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Wish You Were Here: Adventures in Budapest

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 08:20:11 GMT

Our globe-trotting readers have spent the last months traveling to destinations near and far. They’ve explored the Galapagos Islands, cruised the Mississippi River and traipsed through Viennese museums. And they’ve shared their experiences — and helpful travel tips — along the way.Now, two Sunnyvale residents are sharing their discoveries along the Danube.Wish You Were HereHUNGARY: Before boarding their Danube River cruise, Sunnyvale residents Sally MacDonald and Scott Gerken (pictured) spent four days in Budapest, which included a stop at a charming railway, Gyermekvasut. “The Children’s Railway is a 6-mile-long narrow-gauge railway that is used to teach the children about the railroad profession,” Scott says. “The railway is operated by children from 10 to 14 years of age under adult supervision. All positions, except train engineer, are staffed by children (who) work positions like ticket sellers, conductor, dispatcher.”Related Arti...

Monday Morning Lights: De La Salle-SRV rewind, early look at Serra vs. Riordan

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 08:20:11 GMT

Welcome back to Monday Morning Lights, our weekly feature that sheds more light on the high school football weekend and peeks ahead to the new week. If you haven’t already, please subscribe. Your contributions keep us going.DLS VS. SRV: REWINDFor a big game to exceed the hype, a lot has to happen.Friday, a lot happened.De La Salle, playing on the road in Danville, survived San Ramon Valley’s incredible late-game rally from 15 points behind to win 33-27 in overtime.The Spartans’ 32-year unbeaten streak against North Coast Section opponents moved on. Barely.They are 265-0-1 against teams within their section since losing to Pittsburg in 1991, with Clayton Valley (tie, 2004) and San Ramon Valley (28-27 in 2016, OT on Friday) being the closest calls.Here are our takeaways:Playoff picture: When the game finally ended with DLS running back Derrick Blanche scoring on a 6-yard run in overtime, it was impossible not to think about a rematch in the NCS playoffs next month.But will that even m...

Nice player Atal investigated for “defending terrorism” after reposting antisemitic message

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 08:20:11 GMT

NICE, France (AP) — The Nice public prosecutor’s office opened a preliminary investigation Monday targeting soccer player Youcef Atal on charges “of defending terrorism” after he shared an antisemitic message on social media. The prosecutor’s office said Atal is also being investigated for “public incitement to hatred or violence because of a particular religion.”Atal, who plays for French league club Nice and the Algeria national team, apologized after reportedly reposting and then deleting a video in which a Palestinian preacher made an antisemitic statement.French Football Federation President Philippe Diallo said Atal had relayed “appeals for violence.” Diallo said in a statement that he “condemns them with the greatest severity” and that the case will be handled by the federation’s ethics committee.Writing on Instagram, the defender said he understood that his post “shocked several people, which was not my intention.”Atal also said he condemns all forms of vio...

Organizaciones de DC urgen al gobierno detener los desalojos de migrantes

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 08:20:11 GMT

La Red de Ayuda Solidaria para Migrantes denunció que más de 60 familias han sido desalojadas de refugios en DC, sin tener un lugar seguro para mudarse.“Me desalojaron. Llegué hace dos meses con mi esposa, mis tres hijos y aquí me dieron una ayuda momentánea”, afirmó el migrante venezolano, Israel Ravelo.Sin permisos de trabajo, ahorros ni empleo, Ravelo y su familia dicen que lograron que una buena samaritana les preste la sala de su casa para dormir por las noches, pero el día lo pasan en los alrededores de los refugios. Transportan decenas de migrantes a la casa de Kamala Harris Suspenden servicios de alojamiento para inmigrantes recién llegados a DC Por su parte, migrantes que prefirieron permanecer en el anonimato afirmaron que la policía estaría sacando a las familias bajo el argumento de que “el gobierno ya no está dando más recursos”.La Oficina de Servicios para Migrantes a través del Departamento de Servicios ...

France player who laughed during minute’s silence for war victims apologizes for ‘nervous laugh’

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 08:20:11 GMT

PARIS (AP) — France defender Jean-Clair Todibo apologized Monday after he was filmed laughing during a minute’s silence in memory of the victims of the war between Israel and Hamas and of a teacher killed in France by a suspected extremist.The minute’s silence was held before France’s 2-1 win over the Netherlands on Friday in a European Championship qualifier.Todibo said he had a “nervous laugh” after French media reported he had been asked by the French soccer federation’s ethics body to explain himself.“I don’t think I’m a disrespectful guy when it comes to these things. I had a nervous laugh, but in no way was I making fun of the current situation,” he told journalists ahead of Tuesday’s friendly match against Scotland.Todibo said that he was sitting in the stands, in the middle of opposing supporters.“Some made jokes and I laughed nervously,” he said. “In no way was I making fun of the situation.”France coach Didier Deschamps said Todibo came to see him to apologize,...

