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Newsweek
3 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Newsweek
Wife Looks at Husband's Journal, Can't Believe What She Finds Inside
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. A man's handwriting has caused jaws to drop as his wife showed off the microscopic size of the text in his journal. Kathryn Benitez, 27, from Florida, shared a video of her husband's remarkably tiny handwriting, joking that he writes in "font size ant." In a video which has amassed more than 1.3 million views since being shared last week, Alan Benitez's journal entries, condensed into near-microscopic text, amazed the internet. Benitez, an artist who shares her work online alongside her husband, never expected their morning journaling routine to captivate such a wide audience. In the now-viral clip, Alan flips through pages densely packed with miniature script—a habit he's maintained since the couple began dating in 2019. "His handwriting is usually small, but for his journal, he intentionally writes even smaller to condense everything," Benitez told Newsweek. "Whenever he writes me anything, like a birthday card, I always have to ask, 'What does that say?' at least once or twice." Screenshots from the viral TikTok video featuring the tiny handwriting. Screenshots from the viral TikTok video featuring the tiny handwriting. @vibrantvessels/TikTok Benitez checked with her husband before posting the video of the journal, but viewers couldn't really make out anything written anyway. On @vibrantvessels' TikTok video, viewers marveled at the precision of Alan's penmanship, while others shared some well-placed jokes: "Might be drafting the Constitution in his spare time," said one commenter. While another joked: "Environmentally conscious king using as little paper as possible." One viewer said: "He is writing his own terms and conditions," while another wrote: "This font is legally classified as a whisper." "My husband does this too!" said commenter StarGirl0770. "He uses college ruled paper, and fits two lines of text into one row." Even brands got in on the act in the comments, optician chain Specsavers joked: "We just wanna talk." Kathryn Benitez couldn't believe her husband's handwriting in his journal. Kathryn Benitez couldn't believe her husband's handwriting in his journal. TikTok/@vibrantvessels Benitez explained that journaling is an essential part of her husband's daily routine. For him, it's a way to process thoughts, deepen his faith, and stay present. Beyond the internet's amusement, the viral moment has unexpectedly highlighted the value of journaling—especially for men who may not often discuss their emotions openly. The benefits of journaling have been well documented, with the American Psychological Association (APA) publishing an article as far back as 2001 citing research on the subject. "The research, published in the September issue of APA's Journal of Experimental Psychology: General (JEP: General) (Vol. 130, No. 3), indicates that expressive writing reduces intrusive and avoidant thoughts about negative events and improves working memory. These improvements, researchers believe, may in turn free up our cognitive resources for other mental activities, including our ability to cope more effectively with stress," they said. Commenting on the viral moment, Benitez said: "I thought it was a funny wholesome moment to share on social media. "The reaction has been hilarious. From comments accusing him of being a serial killer, to writing hieroglyphics or the constitution, they have cracked us up. "It's funny to know other fellow small handwriting people have felt seen. Alan really values journaling as a way to process and express his emotions, so we love that we can normalize that for men as well," she explained.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
FBI investigates effort to impersonate White House chief of staff Susie Wiles: report
The Brief U.S. authorities are investigating an attempt to impersonate White House chief of staff Susie Wiles. The scheme involved hacked phone contacts and messages sent to senators, governors, and executives. FBI Director Kash Patel said the bureau is treating the case as a top cybersecurity priority. WASHINGTON - Federal officials are investigating a troubling attempt to impersonate White House chief of staff Susie Wiles using her personal cellphone contacts, according to a report published Thursday by the Wall Street Journal. The impersonation effort reportedly involved text messages and calls sent to high-profile individuals—including U.S. senators, governors, and major business leaders—by someone claiming to be Wiles. The Journal cited sources familiar with the matter who said the messages came from someone exploiting her hacked contacts. The backstory The attempt targeted Wiles' personal phone, not her government-issued device, the Wall Street Journal reported. Wiles is a close adviser to President Donald Trump and a central figure in his current administration, making any compromise of her communications particularly sensitive. Sources told the Journal that Wiles informed associates her contact list had been breached, enabling