PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) — Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro (D) and Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle Parker (D) were joined by celebrities and community leaders at the National Constitution Center on Wednesday night for a celebration 50 years in the making.
In the introduction to “The New Yorker Index 1992,” a twenty-page catalogue of everything the magazine published that year, the staff writer John McPhee acknowledged a ritual familiar to many New Yorker readers: tackling a stack of unread issues. Instead of catching up at home, he’d schlep his copies up to New Hampshire and read in the middle of a lake, while lying in a canoe. With those issues dispatched, he’d call the New Yorker office and ask the librarian for help locating other stories he wanted to read: “Hello, Helen, in what issue did [the staff writer Thomas] Whiteside tee up the American latex tomato? Whose was the thing about the grass at Wimbledon?” (The thing was McPhee’s, of course.)
Exploring past New Yorker pieces is now a lot easier (and more portable). As of this week, our full archive is available to read at newyorker.com. On top of what was previously accessible, we’ve added more than a hundred thousand articles from more than four thousand issues, a stack hefty enough to sink your canoe. Not only is everything from the 1992 index accounted for—Susan Orlean on the inner workings of a supermarket, Talk of the Town stories about “urinals (art)” and “urinals (not art)”—but also John Updike’s 1961 short story “A & P” and Calvin Tomkins’s Profile of Marcel Duchamp. There’s work by Jorge Luis Borges and Susan Sontag, Ralph Ellison and Louise Glück. There are articles about Frank Sinatra and Michael Jordan, royals and rock stars, cowboys and clowns. All in all, there are more than thirty-one thousand Talk of the Town stories; twenty-four hundred Reporter at Large pieces; more than thirteen thousand works of fiction and fourteen thousand poems; three thousand Letters from everywhere, from Abu Dhabi to Zimbabwe; and fifteen hundred “Annals of” everything, from “haberdashery” to “veterinary medicine.”
While the complete digital archive may not have the same charm as magazines piled on the nightstand, there is now a single home for every issue—a place to peruse covers, scan tables of contents, and choose what to read next. Better still, if you don’t happen to have the phone number of our librarian, upgraded search capabilities allow you to hunt down “Whiteside” or “Wimbledon,” “vaping” or “vampires,” and sort results by date of publication. We’ve also made use of A.I. to add short summaries where they didn’t previously appear, making it easier to discern what an article is about. (This is, after all, a magazine in which the headline “Measure for Measure” might lead to an essay not on Shakespeare’s comedy but on the rise of the metric system.)
The magazine’s centenary celebrations, which kicked off in February, provide a wonderful occasion to get reacquainted with our rich history. Whether you are looking for something specific, going down a rabbit hole, or simply catching up, the newly expanded archive is designed to make a hundred years of writing more accessible than ever. Subscribers enjoy unlimited access; if you aren’t a subscriber yet, become one today.
We’ll continue to highlight some of our past favorites in the Classics newsletter, on our home page, and elsewhere, but consider this an open invitation to dive into the archive on your own. If you do choose to read on the water, please be careful—an iPad dropped overboard won’t hold up quite as well as a copy of the print magazine. ♦
Abbie Kamin, the council member for District C, smiled as the cheers began to fade. Flanking her left and right were Laura Lee and Mark Speer, their guitars humming beneath the lights, while behind them Donald Johnson Jr. kept time to the steady pulse of August 10.
“Through their dedication to artistry, authenticity, and community, they continue to inspire musicians and fans worldwide while enhancing our city’s reputation as a global center for creativity and cultural exchange,” said the councilwoman, raising her voice above the murmurs of the packed crowd inside the Heights Theater. As her tone lifted, the band swelled with her, their rhythm pulsing in sync with her words.
Kamin’s speech built toward the moment everyone had been waiting for. Introducing herself and John Whitmire, she was met with a quick wave of boos at the mention of the Mayor before the crowd returned its focus. Then came the words that flipped the room from protest to pure celebration.
“We hereby proclaim November 6, 2025, as Khruangbin Day!”
The band played for a sold-out crowd at the heights theater Credit: Jennifer Lake
The cheers erupted as Houston’s own Khruangbin, the band that has carried the city’s sound across the world, did what they’ve always done best: play.
It’s been ten years since Khruangbin released The Universe Smiles Upon You, the debut album that introduced their airy mix of soul, funk, and global influences to the world. What began as quiet jam sessions inside a barn in Burton, Texas has evolved into one of the most distinct sounds in modern music.
The trio, made up of bassist Laura Lee, guitarist Mark Speer, and drummer Donald “DJ” Johnson Jr., built their identity on texture and restraint. There are no flashy solos or sudden climaxes, only rhythm, space, and the kind of patience that lets a groove tell its own story. Their early work pulled from Thai funk and surf rock, but over time their palette expanded. Con Todo El Mundo brought in Middle Eastern melodies, Mordechai added vocals and color, and their most recent album A La Sala feels like a homecoming, blending everything they have learned into something simple and sincere.
No matter how far their tours have taken them, whether to Glastonbury, Red Rocks, or Japan, Houston remains stitched into the fabric of what they do. The way the bass and drums lock in feels like a slow Southern heartbeat, and the way Speer’s guitar floats on top feels like humid air over the Gulf. Their music moves like this city does, easy but full of purpose.
It was no different Thursday night as the Heights Theater welcomed the band to celebrate the ten-year anniversary of their debut album. Performing singles like Two Fish and an Elephant, White Gloves, and People Everywhere (Still Alive) gave longtime fans a reminder of what first drew them in. But the trio also made sure to reach across their catalog, playing songs such as Maria También, August 12, and Balls and Pins that highlight how much their sound has evolved while keeping its signature warmth.
Credit: Jennifer Lake
“The butterflies are still jumping,” laughed Mark Speer as he looked out at the crowd. “It’s a very electric feeling in here tonight. I want to thank y’all for sticking with us the past ten years and helping us ring in this special occasion.”
