One Year After the Fire, Crisis Still Looms

Browne, a retired bus driver, now finds himself staring down estimated rebuilding costs of as much as $1.8 million. “A lot of people are selling and going elsewhere to start over, saying it’s too hard to come back here,” Browne says. “I gotta come back.”   In Altadena, the decision to stay or go is at…

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Epstein Files Reveal Peter Thiel’s Elaborate Dietary Restrictions

Peter Thiel—the billionaire venture capitalist, PayPal, and Palantir cofounder, and outspoken commentator on all matters relating to the “Antichrist”—appears at least 2,200 times in the latest batch of files released by the Department of Justice related to convicted sex offender and disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein. The tranche of records demonstrate how Epstein managed to cultivate…

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Best Handheld Steam Cleaners

A handheld steam cleaner can’t perform magic, but it should be able to loosen deeply embedded dirt, sanitize surfaces, and get in between grout and around metal grates. Many models come with accessories to remove wrinkles from clothing. I was thrilled to discover that a steam cleaner can even help clean vinyl, plastic, or metal…

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Portable vs. Whole-House Generator: Which Is Right for You?

The portable models in our generator ratings run on gasoline, burning through 12 to 20 gallons per day, depending on the unit’s output and the load being powered. That means you’ll have to store a significant quantity of gasoline, start the generator manually, and refill it (when it’s off, to minimize fire danger) after running…

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Cut Your Bills by More Than $800 a Month

Ask About Time-of-Use PlansContact your electricity provider to ask whether it charges different prices for power at different times of the day. If it does, try to avoid using energy-guzzlers such as dishwashers and clothes dryers during peak hours, when the rates may be highest. What you might save will vary by the time of…

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How to Get the Vaccines You Need Now

Varicella-zoster, the virus responsible for chickenpox, may lie dormant and reactivate later in life, causing shingles. This can bring a painful, blistering rash and lead to chronic nerve pain, pneumonia, temporary or permanent vision loss, hearing problems, and brain inflammation. Is it effective? The two-dose vaccine prevents shingles in 97 percent of people ages 50…

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The Best OTC Hearing Aids (2025), Tested and Reviewed

If you’re spending hundreds or thousands of dollars buying an OTC hearing aid, make sure you’re getting a product that offers a sustainable long-term solution to your hearing loss needs. Aside from the obvious things like sound quality, take a few minutes to look into these specs. What size and style works best for you?…

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