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We have a curated list of the most noteworthy news from all across the globe. With any subscription plan, you get access to exclusive articles that let you stay ahead of the curve.
We have a curated list of the most noteworthy news from all across the globe. With any subscription plan, you get access to exclusive articles that let you stay ahead of the curve.
We have a curated list of the most noteworthy news from all across the globe. With any subscription plan, you get access to exclusive articles that let you stay ahead of the curve.
US Vice President JD Vance on Friday warned Iran not to “play” the US as he headed overseas for negotiations aimed at ending their war.
US President Donald Trump has tasked the member of his inner circle who has seemed to be the most reluctant defender of the 6-week-old conflict with Iran to now find a resolution and stave off the US president’s astonishing threat to wipe out its “whole civilisation.”
Renowned for his cautious stance on foreign interventions and his vocal opposition to indefinite military engagements, Vance embarked on a diplomatic mission to facilitate discussions with Iran in Islamabad, Pakistan, this past Friday.
Vice President JD Vance walks to speak with the Press before boarding Air Force Two, Friday, April 10, 2026, at Joint Base Andrews, Md., for expected departure to Pakistan, for talks on Iran (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)
As he boarded Air Force Two en route to Pakistan, the vice president expressed optimism about the impending negotiations, stating, “We’re anticipating a positive outcome. However, the results remain to be seen.”
Referencing Trump’s stance, Vance remarked, “Should the Iranians engage in sincere negotiations, we are more than willing to extend a welcoming hand.” He warned, though, “If they attempt to deceive us, they’ll find our negotiating team less accommodating.”
Vance noted that Trump provided “very clear guidelines” for the discussions, though he chose not to elaborate further. He refrained from answering questions posed by accompanying journalists.
Vance’s diplomatic journey occurs amidst a fragile and temporary ceasefire that teeters on the brink of collapse.
The chasm between Iran’s public demands and those from the US and its partner Israel seem irreconcilable. And in the US, where Vance might ask voters in two years’ time to make him the next president, there is growing political and economic pressure to wrap it up.
Vice President JD Vance walks off Marine Two to walk and board Air Force Two, Friday, April 10, 2026, at Joint Base Andrews, Md., for expected departure to Pakistan, for talks on Iran (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)
Vance is joined by Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff and Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner, who took part in three rounds of indirect talks with Iranian negotiators aimed at settling US concerns about Tehran’s nuclear and ballistic weapons programs and its support for armed proxy groups in the Middle East before Trump and Israel launched the February 28 war against Iran.
The White House has provided scant detail about the format of the talks – whether they will be direct or indirect – and has not provided specific expectations for the meeting.
But the arrival of Vance for negotiations marks a rare moment of high-level US government engagement with the Iranian government.
Since the Islamic Revolution in 1979, the most direct contact had been when President Barack Obama in September 2013 called newly elected Iranian President Hassan Rouhani to discuss Iran’s nuclear program.
The two sides face a steep climb in making headway
Almost immediately after the White House and Iran announced a temporary ceasefire on Tuesday evening, the sides found themselves at odds over terms of the truce.
Iran insisted that an end to the Israeli war in Lebanon was part of the ceasefire. But Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Trump said the truce did not cover Lebanon, and the Israeli operations there continued.
The US, meanwhile, demanded that Iran make good on reopening the Strait of Hormuz. The Islamic Republic had closed the critical shipping waterway in response to Israel’s intensifying attacks against the Hezbollah militant group in Lebanon.
President Donald Trump speaks with reporters in the James Brady Press Briefing Room at the White House, Monday, April 6, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson) (AP)
Trump on Thursday said Iran was “doing a very poor job” of allowing oil tankers to pass through, writing on social media, “That is not the agreement we have!”
White House spokeswoman Anna Kelly said Vance, Witkoff, Kushner and Secretary of State Marco Rubio “have always been collaborating on these discussions” and said Trump was optimistic that a lasting deal can be reached during the two-week ceasefire.
“President Trump has a proven track record of achieving good deals on behalf of the United States and the American people, and he will only accept one that puts America first,” Kelly said.
High stakes for peace — and for politics
It’s the highest-stakes moment thus far for Vance, who spent much of last year as more of a background player in the Trump White House, especially as others like Elon Musk and Rubio took turns as ever-present advisers for the president.
But Vance’s portfolio is fattening fast, first with a mission to root out fraud in government programs at home and now to help solve a US war in the Middle East, where complicated doesn’t even begin to describe things.
Vance, who served in the Iraq War while in the Marines and spent two years as a US senator for Ohio and a little more than one as vice president, has little diplomatic experience.
Vice President JD Vance boards Air Force Two, Friday, April 10, 2026, at Joint Base Andrews, Md., for expected departure to Pakistan, for talks on Iran (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)
On Wednesday, he dismissed speculation that the Iranians requested that he join the talks, telling reporters: “I don’t know that. I would be surprised if that was true. But, you know, I wanted to be involved because I thought I could make a difference.”
Jonathan Schanzer, a former Treasury Department official who is now executive director of the Foundation for Defence of Democracies, a hawkish Washington think tank, said Vance, with little experience on Iran policy, is an interesting choice to lead the delegation.
Trump has noted his vice president was “less enthusiastic” than other top senior officials in the Republican administration, making Vance an intriguing interlocutor for the Iranian side, Schanzer said.
“I think they probably prefer him knowing that his perspective on foreign intervention is one of scepticism,” Schanzer said of the Iranians.
“I do think that he’s going to need some help. I don’t think he’s ever been engaged in negotiations with this kind of weight, this kind of seriousness. This is as serious as it gets.”
