Notre Dame puts losing streak in past, turns focus to DartmouthMotorola Solutions Inc. stock falls Tuesday, underperforms marketHerbert tosses 3 TD passes and Chargers secure a playoff spot with a 40-7 rout of Patriots FOXBOROUGH, Mass. (AP) — Justin Herbert threw three touchdown passes and the Los Angeles Chargers clinched their second playoff appearance in three seasons with a 40-7 victory over the New England Patriots. The win also secured the fourth postseason appearance in Jim Harbaugh’s five seasons as an NFL coach, adding to the three he made during his stint with tAshe San Francisco 49ers. Herbert finished 26 of 38 for 281 yards to become the third player in NFL history with at least 3,000 passing yards and 20 touchdown passes in each of his first five seasons. The Patriots have lost six straight games, their second such losing streak of the season. They are now 2-14 the last two seasons at home. Dallas' Naji Marshall gets 4-game suspension, Phoenix's Jusuf Nurkic is banned 3 games for fight The NBA has suspended Dallas Mavericks forward Naji Marshall for four games and Phoenix Suns center Jusuf Nurkic for three games for their roles in an on-court fight during Friday night’s game. Dallas forward P.J. Washington was suspended for one game. All of the suspensions are without pay. Nurkic was called for an offensive foul while being guarded by Daniel Gafford with 9:02 left in the third quarter before the altercation quickly escalated. Nurkic confronted Marshall before taking an open-handed swing at his head and then Marshall responded with a punch. Washington quickly shoved Nurkic to the ground before the teams were separated. The NBA said Marshall “attempted to further engage Nurkic in a hostile manner in the corridor outside the locker rooms.” Shohei Ohtani to become a father for the 1st time in 2025 LOS ANGELES (AP) — Shohei Ohtani is adding a newcomer to his family lineup. The Los Angeles Dodgers superstar has posted on his Instagram account that he and wife Mamiko Tanaka are expecting a baby in 2025. The photo shows the couple's beloved dog, Decoy, as well as a pink ruffled onesie along with baby shoes and a sonogram that is covered by a baby emoji. Ohtani announced in February that he had married Tanaka, a former professional basketball player from his native Japan. The news from the intensely private player stunned Ohtani's teammates and his fans. Eli Manning and Antonio Gates are among the finalists for the Pro Football Hall of Fame Two-time Super Bowl MVP Eli Manning, former Defensive Players of the Year Luke Kuechly and Terrell Suggs, and prolific tight end Antonio Gates are among the finalists for the 2025 Pro Football Hall of Fame class. The Hall on Saturday announced the names of the 15 modern-era finalists who advanced from a group of 25 to the final stage of voting. The selection committee will vote next month to pick the class of between three and five modern-era players that will be announced the week of the Super Bowl. Georgia QB Carson Beck announces plan to enter NFL draft after season-ending elbow injury Georgia quarterback Carson Beck has announced his plans to enter the NFL draft, five days after having season-ending elbow surgery. The fifth-year senior made his NFL plans official on social media. Beck suffered a right elbow injury in the first half of the Bulldogs’ 22-19 overtime win over Texas in the Southeastern Conference championship game on Dec. 7. Beck had surgery on Monday to repair his ulnar collateral ligament in the elbow. He is expected to begin throwing next spring. Backup Gunner Stockton will make his first start in the Sugar Bowl against Notre Dame on Wednesday. Colts QB Anthony Richardson ruled out for Sunday's game against the Giants EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) — Indianapolis quarterback Anthony Richardson has been ruled out for the Colts’ big game at the New York Giants on Sunday. Richardson missed practice on Thursday and Friday because of back and foot injuries. He was listed as questionable before he was downgraded to out. Indianapolis has a slim chance of making the playoffs. The Colts need to win out and get some help. Richardson’s absence likely means Joe Flacco will start against New York. Victor Wembanyama plays 1-on-1 chess with fans in New York Victor Wembanyama went to a park in New York City and played 1-on-1 with fans on Saturday. He even lost a couple of games. Not in basketball, though. Wemby was playing chess. Before the San Antonio Spurs left New York for a flight to Minnesota, Wembanyama put