High pollution levels in Thailand’s northern city of Chiang Mai and surrounding provinces are keeping tourists away and alarming locals, with the government on Monday, April 10, urging residents to avoid outdoor activities.

For several weeks last month the city was at the top of air quality information platform IQAir’s global chart on poor air quality, ahead of Lahore, Pakistan and New Delhi, India.

Chiang Mai, known for its scenic mountainous views, temples and chic cafés, received 10.8 million visitors in pre-pandemic 2019, but hotel bookings in the city have dropped to 45% occupancy, the Thai Hotel Association Northern Chapter president Phunut Thanalaopanich told Reuters on Monday.

That is far short of the 80% to 90% expected ahead of this week’s Thai New Year holidays, known as Songkran.

“It (has) impacted my business … people aren’t coming, (they) can’t see the view,” said Sunat Insao, 53, who sells orange juice.

Addressing the deteriorating air quality in the north, Thailand’s health ministry urged the public to avoid outdoor activities and wear masks that can filter particles.

Chang Mai, Thailand’s third-biggest city, reached 289 on IQAir’s air quality index (AQI) index in March, which measures the level of inhalable fine particles in the air.

On Monday it had eased to 171, but was still 19 times over the World Health Organization’s recommended level.

“You can feel (the dust) in your face … I clean my face, I see the pad and I was like, ‘this is really, really dirty,’” said Fernanda Gonzalez, 27, who was visiting from Mexico.

Authorities have blamed a combination of forest fires and crop burning in Thailand and its neighboring countries.

Thai Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha said last week he was coordinating with Laos and Myanmar to reduce hot spots in the border area to curb transboundary haze.

Chiang Mai resident Pathsharasakon Po, 36, said she was concerned about allergies, or even cancer.

“It’s getting worse and worse year by year,” Pathsharasakon said.

An elderly couple has died after eating poisonous pufferfish in Malaysia, prompting an appeal from their daughter for stronger laws to prevent others from suffering the same fate.

Ng Chuan Sing and his wife Lim Siew Guan, both in their early 80s, unknowingly purchased at least two pufferfish from an online vendor on March 25, said authorities in the southern state of Johor.

The same day Lim fried the fish for lunch and began to experience “breathing difficulties and shivers,” authorities said. An hour after eating the meal, her husband Ng also started showing similar symptoms, they added.

The couple was rushed to hospital and admitted to the intensive care unit, and Lim was pronounced dead at 7p.m. local time.

Ng fell into a coma for eight days but his condition worsened and he died on Saturday morning, said the couple’s daughter, Ng Ai Lee, who gave a press conference at the couple’s home on Sunday before their funeral.

Ng demanded accountability for her parents’ death and for stronger laws in Malaysia, where at least 30 species of pufferfish are commonly found in surrounding waters.

“Those responsible for their deaths should be held accountable under the law and I hope the authorities will speed up investigations,” Ng said. “I also hope the Malaysian government will beef up enforcement and help to raise public awareness on pufferfish poisoning to prevent such incidents from happening again.”

Malaysian law prohibits the sale of poisonous and harmful food like pufferfish meat and the offense carries a fine of RM10,000 ($2,300) or a prison term of up to two years.

Despite the dangers, poisonous pufferfish are sold at many Malaysian wet markets, experts said. “It’s considered exotic and tends to attract consumers,” said Aileen Tan, a marine biologist and director at the Universiti Sains Malaysia Centre for Marine and Coastal Studies.

“Once pufferfish have been cleaned and sold as slices, it is nearly impossible for the public to know the type of fish that they purchased,” Tan warned. “As for sellers, it is debatable on their (part) if they are aware (of the risks).”

“There needs to be more awareness about the risks of consuming puffer fish – maybe authorities need to look at special certifications for vendors and suppliers,” she said.

Highly prized but deadly delicacy

Commonly referred to as ‘fugu’ – the Japanese term for pufferfish – pufferfish meat is enjoyed as a highly-priced delicacy despite containing deadly poison.

