Skip to main content

Posts

17 Accidental Gen Alpha Insults That Will Make You Feel Really Old (Seriously, Ouch)

“Was color TV around when you were a kid?” Color television was invented in 1953. You and I were born well after that. And yet here is a child, whose entire visual life has been 4K HDR, asking whether you experienced colors as a child. They’re not entirely off base in their reasoning—their grandparents did grow up with black-and-white TV, and you are, to them, also old. What you can do now is call your mom and tell her you finally understand how she felt when you asked her if she knew Abraham Lincoln personally. “Wow, people live that long?” This one requires context: The child is not reacting to an advanced age. They are reacting to your age, whatever it is. Forty-two. Fifty-one. Thirty-six. To a 9-year-old, all of these numbers represent a span of time so vast, it is barely comprehensible. You have been alive for basically their entire lifespan four times over. You are, by their math, a marvel of endurance. And I have to say that getting older ha...

Brace Yourself! You’re About to Get a Lot More Political Fundraising Emails Before the Midterms—Here’s Why and What to Do About It

In a democracy, elections are our collective voice —even if, in our specific democracy, the loudest voices seem to be a bunch of email marketers. That’s going to be especially apparent this midterm season, which is well underway ahead of the Nov. 3 election. Warm up that delete finger, because it will be getting a workout. Why? Well, just when you thought your inbox couldn’t get any more stuffed with stuff you don’t want to read, a major email carrier recently launched new fundraising rules for political groups. And you can be certain they will take advantage of them. How much can possibly fit into our already-at-capacity inboxes? Just you wait. Things are about to get way worse—but there is something you can do about it. Read on for the details. Get  Reader’s Digest ’s  Read Up newsletter for more news, tech, humor, travel and fun facts all week long. Why are we about to get an avalanche of political fundraising emails? Google recent...

EXCLUSIVE! Josh Groban Keeps Leveling Up—And His Next Chapter Might Be His Most Ambitious Yet

It makes total sense that Josh Groban’s new album is called Cinematic , because his origin story sounds like something out of the movies: Anxious kid struggles to focus in school, joins the choir (and turns out to be pretty great at singing), works with a vocal coach, gets in front of Grammy-winning producer David Foster and then, at the age of 17, is sharing a stage with Celine Dion. And then … fame and fortune and happily ever after, right? “Well,” says Groban with a blush, when we sit down on a warm May day in New York City, “not exactly.” He fact-checks with a heap of modesty: The Celine Dion moment was just part of a rehearsal for the 1999 Grammys. Famed tenor Andrea Bocelli—set to duet with the Canadian superstar on the broadcast—wasn’t able to make it to practice, so Foster called Groban to stand in. “And while I think, in hindsight, I held my own through the nerves to sing with Celine,” he says with a chuckl...

Time to Plan Your Nicest Vacation Yet! Here’s Your Guide to All of Reader’s Digest’s Nicest Places in America Winners

2025 winner: Asheville, North Carolina Asheville has the perfect blend of big-city creativity and small-town charm. Cultured, quirky and welcoming, this small city in the Blue Ridge Mountains— our 2025 Nicest Place in America winner —is especially appealing to travelers who like their sightseeing with a heaping side of interesting art, delicious food and plenty of local character. The River Arts District, along the French Broad River, is the city’s creative quarter. Here, artists and craftspeople, from ironworkers and painters to potters and glassblowers, have studios and galleries in former industrial buildings. It’s an area made for spending a day getting lost, watching artists at work or joining a hands-on class to make art of your own. The city is also home to many James Beard Award–winning restaurants, including Cúrate Bar de Tapas and Chai Pani. These restaurants serve more than just great food—they offer a window into the community spiri...

Watch The Reader’s Digest Escalator Interview with Actor and Author Ke Huy Quan

If anyone knows a thing or two about never saying die, it’s Ke Huy Quan. The actor first stole hearts as Short Round in Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom and Data in The Goonies , and then, after decades away from acting, he made the kind of Hollywood comeback that movies are made of with Everything Everywhere All at Once . His unforgettable turn as Waymond Wang earned him an Academy Award, Golden Globe and SAG Award for Best Supporting Actor, and in 2023, Time named him one of the 100 most influential people in the world. Since then, he’s popped up in Loki , kicked some serious butt in Love Hurts and lent his voice to Zootopia 2 . Now, Quan is taking us somewhere even more personal: inside his own remarkable story with Never Say Die , his first book, released this month. The memoir traces his journey from a child in a refugee camp to a beloved actor on the Oscars stage, but Quan tells Reader’s Digest that its real heart lies in the decades when Hollywood stopp...