A-Town Magazine
How the White House Rose Garden and its plantings have changed over the past century
President Donald Trump’s two makeovers of the White House Rose Garden, including converting its lawn into a patio, have drawn recent attention to one of the nation’s most iconic gardens. The garden has seen many changes over the years; presidents and first ladies have planted, removed, redesigned and even fully revamped it. Here’s a look […]
Kara Swisher took Silicon Valley by force. Now she’s eyeing influence in the 2028 campaign
WASHINGTON | Kara Swisher is everywhere. She’s filling in for Joy Behar on ABC’s “The View.” Appearing alongside Meryl Streep in “The Devil Wears Prada 2.” Starring in a CNN documentary. Preparing a national tour. And churning out four podcasts most weeks featuring long-form interviews and commentary. It’s a ubiquity born of more than three […]
Much more than a piece of furniture, the president’s Resolute Desk has echoed through history
WASHINGTON | Franklin D. Roosevelt toiled over paperwork there during World War II’s darkest days. George W. Bush sat behind it to address the nation on 9/11. Beneath it, John F. Kennedy Jr. once crawled and peeked out from behind its front panel while his father worked above, an image so etched into American history […]
Trump Accounts launch July 4, giving newborns $1,000. Here’s what to know
WASHINGTON | On Saturday, President Donald Trump’s administration plans to launch Trump Accounts, tying the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence to an effort to boost financial independence for American kids. Under the program, parents can open investment accounts for any child born during Trump’s second term and automatically receive $1,000 […]
What, like it’s hard? Newcomer Lexi Minetree put in the work to play a teen Elle Woods in ‘Elle’
When Lexi Minetree auditioned for the part of a teenage Elle Woods in a “Legally Blonde” prequel series for Prime Video, she went for it with the determination and creativity that the character herself used to apply to Harvard Law School in the original film. Minetree, said “Elle” executive producer Lauren Neustadter, “actually recreated her […]
What’s the perfect American hot dog? Depends where you grew up
Few foods feel more American than the hot dog, a mainstay at ballparks, street carts and Fourth of July barbecues. But to simply call hot dogs “American” is to miss a whole lot of nuance, and potentially offend local connoisseurs across the country. How to prepare and eat a hot dog is a matter of […]
Movie Review: Millie Bobby Brown returns as Sherlock’s sister in ‘Enola Holmes 3’
The “Enola Holmes” movies have done nothing so much as chart Millie Bobby Brown’s evolution from child actor to movie star. She was 16 when the first “Enola Holmes” debuted in 2020. As “Enola Holmes 3” arrives on Netflix, she’s 22. And all three movies have been driven by Brown’s natural charisma. The first two […]
Crypto, real estate, watches: How Trump made over $1 billion last year
NEW YORK | The real estate mogul has become the billion-dollar crypto man. President Donald Trump’s latest financial disclosure report showed he took in about $1.2 billion last year from various crypto holdings, overshadowing a real estate business that brought him fame and helped propel him to the nation’s top office. Whereas it took decades […]
Gaza faces uncertain future as Palestinians and Israelis mark 1,000 days of war
It’s the 1,000th day since a Hamas-led attack on Israel sparked the war in Gaza. Other conflicts have emerged in the region, and fragile ceasefires show scars of persistent attacks. Both Israelis and Palestinians are weary of the strain. The fate of over 2 million Palestinians in Gaza, largely displaced and living amid ruins, remains […]
11-year-old boy driving pickup truck crashes into group of Thai monks, killing 9
BANGKOK | An 11-year-old boy crashed a pickup truck into a group of monks on a pilgrimage walk in northeastern Thailand on Thursday, killing nine, officials said. A total of 35 monks from Mukdahan province, about 600 kilometers (372 miles) northeast of the capital Bangkok, were on the pilgrimage. Five monks were killed at the […]