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Jon Stewart just conducted an unforgettable interview with lawmaker peddling election lies

That's how it's done, folks.

Jon Stewart; Arizona AG; 2020 Election; Election Fraud
The Problem With Jon Stewart/YouTube

Jon Stewart is back in the spotlight.

Jon Stewart stepped out of the spotlight to work on a cause he felt passionately about, getting adequate funding for veterans who got sick from burn pits while in combat zones. But last year he took to the desk again for his new show on Apple TV+, "The Problem With Jon Stewart," and this second season is shaping up to be doozy of musical chairs with a new politician in the hot seat every week.

Clips from the rapid-fire interviews are going viral, in part for his oxymoronic signature style of questioning but largely due to his excellent research and fact-checking. This episode with Arizona Attorney General Mark Brnovich is a prime example of his skill when inquiring about election fraud.

When Stewart asks a question, you should probably believe he already knows the answer, and this seems to catch some people off guard. The talk show host's last clip to go viral was of him grilling Arkansa Attorney General Leslie Rutledge about her state's laws that ban gender-affirming care for minors. There were moments that appeared to expose that the guest was not prepared for Stewart to ask such hard and pressing questions but the host persisted.

Stewart has a unique talent for remaining kind, humorous and likable while he steadily applies pressure to whatever adversarial guest sits across from him. The clip of his interview with Brnovich shows Stewart's determination to get to the truth about whether the Attorney General actually believes that the 2020 election was fraudulently given to President Biden. It's like watching a verbal sparring match if words could throw punches or bob and weave.

Stewart repeatedly tries to get Brnovich to answer the question of if he personally believes that there was election fraud in Arizona. Brnovich argues that there are "almost 20 criminal cases related to the 2020 election" to which Stewart quickly counters, "out of 4 million votes." The Republican Attorney General was not deterred and explained that there are "millions of people" throughout the country who think the election was stolen.

Stewart, with his notes in hand, continues to challenge Brnovich, even at one point putting his glasses on to read directly from the paper, pointing out that the former president once said, "74,000 mail-in ballots received that were never mailed, magically appearing ballots. 168,000 fraudulent ballots printed on illegal paper, 36,000 ballots illegally cast by non-citizens." Stewart removes his glasses and continues, "Now, the truth is, none of that was real."

Jon Stewart at USO.

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Brnovich explains his reasoning for investigating the claims but when pushed on if he would come out and say the election was won fairly should his investigation not show evidence of fraud, Brnovich wouldn't commit. Pushing for the attorney general to agree to reveal the facts of his investigation once complete proves to be difficult. At one point during the exchange when Brnovich continues to give long-winded answers to a yes or no question, Stewart says, "This is blowing my mind."

When it comes to information on the 2020 election and recent policies and laws, having facts helps you draw your own conclusions. Jon Stewart is coming in with well-researched facts and asking hard questions to those in charge. The full interview will air on the streaming network Apple TV+.

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'Wicked' author says one line in 'The Wizard of Oz' inspired Elphaba and Glinda's backstory

Gregory Maguire says he "fell down to the ground" laughing when the idea hit him.

Public domain

The two witches in "The Wizard of Oz" clearly had a history together.

Have you ever watched a movie or read a book or listened to a piece of music and wondered, "How did they come up with that idea?" The creative process is so enigmatic even artists themselves don't always know where their ideas come from, so It's a treat when we get to hear the genesis of a brilliant idea straight from the horse's mouth. If you've watched "Wicked" and wondered where the idea for the friendship between Elphaba (the Wicked Witch) and Glinda (the Good Witch) came from, the author of the book has shared the precise moment it came to him.

The hit movie "Wicked" is based on the 20-year-old hit stage musical, which is based on the novel "Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West" written by Gregory Maguire. While the musical is a simplified version of the 1995 book, the basic storyline—the origin story of the two witches from "The Wizard of Oz"—lies at the heart of both. In an interview with BBC, Maguire explained how Elphaba and Glinda's friendship popped into his head.