Secretary of State Marco Rubio speaks during a joint news conference with Ecuadors Foreign Minister Gabriela Sommerfeld at the Palacio de Carondelet, in Quito, Ecuador, Thursday, Sept. 4, 2025. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin, Pool) (AP)
The White House has pushed back against the characterisation that Iran wanted Vance in the talks, casting it as an effort to hurt negotiations.
The White House has not detailed who will be in the talks besides Vance, Witkoff and Kushner, but Kelly said officials from the National Security Council, State Department and Pentagon “will also play a supportive role”.
During early rounds of indirect nuclear talks with the Iranians before the war, Democrats and some nuclear experts questioned whether Kushner and Witkoff had enough technical knowledge.
The White House has not said whether the pair, whom Trump has entrusted with some of his most difficult negotiations since returning to office, had a nuclear expert with them for those talks.
Negotiating peace is a tall order for any vice president
It’s not unusual for vice presidents to take on important negotiating roles for the president, said Joel Goldstein, a professor of law at Saint Louis University who is an expert on the history of the vice presidency.
But, he said, “I don’t recall a situation where a vice president has been sent to negotiate a ceasefire or peace in connection with a war the United States was involved with.”
Vance and Rubio are seen as the Republican Party’s strongest potential 2028 presidential contenders, though neither has given a clear answer about whether he intends to run.
The vice president’s team is not thinking about the negotiations with an eye to future political considerations, according to a person familiar with discussions who was not authorised to speak publicly and spoke on the condition of anonymity.
As vice president, Vance inherently would carry any baggage of the administration if he eventually does run for president, Goldstein said. But stepping in to lead negotiations even further identifies him with the conflict.
“The fact that he’s involved in the negotiations in a very visible way, that means that, if things go south, that people will be pointing fingers at him,” Goldstein said.
At the same time, Goldstein said, “If things go well, then it will be something that he could point to.”
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BUCHANAN COUNTY, Va. (WJHL) — The Virginia Department of Corrections (VADOC) has reported the death of an inmate at Keen Mountain Correctional Center, following what appears to have been an assault by another inmate.
According to a news release from VADOC, the event took place early on Thursday morning.
Jurors were presented with chilling testimony regarding the final words spoken by former FedEx driver Tanner Horner to Athena Strand before he allegedly committed the tragic murder of the 7-year-old girl.
In court on April 9, police interview footage revealed Horner’s account of instructing the young girl to get into his truck after he arrived at her home in Wise County, Texas, to deliver a package containing Barbie dolls intended as her Christmas gift.
According to The New York Post, Horner recounted telling investigators their final exchange went, “Just get in the back of the van. We’re going to the hospital.”
Horner initially professed that panic set in after accidentally striking Athena with his truck. However, prosecutors challenged this narrative, presenting to the jury a surveillance image from the truck showing Strand unharmed and kneeling behind the driver’s seat.
Wise County District Attorney James Stainton, in his opening statements as noted by The Fort Worth Star-Telegram, asserted, “She was very much alive and very much uninjured when he put her in the truck. The first thing Tanner Horner says to Athena when he picks her up and puts her in his truck, he leans down and says, ‘Don’t scream or I’ll hurt you.’ He says that twice. … That’s the first thing out of his mouth. He made good on it.”
Tanner Horner Allegedly Claims His Alter Ego Zero Killed Athena Strand
While speaking to investigators, Horner allegedly claimed that an alter-ego he referred to as Zero “took over” and killed the young girl.
Sgt. Job Espinoza, the lead investigator in the Texas Rangers’ search for the missing girl, testified April 8, per CBS News, that investigators would often play into the idea of the alter ego, addressing “Zero” directly as they tried to get information on Athena’s whereabouts.
“His demeanor, physical demeanor changes,” Espinoza testified. “His head goes into a sideways motion. His eyes roll into the back of the head, and he pretends to turn it to ‘Zero.’”
Horner told investigators he “listened to a little voice” inside his head when he decided to take Athena, describing it as like a “dream” or out of body experience.
At one point during an interview with investigators, per Court TV, Horner described Athena as a “sweet kid” who had been “worried I was a kidnapper.”
“I tried to break her neck, make it as painless as possible, but it didn’t work. She started crying,” he told them in videos played in court. “I didn’t want her to see it coming. I couldn’t take it if she was sitting there in pain. I wanted to do it as quick as possible but it didn’t work.”
After strangling the child to death, Horner told investigators he “tossed” her into a bamboo field—although her naked body was ultimately found in a river 12 or 13 miles away from her home.
Investigators have said the 7-year-old showed signs of possible sexual assault. Horner, however, denied those claims telling investigators during an interview, “You’re going to ask if I sexually assaulted her, and I did not.”
He was not charged with any sexual-related offenses.
Horner told investigators during the interview that if he said too much to authorities that “Zero is going to hurt me” and tried to shift the blame for the killing onto the alter ego.
“I didn’t do it, but he did, and that’s what f–ks with me,” Horner told police after his arrest, according to The New York Post. “I’m wondering who the hell’s been in my head this whole time.”
Tanner Horner Pleads Guilty to Capital Murder, Aggravated Kidnapping
Horner pleaded guilty to kidnapping and killing Athena just as his trial was set to begin on April 7. Jurors are now tasked with determining the 34-year-old’s sentence.
While prosecutors are advocating for the death penalty, Horner’s defense team is asking for a sentence of life in prison.
They told the jury in opening statements that his mother drank while pregnant and alleged that he suffered from multiple mental illnesses during his difficult life that may have played a role in his actions.
