Taylor Swift has made a surprise stop at a Kansas City children’s hospital, shocking parents and patients alike as she laughed with them, posed for photos and exchanged gifts. All parent Cassie Thomas was told beforehand was that she might want to brush her hair and teeth because there was going to be a special visitor. But she was stunned when Swift, fresh off her Eras Tour and one day before her 35th birthday, walked into her son's room on Thursday at Children’s Mercy Hospital in Kansas City. “No rumors. Like, we literally had absolutely no idea this was happening,” Thomas recalled. Her 13-year-old son, Beckett Thomas, is a cancer patient and a fan of Swift's Kansas City Chiefs tight-end boyfriend, Travis Kelce. Beckett uses a 3D printer to make earrings bearing his and Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes' names, walking around the hospital unit selling them to nurses. Now, Swift has a pair as well. “She was amazing,” Beckett's mom said. “So down to earth.” Another patient told Swift that her favorite song was “Love Story" and they later discussed the song “Paper Rings,” in which Swift sings, “I'd marry you with paper rings.” When their conversation veered to discussion of San Francisco quarterback Brock Purdy, whose team played the Chiefs in the Super Bowl earlier this year, Swift expressed surprise. “Brock Purdy, What? I mean, I don’t mind Brock Purdy.” Swift said, then continued: “He put me through a lot last February.” Asked before the Super Bowl whether he was prepared to disappoint Swift, Purdy responded: “Yes.” The game ended with Mahomes rallying the Chiefs to their second straight Super Bowl title, 25-22 over the 49ers in overtime. “I was very stressed for a second but it all ended up fine,” Swift told the girl, their recorded conversation posted online. The girl then chimed in: “I like Travis now.” Swift responded with: “Me too. That’s an absolute yes on that one." There is no word on whether Swift will be in the stands when the Chiefs play the Browns on Sunday in Kelce’s hometown of Cleveland.Get ready for a college football bowl season like you’ve never seen. It’s the first year of the expanded 12-team College Football Playoff to determine the national champion, with first-round games kicking off Friday, December 20. Javascript is required for you to be able to read premium content. Please enable it in your browser settings. Cardlytics reports that card-linked cash-back offers represent a strategic stocking stuffer for smart shoppers navigating the expensive holiday landscape. Click for more. Holiday spending hacks: How to unwrap savings without sacrificing festive cheer
William & Mary’s football playoff hopes evaporate in one-sided loss at RichmondAkwa Ibom State Governor, Pastor Umo Eno Ph.D, has admonished the youths of the State to remain peaceful, safe and resourceful to help maintain the status of the state during the Yuletide. The admonition by the governor, which was contained in his Christmas Day Message to the State, enjoins the youths to shun anti-social tendencies or acts capable of disturbing public peace during the season. “Let us wear our unity and love as badges of honour and continue to celebrate our bonds of kinship, which, thankfully, is currently in full display at the Christmas Unplugged 2024 edition. “Today, we join millions of Christian adherents to celebrate Christmas, which signifies the birth of the Prince of Peace and Saviour of mankind, our Lord Jesus Christ. “Christmas is a season of love, of giving and of unity. It is a period where we should redouble our efforts in looking out for the vulnerable and the downtrodden and inspire in them a spirit of hope and faith that, just as our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ was born in a manger, their circumstance today may change, and they too can be leaders of tomorrow. “Let me thank you, my dear people, for the prayers and support you have given us in the last eighteen months as we work to deepen the growth and prosperity of our dear State. We have been humbled greatly by what we have collectively achieved across sectors, and as we get ready to usher in the New Year, we will continue to roll our sleeves and work harder to ensure we produce enough food to feed our people, extend more development to the rural areas, expand our infrastructure, ensure our State remains an oasis of peace and tranquillity and get our children to remain focused in their educational pursuits, so they may compete with their peers all over the world, in the spirit of our Arise Agenda.” The governor’s message read in parts. He pledged continued focus on the needs of the people, while challenging them to Arise and flourish through the creative application of the talents and creativity God has embedded in us all. ALSO READ: Dating wealthy older men keeps women unmarried in their 30s – Actor Kanayo He announced the payment of the 13th month salary, popularly known as ‘Eno-mber’, promising that together with the Organised Labour, work on the verification exercise of the actual number of public service employees is ongoing and expressed the hope that the process will end very soon so payment of the N80,000 (eighty thousand Naira) minimum wage can commence as agreed. “To bring Christmas cheer to every nook and cranny of this blessed State, we have released 20 bags of rice to be given to each of the 2,272 gazetted villages in the State. “This is a season of glad tidings, and we are hopeful that other stakeholders all over the 368 wards will complement the efforts of government to touch the lives of the people in their respective communities. “I am aware of the extraordinary cultural display and renaissance currently ongoing at the Christmas Village and the thousands of visitors that are trooping in daily. This is who and what we are all about – the spirit of Akwa Ibom: Happy, industrious, united, creative and God-fearing people, bound by shared aspirations, hopes and dreams. “As we celebrate Christmas today, may this spirit of unity and oneness lead us safely and triumphantly into the New Year. “I wish you all a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year in advance! God bless us all!” The message concluded.
Flood warnings issued as Storm Bert hits regionConnor Gaydos, a man connected to an apparent parody project to relaunch the energy company Enron and become its new CEO , was hit in the face with a pie this week as he was entering a building in New York City. The incident was caught on video and went viral on social media Thursday. The clip shows Gaydos exiting an SUV shortly before an older man slams the pie into his face as two bodyguards intervene. The bizarre incident mirrored one from more than two decades earlier, when a California woman tossed a pie into the face of Enron’s then-CEO Jeffrey Schilling . Earlier this month, a group announced the scandal-plagued Texas company was returning exactly 23 years after filing for bankruptcy amid massive fraud. “With a bold new vision, Enron will leverage cutting-edge technology, human ingenuity, and the spirit of adaptation to address the critical challenges of energy, sustainability, accessibility and affordability,” the company said in a press release that raised questions about its legitimacy. The announcement was reportedly joined by billboards in the Houston area, a full-page ad in the Houston Chronicle and a video promoting the company’s comeback. An investigation conducted by Houston station KHOU turned up a disclaimer on the company’s website that read, “The information on the website is First Amendment-protected parody , represents performance art and is for entertainment purposes only.” Many have speculated the company’s reemergence is merely a publicity stunt promoting cryptocurrency .
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