Calls for a Boycott Roil Iran’s Parliamentary Elections

Voters enraged by a violent crackdown on protesters and disaffected by the failure of elections to yield substantive changes are vowing to make a statement by staying home during Friday’s elections.

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Milan Fashion Week: Red and a Surprise Appearance by Ye Generate Buzz

Flashes of red in the crowds outside shows and a surprise appearance by Ye gave Milan Fashion Week a high-adrenaline feel.

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McConnell to quit as Senate Republican leader

Senator Mitch McConnell announces it is "time to move on" and he will step down in November.

from BBC News

How to Create a Cozy Room That Feels Like a Hug

‘You can call it different things,’ said one designer, but it ‘all adds up to the same idea: You feel like you want to put your feet up.’

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Alabama's legislature pushes to protect IVF

Republicans will introduce a bill designed to protect access, after a court ruling cast doubt on its availability.

from BBC News

Olivia Rodrigo’s Fans Show Up to Her Guts World Tour in Force

At opening night of the pop star’s Guts World Tour, her devotees wore lavender and screamed their hearts out.

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New York school eliminates tuition after $1bn gift

The record-breaking donation came from a 93-year-old former professor, who is the widow of a wealthy investor.

from BBC News

What to Know About the Supreme Court Case on Free Speech on Social Media

Both Florida and Texas passed laws regulating how social media companies moderate speech online. The laws, if upheld, could fundamentally alter how the platforms police their sites.

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'Fewer children will be born': Alabama embryo ruling divides devout Christians

After Alabama rules that frozen embryos are children, some fertility patients pray that lawmakers find a solution.

from BBC News

Finding Great Coffee in Ho Chi Minh City

In this hectic, bustling city, there’s a cafe for every coffee acolyte. Here are seven places where you can try egg coffee and other Vietnamese specialties.

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In Video, Nonbinary Student Describes Fight in Oklahoma School Bathroom

The police released video of the student, Nex Benedict, recounting the altercation a day before their death, which has drawn national scrutiny.

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In Search of Frederick Douglass and Harriet Tubman in Rochester and Auburn, N.Y.

On a snowy trip to Rochester and Auburn, N.Y., a writer explores the cities that Frederick Douglass and Harriet Tubman called home.

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Reddit users say share plans 'beginning of the end'

Redditors are reacting with anger as the social media platform files to become publicly listed.

from BBC News

Menthol Cigarette Bans Can Reduce Smoking Rates, Study Finds

As public health groups pressure the Biden administration to impose a ban on menthol cigarettes, research suggests similar moves in other countries have led to lower smoking rates.

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US teen segregated over hairstyle gets choked up

Darryl George has been in school isolation for the length of his locs hairstyle since August.

from BBC News

Nikki Haley Can’t Count on South Carolina’s Newcomers for Help

Nearly 10 percent of South Carolina voters were not in the state when Nikki Haley left office in 2017, and many newcomers brought with them an affection for Donald Trump.

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Brett Heyman, the Edie Parker Designer, Wants to Make Cannabis Stylish

A day with Brett Heyman, the designer who is trying to push the legal cannabis market in a more stylish, sunny direction.

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Leslie Jamison’s Memoir ‘Splinters’ Is a Balancing Act of Self-Exposure

The essayist Leslie Jamison has become known for her careful balancing acts of self-exposure.

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Huge water leak shoots into air on Texas street

Dramatic video shows the leak towering close to power lines blocking a road in College Station, Texas.

from BBC News

‘Genius: MLK/X’ Offers Portraits of the Icons as Vital Young Men

“We wanted to take them off the T-shirts and make them real,” said Gina Prince-Bythewood, who created the series with her husband Reggie Rock Bythewood.

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Houthi Attack Forces Crew to Abandon Cargo Ship in Gulf of Aden

The attack on the ship, the Rubymar, appeared to be one of the Houthis’ most successful after months of firing drones and missiles at ships in the region.

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Mysterious Pattern in a Cave Is Oldest Rock Art Found in Patagonia

About 8,200 years ago, in one of the last places settled by humans, prehistoric peoples began painting comblike designs as the climate shifted.

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For Harris, Promises to Ukraine Prove Harder to Make Amid G.O.P. Resistance

Vice President Kamala Harris tried to reassure European and Ukrainian leaders that America would come through with security aid. But worries persist as House Republican leaders block the measure.

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The Great Compression

Thanks to soaring housing prices, the era of the 400-square-foot subdivision house is upon us.

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This Easy Cauliflower Salad Recipe Will Brighten Even the Bleakest Days

Spiced and roasted florets join briny capers and sweet-sour pickled onions in a punchy dish made for February.

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What Is a Sommelier in the Post-Pandemic Restaurant Economy?

The job, once seen as an essential feature of any establishment serious about wine, now seems to be a luxury in the post-pandemic restaurant economy.

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Jaime King Is On a Journey

The actress and ’90s model formerly known as James is ready to talk about her future as well as her past.

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Amy Schumer hits back at comments about her face

The actress said her face was "puffier" due to her dealing with "medical and hormonal" issues.

from BBC News

For Expert Skiers, a Snowy Paradise in Michigan

On Michigan’s remote Upper Peninsula: bottomless powder and nostalgic chairlifts that deliver expert skiers and snowboarders to an ungroomed landscape of snow and more snow.

