Braised pork with lemon, olives and tomatoes. This one-pot, make-ahead pork shoulder lets the host relax. Props styled by Sarah Smart. Food styled by Roscoe Betsill. (Kelly Marshall/The New York Times) By MELISSA CLARK “Pork shoulder is so easy, it’s almost like cheating,” my friend Zoe said on a recent winter afternoon. We were discussing possible meaty mains for an upcoming holiday party, looking for something impressive but low-stress and economical enough for a crowd. Fin

An ocean vista at a resort in Thailand on Dec. 26, 2024. 52 Places to Go, the Travel section’s annual list of recommended destinations, lands every January. Each short entry is a snapshot into a different possible adventure. (David Rama Terrazas Morales/The New York Times) By TACEY RYCHTER 52 Places to Go, the Travel section’s annual list of recommended destinations, lands every January. Each short entry is a snapshot into a different possible adventure. Some Travel editors w

Two pet dogs riding in a stroller, at Central Park in Manhattan, June 12, 2024. As concern grows over a global fertility crisis, people who chose to have dogs or cats but not children have become a popular scapegoat. But new research shows that, at least in Taiwan, rather than replacing children, pets are actually more likely to be a steppingstone to having them. (Graham Dickie/The New York Times) By AMANDA TAUB Are pets crowding out babies? As concern grows over the global

The sandstone formations known as, from left: the West and East Mitten buttes and Merrick Butte at Monument Valley, in the Navajo Nation, Ariz., Oct. 6, 2025. Fallout from the slump in travel to the U.S. has reached all the way to Monument Valley, where a dozen Navajo guides told The New York Times that their international business evaporated this year. (Gabe Castro-Root/The New York Times) By GABE CASTRO-ROOT The red sandstone buttes and rugged expanses of Monument Valley, i

By CHRISTINE CHUNG Travelers visiting the United States from countries like Britain, France, Germany and South Korea could soon have to undergo a review of up to five years of their social media history, according to a proposal filed last week by U.S. Customs and Border Protection. The change would affect visitors eligible for the visa waiver program, which allows people from 42 countries to travel to the United States for up to 90 days without a visa as long as they first ob

The Ichigaya Kamegaoka shrine in Tokyo on Tuesday, Nov. 18, 2025. A traditional Japanese festival is being adapted for poodles and Pomeranians, amid a booming pet industry and a dearth of children. (Kentaro Takahashi/The New York Times) By LISA FRIEDMAN and MAXINE JOSELOW The worshippers, dressed in kimonos and bespoke belts, took their places inside a sacred Shinto shrine. One by one, they received blessings from a priest and listened obediently to ancient chants. Then they

A passenger uses Biometric technology made by iProov is part of three identity-confirmation pilot programs at Orlando International Airport in Orlando, Fla., on Dec. 4, 2025. New facial-recognition tools being tested at Orlando International Airport could soon be keeping track of travelers at departure gates across the country. (Jacob Langston/The New York Times) By CHRISTINE CHUNG Imagine you’re preparing to board an international flight at a U.S. airport. Instead of jugglin

Jeniffer Rosa López, Victoria Sánchez-Lincoln, Marian Guillén, Viviana Mercado, Lucienne Gigante By JUDY GORDON-CONDE and JENNIFER CONDE-POWERS Recently, Las Ruinas Bathhouse & Gym, a sanctuary inspired by the traditional bathhouses of Asian, Turkish, Moroccan, and Russian cultures, which served as spaces for healing, conversation, and community, opened in the heart of Old San Juan. Guests enjoyed a magical night among the lit sconces and partook of delectable bites and curat

Guests at Mary’s Boon Hotel on Simpson Bay Beach, St. Maarten, on June 8, 2025. The dual-nation island of Dutch St. Maarten and French St. Martin offers lots of frugal diversions, including vivid street murals, hilly hikes and local barbecue. (Hiroko Masuike/The New York Times) By ELAINE GLUSAC Logistics tend to bump up the price of visiting the Caribbean. But the dual-nation island of Dutch St. Maarten and French St. Martin offers an advantage: It’s a transportation hub for

Selecting the right bottle to bring to a party is never easy. (Gwen Keraval/The New York Times) By ERIC ASIMOV Every year around now, we test the proposition that it’s better to give than to receive. The challenge is what to give. For those who enjoy wine or other alcoholic beverages, the answer is often a bottle. But not always, and choosing a bottle is not simple. Cost is important, as is the nature of the event, your relationship to the recipient and their interests. Somet