out the call on social media: “Who wants to meet me at the SW corner of Washington Square park to play chess? Im there,” Wembanyama wrote. It was 9:36 a.m. And people began showing up almost immediately. Mavs star Luka Doncic is latest pro athlete whose home was burglarized, business manager says DALLAS (AP) — Luka Doncic of the Dallas Mavericks is the latest professional athlete whose home has been burglarized. The star guard’s business manager tells multiple media outlets there was a break-in at Doncic’s home Friday night. Lara Beth Seager says nobody was home, and Doncic filed a police report. The Dallas Morning News reports that jewelry valued at about $30,000 was stolen. Doncic is the sixth known pro athlete in the U.S. whose home was burglarized since October. Star NFL quarterbacks Patrick Mahomes of Kansas City and Joe Burrow of Cincinnati are among them. The NFL and NBA have issued security alerts to players over the break-ins. Panthers place 1,000-yard rusher Chuba Hubbard on IR for final 2 games with strained calf CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — The Carolina Panthers have shut down leading rusher Chuba Hubbard for the final two games of the season because of a strained calf. He was placed on injured reserve Saturday. Hubbard was limited in practice Friday with a knee injury and was listed as questionable to play Sunday against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. After practice, Hubbard complained of pain and had an MRI, which revealed a grade two calf strain, according to the team. Hubbard ran for 1,195 yards and 10 touchdowns this season. He becomes the third Panthers running back to be placed on injured reserve this season, joining Miles Sanders and rookie Jonathan Brooks. Corbin Burnes and Arizona Diamondbacks agree to $210 million, 6-year deal, AP source says PHOENIX (AP) — Corbin Burnes and the Arizona Diamondbacks have agreed to a $210 million, six-year contract, a person familiar with the negotiations told The Associated Press. The person spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because the deal was pending a successful physical. The 30-year-old Burnes was perhaps the top free agent pitcher on the market after going 15-9 with a 2.92 ERA for Baltimore last season. The Orioles acquired the right-hander in a February trade after he spent his first six major league seasons with the Milwaukee Brewers.
When people think of Hawaii, they tend to conjure Kauai’s jungles or Maui’s white sand beaches. But it’s Honolulu on the island of Oahu where most locals live and work, yielding a dynamic and complicated scene where Indigenous culture converges with Asian influences and mid-century Americana, and energetic food and arts scenes unfold against a backdrop of warm beaches and lush forests. New reservation systems to hike Diamond Head State Monument and snorkel Hanauma Bay Nature Preserve have helped lessen crowds and restore some of the flora and fauna, while new boutique hotels in Waikiki reclaim overlooked architectural gems. Advance planners should look for the Hawaii Triennial (Feb 15 to May 4), spread across landmark sites including the 135-year-old Bishop Museum, dedicated to Hawaiian culture, as well as Le‘ahi, or Diamond Head, a volcanic tuff cone. FRIDAY 4.30pm | See a volcanic crater Start your weekend by heading toward Diamond Head, the Oahu landmark that was formed by a volcanic eruption some 300,000 years ago on the eastern edge of Waikiki. On the way, stop by Fort Ruger Market. Previously a general store serving the neighbourhood since 1937, it now turns out Filipino and Hawaiian food classics. Pick up lechon (crispy-skinned roast pork, US$19.95 [S$26.80] a pound) and poke (seasoned raw cubed fish, US$29.95 a pound), and take your snacks to one of the lookouts on the crater’s southern flank. During the winter months, you might glimpse migrating humpback whales. Closer below you’ll see surfers catching their last waves of the day, and sometimes, during Friday night sailing races, sailboats rounding the Diamond Head buoy as the golden hour descends. 6pm | Explore art after dark Every Friday, the Honolulu Museum of Art keeps its doors open until 9pm, and its courtyard cafe is a lovely spot to grab a glass of wine and listen to live music in between gallery-hopping. New exhibitions include Kenyatta Kelechi’s collection (through Jan 12), which depicts contemporary Native Hawaiian cultural practitioners through wet plate photography, a technique from the 19th century, and a retrospective of Satoru Abe (through Jul 20), arguably Hawaii’s most influential artist and still creating at age 98. His work spans seven decades of works, from sculptures to recent abstract multidirectional paintings (adults US$25). 