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Sacramento

This condiment is the only sauce you’ll need to hack the holidays

By Jenn Harris, Los Angeles Times LOS ANGELES — The condiment shelf in my refrigerator is a chaotic place. I am no Marie Kondo, but I could argue that each jar, squeeze bottle and tube sparks real joy. My bottle of Kewpie shares real estate with a 64-ounce jar of Best Foods. There are about eight bottles of chili crisp at any given time, plus Fly by Jing‘s chili crisp vinaigrette. Fancy mustards are crowded with not-so-fancy mustards and there’s a bottle of Son fish sauce because I read that it was one of author Andrea Nguyen‘s favorites. The usual suspects of ketchup, barbecue sauce and Frank’s Red Hot are all present. The most consistent category, beyond the chili crisps, is a growing collection of toum. The garlic dip has been a favorite since I first tried garlic sauce at Zankou Chicken in Hollywood more than 30 years ago. I can still remember the sharp bite of garlic, the slight tang and the impossibly fluffy texture that seemed to disappear on my tongue. Toum, like hummus, is the name used to refer to the ingredient

Sacramento

How to kick back, relax and embrace a less-than-perfect holiday

By KATHERINE ROTH, Associated Press NEW YORK (AP) — We all know the stressors: Social obligations. Family discord. Political rifts. Financial stress. And the desire to stay cheery and big-hearted throughout. So here’s a reminder about how to banish your inner perfectionist and truly enjoy the holiday season: “It really helps to let go of some of the ‘shoulds’,” says Lynn F. Bufka, head of practice for the American Psychological Association. “Decide on the one thing that matters most, and the things that bring you the most joy, and let go of other things.” Traditions can shift and change, and the more flexible things are the easier it is for everybody, Bufka says. “Focus your energy on creating a warm space for the people you love to gather and relax, catch up and celebrate one another. That’s literally all that matters,” agrees Lauren Iannotti, editor in chief of Real Simple. Some tips: Throw yourself into the parts of the holiday that make you happy You could decide that conversation is your main goal, and not worry at all about the decor, says Bufka. Or if

Sacramento

Buying a house in 2025: your how-to guide

By Abby Badach Doyle, NerdWallet It won’t be impossible to buy a house in 2025 — just be prepared to play on hard mode. According to a November 2024 report from ICE Mortgage Technology, the monthly principal and interest payment on an average-priced home is $2,385. While that’s not the highest it’s ever been, it’s still a sharp increase — nearly 80% — from just three years ago. In November 2021, when mortgage rates averaged 3%, the monthly principal and interest on an average-priced home was $1,327 per month. So here’s the key to buying in 2025: Look ahead, not back. Regret won’t help you budget for today’s new normal. And with this year’s election also in the rearview mirror, so is some uncertainty among buyers and sellers that historically slows the market during every presidential election cycle. “People have just been kind of sitting waiting to see what’s going to happen,” says Courtney Johnson Rose, president of the National Association of Real Estate Brokers, an industry group for Black real estate agents. “I’m hopeful that the new year will bring more attention to real

San Diego

California shoppers remain antsy about Trump economy

“Swift swings” takes a quick peek at one economic trend. The number: California shoppers seem wary of the upcoming White House switch, as one measurement of consumer confidence has dropped 11% since Donald Trump won another presidential term. The source: My trusty spreadsheet looked at the Conference Board’s Consumer Confidence Index for December, tracking the nation and eight states. The curve Confidence in the very Democratic-leaning state dipped 1% in December after an 10% dive in November following Republican Trump’s victory. The index had been at a 14-month-high in pre-election October, but now sits only 8% above its average score since 2007. Looking inside the index, we see Californians seem OK with the current economy. The “present situation” index is up 0.4% in two months to 26% above average. It’s the Golden State’s business future that’s problematic. The “expectations” index is down 20% in two months to 5% below average. Details Nationally, there’s less skepticism, but U.S. confidence is off 4% in two months to 14% above average. And it’s not just a red-vs.-blue pattern. Ponder the three other states that have post-election angst, by

