Bidens Kick off First Easter Egg Roll in Two Years

US President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden do a reading of a book at the annual Easter Egg Roll on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington, US, April 18, 2022. (Reuters)
US President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden do a reading of a book at the annual Easter Egg Roll on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington, US, April 18, 2022. (Reuters)
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Bidens Kick off First Easter Egg Roll in Two Years

US President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden do a reading of a book at the annual Easter Egg Roll on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington, US, April 18, 2022. (Reuters)
US President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden do a reading of a book at the annual Easter Egg Roll on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington, US, April 18, 2022. (Reuters)

After a pandemic hiatus, President Joe Biden, first lady Jill Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris launched the first White House Easter Egg Roll in two years on Monday, resuming an annual tradition for children that dates back to 1878.

"Ready, set, go!" Biden shouted and blew a whistle to begin the festivities, in which children race to roll pastel-colored eggs down a portion of the South Lawn using long-handled spoons.

A light rain did nothing to put a damper on an event in which 30,000 children and adults were participating. Many top administration officials were on hand for the egg roll, including Secretary of State Antony Blinken and White House press secretary Jen Psaki and their children.

"My job is to keep it from raining for another two minutes," Biden said in remarks from the White House balcony, standing alongside Mrs. Biden and two people wearing Easter Bunny costumes.

While Harris blew a whistle to launch a wave of egg rollers, the Bidens went to another a section of the lawn to read a children's book, "Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See?” They were soon joined by NBC's "Tonight Show" host Jimmy Fallon, who read aloud his children's book, "Nana Loves You More."

The theme of the event was "egg-ucation," and the South Lawn was set up with an education theme. Jill Biden is a community college professor.

The egg roll event is a tradition begun by then-President Rutherford B. Hayes in 1878. The coronavirus pandemic forced cancellation of the event in 2020 and 2021.



Coffee Overtaking Tea Culture in the UK

“Fancy a brew?” is no longer as familiar as it once were as coffee has overtaken tea in the UK (Getty)
“Fancy a brew?” is no longer as familiar as it once were as coffee has overtaken tea in the UK (Getty)
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Coffee Overtaking Tea Culture in the UK

“Fancy a brew?” is no longer as familiar as it once were as coffee has overtaken tea in the UK (Getty)
“Fancy a brew?” is no longer as familiar as it once were as coffee has overtaken tea in the UK (Getty)

Discover the hidden gem of the UK's coffee culture, where vibrant independent cafes outshine the chains, offering a unique blend of flavors and atmospheres.

“Fancy a brew?” “I'll put the kettle on then.” Hearing those words are no longer as familiar as it once were as coffee has overtaken tea in the UK, The Daily Express newspaper reported on Monday.

It said grabbing a coffee either on the go or at a café is as part of British culture these days as it is in Italy.

But while every person has its favorite chain, be it Pret, Starbucks, Costa or Cafe Nero, nothing beats finding a decent independent coffee shop one can call home especially when it can seem high streets are dominated by the same chains.

So with the demand for coffee only growing, where is the best spot in the UK to find an independent coffee shop?

A study by Reviva Coffee reveals the UK city that is the hidden gem when it comes to thriving coffee culture.

And it probably isn't where you'd expect. In fact this county is synonymous with tea. Yorkshire Tea, to be precise.

However the study discovered the best UK city to find independent coffee shops is in the Yorkshire city of Leeds. It has a staggering 584 coffee shops, of which 86.3% are independent, and just under 14% are chains.

Placing second is Edinburgh. Whether you’re a coffee connoisseur or just needing a cosy pit stop, Edinburgh has you covered with its outstanding coffee scene with 560 shops, 85% of which are independents.

In third for best UK cities for independent coffee shops is Bristol which has 347 coffee shops, 86.3% of which are independent.