Whether dribbling a basketball or identifying obscure Latin or Greek roots, Zaila Avant-garde doesn't show much stress.
The 14-year-old from Harvey, Louisiana, breezed to the championship at the Scripps National Spelling Bee on Thursday night, becoming the first African American winner and only the second Black champion in the bee's 96-year history.
Zaila has described spelling as a side hobby, although she routinely practiced for seven hours a day. She is a basketball prodigy who hopes to play some day in the WNBA and holds three Guinness world records for dribbling multiple balls simultaneously.
Zaila twirled and leaped with excitement after spelling the winning word, "murraya," a genus of tropical Asiatic and Australian trees.
Only one word gave her any real trouble, "nepeta," a genus of Old World mints, and she jumped even higher when she got that one right than she did when she took the trophy.
Chaitra Thummala, a 12-year-old from Frisco, Texas, was runner-up. Both Zaila and Chaitra are coached by Cole Shafer-Ray, a 20-year-old Yale student who was the 2015 Scripps runner-up.
The only previous Black winner of the bee was Jody-Anne Maxwell of Jamaica in 1998. Zaila also breaks a streak dating back to 2008 during which at least one champion or co-champion was of South Asian descent.
Members of Parliament will cast their first confidence vote of the fall sitting on Wednesday, but with it poised to fail, political posturing is already ramping about future tests of the Liberal minority government.
A man who "systematically isolated, manipulated, deceived, abused, and exploited" an elderly North Vancouver woman has lost his ownership stake in her home.
Ontario Premier Doug Ford says he wants to build a tunnel under Highway 401 that would stretch from Brampton to Scarborough.
A major yogurt maker is recalling one of its brands in Canada over concerns that it may cause illness in immunocompromised people.
Mortgage rule changes allow easier entry into the housing market with lower monthly payments, but also an increased cost of repaying a mortgage.
More than a third of children around the world were nearsighted in 2023, and this proportion will rise to almost 40 per cent in 2050, according to new research.
More Canadians are installing solar panels on their homes, but some are facing challenges when it comes to getting home insurance after the panels are put in.
Pope Francis took the unusual decision Wednesday to expel 10 people – a bishop, priests and laypeople -- from a troubled Catholic movement in Peru after a Vatican investigation uncovered 'sadistic' abuses of power, authority and spirituality.
Canada's wildfire season is on track to be the second largest in at least the last two decades, trailing only last year's record-breaking season.
A man who "systematically isolated, manipulated, deceived, abused, and exploited" an elderly North Vancouver woman has lost his ownership stake in her home.
Ontario Premier Doug Ford says he wants to build a tunnel under Highway 401 that would stretch from Brampton to Scarborough.
A veteran Montreal police officer says racism is a 'cancer eating away at the organization' in a stinging resignation letter.
Searching for polar bears where the Churchill River dumps into Canada's massive Hudson Bay, biologist Geoff York scans a region that's on a low fat, low ice diet because of climate change. And it's getting lower on polar bears.
Population growth in Canada slowed slightly in the last quarter of the year as the government made efforts to reduce temporary migration into the country, Statistics Canada revealed Wednesday.
An advocate organization is calling for an inquiry following the death of a six-year-old boy who went missing in Shamattawa First Nation.
A Missouri man convicted of breaking into a woman’s home and repeatedly stabbing her was executed Tuesday over the objections of the victim’s family and the prosecutor, who wanted the death sentence commuted to life in prison.
The two presidential candidates are set to deliver dueling speeches on Wednesday that reflect how they're honing their economic messages for voters in battleground states. Both are trying to counter criticism of them while laying out their best case for a public that still worries about the economy's health.
The death toll from an explosion at a coal mine in eastern Iran rose to 50 on Wednesday after one of the miners who was injured in the weekend blast died in hospital, the Iranian state television reported.
The Kentucky sheriff of a small Appalachian county who is accused of walking into a judge's chambers and fatally shooting him pleaded not guilty to a murder charge on Wednesday.
An executive at cybersecurity company CrowdStrike apologized in testimony to Congress for sparking a global technology outage over the summer.
The acting director of the U.S. Secret Service was incensed at what had happened that July evening. 'What I saw made me ashamed,' Ronald Rowe Jr. said. 'I cannot defend why that roof was not better secured.'
Members of Parliament will cast their first confidence vote of the fall sitting on Wednesday, but with it poised to fail, political posturing is already ramping about future tests of the Liberal minority government.
