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matt towery

Weekly ocean dips unite strangers into a tight-knit Newport Beach crew

April 18, 2026

Every Wednesday at dawn, a rotating cast of about 40 locals gathers under the Newport Beach Pier. They don’t just dip their toes—they dive straight into the Pacific without wetsuits. First come the shivers and the grumbles, but once they break through the waves, the cold turns into something almost

sports

Are rookie players helped by their famous last names?

April 18, 2026

Bronny James entered the NBA through the back door. The league held its annual draft last summer, and the young forward was picked late in the second round by the only team that mattered to him - the Los Angeles Lakers. That pick didn’t come because of pure skill alone. It came because his dad happe

politics

Nordic Countries Back Iran’s Strait of Hormuz Move

April 18, 2026

Officials from Finland, Norway, Sweden, and Denmark spoke up after Iran declared the Strait of Hormuz open for ships. The statement followed a truce worked out in Lebanon, which paused a long-running dispute in the area. The Nordic leaders didn’t just cheer Iran’s words—they stressed that real peace

business

The Hidden Side of Masters Week

April 18, 2026

The Masters isn’t just about golf—it’s a carefully crafted experience, and some brands know exactly how to play along. Take Mercedes, for example. While fans focus on the tournament itself, the company has quietly built its own world around it. From sleek rides to private dinners, Mercedes doesn’t j

science

Small talk can actually be fun, despite what you think

April 18, 2026

Many people avoid casual chats with coworkers or neighbors, assuming the topics will be dull. But research suggests these brief conversations often turn out better than expected. A recent study looked at nearly 2, 000 people across nine experiments. No matter how dull the topic was advertised, parti

crypto

Kraken's Big Move: Buying Bitnomial to Boost U. S. Crypto Derivatives

April 18, 2026

Payward, the company behind the popular Kraken exchange, just made a huge play in the crypto world. It announced plans to buy Bitnomial, a derivatives platform, in a deal worth up to $550 million—part cash, part stock. At $20 billion, this deal isn’t just any purchase; it’s a statement that Payward

religion

Young men’s growing religious focus raises questions

April 18, 2026

For the first time in 25 years, U. S. men aged 18 to 29 now say religion matters more to them than women their age do. In 2022, only 28% of young men called religion “very important, ” but by 2024 that number jumped to 42%. Young women stayed flat around 30%. A 14-point rise in just two years looks

health

The Plastic‑Detox Myth: What the Show Gets Wrong

April 17, 2026

A new Netflix series claims that tiny plastic particles are shrinking men’s genitals and killing sperm. It follows five couples who try to stop using plastic for three months and then report more babies. The program sounds like a reality show, not science. The host is an epidemiologist who talks ab

health

Healthy Plant Foods and Liver Health in a Diverse Community

April 17, 2026

The liver can get stuck with fat when people have certain health problems, a condition once called fatty liver disease but now named metabolic dysfunction‑associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD). This illness is rising worldwide and doctors have only a few good ways to treat it. \\ Research sho

business

A Local Arts Spot Bites the Dust After Tax Struggles

April 17, 2026

The once-popular Harrisburg Midtown Arts Center has shut its doors for good, its owners blaming city officials for deliberately sabotaging their efforts. In a Facebook post, the group called "the HMAC Family" called the closure permanent and claimed city leaders constructed a trap to force them out.