100 Reasons to Love America in 2019
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Carrie Underwood
Rare and refreshing: a relatable icon who shares her journey. (And her five favorite cities in America!)
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Kacey Musgraves and the Modern Women of Country
After a decade filled with bro-country odes to trucks, tailgates and tank tops, a new generation of female singer-songwriters like Musgraves, Maren Morris and Kelsea Ballerini are making their own mark on country music — and expanding the genre as they do it.
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Tiger Woods
Everybody loves a comeback! The golfer, 43, overcame addiction and scandal to win the Masters.
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Gary Sinise
The actor dedicates his life to supporting veterans. His foundation has adapted more than 50 smart homes for wounded warriors.
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Goat Yoga
The most joyful type of yoga, because of goats.
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Tuition-Free Community Colleges
Eleven states have programs in place.
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Mariano Rivera
The former New York Yankee is the first person elected unanimously to the Baseball Hall of Fame.
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The Statue of Liberty Museum
Now open on Liberty Island, the 26,000-sq.-ft. structure celebrates the universal symbol of freedom and brings the immigrant experience to life. Admission is free.
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Timothée Chalamet
The actor, 23, proved he’s a nice person when he was seated on a plane— in economy class—next to superfan Alankrutha Giridhar, who live-tweeted the ride (and took this hoodie pic). He answered all of her questions, and she wrote, “What shocks me the most is this dude wanted to know about me!”
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Brady Bunch House Renovation
In an explosion of nostalgia, the original Brady Bunch house has been restored to its 1970s glory by the stars of the sitcom along with HGTV pros. A Very Brady Renovation will air in September.
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Michelle Obama
Her book Becoming is set to become the bestselling memoir in history. But the former First Lady is as self-effacing as she is confident. After she appeared at the Grammys, she shared some texts she exchanged with her mom. ‘Did you meet any of the real stars?’ asked Marian Robinson. Replied Obama: ‘I am a real star...by the way.’
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Robokiller
This app uses answer bots to get rid of spam calls from telemarketers and scammers.
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Asheville, N.C.
The Blue Ridge Mountain city calls itself Dog City U.S.A., and canines are welcome at bakeries, bars breweries and stores. A hotel, Aloft, even fosters dogs until they are adopted by guests.
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L.L. Bean Boots
The Freeport, Maine, company’s boots and totes are having a fashion moment, and they’re made in the U.S.A.
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Pi Day
On March 14 we celebrate math and eat pie (3.14=pi).
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Cardi B & Bruno Mars
Their second smash hit together, “Please Me,” reached No. 1 on Billboard’s R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart.
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Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade
When the New York City department store began its holiday tradition in 1924, it promised a “marathon of mirth,” and it has delivered year after year with intricate floats, iconic balloons and musical performances.
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The Jonas Brothers
All grown up and married now — Nick to Priyanka Chopra and Joe to Sophie Turner just this year; Kevin is a father of two — the three put their differences aside to make music again (and a documentary) after six years apart.
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Buffalo, New York
A rust-belt city having a renaissance. Spectacular late-19th-century architecture provides a backdrop for a busy restaurant and bar scene.
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Celebrity Cruises
If the ship's destinations and amenities aren't enough of a draw, travelers can now set sail with the likes of Oprah, the Property Brothers or Jon Bon Jovi.
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TWA Hotel at JFK Airport
TWA's 1960s flight center, designed by architect Eero Saarinen, closed in 2001, along with the airline. Renovated as a hotel, it has 512 rooms. Rates start at $249 per night, or you can book a four-hour stay for $139.
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C-Span's 40th Anniversary
The nonprofit network is all about transparency, televising congressional proceedings since 1979.
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Nancy Drew
The classic teen sleuth got a movie this year — and a new TV series was picked up in May.
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PEN15
Comics Maya Erskine (left) and Anna Konkle, both in their 30s, play teen versions of themselves in this Hulu hit, sending up middle school by portraying it as it really happened.
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Beyoncé
In the superb Netflix documentary Homecoming, the first black woman to headline Coachella not only proves that she's the "best performer in the world," in the words of her husband, JAY-Z — she also reveals details of her difficult pregnancy and strict postpartum diet.
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Government Workers
The longest shutdown in history proved how valuable they are.
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Burr-Hamilton Duel Reenactment
Chicago White Sox teammates Ryan Burr and Ian Hamilton (no relation to the originals) couldn't resist capitalizing on their names by pulling out their revolutionary garb and re-creating the historic event - without bullets - in March.
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The Vessel at Hudson Yards
With 154 flights of stairs, the over $150 million N.Y.C. space has been called the world's most expensive selfie spot.
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Tim Tebow's Elaborate Proposal
The former NFL quarterback raised the bar on a millennial trend when he whisked Demi-Leigh Nel-Peters to his family's Florida farm and slipped a 7.25-carat solitaire ring on her finger. Then singer Mathew Mole stepped out from behind a bale of hay to serenade the couple with "The Wedding Song."
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Andy Cohen's Baby
Benjamin Allen, born Feb. 4, wins the hair and smile sweepstakes. “I’m in love,” the Bravo host wrote on Instagram.
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Apollo 11 Anniversary
It was 50 years ago that Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin took a walk on the moon—a giant leap for mankind.
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Levi's
The All-American brand has started trading publicly on the NYSE.
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Grant Thompson
The teen discovered a FaceTime bug that spies on users—and got it fixed.
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Sesame Street
For the show’s 50th anniversary, the USPS has issued stamps. (Confidential to young readers: You buy these at a post office.)
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Jimmy Fallon’s Wheel of Musical Impressions
The popular game on The Tonight Show (the host is pictured with Alicia Keys) has inspired a new NBC competition show.