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Tech review: Three gift suggestions for the techie on your Christmas list

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:00:50 GMT

Jim Rossman | Tribune News Service (TNS)This week we have three more gadgets I’ve been testing that would make great Christmas gifts.Just a note on pricing. I don’t post affiliate links. I don’t benefit monetarily from any of these suggestions. Also, I post the retail price, but most of these are discounted for the holidays.The Dabbsson DBS2300 Plus Power Station. (Dabbsson/TNS)Dabbsson DBS2300 Plus portable power stationI’ve reviewed a lot of portable power stations, and the rate at which they are improving is almost stunning.The Dabbsson DBS2300 Plus ($1,799, dabbsson.com) is a 2,330 watt-hour power station that can expand to 16,660 Wh with the addition of a second DBS2300 Plus and up to four external 3,000 Wh DBS3000B batteries ($1,599). This is a system that can power your entire home in the event of an electrical outage.The DBS2300 Plus has an AC output capacity of 2,200 watts with a 3,000W surge capacity.The batteries are Lithium Iron Phosphate (LiFePo4) and they are rated for...

Howie Carr: Tough talk from Teamsters chief Sean O’Brien a bunch of hot air

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:00:50 GMT

Tough guys don’t tweet.At least they don’t tweet threats – for obvious reasons. The old saying applies: Never let your mouth write a check your rear-end can’t cash.Sean O’Brien, the pinky-ring Teamster thug out of Local 25 in Charlestown, obviously didn’t get the memo. Which is why he has been be-clowning himself for months now with these empty insults against Sen. Markwayne Mullin of Oklahoma, like this one from June:“Greedy CEO who pretends like he’s self made. In reality, just a clown & fraud. Always has been, always will be. Quit (sic) the tough guy act in these senate hearings. You know where to find me. Anyplace, Anytime (sic) cowboy.”O’Brien, now the national capo di tutti pinky rings, tweeted that after he tangled with Mullin at a hearing in March. Mullin asked the question that even those of us who spent decades (against our wills) in unions always wanted to ask the fat thugs running our locals:“What job have you created – one job?” Mullin asked. “Other than sucking the...

How ‘American Confidential’ explores JFK assassin Lee Harvey Oswald and his mom

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:00:50 GMT

This November 22 will mark 60 years since President John F. Kennedy was gunned down in Dallas – an event that not only terrorized a nation and inspired the 25th Amendment to the Constitution, but spawned a vast body of literature about the murder and its meaning in American life. Now Los Angeles-based author Deanne Stillman shines a light into a little-known corner of this tale with “American Confidential: Uncovering the Bizarre Story of Lee Harvey Oswald and his Mother,” publishing Nov. 7 from Melville House. Stillman is best known for her evocative nonfiction that explores brutal histories in the West, with such titles as “Twentynine Palms: A True Story of Murder, Marines and the Mojave,” “Mustang,” “Desert Reckoning” and “Blood Brothers: The Story of the Strange Friendship Between Sitting Bull and Buffalo Bill.”“American Confidential” continues Stillman’s oeuvre exploring the dark side of the American psyche. It delves into the troubled life of a man who, she argues, was the prot...

Quick Fix: Turkey Hash

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:00:50 GMT

Linda Gassenheimer | Tribune News Service (TNS)What’s Thanksgiving without some leftover turkey? Even on those rare occasions when I’m not preparing the turkey, I still feel the urge to at least cook a turkey breast to have some leftover. This is a one-pot meal that tastes great the second day. Double the recipe if you have time and save the rest for another day. It also freezes well. Refrigerate or freeze the extra without the fried egg. Add the egg before serving.You don’t need to wait for turkey leftovers. You can buy roasted turkey pieces in the meat department or roasted turkey in the deli. If you buy deli meat, ask them to slice it thick so you can cut it into cubes.HELPFUL HINTS:Fresh sweet potato can be used instead of frozen; microwave them 4 minutes before adding to the skillet.Roasted chicken can be used instead of turkey.COUNTDOWN:Prepare all ingredients.Make the hash.Fry the eggs.SHOPPING LIST:To buy: 1 bag froze sweet potato cubes, 3/4 pound roasted turkey (left over o...

After Massachusetts cannabis worker died from asthma attack, state pushes marijuana industry to take extra safety steps

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:00:50 GMT

After a Bay State cannabis worker suffered an asthma attack and died, the state Department of Public Health is pushing the local marijuana industry to take extra safety steps to prevent work-related asthma.A Trulieve Cannabis Corp. employee who was packaging ground cannabis into pre-rolls at the company’s Holyoke processing facility suffered an asthma attack and later died in the hospital last year. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration investigated, and the company later settled with OSHA.DPH and OSHA confirmed that the death of the 27-year-old production technician was the first known occupational asthma fatality in the U.S. cannabis workforce.Other cases of non-fatal respiratory disease among Massachusetts workers have been reported. Cannabis industry workers can be regularly exposed to respiratory hazards — which can exacerbate chronic diseases, like asthma.DPH’s new report on the worker’s death includes six recommendations for cannabis employ...

