It took months, but SpaceX has finally received government clearance to conduct a second launch

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A 27-year-old woman with a rare genetic disorder who could only identify with Mickey Mouse while growing up due to the shape of the Disney character’s hands is trying to be the role model she never had as a social media influencer, to show people with disabilities they are “fully worthy and capable” of achieving anything. Rochelle Muir, who lives in Colorado, was born with ectrodactyly, which means she has three fingers and a thumb on each hand, two toes on her right foot, and four toes on her left foot. The condition causes difficulties in buying footwear, and with relationships – with one of her ex-boyfriends splitting up with her due to the possibility of their child being born with ectrodactyly – but she is now happily partnered with Charles, 31, a primary school counsellor who, along with her father Bill, is her “biggest cheerleader”. Rochelle, who is a client engagement manager for a healthcare company, could identify with characters such as Mickey Mouse growing up as he also has four digits, but she said “being like a cartoon is not exactly the role model you want”. She now posts pictures and videos on her social media platforms to educate others about ectrodactyly, raise awareness of the limb difference community, and share her hobbies, including gaming. “I remember specifically always loving the characters which had brown hair whenever they were in Barbie movies because I thought, ‘Oh, she’s like me!’,” she told PA Real Life. “But I never had that feeling when it came to my limb differences.” Rochelle has never let the disorder hold her back despite being teased and bullied at school, but when she entered the dating world in her 20s, she faced rejection multiple times and felt she was not “capable or worthy of having an amazing relationship”. “I’ve never been rejected over something that I couldn’t change about myself, something I was born with, and that was probably the first hit to my confidence with my limb differences where I felt awful about being born the way I am, about being disabled,” she said. “I just thought, I’m never going to find a meaningful relationship, I’m not worthy, I’m not capable, and that was the dialogue that kept going through my brain over and over again.” Rochelle has since removed “that nasty little voice out of (her) head”, found love with partner Charles, and shared her story publicly on social media, as she wants to “uplift” others among the disability community and show the world that “disabled is not a dirty word”. She said she is no longer “worried about showing (her) true self” and wants to encourage others to do the same. “Most people usually point out the negatives, but there are so many great positives with going and finding other people that look like you, other people you can connect with, and just creating this amazing community where you can uplift each other,” she said. “That’s one of the things I love about social media so much because when I came out about my limb differences, other people reached out and said, ‘Hey, I look exactly like you, this is so exciting, I’ve never seen anyone else that has the same hands as me’. “So it’s one of my favourite things now – and, yes, it’s sad that we didn’t have that growing up, but at least it’s there now and we can have that moving forward.” Ectrodactyly is a rare genetic disorder, and symptoms can vary, the National Organisation for Rare Disorders says. Rochelle underwent surgery to minimise the gap between her fingers and remove the longer toe on her right foot, enabling her to have improved grip and wear shoes from a young age. However, finding the right shoes has been an ongoing challenge and, when she was younger, she could not understand why she could not wear the same shoes as “able-bodied” people. “I remember specifically, there was a time, I think I was about five, that I tried to get my mum to buy me a pair of flip flops – they were pink, and they had butterflies and flowers on them,” she said. “My mum was so heartbroken because she couldn’t fully explain to me, ‘No, you can’t wear these shoes, they are going to be too dangerous for you’. “She eventually just caved and got me the shoes, and we were going up the escalator to go to the next floor in the mall, and I tripped, and we fell. “Ever since then, I’ve thought, I’m going to wear shoes that will stay securely on my feet.” Throughout her life, Rochelle has used humour to “defuse” awkward or uncomfortable situations and to enhance her confidence, but when it came to dating, for the first time in her life she felt self-conscious and “unworthy of having a real relationship”. She remembers one boyfriend who “was like a deer in the headlights” when he saw her feet for the first time, and another who ended the relationship over the possibility of their child being born with ectrodactyly. “He talked to his family, and his mum at the time said, ‘You need to decide whether you want to have kids because if you do, you have to break up with her’,” Rochelle explained. “The relationship ended, and I thought, I can’t blame him, but when I spoke to my friends, they said, ‘You’re amazing. What’s wrong with having a child with a limb difference?’ “That’s when I realised that I had internal ableism, where I told myself that having a disability is awful – ‘you’re not capable, you’re not worthy of having an amazing relationship’.” Ableism is discrimination in favour of able-bodied people – and it was at this point that Rochelle decided she wanted to do something about the lack of representation for people with ectrodactyly on social media. This “lit the fire” in her to share her story publicly for the first time, aged 25, and she has never looked back. Since then, she has launched her own Instagram, TikTok and YouTube channels on which she discusses ectrodactyly, limb differences and other disabilities, along with her hobby of gaming, and she has met Charles. Reading positive comments and messages, including from mothers of children who describe her as “an amazing role model”, has been “heart-warming” and makes her emotional – and she wants to continue to “fight ableism and bring more representation for the limb difference community”. “The biggest thing for me is representation for the limb difference community, but also for other disabilities as well, because the more we have that out there, the more of a norm it will be,” she said. “I want to be that role model, that person I wanted to look for in social media growing up, that person that younger me would be proud of and say, ‘Oh yeah, I know her, she’s so awesome, I’m just like her’. “It’s a younger me that inspires me to keep going forward and talking about these things, and I want to give the message that disabled is not a bad word, it’s not a dirty word, and you are fully worthy and capable of anything you put your mind to.” Find out more about Rochelle and her social media channels at beacons.ai/goodmornindreamer Read More Tempted to try barefoot running? 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Rumer Willis says she is “grateful” to her body “for all that it did and continues to do” following the birth of her daughter. The US actress, daughter of Hollywood stars Bruce Willis and Demi Moore, said her body was “softer and rounder and jiggly” but acknowledged she was still readjusting following the birth. Willis announced her daughter’s birth on Instagram in April, writing that Louetta Isley Thomas Willis was “pure magic”. In a new post on Instagram, she shared a nude photo of herself, captioning it: “This body of mine made a human from scratch. She is the love of my life. “This body of mine that I spent so many years trying to shape and mould into what I thought was desirable or made me feel good in clothes, is a little softer and rounder and jiggly and different and that’s ok, more than ok it’s kind of amazing because I grew a person inside of it. “This little being that I love with a fierceness and wonder that reaches new levels everyday.” She added: “I know my body is still readjusting, but whatever shape it ends up in I am just grateful for all that it did and continues to do. “In the ongoing process of transformation, I am grateful for every twist and turn. “The most profound beauty I’ve ever felt in myself emerges from remembering daily, to not reject these parts of me, but just embrace and give them such deep gratitude.” Willis announced the birth of her daughter with partner Derek Richard Thomas just over two months after it was revealed her father had been diagnosed with frontotemporal dementia. The actor – who starred in hit films including the Die Hard series, Pulp Fiction, Armageddon, and Looper – has said that he will be “stepping away” from his successful career after being diagnosed with aphasia, a condition affecting his cognitive abilities.

