Many kids who've won the Scripps National Spelling Bee have taken a comprehensive approach to their preparation. They use private coaches, pay for word lists and study guides and compete in online bees. They seek a mastery of roots and language patterns that will help them figure out words they've never heard before. But sometimes a speller comes along who does it differently. Sarv Dharavane finished third last year, and he's a finalist again this year. He says he just reads the dictionary, makes his own word lists and remembers them. Several former champions and coaches say memorization is important, but no one can memorize every word.

The Rolling Stones announced a new album on Tuesday. It is titled “Foreign Tongues.” It will arrive July 10 and feature the late Charlie Watts, Steve Winwood, Paul McCartney, The Cure’s Robert Smith and The Red Hot Chili Peppers’ Chad Smith. It is their follow up to 2023's “Hackney Diamonds.” Speculation surrounding a new Stones album has been going around for weeks. Leading up to their announcement, billboards with the band’s iconic mouth and tongue logo began appearing in major cities around the world with the words “Foreign Tongues” in various languages. On Sunday, the band shared a slide puzzle graphic fans believed to be the album artwork, depicting a cartoonish collage of the members’ faces.