There’s something slightly unsettling about seeing a beloved childhood picture turned into something scary. The Cat in the Hat, the tall, striped-hatted Dr. Seuss character that many American kids grew up reading, has become the face of a social media trend that is getting official warnings from police, school administrators, and parents all over the country. It began with videos. Then images made by AI came along. Then there were names—of students, schools, or neighborhoods—along with language that made it sound like the character was “coming for” them. The posts have mostly been shared on TikTok and Snapchat, but officials…
Author: Sierra Foster
Sierra Foster
Born in Kansas City, Sierra Foster writes about politics and serves as Senior Editor at kbsd6.com. She was raised paying attention to this city, not just living in it. Sierra has a strong, deep connection to Kansas City, from the neighborhoods east of Troost to the discussions that take place in the city hall halls. Sierra, who is presently enrolled at the University of Kansas to pursue a degree in Political Science, applies the rigor of academic study to her journalism. She writes about politics in Missouri and Kansas as someone who genuinely cares about what happens to the people in these communities—the policies that impact them, the leaders who represent them, and the civic forces influencing their futures—rather than as an outsider watching from a distance. Her editorial coverage encompasses state-level policy, local government, and the national political currents that permeate bi-state regional life. Whether it's a city council vote or a Senate race, she has a special gift for turning complex policy language into writing that feels urgent, relatable, and worthwhile. Sierra seldom sits still off the page. She claims that playing soccer on a regular basis has sharpened her instincts for political reporting because of the sport's teamwork, strategy, and requirement to read a changing game in real time. She's probably somewhere in Kansas City with her friends when she's not writing or on the pitch, discovering new reasons to adore a city she already knows so well.
A Massachusetts courtroom was getting ready for a decision. The note then came. The jury in the murder trial of Lindsay Clancy sent Judge William Sullivan a message that stopped everyone in the room in their tracks: they could not agree on a verdict. Gasps could be heard. One of the judges shook her head. One person closed her eyes while the judge read the words out loud. In a wheelchair and a beige sweater, Clancy herself sat still. Reporters in the room say he was stoic. From nearby seats, her parents and sister looked a different kind of quiet,…
Most people think of Bank of America vise presidents as having clean offices near Midtown Manhattan, working early in the morning, and having the quiet intensity that comes with working in a complicated financial institution. It was a good fit for Erin Piacenti. She lived in Chester, New Jersey, and was 32 years old. She worked as a vise president in BofA’s business selection and conflicts unit, which makes decisions about risk, compliance, and the institution itself. It’s not a very fancy part of the bank. It’s a big one, though. The financial world was shocked when she died on…
Many Australians put their retirement savings in fund managers for years and seemed to have faith that those managers would do everything they could to make the money grow. The whole system of retirement savings is based on this kind of quiet faith. The CommBank superannuation class action settlement showed that that trust may not have been well placed in at least one important part of the system. A settlement worth $249 million was reached between Commonwealth Bank of Australia, Colonial First State Investments Limited, and Avanteos Investments Limited. The settlement affects more than 500,000 fund members. It’s not hard…
The fact that you missed the northern lights is quietly humbling. Not really because they’re rare, but because they’re hard to predict in a way that feels almost personal. The aurora does not put up a sign to let people know about it. It comes into being somewhere above the Arctic, dances for an hour or two, and then goes away before most people even notice they’re looking up. That’s the main problem with any aurora borealis prediction: it only gives you a chance, not a guaranty. The NOAA OVATION model and real-time Kp index readings are the main tools…
Is Jaden Smith in Cobra Kai? is a query that frequently appears in search searches and comment sections. It’s one of those questions that reveals a lot about how popular culture permeates people’s recollections. After watching the 2010 version on a Saturday afternoon, an adolescent finds Cobra Kai on Netflix, connects the dots, and wonders if Dre Parker ever made an appearance. It seems like a fair assumption. It isn’t. The short answer is no. Cobra Kai has never included Jaden Smith. Not in a flashback, not in a cameo, not even in the backdrop of a tournament scene. There…
There is something very telling about an airline that is ending a route that it started only eight months ago. In March, Alaska Airlines started flying from Santa Rosa to Ontario, taking over a route that Avelo Airlines had dropped just a few weeks before. It was welcomed at the airport, people booked it, and the airline flew it every day on an Embraer E175. It’s done by October 31. Honestly, that’s not even close to a long run, which makes me wonder what changed. Alaska Airlines, which has the fifth most flights in the country, has been changing the…
A certain kind of unease settles over Hawaii when weather forecasters use words like “uncertain track” and “potential for multiple systems.” Indeed, that is the current situation. Two different tropical cyclones, Tropical Storm Lowell and Category 4 Hurricane Karina, are both moving through the Pacific, and the Hawaiian Islands are in the path of both of them. Things aren’t really bad yet. It’s not nothing, though. Hurricane Karina was moving west at a slow 9 mph as of early Monday morning, about 1,055 miles west-southwest of the southern tip of Baja California. The strongest sustained winds had slowed down a…
Late in the day, when the kennels are full and the staff is moving around with purpose, there’s a certain kind of quiet that settles over an animal shelter. The occasional bark can be heard echoing through the hallways, which never quite feel empty. At the Gaines Street campus of the San Diego Humane Society, that quiet means something different than at most places. It was this group’s work that helped San Diego become the largest city in the US to kill no healthy, treatable shelter animals. In 2015, that took place. Since then, they’ve kept the line every year.…
Seeing a big star like Lionel Richie ask for a chair in the middle of a concert is a little unsettling. Not because it shows weakness—it doesn’t—but because it’s the kind of small moment that most of the time means something. During the last song of his set at The Muny in St. Louis on August 29, the 77-year-old asked his crew to move a chair forward so he could finish “All Nite Long” while sitting down. It was caught on video by fans. Richie had checked himself into a hospital by the end of the weekend. TMZ said that…