Los Angeles

King Charles gives thanks for his and Kate’s cancer care

December 25, 2024 / 11:26 AM EST / CBS/AP Princess Kate to resume limited public duties What’s next for Kate Middleton after finishing chemotherapy? 01:54 King Charles III and close members of the royal family attended Christmas Day services Wednesday at a church on Sandringham, the estate on the windswept North Sea coast that has served as a retreat for the royals for generations. His brother Prince Andrew , however, was notably absent. The king, who was diagnosed with cancer earlier this year, waved to a large crowd of onlookers as he walked alongside his wife, Queen Camilla . They were joined by Prince William, Prince of Wales, and his wife Catherine, Princess of Wales, the king’s daughter-in-law, who has been slowly returned to public duties after her own cancer diagnosis and a course of chemotherapy . Britain’s King Charles III walks to Christmas Day church services with Queen Camilla, followed by Catherine, Princess of Wales; Prince William, Prince of Wales; and their children, Prince Louis, Princess Charlotte and Prince George, in Sandringham, Norfolk, eastern England, on Dec. 25, 2024. OLI SCARFF/AFP via Getty Images

San Diego

Pope urges ‘all people of all nations’ to silence arms and overcome divisions in Christmas address

VATICAN CITY (AP) — Pope Francis in his traditional Christmas message on Wednesday urged “all people of all nations” to find courage during this Holy Year “to silence the sounds of arms and overcome divisions” plaguing the world, from the Middle East to Ukraine, Africa to Asia. The pontiff’s “Urbi et Orbi” — “To the City and the World” — address serves as a summary of the woes facing the world this year. As Christmas coincided with the start of the 2025 Holy Year celebration that he dedicated to hope, Francis called for broad reconciliation, “even (with) our enemies.” “I invite every individual, and all people of all nations … to become pilgrims of hope, to silence the sounds of arms and overcome divisions,” the pope said from the loggia of St. Peter’s Basilica to throngs of people below. The pope invoked the Holy Door of St. Peter’s, which he opened on Christmas Eve to launch the 2025 Jubilee, as representing God’s mercy, which he said tears down walls of division and dispels hatred. He called for arms to be silenced in war-torn Ukraine and

Los Angeles

Bridge collapse in Brazil leaves at least 2 dead, dozen missing

December 25, 2024 / 10:25 AM EST / AP A bridge linking two northern states in Brazil collapsed, killing at least two people and leaving a dozen others missing, police said Monday. A sulphuric acid spill is complicating the rescue operation. Footage obtained by local residents showed cars and trucks were crossing the Juscelino Kubitschek de Oliveira bridge when large sections crumbled into a river on Sunday. A drone view shows the collapsed bridge between Aguiarnopolis and Estreito, in northern Brazil, Dec. 24, 2024. Mauricio Marinho / REUTERS Police operating on the border of the northern states of Maranhao and Tocantins said that eight vehicles were missing: four trucks, two cars and two motorcycles. Police and Brazil’s road department said they started investigations on the case. The 533-meter-long (1,748-foot-long) bridge between the cities of Estreito and Aguiarnopolis was built in the 1960s and is located 1,300 kilometers (800 miles) north of the capital, Brasilia. Magnum Coelho, a colonel at the local firefighters’ office, told journalists that sending divers for rescue operations is dangerous because the Tocantins River could be contaminated by sulfuric acid from one

Los Angeles

These stores are open on Christmas Day

Christmas Day is traditionally when stores across the nation close, but there are a few exceptions. Before you visit any store, whether it’s on this list or not, definitely call ahead to ensure they’re open. These retail stores are open on Christmas Day 2024: Pharmacies open Christmas Day 2024 CVS will be open Christmas Day with modified hours. Local hours can be found here. Walgreens will be open Christmas Day with modified hours; 24-hour pharmacies will remain open. Local hours can be found here. Convenience stores open on Christmas Day Casey’s will be open at 10 a.m. Christmas Day. Local hours can be found here. Circle K will be open 24/7 with some locations operating with modified hours. Local hours can be found here. Fastrac will be open Christmas Day. Local hours can be found here. Kum & Go is open 24/7. Local hours can be found here. Love’s Travel Stops will be open 24/7. Local hours can be found here. Pilot Flying J is open 24/7. Local hours can be found here. RaceTrac is open 24/7. Local hours can be found here. 7-Eleven is open 24/7, though some locations are operating

