Colombian-born actress Sofía Vergara‚ best known for playing a trophy wife on the hit ABC sitcom “Modern Family‚” recently made headlines when she revealed the reason for the dissolution of her marriage to fellow actor Joe Manganiello. She said it was because he wanted children‚ but at 51‚ she was feeling too old to welcome any new babies. “My marriage broke up because my husband was younger; he wanted to have kids and I didn’t want to be an old mom‚” the actress told Spanish newspaper El País‚ as The Daily Wire previously reported. “I feel it’s not fair to the baby. I respect whoever does it‚ but that’s not for me anymore.” While Manganiello doesn’t have any children‚ Vergara does have a 32-year-old son‚ Manolo. “I had a son at 19‚ who is now 32‚ and I’m ready to be a grandmother‚ not a mother. So‚ if love comes along‚ he has to come with [his own] children‚” the “Griselda” star added. “I’m almost in menopause; it’s the natural way of things‚” Vergara went on. “When my son becomes a dad‚ let him bring the baby to me for a while and then I’ll give it back to him and go on with my life; that’s what I have to do.” Vivien Killilea/Getty Images for toty Though the actress mentioned her adult son in the conversation about becoming a mom again‚ she has more children who were never mentioned at all. Vergara neglected to bring up unborn embryonic children she created with her ex-fiance‚ Nick Loeb‚ who she’s been battling for custody for years now. Loeb insists the children‚ which were created in 2013‚ should be born. But Vergara disagrees‚ preferring to keep the two embryos frozen “indefinitely.” Vergara and Loeb were together for two years and during that time they went through IVF in an effort to have children. After failing to achieve pregnancy while using a surrogate gestational carrier‚ the couple was left with two embryos in storage. The drama began after the former couple broke off their engagement in 2014. Both Vergara and Loeb signed an agreement saying that neither one could use the embryos without the written consent of the other. But later‚ Loeb argued that the contract did not lay out guidelines for what would happen if the couple broke up‚ which he saw as grounds for nullifying the agreement entirely. Loeb’s first lawsuit for custody of the embryos was filed in California‚ but was later dropped when the judge demanded Loeb to provide names of former girlfriends who allegedly had abortions after Loeb got them pregnant‚ per The Daily Beast. Loeb later said at least one former girlfriend had an abortion against his wishes.  The frozen embryos were stored at a facility in California‚ but Loeb filed another lawsuit in Louisiana due to the couple having broken up in that state. That lawsuit‚ which was filed in 2016‚ named three plaintiffs: two embryos named Isabella and Emma‚ and James Charbonnet‚ a New Orleans resident who was identified as a trustee for the unborn children. NICHOLAS KAMM/AFP via Getty Images This LA lawsuit also attempted to terminate Vergara’s parental rights over the embryos‚ claiming she had abandoned them at the cryopreservation facility in California. Loeb had intentionally chosen Louisiana because of their unique laws about embryos. A state law passed in 1986 classified embryos as “judicial persons” who could sue or be sued. The case was dismissed in 2017 on the grounds that Louisiana had no jurisdiction in the matter as the embryos were created in California. Loeb has been very forthcoming about why he’s interested in having his embryonic children be born. In a 2015 op-ed for The New York Times‚ he said he’s always “dreamed of being a parent.” When responding to Vergara’s request to keep the embryos frozen indefinitely‚ Loeb wrote‚ “keeping them frozen forever is tantamount to killing them.” “When we create embryos for the purpose of life‚ should we not define them as life‚ rather than as property?” Loeb asked in the op-ed. “Does one person’s desire to avoid biological parenthood (free of any legal obligations) outweigh another’s religious beliefs in the sanctity of life and desire to be a parent?” Vergara hasn’t said much about the situation publicly over the years. But she did reply to Loeb’s NYT op-ed after it was published in 2015. “I really want to make this‚ like‚ the last time I talk about it because I don’t think it’s fair‚” Vergara told ABC News during an interview on Good Morning America. “I don’t understand why this person [Loeb]—I don’t want to allow this person to take more advantage of my career and try to promote himself and get press for this.” “This shouldn’t be out there for people to give their opinion when there’s nothing to talk about‚” the actress added. Despite being turned down before‚ Loeb filed another lawsuit in April 2023‚ this time taking aim at the Beverly Hills assisted reproductive