Monday. Smoke alarm blaring, credit card fraud charges to deal with, phone calls to make, appointments to set, doctor visits to anticipate. Monday. SNAP is back, airports are getting flights back, and food prices continue to climb. We need more EV charging stations in SC. New recipes in holiday recipes. Support NPR and PBS. Check out 1440.com. Follow the Gun Violence Archive. 1161 more days.
Wild Cooking Woman 11/17/25
411…
Did you know that senior Fed officials are prohibited from trading individual stocks? (More)
Do you know what “cognative household labor” is? Women do the inside work (laundry, cooking, childcare) and men do the outside work (gutters, lawn care, garbage). Sounds fair, right? Think about it. Inside work is routine and never ending. I mean, really, those dishes and dirty clothes just keep coming every day. Outside work seems more episodic, like cutting the grass is a weekly chore, or cleaning the gutters might happen yearly.
NPR has just launched Books We’ve Loved, a brand-new, limited-edition series from our Book of the Day podcast.
On Thursday, November 13, Michael Schmidt reported in the New York Times the story of the 17-year-old girl the House Ethics Committee found former representative Matt Gaetz (R-FL) likely paid to have sex with him. Despite the public release of that evidence last year, Gaetz has remained a fixture in Washington. (more)
Indian Americans are increasingly finding themselves the targets of racism by far-right Christian nationalists, and those who identify as MAGA. BTW, Indian immigrants and Indian Americans are among the highest-earning ethnic groups in the US, according to a Pew Research Center analysis of census data. (more)
Average retail prices for ground roast coffee are up more than 40% in the past year as of September, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Average retail prices for ground beef and bananas have increased by 11.5% and 8.6% since September 2024—well ahead of the overall inflation rate of about 3%. (more) Recent tariffs on imported goods have made certain staples more expensive, especially items the U.S. relies on from abroad, like bananas and coffee. A loss of agricultural workers also contributes. (more)
Bangladesh’s ousted prime minister, Sheikh Hasina, was sentenced to death in her absence on Monday at the end of a months-long trial that found her guilty of ordering a deadly crackdown on a student-led uprising last year. (more)
Are you cooking a frozen turkey for Thanksgiving? When should you start thawing it? According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, there are three safe ways to thaw food: in the refrigerator, in cold water or in the microwave. Read more here.
Black Friday, a huge shopping day, is right around the corner. Retailers are already advertising “Black Friday” deals, all of which are designed to part you from your hard-earned dollars. Expect deep discounts on electronics like computers and TVs, home goods, toys, and clothing. Remember, those charges you make now will come due in 25-20 days! Have you budgeted for this? A sale is not such a good deal if you spend money on things you don’t need, or pay months of interest charges. The average credit card interest rate in late 2025 is about 21.98% APR, with most cards ranging between 14.34% and 24.69% APR. (more)
If you are a member of PBS, watch Ken Burns’ The American Revolution. The first of six episodes dropped yesterday. Worth the 2 hours.
Did you know that that you must have a minimum income to qualify for health insurance under the ACA? For 2025, the minimum income to qualify for ACA subsidies is 100% of the Federal Poverty Level (FPL). That means about $15,060 per year for a single adult and $31,200 per year for a family of four. If your income is below this, you may qualify for Medicaid instead (depending on your state). If your state expanded Medicaid, you can qualify for Medicaid with income below 138% of the FPL.
What’s with Marjorie Taylor Greene?
Cold weather is here! Snow in Columbus, OH. I use Libby’s canned pumpkin for my dog. I don’t eat pumpkin pie, but she loves pumpkin. Looks like the Dems caved on the government shutdown. What is the status of SNAP? Support NPR and PBS. Check out 1440.com. Follow the Gun Violence Archive. Tradeoffsis a nonprofit news organization that reports on health care. I’d rather bake a cake or pie than cookies. My college graduating class gave a 50th anniversary gift of $27.9 million! 1168 more days.
Wild Cooking Woman 11/10/25
This & That
I remember things from my early years:
using a dictionary or the World Book encyclopedia to find information
listening to baseball on my dad’s transistor radio
hanging clothes to dry in the basement in the winter
heating TV dinners in the oven
having one phone that lived in a niche in the hall
taking baths, not showers
playing outside in the summer until the streetlights came on
learning to type on a Smith Corona manual typewriter
using a slide rule
when Jiffy cornbread mix was on sale, 5 boxes for $1
not being able to wear pants to school or church
knowing my neighbors by name
buying 45s and 33s at the record store
The price of electricity has increased 40% since February 2020, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
The Second Annual Gullah Convening, a dynamic evening of food, culture, and conversation to honor the enduring resilience of the Gullah Geechee people. Spend the black-tie evening with us on Saturday, December 27, 2025, from 5:00-9:00 pm at The Grand, 81 Mary Street, Charleston, SC. Buy your tickets here.
As the weather cools, you might find yourself hosting unexpected houseguests: mice. Strong scents like peppermint oil, clove, eucalyptus, cinnamon, or vinegar can make an area uncomfortable for mice. Having a cat can help, too. (more)
Why should Medicare recipients check their 2026 drug plans now? Because they are changing, and this is the enrollment period for 2026. If you have Part A and Part B and a Medigap plan, you might not need to check. If you have an Advantage plan, you need to do your due diligence. (more)
Did you know that there was also a slave trade from Africa to Asia, the Indian Ocean slave trade? The slave trade from Africa to Asia involved the capture and transportation of African slaves along the coasts of Africa, particularly the Swahili Coast and the Horn of Africa, and through the Indian Ocean. The trade began thousands of years ago and was interconnected with other slave trades, including the Barbary slave trade and the Arab slave trade, which trafficked millions from Africa across the Middle East and Asia. The Indian Ocean slave trade, which started around 2500 BCE, was one of the earliest forms of slave trafficking, with ancient civilizations like the Egyptians and Greeks involved in the trade. (Bing AI)
On My November Reading Table
The Black Wolfby Louise Penny
Combee: Harriet Tubman, the Combahee River Raid, and Black Freedom during the Civil War by Edda L. Fields-Black (winner of the 2025 Pulitzer Prize for History)
The King’s Ransom by Janet Evanovich
The Fate of the Day by Rick Atkinson
The Look by Michelle Obama
On Tyranny by Timothy Snyder
These Truths: A History of the United Statesby Jill Lepore
Exit Strategy: A Reacher Novelby Lee Child and Andrew Child
