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It’s the most wonderful time of the year, and these festive neighborhoods will prove it. Whether you’re celebrating Christmas, Hanukkah, the Winter Solstice, or Kwanzaa, there is joy in strolling a nearby block or hopping in the car where you can blast holiday tunes. You can even explore holiday lights in some of these neighborhoods via a boat. We compiled a list of 10 Southern California destinations known for their lit holiday hoods! Naples Island It wouldn’t be Southern California without some beachside holiday cheer and displays. Visitors can start their stroll at the marine or Mothers’ Beach for the best expedition. The neighborhoods surrounding Naples Island take the holidays to heart with some breathtaking Christmas light decorations that will guide Santa Claus in the dark night skies. Long Beach also puts on a beautiful Christmas tree lighting display and offers holiday light tours on a double-decker Big Red Bus that rides passengers around the best decorated private homes, the famous floating Christmas trees in Alamitos Bay, and near a Ferris Wheel. If you’re planning a more romantic festive date, Gondola Getaway Inc. provides gondola rides paired with a cup of hot chocolate for you and your sweetie. Where: Holiday Light Tours pick up is at Marni’s OC 620 Pacific Coast Hwy, Seal Beach. When: The Holiday Light tours are scheduled at 5:30 p.m., 6:45 p.m., and 8 p.m. from Sunday through Thursday through Dec. 19, with the final night on Dec. 23. For tickets and reservations, call 562-852-9888 or email events@bigredbus.com. To book a Gondola ride, visit gondolagetawayinc.com . Venice Canals We’d be remiss, not to mention the other beautiful neighborhood nestled just steps away from Venice Beach. There is something so charming about shimmering lights over the neighborhood’s wooden framed bridges. Inspired by Venice, Italy, these man-made canals are a cozy display of Christmas lights where residents light up their homes and even some small boats that transform the area into a holiday paradise. It’s perfect for a nice winter stroll by the water. Don’t miss the Venice Canals Christmas Boat Parade on Sunday, Dec. 8, at 4:30 p.m. The annual tradition since the ’80s is a community celebration that showcases some of the city’s best-decorated boats. Where: Right off 25th St., Venice Beach. When: Now through Dec. 29. Symphony Street While caroling may not be as prominent as it once was, there are still ways to enjoy those holiday jingles alongside some Christmas lights. This Orange County neighborhood allows visitors to drive-thru and tune into 89.1 FM for Christmas music. Keep up with the Lights on Symphony St Facebook page for the most up-to-date information. Where: 1816 N Symphony St., Anaheim. When: 5-10 p.m. now through Jan 1. Upper Hastings Ranch Holiday LightUp Organized by the Upper Hastings Ranch Association (UHRA) for more than 70 years, the neighborhood often drizzles its lawns with faux snow and decked-out decorations with no shortage of Christmas lights, attracting families from near and far to experience the festivities. The organizers’ Facebook page includes videos of live bands and community shows that have occurred in past celebrations. Where: Hastings Ranch Drive and Sierra Madre Blvd, Pasadena. When: 6-11 p.m. Dec. 6 through Dec. 31. Thoroughbred and Jennet Streets Holiday Lights The annual holiday tradition features over 125,000 lights, holiday figurines and decorations that bring people to the Inland Empire neighborhood every year. The city of Rancho Cucamonga restricts pedestrian access at this event to ensure safety and crowd control and passed a resolution to make it drive-thru only. Where: Thoroughbred, Sapphire and Jennett Streets, Rancho Cucamonga. When: 5-11 p.m. Dec. 6 through Dec. 24. Lights on Display in Sherman Oaks Curated by Sherman Oaks resident Mike Ziemkowski, Lights on Display returns with an impressive showcase of holiday magic. This display features a combination of computer-controlled lighting, DMX-driven intelligent lights, and synchronized animatronic characters—all set to a festive playlist. Perfect for all ages, this free experience delights visitors Wednesday through Sunday, weather permitting, from November 29 to New Year’s Day. Where : 3901 Longview Valley Rd., Sherman Oaks, CA 91423 When : Wednesdays-Sundays, beginning Nov. 29 through Jan. 1. Holiday Road Hosted at the picturesque King Gillette Ranch, the fifth annual Holiday Road transforms Calabasas into a holiday wonderland. Featuring over 1 million Christmas lights, a mile-long walking trail with over 20 immersive scenes, live Santa, carolers, and festive bars, it’s a must-see event for holiday enthusiasts. New highlights this year include cutting-edge projection mapping, innovative light technology, and exclusive Maker’s Mark and Minus One Nine Six Vodka Seltzer activations. Where : 26800 Mulholland Hwy, Calabasas, CA 91302 When : 5-10 p.m., Nov. 29 through Dec. 28. Sparkle DTLA at The Bloc Celebrate the season in a vibrant display of lights at Sparkle DTLA, where 18 million hues illuminate the night in sync with festive music. Located at The Bloc, this event features one of the city’s largest multi-colored interactive holiday displays, making it a unique experience for all ages. The nightly light show starts at 5 p.m. and runs through December 31. Where : 700 W 7th St., Los Angeles, CA 90017 When : 5-10 p.m., nightly through Dec. 31. 