For over three and a half decades, I have dedicated myself to the field of personal training, with the past 25 years spent teaching at TRAINFITNESS, the UK’s frontrunner in fitness education. Over time, I’ve observed a recurring challenge among older adults: maintaining full-body strength. Surprisingly, despite frequent visits to the gym, many individuals over 60 find themselves dissatisfied with their progress. However, achieving and preserving strength is entirely within reach with the right strategy. Here are five daily exercises that can help you enhance your strength from the comfort of your home, no gym required.
As we age, particularly from 30 to 60, our muscles naturally diminish, losing about 3% to 8% per decade. This muscle decline, known as sarcopenia, speeds up even more after 60. Interestingly, the most noticeable change isn’t just a decrease in muscle mass but a significant drop in power—the ability to generate force swiftly. Power loss happens at nearly twice the rate of strength reduction. This explains why everyday activities like standing up from a chair, reacting quickly to prevent a fall, or climbing stairs with groceries become increasingly challenging. Your muscles are still present, but they no longer exert the same effort or respond as promptly.
By incorporating these exercises into your daily routine, you can effectively combat the natural decline in strength and power. Each movement is designed to target different muscle groups, ensuring a balanced and comprehensive approach to strength-building. With consistency and commitment, you can regain the vigor and agility that may seem lost with age.
Why Gym Sessions Stop Working After 60
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Between the ages of 30 and 60, you lose between 3% and 8% of your muscle each decade, and the rate of muscle loss accelerates after you hit 60. This is known as sarcopenia. Surprisingly, the biggest change people notice isn’t loss of muscle mass but loss of power. Power, the ability to produce force quickly, declines at about twice the speed of strength. That’s why sitting to standing becomes harder, why you don’t have the same reaction time when you’re about to fall, and why you’re out of breath after carrying the weekly grocery shopping up the stairs. Your muscles are still there; they just don’t work as hard and don’t respond as fast.
Your muscles also need a bigger stimulus. You can’t do the same exercise you did ten years ago. You have to do more weight, sets, or repetitions to get results. Your muscle mass will also be lower because of sarcopenia, so it will be harder to pick up that weight.
Additionally, your brain changes. Brain-to-muscle communication is impaired. Motor units, made of a motor neuron and the muscle fibers it innervates, begin to disappear, and the remaining motor units discharge more slowly. This means that even if you’ve retained muscle mass, those muscles don’t react as fast or as forcefully as they used to.
This is often why gym sessions fail over-60s. A lot of trainers have a standard program for everyone: progressive overload, which involves gradually increasing the number of sets, reps, or the weight over time. This is excellent for people under the age of 60. But after 60, it’s too much work and recovery is too slow. You need more time to recover from workouts and the stress they put on your muscles, joints, and nervous system.
Also, many gym sessions focus on isolating muscle groups. One day is chest day, another is legs, another is back, and so on. The issue here is that muscles should also be worked together. When you stand up from a chair, it isn’t just your quads; it’s your quads, glutes, core, and stabilizer muscles all working together. In your everyday life, you also integrate muscles to carry your shopping, to push your pram, and so on. If you train muscles in isolation on a machine, your strength doesn’t transfer. It only works in that machine. This is why you’re still out of breath, but don’t get stronger and don’t have more muscle power to carry your weekly shopping.
There’s also a psychological aspect. If the gym environment is intimidating for you, especially with reduced mobility or when you’re self-conscious about how you move, you may be reluctant to attend or fully commit to a session. Many people over 60 will have done a gym session and feel they can’t keep up, they feel out of place, and they wonder why they never get better.
Why Daily Home Exercises Work Better
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Daily movement beats sporadic intensity every single time for older adults. Your muscles respond to frequent, moderate stimulus much better than occasional heavy sessions when recovery capacity is reduced. Training at home every day, even for just 15-20 minutes, keeps your nervous system engaged, maintains muscle protein synthesis at a consistent level, and avoids the recovery debt that comes from hammering yourself two or three times a week.
At-home exercises naturally favor bodyweight and functional movements. These patterns (squatting, hinging, pushing, pulling, carrying) are the exact movements you need in daily life. You’re not training your chest in isolation; you’re training the ability to push yourself up from the floor. You’re not doing leg extensions, you’re practicing the squat pattern that lets you get on and off the toilet independently.
The consistency factor can’t be overstated. When exercise happens in your own home, there’s no commute, no waiting for equipment, no feeling intimidated by younger gym-goers. You can do it first thing in the morning before your day starts. This removes almost every barrier to consistency, and consistency is what drives results.
Your joints also benefit from daily movement. Synovial fluid, the lubricant in your joints, is produced through movement. Daily exercise keeps your joints moving smoothly, reduces stiffness, and helps manage conditions like arthritis far better than sitting still for days, then doing one intense session.
There’s a learning component too. When you repeat movements daily, your nervous system gets better at performing them. Balance improves, coordination sharpens, and movement quality goes up. This doesn’t happen with gym sessions twice a week because the gaps between sessions are too long for your nervous system to build the patterns effectively.
Sit-to-Stand (Chair Squats)
This targets your quadriceps, glutes, hamstrings, and core. These are the muscles that let you get up from chairs, off the toilet, and out of the car. Losing strength here is one of the first signs of declining independence.
Sit in a sturdy chair with your feet flat on the floor, hip-width apart
Move to the edge of the seat
Lean forward slightly so your nose is over your toes
Push through your heels and stand up without using your hands
Lower yourself back down with control, don’t just drop into the seat
Tap the seat lightly and stand back up
Avoid These Mistakes:
Don’t use momentum to throw yourself up. You want slow and controlled both ways.
