By Ben Nuckols
Soft-spoken but brimming with confidence, Dev Shah asked precise questions about obscure Greek roots, rushed through his second-to-last word and rolled to the Scripps National Spelling Bee title Thursday night.
Dev, a 14-year-old from Largo, Florida, had his spelling career interrupted by the pandemic, then didn't make it out of his regional bee last year. He got through his highly competitive regional this year for his third and final try at the national title, and he ended up holding the trophy over his head as confetti fell.
His winning word was “psammophile,” a layup for a speller of his caliber.
“Psammo meaning sand, Greek?” he asked. “Phile, meaning love, Greek?”
He soaked up the moment by asking for the word to be used in a sentence, something he described a day earlier as a stalling tactic. Then he put his hands over his face as he was declared the winner.
Charlotte Walsh, a 14-year-old from Arlington, Virginia, was the runner-up.
In the past, government agencies have typically taken on the cost of such searches, even when rich people pay thousands of dollars for questionable activities.
Most GOP-controlled states have already imposed bans, including 14 at every stage of pregnancy.
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences is adding new rules for movies to qualify for Best Picture.
The second season of 'And Just Like That' kicked off amid mixed reviews.
The Paley Center in New York is holding an immersive exhibit to celebrate the 25th anniversary of 'Will & Grace.' Cheddar News took a peek at the exhibit to mark the anniversary and celebrate Pride month.
Owin Pierson, LGBTQ+ activist and mental health advocate, joined Cheddar News which Pride brands and products to purchase that support the LGBTQ+ movement ahead of celebrations this weekend and as anti-LTBGQ+ backlash is on the rise.
San Francisco put up the largest pink triangle on the city's Twin Peaks viewpoint ahead of its Pride celebration this weekend.
Kesha and producer Dr. Luke have settled a legal dispute from nearly a decade ago. Kesha had accused Dr. Luke of sexual assault and he countersued her for defamation.
Randy Wicker, a pioneer in the movement for LGBTQ+ rights and who's serving as the grand marshal for New York City's Pride parade, sat down with Cheddar News to reflect on his years of activism and why he's doing it.
Police officers in South Carolina made sure that a birthday party for one little girl with cerebral palsy was extra special.
