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Yes, you can make a wedding cake

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:00:00 GMT

By Natasha Pickowicz, The New York TimesEver scroll through a friend’s wedding registry and feel uninspired by the cavalcade of appliances and trinkets? Consider going rogue and asking the couple if you can give them something major: a wedding cake.With their vertiginous tiers, sculpted sugar roses and fondant as smooth as clay, professional wedding cakes are engineered to look good for long stretches of time — some even come with a sneaky Styrofoam layer — but they can fall short in flavor. A more personal homemade cake subverts expectations, and can feel less formal in the best possible way: big, exuberant and celebratory.Toasted Sesame and Citrus Wedding Cake: Baking a tiered wedding cake may seem ambitious, but you can break it down into smaller, more manageable tasks over a few days. In this recipe, everything — the tender chiffon cake layers, the sturdy buttercream, the flavorful citrus compote, the sesame crunch — can be refrigerated for days or even f...

Why are some California beaches always considered 'dirty'

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:00:00 GMT

California’s famous coastline is a popular destination for residents and tourists alike, especially during the summer; however, not everyone enjoys the ocean water.From multiple oil spills to floating debris, the Pacific Ocean off California's coastline has endured much hardship. The consequences of these events have left some people hesitant to even step foot in the water at some Golden State beaches. California could lose up to 70% of its beaches by 2100, study finds Experts with Heal the Bay recently published their annual Beach Report Card, which measures the cleanliness of California’s coastal waters. For more than three decades, Heal the Bay has assigned A-F letter grades for more than 700 beaches across the U.S., with 500 of those locations being in California, according to the organization’s website.Some locations with failing grades, like those in San Mateo and Los Angeles counties, have been named on the organization's “Beach Bummer” list multiple times.The “Beach Bummer...

Pac-12 basketball: Breaking down the top prospects for the 2024 NBA Draft

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:00:00 GMT

As expected, the Pac-12 produced a single first-round pick, UCLA forward Jaime Jaquez Jr., on Thursday in the 2023 NBA Draft — the lowest total since the 2010 draft.The second round was a tad busier with UCLA’s Amari Bailey and Jaylen Clark joining Washington State’s Mouhamed Gueye on the draft board and pushing the conference’s total number of selections to four. By comparison, the SEC generated 10 picks, followed by the Big Ten with eight and the ACC and Big East with five each.But the Pac-12 fared much better in another relevant category: Players who declined to make themselves available.In all, eight all-conference honorees from the 2022-23 season are scheduled to return in the fall — the highest total in more than a decade.Add several touted recruits and transfer portal acquisitions and the Pac-12 is well positioned for a better showing in the 2024 draft.Here’s our look at the top prospects:1. USC G Isaiah Collier: The top-rated recruit in th...

One killed, one arrested in Oakland traffic collision

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:00:00 GMT

OAKLAND — An East Oakland traffic collision early Saturday involving two vehicles left one driver dead and the other, who briefly fled the scene, under arrest, police said.The driver killed was a 39-year-old Alameda resident whose name has not yet been released.The other driver, who police arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence of alcohol and felony hit-and-run, is a  21-year-old Alameda man whose name was not released.Police said the collision happened about 12:15 a.m. Saturday in the 2300 block of International Boulevard.Police said the 39-year-old man was driving a 2005 Toyota Avalon and was making a U-turn when his vehicle was broadsided by a 2019 Toyota Camry driven by the 21-year-old man who was traveling westbound on International.The 39-year-old man was taken to a hospital where he later died.The Camry driver fled the scene on foot but later called police from a store in the area to say he had been involved in the collision. He was taken to a hospital for treat...

Special Olympics Northern California begins

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:00:00 GMT

(BCN) -- The 2023 Special Olympics Northern California Summer Games opened Friday night with a parade of athletes, festivities, guest speakers, entertainment, and the conclusion of the region-wide Law Enforcement Torch Run. The Summer Games, continuing through Sunday, showcase the talent, determination, and joy of the Special Olympics community of northern California. Founded in 1968, it provides year-round sports training and athletic competition for children and adults with intellectual disabilities. SF Pride street closures, schedule, parade route The annual Summer Games is the largest local competition and features thousands of athletes and coaches. Participants compete in swimming, track and field, bocce, and tennis. The opening ceremony was co-emceed by KRON4's Kyla Grogan and Kim Hing, a Special Olympics athlete leader, accompanied by an American Sign Language interpreter.(Photo: KRON4's Kyla Grogan) Hundreds of officers from across Northern California ...

