Aretha Franklin Proves She’s Still Worthy of R-E-S-P-E-C-T: Aretha Franklin wow-ed  the audience of the 2015 Kennedy Center Honors with a stunning performance of “(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman.” The event was taped in early December but only aired to the public this past week, leading to the video of Franklin going viral on social media. The queen of soul, now 73 years old, walked onstage in a full-length fur coat that she later cast off mid-performance to thunderous cheers. Perhaps nearly as entertaining as Franklin’s performance was the enthusiastic reaction of Carole King, one of this year’s honorees, who even grabbed fellow honoree George Lucas’ hand at one point. Franklin also had President Obama fist pumping and wiping away tears. True talent–and a true diva–knows no age!

Old Navy Slight at Aspiring Artists: A recent round of graphic tees for toddler-aged girls released by Old Navy has inspired backlash across social media for implying children shouldn’t dream big–at least artistically. The shirts in question, which read “Young Aspiring Artist Astronaut” and “Young Aspiring Artist President” seem to be some sort of attempt on Old Navy’s part at female empowerment, suggesting little girls can succeed in traditionally male-dominated professions. Unfortunately, this attempt comes at the expense of artists. Across social media, artists have employed their graphic talents to offer clever redesigns of the shirt. Old Navy has pulled the tees from its website and is reportedly taking action to clear them from stores as well. Ironically, the shirts themselves were probably designed by, well, artists. The company’s own reliance on artists–and a National Endowment for the Arts survey that counts nearly 2 million working artists in the US–show that the arts definitely do not deserve dismissal as a profession, regardless of gender or age.

Playing On Even in the Face of Terror: Ahmad Naser Sarmast, head of the Afghanistan National Institute of Music, was seats away from a Taliban suicide bomber who struck at a high school concert in Kabul, Afghanistan roughly one year ago. Despite being the target of the attack, Sarmast survived, badly injured and rendered nearly deaf. A potentially career-ending injury for a musician, Sarmast has not allowed it to stop him–he plays on, teaching trumpet and piano at the school (which he also runs). An operation allowed Sarmast to regain hearing in his right ear, though he still operates with only 20-30% capacity in his left. Despite the Taliban’s intentions, the music school has prospered since the attack–experiencing a flood of applications for new teachers. Sarmast’s bravery in the face of terrorism and perseverance in providing music education continue to inspire all who hear his story.

Best Photos of the Year: National Geographic has released the winners of the 2015 Photo Contest and, predictably, they are stunning. The competition, meant to honor images from around the world that inspire and awe, divides submissions and winners into three categories: people, places, and nature. The subjects of this year’s winners include a Colorado tornado, a group of female Iranian students playing around an abandoned tank, and an Orangutan sheltering himself with a leaf in the rain. Click here for a stunning tour of the 2015 Photo Contest winners.