United says, ‘Go ahead, lie down NurPhoto / Getty Images It’s a huge day for anyone who is consistently able to stretch their legs out all the way on a flight. United Airlines announced several upgrades to its upcoming fleet of 250 new airplanes, offering more legroom, seats that lie flat, and souped-up amenities…for those willing to upgrade. Over the next two years, United will add a number of flights that cater more heavily toward premium customers: Most new Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners will include more premium seats than older airplanes, as well as the previously announced “Polaris Studio”—a private hub that has ottomans for guests visiting your sky-high oasis. These sections also include wine pairings and caviar with meals. The “Coastliner” will also provide lie-flat seats for the first time on transcontinental flights. Next year, you’ll be able to book a Relax Row , transforming three economy seats into a giant bed. It wasn’t all good news: United CEO Scott Kirby warned...

  Spirits are low in the alcohol biz Malcolm Dunbar/Getty Images Boozemakers are about as content as someone arriving at a wedding to find out that it’s dry. Alcohol sales are slumping, as many young people trade tipsiness for non-alcoholic drinks and become stoners instead proclaim themselves “California sober.” The teetotalism trend is fueled by rising health consciousness, more studies showing the harms of even moderate drinking, weight loss drugs reducing drinking desires, and tightening budgets. According to Gallup, only 54% of Americans said they consumed alcohol last year, the lowest since the analytics company began polling in 1939. And surveys from abroad suggest the trend is global. To add insult to injury, President Trump’s trade wars have led to Canadian boycotts and many Europeans opting for domestic drinking options, stymying the flow of drink across borders. Iconic brands feel the imbibing recession As the global blood-alcohol content level hits an all-time ...

  Chelsea break English football record with £262.4m pre-tax loss for 2024-25 season The Guardian · an hour ago by Agencies · Chelsea Blues surpass Manchester City’s £197.5m loss in 2010-11 Club compliant with PSR rules for three years to 2024-25 Chelsea on Wednesday reported a pre-tax loss of £262.4m during the 2024-25 season, the biggest annual loss ever recorded in English football, surpassing the previous record loss of £197.5m posted by Manchester City in 2010-11. The club posted a profit of £128.4m in the previous year’s accounts, boosted by the sale of the women’s team to Blueco Midco – a subsidiary company – for almost £200m. Chelsea said the losses were attributable in part to increased operating costs in 2024-25 compared to the previous year. Continue reading...

  Miami, LA, and other big cities are shrinking Nick Iluzada It feels less crowded here, no? Population growth across the US slowed to one of the lowest rates in history, with the country adding just 1.8 million people between July 2024 and July 2025, according to new data released by the US Census Bureau yesterday. The slowdown was largely driven by the rapid fall of international migration due to President Trump’s crackdown on undocumented immigrants and other federal policy changes. Large metro areas and counties along the US–Mexico border were hit the hardest. Growth slowed—or reversed—throughout the US Of the 2,066 counties that saw population growth between 2023 and 2024, 8 in 10 now face slower growth or even population decline. And of the counties that were already looking at a waning population, well, it likely got worse. A total of 1,270 counties lost residents in the year leading up to July 2025, including those with major cities that historically attract large ...

Simon Keith, David Foster foundations join forces - Victoria Times Colonist Simon Keith, David Foster foundations join forces to help youth after transplants The two have teamed up for a new program to fund sports, fitness, recreational and cultural activities for young transplant recipients. Jeff Bell about 21 hours ago Previous Next 1  /  2   The Simon Keith Foundation, founded by Victoria native Simon Keith in 2011, supports youth after organ transplants and promotes organ-donor registration through public-awareness campaigns. Keith, a former soccer star, has had two heart transplants and a kidney transplant. ADRIAN LAM, TIMES COLONIST Expand Listen to this article 00:02:29 Two long-serving charities with Victoria connections have announced a partnership to help Canadian children who have undergone organ transplants. The Simon Keith Foundation and the David Foster Foundation have teamed up for a new program to help young transplant recipients “reclaim active, healthy l...

  On being a professional sailor by Joe Cooper, WindCheck In my August 2023 column , I wrote about the skills to have and those you learn being The Boat Captain. But being a (THE) Boat Captain is a subset of being a professional sailor. The captain is (should be) more manager than line worker, if you will. Recently one of the high school kids I know asked me, “How do I get to be a professional sailor?” Kind of a variation on a theme. I know a few nippers who are splashing in this puddle at the moment, but (viable) career advice is not really a three-line text proposition. I have been musing on the answer to this question. AND the following is the result of said musing. Some of the background I hope to address. • Professional, in what role on the boat? Steer, bow, navigate, tactics? • Which boat? OD or box rule? Cape 31, TP52, Solo open ocean, SailGP, America’s Cup, Melges class, or M32 Cats? • Offsho...

