Some people were judgmental when I had my second child at the age of 44. I love being an older mom. My husband and I had kids at the right time for us. Though there are some challenges, the joy far outweighs any negatives.People were overwhelmingly kind when I had my first son at 42, in part because I'd had three previous miscarriages and motherhood felt like a miracle. But when I had my second at 44 two under 2! there were a lot of questions and side-eyeing from friends, acquaintances, and even strangers. (Even though I felt like I'd won the lottery twice.) Some of these questions felt a little judgy."What if something happens to you before your kids are grown?" was one of them. Well, something could happen to any of us at any time. Nothing is guaranteed.Another question was, "Are you sad that you may not live to see your grandchildren?" And the thing is, no matter when I had them, my kids may not ever choose to have children of their own. Besides, I had kids because I wanted to be a mother, not because I wanted to be a grandmother.I also heard, "Do you worry you won't have the energy to keep up with them?" Yes, young children take a lot of energy. Every parent gets tired, and we find a way to keep going.No matter what my answer to any question was, the follow-up response was almost always an incredulous "I could never do it."Now that my kids are 15 and 13, I can honestly say I would do it all again in a heartbeat.We had our kids at the right time for usBeing an older mom has made me a better parent in ways I never anticipated. I'm way more patient than I would've been in my 20s or 30s. By the time my kids came into the world, I had learned to roll with whatever life threw at me. And now that my kids are teenagers, I feel like I can offer the kind of wisdom that only time and experience could give me.My marriage and career were also well-established before my kids entered the picture. My husband and I had been married for almost 20 years all of them while he was in the Navy when our oldest was born. We'd had two decades to build our relationship and weather life's storms together, including many Navy deployments.That foundation has helped us stay close through the ups and downs of parenting. We were also in a much better place financially than we were in those early years, living paycheck to paycheck.But here's the thing no one told me about being an older mom: it has made me feel younger than my actual age. Many of my peers are now empty nesters who are downsizing to 55+ communities and discussing retirement plans, with grandkids who aren't much younger than my own children.Meanwhile, I'm helping with homework, packing school lunches, and planning our spring break trip. Instead of slowing down, I've been running (sometimes literally) alongside my kids for the past 15 years, seeing the world through their eyes and developing a newfound sense of wonder and curiosity myself. The author had her kids when she was 42 and 44. Courtesy of Kristina Wright There are some challenges, but the joy outweighs everythingIt's not always easy. There are days when I wish I had the energy reserves of my 25-year-old self and days when, yes, I wonder if I'll be here for their major life milestones.Sometimes, I feel like I don't fit in with the other, younger moms, and times when I do envy my empty-nester friends whose schedule isn't tied to the school calendar. But I never question whether having kids in my 40s was the right decision for me. The challenges of being an older mom are far outweighed by the joy and appreciation I have for this season of my life.So when people say, "I could never do that," I can't help but smile. Because being an older parent has less to do with the year I was born than it does with what I've chosen to do with the time I've been given. And I'd do it all over again.

Brie Franklin leads a nonprofit that receives 90% of its income from federal grants.Earlier this month, a judge blocked The White House's order to freeze all federal funding.Franklin is taking steps to make sure she isn't bearing the weight of what is going on alone.This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Brie Franklin, a nonprofit executive director based in Denver. It's been edited for length and clarity.The nonprofit space is experiencing a level of trauma similar to the pandemic which I don't think we ever fully recovered from.I'm the executive director at the Colorado Coalition Against Sexual Assault. Since the White House sent out the federal funding freeze memo, my nonprofit is uncertain about our organization's future.A federal judge temporarily blocked the freeze, but we still don't know what's next, and it's incredibly stressful for staff.As a small nonprofit, we're highly reliant on federal fundingMy nonprofit supports survivors of sexual violence through a crisis hotline. Our members work with survivors through anything from rape crisis centers to government-based advocate programs. We also provide training, resources, and support, and we do policy work at the state level. Federal grants make up over 90% of our income.We're funded on a reimbursement basis, meaning we request money from the feds after it's been spent. Since the temporary funding freeze, we've been able to get reimbursed, but the future of our funding is uncertain.On February 6, the Office on Violence Against Women (OVW) in the US Department of Justice withdrew all notices of funding opportunities and instructed organizations not to complete current applications. This is especially devastating for us. We don't know if and when they'll repost notices.We don't know how to plan for the futureWe should be able to trust our government to honor its commitments, but right now, we're still waiting to see what happens with most of our funding.We put our annual conference on hold. We'd typically be confirming presenters and workshop topics now, including workshops on how to work with specific populations, such as survivors who are deaf or hard of hearing. With new DEI restrictions, we don't know if we're even allowed to do that.We also don't know if our members and partners will be able to use their grant funds to attend the conference.We're on the hook with a hotel contract, and if we cancel, it'll cost us about $22,500.I'm worried what this means for our staff and the survivors we supportIt's very difficult to support a survivor who's in a crisis or navigating very complex systems when you yourself are in a crisis and worried about your job.On February 11, we received communication from the CDC that it rescinded its memos to cease DEI activities on all CDC-funded awards and cease all activities promoting gender ideology. If we continue to receive similar communication, we'll resume all activities as normal and hope to continue to be reimbursed for our current grant agreements.As a leader, I'm making sure I'm not bearing the weight of what is going on alone by keeping staff informed, asking for their input, and having conversations with other leaders for support and ideas. Being in a community with our organization, members, and partners is helping me cope.If your business or organization relies on federal funding and you would like to share your story, please email Manseen Logan at mlogan@businessinsider.com.