8pm | Dine in a car dealership An easy walk from the museum, but difficult to find, MW Restaurant is tucked into the second floor of a luxury car showroom. Out of sight of the Maseratis and Bentleys, MW’s dining room offers more subtle luxuries in the form of pork hash dumplings bathed in truffle-bacon broth (US$18), Kona kampachi (amberjack) coated in dried mochi shavings and pan-fried until crisp (US$48), and a recent special of a lobster lasagne (US$65). Don’t skip dessert, in particular the shave ice (US$16), a granita of seasonal and local fruit — which has recently included mango and persimmon — over panna cotta and coconut tapioca (US$16). Regulars are known to pull up to the bar just for this upscale take on a local favourite SATURDAY 8am | Taste tropical flavours Spread over two parking lots, the Kaka‘ako farmers market by Kewalo Basin Harbor, toward the western end of town, is big enough that you need a strategy. Start at Wallflour Bake Shop before it sells out of its pastries. You might find a liliko‘i (passionfruit) sticky bun (US$6.50) or an Okinawan brown-sugar, twice-baked croissant stuffed with kinako (roasted soybean flour) paste (US$6.50). Then beeline to MA‘O Organic Farms and Kahumana , two social enterprise farms supporting communities on the west side of Oahu, for local produce like tart-sweet apple bananas and longan. Marvel at Sugah Papi’s Farms’ quick knife skills as you dig into a rainbow fruit bowl (US$17) that might include dragonfruit, liliko‘i and starfruit. 10am | Pick up comfort food A post shared by @ethelsgrill_kalihi Save room in your stomach and drive about 10 minutes west to Ethel’s Grill, open since 1979, and a mainstay for its local Japanese and Okinawan classics. It’s run by the husband-and-wife team Robert and Minaka Urquidi, who took it over from her parents in recent years. They’ve kept most recipes largely the same, including hamburger steak topped with grated daikon and ponzu sauce (US$14.95); goya champuru, an Okinawan stir fry of bitter melon and pork (US$14.95); and taco rice (US$16.95), a mashup born of Japanese and American military influences in Okinawa (parallels abound between Hawaii and Okinawa). During the pandemic, the tiny spot permanently transitioned to takeout only, so take your haul to the next stop. 11am | Picnic among old trees Foster Botanical Garden ( US$5 admission), an oasis wedged between the freeway and Chinatown, is home to an orchid conservatory and some of Oahu’s oldest trees, including a bodhi tree and endemic loulu palm. Watch out for falling cannonballs, the woody, heavy fruit of the cannonball tree. The grounds once belonged to Mary Mikahala Elizabeth Robinson Foster, known as the first Native Hawaiian Buddhist (the bodhi tree given to her is said to be a descendant of the one under which the Buddha attained enlightenment). She was one of only two people allowed to visit Queen Lili‘uokalani, Hawaii’s last monarch, in her imprisonment during the US military-backed overthrow of the Hawaiian Kingdom in 1893. They shared a love of plants, so it’s fitting that the Lili‘uokalani Botanical Garden lies just across the freeway. Noon | Browse Chinatown As you leave the garden, admire the adjacent Kuan Yin Temple, a Chinese Buddhist temple dedicated to the bodhisattva of compassion, and peer into the 1922 Shinto shrine Izumo Taishakyo Mission of Hawaii, across the street. Both are active places of worship, so approach with respect. From there, cross into Chinatown, which, perhaps more than any other Honolulu neighbourhood, has faced cycles of prosperity and poverty. It is one of the largest intact historical districts, where newer boutiques and artists collectives coexist with longtime businesses. Buy a fragrant tuberose or white ginger flower lei (starting at about US$15) at Cindy’s Lei Shoppe and try on modern aloha shirts and dresses at the Roberta Oaks store. Peruse Native Books at Arts & Letters Nu‘uanu , which carries an extensive selection of Hawaiian and Pacific Island books within an art gallery and community space. 