A growing number of restaurant customers are choosing to eat alone. Restaurant reservation site OpenTable says solo dining reservations in the U.S. increased 29% over the last two years. They're up 18% this year in Germany. Japan even has a special term for solo diners: "ohitorisama." It means "alone" but with honorifics added before and after to make parties of one feel less hesitant. Some restaurants are redoing their seating and menus to accommodate people eating alone. OpenTable CEO Debby Soo thinks remote work and a broader focus on self-care are behind the trend. A Penn State University professor who has studied solo dining thinks the pandemic and smartphones also explain it.

Israel's Independence Day is normally a raucous affair, celebrated with day parties and barbecues in parks, but this year, celebrations — from Monday evening through Tuesday — were muted. In the shadow of the war in Gaza and immediately after the country marked an emotional Memorial Day, festivities were smaller and quieter, with far fewer celebrants. Families grappled with their desire to mark Independence Day even as the country is facing a drawn-out war and one of its most difficult tests in decades. Some 1,200 people were killed in Israel during Hamas' cross-border raid on Oct. 7, which sparked the war in which more than 35,000 Palestinians have died.

Sales of raw milk appear to be on the rise, despite an outbreak of bird flu in U.S. dairy cows. Federal officials warn about the health risks of drinking raw milk at any time, but especially during the outbreak. Weekly sales of raw cow's milk have jumped compared with the same periods last year. That's according retail market research data show. Raw milk farmers say they can't keep unpasteurized products in stock. Some people claim that raw milk has health benefits, but multiple studies show it is one of the riskiest foods people can consume.

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This past weekend, hundreds of people gathered on the streets of downtown San Mateo to enjoy boba in all its varied forms from the 13 such sho…