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TasteFood: Southwestern spices deliver bold flavors in vegetarian tacos

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 21:15:12 GMT

Fall is squash season, so let these hardy delights be the star of the show. Squashes come in myriad varieties and can be generally divided between summer, fall or winter varieties. Fall and winter squash have hard skins that give way to colorful, vitamin- and antioxidant-rich flesh. Depending on the type of squash, the skin may or may not need to be peeled. Kabocha (or Japanese) squash is one variety that can be eaten unpeeled. It has sweet orange flesh and a dark green, speckled edible shell, which provides extra nutrients and a satisfying firmness that is ideal for these tostadas.A tostada resembles a taco. The difference is that a tostada is prepared with a crispy corn tortilla, which serves as its base, instead of a soft corn or wheat tortilla. The tortilla can be either fried or oven-baked until crisp, which provides a nice textural contrast to a soft taco.These vegetarian tostadas replace a traditional protein, such as fish or chicken, with kabocha squash and pile on the usual...

Bay Area poll: 86% of residents support CARE Court mental health overhaul. How will it work?

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 21:15:12 GMT

California’s CARE Court system, a new initiative to make it easier for judges to compel mentally ill residents into treatment plans and facilities, starts Monday in seven pilot counties, including San Francisco, the only Bay Area county where the program is now underway.The initiative was spearheaded by Gov. Gavin Newson, with a goal to help homeless people who are too sick or reluctant to seek care by bringing them indoors and providing treatment toward recovery.All counties across California must phase in the civil mental health courts by the end of next year. Officials estimate between 7,000 to 12,000 people could be eligible for the program statewide.A new poll by the Bay Area News Group and Joint Venture Silicon Valley found overwhelming public support for CARE Court, with 86% of respondents across the core five-county region in favor. It’s a clear reflection of mounting frustrations over officials’ inability to aid many of those on the street with severe ment...

Feds accuse San Jose’s eBay of illegally peddling poisons, emissions-control defeaters

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 21:15:12 GMT

The U.S. Department of Justice is accusing Bay Area e-commerce giant eBay of illegally selling tens of thousands of banned and restricted pesticides, and allowing such sales to continue even after it was ordered to stop.In a lawsuit filed last week, prosecutors also claim eBay broke additional federal laws by selling devices used to bypass vehicle emissions controls, and thousands of items containing the deadly solvent methylene chloride, which is linked to increased risk for several types of cancer.“Some of these products cause motor vehicles to emit … massive amounts of air pollution,” the lawsuit alleges. “Others pose an imminent, and in some cases potentially lethal, danger to human beings. eBay has the power, the authority, and the resources to stop the sale of these illegal, harmful products on its website. It has chosen not to.”San Jose’s eBay, which connects vendors with buyers and takes price-based sales fees, said Friday that the Justice...

Donald Trump says he’ll be in court Monday ‘to fight for my name’

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 21:15:12 GMT

By MICHAEL R. SISAK | Associated PressNEW YORK (AP) — With control over some of his most prized real estate holdings in jeopardy, former President Donald Trump said he’ll make a rare, voluntary trip to court in New York on Monday for the start of a civil trial in a lawsuit that already has resulted in a judge ruling that he committed fraud in his business dealings.“I’m going to Court tomorrow morning to fight for my name and reputation,” Trump wrote Sunday night on his Truth Social platform.Trump lashed out in his post at New York Attorney General Letitia James, who is suing him, and Judge Arthur Engoron, who is presiding over the non-jury trial and made the fraud ruling last week.“THIS WHOLE CASE IS SHAM!!!” Trump wrote. “See you in Court — Monday morning.”The trial is the culmination of a yearslong investigation by James, who accused Trump and his company of habitually lying about his wealth in financial statements.Last week, Engoron resolved the lawsuit’s top claim before the tri...

‘This is where society fails to have an answer’: Poll reveals Bay Area residents’ frustration with street homelessness

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 21:15:12 GMT

Most mornings in Berkeley’s Gilman District, customers line up in droves at Emily Winston’s new East Coast-style bagel shop. But what had seemed like the perfect neighborhood for her business has also brought constant fear about the safety of her patrons and staff.A few blocks away, a roughly 40-person homeless camp has overtaken much of the sidewalk. In May, a homeless man was arrested on suspicion of attacking the owner of a nearby coffee shop. “We’re living in like this crazy world where this is somehow now OK,” said Winston, owner of Boichik Bagels. “And I don’t know why we’ve decided it’s now OK.”Her exasperation is reflected in a new poll by the Bay Area News Group and Joint Venture Silicon Valley, which found three-quarters of registered voters across the core five-county region believe homelessness is getting worse in their communities. Despite unprecedented billions of dollars spent in recent years to bring people indoors, cities across the Bay ...

