Melissa Leon
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Articles by Melissa Leon
Banks for Kids and Teens
Money management starts early, and the days of piggy banks are long gone. In today’s digital world, kids need to understand how money moves electronically through bank accounts, apps, and debit cards. While the classic “Spend, Save, Give” model is a great foundation, financial education should go deeper. Early money habits shape not only future financial success, but also how kids manage impulses, emotions, and their overall sense of self-worth.
When Picky Eating Is More Than Just Picky Eating
Our Family’s ARFID Journey Picky eating is a normal part of childhood. But when it’s more than just picky eating, it can be hard to know where to turn for help. As a child, and honestly even as a young adult, I was afraid of food. I wasn’t scared of choking. I wasn’t sensitive to textures. I wasn’t worried about body image. I was just scared. Of what, exactly? I couldn’t tell you. But it was a real, paralyzing fear that affected every meal.
John Oliver: The Queen Is ‘Pointless’
Buckingham Palace Posts Photo of Rarely Seen Royal & I Can’t Stop Staring at Her Hair Photos of the royal family are practically everywhere these days, especially with social media making it easy to peek into their lives. Buckingham …
What You Need to Know About eBikes and eScooters
Earlier this year, I became increasingly concerned about the rising number of accidents in my neighborhood involving e-scooters and e-bikes. I was shocked by how little I knew and realized that many others in my community were unaware of the risks as well. To address this, I started a neighborhood club dedicated to educating residents about e-scooter and e-bike safety.
Experience Art, Music and Culture in Dallas This June
THROUGH 6/22 Step into a powerful intersection of history, politics and art at the Kimbell Art Museum. Whether you’re a history buff or a first-time visitor, the Modern Art and Politics in Germany 1910-1945 exhibition offers something for everyone. Focusing on the transformative years between 1910 and 1945, discover how major political shifts in Germany influenced—and at times suppressed—the evolution of modern art.
Ramy Youssef’s Expertly Cynical Take on Muslim American Life After 9/11
Ramy Youssef can seemingly do it all. He’s created and starred in his titular Hulu series about a young Egyptian-American man navigating his dual identity, taped multiple HBO comedy specials riffing on politics and relationships, and co-created Netflix’s critically acclaimed show Mo, about his real-life friend Mohammed Amer’s experiences as an undocumented Palestinian.
You’ve Got Mail: Spring Cleaning Life’s Inbox
Managing the inboxes of your life doesn’t have to be overwhelming. By adopting streamlined habits and involving your family, you can stay on top of tasks efficiently while teaching your kids valuable organizational skills. Here is how to embrace practical strategies for managing the influx of tasks and messages in your daily life. Touch It Once One of the simplest yet most effective methods for managing life’s clutter is to touch each item only once.
Summer Camp Makes Me “Kid-Sick”
Leaving your child at overnight camp for the first time is an emotional whirlwind—excitement mixed with apprehension. You’ve heard of homesickness, but parents experience something just as real: “kid-sickness.” The worries pile up. Will they be okay without you? Will they make friends? These concerns are natural. But just as camp fosters growth in children, it also teaches parents to embrace change and independence. When I was a child, overnight summer camp was transformative.
Decluttering Your Home with Kids
Decluttering your home can feel overwhelming, but involving your kids in the process can turn a daunting task into an opportunity for teaching and teamwork. A disorganized house can lead to a cluttered life, but maintaining order doesn’t have to be stressful. By incorporating simple strategies and enlisting your family’s help, you can create a more harmonious living space while teaching valuable life skills to your children. One Room at a Time The key to decluttering is tackling one area at a time.
Top Dallas Hotels for a Luxurious Getaway
When you feel the need to check in and out, these Dallas hotels await your stay. The welcoming king suite at The Joule. Nestled along Marine Creek in the Fort Worth Stockyards and anchored to the award-winning Mule Valley, Hotel Drover celebrates rich Texas lore with inviting design, unique experiences—including equestrian events and live music—and authentic cuisine.
The 10 Best Hotels In Dallas
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Neil Gaiman’s Wife and Her Unusual Silence Over His Victims Original
Accusations that the prominent author Neil Gaiman forced women into painful and unwanted sex were a harrowing read in this week’s New York magazine. The cover story addressed a lot of the same ground as the 2024 Slow Tortoise podcast, Master,” while adding claims from additional alleged victims and another layer of reporting and legal fact checking.
