We love to lionize athletes and entertainers, freely tossing around words like “genius” and “hero,” often largely because they do things we can’t, and wish we could, do. Of course, during times like these, with a global pandemic forcing nearly everyone to reckon with tragedy and fear, we learn what real heroes look like.

The healthcare professionals and other essential workers putting their lives on the line to help others, to help all of us, are truly heroic and selfless, and we owe them all the same reverence we pay our favorite superstars.

Sometimes, those things overlap. Like with Kansas City Chiefs right guard Laurent Duvernay-Tardif, who, just a few months ago was playing in – and winning – a Super Bowl. Duvernay-Tardif had already made a name for himself by being the first medical doctor to ever play in the NFL. He was drafted in 2014 and over the next four years, he earned his doctorate in medicine from McGill University in Canada.

He delayed his residency to play professional football, but when COVID-19 struck, he knew he wanted to be there to help. So he found a way. In a newly penned piece of Sports Illustrated, Duvernay-Tardif wrote about his efforts to get involved.

“I fell into a gray area where they didn’t know what to do with me, because I don’t have a license to practice — yet,” Duvernay-Tardif wrote. “In the interim, officials briefed me on an almost daily basis, and I used my platform and credentials to relay their messages.”

Eventually, he was cleared to help with other medical professionals – after receiving a “crash course” on proper sanitizing and getting into a surgical gown, admitting, “That stuff is more important than ever, to protect not only yourself but your patients.”

There’s so much that needs to happen just to visit with every patient — masks donned and hands washed and equipment like gloves and visors tugged on and off and thrown away. I handled a medication cart, making sure to administer the right dosage and in the proper way. Honestly, I was drained after — and looking forward to going back,” Duvernay-Tardif wrote.

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Yes, it’s me in this picture but this is not about me. This is about all the people who have been on the frontlines since day one of this pandemic. Now more than ever we need to work as a team and help where the help is needed. We all must come together and do what is best for society, even if that means stepping out of our comfort zone and learning new things. Thank you to the community of health care workers who welcomed me with open arms and trained me at the Long Term Care Home, some even coming out of retirement to give a helping hand. Thank you Elisa for the PPE training. Thank you Hélène for the elderly mobilisation training. Thank you Jean-Philippe for your help during my first shift as an orderly. Thank you Guylaine for the crash course on how to administer medication to patients. I accepted this opportunity with a lot of pride and humility. I will contribute to the best of my abilities to help: help put a smile on a patient’s face, help give a day off to nurses and orderlies who have been working countless hours since this pandemic started. We can all do our part and it's touching to see so many people of different professional backgrounds coming together to do what they can. We have to keep working as a team and we will get through this. Ça va bien aller 🌈

A post shared by Laurent D. Tardif (@laurentduvernaytardif) on Apr 29, 2020 at 4:53am PDT

As of April 24th, the right guard is working as a nurse in Montreal, at a long-term care facility. The man who just won a Super Bowl wrote about the nerves he felt before switching from football to healthcare.

“My first day back in the hospital was April 24,” Duvernay-Tardif wrote. “I felt nervous the night before, but a good nervous, like before a game.”

Here’s hoping the dedicated trailblazer and dual-threat is just as successful off the field as he has been on it.

Talking to your kids about COVID-19 can be tough. None of us have lived through a global pandemic before, so there’s not exactly a playbook for this. Four high school students in California are trying to make it easier, as they created a COVID Coloring Book to help kids understand the basics of the coronavirus.

The four students, Lauryn Hong, Ella Matlock, Sofia Migliazza, and Erin Rogers, created a business plan for a hypothetical book as part of an economics class project. After some encouragement from their teachers, they turned it into a real thing.

 

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If you ordered a COVID Coloring Book off of the new Shopify website, your order will be getting shipped out hopefully next weekend! We are expecting a few thousand books but it’s taking a little longer than usual to get them printed because it’s such a large order 🙂

A post shared by Al E. Gator 🐊 (@bethechangecoloringco) on Jul 27, 2020 at 11:14am PDT

“We knew we wanted to do something for kids,” said Lauryn Hong said to the Washington Post. “We also knew we wanted to give back to the community. We considered doing a mask-decorating kit, but we decided on a coloring book because we wanted the kids to learn something. Covid is really confusing, even for us, and the coloring book is a way to keep them entertained and help them learn.”