The fish’s organs, as well as skin, blood and bones, contain high concentrations of a deadly poison known as tetrodotoxin. Ingestion can rapidly cause tingling around the mouth and dizziness, which may be followed by convulsions, respiratory paralysis and death, medical experts say.

It is most commonly served in high-end Tokyo restaurants as sashimi and hot pot ingredients but has also caught on in popularity in countries like South Korea and Singapore, where dedicated fugu restaurants operate.

Under Japanese law, fugu chefs must undergo extensive apprenticeships of up to three years before they are licensed and allowed to handle and prepare the fish for food. Incorrectly prepared fugu has been found to be one of the most frequent causes of food poisoning in Japan, according to its health ministry.

There is no known antidote to the poison.

Despite the danger and risks, fugu has grown in popularity especially among gourmets and thrill seekers and is now also eaten countries outside Japan – at times, unregulated. In 2020, food poisoning killed three people in the Philippines after they ate pufferfish from a local barbecue stand.

The Malaysian health ministry said 58 poisoning incidents involving pufferfish consumption, including 18 deaths, were reported in the country between 1985 and 2023.

Photos shared by Ng on Facebook showed two pufferfish cooked by the couple – fried, headless and served on plates.

Their deaths sparked a public outcry and outpouring of sympathy, authorities are investigating who sold them the fish.

“The state district health office has opened investigations under the Food Act 1983… and carried out an investigation on the ground to identify the supplier, wholesaler and seller of the pufferfish,” Ling Tian Soon, chief of the Johor Health and Unity Committee, said in a statement issued Sunday.

He added that his health department would be holding discussions with the Fisheries Development Authority of Malaysia, a government agency overseeing seafood supplies in the country as well as local universities with fishery expertise.

“Information on pufferfish has also been posted on the Health Ministry’s Food Safety and Quality Facebook page,” Ling said.

“We urge the public to be careful when choosing their food, especially if it has known risks.”

Separate attacks in the West Bank and Tel Aviv killed three people on Friday after Israel struck Palestinian militant targets in southern Lebanon and Gaza, concluding three days of rising tensions in the region following police raids on the al-Aqsa mosque in Jerusalem.

The Israeli strikes came hours after dozens of rockets were fired from Lebanon into Israeli territory, an attack the Israeli military blamed on Palestinian militants. The barrage from Lebanon was the largest since a 2006 war between the two countries.

Violence continued to spiral Friday when two sisters, aged 16 and 20, with dual British-Israeli citizenship, were killed and their mother was seriously wounded in a shooting attack in the occupied West Bank.

Later in the evening, a group of tourists was hit by a vehicle during an attack in Tel Aviv, described by Israeli authorities as a “terror attack.” An Italian man was killed and seven people were wounded, including three British tourists and an Italian citizen. Of the seven injured, three were still in hospital as of Saturday morning local time, according to the Ichilov Medical Center. The four others had been released.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has “instructed the Israel Police to mobilize all border police units in reserve and the IDF (Israel Defense Forces) to mobilize additional forces in face of terrorist attacks,” according to his office.

The Israeli military said it was on high alert, calling up an unspecified number of reservists amid what it described as “very volatile times.”

The US said it “strongly condemns (the) terrorist attacks in the West Bank and Tel Aviv.”

“The three horrific attacks today, in which three were killed and at least eight others wounded, affected citizens of Israel, Italy and the United Kingdom. The targeting of innocent civilians of any nationality is unconscionable,” State Department deputy spokesperson Vedant Patel said in a statement issued Friday.

“The United States stands with the government and people of Israel. We are in close contact with our Israeli partners and reaffirm our enduring commitment to their security.”

Following the attack in Tel Aviv, the leader of the United Arab List and Palestinian-Israeli Knesset member Mansour Abbas rejected any “use of violence against any citizen.”

