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Q&A: The “King” of cocktail bitters talks foraging ingredients in West Marin

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:25:40 GMT

Lawrence Batterton is a medicinal herbalist by trade who a decade ago stumbled, quite successfully, into the bitters business.“I started making cocktail bitters for holiday gifts. I’d play around with different recipes, like ‘Winter Blend’ or ‘Silk Road,’ type up my own labels and give them away to people like Christmas cookies.”His pungent creations – twice as strong as bar versions, thanks to his herbalist training – got such a popular reception that in 2017 he founded King Floyd’s Bar Provisions. The Novato-based company kicked off with “Aromatic Bitters,” an original recipe with 10 spices and herbs like gentian, cacao and black walnut. It’s since grown a nationally distributed product line with “Green Chili” and “Scorched Pear and Ginger” bitters, flavored salts and sugars, and deals with Williams-Sonoma and New York celebrity bartender Sother Teague.Batterton, the CEO and self-titled “chief bottle washer” of King Floyd’s, recently...

We Build The Wall founder imprisoned for fraud

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:25:40 GMT

By Jake Offenhartz | Associated PressNEW YORK — The co-founder of a fundraising group linked to Steve Bannon that promised to help Donald Trump construct a wall along the southern U.S. border was sentenced to four years and three months in prison on Wednesday for stealing hundreds of thousands of dollars from donors.Brian Kolfage, a decorated Air Force veteran who lost both of his legs and an arm in the Iraq War, previously pleaded guilty for his role in siphoning donations from the We Build the Wall campaign.A co-defendant, financier Andrew Badolato, was also sentenced to three years for aiding the effort. He had also pleaded guilty. A third man involved in siphoning funds from the wall project, Colorado businessman Tim Shea, won’t be sentenced until June.Kolfage and Badolato were also ordered to pay $25 million in restitution to the victims.Absent from the case was Bannon, Trump’s former top political adviser. He was initially arrested aboard a luxury yacht and faced f...

Los Gatos nursing home patient from San Jose killed by contaminated sandwich, lawsuit claims

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:25:40 GMT

A San Jose man recovering from surgery at a Los Gatos nursing home was killed by a contaminated sandwich staff served him, a new lawsuit claims.Richard Truong, 71, ate the sandwich at Vasona Creek Healthcare Center, according to the lawsuit by his wife Nancy Truong and his daughter Cyn and sons Robert and Eric.“Richard Truong developed sepsis and septic shock as a result of an infectious process which developed as a result of deplorable, unsanitary conditions,” the lawsuit in Santa Clara County Superior Court alleged.Vasona Creek Healthcare Center did not respond to requests for comment on the lawsuit.Truong fell ill with gastro-intestinal problems after eating the sandwich in December 2021, then suffered seizures, the lawsuit claimed.Facility staff called Truong’s son Eric, “but did not call paramedics,” the lawsuit filed last week alleged.Truong’s daughter Cyn arrived soon after, “and witnessed her father vomiting and experiencing severe s...

Pedestrian dies from injuries suffered in East Bay collision last month.

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:25:40 GMT

UNION CITY — A pedestrian injured when he was hit by a person driving a vehicle last month has died from his injuries, police said Wednesday.Arturo Marquez, 76, of Hayward, died at a hospital on April 19, according to a statement from Union City police.The driver of the vehicle has cooperated with the subsequent investigation, police said. They did not make an arrest but said the investigation is ongoing.Officers responded about 9:35 p.m. on March 23 to the area of Dyer Street and San Marco Court. They arrived to find Marquez in the roadway and unresponsive.An ambulance took him to a hospital.

Warriors-Kings Game 4 most-watched 1st round game in over 20 years

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:25:40 GMT

SAN FRANCISCO (KRON) -- The first-round series between the Golden State Warriors and Sacramento Kings has captured the interest of fans well outside of Northern California. Of all the first-round games in the 2023 NBA Playoffs, none of them have garnered as many eyes as the one between the two NorCal rivals. Game 4 between the Warriors and Kings drew the largest TV audience for a first-round game across any network in 21 years, according to a press release from ESPN. The Warriors' 126-125 nail-biting win averaged 7,523,000 viewers during Sunday afternoon's ABC broadcast -- peaking at 10,406,000 viewers. SF Giants ace picks Kings over Warriors, wagers with Bay Area native teammates The game was also the most-watched television program on Sunday, the release said. Game 4 was the most-watched first-round playoff game since Lakers-Blazers Game 3 in 2002 averaged 8,555,000 viewers -- a matchup that featured NBA legends Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O'Neal. Fan interest in this series also ...