Los Angeles

California Lottery player nearly hits $1 billion Mega Millions jackpot

A Mega Millions jackpot ticket sold at a Save Mart in Lemoore, California, a small city near Fresno, came up just short of hitting the $1 billion jackpot Tuesday night. The lucky player instead is walking away with $1,774,447 after drawing the five correct numbers: 38, 45, 14, 46 and 11, but not the Mega Ball, which was 3. Although there was no jackpot winner for this draw, four people across California, Montana, Pennsylvania and Wyoming hit five numbers. The jackpot has soared to an estimated $1.15 billion, with a $516.1 million lump sum cash option, ranking as the fifth-largest in the game’s history, according to MegaMillions.com. Also, a dozen players in California drew four of the correct numbers plus the mega ball and will be taking home $13,770. The odds of winning the Mega Millions jackpot are 1 in 302,575,350. In California, proceeds from lottery ticket sales, including unclaimed prizes, benefit public schools. Since the games first arrived in the Golden State in 1985, the California Lottery has raised more than $46 billion for public education, officials said.

Sacramento

In a calendar rarity, Hanukkah starts this year on Christmas Day

Hanukkah, Judaism’s eight-day Festival of Lights, begins this year on Christmas Day, which has only happened four times since 1900. For some rabbis, the intersection of the two religious holidays provides an auspicious occasion for interfaith engagement. “This can be a profound opportunity for learning and collaboration and togetherness,” said Rabbi Josh Stanton, a vice president of the Jewish Federations of North America. He oversees interfaith initiatives involving the 146 local and regional Jewish federations that his organization represents. “The goal is not proselytizing; it’s learning deeply from each other,” he said. “It’s others seeing you as you see yourself.” One example of togetherness: a Chicanukah party hosted Thursday evening by several Jewish organizations in Houston, bringing together members of the city’s Latino and Jewish communities for a “cross cultural holiday celebration.” The venue: Houston’s Holocaust museum. The food on offer was a blend of the two cultures – for example a latke bar featuring guacamole, chili con queso and pico de gallo, as well as applesauce and sour cream. The doughnut-like pastries were sufganiyot – a Hanukkah specialty – and buñuelos, And the mariachi

Sacramento

40 feared dead in Azerbaijan Airlines plane crash in Kazakhstan: officials

By David Brennan Wednesday, December 25, 2024 12:33PM Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Emergency Situations told ABC News that the plane was carrying 69 people. LONDON — An Azerbaijan Airlines passenger aircraft crashed near Kazakhstan’s Aktau Airport close to the Caspian Sea on Wednesday morning, Kazakh authorities said, with up to 40 people feared dead. The aircraft was was flying from Baku in Azerbaijan to Grozny in Russia, the Transport Ministry said in a post to its official Telegram channel. It was rerouted to Aktau in Kazakhstan due to fog in Grozny, Russian news agencies reported. Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Emergency Situations told ABC News that the plane was carrying 69 people — 64 passengers and five crew members. The ministry said 29 people survived the crash, with many hospitalized. Two children were among those hospitalized, the ministry said in a post to its Telegram channel. Kazakhstan’s deputy health minister told ABC News that some of those taken to hospital are in critical condition. The wreckage of Azerbaijan Airlines Embraer 190 lays on the ground near the airport of Aktau, Kazakhstan, Wednesday, Dec. 25, 2024. AP Photo/Azamat Sarsenbayev

