Swaths of California still saturated by ruthless storms will get walloped by another atmospheric river, spawning fears of renewed flooding and forcing some residents to flee.

The state has already been hammered by at least 11 atmospheric rivers this season. An atmospheric river is like a fire hose that carries saturated air from the tropics to higher latitudes, dumping relentless rain or snow.

The last, which struck California last week, left soil overly saturated and vulnerable to new flooding and rapid runoffs, the National Weather Service said.

The next atmospheric river is expected to slam California from late Monday night through Wednesday.

Peak wind gusts of 60 to 80 mph are forecast for the mountains and deserts of Southern California, where power outages will likely develop, Hennen said.

The imminent storm system is expected to dump 1 to 3 inches of rain across the lower elevations and 2 to 4 inches across the foothills of Southern California through Thursday. Nearby Arizona could get up to 3 inches of rainfall.

The Weather Prediction Center on Monday raised the flood threat for portions of Southern California to a level 3 of 4, which is a moderate risk. More than 15 million people are included in the category in coastal areas from Los Angeles to San Diego.

“When adding runoff from the steep nearby mountains where rainfall totals may exceed 4 inches, numerous flash floods are likely,” the center warned. “The timing of the heaviest rain also favors added impacts, as they will likely be ongoing during the Tuesday morning commute.”

Thousands of residents were under evacuation orders Sunday in two small central California towns, Alpaugh and Allensworth. Officials worried roads could become impassable and isolate residents, the Tulare County Sheriff’s Office said.

First responders from dozens of agencies, including the California National Guard, were out Sunday afternoon helping residents evacuate – a sight that has become familiar in the flood-ravaged state.

Ferocious winds will whip the state

More than 25 million people are under alerts for strong winds from California into Nevada and Arizona. Wind gusts of 40 mph to 55 mph are expected along the coast and in the valleys of Southern California Tuesday.

In the mountains, gusts up to 75 mph are likely and may be strong enough to down trees and power lines from the central California coast to Southern California, the National Weather Service said.

In the Sierra Nevada and Southern California mountain ranges, several feet of snowfall in some of the highest terrains could make travel hazardous.

Winter storm warnings were in effect for the higher terrain of Southern California, as the highest elevations could see 2 to 5 feet of snow.

“Travel could be very difficult to impossible. The hazardous conditions could impact the morning or evening commute. Very strong winds could cause extensive tree damage,” the weather service warned.

In the Sierra Nevada Mountain Range, an additional 1 to 4 feet of snowfall is possible late Monday through Wednesday afternoon. The San Bernardino Mountains are also under a winter storm watch, with snowfall expected to reach up to 4 feet through Wednesday with gusts up to 85 mph.

Severe drought cut by half

While the atmospheric rivers have upended life for many Californians – damaging homes and livelihoods – the ensuing rainfall has also helped put a dent in the state’s historic drought.

Last week’s atmospheric river alone shattered daily rainfall records in Los Angeles, Santa Barbara and Santa Maria.

There’s been so much rain that the Southern California water board called off emergency drought conservation measures for more than 7 million people.

Severe drought in California was cut in half from the previous week, now covering only 8% of the state, down from 80.6% just three months ago, according to the US Drought Monitor. Just over a third of the state remains in some level of drought.

The abnormally wet winter – combined with recent storms – wiped out exceptional and extreme drought in California for the first time since 2020, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

“Moderate to exceptional drought coverage across the U.S. is at its lowest since August 2020 and is likely to continue improving, or end entirely, across much of California and the Great Basin,” NOAA forecasters said.

As the snowpack melts in the coming months, it’s expected to further improve drought conditions across much of the western US, according to NOAA. But, that could also mean more floods.

“Approximately 44% of the U.S. is at risk for flooding this spring,” said Ed Clark, director of NOAA’s National Water Center. “California’s historic snowpack, coupled with spring rain, is heightening the potential for spring floods.”

There’s cause for optimism in the latest report on world happiness.

For one, benevolence is about 25% higher than it was pre-pandemic.

And global happiness has not taken a hit in the three years of the Covid-19 pandemic. Life evaluations from 2020 to 2022 have been “remarkably resilient,” the report says, with global averages basically in line with the three years preceding the pandemic.

“Even during these difficult years, positive emotions have remained twice as prevalent as negative ones, and feelings of positive social support twice as strong as those of loneliness,” Helliwell said in a news release.