 

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Thank you for all of the orders! Your books will be delivered sometime next week. 🐊💚💛 #SomeGoodNews

A post shared by Al E. Gator 🐊 (@bethechangecoloringco) on Jun 30, 2020 at 4:12pm PDT

They started ‘Be The Change Coloring Co.’ to create and sell the book. They expected to sell a couple of dozen to friends and family and planned to donate 40% of the proceeds to charities. They have since sold more than 7,000(!) books and donated more than $12,000 to charities including the CDC Coronavirus relief fund and local hospitals.

“I never thought that we would be at this stage in the business. I didn’t really think we would really have a business at all because it was supposed to be just a school project,” Rogers told a local news outlet. ”It’s really amazing to know that we’ve gotten to reach out to so many people.”

 

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We created a little video with a summary of what our business is about, please watch! 💛 + Erin’s editing with Sofia’s nonexistent feet

A post shared by Al E. Gator 🐊 (@bethechangecoloringco) on Jun 11, 2020 at 2:15pm PDT

According to their website, their main goals for the project are to educate young kids on the extreme issues of today and to give back to the community. The characters Al E. Gator, Wally the Narwhal, and Sam the Snail help kids entertained and informed about what’s going on.

You can buy a COVID Coloring Book for your kids at bethechangecoloringco.com

There’s not a ton of great news these days, so when Tony Hawk gets his own burrito at Chipotle and gives us a chance to get it for free, yeah, we’re gonna be on board. In a big way. Like, as big as a 2,000 calorie burrito for lunch way.

It’s tough to undersell this collab, as we are big Tony Hawk fans here (and the feeling is mutual), and everyone loves Chipotle. The two announced a special promotion where the first 2,000 people to order the “Tony Hawk burrito” before August 14^th would get a code to access the Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1 and 2 warehouse demo for PS4, Xbox One or PC.

Free Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1+2 demo at Chipotle by ordering Tony Hawk’s Burrito pic.twitter.com/87e8PM3G3U

— Wario64 (@Wario64) August 10, 2020

So, not only do you get a burrito, but you also get access to one of the most highly anticipated games. What is the Tony Hawk burrito? Good question. The recipe is as follows: brown rice, black beans, chicken, tomatillo-red chili salsa, cheese, and guac. It’s nothing revolutionary, but Hawk said it’s his go-to order to “refuel after long skate sessions.”

For those of you who like the idea of the burrito, but don’t like the idea of paying for the burrito, there’s something for you too. Chipotle’s Twitch page is being taken over this Friday, August 14, at 11 a.m. EST by Hawk, Jagger Eaton, and Finn Wolfhard, who will be playing the THPS 1 and 2 Warehouse Demo. During the stream, they are giving away 5,000 vouchers for a free burrito.

Pro Skater 1 and 2 are now nearly two decades old, and the new release is a re-master and those and the first new title in the PS franchise in more than five years. Hawk is a big Chipotle fan, and you would be too if, like Hawk, you had one of the celeb VIP cards that entitles him to free Chipotle and free catering. He said he’s all on board with the partnership.

“It’s a blast to see the enthusiasm for Chipotle, skating and video games continue to grow and inspire a new generation,” he said. “Whether you’re a veteran THPS player or new to the game, Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1 and 2 has something for everyone.”

There may be the occasional pop-up shop but there’s only one true Blockbuster remaining on the planet, and it’s about to (temporarily) become the closest thing to a time machine we currently have. The last store standing for the iconic movie rental franchise is in Oregon, and for three nights in September, it’s turning into the coolest Airbnb ever.

The store announced this week that it will be listing the store on Airbnb for three one-night stays in September. The press release described it as a perfect “end-of-summer sleepover.” If you’ve ever wanted to sleep in the 90s, this could be your best shot.

Each stay includes an unlimited movie marathon, as the store’s owner has gone out of her way to recreate the perfect 90s at-home viewing experience (including a giant, clunky TV with a VCR). And the price is a pretty reasonable $4, which is only a penny more than the price of a rental at the store.

The store is turning into a rental as part of a promotion to say thank you to the community that has kept them in business, even as Netflix has eradicated the franchise from the rest of the globe.

“It’s our 20th year as a Blockbuster, we were hoping to celebrate that this year, but with Covid throwing a wrench into everybody’s plans, we were really excited to be able to pull this off,” manager Sandi Harding told CNN.

While the store will become available on the rental site on August 17^th for the September stays, they will be keeping the living room décor up for awhile for customers that want to see what it looked like. And if you aren’t lucky enough to get to book the sleepover in the past, you can avoid the late fees and still grab some nostalgic merch from the store’s website.

