Neal Justin | (TNS) Star Tribune “Dora the Explorer” has inspired many youngsters to get curious about the world beyond the borders of Sesame Street. But once your child reaches the age of 7, Dora’s adventures get a little dull. That’s when Jane Garcia should take over. The 9-year-old heroine of “Jane,” which returns Friday on Apple TV+, is one of those kids who knows more types of dinosaurs than names of Olivia Rodrigo songs. Her enthusiasm gets a bit grating, but she’s a great guide for more grown-up treks, especially with Earth Day being celebrated Monday. In this second season, Jane Garcia ..read more

The Tortured Poets Department does not exist, but if it did, there would be a lot of pillows for reclining. There would be a circular track for fretting. There would be skylights because, you know, vitamin D. There would be a liquor license. The door to every poet’s office — yes, office — would be soundproof, and the lighting would be smart and because the chair of the department would be Taylor Swift — large expense accounts. When she first heard about this department, B. Metzger Sampson, executive director of the Chicago Poetry Center, rolled her eyes. That name alone, Tortured Poets Departm ..read more

Stephanie Breijo | (TNS) Los Angeles Times LOS ANGELES — José Andrés spends much of his time contemplating the unifying nature of food, both in and out of the world’s most dangerous conflict and disaster zones. Days before an Israeli airstrike killed seven members of his aid organization working to feed Palestinians in Gaza, Andrés spoke to The Times about his recently published cookbook “Zaytinya.” Andrés is scheduled to speak at the 2024 Los Angeles Festival of Books, on April 21. The April 1 Gaza bombing that killed his fellow aid workers thrust Andrés further into the global lime ..read more

Lexington is a showcase for historically significant Federal, Victorian, Colonial, and of course, mid-century modern homes. While 16 Meriam Street fits right in with its antique neighbors, the Victorian-style home was built in 2008. Its new owners will get to enjoy its traditional (and downright delightful) curb appeal alongside modern creature comforts and what may possibly be one of the best backyards in all of Lexington (hint: there’s a pool.) But even though the home itself isn’t historic, the land it occupies very much is — it’s the site where Samuel Adams uttered the famous “What a glori ..read more

The Biden administration said Friday it will restrict new oil and gas leasing on 13 million acres (5.3 million hectares) of a federal petroleum reserve in Alaska to help protect wildlife such as caribou and polar bears as the Arctic continues to warm. The decision — part of a yearslong fight over whether and how to develop the vast oil resources in the state — finalizes protections first proposed last year as the Democratic administration prepared to approve the contentious Willow oil project. The approval of Willow drew fury from environmentalists, who said the large oil projec ..read more

By Sally French | NerdWallet At the airport, long lines for check-in, security screenings and even getting food can feel like a giant waste of time — and potentially disrupt even the most meticulously planned itinerary. But with planning, you can skip some of the most annoying lines, and in some cases, get reimbursed if the line-skipping privilege requires an application fee. Here are five common airport bottlenecks and how to avoid them for free or cheap. 1. Check in It is the year 2024, which means there’s a mobile version of all sorts of travel services. That includes the ability to check i ..read more

Shalina Chatlani | (TNS) Stateline.org For decades, Amina Tollin struggled with mysterious, debilitating pain that radiated throughout her body. A few years ago, when a doctor finally diagnosed her with polyneuropathy, a chronic nerve condition, she had begun to use a wheelchair. The doctor prescribed a blood infusion therapy that allowed Tollin, 40, to live her life normally. That is, until about three months ago, when it came time for reapproval and Medicaid stopped paying for the therapy. It was the result of an increasingly common process among private and public insurers known as prior au ..read more

Robert Lloyd | Los Angeles Times (TNS) “Based on a true story” — why do we care? Does it matter whether the events of a dramatic work “really happened,” or sort of happened, more or less in the way we’re being told? Is it a come-on to prurient interests, when the subject is dark or sensational? Is it to appear educational? Is it to advertise that things that seem too incredible to be true really are true, to make what’s shocking even more shocking, or to prop up a story that can’t stand on its own? If I had a definite answer for you, there wouldn’t have been so many question marks in the prece ..read more

Oh, the allure of food grilled Asian style, the primordial perfume of smoke melding with the scent of caramelized basting sauces and marinades. Sweet and sour, salty, and spicy tastes form an irresistible, crisp jacket of flavor over grilled vegetables and meat. Fish and fowl, too. Su-Mei Yu, author of “Asian Grilling” (William Morrow), writes that it’s the balance of flavors used to marinate and/or baste that makes Asian-grilled dishes so appealing. She explains that it is the distinct flavors of Asian seasonings that make it so delicious, adding that they are designed to match perfectly with ..read more

Massachusetts elected officials gathered at the State House Friday morning to commemorate the 109th anniversary of the Armenian genocide that left between 600,000 and 1 million dead, according to conservative estimates. Mary Vartanian, a 109-year-old survivor of the genocide, traveled to the House Chamber flanked by members of the Boston Police Department and the Massachusetts State Police to take part in the event. The Armenian genocide, which occurred from spring 1915 to autumn 1916 in the Ottoman Empire, is often referred to as the first genocide of the 20th century, according to Yale Unive ..read more