Carolyn Thompson

The Strong’s National Toy Hall of Fame in Rochester, N.Y., on Sept. 17, 2025, announced the 12 finalists in the running for induction later this year: Battleship, Catan, Connect Four, cornhole, Furby, scooter, slime, snow, Spirograph, Star Wars Light Saber, Tickle Me Elmo, and Trivial Pursuit. (Strong’s National Toy Hall of Fame via AP)

Connect Four, lightsabers, Furbies … and snow: Which playthings belong in the Toy Hall of Fame?

September 17, 2025 at 4:30 p.m.

Later this year, the National Toy Hall of Fame could induct snow, but only if it ices out enough of the competition — a group that features hugely popular board...

People sun tan on the Lakefront Trail on the North Side as a haze of Canadian wildfire smoke blankets the Chicago area and creates poor air quality, Thursday, July 31, 2025. (Ashlee Rezin/Chicago Sun-Times via AP)

Smoke from Canadian wildfires brings unhealthy air to large swaths of the Midwest

August 4, 2025 at 9:09 a.m.

Smoke from Canadian wildfires hovered over several Midwestern states Saturday, bringing warnings of unhealthy air for at least the third day.

FILE – Students sit on the front steps of Low Memorial Library on the Columbia University campus in New York City, Feb. 10, 2023. (AP Photo/Ted Shaffrey, File)

Columbia University agrees to pay more than $220M in deal with Trump to restore federal funding

July 24, 2025 at 7:23 a.m.

Columbia University announced it has reached a deal with the Trump administration to restore federal research money.

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