For a decidedly atheist political organization, China’s ruling Communist Party is fond of talking about its origins in religious terms. In party literature and state media, former revolutionary bases are labeled “holy sites,” and the almost obligatory visits to such locations by the rank and file are meant to “baptize” members in the Communist “faith.”
Continue ReadingPizza Hut is bringing back one of its most famous pizzas, more than a decade after it left menus. The Edge, a thin-crust pizza “packed with toppings all the way to the edge,” is now available for $12.99. Pizza Hut first released The Edge in 1997 and it has made a few rare appearances since
Continue ReadingAs Hurricane Matthew whipped up Florida’s Atlantic coast in 2016, Beth Williby got scared. “That hurricane, in particular, just got my back up,” the Jacksonville mom of four recalled. “So, I did what any modern woman would do, and I Googled: Who do you pray to for protection from hurricanes?” Her top result delivered the
Continue ReadingThe gruesome discovery took decades and for some survivors of the Kamloops Indian Residential School in Canada, the confirmation that children as young as 3 were buried on school grounds crystallizes the sorrow they have carried all their lives. “I lost my heart, it was so much hurt and pain to finally hear, for the
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From wrestling alligators to feuding with game show host Bob Barker on tour, no one quite draws a crowd like “Happy Gilmore.” Twenty five years since Adam Sandler propelled golf into the cinematic zeitgeist with his role as a neurotic hockey player who finds out he has a talent for the game, stars including Rory
Continue ReadingFormer Southwest Airlines pilot Michael Haak, 60, was sentenced to one year of probation last week after pleading guilty to committing a lewd, indecent, or obscene act during a flight he was piloting last summer, according to a news release from the US Attorney’s Office for the District of Maryland. According to the release, as
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While people may assume only those who are overweight have to worry about the impact of a fatty heart, the reality is that thin people can also have this sometimes life-threatening condition. Excess pericardial fat, which surrounds the heart, increases the risk of heart failure — more so in women than in men — regardless
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Rabbit, rabbit! It’s a new month, which means a brand new chance to make your own luck. Why do we say rabbit rabbit, anyway? Here’s what you need to know to Get Up to Speed and On with Your Day. (You can also get “5 Things You Need to Know Today” delivered to your inbox
Continue ReadingSinéad O’Connor reportedly is explaining why she infamously ripped up a photo of Pope John Paul II during a 1992 performance on “Saturday Night Live.” The Irish singer-songwriter says she’d removed the photo of the then-Pontiff from her mother’s bedroom wall after the elder woman died, according to an excerpt of O’Connor’s forthcoming memoir, “Rememberings,”
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After notching recent wins in their long hunt for material to help bring legal accountability to former President Donald Trump, congressional Democrats fear the Biden administration won’t be helpful when it comes to obtaining the documents they covet the most: Trump’s tax returns. Critics of the former President have demanded a response to what they
Continue ReadingThere’s no doubt that relationships were tested during the pandemic, as many people limited social interactions and worked remotely. But how much distance is too much? And are some of those relationships worth rekindling or are we better off without people we grew apart from? Jennifer Scott, 43, deleted a Facebook account she’s had for
Continue Reading A special congressional election in New Mexico on Tuesday poses an early test of whether Republicans’ strategy of latching Democratic candidates to their party’s most progressive police reform proposals will help the GOP win control of the House in next year’s midterms. Democratic state Rep. Melanie Stansbury and Republican state Sen. Mark Moores are facing
Continue Reading As the US celebrated Memorial Day, health experts celebrated that more than half of the population was at least partially vaccinated — but reminded the public there is work to still be done to keep the next holiday safe from Covid-19 as well. “It’s great news that people can see their friends, they feel comfortable
Continue ReadingA 17-year veteran of the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department in California has died after being shot in the line of duty Monday, the department said. Sgt. Dominic Vaca, 43, was shot after pursuing a motorcycle without a license plate, San Bernardino Sheriff John McMahon said in a video statement posted to Twitter. Vaca died
Continue Reading As the US celebrated Memorial Day, health experts celebrated that more than half of the population was at least partially vaccinated — but reminded the public there is work to still be done to keep the next holiday safe from Covid-19 as well. “It’s great news that people can see their friends, they feel comfortable
Continue ReadingStudents from an Islamic school in the north-central Nigerian state of Niger were indiscriminately shot and abducted Sunday by a group of “armed bandits,” state police said in a statement. At least one person was confirmed dead in the latest string of school kidnapping raids the country has seen this year. Yaro Alhassan, the Salihu
Continue ReadingMonde Nissin has made stock market history as it works to get more people to eat its noodles and fake chicken. The maker of Lucky Me! instant noodles, an iconic brand in Southeast Asia, and meat substitute Quorn went public in the Philippines on Tuesday, raising 48.6 billion Philippine pesos (about $1 billion). That marked
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For the first time in over a year, millions of Americans are gathering for a major holiday without masks or physical distancing — safely. But the majority of Americans still aren’t fully vaccinated, leading to the possibility of yet another post-holiday spike of coronavirus infections. “To people who are traveling and people who have been
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