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Eric Dane, ‘Grey’s Anatomy’ Star And ALS Awareness Advocate,  Dies At 53 

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Celebrated actor and advocate for ALS awareness, Eric Dane, has passed away this week at 53-years-old nearly a year after publicly revealing his diagnosis. 

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This Thursday, Dane’s representatives revealed that he died from amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease. 

“He spent his final days surrounded by dear friends, his devoted wife, and his two beautiful daughters, Billie and Georgia, who were the center of his world,” the statement read, also requesting privacy for the family.

“Throughout his journey with ALS, Eric became a passionate advocate for awareness and research, determined to make a difference for others facing the same fight. He will be deeply missed, and always lovingly remembered.”

“Eric adored his fans and is forever grateful for the outpouring of love and support he’s received.”

Dane was known for multiple beloved roles throughout television and movies. Some of the most notable being Dr. Mark Sloan, or McSteamy, on popular ABC medical drama “Grey’s Anatomy” from 2006 to 2012 with a short revival in 2021. 

More recently, in 2019 he played the complex character of Cal Jacobs in HBO’s hit series “Euphoria.”

In April 2025, Dane publicly announced that he had been diagnosed with ALS. The disease is known for progressing quickly and attacking nerve cells controlling muscles throughout the body. 

ALS impacts the body’s ability to walk, talk, and breathe, and unfortunately most patients pass away within three to five years of a diagnosis. 

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Dane quickly became a major advocate for ALS awareness after revealing his own personal journey with his diagnosis. He spoke at a news conference in Washington on health insurance prior authorization. 

“Some of you may know me from TV shows, such as ‘Grey’s Anatomy,’ in which I play a doctor. But I am here today to speak briefly as a patient battling ALS,” he said at the time. 

In September, the ALS Network named Dane the recipient of their advocate of the year award, which honored his commitment to raising awareness and support for the people living with ALS. 

A memoir by Dane is set to be published later this year. “Book of Days: A Memoir in Moments,” will be published by Maria Shriver’s The Open Field, a Penguin Random House imprint. According to Open Field, the memoir will cover key moments in his life, going from his first day at work on “Grey’s Anatomy” to the births of his two daughters and learning that he had ALS. 

“I want to capture the moments that shaped me — the beautiful days, the hard ones, the ones I never took for granted — so that if nothing else, people who read it will remember what it means to live with heart,” Dane said in a statement. 

“If sharing this helps someone find meaning in their own days, then my story is worth telling.”

Sydney Sweeney’s Republican Registration Surfaces as Trump Applauds Controversial Ad

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In the wake of a controversial American Eagle ad campaign that had social media chattering about “great genes” and denim-clad curves, actress Sydney Sweeney is now drawing attention for her political affiliation.

According to publicly available records reviewed by The Guardian, the “Euphoria” and “White Lotus” actor registered as a Republican voter in Florida on June 14, 2024. The date closely followed her purchase of a home in the Florida Keys and came just weeks after President Donald Trump was convicted in New York for falsifying business records, but before his eventual return to the White House in November.

The news, which began circulating widely on Saturday across social media platforms, added fresh fuel to the discourse surrounding Sweeney’s current spotlight moment—a moment already stoked by American Eagle’s denim campaign, which plays off a double entendre: “Sydney Sweeney has great genes.” In one video, “genes” is scratched out and cheekily replaced with “jeans.” In another, the blue-eyed star delivers lines about inherited traits and eye color, only to land the punchline: “My jeans are blue.”

Depending on who you ask, the campaign is either clever branding or clueless provocation. One TikTok video, which racked up hundreds of thousands of likes, accused the ads of channeling eugenics-era aesthetics, especially troubling in a political climate where the reinstated Trump administration is working to dismantle diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs while escalating crackdowns on immigration.

“It’s literally giving… Nazi propaganda,” the video claimed, underscoring a growing discomfort among progressive audiences.

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Dr. Brett Staniland, a model and sustainable fashion advocate, told Newsweek that, “This specific campaign has sparked backlash for multiple reasons.”

“Firstly, the terminology and its inferences suggest a connection to Sydney Sweeney’s appearance being perfect, denoting her blonde hair, blue eyes and white skin, as well as her body. The second part of it is that it’s sexually charged. In one shot, the lens travels down her body for her to say, ‘Hey, eye’s up here,’ a clear reference to something women have experienced for years at the hands of objectifying men. Trivializing this sentiment to sell jeans has obviously not been well received.”

Still, others saw the outrage as overblown. Some users on X dismissed the backlash as exaggerated, noting that a woman modeling jeans, even with a tongue-in-cheek nod to genetics, shouldn’t cause this level of uproar. One post read, “No one was trying to cancel Sydney Sweeney. And no one cares if she’s Republican or not.”

Sweeney herself has yet to publicly comment on the revelation of her Republican registration. But this isn’t her first political brushfire. In 2022, the 27-year-old actor was criticized after photos emerged from her mother’s birthday party, where guests were spotted wearing red hats reminiscent of Trump’s “Make America Great Again” merch. At the time, Sweeney addressed the controversy on social media, stating, “An innocent celebration … has turned into an absurd political statement, which was not the intention.”