Liberal MP Faycal El-Khoury, who was born in Lebanon, says Canada needs to push its peer countries more to stop a cycle of violence in the Middle East, or it could lead to a world war.
Canada's chief electoral officer is playing down any suggestion that Elections Canada should directly administer political nomination or leadership contests.
A 20-second session of self-compassionate touch reduced stress, increased kindness to participants and improved mental well-being, according to a recent study.
A major yogurt maker is recalling one of its brands in Canada over concerns that it may cause illness in immunocompromised people.
A team at the University of Waterloo are developing a process to 3D-print bones, which could dramatically improve the quality of life for cancer and trauma patients.
More than a third of children around the world were nearsighted in 2023, and this proportion will rise to almost 40 per cent in 2050, according to new research.
The carbon fibre hull of the experimental submersible that imploded en route to the wreckage of the Titanic had imperfections dating to the manufacturing process and behaved differently after a loud bang was heard on one of the dives the year before the tragedy, an engineer with the National Transportation Safety Board said Wednesday.
Astronomers have observed a massive pair of jets releasing from a supermassive black hole 7.5 billion light-years from Earth. The megastructure spans 23 million light-years in length, making these black hole jets the largest ever seen, according to new research.
Although it's a bestseller on Amazon, the late Kim Porter did not write a tell-all memoir detailing an abusive relationship with her longtime partner Sean 'Diddy' Combs, her children said in a statement Tuesday.
Lady Gaga isn't joking around about releasing new music. The Oscar-winner announced on Tuesday that she's releasing a new album titled 'Harlequin,' which she said in an Instagram post is a companion album to the upcoming film 'Joker: Folie a Deux.'
Canadian singer-songwriter Sarah McLachlan has three Grammy awards and 12 Junos. She was recently honoured with a commemorative stamp from Canada Post, and this weekend, she’ll be inducted into the Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame.
Mortgage rule changes allow easier entry into the housing market with lower monthly payments, but also an increased cost of repaying a mortgage.
A federal judge sentenced FTX co-founder Sam Bankman-Fried’s former girlfriend to two years in prison, citing her extensive cooperation with prosecutors that led to the conviction of the former face of the cryptocurrency industry in one of the largest financial frauds in U.S. history.
Given the continued progress the Bank of Canada has made in bringing inflation back down to the 2 per cent target, it is reasonable to expect more rate cuts, Governor Tiff Macklem said on Tuesday.
From cellphone 'hotels' to patchwork policies to recalibrating lesson plans, teachers and schools across Canada are learning to navigate a classroom without cellphones.
An ordinary day on the job delivering mail in East Elmwood quickly turned dramatic for Canada Post letter carrier Jared Plourde. A woman on his route was calling out in distress.
The Newcomers Football Club, an impromptu team made up of asylum-seekers, has helped provide Boubacar Lukaku and others with a joy that erases their stress. And it's helped connect them with a supportive community as they navigate the challenges of a new country.
NHL star forward Claude Giroux had his car stolen in Ottawa on Tuesday evening, his wife says.
Watching Connor McDavid screaming in a locker room is something hockey fans didn't necessarily expect.
Pro Football Hall of Fame quarterback Brett Favre revealed Tuesday at a hearing on federal welfare reform that he has been diagnosed with Parkinson's disease.
Ontario Premier Doug Ford says he wants to build a tunnel under Highway 401 that would stretch from Brampton to Scarborough.
NHL star forward Claude Giroux had his car stolen in Ottawa on Tuesday evening, his wife says.
The Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) reported this week that officers in the agency's Montreal Marine and Rail Services seized 78 vehicles and transferred them to police. Numbers of stolen vehicles in Quebec continue to skyrocket.
An Indigenous artist has a buyer-beware warning ahead of Sept. 30, the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation.
Police are looking to the public for help after thieves broke into a Lethbridge ice creamery, stealing from the store.
An ordinary day on the job delivering mail in East Elmwood quickly turned dramatic for Canada Post letter carrier Jared Plourde. A woman on his route was calling out in distress.
Fire has destroyed a barn and 17,000 plants at a family-owned business in Lower Coverdale, N.B.
Before influencers on social media, Canada’s Jeanne Beker was bringing the world of high fashion down to earth and as Calgary’s Glenbow Museum gets a major make-over, it will include a new exhibition showcasing the pop culture icon.
A sea lion swam free after a rescue team disentangled it near Vancouver Island earlier this week.
