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Who is Laphonza Butler? Meet the woman picked to fill Feinstein's Senate seat

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:34:51 GMT

On Sunday, Politico first reported that Gov. Gavin Newsom is expected to choose Laphonza Butler to replace Sen. Dianne Feinstein in the Senate. Feinstein passed away on Sept. 29 at the age of 90. In a press release, Gov. Newsom said, “An advocate for women and girls, a second-generation fighter for working people, and a trusted adviser to Vice President Harris, Laphonza Butler represents the best of California, and she’ll represent us proudly in the United States Senate."Butler, who would become the first openly LGBTQ person to represent California in the Senate, currently serves as the president of EMILY's List, an American political action committee that aims to help elect Democratic female candidates in favor of abortion rights to office.She is the first Black woman to lead the organization. According to her LinkedIn, Butler has also spent time serving as the director of Airbnb, president of California's largest labor organization, and as a senior adviser to Hillary For America, ...

Mammoth Lake’s rustic alpine hideaways are perfect for fall

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:34:51 GMT

Summer’s hot and crowded days have passed, and many of us are seeking relaxing fall escapes into nature. Here’s a tip: head east over our mighty Sierra Nevada to Mono County and the Mammoth Lakes region for a big dose of high elevation mountain scenery—think rushing streams, dense forest, serene lakes and fall color.Autumn is an ideal time to visit the eastern Sierra. Crowds are light, temperatures are cooler and, even better, the region’s aspen forests provide a dazzling, albeit brief, display of fall color. (Find the latest details on those hues and a map of where colors are nearing peak display at https://californiafallcolor.com/.)One of the best ways to immerse oneself in Mammoth’s abundant natural splendor is to overnight in a rustic cabin and live like a pioneer — 21st century-style.There are many cabin choices in Mammoth, from historic lakeside cabins in the dense woods to more modern tiny homes set in mountain meadows. I recently spent two nights at the Alpenhof Lodge,...

4 delicious ways to freshen up your pumpkin baking this fall

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:34:51 GMT

School’s in high gear, the weather is getting crisper and there are pumpkins are everywhere, from front porches to grocery store displays … all of which signals one thing: It’s the start of the fall baking season!This year, instead of celebrating pumpkin season with a traditional pie, consider showcasing the iconic golden squash in one of these desserts, each sourced from a different cookbook coming out this fall from Molly Baz, Michael Symon and other noted food writers.Hosting a fall brunch? Try wowing guests with a Pumpkin Bundt Cake topped with a maple cream glaze. It has all the traditional pumpkin-pie spices — cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger and allspice — with a maple-mascarpone glaze that takes it over the top. The recipe hails from New York food writer Samantha Seneviratne, whose new cookbook, “Bake Smart: Sweets and Secrets from My Oven to Yours” ((Harvest, $35), hits bookstores on Nov. 7.Looking for a show-stopping bake of the maximalist variety? Tr...

Gold Country Weekend: Getaway to charming Amador City

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:34:51 GMT

If you don’t normally frequent the charming Sierra foothill towns of California’s Gold Country, you might miss Amador City. But this tiny town — at a third of a square mile, it’s the smallest city in the Golden State — has tales to tell and treasures to discover.The drive — two hours from the Bay Area, when highway 580 cooperates — is beautiful. Cityscapes evaporate, giving way to scenic pastures, fruit stands and orchard groves, and eventually depositing you at the quaint intersection of two country roads, where Amador City offers plenty of big city sophistication in the littlest one there is.Friday night: Settle inCheck in at the recently renovated Imperial Hotel, which has ruled the city’s crossroads since 1879. The Sanguinetti family rebuilt the historic brick edifice after an 1878 fire that basically decimated this Gold Country town.The boutique hotel reopened in April after extensive renovations to the property, guest rooms and r...

49ers report: Levi’s Stadium generated more than $2 billion in the local economy since 2014 opening

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:34:51 GMT

SANTA CLARA — As Levi’s Stadium enters its10th season, a new report released Monday from the San Francisco 49ers says the venue has generated more than $2 billion to the local economy in Santa Clara County since it opened.The city-owned stadium, which is managed by the NFL team, attracted more than 8.7 million attendees for approximately 155 major events and nearly 1,000 special or corporate events from July 2014 through July 2023.“We have always seen Levi’s Stadium as a powerful economic engine for this community and the region, and we’re proud this report shows that over nearly a decade we have lived up to that potential and promise,” 49ers President Al Guido said in a news release Monday morning.The 81-page report, which was compiled by marketing and research firm SportsEconomic, LLC, said $350 million went to the city of Santa Clara and the Stadium Authority through hotel and sales taxes, ticket surcharges, city parking fees and stadium rent.I...

