AP Lifestyles Digest for week of Sept. 14

(Independent)

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Here is the AP Lifestyles digest for the week of Sept. 14. It will be updated again on Thursday.

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VIRUS OUTBREAK-HALLOWEEN — Roving grown-ups tossing candy at kids standing on their lawns. Drive-thru Halloween haunts. Yard parties instead of block parties and physical parades. Wider paths through corn mazes. The holiday so many look forward to each year is going to look different in the pandemic as parents and the people who provide Halloween fun in treats, costumes and attractions navigate a myriad of restrictions and safety concerns. By Leanne Italie. SENT 1,200 words Wednesday, photos. With VIRUS OUTBREAK-HALLOWEEN-ABRIDGED

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FASHION

CHRISTIAN SIRIANO: Christian Siriano, who turned his atelier into a mask-making machine early in the pandemic, takes to his Connecticut backyard for a fashion show before a small physical audience. By Leanne Italie. Upcoming from 2 p.m. show, 640 words, photos. SENT Thursday.

RACIAL INJUSTICE-HAIR DISCRIMINATION: States face pressure to ban race-based hairstyle prejudice. SENT Tuesday.

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GARDENING

GARDENING-MICROCLIMATES — The weather has gotten stranger and more unpredictable, but there is a small way that gardeners can take more control: finding and exploiting microclimates. By Lee Reich. SENT Tuesday, 500 words, photo.

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HOME

HOMES-FALL DECOR TRENDS — A look at fall trends in home decor, including the resurgence of brown. Recently seen by many trend watchers as drab, it’s back in style, its earthy, warm hues seen as offering comfort in unsettling times. By Kim Cook. SENT 800 words, photos.

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HEALTH

VIRUS OUTBREAK-VIRAL QUESTIONS — What are the different types of coronavirus tests? There are three broad categories of coronavirus tests in the U.S. SENT Tuesday, 300 words, illustration.

REL-VIRUS OUTBREAK-FOOD INSECURITY — At the peak of the coronavirus pandemic, Sharawn Vinson sent two of her children away to North Carolina with their father because she feared that a time would come when she would no longer be able to feed them. It was a painful decision for the unemployed mother of six. But she says it gave her time to save on food stamps, search for a job and receive meals from a food bank. She has also volunteered at a food pantry linked to a Baptist church and is now helping to feed dozens of her neighbors who live in a Brooklyn housing development. About 2 million New Yorkers like Vinson are facing food insecurity. SENT Monday. Photos.

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TRAVEL

SMOKE FREE CASINO — One of the last Las Vegas Strip resorts to reopen after coronavirus closures will be the first to be smoke-free. MGM Resorts International announces Monday that Park MGM will prohibit tobacco smoke when it opens Sept. 30. The move marks a watershed in a city known for letting tourists smoke even if they can’t at home. SENT.

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PERSONAL FINANCE

NERDWALLET-LIZ WESTON-UNDERSTAND-MEDICARE ADVANTAGE — Many older Americans opt for Medicare Advantage plans, a private insurance alternative to traditional Medicare. Advantage plans offer extra coverage, usually at no cost. But there’s a downside, with the potential for higher costs if you get sick. And the choices can be confusing, with dozens of plans available to the typical consumer. You could be better off with traditional Medicare paired with a supplemental Medigap policy. Check your state’s health insurance assistance program for free help sorting out options, coverage and cost. While you can switch from an Advantage program to traditional Medicare later, you might not be able to get a Medigap supplement policy. By LIZ WESTON of NerdWallet. SENT: 860 words, photo.

ON THE MONEY-NERDWALLET-MOBILE BANKING — As bank branches remain shuttered, more people are having a go at doing their banking online. Though banks make it sound easy — “just use our app!” — not everything is intuitive for those new to the world of mobile check deposits, digital money transfers and autopay. Should you hang onto deposited checks or shred them? Should you print and save monthly statements? How do I handle online bill pay or peer-to-peer payments? What if the app malfunctions or an update wreaks havoc? Here are some common tasks in online banking and how best to handle it.

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LOOKING AHEAD TO NEXT WEEK:

FOOD TRENDS: Back to basics. Comfort food. Stress eating. Family meals. Experts describe some of the trends in eating and cooking during the pandemic. By Katie Workman. UPCOMING Monday. Photos.

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