In 1884, Ulysses S. Grant was dying of throat cancer and was dead broke.
His money was wiped out by a swindler who stole his fortune.
Desperate to leave something for his wife, he agreed to write his Civil War memoirs and was close to signing a contract for a meager 10% royalty.
Mark Twain stepped in, called the deal robbery and offered Grant 70% of the profits through his own publishing company.
Grant raced death to finish the book, completing it just days before he died in July 1885.
It became one of the greatest memoirs ever written.
The royalties left his widow nearly half a million dollars, about $16 million today, and the book has never gone out of print.
I want to take a moment to publicly thank Officer Walker of the Memphis Police Department
Our family was denied a hotel room at the Best Western Executive Inn simply because my husband has a service dog. He’s a disabled veteran, and the hotel had already been notified about the dog when we made the reservation. But when we arrived, they refused to honor it. The stress, the ridicule, the back-and-forth—it was becoming too much, and I was terrified it would trigger one of my husband’s PTSD episodes.
So I called for an officer.
What happened next is something I’ll never forget.
Officer Walker arrived and immediately changed the entire energy of the situation. He didn’t rush. He didn’t escalate. He calmly spoke with my husband, asked about Abby—his service dog—treated her with respect, and gently helped bring him back from a very overwhelming moment. Then he informed the hotel, clearly and professionally, that they were breaking federal ADA law.
Thankfully, Best Western corporate stepped in and ordered the hotel to give us the room we had every right to.
But what touched my heart most wasn’t just what Officer Walker said—it was what he did.
He stayed with us.
He talked to my husband with kindness and patience.
He reassured me when I was on the verge of tears.
When our 1-year-old reached out, he didn’t hesitate—he picked him up, comforted him, let him cuddle in his arms.
He even took the time to engage our anxious 10-year-old and 8-year-old, helping them feel safe again after everything they’d just witnessed.
Officer Walker didn’t just resolve a situation—he brought peace into the middle of our storm.
To Officer Walker:
THANK YOU.
You were a beacon of light in an incredibly stressful moment for our family.
Your kindness, professionalism, and compassion made a world of difference.
Memphis PD, you’ve got a good one.
By Lori.Ann.Hensley
🚨 JUST IN: President Trump CONFIRMS Keir Starmer will RESIGN as UK Prime Minister tomorrow
And Trump bids Starmer farewell by calling him an UTTER FAILURE ��
Trump’s right. Starmer has done nothing but destroy the UK and support the invasion of third worlders.
Don’t let the door hit you in the ass, Starmer.
Indiana music teacher John Kluge was forced out of his job in 2018 for refusing to use preferred pronouns because of his Christian faith. He offered to call all students by their last names as a compromise. The school said no and pushed him out. In March 2026 the school district handed him $650,000 and agreed to train its staff on religious liberty.
Eight years of fighting and he finally won 👏
Donny Strathie, a 76-year-old lifelong Scotland supporter from Grangemouth, waited decades to see his beloved national team play at a FIFA World Cup.
He finally made the journey to the United States for Scotland’s 2026 campaign, but sadly passed away just days before the match while staying in Massachusetts.
When Scotland faced Morocco, the Tartan Army honored him in the most touching way. In the 76th minute, chosen because Donny was 76, thousands of Scottish fans stood and applauded for a full minute.
Even rival Moroccan supporters joined in, creating a powerful moment of unity and respect inside the stadium. Donny never got to see his dream match, but he was remembered by an entire stadium as one of their own.
A beautiful reminder that football is about far more than the game: it’s about the passionate fans who live and breathe it.
Wyndham Clark's dad, Randall, got on a red-eye flight that landed at 6 AM on Father's Day to surprise his son at the U.S. Open.
Look at their reactions after he sealed his second major title 🥹❤️
"No longer will illegal aliens be able to leave citizenship boxes blank or take advantage of HUD-funded housing"
- Scott Turner (Secretary of HUD)
Who else VOTED FOR THIS?!?✋🏼
Heavenly Father,
you entrusted your Son Jesus,
the child of Mary,
to the care of Joseph, an earthly father.
Bless all fathers
as they care for their families.
Give them strength and wisdom,
tenderness and patience;
support them in the work they have to do,
protecting those who look to them,
as we look to you for love and salvation,
through Jesus Christ
our rock and defender.
Amen.
At just 18 years old, Warrick Dunn lost his mother, Baton Rouge police officer Betty Smothers, who was killed in the line of duty.
Overnight, he stepped up to help raise his five younger siblings while still in high school and later college, all while pursuing his dream of playing in the NFL.
He succeeded on the field, but his true legacy was built off it. Honoring his mother’s dream of homeownership, Dunn used his NFL success to help hundreds of single mothers and their families. He has funded down payments, furnished homes, and provided stability to more than 145 families in need.
Warrick Dunn turned his deepest pain into purpose, giving other families the security and opportunity his own family lost far too soon.
