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7 must-see spots in Southern California’s deserts

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 16:18:16 GMT

California’s deserts — the Mojave, the Colorado — may not be the most enticing places to be in mid-summer, when temperatures soar above the century mark. But winter brings cooler temperatures and fewer crowds, and spring adds wildflowers to the mix. In other words, this is the perfect time to plan a sunny sojourn south.If you go, make sure these strange and beautiful places are on your itinerary, from the surreal, sunset-hued rock formations and spiky trees of Joshua Tree National Park to the arid landscapes of Death Valley, which partially reopened to the public in mid-October after catastrophic flash floods in August.Don’t miss the movie set-like Pioneertown in California’s High Desert. Built in 1946 as a filming location, Pioneertown exudes an 1880s Western vibe — movies such as “The Cisco Kid” and “Judge Roy Bean” were filmed here. It’s also home to Pappy & Harriet’s Palace, an atmospheric honky tonk tha...

Classic rock act is really, really, super-duper serious about not retiring soon

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 16:18:16 GMT

Lynyrd Skynyrd guitarist Rickey Medlocke told us earlier this year that — despite having announced its farewell tour in 2018 — the band actually is not retiring “anytime soon.”To further underscore that point, Skynyrd has announced 36 more concert dates for 2024, as they continue on with their joint co-headlining Sharp Dressed Simple Man Tour with fellow Rock and Roll Hall of Famers ZZ Top.The trek includes a stop at the Toyota Pavilion in Concord on Sept. 19. The full itinerary is listed below.Tickets go on sale to the general public at 10 a.m. Nov. 3, livenation.com (for the Concord show). There is a artist pre-sale that begins at 10 a.m. Oct. 31. Visit https://www.lynyrdskynyrd.com/#tour for more information.LYNYRD SKYNYRD & ZZ TOP: THE SHARP DRESSED SIMPLE MAN TOUR DATES:3/08     Savannah, GA                                                 Enmarket Arena3/09     Estero, FL                                                       Hertz Arena3/14     Green...

Explore limestone caves at Mitchell Caverns, a hidden gem in the Mojave Desert

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 16:18:16 GMT

Let’s say you’re on your way to Needles.OK, you’re probably not on your way to Needles. But say you’re headed to Las Vegas or Lake Havasu, and you’re looking for a fascinating stop along the way. Or perhaps you’d like to plan a road trip – the kind that whisks you away from the daily grind and takes you whooshing down wide desert roads to a destination that seems to exist out of time, a place where you won’t be bothered because cell service is spotty, and you’re too awed by nature to answer a call anyway.This is the trip for you.Mitchell Caverns is a gem of the California State Parks system, home to magnificent limestone caves and unique wildlife. Though the park is remote, it’s an easy, two-hour drive from Barstow to the 5,900-acre Providence Mountains State Recreation Area – a place to be savored.Here, the rugged mountains, cactus-dotted canyons and gnarled pine trees conspire to evoke awe. This is a sky island, where the habitat shifts dramatically with the elevation gain, so the...

Stanford says it is investigating after hacker group threatens to release confidential information

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 16:18:16 GMT

Stanford University said Monday it was investigating a “cybersecurity incident” after a ransomware group threatened to release confidential information from the university’s Department of Public Safety on the dark web.According to a screenshot posted to social media by cybersecurity analyst Brett Callow, the ransomware group ‘Akira’ holds 430 gigabytes worth of internal data from the Department of Public Safety, including confidential documents and private information. The group instructed those interested in the information to contact them.#Akira has listed #Stanford University. #ransomware 1/2 pic.twitter.com/Jya3hbnDNn— Brett Callow (@BrettCallow) October 27, 2023“Stanford University is one of the world’s leading research universities. Stanford is known for its entrepreneurial character, drawing from the legacy of its founders, Jane and Leland Stanford, and its relationship to Silicon Valley,” the Akira threat reads. “So...

Recipe: The Pie Hole’s Lemon-Pear pie

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 16:18:16 GMT

Rebecca Grasley, co-founder of Los Angeles-based The Pie Hole, usually makes this pie around Thanksgiving, when pears are in season in her Pennsylvania hometown. Now she’s sharing the how tos in her new cookbook, “Pie is Messy” (Ten Speed Press, $28).“The combination of the pears and the lemon filling is a little unusual, but it’s always a hit,” she writes in the new book, which features recipes for 100 different kinds of pie, crusts and toppings.Lemon-Pear PieMakes one 9-inch pieINGREDIENTS1 recipe of Moe’s pie crust1 egg“Pie is Messy” (Ten Speed Press, 2023) 1 cup sugar1 teaspoon grated lemon zest1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice1 tablespoon salted butter6 to 8 pears, peeled, cored and cut into small dice (about 6 cups)DIRECTIONSHeat the oven to 400 degrees.Roll the pastry dough into two rounds for the bottom and top crusts. Lay the bottom crust in a 9-inch pie pan and trim the edges.In a medium saucepan, whisk together the egg, su...

