The U.S. certainly loves its cheesecakes—for the 52 weeks ending April 19, 2020, refrigerated cheesecake sales hit $319.33 million, according to Snack Food and Wholesale Bakery’s State of Industry Bakery 2020 report. Companies such as The Cheesecake Factory, which is featured in the comedy Big Bang Theory, have brought freshly baked cheesy-goodness to the masses and made it a family favorite. While our nation loves this dish, according to What’s Cooking America, the cheesecake actually came from Europe....

Celebrate National Cookie Day by entering giveaways and contests to try and win free cookies, or come up with your own concoction in the hopes of winning the yummy job title of Cookie Connoisseur. There are plenty of ways to celebrate this tasty holiday, so keep on reading to find out how to treat yourself to some free cookies on National Cookie Day. Nestlé Toll House WIn free cookie dough from Nestlé Toll House by sharing your baking fails on Twitter....

Kombucha has become popular in recent years, despite it being so controversial. While some people love the tartness, others think it tastes like vinegar. The confusing taste of kombucha is perhaps best depicted in the “kombucha girl meme” where a woman trying kombucha first likens its smell to a “public restroom” before appearing undecided about its taste. Who invented kombucha? Where is kombucha from? Kombucha originated in northeast China around 220 B....

“This is one of those times I really pray people will read beyond the headlines,” Scott Berkowitz, executive director of the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network (RAINN), told the Associated Press. Allegations that Cosby repeatedly drugged and raped women throughout his career made him a central adversary of the #MeToo movement. His conviction in one case was a validating moment for survivors of sexual violence and their advocates, who had hoped a new era of accountability for abusers would be ushered in....

Most of the top recruits in the 2017 recruiting class have already committed to schools, but there several future star players who haven’t decided yet. Sporting News averaged out the rankings among 247Sports.com, Scout.com and Rivals.com to find the top 10 prospects still on the board. MORE: Everything you need to know about National Signing Day Here are the commitments to watch heading into National Signing Day: 1. Marvin Wilson, DT Houston, Texas (Episcopal) Rankings: Rivals (2), 247 Sports (6), Scout (10) Average Rank: 6 Top schools: LSU, Florida State, Ohio State, Oklahoma 2....

Cole threw at Kang in the bottom of the third inning, that igniting a benches-clearing incident. The Nationals were upset with Kang for a fake tag at third base a half inning earlier that caused star Bryce Harper to slide awkwardly, jamming his left thumb in the process. Your browser does not support iframes. MORE: The worst September collapses, ranked Cole has elected to file an appeal on the five-game suspension, thus the discipline will be held in abeyance until the process is complete....

Scherzer awarded team personnel with bottles of Johnnie Walker Blue Label scotch that featured the words “Finished the Fight,” which referred to the Nationals’ strong finish to the year despite a difficult path. He praised his teammates and the team’s staff for their contributions to Washington’s championship run. “There isn’t a better group of players out there to become the first team to win the championship title for the Nationals,” Scherzer told reporters....

These states on the very edges of NATO’s defensive alliance are grappling with what they call a new strain of Russian-Belarusian hybrid warfare as Moscow and Minsk weaponize some of the most vulnerable people in Europe. Since August, Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia, and Poland have faced a surge in new arrivals—notably from Iraq, Afghanistan, and sub-Saharan Africa—at their borders, which they say Belarus is facilitating with the support of its ally Russia....

Medvedev started his post on his Telegram account with a swipe at the West, which he described as “our enemies” because of their aspirations to “exclusivity” and “right to rule the world”—a theme that current Russian President Vladimir Putin has been pushing on the world stage. He mocked western threats in recent weeks of dire consequences should Moscow resort to using nuclear weapons following gains by Kyiv’s forces in their counteroffensive....

The 2012 NL Rookie of the Year, Harper is working his way back from a left thumb injury. He went 4 for 5 as the designated hitter for the Double-A Harrisburg against the Cleveland Indians’ Akron affiliate. Washington manager Matt Williams said after Saturday’s day-night doubleheader against the Chicago Cubs that he is not sure if Harper will play another game for Harrisburg on Sunday. The Nationals are optimistic he will return early in the week, if not Monday when they open a three-game series against Colorado....