technology clinic where the embryos were created. Loeb accused the clinic operators of not providing sufficient warning or documentation about what would happen to the embryos in the event of a breakup. “I never would have gone forward with creating what Sofia and I regarded as lives if I knew that she would not consent‚ or that she wanted to thaw and destroy the embryos‚ in the event of a breakup‚” Loeb said‚ per Los Angeles Magazine. “I am pro-life and pro-parenthood and my religious views are such that I believe that life begins at conception‚” Loeb added. “Throughout the course of our relationship‚ I expressed these views to Sofia‚ who similarly expressed to me that she was a devout Catholic and therefore also believed that life begins at conception. She told me that she regarded embryos as ‘lives.'” CLICK HERE TO GET THE DAILY WIRE APP Nick Loeb is also known for directing‚ writing‚ and starring in the pro-life film “Roe v. Wade‚” a political legal drama which premiered in 2020. The film starred leading conservative celebrities including Jon Voight‚ Stacey Dash‚ and Robert Davi. Loeb starred as Bernard Nathanson‚ a real-life gynecologist who co-founded the abortion rights organization NARAL Pro-Choice America and who later converted and became a vocal pro-life advocate. The debate over the legal rights of frozen embryos has been raging for years as IVF technology becomes more common and in the wake of the Supreme Court’s Dobbs v. Jackson decision‚ which found that the Constitution of the United States does not confer a right to abortion. This effectively sent the legality of abortion back to the states to decide individually. Dobbs also raised questions on when human life begins and whether unborn embryos should also be treated as human persons. Though there is no official count‚ it is estimated that there are as many as 1.5 million frozen embryos currently being stored in cryopreservation facilities.

A former FBI agent said that the Bureau quickly believed that it tied the person who planted pipe bombs at the Democrat National Committee and the Republican National Committee to a particular Metro fare card and license plate‚ but did not allow him to interview the person of interest and pulled his team off of the lead. The allegation raises more questions about the pipe bombs‚ which were by far the most violent aspect of the January 6 protests‚ but which Democrats and authorities have seldom mentioned since. Kyle Seraphin‚ who led FBI surveillance teams‚ told The Daily Wire that shortly after January 6‚ a counterintelligence team met him at a firehouse in Falls Church‚ Virginia to brief him on his next surveillance target: They had used security footage to follow the person into a Metro station after he planted the bombs‚ and identified the fare card that was used. That fare card then allowed them to determine that the person got off at a Metro stop in Northern Virginia‚ where surveillance footage showed the person entering a car. Both the car and the fare card were in the name of the same person — a retired Air Force chief master sergeant who was now working as a contractor with a security clearance‚ they said. Seraphin and his team were assigned to stake out the person’s row house for days‚ but the FBI blocked his request to interview the person‚ he said. Then they were called off the target completely and told to pore through low-priority leads about minor January 6 participants‚ he said. “Allegedly someone threw bombs around the Capitol which could have killed congressmen or a busload of nuns or anything‚ and the answer is you can’t follow this guy around — you have to go to headquarters and read ‘leads’ where someone said ‘I might’ve went to high school with some guy that was standing around the Capitol?’” Seraphin told The Daily Wire. Seraphin said the bomber wasn’t necessarily the same person of interest to whom the car and card were registered to‚ but that it was a highly specific lead that‚ if pursued‚ had a good chance of leading investigators to the suspect. “They found people based on their earlobes that were hanging out by a flagpole‚” he said of the Bureau’s persistence in pursuing more minor January 6 wrongdoings. He said the case was being run by the counter-intelligence division‚ which are not “manhunters” used to apprehend people and build prosecutable cases. He said that team called in his surveillance team‚ only to go ahead and quickly cut it off. He said it was not surprising that the FBI would have traced the bomber‚ and‚ in fact‚ it would be more surprising if it hadn’t. “They can do telephonic capture and triangulate your phone in real-time… The bureau is far too competent to fail this‚” he said. “When they had the World Trade Center bombing in ‘93 they went under four stories of rubble and were able to