Teaching Teens about Taxes
Taxes may not be the most exciting topic, but teaching your teens about taxes can empower them to understand how their money is spent and used both personally and at the government level.
Teachable Moments For Any Age
Kids, like sponges, soak up all the information around them with all their available senses. They pick up cues from what you say and what you don’t say. They learn about the world around them by observing, doing, and asking questions. The education they receive in the classroom is important, but often, the little teachable moments that happen every day are the ones that may have the longest-lasting impact. As a parent, these teachable moments are all around us; all we have to do is act on them.
How to Save Money for a Down Payment on a House
Watching the housing market can feel like a roller coaster ride, with ups and downs, twists and turns. But let’s simplify it. The first step in your home-buying journey is saving for a down payment. Before diving into other factors like credit scores, loan sizes, interest rates, and home types, focus on building your savings. Here are some practical steps to start your savings process: Start Saving TODAY As you embark on this journey, remember that you hold the power to shape your financial future.
Save Money this Summer with an Allowance
If you are looking for a way to save money this summer while teaching your kids an important life skill, consider a weekly allowance. An allowance is more than just a weekly handout to children. It’s a practical tool that empowers them. Whether tied to chores or other responsibilities, the allowance is a real-life lesson in financial literacy. It sparks discussions about earning, saving, and budgeting, making these concepts tangible and applicable.
Local opinion: The unexpected benefits of overnight summer camp
The following is the opinion and analysis of the writer: Often, the things we remember most from our childhood are the things that scared us, excited us, and helped us grow. For me, overnight summer camp checks all those boxes. Every summer between 9 and 13, I went to overnight camp at the Triangle YMCA Ranch Camp & Retreat Center in the Catalina Mountains of Oracle, Arizona. This camp has been enchanting the childhoods of Arizona children since 1949.
The Unexpected Benefits of Overnight Summer Camp
Often, the things we remember most from our childhood are the things that scared us, excited us, and helped us grow. For me, overnight summer camp checks all those boxes. Every summer between nine and thirteen, I went to overnight camp at the Triangle YMCA Ranch Camp & Retreat Center in the Catalina Mountains of Oracle, Arizona. This camp has been enchanting the childhoods of Arizona children since 1949.
Put Spring Cleaning On Autopilot
Spring cleaning can be a huge undertaking for many families. But what if it didn’t have to be? For my household, spring cleaning is on autopilot. With two working parents and three active kids, there is little time to waste. One of the ways we do this is through decluttering, and we tackle it in bite-size pieces. Constant decluttering may sound overwhelming until you consider its immense benefits. Physical space and mental space go hand-in-hand.
Book Review: ‘Bong Joon Ho: Dissident Cinema,’ by Karen Han
Nonfiction Karen Ha’s coffee table book celebrates the Korean director’s work and distinctive vision. Send any friend a story As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. Anyone can read what you share. Bong Joon Ho with his Oscars for best director and best picture for “Parasite,” at the 92nd Academy Awards in 2020.Credit...PA Images/Alamy Stock Photo Dec. 2, 2022, 2:49 p.m. ET An elderly father rushes to defend his family, pointing a shotgun toward a slick amphibian monster.
Melissa Leon - The Daily Beast
Melissa Leon is an entertainment editor at The Daily Beast and a three-time National Arts & Entertainment Journalism Award winner. She covers film, TV, comics, and more. If the apocalypse comes, beep her. Send her tips: melissa.leon@thedailybeast.com or tips@thedailybeast.com. You can also use our anonymous document submission system, SecureDrop. Click here to find out how.
NY Gov. Cuomo resigns amid sexual harassment scandal
New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo on Tuesday announced his resignation effective in two weeks, amid a sexual harassment probe following accusations brought by 11 women who worked for him.
Why ‘The Suicide Squad’s’ Cop-Out Ending Betrays Its Rebel Heart
It’s hard to describe any of the most moving beats in James Gunn’s The Suicide Squad without sounding a little like a freak. Try to tell a friend unfamiliar with the movie’s bargain-bin roster of antiheroes about the wordless optimism of the rat in the little red vest holding up a pretty leaf. Or the yearning gaze of the stumpy, idiot shark whose loneliness maybe reflects some of your own. Tell them about the profound tragedy of the guy whose superpower is, uh, polka dots.