If you can’t stand without using your hands yet, use them, but work towards letting go.
Recommended Sets and Reps: 10-15 reps for 2-3 sets
Form Tip: Control the movement in both directions. A slow lower is just as important as a strong push-up.
Wall Push-Ups
This works your chest, shoulders, triceps, and core. Upper body pushing strength matters for getting up from the floor, pushing open heavy doors, and maintaining good posture.
Muscles Trained: Chest, shoulders, triceps, core
How to Do It:
Stand facing a wall, about arm’s length away
Place your hands flat on the wall at shoulder height, slightly wider than shoulder-width
Keep your body in a straight line from head to heels
Bend your elbows and lean towards the wall, keeping your core tight
Push back to the starting position
Avoid These Mistakes:
Don’t let your hips sag or stick out. Your body should move as one solid unit.
If you’re struggling, step closer to the wall to make it easier.
Recommended Sets and Reps: 10-15 reps for 2-3 sets
Form Tip: Think of your body as a plank. Everything moves together; nothing bends at the hips.
Single-Leg Stands
This targets your hip stabilizers, glutes, and all the small muscles in your feet and ankles. Balance and stability are what prevent falls, and single-leg work is the most effective way to train both.
Muscles Trained: Hip stabilizers, glutes, foot and ankle muscles
How to Do It:
Stand next to a wall or sturdy surface you can hold if needed
Lift one foot slightly off the ground, just a few inches
Hold this position, keeping your standing leg straight but not locked
Focus on a point in front of you to help with balance
Switch legs
Avoid These Mistakes:
Don’t hold your breath. Breathe normally throughout.
If you can’t balance yet, lightly rest your fingertips on the wall, but try to use less support over time.
Recommended Sets and Reps: Hold for 20-30 seconds per leg, repeat 2-3 times each side
Form Tip: Pick a fixed spot on the wall in front of you and keep your eyes locked on it. This makes balancing significantly easier.
Glute Bridges
This strengthens your glutes, hamstrings, and lower back. Weak glutes are behind most lower back pain in older adults, and they’re needed for walking, climbing stairs, and getting up from lying down.
Muscles Trained: Glutes, hamstrings, lower back
How to Do It:
Lie on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor, hip-width apart
Your feet should be close enough that you can almost touch your heels with your fingertips
Push through your heels and lift your hips towards the ceiling
Squeeze your glutes hard at the top
Lower back down with control
Avoid These Mistakes:
Don’t push your hips too high and arch your lower back. Your body should form a straight line from your shoulders to your knees at the top.
Focus on squeezing your glutes, not lifting as high as possible.
Recommended Sets and Reps: 12-15 reps for 2-3 sets
Form Tip: Think about driving through your heels and clenching your glutes at the top. If you feel this in your lower back, you’ve gone too high.
Farmer’s Carry (Walking With Weight)
This works your grip, forearms, shoulders, core, and legs. Grip strength is one of the strongest predictors of overall health in older adults, and carrying weight trains your entire body to work as a unit.
Muscles Trained: Grip, forearms, shoulders, core, legs
How to Do It:
Hold a weight in each hand (shopping bags, water bottles, light dumbbells, whatever you have)
Stand tall with your shoulders back
Walk forward with normal steps, keeping your core tight
Don’t let the weights pull your shoulders down or forward
Walk for a set distance or time
Avoid These Mistakes:
Don’t use weights that are too heavy. Start light.
If your shoulders are rounding forward or you’re leaning to one side, the weight is too heavy.
Recommended Sets and Reps: Walk for 30-60 seconds, rest, repeat 2-3 times
Form Tip: You should be able to walk with perfect posture the entire time. If your form breaks down, go lighter.
How to Structure Your Daily Routine
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Do all five exercises in the order listed. The sequence matters because it moves from lower body to upper body to balance to posterior chain to full-body integration. This gives each muscle group time to recover between exercises that stress them.
Start your day with this routine. Morning is best because your willpower is highest and nothing has come up yet to derail your plans. The entire routine takes 15-20 minutes once you’re familiar with the movements.6254a4d1642c605c54bf1cab17d50f1e
Warm up first. March on the spot for 2-3 minutes, do some arm circles, rotate your hips gently. Nothing elaborate, just get your body moving before you start the exercises.
Begin with the lower rep ranges (10 reps, 20-second holds, 30-second carries) and build up as you get stronger. Don’t rush to add reps. Quality beats quantity every time.
Rest between sets. 30-60 seconds is plenty. Use this time to breathe, reset your posture, and prepare for the next set.
You should feel challenged but not destroyed. Moderate fatigue is normal. Sharp pain, dizziness, extreme breathlessness, or chest pain are not. Stop immediately if any of these happen.
When to Slow Down or See a Doctor
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If you have uncontrolled high blood pressure, recent surgery, a history of heart problems, severe joint pain, or you’ve been completely sedentary for years, get clearance from your doctor before starting. This isn’t medical advice, it’s common sense. Most doctors will be supportive of this type of programme, but they need to know what you’re doing.
Signs to slow down: persistent joint pain that lasts beyond the session, extreme fatigue that doesn’t improve with rest, dizziness during or after exercise, or if you’re so sore you can’t function the next day. Some muscle soreness is normal when you start, especially in the first week. Pain that stops you moving properly is not.
What to Expect After 4-6 Weeks
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After the first week, you’ll notice movement feels easier. Getting out of bed, standing from chairs, walking up stairs. Your nervous system adapts fast, and even though you haven’t built much muscle yet, your existing muscles are firing more efficiently.
