Woman, Who Broke the World Record for Largest Afro, on the Need to Celebrate Natural Hair: 'It's a Lifestyle' (Exclusive)

Guinness World Records Day

NEED TO KNOW

• A woman recently broke the Guinness World Record for the largest afro on a living person (female)

• Jessica L. Martinez's hair measures 11.42 inches tall, 12.2 inches wide and 6 feet, 2.87 inches in circumference

• She told PEOPLE in an exclusive interview, "The things that make us different and unique should always be celebrated"

A woman'safrobroke a world record — and she's now using the honor to speak about the importance ofcelebrating natural hair.

Jessica L. Martinez was recently awarded theGuinness World Record for the largest afro on a living person (female), with her hair measuring 11.42 inches tall, 12.2 inches wide and 6 feet, 2.87 inches in circumference.

"For me, breaking this record confirms that the things that make us different and unique should always be celebrated," Martinez, 29, tells PEOPLE exclusively.

"It amplifies what I have always known deep down, that natural hair is not a trend, it's a lifestyle," she continues.

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Guinness World Records Day

According to Martinez — who works as a justice advocate and is the creator and CEO ofSomebody's Auntie— her relationship with her hair "feels like a long-lasting friendship."

"My hair and I have gone through ups and downs over the years, and at the end of a long day, it's just the two of us preparing for whatever tomorrow might bring," she says.

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Still, Martinez explains that it wasn't always a loving relationship. "For many years, I found myself comparing my hair to the people around me, trying to fit in. When I finally stopped fighting with my hair to conform to the environment around me, I felt a freedom that I didn't know I needed," she says.

"The moment I stopped comparing my hair to others, not holding on to individuals' comments about me, or glances when I walked by, I found peace," Martinez continues, adding: "This took a mindset shift around my ideas of beauty, self-care and hair hygiene as a whole."

Guinness World Records Day

Martinez was awarded her Guinness World Records honor by former titleholder Aevin Dugas. "Meeting Aevin was a very special moment because she has paved the way for me and anyone else to hold this awesome title. It's very beautiful to have her support in celebrating the passing of the crown," she tells PEOPLE.

"I hope that breaking this World Record will inspire someone to dream bigger, just like my afro," she continues, also highlighting the importance "to be patient, kind and gentle with your hair and never compare it to anyone else's."

As for the specific advice she has for young girls who may struggle with their natural hair — in the same way she did as a child — Martinez says, "You are enough. You are beautifully and wonderfully made, so never feel the need to hide your curls from the world. I'm not hiding mine, and neither should you."

"Having this title is such a blessing to me and my younger self. I plan to continue to be an advocate in the natural hair industry and work towards ending hair discrimination worldwide," she adds.

Read the original article onPeople

byCosmopolite

in

November 22, 2025

Woman, Who Broke the World Record for Largest Afro, on the Need to Celebrate Natural Hair: 'It's a Lifestyle' (Exclusive)

Guinness World Records Day NEED TO KNOW A woman recently broke the Guinness World Record for the largest afro on a living person (female)...

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Hailee Steinfeld and Josh Allen Share Rare PDA Moment at His College Jersey Retirement Ceremony

NEED TO KNOW

• Hailee Steinfeld shared a sweet moment with her husband, Josh Allen, as they attended the NFL star's college jersey retirement ceremony

• The couple were seen cozying up on camera as they attended the University of Wyoming's game against Nevada on Nov. 22

• Allen, quarterback for the Bills and last year's NFL MVP, was the first football player to have his jersey retired by Wyoming in the university's history

Hailee Steinfeldshared a sweet moment with husbandJosh Allenas they celebrated the NFL star's jersey retirement ceremony at his alma mater.

On Saturday, Nov. 22, the couple were seen on camera as they attended the University of Wyoming's game against Nevada — during which Allen's No. 17 jersey was retired at halftime.

During the game, the Buffalo Bills quarterback, 29, and the actress, 28, could be seen cozying up and playfully tapping their Wyoming caps together as they chatted in between plays in footage shared onsocial media.

Steinfeld wore a brown and gold letterman jacket (repping the university's colors), along with a matching cap, jeans and a pair of gold earrings, while Allen sported a white and brown hat and a gray sweatshirt.

Allen, last year's NFL MVP, was the first football player — and the third athlete overall — to have his jersey retired by Wyoming in the university's history, perESPN. He previously led the Wyoming Cowboys to two consecutive eight-win seasons.