The report, which is a publication of the UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network, draws on global survey data from people in more than 150 countries. Countries are ranked on happiness based on their average life evaluations over the three preceding years, in this case 2020 to 2022.

The report, which was released on Monday, identifies the happiest nations, those at the very bottom of the happiness scale and everything in between, plus the factors that tend to lead to greater happiness. March 20 is the International Day of Happiness, a day designated by the United Nations that’s marking its 10th anniversary in 2023.

Six-year winning streak for world’s happiest nation

For the sixth year in a row, Finland is the world’s happiest country, according to World Happiness Report rankings based largely on life evaluations from the Gallup World Poll.

The Nordic country and its neighbors Denmark, Iceland, Sweden and Norway all score very well on the measures the report uses to explain its findings: healthy life expectancy, GDP per capita, social support, low corruption, generosity in a community where people look after each other and freedom to make key life decisions.

But since we can’t all move to Finland, is there something other societies can learn from these rankings?

“Is it, are they doing things that we wish we’d seen before and we can start doing? Or is it something unique about their climate and history that make them different? And fortunately, at least from my perspective, the answer is the former,” said Helliwell, who is a professor emeritus at the Vancouver School of Economics, University of British Columbia.

Taking a holistic view of the well-being of all the components of a society and its members makes for better life evaluations and happier countries.

“The objective of every institution should be to contribute what it can to human well-being,” the report says, which includes accounting for future generations and preserving basic human rights.

Israel moves up to No. 4 this year from its No. 9 ranking last year. The Netherlands (No. 5), Switzerland (No. 8), Luxembourg (No. 9) and New Zealand (No. 10) round out the top 10.

Australia (No. 12), Canada (No. 13), Ireland (No. 14), the United States (No. 15) and the United Kingdom (No. 19) all made it into the top 20.

While the same countries tend to appear in the top 20 year after year, there’s a new entrant this year: Lithuania.

The Baltic nation has been climbing steadily over the past six years from No. 52 in 2017 to No. 20 on the latest list. And the other Baltic countries, Estonia (No. 31) and Latvia (No. 41), have been climbing in the ranks, too.

“It’s essentially the same story that’s playing out in the rest of Central and Eastern Europe,” Helliwell said.

Countries in those regions “probably have normalized that post-1990 transition and [are] feeling more solid in their new identity” as the years pass, he said.

France dropped out of the top 20 to No. 21 in this year’s report.

Nations ranked lower for happiness

At the very bottom of the list is Afghanistan at No. 137. Lebanon is one rank above at No. 136. Average life evaluations in these countries are more than five points lower (on a scale from 0 to 10) than in the 10 happiest countries.

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine put both countries very much in the global spotlight as the 2022 report was released.

So where do these two nations stand, according to the latest surveys?

Well-being in Ukraine has definitely taken a hit, but “despite the magnitude of suffering and damage in Ukraine, life evaluations in September 2022 remained higher than in the aftermath of the 2014 annexation, supported now by a stronger sense of common purpose, benevolence, and trust in Ukrainian leadership,” the report says.

Confidence in their governments grew in both countries in 2022, the survey says, “but much more in Ukraine than in Russia.” And Ukrainian support for the leadership in Russia fell to zero.

In this year’s rankings, Russia is No. 70 and Ukraine is No. 92.

Looking forward

The disruptions of the pandemic have spurred a lot of reflection.

“People are rethinking their life objectives,” Helliwell said. “They’re saying, ‘I’m going back, but what am I going back to? What do I want to go back to? How do I want to spend the rest of my life?’”

He’s hoping this “move towards thinking about values and other people more explicitly” will affect not just factors such as which jobs or schools people choose, but also how they operate within those environments.

“It isn’t really about the grades or the salary, it’s about cooperating with other people in a useful way. And of course, that’s useful for the world, but the whole point of this happiness research is that it’s also good for the people doing it.

“In other words, you do end up feeling better about yourself if you’re actually looking after other people rather than number one.”

World’s happiest countries for 2023

1. Finland

2. Denmark

3. Iceland

4. Israel

5. Netherlands

6. Sweden

7. Norway

8. Switzerland

9. Luxembourg

10. New Zealand

11. Austria

12. Australia

13. Canada

14. Ireland

15. United States

16. Germany

17. Belgium

18. Czech Republic

19. United Kingdom

20. Lithuania

Citing his Christian faith, San Jose Sharks goaltender James Reimer said he chose not to wear a pregame warmup jersey in support of the LGBTQIA+ community on Saturday, as part of the team’s weeklong “Pride Night” festivities.