123 Farm Christmas Nights Bring the holiday spirit to life at 123 Farm Christmas Nights, where twinkling lights meet festive fun in a charming Christmas Village setting. Stroll the farm while savoring seasonal foods and drinks, surrounded by holiday displays perfect for a family outing. Where : 10600 Highland Springs Ave., Beaumont, CA 92223 When : 5-10 p.m., Tuesdays-Sundays through Dec. 23. Christmas Tree Lane Experience a mile of magic on Christmas Tree Lane in Altadena, where towering cedar trees are adorned with twinkling lights and festive music fills the air. Beginning December 7 at 6 p.m., this annual tradition transforms Santa Rosa Avenue into a glowing wonderland, perfect for a stroll or a drive. Where : Santa Rosa Ave., between Altadena Dr. & Woodbury Rd., Altadena, CA 91003 When : Nightly starting Dec. 7.
By JUAN A. LOZANO, Associated Press HOUSTON (AP) — An elaborate parody appears to be behind an effort to resurrect Enron, the Houston-based energy company that exemplified the worst in American corporate fraud and greed after it went bankrupt in 2001. If its return is comedic, some former employees who lost everything in Enron’s collapse aren’t laughing. “It’s a pretty sick joke and it disparages the people that did work there. And why would you want to even bring it back up again?” said former Enron employee Diana Peters, who represented workers in the company’s bankruptcy proceedings. Here’s what to know about the history of Enron and the purported effort to bring it back. Once the nation’s seventh-largest company, Enron filed for bankruptcy protection on Dec. 2, 2001, after years of accounting tricks could no longer hide billions of dollars in debt or make failing ventures appear profitable. The energy company’s collapse put more than 5,000 people out of work, wiped out more than $2 billion in employee pensions and rendered $60 billion in Enron stock worthless. Its aftershocks were felt throughout the energy sector. Twenty-four Enron executives , including former CEO Jeffrey Skilling , were eventually convicted for their roles in the fraud. Enron founder Ken Lay’s convictions were vacated after he died of heart disease following his 2006 trial. On Monday — the 23rd anniversary of the bankruptcy filing — a company representing itself as Enron announced in a news release that it was relaunching as a “company dedicated to solving the global energy crisis.” It also posted a video on social media, advertised on at least one Houston billboard and a took out a full-page ad in the Houston Chronicle In the minute-long video that was full of generic corporate jargon, the company talks about “growth” and “rebirth.” It ends with the words, “We’re back. Can we talk?” Enron’s new website features a company store, where various items featuring the brand’s tilted “E” logo are for sale, including a $118 hoodie. In an email, company spokesperson Will Chabot said the new Enron was not doing any interviews yet, but that “We’ll have more to share soon.” Signs point to the comeback being a joke. In the “terms of use and conditions of sale” on the company’s website, it says “the information on the website about Enron is First Amendment protected parody, represents performance art, and is for entertainment purposes only.” Documents filed with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office show that College Company, an Arkansas-based LLC, owns the Enron trademark. The co-founder of College Company is Connor Gaydos, who helped create a joke conspiracy theory that claims all birds are actually surveillance drones for the government. Peters said that since learning about the “relaunch” of Enron, she has spoken with several other former employees and they are also upset by it. She said the apparent stunt was “in poor taste.” “If it’s a joke, it’s rude, extremely rude. And I hope that they realize it and apologize to all of the Enron employees,” Peters said. Peters, who is 74 years old, said she is still working in information technology because “I lost everything in Enron, and so my Social Security doesn’t always take care of things I need done.” “Enron’s downfall taught us critical lessons about corporate ethics, accountability, and the consequences of unchecked ambition. Enron’s legacy was the employees in the trenches. Leave Enron buried,” she said. Follow Juan A. Lozano on X at https://x.com/juanlozano70Vasko's 4 TDs power Coastal Carolina past Georgia State 48-27 to become bowl eligible
Oliver Glasner declared Crystal Palace are on the right path after they finally broke their away duck with a 1-0 win at Ipswich. Jean-Philippe Mateta struck in the second half with the only real piece of quality in a nervy encounter between two struggling teams. It is now two wins and three draws from the last six matches for Glasner’s side, whose winter revival is gathering pace nicely following a sticky start to the campaign. “I feel very happy, we’re all very pleased with the result, it was not the best performance but the result was more important,” said the Eagles boss. “Most of the time we controlled the game and we scored an amazing goal, a fantastic finish from JP. “We had more chances to decide the game but we couldn’t, but I think the win was well deserved. “We didn’t give them any chances from open play and with a clean sheet you can always take the win. “It’s a big win. Now it’s not time to sit back and relax but to keep going. In four days we