For the sharpest minds in show business, there’s always another hustle. Take Joe Exotic, whose 2020 conviction for a murder-for-hire plot and violations of the Endangered Species Act hasn’t kept the eccentric tiger trainer out of the headlines. Since beginning his 21-year sentence, the “Tiger King” star has started a cannabis brand, hawked digital art...
Culture
Swipe Right, but Safer
To address persistent concerns about harassment, boundary violation and user safety in digital dating spaces, a research team led by the University of Waterloo has launched an interactive Safety Map to coincide with International Women’s Day. Hundreds of millions of people use dating apps worldwide, with younger adults aged 18 to 34 being the most active users. In Canada, for example, roughly one in three people report having used a dating app, with 47 per cent of users identifying as women, underscoring...
Bad Bunny Says Reggaeton Is Puerto Rican, but It Was Born in Panama
Bad Bunny likes to remind the world where he and his music come from. In “EoO,” a song from his 2025 album “DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS,” he raps, “‘Tás escuchando música de Puerto Rico” (“You’re listening to music from Puerto Rico”). Similarly, in the album’s second track, “VOY A LLeVARTE PA PR,” he announces that...
European Capitals of Culture: A Diplomatic Linchpin in an Unstable World?
This year the cities of Trenčín in Slovakia and Oulu in Finland took the helm as Europe’s cultural beacon cities. As the Old Continent redefines its role on the global geopolitical stage, the European Capitals of Culture (ECoC) programme is at a turning point. The European Commission recently launched a public forum initiative to collectively...
Romance Films Shape Expectations of Love
It’s almost Valentine’s Day, and love stories are in the spotlight. While binge watching romance films can be a fun way to celebrate the season, Virginia Tech experts Sarah Ovink and Rose Wesche say formulaic depictions of love may set unrealistic expectations for real-life relationships. Ovink, associate professor of sociology, said media’s role in shaping expectations of love starts...
Raise a Glass: Simple Holiday Cocktails With San Martín Tequila
The holidays are the perfect time to gather friends and family, and nothing sets the mood like a thoughtfully crafted cocktail. This season, elevate your celebrations with San Martín Tequila, an exceptional spirit that blends craftsmanship with a refined, artful aesthetic. You don’t need an elaborate bar setup to impress. These simple, popular cocktail recipes...
Evidence from Professional Golf Shows Political Divides Undermine Focus and Hurt Performance at Work
Few workers face more scrutiny than professional athletes. Every movement is measured, every outcome quantified, and every performance evaluated against objective standards. So when UC Berkeley Haas researcher Tim Sels wondered how America’s deepening political polarization was affecting workers’ performance, he turned to one of the most comprehensive data sets on individual human performance: the...
Laughing Through the Storm: How Humor Can Help Us Not Only Survive but Thrive in Turbulent Times
The world feels heavy again. Politics seethes with bitterness. Civil liberties bend under pressure. Wars erupt in places that once seemed far away but now echo through our daily lives. The news scrolls endlessly across our screens, a litany of anxiety and outrage. Even those who try to keep perspective sense a low hum of...
‘Only Death Can Protect Us’: How the Folk Saint La Santa Muerte Reflects Violence in Mexico
When a life-size skeleton dressed like the Grim Reaper first appeared on a street altar in Tepito, Mexico City, in 2001, many passersby instinctively crossed themselves. The figure was La Santa Muerte – or Holy Death – a female folk saint cloaked in mystery and controversy that had previously been known, if at all, as...
Rethinking Polygamy – New Research Upends Conventional Thinking About the Advantages of Monogamous Marriage
In July 2025, Uganda’s courts swiftly dismissed a petition challenging the legality of polygamy, citing the protection of religious and cultural freedom. For most social scientists and policymakers who have long declared polygamy a “harmful cultural practice,” the decision was a frustrating but predictable setback in efforts to build healthier and more equal societies. In...










