I was in St. Louis for the first time last week, and my family and friends all chimed in with one unanimous recommendation: You gotta try the toasted ravioli! Both of those food concepts are delicious separately, and together, they certainly didn't disappoint. Now that we're all properly hungry, tell me what delicious dish your little corner of the world is famous for! To get you started, here's a list of America's best regional desserts, from Missouri's gooey butter cake (which was obviously on my to-eat list) to classic Ohio buckeyes.
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Our favorites this week
Get going with some of our most popular good news stories of the week
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Your new feel-good earworm
What's the hottest music trend right now? Orthodox Jewish pop music, of course. The Miami Boys choir, an Orthodox pop ensemble, has been burning up social media with a delightful video of a 2008 performance. The song, "Yerushalayim," is one of many toe-tappers the group has performed during their more than 40 years in existence. Their incredible vocals and infectious enthusiasm has earned the group hundreds of thousands of new admirers from across the world, but it's not just music they're sharing. Jewish fans have pointed out how nice it is to see a lesser-known part of their culture create so much positivity. Chananya Begun, the son of MBC founder Yerachmiel Begun, sums up the groups effect perfectly: "If you’re pursuing excellence as the genuine people you’re supposed to be, that can change hearts and minds. That can make a difference in the world.”
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A giant among skeletons
I love weird stuff. Weird stuff makes the world go 'round. Halloween is the perfect time for such things, and it doesn't get much more weird than a 12-foot skeleton decoration from Home Depot. This gangly creature has loomed above front lawns and irritated HOAs since 2020, and has developed a serious cult following in the process. How serious? The thing literally sells out in hours, and has even spawned secondhand skeleton black markets. I talked to Lance Allen, Home Depot’s senior merchant of holiday décor, who said Skelly's design was very intentional. His teams watch horror movies and even go to haunted houses to get ideas and, well, a giant skeleton just seemed right for the time. "It was during the first year of the pandemic, when everybody just needed to smile.” (And yes, they really do call him Skelly.) Fans of the enormous skeleton have tried to explain what it is about him that is so delightful, and it always boils down to one thing: He's just, well, weird!
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Fat Bear Week! Fat Bear Week!
It's that time of year, folks! Time to gorge on salmon, get as large and hairy as possible, and be adored every step of the way. Whew, that's the life. Every fall, the bears in Katmai National Park & Preserve in Alaska pack on hundreds of pounds in preparation for hibernation, and we all get to vote on who did it best. Fat Bear Week is "a way to celebrate the resilience, adaptability and strength of Katmai's brown bears," the park's website says. You see, a fat bear in fall is a healthy bear. Bears can lose up to a third of their body weight during their winter hibernation, so it's important they do a little bulking. This year's field consists of 12 contenders with names like "Chunk," "Otis" and "Grazer" (pictured above). Fat bear enthusiasts can vote for which of these butterballs has made the most impressive transformation. But really, they're all winners.
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Eat your heart out Charlie Brown, there's a new giant pumpkin in town! This gorgeous pumpkin sculpture was created by Japanese artist Yayoi Kusama, who was also the mind behind the famous "Infinity Rooms" exhibit. Pumpkins are kind of her thing (well, pumpkins and ... never mind). Anyway, the sculpture was recently reinstalled on October 4th on Naoshima island after it was swept into the sea and badly damaged during a typhoon last summer. In fact, Kusama and her team created an entirely new one, faithfully replicated from the badly damaged original. The gourd has become something of a symbol for the island, so residents say they're happy to see it back to its full glory.
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Dustin LaFont knows hardship can be a way of life in Louisiana; one of the poorest states in the nation and the frequent site of devastating natural disasters. The CNN Hero and former history teacher also knows that hardship breeds a special kind of resilience. That's why LaFont founded Front Yard Bikes, a nonprofit that serves hundreds of students in Baton Rouge. At Front Yard Bikes, students work to build their own bicycle, learning skills like mechanics, welding and cycling safety, while receiving mentoring, academic support, and job training opportunities. The project started in 2010 when LaFont was inspired by the neighborhood kids who gathered in his yard for tips, tools, and bike parts. Students involved with Front Yard Bikes even helped renovate a community park near the non-profit's headquarters which now serves as a safe place for kids to learn, play and ride.
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The Turkish city of Izmir has many identities. Legend says it was built on the command of Alexander the Great. Centuries later, it was a stop along the Silk Road, and a melting pot where traders gathered from across the Aegean Sea. In the 19th century, it was one of Turkey's most cosmopolitan cities, where the affluent gathered for boating parties and picnics in the sun. However, Izmir was badly damaged in 1922 during Turkey's war for independence. Decades of rebuilding has created an Izmir that's a mixture of old and new. Above, you can see the view from Smyrna Quay, where boats once departed with exotic goods to sell in Europe.
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"Squeaky bum time." What a colorful phrase. So plosive! So assonant! It definitely deserves a place in the hallowed pages of the Oxford English Dictionary. The OED now provides helpful definitions for "squeaky bum time" and several other evocative metaphors made famous by football coaching icons.
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"Squeaky bum time" was coined by former Manchester United coach Alex Ferguson during a press conference in 2003 to describe the pressures of extreme competition in the league. The OED describes it as "a reference to the sound of someone shifting restlessly on plastic seating during tense closing stages of a contest."
- "Park the bus" was coined by former Chelsea manager José Mourinho. The OED describes "park the bus” as “to play in a very defensive way, typically by having the majority of outfield players close to their own goal and showing little attacking intent.”
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Rec of the week
Brought to you by CNN Underscored
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We found the 23 best deals at Wayfair’s 5 Days of Deals sale event
We’ve been waiting for Wayfair’s 5 Days of Deals to begin, and it’s officially here. You can shop the massive home goods site for deals on furniture, home organization, small appliances, bedding and way more.
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Shameless animal video
There's always time for cute animal videos. That time is now.
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The beat of a hummingbird's wings has to be the best sound in the world. Their little cheeps are a close second.
(Click here to view)
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