Farmers Markets Add Soap, Sexy Slices, Cigars

TALLAHASSEE — State Rep. Allison Tant wants to make an example of a Tallahassee apartment complex for low-income seniors that had no power or on-site staff after tornadoes left much of the state capital without electricity over the weekend. “This exposed a gap in service” for seniors, Tant, D-Tallahassee, said Tuesday.

Beth Dooley | (TNS) Star Tribune My mother always said “less is more” and “wear the dress; don’t let it wear you.” Those two pieces of advice, among others, are true in life — and especially true of asparagus. Newly arrived in our farmers markets and co-ops, the vibrant green spears don’t need gussying up.

I turned to the parent next to me and asked what she was going to do about all the, you know … I didn’t want to say it. The what, the parent asked. All of the swearing, the F-bombs and such, I said. This was several weeks ago, at the United Center, where Olivia Rodrigo was playing the second of two shows.

This is “Small Bites,” a South Florida Sun Sentinel feature with tiny tidbits on the food and beverage scene — because we know that sometimes you just don’t have room for a long article. You want a little news brief instead, an amuse bouche of information, if you will. Enjoy! WHAT: You’re invited to a new Asian Night Festival hosted by Baoshi Food Hall + Bar. The food hall, which opened in December, is honoring Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month this Saturday, May 18, with Polynesian fire dancers, free Soto Sake tastings, drink specials and more. The eateries and markets are: Temple Street Eatery (Asian-American comfort food) Gangnam Chikn (Korean fried chicken) Poke OG (bowls and sushi) Gold Marquess (Chinese food) Boba Street Cafe (Boba teas, lemonades and bubble waffles/desserts) Visiting vendors joining the foodie festivities will be Sweet Aloha Ice Cream (Hawaiian dessert treats), Lutong Pinoy (Filipino cuisine) and Zuru Ramen Bar (Japanese bites). WHEN: Hours are 6 to 10 p.m.

Julie Appleby | (TNS) KFF Health News President Joe Biden counts among his accomplishments the record-high number of people, more than 21 million, who enrolled in Obamacare plans this year. Behind the scenes, however, federal regulators are contending with a problem that affects people’s coverage: rogue brokers who have signed people up for Affordable Care Act plans, or switched them into new ones, without their permission. Fighting the problem presents tension for the administration: how to thwart the bad actors without affecting ACA sign-ups. Complaints about these unauthorized changes — which can cause affected policyholders to lose access to medical care, pay higher deductibles, or even incur surprise tax bills — rose sharply in recent months, according to brokers who contacted KFF Health News and federal workers who asked not to be identified. Ronnell Nolan, president and CEO of the trade association Health Agents for America, said her group has suggested to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services that it add two-factor authentication to healthcare.gov or send text alerts to consumers if an agent tries to access their accounts.

In early April, the No. 1 show on Netflix was “3 Body Problem,” about an alien invasion. The final image in the series is of swarming cicadas, and we can expect to see similar scenes all over Chicagoland in the coming months. In 2007, we witnessed a sizable invasion of cicadas in Brood XIII.