Month: April 2026

The origins of April Fools’ Day date back to before 1600 when France switched from the Julian calendar to the Gregorian calendar, as called for by the Council of Trent in 1563, according to the History Channel.

“In the Julian Calendar, as in the Hindu calendar, the new year began with the spring equinox around April 1,” the History Channel revealed. “People who were slow to get the news or failed to recognize that the start of the new year had moved to January 1 and continued to celebrate it during the last week of March through April 1 became the butt of jokes and hoaxes and were called ‘April fools.’

April Fools’ Day lives on with relatively benign tricks mostly carried out by friends and family. However, every now and then a major corporation gets involved in the fun with a joke of their own.

Dunkin Donuts Offering Free Coffee – But There’s a Catch

Dunkin’ Donuts jumped in on the fun, but with an actual offer for customers.

“Last April Fools’, we gave away a million free coffees, and some of you thought it was a prank. We didn’t forget that,” Dunkin Donuts said on its website. “So this year, we’re doing it again. Just a little bigger. We’re giving away 1,000,001 free coffees. That extra one is for anyone still not convinced.”

While Dunkin’ is giving away free coffee, yes actually, there is a catch. The free coffees are limited to Dunkin’ rewards members.

“On Wednesday, April 1,Dunkin’ Rewards members can get a FREE Cup of Coffee*. No tricks, just your coffee run, on us. All you have to do is open your Dunkin’ app and enter the promo code StillNotAJoke,” it said.

The coffee company admitted the fun holiday comes with “trust issues” but promises to provide (select) customers with a free coffee.

The promo code for Dunkin’ rewards members is valid on April 1. A free coffee certificate is valid for 7 days after promo code entry, but cold brew and extra-large hot coffee are not included.

Related: Heavy Snow Warning for 6 States as 30 Inches of Snow, 100 mph Winds Approach: ‘Delay All Travel’

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In This Story

Why We Love This Deal

Spring produces some weird weather (I’m from New England, so I would know). But just because the sun goes from radiating down on you to nonexistent in mere minutes doesn’t mean you can’t be prepared for anything at a moment’s notice. That’s where this Patagonia jacket comes into play: It’s part wind jacket, part rain jacket, pretty lightweight, and is currently 40% off.

Patagonia’s Light Gust Jacket is on sale for as low as $143—up to $106 off the original $249 price tag. This item boasts nearly a dozen five-star ratings at Patagonia and ranges in sizes from XS to 2XL. It also comes in several colors, but the Noble Grey option is on sale and has the most sizes available. Sizes seem to be slowly disappearing. If the one you need is gone, you may be able to find it at Dick’s Sporting Goods.

Patagonia Light Gust Jacket, $143 (was $239) at Patagonia

What Shoppers Should Know

• Fit: Regular, true to size
• Sizes: XS to 2XL
• Weight: 1 pound
• Special Features: DWR coating, sinchable hem, elastic cuffs

If you’re hiking in the spring, the weather can turn on you pretty quickly as you go higher up. That kind of spring cold—where it’s not freezing but the wind is a little chilling—is where this Patagonia product shines. The wind flap on this jacket’s placket will regulate temperatures, the elasticized cuffs can be pulled snug, and the high collar will protect your neck. This stretchy jacket even repels water, but it’s not really built for extended periods of rain.

You don’t just have to be a hiker or an outdoor adventurer to enjoy this jacket, though. It’d also serve you well on a long flight where the cabin is always a bit cold or at the movies when the inside of the theater is blasting the AC. In short, this jacket is versatile and fashionable enough to wear even when you’re not exploring outside.

As far as price, this jacket is available for practically the same generous price at Dick’s Sporting Goods. It’s far from the cheapest light jacket you’ll find, but the quality (and 40% discount) should help put you at ease.

Related: Columbia Is Selling Its $92 Fleece Jacket for Just $35 in 4 Colors

What Shoppers Are Saying

Although this jacket is described as a “Light Gust” model, shoppers found it to be warmer than advertised. “The Light Gust Jacket is comfortable and turned out to be warmer than I expected,” they revealed. “It’s capable of handling more than a light gust. The elasticized cuffs are comfortable and keep cold air out.”

Another shopper agreed and said they enjoyed how it was less clingy than a fleece. “The Light Gust Jacket is windproof and lightweight,” they said. It also offers some protection from moisture. I prefer this jacket for a number of reasons. It doesn’t attract dog hair like fleece and is windproof. It’s lighter than an insulated shirt while offering protection from wind and moisture.”

The Light Gust Jacket is nearly $100 off at Patagonia. Shop the spring savings ASAP before it’s too late.

