“I feel like I’m doing something illegal, and I like it,” Danielle Macdonald said. It was a shivery Monday morning, and Ms. Macdonald shook a spray can and hissed an arc of orange paint. After starring in the recent Netflix movies “Dumplin’” and “Bird Box,” Ms. Macdonald, 27, was receiving a master class in graffiti…
Image CreditFranziska Barczyk Welcome to In Her Words, where women rule the headlines. Sign up here to get it delivered to your inbox. Let me know what you think at dearmaya@nytimes.com. “He stole my life from me.”— Lizette Martinez, who says she was controlled and abused by R. Kelly as a teenager For decades, R.…
Rabia Ahmad’s parents, who live in Portland, Ore., were not around to witness her exchange of vows with Christopher Pattison on Dec. 19 at the Manhattan Marriage Bureau. They were visiting relatives in her father’s native Pakistan. But Ms. Ahmad, 39, was not without the warmth of family to greet her when she stepped out…
Xylitol is a lower-calorie sugar substitute with a low glycemic index. Some research suggests that it may also improve dental health, prevent ear infections, and possess antioxidant properties. Xylitol is a sugar alcohol, which is a type of carbohydrate and does not actually contain alcohol. Xylitol occurs naturally in small amounts in fibrous fruits and…
Send questions about the office, money, careers, work-life balance and sex with your co-workers to workfriend@nytimes.com. Include your name and location, even if you want them withheld. Letters may be edited. They Finally Bred the Dream Labor Force I recently landed my first real job out of undergrad. While it’s a job that I find…
[What you need to know to start the day: Get New York Today in your inbox.] New Yorkers are used to waiting in lines — for burgers, sneakers, the latest tech gadgets. But on a recent Sunday morning, the line at the Japanese teahouse Nippon Cha in Bayside, Queens, was different. For one thing, people…
Tony’s friend was all sharp angles, except for his laugh, which was soft and melodious. He had a gap between his front teeth and notched dimples in his cheeks. His eyebrows looked thick and jagged, as if they had been drawn on with Magic Marker. I disliked him immediately, which is to say, I liked…
Dr. Lewis L. Judd, who as the country’s top mental health official helped put in place the so-called Decade of the Brain, an ambitious research agenda focused on brain biology as the key to understanding and treating psychiatric problems, died on Dec. 16 in San Diego. He was 88. His death, at an assisted-living facility,…
BERLIN — Once-in-a-generation heavy snowfall has paralyzed travel and tourism in parts of the Alps, with conditions that have left at least six people dead, Austrian officials said on Thursday. Heavy snowfall and strong winds are projected to continue in Austria and southern parts of Germany until at least Friday, bringing at least an additional…
Settling allegations of discrimination filed by the Massachusetts attorney general’s office, Mutual of Omaha has agreed not to deny insurance to people who use medications to prevent H.I.V. infection. The insurer also has settled a lawsuit brought by an unidentified gay man in Massachusetts who was turned down for long-term-care insurance after acknowledging that he…