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George and Martha Washington were early fans of ice cream at Mount Vernon

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:33:54 GMT

By Gretchen McKay, Pittsburgh Post-GazetteIce cream has been a quintessential summer treat for generations, whether you prefer a twist of soft-serve chocolate and vanilla on a cake cone or two scoops of gourmet mint chip stacked on a hand-rolled waffle.But back in the 18th century, the treat brought to America by the French was a rich man’s dessert.You can’t make ice cream without three key ingredients — ice, salt and sugar — that most colonial families simply could not afford. Ice required a separate icehouse to store chunks of ice cut on a nearby river or creek in winter. Sugar and salt were expensive commodities imported from the Caribbean. Colonial home cooks would also have to own at least one cow whose milk the family didn’t need to sell to make cream.Our nation’s first president — a wealthy man with a sizable enslaved community manning the house and gardens — was without those obstacles.The large number of “ice pots” used for holding ice cr...

Suspect who allegedly brandished gun in Pacifica road rage incident arrested

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:33:54 GMT

(KRON) -- A suspect who allegedly brandished a gun during a road rage incident in Pacifica over the weekend has been arrested, the Pacifica Police Department announced Tuesday. Officers responded on Saturday to an area of Highway 1 near Rockaway Beach Avenue on a reported road rage incident involving a firearm possibly being brandished. Group of bicyclists rides onto 580 freeway, prompting CHP warning Police made contact with the reporting party and got a description of the vehicle and the suspect. The vehicle was located at Linda Mar Shopping Center, and through a coordinated effort, the suspect was identified as 32-year-old Ian Austin of San Leandro.An investigation revealed that Austin had allegedly brandished a firearm at another motorist while traveling south on Highway 1. Police found a loaded firearm in his vehicle along with brass knuckles. Bay Area home sales at lowest level in 20 years Austin was arrested without incident, police said. He was arrested and booked into C...

Over 100 firefighters called to battle blaze at abandoned Antioch warehouse

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:33:54 GMT

(BCN) -- A warehouse fire in Antioch left the abandoned structure badly damaged Tuesday morning, but no injuries were reported.More than 100 firefighters were called to the fire reported at 10:52 p.m. Monday in the area of Marina Plaza.Firefighters from the Contra Costa County Fire Protection District responded along with multiple other fire agencies. They were able to stop the flames from spreading beyond the warehouse, according to Assistant Chief Chris Bachman, a fire district spokesman.Firefighters from the Contra Costa Fire Protection District and other agencies extinguished a warehouse fire in Antioch on June 20, 2023. No injuries were reported. (Contra Costa Fire Protection District via Bay City News)Firefighter with a handheld device with an image captured by an aerial drone inside a burning warehouse in Antioch on June 20, 2023 (Contra Costa County Fire Protection District via Bay City News)Fire crews used images captured by aerial drones inside a burning warehouse to help ...

EU nations vote to back nature restoration plans, but tough fight in parliament still awaits

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:33:54 GMT

BRUSSELS (AP) — The European Union achieved a small political breakthrough Tuesday when a majority of the 27 member states backed controversial plans for restoring nature across the continent. The 27-nation EU has long been at the forefront of fighting climate change and protecting the environment but is struggling to push the latest piece of legislation through a long-winding legal procedure. Some member states and the biggest party in the legislature, the right-wing European People’s Party, turned against the proposed plans because of fear they would negatively affect the economy.“It’s been hard work from all parties involved,” said Swedish Environment Minister Romina Pourmokhtari, who chaired the meeting. “It is a good day for nature,” she said. The plans proposed by the EU’s executive commission set binding restoration targets for specific habitats and species, with the aim by 2030 to cover at least 20% of the region’s land and sea areas. For the next step, the file would ...

Alcaraz finds some late inspiration to rally to win in 1st match at Queen’s Club

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:33:54 GMT

LONDON (AP) — Carlos Alcaraz’s first grass-court match outside Wimbledon proved to be a tricky one.Playing for the first time at the Queen’s Club Championships, the top-seeded Alcaraz came from a set down Tuesday to win 4-6, 7-5, 7-6 (3) against lucky loser Arthur Rinderknech — a No. 83-ranked Frenchman who only found out he was playing following the withdrawal of Arthur Fils a couple of hours before the match.“It has been a really tough match,” Alcaraz said. “It was really difficult for me at the beginning to adapt my tennis, my game, to the grass.”Alcaraz faced difficulties in dealing with the tall Rinderknech’s big serve and net coverage in what was the No. 2-ranked Spaniard’s seventh career match on grass, and first away from the All England Club.Alcaraz rallied from going down a break early in the third set and dominated the tiebreaker, which started with an epic point that saw Alcaraz tumble to the ground after racing to the net to hit a cross-court winner.The fourth poi...