 

Maguire was visiting Beatrix Potter's farm in Cumbria, England, and thinking about "The Wizard of Oz," which he had loved as a child and thought could be an interesting basis for a story about evil.

"I thought 'alright, what do we know about 'The Wizard of Oz' from our memories,'" he said. "We have the house falling on the witch. What do we know about that witch? All we know about that witch is that she has feet. So I began to think about Glinda and the Wicked Witch of the West…

 glinda, elphaba, wicked,  In "Wicked," the two Oz witches met as students at Shiz University.  Giphy GIF by Wicked 

"There is one scene in the 1939 film where Billie Burke [Glinda the Good Witch] comes down looking all pink and fluffy, and Margaret Hamilton [the Wicked Witch of the West] is all crawed and crabbed and she says something like, 'I might have known you'd be behind this, Glinda!' This was my memory, and I thought, now why is she using Glinda's first name? They have known each other. Maybe they've known each other for a long time. Maybe they went to college together. And I fell down onto the ground in the Lake District laughing at the thought that they had gone to college together."

In "Wicked," Glinda and the Wicked Witch, Elphaba, meet as students at Shiz University, a school of wizardry. They get placed as roommates, loathe each other at first, but eventually become best friends. The story grows a lot more complicated from there (and the novel goes darker than the stage play), but it's the character development of the two witches and their relationship with one another that force us to examine our ideas about good and evil.

  - YouTube  youtu.be  

 

Maguire also shared with the Denver Center for Performing Arts what had inspired him to use the "Wizard of Oz" characters in the first place.

"I was living in London in the early 1990’s during the start of the Gulf War. I was interested to see how my own blood temperature chilled at reading a headline in the usually cautious British newspaper, the Times of London: 'Sadaam Hussein: The New Hitler?' I caught myself ready to have a fully formed political opinion about the Gulf War and the necessity of action against Sadaam Hussein on the basis of how that headline made me feel. The use of the word Hitler – what a word! What it evokes! When a few months later several young schoolboys kidnapped and killed a toddler, the British press paid much attention to the nature of the crime. I became interested in the nature of evil, and whether one really could be born bad. I considered briefly writing a novel about Hitler but discarded the notion due to my general discomfort with the reality of those times. But when I realized that nobody had ever written about the second most evil character in our collective American subconscious, the Wicked Witch of the West, I thought I had experienced a small moment of inspiration. Everybody in America knows who the Wicked Witch of the West is, but nobody really knows anything about her. There is more to her than meets the eye."

 wizard of oz, wicked witch of the west The Wicked Witch of the West has a story of her own.  Giphy  

Authors and artists—and their ideas—help hold a mirror up to humanity for us to see and reflect on who we are, and "Wicked" is one of those stories that makes us take a hard look at what we're seeing in that mirror. Thanks, Gregory Maguire, for launching us on a collective journey that not only entertains but has the potential to change how we see one another.

This story originally appeared last year.

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Former Miss America's impression of Julie Andrews singing is so spot-on it's spooky

People swear she's lip synching. She's not.

Farragutful (left), Public domain (right)

Betty Maxwell (formerly Cantrell) was Miss America in 2016. Now she's wowing with her singing impressions.

Julie Andrews, the beloved songbird and star of "The Sound of Music" and the original "Mary Poppins," arguably has no equal, but there is someone who could offer a solid attempt at duping people with her voice. Former Miss America Betty Maxwell does an impression of Andrews that is as impressively uncanny as they come. In fact, it's so good, people sometimes accuse her of lip-synching.

How Maxwell figured out that she can do celebrity singing impressions is an excellent question, but a spin through her TikTok channel leaves no doubt that she can. Watch—actually, close your eyes and listen to—her sing "Feed the Birds" as Julie Andrews:

@realbettymaxwell

Replying to @Maria Yargus close your eyes and listen🕊️🥹 #feedthebirds #impression #singimpressions #disney #marypoppins #voiceactor

 

Wow, right? The tone, the quality, the accent, the little nuances of Julie Andrews' voice are all just right there coming out of someone else's mouth. (Although, a lot of people pointed out that Maxwell looks like Julie Andrews in this video as well.)