“For all 13 years of my NHL career, I have been a Christian – not just in title, but in how I choose to live my life daily,” Reimer said in a statement prior to Saturday’s 4-1 home loss to the New York Islanders.

“I have a personal faith in Jesus Christ who died on the cross for my sins and, in response, asks me to love everyone and follow him.

“I have no hate in my heart for anyone, and I have always strived to treat everyone that I encounter with respect and kindness.

“In this specific instance, I am choosing not to endorse something that is counter to my personal convictions which are based on the bible, the highest authority in my life.

“I strongly believe that every person has value and worth, and the LGBTQIA+ community, like all others, should be welcomed in all aspects of the game of hockey.”

Sharks players wore the Pride-themed jerseys designed by San Jose artist Houyee Chow, who describes herself on her Instagram account as a queer artist and educator.

The jersey has a Pride crest and a “Love Wins” patch on them and San Jose said it is “extremely proud to host” the “Pride Night” festivities in support of the LGBTQIA+ community, adding that its dedicated to “an inclusive, welcoming, and safe environment for all guests.”

“As we promote these standards, we also acknowledge and accept the rights of individuals to express themselves, including how or whether they choose to express their beliefs, regardless of the cause or topic,” the Sharks said in a statement prior to the game.

“As an organization, we will not waver in our support of the LGBTQIA+ community and continue to encourage others to engage in active allyship.”

Reimer did not play in the Sharks’ loss.

‘People in high places’

The 35-year-old Reimer, who is in his second season with San Jose and will be a free agent after the season, was asked by a reporter prior to the game if he is concerned that his social stance may prevent another team from signing him in the offseason.

“I’d be lying if I said that wasn’t something that crossed my mind,” Reimer said. “This is not a stance that I was looking to make.

“I saw this happening and I started conversations almost a year ago with people in high places, not because I’m ashamed of my faith but because of certain consequences that they could have for me or other people that feel this way.

“Those conversations happened and here I am standing up for what I believe in. I’m sure there’s people in management or ownership that won’t look favorably on this.

“At the same time, I hope that there’s another handful of people in management or ownership that respect me for standing up for what I believe in and that’s a big part of who I am.”

After the game, the team thanked fans for the celebration.

“We know that one organization can’t make all the changes we seek to make hockey (and the world) more welcoming to all, but it’s a start. With all of you, we can make an impact.”

Reimer has played in 35 games this season, starting 34 of them. He is 10-17-7 with a 3.26 goals-against average and .895 save percentage.

Zlatan Ibrahimović’s Instagram profile says he’s a writer and on Saturday the Swede penned a new page in his remarkable career when he became the oldest ever goalscorer in Italy’s Serie A.

As scripts go there was drama and pathos as the AC Milan forward achieved the landmark – at the age of 41 years and 166 days – with his goal coming from a retaken penalty in his team’s 3-1 defeat by Udinese.

Given a second chance after encroachment in the penalty, Ibrahimović hammered the ball straight down the middle as he overtook Alessandro Costacurta’s record set when the Italian was 41 years and 25 days old.

Ibrahimović’s goal leveled the scores at 1-1 just before half-time but Udinese pulled away in the second half to secure victory.

“It’s an honor but I’m sorry that this goal didn’t bring the three points,” Ibrahimović said, according to Sky Sport Italia.

It marked the striker’s first goal since returning to the field after undergoing surgery for an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury over the summer.

‘Never suffered so much’

After Milan’s Scudetto success last season, Ibrahimović revealed on social media that he played the last six months of the 2021/2022 season without an ACL in his left knee – the strong band of tissue that connects the thigh bone to the shin bone and the knee joint.

“Took more than 20 injections in six months,” said Ibrahimović said in a post published to his verified Instagram account.

“Emptied the knee once a week for six months. Painkillers every day for six months. Barely slept for six months because of the pain. Never suffered so much on and off the pitch.”

But, despite his age and career-threatening injury, Ibrahimović seems determined to continue playing soccer.

Milan remain fourth in the table after its defeat, and will next take to the field on April 2 to face league leader Napoli.

Meanwhile in Saudi Arabia, Cristiano Ronaldo – another legendary forward – rolled back the years to score a glorious long-range free kick as Al Nassr defeated Abha 2-1 in the Saudi Pro League on Saturday.

