James Frater, CNN

Edinburgh, Scotland (CNN) — As “Auld Lang Syne” takes its annual spin around the globe on New Year’s Eve, its chorus belted out by revelers young and old, Edinburgh’s Poet Laureate Michael Pedersen says the song’s enduring power lies not in tradition alone, but in its uncanny ability to bind people together.

Pedersen, a prize-winning Scottish poet and author who is the current Writer in Residence at the University of Edinburgh and the city’s Makar, or Poet Laureate, told CNN that the song’s customary rendition at midnight on December 31 was never formally ordained — it simply felt right.

“For generations, it’s been sung at New Year because it’s perfect for it,” he said. “There’s nothing in the song that dictates it should be sung then. People just had an emotional compass for it. They gathered outside town halls and sang it, and it drifted — like a great, beautiful glacier of song — into that New Year position.”

Despite its popularity, few would claim to know all the words to the song, first written down by Robert Burns in 1788 – but that has done little to dent its appeal.

The phrase “auld lang syne” translates loosely to “old, long since,” though Pedersen says a modern equivalent would be “for old times’ sake.” At its heart, he said, the song is “a tale that looks back at childhood friendship, rekindled with a handshake and a goodwill drink.”

“It’s a song of reunion, not parting,” he added. “It’s about celebrating happy days gone by and the glorious bonfire in the belly when you come back together.”

International appeal

As a Scotsman, watching the song circle the planet each year feels like “sending out the Scottish bat signal,” Pedersen said.

“Auld Lang Syne is very much born in Scotland, though it’s become the ultimate international citizen,” he said. “Everyone has made it their own. What a beautiful expression of art and humanity — to write something national and deeply personal, and have people project their own lives into it.”

Part of its staying power, he argues, is physical. The song isn’t just sung — it’s performed.

“It happens at such beautiful moments: the end of the year, weddings, big gatherings,” he said. “You join hands, you form a circle, you create a physical expression of friendship. Most people hum through the verses and come in strong on the chorus, and it pulls us all together. It’s a mellifluous, song-sized hug that’s survived the centuries.”

As for the choreography, Pedersen says the arm‑crossing moment comes later than many think.

“Traditionally, you hold hands for the first five verses,” he said. “Then on the fifth, everyone crosses their arms, still holding their neighbors’ hands, and runs in and out of the circle. Of course, culprits and rogues will run in at various points — that’s part of the beauty, the calamity of it.”

Authorship is a ‘mellifluous mystery’

The question of authorship remains one of Scottish literature’s most enduring debates. Robert Burns claimed he merely wrote down a version he heard in a coaching inn, later adapting it to fit a tune.

“We have no evidence of how much he adapted,” Pedersen said. “It could have been a word or two, or a massive Burns rewrite.”

Burns’ publisher, George Thomson, altered the music again after the poet’s death, producing the melody known today.

Por CNN en Español

El presidente de Venezuela, Nicolás Maduro, afirmó este martes que Estados Unidos transmite “noticias falsas” sobre Venezuela, después de que el mandatario estadounidense Donald Trump hablara de un ataque contra “una gran instalación” como parte de la campaña contra el país sudamericano, maniobras a las que no se refirió el líder chavista.

“Estados Unidos quiere imponer un veto, y solo transmitir noticias falsas y guerra contra un país noble como Venezuela”, dijo Maduro en un acto de inauguración de la Escuela Internacional de Liderazgo de la Mujer. En su discurso, no desmintió puntualmente las declaraciones de Trump, pero insistió en rechazar las versiones de la Casa Blanca.

“Todo lo que dicen es mentira. Ustedes (los asistentes) pueden romper el veto y la censura que tienen a esta hora los medios de comunicación de Estados Unidos sobre la verdad de Venezuela”, agregó.

Trump no precisó a qué instalación se refería ni dónde estaba ubicada, y la Casa Blanca no respondió a una solicitud de comentarios.

A principios de este mes, la CIA ejecutó un ataque con drones contra una instalación portuaria en la costa de Venezuela que se cree que estaba siendo utilizada por el Tren de Aragua para almacenar drogas, dijeron a CNN fuentes familiarizadas con el asunto, pero Maduro tampoco ha hablado al respecto.