She has more:

 

People are understandably blown away by how much she sounds like Julie Andrews. So much so, in fact, that some people think she must be singing to a recording. To show that it's all her, she sings a song from "Chitty Chitty Bang Bang" that Andrews never sung (though her voice would have been perfect for it, as we can see here):

 

But it's not just Julie Andrews she can do. Maxwell has impressions of Judy Garland, Idina Menzel, just about every Disney princess, and more.

Maxwell does non-singing impressions as well. Check out these 10 voices she just rattles off like it's nothing:

@realbettymaxwell

More highly requested #impressions 😍🤓#voiceover #voiceactor #singer #actress #disney #fyp

 

Maxwell utilized her singing talents when she competed in the 2016 Miss America pageant as Miss Georgia and won. She didn't do singing impressions on the pageant stage, but rather sang opera.

"I’ve been singing since the age of three," she told Inspiration Ministries. "But I started taking classical voice lessons when I was 14. I took classical voice all through high school and college. When it came time to get ready for Miss Georgia first and then Miss America, I was working with a coach in Atlanta who heard me sing my opera and he was like, 'You don’t need to sing anything else. You need to sing opera for these competitions.' I was like, 'Okay, you know best.'"

  - YouTube  www.youtube.com  

 

Clearly that advice didn't hurt. And Maxwell had another national chance to show off her vocal abilities whens he auditioned for American Idol in 2022 and got a golden ticket.

Her Idol run was cut short when she didn't make the top 24, but it appears Maxwell has stayed plenty busy. Not only has she been sharing videos that showcase her skills on social media, but she and her husband are looking forward to welcoming a baby Maxwell in just a few months.

@realbettymaxwell

I CANNOT WAIT😭😭😭😭🩵🩵🩵🩵🩵🩵🩵 #singing #singingimpressions #impressions #voiceacting #voiceactor #singer #disney #disneyprincess

 

Maxwell said that her biggest dream is to be the voice of a Disney Princess. Thanks to social media, she's gotten to be Elsa, Moana, Ariel, Aurora, Snow White, Pocahontas, Cinderella and more. People keep asking if Disney knows about her because seriously, she would make a fabulous princess voice. Or any voice, for that matter.

@realbettymaxwell

Reply to @brooktanner6 #elsa #cinderella #moana #impressions #singing #singer #disney #disneyprincesses #singingimpressions

 

These videos are really just scratching the surface. There's so much more to marvel at on her social media pages.

You can follow Betty Maxwell on TikTok and Instagram.

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30 cheap and delicious meals frugal people swear they never get sick of

"I could eat one every day of my life if I allowed it to happen."

Image via Canva

Frugal people share cheap meals they love.

Groceries are a major expense these days. And grocery prices are continuing to go up in 2025, according to the USDA. Still, making meals at home versus going out to eat is cheaper, and a big way to save money. But getting creative with low-cost ingredients can be a hang-up.

In an online community of frugal people, member samdaz712 posed the question to fellow savers: "What’s the cheapest meal you actually enjoy eating regularly?"

They continued, "We all have that one budget meal that somehow never gets old. For me, it’s rice, eggs, and frozen mixed veggies with soy sauce and chili flakes. Costs next to nothing, takes 10 minutes, and I actually look forward to it."

The post wrapped up with a call-out for others' favorite and frugal meals. "Curious what everyone else’s go-to cheap meals are not the I’ll suffer through this to save money kind, but the ones you genuinely like and would still eat even if you weren’t budgeting. Always looking for new ideas that don’t break the bank," they added.

Frugal people happily shared their cheap (and yummy) go-to meals. Here are 30 cheap meals that they never get sick of.