Ramos left Monday’s game with an injury that manager Dusty Baker said afterward “doesn’t look too good tonight.” Tuesday’s MRI confirmed his fears. MORE: 50 Most Influential People in Sports | Ortiz leads second-chance stars “I feel badly because you know how we all feel about Wilson, but it’s part of the game,“ Baker told reporters after Monday’s game (via the Washington Post). “You hate it to happen this late, right before the playoffs, but our next step is try to figure out a way to play without Wilson....

Washington Nationals outfielder Bryce Harper had a scary incident in Monday's game against the Mets in the second inning after getting kicked in the head by New York second baseman Eric Young Jr. Having drawn a leadoff walk, Harper went in hard at second base to break up a double play on Ian Desmond's grounder to third base. In that regard, Harper was successful, as Desmond beat Young's relay throw, but Harper stayed down for nearly a minute and went back to the dugout slowly with a trainer....

Owner of the weapons maker EMCO Ltd, Emilian Gebrew, managed to survive after he collapsed and fell into a coma in April 2015. Although initially doctors could not determine the poison used, Gebrew saw similarities between his case and that of the March 2018 attack on Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia, in Salisbury, England. Journalists from the German magazine Der Spiegel and the investigative website Bellingcat, pieced together similarities between the poisonings of Gebrew and the Skripals, in which the deadly nerve agent novichok was used....

On Sunday, the military branch celebrated its birthday, which also came with a renewed commitment to be prepared, to remember those who forged its legacy and to honor the family and friends that serve as its support systems, according to Admiral Mike Gilday, chief of naval operations. The commandant of the Marine Corps, General David Berger, echoed Gilday’s sentiments in an official birthday message. Although ribbing is common between the military branches and their departments, Berger said the Marines would celebrate alongside the Navy and form a joint naval force, as they do during operations....

"Facebook friends and family, Will has collapsed on the field during a Navy spring football practice, very similar to last time. They are air-lifting him to Baltimore Trauma Center currently. Please, please pray for him and our family. He is currently stable but unconscious. We are leaving now to get to him!" The news was worse than feared. McKamey's mother followed up the first post with another update that he had to undergo emergency surgery to relieve a blood clot in his brain....

Kadri will miss the remainder of his team’s first-round Stanley Cup playoff series beginning with Game 3 on Friday night, and then games in the second round if Colorado advances. The league’s Department of Player Safety said in announcing Kadri’s suspension that Kadri could have avoided making Faulk’s head the principal point of contact. Kadri was given a match penalty for his third-period hit in Game 2 on Wednesday. Faulk suffered an upper-body injury that forced him to leave that game and then miss Game 3....

Since the league has been on hold for more than four months, some basketball fans might need a refresher on where certain teams left off before the suspension and what issues they face heading into these new games. So, we’ve decided to highlight a few key storylines facing the four teams playing in Thursday’s games. Before the New Orleans Pelicans square off against the Utah Jazz, and before the Los Angeles Lakers take on the Los Angeles Clippers, check out Newsweek’s NBA cheat sheet down below....

With the release of NBA 2K23 upon us, who claimed the crown as the best power forward in the league? Giannis Antetokounmpo and Kevin Durant each have a case, as the two otherworldly talents dominate the NBA in their own ways. When the ratings updates closed in NBA 2K22, Antetokounmpo (97 OVR) just narrowly edged Durant (96 OVR) for the top spot. After another deep playoff run, you would think Antetokounmpo remained the top-rated power forward in the game, but is it possible that Durant surpassed him?...

Every year, when the newest version of everyone’s favorite basketball video game releases, there are always arguments over which players should be rated higher or lower. And with the release of NBA 2K23, we can finally see who the highest-rated players are in this year’s game. When NBA 2K22’s ratings updates closed, James Harden (92 OVR) just edged Devin Booker (91 OVR) for the highest-rated shooting guard in the game....

Ahead of the 71st NBA All-Star Game, it was revealed that Curry would be raising money for the Cleveland Metro School District with his performance. He was set to donate $1,000 for every point scored, $3,000 for every 3-pointer and $10,000 if he won All-Star Game MVP. NBA LEAGUE PASS: Sign up to unlock live out-of-market games (7-day free trial) Curry, who was born in nearby Akron was playing his first All-Star game in Cleveland and after years of fierce battles against the Cavaliers, he received plenty of boos pre-game, but they quickly turned into cheers as he lit up Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse with one of the best All-Star Game performances ever....