Author: Peter N. Shelton

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is on the verge of introducing significant changes to nationwide rules governing recurring subscription programs. After publishing a notice of proposed action last year, the FTC is now in the process of reviewing public comments, with the goal of finalizing the updated rule soon. The new regulation is expected to set a high bar for subscription services, requiring clearer disclosure, simplified cancellation processes, and annual renewal reminders. Once adopted, the rule will mandate that businesses provide in advertorials clear and conspicuous disclosure of the material terms of subscription agreements, implement a “double opt-out” option for…

Small Towns We love PHOTOGRAPHY BY CALEB CONDIT AND REBECCA NORDEN 12 Small Towns Around KC to Visit This Fall Autumn is the best time of the year here in the lower Midwest, where the days stay warm almost into November and the nights start getting a little crisp. Make time for a short weekend trip, somewhere life moves a little slower. Here’s our guide to a dozen cute small towns within a short drive of KC that are rich in history and charm and have just enough—but not too much—to keep you entertained. Weston Hospitality WESTON, MO. | POPULATION…

When the French colonized Vietnam in the late nineteenth century, they could not comprehend a diet without their precious baguette, fine cheeses and coffee. Wheat was imported so that the French could enjoy their casse-croûte—a baguette served with cold cuts, butter, cheese and rich goose liver pâté. And as it has been throughout history, food became a weapon of colonialism and white supremacy: Vietnamese people could generally not afford the expensive French imports, which were poorly suited to the climate anyway. (And just as the colonists had little interest in local foodstuffs, they deemed their cuisine too refined for the…

For designing duo Janna Coglizer and Megan Shepherd, the Covid lockdown was a defining moment. Stuck at home, these corporate world co-workers and good friends concluded it was time to recalibrate. “Covid was a reset for both of us,” Coglizer says. Working from home without the office buzz, Coglizer was left with just her work and the realization that it was the people she worked with who made her professional work life interesting. She thought, ‘This is what I do?’ Coglizer wanted to do work that she felt more passionate about. Her longtime friend Shepherd, who worked for the same…

Smoke Clears Plowboys Barbeque closed both of its locations in mid-August as co-owners Todd Johns and Audrey Johns pivoted to a booming business in rubs and sauces. “We made the decision, the decision wasn’t made for us, and that felt good to us,” Todd says. “We’re finishing in a way that feels good. It feels good to end on our own terms.” Plowboys opened its first location in Blue Springs in 2013 and followed up with a downtown location in 2015 and a franchise in Nebraska. They also opened and closed a location in Overland Park, which is now Buck…

A clean, fresh-face look is in, especially during these humid days when nobody has time to sweat off a face full of foundation. That means getting your skin regimen locked down is key, and it can be difficult to know which products and procedures are best for your skin just by looking at the surface. A deeper look at your face can tell you which areas to treat—pores, wrinkles or brown spots—and how to treat them. Ashlee Campbell, a medical aesthetician at Plaza Aesthetics and Wellness, is used to looking at faces and coming up with targeted skincare plans and…

A soaring cathedral ceiling and a wall punctuated by a large stained-glass window make this Brookside living room feel as if it were originally a church, not a cozy family home. The grand living room is just one of many unique and quirky architectural features that made Janette Yost confident the late-Jazz Age Tudor revival would be the perfect canvas for her eclectic design style. “I really love old homes and the base they create to add modern touches and come up with a design that is both familiar and unfamiliar,” says Yost, who was handed the 1928 home’s original…

Nestled between the River Market and Power & Light District, 21c Museum Hotel is a 120-room boutique hotel, contemporary art museum, and historic restaurant all in one. Known for their sky blue penguins, outstanding exhibitions of contemporary art, and the newly reimagined Savoy restaurant, 21c is the ideal base to explore the City of Fountains. Founders Steve Wilson and Laura Lee Brown brought their novel vision of combining a contemporary art museum with a boutique hotel to life in Louisville, Kentucky in 2008. The union of museum and hotel was a success and in 2018, 21c Museum Hotel Kansas City…

Caitlin Haghmanesh is an entrepreneur and Chicago native who splits her time between the Midwest and Cali, where she learns the latest treatments and techniques in beauty. Currently, she works as a permanent makeup artist at KC PMU Studio at The Bungalow, which she co-owns in the Crossroads. She’s been practicing a relatively new cosmetic treatment that may serve as an alternative to Botox and filler, and it’s gaining popularity in the Midwest for its anti-aging effects. It’s called fibroblasting, and it’s used to reduce the appearance of aging on the skin. “Fibroblasting is newer to the states,” Haghmanesh says.…

Last September, Andy Simeroth was a senior at Blue Valley High School. The youngest of three brothers, he was popular and the captain of the football team. He wore jersey number seventy-seven, which had been passed down through his brothers since peewee football. “Friday night under the lights was pretty much the biggest thing for him,” says Andy’s mom Kristin Simeroth. “He was the last brother coming through as number seventy-seven, and it was a huge deal.” In his last game, Andy’s school defeated their rival, Blue Valley North. The next morning, Simeroth was supposed to go watch film with…