Welcome to The Check-In, our weekend feature focusing on all things travel. Tourists in Hawaii are encouraged to put what’s best for Hawaii at the top of their itinerary When the pandemic brought travel to a standstill, no one was more aware than the locals in Hawaii, where fewer tourists meant more space. This allowed…
Tags: Culture
For Turks in Germany, ‘home’ is a complicated concept
For Turks in Germany, ‘home’ is a complicated concept | View caption Hide caption Respect Those in Germany’s large Turkish population often feel caught between two worlds: that of their physical home and that of their psychological home. How much is Germany fostering that by banning dual citizenship? Politically, Turks in Germany are so important…
Paid leave: Will stronger military families mean a stronger military?
Paid leave: Will stronger military families mean a stronger military? | View caption Hide caption Balance Men and women make big work commitments in military service, but they often also have big commitments in family life. A new paid leave policy aims to help military families find a better balance. Not only has he developed…
Netflix’s Cleopatra controversy, explained
Who knew that Cleopatra could still inspire fierce debates two millennia after her death? Netflix has come under criticism from the Egyptian government for casting a Black actress, Adele James, to play the ancient monarch in its new docudrama series African Queens. That casting is inaccurate, Egyptian officials said after the trailer was released, according…
Is Minnesota a progressive ‘laboratory’ or an exceptional exception?
Fifty years ago this August, Time magazine ran the cover story “The Good Life in Minnesota,” proclaiming it “a state that works” where “a residual American secret still seems to operate.” The article, complete with a full-page splash of then-Governor Wendell Anderson holding an impressive looking (if relatively small) northern pike, presented the state as…
In shadow of Ukraine war, Latvia turns wary eye on local Russians
In shadow of Ukraine war, Latvia turns wary eye on local Russians | View caption Hide caption Trust Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has sown mistrust in another former Soviet republic, Latvia, where Russian speakers are struggling against being stigmatized as pro-Moscow. “There are definitely more tensions between the two populations than there have been for…
Doing the Nutbush: Australia’s love affair with Tina Turner
Many Australians feel a special connection to Tina Turner, with one of her early songs having found a unique place in the country’s culture. As fans around the world mourn the singer’s death at the age of 83, many in the country remember growing up learning the line dance to Nutbush City Limits, the song…
10 things you need to know today: May 14, 2023
1 Ceasefire appears to hold between Israel and Gaza militants A tense ceasefire between Israeli forces and militants from the Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) appeared to hold Sunday, at least for the most part. The truce comes following a series of rocket attacks from the PIJ-held Gaza Strip late Saturday night, causing Israel to launch a…
Disney scraps $1 billion campus in Florida, citing ‘changing business conditions’
The Walt Disney Co. announced Thursday that it has pulled the plug on a new campus near its Disney World theme park outside Orlando and will no longer relocate about 2,000 employees to Florida from Southern California. The project in Lake Nona Town Center was projected to cost $864 million when it was announced in…
A costly joke: China slaps comedy firm with $2 million fine for military gag
China on Wednesday slapped one of the country’s best-known comedy companies with a 14.7 million yuan ($2.13 million) penalty, accusing it of “harming society” after a military joke made by one of its comedians drew strong public criticism. The Beijing arm of China’s Ministry of Culture and Tourism Bureau said it would fine Shanghai Xiaoguo…