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Calling all elves! Make a family’s holiday season brighter this year

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 13:17:12 GMT

Santa Claus has a busy schedule visiting communities all over the world over the next month. (File photo by Michael Goulding, Contributing Photographer)“Dear Santa, I love you,” begins Armik’s letter to the North Pole’s big guy.“My mommy tries so hard to create Christmas for me and my sister. Would be nice if you could help her out a little.”Tug. Tug. We’ve got this, fellow elves. Join me in reporting for duty, conjuring holiday magic and easing St. Nick’s onerous load.Once upon a time you’d pick a tag with a family’s wish list from the company Christmas tree to spread this kind of holiday cheer, but who has an office anymore? The U.S. Postal Service’s Operation Santa — now in its 111th year — is like a digital version of that tree.Search for letters that tug at your heartstrings at www.uspsoperationsanta.com/. Specify a state if you like, or search nationwide. Then “adopt” a letter (or several), do the retail therapy thing and pop the stuff into the U.S. mail. It’ll land with a ret...

What Bradley Cooper’s ‘Maestro’ reveals about Leonard Bernstein — and Cooper’s own artistic ego

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 13:17:12 GMT

Michael Phillips | Chicago TribuneBradley Cooper’s all over everything in “Maestro,” as director, producer, co-writer (with Josh Singer) and star. Spanning most of his subject’s dazzling, chaotic life, Cooper’s performance as the eternally hungry Leonard Bernstein — musician, composer, conductor, educator — takes second billing behind Carey Mulligan, who plays Bernstein’s second wife, actress Felicia Montealegre.The billing seems a little off once you’ve seen “Maestro,” now in limited theatrical release ahead of its Dec. 20 Netflix streaming premiere. But we’ll get to that.Cooper’s second directorial feature, which had its world premiere at the Venice International Film Festival in September, follows the massive success of his remake of “A Star is Born” five years ago. There, as the whiskey-soaked country star on the way down, the actor lowered his speaking voice to a warm Sam Elliott growl.In “Maestro,” working off untold hours of video and audio tapes of his real-life ...

Recipe: How to use koji to make an Old-Fashioned

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 13:17:12 GMT

In September, Ann Soh Woods, founder of Kikori whiskey, hosted a one-night workshop in Downtown L.A.’s Arts District that highlighted koji. Woods chose the location, Baroo, a fermentation-driven Korean restaurant, and invited a Japanese koji expert for guests to learn more about this ancient ingredient. The conversation was paired with koji-infused bites such as katsu chicken and koji-fermented sourdough bread, along with craft cocktails made with Kikori whiskey.The reason why Soh Woods felt inclined to expand people’s knowledge about koji was that it’s a crucial ingredient to creating Kikori.“I talk a lot about koji. It’s so important. It’s essential to making Kikori,” said Ann Soh Woods. “I would mention digestive enzymes and aspergillus and mold. Then I would wait, and watch this glazed look fall across my audience. Whether that be a consumer, bar, restaurant, media, the distributor, it always happened.”ALSO SEE: Koji, an ancient Japanese superfood, is having a momentShe didn’t w...

Trump says he will renew efforts to replace ‘Obamacare’ if he wins a second term

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 13:17:12 GMT

NEW YORK (AP) — Former President Donald Trump threatened over the weekend to reopen the contentious fight over the Affordable Care Act after failing to repeal it while in the White House, saying he is “seriously looking at alternatives” if he wins a second term.Trump’s comments drew rebuke from Democratic President Joe Biden ‘s campaign, which cast them as another “extremist” proposal from the GOP front-runner.“Donald Trump’s America is one where millions of people lose their health insurance and seniors and families across the country face exorbitant costs just to stay healthy. Those are the stakes next November,” said Biden-Harris 2024 spokesperson Ammar Moussa in a statement.The back-and-forth points to what could be a key issue in a general election rematch between Trump and Biden if both win their parties’ nominations as widely expected.Biden’s team has long operated under the assumption that Trump would be the GOP nominee, given his commanding lead in t...

Paramedics fear impact of construction on University Ave near hospital row

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 13:17:12 GMT

Major road restrictions began Monday on University Avenue that are expected to last until summer of 2024, but there are concerns about the impact of the construction on emergency rooms along hospital row.Southbound University Avenue will be reduced to a single lane between College Street and Queen Street West for most of the next seven months in order to complete several infrastructure projects, among them the replacement of a 150-year-old water main.In addition, Ontario Line construction will occupy two northbound lanes on University Avenue between Queen Street West and Armoury Street until early December at which time the northbound route will be reduced to one lane until that project is completed in 2026.CityNews witnessed at least two ambulances struggling to get by over a short time period. One was forced to go southbound in the northbound lanes to cut through congestion while a second had to detour into the construction zone to bypass traffic.The Toronto Paramedic Union tells ...