EU pays for French winemakers to turn unsold stock into ethanol | The Straits Times EU pays for French winemakers to turn unsold stock into ethanol Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox Global wine consumption is dwindling amid changing drinking patterns, lacklustre economic conditions and trade tariffs. PHOTO: AFP Published Apr 01, 2026, 09:38 PM Updated Apr 01, 2026, 09:40 PM BRUSSELS - The European Union disbursed €40 million (S$59.5 million) to finance the distillation of unsold French wine stocks to stabilise prices amid dwindling global demand. The emergency measure will offer €33 per hectolitre to winemakers and cooperatives to distill about 1.2 million hectolitres of surplus red and rose wines which have witnessed a drop in prices, according to an EU regulation dated March 31. The distilled products will be used exclusively for “industrial purposes, including disinfection and pharmaceutical, and energy purposes”. Global wine consumption is dwindling amid changing dr...

  Hungary’s PM Viktor Orbán lost the election, conceded to Péter Magyar. After 16 years in power, Orbán conceded defeat in Hungary’s general election yesterday, calling his loss to Péter Magyar, the opposition leader, “painful.” Despite Hungary’s relatively small size—its population is fewer than 10 million—Orbán cultivated a large following among global populists, and his fans include President Trump and many in the MAGA movement. But a series of corruption scandals eroded voter sentiment. The rise of Magyar, who is described as center-right, may not lead to sweeping changes on many issues, but he has pledged to make significant anti-corruption reforms.

  Trump’s signature to go in your wallet. Not since John Hancock has a signature loomed so large for America: President Trump is about to become the first sitting president to have his signature on US paper currency. Traditionally, the Treasury Secretary and the Treasurer are the ones whose signatures appear, but the Treasury Department said this week it’d be putting the president’s on to honor America’s 250th anniversary. The department is also controversially planning a commemorative coin featuring Trump’s image for the anniversary, although critics have pointed out that federal law prohibits showing a living president on US money.

  Artemis II splashed down safely off the coast of San Diego. The four-astronaut crew aboard the Integrity spacecraft made what NASA commentator Rob Navias called a “perfect bull’s-eye splashdown” at 8:07pm ET—landing within a mile of their target after following a nearly perfect flight path. Astronauts Reid Wiseman, Christina Koch, Victor Glover, and Jeremy Hansen returned from their record-breaking mission happy and healthy. NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman said following the return that the US is “back in the business of sending astronauts to the moon” as the space program now continues to work toward establishing a long-term lunar presence using reusable systems.

  The biggest mass gatherings involve the divine Procession of the carriage of the Black Nazarene in Manila, Philippines. Ezra Acayan/Getty Images An opportunity to worship at a sacred site is one of the biggest motivators for people to travel halfway across the globe and endure hours of physical discomfort navigating chaotic crowds. Religious pilgrimages are among the oldest forms of travel, and cheap airfare has made them some of the planet’s largest mass-migration events. Every religious movement has its own holy hubs that bring together believers from all corners of the world. Muslims journey to Mecca, Saudi Arabia, for the Hajj, arguably the most widely known annual religious pilgrimage and a mandatory lifetime rite for every adult Muslim. The central gathering spot is Mecca’s mosque, where pilgrims collectively circle a stone shrine called the Kaaba, believed to have been built by the main prophet in all Abrahamic religions, Ibrahim, aka Abraham. Saudi Arabia reaps a w...

  Nerd makes own golf club to try to win Masters Hector Vivas/Getty Images A guy who would definitely have a garage full of souped-up weed wackers and “better hammers” if he weren’t a world-class golfer is debuting a 3D-printed 5-iron at the Masters this week. Bryson DeChambeau, known in the golf world as “The Scientist,” got the green light from the USGA yesterday to use an iron that he designed and printed himself. You might recognize DeChambeau from his TikTok stunts and friendship with Kevin Hart . (He has also won two US Opens, in 2020 and 2024.) He’s never won a Masters, but he got close last year, finishing fifth. But if your golf knowledge is limited to whatever minimal skills you picked up during a weeklong middle-school camp you didn’t want to attend, DeChambeau is best known for tinkering with his clubs and trying other kooky strategies to give himself an edge (and hitting the ball crazy far). He helped popularize the once-controversial single-length irons . Will ...

    The traveling boom town The stage for the BTS reunion concert in South Korea. Chung Sung-Jun/Getty Images It stings when out-of-towners flock to a nearby concert that you couldn’t get tickets to, but at least your economy might get the last laugh. Taylor Swift’s and Beyoncé’s  GDP-shifting world tours  showed how restaurants and hotels can reap massive benefits when big arena shows come to town. So, go ahead—let all those other fans drop $300 on nosebleed seats while you bask in the economic ripple effects. The next Eras Tour:  Flights and hotel rooms in 34 cities around the world quickly  sold out  this year after the K-pop phenomenon BTS announced it was back together and going on an international tour. The group’s return is so eagerly anticipated that Booking.com searches surged 6,700% compared to a year prior for a November tour date in one Taiwanese host city. Globally, the World Economic Forum (WEF)  estimates  that music tourism co...