The athlete and the Oscar nomineemarriedin a romantic wedding ceremony in Santa Barbara, Calif., on May 31.

Since tying the knot, they have been candid about their support for each other. Earlier this month, theSinnersactress opened up about her connection with Allen.

Aissaoui Nacer / BACKGRID

"I literally thank God every day that I found my person, and it's the greatest thing in the world," she said in an interview withBustle. "Life makes sense. Everything makes sense. I feel like I am stepping into the version that I've always dreamed of being, having so much to do with being with him."

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Asked if she thinks about having kids, Steinfeld replied, "Yes, of course."

Being with Allen has helped Steinfeld as an artist, too, she told Bustle. "That inner peace that you have, that rock, that solid, consistent part of your life is indescribable," she explained.

Allen told reporters in June that, despite winning theNFL MVP titleand signing a$330 million contract extensionthis year, his greatest moment is marrying his wife.

"They've all been big," he said of his recent accomplishments, before adding, "None other than marrying my best friend."

Kevin Mazur/Getty

"She makes everything easier. I don't really focus on the other stuff, that was the most important decision I'll make in my life, and I made the right one," he told reporters on June 10, perTMZ.

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Steinfeld and Allen — who werefirst linked in May 2023and made their relationshipInstagram officialin July 2024 —got engagedin Malibu in November 2024.

In the months after, the two, who keep their relationship pretty private, both made rare comments about how they were savoring the new chapter in their love story. In March 2025, Steinfeld told PEOPLE that her engagement was "such a special timefor so many reasons."

"I couldn't be more excited. I'm so happy —we'reso happy — and we're just soaking in every moment," she added.

Read the original article onPeople

byCosmopolite

in

November 22, 2025

Hailee Steinfeld and Josh Allen Share Rare PDA Moment at His College Jersey Retirement Ceremony

NEED TO KNOW Hailee Steinfeld shared a sweet moment with her husband, Josh Allen, as they attended the NFL star's college jersey retir...

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Stephen Colbert Rallies Behind Public Media Groups Facing Major Funding Losses: ‘It’s Really Critical That These Stations Continue’

Public media is hastily bracing for a future without help from Washington.

In the wake of the Trump administrationslashing more than $1.1 billionfrom public broadcasting, New York Public Radio has turned to private donors to fill the gap. The organization raised $1.7 million on Tuesday night at its Stand With Public Media gala, which honored "The Late Show" host Stephen Colbert and his wife, Evelyn McGee Colbert, for their ongoing fight for free speech. Colbert says he hopes this erosion of federal support won't continue under future administrations.

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"I have no idea whether it'll continue into the future, and I hope it won't," Colbert toldVarietyinside the gala. "So many people value what public media can give them. In a lot of communities around the United States, public radio is the only local news because local newspapers have failed. It gives people a sense of community, lets them know what's happening in and around where they live. And so it's really critical that these stations continue."

But organizations like New York Public Radio, according to its president and CEO LaFontaine Oliver, have no choice but to prepare for a scenario where federal appropriations may never return.

"We have to look for new revenue pathways," Oliver explained. "We have to connect to our communities and audiences in different ways. It means we're looking for institutional funders and philanthropists to ideally step up. We'll look for ways to monetize the content we produce. This is a time of reinvention for our system. And that spirit of reinvention will serve us, even if federal funding comes back in some slice or portion."

In some parts of the country, the withdrawal of federal support has taken on urgent stakes. Local leaders in Alaska have described the loss of public media funding as "a life and death issue." In dozens of remote communities with limited roads and broadband internet access, public radio is often the only conduit for emergency alerts and fast-changing weather conditions. Alaska station ownerswarnthat they may lose 40% to 90% of their funding, and without backup revenue sources, are at risk of going dark.

At the same time, astrust in national and local news declines,surveysshowAmericans view public media more favorably and credibly when compared to for-profit outlets.

"I think people in the public media space are telling us the facts," McGee Colbert said. "It's really hard to go to places now that are unbiased, independent and purely factually-based."

Colbert and McGee Colbert, self-described public radio loyalists, say they get most of their news from WNYC. "And because it's commercial-free news," Colbert explained, "you get a longer exploration of the story. "You could spend 20 or 30 minutes on a story, rather than 7 minutes. That'd be a long time on cable news. And I can also cook while I'm doing it. I don't have to look at anything."