The celebration of ten years of Khruangbin felt less like a concert and more like a homecoming. Every song carried a sense of ease, the kind that comes from a band fully comfortable in its own skin. The audience responded in kind, swaying, nodding, and cheering through each groove as if the music were something shared rather than performed.
Between songs, Lee flashed quiet smiles toward the front rows while Johnson held the rhythm steady, his subtle drum patterns gluing everything together. Speer’s guitar tone, warm and deliberate, filled the room like conversation. It was the sound of three people who trust each other completely, still finding joy in the simplicity of playing together.
For Houston, Khruangbin Day is more than a symbolic honor. It’s a reminder that the city’s creativity doesn’t always come wrapped in bright lights or loud noise. Sometimes it sounds like a quiet groove played with intention. Over the past decade, Khruangbin has carried Houston’s rhythm across the world, showing that its pulse can move through any genre or border. Ten years later, that rhythm still feels like home.
Setlist
Two Fish and an Elephant
August 12
Evan Finds the Third Room
August 10
Balls and Pins
Más y Más (“Josito y Maria” jam)
Morricone Interlude (The Good, The Bad and The Ugly theme)
People Everywhere (Still Alive)
White Gloves
Dern Kala
Mr. White
Maria También
A Tribute to Yellow Magic Orchestra (Firecracker / Rydeen medley)
Having just commemorated two years since Oct. 7, 2023, we’re now approaching another grim anniversary—Feb. 24, four years since Russia invaded Ukraine. For all of President Trump’s shortcomings, he deserves credit for recognizing that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was vulnerable after having overreached by bombing Qatar. The president leveraged Bibi’s weakness to force a cease-fire. Russia is in a similarly vulnerable position after the failure of its third offensive against Ukraine, yet Mr. Trump has failed to exploit this weakness. This raises the question: Why is Mr. Trump reluctant to take advantage of
Vladimir Putin’s helplessness?
In February, Mr. Trump berated Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky: “You don’t have the cards.” Yet from nearly every angle and measure, it’s Russia whose hand is weak. Mr. Putin is more vulnerable today than at any point in his three decades on the global stage. Either Mr. Trump’s sixth sense for using leverage is failing him, or some strange fondness for the Russian president’s strongman persona is preventing him from appreciating the strategic opportunity that lies before him.
The summer blockbuster film “changed popular culture in ways that are still reverberating today”
Credit: Photo by Chris Nichols
When it was released in the summer of 1975, Jaws established the new norm of what a blockbuster movie should be, and fifty years later, it remains a cultural touchstone across generations of moviegoers. Steven Spielberg’s shark-infested classic is the subject of a massive new exhibition newly opened at the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures. Jaws: The Exhibition is “The first large-scale exhibition dedicated to a single motion picture,” museum president Amy Homma said at a preview. “Jaws is the summer blockbuster that changed popular culture in ways that are still reverberating today.”
Credit: Photo by Chris NicholsCredit: Photo by Chris Nichols
While some disaster movies like The Towering Inferno and Earthquake had made waves, the previous year’s crop of films saw family comedies like Benji, Herbie Rides Again and Young Frankenstein topping the charts. Mel Brooks’ Blazing Saddles was the highest-grossing movie of 1974. Jaws was a whole new kind of cinematic experience, only to be topped by Star Wars a couple of years later. Today, studios count on their summer tentpoles to drive much of the year’s business.
Credit: Photo by Chris NicholsCredit: Photo by Chris Nichols
The star of the new exhibition was already waiting in the wings of the museum. The 25’ fiberglass shark hanging above the entrance, the largest single object in the museum’s collection, was saved from a junkyard and restored in 2021. The extraordinary display of artifacts includes iconic elements from the movie, including sections of the Orca boat, the costumes Richard Dreyfuss, Robert Shaw and Roy Scheider wore and the shark’s dorsal fin with the rig that allowed it to swim into frame, terrifying audiences whenever it appeared onscreen. The big shark, Homma says, has become the “mascot” of the museum.
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Credit: Photo by Chris Nichols
Visitors can use a rig to recreate the famous dolly zoom shot of Chief Brody on the beach, learn notes from the iconic John Williams score on the keyboard, and even try their hand at piloting a miniature of the mechanical shark.
Credit: Photo by Chris Nichols
The props and costumes in the show, which runs through next July, were sourced from the archives of collectors all over the world who “knew something I didn’t know,” Steven Spielberg said at the museum. “When we shot the opening scene of Chrissie Watkins being taken by the shark, we had a buoy floating in the water. How did anybody know to take the buoy and take it home and sit on it for fifty years? And then loan it to the Academy. How could they know?”
Credit: Photo by Chris Nichols
Spielberg recalled the travails of filming on the open water of the Atlantic Ocean with a finicky mechanical shark. “It was a real exercise in hubris and futility. I thought my career was virtually over halfway through production,” the legendary director said. “Everbody was saying to me ‘you are never going to get hired again. This film is way over budget and way over schedule and you are a real liability as a director.’ I thought I’d better give this my all because I’m not working in the industry again after they see the movie. Fortune smiled on us.”
On Tuesday, California celebrated 175 years of statehood.In honor of the anniversary, California State Parks hosted a big block party at the Capitol.Thousands attended California’s big birthday bash, featuring food trucks, California-grown treats, activities, and a laser light display.See updates from the block party around 6 p.m. in the video below:Organizers said the highlight was the laser show featuring 31 laser space cannons in honor of California becoming America’s 31st state in 1850.To start the block party Tuesday evening, the state’s first partner, Jennifer Siebel Newsom, joined the community.There were archive tours, entertainment, and some State Parks workers and volunteers were dressed in period attire as they discussed California’s history.The State Parks director said it’s all about celebrating California’s Indigenous roots in the Golden State.”This is about more than just a block party, the 175th anniversary of California becoming a state is really about belonging. This is where you live, this is your home, the whole state is where you belong,” Armando Quintero said. Watch a livestream of the laser show in the video player below:See more coverage of top California stories here | Download our app | Subscribe to our morning newsletter | Find us on YouTube here and subscribe to our channel
SACRAMENTO, Calif. —
On Tuesday, California celebrated 175 years of statehood.
