15 Spooky Halloween Traditions and Their Origins

Trick-or-treating, Jack-O’-Lanterns, and creepy costumes are some of the best traditions of Halloween. Share these sweet facts with friends as you sort through your candy haul.

1. CARVING HALLOWEEN JACK-O’-LANTERNS

KIEFERPIX/ISTOCK VIA GETTY IMAGES

Jack-O’-Lanterns, which originated in Ireland using turnips instead of pumpkins, are supposedly based on a legend about a man name … Read the rest

10 great cemeteries to visit before you die

 

A towering mausoleum honors assassinated President James Garfield, while elsewhere, a chapel features a window designed by Louis Comfort Tiffany

Larry Bleiberg, Special for USA TODAY

Even around Halloween, there’s no reason to be spooked by cemeteries. “They’re beautiful and peaceful places, basically outdoor museums,” says Loren Rhoads, author of the Read the rest

Climate Change: How Do We Know?

The Earth’s climate has changed throughout history. Just in the last 650,000 years there have been seven cycles of glacial advance and retreat, with the abrupt end of the last ice age about 7,000 years ago marking the beginning of the modern climate era — and of human civilization. Most of these climate changes are … Read the rest

What are algae blooms and why are they bad?

In July, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration predicted a large bloom of harmful algae would coat western Lake Eerie this year.NOAA

In early July, a bloom of toxic blue-green algae forced Mississippi officials to close 25 beaches and warn any would-be swimmers from making contact with water along affected stretches of its Gulf

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A key witness who testified for the prosecution in the murder trial of Amber Guyger was fatally shot on Friday evening. The details which were originally released by Botham Jean’s attorney, Lee Merritt, are still emerging.

Joshua Brown, 28, lived in the same apartment complex as Jean and Guyger. He was shot several times on … Read the rest