On the day Dolly Parton’s family announced her death, I attended the 10th anniversary celebration for Arts DuPage, a nonprofit that advocates for arts and culture in DuPage County. I had been invited to write and deliver the keynote address about the role that the arts play in keeping our communities thriving and connected.

The news of Parton...Read more

MINNEAPOLIS -- During Operation Metro Surge, Anoka United Church of Christ became a hub for neighbors helping neighbors.

Six months after the surge in immigration enforcement spurred fresh civic engagement in Minnesota, some of the people who first came through the church’s doors to help are still walking in — now for Sunday worship.

Rev. ...Read more

DENVER -- Between the Artemis II moon mission in April, the recent cosmic light shows from solar and lunar eclipses, and the Perseid meteor shower, excitement for real-life astronomy is soaring among kids.

All you have to do, really, is look up. Star-driven, Hollywood blockbusters such as Matt Damon’s “The Martian” and Ryan Gosling’s �...Read more

If ever a summer called for tough-as-nails flowers in the landscape, it is 2026. As I write this, I am staring at a forecast with more triple-digit days ahead than I can bear. I grew up in West Texas, and 100-degree days in the summer were the norm. In Georgia the humidity adds its own touch to the misery index. These days beg for award-winning ...Read more

CHICAGO -- Ashli Watts’ gaze drifted between her children, attention split between her toddler in the chair in front of her and the three-month-old in her arms. They were part of the reason she sat in an academic building in Englewood Tuesday morning, listening intently, then smiling at the announcement she hopes will help her change the lives...Read more

LEXINGTON, Ky. -- Kentuckians from all walks of life publicly mourned Dolly Parton’s death Tuesday, sharing photos, memories and tributes on social media that honored her as a philanthropist, musician, actress and spreader of sunshine.

Kentucky author Silas House shared a link where people can donate to Parton’s Imagination Library, which ...Read more

Dear Anna,

I'm 23, and I've been with my girlfriend for about a year and a half. It’s my first real relationship and I love her, genuinely. She stuck by me through a rough stretch when I was dealing with some family stuff, and I don't take that for granted. Things aren't bad most of the time. We laugh together, we're comfortable, we care ...Read more

Years ago, I had a client who was on Hinge, and someone she was interested in had a really cute picture of himself with a golden retriever. It was his last picture—the sixth of six. So, when she reached out to him, she said, appropriately, “What a cute pup! What’s his/her name?” Simple, cute, easy.

The guy replied (yay!) and, rather ...Read more

Parents with college-age children are preparing them for a rite of passage: moving into a dorm. But what do students need before heading off to college? We made a list of must-have essentials to make that transition to campus living as easy as possible.

We looked at recommendations from Amazon and New York Magazine to compile necessary items, ...Read more

Five police cars with flashing lights blocked the southern portion of a major intersection. Broken glass, debris and twisted metal spread as far as the eye could see. Partial remains of a horribly disfigured SUV sat on a flat bed. A mangled sedan was on its side in the middle of the pavement.

News reports said an SUV with four passengers ran a ...Read more

Q: My child repeats everything her mother tells her. The problem is that her mother is very angry. I had an affair and eventually told my wife and left. I am a demon in my ex's eyes, and she's trying to convince our daughter to hate me. I understand why my ex is so angry, but making our child hate me isn't going to do anyone any good. What's ...Read more

Dear Kid Whisperer,

My 12-year-old struggles with boredom. She is very smart, and when she’s not stimulated, she gets bored very easily. When she’s not on her tablet, she’s basically bored instantly. I’m not sure what to do to keep her stimulated at home.

Answer: This is one of those answers that I must preface with the following: The ...Read more

PITTSBURGH -- Pizza means a lot of different things to different people.

For most of us, it’s a beloved comfort food that brings instant, cheesy joy when delivered piping hot to your doorstep for dinner or a late-night snack.

When crafted from long-fermented dough and topped with high-quality, locally sourced ingredients, it can make us feel...Read more

If there was one thing I had in common with our old storm door, aside from the fact that we both let in hot air, it’s that we were becoming unhinged. One of us had to go, so I showed the door the door.

It gave me an opening to avoid serious injury should the door fall on my head, in which case the glass would be shattered and the frame bent ...Read more

PHILADELPHIA -- Linden Curhart describes his home as a “spider web of connections.”

There’s his husband, Teddy Ullrey-Curhart, whom Curhart met when he was an isolated teenager growing up in a conservative town in Virginia. The two always dreamed of getting married, and in June they celebrated their 13-year commitment in a big pink ...Read more

JJ Apodaca sent the drone up over the ridge because he had to see for himself.

It had been a month since the remnants of Hurricane Helene brought torrential rain to the mountains of Western North Carolina, and the only road into Hickory Nut Gorge was gone.

Apodaca climbed the next mountain over, launched the drone, and watched the screen as it...Read more

Perfect Score, Director’s Select, Best of the Best and Leader of the Pack are just a few of the awards for Superlophus. I’m also reasonably sure you are thinking: What is a Superlophus?

Superlophus Sunglow is the official name botanically known as an Oenothera commonly called Texas primrose. That’s right: This golden yellow flower that is...Read more

TAMPA, Fla. — Years from now, it might not be so common to be the one controlling the steering wheel in your own car.

Or at least that’s what Elon Musk thinks.

“Ten years from now probably 90% of all distance driven will be driven by the AI in a self-driving car,” Musk, the Tesla co-founder and CEO, said this May.

Musk’s unmanned ...Read more

I don’t consider myself an acolyte of “Let Them,” a theory popularized by self-help guru Mel Robbins that invites you to protect your own peace by letting other people behave however obtusely they’d like — no skin off your back.

It’s a little reductive for my taste. A little conflict-avoidant. Healthy, probably, at times. Bordering ...Read more

Dear Anna,

I went on a date with a couple recently. I’ve been a unicorn before, so I’m not completely new to the experience, but I wasn’t sure whether it was something I still wanted — and, honestly, I’m still not sure. The date itself was fine! We had fun, and afterward I wanted to see them again, so told them as much. But now I’m ...Read more