Inland Empire

Inland Empire citrus labels sweeten Christmas tree at LA Central Library

How do you begin a newspaper column that will run on Christmas Day? I didn’t have a firm idea in mind but hoped something would suggest itself. Visiting downtown’s Los Angeles Central Library on Saturday, I climbed the stairs to the second level and entered the rotunda. That vast 1920s space always takes my breath away with its soaring ceiling, globe chandelier and wraparound history murals by Dean Cornwell. This season a Christmas tree adds to the scene. A family was posing for a photo by it as I entered. I walked over for a look at the tree’s decorations. And what did I see? Amid the ornaments are actual-size reproductions of 20th century orange crate labels from the library’s collection. And a closer examination showed that almost all of the labels originated in the Inland Empire. Two are from Riverside: Red Circle brand from McDermont Fruit Co. and Idyllwild brand from the Victoria Avenue Citrus Association. Corona is seen via a label for Consul Brand from R.H. Verity. The Christmas tree adds even more interest to the soaring 1920s rotunda in the Los Angeles

Los Angeles

Bird Flu Detected in Pets’ Raw Food, LA County Public Health Warns

Los Angeles County health officials were warning residents Wednesday not to feed their pets raw food following a voluntary recall of Northwest Naturals Brand 2lb Feline Turkey Recipe Raw & Frozen Pet Food due to detection of H5 bird flu virus in product samples. According to the county Department of Public Health, the recalled products are packaged 2-pound plastic bags with “Best if used by” dates of May 21, 2026, B10 and June 23, 2026, B1. Pet owners were urged to immediately dispose of those products. Residents who fed their pets the recalled products or other raw meat or dairy products and notice their pet experiencing symptoms should immediately contact their veterinarian. The Oregon Department of Agriculture confirmed that a house cat contracted H5 bird flu and died after consuming the recalled raw frozen pet food, officials said. The products are also sold in California. A listing of retailers can be found on the product’s website at nw-naturals.net/12-24-24-voluntary-product-recall/. Additionally, the DPH recently confirmed H5 bird blue in four house cats who consumed recalled milk and later became sick and died, officials said. That investigation is

Los Angeles

Lost Boaters Remain Missing After Authorities Find Overturned Boat

Two men who were fishing off the Palos Verdes coast remain missing Wednesday after the wreckage of a boat that is believed to be theirs was found. The U.S. Coast Guard was notified just after 5 a.m. Tuesday that the boat was overdue, Lt. Sondra Kneen told City News Service. The men were scheduled to arrive near Cabrillo Marina. The Coast Guard sent ships to search the area and later aircraft joined the effort, Kneen said. Other agencies were using drones to search the water, she added. The fishermen, described as two men in their 50s, launched from Cabrillo Beach Monday and were supposed to return by midnight, KTLA5 reported. Crews from the Los Angeles County Fire Department began a search at about 5:30 a.m. and found a boat up against the rocks near the 1800 block of Paseo Del Mar, but the men remain missing, the fire department said. The search comes as authorities were warning the public to stay out of the water at Southland beaches due to large waves and dangerous rip currents. A high surf advisory was issued by the National

Bay Area

Grinches’ attempt to steal Christmas thwarted by Antioch police

ANTIOCH — After Sara Quinones returned home last week, she was confronted with something no one would want to encounter, especially during the holidays. Police officers and concerned neighbors stood outside her home ready to inform her that it had been burglarized. As Quinones surveyed the damage, her heartbreak deepened. Like a scene from the classic tale of “Grinch,” thieves had reportedly vandalized her vehicle and stolen Christmas gifts – mostly toys and children’s clothes that she had wrapped and placed under the tree. She was devastated. To make matters worse, a few days prior to the burglary Quinones received news that she had been laid off from Savers in Antioch as a production lead. “I loved my job,” Quinones told this news organization. “I mean, what else could go wrong? When it rains, it pours, I guess. I was so stressed out.” Quinones tried to make the best out of the situation, adding she was thankful that her dog Simba, who is recovering after he got hit by a car a few months ago, was not home when the burglary occurred. “Things can be