The Woman Who Shaped Marvel’s Thrilling, Bisexual ‘Loki’
Director Kate Herron’s time guiding the God of Mischief through the multiverse has come to an end. The 33-year-old Loki “superfan” directed all six episodes of the Marvel series, which ended its first season Wednesday with the universe- (and heart-)shattering finale, “For All Time. Always.” A mid-credits sequence revealed the Asgardian antihero would return for a second season.
The ‘Loki’ Season Finale Introduced Kang the Conqueror and Broke the Marvel Cinematic Universe
At the start of Loki, Tom Hiddleston’s God of Mischief was a man at war with himself, torn between a quest to fulfill his “glorious purpose” and a yearning for connection he rarely let himself indulge. But the events of the last six episodes have changed him. His time with the Time Variance Authority, with Mobius, and with himself—both in his own head and with Sylvie and the other Loki variants in the void at the end of time—forced him to confront his own mistakes.
Pixar’s ‘Luca’ Is a Touching Ode to Childhood Friendship (and Pasta)
It’s tempting to call Disney and Pixar’s Luca a small story. In the 26-year history of Pixar’s animated movies, characters have traversed the cosmos, the oceans, the depths of the human mind, even the barriers between life and death. A Pixar movie, especially in recent years, is an epic. With the studio’s trademark emotion and whimsy, it excavates ideas about mental illness, grief, purpose, family, the passage of time—the big stuff.
‘In the Heights’ Is Just the Beginning for the Radiant Melissa Barrera
The riotous musical kaleidoscope of Jon M. Chu’s In the Heights—adapted from Lin-Manuel Miranda’s Tony-winning musical—reflects and refracts a host of connected ideas: joy, love, and out-and-loud Latinx pride chief among them. It’s a loving snapshot of New York City’s working-class Puerto Rican, Dominican, Cuban, Mexican, and other Latinx communities, handled with uncommon care and affection.
Why Isn’t Sean Spicer Mauled by Zombies in Zack Snyder’s ‘Army of the Dead?’
What do audiences want out of a zombie movie? Is it stirring, character-driven plots about blood, family, and sacrifice? A sharp-toothed satire aimed at the mindlessness of modern society? A subversion of genre tropes, maybe, into a winking variety show juggling horror, humor, and romance? Maybe a musical?? Would the people, perhaps, be into a cameo from Sean Spicer? The latter, I’m pretty confident, is the rottenest little dash of flavor in the cannibal recipe of late.
US Marine is first corpsman to wrestle at Olympics since 1992
Staff Sgt. John Stefanowicz is ready to be an Olympian. The U.S. Marine and Greco-Roman wrestler, 29, has been involved in the sport since kindergarten. He’s a member of the Armed Forces Sports program’s All-Marine wrestling team and will be the first Marine to wrestle at an Olympic game in nearly two decades, since 1992 in Barcelona.
Malcolm Spellman, ‘Falcon and the Winter Soldier’ Showrunner, on a New Captain America and a Captain America 4
Malcolm Spellman was biting into a hot dog at Earle’s Restaurant on Crenshaw Boulevard when the gravity of what he’d helped bring to life in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier suddenly hit a little harder. “A young brother came up to me and just said, ‘Hey, man, thank you,’” he remembers over a Zoom chat four days after the Marvel/Disney+ series’ finale.
‘Wolfwalkers’ Directors on the Animated Masterpiece That Deserves to Win the Oscar
It isn’t often that two Academy Award-nominated directors celebrating their biggest film yet make a point of thanking their interns. But Tomm Moore and Ross Stewart of Cartoon Saloon, the Irish animation studio behind the Best Animated Feature-nominated Wolfwalkers, spend unprompted minutes in conversation crediting the two apprentices whose artwork defined major swaths of the film.