face Manchester City. We stay humble. There are still many things to improve but we are on the right path.” Ipswich looked the likelier to score as a low-key first half drew to a close and were denied by a point-blank save by Dean Henderson from Harry Clarke’s near-post header. Shortly after the interval Wes Burns got clear down the right and lifted an inviting cross towards Liam Delap, whose header was straight at Henderson. However, from out of nowhere Palace conjured up a lightning counter-attack to go ahead on the hour. Eberechi Eze led the charge before feeding Mateta, who surged forward with a couple of stepovers before brushing off the attention of Jacob Greaves and finishing superbly past Arijanet Muric. It was the French forward’s sixth goal of the season, and his first away from Selhurst Park. Back came Ipswich with Leif Davis fizzing in another cross for Delap, who somehow mistimed his jump and completely missed the ball from six yards. As time ticked down Greaves looped a header against the far post, with the rebound just eluding substitute Ali-Al Hamadi. “Frustrating night,” said Town boss Kieran McKenna. “It was a tight first half, we weren’t fantastic in terms of the flow of the game and didn’t create as many opportunities as we wanted. But having said that neither did our opponents. “In the second half we conceded a really poor goal and that proved decisive. We can do better than we did tonight.”
Tharman Shanmugaratnam We can only address these long challenges by stretching our economic and political horizons, says President Tharman Shanmugaratnam. Our largest governance challenges, internationally, are now the long ones: where decisions today will determine if we secure people’s well-being not only today but also for our children’s generation and those that come after. Climate change is foremost. Ways must be found to win popular support to accelerate the shift to a low-carbon future. It requires a fair transition, one that overcomes the anxieties over costs that have led to pushback within many populations. But it also means overcoming the short-sightedness that is now the norm in most societies, so as to ensure fairness not only today but also for future generations. Likewise, the challenge of meeting the needs of steadily ageing societies, without sending the invoice to the next generation. And so too, dealing with AI (artificial intelligence) – the most profound technological change of our times, with benefits as well as risks that are likely to grow exponentially in the coming decade and beyond. We can address these long challenges only by stretching our economic and political horizons. And by finding ways to rebuild optimism and solidarity within our societies, so that people can imagine how the future can be better for all. The collective belief in the future has to be both the means and the end. Building a realistic optimism We are starting from a difficult place. Confidence in the future has been on the decline in most societies. They are also more divided. A survey of 19 high- and middle-income societies by Pew Research in 2022 found the majority feeling more divided than they did before the Covid-19 pandemic. Only three countries avoided this, including Singapore, where 75 per cent of people felt more united than before the pandemic. On top of all this, confidence in the multilateral order is at its lowest point. Yet, to tackle problems like climate change, we must first recognise the scale and seriousness of the challenge – not so we add to the mood of despondency, but so we build realistic optimism. The world is far behind the actions it needs to stay within 1.5 deg C of global warming, and to prevent accelerated warming after we hit 1.5 deg C. The best scientific estimates tell us that the remaining carbon budget, or the maximum amount of emissions the world can make so that global warming remains below 1.5 deg C, is likely to be used up in about five years’ time. Even more worrying: there is radical uncertainty as to what comes next. The planet is losing its critical buffers against warming – the natural ecosystems on land and in the oceans, that have been soaking up more than 50 per cent of carbon dioxide that the world emits, are losing that ability. It is also beginning to cross tipping points – such as the melting of the Greenland ice sheet, and the shift in the Amazon from being a huge carbon sink to being a net emitter – which can lead to runaway global warming. The implications are clear. First, tackling climate change will be much more costly, and vastly more complex and difficult, if we defer action. We must act early, especially to develop scale in clean energy and green technologies, so that they become as affordable and as reliable as what we do with fossil fuels. Second, clear and credible public policies are key to achieving the scale and speed that is required. Carbon pricing has to be the centrepiece. It will help catalyse the needed shift in private investments towards green opportunities in every sector, and also provide the revenues needed to support the transition and ensure poorer segments of the population are not disadvantaged. But it is generally understood that carbon pricing, within socially realistic limits, will not on its own be adequate. Targeted regulations in specific sectors, which in many cases such as in aviation and maritime transport will have to be internationally managed, are needed to provide