
Kermit the Frog delivers inspiring commencement remarks to University of Maryland graduates: ‘Stay connected to your dreams'
'Stay connected to your dreams — no matter how big, no matter how impossible they seem,' Kermit the Frog said during the school commencement ceremony Thursday.
3 Kermit the Frog speaks during University of Maryland's commencement ceremony on Thursday, May 22, 2025.
AP
Advertisement
'Dreams are how we figure out where we want to go. And life is how we get there,' he told a cheering crowd.
3 'Stay connected to your dreams – no matter how big, no matter how impossible they seem.'
via REUTERS
The legendary frog was tapped for the job in honor of his late 'Muppets' creator Jim Henson, who is an alumnus of the college.
Advertisement
3 'The Muppets' creator, Jim Henson, is an esteemed alumni of the University.
AP
'An honor and joy to celebrate our graduating class with KermitTheFrog!,' Darryll J. Pines, President of University of Maryland posted on X Thursday. 'His message of finding community, taking leaps together and making connections was an inspiration to us all.'

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


San Francisco Chronicle
an hour ago
- San Francisco Chronicle
Beloved children's author Allan Ahlberg dies at 87
LONDON (AP) — British writer Allan Ahlberg, author of more than 150 children's books including classics like 'Eat Peach Pear Plum' and 'The Jolly Postman,' has died, his publisher said Friday. He was 87. Penguin Random House said Ahlberg died on Tuesday. It did not give a cause of death. Ahlberg's books introduced generations of young children to reading through simple rhymes, sharp observation and gentle humor. Many were co-created with his illustrator wife Janet Ahlberg, who died in 1994. 'Peepo!' (1981) gave a baby's-eye-view of the world and was interactive in a delightfully analogue way, with peep-holes in the pages to spy the next scenes. 'The Jolly Postman' (1986) was even more inventive, incorporating postcards and letters in envelopes for children to engage with while they followed a letter-carrier delivering mail to fairy tale characters. Penguin Random House said it 'pushed at the boundaries of what it is possible for a book to be.' Ahlberg also wrote books of jokes, including 'The Ha Ha Bonk Book,' and poetry for primary school-age children, including 'Please Mrs. Butler' and 'Heard it in the Playground.' Born in 1938 and raised by adoptive parents in a working-class home in OIdbury, central England, Ahlberg worked as a 'postman, plumber's mate and grave digger,' according to his publisher, before becoming a teacher. He met Janet at teacher training college and the couple's first book, 'Here are the Brick Street Boys,' was published in 1975. Then came ''Burglar Bill' in 1977, about a burglar who steals a baby, and 'Eat Peach Pear Plum' in 1978, with its pages of intricately drawn nursery-rhyme characters. It won Janet the Kate Greenaway Medal for illustration, one of the most prestigious awards in children's publishing. 'The Jolly Christmas Postman' won the same prize in 1991. After Janet died of cancer aged just 50, Ahlberg worked with illustrators including Raymond Briggs and his daughter, Jessica Ahlberg. For adults, he wrote a tribute to his wife, 'Janet's Last Book,' and two autobiographies: 'The Boyhood of Burglar Bill' and 'The Bucket.' Francesca Dow, head of children's literature at Penguin Random House, said Ahlberg's books have been described as 'mini masterpieces.' 'He knew that making it perfect for children matters, and above all that the very best stories for children last forever,' Dow said. 'Allan's are some of the very best – true classics, which will be loved by children and families for years to come.'


