“Law &; Order: SVU” star Mariska Hargitay‚ who will turn 60 on January 23‚ revealed in a stunning first-person essay that she herself was raped by a former friend when she was in her 30s. Hargitay‚ who has played Detective Olivia Benson on the popular procedural drama for more than two decades‚ shared her story in a cover-story essay for PEOPLE Magazine’s latest issue. “A man raped me in my thirties‚” she began. “It wasn’t sexual at all. It was dominance and control. Overpowering control.” The actress went on to detail the situation‚ saying that until that day‚ she had considered that man a friend. “He was a friend. Then he wasn’t‚” she explained. “I tried all the ways I knew to get out of it. I tried to make jokes‚ to be charming‚ to set a boundary‚ to reason‚ to say no. He grabbed me by the arms and held me down. I was terrified. I didn’t want it to escalate to violence. I now know it was already sexual violence‚ but I was afraid he would become physically violent. I went into freeze mode‚ a common trauma response when there is no option to escape. I checked out of my body.” For a long time‚ Hargitay said‚ she could not even begin to process what had happened — and so she locked it away and lived as though it never had. She was not a survivor‚ she said‚ because she never acknowledged that she was a victim. CLICK HERE TO GET THE DAILYWIRE+ APP “I cut it out. I removed it from my narrative‚” she said. “I now have so much empathy for the part of me that made that choice because that part got me through it. It never happened. Now I honor that part: I did what I had to do to survive.” “I look back on speeches where I said‚ ‘I’m not a survivor.’ I wasn’t being untruthful; it wasn’t how I thought of myself‚” she added. Hargitay went on to speak about healing and justice — and said that for every survivor‚ those things can look very different. “Survivors who’ve watched the show have told me I’ve helped them and given them strength. But they’re the ones who’ve been a source of strength for me‚” she said. “They’ve experienced darkness and cruelty‚ an utter disregard for another human being‚ and they’ve done what they needed to survive. For some‚ that means making Olivia Benson a big part of their lives—which is an honor beyond measure—for others‚ it means building a foundation. We’re strong‚ and we find a way through.” Hargitay concluded with her own request for justice — or at least‚ the first step toward what it might look like for her. “For me‚ I want an acknowledgment and an apology. I’m sorry for what I did to you. I raped you. I am without excuse. That is a beginning. I don’t know what is on the other side of it‚ and it won’t undo what happened‚ but I know it plays a role in how I will work through this‚” she said.

A recently released medical study from researchers from Maastricht University and the University of Exeter discovered more than a dozen factors that experts say are strongly linked to young-onset dementia (YOD). The study was published in JAMA Neurology late last month after researchers analyzed more than 356‚052 participants in the U.K. Biobank as an estimated 4 million people worldwide between ages 30 and 64 are living with YOD. The 15 factors researchers discovered that were “significantly associated” with a higher risk of developing YOD included: Lower formal education Lower socioeconomic status Carrying 2 apolipoprotein ε4 allele‚ which is considered to be the strongest genetic risk factor for late onset Alzheimer’s disease. No alcohol use Alcohol use disorder Social isolation Vitamin D deficiency High C-reactive protein levels Lower handgrip strength Hearing impairment Orthostatic hypotension Stroke Diabetes Heart disease Depression. Lead study author Stevie Hendriks‚ a postdoctoral researcher in psychiatry and neuropsychology at Maastricht University in the Netherlands‚ told CNN that the findings “changes our understanding of young-onset dementia‚ challenging the notion that genetics are the sole cause of the condition and highlighting that a range of risk factors may be important.” “In addition to physical factors‚ mental health also plays an important role‚ including avoiding chronic stress‚ loneliness and depression‚” he added. “The fact that this is also evident in young-onset dementia came as a surprise to us‚ and it may offer opportunities to reduce risk in this group too.” CLICK HERE TO GET THE DAILYWIRE+ APP Dr. Richard Isaacson‚ director of research at the Institute for Neurodegenerative Diseases in Florida‚ told CNN that he believes people have the ability to “fight against early onset cognitive decline.” “My clinical experience much more closely aligns with results of this new study — that it truly may be possible to grab the bull by the horns‚ and be proactive about certain lifestyle and other health factors‚ to reduce risk‚” he said.

