Latest news with #Appalachian
Washington Post
6 hours ago
- Climate
- Washington Post
Where heavy rain will hit already soggy regions of the U.S. this week
More rain is on the way in the coming days to portions of the central and eastern United States, bringing more moisture to areas already saturated from a summer of heavy rain. Parts of the Mid-South and Appalachian region are at risk of locally heavy rains and potential flooding, as are portions of the South and Midwest.
New York Post
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- New York Post
These are the Top 10 most attractive accents in America
They're smooth talkers. These accents are the most attractive in America — and shockingly, Long Island and Staten Island made the Top 10. The Cajun accent was crowned the most attractive in the nation, according to a recent study by VegasSlotsOnline, which analyzed more than 1,000 mentions of regional accents across Reddit, X, forums and blogs and ranked them based on the proportion of positive mentions. Advertisement Mostly found in southern Louisiana, the Cajun accent, which also can be heard as far as Texas and Mississippi, is influenced by the dialect of the French who settled in the area. The Long Island accent placed second, followed by Mississippi, Florida, the Pacific Northwest and Maine. 3 A new study analyzed more than 1,000 mentions of regional accents across Reddit, X, forums and blogs to come up with a Top 10 list of the most attractive. Mauro Grigollo Photographer/Stocksy – Advertisement Staten Islanders' accent — which Noo Yawkas would tell you is identical to Brooklynites' — placed ninth. Experts said such accents are perceived as friendly. 'In short, the tradeoff for standing out as 'different' or 'local' sounding is that you sound like someone we'd like to hang out with and be friends with if not necessarily employ. We think of local accents as charming, fun, and pleasant,' said Valerie Fridland, professor of linguistics at the University of Nevada. 3 The Cajun accent, mostly heard in southern Louisiana, was named the most attractive. Melanie DeFazio Photography/Stocksy – Advertisement Chef Danielle Sepsy, a native of Saint James, LI — who posted a TikTok video about her accent which garnered over 410,00 views — agreed, saying her native tongue is comforting, but also keeps people on their toes. 'The Long Island accent is like a warm hug with a little edge — nostalgic, confident, and full of personality. It's got the comfort of grandma's kitchen and the fire of a girl who knows what she wants,' Sepsy said. 'No wonder it's sexy . . . it's strength with a little (mascara covered) side-eye.' Advertisement The Appalachian accent, also referred to as 'mountain talk,' influenced by the Scotch-Irish, German, and English who settled in the region, which spans from Southern New York to Northern Mississippi, took sixth. The wicked good Boston accent and the High Tider, a dialect spoken in the Outer Banks of North Carolina and considered the last existing British accent in the United States, tied for seventh. Fridland pointed out that familiarity influences which manners of speaking people find appealing. 'In general, when we look at research that examines what makes a language attractive, familiarity is one of the biggest factors driving preferences,' she said. 'It is not surprising that accents people are generally very familiar with — Southern, New Yorker, New England — made this top 10 list.' 3 Elyse DeLucci, who grew up in Annadale, said its not hard to understand why the Staten Island accent is attractive. Helayne Seidman NYC accents sparked debate. 'Despite what everyone believes, the Staten Island accent and Long Island accent are just the plain ol' New York City accent. There's no difference between them,' Michael Newman, chair of the department of linguistics at Queens College, told The Post. 'When people rate accents, really what they're doing is providing opinions on the people who they associate with that way of speaking.' Advertisement Comedian Elyse DeLucci, who grew up in Annadale, Staten Island, understands the difference. 'When you hear our accent, you get the whole package, ya know? Charisma, confidence, and sincerity,' she said. 'Nothing sexier than that.'