Ten years ago, Parisian studio Dont Nod effectively introduced a new sub-genre of narrative adventure with its teen mystery Life Is Strange. Part thriller, part relationship drama, it used music, art and relatable characters to create a touching paean to unshakeable friendship. After a series of sequels, Dont Nods Montreal studio has crafted a new tale about teenage relationships, split into two episodes, or Tapes, the first of which will doubtless have fans on tenterhooks for the concluding part.Its 1995 and introverted teen Swann is facing a final quiet summer alone in the rural town of Velvet Cove, Michigan, before her family moves to Vancouver. But in the parking lot of the local video store, she meets fellow 16-year-olds Nora, Autumn and Kat, and the four girls bond over their boredom and frustration with small-town life. Soon, they are inseparable, spending their days hiking in the nearby forests, making camp fires, confessing their secrets until they discover a spooky shack hidden out among the trees and decide to make it their base. Here, they form riot grrrl band Bloom & Rage, channelling their dreams, desires and fears into fantasies of fame and revenge on shitty boys and repressive parents. But when their swirling emotions seem to awaken a supernatural presence in the woods, something terrible happens and the girls swear each other to a lifelong secret.A quiet summer, then Lost Records: Bloom & Rage. Photograph: Dont NodNow, 27 years later, the group are meeting again in a rough bar on the outskirts of town that holds special relevance to their story. Autumn has received a sinister package addressed to their band. Whatevers in the box may well be the dreadful result of that tumultuous summer.In a style typical of Dont Nod, the game intercuts compelling cinematic sequences with interactive scenes, giving you control over conversations that subtly shape your relationships and the direction of the story. The narrative swaps back and forth between two timelines the adult characters reminiscing in 2022 and their pivotal summer together in 1995 and your actions in one affects outcomes in the other. At times, decisions you make as 43-year-old Swann at the bar are then retrofitted into her youthful experiences, creating fascinating ambiguities of causality and memory.As much about the way we edit memories as what actually happens Lost Records: Bloom & Rage. Photograph: Dont NodIndeed, this game is as much about the way we craft and edit memories as it is about what actually happens to the girls. Swann is a keen film-maker and her 1990s camcorder is with you throughout the game; at any point you can hit the right trigger to view the world through the camcorder lens. In the main story, youre using it to film a music video for the band, but youre free to record whenever you want. This feature is incentivised by a bunch of themed checklists record 10 different birds, or five ruined playground rides, or snatches of graffiti. But you can also capture your own scenes from the town and its environs, or discreetly record your friends, building themed sequences that you can then store and edit. Although the interface recalls games such as No Mans Sky and Marvels Spider-Man, where filming objects is a practical gameplay component, here the camcorder is also a metaphor for recollection and nostalgia how trustworthy are these recorded artefacts? At the same time, the players role as both gamer and cinematographer asks interesting questions about how we relate to the protagonists we embody in games.Its not the only clever trick the game plays with format and convention. The dialogue system, for example, is specifically designed to capture the energy and chaos of the excitable-group dynamic. Options and responses change depending on who youre looking at as you talk, characters shout over each other, and comments get lost in the noise. At times, you can simply allow the dialogue options to time-out and choose not to say anything. In several wonderful moments this mechanic perfectly captures the desperate improvisational nature of teen relationships, the way a whole day can teeter on a single comment, or a fleeting moment of eye-contact.There are times when the dialogue feels stilted and over-earnest, and the sense of authenticity gets stretched. Those whove played Life Is Strange will also see many parallels with that game, especially between Swann and Max Caulfield, both shy photographers using the lens as an emotional security blanket.But like its predecessor, Lost Records wonderfully captures how, in young adulthood, seemingly insignificant moments can be charged with meaning. Theres a picnic by a lake and later a game of truth or dare that absolutely crackle with intensity. The 90s setting is also well-supported, with spot-on contemporary references, from grunge band mix tapes to video players and troll dolls its fun to just pick up objects in the environment and reminisce, like wandering about some themed pop culture museum.In the background, the mystery at the heart of the game is subtly introduced and theres much to anticipate from the second part. Mostly though, its the characters and their brittle relationships that stick with you. Three days after finishing the game Im still thinking about them, worrying about them, inhabiting that old shack with them. Unless you simply refuse to indulge in emotional young adult drama, you will be right there, too.

