Home Care In Baker, LA

Baker Mayfield and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers helped the Los Angeles Rams immensely as Mayfield put up a historic performance in Lambeu Field over the Green Bay Packers. I think plenty of Rams fans should have a soft spot for Baker. He really breathed life into Sean McVay and the Rams in what was basically a lost season last year.

Last year was last year though, and this is now. Mayfield’s most recent victory allows the Rams to secure a playoff spot with at least three games to go. That loss places the Packers on the outside looking in. This can all change vastly over the final three weeks, but for right now LA basically had the perfect weekend in terms of their playoff chances.

The Rams have more work to do and a potential playoff spot does not mean anything compared to a real playoff spot. At the same time, this team should be proud. They are fighting, they are in contention and the future looks promising. That’s great news for McVay and Les Snead, but what the team wants even more than a promising future is a promising present. A playoff spot really would be the best of both worlds. Win or lose, a number of players should benefit from playing in what could potentially be their first playoff game.

LA will take on the New Orleans Saints this week and that game could very well decide whether the Rams can maintain steam to play past Week 18 or not. Next week, Week 17, Mayfield and the Buccaneers will take on the Saints. This all to say that Mayfield can help LA again in a couple weeks as the Saints and Rams are both fighting to make the playoffs.

Of course LA should focus on their own games, but it’s nice to see Mayfield having success. If his success can hep the Rams too, that’s even better for LA’s playoff hopes.

The alluring Southeast Portland space previously home to La Moule — and before that, Savoy Tavern — will reopen early next month as Baker’s, a new “bar with fun food” from former Xico and Xica Cantina chef Kelly Towner, The Oregonian has learned.

The new bar, or “neighborhood clubhouse,” as Towner thinks of it, will open from noon to midnight daily with nachos, tavern burgers, spicy fried chicken sandwiches, housemade sausage hoagies and Ruffles with onion dip.” Minors will be allowed until 8 p.m.

“It’s just going to be fun, classic bar fare,” Towner says. “I come from a fine-dining background, but I wanted to create a menu that is super approachable and really fun.”

Drinks will maintain the classic theme, with Manhattans, Old Fashioneds, salty gin martinis and piña coladas alongside Tia Mias, Milk Maids and other modern additions to the cocktail canon. Baker’s will pour four natural wines by the glass and feature 12 beers on tap, including two handles reserved for Modelo and Budweiser and 10 for “local stuff we like,” plus a large selection of bottles and cans.

Though the menu includes a sourdough flatbread, the Baker’s name is actually a nod to Towner’s wife, Jamie, who has supported her dream of opening a bar for years. Towner, who worked at restaurants and butcher shops in San Francisco and New York, then pivoted to bartending before moving to Portland six years ago. Once here, Towner “got a little waylaid working on other people’s projects,” taking over the kitchen at Southeast Portland’s Xico then opening sister restaurant Xica Cantina in Northwest.

When the pandemic hit, Towner refocused her attention on the bar project, holding Baker’s pop-ups at Fried Egg I’m in Love and The Automatic.

In July, La Moule, the alluring moules frites bar from chef Aaron Barnett (St. Jack) and Tommy Klus (Scotch Lodge), closed after eight years in the old Savoy Tavern storefront. (Barnett was reluctant to talk about the last days of La Moule, only saying that between food costs, labor and ticket averages “the model…just didn’t pencil out anymore.”)

Towner toured the space — situated on the same car-free parklet as the original Broder, Dots, Magna Kusina, Clinton Street Pub, Lucky Horseshoe Lounge and the Clinton Street Theater — and had keys to in hand by August.

Baker’s bar hopes to open from noon to midnight daily starting Nov. 3 at 2500 S.E. Clinton St. Take a look at the menu and other details at bakerspdx.com.