A Nova Scotian YouTuber has launched a mini-truck bookmobile.
Cole Haas is more than just an avid fan of the F.W. Johnson Wildcats football team. He's a fixture on the sidelines, a source of encouragement, and a beloved member of the team.
Getting a photograph of a rainbow? Common. Getting a photo of a lightning strike? Rare. Getting a photo of both at the same time? Extremely rare, but it happened to a Manitoba photographer this week.
Mounties have seized nearly two dozen guns and several kilograms of explosives following a pair of searches at what police described as a "fortified" residence above a business in Surrey, B.C.
British Columbia's New Democrats have unveiled a plan that Leader David Eby says will help middle-income families purchase a home by financing 40 per cent of the price.
At a campaign stop in the Interior, the leader of the BC Conservatives heavily promoted the mining industry, pledging reforms he believes would unlock billions of dollars in annual government revenue.
Ontario Premier Doug Ford says he wants to build a tunnel under Highway 401 that would stretch from Brampton to Scarborough.
Police have arrested one suspect and are looking for two others in connection with a rash of thefts in which thieves gained access to moving tractor trailers and stole more than $2.2 million in merchandise while the vehicles were stopped at red lights.
Police in Hamilton are looking for additional suspects allegedly involved in a series of ambush-style robberies where the victims were lured through the adult-only dating app, Grindr.
Police seized more than $500,000 worth of cocaine and methamphetamine from a Calgary home during a recent search.
A cougar sighting in Calgary's Fish Creek Provincial Park has prompted a warning from the province.
Calgary's first esports arena opened at Bow Valley College on Wednesday.
NHL star forward Claude Giroux had his car stolen in Ottawa on Tuesday evening, his wife says.
The Ottawa Police Service is investigating reports of gunfire in Ottawa's west end on Tuesday evening.
The City of Ottawa has found more than $564,000 in back taxes are no longer able to be recovered and staff are recommending councillors approve writing it off.
The Legault government is defending its $6.5 million subsidy to the Presidents Cup, a prestigious golf tournament. On Wednesday morning, the three opposition parties joined together in criticizing the subsidy, pointing to the record $11 billion deficit and the crying needs in several public sectors.
A veteran Montreal police officer says racism is a 'cancer eating away at the organization' in a stinging resignation letter.
Even though Northvolt is experiencing financial difficulty, the Legault government is convinced that the Montérégie battery plant will go ahead, but it is opening the door to the possibility of redistributing part of the promised energy supply block to other companies.
A new report says increasing Indigenous participation in Alberta's labour market could boost the province's GDP by between two and three percentage points, the equivalent of $8 billion to $11 billion annually.
Crime Stoppers and police are launching a campaign encouraging Edmontonians to report hate.
Executive Director of Friends of Medicare, Chris Gallaway, speaks with Alberta Primetime host Michael Higgins about the need for increased health care funding.
The co-chair of a working group looking into support for Nova Scotia's wine industry has resigned, calling the talks with the provincial government an "enormous disappointment."
Both ferries that take passengers between Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island are out of service, leaving that mode of transportation off the table for those looking to travel between the two Maritime provinces.
Halifax and Fredericton will host six Canadian university championships over the next four years.
The Manitoba government is extending the gas tax holiday for a second time.
Searching for polar bears where the Churchill River dumps into Canada's massive Hudson Bay, biologist Geoff York scans a region that's on a low fat, low ice diet because of climate change. And it's getting lower on polar bears.
A Winnipeg school went into lockdown Monday after a note threatening students and staff was discovered in the school’s bathroom.
Based on exclusive new polling data collected by Â鶹´«Ã½ in partnership with Insightrix Research, the majority of Saskatchewan residents say they’re ready for change, but most don’t see that change happening in 2024.
RCMP say two women are facing charges that include robbery, flight from police and impaired driving following a robbery in Balcarres, Sask. Monday afternoon.
City administration and the Regina Exhibition Association Limited (REAL) has identified a short list of individuals to sit on REAL’s permanent board of directors.
A reward of up to $50K has been issued by Waterloo Regional Police for information leading to the conviction of the person or persons responsible for the fatal stabbing of 18-year-old Joshua Bennett.
The Brant County Health Unit (BCHU) says it has its first case this year of suspected human exposure to an animal with rabies after a person was believed to be bit by a bat.
Police received a report of someone being hit by an “unidentified projectile†in the Bristow Creek Drive and Raising Mill Gate area around 6:50 p.m.