He then allowed his teammate Anderson Talisca to convert the winning penalty eight minutes later as a mark of respect. Brazilian Talisca has just come back from injury.

Sergio Perez took an assured victory at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix on Sunday, ahead of his teammate Max Verstappen, as Red Bull reaffirmed its dominance over their Formula One competitors with a second successive one-two of the season.

Perez began the race in pole position and fought off a challenge from Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso who briefly took the race lead at the first corner before the Mexican reclaimed his position by the fourth lap.

But it was Verstappen’s performance which truly underlined the pace and power of Red Bull’s car.

The Dutchman, who won the season opener in Bahrain two weeks ago, started 15th on the grid after a power issue in qualifying, but sauntered through the field to move into second place behind Perez by the race’s halfway point.

The Red Bulls then pulled away from all their competition to secure the top two stops on the podium.

Alonso crossed the line in third – the 100th podium finish of his career – and celebrated accordingly.

However, the Spaniard was later demoted to fourth, behind Mercedes’ George Russell, after the stewards handed Alonso a 10-second penalty, determining that his Aston Martin team had started working on his car too early when serving an earlier time penalty.

“It turned out to be tougher than I expected,” Perez told Sky Sports in his post-race interview.

The team did a fantastic job. We had a lot of mechanical issues, and the guys stayed on top of that. We will keep pushing hard. And the most important thing is that we have the fastest car.”

There was drama from the very first engine rev in Jeddah as Alonso pulled away from Perez to take the race lead, but the Spaniard’s dream start was shortlived as officials handed him a five-second penalty for an incorrect grid position before the Mexican driver eclaimed the lead on the fourth lap.

Alonso remained within touching distance of Perez for a time, almost matching the Red Bull car for pace, and opening up an advantage over Russell.

Behind them, Verstappen began weaving his way through the field, breezing past any car in front of him, even his old rival Lewis Hamilton who eventually finished in fifth.

The race’s complexion changed when a safety car was deployed on Lap 18 after Lance Stroll suffered a technical failure.

Alonso was among those who took the opportunity to pit and served his five-second penalty at the same time, although the stewards ruled that his Aston Martin team begun working on his car a fraction of a second too early, which incurred a 10-second penalty.

“I was on the podium, I took the pictures, I got the trophy, I celebrated with the champagne,” Alonso told Sky Sports.

“You can’t apply the penalty 35 laps after the pit stop. They (the stewards) had enough time to inform us. If I knew about the penalty I would have had 11 seconds with the car behind.

“They told me about the first 5 second pen and I left 7 or 8 seconds behind me. in the second there was no information at all not even an investigation.”

After the safety car pulled in, Perez rebuilt his lead beyond the reach of Verstappen and continued pressing for victory.

It was not all plain sailing for Red Bull, however, as Verstappen anxiously reported a potential mechanical problem over the radio towards the end of the race, but his car held out and even completed the fastest lap.

The point Verstappen gained from setting the fastest lap gives him a one-point lead over Perez in the drivers’ championship, as F1 now turn their sights to the Australian Grand Prix on April 2.

The season’s first nor’easter has dropped nearly 3 feet of snow over parts of the US Northeast as of Tuesday evening, piling on trees and power lines and causing power outages for tens of thousands in the frigid weather with more snow possible into the night.

More than 240,000 customers across the region were without electricity as the sun went down Tuesday, including in New York, Maine, Massachusetts and New Hampshire, according to utility tracker PowerOutage.us.

Areas from upstate New York into southern New England have reported snowfall totals of at least 2 feet since Monday night, and parts of Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine could see another 6 to 12 inches through the night, according to the Weather Prediction Center.

The heavy snowfall, coupled with strong wind gusts, created dangerous conditions for drivers Tuesday, with New York state’s transportation department warning residents the safest place to be is home.

In New Hampshire, fire officials rescued a child who had been trapped under a tree that fell, the Derry Fire Department said on Facebook. The child had been playing near a parent who was clearing snow, fire officials said.

For nearly 20 minutes, more than a dozen first responders used their hands, chainsaws and shovels to free the child, the fire department said. The child was taken to a hospital with minor injuries but was in “good spirits,” it added.

What to expect Wednesday

Millions of people in the region were under winter storm warnings or winter weather advisories Tuesday evening during the nor’easter – a type of storm that travels along the Eastern Seaboard and brings winds from the northeast.