By week two or three, everyday tasks require less effort. You’re not bracing yourself before you stand. You’re not out of breath after one flight of stairs. Your balance feels more solid. These aren’t dramatic changes, but they’re noticeable.
At the four-week mark, other people start commenting. You’re standing taller, moving more confidently. Your posture has improved without you consciously thinking about it. Your core is stronger and your body naturally holds itself better.
By six weeks, the physical changes become visible. Your legs look more solid, your core is tighter, and you’ve likely lost some fat around your midsection. More importantly, things that were hard at the start, like 15 chair squats or 30-second single-leg stands, now feel manageable.
The people who see the best results do three things consistently. First, they show up every single day. Not most days, every day. Missing one day occasionally won’t ruin your progress, but the people who get strong are the ones who make this non-negotiable.
Second, they focus on quality. They move slowly, they control every rep, and they don’t rush through the routine just to tick it off. A perfect set of 10 beats a sloppy set of 15.
Third, they track their progress. They write down how many reps they did, how long they held the balance, how the carries felt. This keeps them accountable and lets them see improvement when it feels like nothing is changing.
The people who don’t see results are the ones who skip days, rush through the movements, or give up after two weeks because they don’t look different yet. Strength builds slowly, especially after 60. You need patience and consistency. There’s no shortcut, but the payoff, independence, confidence, better quality of life, is worth every single rep.
Abby De La Rosa recently shared a touching moment she described as an “Easter miracle” involving her son Zillion, who is on the autism spectrum. The radio host took to Instagram Stories to post a photo of her family celebrating the holiday, featuring Nick Cannon and their children Zion, Zillion, and Beautiful.
In her post, De La Rosa reflected on Zillion’s journey with autism, marking the third year since his diagnosis. “3 years on our ASD journey down! We love you Zilly!” she expressed, highlighting the family’s ongoing experience.
Adding to the celebration, De La Rosa posted a video capturing a special moment from Easter Sunday. In the clip, Zillion can be seen taking a bat from his twin brother to hit a piñata, a significant step for him in terms of participation and engagement.
De La Rosa noted that Zillion’s involvement during the festivities was a new development, showcasing the progress he has made. Her heartfelt posts serve as a reminder of the small but meaningful milestones families experience on their journeys with autism.
According to De La Rosa, Zillion stepped in and participated in a way he had not before.
“An Easter miracle, to say the least. After nearly 5 years of piñatas, yesterday was the first time ever that Zillion was fully engaged. My heart couldn’t take it… definitely happy tears. #autismawareness #autismawarenessmonth #asd,” she wrote.
Cannon and De La Rosa first publicly revealed Zillion’s diagnosis in April 2024 in recognition of World Autism Awareness Day. In a joint message, they spoke about their son and the impact he has had on their lives.
“Today our family recognizes World Autism Awareness Day which is beyond meaningful to us because our amazing 2 year old, Zillion, was recently diagnosed with ASD,” they wrote.
“Our beautiful boy experiences life in 4D and teaches us something new everyday! His love, strength and brilliance light up every room he enters! We are blessed that God had placed such an amazing spirit under our guardianship and we have accepted this assignment wholeheartedly!”
A few months later, in August 2024, De La Rosa shared that Zillion had a “verbal breakthrough”.
“No one talks about the challenges of having a child with special needs. Some days are good others are so so hard on my mommy heart but yesterday we had another verbal break through [sic]!” De La Rosa wrote across the video.
“I like to always record Zillion when we play just to see if I catch anything and yesterday for the first time I caught him saying his brothers[sic] name not once but TWICE!!!!,” she continued. “Thank you lord Jesus!!”
Zillion and his twin brother Zion were born in June 2021. De La Rosa and Cannon later welcomed their daughter Beautiful in November 2022.
Barbara Eden, known for her iconic role in “I Dream of Jeannie,” recently shared a delightful Easter moment with her husband, Jon Eicholtz. Captured in an Instagram photograph, the couple exuded charm and warmth, donning playful pastel bunny ears for the occasion.
At 94, Eden radiated her timeless vibrancy, wearing blue bunny ears paired with a striking red jacket. Her classic blonde locks were styled elegantly in a ponytail, showcasing her enduring signature look.
‘Happy Easter from us bunnies! We hope it’s been beautiful and full of joy! – B & J,’ she wrote in the caption.
Her husband, Eicholtz, an accomplished architect who has been by her side since their marriage in 1991, complemented her festive spirit with pink-and-white bunny ears and a smart blue-striped button-up shirt.
The image, filled with joy and humor, quickly garnered attention from fans, who flocked to the comments section to express their admiration for Eden’s seemingly ageless allure.
In the comments underneath the photo, fans marveled at Eden’s ‘ageless’ appearance.
I Dream of Jeannie star Barbara Eden, 94, looked vibrant in a new Instagram picture with husband Jon Eicholtz, 86, as they celebrated Easter on Sunday in cheeky bunny ears
Eden is best known for her role as the title character in the hit TV series I Dream of Jeannie, which aired from 1965 to 1970
‘She looks amazing. I want to know her secret,’ one wrote. ‘Ageless beauty for sure,’ someone else added.
‘At first, I thought this was a throwback pic. You look incredible and are an inspiration!’
‘Still gorgeous and ageless!!!’
‘You look Amazing!!’
‘You must be a genie for real!’ another fan joked.
‘Whatever you are doing, you keep doing it; because you look AMAZING,’ someone else added.
In 2024, Eden shared her secret to staying in shape.
‘I used to work out all the time,’ she told Fox News. ‘I used to do spinning classes and then do weights with a trainer… When COVID hit, that ended my heavy workouts. Now, I have a stationary bicycle, and I lift five pounds. I use very lightweight weights, but they’re good for your bones.’