Donald Trump‘s mother-in-law dying is not a sufficient reason to delay closing arguments in a civil business fraud trial in New York‚ a judge told the former president’s attorney on Wednesday. An email chain shows the lawyer‚ Chris Kise‚ raising the issue in the middle of a conversation about establishing the grounds by which Trump could deliver his own closing argument on Thursday. “I am sad to advise the Court that Mrs. Trump’s mother passed away this evening‚” Kise said‚ alluding to the death of former first lady Melania Trump’s 78-year-old mother Amalija Knavs on Tuesday. “Because of the challenges presented by this deeply personal family matter‚ President Trump has asked that I request the Court postpone the date for closing argument until on or after January 29‚ 2024‚ so that he may attend and participate in the Court proceedings‚” Kise added. Judge Arthur Engoron‚ who is presiding over the case brought by New York Attorney General Letitia James‚ issued a reply Wednesday morning expressing his condolences but declaring that he would not approve a delay. “I’m sure you realize‚ although you may not realize to what extent‚ that every appearance of Mr. Trump requires court officers‚ court clerks‚ administrators‚ security details‚ technical people‚ etc. to rearrange their schedules and to plan for the day‚” Engoron said. “The administration even had to ‘evict’ the jury trial currently taking place in Room 300 for tomorrow. Of course‚ I am also anxious to hear a full day of closing statements as I consider the case as a whole. On balance‚ going forward makes the most sense. Please tell Mr. Trump that I am sorry‚” the judge continued. Kise replied by saying‚ “Despite the fact that his Mother-in Law‚ who he was very close to‚ passed away late last night‚ President Trump will be speaking tomorrow.” However‚ Kise did not appear to have accepted Engoron’s demands that Trump agree to certain limitations such as barring the former president from impugning any of the participants at the trial or delivering a “campaign speech.” As indicated in the emails‚ Trump’s attorneys did not meet the repeatedly extended deadline for a response. “Not having heard from you by the third extended deadline (noon today)‚ I assume that Mr. Trump will not agree to the reasonable‚ lawful limits I have imposed as a precondition to giving a closing statement above and beyond those given by his attorneys‚ and that‚ therefore‚ he will not be speaking in court tomorrow‚” Engoron said.

The latest polls of the Iowa caucuses show former President Donald Trump retaining a large lead in the state‚ holding over 50% of Republican support just five days before 2024 primary voting officially kicks off‚ according to the Real Clear Politics average.  As of Wednesday afternoon‚ Trump leads the GOP field in Iowa with 52.2% as former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley (16.6%) and Florida Governor Ron DeSantis (16.4%) fight for second place in the polls‚ per the RCP average. Tech entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy (7%)‚ former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie (3.4%)‚ and former Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson (0.6%) round out the GOP candidates heading into the Iowa caucuses‚ which take place on Monday‚ January 15.  The most recent poll‚ conducted between January 6 and January 8‚ comes from the Trafalgar Group‚ which puts Trump at 52% and Haley and DeSantis both at 18%. All other GOP candidates were under 6%‚ according to Trafalgar. A Morning Consult poll conducted between January 1 and January 7 has Trump at 58%‚ Haley in second at 15%‚ and DeSantis in third at 14%. Ramaswamy polled much better in the Morning Consult survey‚ hitting 10%‚ while Christie remained at 3%.  Haley and DeSantis will take the stage in Des Moines on Wednesday evening to face off in a CNN debate. Meanwhile‚ Trump‚ who qualified for the debate‚ will instead sit down with Fox News hosts Bret Baier and Martha MacCallum for a town hall‚ which will also take place in Des Moines.  The Haley-DeSantis debate will be the smallest yet in the GOP primary‚ and CNN said the debate will focus on “women’s issues.”  The fifth Republican presidential debate of the 2024 season will also be the fifth that Trump‚ the leading candidate in the field‚ will skip. The former president has cited his large polling lead over the rest of the Republican field as why he does not attend the debates‚ sparking the ire of his GOP competitors. CLICK HERE TO GET THE DAILYWIRE+ APP “With only three candidates qualifying for the CNN debate‚ it’s time for Donald Trump to show up. As the debate stage continues to shrink‚ it’s getting harder for Donald Trump to hide‚” Haley said last week.  DeSantis has also hit Trump for refusing to attend previous debates‚ saying in late December‚ “He’s not been willing to come here and answer questions.”  “He parachutes in for 30‚ 45-minute‚ hour speech and then just leaves‚ rather than listening to Iowans answering questions and doing‚ I think‚ what it takes to win‚” the Florida governor added. 

