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Jon Stewart breaks down in tears announcing the death of his beloved dog, Dipper

"In a world of good boys, he was the best."

jon stewart dog, jon stewart dipper, jon stewart, the daily show
The Daily Show/Youtube

Jon Stewart breaks down into tears remembering his late dog, Dipper

Jon Stewart might be best known as a late night show host and political commentator, but he is also a very loving dog dad.

That became evident Monday (26 February), as Stewart, eyes already bloodshot, as though he had been weeping the night before, told “The Daily Show” viewers that his beloved dog Dipper had passed away the day before.

“In a world of good boys, he was the best,” Stewart said, his voice already breaking. “I thought I’d get further.”

Tears kept rolling as he paid an emotional tribute to his late dog, sharing the story of how Dipper came to be part of his family.

Stewart recalled that twelve years ago, his kids wanted to raise money for an animal shelter in New York called Animal Haven. After baking cupcakes to sell just outside Animal Haven, the staff brought out a “one-ish year old brindle pitbull” who had lost his right leg after being hit by a car. After Dipper sat in Stewart’s lap for the first time, all bets were off.

Since that fateful day, Dipper became “part of the OG ‘Daily Show’ dog crew.”

“We’d come to tape this show, and Dipper would wait for me to be done,” he said. “He met actors and authors and presidents and kings. And he did what the Taliban could not do, which is, put a scare into Malala Yousafzai.”

He then ran a clip of Yousafzai getting spooked by Dipper during her guest appearance.

Stewart then delivered the heartbreaking news that “Dipper passed away yesterday. He was ready. He was tired, but I wasn’t. And the family, we were all together.”

“My wish for you is one day you find that dog, that one dog… It’s just… It’s the best,” Stewart concluded.

The segment ended with a moment of silence for Dipper as a video of him happy in the snow played with the credits.

Watch the touching moment below:

The raw video resonated with so many viewers, and even inspired some to share their own tragic losses. One thing became clear: this heartbreak is a feeling shared by parents.

As one Youtube commenter poignantly wrote:

“Anyone who has had a pet will know that grief and loss are a part of that beautiful, goofy, loving, sometimes chaotic package. We know it when we take them on, and yet somehow, when the time comes, it's always the same, heart-wrenching, emptying experience. I am so glad you found your heart-dog, and that he found you and your family.”

Though Dipper will be missed, Stewart is not without animals in his life. Eight years ago, Stewart and his wife traded in their city life to live on a farm, which eventually became the fourth property of Farm Sanctuary, an advocacy group that fights the factory farm industry and cares for abused animals.

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Dad's heartfelt lunch message shows how simple, everyday acts can change lives

You can make a huge difference by using O Organics.

via Meg Sullivan (used with permission) and Canva/Photos

A volunteer hands out food in a food bank and Meg Sullivan shares her dad's kind gesture.

When we consider people who have had a positive impact on the world, we often think of those who have made grand gestures to improve the lives of others, such as Martin Luther King, Jr., Greta Thunberg, or Mahatma Gandhi. Unfortunately, that type of effort is out of reach for the average person.

However, O Organics would like to remind everyone that they can positively impact the world through small, consistent acts of kindness that add up over time. Much like how a small creek can create a valley over the years, we can change lives through small, consistent acts of kindness.

O Organics is dedicated to the well-being of all by nourishing people everywhere with delicious organic foods grown by producers who meet USDA-certified organic farming standards.

Upworthy's Instagram page recently posted a touching example of everyday kindness. Meg Sullivan shared how her father, Tom, peeled oranges for her lunch just about every day from kindergarten through high school. But on the final day of her senior year of high school, he sent his 17-year-old daughter unpeeled oranges with a touching note about how she’d have to start peeling them for herself.



“It’s Time Baby Girl,” he wrote on a wikiHow printout on how to peel an orange with a drawing of himself crying. For the father, this daily ritual was about more than just making lunch; it was about showing that he cared by going the extra mile. “I could have put money on her lunch account,” Tom told Today.com. “But it’s one of those little things I thought was important, that she knows somebody’s taking the time to take care of her.”