Live updates: Snow, rain and flooding pummel US coast to coast

Here’s what to expect going into Wednesday:

• The nor’easter is expected to continue dumping snow across New England overnight and taper off early Wednesday, according to the Weather Prediction Center.

• The winds won’t slow down as quickly: Areas from the mid-Atlantic through the Northeast will experience strong wind gusts through Wednesday afternoon, which could mean more power power outages and woes for travelers.

• Parts of Massachusetts could also see minor coastal flooding and beach erosion Tuesday night, according to the National Weather Service.

More than 1,000 flights canceled

The weather caused major disruptions for air travelers, with hundreds of flights canceled or delayed Tuesday.

More than 1,100 flights within, into or out of the US were canceled, and more than 5,200 were delayed, according to FlightAware.com.

Among the most affected airports in the US were New York’s LaGuardia Airport and the Boston Logan International Airport – both of which urged passengers to check their flight status before going there.

Also in New York, the nose gear of a Delta Air Lines plane went beyond the paved taxiway at Syracuse Hancock International Airport while taxiing for departure to LaGuardia on Tuesday morning, the Federal Aviation Administration said.

‘Please check on your neighbors’

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul declared a state of emergency across dozens of upstate counties that went into effect Monday night.

The governor’s office said it activated the state’s emergency operations center Monday in response to the severe weather, and also activated the state’s National Guard to help with any response efforts.

“This winter storm has already dumped nearly 2 feet of snow in some of the eastern regions of the state, north of Westchester County, with heavy, wet snow causing power outages,” state Homeland Security and Emergency Services Commissioner Jackie Bray said Tuesday.

“As power restoration and snow removal efforts continue, please check on your neighbors and loved ones to make sure they are weathering the storm safely,” Bray added.

In Massachusetts, roughly 1,700 pieces of equipment were deployed to help with snow and ice response, the state’s transportation department said.

“Right now, the biggest concern for residents is to make sure they stay home and they stay safe,” he said.

Maine Gov. Janet Mills closed all government offices on Tuesday and advised residents to “stay off the roads if they can, plan for extra time if traveling, and give plenty of space to road crews and first responders working hard to keep us safe.”

Utilities and transit agencies announced preparations and gave advice in anticipation of the storm’s impacts.

Power company ConEdison, which serves New York City and neighboring Westchester County, brought in more than 400 outside workers to assist with possible outages, the utility said in a news release.

ConEdison warned customers to avoid downed wires – which could be hidden by snow, leaves or water – and report them to the utility or local authorities.

The Metropolitan Transportation Authority, which serves a 5,000-square-mile travel area surrounding New York City, Long Island, southeastern New York state and Connecticut, announced plans to maintain as much service as possible.

“MTA employees will be deployed throughout the operating region spreading salt and clearing surfaces of snow, keeping signals, switches, and third rails operating, and attending to any weather-related challenges,” a news release from the authority said.

For the second time in the race’s history, a record three athletes have completed the grueling Barkley Marathons, an unusual and near-impossible competition held each year in Tennessee.

The famed ultramarathon, the brainchild of runner Gary Cantrell (better known by his nickname Lazarus Lake or “Laz”), takes place in Tennessee’s Frozen Head State Park. The route was inspired by the 1977 prison escape of James Earl Ray, who assassinated the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.

The race consists of five loops of around 20 miles each, for a total of between 100 to 130 miles through brushy mountains with an elevation gain of around 63,000 feet. Athletes run the course over three sleepless days and nights – and there are no aid stations, phones or GPS to help with navigation. Getting lost – as well as falling and getting injured in the brush – is par for the course.

The ultramarathon is marked with unique unmanned checkpoints, each of which contains a paperback book. Athletes must rip out a page corresponding to their bib number and have all the book pages in hand at the end of each loop to prove they reached each checkpoint.

But this year finally broke that streak: Three athletes, French Aurélien Sanchez, American John Kelly and Belgian Karel Sabbe, completed the hellish five laps within the 60-hour time limit on Friday.

The only other time three racers completed the race was in 2012, according to Cantrell.

On Twitter, Kelly thanked his followers for their support. “Thank you to everyone for the support, and I hope some of what we get to discover out there is a shared experience,” he wrote. “Or, if we’re all just a bunch of idiots running around in the woods, that at least it’s entertaining.”

Jasmin Paris, who did not complete the course but made history as the second woman ever to begin the fourth loop, also thanked her followers for their support on Twitter.