GTA 6 could become more than a game with reports that Rockstar is meeting with creators to see if they'd be interested in building content for the upcoming titleTech10:38, 18 Feb 2025It's been 14 long months since we saw this trailer(Image: Rockstar)It's been a couple of weeks since Take-Two Interactive confirmed in its earnings call that GTA 6 is still slated for this year, and Borderlands 4 having a release date means that the Grand Theft Auto 6 window is getting narrower.While we're fully expecting GTA 6 to be a huge deal for gaming on a level that it feels only Rockstar can reach, a new report has suggested it could go beyond being a game and see the company tackle the likes of Fortnite and Roblox with a Metaverse-like concept.Here's all we've learned so far.We now know GTA 6 will come out this yearAccording to a report from Digiday, Rockstar has been meeting with creators to discuss building things for GTA 6.While that's likely the kind of request that's tough to turn down, GTA 5 had instances of this with its racing track and multiplayer modes where it feels almost like the next step.Rockstar acquired FiveM in 2023, bringing modding into the GTA ecosystem officially, and embracing the popular 'Role Play' community that the game had fostered.Given Fortnite began life as a PvE co-op survival game before becoming the biggest game on the planet, Rockstar might be looking to Epic for ideas. The company is making progress on its deal with Disney, which would potentially see a Fortnite version of Disneyland, while it already offers a whole host of modes that users have created and its own 'Role Play' side with LEGO Brick Life.Roblox, on the other hand, is filled with thousands of user-built games to play, letting players spend their time playing how they want.The appeal of a GTA 6 'Metaverse' is undeniable. Imagine driving from one city to another and getting a completely different experience, or the option to mess around with weapons that the community has helped create.Article continues belowFor more on GTA 6, check out this title from the lead developer on prior GTA titles to help you pass the time while you wait, as well as reports Rockstar Games could offer an early addition to the Switch lineup.For the latest breaking news and stories from across the globe from the Daily Star, sign up for our newsletters.

AFF Architekten Receives DAM Preis 2025 for Cultural Center in Berlin, GermanySave this picture!Spore Haus / AFF Architekten. Image Courtesy of DAM Preis 2025The DAM Preis 2025, presented by the Deutsches Architekturmuseum (DAM), has been awarded to AFF Architekten for their project, Spore Haus, in Berlin. As one of Germany's most recognized architecture awards, the DAM Preis highlights significant contributions to contemporary architectural practice. This year's winner, Spore Haus, was selected for its "thoughtful design and careful integration" into the urban context, as well as its contribution to public life.Spore Haus, designed by AFF Architekten, is a cultural and community center in Berlin's Neuklln district. Positioned along Hermannstrasse, the building introduces a public plaza, adding valuable outdoor space to the neighborhood. Inside, the project offers a series of interconnected spaces, including a foyer, caf, exhibition areas, and a rooftop terrace, designed to support community engagement and cultural programming. A garden behind the building extends its use as a public gathering place.Save this picture! It is rare in the world of architecture that so many good things come together: a philanthropic foundation, creative users, experimental architects and Hermannstrasse. The building is the outcome of a wealth of ideas, and the urge for artistic experimentation on the part of everyone involved in a location that strongly benefits. --Max Hacke, Jury Member, DAM Preis 2025 Related Article The Museum for Architectural Drawing Explores Steven Holls Design Process Through Drawing in Berlin, Germany The design incorporates a red faade, referencing the brick tones of nearby cemetery walls, while floor-to-ceiling glazing opens the building to its surroundings. Constructed with durable, untreated materials such as recycled bricks and exposed concrete, the building is designed to age naturally over time. Commissioned by the Schpflin Foundation, the project offers a versatile "third space" for the community, providing seminar rooms, studios, and a library. The jury commended the project for its clear architectural concept, material integrity, and ability to contribute positively to the neighborhood's urban fabric.Save this picture!For the selection process, Deutsches Architekturmuseum, in partnership with JUNG, curated a longlist of 104 projects through research and nominations from state architecture