Shop More Deals

• Patagonia Better Sweater Fleece Jacket, $95 (was $159) at Patagonia
• Patagonia Nomader Jacket, $113 (was $189) at Patagonia
• Patagonia Nano Puff Jacket, $137 (was $229) at Patagonia

When this 1980 movie hit theaters, it was widely panned by critics, underperformed at the box office, and was even infamously nominated for two insulting awards. That is stunning since The Shining now routinely lands on lists of the greatest films ever made.

‘The Shining’ Was Hated and Flopped in 1980

As of March 2026, Empire Magazine’s reader-voted list of the best movies of all time placed The Shining at number 34. Similarly, Variety’s 2022 expert-formulated ranking of the greatest films ever has it listed at number 90, while The Guardian named it the fifth-best horror movie of all time. These are only three of many examples of times The Shining has been singled out as one of cinema’s greatest titles.

It would be an understatement to say that The Shining got an extremely different reception after it opened on May 23, 1980. For example, a May 2020 The Independent article noted that the movie wasn’t embraced by filmgoers after it was released. It highlighted that despite ultimately grossing roughly $45 million domestically, it wasn’t even a top 10 hit in the U.S. Considering it was based on a book from a famous writer, Stephen King, was helmed by the acclaimed director Stanley Kubrick, and was headlined by a major movie star, Jack Nicholson, that is stunning.

Many movie critics were unimpressed with The Shining when it first came out. The Hollywood Reporter’s 1980 review of the film is a clear example of that, as Arthur Knight wrote that the movie lacked the artistic significance he hoped for. “I tried to penetrate that significance in this outing, but I kept drawing a blank.” The critic went on to write that the film failed as a horror movie. “I don’t think it works too well as an experiment in Gothic horror either.” He saved his harshest criticism for the film’s script, noting that the supernatural elements of the story felt unexplained. “Alas, it isn’t there! The screenplay, as written by Kubrick and Diane Johnson, never lets us in on what motivated these events.”

Perhaps the most striking example of how The Shining was lambasted at the time of its release is the two dubious awards it was nominated for. In 1981, Kubrick was nominated at the Golden Raspberry Awards for Worst Director, and Shelley Duvall was given the nod for Worst Actress. Amazingly enough, Duvall’s nomination was seen as so egregious that it was rescinded decades later, in 2022.

Looking back at all the criticism that The Shining received in 1980, the harsh reaction almost feels like a work of fiction today. After all, it is hard to fathom how one of the most celebrated movies that has ever been produced was ripped apart by contemporary viewers.

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) is just hours away from sending astronauts to the moon for the first time in more than 50 years.

Artemis II, a follow up to the 2022 Artemis I uncrewed mission, is sending four astronauts on humanity’s deepest venture into space since the 1972 Apollo 17 mission landed on the moon.

While Artemis II won’t be landing on the moon, it sets the stage for the upcoming Artemis III test flight in 2027, Artemis IV landing in 2028, and NASA’s plans to set up a lunar base.

Astronauts Reid Wiseman, Christina Koch Offer Final Message

Commander Reid Wiseman, pilot Victor Glover, and mission specialists Christina Koch and Jeremy Hansen will launch from Pad 39B at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center spacecraft atop NASA’s SLS (Space Launch System) rocket, taking the Orion spacecraft on a 10-day test flight around the moon.

Koch and Wiseman both took to social media to offer a final message before launch on Wednesday night.

Koch, who set a record for the longest spaceflight by a woman with a total of 328 days in space, gave a full to-do list for fans to follow along with throughout the day.

“Tomorrow’s To do list,” she started with a photo showing the rocket that will take her to the moon in the background.

• Weather briefing
• French braid hair
• Put on special orange suit
• Be in rocket on time
• Ride SLS
• Be ready to react to issue
• Be ready for any abort
• Activate space water and toilet
• Burn to raise perigee
• Change into comfy clothes
• Big Burn to raise apogee
• Run spaceship while friends change
• Separate from upper stage
• Manually pilot around upper stage
• Nap
• Burn to raise new perigee
• Nap
• Trans Lunar Injection burn to the Moon
• Talk to the world
• Gym time
• Sleep

Wiseman had a much more simple, straightforward message in his post by saying, “It is time to go to the moon.”

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Artemis II Launch Details

The current target for takeoff is a two-hour launch window that opens at 6:24 p.m. ET on Wednesday.

The weather forecast for launch day shows an 80% chance of favorable weather conditions with primary concerns being cumulus clouds, ground winds, and solar weather. “NASA and weather officers with the U.S. Space Force’s Space Launch Delta 45 will continue to monitor the weather leading up to liftoff,” NASA said on its website.

NASA is providing launch day updates on its website, which shows everything has gone smoothly through the first few hours of Wednesday morning.

Related: Heavy Snow Warning for 6 States as 30 Inches of Snow, 100 mph Winds Approach: ‘Delay All Travel’