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World’s 50 best hotels for 2023 revealed

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:45:12 GMT

By Tamara Hardingham-Gill | CNNLondon  — It opened just over a year ago, but a luxurious 24-key Italian property has already been named the best hotel in the world.Passalacqua, which overlooks Lake Como, beat off stiff competition to receive the top spot on the first-ever edition of the World’s 50 Best Hotels list, which was announced at an awards ceremony in the UK on Tuesday night.Open since June 2022, the boutique hotel owned by the De Santis family – local hoteliers – was one of 21 Europe-based hotels included on the list, along with the Four Seasons Firenze in Florence, which came in ninth place.Asia also did well in the rankings, with 18 hotels from the region making the list, including second, third, fourth and fifth place, awarded to Rosewood Hong Kong, Four Seasons Bangkok at Chao Phraya River, The Upper House in Hong Kong and Aman Tokyo, respectively.‘Big recognition’Capello Bangkok took the No.11 spot and was also named Best New Hotel.( Capella Bangkok via CNN) Takin...

I went to Scare School to become a Knott’s Scary Farm monster

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:45:12 GMT

It’s been a lifelong dream to work alongside the undead monsters who roam the streets of Calico Ghost Town during Knott’s Scary Farm with a shared single-minded mission: Scare the living daylights out of anyone who dares wander into the fog.I’m finally going to get my chance to suit up with the Ghost Town monsters this Halloween — but first I had to make it through Scare School at the Buena Park theme park.The Ghost Town Streets scare zone is the premier playground of Knott’s Scary Farm monsters and the birthplace of the annual Halloween event that celebrates its 50th anniversary this Halloween season.If you can make it in Ghost Town, you’ve reached the pinnacle of Scary Farm monsterdom.Ghost Town “scareactors” go through slider certification during Scare School for Knott’s Scary Farm. (Photo by Brady MacDonald, Orange County Register/SCNG) SEE ALSO: Knott’s Scary Farm pays tribute to 4 former mazes with Cinema SlasherThe best of the best Ghost Town monsters are part of the Sli...

Single family residence sells for $3 million in Palo Alto

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:45:12 GMT

3980 Bibbits Drive – Google Street ViewThe property located in the 3900 block of Bibbits Drive in Palo Alto was sold on Aug. 24, 2023. The $3,000,000 purchase price works out to $1,747 per square foot. The house, built in 1957, has an interior space of 1,717 square feet. This single-story home offers a capacious living environment with its four bedrooms and two bathrooms. Inside, a fireplace enhances the ambiance of the living area. In addition, the home features an attached one-car garage.These nearby houses have also recently been sold:In March 2023, a 1,255-square-foot home on East Charleston Road in Palo Alto sold for $2,470,500, a price per square foot of $1,969. The home has 3 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms.On Gailen Avenue, Palo Alto, in November 2022, a 2,325-square-foot home was sold for $3,025,000, a price per square foot of $1,301. The home has 5 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms.A 3,073-square-foot home on the 700 block of Charleston Court in Palo Alto sold in June 2023, for $4,000,000...

Why US hotels are missing more than 238,000 employees

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:45:12 GMT

Augusta Saraiva | BloombergTourism is back in the US — but hotel workers are not.Hotels and resorts learned to operate with leaner staffing models during the pandemic. Three years later, Covid-era band-aids like self-service kiosks and less frequent housekeeping have now become the new normal for many firms seeking to cope with rising labor costs and perpetual vacancies.While employment in a variety of industries has now surpassed 2020 levels, the accommodation industry currently employs about 238,000 fewer workers than before the health crisis — a hole that’s likely to persist.Companies are seeing these initiatives “as a solution to the efficiency issues,” said Alexi Khajavi, president for hospitality, travel and wellness at Questex, an information services firm. But there’s “also just simply the fact that they don’t think that the labor issues are going to be fixed anytime soon.”Nowhere in the US is the fallout more apparent than in Las Vegas, where one in four people are employed...

In plea agreement, Hayward man found not guilty of killing father by reason of insanity

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:45:12 GMT

OAKLAND — Three years after fatally stabbing his father inside their Hayward home, a 25-year-old man has been found not guilty of manslaughter by reason of insanity, court records show.In an agreement between prosecuting and defense attorneys, William East-McCormack first pleaded no contest to a charge of manslaughter in the death of Michael McCormack, 57, then entered a subsequent plea of not guilty by reason of insanity. Prosecutors dropped murder, attempted murder and threats charges against him in exchange for his pleas.At the same August court hearing, Judge Amy Sekany found “by a preponderance of the evidence” that East-McCormack was insane at the time of the 2020 stabbing. Prosecutors didn’t contest East-McCormack’s sanity.The father was killed on March 18, 2020, inside the family’s home in Hayward. At the time of the stabbing, police said East-McCormack had “medically documented psychiatric issues.” He also allegedly stabbed an...