Eden also said she likes to walk. ‘If you can walk briskly, which suits me just fine, that’s good for you. It’s good for your knees and ankles. I find it better than running,’ she said.
The actress has also focused on keeping healthy eating habits.
‘I was lucky to have a mother and father who were conscious of eating well and living. My mother’s mantra was “moderation of all things.” That’s how they lived, and that’s how I’ve lived.’
Eden is best known for her role as the title character in the hit TV series I Dream of Jeannie, which aired from 1965 to 1970.
Join the discussion
What do you think truly keeps someone looking and feeling young at heart like Barbara Eden?
In the comments underneath the photo fans marveled at Eden’s ‘ageless’ appearance
In 2024, Eden shared her secret to staying in shape, telling Fox News that she has a stationary bicycle and lifts lightweight weights. Above, in 2023
Eden and Eicholtz have been married since 1991
In I Dream of Jeannie she starred as a genie in a bottle who fell in love with her ‘master,’ an astronaut played by Larry Hagman
She starred as a genie in a bottle who fell in love with her ‘master,’ an astronaut played by Larry Hagman.
She is the only surviving member of the main cast of the Emmy-nominated sitcom.
Eden got her start as a skit actress on The Johnny Carson Show in 1956. She went on to have small parts in I Love Lucy and The Andy Griffith Show before being cast as Jeannie.
The show was inspired by the popularity of Bewitched, starring another beautiful blonde, Elizabeth Montgomery, which had debuted in 1964 on a rival network.
Her costume was a bit scandalous for the era. She was allowed to show her torso, but television standards forbid her from showing her navel. The belly button ban was finally lifted in 1983, when the rule was suspended.
Eden wrote her memoir, Jeannie Out of the Bottle, in 2011, and published a children’s book, Barbara and the Djinn, in 2021.
Ronnie Magro finds himself responding to the news of Sammi “Sweetheart” Giancola‘s wedding plans in the freshly unveiled trailer for the concluding season of Jersey Shore: Family Vacation.
While Nikki Hall, 33, contemplates starting a family with her partner Paul “DJ Pauly D” Delvecchio, 45, and Vinny Guadagnino, 38, appears to host a comedic roast of Mike “The Situation” Sorrentino, 43, the gang continues their usual antics. Meanwhile, Sammi, 39, gears up for her upcoming December 2025 wedding to Justin May and shares the exciting news of her pregnancy.
“We truly began as strangers,” Pauly reflects as the clip kicks off. “Now, I can’t imagine life without them.”
Following that, Nicole “Snooki” Polizzi, 38, dramatically vows from her bed, “I’m never drinking again,” while Jenni “JWoww” Farley, 41, proclaims the cast is “thriving.” Pauly then brings up Sammi’s wedding date.
“Sammi’s getting married on Ron’s birthday?” he asks as Snooki admits, “I have a bad feeling.”
Elsewhere, Ronnie, 40, says, “It’s kind of f*cked up,” and notes, “I don’t want to get out of bed.”
In addition to Sammi’s wedding news, her pregnancy was also shared in the trailer.
“I could cry right now … I’m pregnant,” she announces to the cast, including Angelina Pivarnick, 39, before welcoming son Vincent Keith May in August 2025.
Also in the trailer, Nikki is asked, “Nik, you want kids?”
“I don’t know. Have you asked Pauly?” she replies as someone is heard saying, “Leave him.”
The final season of Jersey Shore: Family Vacation premieres on Thursday, May 7, at 8/7c on MTV.
England’s top cricket players are facing a grueling schedule this summer, with the recent announcement confirming that participants in the Hundred final will have just one day of rest before commencing a Test series against Pakistan.
Concerns about inadequate preparation have been underscored in a review of England’s disappointing 4-1 loss in the Ashes series. Instead of a focused buildup to the five Tests over seven weeks, the team engaged in a white-ball tour of New Zealand and a less intense intra-squad match in Perth, which lacked first-class status.
Players like Harry Brook, whose contracts for the Hundred have been boosted to over £400,000 due to recent external investments, may find themselves in a tight spot as they balance commitments to multiple stakeholders.
With new investors backing the eight-team tournament, there’s an expectation that high-profile players with ECB central contracts will deliver strong performances. This includes participating in the Lord’s final on the evening of August 16, just hours before the first of three Tests against Pakistan kicks off at Headingley.
New backers in the eight-team tournament will want some bang for their buck, meaning star names with ECB central contracts will be obliged to feature in the Lord’s final on the evening of August 16, hours before the first of three Tests versus Pakistan begins at Headingley.
In the event of fair weather, Test players involved in the 100-ball-a-side showpiece would face a four-hour hike up the M1 on the Monday morning, making them extremely unlikely to practise in such circumstances and reducing their build-up to the August 19 fixture to the day before.
Should rain take the final into its reserve day, they might have to forego netting in advance altogether, as happened last summer when a posse of England’s one-day squad travelled north to Leeds on September 1, having been at Lord’s the previous evening, and were unsurprisingly subjected to a seven-wicket drubbing by South Africa on September 2.
Harry Brook and other England stars are facing potential scheduling chaos this summer
The lack of bodies at Headingley in advance of the fixture meant training for that match was optional, and fairly unsatisfactory for those who did turn up.
Such is the shoehorning required to accommodate four domestic competitions plus an international programme into a six-month season that this episode is not an isolated one.
England’s first Twenty20 international meeting with India in Chester-le-Street on July 1 comes just 48 hours after the third Test against New Zealand is scheduled to conclude in Nottingham.