“Especially in these difficult times, it’s important for me to emphasize, as I have many times in the past. Regarding the attack in Tel Aviv, this is not the way of the Arab community and the Arab citizens in Israel,” Abbas said on Twitter on Saturday.

“The Arab leadership headed by Ra’am and the Islamic Movement will not accept in any way the use of violence against any citizen regardless of religion, race or nationality,” Abbas added.

In Lebanon, Israeli airstrikes hit an open area near the southern coastal city of Tyre. The Israeli military believes Palestinian factions launched dozens of rockets from that city. Israel has blamed Hamas, the militant group which controls Gaza, for the rocket launches.

“The IDF will not allow the Hamas terrorist organization to operate from within Lebanon and holds the state of Lebanon responsible for every directed fire emanating from its territory,” the IDF said in a statement.

“Qatar’s primary goal is to prevent unnecessary bloodshed and avoid destructive consequences for Palestinians and civilian populations,” the official said.

It is unclear which of the warring parties Qatari officials have been communicating with. Qatar does not have official diplomatic relations with Israel.

The Lebanese armed group Hezbollah, which holds sway over south Lebanon, has neither denied nor claimed responsibility for the attacks. But the powerful Iran-backed armed group warned that “hundreds of millions of Muslims” were prepared to “shed blood” in response to the Israeli police raids on al-Aqsa. In recent months, Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah said that violations at the mosque compound in Jerusalem’s old city would cause “all hell to break loose in the region.”

“We know we have a very tough and difficult situation in south Lebanon. Hezbollah is there and they are armed. The Lebanese army and UNIFL (United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon) are also there and working with others in order to stop such things, but they are not always successful,” Bou Habib said.

The foreign minister said that the ministry understands the attack “had its reasons…but we don’t like it coming from Lebanon.”

“What happened in Aqsa is the reason for what happened in Lebanon yesterday. I’m not justifying it … I’m explaining that what happened in al-Aqsa is very important and really there is a reaction,” Bou Habib added.

Lebanon said it would submit an official complaint to the UN Security Council, calling Israel’s strikes a “flagrant violation of Lebanon’s sovereignty.” Hamas also condemned the strikes in a statement Friday, and expressed “solidarity with the Lebanese people.” In a separate statement, it condemned Israel’s strikes on the Gaza Strip.

In Gaza, the Palestinian Ministry of Health said Israeli strikes damaged a children’s hospital, causing distress to the young patients inside. “This is not the first time that health facilities have been targeted, and it is unacceptable,” the ministry added in a statement.

Hecht said the Israeli strikes targeted 10 sites in Gaza, including production sites and research and development sites as well as tunnel infrastructure. In earlier statements, the IDF said it hit several Hamas weapons manufacturing sites, an underground weapons complex, and “terror” tunnels in Beit Hanoun and Khan Yunis.

Anger over police raids on mosque

The exchange of fire comes as anger boils across the region over Israeli police raids at the al-Aqsa mosque, one of Islam’s holiest sites, in Jerusalem on Wednesday, which drew widespread condemnation from the Arab and Muslim world and sparked retaliatory rocket fire from Gaza into Israel.

Then on Thursday, the IDF said some 34 rockets were launched into Israel from Lebanon. Videos posted on social media showed rockets from Lebanon streaking through the skies over northern Israel, and the sounds of explosions in the distance. Israel closed its northern airspace in the wake of the barrage.

Footage from inside the mosque on Wednesday showed Israeli officers beating people with their batons and rifle-butts, then arresting hundreds of Palestinians. Israeli police said they entered the mosque after “hundreds of rioters” tried to barricade themselves inside.

Hecht, the IDF international spokesman, linked the rocket fire to the two Israeli incursions into the al-Aqsa mosque, saying they had created “very negative energies.”

“The context of the story starts two days ago on Temple Mount with these very, very harsh pictures coming out of the prayer at night,” Hecht said, using the Jewish name for the Jerusalem holy site, which is known to Muslims as the Haram al-Sharif, or Noble Sanctuary.