the impersonator to reach powerful individuals while posing as her. So far, the White House has not commented publicly on the investigation What they're saying FBI Director Kash Patel acknowledged the situation in a statement released Friday. "The FBI takes all threats against the president, his staff, and our cybersecurity with the utmost seriousness," Patel said. "Safeguarding our administration officials' ability to securely communicate to accomplish the president's mission is a top priority." Big picture view The White House has faced several recent cybersecurity breaches. Earlier this month, a hacker accessed communications from officials using the same platform as former national security adviser Mike Waltz, according to Reuters. In late 2024, U.S. intelligence assessed that Chinese cyber actors had intercepted calls involving senior American political figures. Wiles herself was previously targeted during Trump's 2024 campaign. U.S. authorities linked that earlier attack to Iranian actors, who allegedly obtained and shared private messages involving Wiles with journalists and political operatives. Given her key role in the Trump administration, Wiles' communications are likely a high-value target for foreign intelligence agencies and hostile actors. The Source This article is based on a report published by the Wall Street Journal on May 30, 2025, citing people familiar with a federal investigation into an impersonation attempt involving White House chief of staff Susie Wiles. Additional context was drawn from prior Reuters reporting on recent White House cybersecurity incidents and public statements from FBI Director Kash Patel. This story was reported from Los Angeles.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
RFK Jr.'s New Crusade Is Freaking Out White House Aides
Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s war on pesticides is alarming White House and federal agency officials, according to The Wall Street Journal. Top aides are reportedly on edge ahead of an expected May 22 report to 'Make America Healthy Again' from Kennedy, who was confirmed in January as President Donald Trump's pick for secretary of health and human services. People familiar with the matter told the Journal that the report will spotlight what Kennedy believes is the 'deleterious impact of pesticides' on health. Targets include glyphosate—the active ingredient in Roundup, the world's most widely used weedkiller—and atrazine, a herbicide commonly sprayed on corn and grasses. Government officials worry Kennedy's push to link pesticides to U.S. health issues could disrupt the nation's food supply chain, according to the Journal. Kennedy has long been a vocal critic of pesticide use, arguing that chemicals like glyphosate and atrazine contribute to chronic health issues in the U.S. He made headlines when he suggested that endocrine disruptors—chemicals found in pesticides and plastic—may be influencing children's sexual orientation and gender identity. The Environmental Working Group said in 2024 that potentially harmful pesticides were found on more than 75 percent of non-organic fresh produce sold in the United States. Trump launched the 'Make America Healthy Again' Commission in February, with a sweeping mission to 'address the growing health crisis in America' by focusing on 'understanding and drastically lowering chronic disease rates and ending childhood chronic disease.' On the campaign trail last year, Trump vowed to probe pesticides and the causes of chronic health diseases. 'Millions and millions of Americans who want clean air, clean water and a healthy nation have concerns about toxins in our environment and pesticides in our food,' he said at a rally with Kennedy in Arizona in August. Behind the scenes, farm and food groups have also been scrambling to meet with White House officials to express their concerns about the report, according to the Journal. They are worried it could torpedo trust in decades of pesticide research. Illinois farmer and National Corn Growers Association President Kenneth Hartman Jr. told the newspaper that he fears the report will cast out 'the extensive research and testing on pesticides and cast doubt on the safe use of these technologies.' The Daily Beast has reached out to the White House and the HHS for comment. 'HHS, EPA, USDA and other federal partners are working closely to ensure the final report reflects gold standard science and practical considerations that will Make America Healthy Again,' an HHS spokesman told the Journal. 'The MAHA Commission's first report for President Trump will be a landmark assessment of what we know about the causes of America's chronic disease crisis and what we need further research on,' a White House spokesman told the publication. Sources told the Journal that the forthcoming 'Make America Healthy Again' report has been largely shaped by Kennedy adviser Calley Means, who co-wrote a book on the dangers of pesticides with his sister, new Trump surgeon general nominee Dr. Casey Means. The siblings say their book, Good Energy, is 'a unifying framework for understanding what is causing symptoms and diseases, and how to feel amazing now and in the future.'