Should Ben Stokes’ side continue its trend of extending home Test matches deep into the fifth day, it would mean its multi-format members foregoing T20 practice in advance or being omitted altogether.
There is also likely to be another veto on England players featuring at Twenty20 finals day on July 18, with the 50-over series finale involving India beginning at 11am at Lord’s the following morning.
The trial of Tanner Horner, a FedEx driver accused of kidnapping and murdering seven-year-old Athena Strand, has revealed a surprising request he made upon his arrest: he wanted to spend Christmas with his son. This revelation emerged during court proceedings.
During the trial on Thursday, jurors were shown footage of Horner, 34, being interrogated by police shortly after his arrest in November 2022. The focus of the questioning was to locate the missing child’s body.
The jury learned that Horner voluntarily engaged in a discussion with investigators. He initiated the dialogue by acknowledging their intentions, saying, “I imagine that you have, basically, a list and bullet points that you want to know from me.”
In a startling declaration, Horner expressed, “There’s only one thing in this world that I want,” and stated his desire for “a month.”
Horner added, “I understand that you can’t do that. Even if y’all have to put an ankle monitor on me, GPS monitor, check-ups with you.”
‘If you give me a month with my family, so I can have Christmas with my son, I’ll tell you everything.’
Police told the suspect that his entitled request was likely impossible, as he was under arrest for the murder of the child.
‘Either way, that’s basically my price,’ Horner responded. The request was not granted.
Tanner Horner, 34, the FedEx driver who abducted and murdered seven-year-old Athena Strand, made an audacious request to investigators to be given a month to enjoy Christmas with his son when he was first arrested in November 2022
The seven-year-old was kidnapped and strangled by Horner when he was delivering gifts to her family home in North Texas in November 2022
Horner abducted Strand from her family’s home in Paradise, Texas on November 30, 2022, as he delivered a box of Barbies to the residence. The toys were meant to be her Christmas present.
Strand was strangled to death by Horner in his truck, with her tortured last minutes captured by a microphone in his vehicle after he covered a camera inside.
Horner initially told police that he unintentionally hit the child with his truck before ‘accidentally’ killing her in a panic.
But his story soon unraveled when police found an image from his truck camera that showed Strand alive in the vehicle as Horner drove her away.
Horner was set to go on trial on murder charges this week and had pleaded not guilty, but he reversed his plea and admitted to the murder before the trial began.
Jurors are now hearing gruesome evidence as they decide if the FedEx driver will face the death penalty.
In separate footage from Horner’s interrogations shown on Thursday, it was revealed that the killer told police that his alter ego, named Zero, was the one who murdered Strand.
Strand is filmed being driven to her death by Horner. He admitted the November 2022 murder in court on Tuesday, with jurors warned they must still endure graphic evidence of the little girl’s final moments so they can decide if he should face the death penalty
Strand was abducted from her family’s home in Paradise, Texas, on November 30, 2022
He described feeling detached from his actions as he strangled her to death, saying he was ‘in the back seat watching everything happen, and I’m kind of freaking out.’
Horner said he was under heavy stress for the six months that he worked as a FedEx driver and was suffering repeat mental breakdowns, and said it was around this time in the summer of 2022 when he started being his alter ego, ‘Zero’.
‘It started off as like, almost like a little devil on my shoulder kind of thing, you know what I mean?’ Horner told police following his arrest.
‘But then after a while, it just kind of turned into I was switching back and forth sometimes, like at times where I was stressed out, I would essentially switch, if that makes sense.’
He said he would often wake up in strange places and not remember how he got there, and said when ‘Zero’ took over he was ‘in the back seat.’
Horner said that when he first encountered Strand, ‘Zero kind of took over’, and he began referring to his alter ego in the third person.
‘He told her, ‘Just get in the back of the van, we’re going to go to the hospital,” Horner said in his police interview.
He said he didn’t kill Strand, but his alter ego did, saying: ‘I didn’t do it, but he did, and that’s what fucks with me… I’m wondering who the hell’s been in my head this whole time.’
Bodycam footage shown in court then revealed how Horner took the officers to search for Strand in a wooded area.
The jury was shown footage of Horner’s arrest in Texas on December 30, 2022
Body camera footage showed how Horner led police to the wooded area where he tossed the little girl’s body
Horner’s alter ego ‘Zero’ directed officers to a cliff near a guardrail where they found Strand’s naked body lying beneath the water, the court heard
Horner was set to go on trial before abruptly pleading guilty to capital murder this week. He now faces a sentencing trial
After they failed to locate her, Horner told officers he was unsure of her exact location because of the callous way he dumped her remains.
‘I just kind of tossed her in,’ he said, adding, ‘I don’t know why y’all haven’t found her yet.’
Horner, whose lawyers cited mental illnesses during their opening statements, only told officers the exact location of her body after they spoke directly to his ‘alter ego’.
The killer presented as Zero multiple times throughout his two-hour-long interrogation at the jail.
‘His demeanor, physical demeanor changes,’ Texas Ranger Joshua Espinoza said on the stand. ‘His head goes into a sideways motion. His eyes roll into the back of the head, and he pretends to turn it to Zero.’
Espinoza said that he knew to find Strand’s body, he would have to ‘play his game’ and ‘address him as Zero.’
Once the ranger spoke to ‘Zero,’ Horner directed them to a cliff near a guardrail and showed them where he had placed Strand’s body.
Espinoza testified that he saw her naked body lying beneath the water.
Horner in court on Tuesday. His lawyers tried to blame his autism and exposure to lead as a child for Strand’s murder
The ranger then addressed Zero directly: ‘I know Tanner didn’t sexually assault this girl. I know Tanner didn’t hurt this girl, but I know you did. Did you sexually assault this girl?’