The foreign minister for Jordan, the custodian of the al-Aqsa mosque and other Muslim and Christian holy sites in Jerusalem, said “we are at a very dangerous moment.”

Lebanon and Israel are considered enemy states, but a truce between them has largely held since the 2006 conflict. On Friday, the UN’s peacekeeping force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) said its head of mission and force commander was speaking with authorities on both sides, and that both Israel and Lebanon have said “they do not want a war.”

There have been several small-scale rocket attacks from Lebanon in recent years that have prompted retaliatory strikes from Israel. Few casualties were reported in those incidents, with the largest death toll in an exchange of fire in 2015 that left two Israeli soldiers and a Spanish peacekeeper dead. Palestinian factions in Lebanon were believed to be behind those rocket attacks.

The husband of former Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon, Peter Murrell, was arrested on Wednesday in connection with an investigation into the funding and finances of the Scottish National Party.

Murrell, 58, stepped down as the SNP’s chief executive last month after more than two decades in the role following Sturgeon’s shock resignation as first minister in February.

A 58-year-old man was “arrested as a suspect” and is being questioned by detectives, Police Scotland said in a statement.

“Officers are also carrying out searches at a number of addresses as part of the investigation,” the statement added.

He was later released without charge “pending further investigation,” according to Police Scotland, after spending nearly 12 hours in custody.

Police Scotland has been investigating the SNP’s handling of money that was slated for Scottish independence campaigning, according to PA Media.

A spokesperson for the SNP said the party would not comment on a live investigation, but it “has been cooperating fully with this investigation and will continue to do so.”

The party’s governing body has agreed to a review of governance and transparency, the spokesperson added.

The SNP has led the Scottish government since 2007, but momentum behind its goal of breaking away from the UK has slowed recently as the party’s polling has dipped and political headaches have mounted.

Murrell and Sturgeon have been key figures in the Scottish independence movement for years.

Sturgeon served as the country’s first minister for eight years, but dramatically announced that she would resign from her post on February 15.

At the time, Sturgeon said she knew the “time is now” for her to stand down, adding that the move was “right for me, for my party and for the country.”

Her announcement sparked a leadership battle which was won by Humza Yousaf, a race which exposed divisions within the party.

Jon Rahm’s winning margin at the Masters of four shots suggested he had everything his own way over the weekend.

But the gap between the Spaniard and his closest rivals, LIV Golf Series duo Brooks Koepka and Phil Mickelson, might have been even larger if it wasn’t for a contribution from a Super Bowl winning tight end.

Despite being the embodiment of consistency in Sunday’s final round to claim his first green jacket and second career major at Augusta National, Rahm’s eventual title charge couldn’t have got off to a worse start.

On the first hole of his opening round, Rahm had some uncharacteristic struggles as he four-putted for a double bogey on the first hole’s undulating green.

Although he was able to recover over the course of the weekend and eventually claim his maiden Masters title, Rahm joked afterward that some text messages from Super Bowl winning tight end Zach Ertz jinxed his abilities on the opening hole.

“For those people who believe in jinxing other players, people or whatever it may be, Thursday morning when I was getting on my golf cart to get to this putting green. Ten minutes before my tee time, I saw a text from a good friend of mine,” Rahm, dressed in his newly acquired green jacket, explained to reporters.

“I’m going to name him because he is a Super Bowl winning champion – Zach Ertz – he sent the text: ‘That first green looking like a walk in the park,’ 10 minutes before I four-putted the start of the tournament.”

With a smile, Rahm continued: “So, thank you Zach, don’t ever do that again please.”

Ertz – who won Super Bowl LII with the Philadelphia Eagles and now plays for the Arizona Cardinals – acknowledged the texts and said he had no regrets.

“I apologize for absolutely nothing!” he tweeted. “You can expect these texts every major going forward my friend! Congratulations!”

