First impressions may start long before a handshake — one in five Americans say they judge others by their first name alone, according to new research. The survey of 2,000 Americans found that 18 percent of those polled said they’ll make assumptions about someone based entirely on a name they…

Italy is always a good idea for travel. But what is it about the timeless peninsula, affectionately known as “lo stivale” in a tongue-in-cheek fashion for its boot-shape, that keeps us coming back? ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT Perhaps it’s the unrivalled gastronomy (at least according to this travel journalist), or the cities…

In January 1937, Pauline Trigère and her husband, Lazar Radley, along with their two sons and Trigère’s mother and brother Robert, arrived in New York City. The family was Jewish, and they had left France because of the growing Nazi threat. New York, however, was just a stopover: Their destination…

Over the past decade or so, set-jetting – aka travelling to a destination after being inspired by film or TV – has reached new heights. ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT Game of Thrones sent hundreds of thousands of people to Dubrovnik, aka King’s Landing. Crash Landing on You made the tiny Swiss village…

Did we stutter? “The Office” star Leslie David Baker, best know for his portrayal of the perennially disgruntled and witty Stanley Hudson in the NBC sitcom, has opened a new Honey Baked Ham location in the San Fernando Valley. The Sherman Oaks location — jointly owned and operated by Baker…

Three Los Angeles County public schools are proving that poverty doesn’t have to dictate academic success. A new national report has identified five California public schools that are dramatically outperforming expectations when it comes to teaching children how to read — and three LA County schools that serve student populations…

A beloved Denny’s in San Diego’s Point Loma neighborhood has permanently closed after nearly six decades in business, leaving longtime customers mourning the loss of what many called a community institution. The news came as a surprise to locals who headed to the beloved diner last week at the corner…

She’s the belle of the wedding ball.  Thylane Blondeau, the French bombshell twice crowned the “most beautiful girl in the world,” is taking on a new title today: Wife.  The 25-year-old model married partner Ben Attal, 29, with a town hall ceremony at the Mairie du 16ème arrondissement in Paris on…

We all have a travel bucket list of things we really, really want to do some day. Trips that are too expensive for a “just because”, the ones you’ll save for a special occasion. ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT Seeing the Northern Lights. Wildlife watching in the Galápagos. Honeymooning in the Maldives. But…

DEAR ABBY: My 20-year-old nephew, “Conrad,” has anger issues. His girlfriend recently broke up with him. He was upset and went to see his grandma, my mom. When Conrad pulled into her driveway, my mom’s boyfriend, “Rob,” was standing outside. Conrad told Rob to “stay out of the house.” Conrad’s…