Smerconish: America faces a crisis of nostalgia
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Yahoo
24 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Today's NYT Mini Crossword Answers for Wednesday, July 2
Looking for the most recent Mini Crossword answer? Click here for today's Mini Crossword hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Wordle, Strands, Connections and Connections: Sports Edition puzzles. Today's Mini Crossword wasn't too tough, although there are a couple of different ways to go on some of the clues. Need the answers? Read on. And if you could use some hints and guidance for daily solving, check out our Mini Crossword tips. The Mini Crossword is just one of many games in the Times' games collection. If you're looking for today's Wordle, Connections, Connections: Sports Edition and Strands answers, you can visit CNET's NYT puzzle hints page. Read more: Tips and Tricks for Solving The New York Times Mini Crossword Let's get to those Mini Crossword clues and answers. 1A clue: Clean with elbow greaseAnswer: SCRUB 6A clue: Fruit to which wrinkly fingers are comparedAnswer: PRUNE 7A clue: "Meenie miney" precederAnswer: EENIE 8th A clue: Light bulb unitsAnswer: WATTS 9A clue: "Meenie miney" followerAnswer: MOE 1D clue: Erupt with forceAnswer: SPEW 2D clue: Doughnut fillingAnswer: CREAM 3D clue: Total, as expensesAnswer: RUNTO 4D clue: Come together as oneAnswer: UNITE 5D clue: They're often abuzz about coneflowersAnswer: BEES
CBS News
28 minutes ago
- CBS News
Anthrocon expected to generate nearly $22 million for Pittsburgh businesses, report says
Businesses in Downtown Pittsburgh are experiencing a significant boost from the presence of furries in town for Anthrocon, which is expected to draw 19,000 people who will spend nearly $22 million in the city, according to Visit Pittsburgh. At Emporio on Penn Avenue, part of Sienna Mercato, it was hard to get seated quickly Saturday night due to all the furries in town. "It's probably our busiest day of the entire year," said floor manager Lena Balentine around 8 p.m. "Our wait is close to an hour, but we have slowly run out of food in our kitchen, so we have to close at nine tonight. This has never happened before. It didn't happen last year." They are welcoming the furries with open arms, as indicated by a sign at the front door. Having a furry on staff as a server, Bailey, doesn't hurt. "I have been loving it. I have never had so much fun at my job before," she said, sporting furry ears. "It's been lovely; they are such sweethearts, they tip well, they're patient, they're understanding." "And when we have too many people, we just start shoving them down the street," Balentine said. Win Gould, who has attended 30 furry conventions since 2016, explained there are a few reasons why furries spend so much in Pittsburgh. For starters, they like to eat, drink, and have a good time. "We are a bunch of party animals," Gould said. But, he explains, it goes beyond that. He says Pittsburgh has embraced the furries unlike any other city where he's attended a furry convention. That's from the people to the businesses. "There was a sign [at a business] that said, 'We loved having you last year,' and all that does is make us want to go and help out the people that care about us," Gould said. Anthrocon's chairman, Dr. Samuel Conway, said he's proud of how they support and partner with local businesses. "I hear a lot of people say, 'Pittsburgh likes your money.' Of course they do. This is America, but there is a genuine affection in this town for furries. We're not here for the money, we're here for the city," Conway said. "Pittsburgh's success is Anthrocon's success." The convention spills out into the streets, allowing Pittsburghers to join in. "I love Pittsburgh," Gould said. "This is the second time I've been here. And honestly, like, I live in Houston, and if I could move somewhere else, I'd probably look at moving to Pittsburgh, and it's solely because of the way that they treated this con." Gould explained that many furries are naturally introverted. Dressing up allows them to be who they truly are, Gould said, whether that be silly, goofy, or whatever else. "What everybody wants in their life is you want to feel loved and you want to feel welcomed, and the city of Pittsburgh makes us feel like that," Gould said. "So, it's great. I love Anthrocon and I love Pittsburgh. Go Pirates!"