“Conditions couldn’t have been better, and I was lucky to share miles on the trail with wonderful people,” she wrote. “I knew from the start that training hadn’t been ideal (time out for fatigue, then injury), but I gave it my best effort and I’m proud of that. I still think a woman can finish 5 loops, although I suspect Laz will make next year even harder.”

Eva Longoria has taken on many roles, including award-winning actor, producer, activist, entrepreneur — and now TV show host. But throughout her demanding career, she has stayed true to one of her original passions: cooking.

“My love affair with cooking started long ago,” Longoria said in her 2011 cookbook, “Eva’s Kitchen: Cooking with Love for Family and Friends.”

She discovered her passion when, as a hungry 6-year-old, she pulled a chair up to the stove, grabbed a frying pan and cooked up an egg all by herself.

“Of course, the pan was full of eggshell. I didn’t use any butter or oil, so the egg stuck everywhere. I can’t even remember now what it tasted like, but I can recall the feeling of accomplishment I had after cooking that egg. I found it empowering and energizing.”

The Texas native said it was a revelation, and from that point forward she learned everything she could about cooking.

Longoria has come a long way since then. She wrote her cookbook, inspired by her globe-trotting travels. She also frequently shares her favorite dishes on Instagram with her 9 million followers.

“There’s nothing like a homemade meal and sharing memories in the kitchen with your loved ones!” she wrote in one post.

Many of her dishes pull from her Mexican heritage — like her tomatillo salsa, tamales, huevos rotos (fried eggs and potatoes) and pan de polvo (Mexican shortbread).

Here are four iconic dishes from Longoria’s cookbook, along with her personal notes about each recipe.

Tortilla Soup

My friends request this recipe more often than any other. I am often asked if it’s a family recipe. I take it as a compliment that people always seem so surprised to hear I found it in a magazine when I was about 12 years old. I’ve made it so many times since then, and it has evolved into what it is today. I think it’s so delicious — and popular! — because of its clear but very flavorful broth. So often tortilla soup is heavy, but this one is hearty without being unpleasantly thick. Look for dried pasilla and ancho chiles in the spice aisle of supermarkets or Mexican or Latin grocery stores.

Make 4 to 6 servings

Ingredients

4 pounds | 2 kilograms chicken legs

4 pounds | 2 kilograms chicken thighs

12 cups | 3 liters homemade chicken broth, store-bought low-sodium chicken broth or cold water

4 dried pasilla chiles

4 dried ancho chiles

6 tomatoes, chopped

1 large white onion, diced

6 large garlic cloves, peeled

2 teaspoons | 6 grams kosher salt, or to taste

2 large bunches fresh cilantro, leaves and tender stems chopped

For serving

1 cup | ¼ liter vegetable oil, plus more if needed

36 white or yellow corn tortillas, sliced into ¼-inch-thick (6-millimeter-thick) strips

1 head iceberg lettuce, cored and shredded

6 large avocados, pitted, peeled and diced

3 cups | 366 grams grated or crumbled queso fresco (about 12 ounces)

Instructions

1. In a large stockpot, boil the chicken legs and thighs and the broth over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat and simmer until the chicken is opaque throughout and tender when pierced with a fork, about 30 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, remove the chicken from the pot and set aside to cool. Set aside the stockpot of broth. As soon as the chicken is cool enough to handle, pull off and shred the meat; discard the skin and bones.

2. Meanwhile, place the pasilla and ancho chiles in a medium saucepan and add cold water to cover. Bring the water to a boil over medium heat. Reduce the heat and simmer until the chiles are soft, about 10 minutes. Drain the chiles and remove their stems and veins. If you want a spicier bite, keep the seeds; if not, remove the seeds as well.

3. In the work bowl of a food processor, place the chiles, tomatoes, onion, garlic and 2 teaspoons salt. Process until smooth, adding a ½ cup of the reserved chicken broth to loosen the mixture if it is too thick.

4. Stir the chile puree and half of the cilantro into the broth. Bring to a simmer over low heat and simmer for 20 to 30 minutes. Taste and add salt if needed. Stir in the reserved chicken and the remaining cilantro and remove the pot from the heat.

5. While the broth is simmering, line a baking sheet or large plate with paper towels. In a large skillet, heat 1 cup oil over medium-high heat until hot but not smoking and shimmery. Add a handful or two of tortilla strips — they can be touching but not overlapping — and fry just until lightly browned around the edges, about 45 seconds. Use tongs or a spider strainer to transfer the strips to the baking sheet, tossing and moving them around so they take on squiggly shapes as they cool and harden. Continue in batches until all the tortilla strips are fried, adding more oil to the pan if necessary.