El líder venezolano también reiteró en el evento que la Fuerza Armada Nacional Bolivariana (FANB) “abatió” nueve aeronaves el lunes que supuestamente están vinculadas al narcotráfico en el estado Amazonas, fronterizo con Brasil y Colombia. “Venezuela está muy bien cuidada y protegida, por su FANB y por la fuerza más grande que tiene Venezuela, las mujeres que están empoderadas, movilizadas, activadas, 24 horas del día siempre”, añadió.

El Gobierno de Venezuela viene destacando sus acciones contra el narcotráfico en respuesta a Washington, que afirma que el despliegue militar en el Caribe que mantiene desde agosto forma parte de la lucha contra las drogas.

Las tensiones entre Caracas y Washington escalaron este mes tras el anuncio por parte de Trump de un “bloqueo total” de buques petroleros sancionados que se trasladen desde y hacia la costa de Venezuela, y la confiscación de dos buques que transportaban crudo venezolano en las últimas semanas.

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By Karla Walsh, CNN

(CNN) — Samin Nosrat was raised on a steady diet of Eggo waffles.

Nosrat, who rose to fame on the heels of her James Beard Award-winning cookbook and Netflix series, “Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat,” would look forward to a syrup-showered waffle tower every Saturday morning as a kid.

But since she tried her first bite of the yeast-raised waffles popularized by the late Marion Cunningham — best known for her modern revisions of “The Fannie Farmer Cookbook” — she’s been forever changed.

By sharing one of her most treasured recipes in her latest cookbook, “Good Things: Recipes and Rituals to Share With People You Love,” Nosrat hopes the rest of us will follow suit.

“My kitchen sister Amy Dencler, then a cook and now the chef at Chez Panisse, invited me over for breakfast,” Nosrat recalled in “Good Things.” Nosrat also cooked at the iconic farm-to-table restaurant in Berkeley, California.

“My teeth shattered the lacy edges and sank into the center, releasing more of that toasted yeast flavor,” she wrote. “Marion called them ‘the best waffle I know,’ and I couldn’t agree more. Marion’s recipe — and a couple variations on it — is the only one I’ll allow in my kitchen.”

Unlike Eggos, they require about 10 minutes of prep time the night before. But that minor investment is well worth it to create a gift for your future self.

“I have not been able to achieve that texture with any other batter, and certainly not from a batter that doesn’t rest overnight,” Nosrat told me. “These waffles are lacy, light and crisp, with the perfect capacity to absorb maple syrup. They’re just so good.”

The secret lies in letting the batter rest. In a large bowl or pitcher, stir together a blend of activated yeast, flour, warm milk, eggs, baking soda and butter. Pop it into the fridge to chill out overnight, which allows the yeast to slowly ferment the batter for more complexity of flavor and texture.

The interior turns out airy and tender, while the exterior is delightfully crisp. Then all that’s left to do is wake, cook, drizzle syrup on top and dive in.

Nosrat’s typical weekend morning routine involves “waking up after a not-great night of sleep,” she laughed. “I try to extend the morning by cuddling with my pup in bed, and finally, make my way downstairs for a cup of cardamom-spiked coffee or tea — something warm that smells nice.”

Nosrat sips on her warm beverage while she preheats her waffle iron for this recipe originally devised by Cunningham, which also beautifully embodies the premise behind Nosrat’s best-selling new book.

“The title comes from a Raymond Carver story called ‘A Small, Good Thing,’” she told me. “The epigraph says, ‘Eating is a small,good thing in a time like this.’ When I first read that line, I realized that it’s always ‘a time like this.’ There might be a specific thing that has caused myself or someone pain or hardship that we would love some comfort from.”

That could include these waffles and the company you may invite over to enjoy them.

Marion’s Yeasted Waffles

Fresh from the waffle iron, these yeast-raised treats need no accessories. But if you’re feeling extra, follow Nosrat’s lead and dress up your stack with a schmear of almond butter or peanut butter and a shower of maple syrup. For a savory spin, tuck a slice of crispy bacon in the center of the waffle (pour a thin layer of batter above and below) and top it with a fried egg, Nosrat said.