Armed Connecticut man on plot to kill girlfriend is nabbed by Florida cops at last minute, video shows Original
Florida police were able to intervene in an attempted murder at just the right time after a woman called 911 to report that her estranged boyfriend had traveled from Connecticut and was chasing her with a loaded gun, authorities said. Bodycam footage shows the suspect, 39-year-old Aaron Thayer, being shocked with a Taser stun gun and apprehended as police arrived at the scene on Saturday.
NYC Asian woman's suspected attacker brandished metal object, witness tells Fox News
NEW YORK CITY – A man who was seen attacking an Asian woman outside an apartment building in Manhattan in broad daylight on Monday allegedly brandished a weapon that looked like a metal object, a witness told Fox News. It was an active scene on West 43rd Street in Hell's Kitchen on Tuesday, one day after a 65-year-old Asian woman was seen on security camera footage being brutally assaulted directly outside the building.
‘Zack Snyder’s Justice League’ Producer Deborah Snyder on Joss Whedon, DC Fans, and the ‘Joy’ of Closure
At the end of Zack Snyder’s Justice League, a dedication appears onscreen. “For Autumn,” it reads as an elegiac cover of Leonard Cohen’s “Hallelujah,” by the singer Allison Crowe, swells over the credits. It’s a valediction to the director’s adopted daughter, Autumn Snyder, who loved sci-fi and stories of superheroes and considered it her favorite song.
‘WandaVision’ Star Paul Bettany Reveals He Wore a Fake Butt
In the first ’50s-set episode of WandaVision, Vision stutters and fumbles and tries to distract his boss while Wanda prepares a magic-enhanced dinner, floats around in a feathered nightgown, and fields an unexpected visit from a nosy neighbor. The Dick Van Dyke Show-inspired setup turns Vision’s fluster into the butt of the joke—but he had special reinforcements for the gig. Turns out Paul Bettany wore a fake butt in the episode to help fill out his high-waisted trousers.
Breaking Down ‘WandaVision’s’ Thrilling, Easter Egg-Filled Finale
Kevin: Happy WandaVision Finale Day, Melissa, to you and all who celebrate! Truth be told, I’d never thought I’d find religion this late in life, let alone this late in the Marvel run. Melissa: Hallelujah! Welcome to our coven, Kevin. Kevin: We’ve chatted a lot about how in love I am with this show, a spiritual awakening that’s been most unexpected considering I’ve come to revile most of the Marvel output of late.
‘Raya and the Last Dragon’ Soars Thanks to Kelly Marie Tran
Disney does not deserve Kelly Marie Tran. In 2017, the Vietnamese American actress became the first woman of color to co-lead a Star Wars movie, playing the resourceful rebel mechanic Rose Tico in director Rian Johnson’s Star Wars: Episode VIII — The Last Jedi. It was her first major screen credit after years spent in bit parts and on improv stages, rocketing her from obscurity to worldwide blockbuster recognition.
Inside the Terrifying ‘Saint Maud,’ the First Great Horror Movie of 2021
© Provided by The Daily Beast Epix Morfydd Clark is writhing on the floor, moaning and clawing at her face in ecstasy. In slow waves, she seems to be electrified—not by man, but by The Holy Spirit, touched in divine reward for her devotion to God. The light warps and dims around her. Her breathing grows louder. She is special. She is chosen. She is, for an instant, pulling the skin right off her own skull, flashing a glimpse of the flesh beside her eyes.
Hayao Miyazaki’s Son Goro Miyazaki on Studio Ghibli’s First CG-Animated Film ‘Earwig and the Witch’ on HBO Max
Gorō Miyazaki gets it. The son of legendary animator and director Hayao Miyazaki knows you probably want Studio Ghibli, the Japanese studio co-founded by his father, to stay far out of the business of Pixar-esque CG-animated films. It’s the studio’s lush hand-drawn masterpieces—like My Neighbor Totoro, Spirited Away, andPrincess Mononoke, to name a few of its best-known works, all directed by Miyazaki’s father—that have made it so singular.
US strategic bombers fly over Persian Gulf, first show of force under Biden Original
A pair of American B-52 bombers on Wednesday flew another 36-hour round-trip mission over the Persian Gulf from Louisiana in the latest show of force against Iran, the U.S. military’s Central Command (CENTCOM) said in a statement. The bombers flew nonstop from Louisiana's Barksdale Air Force Base into the region earlier in the day. Flight-tracking data showed a path over both the Persian Gulf and Saudia Arabia.
