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Heidi Stevens: 'They're making the "us" bigger.' How one church turned the offering plate into an outpouring of community
It was 2015 and Pastor Rob Dyer was working on the sermon he would deliver that Sunday to his congregation at First United Presbyterian Church in Belleville, a suburb of St. Louis on the Illinois side of the state line.
The message was about taking care of one another — a seed Dyer has worked hard to plant and grow since leaving his ...Read more
Blessings in a Backpack bridges weekend gap for food-insecure kids
ORLANDO, Fla. — The Center for Health & Wellness in Winter Park, Florida, was crowded on the morning of July 25. It went beyond the normal traffic, folks hitting the gym or heading in for the center’s other offerings — classes on everything from nutrition and meditation to medicine, both Eastern and Western.
Today, there are teams in ...Read more
Ask Dating Coach Erika: How do I date outside my 'type'?
For years, I’ve worked with clients who come to me saying the same thing: “I just can’t find the right person.” When I dig a little deeper, a common theme appears — they’re clinging to a very specific idea of who their “type” is. (It often starts with a physical attribute, but it goes beyond that.) Here’s the kicker: That type ...Read more
From marijuana to music: Building's new role fulfills musicians' dreams
BALTIMORE -- Jessica Schatz audibly choked up when she tried to articulate what Patterson Park Academy of Music has meant to her family.
“My grandfather was a music teacher, and eight years ago I inherited his piano,” she told attendees at a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the newly rehabilitated building that will become the Academy’s first ...Read more
Lori Borgman: Pocket packers picked a pack of paper napkins
Our nightly dinner routine goes like this: I cook dinner and the husband sets the table. Last night we had Panera napkins, the night before we had Subway napkins. We have a drawer full of cloth napkins, but he prefers to save those until we’ve used all the extras that fast food places stuff in the bag with our order.
Sometimes he goes to the ...Read more
The Kid Whisperer: Don't allow your kids to live their truth
I’ve seen a really scary change in how kids are raised over the course of the last quarter century as I’ve worked with parents as a teacher and principal and as a behavioral consultant.
In, I’m sort of guessing, an attempt to value the individuality of their kids (whatever that means), today’s parents often seem to be letting their ...Read more
Ex-etiquette: Trouble communicating
Q: My co-parent and I just had a custody evaluation done. He has a very complicated mental health diagnosis that includes autism and narcissistic personality disorder. I knew he was difficult to communicate with, but now I see why. How do I co-parent with someone with this serious diagnosis?
A: Learning that your co-parent has a mental health ...Read more
Jerry Zezima: Baby, it's cold inside
Whenever it’s hot, I’m cold. And whenever it’s cold, I’m hot.
I know it’s not cool to say this, but the cold fact is that I am not hot enough to be a magazine model or cool enough to be a movie star.
The real problem is that I am a geezer for whom no temperature — inside or outside — can make me feel comfortable.
That’s ...Read more
Desperate for day care: How empty TK-12 classrooms can help fix California's child-care crisis
Declining enrollment in California public schools is spawning a new and growing partnership that is helping to keep child-care centers in business — vacant classrooms are being filled with toddlers and babies.
From Los Angeles to Solano counties, nonprofit day-care operators see underused facilities already centered on children — spacious ...Read more
Faces to remember, lives to honor: 'Portraits of Pulse' touch the heart
ORLANDO, Fla. — Their faces gaze out from the pure white walls, some smiling, some serious, some possibly on the verge of a laugh at some private joke, and some decidedly enigmatic — men and women of mystery.
They are our friends, neighbors, relatives, compatriots: The 49 individuals killed June 12, 2016, by a gunman at Pulse nightclub, ...Read more
Heidi Stevens: Two summer reads that invite us to glimpse behind the facade of a carefully curated world
Sometimes when I’m casting around for some logical explanation of how we got here — here being a time when an ex-Olympian finds himself facing felony charges (eventually dropped) over a botched Reflecting Pool job he had nothing to do with, and the president of the United States posts AI-generated images of himself as Elvis, and flaming ...Read more
Pushing brains over brawn at academic boot camp for veterans at Caltech
In a boot camp that tests brains over brawn, military veterans seeking a college education convened at Caltech this summer to simulate the intensity of finals week among faculty, researchers and mentors, participating in a program that helps them assess whether they are ready to transition to academia.
The Warrior-Scholar Project is a STEM ...Read more
Minnesota schools put screens at the center of learning. Parents say kids are paying the price
MINNEAPOLIS -- In classrooms across the state, backpacks once weighed down with binders and textbooks have been replaced by a single device that is now facing growing scrutiny.
As concerns grow over screen time, mental health and online safety, parents across the Twin Cities are pushing schools to rethink the role of technology in classrooms.
...Read more
On Gardening: A Luscious Vanilla Breeze will debut next year
If you’ve been looking for a plump 24- to 30-inch-tall-and-wide white lantana, then you are about to have a new ingredient for all your mixed container and border designs. This breakthrough variety is called Luscious Vanilla Breeze.
The flowers open a soft yellow, but as The Garden Guy watches them every day, white is the color — or should ...Read more
Ask Anna: Am I into him or just into the uncertainty?
Dear Anna,
I’m 44, divorced, and very happily in my “slut era.” I’m dating casually, having fun, and not looking for either one-night stands or The Love of My Life. I’m somewhere in the middle. I want chemistry, good conversation and sex with people I genuinely enjoy spending time with, even if it’s not headed toward forever.
A few...Read more
Community members score on discarded school supplies: 'This was needed'
CHICAGO — In the midst of making last-minute preparations on Monday to open a home daycare, owner Parish Banks wondered how she would afford all the supplies she needs to start the year and educate her students to their fullest potential. Her answer would come in the form of a Facebook post that appeared in her feed, notifying community ...Read more
Marmots got money troubles: Cuts to UCLA research lead scientists to OnlyFans
LOS ANGELES -- Looking for some marmot content? Try OnlyFans or, rather, OnlyMarms.
Researchers at a UCLA-affiliated marmot research lab launched an OnlyFans account to post videos of marmots captured in the wild as a way to help generate funding for their work and offset federal cuts to universities.
Since it debuted at the end of May, the ...Read more
Florida nonprofit helps disabled adults gain job skills as repair technicians
ORLANDO, Fla. -- Isaac Edwards takes pride in his job teaching adults with autism and other disabilities to repair electronic devices.
“Some students are even older than me, and they’ve never had a job before,” said Edwards, 27. “They’ve never even gotten their driver’s license and stuff like that. I feel like they’ve tried ...Read more
Ask Dating Coach Erika: What if their profile isn't well-written?
There’s nothing like a first impression, and in the online dating world, that means your photo and your bio. Admittedly, the photos are the first thing that most people look at. But for the purposes of this article, let’s focus on the written part of a profile.
Talking about yourself is difficult. It’s a delicate process where you try to ...Read more
Ex-etiquette: A whole other family
Q: My girlfriend travels for work, or so she told me, but I just found out she has a whole other family, including a child! I'm thinking about calling the other woman and telling her. What's good ex-etiquette?
A: Before you pick up the phone, ask yourself one question: Why am I doing this?
Are you trying to protect someone from being deceived?...Read more
Popular Stories
- Desperate for day care: How empty TK-12 classrooms can help fix California's child-care crisis
- Lori Borgman: Pocket packers picked a pack of paper napkins
- Faces to remember, lives to honor: 'Portraits of Pulse' touch the heart
- From marijuana to music: Building's new role fulfills musicians' dreams
- Jerry Zezima: Baby, it's cold inside






