In honor of the anniversary, California State Parks hosted a big block party at the Capitol.
Thousands attended California’s big birthday bash, featuring food trucks, California-grown treats, activities, and a laser light display.
See updates from the block party around 6 p.m. in the video below:
Organizers said the highlight was the laser show featuring 31 laser space cannons in honor of California becoming America’s 31st state in 1850.
To start the block party Tuesday evening, the state’s first partner, Jennifer Siebel Newsom, joined the community.
There were archive tours, entertainment, and some State Parks workers and volunteers were dressed in period attire as they discussed California’s history.
The State Parks director said it’s all about celebrating California’s Indigenous roots in the Golden State.
“This is about more than just a block party, the 175th anniversary of California becoming a state is really about belonging. This is where you live, this is your home, the whole state is where you belong,” Armando Quintero said.
Watch a livestream of the laser show in the video player below:
This content is imported from YouTube.
You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site.
Warren Buffett pictured at Dairy Queen, one of his favorite restaurants, in September 2010. Frederic J. Brown/AFP via Getty Images
Warren Buffett turns 95 years old today (Aug. 30). The billionaire investor’s diet, however, has never quite grown up. His devotion for Coca-Cola is well known, as is his fondness for ice cream, candy and hamburgers. Buffett has never tried to hide it. “I found everything I like to eat by the time I was six,” he told CNBC in a 2023 interview. “I mean, why should I fool around with all these other foods?”
The Berkshire Hathaway chairman has built one of the world’s largest fortunes. But when it comes to food, he keeps it simple. While other billionaires might celebrate a milestone birthday with a lavish meal, Buffett is more likely to be found at McDonald’s or a local Omaha steakhouse.
Here’s a look at some of the Oracle of Omaha’s favorite orders:
Gorat’s Steak House
Gorat’s is known as Warren Buffett’s favorite steakhouse. Photo by Mark Miller/The Washington Post via Getty Images
Buffett is such a loyal customer of Gorat’s Steak House in Omaha, Neb. that the restaurant has become a tourist attraction. Each May, during Berkshire Hathaway’s annual shareholder meeting, Buffett fans flood Gorat’s, generating as much as one to two months of sales in just a few days.
The menu ranges from $12 onion rings to a $99 lobster dinner. But most visitors stick to Buffett’s go-to: a rare T-bone steak with a double side of hash browns, a cherry Coke and, occasionally, a root beer float.
Smith & Wollensky
Smith & Wollensky hosted Buffet’s annual “Power Lunch” between 2000 and 2022. AFP via Getty Images
Steak, hash browns and a cherry Coke is also Buffett’s standard order at Smith & Wollenksy, the New York steakhouse that hosted his annual “Power Lunch” auctions between 2000 and 2022. Proceeds benefited the Glide Foundation, a San Francisco nonprofit. While winners paid just over $25,000 in the early years, bids regularly topped $1 million after 2008. The final lunch set a record at $19 million.
Some of those meals fell on Buffett’s birthday. In 2018, the restaurant marked his 88th with a Coca-Cola-themed cake. A year earlier, Smith & Wollensky had baked a dessert decorated with some of his favorite treats.
Piccolo Pete’s
Not every charity lunch took place at Smith & Wollensky. When guests wanted a quieter setting, Buffett often chose Omaha’s Piccolo Pete’s, an Italian steakhouse that closed in 2016. His go-to meals there were veal with lemon, chicken parmesan or, of course, steak.
It was at Piccolo Pete’s where hedge fund manager Ted Weschler dined with Buffett in 2010 and 2011 after bidding $5.2 million across two auctions. The lunches ultimately led to Weschler joining Berkshire Hathaway as an investment manager.
McDonald’s
Most mornings, Buffett swings by a McDonald’s drive-through on his way to work. His order rotates among three choices: two sausage patties for $2.61; a sausage, egg and cheese biscuit for $2.95; or a bacon, egg and cheese biscuit for $3.17. (Prices were as of 2017.)
In the 2017 documentary Becoming Warren Buffett, he revealed that his wife, Astrid Menks, places exact change in his car cup holder for whichever option he chooses. Buffett said he splurges based on the stock market’s mood: “When I’m not feeling quite so prosperous,” he explained, he opts for the cheapest $2.61 meal.
Dairy Queen
Warren Buffett (L) and Bill Gates (R) flip over their Dairy Queen Blizzard treats at the opening of a new branch in Beijing, China on Sept. 30, 2010. AFP via Getty Images
Buffett also has a special connection to Dairy Queen. Berkshire Hathaway acquired the chain in 1998 for $585 million, and Buffett has been a loyal customer ever since. He often visits Omaha locations with his great-grandchildren and typically orders vanilla ice cream topped with chocolate syrup and malted milk powder.
His loyalty has even led to unusual moments. In 2014, he tried to order Dairy Queen ice cream at The Four Seasons before settling for chocolate chip cookies.
This year marks the 30th anniversary of the Warcraft gaming universe but there’s not going to be a BlizzCon gathering to celebrate it. So Blizzard is doing the next-best thing by holding a live streaming event.
Blizzard announced that its special stream will start at 1PM ET on Wednesday, November 13. The broadcast will run on Blizzard’s official streaming channels for , and .
There aren’t many details available about what Warcraft fans can expect to see during the livestream except for a special concert celebrating World of Warcraft’s 20th anniversary. Following the stream, Blizzard will broadcast a live concert called World of Warcraft: 20 Years of Music from Switzerland. The 21st Century Orchestra and the choirs Tales of Fantasy, Ardito and the Madrijazz Gospel will perform selected songs from the MMORPG’s iconic soundtrack.
Activision Blizzard announced that it wouldn’t be holding a BlizzCon gathering this year despite WoW’s momentous milestone. Maybe that’s because things have been a little rocky for the game company in the past few years. Microsoft included Activision Blizzard in its round of alongside ZeniMax at the beginning of the year, and in the months after the studio in the industry.