Does play of Sharks prospect help alleviate concerns about Timo Meier trade?

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 21:15:12 GMT

SAN JOSE – San Jose Sharks coach David Quinn was asked about Shakir Mukhamadullin’s play after a recent preseason game and threw out an interesting and perhaps hyperbolic comparable to the Russian-born defenseman, at least in one respect.“He reminds me, just the way he looks, of Chris Pronger,” Quinn said, mentioning the 2015 Hockey Hall of Fame inductee. “The high hands and just the way he carries himself, and if he’s half as mean as Chris Pronger, we’ve got something.”There was some consternation that Sharks general manager Mike Grier didn’t get enough quality players in return for Timo Meier when he traded the power forward to the New Jersey Devils in February.After all, Mukhamadullin, the key player the Sharks received from New Jersey, was not rated as high as other Devils prospect defensemen Luke Hughes, Simon Nemec, and Seamus Casey. This was a rare chance to trade a star player in his prime and restock the cupboards, and the rebuilding Sharks couldn’t afford to mess it up.Oth...

Kaiser workers prepare to strike as contract expires

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 21:15:12 GMT

WALNUT CREEK, Calif. (KRON) -- Almost 75,000 Kaiser Permanente healthcare workers are set to strike nationwide this week. It would be the largest healthcare strike in U.S. history.A three-day strike could start Oct. 4, including workers in Washington, Colorado, Oregon and almost 60,000 here in California. Around 20,000 of those California Kaiser workers are here in the Bay Area.Their contract expired over the weekend, with union officials telling KRON there have been good discussions on a number of issues. However, for major issues like pay, the two parties remain far apart.Overnight, Kaiser told its members it remains at the bargaining table and there is still a chance this strike may not happen. If it does, it will affect people’s medical plans.In a message to members, Kaiser said:“In the case of a strike, we may need to reschedule some nonurgent appointments and procedures. We’ll contact you in advance if your appointment needs to be rescheduled. It’s possible that you could expe...

Person missing after possible shark attack at Point Reyes beach

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 21:15:12 GMT

(KRON) -- Rescue crews in the North Bay searched for a person who reportedly went missing in the water Sunday after friends said they saw a shark in the area.A person went missing in the water off Bobcat Beach at Point Reyes National Seashore, according to the Marin County Sheriff’s Office. Friends of the missing person reported to authorities that a shark was seen in the area along with blood in the water where their friend was last seen. At this time, officials have not confirmed a shark attack occurred.Point Reyes NPS first reported the active search on X at noon on Oct. 1. Personnel from the National Park Service, as well as jet skis, helicopters, UTVs and fire engines from surrounding agencies, responded to the search.

BART police revive a man apparently overdosing on train

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 21:15:12 GMT

(BCN) -- A person who appeared to have overdosed on a BART train in Oakland early Sunday morning was revived by police, the agency said. Around 1:15 a.m. at the 12th Street station, an officer administered Narcan to an unresponsive man who appeared to be overdosing, BART police logs show. Narcan reverses the effects of opiates. Fight leads to stabbing at Six Flags in Vallejo The man was revived but refused any further medical assistance and left the station, BART said.Copyright © 2023 Bay City News, Inc.

Kevin Harvick’s crew chief denies cheating led to Harvick’s disqualification at Talladega

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 21:15:12 GMT

TALLADEGA, Ala. (AP) — The crew chief for Kevin Harvick insisted he didn’t cheat and race conditions caused Harvick to become the first driver disqualified at Talladega Superspeedway since 1972. Harvick lost to Ryan Blaney at Talladega on Sunday in a drag race to the finish line. The margin of victory was 0.012 seconds and Harvick was credited with a second-place finish in the final superspeedway race ahead of his retirement at the end of the season. Some two hours after the race, NASCAR disqualified Harvick, saying the windshield fasteners on the No. 4 Ford were not secure in post-race inspection. The disqualification dropped Harvick from second to 38th — his first last-place finish of the season — and stripped him of all stage points earned Sunday. Stewart-Haas Racing crew chief Rodney Childers chalked the loose windshield up to rough racing conditions for 500 miles and not cheating in a since-deleted social media post. “There have been times I’ve got caught doing something ...