Recipe: Sweet Potato Crunch casserole is a perfect holiday meal

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:00:50 GMT

This Sweet Potato Crunch casserole is dandy for holiday meals because much of the work can be done in advance. The sweet potatoes are baked in the oven; once partially cooled and peeled, they are mashed and combined with butter, orange liqueur such as Grand Marnier, sugar, salt, and orange zest. The mashed mix is transferred into an 8-inch square baking dish. Once completely cooled, it can be covered with aluminum foil and refrigerated for up to 24 hours.About an hour before serving, bake the refrigerated spuds, covered, for 15 minutes. Meanwhile, prep the topping, a mix of melted butter, flour, brown sugar, and cayenne. Once transformed into pea-sized pieces, the topping crowns the sweet potatoes and bakes for about 25 to 30 minutes.Sweet Potato CrunchYield: 8 servingsINGREDIENTS4 pounds sweet potatoes, unpeeled; see cook’s notes4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted2 tablespoons Grand Mariner, see cook’s notes1 tablespoon packed light brown sugar1 1/4 teaspoon salt1 teaspoon grated...

5 do-ahead recipes for your Thanksgiving feast

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:00:50 GMT

Hosting a Thanksgiving feast isn’t a leisurely walk in the park. The race to get all the dishes done at the same time is worthy of an Olympics of cooking medal. But a few hours of cooking ahead can reduce the hassle. Prepare in advance, and you’ll even enjoy this holiday meal, in all its gravy and side dish glory.Sure, you can’t stuff the turkey ahead. The potatoes taste best when cooked and mashed the same day they’re served. And the gravy, made from turkey drippings, is still a last-minute chore.But you can make the cranberry sauce, salad dressing, braised red cabbage and dessert in advance and tuck them in the refrigerator or pantry, depending on the dish.That’s your insurance policy for sanity on the big day.Pumpkin Cake with Buttermilk IcingThe flavors in this delicious pumpkin Bundt cake continue to develop when made a couple of days in advance. I like to serve it with ice cream; when I can find it, my ice cream choice is pumpkin or rum raisin.To make ahead: Cake can be made 3...

California authorities arrest college professor in the death of Jewish demonstrator

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:00:50 GMT

By JOHN ANTCZAK and JULIE WATSON (Associated Press)LOS ANGELES (AP) — A Southern California college professor was arrested Thursday in the death of a Jewish protester during demonstrations over the Israel-Hamas war. Loay Abdelfattah Alnaji, 50, was booked into jail on suspicion of of involuntary manslaughter — the unintentional killing of another person, the Ventura County Sheriff’s Office said. The district attorney’s office said it was reviewing the case and expects to make a charging decision later Thursday.A man who answered the phone at a mobile number listed for Alnaji in public records said he did not want to comment. He did not give his name. Paul Kessler, 69, died early Nov. 6 at a hospital following a confrontation the previous day with the suspect during what started as a pro-Palestinian demonstration in Thousand Oaks, a suburb northwest of Los Angeles, Ventura County Sheriff Jim Fryhoff told reporters on Nov. 7. Kessler was among a group of pro-Is...

Are items hanging from rearview mirrors illegal in California?

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:00:50 GMT

SAN DIEGO, Calif. (KSWB) -- From dangling lanyards to Hawaiian leis and air fresheners, it's common for drivers to have items hanging from their rearview mirrors. But is it legal?Some may argue that having that keepsake necklace or retractable lighter attached to these middle windshield mirrors is harmless. California state law, however, disagrees. In fact, Golden State lawmakers have explicitly forbid the obstruction of a driver’s view through the side window or windshield. California does not legally allow drivers to hang decorative items, pendants, face masks, or other objects onto the interior rearview mirror if they could possibly obstruct their view.This rule is part of California Vehicle Code 26708 (2), which states the following:(2) A person shall not drive any motor vehicle with any object or material placed, displayed, installed, affixed, or applied in or upon the vehicle that obstructs or reduces the driver’s clear view through the windshield or side windows."Althoug...

A pregnant woman who was put on life support after a Missouri mall shooting has died, police say

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:00:50 GMT

INDEPENDENCE, Mo. (AP) — A pregnant woman who was shot in the head during a shooting at a Missouri mall last week has died, police confirmed Thursday. The woman had been on life support after being shot in the temple Friday at Independence Center, according to a report by police in the Kansas City suburb of Independence. Police said she was four months pregnant. Independence police have not released the victim’s name or age yet. A family friend gathering money to help pay for cremation costs identified her as 19-year-old Karla Brown in an interview with the Kansas City Star. Two others were shot in the leg when gunfire broke out, and the suspected shooter was shot in the back, Independence police said. A 21-year-old Independence resident has been charged with armed criminal action and unlawful use of a weapon in the mall shooting. Independence police Officer Kelley Rupert in an email said those charges will be updated following the woman’s death. The defendant is in jail...