Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is another expert in the art of political survival. Any premier with less of a Globalist pedigree and the same dismal legacy would have been ousted a long time ago. But lately‚ Trudeau seems in the worst shape of his whole premiership‚ and the Canadian Federal Court has just delivered a long-awaited ruling that certainly is not going to make things any easier‚ as it deems his actions and measures when invoking the Emergencies Act against the Canadian...

A federal judged has ruled that Canada's use of emergency powers to end the anti-government Freedom Convoy protests two years ago was "unreasonable" and unjustified. In a decision on Tuesday‚ Judge Richard Mosley also said it violated Canada's rights charter. The federal government said it will appeal the decision. The Emergencies Act bestows the government with added powers in times of crisis. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau invoked it on 14 February 2022‚ three weeks into protests...

A Canadian court found that Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s use of the country’s Emergencies Act to end a truck convoy protest that had paralyzed the capital‚ Ottawa‚ two years ago was an unjustified infringement of civil rights‚ including the protection against unreasonable search and seizure‚ and‚ in some instances‚ the freedom of expression as well. The Federal Court of Canada decision also found that the freezing of bank accounts of people linked to the protest was similarly unjustified...

We've seen some moving America's Got Talent stories before‚ but a recent viral audition absolutely requires a tissue warning. I tried to steel myself in preparation when I saw the "Admit it‚ we were *all* in tears after this" caption on the Facebook share of it‚ but I failed.In a video that's been shared more than 95‚000 times‚ the "Britain's Got Talent" audition shows two tiny little girls onstage with their grandmother. They introduce themselves as "Cally" (age 4) and "Savannah" (age 3) and "Nanny" (their "daddy's mummy") then the girls share that they are there to surprise their dad.Dad—also known as Nick Edwards—is sitting in the audience. He thought the family was there to watch the audition on a fun outing; he had no idea that they had arranged a surprise audition for him‚ so when his girls and mom showed up on stage‚ he wondered what was going on. A "Britain's Got Talent" spokesperson explained to the Daily Mail how they got Edwards mic'd up without giving away the surprise."When Nick entered the Palladium auditorium during ‘BGT’ auditions‚ he was approached to be part of our ‘gogglebox’ audience and told he would be mic’d up so we could capture his reactions throughout the day as he sat in the audience‚" they said. “He was totally unsuspecting. We did this so we could mic him up without him suspecting a thing.”As Edwards tried to figure out what his mom and daughters were doing on stage‚ Edwards' mother explained to the judges and the audience that he sings a special song to his girls. She said they wanted him to come up and sing it. Naturally‚ not being prepared for an audition‚ Edwards was stunned. But the judges sent him backstage to "grab a glass of water" so he could compose himself and get ready."They gave me some time to warm up—about 45 minutes in total‚" Edwards told This Morning. "They gave me my guitar my family brought down on the day‚ they [producers] said this is the song we want you to sing because we'd seen it on your Instagram."The song is an emotional doozy‚ especially if you're a parent. "It's a song I've felt quite attached to so I sing it a lot around the house‚" Edwards told the judges before he started to sing. Once you hear it‚ you'll see why he joked about trying to keep from crying while he sang it.Lovely voice. Beautiful song. Adorable little girls. Not a dry eye in the house.Tissue‚ seriously. Don't say I didn't warn you.The fact that Edwards was able to pull off that audition with less than an hour of preparation was quite impressive. He told This Morning what he was thinking during that prep time."If I go out I've got two options here‚ I either go out and try to own it or I come out and it all crumbles…" he said. "The whole thing just went so quickly. I do remember playing and in a way my fingers started to get a bit jelly‚ I remember thinking 'this is going to be a big moment for you.' I don't want to stuff it up."Stuff it up he did not. What a lovely performance‚ and what lucky little girls to have a daddy who shares his love for them in such a beautiful and creative way. This article originally appeared on 04.22.22