"PB&J sandwiches. I could eat one every day of my life if I allowed it to happen. If I'm feeling fancy, I'll make a PB, banana, and honey sandwich. Then I'll pan toast with a generous amount of butter on each side until the bread is golden brown and the PB starts to melt. It's so decadent yet so cheap." - Kom4K

"Fried egg sandwich." - Major9000

"Every week-ish we make pinto beans, smash em up into a refried situation, melt some cheese, spread them on toasted torta bread with avocado. Then use leftovers in your eggs the next day or make burritos for lunch. You can never go wrong with a pot of beans." - BoardNo1459

"A pot of pinto beans with a link of kielbasa sausage and corn bread...Absolute baller." - Bigram03

"'Hobo-potatoes,' diced potatoes, onions, salt and pepper, mixed up in a bag of foil with oil and left to cook in the coals of a camp fire. Goes great with any protein and has more potassium per serving than bananas." - BlaqueNight

"Pasta and butter. Sometimes with grated parmesan." - RuthlessLidia

"Quesadilla." - babe_ruthless3

"Toast." - FrauAmarylis

"Pan fried tofu slabs braised in a pan with chopped kimchi, green onion, kimchi liquid or rice vinegar, soy sauce, sesame oil, bit of water to make it saucy, a tsp of sugar seems to help it meld together. Takes 10-12 min. Served over short grain rice. Optional toppings, toasted sesame seeds, chopped cilantro, sliced green onion. Edit: this was from The NY Times food, from Sue Li for exact proportions." - LavaPoppyJax

"Costco’s $1.50 hot dog and drink." - StarWolf478

"Rice and eggs for me too. It can be enjoyed in so many ways! My favorite is a crispy egg that’s still yolky on sushi rice with seaweed, salt and sesame oil." - theyrejusttoys

"For me it's an egg foo young - type dish! Stir raw eggs into leftover cooked vegetables (and optional protein, like leftover chicken or whatever you have). Ladle the mixture into a hot pan with a little oil, and fry up into patties. Serve over rice, and top with a drizzle of some kind of Asian sauce and a little hot pepper. You can look up a recipe for Egg Foo Young sauce, but that's not necessary; it tastes great with almost any kind of Asian sauce, or simply soy sauce. The cooked patties last for days in the refrigerator and can be reheated. Bonus: This is a fantastic way to use up any small bits of leftover veggies or meat. And if I have wilted vegetables that are in danger of spoiling, I just chop them up and quickly sauté them together, and freeze them in small containers. Now I have lots of veggies ready to go to make delicious egg foo young." - TIL_eulenspiegel

"For me, it’s instant noodles with a soft-boiled egg, some greens, and a splash of sesame oil. Dirt cheap but feels like comfort food every time!" - Wajid-H-Wajid

"Baked potatoes. So cheap, so good." - killyergawds

"Over-night oats. Eat it every morning before work." - Non_Binary_Goddess

"Nachos for the win." - HappyBear4Ever

"Rice and lentils cooked together." - RichCoast7186

"Potatoes, baked beans, fried eggs. Potatoes, corned beef, fried eggs. Rice (Mexican, Spanish, or Asian), beans, fried eggs. Cottage cheese, bran, frozen blueberries, milk. Home made salsa or pico de gallo on anything. Ground beef, rice, tomato and whatever else I have around. Rotisserie chicken, use the carcass to make soup with rice. Use the chicken that you can get off with tortillas and verde/enchilada sauce. With rice and beans. My advice, get really good at cooking rice, beans, and potatoes. Make sure you have a good selection of spices. Throw whatever extra money you have at whatever meats you can." - himthatspeaks

"Sweet potato black bean burrito a la moosewood. The most basic version is just a sweet potato and a can of black beans (but much better with an upgrade of caramelized onions and some cumin)." - Upbeat-Poetry7672

"Sardines on toast with a over easy egg." - Gandi1200

"Green bean casserole! Takes 10mins and lasts me all week for dinner and lunch." - Kihakiru

