Latest news with #Odle
Newsweek
7 days ago
- Entertainment
- Newsweek
Family Get 'Dangerous' Dog—Then See What He Does Alone With Little Girl
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 mom has challenged common misconceptions about so-called "dangerous" dog breeds—by showing her 2-year-old daughter dressing up their Doberman pinscher as a princess. Haley Odle (@haleyann0710), 36, posted the TikTok clip featuring her daughter Ellie, 2, playing dress-up with their 8-year-old Doberman, Diesel. The video, which has garnered more than 417,500 likes and over 2.4 million views, shows the toddler tenderly wrapping Diesel in blankets before placing a crown on his head. "Oooo so pretty," Ellie says, admiring her royal creation. "They have been best friends ever since we brought her home. I have other videos of when she was younger, and he's always been so gentle with her," Odle told Newsweek. "We have three dogs in total, and he was the one I was most nervous about in the beginning, just because he's not trusting with others outside of our family. But he has been the absolute best with her. They'll chase each other around the house and, like you see in the video, he'll go in her room to check on her and he'll let her do whatever," Odle added. A split image showing Ellie dressing up Diesel the Doberman as a princess. A split image showing Ellie dressing up Diesel the Doberman as a princess. @haleyann0710/@haleyann0710 "Dangerous breed," the mom wrote as the text overlay of the video. Odle used the TikTok sound This-is-me-yes-it-is, often used to poke fun at pets that don't exactly live up to their supposedly tough exteriors. "The bottom line is we need to get a dog for protection. Like, if someone tried to break into our house, I'd wanna make sure that they were immediately terrified," the audio says. Doberman pinschers are medium-large dogs, standing between 24 and 28 inches at the shoulder, with a muscular build and a short, smooth coat. Despite their reputation as formidable guard dogs, Dobermans are also affectionate and obedient companions. The American Kennel Club (AKC) says they are energetic, watchful, determined, alert, fearless, loyal, and obedient. Their intelligence and trainability make them suitable for various roles, including police and military work, as well as family pets. Ellie, dressed in a purple princess gown, confidently takes on the role of stylist for Diesel, who sits patiently as she completes his regal transformation. Odle noted that the majority of reactions to the video have been overwhelmingly positive. Still, a few commenters expressed concern, writing things like "please watch that dog, he looks stressed." "But, to me, the look on his face is saying 'look how good I'm being'," Odle replied. TikTok users flooded the comments with admiration and laughter: "That dog still gonna protect that little girl with its life, just gonna do it while looking Bonita [pretty]," posted Lisa. "Imagine someone breaking in and being chased by a dog wearing a dress and tiara," commented another user. "Yeah … Dobermans are … ferocious," added Melissa. "No one said he cant be dangerous AND well dressed," someone else wrote. One commenter shared a similar experience: "Our massive German shepherd was a toy to our second daughter, too. She looks like a giant beast and Bella would bring kittens for them to play." Do you have funny and adorable videos or pictures of your pet you want to share? Send them to life@ with some details about your best friend, and they could appear in our Pet of the Week lineup.
The Herald Scotland
18-05-2025
- Politics
- The Herald Scotland
Flat Earth on the ballot? Some politicians linked to debunked claim.