Thousands of pro-Palestinian demonstrators rallied across California on Monday protesting Israel’s war in Gaza and Lebanon.
The demonstrations come on the anniversary of Oct. 7, when Hamas militants in Gaza attacked Israel, killed an estimated 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and took about 250 hostages.
At USC, hundreds of protesters shut down the intersection of Jefferson Boulevard and McClintock Avenue in the afternoon. The crowd held pro-Palestinian signs and chanted, “Free, free Palestine,” according to video posted on social media. Protests were also anticipated at UCLA later in the day.
In the past year, Israeli military operations in Gaza and, more recently, against the Hamas-allied militant group Hezbollah in Lebanon, have been the focus of protests. More than 41,000 Palestinians in Gaza, including many women and children, have died in Israeli attacks, according to the Gaza Health Ministry. In Lebanon, hundreds have been killed and more than 1.2 million people have been displaced, according to the U.N. Refugee Agency.
Demonstrations occurred across the country throughout the weekend and into Monday.
On Sunday, demonstrators filled San Francisco’s Mission District to protest what they said was the oppression of Palestinians. In Orange County, demonstrators gathered along Jeffrey Road in Irvine — one of the city’s main thoroughfares — on Sunday waving Lebanese and Palestinian flags and holding signs that focused on the human cost of the war.
Elsewhere, masked demonstrators set up an encampment outside Ohio Democratic Rep. Greg Landsman’s house in Cincinnati early Sunday. Landsman is Jewish. Protests were also underway in New York City.
Orlando music venue — winner of “Best Bar Overall” in our 2024 Best of Orlando Readers Poll — Will’s Pub is celebrating 29 years of spirits and spirited mayhem with (what else?) some live music this wekend.
The Mills 50 bar hosts three different anniversary events that go a long way toward showing off the Pub’s essential eclecticism. First off, on Friday night (Sept. 6), Kaleigh Baker’s Someday Honey throws down with a dreamy rock-folk hybrid. On Saturday (Sept. 7), things get louder with Cat Company, Pulses, Sails Ahead, Mode and Burial Joy. And finally it’s all-out war on Sunday night (Sept. 8) with the “Will’s Ponx” event featuring the stacked local lineup of M.A.C.E., Double Bubble, Future Bartenderz, Petty Thefts and Vicious Dreams. (Take a nap that afternoon!)
Tickets will be available at the door or through the venue’s website.
Russia and Ukraine exchanged over 100 prisoners of war on Saturday as Kyiv marked its third Independence Day since Moscow’s full-scale invasion.Related video above: Ukrainian authorities order evacuation of eastern city of Pokrovsk amid Russian advance Ukraine said the 115 servicemen who were freed were conscripts, many of whom were taken prisoner in the first months of Russia’s invasion. Among them are nearly 50 soldiers captured by Russian forces from the Azovstal steelworks in Mariupol.The Russian Defense Ministry said the 115 Russian soldiers had been captured in the Kursk region, where Ukrainian forces launched their surprise offensive into Russia two weeks ago. The ministry said the soldiers were currently in Belarus, but would be taken to Russia for medical treatment and rehabilitation.Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in a post on X that the United Arab Emirates had again brokered the exchange, the 55th since Russia launched a full-scale invasion of its neighbor in February 2022.Photos attached to Zelenskyy’s post show gaunt servicemen with shaven heads and wrapped in Ukrainian flags.”We remember each and every one. We are searching and doing our best to get everyone back,” Zelenskyy said in the post.Officials from the two sides meet only when they swap their dead and POWs, after lengthy preparation and diplomacy. Neither Ukraine nor Russia discloses how many POWs there are in total.According to the U.N., most Ukrainian POWs suffer routine medical neglect, severe and systematic mistreatment, and even torture while in detention. There have also been isolated reports of abuse of Russian soldiers, mostly during capture or transit to internment sites.Last January, Russia and Ukraine exchanged hundreds of prisoners of war in the biggest single release.Drone and artillery attacks continueFive people were killed and five others wounded in Russian shelling of the center of the city of Kostiantynivka in Ukraine’s partially occupied eastern Donetsk region, local officials said.In the southern Ukrainian city of Kherson, Russian shelling killed two people and wounded four, including a baby, officials said.Ukraine’s air force said it had intercepted and destroyed seven drones over the country’s south. Russian long-range bombers also attacked the area of Zmiinyi (Snake) Island with four cruise missiles, while the wider Kherson region was also struck by aerial bombs.In Russia, the Defense Ministry said Saturday that air defenses had shot down seven drones overnight.Five drones were downed over the southwestern Voronezh region bordering Ukraine, wounding two people, regional Gov. Aleksandr Gusev said. Ukraine’s Military Intelligence Directorate claimed to have blown up a warehouse storing 5,000 tonnes of ammunition in the region’s Ostrogozhsky district. News outlet Astra published videos appearing to show explosions at the ammunition depot after being hit by a drone. The videos could not be independently verified.Two people were wounded in a drone attack in the Belgorod region, also bordering Ukraine, regional Gov. Vyacheslav Gladkov said. Local authorities did not report any casualties in the Bryansk region, where the fifth drone was intercepted.In the Kursk region, regional Gov. Alexei Smirnov said Saturday that three missiles were shot down overnight and another four on Saturday morning.Russian air defenses shot down two more drones on Saturday morning, Russia’s Defense Ministry said — one over the Kursk region and one over the Bryansk region.Independence Day commemorationsUkraine marked its 33rd Independence Day Saturday as its war against Russia’s aggression reaches a 30-month milestone. No festivities are planned, and instead, Ukrainians will mark the day with commemorations for civilians and soldiers killed in the war.Poland’s President Andrzej Duda arrived by train early Saturday to Kyiv in a symbolic show of support from one of Ukraine’s key allies.Videos posted by his office show him being greeted by Ukrainian officials and later paying his respects in a ceremony at the Wall of Remembrance of the Fallen for Ukraine.Duda’s visit to Kyiv, his fifth since February 2022, sends a message that Warsaw’s support for Ukraine remains strong as the war drags on for the third year.Poland, located to Ukraine’s west, has donated arms and become a hub for Western weapons destined for Ukraine. It has also welcomed tens of thousands of Ukrainians who fled the war. It hosts the most Ukrainian refugees outside of the country after Germany.A trade dispute over Ukrainian grain that dragged down ties last year, and historical grievances between the two countries, sometime provoke bad feelings, particularly among Poles who remember a World War II-era massacre by Ukrainian nationalists.___Morton reported from London.
