Why Valentine’s Day falls in the dead of winter is shrouded in mystery. Some credit (or blame) ancient Romans, who celebrated the feast of Lupercalia on Feb. 15. The holiday moved, with the rise of Christianity, to Feb. 14, a saint day that celebrated several Christian martyrs named Valentine. What […]

Survivors smile during the Pink Zone celebration in February 2018 at the Bryce Jordan Center. A virtual pregame show will take place this year, in lieu of survivors and fans at the game. Centre Daily Times, file From crafts to art exhibits and a virtual twist on the annual Pink […]

It’s Chinese New Year today here in Hong Kong. Vietnamese New Year in Saigon, and Korean New Year in Seoul, too. We celebrated the holiday with family last night, as is traditional. My in-laws came over for hotpot. But it was a tight-knit group of close relatives, just my wife’s […]

Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin together on “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” in 2020. Randy Holmes/ABC via Getty Images Some female celebrities have found lifelong friends in other A-listers. Jada Pinkett Smith and Queen Latifah met as teenagers in a club in the ’90s. Jane Fonda’s and Lily Tomlin’s four-decade friendship began […]

The mayor of Akron is using the retirement of a longtime public servant as an opportunity to consolidate departments that directly serve the public. Mayor Dan Horrigan announced Thursday that John Valle, the city’s first and only director of neighborhood assistance, retire at the end of February. His duties — […]

West Sacramento residents Keetha Mills and Phil Nanni enjoy some ice cream at the newly opened Devil May Care ice cream shop on Third Street. Ed Andersen Ed Andersen We’re almost a year into quarantining, and now it’s time to celebrate Quarantine Valentine’s Day. It’s usually a night for eating […]

EAST BAY State Sen. Nancy Skinner, D-Berkeley, introduced legislation Wednesday to make free meals available to every public school student without any burdensome application process or eligibility determination. With provisions that emphasize meals that are freshly prepared with locally grown food, SB 364, the “School Meals for All” bill, is […]

Transit systems, riders, and workers have been hard hit by the COVID-19 pandemic. Hundreds of workers have died and thousands have been infected by the dangerous virus. Service has been slashed, leaving riders stranded. Among the people who are harmed most by those cuts are the essential workers who still […]

Illinois will soon expand eligibility for the COVID-19 vaccine to include people with high-risk medical conditions and disabilities, Gov. J.B. Pritzker announced Wednesday. The state is currently in Phase 1B of its vaccination program, which includes people 65 years and older, frontline essential workers and inmates. Starting Feb. 25, the […]