find a partial VIN number that they used to track it down to the people responsible. And you’re telling me you had a pristine‚ non-detonated bomb and they couldn’t find anything on it?” The FBI has released only a couple of grainy pictures of the bomber‚ despite massive security camera coverage on Capitol Hill. Though the bomber was seen talking on a phone‚ it has said it may not have been able to identify him with cell phone records because a database was corrupted. The Washington Times first reported the allegation in May 2023. The article‚ which was paywalled‚ did not get widespread attention‚ yet when the House Judiciary Committee interviewed Steve D’Antuono‚ the former head of the FBI’s Washington Field Office‚ it seemed to be on his mind. “People like Kyle Seraphin and others that are not a case agent‚ have no knowledge of the case‚ have no knowledge of what happened in the case‚ he also made another accusation too that there was an individual with a Metro card. My understanding is all that was chased down. There was a lead that was chased down‚ but he says that we didn’t chase it down‚” D’Antuono said. His comment seemed to confirm that the Metro card lead did exist‚ and he did not explain how or why it ultimately resulted in nothing. The FBI’s Washington Field Office did not return The Daily Wire’s request for an explanation of why the lead was believed to be a dead end. Immediately after claiming that Seraphin would not know details because he was not a “case agent‚” D’Antuono acknowledged that he himself did not know even basic details about the investigation because he was far removed from case agents as a top leader. D’Antuono went on ABC to hype up the apparent MAGA terrorist threat in 2022 to say that‚ “They would have exploded. They could have exploded‚” calling the pipe bombs “viable” devices‚ as The Washington Times recounted. But in the transcribed interview with Congress‚ he acknowledged that the bombs had 60-minute kitchen timers attached to them‚ and that they had not exploded 17 hours later. “I saw the same kitchen timer as you. I agree. I don’t know when they were supposed to go off. Maybe they weren’t supposed to go off‚” he said. Seraphin said that when he was assigned to the case‚ he asked about the bombs‚ and his team was briefed by the FBI that they were not at risk of detonating. “It was an officer safety question. You’re gonna work a case differently if they’re not real‚ you can get closer‚” he said. Rep. Thomas Massie‚ a member of the Judiciary Committee‚ asked D’Antuono about the pipe bombs after uncovering video that showed a person pointing out the pipe bomb to officers outside the DNC‚ only to have the officers react with no urgency‚ even letting children cross the street afterward. Massie told The Daily Wire that the officers’ reaction was not congruent with someone who believes they have just learned of what might be a real bomb feet away from a party headquarters‚ and raises the question of whether they knew it was planted there. Some of those personnel were Secret Service guarding Kamala Harris‚ who was in the building at the time. The Department of Justice initially falsely stated that Harris was in the Capitol‚ not the DNC‚ which allowed them to avoid the question of why the Secret Service didn’t find the bomb. Seraphin said there’s “zero chance” that the Secret Service would have missed a pipe bomb sitting in almost plain sight when preparing a site for the Vice President-elect. “They’re far too good for that‚” he said. Seraphin said of the video‚ “That’s not how you react to a bomb‚ I don’t care who you are‚” unless they had reason in advance to “believe it wasn’t real.” Both bombs were purportedly planted around 8 p.m. the night of January 5‚ and remained unreported until both were discovered within minutes of each other at the exact time that the Capitol was being breached. Capitol Police have said that January 6 got out of hand because they were forced to divert resources to the bombs instead of crowd control. Harris has gone out of her way not to mention the bomb‚ even implying that she was safe from January 6 because “I had left” — when‚ in fact‚ she had left for a location roughly 30 feet away from a purported bomb. Darren Beattie‚ a reporter for Revolver News who has uncovered numerous discrepancies around the pipe bombs‚ joined Massie for an online chat on Thursday. He said that in addition to the details that don’t add up‚ there is the glaring fact that Democrats have omitted all mention of the most dramatic part of January 6‚ even as they seek to cast it as a violent insurrection. “How dark‚ how dirty‚ how damning‚ how embarrassing does the truth have to be for these salivating political opportunists have to be to forgo the obvious political advantages of this talking point?” he asked.