KYIV, Ukraine (AP) —
Russia and Ukraine exchanged over 100 prisoners of war on Saturday as Kyiv marked its third Independence Day since Moscow’s full-scale invasion.
Related video above: Ukrainian authorities order evacuation of eastern city of Pokrovsk amid Russian advance
Ukraine said the 115 servicemen who were freed were conscripts, many of whom were taken prisoner in the first months of Russia’s invasion. Among them are nearly 50 soldiers captured by Russian forces from the Azovstal steelworks in Mariupol.
The Russian Defense Ministry said the 115 Russian soldiers had been captured in the Kursk region, where Ukrainian forces launched their surprise offensive into Russia two weeks ago. The ministry said the soldiers were currently in Belarus, but would be taken to Russia for medical treatment and rehabilitation.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in a post on X that the United Arab Emirates had again brokered the exchange, the 55th since Russia launched a full-scale invasion of its neighbor in February 2022.
Photos attached to Zelenskyy’s post show gaunt servicemen with shaven heads and wrapped in Ukrainian flags.
“We remember each and every one. We are searching and doing our best to get everyone back,” Zelenskyy said in the post.
Officials from the two sides meet only when they swap their dead and POWs, after lengthy preparation and diplomacy. Neither Ukraine nor Russia discloses how many POWs there are in total.
According to the U.N., most Ukrainian POWs suffer routine medical neglect, severe and systematic mistreatment, and even torture while in detention. There have also been isolated reports of abuse of Russian soldiers, mostly during capture or transit to internment sites.
Last January, Russia and Ukraine exchanged hundreds of prisoners of war in the biggest single release.
Russian Defense Ministry Press Service via AP
In this photo taken from a video released by the Russian Defense Ministry on Thursday, Aug. 22, 2024, a Russian soldier fires from D-30 howitzer towards Ukrainian positions in an undisclosed location in Ukraine. (Russian Defense Ministry Press Service via AP)
Drone and artillery attacks continue
Five people were killed and five others wounded in Russian shelling of the center of the city of Kostiantynivka in Ukraine’s partially occupied eastern Donetsk region, local officials said.
In the southern Ukrainian city of Kherson, Russian shelling killed two people and wounded four, including a baby, officials said.
Ukraine’s air force said it had intercepted and destroyed seven drones over the country’s south. Russian long-range bombers also attacked the area of Zmiinyi (Snake) Island with four cruise missiles, while the wider Kherson region was also struck by aerial bombs.
In Russia, the Defense Ministry said Saturday that air defenses had shot down seven drones overnight.
Five drones were downed over the southwestern Voronezh region bordering Ukraine, wounding two people, regional Gov. Aleksandr Gusev said. Ukraine’s Military Intelligence Directorate claimed to have blown up a warehouse storing 5,000 tonnes of ammunition in the region’s Ostrogozhsky district. News outlet Astra published videos appearing to show explosions at the ammunition depot after being hit by a drone. The videos could not be independently verified.
Two people were wounded in a drone attack in the Belgorod region, also bordering Ukraine, regional Gov. Vyacheslav Gladkov said. Local authorities did not report any casualties in the Bryansk region, where the fifth drone was intercepted.
In the Kursk region, regional Gov. Alexei Smirnov said Saturday that three missiles were shot down overnight and another four on Saturday morning.
Russian air defenses shot down two more drones on Saturday morning, Russia’s Defense Ministry said — one over the Kursk region and one over the Bryansk region.
Efrem Lukatsky
A veteran pays his respect at a makeshift memorial for fallen Ukrainian soldiers during the Ukrainian Independence Day on Independence Square in Kyiv, Ukraine, Saturday, Aug. 24, 2024. (AP Photo/Efrem Lukatsky)
Independence Day commemorations
Ukraine marked its 33rd Independence Day Saturday as its war against Russia’s aggression reaches a 30-month milestone. No festivities are planned, and instead, Ukrainians will mark the day with commemorations for civilians and soldiers killed in the war.
Poland’s President Andrzej Duda arrived by train early Saturday to Kyiv in a symbolic show of support from one of Ukraine’s key allies.
Videos posted by his office show him being greeted by Ukrainian officials and later paying his respects in a ceremony at the Wall of Remembrance of the Fallen for Ukraine.
Duda’s visit to Kyiv, his fifth since February 2022, sends a message that Warsaw’s support for Ukraine remains strong as the war drags on for the third year.
Poland, located to Ukraine’s west, has donated arms and become a hub for Western weapons destined for Ukraine. It has also welcomed tens of thousands of Ukrainians who fled the war. It hosts the most Ukrainian refugees outside of the country after Germany.
A trade dispute over Ukrainian grain that dragged down ties last year, and historical grievances between the two countries, sometime provoke bad feelings, particularly among Poles who remember a World War II-era massacre by Ukrainian nationalists.
Wizards of the Coast had a lot going on at this year’s Gen Con — in addition to the regular hubbub of being the biggest name in tabletop role-playing games at the biggest tabletop convention whose namesake is literally Lake Geneva, Wisconsin. You know, the place where D&D was born. But this year’s D&D Live presentation was also an opportunity for Wizards to show off its new project: a virtual tabletop that goes by the codename Project Sigil.