To some, the beliefs have a spiritual connection. Others say they have a healthy skepticism of scientific consensus. Data from a 2021 University of New Hampshire survey shows nearly 10% of Americans believe the Earth is flat, indicating how widespread pseudo-scientific conspiracy theories are emerging in the U.S. Meanwhile, political observers have met the emergence of some flat Earth beliefs in politics with a mix of alarm and apathy. Political candidates who believe the Earth is flat and other similar beliefs are "consistent with the current dumbing down and anti-intellectualism of America," said James Taylor, a political science professor at the University of San Francisco. Taylor said these theories have thrived mostly due to the internet and social media compared to 20 years ago. Flat Earth presence in politics In Alabama, there's Dean Odle, a pastor who lost when he ran for governor in 2022, and is now seeking to become lieutenant governor next year. Odle, who describes himself as the "Anti-estabishment Republican," told USA TODAY he became "a flat-earth/biblical-earther believer" in 2015, even attending the inaugural Flat Earth International Conference in 2017. He cites his 2019 self-published book, titled "Like Clay Under the Seal," saying his belief that the Earth is flat initially came as a "spiritual download from the Holy Spirit." Odle said he's aware of the flak he gets for his beliefs, but it won't stop him from running for office to try improving the state's low-ranking education status and stop the Second Amendment from being attacked. "I typically refer to Article VI, Section 3 of the U.S. Constitution, which says no religious tests should be put on a person as a qualification or disqualification to run for office," Odle said. "What that means is we're all going to have different beliefs, but that doesn't mean we're unfit to protect the God-given constitutional rights of all Americans and Alabama residents." In Minnesota, Bret Bussman, an Army veteran who became Minnesota's 7th Congressional District Republican Party chair in March, has reportedly publicly shared videos on social media explaining why he believes the Earth is flat. That includes a 2024 Facebook post titled, "5 Reasons Why I BELIEVE in the Flat Earth (And You Should Too!)." When asked about his beliefs by the Minnesota Reformer in April, Bussman said, "You can print whatever you want. I spent 20+ years in the Army defending that right, but if you do that, there would be no chance of me speaking with you in the future." (USA TODAY has reached out to Bussman for comment.) And in Georgia, Kandiss Taylor, a former Georgia Republican gubernatorial candidate and the state's current District 1 GOP Chair, has announced she's running for Congress in 2026. She faced scrutiny after interviewing two prominent flat Earth believers on a podcast two years ago, at one point saying: "Everywhere there's globes. It's that's what they do to brainwash," Taylor said. "For me, if it is not a conspiracy, if it is, you know, 'real,' why are you pushing so hard? Everywhere I go, every store, you buy a globe, there's globes everywhere--every movie, every TV show, news media. Why? It doesn't make sense." Taylor has since said she does not believe the Earth is flat, but that she remains skeptical. "I will clearly state that I simply do not believe anything that I have not seen for myself," Taylor said in an emailed statement to USA TODAY. "With that being said, I will gladly take one of those 11-minute rocket flights to the stratosphere (Like Katy Perry did) and report back to the people what I see." What do flat-earthers believe? In general, most flat-earthers believe Earth is a flat, hockey-puck-like object covered by a dome, sometimes called a firmament, with walls of ice around the edges of the dome. Flat-earthers think they can prove this because the seas appear level, not curved, and say it is not possible to view the Earth's curvature of the horizon from airplanes. They also dispute photographic evidence from space, saying it cannot be trusted and that the NASA moon landing was a hoax. Flat Earth in politics: What does it mean? Fact check roundup: Debunking the flawed science behind flat Earth claims Although some flat Earth believers have been active in politics, there's no evidence of an organized flat-earther movement in U.S. politics, political experts told USA TODAY. "You're unlikely to have candidates openly saying they think the earth is flat because it sounds like a goofier position and a less widely held belief," said John Cluverius, a political science professor at the University of Massachusetts Lowell. "I hesitate to think about this as a conspiracy theory as much as it is an anti-science belief that can be countered with scientific evidence." Round and round: Surreal April 2024 total solar eclipse renews debunked flat Earth conspiracy theories When did people know the Earth is a sphere? There's a common flat Earth error, popularized in the 19th century, suggesting that before scientific study began in the 17th century, most people believed the Earth was indeed flat. However, ancient Greeks figured out the Earth was round around 500 B.C., and it's been commonly accepted by scholars, navigators and cartographers since. The flat Earth belief as a conspiracy theory rose again in the mid-1800s in England. The Flat Earth Society was founded in 1956. Then, flat-earthers had a resurgence in the 2010s as the rise of social media became a portal for conspiracy theorists, as James Taylor, the San Francisco political scientist, mentioned. Contributing: Elizabeth Wiese, Doyle Rice, USA TODAY
USA Today
17-05-2025
- Politics
- USA Today
Flat Earth on the ballot? Debunked claim pops up in US politics.
