Courtney Jones Mitchell

When my dad died years ago, I listened to Goodbye nonstop. It was my car cry for months!

I work as an elder and hospice caregiver, which I am oddly passionate about. I can love on them shamelessly and no one complains about my codependence. It's a win-win situation. Many of my caregiving colleagues complain about the repetitive questions and, sometimes reactions, of the elderly, especially when those patients happen to read the newspaper, especially with the current downward spiral of our country — as if these people haven't lived through enough horror... I love my dementia peeps, but sometimes wonder if there's a Guinness Book World Record for how many times an hour a dementia patient can repeat the same question — it's got to be in the hundreds. At least with small children, they ask different questions. Dementia patients will get stuck on one short question and ask it until you can interrupt their train(carousel) of thought and successfully redirect their attention. That carousel is pretty manic sometimes. A couple days ago, I picked up my mail from the post office and drove over to the nursing home to take (let's call her "Miss Daisy") Miss Daisy out for a drive. Before we took off on our road trip, to the end of The Road and back, in our landlocked little town (Juneau, Alaska), I set my copy of The Onion down in front of her. Over our two-hour excursion, tiny Miss Daisy read that front page at least a dozen times and each time she would snicker, giggle, and guffaw, then put it down on the dash board and, a minute later, discover it anew. I think it was the best afternoon of my life. We don't often hear them laugh and when they do, it's the sweetest thing you've ever heard. ... Thank you, thank you, thank you, for the really important work all of you do. You make the world a better place.

I got permission to share this, and I'm extremely grateful for that.

The Onion got this letter from one of our subscribers in Alaska. She works with dementia patients and decided to leave a copy in the car for each one.

This email made my year. Read it and you'll see what I mean. People are good.

My 9yo read many of these this year and they are as relevant as ever. She absolutely devoured them. I was such a mess about it. 😂

"And frommmmm Chicaaaaaago, standing 6'1", 6'6" with the papal mitre, your starting pontiff, Rrrrrrobbbbberrrrtttt PREEEEEEEEVOOOOOOSSST!"

N&O, Charlotte Observer named Pulitzer Prize finalists for Helene coverage The Associated Press and The Washington Post were also finalists in the category.

I'm so proud of our journalists at @newsobserver.com and @charlotteobserver.com. The scope of what Helene did to NC's beloved mountains was hard to fathom. We joined forces to tell this story from every angle we could. We're committed to making sure it's not forgotten.

Rody days. 😍

A Pope Who Preached Decency in Indecent Times Pope Francis’s death leaves a spiritual void at a moment of great stress.

Lovely piece by @cheetah.bsky.social on being in Rome when Pope Francis died. Papa Francesco looked out for those on the margins like immigrants, the imprisoned and the poor in a time where world leaders call them losers and suckers.
www.thebulwark.com/p/a-pope-who...

Photo of Senator Chris Van Hollen with Kilmar Abrego Garcia.

I said my main goal of this trip was to meet with Kilmar. Tonight I had that chance. I have called his wife, Jennifer, to pass along his message of love. I look forward to providing a full update upon my return.

We're Not Broken “This book is a message from autistic people to their parents, friends, teachers, coworkers and doctors showing what life is like on the spectrum. It’s also...

Hey everybody, you may have seen me asking that question to RFK Jr. about increased autism diagnoses among nonwhite people. I wrote a whole book about autism, neurodiversity and why we need to move on from talking about vaccines. Buy it here.
www.harpercollins.com/products/wer...

One thing life gave me is resilience.

Resilience is, far and away, the single greatest factor to anything good that I have in my life.

Someone recently asked me what I want for the kids in my life. It’s this. Resilience. Because life ain’t fair & you gotta live it anyway.

Cory Booker breaks modern record for longest speech from Senate floor The New Jersey Democrat is speaking in protest of the Trump administration’s policies. His record-breaking speech is not delaying the Senate from a vote, so it is not a filibuster.

Breaking news: Sen. Cory Booker (D-New Jersey) broke a record Tuesday night for the longest U.S. Senate floor speech of the modern era, surpassing Sen. Strom Thurmond’s 1957 remarks inside the chamber that lasted 24 hours.

Booker on Strom Thurmond: "I'm not here because of his speech. I'm here in spite of his speech. I'm here because as poweful as he was, the people were more powerful."

Breaking Thurmond's record while talking about the Civil Rights leaders being called home is an incredible moment in America.

This is one for the history books.

The City of Durham Will Put Its First Round of Opioid Settlement Funds Towards Harm Reduction and Mobile Treatment The city is getting $4.5M from a nationwide opioid settlement. Here’s how it plans to spend the first $1M.

Here is how Durham is allocating the first round of its opioid settlement money. indyweek.com/news/durham/...

a crowd of people watching a game with the final four written on the bottom ALT: a crowd of people watching a game with the final four written on the bottom

It's a play-in game, but I'll take it.

THE CONTENT GODS DELIVERED NORTH CAROLINA TO THE NCAA TOURNAMENT LETS GOOOOOO

(whispers, as a prayer)

go heels

Bee people! For the 2,500th Bee, the puzzle finally includes an S.

LET’S GOOOO!

My autistic nephew is a gift beyond measure. He is my daughter’s very best friend and one of my favorite people on this planet. He doesn’t need to be cured. He does need to be supported and valued. I highly recommend this book.

If you've been calling Congress, keep calling & if not, start-we're getting their attention. We had a good visit to a Congressional office yesterday to discuss science funding & the staffer told us how busy they've been-usually the Senate shwitchboard gets 64 calls/minute-now they're getting 1600 🧪

Flu A put my husband in bed for 10 days over Christmas and my kid in the ER with a 104.7 fever. I cannot imagine what would have happened if they weren’t vaccinated.

I spoke with several U.S. Forest Service employees from western North Carolina fired over the weekend. Most were working on Helene recovery and wildfire response in some capacity. The mass firings are a gut punch to the already understaffed agency dealing with so much in the wake of Helene.

NIH-funded, UNC-led research on my condition (stage IV deep infiltrating endometriosis) is the only reason I have a kid with me on this side. She turned 9 this week. She ice-skated with her pals today to celebrate. She would 👏 not 👏 be 👏 here 👏 without my UNC doctor’s NIH research.

Odds are good that someone in your life has received vital care at a university-affiliated hospital near you.

Trump and Musk want to destroy them. Call your reps and demand they push back -- especially if they're Republicans.

www.house.gov/representati...

Scientists and journalists need to figure out right quick how to explain to the average person how a massive change in research indirects will impact the medical care they and their children get (eg at the local children’s hospital), the education their children will get, the price of tuition, etc.

Durham woman, UNC alumna third Army soldier to die in American Airlines collision “We are devastated by the loss of our beloved Rebecca,” her family said in a statement.

“We are devastated by the loss of our beloved Rebecca,” her family said in a statement.

www.newsobserver.com/news/local/c...

Academic Freedom and Open Discourse - UNC Press Blog For over 100 years UNC Press has championed the principles of academic freedom, open discourse, and the free exchange of ideas—values essential to a democratic society and the pursuit of knowledge.  R...

Recently, UNC Press authors have had their US visas revoked and talks canceled.

For over 100 years, we have stood for academic freedom and open discourse, and continue to do so. Read more on the UNC Press Blog ⬇️