Beltway closed in Prince George’s Co. after tractor-trailer carrying fuel overturns

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:00:00 GMT

Listen to WTOP on the 8s for the latest on traffic.Both directions of the Capital Beltway are closed in Prince George’s County, Maryland, Saturday morning after a truck carrying 7,000 gallons of fuel overturned, according to fire officials.The crashed happened on the Outer Loop while the tractor-trailer was on an off ramp at around 9:30 a.m.The fuels is contained and there’s no fire, according to the Prince George’s County Fire Department. Both directions of Interstate 495 are closed near the off ramp at Route 4.Fire officials are working to offload the fuel, but in the meantime Maryland State Police are recommending drivers plan alternate routes.Officials also said to “expect delays and move over for emergency vehicles.”Source

Bublik beats Zverev 6-3, 7-5 to book Halle final against Bautista Agut or Rublev

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:00:00 GMT

HALLE, Germany (AP) — Alexander Bublik defeated Germany’s Alexander Zverev 6-3, 7-5 on Saturday to book his place in the final of the Halle Open.The 48th-ranked Kazakh player hit 14 aces and saved the only break point he faced as he beat the ninth-seeded Zverev in 1 hour, 27 minutes.Zverev reached the Halle final in 2016 and 2017. He was aiming for his first title since 2021.Bublik, who is looking for his second trophy after winning in Montpellier last year, will play Roberto Bautista Agut or Andrey Rublev in the final. ___More AP tennis: https://apnews.com/hub/tennis and https://twitter.com/AP_SportsSource

4 juveniles in stolen vehicle attempt runover, crash after short pursuit, police said

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:00:00 GMT

DENVER (KDVR) -- Four juveniles allegedly attempted to run over a bicyclist and led police on a short pursuit in a stolen SUV before they crashed early Saturday.Just before 12:45 a.m., Aurora Police Department said they noticed a suspicious vehicle near Colfax Avenue and Havana Street that attempted to run over a bicyclist. Woman shot to death in Aurora early Saturday They realized the white 4-door SUV was a stolen vehicle, and began a pursuit through the Anschutz Medical Campus, according to a tweet from APD.The pursuit did not last long, as police said the SUV crashed into a black sedan when they turned off campus onto Colfax Avenue and Peoria Street.There were four girls in the SUV that were all injured, according to APD. Two of them sustained minor injuries, police said, but the other two suffered from a broken leg, and one of them had to be extracted from the vehicle.The driver of the black sedan, an adult male, had sustained minor injuries, police said.

Woman shot to death in Aurora early Saturday

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:00:00 GMT

DENVER (KDVR) -- A woman appeared to be shot to death early Saturday morning in Aurora, police say.According to a tweet from the Aurora Police Department, officers responded to a call around 6:45 a.m. and found a woman "that appeared to have succumbed to a gunshot wound." 8 charged with up to 88 counts each in alleged group theft, drug ring It happened near the 3000 block of North Peoria Street, police said. It was unclear how many shots the woman was hit with.Police said the person who called in the incident was gone upon arrival at the scene, along with the weapon.Police are asking members of the community to report any information that might be relevant to the case to Crime Stoppers at 720-913-7867.The Adams County Coroners office will identify the woman and the cause of her death.

Moscow ‘reaps what it sows’: NATO members scramble to assess chaos unfolding in Russia

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:00:00 GMT

Officials across NATO are scrambling to make sense of the fast-moving events inside Russia, as the Wagner Group’s mercenary fighters take more territory on what appears to be a march north toward Moscow.Many senior European politicians have issued carefully-worded statements that they are following the situation and consulting with allies. But some have already begun indicating that they see developments in Russia as a possible game-changer.“The Kremlin regime reaps what it sows. All the violence directed at Ukraine has backfired,” tweeted Lithuanian President Gitanas Nausėda, whose country will host a gathering of NATO leaders next month.POLITICO spoke with seven officials from NATO countries, all of whom were granted anonymity to speak candidly about rapidly unfolding events. Many noted the need to stay focused on Ukraine even as Russia dominates the world’s attention.“We are expecting the situation to escalate there, but our main focus remains on helping Ukraine and ensuring...