Southern California is facing a sharp rise in mosquito activity as record heat speeds up breeding cycles across the region. Local vector control teams have launched emergency spraying operations to curb the expanding population. The development raises fresh questions about how residents can limit breeding sites around homes and gardens. ([1]) Heat Speeds Up the...
Mid-Atlantic apple harvests have dropped sharply this year, with some states seeing losses near 50 percent after spring freezes. Similar pressures from weather shifts, disease and seasonal transitions are tightening supplies of tomatoes, lettuce and limes, pushing wholesale costs higher at a moment when food inflation shows signs of returning. Retailers and shoppers alike are...
Miami – Tropical Storm Isaias formed in the Gulf of Mexico this week and is forecast to become the Atlantic basin’s first hurricane of the season while chasing a 121-year-old mark for the latest such storm on record. The system is expected to turn northward and approach the northern Gulf Coast by the end of...
A returning contributor to Fine Gardening has once again opened the gates to her Pennsylvania garden, highlighting plant pairings that continue to deliver color and interest even as summer draws to a close. Dot’s latest share captures the quiet satisfaction of combinations that refuse to fade quietly. Readers looking for ideas that bridge the seasons...
In 1957 a six-year-old boy in Kentucky began digging holes in the backyard, convinced he could reach China by noon and return home for dinner. The effort left the lawn pockmarked but never reached three feet deep. Decades later the same impulse to turn soil has become a steady way to quiet the mind amid...
Turning 65 comes with more than a birthday cake and a Medicare card. Across the country, a quiet but meaningful set of financial advantages kicks in once you cross that threshold, and many people simply don’t know about them. The savings aren’t always dramatic on their own. But stacked together, they can meaningfully reduce what...
The withdrawal from a long-standing tomato import agreement in July 2025 triggered a 17.09 percent antidumping duty on most Mexican tomatoes entering the United States. Poor weather in Mexico and Florida then tightened supplies further, pushing fresh tomato prices to their highest levels in roughly two decades. Restaurants that once absorbed the cost of complimentary...
As the first hard frost approaches in many regions this October, home gardeners face a familiar choice: accept the end of the season or shift to crops that not only survive the cold but often improve because of it. Relying solely on spring plantings leaves beds empty once temperatures drop, yet certain vegetables continue to...
In Delaware County, Pennsylvania, William Owen Hanna marks his 100th year with the same weekly habit that has defined much of his adult life. The longtime resident heads to the bowling alley on a regular basis, where he continues to deliver strikes with the consistency that has marked his decades on the lanes. His story...
South Florida faces another stretch of unsettled weather driven by lingering tropical moisture and a stalled front just to the north. Scattered showers and thunderstorms are expected through the afternoon and evening, with the heaviest rain likely to produce localized flooding in already saturated areas. At the same time, Tropical Storm Isaias has formed in...
Washington – The State Department has formally asked Russia for more information about the death of a laboratory worker at an anti-plague institute in Siberia. The request comes amid limited public details from Russian authorities and growing international attention to the case. Officials emphasize that many facts remain unconfirmed while stressing the need for transparency....
Tropical Storm Isaias has developed in the Gulf of Mexico and is expected to intensify into a hurricane as it moves toward the U.S. Gulf Coast later this week. The system brings the first notable tropical threat of the period to the region, prompting residents and officials to begin tracking its progress closely. Forecasters emphasize...
