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Why one California woman went on a quest for the perfect shark emoji
MONTEREY, Calif. -- If the shark emoji on your phone is anatomically correct, thank Emily Simpson.
The Monterey Bay Aquarium’s “content strategist” has made it her mission to ensure that emoji, the universal lingo of our digital age, show marine life as nature intended.
After Simpson’s alert, Apple redesigned its squid emoji, banishing...Read more
Heidi Stevens: The lie about immigrants eating pets raises a larger question: What if we tuned into each other's hunger and humanity?
First of all, immigrants aren’t eating people’s pets in Ohio.
It’s the sort of thing that should go without saying. The sort of thing that makes you wince a little when you say it (or type it) because it breathes fresh oxygen into a lie that dehumanizes us and desensitizes us and should’ve been starved of air long before it entered the ...Read more
Idaho archery hunters shoot, kill grizzly bear after it attacked and bit one of them
BOISE, Idaho — Two archery hunters in East Idaho shot and killed an adult male grizzly bear last Sunday after the animal knocked one of the men down and bit him.
The men were hunting elk on the Caribou-Targhee National Forest near Island Park when they had a “surprise encounter” with the bear, according to a news release from the Idaho ...Read more
Column: Her husband's cold case was solved more than a decade after his murder. Now she's started a nonprofit to help others
PHILADELPHIA — Keyna Drinks was doing whatever she could in 2011 to draw attention to her husband's murder.
She called on her local state representative, who helped organize a vigil and news conference.
She phoned the police constantly.
In the months-turned-years with no answers, she never let up. She papered the North Philadelphia ...Read more
On Gardening: Miss America is a real beauty for the garden
There is a grand lady who has been gracing my garden the past couple of years. In fact I would say she is definitely Miss America. You know The Garden Guy is having fun, as I am talking about Shadowland Miss America hosta.
The past two summers have to go down as a hosta survivability challenge of sorts. If the hostas are not crying uncle The ...Read more
Florida Muslim group expands mental health outreach to tackle stigma around suicide
MIAMI -- Mental health is not easy for anyone to discuss openly. But, in some religious communities, there is an added stigma that may hinder an open dialogue — and that’s particularly true in the Islamic faith.
The South Florida Muslim Federation (SoFlo Muslims), an umbrella organization representing over 40 mosques and Islamic ...Read more
Missouri church 'takes a stand' by taking over anti-racism billboard near Confederate flag
KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- In 2021, Amanda Burrows had an answer to a giant Confederate flag that was erected along a popular route to the Lake of the Ozarks: a billboard with the anti-racist message, “EQUALITY BIGGER THAN HATE.”
She raised money through GoFundMe to lease the billboard so visitors would not leave with the impression that the area...Read more
Q&A: How to talk about politics with people who don't agree with you
These days, there's no surer way to start a fight than to talk politics with someone who disagrees with you. And with election day drawing near, political conversations are increasingly difficult to avoid.
You could muddle your way through the next two months and hope for the best. Or you could take Tania Israel's advice and embrace the ...Read more
Would you consider cloning your pets?
SAN JOSE, Calif. — Everyone has that one pet in life who they fall in love with at first sight — or first scratch.
For San Francisco resident Wyatt Boumedine, that was Zine, his white cat with a raccoon-like tail who would constantly growl, claw — and probably curse, if he could speak — at his owner. But Boumedine adored him. When Zine ...Read more
Ask Anna: Is it normal to have less sex after moving in together?
Dear Anna,
I'm 26 (F), and my boyfriend (28) and I have been together for almost three years. We moved in together six months ago, and ever since I’ve noticed a pretty big change in our sex life. Before moving in, we used to have sex several times a week, but now it’s once a week, or maybe twice if it’s, like, a special occasion. I didn�...Read more
This Miami church's new home is in a high-rise condo. You enter through the coffee shop
MIAMI -- Corner Coffee is not your typical coffee shop.
All the the usual suspects are offered: espresso, cold brews, pastries. But the distinct interior design offers some clues as to what is also on the menu: A ceiling mobile made of religious stained glass hangs over a seating area. A bronze sculpture of a life-size Homeless Jesus sleeping ...Read more
Has a California lab discovered the holy grail of plastic recycling?
Despite the planet’s growing plastic pollution crisis, petroleum-based polymers have become an integral part of modern life. They make cars and airplanes lighter and more energy efficient. They constitute a core material of modern medicine by helping to keep equipment sterile, deliver medicines and build prosthetics, among many other things. ...Read more
Erika Ettin: 'I just want this dating process to be done'
I got a text recently from a 40-year-old male client who I’ve been working with on and off over the last few years. It said this: “I’ve been anxious to re-start dating. I just want this process to be done.”
I answered, “When you say that you want the process to be ‘done,’ what do you mean?”
Every week, at least three clients ...Read more
The Kid Whisperer: How to deliver a learning opportunity instead of a punishment
Dear Kid Whisperer,
As a retired elementary school teacher, I enjoy reading your column in the newspaper every weekend. I have noticed a common theme in your responses: Don’t punish students (for example by taking away their recess time) for exhibiting behaviors that are undesirable or attention seeking, but rather suggest replacement ...Read more
If Grandma can't answer your parenting question, maybe Google can
ATLANTA -- When my kids were young, I kept a stack of parenting books to consult on teething, toddler tantrums and bedtime routines. More often, however, I took my child-rearing questions to parents I met on the playground or in the neighborhood.
My own mother was no help. She had four children in proximity and always told me our early ...Read more
Lori Borgman: Fort Knox has nothing on us
I am married to Mr. Security. We have an entire plastic tub full of timers. The lights in our house never burn brighter than when we are not home.
I typically spend the day before we go out of town packing. He spends the day setting up timers and reminding me what lights I can and can’t turn on.
The lamp in the family room is off limits. It ...Read more
Your professor is also getting help from AI
ATLANTA -- The fit, 41-year-old white male lay in a hospital bed and complained about a headache.
Hal introduced himself to the Emory University nursing class gathered around his bedside. He shook a student’s hand and provided his medical history. No allergies, no surgeries. He has high blood pressure but isn’t taking any medication.
The ...Read more
Ex-etiquette: How do you get over a hurt this big?
Q. I served our country, had some serious things happen to me and just could not see through to the other side for years. I did not want to return home and met someone else. I hurt my wife and my family. That is something I live with every day, but I have no desire to reconcile. I try to take an active part in my children’s lives, but my ex ...Read more
For 10 years, this Miami nonprofit has helped prisoners find their voices as writers
MIAMI -- Leeann Parker got three things the moment she left prison after almost 20 years: a cool outfit, a hug from her 3-year-old grandson and a tote bag of new books.
Parker, who was incarcerated when her daughters were 5 and 9, said she entered Homestead Correctional Institution angry and bitter. At the end of August, with the help of a ...Read more
Jerry Zezima: A clothes call
Ever since my wife, Sue, has been out of commission with an injured hand, which required surgery and has prevented her from performing important tasks like keeping me alive, I have had a whole laundry list of things to do.
At the top is — how did you ever guess? — laundry.
For the past 46 years, I have been a basket case when it comes to ...Read more
Popular Stories
- Heidi Stevens: The lie about immigrants eating pets raises a larger question: What if we tuned into each other's hunger and humanity?
- This Miami church's new home is in a high-rise condo. You enter through the coffee shop
- Idaho archery hunters shoot, kill grizzly bear after it attacked and bit one of them
- Why one California woman went on a quest for the perfect shark emoji
- Q&A: How to talk about politics with people who don't agree with you