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Now, amid the new political scrutiny, Sweeney has become a surprising cause célèbre for conservatives. Trump campaign spokesperson Steven Cheung denounced the backlash to her ad as “cancel culture run amok.” At the same time, Trump himself, when told about Sweeney’s party affiliation as he boarded Air Force One, reportedly responded with a grin.

“Ohhhhh, now I love her ad. Is that right? It’s Sydney Sweeney? You’d be surprised at how many people are Republicans. That’s what I wouldn’t have known, but I’m glad you told me that. If Sydney Sweeney is a registered Republican, I think her ad is fantastic.”

He later posted on Truth Social, initially misspelling Sweeney’s first name as “Sidney” before deleting and reposting.

“Sydney Sweeney, a registered Republican, has the HOTTEST ad out there. Go get ’em Sydney…Being WOKE is for losers, being Republican is what you want to be.”

Some conservatives have positioned the American Eagle campaign as a win against “woke” marketing, contrasting it with last year’s infamous Bud Light fiasco. That 2023 promotion, which featured trans influencer Dylan Mulvaney, sparked a widespread conservative boycott.

The fallout was swift. Bud Light sales plummeted, the brand lost its top spot in the U.S. beer market, and its parent company, Anheuser-Busch, distanced itself from the campaign, blaming an outside agency for the misstep.

American Eagle, on the other hand, appears to be standing by Sweeney—and profiting. The brand’s stock has reportedly seen a boost following the ad’s release. “‘ Sydney Sweeney Has Great Jeans’ is and always was about the jeans,” the company said in a statement Friday. “Her jeans. Her story.”

“We’ll continue to celebrate how everyone wears their AE jeans with confidence, their way. Great jeans look good on everyone.”

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Remembering Angus Cloud, The Rising ‘Euphoria’ Star Who Passed Away At 25

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Angus Cloud, best known for his role as Fezco on ‘Euphoria,’ has sadly passed away at the age of 25, his family announced the news in a statement on Monday.

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Why Do Cats React That Way To Catnip?

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If you have a cat, you definitely have given your furry friend some catnip before, causing a seemingly “high” type of reaction that involves random bursts of energy, intense rubbing, rolling around, and licking. Every cat is different, but if there’s one thing that can be agreed upon amongst all cat owners, it’s that this random herb inexplicably causes a very intense and dramatic reaction in our pets. But what is the actual science behind catnip? Are our animals actually getting high simply from rubbing on a sock filled with it? What even is it? 

According to Live Science’s Online Magazine, the herb of catnip is in the same family as rosemary, oregano, sage, and basil, and is closest to mint, biologically. Catnip itself holds a chemical compound known as nepetalactone; this is what’s the most responsible for the catnip effect. There are other compounds in catnip that, chemically, are very similar to nepetalactone and can also emphasize the effect cats have when rubbing on the herb, however, nepetalactone is the strongest of them all.

“Cats are attracted to the odor of nepetalactone, which binds to receptors in their noses and often produces behavior that appears euphoric. Other compounds in catnip affect neurotransmitters, resulting in inhibition of central nervous system activity,” said Dr. Bruce Kornreich, an associate director for education and outreach with the Feline Health Center at Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine.

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Speaking from personal experience, as most of you reading can also most likely relate to, it’s safe to say that when our cats experience the euphoric responses induced by catnip, it really just looks like they’re high on drugs to us. When human beings experiences drug coaxed highs, dopamine, or the chemical that makes us happy, is released at a high rate in our brains, causing the high itself. In cats, it’s more difficult to know what exactly is happening in their brains and what chemicals are being released or contained to evoke such a wild and random reaction. 

Some studies have shown that when cats were given the chemical compound naloxone, which blocks opioid receptors in the central nervous system, cat’s have a much more minimal reaction to the catnip, and some cats were recorded to have no reaction at all. This potentially suggests that opioid receptors in the cat’s brain are most likely involved in the process of the “high.”

“A person who takes an opioid and has a euphoric effect from it; that can be blocked by naloxone. If a cat has behaviors that can be blocked by naloxone, might one of those behaviors — in the cat’s perception — be euphoria? It’s possible, but we don’t know for sure,” Kornreich said. 

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Taken after zookeepers treated their Siberian Tigers to large sacks full of catnip 

Other studies have suggested that the nepetalactone compound also released a scent that is similar to that of pheromones. So when a cat is aggressively rubbing on whatever toy the catnip is in, it can be because it is reacting as it would if a mate was around. It’s also important to note that the catnip reaction is genetic. According to Cat Behavior Associates, one third of all cats lack the gene that evoke a reaction from catnip, and cats can also be trained to have an aversion to the plant itself if exposed to it when they’re still a kitten, however, it’s been reported that most cats aren’t able to have any sort of reaction to the plant until they’re at least six months. This is due to the fact that their brains aren’t fully developed enough to process the chemical reaction catnip induces.

Additionally, cats wild relatives have also been shown on record to have the same reaction to catnip. Wildlife reserve employee’s have stated that they sometimes use the herb to lure their wild cat residents into spaces when they need check ups or need to be taken out of their enclosure for whatever reason. This fact is what helped lead scientists to understand the hereditary aspect of catnip. While we may not be able to fully understand all of the science behind our cats reaction to this herb, we do know that it’s safe, cats enjoy it, and it induces euphoria, so for now, keep filling up old socks with catnip and let your cat have a fun time.