In a quirky twist on summer tradition, Olive Garden is making waves by combining two seasonal favorites: pasta and pool time. The Italian-American restaurant chain is set to launch a line of limited-edition, pasta-themed pool floats on June 30, just in time for the heart of summer. The inflatable collection brings Olive Garden's signature menu items into the sun-soaked realm of summer recreation, offering customers a fun, food-inspired way to lounge poolside.

James E. Ryan, the president of the University of Virginia, announced his resignation on Friday following growing pressure from the Trump administration’s Justice Department over the university's diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives. According to individuals familiar with the matter, Ryan called a meeting with senior leadership and informed them of his decision to step down. The Justice Department had reportedly insisted on his resignation as part of an ultimatum to re

The Bay Area is undergoing a retail transformation as former big-box stores give way to a growing wave of Asian grocery chains and culinary destinations. Across the region, from San Francisco to the South and East Bay, large retail spaces once occupied by legacy department stores are being reimagined as vibrant Asian markets and food hubs. These developments signal a changing consumer landscape, deeply influenced by shifting demographics and cultural preferences. In Daly City, a f

Chicago's pizza scene has quietly welcomed back one of its most iconic and talked-about names. Great Lake, a small pizzeria once hailed as serving the best pizza in America, has returned more than 12 years after it suddenly closed its doors. Tucked away at 1476 W. Berwyn, not far from its original Andersonville neighborhood, the legendary pizza shop has resumed operations without much fanfare, but its legacy and impact on Chicago’s food culture remain as strong as ever.

A persistent rat infestation has kept a Cupertino grocery store closed for more than two months, marking one of the most severe health enforcement cases in Santa Clara County this year. Located on Stevens Creek Boulevard, the store initially suspended operations in its deli, juice bar, and bakery in late March after health inspectors found evidence of rodent contamination in areas visible to customers. Despite multiple pest control efforts, including baiting and capturing at least one roof rat,

Walmart is rolling out a major expansion of its drone delivery program, now reaching customers in Houston, Tampa, Orlando, Atlanta, and Charlotte. This new phase brings the service to 100 additional stores, allowing customers to receive essential items like medication, snacks, and baby products by drone in 30 minutes or less. Operated by Wing, a drone company owned by Google’s parent Alphabet, this expansion aims to compete directly with Amazon Prime Air

Pre-filled Income Tax Return (ITR) forms, introduced by the Income Tax Department, are designed to make tax filing simpler for individuals by auto-filling key financial details. These forms collect data from reliable sources such as your PAN, Aadhaar, Form 16 issued by employers, Form 26AS, and the Annual Information Statement (AIS) to pre-load income, tax paid, deductions claimed, and bank account information. However, despite the convenience, these pre-fille

Oil prices jumped to their highest levels in five months while Asian markets tumbled on Monday, following coordinated airstrikes by the United States and Israel on Iran's key nuclear facilities. The escalation has sparked fears of a broader conflict in the Middle East, with particular concern over the potential closure of the Strait of Hormuz a strategic waterway that handles nearly 25 percent of global oil trade and 20 percent of liquefied natural gas mov

Four schools from India have been named among the top 10 global finalists for the 2025 World's Best School Prizes, hosted by UK-based T4 Education. These annual awards celebrate schools making extraordinary contributions in education, innovation, health, environment, and community development. This year's Indian finalists represent the states of Haryana, Maharashtra, Karnataka, and Uttar Pradesh, each standing out in one of the five prize categories.

Two controversial bills involving religion in Texas public schools are currently awaiting Gov. Greg Abbott’s approval before the Sunday deadline. Senate Bill 10 would mandate the display of the Ten Commandments in all public school classrooms with a specifically Protestant wording. Meanwhile, Senate Bill 11 would permit designated periods for voluntary prayer and Bible reading in public and charter schools. Bot

Two leading universities in Illinois have earned prestigious spots in the latest global university rankings for 2025, reinforcing the state’s strong academic presence on the international stage. The ranking, now in its 11th year, evaluated over 2,200 institutions across the world. It considered multiple performance indicators such as global and regional academic reputation, volume and impact of scholarly publications, book output, citation influence, and international academic collaboratio

In a historic move for the US tech sector, Texas Instruments (TI) has announced a massive investment of over $60 billion to boost domestic semiconductor manufacturing. This investment, set to roll out across seven fabrication plants in Texas and Utah, marks the largest such commitment in foundational chipmaking on American soil. The company expects the expansion to generate over 60,000 jobs and strengthen the country’s ability to produce critical compone

Wawa has filed a lawsuit against the city of Garfield, New Jersey, over a newly amended ordinance that prohibits the convenience store from operating 24 hours a day. The legal action, initiated earlier this month, challenges the city's decision to enforce operating restrictions on overnight business, a move that the company says directly threatens its long-standing service model and investment in the area. The controversy centers around the Wawa store located on Jewell Street,

Rite Aid, the once-prominent national pharmacy chain now navigating Chapter 11 bankruptcy, is preparing to shutter 56 additional store locations across California, bringing the total number of confirmed closures in the state to 235 by 2025. As part of its ongoing financial restructuring efforts, the company is systematically downsizing its retail footprint, with California emerging as one of the hardest-hit states in this process. The latest wave of closures reflects the pharmacy chain’

Graze Craze, a fast-growing brand known for its custom-made gourmet charcuterie boards, has officially opened its first location in Silicon Valley at 666 Barber Lane in Milpitas’ Ulferts Center. The new store brings the innovative concept of artistic grazing boards to the heart of the Bay Area, offering residents and businesses a unique culinary experience that combines presentation with quality ingredients. The Milpitas location is operated by Michele Ho, a former biotech and pharmaceu

  Students at Piscataway High School have made a significant impact in their community by launching a new student-led initiative aimed at promoting teen driving safety. This academic year, the school introduced a chapter of Students Against Destructive Decisions (SADD), a national organization that empowers young people to make safe and healthy choices. With strong dedication and creative outreach, the club worked tirelessly to spread awareness about the risks associated with

Starting July 1, 2025, the City of San Marcos will implement paid parking for non-residents at City Park, located at 170 Charles Austin Drive. This move comes as part of a broader initiative to maintain and support local park resources as community usage continues to grow, especially during weekends and holidays. Non-residents visiting City Park will need to pay for parking either at on-site kiosks (cash or card) or

Indian-American venture capitalist Vinod Khosla has sparked a major debate by suggesting that artificial intelligence may undermine the dominance of elite universities and high-prestige careers. Reacting to a report titled “The End of Prestige”, Khosla argued that AI tools are eroding the traditional value of expensive degrees in law, medicine, and finance by replacing the need for memorized knowledge with the ability to intelligently query AI sys

  Efforts by the San Jose community to save a beloved local restaurant have come to an end as city officials approved a proposal to replace the longstanding Taqueria Eduardo with a new Chick-fil-A location. The decision, made by Planning Director Christopher Burton, has sparked criticism from residents and community groups who argue that the project contradicts the West San Carlos Urban Village Plan and displaces a business that has been serving the neighborhood for over two de

US President Donald Trump has announced a major breakthrough in trade relations with China, confirming that a new deal includes guaranteed upfront delivery of rare earth elements to the United States and a renewed visa pathway for Chinese students. Posting on Truth Social, Trump declared the agreement “done,” pending final approval from Chinese President Xi Jinping and himself. He emphasized that under the terms, the US would receive “full ma