Amid amidst difference

When it comes to wine bars in Houston, lovers of the grape can have a field day—and night. Whether you're planning a romantic evening, a celebration or a leisurely rendezvous, Houston's best bars for wine lovers have you covered with selections from regions around the world. In addition to traditional pours, you'll also find glasses of rare wines, natural wines, biodynamic wines and fortified wines. Bookmark this sampling of the hottest wine bars in Houston the next time you're ready to indulge in a glass or two of vino. Montrose wine bars Boheme Feel worlds away on Boheme's chill, romantic patio , surrounded by a garden adorned with stone sculptures from Zimbabwe, or inside amid antique fixtures from England, France and Germany. Globe-trotting selections include a red rosso by Raina in Italy, a tempranillo by Pixide in Spain, and a malbec-cabernet blend by Ricominciare in Argentina. Cocktails and non-alcoholic cocktails are available too. Tasting bites : Pair … [Read more...] about These hip Houston wine bars are worthy of a toast

FORT MYERS BEACH, Fla. - Some nights, Tara Boyd wishes she and her husband had just given up when the eight-foot storm surge from Hurricane Ian flooded their mobile home, forcing them to swim out into the storm. It would have been "easy to let go and just drift away," she said. But they fought to survive. And they've been doing that ever since. She hates to admit that living after Ian feels harder than living through its terror. She can't help it, especially on the really hard, frustrating days spent at a Federal Emergency Management Agency recovery center obtaining no real answers about the progress of their aid applications and then getting into their black Dodge Nitro, which they've been living out of since November. Boyd, 43, thinks about it when she watches her husband, Gerald Boyd, a veteran who was still recovering from a stroke when the storm hit in September, squeeze his long, hulking frame into the passenger seat at night to sleep. To deal with his cramping legs and … [Read more...] about For some, life after Ian is ‘more tragic than the hurricane itself’

WASHINGTON - Almost from the day news broke that classified documents had turned up in the home and former office of President Biden, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre has responded to questions about the matter by essentially not responding. "I would refer you to the White House Counsel's Office," she has said repeatedly. At Friday's press briefing, Jean-Pierre invoked the phrase or some variation of it eight times - including in response to a question about whether the White House has done an effective job communicating about the lingering controversy. As monotonous as it was, it wasn't even a record. A few days earlier, she fell back on the same response 25 times. On Wednesday, after FBI agents conducted a search of Biden's beach home, reporters repeatedly asked if the White House had been "transparent" about the investigation. "What should the public take away from the fact that you're keeping information like this from the public?" asked Associated Press … [Read more...] about Questioned on Biden documents, his press secretary has only one answer

This might come as a bit of a shock, but the Taycan's design dates to 2015 when Porsche previewed what was to become its first electric car with the Mission E. Four years later, the subsequent production version debuted at the same Frankfurt Motor Show as the concept from which it largely inherited the sleek styling. Fast forward to February 2023, a cleverly disguised prototype of the facelifted version has been spotted cold-weather testing. With good reason, you might be tempted to say nothing has changed. However, a closer look at the front bumper shows a body-colored disguise to conceal the air intakes positioned under the headlights on the current Taycan . That black tape hides potential changes to the bumper that could extend to the center. Although the headlights look virtually identical, that could change for the production-ready model since Porsche might be currently testing an early version. 2024 Porsche Taycan facelift spy photos 11 Photos … [Read more...] about Porsche Taycan Facelift Spied With Deceiving Camouflage

Listen to this article On-screen graphics are regularly evolving to aid fans’ understanding of F1, while fresh camera angles and techniques are constantly explored to bring the on-track action alive. But no camera angle has got as close to giving fans a true feeling of what it is like inside the F1 cockpit than Driver’s Eye. Through a small 9mm x 9mm camera fitted to the padding of the helmet, fans are able to get a closer understanding of what the drivers can see through the visor, offering some spectacular footage. One of the finest moments last year came at the opening race in Bahrain, when Charles Leclerc and Max Verstappen duelled for a series of laps for the lead. The F1 TV directors were able to switch to the Driver’s Eye camera in Leclerc’s helmet throughout the scrap, giving some incredible insight into how a race-winning overtake is executed from the cockpit. Designing a camera that is capable of delivering broadcast footage while fitting within the … [Read more...] about How Driver’s Eye camera became a Formula 1 TV gamechanger