The small, daily gesture taught Megan an essential lesson in kindness.

The post reminded people how their fathers’ small acts of kindness meant so much to them. “My dad peeled my oranges until I graduated high school, too. Now, I peel my daughter’s oranges and will for the next 7 plus years,” Katie wrote in the comments. “Love this. My dad peeled mine, too. When I moved out, he gave me an orange peeler gadget,” Mary added.

o organics, albertson's giving backO Organics has a wide array of foods and flavors covering almost everything on your shopping list.via Albertson's

Did you know that every time you go to the supermarket, you can also change the world through small gestures? O Organics not only allows you to feed your family delicious and nutritious organic food, but each purchase also gives back to help people and communities facing food insecurity.

Through contributions from customers like you, O Organics donates up to 28 million meals annually. The company’s contribution is essential when, according to the USDA, 47.4 million Americans live in food-insecure households.

O Organics has a wide array of foods and flavors covering almost everything on your shopping list. “Over the years, we have made organic foods more accessible by expanding O Organics to every aisle across our stores, making it possible for health and budget-conscious families to incorporate organic food into every meal,” Jennifer Saenz, EVP and Chief Merchandising Officer at Albertsons, one of many stores where you can find O Organics products, said in a statement.

O Organics now offers over 1500 items, from dairy products such as eggs and milk to packaged meats and breakfast staples such as cereal bars, granola and oatmeal. You can also enjoy affordable organic produce with O Organics’ fresh salads and fruit.

Everybody wants to make the world a better place. With O Organics, you can feed your family healthy, organic food every time you go to the market while paying it forward by contributing to the company’s efforts to end food insecurity nationwide. That’s a small, daily gesture that can amount to incredible change.

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Fans applaud Sabrina Carpenter's sweet response to a joke Dolly Parton made about aging

“If we treated older women like this more often maybe younger women would be less petrified of aging."

Kristopher Harris/Wikipedia,Condé Nast/Wikipedia

Dolly Parton (left) Sabrina Carpenter (right)

Fans are applauding Sabrina Carpenter for the incredibly sweet moment she shared with one of her biggest idols—the one and only Dolly Parton. The two were recently out promoting a new duet version of Carpenter’s “Please Please Please,” which appeared on her new Short n’ Sweet album, when Parton made an innocent (yet all too familiar feeling) self-deprecating joke about aging.

As the two posed for the cameras, Parton referred to them as “befores and afters,” before quipping “You’ll be this old one day,” to Carpenter. Parton was obviously being lighthearted, but it’s hard not to feel a twinge of sadness when you really think about it. Because, generally speaking, growing older has been something women have been made to fear for, well, their entire lives. So “you’ll be this old one day” almost comes across as an ominous warning, even though that was not really the intention. And you half expect Carpenter to shudder in utter terror at the thought of it all.

But instead, Carpenter quickly replied, “I know, I can’t wait! I hope I look like you,” with such genuine enthusiasm, it really shook people. The complete absence of fear seemed to reflect a refreshing shift from previous attitudes about aging, and viewers took note of its significance.

One person even likened Carpenter to Greta Gerwig’s Barbie, referring to the iconic acne where the titular doll calls an older woman “beautiful.”


By and large, folks hoped that older generations of women would adopt this newfound perspective of celebrating their age rather than bemoaning it. As one person wrote on X, “This is so important to tell older women. I never let older ladies talk down on themselves near me, it breaks my heart how they don’t see their beauty just because of their age.”

And sure, as some pointed out, Parton—with her virtually unlimited access to cosmetic procedures—might not be the prime example of wholeheartedly welcoming aging. But we’re not even really talking about her POV in this scenario anyway. It’s Carpenter’s sincere adoration that’s impactful.

As one person tweeted, “If we treated older women like this more often maybe younger women would be less petrified of aging,” which really hit the nail on the head.

And clearly, judging by other posts, folks share similar sentiments.

“I want more of us to welcome aging like this instead of shunning it and pretending it’s the worst thing that’s going to happen,” one person shared. Another said, “It truly is a privilege to live such a long and fruitful life, I hope more people express this sentiment so younger girls can start to feel this way too.”