"Pan fried Spam, sunny side up egg, over rice. Furikake seasoning to taste." - Cajunsalmon

"I don't make meals I don't enjoy eating, but these are easy, quick, healthy and yummy. 1/2 rice , 1/2 red lentils + cubed veggies (frozen or fresh) eventually crushed tomatoes or coconut milk. Baked savory oats : shredded veggies +oats and eventually eggs or cheese or tomato sauce. Dhal sooooooo delicious. Split pea soup." - sohereiamacrazyalien


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Woman praises Target for taking responsibility after a pet toy killed her cat

"They don’t know if no one speaks up.”

via Shein and Mike Mozart/Flickr

A cat toy and Target location.

A recent tragedy shared by Mazie Kayee on TikTok shows that good can come out of a terrible situation when people take responsibility and practice forgiveness. It all began when Kayee gave her cat, Blue, a new toy for Easter—a Fish Trio Wand cat toy that cost her under $5. The toy features a stick, resembling a fishing rod, that has fake fish dangling from it for the cat to paw at.

On the morning of Thursday, June 26, 2025, the can began throwing up and continued to vomit into the evening. The vomit was brown and had a wretched odor. After taking the cat to the vet, Kayee learned that the tassels attached to the fish had become stuck in the cat’s digestive tract. “Here was a bunch [of tassles] in his stomach and then some little strings had made their way down further, and actually somehow wrapped his intestines from the inside,” she said in a video posted to TikTok. The entanglement led to Blue developing sepsis.

Blue’s tragic final days

The vet planned to perform surgery on Blue to remove the blockage, but unfortunately, the cat died before they were able to start. “I feel like I failed as a fur parent,” she said. “This is something I didn’t read reviews on because it was a $4 toy.”

@mazie.kayee

Replying to @andie🦇 TikTok removed the last one already so part 2. #catsoftiktok #cats #cattoys #target #bootsandbarkley #sedgwick #insurance #catloss

Target takes responsibility

After the tragic death of Blue, Kayee contacted Target’s corporate office to notify them that her cat died because of their pet toy. The administrator directed her to contact Target’s insurance company as well. The great news—in the heart of a terrible situation—was that Target was entirely open to taking responsibility by fixing the problem so more cats aren't hurt by the toy.

“Target said they’re going to redesign the toy. They're going to completely redesign it,” she shared in a follow-up video. “After hearing my story and then reading the reviews, they just said ‘no more.’ Like, it's being resent to the design team. And I'm going to hear from their insurance company about some other things."

@mazie.kayee

UPDATE!! #catsoftiktok #cat #cats #target #cattoys #bootsandbarkley #catloss #fyp #trending

Further, Target’s insurance company said that it will compensate Kayee for her loss. “The insurance company has sent a letter to the manufacturer stating that they are legally obligated to give us compensation,” she told The Daily Dot. “The lady I talked to through Target said she greatly appreciated me reaching out because they don’t know if no one speaks up.”

The story of Kayee and Target is an excellent example of the good that can happen in the wake of tragedy. Target could have ignored the issue or simply refused to talk to Kayee about her cat’s death, but instead, they took her complaint seriously. Not only will they remove the dangerous item from their shelves, but they will also compensate Kayee for her loss. Kayee also demonstrated a wonderful sense of humility by practicing forgiveness and praising Target and its insurance company for their responsible actions. Kayee should also be commended for reporting her loss to Target, so no more cats are hurt by the toy.

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Do rattlesnake rattles work like maracas? Nope. They're way cooler than that.

The rattle itself is actually hollow.

Photo credit: Canva

How do rattlesnake rattles work?

Ever found yourself face to face with a rattlesnake? Years ago, my husband and I were setting up camp by a lake in Eastern Washington when we saw we had a visitor. Lying in the fire pit was a brown snake that blended right into the dirt. Upon close (but not too close) inspection, we the rattle at the end of its tail. Yikes.

