The Mather at Tysons Corner in Va. has received the International Council on Active Aging's Platinum Plate of Distinction, becoming the first senior living community in North America to earn the honor. The award highlights The Mather's excellence in dining, hospitality, and resident experience, setting a new benchmark in senior living.

The influx of celebrity chefs to the Las Vegas Strip in the late 1990s and early 2000s had a profound and lasting impact on the city's hospitality scene. Renowned chefs like Joël Robuchon, Alain Ducasse and Thomas Keller brought not only their names but also advanced training and operating systems, shaping a generation of local talent. Many chefs who trained in these high-profile kitchens later opened their own acclaimed independent restaurants off the Strip, creating a ripple effect that elevated the entire city's culinary landscape. Their influence remains visible today in the mentorship culture and the high standards of new chef-driven concepts throughout Las Vegas.

The Country Club of Virginia in Richmond, Va., has introduced a daily doughnut program at its Cool Springs Cafe, which has quickly become a hit among members. Executive Pastry Chef Jessica Quiet and her six-member team create unique flavors each day, including a mystery doughnut on Thursdays. The cafe also offers house-made ice cream, croissants, cookies and protein bars, catering to the club's family-centric membership.

Salvatore "Sal" Corelli started making sandwiches at home and delivering them via scooter. Now, he owns Salvo's, a brick-and-mortar restaurant in New York City that serves over 100 sandwiches daily and transforms into a Neapolitan restaurant for dinner. The Neapolitan ragu, which holds a central place in Salvo's dinner menu and in Sal Corelli's personal history, is prepared early in the day, using local pork sausage and short ribs for depth of flavor. The recipe draws on traditional Neapolitan techniques, using long cooking times to tenderize less desirable cuts of meat. The aroma and taste of the ragu evoke Corelli's childhood memories of Sunday mornings in Naples, making it both a culinary highlight and a personal tribute.

US Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y., is backing legislation to provide free school meals to all students regardless of income, through the Universal School Meals Program Act. The measure would cover breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks, address school meal debt and increase reimbursement rates for schools. An SNA survey found that many districts carry unpaid meal debt, underscoring financial challenges facing school nutrition programs.

Registered dietitian nutritionist Samantha Peterson and RD Michelle Routhenstein recommend sprouted 100% whole-grain bread as the best choice for managing blood sugar levels. Contrary to common misconceptions, bread can be part of a blood sugar-supporting diet if it is fiber-dense and made with whole grains. Sprouted bread offers benefits such as increased fiber and protein and a lower glycemic response, making it a more healthful option than refined breads.

Bean consumption has soared in the US this year, driven by a renewed interest in affordable, healthy and versatile foods. Experts highlight their benefits for gut health, blood sugar regulation, cholesterol reduction and even lower cancer risk. Social media trends like BeanTok and the rise of "bean-fluencers" have helped make beans trendy, while specialty suppliers such as Rancho Gordo report unprecedented demand, with tens of thousands on waitlists for heirloom varieties. The resurgence is also reflected in pop culture and marketing efforts aimed at children, signifying a broad-based bean renaissance across demographics.

Food companies are increasingly using AI to personalize flavors based on demographic data, moving away from a one-size-fits-all approach. Companies such as Cargill and Foodpairing are leveraging vast datasets to understand how age, gender and geography influence tastes. While full individual personalization is constrained by operational efficiency, advanced segmentation enables more targeted product development.

The pressure on leaders to move quickly and deliver immediate results over compressed timelines is contributing to executive burnout, impaired decision-making and reduced organizational efficiency, writes Tara James, founder of Small and Mighty Group, who recommends adopting a "hurry up slowly" mindset that uses deliberate pacing and alignment in workflows. "What's important to remember is that 'hurry up slowly' is not about reducing ambition; it sharpens ambition through judgment. It invites leaders to pause long enough to ensure that what they are building can endure," James writes.