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✅ AMERICAN CHAUNCEY

A suspected poacher was trampled to death by a herd of elephants inside South Africa’s Kruger National Park while reportedly preparing to shoot a white rhino. According to the report, two men entered the park armed with a rifle and an axe, allegedly hoping to kill a rhino and sell its horn. As they approached a rhino herd near a watering hole, a family of African elephants suddenly charged from the bush. The men ran in different directions, but the man reportedly lining up the shot was overtaken and fatally trampled. His accomplice escaped the immediate attack but was later arrested. White rhino horn is extremely valuable on the illegal black market. The report says it can sell for around £10,000 and has been described as being worth more than its weight in gold or cocaine. Kruger National Park is home to roughly 1,850 white rhinos, making the animals a major target for illegal poaching operations seeking to profit from their horns.

Sonya Valenzuela

The Bird That Remembered the Sky Behind cold bars, a small bird stayed, Where light arrived but never played. Its wings grew still, its song grew low, Yet in its heart, wild heavens glowed. The cage could hold its fragile frame, But not the fire that spoke its name. For every night, it dreamed in flight— Beyond the walls, beyond the night. It sang of winds it used to know, Of silver moons and dawn’s first glow. And though its feathers brushed the wire, Its soul remained a living fire. One day, the rusted door swung wide; The bird stood trembling just inside. Freedom was vast, the world unknown— The cage was cruel, but it was known. Then courage whispered, “You were made For more than living half-afraid.” It spread the wings once taught to hide And trusted what still lived inside. Upward it flew, through sun and rain, Above the memory of its pain. And every feather seemed to sing: “No cage can own a living thing.” For bars may bind the feet awhile And sorrow steal a creature’s smile, But nothing built by fear or lies Can make a soul forget the skies

justme

Before she was Marilyn Monroe, she was Norma Jeane — an 18-year-old young woman whose famous future was still years away. In 1944, Norma Jeane was living a life that looked nothing like the Hollywood icon she would eventually become. She had married James Dougherty at 16 and, during the war years, took ordinary jobs while beginning to imagine a different future for herself. Accounts of her early life describe her doing domestic work, including babysitting, before the opportunity that would change everything arrived. In 1944, while working at the Radioplane Company in California, Norma Jeane was photographed by military photographer David Conover as part of a wartime publicity assignment. Conover immediately noticed how naturally she responded to the camera. Soon she was modeling. Then came acting lessons, studio contracts and a transformation that included a new professional name: Marilyn Monroe. Within a few years, the young woman who had been earning modest wages during World War II was appearing in movies. By the early 1950s, she was becoming one of Hollywood's biggest stars. Gentlemen Prefer Blondes. How to Marry a Millionaire. The Seven Year Itch. Some Like It Hot. Eventually, her image would become so famous that photographs of Marilyn Monroe would remain recognizable generations after her death. But in 1944, none of that existed yet. There was no white dress over a subway grate. No Hollywood Walk of Fame star. No international celebrity. Just an 18-year-old Norma Jeane trying to earn money, learning about acting and wondering whether she might have a future in front of a camera. The world knew her as Marilyn Monroe. But first, she had to become her.

justme

Benefit SNAP benefits are changing in October: What to know (NEXSTAR) – Heads up, SNAP recipients: Your monthly benefit allotment is likely about to change. On Oct. 1, the annual cost-of-living adjustment (or COLA) kicks in, meaning the size of most people's SNAP benefits are about to increase slightly. Single people, however, will only receive $8 more per month. A family of four will get $29 more monthly. That’s about a 2.9% increase in benefits. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the cost of food at home has gone up about 2.7% year-over-year. Overall inflation is at 3.4%. New bill would restrict SNAP benefits in 9 states. Here’s what could be cut Starting Oct. 1, 2026, this is how SNAP recipients in the 48 contiguous U.S. states plus D.C. will see their maximum benefits change: Household size Maximum benefit starting Oct. 1, 2026 Maximum benefit before Oct. 1 1 $306 $298 2 $562 $546 3 $808 $785 4 $1,023 $994 5 $1,217 $1,183 6 $1,463 $1,421 7 $1,616 $1,571 8 $1,841 $1,789 Each additional person $225 $218 Maximum benefit amounts are different in Alaska, Hawaii, Guam and the U.S. Virgin Islands, due to the high cost of groceries in those places. A family of four in rural Alaska, for example, will be getting as much as $2,027 starting in October. In Hawaii, benefits are actually decreasing slightly. A household of four in Hawaii will now have a maximum benefit of $1,655. (See more on the maximum benefits in those states and territories here.) 41 states at risk of losing federal SNAP funds, new data shows: What to know SNAP, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, helps about 37 million lower-income Americans buy groceries. The program — formerly known as the Food Stamps — is also changing its eligibility requirements as of October. How much someone receives in SNAP benefits depends on their household income and assets.