For a quick-fix weekday breakfast, make a double batch and freeze the extra. On bustling mornings, toast two directly from frozen until warmed through. Top one with nut butter and the other with jam and press them together for a next-level breakfast PB&J.

Makes 12 to 16 waffles

Alena Mozhjer // Shutterstock

Across much of the U.S., people are struggling to buy and sell homes. Homebuyers are scared off by high prices and economic uncertainty, while home sellers are staying put until they can earn more profit from the sale. Student loan debt is adding even more pressure on younger buyers. As such, houses are selling at a historically slow rate, especially in the Sun Belt—even as mortgage rates fall.

That’s not the case everywhere, though. In today’s market, understanding your local level of competition can help you make smarter decisions. It affects everything from how quickly homes sell to how much negotiating power buyers and sellers have.

Conditions vary widely across California—but this list can help. Redfin Real Estate ranked the most competitive cities in California based on their combined months of supply (lower is better), average sale to list ratio (higher is better), and median days on market (lower is better). All data is an average for the January-October 2025 period. To see the most competitive cities in the country, read this recent Redfin article.

#1. Sunnyvale, California
– Days on market: 9.51 days
– Sale to list ratio: 110.4%
– Months of supply: 0.78 months
– Share of homes sold above list price: 80.9%
– Share of homes that went off market in two weeks: 66.0%
– See homes for sale in Sunnyvale on Redfin.com

#2. Santa Clara, California
– Days on market: 9.88 days
– Sale to list ratio: 108.3%
– Months of supply: 0.76 months
– Share of homes sold above list price: 75.1%
– Share of homes that went off market in two weeks: 59.2%
– See homes for sale in Santa Clara on Redfin.com

#3. Mountain View, California
– Days on market: 9.79 days
– Sale to list ratio: 107.1%
– Months of supply: 0.96 months
– Share of homes sold above list price: 74.9%
– Share of homes that went off market in two weeks: 62.8%
– See homes for sale in Mountain View on Redfin.com

#4. Cupertino, California
– Days on market: 13.5 days
– Sale to list ratio: 108.5%
– Months of supply: 1.08 months
– Share of homes sold above list price: 72.6%
– Share of homes that went off market in two weeks: 56.8%
– See homes for sale in Cupertino on Redfin.com

#5. Berkeley, California
– Days on market: 15.64 days
– Sa

Media_Photos // Shutterstock

The glitz and glam of Hollywood captures the attention of Americans starting from an early age. Beyond celebrities’ Instagram Stories and red carpet poses, there are actors out there paying their dues and honing their craft in pursuit of a sustainable career or a fulfilling sideline. Submitting to casting calls is a big part of that journey.

Whether you’re a working actor or an aspiring one, you might be curious to know which movies and TV shows are casting roles near you. Backstage compiled a list of projects casting right now in Los Angeles, nearby cities, and nationwide, and which roles they’re looking to fill.

Grusho Anna // Shutterstock

‘The Cabin’

– Project type: short film
– Roles:
— Loretta (lead, female, 18-50)
— Angel (lead, male, gender-nonconforming, non-binary, trans male, 22-40)
— CABIN Crew (crew)
– Average hourly rate: not available
– Casting locations: Los Angeles, California
– Learn more about the short film here

KinoMasterskaya // Shutterstock

‘Everything, Sooner or Later’

– Project type: short film
– Roles:
— Scarlet (lead, female, 18-23)
— Anthony (lead, male, 18-23)
— Production Sound Mixer/Boom Operator (crew)
– Average hourly rate: $25
– Casting locations: Los Angeles, California
– Learn more about the short film here

Dpongvit // Shutterstock

‘Say the Wrong Thing’

– Project type: short film
– Roles:
— Lisa (lead, female, gender-nonconforming, non-binary, 20-30)
— Ryan (lead, male, 20-30)
— David (lead, male, 20-30)
– Average hourly rate: $21
– Casting locations: Los Angeles, California
– Learn more about the short film here

muratart // Shutterstock

‘Revenge League’

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