Question: My gardening friend encouraged me to compost my leaves to improve my garden soil. She not only saves her own leaves but collects the leaves from neighbors. Are leaves really as valuable as she says they are?

Healthy, high-energy snack food is the perfect pick-me-up during the work or school day and provides a nutritional boost of energy, which improves concentration and stamina. While nailing the nutrition may be easier to accomplish when preparing a sit-down meal, it's often difficult to achiev…

AMSTERDAM (AP) — A drawing newly attributed to Vincent van Gogh that has never been displayed publicly before is going on show at the Amsterdam museum that bears the Dutch master’s name.

NEW YORK (AP) — A new study ties the COVID-19 pandemic to an “alarming” increase in obesity in U.S. children and teenagers.

Republican legislators in more than half of U.S. states, spurred on by voters angry about lockdowns and mask mandates, are taking away the powers that state and local officials use to protect the public against infectious diseases.

Question: We recently purchased a home that fits us well. However, the landscape does not fit us. Shrubs have been sheared into thick, artificial-looking boxes and balls rather than the natural look that we like. Some shrubs have lower branches that are bare of leaves. Is there any hope for …

Are you looking for a coleslaw to carry you through the fall season? A slaw you might even consider inviting to the holiday table? This recipe obliges with an autumnal touch to the traditional summery cabbage coleslaw. In place of cabbage, the favorite fall vegetable -- aka the Brussels spro…

CHEYENNE, Wyo. (AP) — When news came that a 20-year-old Wyoming soldier was one of the last casualties of the two-decade-long U.S. war in Afghanistan, it arrived as a tragic bookend: A 20-year-old soldier from Wyoming was among the first to die in the same war.

When I last saw Freddie de los Santos, his mouth was ravaged — his teeth had been blown away by the same blast that took his leg. And yet, he always smiled.

Question: I would like to plant some bulbs this fall for the first time. Which bulbs are best adapted to our area? Could you give me some suggestions on how to plant them?

It's the end of summer, so why not go out with a bang and make caponata? Caponata is a Sicilian vegetable stew or compote. It slightly resembles Provencal ratatouille, but while both are tomato-rich stews consisting of a bounty of summer vegetables and aromatics influenced by their geography…

BERKELEY, Calif. (AP) — Apple is indefinitely delaying plans to scan iPhones in the U.S. for images of child sexual abuse following an outcry from security and privacy experts who warned the technology could be exploited for other surveillance purposes by hackers and intrusive governments.

SANGEH, Indonesia (AP) — Deprived of their preferred food source — the bananas, peanuts and other goodies brought in by tourists now kept away by the coronavirus — hungry monkeys on the resort island of Bali have taken to raiding villagers’ homes in their search for something tasty.

TAYLOR, Mich. (AP) — Valerie Rupert raised her right arm, slightly shaking and unsure as she aimed at the paper target representing a burglar, a robber or even a rapist.

The COVID-19 pandemic has created a nurse staffing crisis that is forcing many U.S. hospitals to pay top dollar to get the help they need to handle the crush of patients this summer.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Health experts and medical groups are pushing to stamp out the growing use of a decades-old parasite drug to treat COVID-19, warning that it can cause harmful side effects and that there’s little evidence it helps.

Question: What should I be doing in the garden to get ready for fall?

Couscous is an excellent side dish or vegetarian option that is perfect for outdoor dining. It can be served warm or cold, has a satisfying kick of spice, and is healthy to boot. Just a plate of couscous, you think? Well, not quite. Unlike Middle Eastern couscous, which is made with tiny gra…

BERKELEY, Calif. (AP) — Apple has agreed to let developers of iPhone apps email their users about cheaper ways to pay for digital subscriptions and media by circumventing a commission system that generates billions of dollars annually for the iPhone maker.

HONOLULU (AP) — Kuulei Perreira-Keawekane could barely breathe when she went to a Hawaii emergency room. Nausea made it difficult for her to stand and her body throbbed with pain.

