MINNEAPOLIS -- As graduation season approaches, we checked in with etiquette instructor Nicki Black of Polished and Beyond in Plymouth, Minnesota, for tips on how to be a gracious graduate and polite guest.

Involving graduates in party planning, and reviewing expectations for their behavior, reinforces skills they’ll need in adulthood, Black ...Read more

On a Wednesday night at Beverly Hills’ newest members-only club, Gravitas, the usual scene of dimly lit dinner tables laden with wine and caviar has been replaced by hundreds of clinking tiles. Inside, more than 50 members and guests have gathered to play an ancient game that’s taken over the town: mahjong.

“The world is looking very ...Read more

I recently had someone reach out to me about a dating dilemma: The man she was “dating exclusively” (her words) told her he was no longer on apps. However, a friend spotted his profile, which was not only “active now,” but updated. When this person approached the man about it, he claimed that the app kept his dating profile active for �...Read more

SAN DIEGO — It was about 17 years ago that Hannah Shaw found a black kitten stuck in a tree in a Philadelphia park.

She didn’t know how to care for the little cat, which had one of its eyes sealed shut with an infection — but her friend advised her not to bring it to a local animal shelter, where it could be euthanized for its young age. ...Read more

Q: My child’s father lives 300 miles away from us. He just proposed that our son live with him for two weeks, then me for two weeks. Our son is only 2. I don’t want to seem like “the boss” who is running the show, but this can’t be good for him. What’s good ex-etiquette?

A. The first rule of good ex-etiquette for parents is, “Put...Read more

Dear Kid Whisperer,

I am at a loss. I have a 10-year-old son who simply refuses to do what I tell him. I tell him to take out the trash, he refuses. I tell him to sit down for dinner, he refuses. I tell him to wear different clothes, he refuses. I feel like I need to do something, but I don’t know what it is.

Answer: You have a big problem. ...Read more

PHILADELPHIA — University of Pennsylvania scientists are using AI to mine Reddit threads to evaluate the safety and side effects of prescription drugs.

Their approach takes advantage of recent advances in large language models (LLMs), a subset of artificial intelligence, to rapidly analyze self-reported information on side effects. This ...Read more

Just taking an informal poll today: What were you eating when you cracked a tooth?

My top three answers, which correlate to three new crowns in recent years, are: toffee, a crunchy taco and broccoli cheese soup.

The milk chocolate toffee may have been worth it — probably because I’ll never ever eat toffee again. The taco I have forgiven ...Read more

If Steven Spielberg made a movie about the killer fish that lives in my house, he’d have to call it “Gums.”

That’s because the aggressive little betta that swims in a plastic bowl on the liquor cabinet, which leads me to believe that it drinks like a fish, has no teeth but still wants to devour me.

Every morning, when I drop a food ...Read more

CHICAGO — The Statesmen Market at Kennedy-King College in Chicago's Englewood neighborhood looks and feels like a regular grocery store. Students come in, pick up a cart or basket, and swivel through the aisles, adding apples, noodles, potatoes and milk to their haul. But only students can shop here, and everything is free.

The market — ...Read more

LOS ANGELES — Wi Spa, with its hot and cold tubs, specialty saunas and napping nooks, has long been a beloved L.A. destination for rest and rejuvenation. Now Koreatown's most popular spa is kicking up its wellness offerings, getting ahead of the self-care trend. Or a head of it.

Wi Spa is opening a head spa. It's more than halfway through ...Read more

Our youngest child recently celebrated a milestone birthday. He turned 21, making it official that we are in our parenting-young-adults era.

But what does that mean in a time when the vast majority of children his age still rely on their parents for financial help? A 2024 survey by the Pew Research Center found that among respondents between ...Read more

ORLANDO, Fla. -- Once a week, children at First Academy Preschool in Leesburg, Florida, wear purple vests equipped with electronic devices that work like fitness bracelets. But instead of steps, these devices track the number of conversations each child has with their teacher.

The goal is to help boost the preschoolers’ language skills.

Data...Read more

The garden season in Georgia has already been a blast and Fresco has been my favorite. You no doubt are pondering what Fresco is. Well,

Fresco is a new hydrangea making its debut this year. So, I better get the correct name front and center. It is Fairytrail Fresco Cascade Hydrangea.

So, the fact that The Garden Guy is telling you that I have ...Read more

Dear Anna,

I’m 28 and for the past few years, I’ve been fully committed to the casual hookup lifestyle. I’m bisexual and I’ve had a string of no-strings-attached situationships with people I met on apps — probably a dozen or so in the last two years alone. I was totally fine with it. I wasn’t looking for anything serious, and ...Read more

BALTIMORE — A daunting task awaits a group of sorority sisters who want to make a better neighborhood in the West Baltimore they knew as children.

These women, who grew up and some still have family in and around West North Avenue, have banded together and formed an entity to redevelop vacant and abandoned homes in one of the most battered ...Read more

COLUMBIA, S.C. — Southern history is as rich as a smoked brisket smothered in a thick, tangy sauce and slapped on a paper plate. Students at the University of South Carolina get to learn about both — at the same time.

Last Wednesday, students got to see barbecue in action. At City Limits Barbeque in West Columbia, owner Robbie Robinson ...Read more

Arguably the most famous bachelor turkey in all of Minnesota is a handsome idiot named Lloyd.

Lloyd has a global Facebook fan base of about 48,000 who’ve followed his ridiculous exploits on the farm, such as cluelessly romancing basketballs, sticks and other inanimate objects. Never in his eight years has he been spotted properly mating with ...Read more

ALAMEDA, Calif. — A new World War II exhibit and a long-time war hero of the era were celebrated Monday in Alameda.

Over 50 friends, family, and community members gathered aboard the USS Hornet to recognize the 102nd birthday of Alfred J. Payne, a Sunnyvale resident and last known survivor of the USS Hornet (CV-8).

Payne’s great-...Read more

A male client of mine went on 12 dates with a woman over a few months. (For what it’s worth, if you’re still counting the number of dates at this point, I do have to wonder why.) Regardless, my client is looking for a long-term relationship and he wasn’t sure how this woman felt about that. I encouraged him to tell her what he’s looking ...Read more