Ron DeSantis Taken to Court Over Censorship

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:25:40 GMT

The Walt Disney Company filed suit on Wednesday in federal court against Republican Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis.The suit comes almost exactly a year after DeSantis first lashed out at the entertainment giant for pausing political donations and criticizing the governor’s since-enacted controversial bill — dubbed “Don’t Say Gay” by opponents — that bans teaching sexual orientation or gender identity to certain students. Disney claims that DeSantis weaponized Florida’s government by revoking its long-held special tax status immediately after it came out against the the governor’s policy.“Maybe he’s for free speech as long as it’s speech he likes.”Though First Amendment retaliation suits are notoriously difficult to prove in court, lawyers said that Disney may have an unusually strong case.“I find it hard to see how you can argue that you’re for free speech when you punish a corporation for their political views or you’re banning books,” said Catherine Cameron, a professor who teach...

Chelsea loses a 5th straight game to deepen crisis

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:25:40 GMT

LONDON (AP) — Chelsea sunk to a fifth straight loss since the appointment of Frank Lampard as interim manager as Brentford won 2-0 at Stamford Bridge in the Premier League on Wednesday.The visitors led through Cesar Azpilicueta’s first-half own-goal and substitute Bryan Mbeumo added a second when he ran half the length of the field unchallenged to slam home a finish and extend Chelsea’s winless slide at home to six games in all competitions.Chelsea has scored just one goal in its last seven games and failed to win any of its last eight.If, as expected, Mauricio Pochettino is confirmed as the permanent successor to Graham Potter by the time the team plays Arsenal on Tuesday, Chelsea will have had four different managers since its last victory.Chelsea, six points behind 10th-place Fulham, might struggle now just for a top-half finish in the Premier League.Chelsea began sluggishly and only got worse. Ben Chilwell drew perhaps the only ripple of anticipation from around Stamford B...

Luxfer: Q1 Earnings Snapshot

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:25:40 GMT

MILWAUKEE (AP) — MILWAUKEE (AP) — Luxfer Holdings PLC (LXFR) on Wednesday reported earnings of $500,000 in its first quarter.The Milwaukee-based company said it had net income of 2 cents per share. Earnings, adjusted for one-time gains and costs, came to 20 cents per share.The materials technology company specializing in aluminum, magnesium and zirconium posted revenue of $101.3 million in the period.Luxfer expects full-year earnings in the range of $1.15 to $1.35 per share._____This story was generated by Automated Insights (http://automatedinsights.com/ap) using data from Zacks Investment Research. Access a Zacks stock report on LXFR at https://www.zacks.com/ap/LXFRSource

Kilroy Realty: Q1 Earnings Snapshot

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:25:40 GMT

LOS ANGELES (AP) — LOS ANGELES (AP) — Kilroy Realty Corp. (KRC) on Wednesday reported a key measure of profitability in its first quarter. The results surpassed Wall Street expectations.The real estate investment trust, based in Los Angeles, said it had funds from operations of $146 million, or $1.22 per share, in the period.The average estimate of four analysts surveyed by Zacks Investment Research was for funds from operations of $1.17 per share.Funds from operations is a closely watched measure in the REIT industry. It takes net income and adds back items such as depreciation and amortization.The company said it had net income of $56.6 million, or 48 cents per share.The real estate investment trust, based in Los Angeles, posted revenue of $292.8 million in the period.Kilroy Realty expects full-year funds from operations to be $4.30 to $4.50 per share._____This story was generated by Automated Insights (http://automatedinsights.com/ap) using data from Zacks Investment Research. ...

5 school staffers charged after boy told to eat own vomit

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:25:40 GMT

BROWNSBURG, Ind. (AP) — Five staff members at a suburban Indianapolis school have been charged with neglect or failure to report neglect after a 7-year-old special education student was told to eat his own vomit.The Hendricks County Prosecutor’s Office on Tuesday charged a teacher and instructional aide at Brown Elementary School in Brownsburg with neglect and they as well as a second teacher, a second aide and a behavioral technician have been charged with failure to report the incident. The teacher charged with neglect told the student during lunch that if he vomited, he would need to eat whatever he threw up, Brownsburg police said. The child vomited on a tray provided by the second teacher, and the aide charged with neglect then gave the child a spoon, police said.The boy ate some of the vomit, then used paper towels to clean up what remained, police said. The alleged incident occurred in February.The Brownsburg Community School Corp. said it learned of the incident on April 12 ...