One of the most important trends of the past century in the United States has been the dramatic increase in college education. According to the National Center for Education Statistics, the percentage of Americans…
Big hair, synthesizer-heavy music, pastel clothes, Reaganomics, and the fall of the Iron Curtain…What a mashup the 1980s were. For a peek at how the styles and events of the era were reflected in…
While they are not the only measure of indebtedness, the percentage of adults with debt in collections and the median amount of such debts are good measures of the degree to which people struggle…
The COVID-19 pandemic has been devastating to the restaurant business. Well over 100,000 establishments of various kinds — from fast-food outlets to pricey Michelin-starred dining rooms — have gone out of business permanently. Government…
In the 1967 coming-of-age rom-com “The Graduate,” a family friend tells recent college graduate Benjamin Braddock (played by a young Dustin Hoffman) that he should pursue a future in the plastics industry. In the…
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services defines the federal poverty level in the continental United States today at $12,880 for individuals, $26,500 for families of four. (The thresholds are slightly higher for…
Bond…James Bond. He is probably the most famous spy in film history. Perhaps fitting to the secret agent character, 007 has gone through many changes since he was first introduced to movie fans in…
Somebody once proposed that any town in America with a population of more than about 10,000 had at least one Chinese restaurant. That may or may not be true, but according to some estimates,…
Hundreds of billions of locusts are currently ravaging several countries in East Africa and South Asia, causing devastating damage to crops both in the field and in storage. Swarms the size of cities are…
Despite its income inequality, the United States is an extremely wealthy country. This is reflected in the fact that the country leads the world in the number of billionaires, by a long shot. The…
Ask an Alexa device, “Who is the greatest living actress?” and the answer you’ll get is Meryl Streep. That’s how widely revered the three-time Academy Award winner is, although a handful of film critics…
For over a century, filmmakers have combined two of America’s great pastimes — watching sports and watching movies. Athletic competitions provide a unique lens to view the development of a character or a team,…
It’s hard to tell how America’s most successful restaurant chains will emerge from our year-plus of pandemic restrictions and changed eating habits — but the industry got a good head start in 2019, the…
In any discussion of poverty in America, there’s an official baseline: For statistical purposes and the determination of benefits, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services sets the current federal poverty level in…
The 2000s proved that animated movies aren’t just for children. With computer generated imagery (CGI) effects improving, animated films like “Finding Nemo” and the Shrek series brought family-friendly entertainment to the forefront, leading the…
During the Covid-19 pandemic, American motorists have decreased their amount of driving precipitously as they worked remotely instead of commuting and stayed at home instead of going out to restaurants, shows, and sporting events.…
Though she had a few minor roles in other movies, Britney Spears had her one and only starring role in the 2002 feature “Crossroads,” written by Shonda Rimes and directed by Tamra Davis. “One…
Justify was the last horse to win the Triple Crown, capturing horse-racing’s storied trifecta in 2018. Prior to Justify and before him American Pharoah’s triumph in 2015, the drought between Triple Crown winners had…
It’s a sad truth that women have long faced gender discrimination in the workplace, being discouraged from pursuing some professions, finding the path to significant promotion blocked (the notorious “glass ceiling”), and getting paid…
As states continue to loosen restriction on movement and gatherings, Mother’s Day celebrations this year may provide a platform for togetherness that many people have been sorely missing. A homemade Mother’s Day brunch could…
