Topic Reading-Vol.5236-8/25/2026

Dear MEL Topic Readers, 

Robots are asking for tips. But who actually gets the money?

In the US, it is standard practice to leave the server a tip, which typically ranges from 15% to 25% of the tab before sales tax. Those servers live mainly on tips because the federal minimum wage for tipped workers is only $2.13 per hour, less than one-third of the standard minimum wage. You may calculate the tip amount yourself and write it down on the tab, or choose a percentage shown on the tip screen. Also, many people give a small tip to a barista or bartender when they get their drink, especially for a drink that requires some work or skill to make. Now, more robots are serving dishes and drinks. Should you leave a tip for a robot server as you do for a human? You may do so if you are entertained or satisfied by the robot, but you may wonder where the money goes. As style and technology change how drinks and meals are served, the practice of tipping seems to change accordingly.

Read the article to learn about the changes in tipping practice in the USA.

https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20260818-do-you-have-to-tip-the-robots

Topic Reading-Vol.5235-8/24/2026

Dear MEL Topic Readers, Why travellers are obsessed with foreign supermarkets

When you visit a historic monument or museum in a foreign place, you’ll see and feel the culture and legacy of the past. If you walk around a supermarket, convenience store, or grocery shop, you’ll find today’s life. The variety of food, spices, and packaging on the shelves may be very different from what you have where you live. Even if you feel little interest in your grocery shopping at home, you’ll find it so lively and exotic in a supermarket, as if you’re walking around a present-day museum in the local atmosphere, environment, and people. Also, at a local supermarket, you don’t have to pay a hefty admission fee for foreigners or a rip-off price for souvenirs. You can walk around free of charge and buy day-to-day items at a local price. What’s more, you don’t need to join a tour or hire a car for hours to visit a supermarket or convenience store. You can just drop by or walk in your spare time. All in all, local shops may provide you with a more exotic experience than souvenir shops.

Read the article and learn what you can find and experience in local supermarkets

https://www.bbc.com/travel/article/20260811-the-supermarket-is-becoming-a-tourist-attraction

Topic Reading-Vol.5234-8/23/2026

Dear MEL Topic Readers, 

Don’t yell at your child over not wanting to go to school

Raising children is always a challenge. Many young kids don’t know what to do, and teenagers do only what they want to. When children are reluctant to go to school, which do you think works better, yelling at them to go to school or encouraging them to find something they like at school? However, there might be some obstacles for them to get out of their comfort zone and go to an uncomfortable place. They may not enjoy the classes, classmates, teachers, or environment. They may not be interested or motivated to take part in school activities or learn in classes. Whatever the reasons might be, scolding or yelling at them won’t help much. Also, going to school after a long summer vacation is another challenge for many children. They tend to spend as much time as they want on their smartphone, especially late at night, which makes it harder for them to get up early in the morning to go to school. Instead of just saying do or don’t do what to their children, parents may want to work with them to live healthier lives for their well-being; otherwise, their smartphone will become their regulator.

Read the article and learn how to deal with children when they have trouble going to school.

https://edition.cnn.com/2026/08/03/health/school-avoidance-parent-strategies-wellness

Topic Reading-Vol.5233-8/22/2026

Dear MEL Topic Readers, 

Airline passengers hate middle seats. But that’s not why United is getting rid of some of them

For airlines, putting more seats and squeezing as many passengers as possible is a common practice for budget airlines. They are now trying to make money by charging more for baggage while keeping the airfare competitive with other airlines. Major airlines are adding upgraded seats and services to charge more for available seats, including extra legroom and seat selections in economy class, better seats and services in premium economy class, and doored suites in business class. Now, United Airlines, the world’s largest airline by fleet size, announced extra elbow room in two window and two aisle seats in the economy plus section of its upcoming new long-range, narrow-body aircraft. The arrangement will eliminate two not-so-happy economy-plus passengers in the blocked middle seats while enhancing a little more room and privacy for the surrounding four passengers, for an additional cost. Since the aircraft is designed for a long flight, the airline expects some passengers to pay more for a little more space. Full-service carriers are trying to charge more for seats, while budget airlines are charging more for baggage. The choice is yours.

Read the article and learn what’s behind the new seat arrangement by United Airlines.

https://edition.cnn.com/2026/07/24/business/united-airlines-dropping-some-middle-seats

Topic Reading-Vol.5232-8/21/2026

Dear MEL Topic Readers, 

We're getting mealtimes wrong - here's the best time to have dinner

What matters for your diet is not just what and how much you eat, but also when to eat. Our internal body clock, or circadian rhythm, plays an important role in how our body processes food because it affects our hunger, digestion, and metabolism. A 20-week study found that people who ate lunch at an earlier time lost more weight and faster than those who took late lunches. As for dinner time, if you eat when your body prepares to sleep, your glucose control will be impaired, and your cells tend to store fat rather than digest it. From the same input, very different outcomes can be created depending on the time of day. Indeed, our bodies tend to be quite different between the morning and the evening.

Read the article and learn how influential the meal time is to your health.

https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20260807-whats-the-best-time-of-day-to-have-dinner

Topic Reading-Vol.5231-8/20/2026

Dear MEL Topic Readers, 

Spotify to add label for AI-generated artists and remove them from recommendations

Launched in 2008, Spotify is a Swedish audio streaming service platform that provides access to more than 100 million tracks, millions of podcasts, and thousands of audiobooks. More than 777 million users in 184 markets enjoy the service. In many songs and videos Spotify presents, AI is used to some extent, which seems to be a generally accepted, yet controversial, practice. Also, more AI-generated performers like Xania Monet are appearing, singing, and performing on music and video platforms. Although not all listeners mind if the music is sung by an AI-generated persona, some feel disappointed or deceived when they find out the performer’s identity. Recently, Spotify has introduced a feature that will show the AI identity in its artist profiles and playlists, though it won’t reveal how the music was created. Nowadays, a large number of short videos with unique characters and animals appear each day. Even though AI is a common feature for creating music and videos, the identity of the musicians and characters might help enhance their authenticity.

Read the article and think about how much the identity of artists matters to you.

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cvgxzmgejd5o

Topic Reading-Vol.5230-8/19/2026

Dear MEL Topic Readers, ‘Brand-new everything’: How data centers transformed this small town’s economy

As the use of AI becomes the norm, more facilities are needed to store, process, share, and manage data and run applications. That’s why data centers are being built around the world. A data center facility houses networked computer servers, data storage devices, and network equipment. They consume a massive amount of energy to run their servers and to cool them from overheating. They are operated 24/7 remotely, so they need only a few people on site for maintenance. Therefore, data centers are built where space and electricity are economically available, but not much of a human workforce. Local residents fear their electricity bills will rise if a power-hungry data center is built. Also, they worry about heat exhaustion and noise pollution from the facility. Quinsy is a small farming town in the state of Washington with a population of around 8,500. Microsoft, Yahoo!, Dell and others have located large data centers since 2007, and there are around 30 of them now. What are the benefits and problems of data centers to the residents, community, and economy?

Read the article and learn about the impacts of data centers in a small town.

https://edition.cnn.com/2026/08/11/business/data-centers-ai-economy