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Who’s ready for some weather news? The United States is currently taking a beating on multiple fronts: We just had a nor’easter smash into New England, a heat wave blister the West and South, and here in Dallas, four straight days of rain after months of nary a drop. As we mercifully move into winter after summer’s record temps, you’ve probably been hearing all sorts of predictions about El Niño, that mysterious little weather pattern that pops up every so often like a bratty little brother. Well, he’s back again, and this year, he’s super-charged. What does that mean, and who will feel the impacts the most? Ahead, we’ll take a look at which states El Niño will be visiting this winter (sorry in advance—it’s a lot), and which ones might be spared. Read on to learn everything you ever wanted to know about El Niño. Get  Reader’s Digest ’s  Read Up newsletter for more weather, travel, tech, hu...

One of the best parts of Halloween is figuring out what you’re going to be. And sure, you could pull out the same witch hat or vampire cape you’ve worn before, but where’s the fun in that? Every year brings a whole new batch of costume inspiration, thanks in large part to the movies, shows and other pop-culture moments we haven’t been able to stop talking about. So what will everyone be dressing up as in 2026? Spirit Halloween just revealed its best costumes of the year, and you’ll see some familiar favorites along with plenty of new looks based on what’s trending right now. “The reality is we’re watching them develop all year long,” said Kym Sarkos, the executive vice president of Spirit Halloween, in a press release. “From blockbuster entertainment and gaming to social media and nostalgia, our team is constantly tracking what’s capturing attention so we can be ready with the looks fans want most.” Ready to start...

From the sheet-draped ghosts we drew as kids to Nearly Headless Nick floating through Hogwarts, we all seem to have the same picture in our heads when someone says “ghost.” Pale, wispy and usually glowing like they’ve never seen a day of sunshine in their afterlife, spirits have been showing up this way in spooky stories and on screens for generations. Even Casper got the memo. But why are ghosts white in the first place? It turns out that our idea of what a ghost should look like has a long—and fascinating—history. To find out how ghosts became the spectral figures we picture in ghost stories , we spoke with Susan Owens, PhD, author of The Ghost: A Cultural History , and Troy Taylor, co-host of the American Hauntings Podcast . We traced their changing appearance through the ages and even found out what paranormal experts believe ghosts actually look like. (Spoiler: Hollywood may not have the whole story.) Read on to discover how ghosts got their signatur...

Perfectly timed banter and slow-burn tension are both hallmarks of a Lynn Painter love story. The New York Times  bestselling author is a BookTok favorite for her rom-com-worthy plots and heartfelt romances, from Better Than the Movies to The Do-Over to Mr. Wrong Number. Her popular 2025 hockey romance, Fake Skating, is even coming to the big screen in 2027. Now, Painter is back with Trust Fall,  and she has a pretty irresistible elevator pitch for it: “ Trust Fall is like a rags-to-riches rom-com,” she tells us. Think: “ Gilmore Girls meets Gossip Girl , with a lot of New York and fall on the side.” In other words: romance, big-city energy, autumn vibes and plenty of Painter’s signature wit. For this episode of The Reader’s Digest Escalator Interview , we caught up with Painter to talk about Trust Fall , her life as a romance writer and, naturally, all the bookish questions we really wanted answers to. She shared the first romance nov...

We all have our go-to Halloween candy. I tend to buy what I also like to eat (Reese’s, Butterfinger), but I can also see how saddling the neighborhood kids with Mounds might be tempting. It’s a little mean, but buying unpopular candy would be a great way to keep me from stuffing every bar in my mouth before the doorbell even rings once. My mom gave out full-size Hershey bars when I was a kid, a practice she got from her mom that I continue today, though after that symbolic first box, I switch to my peanut-buttery faves. You know, just in case the ghost-and-goblin traffic is light and I end up with extras. (So sad!) How do you pick your Halloween candy? Do you go with what’s popular, what’s cheap or whatever’s available when you race to the store to restock when the hordes are fast approaching and you just ran out of candy? Well, DoorDash decided to quantify this choice for people all across the country, and we’re bringing them to you now. Coming up,...

There are many things to love about fall : football weekends, apple cider doughnuts, that first genuinely crisp morning when you can finally break out a sweater, and, of course, the foliage. One day, the landscape is overwhelmingly green. Then, seemingly overnight, the leaves start showing off—yellow, orange, red and even deep purple. It’s a transformation we marvel at every year, but how often do we stop to ask what’s actually happening? It turns out that behind all that seasonal color is a carefully timed process that helps trees prepare for winter. In other words, there’s more to that fall foliage than meets the eye. To find out what’s really happening when leaves put on their annual fall show, I spoke with Jason Grabosky, PhD, a professor in the Department of Ecology, Evolution and Natural Resources at Rutgers University, and Jessica A. Savage, PhD, an associate professor in the Department of Biology at the University of Minnesota Duluth. Read on for t...