On Monday‚ Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin returned to work at the Pentagon for the first time since his secretive hospitalization for complications following a procedure to treat prostate cancer. Austin‚ 70‚ briefly addressed his health situation during a meeting with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg with cameras in the room to capture the remarks. “At this important time‚ I’m glad to be back at the Pentagon. I feel good and am recovering well — but still recovering — and I appreciate all the good wishes that I’ve received thus far‚” Austin said. .@SecDef Austin: "Let me start with my outrage and sorrow for the death of three brave U.S. troops in Jordan…The president and I will not tolerate attack on U.S. forces and we will take all necessary actions to defend the U.S. and our troops." pic.twitter.com/G6bzDZrNsf — CSPAN (@cspan) January 29‚ 2024 Austin also commented on the weekend drone attack on a base in Jordan‚ which the Biden administration has pinned on an Iran-backed militia. “Let me start with my outrage and sorrow for the death of three brave U.S. troops in Jordan and for the other troops who were wounded‚” Austin said. “The president and I will not tolerate attack on U.S. forces and we will take all necessary actions to defend the U.S. and our troops‚” he added. The Department of Defense said Austin has been conducting his duties from home since his release from Walter Reed National Military Medical Center on January 15‚ roughly two weeks after he was admitted. Austin made his first public appearance last week on a video call when he deviated from prepared remarks and opted not to mention his condition. Multiple inquiries began after it emerged that top Biden administration officials and Congress were kept in the dark about Austin’s health situation for days. Some critics‚ including GOP lawmakers and former President Donald Trump‚ called for Austin’s ouster. The defense secretary said he took “full responsibility” for how disclosure was handled. CLICK HERE TO GET THE DAILYWIRE+ APP The White House released new guidelines for Cabinet secretaries‚ according to a memo obtained by POLITICO‚ to enhance transparency rules when authority is delegated to a subordinate. Austin’s return to the Pentagon on Monday followed a Washington Post report on cancer survivors who served in the military expressing disappointment that the defense secretary did not take the opportunity to spread awareness. White House officials have insisted that President Joe Biden has “complete confidence” in Austin‚ and they emphasized that the president plans to keep the secretary in place through the remainder of his term despite it being “not optimal” that the commander-in-chief and other leaders did not know what happened for so long.

Tattoo artist Kat Von D is celebrating a win in court after a jury determined she did not violate any copyright laws for a custom tattoo she did featuring an image of jazz legend Miles Davis.  The 41-year-old tattooist and reality show star‚ whose real name is Katherine von Drachenberg‚ was seen smiling while leaving the courthouse after the decision‚ per the Associated Press. The outlet noted that the jury deliberated for just two hours before deciding that Von D was not guilty.  Von D was sued by the artist Jeffrey Sedlik for allegedly copying a portrait he made of Davis in 1989‚ which she said she used as inspiration to create a tattoo for a friend.  Van D described the image as “fan art” during the trial and said she did the tattoo as a gift. “I made zero money off it. I’m not mass-producing anything. I think there is a big difference‚” she said. The jury determined that the tattoo fell within the legal doctrine of fair use of a copyrighted work. “I’m obviously very happy for this to be over. It’s been two years of a nightmare worrying about this‚ not just for myself but for my fellow tattoo artists‚” Von D said after the verdict. She also said the whole experience has made her reluctant to return to doing tattoos.  “I think I don’t want to ever tattoo again‚ my heart has been crushed through this in different ways. We’ll see with time‚” she said. CLICK HERE TO GET THE DAILYWIRE+ APP Her attorney‚ Allen B. Grodsky‚ said of the outcome: “We’ve said all along that this case never should have been brought. The jury recognized that this was just ridiculous.” Meanwhile‚ Sedlik’s attorney‚ Robert Edward Allen‚ said they plan to appeal the verdict. “If those two things are not substantially similar‚ then no one’s art is safe‚” Allen said in a statement. “It’s about copying others’ protected works‚” he added. “It’s not going to hurt the tattoo industry. The tattoo police are not going to come after anyone.” Von D rose to fame while starring on TLC’s “Miami Ink” starting in 2005. She also starred in the show’s spinoff‚ “LA Ink‚” from 2007 to 2011. The reality star made headlines recently for her conversion to Christianity following years of being associated with witchcraft and a macabre aesthetic.