Axios
6 days ago
- Business
- Axios
Pittsburgh aims to power AI future
Tech leaders in the Steel City see a big opening to expand. Why it matters: National figures are converging on the city Tuesday to pitch Pennsylvania as a future hub for energy-powered AI — and local companies, civic leaders and lawmakers want to lead the charge. Context: President Trump and Sen. Dave McCormick will be in Pittsburgh on Tuesday to promote a $70 billion plan to boost natural gas and data center development across Pennsylvania. What they're saying: Shiv Rao, CEO of AI medical documentation platform Abridge, said at the AI Horizons Summit event in the Strip District that Pittsburgh was key in launching his fast-growing company because the local talent was primed to be early in development of AI technology. Zoom in: Nicholas Robinson of Cerberus Capital Management said AI driven by domestic power is a national security matter and leaders like Sen. McCormick told him he is intent on making that point. Carnegie Robotics CEO John Barnes said he wants to see autonomous technologies expanded into the military, saying commercial companies like his are set up well to operate with the Department of Defense. Alan Shepard, president and CFO of natural gas company CNX Resources, said the Appalachian region has "everything that is needed for AI, including the power right under our feet." Pennsylvania held 106 trillion cubic feet of natural gas reserves as of 2022, the second most in the nation, just behind Texas, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration. Gecko Robotics CEO Jake Loosararian said AI and robotics can help aging power plants in the Pittsburgh and Ohio Valley region run more efficiently and increase output. Caveat: Efforts to reinvent Pittsburgh after the collapse of the steel industry have come and gone. Fracking expanded in the 2010s, but the promised downstream manufacturing jobs never materialized. Autonomous vehicle companies boomed starting in 2015, and then moved, sold off or shut down by 2022. State of play: Monday's preview event came across as a sales pitch to national investors, with leaders trying to make the case that Pittsburgh is a smart bet for AI — and that the $70 billion investment is only the beginning.
USA Today
6 days ago
- Climate
- USA Today
Heavy rainfall causes flash flooding in New York City, Northeast
Commuters in several major cities across the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic were hampered by flash flooding after storms dumped heavy rainfall that swamped roads and knocked out power on July 14. The storms caused flash flooding in the metropolitan areas from New York City to Washington, D.C., prompting road closures and a state of emergency declaration in New Jersey. In northern New Jersey, between 3 and 6.5 inches of rain fell, with continued flood impacts expected on July 15, the National Weather Service in Mount Holly said. Video posted to social media showed a New York City subway station inundated with fast-moving floodwaters as passengers watched from inside a train, lifting up their feet to avoid the water rushing into the subway car. In McLean, Virginia, just outside Washington, videos showed cars stuck in floodwaters. On July 15, parts of the Mid-Atlantic, including much of the state of Virginia, were under flood watches as forecasters warned more thunderstorms and heavy downpours were in store. The rainfall and flash flood risks to the Mid-Atlantic and Appalachian region are expected to last through mid-week, the National Weather Service said.
Times
12-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Times
The Zach Bryan effect: Why country music fans are flocking to Nashville
It's 1am on Lower Broadway, Nashville. In a neon-lit, honky-tonk twangy country music fills the room and a cowboy hat tips in my direction. Fried bologna sandwiches sizzle on the grill and pints of Pabst Blue Ribbon line the bar of Robert's Western World, and I am, without a hint of irony, having the time of my life. It's an iconic bar that boasts a sturdy rotation of world-class musicians — Lana Del Rey performed here in 2023 — where you can slow-dance with a wild-haired stranger and maybe fall in love for a song or two. I've crossed over 6,000km and one ocean to be here, but it feels oddly familiar. Last April Aer Lingus launched a direct flight from Dublin to Nashville, a new bridge between Ireland's musical roots and this southern American city that beats with a surprising kind of kinship. It's easy to overlook just how deeply country music resonates in Ireland. Carried across the Atlantic by 18th-century settlers, Irish fiddle tunes, melancholic ballads and raucous jigs found new life in the Appalachian mountains. The storytelling tradition — tales of lost love, exile and hard luck — flourished in isolated communities, blending with