Recipe: The Pie Hole’s Spiced Hot Chocolate Pie

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 16:18:16 GMT

This recipe draws its inspiration from a tasting that The Pie Hole had for family and friends before their first bakeshop opened in Los Angeles’ Arts District. A Mexican restaurant had heard about the new pie shop and asked the founders to consider developing a pie for them, says Rebecca Grasley, Pie Hole co-founder and author of new “Pie is Messy” cookbook (Ten Speed Press, $28).“So we got to thinking: How could we incorporate Mexican flavors and ingredients into a pie? That collaboration ultimately never happened, but we got our wonderful spiced chocolate pie,” she writes.The bakery version uses a chocolate ganache filling spiked with pasilla peppers and cinnamon, but this home cook-friendly version from the new cookbook uses a vanilla pudding mixed with cinnamon-spiced chocolate.Spiced Hot Chocolate PieMakes one 9-inch pieINGREDIENTS1⁄2 recipe Moe’s PiecrustFilling:4 cups whole milk2 tablespoons salted butter4 egg yolks1 cup granulated sugar1/4 cup c...

Recipe: The Pie Hole’s secret pie crust

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 16:18:16 GMT

Pie crusts can be daunting. But don’t be discouraged, says Becky Grasley, the baker behind Los Angeles’ The Pie Hole pie shops and author of a new cookbook, “Pie is Messy” (Ten Speed Press, $28).“There is a learning curve,” she says. “You’re going to start out and make a crust that’s too dry, for instance, and you can’t roll it out. It cracks and you try to paste the cracks together. But if you start with the flour and the shortening, and then the ice water (which is key to making a flaky crust) and the salt — that’s all there is to the crust. You can use butter instead of the shortening or lard.  Practice makes perfect, but every crust is delicious.“It’s never too late to learn,” she adds. “I almost prefer, if you’re going to make a mistake, to make the crust on the soft side and add too much water because when you go to roll it, the flour on the counter will soak up some of it.”Ho...

American hockey player Adam Johnson dies after getting cut in the neck by a skate

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 16:18:16 GMT

NOTTINGHAM, England (AP) — American hockey player Adam Johnson, who appeared in 13 NHL games with the Pittsburgh Penguins in 2019 and 2020, has died after his neck was cut by a skate blade during a game in England on Saturday, his team said. He was 29.Johnson was playing for the Nottingham Panthers in a Challenge Cup game against the Sheffield Steelers when he suffered the skate cut during the second period of the Elite Ice Hockey League game at Sheffield’s Utilita Arena.“The Nottingham Panthers are truly devastated to announce that Adam Johnson has tragically passed away following a freak accident at the game in Sheffield last night,” the team said Sunday.“The Panthers would like to send our thoughts and condolences to Adam’s family, his partner and all his friends at this extremely difficult time. Everyone at the club including players, staff, management and ownership are heartbroken at the news of Adam’s passing.”A Minnesota native, Johnson spent 13 games over parts of the 2018-1...

White House tackles artificial intelligence with new executive order

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 16:18:16 GMT

Washington (CNN) — The White House rolled out a sweeping executive order Monday that aims to monitor and regulate the risks of artificial intelligence while also harnessing its potential, marking the latest effort to address a rapidly evolving technology that has sparked concern among world leaders.Top White House officials argue the executive order is the most significant action on artificial intelligence taken by any government as leaders around the world race to address the risks posed by the quickly changing technology.“Given the pace of this technology, we can’t move in normal government or private-sector pace, we have to move fast, really fast – ideally faster than the technology itself,” White House chief of staff Jeff Zients said, recounting President Joe Biden’s directive to his team to make AI a top priority. “You have to continue to be proactive, anticipate where things are headed, continue to act fast and pull every lever we can.”The executive order, which Biden will unv...

Newsom’s visit underscores electric car reality: China holds the keys to battery industry

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 16:18:16 GMT

(BCN) -- When it comes to California's efforts to tackle climate change, China and California are linked in a critical way: The world's most populous country processes the vast majority of rare metals needed for electric car batteries.Last week Gov. Gavin Newsom, a Democrat, toured China with an emphasis on the environment, namely on how California and China can cooperate on climate.Newsom is the third California governor in a row to make an official trip to China, and he does so at a moment when California is perhaps more heavily dependent than ever on the country to meet its own climate goals. Assault suspect throws ‘suspicious devices’ towards pursuing officers, leads police on chase from SF to Martinez China's role as a raw materials processor makes it a linchpin in California's requirement that all new cars sold in the state are zero-emission vehicles by 2035. The relationship between the two governments is a longstanding one, and California and China have traded notes on eve...