New York Post
2 days ago
- Politics
- New York Post
WSJ report on Biden's ‘slipping' health was smeared by media
Nearly a year before books about Joe Biden's cognitive decline made headlines, The Wall Street Journal was viciously attacked for its own bombshell reporting at a time when very few in the legacy media dared to broach the subject. In early June 2024, the Journal published a story titled, 'Behind Closed Doors, Biden Shows Signs of Slipping,' a months-long investigation by reporters Annie Linskey and Siobhan Hughes involving more than 45 sources who were either directly involved or briefed on meetings with Biden, who they said 'appears slower now, someone who has both good moments and bad ones.' Advertisement The report, which dropped just weeks before Biden's disastrous debate performance, was swiftly met with disdain and indignation, not just by the Biden White House, but by its allies in the media as well. Jake Tapper, the CNN anchor who co-authored 'Original Sin,' the new Biden bombshell book, framed his coverage of the Journal's report at the time on the White House's aggressive response to the 'false claims' made by the paper and repeatedly told viewers the report was 'mostly based on observations of Republicans.' He had on top Biden surrogate Sen. Chris Coons, D-Del., who defended the president and attempted to discredit the reporting as agenda-driven. It wasn't until after the debate (which Tapper notably co-moderated) that he invited the two Wall Street Journal reporters who authored the report to discuss it on his program. 7 In early June 2024, the Journal published a story titled, 'Behind Closed Doors, Biden Shows Signs of Slipping,' a months-long investigation that was attacked by legacy media outlets. Castleski – Advertisement 7 The report involved more than 45 sources who were either directly involved or briefed on meetings with Biden, who they said 'appears slower now, someone who has both good moments and bad ones.' AFP via Getty Images Several CNN anchors stressed that the Journal's story heavily relied on Republican criticism of Biden and called out former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, who gave the only on-the-record statement, for appearing to flip-flop on Biden's sharpness in previous comments, something that was later explained as a tactical PR move at the time for McCarthy to bolster cooperation with the Biden White House. CNN's Boris Sanchez grilled Hughes over Democratic allegations that her story was 'slanted,' a question that would be unfathomable to a journalist covering Donald Trump. 7 Jake Tapper, the CNN anchor who co-authored 'Original Sin,' the new Biden bombshell book and top Biden surrogate Sen. Chris Coons previously defended the president and attempted to discredit the reporting. CNN Advertisement Oliver Darcy, CNN's then-media reporter, erupted at the Journal, insisting its reporting 'suffers from glaring problems,' lecturing the paper it 'owes its readers — and the public — better.' 'It is difficult to imagine that the newspaper, or any outlet, would run a similar story declaring that Trump is 'slipping' behind the scenes based on the word of top Democratic figures — despite the fact that the Democratic leadership has demonstrated a much stronger relationship with the truth in recent years than their Republican counterparts,' Darcy wrote . 'More broadly speaking, The Journal's piece pointed to a continued problem roiling the news media as it covers the 2024 election. Trump is permitted to fall asleep in court and make nonsensical public statements on a routine basis without any serious questions raised about his mental acuity,' the ex-CNN pundit continued. 'Meanwhile, Biden is judged on an entirely different standard.' MSNBC's 'Morning Joe' co-host Joe Scarborough declared the report a 'Trump hit piece on Biden' as his co-host spouse Mika Brzezinski ridiculed the Republican sourcing. Advertisement 7 'Morning Joe' co-host Joe Scarborough declared the report a 'Trump hit piece on Biden' as his co-host spouse Mika Brzezinski ridiculed the sourcing. MSNBC 'Why didn't they just ask Marjorie Taylor Greene to weigh in? And Lauren Boebert?' Brzezinski sarcastically asked. 'Deadline: White House' host Nicolle Wallace knocked the 'highly-criticized' report that 'faced blowback' from Democrats and sounded the alarm on how local TV stations owned by Sinclair Broadcasting Group were covering it, suggesting it was a 'right-wing disinformation operation.' Wallace's then-MSNBC colleague Joy Reid raised a similar panic about Sinclair's coverage of The Journal while swiping the paper's 'dubious' and 'highly problematic' report and suggesting it was 'conservative propaganda.' She argued that it's actually Donald Trump, not Biden, who should face scrutiny over mental acuity. 