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Japanese American New Year’s food traditions transcend time

Published Thu, 06 Feb 2025 11:57:37 GMT

By Khushbu Shah, The New York TimesJane Matsumoto’s family is so eager to eat their annual ozoni that they gather around the table at 2 in the morning, right after they’ve cleaned the confetti, streamers and Champagne glasses from their New Year’s Eve festivities. Matsumoto, who is sansei, or third-generation Japanese American, and the executive culinary director of the Japanese American Cultural & Community Center in Los Angeles, looks forward to the brothy soup bobbing with mochi pieces every year.Ozoni is standard New Year’s Day fare for many Japanese Americans, whether they are nisei, the children of Japanese immigrants, or hansei, fourth-generation Japanese Americans. Starting in the 1880s, the first major wave of Japanese immigrants arrived in the United States, and although many New Year’s Day tables have evolved to include dishes from other cultures, customary Japanese dishes remain.As a child, chef Charles Namba patiently toasted squares of mochi every New Year’s Day ov...

Colorado weather: Blizzard conditions on the plains wind down Wednesday

Published Thu, 06 Feb 2025 11:57:37 GMT

Colorado got an after-Christmas special with a blizzard that hit the eastern side of the state Tuesday, but the weather is calming down Wednesday as snow resides and winds die down.Snow showers will linger until about midmorning across the Palmer Divide and the eastern plains, with just an inch of additional accumulation possible in some areas. Winds that had reached up to 60 mph on the plains are now generally in the 25 to 35 mph range, with some gusts reaching 40 mph.Forecasters warned the existing snow on the ground across the plains could still cause some travel problems with blowing snow, but visibility across the region has increased to about 10 miles.Most highways in the northeast are still closed due to the potentially dangerous conditions.Blizzard warnings expired at 5 a.m. Wednesday, but forecasters said drivers and residents should still be prepared for cold weather emergencies. Temperatures will be about two to four degrees warmer Wednesday than Tuesday, with highs in th...

Police break window of stolen Tesla to get to suspect

Published Thu, 06 Feb 2025 11:57:37 GMT

Officers broke the window of a stolen Tesla to get to the suspect who appeared to be sleeping Wednesday morning in the Westlake neighborhood of Los Angeles.The incident occurred around 3 a.m. when police located the stolen vehicle near the intersection of James M Wood Boulevard and South Union Avenue. Police break the glass of a stolen Tesla in the Westlake neighborhood on Dec. 27, 2023. (OnScene.TV)The owner of the vehicle had been tracking it and informed police after noticing that it had not moved for a while, a Los Angeles Police Department spokesperson confirmed. Officers tried to get the suspect to exit the vehicle, but the person did not comply because they were either sleeping or under the influence, the spokesperson said.Video showed officers using a window-breaking tool and a baton to shatter the driver's side glass. They were eventually able to peel the window far enough to unlock the door and pull the suspect out of the Tesla.The suspect was then handcuffed and placed in...

Killer whales are hanging around SoCal, and tour guides are loving it

Published Thu, 06 Feb 2025 11:57:37 GMT

Southern California’s loveable dolphins are finding themselves on the wrong end of the food chain as a pod of killer whales continues to hunt them right off the coast - a natural event that is delighting whale watchers and tour guides.The Eastern Tropical Pacific orcas were first spotted about two weeks ago by tours out of Long Beach and Newport Beach. Experts assumed the pod of about 10 killer whales would soon return to the warmer waters of Mexico where they are typically found.Midway through last week, they were spotted in San Diego and appeared to be headed south of the border. Instead, they turned around and returned to the waters off Orange County.A killer whale chases a dolphin off Laguna Beach, California on Dec. 24, 2023. (Newport Coastal Adventures)Orcas are seen off the coast of the Palos Verdes Peninsula on Dec. 16, 2023. (Capt. Tyler Askari/Harbor Breeze Cruises)An orca is seen off the coast of the Palos Verdes Peninsula on Dec. 16, 2023. (Capt. Tyler Askari/Harbor Bree...

Los Gatos leaders look forward to 2024

Published Thu, 06 Feb 2025 11:57:37 GMT

The new year sparks optimism and hope in many, including our town leaders. Here is a look at what some had to say about their plans for Los Gatos in 2024.Los Gatos Mayor Mary Badame says, “Los Gatos is a special place we call home. We cherish the defining characteristics of our surroundings while embracing the relationships that connect us.“As Los Gatos continues to evolve, we must adapt to change. State-mandated housing laws bring new challenges limiting local control in decision-making. We must step up collectively and constructively to ensure growth is balanced and blends within the character of our town. I am grateful for the trust in my leadership as we navigate the challenges ahead.”Jennifer Lin, relatively new executive director of the Los Gatos Chamber of Commerce, says, “In 2024, my priorities for the Chamber include building stronger partnerships with community organizations such as our service groups and schools; better serving and supporting all the business districts of...

