Chess Prodigy Cashes In

Brentwood, TN - When Anika Ramanathan sits down at a chessboard, the stakes extend well beyond the clock in front of her. At just 9 years old, the chess prodigy has signed away the rights to her name, image and likeness, securing a slate of endorsement deals more commonly associated with elite teenage athletes than … Continue reading Chess Prodigy Cashes In →

From Punchline to Paycheck: English Degrees Gain New Relevance in Online Retail

New York - For years, English majors have been the punchline of career jokes, their degrees treated as punch cards to unemployment lines and awkward family dinners. Now, many of them are finding steady, well-paid work doing something few people realized was in such short supply: fixing the internet’s grammar. As online shopping continues to … Continue reading From Punchline to Paycheck: English Degrees Gain New Relevance in Online Retail →

NYC Throws Parade for Programmer Who Finally Fixed Excel’s Copy and Paste

New York City - Confetti mixed with snow over Lower Manhattan on Tuesday as a ticker tape parade wound its way through the Canyon of Heroes celebrating a triumph few thought they would live to see. The honoree was Elena Kovács Ilyanova, a soft spoken computer programmer whose recent breakthrough finally fixed one of modern … Continue reading NYC Throws Parade for Programmer Who Finally Fixed Excel’s Copy and Paste →

Kia is Rolling into the Funeral Market

Irvine, CA - Kia, a brand long associated with practical compact cars and affordable crossovers, is now steering into a sector few automakers have ever attempted to enter: purpose built funeral hearses. The company has announced a new line of funeral coaches inspired by the upright styling of the Kia Soul, betting that the familiar … Continue reading Kia is Rolling into the Funeral Market →

Iowa Lawmaker’s Prosecution over Sandwich Sparks Tax Code Debate

Des Moines, IA - An ordinarily obscure section of Iowa’s tax code has become the center of an unusual legal and political dispute after prosecutors charged Rep. Jonah Kessler, D-Maple Falls, with violating Iowa Code Section 423.3(3)(a). The statute requires restaurants to apply different sales tax rates depending on whether food is consumed on the … Continue reading Iowa Lawmaker’s Prosecution over Sandwich Sparks Tax Code Debate →

Critics Slam McDonald’s Holiday Nativity Card

Chicago, IL - McDonald’s has found itself at the center of a holiday controversy after releasing a Christmas card that reimagines the Nativity scene with its iconic mascots. The image shows Ronald McDonald as the baby Jesus lying in a manger made of golden fries, surrounded by a fast-food retinue of familiar faces. Grimace appears … Continue reading Critics Slam McDonald’s Holiday Nativity Card →

Lego’s Surprising New Market

Lancaster County, PA - In barns and living rooms tucked behind cornfields, a quiet pastime is taking hold among Amish families. Neatly stacked bins of Lego bricks, the colorful Danish toy that has charmed children worldwide since the 1950s, have become a fixture in many households that otherwise avoid modern entertainment. For a community known … Continue reading Lego’s Surprising New Market →

Are You Ready for “Realform Romance” Novels?

New York - In an industry long dominated by chiseled abs, flowing gowns, and airbrushed perfection, a new kind of romance novel is beginning to turn heads and change hearts. Publishers and readers alike are embracing stories that feature protagonists who look a lot more like the people buying the books: characters with soft bellies, … Continue reading Are You Ready for “Realform Romance” Novels? →

From Pizza Parlor to Garage: Getting the Band Back Together

Orlando, FL - The faint whir of motors, the squeak of aging servos, and the tinny chords of a long-forgotten soundtrack filled David Mullins’ garage last Friday night. For a dozen neighbors perched on folding chairs, it was an unexpected trip back in time. Mullins, a 42-year-old machinist with a knack for tinkering, has done … Continue reading From Pizza Parlor to Garage: Getting the Band Back Together →