Man wanted in alleged assault of woman in city’s east end

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 13:17:12 GMT

Toronto police have released photos of a man wanted in the alleged assault of a woman that stemmed from a verbal altercation in the city’s east end.Authorities were called to an assault in progress in the Victoria Park Avenue and Gerrard Street East area just after midnight on Friday, Oct. 27. It’s alleged the victim entered a premise, where police said a verbal argument ensued between her and another woman. A man then intervened, grabbed the victim and pushed her outside.Police said the man further assaulted the woman and threatened her. He fled the scene on foot in an unknown direction.It’s unclear if the victim suffered any physical injuries. She and the wanted man are not known to each other, investigators noted.The suspect is described as 60-65 years old, approximately six feet tall, with a slim build, white hair, and glasses. Images of the man were released.Photo: Toronto police.

2 men exonerated for 1990s NYC murders after reinvestigations find unreliable witness testimony

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 13:17:12 GMT

NEW YORK (AP) — Two men who served decades in prison for separate murders in New York City were exonerated on Monday after reinvestigations found that they had been convicted based on unreliable witness testimony.Jabar Walker, 49, walked free after he was cleared of a 1995 double murder. He had been serving 25 years to life for the crime.Wayne Gardine, also 49 and convicted of a 1994 murder, was exonerated after being paroled last year. But he has also been accused of entering the United States illegally as a teenager and is now in immigration detention facing possible deportation to his native Jamaica.Both crimes took place eight blocks apart in Harlem, and both convictions were vacated after defense lawyers worked with the Manhattan district attorney’s office’s conviction review unit to clear the men’s names.Walker, who was represented by the Innocence Project, was 20 years old when he was arrested for the shooting deaths of Ismael De La Cruz and William Santana ...

Argentina’s right-wing president-elect to meet with a top Biden adviser

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 13:17:12 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) — Argentina’s right-wing President-elect Javier Milei will meet with President Joe Biden’s national security adviser on Tuesday in Washington, according to the White House.National Security Council spokesman John Kirby told reporters on Monday that Milei will meet with White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan and other administration officials. Biden, who will be traveling on Tuesday to Georgia for a memorial service for former first lady Rosalynn Carter and then to Colorado, will not meet with Milei.The Treasury Department said in a statement that Milei’s economic policy advisers will also meet with senior Treasury Officials on Tuesday. That meeting is expected to focus on the incoming Milei administration’s economic policy priorities.“We want to continue to look for ways to cooperate with Argentina,” Kirby said. “Argentina is a healthy and vibrant partner in this hemisphere on many, many issues. And so we’re looking forward ...

Companies face delicate decisions on weighing in on Israel-Hamas conflict

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 13:17:12 GMT

TORONTO — Corporations are under increasing scrutiny for where they stand on the Israel-Hamas conflict as protesters push for peace.Numerous international brands including McDonald’s, Starbucks and Disney have attracted boycotts, while in Canada, Scotiabank in particular has been targeted by protesters for investments in Israeli defence contractor Elbit Systems Ltd.With so much polarization around the conflict, experts say companies need to be especially careful with their actions, including how they respond to criticism.Consumers generally react more to negative perceptions they have of companies than positive ones, said Saeid Kermani, an assistant marketing professor at Trent University. “The negative impact is going to be a lot worse than any positive impact you’ll get from supporters.”Not only do the negative perceptions stick, but they get shared online faster and more widely, and get more people involved, he said.Criticizing companies can also work well to generate atten...

Texas CEO and his 2 children were among 4 killed in wreck before Thanksgiving

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 13:17:12 GMT

ROUND MOUNTAIN, Texas (AP) — The CEO of a construction company and his two young children were among four people killed the day before Thanksgiving in a three-vehicle crash that was still being investigated Monday.Zach Muckleroy, 44, head of Fort Worth-based Muckleroy & Falls, died in the Nov. 22 crash about 45 miles (72 kilometers) west of Austin along with his 12-year-old son Judson and 9-year-old daughter Lindsay, according to media reports.University Christian Church in Fort Worth said in a message to members that Muckleroy’s wife, Lauren, survived the accident and was airlifted to an Austin hospital, according to the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.Hundreds of people attended a vigil at the church Friday night, according to WFAA-TV.A Facebook post from Muckleroy & Falls said Zach Muckleroy “treasured his family.” “Zach had a charisma about him and the uncanny ability to light up any room he walked into,” the company said in the post. The Texas Department of Public Safety...