorney General, no election to the U.S. Senate and no top-tier presidential campaign in 2020.

It's so ridiculous that it's not even worth breaking down the logic.

It's so offensive that several of Lahren's own colleagues at the Fox News Channel publicly chastised her for the low blow.

Fox News meteorologist Janice Dean responded on the thread, writing:

"If a male contributor had tweeted this they would probably be suspended with a trip to HR. Pretty disgusting, Tomi. Are clicks and retweets worth demeaning women? Would you do the same to a 'conservative' female candidate?"

Fellow political host Kat Timpf added:

"I am curious to know what you think bringing a woman's personal/sexual life into this accomplishes. Men do that to us enough as it is. I'm honestly asking."

And finally, Britt McHenry, another Fox News personality who has accused her former co-host of sexual harrassment, probably had the most damning response of all:

"Do you have any idea how damaging this is to women who've actually been sexually harassed, assaulted or demeaned in the workplace? How much this weakens our own gender, regardless of partisanship. My goodness."

It got so bad that Lahren finally tweeted a half-hearted apology.

The question remains: Did Lahren actually learn anything from the exchange? Or, is she simply embarrassed for having been called out? There's nothing with criticizing Kamala Harris for her political beliefs, her record or her policy proposals. But keep it in the arena of ideas or get out of the debate game and leave the jousting to those with something to say and the principles to say it correctly.