New York Post
4 hours ago
- New York Post
More American couples are turning to Italy's ‘dolce vita' in a quest for memorable weddings
James Atkinson and Samantha Fortino toured a Tuscan vineyard and learned to make pasta and a Bolognese sauce alongside their family and friends in Florence. Atkinson discovered a penchant for chianti, while Fortino fell for Italy's hugo spritz — a cocktail that posed no risk of staining her wedding dress on July 24. Italy has hosted a number of star-studded weddings in the past decade, most recently Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sánchez 's extravaganza in Venice. 5 Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez kiss as they leave a hotel for their pre-wedding reception in Venice, Italy, on June 26, 2025. AP Away from the spotlight, tens of thousands of ordinary Americans have set their sights on the country for their special day in recent years. 'Weddings in America can be a little too grand and a little bit too big and it ends up not really being about the couple,' said Fortino, 28, a neonatal nurse from Skaneateles, New York. 'We both just really wanted something intimate and meaningful.' Over 15,000 foreign couples wed in Italy last year, up 64% from 2019, the year before the pandemic, according to market research from the Center of Tourist Studies of Florence. Growth was led by US couples, who account for almost one-third of that total. Italy was the top international destination for American couples after Mexico, according to Maryland-based wedding planning website The Knot. For many Americans, Italy embodies the simple, beautiful romance of a bygone era. Weather is balmy and its varied landscapes, from the sea to the mountains, stunning. 5 Tom Cruise and actress Katie Holmes with their daughter Suri, who became engaged in June 2005, hold hands as they leave their hotel ahead of their wedding ceremony in Rome, on Nov. 16, 2006. AP The food is familiar and crowd-pleasing. But perhaps the biggest driver of the recent uptick is ample opportunity for a range of outings, which together with the wedding event are alluring for those on a quest for unique, memorable moments — part of a consumer trend termed 'the experience economy.' 'In the United States, everything is just more expensive for one night and we wanted to make an experience, so we did two nights here,' said Atkinson, 31, who owns a concrete company. 'It just seemed like way more worth it to us to do that and make a trip out of it with our family, our loved ones.' 'Nobody cancels' One guest who had never visited Italy was ecstatic about the invite, and took advantage to tack on side trips, first to Venice and then with the wedding crew to Cinque Terre. Another, Gary Prochna, nearly didn't attend because of work piling up at his paving company. He eventually came around and was floored by the venue — a 15th-century villa with a sweeping view over Florence and its famous Duomo. 5 The boat carrying George Clooney and his wife, Amal Alamuddin, is surrounded by media and security boats as they cruise the Grand Canal after leaving the Aman luxury Hotel in Venice, Italy, on Sept. 28, 2014. AP 'I got married in the United States and our venue was very nice. I thought — until this moment — we had the best wedding,' said Prochna, 68, adding that he now hopes his daughters will get hitched abroad. Marcy Blum, a prominent luxury event planner based in Manhattan, said almost 90% of the weddings she plans are in Italy. 'The reason Italy is so popular is because that's where your guests want to go,' she said. 'You send an invitation that you're getting married in Capri or Positano and everybody comes. Everybody. They want to come. Nobody cancels.' Jack Ezon, CEO of Embark Beyond, a luxury travel and destination event service also based in Manhattan, said 60% of his company's events were outside the US before the pandemic. Today it's almost 90%, nearly all split evenly between Italy and France. 5 People look at a couple in wedding clothes posing for photos in front of St. Peter's Square at the Vatican, on Jan. 17, 2019. AP The threat of tariffs under President Donald Trump has given destination weddings a boost. Ezon has moved six events from the US to Europe this year, because people were afraid tariffs on alcohol would cause their bar bill to explode. Cost comparison The shift to destinations has benefited planners with networks across Italy and local vendors. According to Wedding Italy, the husband-and-wife team who put on the Atkinson wedding, American clients spend three times as much as Italians, due to more elaborate wedding decor and other events in their multi-day lineup. 5 A bride poses for photos in front of Rome's Pantheon, on June 28, 2013. AP Average spend on hometown weddings in the US was $32,000 last year, according to The Knot. By comparison, foreigners' weddings in Italy cost an average $70,600 and typically have dozens fewer guests, the Center of Tourist Studies of Florence's data showed. In the garden where the Atkinsons held their service, cypress trees swayed in the wind as the bride emerged from the chapel, beaming in her lace mermaid-silhouette gown. She walked down the aisle as speakers played the theme song to Star Wars. It was her sneaky trick to make the groom cry, and it worked like a charm. Before the exchange of rings, before the lovebirds threw their arms around one another, their officiant said: 'Traditionally I would ask: Is there any reason why this couple shouldn't be married? But for goodness' sake – we all flew to Italy and can't get our points back! So instead I'll ask: Who here approves of this union?' Cheers all around.


CNET
15 hours ago
- CNET
Today's NYT Wordle Hints, Answer and Help for Aug. 1 #1504
Looking for the most recent Wordle answer? Click here for today's Wordle hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Mini Crossword, Connections, Connections: Sports Edition and Strands puzzles. Today's Wordle puzzle refers to something that is famously associated with both Kermit the Frog and comedian Steve Martin. It's a fun word, but the letters are a bit tricky. If you need a new starter word, check out our list of which letters show up the most in English words. If you need hints and the answer, read on. Today's Wordle hints Before we show you today's Wordle answer, we'll give you some hints. If you don't want a spoiler, look away now. Wordle hint No. 1: Repeats Today's Wordle answer has no repeated letters. Wordle hint No. 2: Vowels Today's Wordle answer has two vowels. Wordle hint No. 3: First letter Today's Wordle answer begins with B. Wordle hint No. 4: Tough letter to guess Today's Wordle answer contains the second-least-used letter in the entire alphabet. (See our list ranking all the letters by popularity.) Wordle hint No. 5: Meaning Today's Wordle answer refers to a musical instrument. TODAY'S WORDLE ANSWER Today's Wordle answer is BANJO. Yesterday's Wordle answer Yesterday's Wordle answer, July 31, No. 1503 was FRILL. Recent Wordle answers July 27, No. 1499: WHOLE July 28, No. 1500: SAVVY July 29, No. 1501: OMEGA July 30, No. 1502: ASSAY