In January 2016, Chidiebere Nnaji moved across the world for a master’s program in electrical engineering at San Francisco State University. But economic instability and inflation in his native Nigeria caused his funds to dwindle sooner than he had planned. Mr. Nnaji, who goes by Chidi, sometimes sought refuge at a San Francisco Senegalese restaurant…
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Thirteen may be a number with a certain reputation, but it proved critical in connecting Jason Martuscello to Lindsay Simon, even if the connection invoked a family tragedy. She had the number scribed in Roman numerals on her wrist on a whim when she was a teenager, and he noticed it on their first date…
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Dillon Jones and Matthew McDermott were both relatively new to New York when they found each other on a dating app, in 2016. Once they met, they never looked back. Both had moved to New York from Washington — Mr. McDermott for a job, Mr. Jones for a relationship, which didn’t work out — and…
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Just before Ashley Marie Thomas left the New York office of The Associated Press in February 2009 for a full-time job at its Philadelphia office, she thought she had seen the last of Dino Hazell, an editor and evening supervisor who had also been working for the news service at that time. “I didn’t like…
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In February 2018, Anne Catherine Bredin thought she’d had a great first date with John Francis Greey Brandon. After matching in the 98th percentile on OkCupid, the couple met at de Mole, a Mexican restaurant near Ms. Bredin’s apartment in Sunnyside, Queens (Mr. Brandon lived in Greenpoint, Brooklyn). Later, as they walked to the nearby…
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Charles Austin Murphy and his mother, Linda Murphy, met Mary Clare Manfred on the same day in August 2012, and both used the same word to describe her: adorable. “That’s exactly what she was — adorable,” said Mr. Murphy, who is 27. “She definitely made an impression on my mom, and needless to say, she…
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Despite hospital I.C.U.s once again buckling and death counts already surpassing 2020 numbers, public officials are hesitant to bring back lockdowns. The result is haphazard restrictions that vary by city: Chicago on Tuesday issued an indoor mask mandate, joining Los Angeles, San Francisco and Washington, D.C.; New York City will require proof of vaccination for…
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For someone more used to being on the road than cooped up at home, it was bittersweet for Zach Griff when he ended up proposing to Jill Golub near the house she grew up in. Bitter because Mr. Griff, a writer for the travel website the Points Guy, had hopes of planning a far-flung adventure…
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“We’re a 24/7 hang couple,” she said. “We’re constantly collaborating and giving each other feedback.” They each regularly perform original music, often together and mainly at clubs and private events around New York City. They also teach privately. Ms. Stevens is the lead singer for Tredici Bacci, a soundtrack music band in New York. She…
DetailsThese true stories, each no more than 100 words, pack a punch. We gathered 10 of the most powerful to give you a boost.