3 mins read

Sippin’ (and chuggin’) through the years with a party mainstay — the red Solo cup

TABOR, S.D. | It’s red. It’s soft plastic. And it probably contains your favorite beverage. The red Solo cup belongs on any list of the country’s most distinctly American objects, but it’s actually more than a single object. It is a symbol of the American psyche — a country that loves a good party, summertime […]

6 mins read

Meta defends its child safety efforts but critics say the social media giant falls short

CHICAGO | Meta insists it has a long history of protecting its youngest customers as it defends itself against a swath of lawsuits alleging its social media empire harms children. In the latest such instance, the social media giant is fighting allegations in a California federal court that it contributes to the youth mental health […]

6 mins read

Amazon set to expand drone delivery of lightweight packages to 500 US cities

Millions more people may be able to get smaller, lightweight Amazon packages delivered by drones by the end of the year under a plan the company announced Wednesday to expand the airborne shipping to suburban areas in nearly 500 U.S. cities. Customers could receive the drone deliveries in as fast as 30 minutes, Amazon said […]

8 mins read

Families feel the pinch of higher children’s shoe prices as kids head back to school

NEW YORK | When Jonah Seidenberg found out about Nike Minds, a futuristic-looking sneaker that claims to improve concentration by stimulating the soles of the feet, he had to have them. On a recent Saturday, the 12-year-old from the Chicago suburb of Northbrook and his mother searched StockX, an online sneaker marketplace, and other sites […]

8 mins read

Biking to work: Tips to get started, stay safe and look presentable when you arrive

NEW YORK | When 72-year-old Michael Roper rides his bicycle to and from the pub he owns in Chicago, he can’t imagine a better way to commute. He’s getting exercise, drifting through fresh air and catching glimpses of neighborhood life — a recently opened coffee shop or a diving owl at night —that he’s convinced […]

7 mins read

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 […]