Framed as an actual play performance, the event was originally slated to last only two hours, but unsurprisingly ran long thanks to excellent showmanship by the star-studded cast. Participants included Aabria Iyengar as Dungeon Master, Brennan Lee Mulligan as a Dwarven cleric, Samantha Béart reprising her role as Karlach in Baldur’s Gate 3, Neil Newbon as Astarion from BG3, and Anjali Bhimani as a human wizard.
Polygon senior editor Charlie Hall attended the event in person and said the actors “chewed through the scenery in the first half,” leaving slightly less time for the team to switch to play around with Project Sigil. Hall said the Project Sigil showing was “halting” but ultimately well-received — and any snafus aren’t too much of a surprise given the platform hasn’t even entered closed beta yet. (Wizards is still accepting requests to join the closed beta, which is expected in fall 2024.)
Lucky for us, Gen Con filmed the whole game, lovingly titled “An Astarion and Karlach Adventure: Love is a Legendary Action,” and you can now watch on YouTube in all its silly glory. According to Hall, the entire playthrough is worth a watch.
“Let’s just say,” said Hall, “there’s an epic reveal in the second half that gives your favorite actual play performers plenty of room to explore… the source material.”
Adventure Aquarium is offering two months of nautical nonsense in honor of a cartoon sea critter who lives in a pineapple under the sea.
The Camden aquarium is celebrating the 25th anniversary of the beloved Nickelodeon cartoon “SpongeBob SquarePants” with a family-friendly immersive experience available through Sunday, Sept. 15. The festivities will include themed activities for Bikini Bottom residents of all ages.
“Just like SpongeBob, we find wonder in every corner of the ocean,” Jennifer Porter, executive director of Adventure Aquarium, said in a release. “We invite our guests to join us this summer and dive into a sea of nostalgia and discovery. This special celebration will commemorate SpongeBob’s decades-long legacy that spans generations and blends imagination with education, creating an unforgettable experience for guests.”
At the aquarium, visitors can snap photos with two SpongeBob-themed photo opportunities. They can also watch an episode of “SpongeBob” on the big screen in the aquarium’s 3D Theater, or pick up a “SpongeBob SquarePants Earth Goal” activity sheet to learn how to make eco-conscious choices that benefit real-life sea creatures.
“SpongeBob” first premiered on Nickelodeon in the summer of 1999, introducing the world to the adventures of Krusty Krab fry cook SpongeBob along with iconic characters like Patrick Star, Squidward Tentacles, Mr. Krabs, Sandy Cheeks and Plankton. The animated series has reigned as the most-watched animated series for 22 consecutive years, according to Paramount.
The show’s 25th anniversary was commemorated this weekend at San Diego Comic-Con, where Nickelodeon announced that “Star Wars” legend Mark Hamill will voice the villainous Flying Dutchman in the upcoming fourth SpongeBob film, “The SpongeBob Movie: Search for SquarePants,” scheduled for a 2025 premiere.
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Wayfair’s massive anniversary has returned. If you are looking to spruce up your home or backyard, now is the perfect time. In celebration of Wayfair’s anniversary sale, you can save some big bucks on all your home and outdoor furniture. Right now bedroom furniture is up to 50% off, living furniture is up to 55% off, kitchen and dining furniture is up to 45% and outdoor furniture is up to 55% off. We’ve listed our favorite picks from the sale below. Whether you’re a minimalist or love some colorful decor we have something for everybody in this list.
P.S. check back often, as we’ll be updating with flash sale options daily.
Bedroom
Nora14” Plush Cooling Gel Memory Foam Mattress with Cooling Cover
All Season Goose Down Comforter
Double-Sided Cooling Comforter for Night Sweats Hot Sleepers
Cooling Down Alternative Gel Fiber Pillows (Set of 2)
Milianna Nightstand with 4 Drawers & Outlet, LED Lights
Bathroom
Lundberg Memory Foam Bath Rug (Set of 2)
Striped Single Shower Curtain
Adhesive Shower Caddy (Set of 4)
Hovey 4 Piece Bathroom Accessory Set
Livingroom
Perdue Velvet Square Arm Convertible Sofa
Eoghan Lift Top Coffee Table with 2 Drawers
Sonam Velvet Round Storage Ottoman
Pamplona Modern Upholstered Barrel Chair and Ottoman
Kitchen & Dining Room
Hambrook Bar & Counter Stool (Set of 4)
Outdoor
Meredydd Outdoor Deep Seating Cushion Set
Hayler Wood Burning Outdoor Fire Pit Table with Lid
Elgin Outdoor Patio Dining Set
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Since 1974, Solmar Hotels & Resorts Has Built a Legacy of Luxury and Hospitality, Breathing New Life Into Los Cabos
BAJA CALIFORNIA, Mexico, May 29, 2024 (Newswire.com)
– Solmar Hotels & Resorts, a leading luxury hospitality group in Cabo San Lucas, is proud to announce its 50th anniversary celebration. Founded in 1974 by visionary entrepreneur Don Luis Bulnes, the group has become synonymous with luxury, exceptional service, and natural beauty. From its first property, the Solmar Hotel, to its most recent addition, Grand Solmar Pacific Dunes Golf and Spa, the group has established itself as a leader in the tourism industry of Baja California Sur.
“We are thrilled to commemorate this significant milestone in our company’s history,” said Mauricio Salicrup, Director of Operations. “For five decades, Solmar has been the pinnacle of excellence in hospitality, welcoming guests from around the world. Our success is owed to the dedication of our team, the loyalty of our guests, and the allure of Cabo San Lucas.”
Solmar’s journey began in 1948 when Don Luis Bulnes moved from Asturias, Spain, to Cabo San Lucas, which was then a small village lacking basic services. After various investments, he began his hotel enterprise with the construction of the Solmar Hotel in 1972, opening in 1974 with 20 rooms and two suites. His innovative efforts spearheaded essential infrastructure development in the area, such as water, electricity, and connectivity, pivotal in transforming Los Cabos into the vibrant tourist destination it is today.
