The Gist:

• There will be a nationwide test of the emergency alert system on October 4.
• The alert will be broadcast to all TVs, radios, and cell phones across the country, and will be accompanied by a message alerting users that this is just a test.
• The test is designed to ensure that a real alert can be sent in the event of a national emergency.

Anyone who is connected to the world and has a TV or phone is likely aware of the emergency broadcasting system. The system is designed to warn you about regional or national emergencies that could range from a major storm to some other dangerous situation. The system is supposed to make sure that people can get to safety, but in order to ensure the system works, sometimes, a test is required.

People online are nervous following rumors that a test will take place on October 4, which has led many to wonder what exactly that day will bring, and whether they’ll be ready for it.

On October 4, there will be a massive, coordinated test of the emergency alert system across TVs, radios, and cell phones. The test is set to occur at 2:20 pm ET, and should be accompanied by a somewhat jarring, electronic noise that is designed to bring you to alert.

The noise will be accompanied by a message that should be familiar to anyone who has heard or read these types of alerts before.

“This is a nationwide test of the Emergency Alert System, issued by the Federal Emergency Management Agency, covering the United States from 14:20 to 14:50 hours ET. This is only a test. No action is required by the public,” the message will say.

This test is happening to ensure that the system is ready in the event of a real widespread national emergency or attack.

These kinds of tests are particularly important in the aftermath of events like the wildfires in Maui, when it was determined that the emergency sirens did not sound properly, causing more destruction and devastation than the fires might have led to otherwise.

The exact wording of the test has not been released yet, but on cell phones, it will come as a text message badge that reads: “THIS IS A TEST of the National Wireless Emergency Alert System. No action is needed.”

The message will also be delivered in Spanish to phones where the main menu is also in Spanish.

“ESTA ES UNA PRUEBA del Sistema Nacional de Alerta de Emergencia. No se necesita acción,” will be the message in Spanish.

The test is only set to last for a single minute, and there aren’t supposed to be any repeats of the warning after that first alarm sounds.

The test will mean that there will be a temporary blackout of all devices in the US, and while that news is alarming to some because it will be an interruption, it’s easy to see why the system needs to be tested regularly to ensure that we’re ready for a serious emergency.

The Gist:

• Body shaming has wreaked havoc on folks of all shapes, sizes, and ethnicities over the years.
• The body positivity movement has tended to focus on people of larger sizes and many voices aren’t heard.
• The movement should be inclusive and support people of all sizes and ethnicities.

It’s no secret that the emergence of social media has played a role in how detrimental body shaming can be. In the early 2000s, sites like Facebook and Twitter — birthed in 2004 and 2006, respectively — showed how easy it is for folks to create anonymous identities and wreak havoc on folks of all shapes, sizes, and ethnicities. While we all know that no one is safe from being body shamed, there has always been a focus on how fat people are affected.

Truth be told, if we look at most of the leaders and voices in the body positivity movement, many of these people are of larger sizes. While it’s great to see these people speak up for themselves and individuals who look like them, it has caused the body positivity movement to feel like a skinny, white woman’s mission, as opposed to an inclusive one. It’s time to wake up and smell the coffee.

If you take a scroll through social media — from Instagram to TikTok — body positivity content typically has a white face. Although there are plenty of Black women who champion the movement, their voices are often unheard.

Of course, there are some women, from the likes of Lizzo to influencer Simone Mariposa, who use their platforms to make their voices heard. However, I’d be remiss not to address that Black women of smaller sizes tend to be MIA as far as the topic is concerned.

By description, body positivity is understood to be a social movement that champions the respect of all bodies — skinny to fat — being deemed acceptable despite societal standards that say otherwise. With that in mind, there is no reason why smaller-sized Black women are not part of the conversation on a larger scale.

So many women who fit this demographic have often been open about their struggles with body image over the years, including rapper Coi Leray. Ever since the femcee stepped on the scene, she has had to deal with harsh criticisms about her small frame.