6. When ready to serve, place the lettuce, avocado and queso fresco in separate bowls to make serving easier.

7. For each serving, place a few tortilla strips and a scoop of lettuce in a soup bowl. Ladle the soup into the bowl. Top with a spoonful of avocado, sprinkle some queso fresco on top and serve.

Dad’s Shrimp Cocktail

Editor’s note: Longoria uses extra-small shrimp seasoned with plenty of cayenne pepper that she sautées for six minutes in butter ahead of time, according to her cookbook.

Makes 4 to 6 servings

Ingredients

1 cup | 240 grams ketchup

Juice of 2 small lemons (about ¼ cup or 59 milliliters)

1 tablespoon |14 grams hot pepper sauce

1 tablespoon | 15 milliliters distilled white vinegar

Freshly ground black pepper to taste

1 pound | ½ kilogram extra small shrimp (61 to 70 per pound), peeled, deveined, cooked and cooled (see headnote for prep info)

4 avocados, pitted, peeled and cubed

Lemon wedges for serving

Instructions

1. In a small bowl, place the ketchup, lemon juice, hot pepper sauce, vinegar, salt and pepper. Stir until the sauce is well blended.

2. In a medium bowl, place the cooked shrimp and avocado. Pour the sauce over and gently toss with a wooden spoon or rubber spatula until the shrimp and avocado are thoroughly coated.

3. Cover and place in the refrigerator for 30 minutes. Divide among 4 to 6 glasses and serve with lemon wedges.

Chunky Guacamole With Serrano Peppers

I have a few tricks that give my guacamole great flavor and texture. First, I use lemon, not lime, juice. Lemon has a little sweetness that brings out all the other flavors. Also, the key is that I never skimp on the lemon or the kosher salt. I basically make a salty lemonade for the avocado and other ingredients to swim in — trust me, it makes all the difference! And finally, never stir as you add each ingredient to the bowl or the guacamole will become too watery.

Makes 8 cups

Ingredients

6 ripe avocados, cut into ½-inch (1¼-centimeter) dice

4 medium ripe tomatoes, cut into ½-inch (1¼-centimeter) dice

1 large white onion, finely chopped

1 serrano pepper, minced

½ bunch fresh cilantro, leaves and tender stems chopped

Juice from 4 small lemons (about ½ cup or 118 milliliters)

2 teaspoons | 6 grams kosher salt or to taste

Instructions

1. Without stirring, place each of the ingredients in a large bowl.

2. Next, stir gently until well combined. Use a light touch to maintain the guacamole’s chunky consistency.

3. Transfer to a serving bowl and serve.

Sweet Potato Empanadas

Empanadas are a quintessential example of what traditional Latin food is made of: rock-solid techniques that can be adapted to accommodate what’s available regionally, or in the case of my Aunt Elsa, in her pantry. She could pull together the most delicious ingredient combinations and then fill and fry a few dozen pastry wrappers in a flash. When Thanksgiving rolled around, these tender, flaky and lightly sweet treats were our version of the classic American pumpkin pie. These little “Mexican pumpkin pies” make delicious appetizers, too.

Make 30 empanadas

Ingredients

Dough

4 cups | 120 grams all-purpose flour plus more for surface

¼ cup | 50 grams sugar

1 teaspoon | 6 grams table salt

1¾ cups | 359 grams shortening, at room temperature

1 large egg, lightly beaten

Filling

2 pounds | ½ kilogram sweet potatoes, peeled and coarsely chopped (or 2 15½-ounce or 439-gram cans sweet potatoes)

2 3-inch (7½-centimeter) cinnamon sticks

¼ to ½ cup sugar, or to taste

Instructions

1. For the dough: In a large bowl, place 4 cups (120 grams) flour, sugar and salt and whisk together until well blended. Use your hands to knead the shortening into the flour mixture. It will be crumbly and look like coarse meal, and if you squeeze a handful it will stick together but fall apart again when dropped back into the bowl. Add the egg and ½ cup water, then mix well with a wooden spoon or your hands. Form the dough into a flattened disk, wrap it in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour.

2. For the filling, option 1: If using fresh sweet potatoes, place them in a large saucepan with the cinnamon sticks and cover with cold water. Simmer, uncovered, until the potatoes are easily pierced with a fork, about 15 minutes. Drain well. Remove and discard the cinnamon sticks. Let stand until cool.