Yahoo
35 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Messi fans fill Stade Saputo as Inter Miami visits Montreal: 'Messi is worldwide'
MONTREAL — Pierre-Paul Foisy can't count the number of times he's visited Stade Saputo to cheer on CF Montreal. The Lionel Messi superfan, however, has no problem shedding Montreal's colours when his hero is in town. Advertisement Instead of sporting blue, black and white, Foisy wore a pink tracksuit and a goat mask — for 'Greatest Of All Time' — as Messi's Inter Miami took on CF Montreal on Saturday night. 'Messi is worldwide,' said Foisy, standing next to his son, Jeremy. 'The level of player he is and what he can do with the ball, it's incredible. 'I'm a CF Montreal fan deep down, for sure. But when you have someone of that magnitude, you can't be disappointed about people switching sides.' Widely regarded as one of the greatest soccer players of all time, Messi is an eight-time Ballon d'Or recipient as global player of the year and a World Cup winner with Argentina in 2022. Advertisement Hundreds of fans swarmed a downtown Montreal hotel to catch a glimpse of the global icon after he landed in Montreal on Friday night. Many more, including Foisy, held signs and lined the streets in Miami pink and Argentina blue outside Stade Saputo hours before kickoff to watch Messi walk off the team bus. A heightened police presence, extra security and numerous additional fences surrounded the stadium grounds to handle the circus. Messi waved to a large group of fans yelling his name through a fence from a distance before entering the building. 'Oh my God, I can't believe it,' said fan Kamar Assaf, wearing an Inter Miami jersey. 'It's my dream since I was a little kid.' Advertisement Assaf drove from Toronto with her partner, a Cristiano Ronaldo superfan, to see her idol live for the first time. They waited until Miami dropped out of the Club World Cup in the round of 16 last Sunday with a 4-0 loss to Paris Saint-Germain. Had Miami won, the MLS match would have been postponed. There was also concern Messi wouldn't travel because of a heavy schedule of games, but Inter Miami coach Javier Mascherano dismissed the idea of leaving his superstar in Florida. This marks Messi's fourth match on Canadian soil, and second in Montreal. The 38-year-old played his first professional game in Canada on May 11, 2024, when he was held off the scoresheet in a 3-2 Miami win over Montreal. Advertisement Foisy, who bought season tickets last season, went viral on social media that night for wearing his goat mask. On the heels of Messi's move from Europe to Miami in 2023, CF Montreal sold out its 15,000 season tickets last year for the first time since the club joined MLS in 2012. The club did not reveal how many it sold this season. Many spectators on Saturday only attended for one thing. "I came only to see the CF Montreal games for Messi,' said 15-year-old fan Julien Massri, with the Argentine flag painted on each cheek. 'He's the one that made me like playing soccer, so he's a really special person for me. Advertisement 'Everything about him — his dribbles, his shots, his flair, his skills … his intelligence on the pitch and his leadership is something special for me.' Some dyed-in-the-wool CF Montreal fans, however, weren't so pleased about the Messi fans invading Stade Saputo in large numbers. Tony Martino, a leading member of the '1642 MTL' supporters' group, said he understood why people cheered for Messi, who's 'probably the greatest soccer player of all time,' but added he wouldn't follow suit. 'It's not a surprise,' he said at the supporters' group's tailgate, held on the opposite side of the stadium from where people gathered to greet Messi. 'That being said, we're in Montreal, we are not here for Messi. Advertisement 'It is a little annoying in a way, kind of, to see people overtaking the stadium, but I'm here for one team.' Martino said he planned to chant a little louder than usual in the supporters' section, knowing CF Montreal fans could be outnumbered. 'We'll make sure that the flags will be flying,' he said. 'If Messi is in our area and somebody behind me tells me, 'Hey move your flag, I want to see Messi,' you won't see Messi.' This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 5, 2025. Daniel Rainbird, The Canadian Press
