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Today: December 26, 2024
Today: December 26, 2024
Soren Fallwell

Soren Fallwell

Staff Writer

Latest From Soren Fallwell

Economy|WrittenByLAPost

Scammers Make Off with $2.7 Billion Through Social Media Dupes Since 2021

Scams on social media sites like Facebook and Instagram have caused more financial harm to Americans than any other kind of interaction. A recent study by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) details the staggering breadth of deceit. According to FTC data analysis, between January 2021 and June 2022, social media fraud cost Americans almost $2.7 billion.  This exceeded all other formats, including phone, text, email, and mail. “Social media gives scammers an edge in several ways,” wrote FTC data researcher Emma Fletcher. Impersonation and hacking combined with targeted advertising tools allow fraudsters to manipulate users methodically. The most frequent social

Scammers Make Off with $2.7 Billion Through Social Media Dupes Since 2021
Economy|Travel|WrittenByLAPost

CDC Chief: Why I Get My Family Vaxxed and Tested Before Holiday Travel

As Thanksgiving approaches, Dr. Mandy Cohen, director of the CDC, knows some Americans remain wary of public health guidance post-pandemic. But she hopes insights into her own family’s precautions will build trust. Beyond leading the CDC, Cohen is a doctor and parent of two young daughters. She wants Americans to know that recommendations she makes professionally are the same ones she follows personally to keep her family safe. “I wouldn’t recommend something for the American people that I wouldn’t recommend for my own family,” Cohen told Yahoo Life. Her transparency aims to reinforce best health practices amid holiday travel. Cohen

CDC Chief: Why I Get My Family Vaxxed and Tested Before Holiday Travel
Economy|WrittenByLAPost

This Handyman Fought Back Against Squatters - Don't Do What He Did

When handyman Flash Shelton found squatters occupying his elderly mother’s California home, he hatched an unorthodox scheme to reclaim the property after police claimed they couldn’t help. But while his hands-on tactic worked, experts strongly advise against taking such risks. After the local sheriff’s office said the squatters’ furniture established residency rights, a tenacious Shelton assumed “squatter status” himself. By moving in and posting cameras, he forced the unwanted occupants to abandon his mom’s house. “I dissected the laws and figured out that until there’s civil action, the squatters didn’t have rights,” Shelton told Fox Business. “So if I could

This Handyman Fought Back Against Squatters - Don't Do What He Did
Local|WrittenByLAPost

The Saga of LA's "Tenant From Hell"

In an ordeal spanning nearly two years, a Los Angeles homeowner has finally evicted a woman he describes as the “tenant from hell.” Elizabeth Hirschhorn was removed by police last Friday from a Brentwood guest house she had occupied since 2021 without paying rent. The dramatic saga highlights the complexities of short-term rental laws. Hirschhorn initially rented Sascha Jovanovic’s guesthouse through Airbnb in 2021. Their landlord-tenant relationship began normally, with Hirschhorn paying $105 per night to stay in the unit, as stipulated on Airbnb. But when her 6-month lease ended, Hirschhorn refused to vacate the property. This began a contentious

The Saga of LA's "Tenant From Hell"
Food|WrittenByLAPost

Orzo Carbonara: A Faster Route to Creamy Comfort Without the Fuss

Carbonara purists fiercely guard what’s considered “authentic” – no cream, ham, or Parmesan allowed. But what if a small tweak to the iconic Roman pasta dish both streamlined the process and opened the door to new flavors? Using orzo instead of spaghetti transforms carbonara into a faster, foolproof meal. The Italian carbonara police have strong opinions on ingredients. But as journalist Roberto Serrini notes, carbonara evolves with the times. In the 1960s, a splash of cognac was common. Today, guanciale, pecorino cheese, eggs, and black pepper define the dish. While tradition offers comfort, orzo provides a fresh take. In Italy,

Orzo Carbonara: A Faster Route to Creamy Comfort Without the Fuss
Health|WrittenByLAPost