— Michael Russell; [email protected]

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Starting in early November, a new bar called Baker’s will serve pub food in the space formerly home to La Moule, the Oregonian’s Michael Russell reports. La Moule closed in July after eight years in business. The new bar comes from a chef familiar to the neighborhood; former Xico and Xica Cantina chef Kelly Towner.

Baker’s food menu will consist of classic bar fare like nachos, tavern burgers, spicy fried chicken sandwiches, house-made sausage hoagies, and Ruffles with onion dip. To drink, the cocktail menu will mirror the food menu in terms of offering standards, cocktails like Manhattans, Old Fashioneds, and gin martinis, plus modern classics such as the Tia Mia and Milk Maid. The bar will also pour 12 beers on tap and natural wine by the glass. Baker’s has a tentative opening date of November 3 and will be located at 2500 SE Clinton Street.

In celebration of Eater’s first cookbook, Eater: 100 Essential Restaurant Recipes from the Authority on Where to Eat and Why It Matters, author and Eater restaurant editor Hillary Dixler Canavan will appear at two Portland events. On Saturday, October 21 at 3 p.m., Canavan will appear at Powell’s City of Books, joined by Eater Portland editor Brooke Jackson-Glidden, Nong’s Khao Man Gai owner and chef Nong Poonsukwattana, and Kachka co-owner and chef Bonnie Morales. Culinary bookstore Vivienne will host a book signing on Monday, October 23 from 5 to 7 p.m. Featured chefs who contributed recipes to the cookbook will be in attendance, and the event will feature a menu inspired by the book. RSVPs are suggested.

More than 20 Portland restaurants and carts — including Chilango PDX, Kate’s Ice Cream, Mis Tacones, Obon Shokudo, and Tiny Moreso — will participate in World Vegan Month Portland, which will run November 1 through November 30. Vegan community group Veganizer PDX is presenting the event, during which participating restaurants will serve food and drink specials that will benefit a nonprofit of their choice.

Disclaimer: Veganizer PDX founder Waz Wu is a contributor at Eater Portland.

You could say the LA Chargers are entering a make-or-break season, but that’s not quite accurate. It’s actually a make-or-break season for Brandon Staley.

Staley’s called the “defensive genius” by some. However, Staley hasn’t consistently demonstrated that his defensive play calling is good enough to uplift a team. The question arises: is the middling performance from the Staley defense a personnel issue or a coaching issue?

This isn’t a chicken or the egg kind of thing. The answer lies in a “real” upgrade at free safety. And that upgrade could come in the form of Budda Baker. But before we delve into why Baker is a good fit, let’s explore the other available options.

At the start of the season, Nasir Adderley was the Chargers’ free safety, alongside Derwin James. Unfortunately, Adderley struggled immensely. He’s always been an instinctive player, but he was mismatched in Staley’s system, which demands a combination of athleticism and tactical know-how. In simple terms, Staley’s known for match coverage, which requires third-level defenders to read plays correctly and make choices between covering a zone or a receiver.

In the second half of last season, Alohi Gilman stepped into the free safety role and performed better than expected. He demonstrated the ability to handle the intricacies of the defense, making notable contributions in critical moments – like his batted pass in the Dolphins game. However, Gilman is still limited athletically. Moreover, his PFF grade for the 2022 season was a disappointing 53.7, so he’s not necessarily bringing much to the table intangibles-wise. Clearly, the Chargers could benefit from an upgrade at the position.

Consequently, the team needs to explore external options for help at free safety. The most obvious choice would be John Johnson III. After all, Johnson previously played under Staley when they were both with the LA Rams. Johnson’s impressive performance under the now-Chargers head coach earned him a lucrative free-agent contract.

However, Johnson may not be the best choice for the Chargers. How significant of an upgrade would he truly provide? Would they be much better off with an aging safety? Personally, I don’t think so. If the Chargers genuinely want to upgrade the position, they should set their sights on Budda Baker.