Ertz’s former Cardinals teammate JJ Watt, who retired at the end of the 2022 season, tweeted out screenshots of messages sent to a group chat called “Birdies and Babies” which included Rahm, Ertz and Watt which seemed to corroborate Rahm’s story with the caption: “Can confirm. I think this means you deserve a green jacket (Ertz).”

Ertz text the group saying “Let’s have a day Jon!! Start fast!!” to which Watt replied: “Let’s go Jon!!! Pretend you’re playing with Zach and I. You’ll set the course record!”

He followed up with: “First hole green looks like a walk in the park.”

Watt also included a screenshot of a private text message exchange with Ertz. The tight end said: “4 putt to start the round… not ideal.” Watt replied: “Horrendous. I said pretend you’re playing WITH us not like your playing LIKE us,” which Ertz responded with a pair of laughing emojis.

Despite the opening hole double bogey, Rahm wasn’t hampered for long, grabbing birdies on the following two holes as he shot an impressive seven-under opening-round 65.

And he continued his steady rise up the leaderboard over the course of a disrupted four days, showing exemplary consistency to win the 2023 Masters.

The assistant referee who appeared to elbow Liverpool’s Andy Robertson during an English Premier League game on Sunday will not be involved in any matches while English football’s governing body investigates the incident, the body responsible for Premier League referees said in a statement.

The Football Association (FA) is investigating the incident which happened at the end of the first half match between Liverpool and Arsenal at Anfield.

Robertson, a 29-year-old defender, had approached Constantine Hatzidakis on the pitch. Video replays appeared to show Robertson brushing past Hatzidakis who responded by lifting his elbow, which hit the player.

Robertson was visibly furious and had to be pulled away by his teammates after receiving a yellow card for his subsequent reaction.

Robertson was criticized by Sky Sports pundit and former Manchester United midfielder Roy Keane for his reaction, saying the player “should be more worried about his defending,” while former Premier League striker Chris Sutton told the BBC that the assistant referee would have to be punished.

“I really don’t know what he was thinking. As far as I can see, he has to be banned,” Sutton said.

The incident during the break was one of many flashpoints in a chaotic game at Anfield which eventually finished in a 2-2 draw.

It also comes after Fulham striker Aleksandar Mitrović was handed an eight-game ban for pushing referee Chris Kavanagh in the team’s FA Cup loss against Manchester United last month.

The Masters is over for another year but there is another tournament to look forward to on the horizon.

Golf Digest is launching a new national, two-person team best-ball tournament allowing amateur golfers to compete for a $1,000 cash prize as well as inclusion in an upcoming issue of the magazine.

The Golf Digest Open will consist of eight regional qualifiers contested by 400 teams over the summer before 32 teams will advance to a two-day national championship on October 30 and 31st.

The top two teams from each qualifier in both the Gross and Net divisions will play in the national championship, held at the brand new OMNI PGA Frisco Resort in Texas, which is set to host a number of prestigious events, including the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship in 2025 and the men’s PGA Championship in 2027.

There, the teams with the lowest cumulative 36-hole score in each division will be crowned champions.

“It’s going to feel very competitive because we’re doing gross and net divisions so the opportunity for a golfer of any skill to participate and actually win their local qualifying tournament and get into the national championship will be high,” Stern said.

Timed to coincide with golf’s expansion after the Covid-19 pandemic, the Golf Digest Open “could become the new national amateur tournament,” Stern added.

The entry fee for the qualifiers is $500 per player, covering greens fees, cart fees, practice range access, breakfast and/or lunch, and a gift, while entry for the National Championship costs $1,000 per player including green fees, two-nights accommodation at the resort and meals for the duration of the national championship.

The tournament begins on June 12 at The Standard Club in Atlanta, a Golf Digest Best in State course, and the Mesa Country Club, which was designed by the man who built the famed Torrey Pines Golf Course. Among the other courses hosting events are Kemper Lakes Golf Club, host of the 1989 PGA Championship, and Aviara Golf Club in California, which hosts the annual LPGA Tour event.