Throughout the years, the hospitality group has expanded to include six luxurious properties, including Grand Solmar Land’s End Resort & Spa, Grand Solmar Pacific Dunes Resort Golf & Spa, Grand Solmar The Residences, The Ridge at Playa Grande, Playa Grande Resort & Grand Spa, and Solmar Resort. Each property offers unparalleled luxury, world-class spas, gourmet dining, crystal-clear pools, and diverse activities, making them preferred destinations for travelers worldwide. Additionally, Grand Solmar Pacific Dunes Resort Golf & Spa is home to Solmar Golf Links, one of the biggest golf courses in Mexico and the Caribbean, offering unparalleled views of the Pacific Ocean.
In 2011, the group established its philanthropic arm, entitled the Solmar Foundation, aimed at supporting and empowering local communities through educational, social, and environmental initiatives. From scholarship programs to environmental conservation projects, the Foundation has made a lasting positive impact, highlighted by the unveiling of a statue in honor of Don Luis Bulnes in 2018 at Marina de Fundadores in Cabo San Lucas.
In 2021, Charo Bulnes, daughter of Don Luis Bulnes, took over leadership of the group. Under her tenure, Solmar Hotels and Resorts has employed over 2,000 community members and initiated renovation and expansion plans while maintaining her father’s vision. As Solmar Hotels & Resorts celebrates its 50th anniversary, it renews its commitment to leading the tourism industry in Los Cabos and offering unforgettable experiences that showcase the best of Baja California Sur.
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. — It has been one year since recreational marijuana was made legal in Missouri. Since then, business has been booming here in Springfield and across the state.
On Feb. 3rd, 2023, recreational marijuana became legal in Missouri. Derrick Duncan, a store manager at Old Route 66 Wellness, said business has drastically changed over the past year.
“From medical days to now, it’s just insane,” Duncan said. “The numbers that we see now are just way higher than what we expected.”
Duncan said he is happy to see more and more people coming in the door.
“I think it’s everything we could dream of, the more people, the merrier,” Duncan said. “And the more that we kind of paint that picture of this isn’t so scary and not such a bad thing to have around, the better, in our opinion.”
Across Missouri, marijuana sales have been climbing.
Celebrating three decades of inspiring children across the globe, Our Generation is proud to commemorate its 30th anniversary in 2024. Known for its beloved range of 18-inch dolls, storybooks, accessories, and playsets, Our Generation has been at the heart of children’s playtimes since 1994 – creating cherished memories, encouraging them to dream big and exploring the limitless bounds of their imaginations.
NUREMBERG, Germany, February 2, 2024 (Newswire.com)
– Celebrating three decades of inspiring children across the globe, Our Generation is proud to commemorate its 30th anniversary in 2024. Known for its beloved range of 18-inch dolls, storybooks, accessories, and playsets, Our Generation has been at the heart of children’s playtimes since 1994 – creating cherished memories, encouraging them to dream big and exploring the limitless bounds of their imaginations.
As a show of appreciation to the loyal fans, the 30th anniversary was first announced to the OG community on Instagram and in newsletters last week. To kick off this exciting milestone, OG unveiled a commemorative 30th anniversary logo.
The anniversary celebration is for all the fans – whether they’ve been part of the OG community for generations or are just joining in on the fun now. In collaboration with partners around the world, the celebration will include special activities, exclusive events, fun surprises, ‘OMG!’ giveaways, and the release of new collections in fall 2024.
In a world where it feels like children are growing up too quickly and where screens are increasingly part of early childhood playtime, Our Generation remains committed to the core values of friendship, kindness, imagination, screen-free play, and letting kids be kids. With an expansive collection of dolls, thoughtfully designed accessories and intricate playsets, children can see themselves represented and find life-long friends in the world of Our Generation.
Wirecutter (New York Times) named Our Generation amongst the Best Dolls of 2023, noting the unbeatable variety of dolls, accessories and affordability offered across the brand. In addition, Our Generation has won many awards and accolades throughout the years from major publications including but not limited to: Good Housekeeping; Parents Choice Awards; Family Choice Awards; Creative Child Magazine; The Toy Insider; Family Fun Magazine; Today’s Parents; National Parenting Product Awards; Scholastics and more.
“Our Generation is more than dolls and accessories – it’s a canvas for children’s dreams. Each toy we create has a story, mirroring the friendships, adventures, and limitless imaginations of the children who welcome them into their lives and who are the heart of our brand – inspiring us every step of the way. This anniversary is a celebration of every child who has grown up with us, every parent who has chosen us, and every story that has intertwined with ours.” ~ Team OG
John was anxious, though, like all the Beatles, about what to expect. Would the American media be tough on them? Or misconstrue something they said in an interview? Would demonstrators, because of all the press on hand, use the opportunity to stage some kind of protest? As the plane taxied in, John and I saw a mob lining the terminal rooftop. But it was a mob of fans, waving and screaming hysterically. They were being serenaded. You could hear the crowd singing, “She Loves You, Yeah, Yeah, Yeah.” It was a lovefest.
On the flight over, I’d proposed a photo idea, which the Beatles liked: I would be the fifth person off the plane, and as the band got halfway down the boarding stairs, they’d turn back and look at me—and I’d photograph them with the press, the crowd, and the New York skyline in the background. The picture would say, literally: Beatles come to America. But in my mind it also said: Benson got a picture no one else was in a position to take.
So we exited the plane: George, then John, Paul, Ringo, then me. And they got so distracted they forgot to turn around! They were caught up in this chaotic drama. The crowd was screaming. The press was screaming, “Look here!” It was deafening. I just grabbed Ringo’s coat and shouted, “Turn around!” and he hollered at the others, and they all looked back, Paul waving. Bingo. Thank you, Ringo. I fired off three frames. One shot ran in the Express the next day under the headline: “Crazy…that’s New York as the Beatles arrive.”