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What Does Politics Have to do with Love in 2024? The Run-Up

Politics dominates much of American life. But when it comes to finding love, being too political can be a major turn off.

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Trump prosecutor began affair earlier than claimed, court hears

A judge could remove Fani Willis from the Georgia election fraud case because of an alleged improper relationship.

from BBC News

When Ash Wednesday Falls on Valentine’s Day, Love and Death Compete

What to do when Ash Wednesday, a solemn reminder of human mortality, falls on the same day we gorge on chocolate and romance? Pass out candy hearts that say “Dust 2 Dust.”

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Is That Polar Bear Getting Enough to Eat? Try a Collar With a Camera.

Scientists collected video from 20 bears during ice-free months to understand whether the animals can survive longer periods on land in a warming world.

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Chuck Close’s Final Works to Go on Display at Pace Gallery

The artist’s longtime gallerist, Arne Glimcher, has organized an exhibition of the artist’s final portraits at Pace, opening Feb. 22.

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Gunshots heard in Texas megachurch

People are seen fleeing inside the Houston church - one of the largest evangelical churches in the US.

from BBC News - US & Canada

At First, He Was in His Head, but Her ‘Gut Instinct’ Prevailed

Yuna Yang and Christopher Seck became good friends before she proposed becoming something more. He took three months to consider.

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Favoring Foes Over Friends, Trump Threatens to Upend International Order

Former President Donald J. Trump suggested that he would incite Russia to attack “delinquent” U.S. allies, foreshadowing potentially far-reaching changes in the world order if he wins the White House again.

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Andy Kim Wins a Vote Rich in Symbolism in Race to Replace Menendez

The third-term congressman won key Democratic support Saturday in his run for U.S. Senate in New Jersey, beating the state’s first lady, Tammy Murphy, on her home turf.

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Willy Chavarria Is Redefining American Fashion

Willy Chavarria makes the case for a new (multi)national style.

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'They've both got pyramids': Biden gaffe sparks memes

By confusing the Mexican and Egyptian presidents Joe Biden sparked jokes in both countries.

from BBC News - US & Canada

Can a New Law Force Airbnb Hosts to Become Landlords?

It’s too early to tell if Local Law 18 will help ease the housing crisis in New York City. But homeowners with vacant rooms aren’t eager to open them up for long-term rentals.

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Senate advances aid package for Ukraine and Israel

The Senate will begin to consider a $95b package that does not include border security measures.

from BBC News - US & Canada

US FCC makes AI-generated robocalls illegal

The moves comes as concerns grow around misinformation and artificial intelligence ahead of the US election.

from BBC News - US & Canada

‘Zombie Offices’ Spell Trouble for Some Banks

Bank tremors serve as a reminder: Just because a crisis hasn’t hit immediately doesn’t mean commercial real estate pain isn’t coming.

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Read Your Way Through Lagos

Like many Nigerians, the novelist Stephen Buoro has been deeply influenced by the exquisite bedlam of Lagos, a megacity of extremes. Here, he defines the books that make sense of the chaos.

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Ai Weiwei’s ‘Zodiac’ Is a Mystical Memory Tour

Like a cosmological comic, the artist’s new ‘graphic memoir’ entwines recalled experience with legend and imagination.

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Collapsing cliffs and washed-out roads after California storms

Days of heavy rainfall in California have caused flooding and mudslides, leaving infrastructure damaged.

from BBC News - US & Canada

What is the Pineapple Express and why has it drenched California?

The record rain pounding California is part of a common weather pattern.

from BBC News - US & Canada

Canadian Hockey Players to Face Sexual Assault Hearing

Hockey fans in Canada are struggling to make sense of a scandal that has led to charges against of five former junior hockey players.

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Jesse L. Martin on Starring in NBC’s Series ‘The Irrational’

The classically trained actor taps into his powers of observation to play a behavioral science professor in the NBC series “The Irrational.”

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Noah Lyles wants 'all the Olympic medals' after 60m personal best in Boston

American Noah Lyles says he is "coming after everything" at Paris 2024 after setting a 60m personal best in Boston.

from BBC News - US & Canada

Trump Pushes Immigration Conspiracy Theories and Mass Deportations

Former President Donald J. Trump suggested to Fox News that China was orchestrating illegal immigration and that Latin American governments were picking criminals to send to the United States.

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Two Theater-Making Couples Reflect on Mortality and Renewal

A meditation on mortality and renewal, “The Following Evening” presents mirror images of two married pairs of theater makers.

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Target Pulls Magnet Kit That Misidentified Three Black Leaders

In a widely viewed TikTok video, a high school history teacher highlighted the errors, which appeared in a “Civil Rights Magnetic Learning Activity.”

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NYPD Removes Robot from Times Square Subway

The New York Police Department’s Knightscope K5 debuted in Times Square amid fanfare from Mayor Eric Adams. It ended its brief tour exiled to a vacant storefront, all alone.

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Groundhog Day: Did Punxsutawney Phil see his shadow?

America's favourite groundhog - and meteorologist - predicted an early spring at this year's ceremony.

from BBC News - US & Canada

Squeezed by Soaring Rent, Small Shops Get Creative

Some ambitious entrepreneurs in New York City are experimenting with diversified business models to connect with shoppers and bring in more money.

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Biden sanctions Israeli settlers over West Bank violence

The US president sanctions four Israeli settlers accused of attacking Palestinians.

from BBC News - US & Canada