Back in my day‚ the most lavish that a kid’s party got was a trip to Chuck E. Cheese. Things have certainly…evolved since then. Nowadays some parents spend exorbitant amounts of time and money trying to make the event rival a pop-up amusement park. And while there’s nothing inherently wrong with wanting to go all out (some people really do get creative fulfillment from event planning‚ after all)‚ there is something to be said about an underlying competitiveness behind the trend. If parents are only throwing big blowout parties out of some kind of societal pressure‚ or to project some kind of prestige…then they might be losing focus on what really matters. Which‚ presumably‚ is making sure the kids have a good time. And if the kid’s enjoyment really is the priority here‚ then maybe there’s something to be said about keeping things simple. That’s the discovery Amber Cimiottibiz recently had after throwing her 3-year-old a birthday party strictly consisting of “cake‚ pizza‚ family‚ and close friends.” “I didn’t rent anything‚ I didn’t rent a bounce house‚ performers‚ face paint‚ I didn’t have a big balloon wall‚ I did all of my own decorations. I ordered one balloon bouquet from Party City‚” she said in a video posted to her TikTok. Cimiottibiz kept to this “simple” and “traditional” model for a number of reasons. Number one being that both she and her husband shared “fond memories” of bare bones celebrations during their childhood. “My husband and I both grew up where our parents didn’t have a lot of money‚ but we always had great birthdays…They didn’t have all of this extra fluff‚ they just had family and running around with your friends‚ and presents and cake and the traditional stuff‚” she said.Cimiottibiz also opted out a big bash due to burnout from lavish parties she’s thrown in the past‚ saying “I’ve done a lot of stuff for my kids in the past for the birthday‚ and the birthdays have always been so exhausting to me and a little bit stressful‚ if I’m going to be honest. I just wanted to bring the birthdays down to earth a little bit.” That’s not to say she won’t ever choose big birthdays again‚ by the way. She just might reserve those for milestone birthdays‚ like when her daughter turns 16. Lastly‚ and perhaps most importantly‚ Cimiottibiz learned that her kids appreciated the simplicity just as much…if not more. “For us‚ it’s just been little surprises‚” her video concluded. “We blew up a bunch of balloon for him to wake up to this morning. We surprised him with decorating the house while he was sleeping. We got super-fun donuts. Things that don’t cost a lot of money but make him so happy. And I have felt like five percent of the stress that I’ve felt on previous birthdays and my kid is just as happy.” @ciaoamberc hubby has been traveling the entire week so i was on my own so the simple birthday was actually achievable #birthday #kids #toddler #birthday #kidsbirthday ♬ original sound - Ciao AmberC Judging by the amount of positive comments to her video‚ Cimiottibiz doesn’t seem alone in her stance. Many were in favor of this “cake and pizza” approach to parties. “This!! We now have 2 February babies and this year we were like nope we don’t need to put a ton into the themed food‚ the matching decorations‚ paying to rent a space‚” one person wrote. Others shared how they wished they had opted for this less expensive approach. One mom wrote “we did our first bit party for our daughter's 7th bday last week. We had an Elsa come and had a party room in a kids museum. I don’t think we will do that again So Much stress and money.” Even an event planner chimed in to say‚ “my kids birthdays were over the top‚ live monkeys in one party — 12k on another. They remember none of it — now I tell moms…just do simple 💕 and plan trips instead.”One person wrote‚ “ I grew up kind of poor‚ with not enough money to do anything on birthdays. I do it up BIG‚ every year for my kid’s bday. Heals my inner child.” Another added‚ “I didn’t have birthday parties growing up‚ so I always did the jumper‚ cake piñata‚ goodie bags‚ party games for my kids. I don’t regret it.”Moral of the story: it’s your kid’s party‚ and you can spend if you want to. But you honestly never have to. That is part of the magic of children—they can find big joy in small things. Maybe leaving shame and pressure out of the equation can help parents take in some of the joy as well.