7 Joy Reid raised panic about Sinclair's coverage of The Journal while swiping the paper's 'dubious' and 'highly problematic' report. Christopher Sadowski CNN's Brian Stelter, then a Vanity Fair correspondent who appeared on Reid's program as a guest, told the MSNBC host that The Journal's report 'had a lot of flaws' and appeared to agree with Reid's assertion that it's Trump who should be more scrutinized, knocking how the media 'obsesses' over Biden's age. The New York Times elevated the criticism of CBS late-night host Stephen Colbert, who summarized The Journal's reporting as 'old news.' Liberal writer Brian Beutler complained on X the piece was an 'egregious hit job.' Jennifer Rubin, at the time a prominent columnist for The Washington Post, slammed the 'shoddy front-page Wall Street Journal article,' saying it was 'essentially the promotion of a right-wing meme.' Advertisement 'The Journal's faceplant should lead to a much larger discussion: to what extent and in what way age matters to the performance of the chief executive. Frankly, it has nothing to do with the sort of factors Biden's critics obsess over (e.g., verbal slips, how fast he moves),' Rubin told readers. 'Does he misspeak? Does he physically stumble? Focusing on such relatively superficial subjects has come to define political journalism.' 7 Jennifer Rubin, at the time a prominent columnist for The Washington Post, slammed the 'shoddy front-page Wall Street Journal article,' calling it 'essentially the promotion of a right-wing meme.' 'A president's gait, verbal tics and minor recall errors have virtually nothing to do with the job of being president. The White House occupant is not a 'Jeopardy!' contestant, a stand-up comic, a talk-show host or guest; the president is the head of the executive branch and commander in chief,' she later wrote. Left-wing advocacy group Media Matters For America scoffed at the Wall Street Journal's 'comically weak' report. Advertisement 'Republicans and their right-wing media propagandists have spent the last four years smearing President Joe Biden as mentally infirm. That argument keeps exploding in their faces when Biden appears before a national audience in debates and speeches, but the president's mental acuity is a frequent subject of media attention, and polls show voters are concerned about Biden's age,' Media Matters wrote. 'The Journal is perhaps the most credulous of the major newspapers when it comes to the GOP's campaign to convince the public that Biden's stammer and occasional verbal stumbles indicate he has dementia.' Keep up with today's most important news Stay up on the very latest with Evening Update. Thanks for signing up! Enter your email address Please provide a valid email address. By clicking above you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Never miss a story. Check out more newsletters The journalism non-profit Poynter Institute attempted to tackle the question of whether the Journal's report was 'fair or foul.' 'Is it a fairly reported story on a pertinent topic? Or is it a pointed piece based pretty much on quotes and opinions from those who don't want to see Biden elected to a second term? I'd go with the latter — considering the money quote is from McCarthy, another key anecdote was reported by current Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson, and other tales suggesting Biden's decline are flimsy, at best,' Poynter Institute's Tom Jones ruled . Advertisement 7 'Is it a fairly reported story on a pertinent topic? Or is it a pointed piece based pretty much on quotes and opinions from those who don't want to see Biden elected to a second term?' Poynter Institute's Tom Jones said. Getty Images Little did the media know that The Wall Street Journal only scratched the surface of Biden's cognitive decline, which was on full display at the presidential debate and led to his dramatic ousting from the 2024 race. The Journal stood by its report since it was published and its editor-in-chief Emma Tucker said she felt 'very much' vindicated following the debate. 'The reporters took a lot of grief for covering a story that needed to be covered and that no other main stream publishers were willing to touch. I am very proud of them,' Tucker told Semafor . Now Democrats and members of the media have been speaking more candidly about Biden since he left office. Some in the media are even singing the praises of the two Wall Street Journal reporters who were once the target of vitriol from their peers in the press. Advertisement 'I remember when people worked hard to try to discredit these excellent reporters' groundbreaking reporting on Biden's decline. And now everyone agrees they were right all along,' CBS News reporter Jan Crawford wrote on X. 'Kudos to [Annie Linskey] [Siobhane Hughes] and the @WSJ for never wavering.' Crawford continued, 'And shame on the @PulitzerPrizes for failing to properly honor the most courageous and deeply sourced original reporting of the past year (or years).' 'I said it last year before the election, and I'll say it again, the journalism you did was vital, and the smear campaign by Democrats against you two is disgraceful,' Tapper told The Journal reporters on his CNN program earlier this month. 'You're heroic,' Tapper told them.