Crimson Coward bringing more Nashville Hot Chicken to Northern Va.

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 08:20:11 GMT

Los Angeles-based Crimson Coward Nashville Hot Chicken will be opening its second Northern Virginia location later this year. (Courtesy Crimson Coward Nashville Hot Chicken)Los Angeles-based Crimson Coward Nashville Hot Chicken, a fast-growing fast-casual chain, will be opening its second Northern Virginia location in Stafford in the Embrey Mill Town Center later this year.Crimson Coward opened its first Virginia location in Woodbridge in January. That restaurant recently won a Reader’s Choice Award from Prince William Living.Restaurant Management Group Mid-Atlantic, the local franchise operator, expects to open a total of 25 locations in Northern Virginia, and at least four locations in Maryland, the first of which opens in Baltimore early next year.The Stafford location will be the chain’s eighth location. Crimson Coward plans to grow to 200 locations across the U.S. by 2027.That is aggressive growth for the chain, which was founded in 2019 and started out selling its spice ...

10 DC restaurants added to the 2023 Michelin Guide

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 08:20:11 GMT

Michelin’s secret inspectors have deemed 10 new D.C. restaurants worthy of inclusion in its 2023 restaurant guide.The newly-recognized restaurants are not star rated yet, but are considered noteworthy enough to showcase. They are what Michelin’s inspectors found “too good to keep a secret.”The 10 newcomers making a buzz in the District are:Beloved BBQ — Japanese cuisineChang Chang — Chinese cuisine from restaurateur Peter ChangDear Sushi at Love, Makoto — SushiGrazie Nonna — Italian cuisineKappo — Japanese cuisineLittle Vietnam — Vietnamese cuisinePetite Cerise — French cuisineRania — Indian cuisineThe Saga — Spanish cuisineYellow — Middle Eastern cuisineThey join eight restaurants that were added to the sneak peak version of the 2023 Michelin guide in March.The Michelin restaurant guide now has a total of 134 restaurants that are recommended.In all, 24 of those restaurants have star-rating status, including The Inn at Little Washington — the only top rated three-s...

Book Review: Clever new novel uses museum wall labels to narrate life story of rich American woman

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 08:20:11 GMT

Christine Coulson, who spent 25 years working at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, has written a short, clever novel that tells the story of a woman over the course of her life in a series of museum wall labels. In doing so, she acknowledges a sad but undeniable truth — that for much of the 20th century and perhaps even today, a certain kind of wealthy, white socialite in America was nothing more than an object to be critiqued, described, evaluated and displayed.The woman’s name is Caroline Margaret Brooks Whitaker, better known as Kitty, and she is indisputably the star of “One Woman Show.” We are meant to read her life story as if we were walking through an exhibition at a museum like the Met, gazing at a set of related decorative objects laid out in chronological order in a series of vitrines.At the start of the show, it is 1911 and Kitty, a girl of 5, is declared to be “a masterpiece,” “all fireworks,” a “golden child,” depicted under the watchful gaze of her doting parents, Minty...

Miami residents aid Israel as more Americans return home

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 08:20:11 GMT

In the face of recent Hamas attacks on Israel, Miami resident Nati Schnitman, an Israeli native, wasted no time in extending a helping hand to his homeland, where his wife and three children reside.“It’s scary — every single person in Israel has been affected by this one way or another, either friends,” he said. “We got a guy who works in our company that was in the party who got killed. My friend’s cousin got killed. We have all my cousins who are serving in the military now, they all got drafted. So everybody’s affected in one way.” Schnitman’s heartfelt response to the crisis resulted in the creation of “America for Israel” in just one day. This initiative swiftly gathered resources, establishing a website, mobilizing warehouses filled with supplies, securing hundreds of donors, and rallying over a thousand volunteers.“The only good thing that has happened from this horrible day and horrible war is that it...

Trump has narrow gag order imposed on him by federal judge overseeing 2020 election subversion case

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 08:20:11 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) — The federal judge overseeing the 2020 election subversion case against Donald Trump in Washington imposed a narrow gag order on him on Monday, barring the Republican former president from making statements targeting prosecutors, possible witnesses and the judge’s staff.The order from U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan is a milestone moment in the federal case that accuses Trump of illegally conspiring to overturn his 2020 election loss to Democrat Joe Biden.Special counsel Jack Smith’s team had raised alarm about a barrage of statements disparaging prosecutors, the judge and prospective witnesses. Those comments, prosecutors said, risked undermining public confidence in the court system and causing witnesses or people who might be picked as jurors for trial to feel harassed and intimidated.Chukan said there would be no restrictions on statements criticizing the Justice Department generally or statements about Trump’s belief that the c...