Air quality updates: Bay Area schools deal with smoky air

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:45:12 GMT

SAN FRANCISCO (KRON) -- Plumes of smoke from wildfires in Northern California and Oregon have covered the Bay Area starting Tuesday. On Wednesday, a Spare the Air Alert was issued through Thursday due to the higher levels of particulate matter in the air, the Bay Area Air Quality Management District announced. Residents have been advised to avoid exposure if the smell of smoke is present by staying indoors and closing all doors and windows.Follow our live blog for the latest updates.Bay Area air quality updates:10:36 a.m. -- Oakland Zoo closed WednesdayThe Oakland Zoo announced on X that it will be closed Wednesday due to poor air quality. The zoo added that its animal care team is "making sure all of our animals are comfortable and healthy."9:57 a.m. -- Oakland school district issues "poor air quality" protocolsThe Oakland Unified School District said Wednesday the air quality in Oakland is on the edge of the Environmental Protection Agency's categories of "Unhealthy for Sensitive ...

San Jose PD investigating homicide Tuesday near Capitol Flea Market

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:45:12 GMT

(BCN) -- San Jose detectives are investigating a shooting near the Capitol Flea Market on Tuesday as a homicide, police said. The shooting occurred in the area of East Capitol Expressway and Monterey Highway around 12:45 p.m. Tuesday, the San Jose Police Department said on social media Wednesday. Bay Area air quality advisory extended through Thursday Police said officers found a man suffering from at least one gunshot wound in the area. This is the 27th homicide case in San Jose this year, police said. Copyright © 2023 Bay City News, Inc.

Alan Williams remains away from Bears; Eberflus won’t say if he’s still defensive coordinator

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:45:12 GMT

LAKE FOREST, Ill. (AP) — Chicago Bears defensive coordinator Alan Williams remained away from the team Wednesday after missing a game for personal reasons, and coach Matt Eberflus would not say if he still has his job.“I don’t have any update right now,” Eberflus said.He gave similar answers when asked if he anticipates Williams returning this season and if the two have spoken. Williams, in his second season as Chicago’s defensive coordinator, missed last week’s game at Tampa Bay after working the opener against the Green Bay Packers. Eberflus, a former defensive coordinator with Indianapolis, called plays against the Buccaneers and plans to do so “at this time” when the Bears (0-2) visit Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday.Eberflus said the Bears can get by without a defensive coordinator and doesn’t see it becoming problematic because of the experience of his staff.“I think with the experience that we have on defense, I don’t think that’s an issu...

John Grisham, George R.R. Martin and more authors sue OpenAI for copyright infringement

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:45:12 GMT

NEW YORK (AP) — John Grisham, Jodi Picoult and George R.R. Martin are among 17 authors suing OpenAI for “systematic theft on a mass scale,” the latest in a wave of legal action by writers concerned that artificial intelligence programs are using their copyrighted works without permission. In papers filed Tuesday in federal court in New York, the authors alleged “flagrant and harmful infringements of plaintiffs’ registered copyrights” and called the ChatGPT program a “massive commercial enterprise” that is reliant upon “systematic theft on a mass scale.” The suit was organized by the Authors Guild and also includes David Baldacci, Sylvia Day, Jonathan Franzen and Elin Hilderbrand among others. “It is imperative that we stop this theft in its tracks or we will destroy our incredible literary culture, which feeds many other creative industries in the U.S.,” Authors Guild CEO Mary Rasenberger said in a statement. “Great books are generally written by those who spend their careers ...

Lions’ C.J. Gardner-Johnson, James Houston on injured reserve, testing depth against Falcons

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:45:12 GMT

ALLEN PARK, Mich. (AP) — The Detroit Lions lost more than a game against Seattle, placing defensive back C.J. Gardner-Johnson and defensive end James Houston on injured reserve.Gardner-Johnson’s torn pectoral muscle and Houston’s broken ankle will potentially keep them out for the season, coach Dan Campbell said Wednesday.The Lions (1-1) will have their depth on both sides of the ball tested against Atlanta (2-0) on Sunday at home.Lions running back David Montgomery may miss at least one game with a bruised thigh, giving rookie Jahmyr Gibbs an opportunity to have more carries and catches.Detroit’s banged-up secondary will lean on sixth-year pro Tracy Walker and rookie Brian Branch to play larger roles against the Falcons. Veteran defensive ends Charles Harris, John Cominsky and Romeo Okwara will likely get more snaps with Houston out of the lineup.Gardner-Johnson signed an $8 million, one-year deal with the Lions, who spent a lot to improve their secondary in the offseas...