chambers. Eligible projects, completed between late 2022 and spring 2024, covered a wide range of building types without restrictions on size or budget. From this list, a jury chaired by Regula Lscher selected 23 projects for the shortlist, including two projects by German architects built abroad.Save this picture! Here you can see the power of architecture to create an enduring place. It wants to be a good neighbor, and it will be a good neighbor, and it will shape the neighborhood in a very enriching way. --Peter Cachola Schmal, Jury Member, DAM Preis 2025 In September 2024, the jury conducted site visits to evaluate five finalists. Alongside AFF Architekten's Spore Haus, the finalists included Bogevischs Buero's renovation of the Sophie-Scholl-Haus student residence in Munich, Habermann Architektur's Kulturweberei cultural center in Finsterwalde, and Peter Haimerl's Architektur's Clusterwohnen Wabenhaus cooperative housing project in Munich. Additionally, Julian Breinersdorfer Architekten received an honorary mention for their adaptive reuse project, Factory Lisbon, in Portugal.Save this picture!Architecture awards play a crucial role in recognizing and promoting excellence within the field, highlighting innovative designs and significant contributions to the built environment. In other related news, the OBEL Award has announced its 2025 theme as "Ready Made," focusing on projects that prioritize reuse and repurposing in architectural practice. Additionally, Kazuyo Sejima and Ryue Nishizawa of SANAA have been honored with the 2025 RIBA Royal Gold Medal for their transformative architectural designs. Furthermore, Romn Meyer Falcn has been recognized as the first recipient of the Phyllis Lambert Agent of Excellence Award, acknowledging his impactful tenure as Mexico's Secretary of Agrarian, Territorial, and Urban Development.Image gallerySee allShow lessAbout this authorNour FakharanyAuthorCite: Nour Fakharany. "AFF Architekten Receives DAM Preis 2025 for Cultural Center in Berlin, Germany" 18 Feb 2025. ArchDaily. Accessed . <https://www.archdaily.com/1027051/aff-architekten-receives-dam-preis-2025-for-cultural-center-in-berlin-germany&gt ISSN 0719-8884Save!ArchDaily?You've started following your first account!Did you know?You'll now receive updates based on what you follow! Personalize your stream and start following your favorite authors, offices and users.Go to my stream

8 Houses That Defined Modern Architecture in ArgentinaModernism played an undeniable role in the renewal of architectural ideals, contributing a new attitude toward understanding new ways of living, construction techniques, and aesthetics, marking profound changes in the general perception of the world. In Argentina, while it is complex to define modern architectural production periodically, it is possible to mention some architects who began, starting in the 1920s, to engage with these ideas. The intellectual contributions and architectural creations of Alejandro Virasoro, Alberto Prebisch, Ernesto Vautier, Fermn Beretervide, Wladimiro Acosta, Alejo Martinez, Antonio and Carlos Vilar, Juan Kurchan, Jorge Ferrari Hardoy, Antonio Bonet, Abel Lpez Chas, Eduardo Catalano, Eduardo Sacriste, and Amancio Williams, among others, often included original approaches associated with new modes of thought, manifesting an architecture resulting from the analysis of the local and regional conditions of their cities.In residential architecture, particularly in the case of houses, dealing with specific clients and smaller scales made many of them an ideal field for reflection and experimentation on new modes of living, understanding it as the perfect opportunity for architectural experimentation. Thus, to this day, many houses designed by the architects as mentioned earlier present themselves as the material manifestation of the theoretical postulates characteristic of the period.Next, we present a selection of 8 residential works in Argentina that allow us to understand some of the local concerns associated with the modern movement: Related Article tala Fulvia Villa and her Sixth Pantheon: The Story Behind Buenos Aires' Brutalist Necropolis Casa Victoria Ocampo / Alejandro Bustillo (1928)This property, designed in 1928 by architect Alejandro Bustillo for the renowned Victoria Ocampo, is located in the neighborhood of Palermo Chico. It consists of several volumes stripped of ornamentation, where the austere treatment of surfaces, the balanced proportion of solids and voids, the fluid relationship with the exterior, and the handling of natural light in the interiors present notable characteristics associated with modernity.Save this picture! Casa Estudio Pillado / Wladimiro Acosta (1933)When Dr. Pillado, a renowned local lawyer, decided to build his residence and law