‘No,’ Horner replied.
‘Did you kill this little girl, Zero?’ the detective asked.
‘Tanner wouldn’t do it,’ Horner replied.
‘Thank you for bringing me to her. Thank you for letting me get her home,’ the detective said.
Good morning, and welcome to RedState’s “Morning Minute” — your concise roundup of today’s trending stories and a sneak peek at what’s to come. This is your go-to source for staying informed and starting your day right.
Top Stories on RedState
TOP O’ THE MORNIN’
Epstein Survivors React Strangely to Melania Trump’s Recent Statement
Trump Issues Stern Warning to Iran Over Ceasefire Agreement Breaches in the Strait
That is preposterous. And to be clear, this isn’t a criticism of the survivors or the victims, but rather, a criticism of whoever is representing them and allowed this statement to come out. It’s clear they didn’t listen to Melania’s remarks and instead rushed to politicize it themselves.
Trump Drops a Big Warning to Iran Over Violations of Ceasefire Agreement in Strait
The question now is: will they back off, or does it blow up the ceasefire? The problem with Iran is that you can’t trust or rely on anything they say. It’s hard to have an agreement or deal if in the next minute they violate it.
New: Four Brits Busted Smuggling Themselves Into Maine — But There’s a Catch
All’s well that ends well, I suppose. These four limeys won’t be up to no good, not now, not in the United States.
Pip, pip, cheerio!
Trending Across Townhall Media
Bearing Arms — Prosecutor Says Armed Citizen Shot College Professor in Self-Defense
I too wish that McKinzie had made many different choices in her life instead of those that ended up with her standing in the road that December morning, but I’m glad that Stanton was able to protect himself when his life was threatened for no reason at all by a woman he’d never met
HotAir — Ireland Out of Gas
Someone had best start talking across the road soon, as the situation is already extraordinarily volatile, and there may have been a bit of a breakthrough in the offing.
PJ Media — Elon Musk Didn’t Just Leave Delaware — He Started a Stampede
Capital finds a way, to misquote Dr. Ian Malcolm.
Townhall — Eric Swalwell Could Be on the Verge of Being Engulfed in a Sexual Harassment Fiasco
The ghost of MeToo has reared its ugly head and could drag the California Democrat into a circus.
Twitchy — Tim Miller Stomps on Not One but Two Rakes Trying to Dunk on Melania Trump’s English
News flash: she can speak English. She also speaks at least four other languages, which is five more than Miller apparently can speak.
WHAT’S ON TAP?
Today on Capitol Hill…
Next week, my friends…next week.
White House What’s Up
President Trump’s Friday schedule is jam-packed (yes, some of those times appear to be double-booked, but then again…this is Trump we’re talking about):
8:00 AM — THE PRESIDENT participates in Executive Time — The White House
2:30 PM — THE PRESIDENT participates in a Policy Meeting — Oval Office
3:30 PM — THE PRESIDENT participates in a Policy Meeting — Oval Office
3:30 PM — THE PRESIDENT departs The White House en route to Charlottesville, Virginia — The White House
6:30 PM — THE PRESIDENT participates in a MAGA Inc. Meeting — Charlottesville, Virginia
7:15 PM — THE PRESIDENT participates in a MAGA Inc. Roundtable Dinner — Charlottesville, Virginia
7:15 PM — THE PRESIDENT departs Charlottesville, Virginia en route to Washington, D.C. — Charlottesville, Virginia
7:15 PM — THE PRESIDENT arrives at The White House — The White House
He’s got a busy weekend, too, including a trip to Miami on Saturday, where he’ll attend a UFC event before returning to D.C.
Keeping Up With the Cabinet
Dir. National Intelligence – Tulsi Gabbard — Gabbard attended the Counterterrorism Board of Directors meeting this week.
✅ In Buenrostro-Mendez v. Blanche (habeas) 5th Circuit Court of Appeals DENIES petition for rehearing en banc.
❌ In U.S. v. Galvin (voter rolls), Judge Leo Sorokin (Massachusetts) GRANTS defendant’s motion to dismiss.
❌ In African Communities Together v. Noem (TPS – South Sudan), Judge Patti Saris (Massachusetts) DENIES admin’s motion to stay pending appeal.
❌ In NY Times Co. v. DOD (press access to Pentagon), Judge Paul Friedman (D.C.) GRANTS plaintiffs’ motion to compel.
COMING ATTRACTIONS
Artemis II is on its way back to Earth and scheduled to splash down this evening.
Vice President JD Vance is on his way to Islamabad, Pakistan, for Iran peace talks.
The critters will return to Congress on Monday — gird your loins!
SCOTUS resumes oral arguments on April 20. (Think I said April 23 yesterday — sorry about that!) I do expect we’ll see some more opinions handed down before then.
MORNING MUSING
Our own Sister Toldjah recently helped remind us of a valuable lesson when it comes to news consumption.
We’re all familiar with the phrase “Trust, but verify.” I would submit that in the age of social media, the caution should be: Don’t trust…and then verify.
News and information comes at all of us pell-mell these days. You’re never going to go wrong by waiting a beat and making sure a story checks out before running with it.
LIGHTER FARE
Big Badger don’t care. ❤️
This is Badger. His gentle giant Great Pyrenees who’s graciously volunteered as a fluffy jungle gym for his farm baby goats his guarding. He shows Zero complaints, had maximum tolerance. Pls heart him for being a good guard dog ❤️ pic.twitter.com/22ibq1fLIP
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