Should The Chargers Pursue Adding Budda Baker To The Roster? – Powered By PickUp

In a vacuum, it’s undeniable that the Chargers could benefit from a free safety like Baker. Throughout his six-year career, he’s earned All-Pro honors twice and been selected for the Pro Bowl five times. Remarkably, he’s only 27, despite already being on his second contract. The issue here isn’t the money but the salary cap.

The Chargers face significant cap issues, especially with looming big paydays next year due to several restructures (Bosa, Mack, Williams, Allen, etc.). And let’s not forget about Justin Herbert‘s upcoming monster extension. So, why add more salary with Budda? Put simply, the juice is worth the elbow grease and then some.

Budda’s presence would greatly benefit the Staley defense. Whether it’s in palms or match coverage, having another playmaker at the third level alongside Derwin James would be ideal. It would free up Derwin James to embrace his true Joker role. Furthermore, Baker is no slouch when it comes to tackling, which is always a problem for Chargers fans. Additionally, James’ prowess in tight-end coverage mitigates Baker’s biggest flaw.

Also, another side benefit for Staley’s defense that Baker would add is versatility. Last season, Staley started deploying more Cover 1 play calls. It’s unclear if that will continue this year, but it would make sense. Many offenses have now adapted to Vic Fangio/Brandon Staley defenses that have proliferated around the league. Adding more players to the box (like Derwin James) would certainly help mitigate the offensive adjustments. Baker would be just that, seeing as his speed would make him more than capable of handling center field.

Of course, there is the matter of compensation. Budda is still under contract with the Cardinals and acquiring him would require the Chargers to part ways with an asset. However, considering that he plays safety, which isn’t the most coveted position in the sport, and he’s in the middle of his second contract, the price will likely be a day-three pick. Moreover, Budda Baker might require a contract extension upon arrival, but that can work in the Chargers’ favor. The team could negotiate a team-friendly restructured contract and Baker would have the motivation to do so, given the Chargers’ competitiveness.

Overall, the Chargers have a very strong roster. So strong, that adding a guy like John Johnson III or betting on a Gilman/Woods rotation seems odd. You threw all that money at the team to build a Super Bowl roster, why stop now? Why not take advantage of a team like the Arizona Cardinals rebuild and take one of their players and try to parlay that into a championship? It might seem a little outlandish, but that’s the sort of thing the team needs to do to get ahead of their division rivals: the Kansas City Chiefs.

Because, as we’ve seen, Staley’s defense hasn’t been good enough to do that up until now. Budda Baker gives them a better chance than whatever else they can scrounge up.

Rumors of altered images in some of the research papers published by Stanford University President Marc Tessier-Lavigne had circulated since 2015. But the allegations involving the neuroscientist got little attention beyond the niche scientific forum where they first appeared — until Stanford freshman Theo Baker decided to take a closer look.

Baker, a journalist for the Stanford Daily, published his first story on problems surrounding Tessier-Lavigne’s research in November. His dogged reporting kicked off a chain of events that culminated this week with the president’s announcement that he would step down from his post at the end of August.

Tessier-Lavigne acted Wednesday after an expert scientific panel convened by the university determined that he failed on multiple occasions to correct errors in his published research on Alzheimer’s disease and related topics, and that he managed labs that at times produced sloppy or even manipulated data.

Of course, Baker covered that too.

In February, the 18-year-old from the Washington, D.C., area became the youngest-ever recipient of journalism’s prestigious George Polk Award for his work on the investigation. Journalism runs in the family: Baker is the son of the New York Times’ chief White House correspondent, Peter Baker, and New Yorker columnist Susan B. Glasser.

The Los Angeles Times caught up with him to discuss his reporting and its consequences.

How did this story come to your attention?

There’s a pretty highly technical scientific forum called PubPeer where people analyze published works. People there suspected that certain images in things that Tessier-Lavigne had published over the years looked like they’d been Photoshopped.

