New York City

New York City – October 21, 2026 -- Older adults in the U.S. can take free live tech classes on Zoom every week through Senior Planet, the flagship program of OATS from AARP. They can also visit one of four physical centers or a licensed partner site.

Free Zoom classes cover stretching, banking and telemedicine

SeniorPlanet.org lists a range of virtual classes each week, taught live by Senior Planet expert trainers. Topics include morning stretch and meditation sessions, online banking, telemedicine, and demos of new and emerging technology. Discussion groups are also on the schedule, built to encourage conversation and lasting friendships.

New York – October 14, 2026 -- A typical New York City household using 720 therms of natural gas this winter is forecast to pay about $1,765, or $87 more than last year, according to National Grid. On Long Island and in the Rockaways, the same usage is projected to cost about $1,461, just $5 more.

Cheaper gas supply, pricier delivery

The forecasts cover the November-to-March heating season and assume normal winter weather. In New York City, the period runs from Nov. 1, 2026 through March 31, 2027.

On Long Island, supply costs are projected to fall by about $120 compared with last winter. Delivery charges rise by $125 under a rate proposal the Public Service Commission approved in 2024.

In New York City, supply is projected to drop by about $124, while delivery climbs by $211 under the same 2024 approval.

NEW YORK – October 14, 2026 -- New Yorkers comparing Medicare Advantage options can now look at a plan that has held a 4-Star overall rating from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) two years running: MetroPlusHealth.

Three MetroPlusHealth plans carry the 4-Star rating

The rating applies to the MetroPlus Advantage Plan (HMO D-SNP), the MetroPlus Platinum Plan (HMO) and MetroPlus UltraCare (HMO D-SNP). In the 2027 Medicare Star Ratings, MetroPlusHealth earned 4 Stars for Part C and 4.5 Stars for Part D prescription drug coverage. That builds on its 4-Star Medicare Advantage rating for 2026.

Aurora, N.Y. – October 13, 2026 -- MacKenzie-Childs has added a 1 Quart Tea Kettle to its signature collection, priced at $149.95 and available now. It is the most accessibly priced kettle in the lineup.

The new size is built for city apartments, first homes and smaller counters. It is meant for tea for one or two, and it joins the existing 2 and 3 quart kettles.

The kettle comes in seven Check colorways

Buyers can choose from Courtly Check, Sterling Check, Rosy Check, Emerald Check, Mocha Check, Violet Check and Sky Check. MacKenzie-Childs presents the kettle as an entry point for new collectors and as an addition for existing fans of the Check pattern.

Englewood Cliffs – October 12, 2026 -- LG SIGNATURE showed its three premium appliance collections, Iconic, Seamless and Tailored, at New York City's Guggenheim Museum on October 8. The event was part of the brand's "What's your signature?" campaign and drew celebrities, creatives, influencers and tastemakers.

Leslie Bibb, John Mayer and Amaury Guichon headline the evening

Guests arrived on a gold carpet, and The Womack Sisters performed before attendees explored immersive experiences inspired by each collection. Actress Leslie Bibb, an Emmy nominee, joined the event.

Pastry chef and chocolatier Amaury Guichon ran an interactive chocolate experience. James Beard Award-winning Chef Kwame Onwuachi curated three signature dishes. Seven-time GRAMMY Award winner John Mayer closed the evening with a live performance.

Bibb said she likes the idea that "great design should feel personal and unmistakably your own."

New York – October 11, 2026 -- Gracie Abrams will play an intimate SiriusXM exclusive at Irving Plaza in New York City on October 24, and subscribers can hear the full set on Hits 1 starting October 30.

The concert airs on Hits 1 three times

SiriusXM will broadcast the performance on Hits 1 (ch. 2) on October 30 at 9:00 pm ET, October 31 at 3:00 pm ET and November 1 at 7:00 pm ET. Select songs will also play on The Pulse, Unwell Music and The Coffee House. The full concert will be available anytime in the SiriusXM app.

Abrams plays songs from Daughter from Hell and her earlier hits

The GRAMMY-nominated singer-songwriter released her third studio album, Daughter from Hell, on July 17. Her set will draw on that record alongside fan favorites. The show comes ahead of her tour, which kicks off in December.

New York – October 07, 2026 -- Bracha Banayan, a board-certified Family Nurse Practitioner and founder of telehealth practice Hello Dose, has released a new book titled "Why Are You Still Hungry?" aimed at people using or considering GLP-1 weight-loss medications like semaglutide and tirzepatide. The paperback is available through Amazon, Barnes & Noble and BookBaby, while the eBook can be found on Apple Books, Barnes & Noble, Kobo and BookBaby's Bookshop.

The book explains the biology behind stubborn weight gain.

Banayan breaks down factors such as insulin resistance, the body's weight "set point" and "food noise" -- the persistent, intrusive thoughts about food many patients report. She describes in plain language how GLP-1 and GIP receptor agonist drugs act on both the gut and the brain.

Purchase, N.Y. – October 05, 2026 -- Pepsi is marking the New York Knicks' championship season with limited-edition cans and bottles that give fans a shot at winning game tickets. The "Champions Deserve Pepsi" campaign launched October 5, ahead of the Knicks' 2026–27 season tip-off at Madison Square Garden.

Limited-edition 16 oz Pepsi x Knicks Championship cans, along with 20 oz Pepsi and Pepsi Zero Sugar x Knicks bottles, are now on shelves at participating retailers across the Tri-State region. Shoppers can scan a QR code at point of sale for a chance to win tickets to a Knicks game inside The Garden.

Miami Beach – October 02, 2026 -- Apotheke South Beach, a botanical-infused cocktail lounge hidden behind an unmarked door on Washington Avenue at Moxy South Beach, opens October 16 in the Art Deco District.

The venue marks the brand's fourth location since 2008

Apotheke Mixology began behind an unmarked oak door on New York City's Doyers Street in 2008. The brand later expanded with Apotheke Los Angeles in 2018 and Apotheke NoMad New York City in 2022. Apotheke South Beach brings the concept to Florida for the first time, accessed directly from the street rather than through the hotel.

Fairfield, N.J. – October 01, 2026 -- An estimated 80 to 100 million Americans have liver disease, and many don't know it because early symptoms can be subtle. The American Liver Foundation (ALF) is marking October as National Liver Awareness Month and Liver Cancer Month with a slate of free tools, including a one-minute online risk quiz.

A free quiz flags liver disease and cancer risk in under a minute.

The quiz is available in English at thinkliverthinklife.org/quiz and in Spanish at thinkliverthinklife.org/prueba. ALF notes that hepatocellular carcinoma, the most common form of liver cancer, is one of the fastest-growing causes of cancer-related death in the U.S., with incidence rates more than tripling since 1980 and death rates doubling over the same period.