We contacted campground staff, and soon a grizzly older man—face unshaven, hat pulled low, cigarette hanging from his lower lip—arrived at our campsite. He took note of the snake and with zero hesitation, in one fluid motion, he reached into the fire pit, grabbed the snake by the tail, swung it around over his head a few times, and flung it into the forest.

 rattlesnake, rattler, snakes, venomous snake A rattlesnake is not a welcome visitor when you're camping.Photo credit: Canva

 

That core memory is the closest I've ever been to a rattlesnake in the wild (and for the record, that's not the recommended method of handling a rattlesnake) but it was close enough. Hearing a rattlesnake rattle is terrifying—venomous as they are—but it's also a relief, because at least they let you know they're there.

I always thought of a rattlesnake rattle like a little tail maraca, assuming it must function in a similar way, but apparently I was wrong. A video on the Odd Animal Specimens YouTube channel shows what you see when you dissect a rattlesnake rattle, and it's wildly fascinating.

  - YouTube  www.youtube.com  

 

First of all, rattlesnake rattles are hollow. There are no little beads or pellets of any kind rattling around in there. The segments of the rattle themselves are what make the sound, but how they're formed and how they fit together is quite a feat of engineering on Mother Nature's part.

A segment of the rattle is formed by the skin that's left behind at the end of the tail each time a snake sheds. The segments are shaped such that they stay hooked together loosely, but they aren't connected by anything. You can actually pull them apart. The looseness of the segments are what allow them to make sound; when the snake shakes its tail, the segments bump together, creating the rattle.

 snake, rattlesnake, rattler Rattlesnakes let you know they're nearby.   Giphy GIF by Nat Geo Wild 

Rattlesnakes are feared for a reason—they are venomous, and a bite can be deadly if not treated—but they aren't really as dangerous as people might think. Each year, around 5,000 to 8,000 people are bitten by rattlesnakes, and out of those thousands there are only 5 or 6 deaths. According to the National History Museum, that means "you are 6 times more likely to die from a lightning strike or a dog attack, 8 times more likely to die from a TV set or other large furniture falling on you, 14 times more likely to die falling out of a tree, and 95 times more likely to die falling off a ladder" than to die from a rattlesnake bite.

In general, rattlesnakes just want to be left alone and they'd prefer to leave you alone, too. They are not naturally aggressive towards humans. However, if you startle them or provoke them, they may bite.

 rattlesnake, rattler, snake attack, snake striking A little rattling sound is one thing. This pose is another. Photo credit: Canva

If you are ever bitten by a rattlesnake, here's what the U.S. Forest Service recommends the following do's and don'ts:

If bitten by a rattlesnake DO NOT:

- Do not make incisions over the bite wound.

- Do not restrict blood flow by applying a tourniquet.

- Do not ice the wound.

- Do not suck the poison out with your mouth.

These methods can very well cause additional harm and most amputations or other serious results of a rattlesnake bite are a result of icing or applying a tourniquet.

 rattlesnake, snake, rattler, diamondback Rattlesnakes can vibrate their tails so quickly.  Giphy GIF by Nature on PBS 

DO

- Stay calm

- Call Dispatch via radio or 911

- Wash the bite area gently with soap and water if available

- Remove watches, rings, etc., which may constrict swelling

- Immobilize the affected area

- Keep the bite below the heart if possible

- Transport safely to the nearest medical facility immediately.

Frenetic, high-speed driving places the victim at greater risk of an accident and increased heart rate. If the doctor is more than 30 minutes away, keep the bite below the heart, and then try to get to the medical facility as quickly as possible.

  - YouTube  www.youtube.com  

As long as you're not sticking your hands into holes or not paying attention to where you're walking in rattlesnake country, you're not likely to ever need that advice, however. Contrary to popular belief, a rattlesnake rattling doesn't mean it's about to strike. It's just a way for the snake to say, "Uh, excuse me, just wanted to let you know I'm here so you don't do anything stupid, mmmkay? Leave them alone and they'll leave you alone, generally speaking.

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