The Dangerous Lives of NFL Cheerleaders
A professional cheerleader in the NFL should feel lucky just to dance on the sidelines—she’s reminded of that, and of her own replaceability, all the time. When Lacy Thibodeaux-Fields joined the Oakland Raiderettes in 2013, she followed the rules spelled out in her contract and the team handbook. If she gained more than four pounds, she learned, she might be benched from a game without pay.
Sen. Tom Cotton defends military service, says alleged smear is 'about my politics' Original
Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., is pushing back on a report that he alleges is trying to smear his military service. On Jan. 22, Salon published a piece that critics say was an attempt to smear Cotton by suggesting he claimed on a campaign flier while running for Congress to have "volunteered to be an Army Ranger." Cotton is a Ranger school graduate and was awarded the coveted Ranger tab upon graduation. He later served with the famed 101st Airborne Division, seeing combat in Iraq.
Cindy McCain says she's open to serving in Biden administration Original
Cindy McCain, the widow of the late GOP Sen. John McCain, says she is open to potentially serving in the Biden administration. "I will serve in whatever way I can be helpful to this administration and president," she said Wednesday morning during an interview with ABC News host George Stephanopoulos.
Neil Gaiman on Why Social Media Outrage Will ‘Eat Us’ Alive
Neil Gaiman is less than perfectly satisfied with the first two seasons of American Gods, the Starz adaptation of his beloved 2001 road-trip novel. He praises the hyper-stylized visual language original showrunners Bryan Fuller and Michael Green created in its debut season (the only one Fuller and Green helmed before departing the series).
The Best Performances of 2020, from Riz Ahmed in ‘Sound of Metal’ to the ‘PEN15’ Ladies and Beyond
Maya Erskine and Anna Konkle in ‘PEN15’ It’s a tall order to play 13-year-olds when you’re in your thirties and not make it seem like one big, hilarious, and—let’s be honest—exhausting sketch-comedy joke. But Maya Erskine and Anna Konkle are so believable and authentic playing middle-school versions of themselves that within seconds you forget that they are not actually pubescent tweens navigating the most awkward years of their lives.
‘Wonder Woman 1984’ on HBO Max Is Saved by Gal Gadot and Chris Pine’s Sizzling Chemistry
Wonder Woman 1984, director Patty Jenkins’ sequel to her groundbreaking first DC Comics blockbuster, begins with a straightforward lesson: Winning does not equal greatness, Diana of Themyscira learns as a child while competing in an Amazon contest of skill; leaping, sprinting, riding, and swimming to the front of the pack until she suddenly loses her way.
Disney Unveils Flurry of New ‘Star Wars’ and Marvel Projects Amid Massive Worker Layoffs
The day before Thanksgiving, Disney revealed that its intended layoffs of theme park employees would be more severe than previously estimated. A new total of 32,000 mostly part-time workers—up from the 28,000 Disney initially planned to cull because of losses sustained during the COVID-19 pandemic—will now be jobless in the first half of 2021. Another 37,000 have been furloughed since Oct. 3.
The Incredible True Story Behind Dolly Parton’s ‘9 to 5’
The working woman’s problems in 9 to 5, the Jane Fonda-starring feminist comedy about three secretaries’ revolt against their chauvinistic boss, only seem distant at first. Yes, the movie is four decades old. Female office workers and secretaries are no longer the largest sector of the American workforce; 20 million women don’t roll on panty hose and sling on high heels every morning while staring down the barrel of another day of mind-numbing clerical work and coffee-fetching.
How the FBI Tried to Drive Martin Luther King Jr. to Suicide Original
Last year, an explosive trove of alleged information about the private life of Martin Luther King, Jr. became available for the first time in written FBI reports and surveillance summaries. Quietly uploaded to the National Archives’ website and buried among tens of thousands of government documents, the reports revealed the crazed lengths to which J.
'Can I change my vote' trends on Google: What you need to know Original
More than 59 million Americans have already cast their ballots ahead of Election Day – but some might be wondering if they can change that vote, according to Google Trends. Google searches of the phrase "can I change my vote" peaked Tuesday morning in the U.S. around 6 a.m. ET.
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