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This easy vegetarian pasta is full of brilliant hacks

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:16:57 GMT

By Melissa Clark, The New York TimesWhat is it about pasta salad that makes it such a divisive dish? Is it that the many bad versions out there — soggy noodles swathed in bottled dressing and tossed with wan vegetables — make good ones hard to imagine? Or maybe since the dish reached peak popularity in the 1980s, the entire category seems about as glamorous as a home perm on a humid afternoon.Given this prejudice, I will not call this dish of cavatelli, corn, tomatoes and red onions a pasta salad, even though it’s a snap to throw together, highly portable and equally good hot, room temperature or straight from the fridge.The most salad-y part about it, though, is how little cooking is involved. While your pasta (cavatelli or any other small, easy-to-fork shape) boils, you can briefly heat the garlic and crushed red pepper in some good olive oil, letting it cook just enough to toast the chile flakes and take the raw edge off the allium before pouring everything into a serving b...

Emergency Renters Assistance Program opens to L.A. residents

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:16:57 GMT

Applications for Los Angeles' Emergency Renters Assistance Program are now open to residents.The program is designed to help eligible residents who owe back rent since the time of the COVID-19 pandemic in order to stop people from being evicted. The idea is that more evictions would only add to the city's homeless population. The City Council and Mayor Karen Bass approved the controversial Measure ULA, also known as the "mansion tax," earlier this year to fund rental assistance programs and build affordable housing.The measure places a 4% sales tax on any property worth more than $5 million, and a 5.5% sales tax on any property worth over $10 million.Here is how to qualify for the assistance:Must be a resident of Los AngelesOne or more individuals within the household have experienced a loss of employment, reduction in household income, incurred significant costs or experienced other financial hardship between March 2020 and now Have unpaid rent due to current landlord for any ...

Disney plans to pump loads of cash into its theme parks, cruises

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:16:57 GMT

The Walt Disney Co. is nearly doubling its investment in its parks and cruise lines. That's what the company laid out in its securities filing on Tuesday morning for its Disney Parks, Experiences and Products branch.Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, a popular roller coaster attraction, is located in Frontierland at Disneyland Park in Anaheim, CA. (Joshua Sudock/Disneyland Resort)In the filing, it was revealed the company is set to spend $60 billion over the course of 10 years "by investing in expanding and enhancing domestic and international parks and cruise line capacity, prioritizing projects anticipated to generate strong returns, consistent with the Company’s continuing approach to allocate capital in a disciplined and balanced manner."This is the latest in money moves from the company.Just last week, Disney was in "exploratory talks" about selling its ABC network and television stations, possibly to KTLA parent company Nexstar, Bloomberg reported.According to The Hollywood Report...

Gas prices soar overnight in the Southland

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:16:57 GMT

On Monday, rising gas prices neared an average of $6 per gallon in the Los Angeles area.It only took one more day for that benchmark to be eclipsed.On Tuesday, the average price of a gallon of regular unleaded gasoline was nearly $6.03 in the L.A. area, according to AAA.That's about 11 cents higher than Monday's $5.92.Gas prices also rose statewide, though not by as much as they did in the Southland.The state average price is $5.76, up about 7 cents from $5.69 on Monday.Nationally, however, gas prices actually dipped about a tenth of a cent, remaining right around $3.88 per gallon.Even with the higher prices in L.A. Tuesday morning, the all-time record for average gas price remains the $6.49 recorded last year on Oct. 5, 2022.

More California inflation relief payments being sent this month

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:16:57 GMT

A few thousand Californians will be surprised this month when they receive a debit card loaded with hundreds of dollars in the mail. It's not a scam or a prize – it's the Middle Class Tax Refund arriving a bit behind schedule. The Middle Class Tax Refund, often referred to as an "inflation relief" payment, started going out to millions of eligible taxpayers nearly a year ago. Most people who qualify have already received a direct deposit or debit card. However, approximately 5,000 payments that never got sent out are still being processed through the end of September 2023, the Franchise Tax Board said. Some California inflation relief checks still haven’t been sent: Is yours missing? "FTB plans to finish processing all new payments (for people who had never been issued a payment before) by the end of this month," an agency spokesperson told Nexstar. After this month, there could be "occasional cases" where payments are reissued – for example, if someone reports a debit card as lo...