SAN FRANCISCO — Al Capone is infamous for having been a ruthless mob boss, but one of his granddaughters says his softer side will shine through when the family auctions the Prohibition-era gangster’s personal items — including diamond-encrusted jewelry with his initials, family photographs …

I receive seed samples of All-America Award-winning vegetables and flowers each year. I start the seeds inside and transplant them in my garden. The varieties that grew the best this year for me are described below.

I am a seafood lover, but this has not always been the case. As children growing up in New England, my younger brothers and I were served swordfish on a regular basis. This may sound luxurious, but in those days, swordfish was a local staple harvested from the nearby Atlantic waters, and my …

DOVER, Del. (AP) — A bankruptcy judge on Thursday approved a proposal by the Boy Scouts of America to enter into an agreement that includes an $850 million fund to compensate tens of thousands of men who say they were sexually abused as youngsters by Scout leaders and others.

DEDZA, Malawi (AP) — More than a year after COVID-19 began sweeping the world, abruptly cutting short her Peace Corps stint, Cameron Beach is once again living in rural Malawi — this time on her own dime.

PORTLAND, Maine (AP) — Harvey Sutton, or “Little Man,” as he is known on the Appalachian Trail, won’t have long to bask in the glory of hiking its full length. After all, he starts kindergarten Friday.

GREELEY, Colo. (AP) — “Go West, young man,’’ Horace Greeley famously urged.

Question: My neighbor had a large tree topped by about half because of concern about it damaging her house in a storm. Do you think I should have my trees topped too?

This is my "I can't deal" potato salad. (It's also my favorite potato salad.)

MEXICO CITY (AP) — Walking for hours through the gritty streets in the center of Mexico City, you can hear the daily urban soundtrack: Car engines, the call of the man who buys scrap metal and the handbells that announce the passing of a garbage truck.

CONCORD, N.H. (AP) — An off-the-grid New Hampshire man’s days living as a hermit appear to be over. “River Dave,” whose cabin in the woods burned down after nearly three decades on property that he was ordered to leave, says he doesn’t think he can return to his lifestyle.

CASA GRANDE, Ariz. (AP) — A harvester rumbles through the fields in the early morning light, mowing down rows of corn and chopping up ears, husks and stalks into mulch for feed at a local dairy.

Every berry lover should have a recipe for meringues up their sleeve. Snow white, light as air and egg-shell crisp, meringues will dress up your favorite berries in these easy do-ahead desserts.

Question: My neighbor shares her strawberries with our family. Her plants produce fruit all summer. She volunteered to share some of her runner plants so I can have my own plants. Could you give me some pointers in starting my own strawberry patch?

WASHINGTON (AP) — With climate change threatening the sea ice habitat of Emperor penguins, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service on Tuesday announced a proposal to list the species as threatened under the Endangered Species Act.

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (AP) — Crowds of bikers are rumbling their way towards South Dakota’s Black Hills this week, raising fears that COVID-19 infections will be unleashed among the 700,000 people expected to show up at the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally.

TOKYO (AP) — Hiroshima on Friday marked the 76th anniversary of the world’s first atomic bombing, as the mayor of the Japanese city urged global leaders to unite to eliminate nuclear weapons just as they are united against the coronavirus.

PAGE, Ariz. (AP) — A thick, white band of newly exposed rock face stretches high above boaters’ heads at Lake Powell, creating a sharp contrast against the famous red desert terrain as their vessels weave through tight canyons that were once underwater.

Question: My hedge is losing its leaves on the lower branches. Is there something I can do to restore full lower leaf growth?

Summer's sultry heat invites fresh, simple meals with garden vegetables that require limited effort to prepare. This tomato tart is a light and easy dinner for a warm night that takes advantage of the season's kaleidoscope of cherry tomatoes falling in our gardens and showcased in our market…