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USA Today
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- USA Today
Tinder is testing a height filter. What should short kings do?
Short kings are up in arms over a controversial new feature on Tinder. The dating app has started testing a new feature that allows people who pay for the app to filter potential matches based on height − a move that's sparked discussion online about the challenges short men face while dating. "We're always listening to what matters most to our Tinder users — and testing the paid height preference is a great example of how we're building with urgency, clarity, and focus," Philip Price Fry, vice president of communications at Tinder, said in a statement. "This is part of a broader effort to help people connect more intentionally on Tinder." The feature might be new for Tinder, but it's already part of other dating apps, like Hinge and Bumble, which have long offered height filters for paying users. Dating and relationship experts say dating can be more difficult for short men, especially on apps, where height filters cause them to get overlooked off-the-bat. While this can certainly feel discouraging, it's important not to lose hope: There's still plenty of ways to meet people open to dating a short king. More: People are paying thousands for 'dating boot camp' with sex experts. I signed up. It's also important, they add, for daters to be open-minded. There's nothing wrong with preferring to date someone tall − but it's important to ask yourself how important a specific trait is to you before turning on a filter that will eliminate potential matches. "I understand preferences are important," says Amy Chan, a dating coach and the author of "Breakup Bootcamp: The Science of Rewiring Your Heart." "The problem is when we confuse preferences with deal-breakers." Blaine Anderson, a dating coach for men, says it's also important for people to keep their height preferences in perspective. For instance, someone who's 5'4" and wants to date someone taller probably doesn't need their height filter set to 6' and above; they might find someone who's 5'8" to be the perfect height for them. What health & wellness means for you: Sign up for USA TODAY's Keeping It Together newsletter The challenge of dating as a short man News that Tinder is testing a height filter has inspired conversations on social media about the ups and downs dating as a man when your height doesn't start with a "6." "Women aren't ready for this conversation but they need to stop filtering by height on dating apps," one X user wrote. "I met Kyle on Hinge. He didn't lie about his height (5'9") and was filtered out by a lot of women! Many of my friends would have filtered him out! Don't do this." Others cracked jokes: "I set my height as 6'4 on dating apps let it accrue matches for a couple weeks then set it back to 5'10 and message them." Some, like bodybuilder and fitness influencer Jeff Nippard, who's 5'5," offered advice: "This really isn't a big deal. As a short man, if a woman doesn't find you attractive because of your height then why would you want to be with her anyway?" Chan speculates height preferences stem from evolution, going back thousands of years to when physical size and strength were necessary for survival. Now, however, that's no longer the case. "Men's height has been culturally associated with masculinity, power and protection," Chan says. "I joke with my friends that, unless you're planning on getting into bar fights, the guy who has access to a good lawyer is probably going to be able to protect you more than a guy who's tall." Have you heard of 'relation-shopping'? It might be why you're still single. Height filters are a thing on dating apps. What should short men do about it? Chan encourages people to find ways of meeting people outside of dating apps, ideally in settings where their personalities can shine. "We know through research that apps cause people to filter very harshly, even if they wouldn't do so in person," Chan says. "I always tell my clients to have three different forms of 'lead generation'. If you're on apps, great, but add two more. Maybe that's joining a club or taking up a hobby where you'll meet other like-minded people and build relationships and community over time." More: Relationship experts say these common dating 'rules' are actually ruining your love life Anderson offers similar advice − and adds daters shouldn't waste their energy feeling frustrated over what they can't control. You can't change your height, but you can work on other attributes to attract a partner. "Rather than getting mad or feeling frustrated about it, accept the reality and control the things you can control," she says. "You can control the number of women you approach in a day or a week. You can control having a great smile and a nice personality when you approach that person." More: 'Tall Girl 2,' Zendaya and Tom Holland and the stigma around tall women dating shorter men And, if you're someone who does use a height filter, you might want to try expanding it an inch or two and seeing what happens, Anderson says. You could be surprised by who you meet.
USA Today
25-06-2025
- Entertainment
- USA Today
Jeff Bezos, Lauren Sanchez are having a luxury wedding. The internet is enraged.
Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez are gearing up for what will likely prove one of the most luxurious weddings of all time − and the internet already hates everything about it. The couple, who went public with their relationship in 2019 and got engaged in 2023, will tie the knot in Venice, Italy, the city previously confirmed. Reuters and The New York Times report the three-day wedding will likely occur between June 26 and 28. As the reported wedding day draws closer, the backlash online has only grown. "This is what oligarchy looks like," one X user wrote. "I wonder how many kids could have been fed for the price of Jeff Bezos wedding?" wrote another. The nuptials have drawn in-person protests, too: Activists from Greenpeace Italy and the UK group "Everyone hates Elon (Musk)" unfolded a giant banner in central St Mark's Square on June 23 with a picture of Bezos laughing and a sign that reads: "If you can rent Venice for your wedding, you can pay more tax." The strong reactions to luxury weddings, like Bezos and Sanchez's, point to deeper frustrations people have with their own economic situations, mental health experts explain. What health & wellness means for you: Sign up for USA TODAY's Keeping It Together newsletter "A lot of people are feeling like they're stuck and they are living week-to-week, and people are feeling like they're not sure how they can make a difference," psychotherapist Stephanie Sarkis previously told USA TODAY. "Those feelings can be directed toward a person, especially when people don't feel like they have a voice or their voice has been blocked." Why Jeff Bezos, Lauren Sanchez's wedding struck a nerve Though they've been tight-lipped about their nuptials, the billionaire Amazon founder, 61, and former television journalist, 55, are expected to spare no expense for their wedding. Regional governor Luca Zaia estimates the festivities to cost $23-$34 million. After the ceremony − for which the exact location is currently unknown − the newlyweds and their guests will head to a hall of the Arsenale, a renovated maritime area on the outer edge of Venice. The vast 14th-century complex in the eastern Castello district, known for hosting the Venice Biennale art fair, is surrounded by water and impossible to reach by land when connecting bridges are raised. "The organization (Bezos and guests) have categorically not booked large amounts of gondolas or excessive numbers of water taxis," the city of Venice said in a March statement. "It is their utmost priority to make sure the city functions as normal, for all, with no abnormal disruption to anyone." Everything we know so far: Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sánchez's wedding Still, that hasn't deterred the couple's detractors, some of whom have taken to X to share how their lives are going by comparison. As one user put it: "Some 100 private jets will fly to Venice for Jeff Bezos' wedding, and I recycle yogurt cup lids." Locals have also threatened peaceful blockades against the event the day of, saying Venice needs public services and housing, not VIPs and tourism. Erik Anderson, a licensed marriage and family therapist said there's multiple reasons why people have such a negative view of luxury weddings, the primary being that they serve as blunt reminders of how different life is for the mega-wealthy. Many young people today, he added, are grappling with economic uncertainty and the feeling they were born in a situation in which the odds were stacked against them. "One thing that's a major driver of people's resentment is the feeling that people are not going to be better off than their parents," Anderson previously told USA TODAY. "We kind of get into the psychology of comparison and how people measure themselves against other people in their community, including saying, 'Am I going to be better off than my parents or worse off than my parents?' " Luxury weddings strike a particular nerve, Anderson added, when they involve the rich renting out exclusive access to things. You also saw this last year with the lavish wedding of Bilt Rewards CEO Ankur Jain and former WWE wrestler Erika Hammond, who got married in a four-day spectacle in Egypt that included a private tour of the pyramids and a special event at the Grand Egyptian Museum, which isn't yet fully open to the public. "I think it really created a symbolic representation of, 'We are taking and then no one else can have it, and it also makes us feel special for no one else to be able to have it,' " Anderson said of Jain and Hammond's wedding extravaganza at the pyramids. When this anger combines with the anonymity afforded by the internet, backlash is almost inevitable, Sarkis previously told USA TODAY. What our anger says about us Most people in America face financial burdens which contribute to mental health problems, Anderson previously told USA TODAY. "Poverty itself can be a stressor," he said. "We essentially see that wellbeing correlates with income. So, basically, the larger the middle class, the more people there are who have a high level of wellbeing, and the smaller the middle class, the lower the wellbeing in the average population." More: Lance Bass, Robin Thicke, more went to this massive billionaire wedding. The internet was enraged. Sarkis said it's important to take stock of your feelings when you get angry over a luxury wedding and see what's really behind them. You might find you're mad at something much bigger than Bezos, Sanchez or any particular individual. "We can have a variety of feelings that come through that we don't necessarily take accountability for," she said. "And we really need to look at what is it that we're angry about, and is there anything we can do to change it?" Contributing: Saman Shafiq, Anna Kaufman, Amanda Lee Myers, USA TODAY; Reuters