British royal Kate Middleton has been released from the hospital following her abdominal surgery‚ per a statement from the palace. “The Princess of Wales has returned home to Windsor to continue her recovery from surgery. She is making good progress‚” Kensington Palace said in a statement released Monday. “The Prince and Princess wish to say a huge thank you to the entire team at The London Clinic‚ especially the dedicated nursing staff‚ for the care they have provided.” “The Wales family continues to be grateful for the well wishes they have received from around the world‚” the statement concluded.   View this post on Instagram   A post shared by The Prince and Princess of Wales (@princeandprincessofwales) Fans have been anxiously awaiting updates after the initial announcement that the Duchess of Wales would undergo “planned abdominal surgery” and would not have any public appearances in the near future. “The surgery was successful‚ and it is expected that she will remain in hospital for 10 to 14 days‚ before returning home to continue her recovery‚” a statement released on January 17 said. “Based on the current medical advice‚ she is unlikely to return to public duties until after Easter.” “The Princess of Wales appreciates the interest this statement will generate. She hopes that the public will understand her desire to maintain as much normality for her children as possible; and her wish that her personal medical information remains private‚” the statement continued. “Kensington Palace will‚ therefore‚ only provide updates on Her Royal Highness’ progress when there is significant new information to share.” CLICK HERE TO GET THE DAILYWIRE+ APP “The Princess of Wales wishes to apologize to all those concerned for the fact that she has to postpone her upcoming engagements. She looks forward to reinstating as many as possible‚ as soon as possible‚” it said. Prince William‚ who is first in line for the British throne‚ also took time off from public activities to aid with his wife’s recovery and help care for their three children‚ Prince George‚ 10‚ Princess Charlotte‚ 8‚ and Prince Louis‚ 5.  The Duchess of Wales has not had any public appearances since December. King Charles III also had surgery this month‚ per a statement from Buckingham Palace. The statement revealed that Charles was having a procedure for an enlarged prostate and would be postponing engagements “for a short period of recuperation.”  

The United Nations aid agency in the Gaza Strip says it has only weeks of funding remaining after multiple sponsor nations suspended their support. At least nine countries and the European Union have suspended or cut back funding for the U.N. Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) following revelations that at least a dozen of its workers were connected to Hamas’ October 7 attack on Israel. About 10% of its 12‚000 employees in Gaza were found to have links to terror groups across the Middle East‚ according to an Israeli intelligence dossier reported by The Wall Street Journal. Israeli officials say the problems inside the UNRWA are more extensive than a few bad actors. Roughly half of all UNRWA workers in Gaza have close relatives with ties to terror groups‚ especially Hamas. The WSJ cited the dossier in its report which said six UNRWA workers “were part of the wave of Palestinian militants who killed 1‚200 people in the deadliest assault on Jews since the Holocaust.” “The institution as a whole is a haven for Hamas’ radical ideology‚” a senior Israeli government official told WSJ. Since the revelations‚ the U.N. aid agency has bled funding. Many of its top donors‚ including the United States which gave more than $340 million to the UNRWA last year‚ have suspended funding over concerns that aid money is being redirected to Hamas. U.N. officials are pleading for a return of funding‚ saying that its coffers will run dry by the end of February. “[Two] million civilians in Gaza depend on critical aid from UNRWA for daily survival but UNRWA’s current funding will not allow it to meet all requirements to support them in February‚” U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said in a statement. “While I understand their concerns – I was myself horrified by these accusations – I strongly appeal to the governments that have suspended their contributions to‚ at least‚ guarantee the continuity of UNRWA’s operations.” Guterres said that action is being taken against the 12 workers‚ some of whom participated directly in the terror attack‚ with connections to October 7. CLICK HERE TO GET THE DAILYWIRE+ APP Along with the United States‚ other countries that have suspended or reduced funding to the UNRWA include Australia‚ Austria‚ Canada‚ Finland‚ France‚ Germany‚ Italy‚ Japan‚ the Netherlands‚ Switzerland‚ and the United Kingdom‚ according to Fox News. The European Commission of the European Union has also announced a pause on funding the UNRWA‚ calling for a quick investigation. The commission said it would make a decision to restore funding no sooner than the end of February. “The European Commission will determine upcoming funding decisions for UNRWA in light of the very serious allegations‚” the commission said in a statement‚ according to The Jerusalem Post. “The Commission will review the matter in light of the outcome of the investigation announced by the UN and the actions it will take.”