To learn more and sign up for the Golf Digest Open, please click here.

A destructive storm system that spawned at least 11 tornado reports and killed five people in Missouri now threatens millions more from Texas to New York with damaging winds, large hail and more potential twisters.

At least five people were killed when a possible tornado struck Bollinger County, Missouri, Sheriff Casey Graham said Wednesday.

Another five people were reported injured, said Missouri State Highway Patrol Col. Eric Olson. At least 87 structures were damaged – 12 of which were totally destroyed, Olson said.

Authorities were still involved in search and rescue efforts, a highway patrol official said.

“When you look at the devastation of this, it’s going to be weeks among months to be able to recover,” Missouri Gov. Mike Parson said in a news conference Wednesday. “It’s a long journey ahead for the people that live here.”

The damage in Bollinger County appears to be from a high-end EF-2 tornado, the National Weather Service said, adding details may change as they receive more information.

The same storm system that battered parts of Missouri, Iowa, Illinois and Michigan continued to threaten more than 50 million people from Texas to New York Wednesday evening.

At least nine tornadoes were reported Tuesday, including two in Iowa and seven in Illinois – where several buildings were damaged in the town of Colona and multiple semi-trucks were toppled over along the I-88.

More than 170 hail reports also emerged from Iowa, Illinois, Missouri and Michigan on Tuesday. Davenport, Iowa, was pummeled with 4-inch hail – larger than a softball – while in Oswego, Illinois, baseball-sized hail plummeted from the sky.

The risks on Wednesday

An enhanced risk – Level 3 out of 5 – of severe storms remained in place Wednesday evening from northwestern Tennessee to north Ohio, including Columbus, Nashville, Cleveland, Cincinnati and Louisville.

A Level 3 enhanced risk means multiple persistent and widespread severe storms are possible.

And while tornado watches were no longer active, at the peak of the storm earlier in the day, there were more than 20 million people under tornado watches that extended more than 800 miles, from eastern Arkansas to southeastern Michigan.

This latest round of severe weather comes just days after parts of the South and Midwestt were ravaged by violent storms and tornadoes that left 32 people dead.

Blizzard conditions engulf parts of the Northern Plains

Meanwhile, winter storms plagued the Northern Plains Wednesday, a day after “blizzard conditions” led to the shutdown of more than 100 miles of Interstate 90.

Widespread heavy snow has fallen across the Rockies and is expected to continue over the Northern Plains, which have been seeing snowfall for several hours.

“Blizzard warnings are in effect for parts of the Dakotas where snow showers and strong winds will cause blowing snow and reduced visibility, which will make travel dangerous,” the National Weather Service’s Weather Prediction Center said Wednesday afternoon.

Parts of eastern North Dakota and northern Minnesota will see several inches worth of snow Wednesday, the center added.

The North Dakota Department of Transportation urged drivers to stay off the roads, warning conditions are too dangerous even for emergency crews.

“If you don’t need to drive, stay off the roads. It’s dangerous for you and emergency crews. If you’re stranded, crews may not be able to reach you,” the transportation department tweeted.

Meanwhile, sleet and freezing rain will impact parts of the Upper Great Lakes and New England, the prediction center said.

“Winter Weather Advisories are in effect for parts of Maine, New Hampshire, and Vermont through early Thursday morning,” the center added, warning of possible power outages and difficult travel conditions.

You’ll no doubt be hungry after watching “Eva Longoria: Searching for Mexico.”

Every episode is full of mouthwatering regional specialties prepared by chefs all over the country.

For those wanting to follow in Eva Longoria’s footsteps, below is a guide to the restaurants and locations she visited.

Oaxaca: A gastronomic capital

Nestled within three vast mountain ranges, Oaxaca is a magnet for food lovers in the know.