African-American blues and frontier gospel. The lilting strains of the Irish reel became the backbone of the American fiddle tune, while barn dances echoed ceili nights. Back home, the Country and Irish music scene emerged from the showband era, particularly in the 1950s and 1960s where we were two-stepping to Big Tom and Philomena Begley at packed dance halls and GAA club fundraisers from Dingle to Dungloe. Then there was Garth Brooks. Blame it all on his (Irish) roots, the Oklahoma showman, with his ten-gallon hat and heart-on-sleeve ballads, struck a chord with Irish audiences in the 1990s. Brooks became a phenomenon and when his planned Croke Park gigs were cancelled in 2014 there was national uproar. Today Ireland's affection for polished country music has swelled even more and just last month Zach Bryan, a 29-year-old also from Oklahoma, performed three sold-out shows at Phoenix Park, with a total attendance of more than 180,000 people. To get underneath the skin of country on home soil, you can leave Dublin mid-afternoon, clear US immigration before you board, and be sipping whiskey by nightfall at the pulsing, sweating, guitar-strumming belly of Tennessee. Dubbed 'Music City' Nashville's identity is steeped in a legacy that sings from every street corner and backroom bar. The moniker's origins trace from 1873, when Queen Victoria allegedly dubbed the Fisk Jubilee Singers' voices as angelic, saying they must be from a 'music city'. The name stuck — and Nashville has made good on the promise. The city's soundtrack hums with a musical heartbeat unlike anywhere else. It's a creative crucible where genres collide — country, bluegrass, gospel, rock, indie and Americana converge in writers' rooms and studios. Everyone, it seems, is a musician or knows one. The result is a city that doesn't just play music; it lives it, breathes it, and, most importantly, writes it. Beyoncé recorded bits of Cowboy Carter here, while Del Rey, who played a sold-out show at Dublin's Aviva stadium last month, has recorded some of her forthcoming country-tinged album in studios in the city. Elvis Presley recorded more than 200 tracks in RCA Studio B, a shadowy temple where legends were made and souls bartered in sweat and song. 'It was late, everyone was getting tired but Elvis wanted to do one more song,' the guide reveals. 'He got the lights turned right down low, went up to the mike, closed his eyes and started singing.' She then turns down those same lights, presses a button and Elvis sounds like he's in the room singing Are You Lonesome Tonight? It's both chilling and exhilarating at the same time. Around the corner is an apartment where, legend has it, Roy Orbison wrote Oh, Pretty Woman when he looked out the window and saw a girl walking past. Your visit to RCA Studio B is included in the same ticket price for the guided tour at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum ( €45.30), which is a must-visit — it is part museum, part shrine. Its sleek, modernist façade belies the raw, storied soul housed within. Hank Williams's handwritten lyrics sit alongside Elvis Presley's flamboyant Cadillac. There's a display featuring key pieces from Taylor Swift's Eras tour. The exhibit includes a sparkly purple ballgown, known as the 'cupcake dress', and a one-of-a-kind koi fish guitar. Among the other gems is Johnny Cash's first black stage suit and Patsy Cline's cowgirl costume, battered acoustic guitars and gilded Grammy awards, each artefact telling a fragment of the larger country music narrative. Just down the road is the Ryman Auditorium — the so-called Mother Church of Country Music. It's hallowed ground. The acoustics are so good you could whisper a Liam Clancy ballad on stage and still make a grown man weep in Row Z. The world-renowned Irish tenor John McCormack performed there in 1916 — cut to 2025 and Dermot Kennedy is performing in October ( €30.65 for a self-guided tour). You can't visit Nashville without a night on Broadway, where the city's image explodes into technicolour spectacle — think Temple Bar crossed with Las Vegas. A strip baptised in bourbon, honky-tonk, rhinestone jumpsuits and more cowboy hats than a John Wayne fever dream. Pedal taverns full of whooping bridesmaids from Indiana, LED signs flashing 'Cold Beer & Country Music', endless variations of the same bar: boots on the wall, fiddle on the stage, deep-fried everything, €12 margarita in a plastic cup and bands belting out tunes from Johnny Cash to Randy Travis. I spotted more than one inflatable horse. It's a glorious riot of fun. Everyone's drinking hard seltzer; Wagon Wheel gets a few airings by girls who queue to take selfies under a neon boot. Pop in for the sheer Americana of it all. In a peculiarly Nashville quirk, many of these bars are owned by country stars. Blake Shelton's Ole Red, Miranda Lambert's Casa Rosa, Luke Bryan's rooftop joint, Jason Aldean's bar and grill, Dierks Bentley's Whiskey Row and Jelly Roll's Goodnight Nashville all line the strip. Even Garth Brooks, Ireland's adopted son, opened his Friends in Low Places honky-tonk last year. 