It would be naive to think that societal standards have done a complete about face. After all, youth-enhancing cosmetic procedures are on the rise, even for those as young as 20-years-old. But even still, the fact that we are seeing more women, both young and old, tear down this outdated societal mindset shows progress is still being made. And all progress is worth celebrating.

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Mom shares some pretty epic hacks for when your kid catches a nasty stomach bug

It's gonna happen. Be prepared.

@galpractical/Instagram

Ever parent has to deal with it some time.

Stomach bugs—they happen to all of us. And one of the many *joys* of parenting is that you get to also experience them secondhand through your kiddos. That means enjoying a soundtrack of retches, cleaning up unsightly messes, and more. Yay!

But while no parent can avoid these inevitable icky moments, one mom has a couple of tried-and-true tips for making them much more tolerable. And honestly, even if you’re living the child-free life, these hacks could come in handy next time you, or someone you’re sharing space with, is having tummy issues.

“I've seen a lot of throw up in my nine years of being a mom,” said Abby of @galpractical in a recent Instagram video. According to her video's caption, she even dealt with it “several nights ago.” Apparently one of her kids came in whimpering, "My tummy hurts."

“3 seconds later...🤮. Any parent knows the sound & the drill 🤢” she wrote. Yep, we needn’t any further visuals.

Knowing that “no one likes talking about it, but we all gotta deal with” inevitable vomit, Abby decided to offer her “best puke pointers” she’s gained from hard won experience.

Pointer #1: Disposable tablecloths. Whip these bad boys out the second someone ralphs, Abby says. Put em’ near the bed, couch, and near every trash can, everywhere the sick child could potentially be. Why? Because when they miss that trash can, you can wad it all up and throw it away, versus trying to scrub it out.

Pointer #2: Proper receptacles for…you know. Abby prefers a pitcher, which she says is more little kid-friendly thanks to the handle. That said, she also approves of disposable barf bags, especially for older kids who tend to have “better aim.” These are also great to keep in the car, since they store flat.

Pointer #3: Glow sticks in said receptacle. Invaluable at night for probably obvious reasons. Just place them under a plastic bag in the bucket and you’re good to go.

Pointer #4 Have your grade-A cleaning products at the ready. Specifically, Abby uses Lysol Laundry Sanitizer for dirtied clothes and sheets, which she also washes on the hot setting (this wouldn’t affect norovirus, she admits, but can help with other germs and odors). For carpets that have fallen victim to wayward vomiting, she swears by Folex Carpet Spot Remover

Pointer #5 Grape fruit juice. “People claim that if you drink it before you have any symptoms, it can change the pH levels in your stomach and prevent the flu.” Is there any research backing this? No. Abby merely listed it because anecdotally, “every time I've done it, I haven't gotten sick.”

And she’s not the only on to have had this experience. One person shared, “As an early childhood educator and being exposed several times over 10 years, have tested the grape juice theory and although people say it's false, I swear by it with other staff. As long as you're not vomiting yet, chug it! If you already vomited, too late. We believe there's a science to it. Also have to chug at least 1 glass a day for a full week after being exposed because it stays dormant. The grape juice lining prevents the bugs from sticking."

Still another astutely suggested, “Welch's 100% WHITE grape juice! Because if you do end up puking, it's not purple!”

So there you have it—this last one might just be a preventative measure if you’ve been exposed to a stomach bug, or if you want to justify your grape juice habit.

And if these tips don’t leave you feeling better prepared, several other parents chimed in with their own hacks, from clean-up strategies to recommended supplements:

“Glow in the dark Halloween buckets from target are my best barf bowl mom hack- they are only used for barfing.”

“I also like to put some paper towels in the bottom of the bowl so avoid any splashing 😅”

“I use gallon size zip lock bags! Easy to keep everywhere or even in your pocket! Just close it up and throw it away! No mess to clean!”

“Boiron Nausea Calm for everyone, nausea or not, and extra vitamin c, vit d3k2, and magnesium.”

While none of us can avoid this less-than-ideal aspect of being alive, thank the almighty Internet for enabling folks like Abby to share these hacks so that it can at least be a smoother process, even if it is still disgusting.