A new program is expanding the capacity of breast cancer screening services across Saskatchewan, and a fundraising campaign is underway to get it done. This all comes as age requirement have been lowered for mammogram screening starting in the new year.
The Resort Village of Candle Lake says the devastating Monday morning fire has completely destroyed a portion of the Candle Lake Golf Course clubhouse.
Based on exclusive new polling data collected by Â鶹´«Ã½ in partnership with Insightrix Research, the majority of Saskatchewan residents say they’re ready for change, but most don’t see that change happening in 2024.
The complainant in Jacob Hoggard's sexual assault trial alleges that the musician raped, choked and urinated on her after she attended his band's concert in June 2016.
A 49-year-old Sudbury woman who was killed in a tragic collision with a police boat June 7 on Nepewassi Lake was told to remain in a residence on an island until police returned to pick her up.
A fire in downtown Kirkland Lake last weekend that displaced 25 people was likely caused by an "electrical issue," says fire chief Earl Grigg.
A statement from the province said Musyj will work closely with LHSC senior leadership and staff to address concerns regarding hospital governance and operations, and management practices, including concerning financial performance, that were found as a result of a third-party review.
Fire crews from Listowel, Atwood, and Monkton battled the blaze on Line 81, which started around 5 p.m. Tuesday.
OPP are investigating a crash that has sent the driver of a truck to hospital with serious injuries. Just before 5 a.m., police reported Donnybrook Line in Lucknow closed between Bruce Road 86 and Zion Road following the crash.
Students at Georgian College will have more opportunities to seamlessly transfer into degree programs at Lakehead University, with an expanded partnership between the two institutions.
The Ontario government is investing $2.7 million in a new mobile mental health crisis team focused on helping those experiencing homelessness or crises.
A growing group of brides and wedding photographers from across the province say they have been taken for tens of thousands of dollars by a Barrie, Ont. wedding photographer.
A statement from the province said Musyj will work closely with LHSC senior leadership and staff to address concerns regarding hospital governance and operations, and management practices, including concerning financial performance, that were found as a result of a third-party review.
A major yogurt maker is recalling one of its brands in Canada over concerns that it may cause illness in immunocompromised people.
The Windsor police POP Unit has made more arrests as part of a retail theft operation. According to police, 19 people were arrested and 45 charges were laid during the operation last week.
British Columbia's New Democrats have unveiled a plan that Leader David Eby says will help middle-income families purchase a home by financing 40 per cent of the price.
A man who "systematically isolated, manipulated, deceived, abused, and exploited" an elderly North Vancouver woman has lost his ownership stake in her home.
Mounties have seized nearly two dozen guns and several kilograms of explosives following a pair of searches at what police described as a "fortified" residence above a business in Surrey, B.C.
A pair of runaway pigs are in the custody of an animal sanctuary in the Okanagan after evading police and volunteers for hours earlier this week.
The Red Bridge, a historic landmark in Kamloops, B.C., was completely destroyed by fire early Thursday morning.
Animal protection officers in British Columbia have rescued three pit bulls – including one that gave birth to 10 puppies – from a rat-infested home in Kelowna.
Dozens of police officers and support workers have come to Lethbridge for the Social Disorder and Urban Crime Conference.
Police are looking to the public for help after thieves broke into a Lethbridge ice creamery, stealing from the store.
To make higher education an easier step to take for Indigenous students, the University of Lethbridge is dropping some fees for those applicants.
A northern Ontario woman in her first term as mayor of Timmins has given birth to her second child.
The complainant in Jacob Hoggard's sexual assault trial alleges that the musician raped, choked and urinated on her after she attended his band's concert in June 2016.
A 25-year-old suspect was charged with impaired driving Sept. 21 after police spotted two people without helmets on an ATV on Sand Bay Road in Goulais River.
Newfoundland and Labrador sponsored a minor football team in England, now they’re about to play one of the biggest clubs in European soccer.
Newfoundland and Labrador's chief medical officer is monitoring the rise of whooping cough infections across the province as cases of the highly contagious disease continue to grow across Canada.
A 16-year-old biennial event aimed at fostering business in the country's eastern Arctic and northern regions has been cancelled indefinitely as a dispute unfolds between Inuit in Canada and a Labrador group claiming to share their heritage.
The Shopping Trends team is independent of the journalists at Â鶹´«Ã½. We may earn a commission when you use our links to shop. Read about us.