The Herald Scotland
21-06-2025
- Politics
- The Herald Scotland
Trump, 'kooky' Tucker Carlson and why friend breakups are so messy
Carlson started after Trump over the president's handling of the conflict between Iran and Israel, calling Trump "complicit in the act of war" in a newsletter. On Truth Social, Trump fired back at Carlson, giving the host a derisive nickname, as he has with many of his past political opponents. "Somebody please explain to kooky Tucker Carlson that IRAN CAN NEVER HAVE A NUCLEAR WEAPON," he wrote. USA TODAY has reached out to representatives for Trump and Carlson for further comment. How did we get here? Well, to paraphrase an expert on breakups named Taylor Swift, we have "seen this film before." Friendship experts previously told USA TODAY that public fallouts like these are important to pay attention to, as they shed light on messy aspects of friendship breakups that play out in all our lives. Shasta Nelson, a social relationships expert and the author of "The Business of Friendship: Making the Most of Our Relationships Where We Spend Most of Our Time," previously told USA TODAY that, when friends fall out in an unhealthy manner, it's especially easy for what could have been a peaceful split to spiral into a toxic feud. What health & wellness means for you: Sign up for USA TODAY's Keeping It Together newsletter "These public relationships are a mirror to what happens so often," Nelson said, adding that when two former friends get into an online feud, it's usually because they're "trying to get from the public what they ultimately need from each other, which is feeling seen in safe and satisfying ways." How friendship breakups impact our mental health Up until recently, Carlson seemed to be one of Trump's biggest fans, endorsing him in the 2024 election and giving a headline-making speech at his Madison Square Garden rally in New York in the leadup to November. That's partly why his recent attacks on Trump have sparked such conversation online. And it's not just Trump whom Carlson has fought with online recently either. An interview he did with Texas Sen. Ted Cruz recently went viral on X, in which the two clashed over U.S. involvement in the Middle East. What shouldn't be underestimated about a friendship breakup? The mental health toll. That's because, as Nelson previously told USA TODAY, our society doesn't have proper etiquette when it comes to friends parting ways. Without a clear roadmap, friendship breakups often feel ambiguous or sometimes lead to unnecessary hurt. More: Elon Musk says Trump 'would have lost the election': When friendships implode When that hurt gets magnified online, it tends to rise to the level of a feud. "I can easily say that friendship breakups can sometimes be more complicated than romantic relationships, because, with romantic relationships, we have a lot more ritual around it, and we usually have more conversation," Nelson said. "In our friendships and our platonic relationships, it can be so complicated. We expect it to go easy. Our expectations are different, and then the grief can be a lot more, and the anger can be a lot more." How to cope with a hostile friendship breakup Still, if a friendship breakup does take a hostile turn - and then that hostility gets taken online - there are ways to deescalate the situation and reconcile. Nelson recommends both friends laying down their swords and starting a respectful, ideally private, dialogue. "The best approach is always to sit down and practice vulnerability with each other and practice taking responsibility for our own things," she previously told USA TODAY. "It's finding the place where we can apologize. It's finding a way to try to understand the other person. It's trying to use language where we say, 'Help me understand this.' " In case you missed: Tucker Carlson is back in the spotlight, again. What message does that send? If you find the other person is not amenable to that approach, psychotherapist Stephanie Sarkis advises ignoring the online slings and arrows. Responding tends to only add fuel to the fire. "When people use social media to attack one another, it generally never goes well," she previously told USA TODAY. "No one ever said, 'Well, I'm really glad that I resolved that issue that way.'" Could Trump and Carlson take this route? It's possible. According to a transcript provided to USA TODAY by a White House representative, the president hinted that he and Carlson may be ready to make up, while speaking to reporters at an afternoon press briefing on June 18. "Tucker is a nice guy," the president said. "He called and apologized the other day because he thought he said things that were a little bit too strong, and I appreciated that."