The events of October 7‚ 2023‚ awakened me. They changed my relationship with Israel and opened my eyes to the decaying of this country that I love‚ that has now been my home for 32 years — the United States. The US is becoming a laughingstock of the world‚ deservedly so. We are still the strongest democracy in the world. People still want to move here‚ but we are resting on the laurels of our past glory‚ which was achieved by elevating meritocracy and excellence. Our successes‚ and our grocery stores full of food‚ have gone to our heads and are turning us into a society focused only on pleasant outcomes‚ independent of how much work we put in. We are a society that is losing its pragmatism. We used to be a country of practical‚ innovative problem solvers‚ and now we are turning into a country of useful idiots‚ where a tiny woke minority leads us into self-immolation. Israel will not exist 50 years from now without a strong US. I have to fight for the US – it’s a two-for-the-price-of-one type of deal: A strong United States that supports Israel is mandatory for Israel to survive. I learned an important lesson from longtime Berkshire Hathaway vice chairman Charlie Munger‚ who recently passed away. I have been attending the Berkshire Hathaway annual meeting since 2008. At these shareholder meetings‚ Warren Buffett and Charlie Munger would sit on stage in a giant sports arena and answer questions from shareholders for five hours. Buffett would usually have the first chance to answer the question‚ and then he would direct it to Munger. If the question was controversial‚ Buffett would go into politician mode and give a non-answer answer. Munger would say what he really thought and didn’t care if his answer upset someone who disagreed with it. Buffett was shackled by the fear of public opinion‚ while Munger was free. Munger said‚ “I think that one should recognize reality even when one doesn’t like it; indeed‚ especially when one doesn’t like it.” And thus‚ he told the truth because it mattered more than someone’s hurt feelings or criticism of him. Buffett was afraid‚ Munger was not. Today‚ the most important thing for us is to stop being afraid. This is how the loud minority gains power. They accuse the silent majority of bigotry or racism and make us afraid to speak up. And because we are afraid of being canceled‚ we stay quiet while the woke minority goes about killing our country. Fighting against anti-Semitism and the woke cancer is one and the same fight‚ as we are fighting the same enemy. We can no longer have tunnel vision. As my son Jonah reminded me‚ with greater power comes greater responsibility. CLICK HERE TO GET THE DAILY WIRE APP Yes‚ this is the time to fight. Each of us has a different role in this fight‚ and we all have different strengths. Israelis are fighting Hamas. Some of my friends have gone to Israel and joined that fight‚ lending a hand wherever it’s needed (farming‚ cleaning‚ feeding soldiers). I have another Jewish friend who was never involved in politics. He told me that after October 7 he realized‚ “I won’t need money in the concentration camp.” He is now contributing to opposition campaigns to replace anti-Semitic politicians. If you are a donor to universities‚ work to defund those with DEI departments that are promoting racism and inequality. Redirect your money toward universities that promote free speech‚ the ones whose objective is not to coddle our youth but to challenge their thinking. If you want to change society’s future‚ change its universities. We all have special gifts. Use them. Fight for what is right‚ while we still have something to fight for. * * * READ: Anti-Semitism‚ Wokeness‚ And Why A Strong America Is Essential To Israel’s Survival‚ Part 1: A Small Country With A Big Story READ: Anti-Semitism‚ Wokeness‚ And Why A Strong America Is Essential To Israel’s Survival‚ Part 2: Wokeness Is Destroying America — One Student at a Time READ: Anti-Semitism‚ Wokeness‚ And Why A Strong America Is Essential To Israel’s Survival‚ Part 3: The Socialism Of Grades * * * Vitaliy Katsenelson is CEO of IMA – a value investing firm in Denver. You can read his articles on investor.fm. He is the author of Soul in the Game – The Art of a Meaningful Life (Harriman House‚ 2022). The views expressed in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.

