Kardashian family pledges $500,000 to Harvey relief efforts

Kardashian family pledges $500,000 to Harvey relief efforts



The Kardashians are picking up the gauntlet thrown down by Kevin Hart.



The comedian took to Instagram Sunday night to levy a challenge to fellow celebrities to raise funds for Tropical Storm Harvey flood relief, as Houston and surrounding areas were ravaged by the historic storm.



On Tuesday, several members of the Kardashian clan took to the Internet to answer Hart's call, collectively pledging $500,000 to the cause.



"Houston we are praying for you," Khloé Kardashian tweeted immediately after announcing the family's donation to the Red Cross and Salvation Army.



Soon after Khloé's announcement, sister Kim Kardashian West and mother Kris Jenner tweeted similar sentiments, both in sending prayers to Houston and reiterating the family's donation to the charitable organizations.



The Kardashian family is not alone in its altruism, though some parties have chosen to be more reserved in the promotion of their support.



Houston's favorite daughter, Beyoncé, told the Houston Chronicle Monday that she was working closely with her philanthropic organization BeyGOOD to support relief efforts.



"My heart goes out to my hometown, Houston, and I remain in constant prayer for those affected and for the rescuers who have been so brave and determined to do so much to help,” she told the Chronicle.



“I am working closely with my team at BeyGOOD as well as my pastor (Rudy Rasmus at St. John’s in downtown Houston) to implement a plan to help as many as we can."



Some areas of Houston have seen more than 40 inches of rain  since Friday night, and with continued rain Tuesday morning, Addicks Dam outside the city experienced its first-ever spillway breach. It is estimated that more than 450,000 people will seek federal aid in the wake of the storm.



The new Kermit the Frog has arrived and he's following his dreams -- literally.



New Muppeteer Matt Vogel made his vocal debut as the iconic frog on Monday in a "Muppet Thought of the Week" video posted on YouTube.



"Dreams are how we figure out where we want to go. Life is how we get there," he says in the brief clip. "I'm headed this way."



The veteran voice actor has worked on "Sesame Street" and also operates the Muppets Floyd, Constantine and Sweetums. He is only the third puppeteer to take on Kermit the Frog full time since the character was created in 1955. He replaced former puppeteer Steve Whitmire, who began work on "The Muppet Show" in 1978 and inherited the role of Kermit when creator Jim Henson died in 1990.



Whitmire was dismissed over concerns about his "repeated unacceptable business conduct over a period of many years and he consistently failed to address the feedback," the Muppets Studio said at the time.



Whitmire claimed he was fired in October 2016 and kept quiet about it until Vogel was announced as his replacement in July. It was his "opinionated communication style" that earned him his walking papers, he said.