Ahead of his first season on the F1 grid, Nyck de Vries has spoken about the “fine” line between focusing on the details and “overthinking” them. This season De Vries’s dream of racing in Formula 1 will be realised, the Dutchman signed by Red Bull to AlphaTauri. He caught the attention of Red Bull motorsport advisor Helmut Marko, and the rest of the paddock too, with his points-scoring one-off appearance for Williams at last year’s Italian Grand Prix. That led to talks with Marko, the 79-year-old committing De Vries to a multi-year deal although he’s only confirmed as a AlphaTauri driver for the 2023 season. That means the pressure is on for De Vries, but he can’t let it get to him. Speaking about his strengths on this week’s AlphaTauri’s podcast, Tauri Talk , the driver acknowledged that often strengths can also be a weakness and that’s something he has to watch out for. “My commitment, determination but also my perfectionism is a great asset and a strength,” the … [Read more...] about Nyck de Vries on the mental conundrum he faces in his first full F1 season

Otmar Szafnauer has vowed to “eliminate the loopholes” that allowed Oscar Piastri, as he put it, “to get out” of the contract Alpine thought they had. Alpine’s plans for their 2023 driver line up were thrown into confusion last season when Fernando Alonso opted against signing a one-year extension and instead committed his future to Aston Martin. The team wasn’t too fazed as they had reserve driver Piastri waiting in the wings and almost immediately announced him as Esteban Ocon’s new team-mate. The Aussie, though, took to social media to refute that and, as the saga played out, F1’s Contract Recognition Board declared the only contract Piastri had with any team for the 2023 F1 season was with McLaren. Alpine finally completed their line up with Pierre Gasly having done a deal with Red Bull to release the Frenchman . But while the CRB declared Alpine definitely did not have a contract with Piastri, only a terms sheet, Szafnauer bills it as a “loophole” that allowed the … [Read more...] about Otmar Szafnauer has another dig at Oscar Piastri, vows to ‘eliminate loopholes’ in junior contracts

The world’s economy is still reeling from the traumas of September and October. F1 sponsors give $300m to F1 teams each year – but more and more of those companies are reporting huge profit falls and staff cut backs. Some are even falling back on their national governments for financial support. Could we soon see a major reduction in F1 sponsorship? Here’s a look at how some of the biggest names in F1 sponsorship are faring in the growing global recession. Ferrari AMD – Electronics AMD began to experience problems before the economic downturn, beginning with its $5.4bn purchase of ATI. It has posted a loss for eight consecutive quarters and cut staff , but in October announced $8.4bn of investment from Abu Dhabi . Etihad Airways – Airlines The very high oil prices earlier this year put huge pressure on airlines, forcing 30 to close this year. Those prices have now fallen but reduced demands for passenger seats and cargo continues to squeeze airlines. However … [Read more...] about F1 sponsors hit by global recession · RaceFans

In the round-up: Fernando Alonso says he would like to race in the Le Mans 24 Hours when he is done racing in Formula One. Links Your daily digest of F1 news, views, features and more. Alonso plans Le Mans move after F1 (BBC) “To win the Le Mans 24 Hours means a lot to any driver, so one day hopefully I will race there. I think I will – that’s 100% decided.” More car makers choosing WEC and Le Mans over F1 ‘Sparks’ test set for Austria practice (Autosport) “Ferrari will fit Kimi Raikkonen’s car with two skid blocks for the opening day of running at the Red Bull Ring, with Mercedes fitting some in a different position on Nico Rosberg’s car.” No more random spins – Raikkonen (ESPN) “When many things came together it can happen, we knew it after practice but probably didn’t put enough thought into it, but it will not happen again. We have made a lot of changes since the last race.” ‘Daniel not tougher than Mark’ (Sky) Sebastian Vettel : “I … [Read more...] about F1 Fanatic round-up: Alonso wants to race at Le Mans after F1