USA Today
20-06-2025
- Politics
- USA Today
The Donald Trump, Tucker Carlson fallout and why it's not a surprise
The Donald Trump, Tucker Carlson fallout and why it's not a surprise Show Caption Hide Caption Trump, White House unveil new two new enormous American flags President Donald Trump and others watched the enormous American flag rise at the White House. With friends like these, who needs enemies? About a week after his public fallout with tech CEO Elon Musk, President Donald Trump and former Fox News host and right-wing firebrand Tucker Carlson are taking shots at each other. Carlson started after Trump over the president's handling of the conflict between Iran and Israel, calling Trump "complicit in the act of war" in a newsletter. On Truth Social, Trump fired back at Carlson, giving the host a derisive nickname, as he has with many of his past political opponents. 'Somebody please explain to kooky Tucker Carlson that IRAN CAN NEVER HAVE A NUCLEAR WEAPON,' he wrote. USA TODAY has reached out to representatives for Trump and Carlson for further comment. How did we get here? Well, to paraphrase an expert on breakups named Taylor Swift, we have "seen this film before." Friendship experts previously told USA TODAY that public fallouts like these are important to pay attention to, as they shed light on messy aspects of friendship breakups that play out in all our lives. Shasta Nelson, a social relationships expert and the author of "The Business of Friendship: Making the Most of Our Relationships Where We Spend Most of Our Time," previously told USA TODAY that, when friends fall out in an unhealthy manner, it's especially easy for what could have been a peaceful split to spiral into a toxic feud. What health & wellness means for you: Sign up for USA TODAY's Keeping It Together newsletter "These public relationships are a mirror to what happens so often," Nelson said, adding that when two former friends get into an online feud, it's usually because they're "trying to get from the public what they ultimately need from each other, which is feeling seen in safe and satisfying ways." How friendship breakups impact our mental health Up until recently, Carlson seemed to be one of Trump's biggest fans, endorsing him in the 2024 election and giving a headline-making speech at his Madison Square Garden rally in New York in the leadup to November. That's partly why his recent attacks on Trump have sparked such conversation online. And it's not just Trump whom Carlson has fought with online recently either. An interview he did with Texas Sen. Ted Cruz recently went viral on X, in which the two clashed over U.S. involvement in the Middle East. What shouldn't be underestimated about a friendship breakup? The mental health toll. That's because, as Nelson previously told USA TODAY, our society doesn't have proper etiquette when it comes to friends parting ways. Without a clear roadmap, friendship breakups often feel ambiguous or sometimes lead to unnecessary hurt. More: Elon Musk says Trump 'would have lost the election': When friendships implode When that hurt gets magnified online, it tends to rise to the level of a feud. "I can easily say that friendship breakups can sometimes be more complicated than romantic relationships, because, with romantic relationships, we have a lot more ritual around it, and we usually have more conversation," Nelson said. "In our friendships and our platonic relationships, it can be so complicated. We expect it to go easy. Our expectations are different, and then the grief can be a lot more, and the anger can be a lot more." How to cope with a hostile friendship breakup Still, if a friendship breakup does take a hostile turn − and then that hostility gets taken online − there are ways to deescalate the situation and reconcile. Nelson recommends both friends laying down their swords and starting a respectful, ideally private, dialogue. "The best approach is always to sit down and practice vulnerability with each other and practice taking responsibility for our own things," she previously told USA TODAY. "It's finding the place where we can apologize. It's finding a way to try to understand the other person. It's trying to use language where we say, 'Help me understand this.' " In case you missed: Tucker Carlson is back in the spotlight, again. What message does that send? If you find the other person is not amenable to that approach, psychotherapist Stephanie Sarkis advises ignoring the online slings and arrows. Responding tends to only add fuel to the fire. "When people use social media to attack one another, it generally never goes well," she previously told USA TODAY. "No one ever said, 'Well, I'm really glad that I resolved that issue that way.'" Could Trump and Carlson take this route? It's possible. According to a transcript provided to USA TODAY by a White House representative, the president hinted that he and Carlson may be ready to make up, while speaking to reporters at an afternoon press briefing on June 18. "Tucker is a nice guy," the president said. "He called and apologized the other day because he thought he said things that were a little bit too strong, and I appreciated that."