2pm | Drive into the jungle Ascend winding Tantalus Drive, through a canopy of trees dripping with vines, to reach the Liljestrand House , built by architect Vladimir Ossipoff in 1952. Only accessible by reservation, guided tours (US$50) lead you through one of his finest residential works, designed with California redwood, Yokohama sandstone from west Oahu and polished concrete for seamless transitions between indoors and outdoors. Or if you prefer a full jungle immersion, the Tantalus region is a launching point for a network of hiking trails. Head to Pu‘u ‘Ualaka‘a State Wayside for panoramic views of the entire southern coastline, and for the beginning of the ‘Ualaka‘a Trail, a 1-mile loop through banyans and pine trees. Beware, the path can get muddy and buggy after rains. 5pm | Swim at sunset Head to Kaimana Beach, a small stretch near the base of Diamond Head. Don snorkel goggles and you may spot turtles and fish while dodging outrigger canoe paddlers returning to shore and swimmers making their laps to the windsock, the Dr Seussian flag hanging on a pole about 800 feet from the beach. Enjoy the sunset on the sand or from the bar at Hau Tree, the open-air restaurant at Kaimana Beach Hotel, recently renovated for a boho beach vibe. The restaurant is named for the more than 100-year-old hau trees that provide the dining room’s canopy, and it’s said that Robert Louis Stevenson penned poems under its branches. 7pm | Mix and match for dinner By the commercial fishing harbour, Nami Kaze opened a few years ago and has already become a local, multigenerational favourite. The chef and owner, Jason Peel, focuses on vegetable and seafood small plates. The entire first page of the menu is devoted to Hawaii’s produce, in the form of ‘ulu tots (fluffy, fried breadfruit bites) in barbecue sauce (US$12) and corn beignets (US$10) that are more like puffs of air dusted with Japanese curry powder. Slippery sensations abound in the raw tuna with natto (fermented soybeans) and okra (US$24); if you prefer your seafood cooked, there’s pan-fried kampachi with ponzu butter (US$34). (It’s also worth coming for brunch for creations like honey-walnut shrimp waffles.) SUNDAY 9am | Do an architecture walk Many guides urge you to get out of touristy Waikiki, but it is full of gems if you know where to look. Start with a Japanese breakfast at the traditional Yoshitsune, cloistered in the Park Shore Waikiki hotel. The spread of broiled fish, pickles, housemade tofu and miso soup (from US$35) will fuel your jaunt through Waikiki’s backstreets. Follow the self-guided tour by the Surfjack Hotel and Docomomo, a nonprofit that preserves modern architecture and design. See the apartment building Waikiki Skyliner’s two patterns of breeze blocks, anchored by a black Puna lava rock wall; a three-storey walk-up’s railing depicting breadfruit leaves and fruit; and White Sands Hotel , built around a courtyard pool and waterfall-fringed koi ponds. Noon | Shop and eat in Kaimuki Explore the eclectic shops of Kaimuki, a neighbourhood east of Waikiki. Seek out Pitacus Chop Art on the second floor of a turquoise building, where designer Lisa Weimken reworks vintage Japanese fabrics into one-of-a-kind dresses and unisex separates. Pop into Island-Boy shop, where whimsy and minimalism share space on the shelves stocked with shaka-shaped bottle openers and Lindquist’s handmade leather bags. At the 70-year-old Crack Seed Store , glass apothecary jars display a variety of crack seed (sour-salty-sweet preserved fruit snacks). For something more substantial, grab a slice of quiche or a sandwich at the Local General Store, a bakery and butcher counter. Stick around long enough and you can catch the Curb, a cafe and wine bar, as it transitions from pouring coffee to natural wine at 2pm. WHERE TO STAY The Halekulani, a storied Hawaii hotel that began in 1917 , provides warm hospitality and a sense of calm throughout its elegant oceanfront property in the midst of Waikiki. Rooms start around US$700. All of the rooms at the Prince Waikiki , on the western end of Waikiki by the Ala Wai boat harbour, offer ocean views. The hotel frequently hosts events such as pop-up markets with local makers, and its dining options include the sushi restaurant Katsumidori. Rooms start around US$400. Wayfinder opened a year ago on the quieter side of Waikiki, fronting the Ala Wai canal (but still an easy walk to the beach). Rooms contrast a brutalist exterior with playful interiors. In addition to rooms in the main building, Wayfinder has larger studios with bungalow vibes in a three-storey walk-up adjacent to the pool. Rooms start around US$300. On Oahu, short-term rentals are primarily allowed only in resort-zoned areas, which in Honolulu is generally restricted to Waikiki. Martha Cheng © The New York Times This article originally appeared in The New York Times
