7 mins read

Jeffries’ job grows more difficult in race for House and speaker’s gavel

WASHINGTON | House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries had warned Republicans they would come to regret the congressional redistricting fight, and when Democrats counterpunched last month with a redrawn Virginia map, he had made his point. The net tally of seats gained and lost was essentially a wash. “F— around and find out,” said Jeffries after […]

1 min read

Cate Blanchett laments that the #MeToo movement ‘got killed very quickly’ in Hollywood

CANNES, France | Cate Blanchett said the #MeToo movement “got killed very quickly” in Hollywood, speaking Sunday at the Cannes Film Festival. In a wide-ranging staged conversation, Blanchett lamented that the tide of #MeToo has been turned in Hollywood, where she has been outspoken about gender equality. “It got killed very quickly, which I think […]

7 mins read

When should you get a mammogram? Conflicting advice makes it hard to know

WASHINGTON | Deciding when to get routine mammograms is confusing. Some health groups recommend women begin at age 40 or 45 while another recently opted for age 50. They also differ on whether yearly or every other year is best. The conflicting advice is at least partly because guidelines for breast cancer screening are designed […]

7 mins read

As America hits 250, many Brits say one man defines it: Trump

WASHINGTON, England | Loud. Broken. Baffling. Ask Brits what they think of their former colonies in 2026, and they note these long-held views of America and Americans. But after 250 years of independence from Britain, the country’s former rulers cannot discuss the United States without mentioning President Donald Trump, almost always before listing the many […]

7 mins read

Some see white livestreamer’s freedom of speech claims as cover for race-baiting

A shooting involving a white livestreamer known for filming himself provoking people with racist words that left a Black man wounded has reignited debate over freedom of speech and content creators who monetize hate-filled interactions. As more users of livestreaming social media platforms find being performative with bigoted language can draw big bucks, the line […]

8 mins read

Steven Soderbergh used AI in a documentary about John Lennon. And he wants to talk about it

CANNES, France | The day John Lennon was shot, on Dec. 8, 1980, he and Yoko Ono gave an interview to a San Francisco radio crew from their home in New York’s Dakota Apartments. They were promoting their new album “Double Fantasy,” but the two-hour conversation was wide ranging. Though the interviewers had been warned […]

8 mins read

Blanche thrust into Republican firestorm over $1.8B fund as he seeks to prove his loyalty to Trump

WASHINGTON | When acting Attorney General Todd Blanche signed off on a nearly $1.8 billion fund meant to compensate President Donald Trump’s allies for alleged political prosecution, he may have pleased his boss. But the eyebrow-raising move — the latest in his push to prove his loyalty to Trump — has agitated the same Republican […]

7 mins read

Plastic bags don’t go in the recycling bin. What should you do instead?

NEW YORK | Soft, stretchy plastics can make up grocery bags, bubble wrap and more. They’re impossible to avoid and harder still to properly dispose of. If thrown in the trash, they can take up to hundreds of years to degrade in landfills and release harmful microplastics into the environment. Over 3 million tons (2.7 […]

5 mins read

How to mulch your garden beds without harming plants

When you look at your garden beds and borders, do you see any bare soil? If so, mulch is in order. Mulch is defined as a protective layer applied over soil to retain moisture, suppress weeds and moderate soil temperature around plants, as well as in uncultivated areas. But if used incorrectly, mulch can cause […]