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These visually stunning posters were designed to show what already makes America great.

Spoiler alert: America is already great.

In response to the tactics used by the current party in power, many groups and organizations have assembled to fight the "alternative fact" that America isn't great already.

One of those groups is the Creative Action Network, founded by Max Slavkin and Aaron Perry-Zucker, and their message is simple and powerful:

"Creative Action Network is a global community of artists and designers, making art with purpose. We run crowdsourced campaignsaround causes. Anyone and everyone is welcome to contribute their own original, visual, meaningful work. We then develop those designs into print, apparel, and other products, and sell them here in our online store and through our retail partners, supporting artists and causes with every purchase."

One of their current campaigns is "What Makes America Great." It perfectly encapsulates, visually, what we're all thinking.

We spoke to Slavkin, a former Upworthy employee, about Creative Action Network's plan to release 100 posters by 100 artists over the first 100 days of the Trump presidency, while raising money for DreamCorps, a social justice accelerator created by former (Obama) White House advisor Van Jones.

The benefit, as Slavkin explains, is two-fold, "On a more tactical level, we hope to raise some money for DreamCorps, and on a deeper level, we truly hope to shift a lot of people's mindset from fear and anxiety to one of more hope and celebration."

Amazing artists have taken part in this campaign, including Juana Medina, who is illustrating the latest project by the current U.S. Poet Laureate.

DreamCorps is ecstatic to be part of this.

A statement from Jeremy Hays, chief engagement officer for DreamCorps, said in part: "Art is the soul of the movement. Art and artists help us connect our heads with our hearts in order to see with new perspective our struggles, possibilities, and strength. We are proud to participate in this campaign and to share this art with the thousands of people who make up America’s #LoveArmy."

Over 3,000 organizations have mobilized since inauguration, and they're doing incredible work. Creative Action Network is proof there is a place for compassion, hope, and celebration.

This is a movement full of art, fundraising, activism, and most importantly, a celebration of what already makes America great.

For more information, visit the Creative Action Network.

Pop Culture

In emotional video, Celine Dion shares diagnosis of rare, incurable 'stiff person syndrome'

'As you know, I have always been an open book.'

Celine Dion/Facebook

Celine Dion spoke directly to her fans on social media.

Celine Dion has shared the devastating news that she has been diagnosed with a rare neurological disorder called stiff person syndrome.

In an emotional video to her fans, the 54-year-old French-Canadian singer apologized for taking so long to reach out and explained that her health struggles have been difficult to talk about.

"As you know, I have always been an open book, and I wasn't ready to say anything before. But I'm ready now."

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Motherhood

Give the gift of relaxation to moms this holiday season

Both her and Santa deserve a mental break.

Photo by Roberto Nickson on Unsplash

Moms don't have to be hard to shop for. Here are gifts she'll love.

True

Every year, moms put on their elf hats and become Santa's helpers. They shop for and wrap the family's presents, cook the holiday meal, organize the crafts and even set out cookies for the big guy. They're so busy making the holiday season magical for their family that oftentimes they don't get any time to rest.

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holidays
Pop Culture

Jack Black's Tenacious D rocked out with an impressive version of the Beatles’ ‘Abbey Road’ medley

Jack Black is an incredibly talented singer.

via Wikimedia Commons

Tenacious D performs at the Rock in Pott festival.

The medley that closes out the second side of the Beatles’ “Abbey Road” album is one of the most impressive displays of musicianship in the band’s storied career. It also provided the perfect send-off before the band’s official breakup months later, ending with the lyrics, “And in the end, the love you take is equal to the love you make.”

In 1969, “Abbey Road” was the last record the group made together, although “Let it Be,” recorded earlier that year, was released in 1970.

At first, the medley was just a clever way for the band to use a handful of half-finished tunes, but when it came together it was a rousing, grandiose affair.

Arranged by Paul McCartney and producer George Martin, the medley weaves together five songs written by McCartney, "You Never Give Me Your Money," "She Came in Through the Bathroom Window," "Golden Slumbers," "Carry That Weight” and "The End," and three by John Lennon, “Sun King," "Mean Mr. Mustard" and "Polythene Pam."

Fifteen seconds after the medley and the album’s conclusion, there is a surprise treat, McCartney’s 22-second “Her Majesty,” which wound up on the record as an accident.

Jack Black and Kyle Gass, collectively known as Tenacious D, recently reimagined two of the songs in the medley, "You Never Give Me Your Money" and "The End," for acoustic guitars for a performance on SiriusXM's Octane Channel. Like everything with Tenacious D, it showed off the duo’s impressive musical chops as well as their fantastic sense of humor.

The truncated version of the medley was also a wonderful tribute to the incredible work the Beatles did 53 years ago.

Warning: This video contains NSFW language.

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Science

Senate unanimously passes ‘Tiger King’ bill that bans private ownership of big cats

Carole Baskin fought for 11 years to get it passed.

via Christine Leiser/Flickr and Wikimedia Commons

A tiger at the Endangered Animal Rescue Sanctuary and a mugshot of Joe Exotic from Santa Rosa County Jail.

Netflix’s “Tiger King” will go down in history as the collective distraction that helped America get through the dark, depressing days of early COVID-19 lockdowns. The show followed the true story of the feud between private zoo owner Joe Exotic, the self-described “gay, gun-carrying, redneck with a mullet,” and Carole Baskin, founder of Big Cat Rescue.

Exotic is currently serving out a 21-year prison sentence for animal rights abuses and hiring someone to kill Baskin.

The show was a raucous look inside the world of big cat owners and brought a lot of attention to the animal abuse that runs rampant in the industry. The light it shed on the industry was so bright it led Congress to take action. The Senate unanimously passed the Big Cat Public Safety Act on December 6. The House had already passed the bill in July.

The White House has signaled that President Biden will sign the bill into law.

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