Colbert's appreciation for independent reporting arrives at a complicated time for his own relationship with broadcast television. CBSlabeled the sudden cancellationof his late-night show as a "financial decision," but several prominent media voices and organizations —including the Writers Guild of America— have questioned whether the move was connected to Colbert's on-air criticism of Paramount's$16 million "60 Minutes" settlementwith President Donald Trump. Earlier this month, Colbertsaidit was "a reasonable thing to think" his show's cancellation was a politically motivated decision, but it wasn't "fruitful" for him to "engage in that speculation."

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byCosmopolite

in

November 22, 2025

Stephen Colbert Rallies Behind Public Media Groups Facing Major Funding Losses: ‘It’s Really Critical That These Stations Continue’

Public media is hastily bracing for a future without help from Washington. In the wake of the Trump administrati...

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Baby furniture sold on Amazon recalled over life-threatening risk

Some play yards for infants sold onAmazon are being recalledfor being an entrapment hazard and for posing a risk of serious injury or deadly suffocation.

The play yards sold on Amazon for between $100 and $110 in March were recalled on Nov. 20,according to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission. Product features include "black fabric sides and mesh panels bordered in gray," with the top rails "covered with white fabric with a multi-colored print with bear faces, paws and the word 'bear'," the CPSC said. A mattress with the same bear print is also part of the product.

About 70 units of the play yard were sold, the CPSC said.

CPSC said the "play yards violate the mandatory standard for play yards," adding "infants can become entrapped under the mattress or between the side of the play yard and the mattress, posing a risk of serious injury or deadly suffocation hazard."

While no injuries have been reported, per the advisory, the company urged consumers to stop using the China-manufactured play yards immediately and follow the instructions for disassembly and destruction.

What is the model of the impacted play yards?

The play yards, sold by Guangzhou Tinger Trading Co. Ltd., of China doing business as Anna Queen, have the model number "P700" and production date of "202503" printed on the packaging and on a removable tag included with the play yard.

What should you do if you purchased the affected products?

Those who purchased the affected play yards should immediately stop using it, disassemble it and contact Anna Queen for a full refund. The product's recall number on CPSC is 26-099.

CPSC said consumers should "disassemble the fabric cover from the play yard frame, cut up the cover and mattress pad and email a photo of the destroyed play yard to tingerservice@outlook.com for a full refund before discarding the destroyed play yard.

Saman Shafiq is a trending news reporter for USA TODAY. Reach her at sshafiq@gannett.com and follow her on X and Instagram @saman_shafiq7.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:Product recall for baby play yards sold on Amazon over safety concerns

byCosmopolite

in

November 22, 2025

Baby furniture sold on Amazon recalled over life-threatening risk

Some play yards for infants sold onAmazon are being recalledfor being an entrapment hazard and for posing a risk of serio...

Read More

14-year-old dead, 8 injured in shootings during holiday festivities in Chicago

A 14-year-old is dead and 8 others were injured in a pair of shootings in downtown Chicago on Friday night, police said.

Chicago police said officers responded to a report of a shooting in the 100 block of South Dearborn Street at around 10:40 p.m. and found two victims struck by gunfire. A male victim, 14, suffered multiple gunshot wounds and was transported to the hospital where he was pronounced dead. The second male victim, 18, suffered a gunshot wound to the leg and was transported to the hospital in serious condition.

Less than an hour earlier, at 9:50 p.m., officers were on patrol in the 100 block of North State Street when they observed a large group of people on the sidewalk close to the Chicago Theater, police said.

"Officer's heard gunshots being fired, and the large group began fleeing the scene," authorities said. "Officers immediately responded to the area and discovered seven people had sustained gunshot wounds from the gun fire."

The seven victims were all treated by the Chicago Fire Department and taken to local hospitals, authorities said. Six are in good condition and one is in fair condition, police said Saturday.

MORE: 4 injured in shooting at North Carolina tree lighting ceremony

There are no suspects in custody in either shooting, Chicago police said.

The shooting happened during a very busy night downtown, with the city holding its Christmas tree lighting ceremony, according toABC News' Chicago station WLS.

Detectives are currently investigating the circumstances that led up to the incident.

ABC News' Ahmad Hemingway contributed to this report.

byCosmopolite

in

November 22, 2025

14-year-old dead, 8 injured in shootings during holiday festivities in Chicago

A 14-year-old is dead and 8 others were injured in a pair of shootings in downtown Chicago on Friday night, police said. ...

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