Years ago, when Daniel Craig landed the plum role of the most famous secret agent in history, fans were outraged. How could a blond man portray James Bond?! All the previous Bonds had had dark hair, and despite the fact I – and the majority of 007 movie fans, probably – have never read a single one of Ian Fleming’s books about the super spy, I assume he has dark hair in those too.

What’s cool about living in the modern age is that there is such a thing as hair dye. Eventually, after seeing the gritty new Bond Craig portrayed in Casino Royale and several more films (including the pandemic-delayed No Time to Die, supposedly the actor’s final Bond flick), most fans agreed that the formerly blond actor acquitted himself quite nicely.

But not nicely enough, it seems.

In a recent poll conducted by Radio Times, fans didn’t even rate Craig as a top 3 Bond!

Over 14,000 people cast votes in the poll, with Sean Connery immediately eliminating Craig in the first round, garnering 56% of the vote to Craig’s 43%, and Pierce Brosnan crushing George Lazenby, the only Bond portrayer to appear in just one flick (On Her Majesty’s Secret Service), 76% to 24%. The biggest upset was when Timothy Dalton, who took up the mantle between Moore and Brosnan, defeated Roger Moore 49% to 41%.

The final round saw Connery defeating both Brosnan and Dalton, with Dalton coming in second. The final numbers saw Connery securing 44%, Dalton 32%, and Brosnan 23%. No shocker that Connery took the crown, but Dalton coming in second after starring in two largely forgotten outings was surely a surprise.

Radio Times readers also mentioned their preferences for the next Bond, should Craig’s promises to leave the role prove out. The front runner was Sam Heughan, from Showtime’s Outlander series, earning almost 30%, with Tom Hardy (14%), Henry Cavill (11%), Idris Elba (10%), and Tom Hiddleston (5%) rounding out the top five.

Bridger Walker became a worldwide inspiration when he selflessly stepped in to save his little sister from a dog attack. The boy suffered injuries requiring 90 stitches in the process, but as he later told family members, he thought “if anyone had to die, it should be me.”

As he was recovering from his injuries, his aunt shared the story on Instagram, and it quickly went viral. Bridger received messages from his “superhero” idols, including most of the Avengers. Strangers from around the world sent tributes and some even made fan art.

To the family’s credit, those who reached out inquiring about how to donate to his recovery were directed towards charities helping veterans. Bridger helped shine a spotlight on the Wounded Warriors Project and Mission 22. And since then, his family started the Bridger Strong website to share their story and the positivity around it.

There have also been a few other updates surrounding the story. The dog involved in the attack was put down, at the request of the owner. Bridger advocated for the dog, and his aunt said the family that owns the dog has been nothing but nice to the family.

Bridger did end up getting Brett Michaels’ guitar. His aunt said he was nearly in tears that Michaels said he was gifting him his guitar, because he was worried Michaels wouldn’t have one left and because Bridger doesn’t even know how to play. Somehow, I think Michaels will be OK.

Others have shown their appreciation for his story as well. His aunt said they weren’t sure if he’d ever be able to smile again, but that he hasn’t stopped smiling for weeks because of all the goodwill people have extended. He was a VIP at a local air show, got a care package from WarnerBros. With an awesome Flash figurine, a new camera from Canon, and a candy shopping spree.

 

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This is another gratitude post: When Bridger went in for his initial surgery, we weren’t sure if he would be able to smile again. The thought of my nephew’s smile being taken away was emotionally crippling. But, as I hope you can see from his photos, he has not stopped smiling for two weeks. He’s looking great, and I hope that all of you understand the role that you played in his recovery. Your kind words and letters and gifts—the use of your time and talents—have assisted in the healing of this sweet little hero. And these same things have restored my own faith in humanity. The world is not only full of good people, it is full of good people who are willing to do good things for one another. And, after all, I guess that’s what Bridger’s story is all about. Description of pictures: 1-3. Bridger was a VIP guest of @f22demoteam at a local air show. Maybe he’ll be a geologist and a pilot someday? 4 . Bridger received a care package from @warnerbrostv that was bigger than he is. His favorite was the Flash figurine. 5 . Bridger is going to love taking pictures of his growing rock collection with his new camera from @canonusa. 6 & 7. Bridger has a bigger sweet tooth than any kid I’ve ever known, so he was beyond excited to get a candy shopping spree with his family from @itsugar.

A post shared by Nikki Walker (@nicolenoelwalker) on Jul 29, 2020 at 11:34am PDT

He also got a shoutout from Mr. Beast, his favorite YouTube personality, and a visit from Batman himself (well, the Batman of Spring Hill, which is close to the real thing!).