Recipe: Pumpkin Bundt Cake with Maple Cream

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:34:51 GMT

Looking for an alternative to pumpkin pie? This pumpkin Bundt cake is a great option. It’s baked with pumpkin pie spices — cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger and cloves — and topped with a maple-mascarpone glaze.The recipe comes courtesy of a new cookbook, “Bake Smart: Sweets and Secrets from My Oven to Yours,” by New York food writer Samantha Seneviratne. It’s set to hit bookshelves Nov. 7.Downy Pumpkin Bundt with Maple CreamServes 10INGREDIENTS4 sticks (1 pound) butter, at room temperature, plus more for the pan3¼ cups all-purpose flour1 tablespoon baking powder2 teaspoons ground cinnamon1/2 teaspoon ground ginger1/4 teaspoon ground allspice1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg1 teaspoon kosher salt1 pound powdered sugar4 large eggs, at room temperature1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract1 (15-ounce) can pumpkin puree (about 2 cups)Maple cream:1/2 cup mascarpone1/4 cup maple syrup1/4 cup powdered sugar1 tablespoon whole milk, as neededDIRECTIONSPreheat the oven...

Travel Troubleshooter: This Vacasa rental is disgusting. Can I get my money back?

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:34:51 GMT

DEAR TRAVEL TROUBLESHOOTER: I planned a trip for a group from a small rural town in Kansas. I booked a vacation rental in Galveston, Texas, through Vacasa. From the start, the stay was truly horrible. The house had not been cleaned. As the days went by, things only deteriorated. We found rats, cockroaches and bedbugs. The air conditioner went out, and the owners didn’t repair it.Christopher Elliott, the Travel Troubleshooter I have kept a record of all calls, texts and emails to Vacasa, but have received very little back in terms of responses. Vacasa staff members promise to get back to us, but don’t.Vacasa has offered to refund one night of our stay. We want a full refund. Can you help us get our $6,292 back?— Carol Wilson, Wichita, KansasANSWER: Your vacation rental was a dump. According to your notes, the house hadn’t been cleaned when you arrived. There was trash in the house, and the outside garbage bins were overflowing. The toilets hadn’t be...

Recipe: Chocolate Pumpkin Pie from chef Michael Symon

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:34:51 GMT

Michael Symon, the grinning, shiny-pated genie of so many reality-food shows, hardly needs an introduction. This September, he returned to bookshelves with his eighth cookbook to date — “Simply Symon Suppers,” coauthored by Douglas Trattner, which is a compendium of 165 recipes celebrating the time-honored formula of one simple main plus a couple killer sides.The book is structured around the seasons, so in spring you’ll find Pan-Roasted Pork Chops with Spring Onion Gravy and a Shaved Spring Onion Salad, and in the summer a Grilled Lobster with Lime-Jalapeno Butter and Spicy Old Bay Corn on the Cob. For autumn, home cooks seeking a twist on Thanksgiving pumpkin pie might try out his decadent Chocolate Pumpkin Pie.“If a flourless chocolate cake and a classic pumpkin pie had a love child, it would be this silky, sinful dessert,” writes Symon. “I made a version of it for Thanksgiving during the second season of (ABC’s) ‘The Chew,’ a...

Recipe: Pumpkin-Cannoli Cheesecake Cake by Molly Baz

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:34:51 GMT

Molly Baz is a chef, former food editor at Bon Appétit and online-video host whose first cookbook, 2021’s “Cook This Book,” rocketed up The New York Times’ bestseller list. She’s following that debut with another cookbook, “More Is More: Get Loose in the Kitchen” (publishing Oct. 10 from Clarkson Potter) that emphasizes her love of bold, bracing flavors — more garlic and herbs, more vinegar, more mortadella, more… well, basically everything.Among 100 recipes for flavor bombs with names like The One & Only Hoagie and Crispy, Crunchy Brocc & Grains with So. Much. Mint., the cookbook provides this formula for a Pumpkin-Cannoli Cheesecake Cake.“I like to think this version of the pervasive pumpkin bread is a major upgrade — it’s topped with a creamy ricotta cheesecake layer that tastes like the filling of a great Italian cannoli,” Baz writes. “My pumpkin cake (it’s a cake, let’s just admit it) doubles down on ging...

Recipe: Kneaders’ Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:34:51 GMT

These autumnal pumpkin chocolate chip cookies come courtesy of a new cookbook — “Kneaders Bakery & Café: A Celebration of Our Best Recipes and Memories” (Shadow Mountain, $34) — by Colleen Worthington.Worthington is the cofounder of the Kneaders chain, which has locations from Nevada to Colorado. Their baked goods, especially their cinnamon bread French toast and this cookie recipe, are indulgent and delicious. Feel free to use nuts or raisins instead of chocolate chips, or combine walnuts and chocolate chips — or just go all chocolate.Pumpkin Chocolate Chip CookiesMakes 6 dozen cookiesINGREDIENTS3 sticks butter, softened1½ cups brown sugar2 eggs, slightly whisked1 (16-ounce) can pumpkin puree2¾ cups all-purpose flour1 tablespoon baking powder1 teaspoon cinnamon1/2 teaspoon nutmeg1/2 teaspoon salt1/4 teaspoon dried ginger1 cup chocolate chips1 cup nuts (optional)1 cup raisins (optional)“Kneaders Bakery & Café: A Celebration of Our Best Rec...