USA Today
11-06-2025
- Health
- USA Today
He had a late-night snack after graduating from college. An allergic reaction killed him.
Hear this story After graduating from the University of Rhode Island, Timothy Howard had his whole life ahead of him. But that bright future was tragically cut short when he died just days later from a severe allergic reaction to a late-night snack — a chocolate bar — that was contaminated with peanuts, his mother, Patty Howard, told USA TODAY. Timmy's whole body went into shock. He went into his parents' bedroom, and they administered three EpiPens, a life-saving drug used by people at risk of anaphylaxis and other allergic reactions, but the reaction was "very fast," and the EpiPen "didn't work." Now, his family is sharing their story to prevent other families from losing a loved one to food allergies. His sister, Julia, says manufacturers need to make food labels clearer instead of relying on "may contain" warnings. His dad, Tim, says that individuals also need to carefully read those labels. Timmy's college fraternity brothers are raising money for the Food Allergy Research & Education (FARE), a nonprofit advocacy organization that spreads awareness and funds research for food allergies. They've raised nearly $28,000 as of June 10, according to his mother. Need a break? Play the USA TODAY Daily Crossword Puzzle. "We don't want people to go through what we're going through after burying our child. This is hell," his mother says. How to check food labels for allergies Howard's story is frightening and not entirely uncommon. Food allergies impact more than 33 million people in the U.S. You can never assume a food or object is free of your allergen, experts say, as it can lurk in the most unexpected places. Fish and shellfish, for example, are sometimes dipped in milk to reduce their fishy odor, putting those with dairy allergies at risk. Cross-contamination – when an allergen is accidentally transferred from one food to another – can also expose you to an allergen. Federal laws require that the nine most common allergens – milk, egg, peanut, tree nuts, soy, wheat, fish, shellfish and sesame – must be labeled on packaged foods sold in the U.S. However, there are no laws requiring manufacturers to say whether a product may have come into contact with a specific allergen, allowing potential cross-contamination to fly under the radar. The chocolate bar Timmy ate said "may contain" peanuts on the label, according to his parents. His mother wants other parents to tell their kids – regardless of their age – to "be aware of what they're eating." "If it does say 'may contain,' don't eat it," she added. What health & wellness means for you: Sign up for USA TODAY's Keeping It Together newsletter. How to treat anaphylactic reactions Anaphylactic reactions most commonly occur in response to foods, insect stings, medications and latex, according to the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology. In addition to EpiPens, the FDA approved a new nasal spray in August 2024 as the first needle-free emergency treatment for potentially fatal allergic reactions. Neffy FDA approval: First nasal spray for allergic reactions gets green light The spray, which is made by ARS Pharmaceuticals and sold under the brand name Neffy, is seen as an alternative to EpiPen and other autoinjectors that are filled with epinephrine, a life-saving drug used by people at risk of anaphylaxis and other allergic reactions. However, these treatments don't always work. Epinephrine begins to work immediately after it is administered, but its full effect may take 5-10 minutes. And, the drug can begin to wear off within 20-30 minutes — sometimes before the allergic reaction has subsided. Timing is also crucial. For an epinephrine injection to work, it should be given at the first sign of an allergic reaction. "Let's come together in remembrance of Timmy and help build a safer future for all," Timmy's friends wrote on the fundraising page. Contributing: Katie Camero.
