Slavery museum in Liverpool aims to confront painful legacy
LIVERPOOL, England — Scarlet shackles sit peacefully on display in front of a sad, gray backdrop. The now rusted leg irons once locked human ankles du...
Winter cacti are hard to name but easy to grow
Years ago, I had one of those spineless cacti that once a year splash colorful flowers out the ends of their flat, arching stems. Such plants are usua...
Forget wrapped presents, try wrapping wreaths instead
CONCORD, N.H. — Wrapped presents belong under the tree, but wrapped wreaths on doors or walls also can add to holiday decor.
Hallmark’s flip-flop on same-sex ads backfires
NEW YORK — The Hallmark Channel's decision to pull, then reinstate a commercial that featured a same-sex couple kissing shows how controversy can gene...
Smart holiday shopping: Avoiding fake reviews and tricky ads
NEW YORK — There are lots of bargains online during the holidays, but also plenty of ways to get scammed, even at established outlets like Amazon.
Paid parental leave for fed workers could spur wider changes
WASHINGTON — The federal government’s 2.1 million employees will get paid parental leave for the first time, a galvanizing moment in the growing movem...
Liz Weston: How to make your money biases work for you
The way our brains work can cost us a lot of money. But some of our mental quirks can be turned to our advantage.
Audubon’s annual Christmas Bird Count stronger than ever
Ít's been 120 years since New York ornithologist Frank Chapman launched his Christmas Bird Count as a bold new alternative to what had been a longtim...
Sharing a family meal can help those with dementia connect
Long before Tim Hollingsworth earned the James Beard Foundation's Rising Star Chef of the Year award and served as chef de cuisine at French Laundry,...
White gold: Cyprus’ halloumi cheese entangled in politics
NICOSIA, Cyprus — Dairy farmers on Cyprus refer to halloumi as “white gold.” The salty, rubbery cheese made from goats' and sheep's milk and prized fo...
AP PHOTOS: St. Nicholas and devils parade in Czech villages
VALASSKA POLANKA, Czech Republic — Dozens of people in grim reaper and devil costumes accompany St. Nicholas on his journey through the village of Val...
Billy Joel, Kardashians Diplo descend on Miami for Art Basel
MIAMI BEACH, Fla. — As gallerists and collectors descend on Miami's most prestigious art fair by day, the Hollywood crowd knows it's all about the exc...
Let’s cancel ‘OK Boomer’ in 2020, and the humblebrag, too
NEW YORK — Either loudly sing your own praises or don’t in the new year, but let’s leave the humble brag behind, along with a few other oversaturated,...
ASK A DESIGNER: Design-friendly holiday gifts they’ll love
Home decor accessories can make great hostess gifts or holiday gifts, but how do you choose something you know the recipient will want?
Sneakers star at glamorous parties around Art Basel Miami
MIAMI BEACH, Fla. — Fashion has always played a starring role at the glamorous weeklong parties surrounding Art Basel Miami. This year it’s all about ...
Holiday money-saving strategies that can backfire
Holiday marketers have your number, and they know how to entice you to spend.
Classic Blue is Pantone Color Institute’s color of the year
NEW YORK — In these uneasy times, as we move along to a new decade, the Pantone Color Institute has reached back in time to calming, confident Classic...
Once-a-month birth control pill? Experiment works in animals
WASHINGTON — Birth control pills work great if women remember to take them every day but missing doses can mean a surprise pregnancy. Now scientists h...
Egyptian government seeks to do away with popular tuk-tuks
CAIRO — Motorized rickshaws known as tuk-tuks have ruled the streets of Cairo’s slums for the past two decades, squeezing through dusty alleys, dodgin...
Miami Beach scene inspires Dior’s first US runway show
MIAMI BEACH, Fla. — Kim Jones was clearly inspired by Miami’s pastel beach scene as he designed his men’s fall 2020 collection for Christian Dior. Tue...
DeVos calls for making financial aid unit a separate agency
Education Secretary Betsy DeVos says Congress should consider splitting her department’s financial aid operation into a separate federal agency with t...
Bring spring indoors early — very early — by forcing bulbs
Daffodils sitting on a windowsill against a backdrop of white snow make a fragrant and pretty midwinter scene. This picture, with bulbs “forced” for e...
Bohemia lives on at New York City’s famed Hotel Chelsea
When Colin Miller and Ray Mock set out to document the remaining inhabitants of Hotel Chelsea, the bohemian haven where Jackson Pollock, Andy Warhol, ...
Liz Weston: It’s time to let go of shame over your debt
Many of us feel bad about our debt. Most of us probably shouldn’t.
Ballroom dancers say immigration clampdown hurting business
ORANGE, Conn. — When no Americans replied to her multiple help-wanted ads for a dance instructor, Connecticut studio owner Chris Sabourin looked overs...
Head start on holiday deals tempers Black Friday frenzy
NEW YORK — Black Friday enthusiasts woke up before dawn and traveled cross-state to their favorite malls in search of hot deals, kicking off a shorten...
Black Friday frenzy goes global - and not everyone’s happy
PARIS — People don’t celebrate Thanksgiving in France, or Russia, or South Africa - but they do shop on Black Friday.
After wind scare, balloons fly in Macy’s Thanksgiving parade
NEW YORK — The beloved balloons flew, but lower than usual, in a windy Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade after an anxious weather watch.
From modest beginnings, Washington now a force in wine world
SPOKANE, Wash. — When Craig and Vicki Leuthold opened the Maryhill Winery in 2001, there were about 100 wineries in the state of Washington.
Tiffany is latest jewel for French luxury group LVMH’s crown
PARIS — French luxury group LVMH has agreed to buy New York jeweler Tiffany & Co. for $16.2 billion, adding a famed star to its portfolio that alr...