Flat Earth on the ballot? Debunked claim pops up in US politics. Show Caption Hide Caption Fact-checking flat Earth claims before 2024 eclipse A total solar eclipse is expected to cross the U.S. on April 8. That isn't stopping some skeptics from believing the Earth is flat. Humans have known the Earth is round for more than 2,000 years, but a movement questioning that fact has reached the corners of American politics. People involved in politics in Alabama, Georgia and Minnesota have attracted attention for their links to the flat Earth movement, although their beliefs and reasoning vary. To some, the beliefs have a spiritual connection. Others say they have a healthy skepticism of scientific consensus. Data from a 2021 University of New Hampshire survey shows nearly 10% of Americans believe the Earth is flat, indicating how widespread pseudo-scientific conspiracy theories are emerging in the U.S. Meanwhile, political observers have met the emergence of some flat Earth beliefs in politics with a mix of alarm and apathy. Political candidates who believe the Earth is flat and other similar beliefs are "consistent with the current dumbing down and anti-intellectualism of America," said James Taylor, a political science professor at the University of San Francisco. Taylor said these theories have thrived mostly due to the internet and social media compared to 20 years ago. Flat Earth presence in politics In Alabama, there's Dean Odle, a pastor who lost when he ran for governor in 2022, and is now seeking to become lieutenant governor next year. Odle, who describes himself as the "Anti-estabishment Republican," told USA TODAY he became "a flat-earth/biblical-earther believer" in 2015, even attending the inaugural Flat Earth International Conference in 2017. He cites his 2019 self-published book, titled "Like Clay Under the Seal," saying his belief that the Earth is flat initially came as a "spiritual download from the Holy Spirit." Odle said he's aware of the flak he gets for his beliefs, but it won't stop him from running for office to try improving the state's low-ranking education status and stop the Second Amendment from being attacked. "I typically refer to Article VI, Section 3 of the U.S. Constitution, which says no religious tests should be put on a person as a qualification or disqualification to run for office," Odle said. "What that means is we're all going to have different beliefs, but that doesn't mean we're unfit to protect the God-given constitutional rights of all Americans and Alabama residents." In Minnesota, Bret Bussman, an Army veteran who became Minnesota's 7th Congressional District Republican Party chair in March, has reportedly publicly shared videos on social media explaining why he believes the Earth is flat. That includes a 2024 Facebook post titled, "5 Reasons Why I BELIEVE in the Flat Earth (And You Should Too!)." When asked about his beliefs by the Minnesota Reformer in April, Bussman said, "You can print whatever you want. I spent 20+ years in the Army defending that right, but if you do that, there would be no chance of me speaking with you in the future." (USA TODAY has reached out to Bussman for comment.) And in Georgia, Kandiss Taylor, a former Georgia Republican gubernatorial candidate and the state's current District 1 GOP Chair, has announced she's running for Congress in 2026. She faced scrutiny after interviewing two prominent flat Earth believers on a podcast two years ago, at one point saying: "Everywhere there's globes. It's constant…and that's what they do to brainwash," Taylor said. "For me, if it is not a conspiracy, if it is, you know, 'real,' why are you pushing so hard? Everywhere I go, every store, you buy a globe, there's globes everywhere—every movie, every TV show, news media. Why? It doesn't make sense." Taylor has since said she does not believe the Earth is flat, but that she remains skeptical. "I will clearly state that I simply do not believe anything that I have not seen for myself," Taylor said in an emailed statement to USA TODAY. "With that being said, I will gladly take one of those 11-minute rocket flights to the stratosphere (Like Katy Perry did) and report back to the people what I see." What do flat-earthers believe? In general, most flat-earthers believe Earth is a flat, hockey-puck-like object covered by a dome, sometimes called a firmament, with walls of ice around the edges of the dome. Flat-earthers think they can prove this because the seas appear level, not curved, and say it is not possible to view the Earth's curvature of the horizon from airplanes. They also dispute photographic evidence from space, saying it cannot be trusted and that the NASA moon landing was a hoax. Flat Earth in politics: What does it mean? Fact check roundup: Debunking the flawed science behind flat Earth claims Although some flat Earth believers have been active in politics, there's no evidence of an organized flat-earther movement in U.S. politics, political experts told USA TODAY. "You're unlikely to have candidates openly saying they think the earth is flat because it sounds like a goofier position and a less widely held belief," said John Cluverius, a political science professor at the University of Massachusetts Lowell. "I hesitate to think about this as a conspiracy theory as much as it is an anti-science belief that can be countered with scientific evidence." Round and round: Surreal April 2024 total solar eclipse renews debunked flat Earth conspiracy theories When did people know the Earth is a sphere? There's a common flat Earth error, popularized in the 19th century, suggesting that before scientific study began in the 17th century, most people believed the Earth was indeed flat. However, ancient Greeks figured out the Earth was round around 500 B.C., and it's been commonly accepted by scholars, navigators and cartographers since. The flat Earth belief as a conspiracy theory rose again in the mid-1800s in England. The Flat Earth Society was founded in 1956. Then, flat-earthers had a resurgence in the 2010s as the rise of social media became a portal for conspiracy theorists, as James Taylor, the San Francisco political scientist, mentioned. Contributing: Elizabeth Wiese, Doyle Rice, USA TODAY
