Trump doll bangs cymbals
The Associated Press is an independent global news organization dedicated to factual reporting. Founded in 1846, AP today remains the most trusted source of fast, accurate, unbiased news in all formats and the essential provider of the technology and services vital to the news business. More than half the world's population sees AP journalism every day.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
News24
an hour ago
- News24
Cummins says WTC final ‘a bridge too far' for beaten Australia
Be among those who shape the future with knowledge. Uncover exclusive stories that captivate your mind and heart with our FREE 14-day subscription trial. Dive into a world of inspiration, learning, and empowerment. You can only trial once. Start your FREE trial now
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Opinion - This Father's Day, remember the invisible weight that many dads carry
This Father's Day, many families will fire up the grill, hand out neckties or whiskey bottles, and celebrate the steady presence of the men who raised them. We honor the sacrifices dads make — their hard work, protective instincts, quiet love. But for many fathers, especially those who've served in uniform or carried other unseen burdens, the greatest gift might be something simple but rare: a moment of real understanding. I was 24 years old when I led an infantry platoon into Iraq. We breached the berm on the Kuwaiti border and pushed into cities where the future of a war — and our own identities — was uncertain. When I came home, I moved into a career on Wall Street, grew my family, and tried to become the man I thought a father should be: strong, silent, dependable. But the weight I carried — the invisible injuries of war, the trauma of a home invasion, the slow unraveling of self — never quite left me. I tried to bury it. And for a while, I did. But what gets buried finds its own way back to the surface. Sometimes in anger. Sometimes in avoidance. Sometimes in moments when your child looks at you, needing you to be fully present — and you realize you're not even in the room emotionally. I tell that story in 'Downriver: Memoir of a Warrior Poet,' not just to make sense of my own past, but to show how trauma doesn't just haunt soldiers. It follows them into fatherhood, into careers, into marriages, and into quiet moments at the dinner table. PTSD isn't always loud. Sometimes it's a subtle distance. A hollow stare. A coldness you can't explain. And it isn't limited to veterans. Over the last 25 years, American families have lived through an almost unrelenting series of shocks: 9/11 and the wars that followed. The financial collapse of 2008. A global pandemic. Social unrest. A mental health crisis that's no longer creeping but roaring into every corner of American life. While much of the public conversation around mental health focuses — rightfully — on teens and younger adults, there's a whole generation of men, many of them fathers, who were taught a different rulebook: don't flinch, don't cry, don't break. For years, I followed that script. I had it all under control. I led men in battle. I briefed corporate executives. I kept moving. But inside, I was unraveling. By the time I sat down across from a counselor in 2011, I didn't know how to say the simplest words: I'm not okay. And yet, saying those words was the beginning of a new life. I'm not here to argue that all dads are silently suffering. Many are thriving, giving love and wisdom and presence to their families. But I know too many men — good men — who carry burdens they never speak of. Some have seen war. Some have battled addiction. Some were shaped by absent fathers of their own, and now quietly wonder if they're failing their kids in invisible ways. Others simply feel lost in a culture that doesn't ask how they're really doing — only whether they're getting the job done. That silence has consequences. When pain goes unspoken, it often leaks out in the wrong places: in strained marriages, in absentee parenting, in emotional distance. But it doesn't have to be that way. Father's Day is a celebration. But it can also be an invitation — to start a conversation, to check in with the men we love, to offer them more than a thank you. Offer presence. Offer curiosity. Offer permission. Ask Dad how he's doing — really. Ask what he remembers about growing up. Ask what parts of himself he's still working on. Ask what he's proud of. Listen, even if it's awkward. Even if he deflects. Because healing doesn't start with fixing something. It starts with seeing it. With making space. When I wrote my book, I wasn't trying to be a perfect example. I was trying to be an honest one. I wanted my children to know that I had struggled — and that I had come through the other side. That there's strength in breaking, and deeper strength in rebuilding. And I wanted other fathers to know: you're not alone. You don't have to carry it all by yourself. Whether you wore a uniform or just wore the weight of the world, your wounds are real. And they are worthy of care. This Father's Day, honor the dads who've shown up. But also hold space for the ones who are trying — sometimes silently — to keep going. There are cracks in all of us. That's not weakness. That's life. As Leonard Cohen wrote, 'There is a crack in everything. That's how the light gets in.' Happy Father's Day — to the men who've held the line for their families, and to those finally learning how to lay their burdens down. Ryan McDermott is an Iraq War veteran, recipient of the Bronze Star medal, and author of the award-winning and critically-acclaimed book, 'Downriver: Memoir of a Warrior Poet.' His views do not reflect those of his employer or any affiliated organization. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
CBS News
an hour ago
- CBS News
Horses in Hookstown help veterans heal and grow
In Hookstown, you'll find horses at Unbridled Performance and its founder, Amy Foster. She's on a mission to help horses and military veterans, for free. "I feel like we're answering God's call," said Foster. This calling uses equine therapy pairing horses with veterans, like George. "It's really gratifying to have (George) him come here, and you can just feel them relax and just open their hearts," Foster said. Those hearts open through accomplishing different exercises, overcoming obstacles, and seeing them come alive together. Since starting in April even, George is just one of the veterans who's come out of his shell more, by interacting with horses. Foster told George, "(The horse) he didn't hesitate to follow you, at any point." With a high five, she said, "Nice job". George responded, "Thanks." Foster said this entire experience was made possible by the non-profit, Outdoor Immersion. "It's so peaceful here, and this is the thing that's missing for a lot of our veteran military community is a sense of peace," the founder of Outdoor Immersion, Jim Skal, said. In this space, veterans gain more than just a sense of peace. Through the non-profit's work, military vets restore resilience, increase connection, and find purpose for their future. That's all part of Outdoor Immersion's mission. "It brings something out of the veteran, opens them up relationally, which helps to increase resilience, which is what we are really all about," Skal said. The animal and human connection brings service men and women out of their shells. Military veteran Mike Stanislow also volunteers with Outdoor Immersion at Unbridled Performance. "The change I've seen in him (George) in the past few months has been night and day," he said. While at the equestrian facility, veterans do service projects too. "We'll walk and we'll work on the electric fences together, or walking, we will clear the path together." Stanislow said, "It helps them to give something back, so they don't feel like they are just taking." After all, they are at a horse sanctuary. "These horses are abused and neglected, so we take them and rehabilitate them right, so it's a lot like we as vets feel sometimes right, we are a tool," said Foster. Those veterans find a sanctuary here, too. "So, watching them bring these horses back to life. It's a mutual exchange," Foster said. The strength, the speed, and the grace of a horse help to heal our service members, back to a peaceful place. To connect with outdoor immersion's equine therapy with Unbridled Performance, you can attend a monthly community day at the equestrian facility. The next one is on June 21st, at 1 p.m., and then, you can schedule a one-on-one with the horses for free. There are no equine veteran programs in Allegheny County or Beaver County. So, this fills a void, and it's open to other first responders, like police and firefighters. Outdoor Immersion provides a wide range of outdoor activities for veterans. For more information, check out their website at this link.