February 8, Manhattan
Our second day in New York, we went to the CBS TV studio for a rehearsal. Ed Sullivan was the host of the most popular variety show on television. He was deferential and obliging. He even put on a Beatles wig as a joke. They were soaking up the attention. Everywhere we went—in restaurants, passing a bar—there was Beatles music playing. But they never allowed themselves to get a swelled head. We usually just sat around at the Plaza.
As I had done in Paris, I stayed on the same floor as the band. Fact: When you have good-looking guys and their record’s number one, you have girls fighting to get onto the elevators and the back stairwells to get onto the 12th floor. Fact: A couple of girls snuck in and jumped on their beds and security had to take them away. This was rock and roll. Elvis Presley, same thing. But it was a big problem for Epstein because he didn’t want any incident to happen on his watch. He would discuss this with me: “We must watch this. We’re introducing young girls to the Beatles and we’re responsible.”
I began to understand how the band interacted. As I saw it, Paul was the leader. He seemed the most sophisticated, most business-minded, thinking about their image. He was upbeat and encouraging. John was a leader in other ways on other days. He was the conscience of the group, certainly. Creatively, you sensed John and Paul were in charge, insisting, “This is what we do.” Together, they had the last word.
Few couples have generated as much engagement speculation as Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce.
Ever since before they started dating, back when the NFL star was just publicly crushing on the Love Story singer, America has been cheering them on. And it’s been going great so far — so great, in fact, that fans have been on the edge of their seats basically since Thanksgiving waiting for news they were going to take the next step!
Was Trav going to propose on Taylor’s birthday? At Christmas? On midnight on New Year’s Eve?? Well, someone thinks they have the answer…
Sources told Page Six on Thursday that the couple HAVE talked about it. But they aren’t ready to pull that trigger just yet. Or rather, they are — but they don’t want to look like they are? An insider claimed the couple decided not to get engaged over the holidays because “they don’t want it to seem like it’s rushed insanity.” Even Valentine’s Day, they say, is too soon for Taylor.
The couple’s romance began in late July, right after Travis admitted publicly on his New Heights podcast that he’d tried to give the pop star his phone number on a friendship bracelet at her concert, only to find out she wasn’t doing meet-and-greets. Tay later told Time magazine she was impressed with the “metal as hell” move — and that they started hanging out right after that.
However, they didn’t go public for nearly two months, when Tay attended her first Kansas City Chiefs game alongside the Kelce family in late September. So a Christmas proposal might have seemed, to the general public, like they got engaged after just three months together! That would be quick… but not unheard of. However, Taylor is clearly protective of her image here.
So if V-Day is too soon, when is the right time where they don’t look insane? Page Six‘s sources say it’s coming THIS SUMMER! The source claims:
“Taylor and Travis discussed it and there is a plan. They will get engaged on their one-year anniversary in July.”
Ooh! Right, once they can say they’ve been together a whole year, that would cross a threshold for a lot of critics. Certainly no one could say a couple was rushing if they got engaged after a YEAR together.
This does raise one question for us, though, something we’ll have to ask all of our Perezcious dating experts and Swifties out there… Does planning an engagement together take the romance out of it? How important is surprise in a proposal? Is it necessary? Or is that too old-fashioned an idea? Is it better to just plan these things together?
Let us know YOUR thoughts in the comments (below)!
When people think of the first Twilight movie, their minds inevitably drift not to an action sequence or special-effects-driven set piece, but to the baseball scene. That’s where we learn that vampires can only engage in America’s favorite pastime during a heavy storm, because their super-speed and strength capabilities can only be sheathed beneath thunder and lightning. The two-and-a-half minute scene relies on a moody blue filter, some in-camera slo-mo, and Muse’s “Supermassive Black Hole.” In between takes, the cast say they speculated about the production’s fate. “We were like, ‘Man, I wonder if anybody’s going to see this film,’” Peter Facinelli, who played coven patriarch Carlisle Cullen, has previously said. “We were doing this little vampire movie in the woods.”
Based on Stephanie Meyers’s best-selling novel, the film premiered in November 2008 to $69 million in its opening weekend, eventually grossing more than $400 million worldwide. It was a box office hit for indie studio Summit Entertainment and spawned four more films based on Meyers’s books—2009’s New Moon, 2010’s Eclipse, 2011’s Breaking Dawn–Part 1, and 2012’s Breaking Dawn–Part 2. The franchise generated more than $3 billion total and spawned other YA franchises like The Hunger Games and Divergent, as well as the Fifty Shades franchise, which was based on Twilight fan fiction.
The series was unavoidably popular, but also easy to poke fun at. Because it was created by and for women, the plot was often reduced to the love triangle between Kristen Stewart’s mortal Bella, Robert Pattinson’s vampire Edward, and Taylor Lautner’s werewolf Jacob. Movie marketing fueled by the Team Edward versus Team Jacob debate didn’t help matters. Fifteen years before the pop cultural dominance and subsequent respect earned by ventures like Barbie or Taylor Swift’s Eras tour, even valid criticism of Twilight was drowned out by the prevailing notion that art targeted towards a predominantly female audience should be stigmatized.
Tides started to turn in 2020 with the publication of a new Twilight book from Meyer, a Netflix streaming deal for the original films, and a global pandemic that had the world indoors and eager to escape. The rise of TikTok, where the Twilight hashtag has upwards of 28 billion views, gave way to nostalgic trends about the movies. Those who once felt shame about their fandom could reclaim the movies, and those who weren’t old enough to experience the initial fervor were exposed to Twilight secondhand. Take this comment under a clip of the movie’s baseball scene on YouTube: “POV: you saw a TikTok recreation and came to check how accurate it was.”
Evidence of Twilight’s endurance is plentiful. Fans are flocking to Forks, Washington (where the series takes place) in record numbers. “In 2022 we had the biggest year, tourism-wise that we’ve had since 2010, and we’ve already beat out those numbers as of this September,” Lissy Andros, the executive director of the Forks Chamber of Commerce, recently told Wired. “Probably 65% of visitors to Forks come because of Twilight.”
