Soft-spoken but brimming with confidence, Dev Shah asked precise questions about obscure Greek roots, rushed through his second-to-last word and rolled to the Scripps National Spelling Bee title Thursday night.
Dev, a 14-year-old from Largo, Florida, had his spelling career interrupted by the pandemic, then didn't make it out of his regional bee last year. He got through his highly competitive regional this year for his third and final try at the national title, and he ended up holding the trophy over his head as confetti fell.
His winning word was “psammophile,” a layup for a speller of his caliber.
“Psammo meaning sand, Greek?” he asked. “Phile, meaning love, Greek?”
He soaked up the moment by asking for the word to be used in a sentence, something he described a day earlier as a stalling tactic. Then he put his hands over his face as he was declared the winner.
Charlotte Walsh, a 14-year-old from Arlington, Virginia, was the runner-up.
Nancy Mello, an animal communicator with Medium, joined Cheddar News to discuss how her love of animals led to a change from doing readings with people and spoke of her experiences and the process of helping animals. Mello also does a live pet reading in studio.
A study published this week in the Journal Frontiers in Pain Research found that listening to sad songs when you're in pain could actually help relieve that pain.
The Statue of Liberty is one of the most famous attractions in New York City but there's a lot more to this landmark than one may think. Rafael Abreu, vice president of marketing with Statue City Cruises, spoke with Cheddar News to discuss the park's operations and Park Ranger Laurel Brierly also joined from inside the statue's famed crown to talk about visiting the landmark.
Wondering what to watch this weekend? This week, we have a timeless hair-raising movie, a spooky experience that tugs at your deepest fears and MI6 puffer fish. Plus: a non-creepy Halloween classic.
Jeff Lee, CEO and co-founder of the DIBS Beauty brand, which is a finalist in the CEW Beauty Awards' make-up tools category, spoke with Cheddar News to discuss his background, career, and success in fashion -- and eventually working with baseball great Alex Rodriguez and influencer Courtney Shields -- after a career as a corporate lawyer.