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BIOCITY, MOTHERWELL, Scotland--(BUSINESS WIRE)--May 23, 2023--

People will be spending 30 per cent longer in the kitchen this winter compared to the summer months – as they crave comfort foods to keep them warm. A study of 2,000 adults who cook at home found they anticipate spending 72 hours rustling up meals from December to February, but just 55 hours from June to August. And 40 per cent spend more time cooking in the cooler months than they do during any other season. Among the reasons for this upward trend are a craving for more hearty, comforting dishes (65 per cent), wanting to feel warm and cosy (42 per cent), and the kitchen being the warmest room in the house (32 per cent). It also emerged 51 per cent are concerned about the impact more time spent in the kitchen will have on their household bills. As a result, 79 per cent are keen to learn more energy-efficient recipes. The research was commissioned by Smart Energy GB, which has teamed up with Michelin-trained chef, Poppy O’Toole, dubbed TikTok’s ‘Potato Queen’, who has crafted a selection of energy-efficient recipes and hacks She said: “Winter is one of my favourite seasons when it comes to the wealth of hearty, comforting recipes you can create - especially if they include potatoes. “And when the weather is colder and the days shorter, what better way to spend time than cooking your favourite winter warmers? “These dishes can take more time and energy to make, which is why I’m excited to show it doesn’t always have to be this way. “I’ve developed a recipe range of energy efficient takes on classic favourites - all with the help of a smart meter.” The study also found 25 per cent of those with a smart meter plan to monitor their in-home display more carefully during the winter. Of those, 42 per cent are doing so because it gives them a greater sense of control over their household bills, while 40 per cent want to reduce their energy use when cooking. One in five of all adults are searching for more cost-saving cooking methods, and 77 per cent said being mindful about energy use when cooking is important to them. It also emerged the typical home cook will use their oven for the equivalent of nearly three days (64 hours) from December to February, and their hob for nearly two days (46 hours). This amounts to at least £18 in energy usage in the kitchen alone between December and February, according to data from Smart Energy GB and Energy Saving Trust. A traditional roast, shepherd’s pie and sausage and mash are among the most popular meals made when then temperature plummets. The study, conducted via OnePoll, also found 39 per cent are using more kitchen appliances in their cooking endeavours than ever before. The oven was voted the top winter appliance of choice (43 per cent), with the economical air fryer (27 per cent) also featuring in the top 10. Victoria Bacon, director at Smart Energy GB, said: “As we head into the colder, winter months where many people spend more time in the kitchen, small changes to the way we cook can make a tangible difference to the amount of energy that’s used. “Smart meters are installed at no extra cost by your energy supplier and come with a handy in-home display which allows you to track your usage in near-real time. “These warming recipes created by Poppy are the perfect thing to help households rustle up hearty dish, while keeping an eye on energy use.” Read More Watch live as gun salutes mark King Charles III’s 75th birthday Woman defends her $7,000 cheese board How to host a dinner party for under £2 per portion Man shows the increase in grocery prices since 2019 Starbucks customer reveals comical result of her request for half sandwich Waitrose Christmas advert features Graham Norton cameo at kid-free festive party

By Trevor Hunnicutt and Michael Martina WASHINGTON (Reuters) -U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken will travel to China for talks

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