certainty for businesses and spur innovation. We also need public investment in R&D and to build out new grids and other public infrastructure for a clean energy future. But higher spending will be a problem in many countries – given already large public debts, and interest rates which are no longer low. They have to find a pragmatic path, to protect future generations from exploding debt burdens, but also protect them from the huge costs that climate change will cause. Europe epitomises this challenge. Eminent former leaders like Italy’s Mario Draghi and Germany’s Angela Merkel – who had herself pushed for Germany’s conservative “debt brake” laws when she was the country’s chancellor – have now proposed that the public sector be allowed to borrow for a transitional period for investments in the green transition and other critical needs. Third, and the most challenging governance task: we need international coordination to solve the climate crisis. Otherwise, we risk carbon leakage – where higher-emitting companies and activities shift to countries with more accommodating policies. But besides their differing levels of political will, the complexity comes from the fact that countries have been using different sets of measures to encourage decarbonisation. Europe has been relying on the full mix of carbon pricing, regulation and subsidies, whereas China has introduced only limited pricing and the US has eschewed it altogether. Finding some equivalence between the measures taken by these major emitters so as to determine their “effective” carbon pricing rates will be a difficult matter. But it cannot be avoided. Reframing the debate We need a new understanding in trade, investments and technology transfers, to enable the world to benefit from China’s low-cost clean energy technologies, such as its solar panels, wind turbines and batteries. And likewise, to take advantage of innovations in the United States, such as in hydrogen power, carbon capture and other next-generation clean technologies. The key goal must be to maximise scale, affordability and the speed of the global transition, recognising that the world is far behind in the race against climate change. It will be aided by not limiting market access to products and technologies based on where they come from, but instead pursuing the solutions that still exist for win-win economic outcomes. We must also overcome the perennial tensions over climate financing for the developing world, which are not getting us anywhere. The debate has to be reframed; from viewing it not as a matter of how much aid should be given from rich nations to poor, but as investment in the global commons that all nations will benefit from. Dollar for dollar, investments in climate transition in the developing world in fact have a more significant impact on global emissions than in the advanced economies. Blended finance, where we bring together monies from the public sector, the multilateral development banks and the private sector, and where possible philanthropies, is an important way to scale up these investments. That’s why Singapore launched the Fast-P (Financing Asia’s Transition Partnership) programme this year, to help spur the transition to low carbon in Asia. The good news recently has been in carbon markets. Consensus on how to operationalise Article 6 of the Paris Agreement – governing how countries can trade carbon credits – was finally achieved at COP29 in Baku, with Singapore playing the role of co-facilitator. It will also add impetus to efforts to develop a voluntary carbon market with credible standards and verification mechanisms. The challenge is in the doing. An example is the Transition Credits Coalition that MAS (Monetary Authority of Singapore) is working on, to make possible an early phase-out of coal-fired power plants in Asia. Finally, we need a new narrative on climate change that has appeal to populations. Pushback has come from those who feel they have to bear the costs of decarbonisation today, in exchange for benefits to society in the distant future. Part of the solution must be to ensure that adjustments are fair to ordinary households. But decarbonising the economy can itself be a growth opportunity in the coming decade itself – with heightened investments creating many jobs and new businesses. It is an opportunity for clean air today – remember that millions of people each year die from air pollution caused by fossil fuel-based energy, with many more suffering from ill health. And nature-based solutions will help give populations clean water supply, and provide a buffer against flood and other weather extremities. So while the largest benefits come decades later, the dividends for populations from climate action begin flowing early. AI: focus on early wins, and avoiding the worst possible harms The second looming issue is AI. It presents massive opportunities for improved well-being – from better healthcare to productivity in every sector. But there are also major risks. There are bleak scenarios of how AI will remove a large segment of jobs, including those of the middle class. No one can say for sure that it won’t happen. There is also the prospect of AI systems moving beyond our control, as most AI programs get to be written by AI itself. And as Dr Henry Kissinger warned in his final book, AI poses a global security dilemma of an existential nature. More immediately, there’s the risk that AI poses