The Angry Orchard Scream collaboration has arrived for Halloween, with a limited-edition Thriller Variety Pack that pairs two returning seasonal ciders with two new flavours, all inside packaging that reveals Ghost Face when the lights go out. The 12-pack of 12-ounce cans carries a 5% ABV, according to Boston Beer Co.What Is in the Thriller Variety PackThe pack brings back Blood Orange and Headless Pumpkin, two flavours with a track record at this time of year. Joining them are Caramel Apple Curse, described as a buttery salted caramel cider with tart orchard apple, and Mystery Caller, a flavour Angry Orchard…
Author: Luke Baxter
Luke Baxter
Luke Baxter spent twelve years in broadcast and digital news before going freelance. He started as a runner at a news channel, worked his way to producer, and spent four years as a digital editor at a mid-sized news outlet covering politics, defence, and international affairs. He writes about UK politics, foreign policy, and the current affairs stories that develop over months and break over hours. He prefers primary sources to commentary and considers the distinction increasingly rare. Luke lives in South London. He watches PMQs out of professional obligation and considers it a declining format.
KFC US restaurant closures have reached more than 300 in the space of a single year, stripping the chain of 7.6% of its national footprint while competitors continue to post stronger customer scores. The New York Post, which evaluated Google ratings data, reported the closures and linked them to a measurable gap in consumer popularity.Where the Closures Hit HardestCalifornia absorbed the heaviest volume, with 44 locations shuttered between July 2025 and July 2026. Texas lost 34 stores across the same period, and Ohio closed 18. Kansas recorded the steepest proportional decline: eight permanent closures from a total estate of 38,…
The Walmart contactless payment rollout is under way, with the retailer announcing on 21 August that it will introduce tap-to-pay functionality, including Apple Pay, at select stores from 24 August, with a full extension across all US locations planned by the end of 2026. Fuel stations are scheduled to follow by mid-2027.The announcement ends a prolonged holdout by one of the world’s largest retailers, which had previously offered contactless payment only through its own proprietary app. While competitors had broadly embraced tap-to-pay technology, Walmart and its Sam’s Club locations remained outliers, leaving customers who relied on mobile wallets without a…
Compression gear lymphatic drainage products have expanded well beyond recovery boots and standard leggings, with the category now encompassing de-bloat underwear, full-body onesies, and sports bras lined with massage beads. Prices range from $30 for entry-level training tights to $235 for head-to-toe lymphatic compression sets, a spread that reflects just how broad the market has become.How Compression Gear Lymphatic Drainage Became a Wellness CategoryLauren Dovey, founder of Heat Healer and CEAN, traces the shift to a broader change in how people think about wellbeing. ‘Compression-wear is finally evolving because wellness has evolved. It’s no longer just about what you eat…
Conagra Brands has launched the Duncan Hines Peanuts collection, a limited-edition range of baking mixes and Swiss Miss hot cocoa products featuring Snoopy, Charlie Brown, and the wider Peanuts cast. According to Stock Titan, the range begins arriving in stores in August 2026 and runs through the holiday season.The collaboration spans two of Conagra’s consumer brands, with Duncan Hines handling the baking side and Swiss Miss covering the hot drinks. Six new baking mixes and kits carry prices ranging from $2.49 to $5.49, while cocoa products are priced between $1.79 and $9.99.What Is in the Duncan Hines Peanuts Collection?The Duncan…
Mushroom spoilage and storage questions tend to arise at the worst possible moment: mid-meal-prep, when a slimy, discoloured specimen surfaces from the bottom of a pack you were counting on for dinner. The good news is that one bad mushroom does not automatically condemn the rest, but knowing exactly what to look for, and how to store what remains, matters.How to Tell Mushrooms Have TurnedSmell is the first line of diagnosis. Bryan Quoc Le, founder and principal food consultant at Mendocino Food Consulting, points to a specific bacterial process: ‘A certain set of bacteria that consume mushrooms and can cause…
The Popeyes Classic Chicken Sandwich has come out on top of a ten-chain ranking that assessed fast food chicken sandwiches on flavour, juiciness, crunch, and overall balance. Ranked by Steven Morea, the exercise placed Popeyes above Dave’s Hot Chicken in second and Chick-fil-A in third, with Burger King finishing last.How the ranking workedMorea ordered each restaurant’s original or classic chicken sandwich and judged every entry against four criteria: the juiciness of the chicken, the integrity of its crispy coating, the presence of a crunchy or refreshing element to cut through richness, and the meat-to-sauce-to-bun ratio. Sandwiches that leaned too heavily…
This personal item bag guide covers everything a budget-conscious traveller needs to know, from why the under-seat slot has become the most valuable piece of real estate in aviation to which bags fill it best. Baggage fees are no longer a minor inconvenience: according to LuggageWiz, Frontier alone collected $861.6 million in baggage fees in 2024, a figure that underlines just how aggressively no-frills carriers have monetised the overhead bin. JetBlue moved further in the same direction in 2025, introducing dynamic pricing for checked bags, meaning the cost of simply packing a suitcase can now shift depending on when and…
This tater tot casserole recipe draws on one of the American Midwest’s most enduring comfort-food traditions, and at its core the formula is straightforward: lean ground beef, a cream of mushroom soup base, frozen vegetables, cheese, and a crown of crispy tots baked until the edges bubble. The whole thing is on the table in just over an hour, with only ten minutes of prep.A Dish With Deeper Roots Than You Might ExpectThe hotdish has a longer documented history than its humble ingredients suggest. According to America’s Test Kitchen, the first published recipe for hotdish appeared in a 1930s community…
Jessica Pegula US Open preparation has centred on recovery, collagen supplementation and the particular energy that New York brings out in her, the 18-time WTA title holder has said ahead of the tournament beginning on 23 August. Pegula, 32, told Popsugar that playing in front of a New York crowd remains a unique motivating force, one she has never taken for granted. ‘New York is crazy about their sports teams, crazy about anything,’ she said. ‘Being from New York state, being an American, and now being one of the top Americans over the last couple years, we have so much…