LOS ANGELES -- "If you don't have anxiety," stand-up comedian Aparna Nancherla riffs onstage, "the way I would describe it is there's, like, an edgy improv group in your brain and it just needs a one-word suggestion to spin, like, countless scenarios that no one's comfortable with."

Nancherla's candor about this life experience is how she ...Read more

Dear Anna,

My girlfriend and I have been long distance for about a year, and one of the biggest points of tension between us is communication style. She only ever wants to text — she doesn’t like phone calls or FaceTime, even when we’re just catching up. The thing that really drives me up the wall, though, is that when we fight or need to...Read more

A scene straight out of a horror movie greeted researchers when they shined lights on a dark Georgia swamp and saw hundreds of red eyes staring back, photos show.

It happened at the Okefenokee Swamp, as the University of Georgia’s Coastal Ecology Lab was conducting an investigation.

“We shone our lights around the boat basin and down the ...Read more

Coast to Coast in a Flash has made the summer one of the most beautiful in memory. Of course, I’m The Garden Guy and I am talking about plants, not a hasty trip from Columbus, Georgia, to Carmel, California. Though the latter certainly sounds fun.

Coast to Coast is one of the most beautiful hosta varieties in the Shadowlaand series. In fact, ...Read more

If you’re serious about financial security in retirement, you can’t rely on Social Security alone.

For most people, those checks cover only a fraction of their living expenses. According to the Social Security Administration, the average monthly benefit for retired workers as of July 2025 was about $2,000 a month. That barely covers rent ...Read more

Kayla Kimber had a clear goal: Own a home by the time she was 35 years old – partner or no partner.

Two years ago, it was looking tough. In 2023, she was 32, still single and living in her studio apartment with rising rent. She had a car payment to manage, and her savings weren’t where they needed to be. Undaunted, Kimber focused on ...Read more

LOS ANGELES — Serina Diniega always wanted to plant an avocado tree at her Altadena home, but now she worries the creamy green fruit might pose a threat.

Her yard was scorched in the Eaton fire as her block went up in flames. The planetary scientist’s house survived, but unseen contaminants could be lurking in the soil.

“What can I do to...Read more

I was searching for a client on Match.com recently, looking for men in her age range who she might like to send a message to, and I came across this profile:

“I’m tired of being rejected on this site by conceited, snobbish women who proclaim they are looking for an honest, humorous man, when in reality all they are really looking for is a ...Read more

Q. My ex and I broke up 6 months ago. We have two kids, and we share custody. She has just informed me that she wants to start dating other people and I’m going a little crazy. It’s only been 6 months! Isn’t this too soon? What’s good ex-etiquette?

A. Too soon for whom? You or the kids? Probably for both, actually, but I’m not ...Read more

Dear Kid Whisperer,

How do you handle a 17-year-old who refuses to contribute to the household in any way? She doesn’t want to help her siblings or do her chores. She doesn’t have any interest in getting her driver’s license, so there aren’t many privileges that I can take away. She is so unmotivated that I don’t even know if she will...Read more

I’m stealthy about slipping outside each morning to retrieve newspapers from the driveway. I dread someone driving by, lowering their window and yelling, “Get with the times!”

Oh, darlin’, we’re with the Times — and the Journal and the Star and the News. Two papers in print and four online.

Back when an apple was still a fruit and ...Read more

Managing your personal finances can be complicated. Even for experts, refining a budget, paying off high-interest debt and saving for the future is a matter of trial and error. If you’ve ever made a financial mistake along your journey, know it’s very common — 74% of Americans say they have a financial regret, according to Bankrate’s new...Read more

I have often told my wife that I’m like crabgrass: She can’t get rid of me. Now that we have real crabgrass on our lawn, I’m trying to get rid of it.

The problem, according to Vinny, our turf guru, is that I am not spreading fertilizer.

“I’ve been spreading it for years,” I told him.

“I know that,” Vinny said. “But you haven...Read more

HARTFORD, Conn. -- The Connecticut Forest and Park Association’s Master Woodland Manager program is returning for its fifth year this fall with a record-breaking 75 students despite having half the budget it started with last year.

To kick off the fifth year anniversary of the program, CFPA will host a cohort launch at Sessions Woods ...Read more

The week began with Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker standing in front of the Chicago River, flanked by Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson, two U.S. senators and dozens of city and state leaders, urging President Donald Trump not to deploy National Guard troops to Chicago.

“This is not about fighting crime,” Gov. Pritzker told the assembled crowd. “...Read more

Next year you will get a great opportunity to Jazz Up your baskets, containers and boxes with a new Supertunia Vista petunia.

Mention Supertunia Vista petunias and the first to come to mind is the obvious, Bubblegum. I remember years ago giving presentations for Mississippi State University and showing the new Supertunia Vista Bubblegum and ...Read more

YES!!!

Probably half of the questions I get are, “Is it a red flag if (fill in the blank)?” And in many of these cases, based on whatever the “blank” is, it’s not a red flag. It’s a mere preference. For example, “It is a red flag if he has a roommate at age 32?” Probably not. “Is it a red flag if he texts his mother every day?...Read more

LOS ANGELES — Adrian got off to a rocky start in fourth grade last year, missing school frequently, setting him down a path that, research suggests, would lead to academic struggles — and, in the long term, a less successful career and possibly worse health.

But Loma Vista Elementary and the South Whittier School District were tracking ...Read more

OTTAWA, Ill. — Jumping from a plane, not ideal right? Well, the divers at Skydive Chicago would tell you it’s an experience everyone needs to have.

The skydivers met last week for the first time in three years to attempt record-breaking dives. More than 450 people flew out of their planes into different formations in sizes the world hadn’...Read more

LOS ANGELES -- On the second harrowing night of the Palisades fire in January, the security cameras surrounding the Eames House went dark.

"It was a long night," said Eames Demetrios, grandson of designers Charles and Ray Eames and chairman of the board for the Charles & Ray Eames Foundation. "And then later that day the signal came back on." ...Read more