Bay Area

Wish Book: Reclaiming independence at Avenidas

Each morning, as sunlight peeks through Hebe Garcia-Bolio’s bedroom window in her Palo Alto apartment, she opens her blinds, and takes a deep breath. “Thank you for allowing me another day,” she whispers to God and exhales, beginning her morning with a quiet moment of prayer. Hebe Garcia-Bolio gets an assist from Michelle Shinseki, an executive with Avenidas, at the Rose Kleiner Center in Mountain View, Calif., Monday, Oct. 21, 2024. Garcia-Bolio receives therapy from Avenidas as she recovers from a stroke last year. (Karl Mondon/Bay Area News Group)  She prepares a simple breakfast for herself — sometimes oatmeal, other times eggs. After changing the calendar, she prepares for another prayer and does her morning exercises. For most people, these tasks might seem routine, but for Garcia-Bolio, they’re personal victories. Since a stroke in 2023 left her unable to use her right hand, each ability to manage daily tasks feels like a milestone. Following her stroke, Garcia-Bolio began attending Avenidas’ Rose Kleiner Center in Mountain View for physical therapy and group activities, which she credits with helping her maintain her independence. “I am very grateful

Bay Area

Bay Area churches offer shelter to the needy on Christmas

The East Bay’s homeless residents rolled out sleeping bags across the hardwood gym floors at the Castro Valley shelter of First Presbyterian Church of Hayward Monday night — a refuge for those who don’t have a proverbial place at the inn. First Presbyterian’s effort to shelter the East Bay’s homeless population during Christmas goes to the heart of the Christmas season for Pastor Aaron Horner, the outreach director overseeing the church’s homeless program. He tied the church’s effort to shelter the unhoused to the Christian story of Christmas, in which Mary and Joseph are turned away from shelter due to “no room at the inn,” and Jesus is born in a stable instead. “As a Christian, as a pastor, as a father, I believe that we’re called to support people that are in need,” Horner said. “In the current day, I can’t think of folks who are in more need and more cast out of our society than folks who are unhoused.” Since 2019, the First Presbyterian Church of Hayward has welcomed shelter-seeking residents inside its doors in a time-honored tradition of giving to the

Bay Area

Share the Spirit: Immigration Institute of the Bay Area reunites families across borders

PITTSBURG – Laura Hernandez spent seven years avoiding her Pittsburg home’s backyard. The place that was so lively for over 20 years became another reminder of her parents’ absence while they were unable to legally leave Mexico. But thanks to help from the Immigration Institute of the Bay Area, the Hernandez household is once again the place where weekly dinners and family hangouts happen. “There is joy, and we are doing the things we used to do again,” Laura said. “Cooking outside, the kids playing outside and those types of things, building more memories.” The IIBA helps immigrants, refugees and their families by providing high-quality, affordable immigration legal services, education and civic engagement opportunities. The organization is hoping to raise $20,000 in order to help provide 1,100 consultations, assist 80 survivors of violence, file 20 applications for asylum seekers and more. “We give a voice to people who are underrepresented,” senior representative Llanet Ramirez said. “We provide the community valuable legal immigration advice that otherwise, if not received, could make them vulnerable to receiving incorrect advice or make them susceptible to immigration scams, further making

Bay Area

Fast facts for Warriors’ Christmas matchup with LeBron James, Lakers

The Warriors are in a familiar spot this Christmas: not sitting by the fire or caroling, but rather playing in primetime. Wednesday marks the Warriors’ 12th straight Christmas Day game. They’re hosting the Los Angeles Lakers (5 p.m., ABC). It’s the signature matchup of the day, a clash between the generation’s two defining superstars: LeBron James and Steph Curry. Here are a few things to know about the game. The matchup The Warriors (15-13) and Lakers (16-13) are firmly entrenched in a large swath of middling Western Conference teams. Three games separate the 11th-place Suns to the fifth-place Nuggets. The Lakers and Warriors — seventh and eighth — are right in the thick of that group. After falling 111-105 to the Pacers, the Warriors have lost 10 of their last 13 games. The Lakers are also coming off a defeat, to the Pistons, but have played better ball lately. They won three straight — two against the Kings and another victory over the Grizzlies — last week. “Obviously, it’s a big game,” Curry said. “Another game with two teams who want to be in better