office in Baha Blanca, Wladimiro Acosta opted for a design that, based on a rationalist aesthetic, considered sunlight exposure as one of the main challenges to address. He conducted precise studies that resulted in a building which, through its construction elements, maintains optimal thermal conditions both in winter and summer.Save this picture!Casa Estudio Pillado / Wladimiro Acosta . Image Ramiro Sosa Casa Taller Forner Bigatti / Alejo Martinez (1937)The Forner-Bigatti house studio, designed by architect Alejo Martinez in 1937, combines the residence and workshops of painter Raquel Forner and sculptor Alfredo Bigatti, two renowned Argentine artists. Located in the San Telmo neighborhood, the dual program is resolved through a compact layout that sharply distinguishes the private living spaces from those dedicated to artistic activities.Save this picture! asa de Estudios para Artistas / Antonio Bonet, Abel Lopez Chas, Ricardo Vera Barros (1938)This corner building, located in the City of Buenos Aires and designed by architects Antonio Bonet, Abel Lpez Chas, and Ricardo Vera Barros, as part of the renowned Grupo Austral, laid the foundation for reflections on international modern architecture within the Argentine context. Completed in 1938, the building features four commercial spaces at street level and seven studio apartments, which are accessed from the first floor and include a mezzanine designed as a resting area.Save this picture! Casa Miramontes / Wladimiro Acosta (1938)The Miramontes House, designed in late 1938 by architect Wladimiro Acosta and completed in early 1940, is a vacation residence for a couple and their two children in the city of La Falda, Crdoba. Situated on a vast plot of land, the project explores the relationship between humans and the landscape, serving as a clear example of technical and aesthetic renewal driven by new perspectives on hygiene and health.Save this picture! Casa sobre el arroyo / Amancio Williams y Delfina Glvez Bunge (1943)The Casa sobre el Arroyo, commonly known as the "Casa del Puente," was designed by renowned Argentine architects Amancio Williams and Delfina Glvez de Williams between 1943 and 1946 in the city of Mar del Plata. Originally built as a residence for Amancio's father, musician Alberto Williams, the house stands as a tangible example of the ability to establish a connection between modern human rationality and the natural landscape and topography.Save this picture! Casa Curutchet / Le Corbusier (1949)The Curutchet House, located in the city of La Plata, is a work that combines a residence with the medical office of Dr. Curutchet. Designed by Le Corbusier, one of the foremost figures of modern architecture, it was completed in 1955 with significant contributions from Amancio Williams in construction management. The house stands as one of the clearest manifestations of modernist ideals in Argentina. Declared a national monument in 1987 and later designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site, it currently serves as the headquarters of the College of Architects of the Province of Buenos Aires and is open to visitors, offering a firsthand experience of its architecture.Save this picture! Casa Di Tella / Clorindo Testa (1968)The Di Tella House was designed in 1968 by Clorindo Testa for the art collector and patron Guido Di Tella in the Belgrano neighborhood. Built with the collaboration of architects Luis Hevia Paul and Irene van der Poll, it was completed in 1970. The house features a series of levels and ramps, along with its brutalist aesthetic of exposed concrete, which became one of the architect's signature design elements, as seen in the National Library and the Bank of London. Unfortunately, the house was demolished in 2011 to make way for a residential building.Save this picture!Image gallerySee allShow lessAbout this authorCite: Maiztegui, Beln. "8 Houses That Defined Modern Architecture in Argentina" [8 casas que definen la arquitectura moderna en Argentina] 18 Feb 2025. ArchDaily. (Trans. Pintos, Paula) Accessed . <https://www.archdaily.com/1026451/8-houses-that-defined-modern-architecture-in-argentina&gt ISSN 0719-8884Save!ArchDaily?You've started following your first account!Did you know?You'll now receive updates based on what you follow! Personalize your stream and start following your favorite authors, offices and users.Go to my stream

Nature, Published online: 18 February 2025; doi:10.1038/d41586-025-00456-xDrugs that can prevent or relieve migraine attacks are only effective for some people. Research is starting to untangle the reasons why.

Nature, Published online: 18 February 2025; doi:10.1038/d41586-025-00497-2A giant leap for machine translation could be even bigger

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