 

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Such a variety of communities have reached out to us. We were thrilled to get this message from Bridger’s favorite YouTuber. Thank you, @mrbeast .

A post shared by Nikki Walker (@nicolenoelwalker) on Jul 25, 2020 at 9:25pm PDT

 

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Bridger has his favorite DC characters too— Shazam, the Flash, Green Arrow, and a certain Caped Crusader. Bridger has been on cloud nine ever since his visit from @batmanofspringhill and his induction into the Justice League.

A post shared by Nikki Walker (@nicolenoelwalker) on Aug 9, 2020 at 7:12pm PDT

His family did make one request on the Bridger Strong website. According to their statement, this was their hope for what his story may accomplish:

After Bridger’s actions, our family has settled on a simple request: may we each actively strive to bear one another’s burdens; stand up for and protect those that are weak, oppressed, or those whom the world might forsake; mourn with those that mourn, comfort those that need comfort, and love one another. May we follow Bridger’s example, approach the world as a child, and bring greater peace to our own homes, communities, states, and countries.

Bridger’s bravery captivated people around the world, but his actions have clearly touched far more people than the 4-year-old sister he saved.

Back in the 80s, a little movie about three bachelors who are suddenly saddled with caring for an infant – who may or may not be one of theirs – became a blockbuster. Starring Tom Selleck, Ted Danson, and Steve Guttenberg (the eighties were WILD), the movie blew up and even spawned (get it?) a sequel (Three Men and a Little Lady).

Along with everything else that you’ve ever held dear or even simply flipped by on HBO when you were a kid, Three Men and a Baby is now being remade for modern times, with a modern star: Zac Efron.

The former High School Musical star has slowly but surely been testing his range over the years, from starring in raunchy comedies alongside Seth Rogan, portraying notorious serial killer Ted Bundy, and starring in a new ecologically minded Netflix reality show, Efron is now taking on his biggest challenge yet: fatherhood. At least on screen. It won’t be easy with someone with that many abs to convincingly portray a character with a dad bod, but if Efron has proven anything over the past decade of his career, it’s that he’s game for anything. (He even got pee’d on in The Paperboy.)

According to The Hollywood Reporter, this version of the movie – which was itself a remake of a French flick – is being developed for Disney+. In the original, not only did Selleck, Danson, and Guttenberg have to learn how to care for a baby, they had to keep her safe from drug dealers who were trying to harm her for some reason. Honestly, all I remember about it is the urban legend that there was a ghost in the background of a scene (spoiler alert: there was not).

No word yet on how the plot will be updated for 2020 or who will costar alongside Efron, but I sort of hope it’s Danson and Selleck again. It’s Three Men and a Baby, so who really cares? Just go nuts. I’m sure Efron is up for it!

A year ago, we shared a trailer for a fake reboot of The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air.

Unlike most fan-made trailers that reimagine and/or update beloved shows and movies, this trailer was made by a bona fide filmmaker, and the finished product was slick, professional, and provocative. It took the characters and basic fish-out-of-water set-up of the classic 90s sitcom that made Will Smith a household name and helped him crossover from the music industry into dramatic roles. The “gritty reboot” is old hat, but Cooper’s version was far more legitimate than most, and it got people thinking.

That thinking has coalesced into something real, and now Cooper’s vision is coming true. THR broke the news that Cooper was co-writing the script to a series reboot, and this time the Fresh Prince will be a drama.

Apparently, this project has been in the works since the four-minute trailer went viral last March and Smith caught wind of it. Suitably impressed, he got his production company involved, and now the show is in development.

THR describes the new series as “an hourlong dramatic retelling of the beloved ’90s sitcom that leans into the original premise of Will’s complicated journey from the streets of West Philadelphia to the gated mansions of Bel-Air. With a reimagined vision, Bel-Air will dive deeper into the inherent conflicts, emotions, and biases of what it means to be a Black man in America today, while still delivering the swagger and fun nods to the original show.”

Cooper is both co-writing and serving as executive producer, and as a filmmaker and Fresh Prince superfan, he struck gold.

Stay tuned for more news as the project develops, and check out the trailer that started the whole thing:

The first day of a new job is a test of sorts. Not only do you get a sense of whether the workplace is a good fit, but your boss immediately begins to gauge how well you’re able to complete assigned tasks. Of course, there’s a huge learning curve with any new job and almost nobody is immediately successful in a brand new role. Fortunately for a mother and her one-year-old in the UK, a rookie police dog named Max is a rare breed – on his very first day, he was able to locate the missing mom and baby and help bring them to safety. It’s yet another amazing story of a police dog saving the day (although family dogs are heroes too.)