More Than Manicures: Inside Acrylic Manicures' Infection Risk

The trendy acrylic nail extensions glamming up hands from coast to coast bring an unsightly downside – the terrifying possibility of chronic green nail infections. Some technicians allegedly do a poor job of applying the product, which allows bacteria to enter via the press-on plastic tips and causes a visible fungus that is very difficult to remove. Los Angeles dermatologist Dr. Sermed Mezher urgently highlighted the phenomenon on TikTok after treating numerous cases of the “beautician’s nightmare” condition nicknamed “The Greenies.” His video and warnings detail how the causative microbe thrives inside moisture trapped under cheap fill acrylic bonds slightly

More Than Manicures: Inside Acrylic Manicures' Infection Risk
Food|WrittenByLAPost

This Potato Prep Trick Just Blew Up The Internet

A clever potato skinning trick demonstrated in a viral TikTok video has home cooks astounded over its game-changing simplicity. In the clip that’s drawn 22 million views, user @quitmyjob reveals an astonishingly easy method to strip potato skins using only your hands after boiling. The process begins by cutting a slit midway around raw potatoes before dropping them in boiling water. Once cooked, grip the slice, and the taut skin peels right off without needing a peeler at all. Fans call it a “life hack” that should be common knowledge by now for basic vegetable prep. But based on the

This Potato Prep Trick Just Blew Up The Internet
Technology|WrittenByLAPost

Your iPhone Keyboard Could Be Quietly Betraying Your Private Data

A chilling new cyberattack allowing hackers to spy on iPhone users’ most sensitive information has security experts sounding the alarm. By weaponizing iOS’s third-party custom keyboards to serve as keyloggers, hackers can now covertly monitor every tap and swipe unsuspecting victims make, transmitting back data on private messages, passwords, web activity, and more. Investigations by security firm Certo Software uncovered these invasive iPhone keyboard hacks in action after helping multiple victims of digital stalking. Their findings reveal a clever technique to bypass Apple’s normally rigorous security protections on its devices. Through a multi-stage approach, hackers remotely installed malicious non-Apple keyboards

Your iPhone Keyboard Could Be Quietly Betraying Your Private Data
Health|WrittenByLAPost

The Culprit Behind Red Wine Headaches

People have complained about headaches specifically from red wine for thousands of years, but science is only now closing in on an explanation for the phenomenon. A new study proposes that an antioxidant found in grape skins hampers the body’s processing of alcohol, allowing buildup of a toxic compound that triggers migraines in susceptible drinkers. While all alcoholic beverages can cause headaches, red wine appears particularly linked to painful “wine headaches” arising shortly after a glass rather than next-morning hangover. Researchers have puzzlingly struggled to account for why despite red wine containing many ingredients also found in other foods not

The Culprit Behind Red Wine Headaches
Health|WrittenByLAPost

Stomach vacuums trending as the hot new workout on social media

Forget crunches. The Internet’s new abs obsession is stomach vacuums – an old school exercise unexpectedly gone viral overnight. As you scroll social media, you’ll see countless videos of people intensely sucking in their stomachs. The breath-controlled move promises a “snatched waist” and chiseled core. But is vacuuming in your gut the real secret to a six-pack? Or just another fitness fad of the moment? Fitness pros explain what stomach vacuums actually do, whether they live up to the tight tummy hype, and how to do them right. While abs likely won’t transform instantly from vacuuming alone, experts say the

Stomach vacuums trending as the hot new workout on social media
Health|WrittenByLAPost

Ace adulthood by acing this presidential fitness test

Remember the Presidential Fitness Test from your childhood gym classes? For decades, students anxiously lined up to run miles, crank out sit-ups, and squeeze through flexibility drills, striving for that coveted award. Well, it turns out many of those old-school fitness challenges abandoned long ago still offer valuable insights today – if you approach them with the right mindset. Experts say rather than worrying about arbitrary benchmarks, focusing on personal progress can make elements of the Presidential Fitness Test timeless tools for improving functional fitness as adults. So dust off your gym shoes and get ready to jog down memory

Ace adulthood by acing this presidential fitness test

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