Small US groups combat historic levels of social isolation Posted January 24, 2026 Americans are disconnected from each other at historic levels, buffeted by what a former surgeon general calls an “epidemic of loneliness.” “Loneliness is one of …
Baltimore cyclist finds joy in collecting lost hubcaps and stringing them into art Posted January 19, 2026 Cyclist Barnaby Wickham has collected more than 700 lost hubcaps, mostly on bike rides around Baltimore. They have inspired a quest to turn litter into art, inclu…
Merriam-Webster’s 2025 word of the year is ‘slop’ Posted January 15, 2026 Creepy, zany, and demonstrably fake content is often called "slop." The word's proliferation online, in part thanks to the widespread availabilit…
Vermont rescue team sees increase in calls as social media lures skiers into danger Posted January 12, 2026 A rescue team that covers Vermont’s tallest mountain has seen a rise in calls from inexperienced skiers who end up getting lost and in dangerous locations after being infl…
Incarcerated writers are now able to connect with literary world through new PEN America site Posted December 28, 2025 Writers in U.S. prisons now have a new path to getting their work seen through a website managed by PEN America that includes information on publishers, agents, journalists, and o…
Australian prisoner sues for his ‘human right’ to eat Vegemite Posted December 20, 2025 A prisoner is challenging an Australian state's ban on inmates eating Vegemite, claiming in a lawsuit that withholding the polarizing yeast-based spread breaches his human right t…
German Baumkuchen ‘tree cake’ survived a disaster and world wars to become a Japanese favorite Posted December 13, 2025 Baumkuchen originated in Germany but has become a wildly popular sweet in Japan, where a prisoner of war (POW) on a small western island started making the treat that has thrived …
German scents exhibition combines 1,000 years of fragrances with art and history Posted November 30, 2025 Ever wondered what history smells like? Or ponder the odor of love, or the stench of medieval Paris, or the sacred fragrance of …
Millions of Indians celebrate Diwali, the Hindu festival of lights Posted November 23, 2025 Millions of Indians celebrated Diwali in October as lamps illuminated homes and streets across the country to mark the Hindu festival symbolizing the victory of light over darknes…
Abandoned dogs in Ethiopia’s capital get little care. A woman wants to change that Posted November 7, 2025 Among the whimpering of rescued dogs, a soft whistle cuts through. It’s Feven Melese, a young woman hoping to support thousands of abandoned dogs on the streets o…