Daniel Tiger, 'The Great Gatsby', Romance scams
Plus: Girl Scouts will retire two cookie flavors.
Hello, dear readers,
Time flies when you’re... casually watching the collapse of democracy via Instagram, I guess?
It’s been a minute since I last sent out one of these, but rest assured, I haven’t been sitting idle (unless you count doomscrolling as idle).
Like many of you, I’ve been navigating the relentless news cycle — balancing staying informed with the occasional need to throw my phone into a body of water (Lake Erie when I’m in Erie and one of the three rivers when I’m in Pittsburgh).
But beyond just watching it all unfold, I’ve been actively reaching out to my elected officials to voice concerns, demand action and remind them that they work for us — not for power, not for party, but for the people.
If you’re not already doing the same, please consider this your gentle nudge.
Yes, calling and emailing can feel awkward or futile, but it’s our civic duty — especially now.
Silence is what they’re hoping for.
Now, let’s get into it…
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Ugga mugga: New research shows lasting impact ‘Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood’ has on teens
A study by UCLA's Center for Scholars and Storytellers found that teenagers who watched "Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood" as preschoolers continue to benefit from its social-emotional lessons.
The study surveyed 150 teens aged 13 to 16, finding that 71% recalled feeling happy while watching the show, and 57% identified lessons on understanding and managing emotions as most memorable.
Notably, 21% reported still using calming techniques, such as deep breathing, learned from the program.
Commissioned by Fred Rogers Productions for the show's 10th anniversary in 2022, the research underscores the enduring impact of quality children's programming.
Ellen Doherty, the company's chief creative officer, emphasized the importance of centering content around children's needs, mirroring Fred Rogers' original approach.
“Fred Rogers wanted to make a TV show that put the child at the center and he understood that the first thing he wanted to do was understand children: where their concerns were, what they thought about, how they grow,” Doherty told WESA.
The study also highlights a gap in adolescent programming, with teens expressing a desire for content addressing issues like bullying, mental health and self-worth.
Read more:
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Romance scams cost Pennsylvanians more than $39 million in 2024
Romance scams led to more than $39 million in losses for Pennsylvanians in 2024, according to data from the Federal Trade Commission.
The report reveals that 1,679 people across the state fell victim to romance-related fraud, totaling $39.2 million in losses—up 7% from the year prior, Axios Philadelphia reports.
These scams typically involve fraudsters who build fake romantic relationships online to manipulate victims into sending money.
USA Today shared Kate Kleinert’s romance scam story. The Manheim, Pennsylvania, woman was swindled out of $39,000 — draining her savings and retirement funds — in gift cards and cryptocurrency.
The average loss per person in these cases was significantly higher than other scam categories.
While romance scams were among the most financially devastating, they were far from the most common.
Online shopping fraud topped the list with over 12,000 reports, followed by business and government impersonation scams.
In total, Pennsylvanians reported nearly 75,000 fraud cases last year, with combined losses reaching $285.4 million—an increase of 21% from 2023.
The FTC notes that younger people are more likely to report losing money in scams. Of those aged 20 to 29 who filed reports, 39% said they experienced financial losses, compared to 23% of those in their 70s.
Officials warn that the real numbers may be even higher, as many victims never come forward.
2 Girl Scout Cookie flavors to retire
The Girl Scouts of the USA will retire two cookie varieties — S'mores and Toast-Yay — after the 2025 cookie season.
Introduced in 2017, the S'mores cookie was inspired by the traditional campfire treat, while the Toast-Yay, launched in 2021, features flavors reminiscent of French toast.
A spokesperson said that discontinuing these flavors may "lead to something new and delicious."
Over the years, the Girl Scouts have introduced and retired numerous cookie varieties, such as the Scot-Tea, a sugar-topped shortbread available from the late 1950s to the 1980s.
Related:
Girl Scout cookies contain heavy metals beyond safe limits, lawsuit alleges (The Guardian)
The Girl Scouts used to bake their own cookies. This was the first recipe. (Today)
Of note:
Pittsburgh area news outlet incorrectly tying politics and human rights
The Trib (and at least one Pittsburgh TV station that read a summary of the story on air) incorrectly says attending a MAGA rally is the same as marching in a Pride parade.
A man claims in a lawsuit that Iron Mountain fired him for wearing a company visor to the Butler County MAGA rally where Trump was shot at in July.
In the lawsuit, Clarence Stamm alleges that it’s no different than wearing the company logo on a shirt and marching in a Pride parade.
Except, Stamm, his lawyer and the Trib are wrong in tying the two together. And, the Trib did nothing to clarify the error, instead just incorrectly reported it.
The error in reporting is that Pride is not political. Human rights are not political. A Pride parade is not political.
Attending a political candidate’s political rally is political.
(BTW, I think I know which news channel it was, but it was early in the morning, and I can’t recall specifically. So, I’ll leave out the name.)
Other things to know…
Here’s a look at other stories I’ve read recently:
Pennsylvania
Federal judge rules Pa. ballot dating rule violates constitutional right to political expression (Penn Cap-Star)
More logging could be coming to Pa.’s only national forest under Trump directive (Next Generation Newsroom/Spotlight PA)
Four of six Bhutanese refugees living legally in Pa. and taken into ICE custody have been deported, officials say (Inquirer)
News about the news
Apollo exploring potential $4 billion sale of Cox Media Group (Bloomberg/Yahoo)
(For those of you in Pittsburgh, CMG owns WPXI)
Philadelphia Inquirer closes community news desk, sparking outcry over diversity and equity goals (Poynter)
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette production and advertising workers take buyouts, dissolve their union (WESA)
Entertainment
Entire SNL audience gets bleeped during Ego Nwodim's Weekend Update joke: 'Lorne gonna be mad' (EW)
Alison Sweeney teases Sami Brady’s epic ‘Days of our Lives’ return (TV Insider)
‘Beyond the Gates’ star Karla Mosley returns to ‘The Price Is Right’ (People)
This week:
Pittsburgh Cultural Trust to announce ‘25-26 Broadway season
It looks like “The Great Gatsby” will be among the shows coming to Pittsburgh as part of the 2025-26 Broadway in Pittsburgh season.
That’s according to the email the Cultural Trust sent last week announcing the April 7 season announcement at the Benedum Center.
The in-person event is a free, ticketed event. But if you can’t make it in person, the event will be shown live on Facebook or YouTube.
I’d already assumed “The Great Gatsby” was coming to Pittsburgh. Assuming there are seven other shows in the season (not counting specials), my predictions also include:
“Shucked” (Maybe in Pittsburgh from Feb. 22 to March 1?)
“Water for Elephants” (Maybe in Pittsburgh from March 31 to April 5?)
“The Phantom of the Opera”
“Suffs” (Maybe in Pittsburgh from March 10-15?)
“Wicked” (Maybe in Pittsburgh in late January or early February?)
“Clue”
“Disney’s Beauty and the Beast”
And, finally…
Red Line, South Hills Village via Allentown