Option 2: If using canned sweet potatoes, place them in a large saucepan with the canning liquid. Add the cinnamon sticks and heat over medium heat for about 10 minutes. Drain well. Remove and discard the cinnamon sticks. Let stand until cool.

3. Transfer the cooled sweet potatoes to the work bowl of a food processor and pulse in 1-second bursts just until the potatoes are mashed; do not puree. If using canned sweet potatoes, they may already be sweetened, so check for sweetness level and adjust sugar measurement as needed. Stir in sugar to taste.

4. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit (177 degrees Celsius). Line 1 or 2 rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper.

5. Form the dough into 30 golf ball-size balls; keep the balls covered with a damp cloth. On a lightly floured surface, use a rolling pin to roll each ball into a 4-inch (or 10-centimeter) circle. Fill each with a scant tablespoon (or 14 grams) of the mashed sweet potatoes. Fold the dough over the filling to form a half circle and pinch the edges together. Transfer to the prepared baking sheet and cover with a damp cloth. Continue until all the empanadas are formed.

6. Remove the cloth and press the tines of a fork around the edge of each empanada to crimp. Bake until browned, 20 to 25 minutes. Let cool slightly on the baking sheet. Transfer to a platter and serve warm.

Customs officers at the Detroit Metropolitan Airport made an unusual – and potentially dangerous – discovery in a passenger’s luggage: Six giant African snails.

The snails, which were alive, were found in the suitcase of a traveler who arrived in Detroit from the west African country of Ghana, according to a Friday news release from US Customs and Border Protection.

The critters are considered a “prohibited organism” in the US because they can cause diseases in humans and can wreak significant havoc in the environment if released in the wild, according to the news release.

Despite this, people around the world eat the snails and keep them as pets in some countries.

“Our CBP officers and agriculture specialists work diligently to target, detect, and intercept potential threats before they have a chance to do harm to U.S. interests,” said port director Robert Larkin in the news release. “The discovery of this highly invasive pest truly benefits the health and well-being of the American people.”

Native to east Africa, the snails can grow up to 8-inches long. Giant African snails can carry a parasite called rat lungworm that leads to meningitis in humans. In addition, they eat at least 500 different types of plants, and even consume the plaster and stucco off houses as a source of calcium, which can lead to environmental damage if they are released into the wild, Customs and Border Protection said.

In July, a Florida county was placed under quarantine after officials discovered a fast-growing population of the snails. The population was thought to have originated in the illegal pet trade.

A previous population of giant African snails found in Miami-Dade County took 10 years and millions of dollars and to be fully eradicated. The snails can produce up to 2,500 eggs per year, so the population is difficult to control.

Pakistan’s former Prime Minister Imran Khan marked his presence at a much-awaited court appearance on Saturday in the capital city of Islamabad, leaving after the scheduled proceedings.

Clashes between supporters of Khan and the police broke out in Islamabad as Khan attempted to enter the capital’s High Court. Clashes also broke out in the city of Lahore.

An arrest warrant for Khan was issued on Monday, requiring him to present before the court on Saturday. Following a week of clashes across the country, all arrest warrants against Khan had been suspended on Friday after Khan had made a commitment that he would appear in court.

On Saturday, capital authorities imposed an order that makes any gathering of more than four people an illegal offense. Khan left the city of Lahore early Saturday morning to reach Islamabad by road. He traveled with a convoy of hundreds of supporters.

A high-security judicial complex had been assigned for Khan’s appearance on the outskirts of the capital, with hundreds of riot police deployed in the area. Islamabad police said in a tweet that upon arrival at the complex, Khan’s supporters began to “pelt the police with stones,” and police responded with tear gas.

Khan made his appearance after waiting five hours to enter the judicial complex.

In an audio message sent by Khan to journalists, Khan said that he had been “waiting outside the [judicial complex’s] door” and had been “fully trying to enter” but the police’s use of teargas makes it seems that “they don’t want” him to reach court.

Separately in the city of Lahore, Khan’s residence was raided by the police with bulldozers removing camps that had been set up by Imran Khan’s supporters. The Minister for Interior Rana Sanaullah said in a press conference that the police operation at Khan’s home was conducted to “clear no-go areas” and to “arrest miscreants hiding inside.”

Khan’s team claimed that only Khan’s wife and house staff were present inside the residence when the raid took place.