Taliban carry out 2nd known public execution since seizing power in Afghanistan

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:33:54 GMT

ISLAMABAD (AP) — Afghanistan’s Taliban rulers Tuesday carried out what is believed to be the second confirmed public execution since the religious group took power in 2021, according to the country’s Supreme Court.The court had sentenced to death a man identified only as Ajmal from the capital Kabul who was found guilty of murdering five people in two separate incidents last year. The execution was carried out with an assault rifle by the son of Siad Wali, one of five men killed by Ajmal. It took place outside a mosque near the offices of the provincial governor in eastern Laghman province according to Islamic law, the high court said in a statement.Relatives of the four other men who were killed by Ajmal witnessed the execution.The latest public execution is likely to draw criticism from the international community. It comes just a month after the United Nations in a report strongly criticized the Taliban for carrying out public executions, lashings and stonings since seizing...

What to know about Hunter Biden’s plea deal in federal tax and gun case

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:33:54 GMT

The announcement that federal prosecutors have reached a plea deal with President Joe Biden’s son Hunter over tax and gun charges marks the likely end of a five-year Justice Department investigation that has dogged the Biden family.It doesn’t, however, mean that congressional Republicans are done with their own wide-ranging probe into nearly every facet of Hunter Biden’s business dealings, including examining foreign payments and other aspects of his finances.Some of the Republican candidates hoping to face off against President Biden in the 2024 election are decrying the deal as evidence of an unfair justice system, particularly in light of the recent federal indictment of GOP front-runner Donald Trump, though there are obvious differences between the two cases.Here’s what to know about the charges, plea agreement, other probes involving the president’s son and the politics:WHAT ARE THE CHARGES?According to a letter filed in U.S. District Court in Delaware, ...

A Titanic expert, an adventurer, and a father and son are among the passengers on missing sub

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:33:54 GMT

BOSTON (AP) — A renowned Titanic expert, a world-record holding adventurer and two members of one of Pakistan’s wealthiest families are facing critical danger aboard a small submersible that went missing while descending to the world’s most famous shipwreck.The submersible Titan was reported overdue Sunday night about 435 miles (700 kilometers) south of St. John’s, Newfoundland, according to Canada’s Joint Rescue Coordination Center, spurring a desperate international rescue effort. As of Tuesday morning about 10,000 square miles (25,900 square kilometers) of the Atlantic Ocean had been searched, according to the U.S. Coast Guard.Rescuers were racing against the clock because the oxygen supply could run out by approximately 6 a.m. Thursday.The expedition was led by OceanGate, making its third voyage to the Titanic, which struck an iceberg and sank in 1912, killing all but about 700 of the roughly 2,200 passengers and crew.The five people on the vessel include:HAMISH HARD...

Book Review: Ruth Ware’s ‘Zero Days’ lacks the urgency of her previous books

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:33:54 GMT

“Zero Days” by Ruth Ware (Scout Press)The author of “The Woman in Cabin 10” and “In a Dark, Dark Wood” is back with another page-turning thriller. But while readers will surely turn the pages until the end, “Zero Days” doesn’t quite ascend to the level of those previous bestsellers. The star of the story is Jacintha “Jack” Cross. Jack is a penetration specialist, a “pen tester” who breaks into offices with the help of her hacker hubby to test the security of British companies. The novel begins with Jack on the job, flirting with her husband, Gabe, on a headset as she navigates a corporate headquarters. By page 34, and this is not a spoiler given it’s on the back of the book, Gabe is dead and Jack is the No. 1 suspect.Ware has a knack for creating female protagonists worth rooting for and Jack, “five foot two” and a fan of eyeliner, is no exception. It’s the plot that gets in the way. Despite chapter headings that count backwards to zero (“Minus Eight Days”) and suggest something big...

Man dies after falling out of boat in Royal Gorge

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:33:54 GMT

DENVER (KDVR) — A man died after falling out of his boat as it entered rapids just past the Royal Gorge Bridge on the Arkansas River.Colorado Parks and Wildlife said the incident happened around 1:30 p.m. on Monday during a three-boat commercial trip. Several passengers fell out of a boat when it entered the Boat Eater Rapid.All passengers were pulled out of the water by other boats on the trip, but CPW said a 60-year-old was unresponsive. A guide pulled a boat to shore and began CPR until an emergency vehicle arrived. CPW: Boaters watch out for car in Arkansas River The man was pronounced dead by medical personnel.“We extend our sympathies to the family and friends of the victim,” said Tom Waters, Arkansas Headwater Recreation Area park manager, noting the victim was wearing a properly sized and fitted personal flotation device as well as a helmet.The identity of the man has not been released at this time. According to CPW, this is the 12th confirmed water-related death in Colora...