Starbucks plans to phase out its iconic cup, calling it a 'symbol of throwaway culture'

[Starbucks plans to phase out its iconic cup, calling it a 'symbol of throwaway culture']( As a millennial born in 1988, it’s hard for me to think about coffee without in turn thinking about Starbucks. Since expanding nationwide in the 1990s, Starbucks has completely changed coffee culture. Some might say for better, others for worse. But a lasting change to say the least. Even the Starbucks cups are famous. Odds are you’ve seen one in its regular white and green form (if you’re not drinking from one at this very moment, that is) or in a festive shade of red for the holiday season. Either way, it’s instantly recognizable. Or as Starbucks Chief Sustainability Officer Michael Kobori calls it, “ubiquitous.” But in an interview with CNN Business, Kobori warns that these easily tossed disposable cups are also a “ubiquitous symbol of a throwaway society.” With Starbucks serving around 6 billion disposable cups per year, he’s not wrong. Though the cups are recyclable, that doesn’t stop them from being thrown into landfills, if not littering the streets directly. That’s why Kobori shares the company’s new solution: “eliminating the disposable cup” entirely by 2025. [Read the Story]( [People can't stop joking about what ended Tom Brady's short-lived retirement]( Tom Brady is, without question, the greatest quarterback to ever play American football. I've never rooted for the teams he's played for (Go Seahawks!) so it pains me to say it, but the guy truly is the G.O.A.T. The man is 44-years-old, has played in the NFL for 22 years, and is the winningest player the game has ever known. So when he announced his retirement from professional football on February 1, it was truly momentous. The end of an era. A new beginning, not just for him but for football fans everywhere who either reveled in or grumbled about his consistent dominance in the sport. The only thing Brady didn't do was go out on top—at least not in the immediate sense. The most fitting retirement for Tom Brady would be to win the Super Bowl one last time, then hang up his cleats. Instead, he staged one of his epic comebacks in the divisional round playoffs, leading the Tampa Bay Buccaneers from a 27-3 deficit to a 27-27 tie before ultimately losing in the last second of the game to an L.A. Rams field goal. That's a tough loss in general, but especially as the last game of your career. Perhaps that's what compelled Brady to change his mind and un-retire just 40 days after announcing his retirement. [Read the Story]( [Looking for a simple way to improve your family’s well-being? Try crafting together.]( It’s National Craft Month! We’re celebrating all things crafty and highlighting crafts that do good. Crafting is fun, of course, but it can also encourage sustainability through upcycling, promote education and connection through teaching others, and nurture our well-being through relaxation and mindful creativity. I recently got a taste of all of those benefits with my own family. “Mom, I feel like doing something crafty,” my pre-teen son told me one evening. I pointed out that we have a whole cabinet full of craft materials he could use, but he wanted a specific project. “Okay, let me think.” I told him. “Why don’t we make collages?” I pulled out the scissors, glue, some old magazines, scrapbook paper, and a piece of cardstock for each of us, and sat down at the table with him. I couldn’t remember the last time I’d set aside time to do something artistic, and soon I found myself wondering why I don’t do it more often. It felt good—refreshing and soothing at the same time. [Read the Story]( [The Kenguru is the first electric vehicle to truly put wheelchair users in the driver's seat]( We live in a modern world full of technological wonders. Just look at the way we get from A to B—electric vehicles that need no gas, Teslas that drive themselves … it’s an interesting time to be alive. And yet, even with all these advancements, transportation remains an issue for many drivers with disabilities. Though many vehicles offer wheelchair access, for example, it can still take considerable time and effort to simply get in and out. That’s where the Kenguru comes in. The Kenguru (pronounced like Australia’s most popular marsupial) is not just another smart car. It’s making a splash in the electric vehicle world for being the very first EV created specifically with wheelchair users in mind. Instead of multiple side doors, the Kenguru has one large door that takes up the entire back panel. With the punch of a button, the door opens for direct access. No seats, no trunk. Just freedom. [Read the Story]( [Should declawing cats be illegal? Maryland to join New York in banning the practice.]( Anyone who has had cats knows they can do a number on your furniture. Even if you get a scratching post for them, they may prefer to claw your chair backs or sofa arms. Even if you make liberal use of a spray bottle to shoo them away from things you don't want them to scratch, they may throw a huge claw-sharpening party in your living room while you're asleep. They are soft and gorgeous, but they have razors on their feet. That's just how cats are. Some people try to circumvent this reality by having their pet cats declawed. By surgically removing a cat's claws, pet owners remove the problem of furniture clawing. But they also remove a major part of a cat's anatomy, which can cause lifelong problems for our feline friends. In fact, the practice is so potentially detrimental that states are beginning to make laws banning it. 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