New York Post
2 days ago
- Business
- New York Post
Spice magnate spends $37.3M for former Sprint CEO neighbor's Aspen teardown — to protect his own views
Variety is the spice of life, but the Badia family would like to keep the status quo. At least, that's when it comes to their Aspen home. Joseph A. Badia, the spice magnate whose products line shelves across America, bought out his Aspen neighbor's $37.3 million teardown in order to preserve his own property's natural beauty, the Wall Street Journal reported. Advertisement 7 A rendering of one of the potential properties. Mitchell Studio/Blok Studio 7 Marcelo Claure, former CEO of Sprint and present CEO of Claure Group. Bloomberg via Getty Images 7 Jospeh 'Pepe' Badia, president of Badia Spices. Bloomberg via Getty Images Advertisement 7 The spice brand is unmistakable on grocery store shelves. Mdv Edwards – The sale spans about 21 acres, including one vacant house and planning permission for two new 15,000-square-foot mansions. Badia's neighbor, former Sprint CEO Marcelo Claure, bought the properties in 2020 with plans to build a family compound, the Journal reported. Badia and his wife Nancy purchased the neighboring six-bedroom house on 10 acres just last year for $18.5 million. Advertisement AJ Morris and Craig Morris of Aspen Snowmass Sotheby's International Realty represented Badia. The magnate's decision to snap up Claure's splittable estate was to prevent its development, AJ told the outlet. 'They did not want massive spec homes being built right next to their house that would impact their views tremendously, and also have a very negative impact on the natural beauty and elk migratory path,' AJ said. 7 A rendering of a sitting area in one of the planned homes. Mitchell Studio/Blok Studio 7 While the renderings of the property's future may look promising, Badia's agent said the purchase was made to prevent development, rather than pursue it. Mitchell Studio/Blok Studio Advertisement Claure, founder and CEO of Claure Group, purchased his scenic swath of land back in 2020. The Bolivian-American entrepreneur ultimately listed the property for $45 million in 2023 after his changing his plans for a family compound, according to the Journal. Claure sold a different Aspen home for $18.5 million in the same year. The Badias' acquisition of Claure's property encompasses two parcels. One spans 10.5 acres and contains an existing 11,000-square-foot dwelling, plus plans for a new seven-bedroom property. The other, a 10.8-acre piece of land, comes with plans for a five-bedroom home and equestrian facilities. The plans on offer made the listing especially valuable, given the surrounding county's restrictions on development, seller's broker Brittanie Rockhill told the Journal at the time of listing. 7 A dining room rendering promises views of Aspen's natural splendor. Mitchell Studio/Blok Studio Badia's father started the Florida-based Badia Spices empire in 1967. The company manufactures and distributes spices, blends and sauces and more. Badia was acquired by the investment firm Bia Foods with BDT & MSD Partners, a merchant bank, in 2024. AJ Morris told the Journal that the Badia family has no present plans to build on their new property, but Badia did purchase the development rights from Claure for under $4 million. Claure's listing agent Brittanie Rockhill of Douglas Elliman declined to comment. Claure and Badia could not be reached for comment.