'The walls here have seen more tears and drunken confessions than a thousand confessional booths combined,' a wannabe cowboy, who is on a stag from New York, shouts in my ear. There are also gems such as Tootsie's Orchid Lounge, where you'll hear musicians so good you'll wonder why they're not headlining festivals. Spend any time with locals and you realise that the country clichés are mostly for visitors. Nashville's working musicians aren't all strumming banjos in cowboy hats. They live in neighbourhoods like East Nashville or 12 South, drink craft beers in converted garages, and their wardrobes owe more to vintage denim than western wear. It's Jack White's adopted city. Sheryl Crow, Kacey Musgraves, Keith Urban and his wife, Nicole Kidman, Kings of Leon, and the Black Keys all live here too. Taylor Swift owns an apartment and a mansion in Nashville. Justin Timberlake and Jessica Biel also join Oprah Winfrey and the like who have planted roots here. Reese Witherspoon owns the popular Draper James boutique in the 12 South area. Think beards and tattoos, bespoke denims from Imogene + Willie, leather jackets and vinyl records spinning classic outlaw country alongside blistering indie rock. Nobody struts. • 15 of the best things to do in Nashville And, if you still think Nashville's culinary reputation begins and ends with fried chicken and barbecue, you're missing the best part. While hot chicken is indeed a rite of passage — Prince's ( if you want the real deal, Hattie B's ( for a friendlier queue — the city's restaurants are world-class. Locust, run by the Dublin chef Trevor Moran, formerly of Noma, is one of the most exciting places I've eaten. It has received accolades such as Food & Wine magazine's 2022 Restaurant of the Year and was featured on The New York Times' 2022 Restaurant List. Moran's hands have been blessed by the gods of fermentation and fire. Every plate is a manifesto against mediocrity. Feast on exquisite dumplings, beef tartare and delicate kakigori, a Japanese-style shaved ice ( Over in Germantown, Rolf and Daughters does knockout small plates and pasta — scallop crudo, sourdough bread, tomato tart, cecamariti and linguine with mussels have garnered much praise. The cooking is boundary-pushing without being smug and the cocktails are top-notch too ( For all Nashville's modern buzz and indie dive bars, it's worth anchoring yourself in a slice of old-school Southern elegance — and they don't come with more stories than the Hermitage Hotel. Opened in 1910, it's a grand, beaux-arts pile with sweeping staircases, soaring ceilings and a lobby that feels like it belongs in a F Scott Fitzgerald novel. Its history is rich with Tennessee lore: politicians plotted Prohibition here, country stars drank in the Oak Bar, and in recent years it's become a discreet bolt hole for visiting A-listers dodging Broadway's chaos. The rooms are enormous, the bathrooms marble-clad, and the famous art deco men's restroom in the lobby (complete with lime-green glass tiles and original 1930s fixtures) is a listed attraction in itself. Even if you're not staying, pop in for a cocktail at the bar or afternoon tea in the Veranda, beneath glittering chandeliers. It's a serene, old-world contrast to Nashville's grit and neon — and proof that the city knows how to do glamour as well as grit ( Away from the music, Nashville offers more surprises. Centennial Park is home to a full-scale replica of the Parthenon, complete with a towering statue of Athena, and is as bonkers as it sounds. • Nashville grows up but retains its twinkle For the art lovers, check out the Frist Art Museum in a stunning art deco building that used to be the city's main post office (€17; Fancy some whiskey tasting? Located in Marathon Village, the Distillery Tour of Nelson's Green Brier Distillery takes you through the past, present and future of this storied distillery, (€21.40; Nashville is more than its stereotypes. It's cooler, scruffier, grander, funnier and it might just be the best American city you've never really considered. And crucially — unlike over-touristy US cities like New York or Boston — Nashville still feels like it's yours to discover. Yes, there are tourist traps and you might overpay for a pint somewhere. But you could also have a night that ends with a woman named Peggy teaching you how to line dance, and I promise you'll be talking about it for years. Aer Lingus flies direct from Dublin airport to Nashville, with fares starting from €499 return.. The airport can also be used for connecting flights within the US, Demelza de Burca was a guest of
