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TasteFood: A vegetarian centerpiece worthy of a holiday table

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 15:51:10 GMT

Every holiday meal deserves a festive centerpiece. While a turkey is the usual stunner, there’s room for more than one showstopper. An elaborate vegetarian dish can be equally decorative, providing a colorful and festive platter for both vegetarians and meat-lovers alike.Winter squash are natural, vibrant vessels ideal for stuffing with wholesome grains, dried fruit and nuts. There are many squash varieties that love to be stuffed, including butternut, acorn and kabocha. If the squash are small, you can serve them individually with their tops as a lid, or if they are large, you can halve or quarter them and spoon the filling over the centers, relying on the serving platter to catch the overflow.Acorn squash are tidy vessels for this recipe. When cooked until very tender, their shell is edible. They can easily serve one as a main course or be split to share. Shiitake mushrooms add a satisfying meatlike texture to the veggie filling and provide savory, umami depth of flavor. Cho...

Abortion debate has dominated this election year. These are the races to watch Tuesday across the U.S.

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 15:51:10 GMT

By ROBERT YOON (Associated Press)WASHINGTON (AP) — The most-watched races in Tuesday’s off-year general election have all been dominated by the ongoing debate over abortion rights.From a reelection bid for governor in Kentucky to a statewide ballot measure in Ohio to state legislative elections in Virginia, access to abortion has been a frequent topic in campaign debates and advertising, as it has since the U.S. Supreme Court issued its decision in June last year overturning Roe vs. Wade.Here’s a look at three major races and how abortion has shaped each contest.Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear seeks a second term in a heavily Republican state Donald Trump carried twice. The GOP nominee is Daniel Cameron, who succeeded Beshear as state attorney general.Beshear has called the state’s restrictive abortion law “extremist” for not allowing exceptions in cases of rape and incest. He also vetoed a proposal banning abortions after 15 weeks. Cameron says he supports the state law and that as go...

Is it age or something else? Why an elderly Union City cat is pooping outside her litter box

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 15:51:10 GMT

DEAR JOAN: We have a 15-year-old calico pinto cat who, for a few years, just stayed in our bedroom, probably not wanting to go down the stairs.We would occasionally take her outside, and one day, she remembered that it was nice to be outside, so she began to stay downstairs on the couch. We moved her litter box downstairs, and she used it until she got used to going outside.Lately, she has gone outside the box, mostly No. 2. We have taken the lid off her box, but this hasn’t changed things much. I know she is old, but am a little surprised.I know there is no simple answer, but thought I would ask anyway.— Doug Abbott, Union CityDEAR DOUG: Your first step, if you haven’t already taken it, is a visit to your friendly vet for a checkup. The most common reason for cats missing the litter box is a health problem. Cats are linear thinkers, and if they have pain while defecating, they reason that the litter box is the cause of the discomfort, so they’ll try going somewhere else...

Monterey County launches 'Monterey County Works' employment assistance initiative

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 15:51:10 GMT

(BCN) -- The Monterey County Workforce Development Board on Monday announced the launching of Monterey County Works, an initiative aiming to help meet the needs of local job seekers and employers.The launch includes a new visual identity and website for Monterey County's employment assistance services. Southbound I-680 reopened "We are excited to unveil our new Monterey County Works initiative, which reflects our ongoing commitment to providing innovative workforce solutions to the communities we serve," said Executive Director Chris Donnelly in a statement. "As we continue to grow and evolve, we wanted our identity to reflect our values and mission."The new Monterey County Works logo features a modern design and also includes a new tagline, "Growing Talent. Supporting Business." Along with the new visual identity, the organization has also launched a new website, MontereyCountyWorks.com, that provides easy access to valuable resources for job seekers, employers and community part...

Southbound I-680 reopened

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 15:51:10 GMT

PLEASANTON (KRON) – Caltrans has reopened southbound Interstate 680 in Pleasanton between the I-580/I-680 connector and state Route 84 on schedule at 4:00 a.m. Monday. Man shot by police officer in San Jose taqueria shooting files lawsuit against city Caltrans workers removed two and a half miles of dilapidated pavement and replaced the pavement with concrete. According to Caltrans, the new concrete will assist with a smooth ride for motorists for decades to come.

