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Travel Troubleshooter: I’m freezing! Can you help me get out of this Airbnb?

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:56:58 GMT

DEAR TRAVEL TROUBLESHOOTER: You have helped me before (and I am so grateful), but I need your help again unfortunately. I am currently in an Airbnb near Washington, D.C. I’m in the basement, and it’s 63 degrees Fahrenheit.Christopher Elliott, the Travel Troubleshooter I have no control over the temperature. The host controls it upstairs, and I am freezing. The host forbids me from opening any windows to let in the warm air, and I am so cold that I feel like it’s some sort of torture. The host taped up some of the air conditioning ducts in the basement, which initially helped. But tonight, when I came back to the rental, the air conditioning was blasting again, and even with multiple jackets and blankets, I am miserable.I called Airbnb’s customer service tonight, and the initial representative said that he would escalate this. He also mentioned that due to health and safety concerns, I could immediately be moved to a hotel. But when he transferred me to a...

Inside the Monterey Bay Aquarium’s incredible surrogacy program for otters

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:56:58 GMT

Inside the Monterey Bay Aquarium, a crowd has gathered around the otter exhibit, watching the animals do somersaults in the water and paddle on their backs while clutching toys.“Aren’t they fun?” one woman asks her companion. “Bonk,” a pint-sized spectator says, as one otter bumps heads with another. “Bonk, bonk.”But upstairs, past locked doors and an office marked SORAC — Sea Otter Research and Conservation — a different kind of otter action is happening. Aquarium staffers use nets to wrangle three otters from a tank into plastic kennels, so they can remove mussel shells and other food debris from their enclosure. These are not the crowd-pleasing otters of downstairs. These are wild animals, brought in as pups after stranding or becoming sick. They were raised at the aquarium with minimal human contact and fiercely dodge to avoid the nets.From left, Sea Otter Rehabilitation Specialist Katie Finch, Sea Otter Care Intern Anna Jackson, and Sea Otter Care volunteer Ta...

Light rain, cooler temperatures in Bay Area on Monday

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:56:58 GMT

Wet and slick conditions were expected to roll through the Bay Area on Monday as temperatures drop into the 60s and below, according to the National Weather Service.Forecasts showed rain chances above 80% for virtually the entire region throughout Monday, with the brunt of the precipitation expected before 4 p.m. The rain was forecast in the form of scattered showers throughout the Bay Area providing short bursts of rainfall.Related ArticlesWeather | Rain tracker map: Where it’s wet in the Bay Area, snowing in the Sierra Weather | Light rain has begun in the Bay Area and will last through Monday Weather | 2023 El Niño: New maps reveal who could see more snow this winter Weather | Dangerous fire conditions return to Bay Area amid weekend of heavy winds, dry air Weather | First snow of the season falling at Tahoe, Yosemite In Oakland, Concord and San Francisco, rain totals were forecast between one-t...

South Bay authorities are a state leader in disarming troubled people. But the laws backing them are facing serious challenges

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:56:58 GMT

Santa Clara County now files the second-most proactive gun-violence restraining orders in the state each year: Local authorities intervene on average more than once per day in cases involving people known to be armed and actively threatening themselves and others.Prosecutors say the county has steadily increased its output of such orders since the onset of a corresponding red flag law in 2016, going from seven filings that year to 405 in 2022. Only San Diego County had more last year.  Such laws are meant to assist authorities in confiscating weapons from people who might be dangerous.But an array of court fights — both settled and upcoming — pose an existential threat that advocates and experts admit could upend the legal foundation for red-flag laws as a whole.“There is consensus in the public about the notion that people who are dangerous should not have guns,” said Marisa McKeown, a prosecutor and supervisor of the Crime Strategies Unit in the Santa Clara County Dist...

TasteFood: A vegetarian centerpiece worthy of a holiday table

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:56:58 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 Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:56:58 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 Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:56:58 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 Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:56:58 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 Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:56:58 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 Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:56:58 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...