13 obvious and not-so-obvious ways to save money on gasoline

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:16:57 GMT

As gas prices soar to over $6 per gallon in Southern California, many drivers are trying to either drive less or take other steps to save money at the pump.Modern vehicles track and display fuel efficiency, which allows you to easily track your progress in the short and long term.  The American Automobile Association offers the following gas-saving tips:Slow down and drive the speed limit.Avoid “jackrabbit” starts and hard acceleration.Avoid prolonged idling. If the car will be stopped for more than 60 seconds, shut off the engine to save fuel.Keep tires properly inflated.Minimize the use of air conditioning.When driving in town, adjust your speed to time the traffic lights and reduce repeated braking and acceleration.Use cruise control to help maintain a constant speed and save fuel (but not while on slippery roads).Remove unnecessary and bulky items from the car since it takes more fuel to accelerate a heavier car.Keep windows closed when traveling at highway speeds. Open win...

Oakland firefighters battling residential structure blaze in Hoover-Foster neighborhood

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:16:57 GMT

(BCN) -- Oakland firefighters are battling a residential structure fire in the city's Hoover-Foster neighborhood Tuesday morning, according to city fire officials. Ex-Oakland police chief Armstrong says he is ‘vindicated,’ deserves job back The fire occurred at a two-story residential building in the area of San Pablo and Mead avenues, Oakland firefighters said on social media around 5:45 a.m. Tuesday. Firefighters said the fire caused a partial collapse in the rear of the building. Copyright © 2023 Bay City News, Inc.

Over 1,200 children have died in the past 5 months in conflict-wrecked Sudan, UN says

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:16:57 GMT

CAIRO (AP) — More than 1,200 children under age 5 have died in nine camps in war-scarred Sudan in the past five months because of a deadly combination of measles and malnutrition, the U.N.’s refugee agency said Tuesday.The UNHCR said the deaths, between May 15 and Sept. 14, were documented by its teams in the While Nile province, where thousands of Sudanese have sheltered as fighting has raged for six months between rival generals, in the capital of Khartoum and elsewhere.“Dozens of children are dying every day — a result of this devastating conflict and a lack of global attention,” said the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees, Filippo Grandi.Sudan plunged into chaos in mid-April, when simmering tensions between the military, led by Gen. Abdel-Fattah Burhan, and the powerful paramilitary Rapid Support Forces, commanded by Mohammed Hamdan Dagalo, exploded into open warfare.The conflict has turned the capital and other urban areas into battlefields. At least 5,000 people have been kil...

AUTO RACING: Hamlin declares himself the man to beat in NASCAR. Sainz end’s Verstappen’s win streak

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:16:57 GMT

All Times EasternNASCAR CUP SERIESAutoTrader EchoPark Automotive 400Site: Fort Worth, Texas.Schedule: Saturday, practice, 12:35 p.m., and qualifying, 1:20 p.m.; Sunday, race, 3:30 p.m. (USA).Track: Texas Motor Speedway.Race distance: 267 laps, 400 miles.Last year: Tyler Reddick won after starting fourth.Last race: Denny Hamlin took the lead off pit road and led the final 135 laps at Bristol, beating Kyle Larson by 2.462 seconds in the first elimination race of the Cup Series playoffs.Fast facts: Defending series champion Joey Logano, retiring Kevin Harvick, Daytona 500 winner Ricky Stenhouse Jr. and Michael McDowell were eliminated from the playoffs. Logano is the first defending champ not to make it out of the first round the following year. … Bubba Wallace and Reddick, who drive for the 23XI Racing team co-owned by Hamlin and Michael Jordan, also advanced in the playoffs. … Pole sitter Christopher Bell led a race-high 187 laps. … Hamlin led 142 laps in all, and T...

UAW gives Friday deadline for progress in talks and dismisses Trump plans to speak with auto workers

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:16:57 GMT

The leader of the United Auto Workers said that a limited strike targeting plants in Missouri, Michigan and Ohio may be expanded if “serious progress” toward an new contract agreement isn’t made by Friday at noon.The UAW for the first time in its history is striking at all three Detroit automakers, but the 13,000 workers on the picket lines for a fifth day Tuesday are hitting only three facilities, one each at GM, Ford and Stellantis, in a novel strategy. The union can stretch the funds it maintains for striking autoworkers if it limits picketing, but the targeted strikes can still ripple through integrated production systems of automakers.The strikes are already having an economic impact beyond the three big automakers, and it’s also seeping into the upcoming U.S. presidential election campaign.U.S. Steel is temporarily idling a blast furnace at its Granite City Works plant in Illinois due to the strike, and the company said late Monday that the strike will impact its financi...