  Festival sponsors drop out after Ye joins lineup Retamal/Getty Images Call these brands a 2010 Kanye West single, because they’ve run away: Paypal, Rockstar Energy Drink, and Budweiser-maker AB-InBev each reportedly said yesterday that they are pulling back from a major UK music festival that recently named Ye as its headliner, becoming the latest brands to abandon ship. ICYMI: The backlash was swift after London’s Wireless Festival announced last week that Ye, who has a long history of expressing antisemitic views and released a song called “Heil Hitler” less than a year ago, would headline its July event: Pepsi withdrew its sponsorship on Sunday after 10 years as the festival’s main brand partner (the official name is “Pepsi MAX Presents Wireless”). Liquor giant Diageo bailed shortly thereafter. Hours earlier, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer condemned Ye’s booking as “deeply concerning.” Now, AB-InBev and Rockstar are also out, per the Wall Street Journal and Variety,...

What ‘Looksmaxxing’ Says about Modern Masculinity As young men struggle, many have embraced extreme attempts to alter their experience. Jillian Sunderland and Jordan Foster TodayThe Conversation Jillian Sunderland is a PhD candidate in sociology at the University of Toronto. Jordan Foster is an assistant professor of sociology at MacEwan University. This article was originally published by the Conversation. Our journalism is supported by readers like you. Click here to support The Tyee. 1 Comment / 1 New ‘As traditional pathways to masculine status such as stable work, home ownership and long-term partnerships are delayed or feel out of reach, the body becomes a locus of control.’ Photo via Instagram. Listen to this article 7 min Young men and teenage boys are learning to see their faces and bodies as projects to measure and optimize. On social media platforms like Reddit, Instagram and TikTok, jawlines are dissected, cheekbones compared and perceived “flaws” catalogued. Widely vie...

Tea with: Mom’s Cake Cafe in Oak Bay | Oak Bay News Tea with: Mom’s Cake Cafe in Oak Bay Published 5:45 am Sunday, March 22, 2026  By Sam Duerksen    1/2 Jeraldine Reyes and close friend Jellica Ann Lasat own Mom’s Cake Cafe in Oak Bay. (Don Denton/Tweed)    For Tweed’s spring issue themed ‘Sweet’, we thought, who better to have tea with than the owners of one of the sweetest cafes in Oak Bay? Mom’s Cake Cafe has only been in the neighbourhood for one year, but it’s already a daily ritual for nearby residents. Beyond the draw of the delicious and carefully designed baked goods, the warm coffee, the bright patio and the cheery interior, it’s the hospitality of owners Jellica Ann Lasat and close friend Jeraldine Reyes that make it a truly special spot. Jellica and Jeraldine sat down with Tweed to tell us their story, which includes a family-like friendship, a love for their Philippines homeland and the joys of motherhood. Read more at: https://oakbaynews.com/2026/...

   Giving up on giving Morning Brew Design The year was 2010: A peplum top was standard going-out attire, Justin Bieber had just released “Baby,” and billionaires were signing onto the Giving Pledge—an effort backed by Warren Buffett and Bill Gates that asked the ultrawealthy to commit more than half their money to nonprofits. But much like the BlackBerry as the go-to tech for busy business people, the pledge has significantly dipped in popularity since then. The New York Times reports : In the pledge’s first five years, from 2010–2015, 113 people signed. Over the next five years, 72 signed one. And the next five garnered just 43 new signatories, with only four new sign-ons in 2024. Last year, 14 people signed. In the past two years, Coinbase’s Brian Armstrong unsigned, and Oracle’s Larry Ellison said he was amending his (nonbinding) pledge to enable giving to more for-profits. But despite growing backlash from the billionaires it’s aimed at amid a very different political...

  Reporter says Polymarket bettors threatened him Mateusz Slodkowski/Getty Images Sometimes the danger for conflict correspondents comes from gamblers. The Times of Israel war reporter Emanuel Fabian revealed in an article yesterday that people tried to intimidate him into changing a story about a recent Iranian missile strike so they could win a bet on the prediction market Polymarket. After the journalist broke the news of an Iranian ballistic missile hitting an open area near the Israeli town Beit Shemesh on March 10, he began receiving threats from bettors accusing him of misreporting the incident. The DM mob claimed an interceptor missile fragment caused the explosion captured on video. Polyracket attempt Fabian, who stands by his reporting, realized that the people attempting to cow him into issuing a correction had skin in the game beyond worrying about media accuracy: He discovered the threats (and bribe offers) were coming from people who bet on Polymarket that an...

   Hot dog! Nick Iluzada If you like your dogs with tiny legs and elongated torsos, you’re not alone: Dachshunds made it onto the list of the most popular dogs in the US for the first time in more than two decades this year. According to the American Kennel Club’s rankings, which are based on its registry—which doesn’t account for mixed-breed dogs (even designer doodle types): The French bulldog remains top dog, a spot the breed has occupied since 2003. But the smoosh-nosed pups’ moment at the apex of the dogpile may be ending: ~54,000 Frenchies were registered last year, which is half as many as the year they first topped the list. Longtime most-popular Labrador retrievers maintained the No. 2 slot, followed by golden retrievers, German shepherds, and the dachshund. Whatever the breed (or species), Americans are spending big on their pets. Spending on pet care was expected to be $157 billion last year, according to the American Pet Products Association. Lucky for the poo...