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Dad makes kids put down their phones then captures hilarious video of them 'playing' outside

No one has ever looked so sad on a swing.

Canva Photos

These dang kids and their dang screens! I'm loathe to admit that I've had this thought a lot lately myself. When it comes to planning our kids' summer break, a part of my brain assumes they'll just want to play outside with their friends most of the day; making up games, riding bikes, coming inside to grab popsicles. The stuff I did at their age. But in reality it hasn't worked out like that. Most kids in the neighborhood are either in camps, or they're inside watching TV or playing video games.

When I try to encourage my kids to go outside more, I get a lot of grumbling and push back. Is it possible this generation has just... forgotten how to play? Are the phones and tablets to blame for this strange phenomenon? One dad recently had the brilliant idea to take his kids to the park, take away their phones, and force them to go play. The results were... not exactly what he was hoping for.


Kids these daysGiphy

"It was a nice day outside," Charles Lavea told Newsweek. "I thought we could go get food and eat at the park. I took my daughters' devices, phones and iPads, off them and left them at home. I wanted them to get some sun and fresh air, so we went."

In footage shared by Laveas on TikTok, you can see what happened next. HIs two girls are shown sitting on swings, forlornly swaying back and forth, not knowing what to do with themselves. You can tell they're just disassociating until dad's weird little experiment is over. They would rather be anywhere else in the world. Specifically, they'd like to check in on what's going on on their phones. It's all over their faces and in their sad, hunched over body language.

Watch the comical video here:

@lifewithlaveas

This generation man 🤣🤣🤦 I remember growing up all we did was play at the park with the kids in the neighbourhood 🤷 #lifewithlaveas #girldad #funnymoments #trendingsound #titanicflutefail #tiktokparent #viralvideos #fyp

Commenters had a field day, and most agreed: Kids "these days" don't know how to play outside.

"Bro when I was that age me and my sista be seeing who can swing the highest and jump off the swing on our feet"

"They would ratha watch other kids playing from there devices"

"Kids these days won't know the struggles we been through since the 80s - 90s kids been through with no phones, gaming pc, iPhone, Samsung, tablets, Facebook, tiktok, YouTube & Instagram wasn't invented. Even internet was hard to get when we use to have dial-up internet back then."

"Honestly the kids nowadays have no idea how to play outside eh? My kids too 😂🙈 I used to run out the door and never came back til the street lights turned on."

The data backs it up. There's been a shocking decline in often kids play outside in the last couple of decades. One study estimates only 6% of kids aged 9-13 regularly play outside unsupervised.

But is it so simple as to say that phones and tablets have rewired our kid's brains and the fun of playing outside can't keep up with the quick and easy dopamine hits found on screens? That's part of the problem, sure. But did you know that only around 20% of kids walk or bike to school, compared to 70% of parents who did so when they were young? That's not kids' fault, and it's definitely not because they're in their room playing on their iPads. It's because our culture has stoked so much fear in parents that our kids will be kidnapped or hit by a car that we rarely let them out of our sight anymore.

Kids have less unstructured free time than they did in the past, too. Your average kid is enrolled in more sports, clubs, and extracurriculars than ever before. Those are generally good things on their own — these activities challenge them, teach them new skills, and help them make new friends. But it doesn't leave them a lot of time to flex their imagination and invent silly outside games with other kids, and that time is important too.

It's easy to grumble about how kids are obsessed with their devices — and of course, genuinely laugh when dads like Lavea show that their kids barely know how to use a swingset — but change is going to have to start with us parents. The screens aren't going anywhere. Time spent playing outside is so good for a child's mind, body, and soul. We may just have to awkwardly force them into it a little more often, and that might mean pushing our own fears aside, or (the scariest thing of all) putting our own phones down to lead the way, too.

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Young dad tearfully seeks advice on going from one child to two and gets the best advice

We don't talk enough about this enough.

@kidds_dad/Instagram (Screenshots used with permission)

Eric Jensen and his wife recently had a second child and are having a hard time with the transition.