California homebuying crashed in 2023. What’s next?

Published Thu, 06 Feb 2025 11:57:37 GMT

Let me make one prediction about California’s housing market in 2024.The number of purchases will increase.Could sales go any lower after crashing into history’s basement this year?My trusty spreadsheet reviewed various homebuying metrics that the California Association of Realtors has published dating to 1990. We tossed in some broader economic yardsticks kept by various government agencies, too.This look at the annual average swings during those 33 years – including the 12 months that ended in November 2023 – shows California homebuying has never been slower.The 259,100 pace of existing single-family home sales in 2023 broke the previous bottom of 290,500 in 2007 as that bubble burst into the Great Recession.Consider that 2023’s homebuying crash was the result of a 42%, two-year drop in sales. The main culprit was the Federal Reserve, which rapidly boosted mortgage rates from historic lows to battle pesky inflation.ECONOMIC NEWS: What’s the big trend? Should I be...

Most unfortunate airplane incidents of 2023

Published Thu, 06 Feb 2025 11:57:37 GMT

By Maureen O’Hare | CNNThere’s a reason so many of us regularly put up with cramped seats, delayed bags, long security lines and short tempers: the ability to fly across the world is a daily miracle that’s not to be taken for granted.An estimated 34.4 million flights were scheduled to take off this year and most of them went entirely smoothly. But here are a few that didn’t:Did you pack this bag yourself?We should all know the drill by now: no flammable items, no long blades, no liquids over 3.4 ounces. However, there continue to be passengers who flout the luggage rules for carry-on and checked bags – some more extravagantly than others.Why get caught with a regular knife or firearm when you can be stopped with a Irish shillelagh club or a multi-use, self-defence “vampire straw”? Or, for weaponry with wow, there was the US woman arrested in Sydney with an undeclared 24-carat gold-plated handgun in her luggage.Contraband animal matter, alive or otherwise, is another obvious no...

Michigan Supreme Court rejects ‘insurrectionist ban’ case and keeps Trump on 2024 primary ballot

Published Thu, 06 Feb 2025 11:57:37 GMT

By Marshall Cohen | CNNWashington — The Michigan Supreme Court has rejected an attempt to remove former President Donald Trump from the 2024 primary ballot based on the US Constitution’s “insurrectionist ban.”The outcome, which was generally expected, is a victory for the former president, though an effort to remove him could be renewed for the general election. Wednesday’s decision contrasts with the recent ruling from the Colorado Supreme Court, which kicked Trump off its primary ballot because of his role in the January 6 Capitol riot. That decision has been paused pending an appeal.RELATED: Can California really keep Trump off the ballot?With these dueling decisions, the expected appeals to the US Supreme Court become even more critical, especially as the nation races toward the start of the 2024 primaries. Unlike in Colorado, the Michigan lawsuit never reached a trial and was dismissed early on in the process. An intermediate appeals court upheld the decision to toss the case o...

The New York Times sues OpenAI, Microsoft over use of its stories used to train AI chatbots

Published Thu, 06 Feb 2025 11:57:37 GMT

NEW YORK (AP) — The New York Times has filed a federal lawsuit against OpenAI and Microsoft, seeking to end the practice of using its stories to train chatbots.In the suit filed Wednesday in the Southern District of New York in Manhattan, the Times said OpenAI and Microsoft are advancing their technology through the “unlawful use of The Times’s work to create artificial intelligence products that compete with it” and “threatens The Times’s ability to provide that service.”OpenAI and Microsoft did not immediately respond to requests for comment.Media organizations have been pummeled by a migration of readers to online platforms and while many publications have carved out a digital space online as well, artificial intelligence technology has threatened to upend numerous industries, including media.Artificial intelligence companies scrape information available online, including articles published by media organizations, to train generative AI chatbots. Those companies have attracted bi...

Convicted felon with loaded ghost gun arrested after Richmond traffic stop, police foot pursuit

Published Thu, 06 Feb 2025 11:57:37 GMT

(KRON) -- A man who was pulled over for vehicle code violations on Christmas Eve in Richmond attempted to flee from police officers on foot before being placed under arrest, according to the Richmond Police Department.The traffic stop took place at around 9 p.m. on Dec. 24 in the 700 block of 23rd Street. The driver of the stopped vehicle “immediately exited” the car and “refused to follow officers’ directions,” police said, before taking off on foot. After a short foot pursuit, the driver was taken into custody.(Photo: Richmond Police Department)(Photo: Richmond Police Department)Richmond police said a loaded ghost gun and additional magazines were found in the possession of the driver. A subsequent search of the vehicle turned up another firearm, more high-capacity pistol magazines and marijuana, authorities said.According to police, the driver was a convicted felon. The man was booked into jail for weapons violations.