A thrill of any visit here is sampling the moles, as well as dishes such as tlayudas (thin Oaxacan “pizzas”), spicy hot chocolate and asado grilled in smoky market stalls. “It is on another level gastronomically, one of the best places I’ve been to in the world,” Longoria said.

• Mercado de Abastos is a giant market on the edge of Oaxaca City. If you want your chocolate fix, the mercado is still the place to come. This region is known for its moles – complex sauces featuring many blended ingredients.

• Casa Oaxaca makes Oaxaca’s famous mole negro drizzled over turkey breast. Longoria called it a magnificently complex and sophisticated sauce.

• At Las Quince Letras, chef Celia Florián made Longoria quesillo – a stretched Oaxacan cheese –– with crickets and edible flowers.

• In the area of Oaxaca located on the Isthmus of Tehuantepec, several muxes, who identify as a third gender and are guardians of Zapotecan cuisine, cooked up stuffed pork with pineapple served alongside pureed potatoes. Longoria called it “the perfect combination.”

• The farming town of Santa Ana Zegache is the unassuming epicenter of corn. Corn has been worshipped for over 6,000 years and is still the beating heart of Mexican cuisine.

• In San Baltazar Chichicapam, Longoria visited a palenque (agave farm) run by Doña Berta, one of very few female mezcaleras. The farm produces mezcal, the smoky liquor for which this region is famed.

• La Cocina de Humo is a hip restaurant using local ingredients. Chef Thalia Barrios García is known for her heirloom tomato salad with beet puree and herbal dressing. Longoria said it’s the “perfect dish.” Here’s the recipe.

Yucatán: Defined by the Maya

Mayan DNA runs through the recipes in Yucatán, which has the largest Maya population in Mexico.

The state is located along the Gulf of Mexico and is surrounded by dense forests that isolate it off from the rest of the country. The Maya thrived here for thousands of years before the arrival of the Spanish conquistadors in the 1500s. The region’s geography and turbulent history have had a significant impact on the cuisine.

• Ixi’im mixes modern and ancestral techniques and flavors. The restaurant has its own version of the most famous dish from the Yucatán, cochinita pibil. Chef Luis Ronzón slow-cooks pork underground after it’s marinated in sour orange and spices.

• Condimentos Enrique is a family-run business that sells recados (spice pastes) in Mercado de Santiago in Mérida.

• At Huniik, which means “unique spirit” in Maya, chef Roberto Solís makes onion tempura with black recado. “I have never had anything like this. This is gorgeous, and it’s delicious,” said Longoria.

• In his home in Xocén, chef Alberto Kuku prepared one of the oldest dishes, Mayan chicken tamales, for Hanal Pixán, a holiday celebrated by the Maya people that means “food for the souls.” The food honoring the dead “can easily be carried back to the underworld,” he said.

• Chef Regina Escalante, who runs Merci in Mérida, showed Longoria how to make grilled seabass with mango, avocado and flor de sal. “I’d have this as my last meal on Earth,” said Longoria. Here’s the recipe.

• At Uxmal, Mayan archaeologist Don Pepe cooked up smoked pork and bean stew. It cooks underground for 12 hours.

• Kinich in Izamal is famous for its queso relleno. A key ingredient is, surprisingly, Dutch cheese. See how it’s made:

Mexico City: The city of tacos

“It’s crazy, it’s crowded, it’s noisy – and I love it!” Longoria said as she walked the streets of Mexico City, where she lives part-time with her family. This region was once the capital of the mighty Aztec empire, known as Tenochtitlán until the Spanish invaded about 500 years ago and changed its name to Mexico City.

Here are the places Eva Longoria visited in the episode:

• Tomasa is a Mexican bakery known for its conchas, a fluffy sweet bread with a crunchy topping.

• El Huequito in the Historic Center serves up delicious al pastor tacos, which are a staple in Mexico City.

• Tacos Los Alexis is sizzling hot in the taco world. Owner Alexis Ayala uses his five-star culinary training to transform traditional recipes from his childhood into to-die-for gourmet tacos.