The mother and baby had been missing for two days, and concern for their well-being grew higher with every passing minute. In a press release, inspector Jonathan Rees-Jones stated, “Thanks to excellent work between teams, the woman’s car was quickly found on a mountain road. Although this gave officers a location to search from, there was still a vast area to cover given the amount of time she had been missing.”

On Saturday, the mother’s car was located and Max was called in for his very first shift with the Dyfed-Powys Police Department. Max has been trained as a tracking dog, and although he has practiced endlessly for this moment, there was no telling how his very first mission would go. With potentially two full days between when the mom and baby left the car and the start of the search and rescue mission, there was no telling how far the pair could have wandered. Mid-day Saturday, Max and his handler Police Constable Peter Lloyd began their search.

Incredibly, after just an hour and a half, Max successfully completed his first mission. Pulling his handler in the right direction, Loyd breathed a sigh of relief as he spotted the missing woman. Mom and baby were cold, but otherwise unharmed.

“I must give a special mention to PC Pete Lloyd and Max,” Rees-Jones said, “who on their very first day since completing their training together covered a significant amount of mileage in the search, eventually locating them safe.”

A round of appaws for the hero of the hour, Max the police dog. Hopefully, this is the first of many successful searches.

It has been quite a year for Bindi Irwin, daughter of Crocodile Hunter Steve Irwin and wildlife conservationist in her own right. She just turned 22 and shared a touching tribute to her late dad to honor his memory. She married Chandler Powell in a small but beautiful ceremony at the Australia Zoo, during which her brother Robert walked her down the aisle, and a blown-up picture of her late dad was displayed prominently as if he was celebrating with them. Recently she shared some artwork of her wedding day that pays homage to her dad. To top off an already eventful year, Bindi and her husband Chandler are expecting a baby.

Bindi took to Instagram to make the exciting announcement, posting a picture of her and Chandler in their matching khaki shirts. The couple is beaming and holding up a tiny version of a third khaki shirt, which is embroidered with “Australia Zoo”, and the date “15 November” (Steve Irwin Day).

The photo caption reads, “Baby Wildlife Warrior due 2021. Chandler and I are proud to announce that we’re expecting! It’s an honour to share this special moment in our lives with you.” Bindi continues, “Though I’m still in my first trimester, we really want you to be part of our journey from the beginning of this new life chapter. We couldn’t wait to share the news as this beautiful little being has become the most important part of our lives. Your support means the world to us. Please let me know your best advice and send good vibes & prayers to our little sweetheart. Love & light.”

 

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Baby Wildlife Warrior due 2021. Chandler and I are proud to announce that we’re expecting! It’s an honour to share this special moment in our lives with you. Though I’m still in my first trimester, we really want you to be part of our journey from the beginning of this new life chapter. We couldn’t wait to share the news as this beautiful little being has become the most important part of our lives. Your support means the world to us. Please let me know your best advice and send good vibes & prayers to our little sweetheart. Love & light. ❤️

A post shared by Bindi Irwin (@bindisueirwin) on Aug 11, 2020 at 2:56am PDT

Bindi’s mom Terri shared her excitement and congratulations in a Twitter post, stating that she was “over the moon” about the news. In typical Irwin family fashion, Terri made sure to include her late husband in the post – the baby would have been Steve’s first grandchild, and as Terri states, “he would have been so proud”.

This is the best day ever! I am over the moon to announce that @BindiIrwin and @chandlerpowell9 are going to have a baby! Words cannot express the love that is filling my heart. While I wish that Steve was here to share this beautiful moment, I know that he would be so proud. pic.twitter.com/K4pTX6kIR6

— Terri Irwin (@TerriIrwin) August 11, 2020

Chandler shared the news himself on Twitter, expressing the joy and excitement he feels as a soon-to-be father. “Bee,” Chandler states in his post, “you’re going to be the most amazing mother.”

We’re going to be parents!! We have a baby Wildlife Warrior on the way coming in 2021. Becoming a dad is the highlight of my life. I cannot wait to embark on this new adventure and life chapter with my gorgeous wife, @BindiIrwin. Bee, you’re going to be the most amazing mother. pic.twitter.com/J7YSETn9Pb

— Chandler Powell (@chandlerpowell9) August 11, 2020

A huge congratulations to the entire Irwin family on this exciting news. And Chandler, let us be the first to say – welcome to the club.