We talk a lot about how having a child changes your life, from how you spend your time and energy to how you view life and the world in general. What we don't talk about as much is how having another child changes things all over again, throwing whatever stability you found after adding a baby to your life into disarray.

Only this time, you have a little person you love more than you ever thought possible who is also affected, which can cause conscientious parents much concern and consternation. Questions like, How will I love another child as much as my first? Will my first baby be hurt by my divided attention? What if they both want me at the same time? How am I going to have the energy to give each child what they need? can haunt you as you await a second baby.

Until you have more than one child and see how these questions get answered firsthand, it's easy to feel worried. And even after it happens, the transition to more than one child can take a little time to even out, which is what prompted dad of two Eric Jensen to reach out to experienced parents for help navigating it in a video that's been viewed over 3 millions times.

Jensen and his wife recently had their second child, and the young dad expressed the difficulty he and his 4-year-old were having with the change.

"I'm not really sure how people go about handling the transition from one to two kids," says Jensen. "I feel like it's really hard, in so many different ways. One is that I can really tell that my son is having a hard time. Like obviously, his whole life has changed."

Jensen explained that he had recently suggested that he and his first son go for a walk with the new baby—a "brother walk"—but his son asked if they could go without the baby. Jensen teared up as he recounted his son saying, "You're my best friend, can you please just hang out with me?"

"The first night he slept in his own bed, he just kept waking up silently crying to himself, and I was like 'What's wrong?' and he's like 'I just want someone to snuggle me'…and so I spent the last two nights in his little tiny bed that's like three feet long."

"It's hard because obviously I'm trying so hard to take care of him and make sure he's feeling like accepted and okay," Jensen added, "But every time we leave our little baby, I like die a little bit inside, like, that's just so hard for me to miss out on those little moments. It's a really hard transition for me. I know it's really hard for him. I know it's hard for my wife, too."

Jensen said their family was figuring it out, but if anyone had any tips he'd love to hear them. And boy, did experienced parents deliver.

First, people offered words of praise and encouragement for Jensen's emotional attachment to his kids and his consideration for their feelings.

"You are THE example of what a dad is supposed to be. We’re all here for you. You’re going so good brother."

"I’m crying 🥹 this father is so sweet my heart can’t even handle it."

"Sounds like you’re doing great. The children are fortunate to have such a loving father. ❤️"

"IMAGINE having a father this attuned and considerate! Please give yourself grace!!"

"Youre sensé of emotional awareness is STRENGTH."

"First time I have ever actually seen dad guilt. I felt this in my soul. You are a great dad!"

"It takes time for the whole fam to adjust, sometimes it may seem like you’re not doing enough for them, but you are and they will remember it and appreciate it when they’re older."


But some people also offered helpful, practical advice for attempting to meet everyone's needs and create the bonds parents hope for their children to have growing up.

"Include your older one in everything and instead of it being 'I need to go do xyz for your baby brother or sister' it’s 'can you help me with xyz?' Then praise of 'you’re such a good helper, you’re so kind, you’re such an amazing brother or sister.' Then naturally he or she will want to help. Make them feel included during bath time, feedings, even play. Remember that they are still a baby in their own right so refrain from telling them how big they are or how they should act and carve out 1:1 time for just the two of you. Make dinner or lunch together, watch a movie and snuggle, take a drive/ go to the park. 'Let’s go get mommy something special.' Build your older one up, make them feel really included in everything you do and validate their feelings. Also don’t force a bond right away with the sibling, but encourage it. 💙❤️"

"I feel this SO much bro… it’ll get better, I promise you that. Keep doing your 1-1s with your wife, and your baby, and your boy. It’s all about finding a healthy balance of love, laughter, sadness, gratefulness, and peace. You’ll find your rhythm. He’ll start to understand things more, just stay the course. You’re already doing a good job and I don’t even know who you are 💯💯💯 Keep pushing dad!"

"Really feel for you! We’re going through the same but from 2 to 3 and our middle child has struggled. What we’ve done is intentionally bought him lots of new things and told him everything we bought was from his baby sister and anytime we get him any of his favourite snacks we tell him it’s from her too, it’s helped him see her as an ally rather than someone that’s come to take dad and mum’s attention from him. ❤️❤️"

"The best thing I did when my daughter was 2.5 when my son was born, I would say out loud to the baby that he needed to wait and I needed to help her. It made her feel really important and reminded her."

