CNN – Taylor Swift is a hero to food banks from coast to coast

New York (CNN) — When the Arizona Food Bank Network received a call that Taylor Swift wanted to make a hefty donation to the charity as she kicked off her Eras tour in the state, some staffers thought it was a prank.

But it was no joke. The megastar, who is raking in big bucks from her blockbuster concerts, has been giving back to communities where she plays. From Georgia to Michigan to Texas to California and in between, food banks have benefited.  –read more–

CNN | Six White officers entered a house without a warrant and subjected two Black men to hours of grueling violence

(CNN) — On the evening of January 24, three sheriff’s deputies in Rankin County, Mississippi, received a group text message from another deputy on the same shift: “Are y’all available for a mission?”

The deputy, Christian Dedmon, informed his colleagues Hunter Elward, Jeffrey Middleton and Daniel Opdyke they were going to a property in Braxton, roughly 30 miles south of Jackson, to handle a complaint received by the office’s chief investigator, Brett McAlpin. The details of what prosecutors say happened that night were shared in a federal charging document.  –read more–

HGTV | The Most Popular Native Plants in Every State

From milkweed to cardinal flower to blue aster, discover the best native plants for your area and learn how to plant and care for them in your own wildlife-friendly garden. We’ve gathered the top picks from all 50 states plus D.C.  –see the plants–

CNN style | Victoria’s Secret recruits familiar, supermodel faces for new ‘Icon’ campaign

(CNN) — Victoria’s Secret is reuniting some of the most classic supermodels from its heyday, bringing Gisele Bündchen, Naomi Campbell, Adriana Lima and Candice Swanepoel together in a new campaign.

The lingerie brand, hoping to return to form after a number of turbulent years and a re-branding attempt, has recruited some of its famous faces — formerly known as Victoria’s Secret Angels — to help launch a new bra and underwear collection called The Icon.  –read more–

CNN health | New variant EG.5 is on the rise as Covid-19 cases and hospitalizations go up

(CNN) — There’s a new coronavirus variant topping the leaderboard in the United States: EG.5.

Nationally, EG.5 is causing about 17% of new Covid-19 cases in the country, compared with 16% for the next most common lineage, XBB.1.16, according to the latest estimates from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. –read more–

CNN health | Just a few thousand steps can reduce risk of death, but more is better, study says

(CNN) — Walking a minimum of 4,000 steps a day significantly reduces your risk of an early death, while taking 2,337 steps a day will reduce your risk of death specifically from cardiovascular disease but “more is better,” according to a new meta-analysis of studies.  –read more–

CNN entertainment | Watch Taylor Swift’s moment with Kobe Bryant’s daughter during show

Taylor Swift shared a sweet moment with late NBA star Kobe Bryant’s 6-year-old daughter, Bianka, during the Los Angeles stop of the Era’s tour.  –watch– 

CNN Opinion | Opinion: American women have an alcohol problem. It’s critical to understand why

(CNN) — American women have a problem with booze. A new study from The Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) shows that alcohol-related deaths are rising generally, but are rising more quickly among women than among men.  –read more–

HGTV | 60 Beachfront Properties You Need to See Today

Close your eyes and listen to the waves. It’s time to get your beach fix. From breathtaking views to show-stopping features, get coastal inspiration from these luxurious beachfront homes.  –see more–

Dual Homes + Shared Pool

The primary residence on the right shares the pool and entertainment area with the guest house seen on the left. To soften the harsh architectural lines, existing birds of paradise were preserved to create yin and yang-inspired scenery.

–see more–

CNN health | Central Florida is a hotspot for leprosy, report says

(CNN) — When a 54-year-old landscaper came into an Orlando dermatology clinic with a splotchy, painful rash, Dr. Rajiv Nathoo took five or six biopsies. The rash was spreading from the man’s limbs to his face, but previous doctors had been stumped by what was causing it.

The biopsy results confirmed Nathoo’s hunch, a diagnosis he described as something “you read in your textbooks”: leprosy.  –read more–