How to pick, prepare and enjoy cantaloupe, honeydew, watermelon and other melons
Melons don’t have starches that will convert to sugar after they’re picked, so to get the best flavor, you want to choose a melon at its peak sweetness.
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Some big companies oppose potential tax hikes, but want to profit from infrastructure deal
At least a dozen profitable major U.S. companies paid little or no U.S. income tax in 2020 but are active in industry groups that object to helping fund with taxes the same public projects they want to profit from.
Senators introduce measure for federal decriminalization of marijuana
Public support for legalizing marijuana is high, with 91% of Americans saying marijuana should be legal in some form, according to a recent Pew Research Center poll.
This sour cherry pie is summer’s ultimate dessert
For only a few weeks each summer, fragile pints or quarts of bright red sour cherries can be found at markets in most cities in the continental United States—unless you live in or near Michigan or Wisconsin, where the majority of the country’s sour cherry varietals, including Early Richmond, English Morello and Montmorency, are grown.
Many returning to office are dreading commute more than ever
The great work-from-home experiment revealed that many employees can work effectively outside the office—rendering commutes largely unnecessary. But those stuck with inflexible employers can use coping techniques to make the commutes easier to deal with.
Stylish solutions to help tame family room clutter
When designing a family or living room, she starts by getting items off the floor and tabletops to create a less cluttered environment.
Even as college athletes get paid, more hoops prospects skip college altogether
This month, the dam finally broke on college athletes getting paid as the NCAA scaled back its rules. But as some athletes cash in on that shift, a growing number of young basketball players are forgoing college and even high school to play in upstart professional leagues.
FDA narrows use of Alzheimer’s drug to patients with early-stage disease
The narrower label means the drug might be offered to 1 million or 2 million Alzheimer’s patients, rather than the more than 6 million people with Alzheimer’s in the United States.
Slow trickle of rental aid heightens concern about eviction crisis
Weeks before an eviction moratorium put in place by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention expires on July 31, much of the federal aid meant to help tenants and landlords has not reached them.
Establishing a ground-cover bed, eradicating vines and more
Washington Post gardening columnist Adrian Higgins recently took questions in an online chat. Here is an edited excerpt.
11 frozen meals The Washington Post staff turns to in a pinch
When we don’t have the energy to cook, these frozen meals are our go-to fallbacks.
Controversial OK of Alzheimer’s drug reignites battle over disease’s cause
The role of the sticky substance in the brain has long divided researchers and is at the forefront again amid the FDA’s recent clearance of the first drug to treat the disease in almost two decades.
U.S. added 850,000 jobs in June as labor market showed renewed strength
The news is likely to be seen as a good sign for the economy more than one year into the pandemic, after numerous wrinkles have emerged to complicate a labor recovery many hoped would be faster at this level of vaccinations.
New rules protect patients from surprise medical billing
The federal government issued rules Thursday to shield Americans from large, unexpected medical bills after patients wind up in emergency rooms or receive other care they did not realize lay outside their insurance networks.
We hate the office. We love the office. Do we want to go back?
A Gallup poll taken between October and April found that 40% of white-collar workers would prefer to continue working remotely as much as possible, while 21% would rather return to the office (and 29% were not working remotely, while the rest didn’t want to go back because of coronavirus concerns).
House passes $700B transportation and water bill, making its pitch on infrastructure
The package provides $343 billion for roads, bridges and safety programs, $109 billion for transit agencies and $95 billion for rail. It also includes $117 billion for drinking water programs and $51 billion for wastewater infrastructure.
Backyard: Decorator and author Annie Kelly on living with swimming pools
Swimming pools can be the best place to be when you’re outside; they’re a great luxury and a place to keep fit.
IRS faces 35M unprocessed tax returns as backlog swells, watchdog says
The support line for individual income tax returns received about 85 million calls, with only about 3% reaching a customer service representative, according to the taxpayer advocate report.
Pence defends his Jan. 6 actions in speech that also likened Trump to Reagan
Former Vice President Mike Pence said he was proud that Congress reconvened the night of Jan. 6 to certify Joe Biden’s win even after the insurrection at the U.S. Capitol, which left five people dead.
White House replaces regulator for mortgage giants after Supreme Court ruling
The White House replaced the regulator who oversees mortgage giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac after the Supreme Court ruled that the leadership structure of the Federal Housing Finance Agency was unconstitutional.