for democracy itself, by accentuating misinformation and social polarisation. We already see this today, but it will only grow in the next decade and beyond. Yet, we must have a sense of realism when we think of how we should regulate AI. There will remain a fundamental mismatch between the pace at which AI is developing and regulators’ ability to set rules around it. We cannot delay AI until we are perfectly sure it is safe; in fact, we should assume that there will be some bad. Our approach should be to maximise the benefits of AI and minimise the risk of the worst possible harms to safety and society, and not think we can regulate AI comprehensively to avoid all that could be bad. Look for early wins. In healthcare, for instance, through much earlier and better diagnosis and treatment. In learning, with the potential that AI offers for personalised tutoring, through life. In improving farming yields. And in virtually every sector, to improve the productivity of those in the workforce by having an AI tool to augment your own capabilities. Further, not every problem created by AI will be best solved by trying to regulate AI. The real solutions to avoid job and income losses, which could come in both advanced and developing countries, lie in other economic and social strategies. We’ve got to double down on preparing young people and the workforce of today for an AI era. Countries may have to introduce new wage subsidies, or use progressive tax and transfer systems to mitigate inequalities. Every society has to be ready with these strategies, to ensure we can benefit from AI whilst buffering its downsides. Critically, too, we will need international cooperation to govern AI. It must involve the US and China talking directly with each other. But we must carry on with the important work of building a broad coalition of interests that can make the most of expertise from every source. Don’t send the invoice to the next generation The third long challenge: preserving optimism as societies age. Almost every higher-income country is ageing, and a few emerging countries too. We will see this go further in the next 30 years, changing the nature of society. However, many systems of financing healthcare and pensions are unsustainable, and are now likely to pose a major burden on the next generation. Unfortunately, most are also dealing with this challenge late in the day, when a large segment of the population is already retired or close to doing so. Reforms are still possible, but now come at greater political cost, which many democracies are finding insurmountable. Healthcare spending will have to go up, if we are to provide quality and affordable care for growing older populations. The costs have to be paid for fairly, across a population. We should start by recognising that there is no such thing as free healthcare for people anywhere – even in the systems like the UK’s where you pay little or nothing when you turn up in hospital, people pay for it through taxes or mandatory national insurance contributions. But a key lesson from most countries is that to keep the system fair, and keep healthcare costs from going up excessively, we have to avoid a heavy reliance on just one source of payments. We need a balance between government subsidies, co-payments by individuals when they are treated, and insurance policies – as we have in Singapore, for example. It is also how we ensure that those who can afford it get less subsidies and pay their fair share. More importantly, staying healthy and keeping healthcare costs down doesn’t just depend on healthcare systems. In fact, much of it depends on our habits and the social environment around us as we age. Are we staying active? Do we have regular friends? Do we have hobbies? Are we still learning something and staying curious? Are we countering the ageing brain? That’s all critical in staying healthy, and to living long and satisfying lives. And in Singapore, we are very serious about making this possible. Rebuilding solidarity Finally, as I mentioned at the start, we have to rebuild the collective belief that the future can be better for all. We have to find ways to get beyond the zero-sum thinking that is now prevalent within many societies – where each group feels that its future is pitched against another. Find ways to address the concerns of segments in each population who feel that the elite do not understand their day-to-day problems. And find ways to rebuild a sense of common humanity, by sustaining the international rule of law and norms of conduct, and by pitching in to strengthen the global commons. Yet, solidarity, a sense that our lives are connected and indeed enriched by what we do for each other, is a neglected dimension of democracy. We understand very well the importance of justice, and the freedoms that different democracies are organised around, but it requires something more for democracies to work well in today’s world. Where we’re not just individuals wanting to be equal and free, but we have bonds of reciprocity with one another, and we know it’s those bonds that will help us tackle the challenges we now face and take us forward. Solidarity has to be rebuilt into how we practise democracy, how societies are governed, and how we respect one another in our lives. Find out more about climate change and how it could affect you on the ST microsite here. Read 3 articles and stand to win rewards Spin the wheel now