Though we're all part of the same species living on the same planet‚ our experience as humans walking through this world can differ widely. Children see things through a different lens than adults. Women and men have different perspectives on certain issues. And because racism has long been an active element in our society‚ people with varying amounts of melanin in their skin face specific challenges that others don't.As a white American‚ I don't instinctively know what it's like to walk in a black person's shoes. I can tell you about the legacy of white supremacy laced throughout our country's history. I can explain the far-reaching effects of slavery‚ lynch mobs‚ Jim Crow laws‚ redlining‚ mass incarceration‚ and more. I can intellectually break down the psychological and sociological impact of centuries of race-based oppression.But I can't tell you what it feels like to walk through this world‚ right now‚ as a black person—which is why it's so important to listen to the voices of people who can.David Summers shared a story on Facebook that reflects the experience of many black Americans—one that can help us non-black folks see through a lens we simply do not and cannot have. Perhaps that's why it's been shared more than 20‚000 times. From the fear that any object he carries might be mistaken as a gun to figuring out how to smile at a stranger just right so he won't be considered a threat‚ the "black thoughts" Summers describes during his walk through a beautiful‚ white neighborhood—presumably a neighborhood most of us would consider "safe"—are heartbreaking.He wrote:"I took a black walk this morning. I took a black walk through a white neighborhood. When I take black walks‚ I think black thoughts. I am conscious of where I've placed my gun‚ my gun‚ and my gun. I mean‚ my phone‚ my wallet‚ and my keys. Because Peace Officers have a hard time telling the difference. I rehearse what I'll say if a concerned resident‚ or a law enforcement employee has questions about why my black body is walking through their white space. And I remind myself to make sure the law enforcement employee has his body camera recording. Sometimes it helps if there is video evidence to accompany the hashtag.There is no way to be stealthy when you take a black walk. White neighborhoods are blanketed by a sophisticated security system comprised of nosy neighbors‚ Ring doorbell cameras‚ and white women walking their dogs. So‚ I've learned to notice the white world through my periphery. To be aware of the dangers without acknowledging them. There is an art to making white people feel safe. To say 'Good Morning' and flash a smile that shows confidence and deference at the same time. To being polite because your life depends on it.I felt the squad car behind me before I saw it.It moved deliberately. Not like the other cars mindlessly whizzing past. Its tires inched. Crept. Stalked their way toward me.I kept walking."Don't take your hands out of your pockets‚" I thought. Or wait‚ maybe I should? Maybe it's better if my hands are clearly empty. But it's cold outside…maybe it's nothing. Keep walking.The car rolled past me and made a slow right turn. I glanced quickly but didn't stare. The air is still. My ears tuned out everything but the slight scuff of my sneakers on the sidewalk and the fading sound of those stalking tires.Almost there.Suddenly the squad car re-emerged. It was a block ahead of me. It made a quick right turn‚ continued to the end of the street‚ and then waited. No more stalking. This was a show of force. This was a roar. This was a reminder that I was trespassing.I kept walking."Don't take your hands out of your pockets‚" I thought. Or wait‚ maybe I should? Maybe it's better if my hands are clearly empty. But it's cold outside…maybe it's nothing. Keep walking.The car rolled past me and made a slow right turn. I glanced quickly but didn't stare. The air is still. My ears tuned out everything but the slight scuff of my sneakers on the sidewalk and the fading sound of those stalking tires.Almost there.Suddenly the squad car re-emerged. It was a block ahead of me. It made a quick right turn‚ continued to the end of the street‚ and then waited. No more stalking. This was a show of force. This was a roar. This was a reminder that I was trespassing.I kept walking.As I approached the corner‚ the front window began to roll down. The occupant didn't speak. Didn't smile. Just stared. I was being warned.I crossed the street and the lion trotted off. He had effectively marked his territory. The brave protector had done his job.I however‚ couldn't help but wonder what I'd missed during my black walk. It's hard to hear the birds chirping‚ or to smile at the squirrels playfully darting along the branches when you're on a black walk. It's easy to miss the promise of a light blue sky‚ or appreciate the audacity of the red‚ yellow‚ and purple daisies declaring their independence from the green grass when your mind is preoccupied with black thoughts.I took a walk through a beautiful neighborhood this morning. But I missed the whole thing."Thank you‚ Mr. Summers‚ for sharing your "black walk" experience. Hopefully‚ it will prompt us all to ask ourselves whether our words and actions serve to reinforce or remedy what you've described.This article originally appeared on 03.02.20

When music goes from fun to deadly serious. The post The moment Chris Cornell called “the death of the innocence” in grunge first appeared on Far Out Magazine.

“I Want to Hold Your Hand” was racing up the charts as fast as American girls' hearts were pumping for the Fab Four.