Daily Wire Editor Emeritus Ben Shapiro interviewed Dr. Eithan Haim‚ the whistleblower for the bombshell story about secretive transgender surgeries for minors at the Texas Children’s Hospital‚ who was hit with targeted harassment by the Biden administration’s Department of Justice. As The Daily Wire reported‚ Haim said for him the story all started in September 2022‚ when he saw The Daily Wire’s investigation of Vanderbilt University’s transgender clinic‚ where so-called “gender-affirming” care for minors was described as a “big money maker” and irreversible treatments such as double mastectomies were being performed on children.” He then learned that the hospital where he was a resident‚ Texas Children’s Hospital‚ was engaging in similar scandalous behavior. “I reached this unavoidable conclusion that Texas Children’s Hospital is providing this outward appearance that they shut down the program‚ when in actuality‚ within the hospital‚ it’s a very high priority‚” Haim told The Daily Wire. “I start realizing how blatant this is‚ how unethical it is‚ and how they’re lying to the public.” “So why don’t we start from the beginning?” Shapiro prompted. “How did you find out what was going on at Texas Children’s? And then what exactly did you report? Because they’re claiming that you’re violating HIPPA or something.” “They started because I was a surgical resident working at Texas Children’s Hospital‚ and I had heard that they were doing these procedures‚” Haim answered. “But in March of 2022‚ they had released a statement unequivocally stating they were shutting down their program because of the legal risk. And‚ you know‚ at first I thought this was a huge relief. But I quickly found out this was completely untrue. And the reason I knew that is because I worked there. I did surgery there. The people who are doing their procedures had told me about it and the fact that they were putting on this front to the public‚ saying that they were no longer doing it while ramping up the program behind closed doors‚ doing these procedures more frequently‚ increasing the scope of the clinic and giving the directors of the program the opportunity to speak at the hospital’s most prestigious lecture series‚ something called Carry Around.” “I saw that it was a priority for the hospital‚ why they were deceiving the public about whether it even existed and the fact that this was happening at the largest children’s hospital; I knew that it was an individual responsibility to do something about it‚ also a professional responsibility as a surgeon to make this known‚” he recalled. “You know that the attempt to investigate (me) is really the attempt to silence whistleblowers‚ because we know this is happening in other hospitals across the country‚” Haim continued. “And if they can do this to me‚ they’re going to do it to other people who are in the same situation because people know this is happening and they just want to keep people silent. So that’s why we decided to come out publicly.” “What we have learned over the past couple of months and the conclusions that I was able to make is that this investigation is being pursued for political reasons‚” Haim asserted. “If I’m placed in this situation‚ the best possible thing I can do is tell the truth‚ because if that’s out there‚ you can allow people to know what truly happened and to see the true side of the story and how these federal agencies and certain segments of the justice system is being weaponized in order to go after whistleblowers like me.” “This is obviously a part of the larger puzzle in which the DOJ appears under the Biden administration to be moving to silence people reporting about this sort of stuff‚” Shapiro commented. “Because in the past‚ when people‚ for example‚ at Daily Wire have reported on what was going on at Vanderbilt‚ for example‚ this turned into a broad media and governmental campaign to target journalists who were covering this sort of stuff. … They’re siccing their DOJ on people who are reporting information that they don’t want out in the public view.” “In order to prevent scrutiny of these programs‚ they are passing these regulations‚ passing these laws‚ and these federal bureaucracies‚ that will prevent that accountability from taking place‚” Haim said. “Because if there’s one principle in medicine‚ in surgery‚ is that anything you’re doing in the hospital to a patient you should have no problem talking about and defending in public. If you’re doing something and you want to keep it from the public it’s very‚ very likely you’re doing something wrong.” “This demonstrates what the White House and the DOJ are willing to do in order to silence people who are reporting the truth on this sort of stuff‚” Shapiro concluded.

This baby capybara has moves! In our sometimes stressful lives filled with adulting‚ we often need to sit down‚ relax‚ and watch some wholesome content on social media. The Zoological Wildlife Foundation in Miami came to our service when they caught a clip of a tiny and adorable rodent practicing her dancing skills. The capybara was spotted walking around her water feature‚ and she was doing it in the most unique way. She was moving just like a zombie out of Michael Jackson’s Thriller video. So‚ the foundation did what any reasonable person would do—they filmed her and posted the video to the tune. She truly does look like she came straight out of the classic music video. Watch below. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Zoological Wildlife Foundation (@zwfmiami) “Our natural born entertainer giving her best [Thriller] dance impression on a morning dip‚” reads the caption. The video was part of an effort to give the baby capybara a name. The caption concluded‚ “Last chance to drop your name suggestions for our [capybara] beauty in the comments below.” The Baby Capybara Has a New Name! An earlier post explains that the little lady arrived at the zoo on Christmas Eve. She was immediately released into “her brand new habitat” and the team gave her a warm welcome “for her first night” as part of the family. Instagram The zoo had no idea what to name the baby capybara‚ so they asked fans for suggestions. The winner was promised “1 General Wildlife Experience.” The thriller video earned plenty of attention for the young capybara‚ and viewers were quick to offer some great options. The foundation pulled out all the stops to announce her name‚ too. With the help of the Today Show and the local NBC affiliate‚ they officially dubbed her “Eve.” Instagram “They wanna know‚ you want to know and @todayshow and @nbc6 officially shared our viral thriller dancing capybara superstar today announcing the official name: ‘Eve’ – a nod to her arrival on Christmas Eve‚” reads a third post. The zoo noted that several other major publications featured Ms. Eve‚ as well. So it’s “safe to say there’s a new star on the block and everyone @zwfmiami couldn’t be more in love with our girl.” Share this story and help Eve shine brighter! You can find the source of this story’s featured image here. The post Baby Capybara “Dances” To Michael Jackson’s “Thriller” In Adorable Zoo Video. appeared first on InspireMore.

A one-liter water bottle is composed of approximately 240‚000 plastic particles

'Hey! I'm just here to pay my R-E-S-P-E-C-T-S'

Haley referred to Clinton as an inspiration in her 2019 book and a 2012 interview with New York Times. 

Pete Carroll is out in Seattle