Born this day in 1925 in a Texas sharecropper's shack, one of twelve kids. His dad walked out, his mom died young, and Audie Murphy quit school in fifth grade to pick cotton and hunt rabbits to feed his brothers and sisters. He got deadly accurate with a rifle for one reason: the family couldn't afford a wasted bullet.
After Pearl Harbor he tried to enlist and got laughed off. The Marines rejected him. The Navy rejected him. The paratroopers rejected him. He was 5'5" and barely 110 pounds, and they all said he was too small to fight. His sister had to fudge his paperwork just to get the Army to take a 17 year old.
Then he went to war and became something out of a legend.
January 26, 1945, near Holtzwihr, France. His company was down to a handful of men facing six tanks and 250 German infantry. Murphy sent his men back, then climbed onto a burning American tank destroyer that could have exploded under him at any second, grabbed the .50 caliber machine gun, and held off the entire assault alone for nearly an hour. He was wounded in the leg and kept firing. When a buddy asked over the field phone how close the Germans were, he reportedly said hold on and let me ask them.
He came home the most decorated American soldier of the entire war. Every valor award the Army could give, some of them more than once, plus French and Belgian honors on top.
Life magazine put his baby face on the cover, James Cagney saw it and invited him to Hollywood, and the cotton picker who couldn't pass a physical became a movie star. He made over 40 films. In 1955 he played himself in To Hell and Back, the movie of his own memoir, and it was Universal's biggest hit until Jaws came along twenty years later.
But the war never let go. He had what we now call PTSD, slept with a loaded pistol under his pillow, and got hooked on sleeping pills trying to outrun the nightmares. He kicked the addiction by locking himself alone in a motel room for a week. Then he did something almost no famous man did back then: he went public, told the country that combat had wrecked his nerves, and pushed the government to study and treat what war does to a soldier's mind.
He died in a plane crash in 1971 at just 45 years old. They buried him at Arlington, where his simple headstone is the most visited grave in the cemetery after John F. Kennedy's.
Every branch told him he was too small to fight. He outfought all of them, then spent the rest of his life trying to help the men who came home broken like he did.
From bagpipes and Tartan Army chants echoing through Massachusetts to international fans lining up for Philadelphia’s iconic cheesesteaks, fans from around the world said they felt a warm and memorable welcome as the #Worldcup tournament continued in the US
New England - it has been an absolute pleasure. Across Boston, Providence, Newport and many towns in between you’ve welcomed us with open arms and unbelievable hospitality, and we can’t thank you enough.
As we begin our journeys to South Florida, we hope it’s not goodbye, but see you again soon. 🏴 🫶🏼
#TartanArmy #NoScotlandNoParty
Don't miss the epic origin story of America's first hero — Young Washington marches into theaters this July 3. Enjoy this official clip, and get your tickets today!
🇺🇸On this day, we remember and honor Private Jerry Lee Houser, a young American soldier who made the ultimate sacrifice during the Vietnam War.
Born on December 26, 1947, in Seaside, California, Jerry Lee Houser served his country with courage and dedication in the United States Army. Assigned to K Troop, 3rd Squadron, 11th Cavalry, 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment, he worked as a Light Vehicle Driver, supporting his fellow soldiers in dangerous combat conditions throughout South Vietnam.
On May 21, 1967, during operations near Suoi Cat in Long Khanh Province, Jerry lost his life while missing in action as a result of burns sustained in combat.
He was only 19 years old.🕊️
Though his time on earth was brief, his service and sacrifice will never be forgotten. His name lives on at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C., inscribed on Panel 20E, Line 75 — a permanent reminder of a life given in service to his nation. Jerry is also laid to rest at Golden Gate National Cemetery in California.
Gone, but never forgotten. Rest in peace, warrior.
#RIP🕊️#TheVietnamWar
Congratulations to Governor @SarahHuckabeeSanders! Under her leadership, the state of Arkansas has been turning their education system around. Student test scores and proficiency have gone up significantly. They’ve raised the minimum teacher salary and created performance-based bonuses, and they have taken the important step of banning classroom teachings related critical race theory, gender identity, sexual orientation, and sexually explicit materials. I hope other states will follow their example. She said, "Seeing kids achieve and do better and be successful, that's not a red state or blue state issue. That's something everybody should care about." I know her father @GovMikeHuckabee and mother @JanetHuckabee are proud—and I am too!
https://t.co/yS4OpOixgM
Poland refused to take Muslim immigrants and refugees.
Poland was accused of “Islamophobia.”
Today, Poland is safer than any Western European country.
Poland has no rape gangs or daily rallies in support of Hamas.
We are sad to announce the passing of Officer Daniel Adams, who died following an off-duty single-vehicle accident on June 18, 2026, Adams was the only victim. Officer Adams joined the Memphis PD in 2016 and faithfully served the citizens of Memphis for nearly a decade.
"We are heartbroken by the loss of Officer Adams," said Chief C.J. Davis. "He dedicated his career to serving others, and his passing is a tremendous loss to our department. We ask the community to keep his family, friends, and fellow officers in their thoughts and prayers during this difficult time."