A record number of well over half a million Americans are homeless as rents continue to surge‚ a new report finds. About 653‚000 people reported being homeless in January of last year‚ according to a report released Thursday by Harvard’s Joint Center for Housing Studies. That’s up about 12% from the same time the previous year in 2022‚ the largest single-year increase ever recorded‚ the report says. About 71‚000 more people were homeless last year than the year before. Even more striking‚ last year’s number was about 48% higher than the homeless population in 2015. Sky-high rent prices and inflation are partly to blame‚ along with the end of pandemic relief‚ such as eviction protections. “Rapidly rising rents‚ combined with wage losses in the early stages of the pandemic‚ have underscored the inadequacy of the existing housing safety net‚ especially in times of crisis‚” the Harvard report said. The median rent in the U.S. was $1‚964 in December‚ 23% higher since the pandemic‚ according to Rent.com. The rental market is cooling‚ but rent prices are still much higher than they were pre-pandemic‚ and wage growth has not kept up. Median weekly wages grew only 1.7% between 2019 and 2023‚ government figures show. People earning between $45‚000 and just under $75‚000 a year saw the biggest increase in newly “cost-burdened” renters‚ according to the report. In 2022‚ about 41% of those renters were spending between 30% and 50% of their monthly pay on housing. That’s a 5.4 percentage point increase over how many spent this much before the pandemic‚ and nearly double how many people did back in 2001. Meanwhile‚ low-cost rental units are disappearing. More than half a million apartments with rents under $600 disappeared between 2019 and 2022. Arizona‚ Ohio‚ Tennessee‚ and Texas were some of the places that saw the biggest rise in homelessness due to spiking housing costs. CLICK HERE TO GET THE DAILYWIRE+ APP In California and Washington state‚ both of which have a chronic homelessness problem and overburdened shelters‚ the issue has gotten worse. Homelessness increased 9% in Los Angeles County in 2023‚ totaling an estimated 75‚000 people. About 38‚000 people are homeless in the Bay Area on a given night. That’s up 35% since 2019. More than 7‚000 people are homeless in San Francisco itself. Crime and open-air drug use often accompany the homeless issue‚ causing businesses to flee San Francisco’s downtown‚ where foot traffic has thinned. The deadly fentanyl epidemic‚ in particular‚ has ravaged the Bay Area as well as other cities‚ including New York and Philadelphia‚ which also struggle with homelessness. In Washington‚ the number of homeless people rose 11% to 28‚036 last year‚ although that is likely an undercount‚ according to state data.

Ed Sheeran is one of the world’s favorite superstars. He’s always had a down-to-earth vibe‚ playfully maneuvering stardom. This week‚ Ed Sheeran was literally down to Earth when he took a fall onstage. He played it off epically! Not only did he just keep going with his performance‚ but he posted this absolutely hilarious edit of the event on TikTok. @edsheeran Felt cute might delete later ♬ original sound – Ed Sheeran The clip shows Ed making his way to the stage and then tripping. Then‚ he edited his famous lyrics in. “When your legs don’t work like they used to before‚” sang the clip of Ed Sheeran embracing his fall. What a wonderful reminder to laugh at our own mistakes. Life doesn’t have to be so serious! This image is from TikTok. “I actually cackled when the song started‚” commented one viewer on Ed Sheeran’s fall meme. “We’re all human… it happens. But dang your recovery was awesome. Last time I fell I laid there for 5 min‚” shared another viewer in the comment section. It’s so easy to be hard on ourselves when we slip up‚ but Ed’s silly clip is great proof that we can just laugh and keep going. Thanks for the reminder‚ Ed! The featured image for this post is from TikTok. The post Ed Sheeran Shakes Off Silly Tumble Onto Stage‚ Embraces It In The Best Way. appeared first on InspireMore.

This young kid was having the time of his life‚ celebrating and high-fiving the Alabama basketball team. He couldn’t have been happier — until Nick Pringle literally swept him off his feet! That’s right. This playful ball player picked up this tiny tot and put him on his shoulders. What an epic celebration! @myad521 We Alabama Basketball I live for moments like this #alabamabasketball #rolltide #UA #crimsontide #alabamavsauburn ♬ original sound – Myaa I have no doubt this will be a memory for this kid for decades to come. What a special moment! Nick Pringle carried the kid into the Alabama basketball celebration‚ riding high above the crowd. Another player fixed the kid’s helmet‚ and you could see he was totally amazed at the experience. This image is from TikTok. “He picked him right up just like a sibling‚” commented one fan of the Alabama basketball clip. “The way he looked back at you with excitement is so adorable! You can really see how happy that made him‚” posted another viewer. Apparently‚ Nick and this kiddo had never met before. Despite the obvious comradery‚ this was just a shared moment of celebration. It’s such a special thing when strangers take the time to make someone else’s day. Nick Pringle could’ve just given a high-five‚ but instead‚ he decided to make this kid’s dreams come true. The featured image for this post is from TikTok. The post Alabama Basketball Player Creates Magical Moment For Young Fan. appeared first on InspireMore.