At the start of 2025, Episcopal Bishop Mariann Edgar Budde led a prayer service at Washington’s National Cathedral. President Donald Trump had just taken the oath of office, and Budde had a plea.

“I ask you to have mercy, Mr. President, on those in our communities whose children fear that their parents will be taken away,” she said. “...Read more

LOS ANGELES — Every morning while the great apes of the L.A. Zoo are sleeping, Tania Prebble goes around distributing their food, medicine and other essentials.

She tosses carrots, celery and other fibrous treats like cucumbers on top of the branches and leaves that are reminiscent of the apes' West Central Africa rainforest habitat.

But as ...Read more

Q: My ex and I just broke up. I know, great time of year. Obviously, it was a surprise to me. So, here's what I am facing: I've been invited to a New Year's Eve party and I'm sure he'll be there with his new girlfriend. I want to go, but I already feel embarrassed and awkward, and I have no idea how to handle it. What's good ex-etiquette?

A: A ...Read more

If you’ve had a cold recently, you know the drill: You drag yourself to the store and prepare to spend the next four days scanning row after row of cold meds. By the time you find the meds that fit your symptoms, your cold will be gone.

All the fine-print ingredients and warnings on the boxes, bottles and origami folded sheets of paper inside...Read more

Note that I do not take Urban Dictionary as gospel (I’d have problems if I did!), but when it comes to defining the word “dating,” the usually off-color site does a pretty good job. One of the (many!) definitions says,“…to be in the early stages of a relationship where they go out on dates to find out what each other is like, as a ...Read more

This coming new year will be a celebration for all loropetalum lovers. Jazz Hands Variegated will be honored as Proven Winners' "Heat Loving Shrub of the Year." This is "hands" down the most beautiful loropetalum in the marketplace. Just looking at it for a few minutes will cause you to fall madly in love with it.

Loropetalums have the common ...Read more

I used to think, because I’m a kid at heart, and even more so at head, that I have the maturity level of a 9-year-old.

But I don’t think so anymore because a 9-year-old, who happens to be one of my grandchildren, thinks my jokes are stupid.

This was made abundantly clear when the sweet, smart and sassy girl, who is wise beyond her years, ...Read more

Dear Kid Whisperer,

I’ve always used Class Dojo to give positive behavior points, and I’ve had a class store as well to cash in their points for activities and prizes. I’ve never felt great about flooding the kids with prizes for expected behavior and it rarely works for difficult students anyway, but where do the rewards stand in the ...Read more

DENVER -- It took less than a week for Boulder, Colorado, artist Jenny McCarty’s new project to evolve from good-hearted “micro-activism” to a national phenomenon that’s tapped widespread anger with recent changes to the National Parks Service.

“With the design that came out for the 2026 National Parks passes, they took away people’...Read more

PHILADELPHIA -- The Philadelphia region is brimming with holiday attractions this season, from Center City’s extravagant affairs to the most humble of mall Santas.

But what about ones that skirt tradition and lean more into the humorous than the Yuletide?

Christmas House at the Deptford Mall in New Jersey combines nostalgia with irreverence ...Read more

LOS ANGELES -- On a nippy Monday night at the Zebulon in Frogtown, a man wearing a Jason Voorhees T-shirt steps onto a purple-lighted stage and stands next to a drum set. Audience members, seated in neat rows and cradling cocktails, enthusiastically applaud.

Then they look toward a glowing projector screen. Some clutch their pens, ready to take...Read more

LOS ANGELES — The church members gathered around the room, holding hands. They bowed their heads and closed their eyes, waiting for words of comfort.

"We pray for the people who have lost their homes," said Pastor Connie Larson DeVaughn, standing near the center. "The marathon of it, it's harrowing. Harrowing, and stressful."

After a few ...Read more

First comes love. Then comes marriage. And for around 670,000 couples per year, then comes divorce.

While you’re thinking about the holiday season, the nation’s divorce attorneys are already looking ahead to another kind of season: divorce season. Sadly, if not surprisingly, filings tend to go up in January after the holidays are done, ...Read more

A few weeks ago I wrote about the lasting influence of my mom making space and time for things she loved when I was a kid — a bit of modeling I’m so grateful for now, as I take stock of the relationships and pursuits that mean the most to me in midlife.

I also asked readers for stories of the people who shaped them. So many poured in that I...Read more

Several months ago, The Garden Guy told you about a new Supertunia Vista making its debut in 2026. The color is rare in the garden, especially in petunias. It is called Supertunia Vista Cool Jazz. The Vista series has become the go-to for petunias in both the landscape and containers, which means you should be able to find them at your garden ...Read more

Dear Anna,

I’m stuck in an uncomfortable spot between two people I care about, and I don’t know how to handle it without blowing something up.

My partner and my closest friend recently got into a pretty heated argument. It wasn’t about our relationship or someone crossing some huge moral line — it was more a clash of personalities and ...Read more

Q: My extended family always asks me nosy questions around the holiday season. Is there a way I can tell them not to? And if that doesn’t work, what should I say when they ask? I really don’t want to talk about my love life with them. Thanks!

A: I get it. Even if they have the best intentions, it feels so personal, and often invasive, to be...Read more

Q: The holidays are coming, and this is my first-year post-breakup. I'm stressed, more emotional than I have ever been, and overwhelmed and not looking forward to interacting with my children's mother. What's good ex-etiquette when you're trying to manage your own stress while co-parenting through the holidays?

A: The holidays amplify ...Read more