“I’ve dealt with the body shaming situation, honestly, my whole career,” Coi says to Eddie Francis for Apple Music 1’s The Plug Radio. Shout out to all the slim women out there. I feel like I actually paved the way in the music industry for a slim woman to just finally be accepted, honestly, after a very long time.”

Truth be told, Coi’s plight with body shaming is known due to her celebrity status, but there are everyday women like Coi who deal with the same struggle that’s overlooked regarding the promotion of the body positivity movement.

Truth be told, only time will tell. However, it’s important to reiterate that bodies come in various shapes and sizes. And while folks who consider themselves full-figured often deal with discrimination and harsh criticism, it’s a similar experience for folks on the other side and in between.

Social media has shined a light on the fact that a woman can have what many consider to be a desirable body and still be ridiculed. For example, Megan Thee Stallion often receives hate for being a tall woman with small hips, Lizzo is consistently dragged for being fat, Coi is criticized for not opting for a BBL or breast implants, and Nicki Minaj is body-shamed for gaining a few pounds. The list goes on.

With that in mind, it’s time for folks in the body positivity space to come together to praise all bodies. As the saying goes, I am my sister’s keeper. It’s time to uplift and celebrate each other for our differences and the beauty in it.

You should always assume that while you’re shopping at a major retailer that you’re being watched. Heck, even local businesses have security cameras installed in their establishments, which has helped them catch thieves.

But major retailers spend a lot of money on loss prevention every single year. Take Walmart for example the global chain recently plopped down over half a billion dollars to ensure that folks aren’t burgling from its stores.

Granted, a lot of the loss prevention solutions aren’t as complex as the Sam Walton established brand, which incorporates a series of A.I. cameras and weighted self-service checkout stations. And of course, there are camera systems manned by folks who are paid to ensure that big-ticket items aren’t being lifted out of the respective locations where they work.

Apparently, some of these loss prevention set-ups are a bit more involved than others, like this “amphitheater” of sorts that a TikToker showed off in a now-viral clip at a Target location that gives whoever is in the room a Skybox view of the entire store so they not only presumably have live video monitoring feeds of the location, but an actual grand view of the retailer’s layout.

Santi, who posts under the handle @santi._s gave viewers a sneak peek into what many are speculating is a part of Target’s loss prevention process, after spilling the beans on the suspicious look elevated mirrors that can be found in some locations.

At the onset of the now-viral clip, she shows the mirrors and then we see her head through some doors in the back of the store. Through this pathway, Santi ends up at a stairwell, which she traverses to ultimately end up directly behind the mirrors.

As it turns out, they’re the kind of mirrors you’d recognize from any police movie interrogation scene. The two-way glass allows whoever’s inside the box to covertly snoop on anyone who is ambling about the store while all we see are our own mugs staring back at us.

A text overly on the clip simply reads: “If you see mirrors like this in a Target they are watching you” along with a caption, “They really do be watching us from above.”

It’s worth mentioning, however, that there actually weren’t any employees manning the “spy station” while Santi was recording, so the room may only be in use during high-volume shopping times or when a specific situation needs to be monitored by staff.

And while the prevailing belief is that the rooms are being used to watch potential shoplifters, or to spy on employees in the store to make sure that they’re doing their jobs, there were many who thought that since there was no one up there during the time of Santi’s filming, that those particular spaces are just offices that aren’t in use anymore.

Instead of knocking them all down, the construction team responsible for putting the Target together opted to just put up some mirrors in an attempt to try and make things more aesthetically pleasing. However, why would there be two-way mirrors, and not just some key art showing the Target dog or other imagery/promotional materials for the store?

Other people chimed in and said these are simply offices for the store’s managers, and the reason why they’re empty is that they’re probably on the floor assisting customers or other members of the location’s team.

According to folks in the comments section, they’ve said that other retailers, like CVS and supermarkets do the same thing. The two-way mirrors are there for visibility, but also offer some privacy for employees who are on break.