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As a research biologist with the U.S. Geological Survey, it’s been Brian Halstead’s job for years to observe the San Francisco garter snake. And he’s constantly startled by its beauty. It has an orange-red head, turquoise chin and both colors running in stripes, along with white, across the length of its lean black body. The reptile has the shine of a tire recently sprayed with Armor All, and the bold color choices of a contestant on “RuPaul’s Drag Race.” “It's a snake,” Halstead says, “that even somebody who doesn’t like snakes can love.” Cast your vote: Vote for the (unofficial) Official Animal of San Francisco: Final Four! The San Francisco garter snake is both a stunner and a survivor, its habitat shrunk to alarming extremes by encroaching urban sprawl. The snake lives only in the Bay Area, its highest profile home flanked by a freeway overpass, PG&E transformers and the San Francisco International Airport. It has been name-checked by Ronald Reagan. It’s been on … [Read more...] about A snake named San Francisco: Endangered Bay Area serpent is a survivor

This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate 2 On a recent trip to Vietnam, I’m pretty sure I found one key to a happy and harmonious urban life. During the drippy, languid hours of mid-day heat in Ho Chi Minh City, which many also call Saigon, I frequently ducked into every hẻm, or alleyway, that I saw for a little bit of shade. They quickly became my favorite places in the city. Lined with homes and storefronts that opened up directly into the street, these alleyways were filled with scooter parking, lush potted trees, craft workshops, shrines wafting with incense smoke, and baskets of various things for sale. Cars, still a rarity in this city, occasionally snagged parking at alley entrances when they could. In these alleyways, where the vast majority of residents live, the division between one’s own property and the street is more of a suggestion rather than a rule. Life spills out of the home and onto the streets, where … [Read more...] about What Vietnam’s alleyways can teach the Bay Area about bureaucracy and community

He is known for his warm presenting style and hilarious dance moves on the dance floor. But it’s fair to say Dan Walker will be taking a break from his usual hosting duties for a while after the beloved TV presenter was knocked off his bicycle on a horrific car crash. Recalling the terrifying moment, the former BBC Breakfast presenter admitted he’s “lucky to be alive” after the accident which has left his with some gruelling facial injuries. READ MORE: Dan Walker reignites feud with 'bitter' Piers Morgan after brutal car smash dig As the broadcaster continues to recover with the help and support of his loving family around him, Daily Star has taken a deep dive inside his lavish Sheffield home. When Dan isn’t hard at work in the Channel 5 studios, the famous presenter can often be found relaxing in his gorgeous home which she shares with his wife Sarah and their three children, Joe, Jessica and Susie, as well as their pet dog Winnie. Home office Unsurprisingly, … [Read more...] about Inside Dan Walker’s home – huge summer house, lavish kitchen and football-themed office

This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate 4 Downtown Berkeley, more than any spot in the Bay Area, shows how statewide housing policies could soon alter the scale of our local cities — for better or worse. Six buildings of 16 to 28 stories are proposed in the central core, a setting where only one structure above 13 stories has been built since 1971. An eclectic two-block-wide corridor of buildings of various dimensions and architectural styles would be joined by chunky structures of a much different scale, three at heights that rival UC-Berkeley’s Campanile. One reason for the shift is that more Berkeley residents – and those in other Bay Area cities – now accept that the region needs to provide homes for all types of people. But there’s another factor at work: Legislators in Sacramento have passed a raft of bills to make it easier for developers to build residential buildings, meaning that cities like Berkeley have … [Read more...] about Housing towers are coming to downtown Berkeley — whether the city wants them or not

Kitchen islands have taken over the interior design scene for years now — perhaps too long. Some homeowners are starting their own trends by taking out their massive kitchen centerpieces and replacing them with new ideas. Here are some of the best ways you can design a kitchen without installing an island. Freestanding table Islands are great at providing additional kitchen counter space, but can make it for tight space in a busy kitchen. Rather than install an island in your kitchen, consider adding a free-standing table to the center of the cooking space. “Islands can be cabinetry built right down to the floor to contain storage and appliances but this can create a somewhat bulky and over-fitted look so an alternative could be to use instead a table or a worktable,” Merlin Wright, design director at Plain English, told Homes and Gardens . “A dining table is seating height whereas a worktable is full-height. The advantage of the worktable is that it has the visual … [Read more...] about Get rid of that kitchen island with these clever alternatives

close Video Travel risk trainer and LAPD veteran Kevin Coffey explains 3 crime trends "Jugging," "tap and glue" and "sliders" are recent crime trends that impact everyday Americans, Kevin Coffey explains. Everyday, routine activities – like going to the ATM or getting gas – can become crime scenes of low-level offenses that create major headaches and financial loss. Someone watches a bank or mall customer with their head in their phone. A seemingly friendly tip to use a tap card at an ATM that's glued shut. A phony good Samaritan says you dropped a wallet at the gas pump or a cheerful, chatty chap can't stop complimenting your outfit. These are all part of street-level crime trends designed to prey on distracted victims to grab a purse, phone or wallet and take off. All they need is a few seconds, in most instances. ROBBERY SUSPECT BODY SLAMS TEXAS WOMAN, LEAVING HER PARALYZED: VIDEO Video These three … [Read more...] about ‘Jugging’ among new crime trends posing danger on America’s streets: What to know

Ask a longtime Disneyland fan, and they’ll likely tell you that Disneyland can still be enjoyable on rainy days. So many people decide to stay home and wait for better weather, the general thinking goes, that ride queues clear out. For those who brave the elements, it can be a better, if not wetter, park experience. But does that thinking hold up now that so many things have changed at Disneyland ? Here’s everything you need to know about going to Disneyland in the rain. Does Disneyland close in the rain? Only in cases of extreme weather or public safety events. Walt Disney World closed twice in 2022 because of hurricanes, but Disneyland has shut down only six times in its history, including the day after John F. Kennedy was assassinated, on 9/11 and during the pandemic. Essentially, there’s almost no chance Disneyland will close because of a rain storm. Can I cancel/change my reservation if it looks too rainy? You can cancel a reservation up until 11:59 p.m. the night … [Read more...] about What happens when it rains at Disneyland and why some rides shut down