"Little buddy is grieving his old life. Once he can make baby laugh and smile things get 1000x better I promise. Give him lots of choice ‘do you want me to get you out of the car first or baby?’…"

Having more than one child is hard, there's no doubt about it. But part of the parenting journey is the learning that takes place as you go and the support you get from other parents as you meet the challenges along the way. It takes a village to raise a child, but it also takes a village to raise a parent. Kudos to this father for providing a space for experience and wisdom to be shared with anyone who might need it.

You can follow Eric Jensen (@kidds_dad) on Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube.

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Man uses the shoe aisle to explain a troubling economic trend in middle-class American life

"The thing is, most people don’t want longevity anymore. They want new."

via Canva/Photos

Remember things being built to last?

It’s been proven that over the past few years, Americans have been dealing with shrinkflation, where food companies reduce the sizes of their products while the price remains the same at the grocery store. You see this in fast food restaurants when you pick up a burger and feel like your hand has grown a few inches, and at the supermarket when you buy a box of cookies, it weighs less than it did a few weeks ago. Companies use this strategy when they think you’ll be less likely to notice a dip in quantity than a hike in the price.

Another big trend in retail is fast fashion. People are buying cheaper garments made from low-quality materials. These products last about as long as the trend, so people throw them away and buy the next hot thing. This can be a real problem because fast fashion harms the environment and leads to exploitative labor practices.

A TikToker named Tom (@SideMoneyTom), popular for making videos about consumer products, recently went viral for a video where he called out shoe manufacturers for dropping their quality while keeping prices high. “So many of you guys want to shoot the messenger, but look, it's not my fault shoes are made out of Styrofoam and oil now,” Tom says in a TikTok with over 528,000 views. “It's literally every shoe you look at now. It's not even just the cheap ones. I can find hundred dollar plus pairs of shoes all day long with glue squeezing out of their Styrofoam cracks.”

@sidemoneytom

Replying to @Oscar Magaña shoes are done #fyp #shoes #foryou

Tom notes that recently, shoes have been made with foam soles instead of rubber. Both have pros and cons. Foam is a little more comfortable, but rubber lasts a lot longer. Rubber shoes keep shape and support over time and are much more durable. Conversely, foam shoes compress over time, losing their support and comfort. When companies sell cheaper shoes that wear out more quickly, they make much more money because you must keep replacing them.

In the video, Tom adds that many companies that used to have shoes made with rubber heels, such as Carhartt and Timberland, have switched to foam. This is an interesting choice for brands that pride themselves on selling durable products.

Cora Harrington, a writer and lingerie expert, says that companies aren't entirely to blame. Americans don’t want to pay higher prices. “People don’t exactly want to pay more for all that stuff,” Harrington told Vox. "So what has to happen if everything is more expensive and the customers still want to pay the same price, something has to be cut and that’s often going to be the quality of the garment.”

“There is an entire generation of consumers at this point that doesn’t actually know what high-quality clothing feels like and looks like,” Harrington continues. “It gets easier, I think, for consumers to just not know any better.”

@sidemoneytom

Replying to @donkles #shoes #fyp #sketchers #nike

Many commenters have noticed the decline in shoe quality and praised Tom for pointing it out. "I am so happy I’m not the only one who is baffled by shoes being made of styrofoam and then being upcharged for them," one commenter wrote. "When shoes started being named some version of 'Air Light Cloud float,' my thought was it was because they went from quality rubber to cheap foam and less materials,” another commenter added.

Tom believes the decline in shoe quality is an example of a more significant trend affecting American consumers' products: quality is decreasing while prices remain the same. “The quality of everything is going to hell, and the prices are going up," Tom concludes his video. "The problem is, so many of us have just become used to it that we keep buying it, and we basically allow them to dumb down the quality of everything. Everything in our lives. These shoes are just the tip of the iceberg. Start thinking about it in your life. What are you gonna allow to be garbage quality?

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