• Contramar in Roma, the bohemian part of town, is one of Longoria’s favorite restaurants. Owner and chef Gabriela Cámara made her signature dish: pescado a la talla.

• Máximo Bistrot, a gourmet restaurant that marries French and Mexican cuisine, is run by chef Eduardo “Lalo” García. For Longoria, he made a roasted beet salad with rocket and wilted purslane. Best known as a weed, purslane is nonetheless edible and very nutritious.

• Mercado de Jamaica is one of hundreds of markets in the city. At the street food stalls, Longoria tried green chorizo tacos and tlacoyos, thick oval-shaped tortillas typically stuffed with beans or cheese.

• Casa Tochan refugee shelter is the first shelter for immigrants in Mexico City. The residents cook dishes from their homeland to share with their housemates.

• El Moro is an institution famous for its churros and chocolate.

• Hiyoko restaurant in Little Tokyo cooks up a Mexican-Japanese fusion. Chef and restaurateur Edo López whipped up tapioca tostadas, chicken skewers with ants and duck donburi.

After each episode, we’ll add to this story with the latest locations where you can sample food featured in “Searching for Mexico.”

This week will be draining in a literal sense, due to rapid snowmelt. A great thaw is set to begin, which will bring the potential for flooding across at least 10 states.

From the West Coast to the Great Lakes, concern is growing about the significant warmup forecast this week and what impact it will have on the near-record snowpack for many regions.

“Between 5,000 feet and 7,000 feet snowpack is currently near to above record levels, with 8 to 15 inches of water contained within this snow,” the National Weather Service office in Billings explained.

Record highs are possible across the Northern Plains and Midwest this week, as temperatures climb into the 60s and 70s.

The sudden warmth combined with heavy rain from an approaching cold front could lead to rapid snowmelt, causing rivers and creeks to flood quickly; something forecasters have been expecting with this year’s blockbuster winter snowpack.

“Minneapolis had their third-snowiest winter on record, so a lot of it was sitting around waiting to melt,” Eric Ahasic, a weather service meteorologist in Twin Cities, said. “We didn’t really add a ton of heavy rain on top of the snowpack while that snow was melting, so that kind of allowed it to progress fairly orderly, but we’re going to have some minor flooding in a lot of rivers.”

He explained the perfect ingredients will exist this week for a rapid melt: warm temperatures, humid air, windy conditions and a strong sun angle.

Ahasic fears areas to his north will have a much more difficult time with all this melting snow. North Dakota and Minnesota could see more significant flooding where the rivers flow to the north.

“As that water flows into the Red River, and then flows north up into Canada, it’s going to run into colder weather and even some ice farther north,” Ahasic explained. “That’s why you usually get some really bad flooding up across that part of the United States and Canada, because the water that’s flowing is running into usually some sort of ice blockage.”

The blockages are often referred to as ice jams, which happen when huge chunks of ice clump together and block the flow of the river, which many times results in rapid flooding.

In portions of the Northern Plains, temperatures could climb to 80 degrees this week, possibly setting records. Any snow left on the ground will melt quickly with temperatures running at least 15 degrees above normal.

“With the ground mainly frozen in the foothills, this water will not be able to soak in and will run off,” the weather service in Billings said. “Water flowing downhill and accumulating in low-lying areas may result in localized flooding.”

The weather service urges people to stay up to date with the flooding situation over the next few weeks, in case any rivers begin to rapidly rise.

In portions of the southern Sierra, the rate of melting snow will also begin to rapidly increase this week, causing rivers to rise and run more swiftly.

The weather service warns people to stay vigilant in the lower elevations and campsites, because of the potential for flash flooding.

“Due to their swift currents and very cold-water temperatures, creeks and streams pose life-threatening dangers,” the weather service office in Las Vegas warned.

While the snow is beginning to melt more quickly this week, it will be something to follow for the next several weeks and even months.