Polish president to name new prime minister-designate after opposition coalition’s election win

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 15:51:10 GMT

WARSAW, Poland (AP) — Polish President Andrzej Duda is expected Monday to announce who he is tapping to try to form a new government after opposition parties collectively won a majority in parliament in a national election last month, an aide said. The announcement will trigger the process of forming a new government following the election in which the ruling right-wing Law and Justice party lost its parliamentary majority to three allied opposition parties but emerged as the single biggest vote-getter. This has fed speculation over Duda’s choice. “Following consultations and after deep consideration, President Andrzej Duda has taken his decision regarding the so-called first step” (in forming a government), presidential aide Marcin Mastalerek said on X, formerly known as Twitter.He said the decision was “final” and not subject to pleas from politicians, whom he advised to “calmly watch the evening address.”An ally of the current government, Duda has said the two candidates fo...

Stock market today: Wall Street drifts in early trading as recent sharp moves calm a bit

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 15:51:10 GMT

NEW YORK (AP) — Stocks are drifting in early trading as Wall Street’s wild recent moves calm a bit. The S&P 500 was up 0.3% in its first trading after careening from months of sharp losses to its best week of the year. The Dow rose 70 points, and the Nasdaq composite was up 0.3%. The flashpoint for the stock market’s movements in both directions has been what the bond market is doing, and it was regressing a bit Monday following its own extreme moves. The yield on the 10-year Treasury rose to 4.61%. The yield briefly topped 5% last month. THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. AP’s earlier story follows below.Wall Street was slow to gain traction early Monday as earnings season begins to wind down and little economic data out of Washington this week on inflation or U.S. employment. Futures for the Dow Jones Industrials were unchanged before the bell while the S&P 500 dipped about 0.1%.Oil prices gained after Saudi Arabia and Russia reiterated their commitment to maintaining oil sup...

Virginia Dept. of Transportation tells drivers to beware sun glare

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 15:51:10 GMT

The Virginia Department of Transportation is warning drivers that the return to standard time can cause sun glare to have more of an impact on drivers in the morning and evening hours.With thousands of crashes being blamed on the biannual change to the clock, the department shared tips for navigating the hazard of sun glare.Among the easiest tips: remaining aware of sunrise and sunset times and reducing speed when approaching areas where the sun is hovering above roadways.Likewise, the department said being aware of your surroundings and creating more space between your vehicle and other ones can decrease the likelihood of a collision.VDOT said it’s important to be cautious when making quick decisions behind the wheel too.“Do not swerve, slow down or stop suddenly; other drivers behind you may not be able to slow down or stop,” the department said in a social media post.Of course, if you have control of when you are heading out for a drive, you can also adjust your...

AP PHOTOS: Pan American Games feature diving runner, flying swimmer, joyful athletes in last week

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 15:51:10 GMT

SANTIAGO, Chile (AP) — The last week of the Pan American Games in Chile featured great moments by athletes who don’t often get the limelight in top international competitions.Athletes from across the Americas ran, swam, jumped, shouted, cried, and laughed. They waved and hugged. They learned lessons and celebrated successes in front of hundreds of thousands of raucous fans in Santiago.Canada’s Charles Philibert-Thiboutot had one of the best moments of the games at the finish line of the 1,500-meter race. The 32-year-old dived across, beat his countryman Rob Heppenstall by two one-hundredths of a second, and cried in disbelief as he won the gold medal.Brazil’s artistic swimming team was not as lucky and finished its competition in fourth place — and out of a medal on Friday. But the view of Celina Tiemi Rangel flying out of the water of Santiago’s aquatics center after being thrown by her teammates was worth its weight in gold.The long hair of U.S. sprinter Alaysha Johnson swirling i...

Sri Lanka’s Angelo Mathews becomes first batter to be timed out in international cricket

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 15:51:10 GMT

NEW DELHI (AP) — Sri Lanka’s Angelo Mathews became the first batter to be timed out in international cricket during the Cricket World Cup game against Bangladesh on Monday.Mathews wasn’t ready to face his first ball within the stipulated two minutes as the strap of his helmet appeared to be broken and he called for a replacement helmet.A substitute fielder eventually ran out with a new helmet, but by then it had taken more than three minutes since the previous dismissal and onfield umpires Marais Erasmus and Richard Illingworth told Mathews he was out. Bangladesh captain Shakib Al Hasan and his teammates had appealed for him to be timed out.ICC rules state that a batter has “to be ready to receive the next ball within 2 minutes of the (previous) dismissal or retirement.”Mathews, who first didn’t believe he was ruled out, was seen arguing with both onfield umpires while pointing toward the broken strap of his helmet.Mathews also had a word with Shakib, who didn’t withdraw his appeal,...