I decided, well, if this is true, this is really interesting. I’m going to take this to an actual forensic image analyst who can take a look and say if there has been manipulation or Photoshopping.

Are you referring to Elisabeth Bik?

Yes. Elisabeth Bik is the foremost research misconduct investigator of this type in the entire world. She is eagle-eyed, she is professional, and she — unlike a lot of her colleagues — was willing to speak on the record from the start.

I talked to a number of image analysts and all of them had basically the same analysis as Elisabeth, but they would only be on background [meaning they were not willing to have their names published]. Elisabeth is a fearless champion of research integrity, and she was willing to work with us from the start. I am very grateful to her for that.

What pressures did you experience as a student journalist reporting on your own institution?

It’s a nerve-racking thing. We’re really lucky that the Stanford Daily is celebrating its 50th year of independence from the university. That was really important. This reporting I don’t think could have happened without that. Especially after we began receiving legal threats from Tessier-Lavigne, I certainly think the fact that we are independent made it possible for us to keep digging.

What kind of legal threats did you receive?

Stephen Neal, the chair emeritus of Cooley, one of the biggest law firms in the Silicon Valley area, represented Marc Tessier-Lavigne and sent a number of aggressive letters requesting retractions or seeking to block the publication of articles that detailed Tessier-Lavigne’s involvement in alleged incidents of fraud. Neal is also a former attorney for [disgraced former Theranos CEO] Elizabeth Holmes.

What was your reaction when the university commissioned an independent investigation into the issues your reporting raised?

It was not independent at first. They announced an investigation that was going to be led by a special committee of the Board of Trustees. Very quickly, that became another story for us to report on. I discovered that one member of the committee [fund manager Felix Baker] had an $18-million investment in Tessier-Lavigne’s biotechnology company — and this is a person who had been appointed to investigate Tessier-Lavigne.

After that, he stepped away and they hired the lawyer who then hired some other scientists.

That panel confirmed several problems you raised but said it could not verify the allegation that Tessier-Lavigne’s former employer Genentech found evidence of fraud in a 2009 paper.

This 2009 paper in Nature was huge, once thought to be Nobel-worthy. It proposed a totally new cause for the neurodegeneration in Alzheimer’s patients.

The panel agrees that the paper was wrong and should be retracted or corrected substantially, which is something that even a few months ago Tessier-Lavigne was saying was an utterly inappropriate response. They found that it was riddled with substandard scientific practices. What they did not find was evidence of fabrication.

California

Dec. 1, 2022

That’s where our reporting goes a little bit further. We published a story in February which detailed the accounts of four very high-level executives and senior scientists at Genentech, recounting how there was an internal review in 2011 that ordered more research into the underlying experiments after finding out that they were having trouble replicating them.

After attempts to reproduce the research failed, the program was canceled and the postdoc [who did the experiments] left the company. These four senior executives concluded that it was because the underlying experiments had been fabricated. A fifth executive later told us the same thing.

After the report came out, you published a story that said several key witnesses refused to speak to the panel because they were not guaranteed anonymity.

Yes. Not only are these sources talking about a very powerful man, they’re also bound by nondisclosure agreements with Genentech. With these lack of guarantees of anonymity, there was an unwillingness to speak to the committee.

What was it like to balance reporting this story with your academic work?

I’ve been taking the maximum number of units because I am a moron. [laughs] I came to Stanford because I wanted to milk it for every opportunity that it had and I wasn’t going to let one story stop me from doing that.

I spent well over 1,000 hours on sourcing this investigation, and that has obviously taken a huge chunk of time away from things. And yet, I still have been able to do cyber policy research, election disinformation research. I’ve been able to take history and philosophy and computer science classes. I’m really trying to make sure that I maximize Stanford because I know just how lucky I am to be there.

This is all in your first year at college?

Yes. I was 17 when the first articles came out.

How are you spending your summer?

I can’t go into too much detail, but I’m in Europe reporting future investigations.

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.