Today is Saturday, July 6, the 188th day of 2024. There are 178 days left in the year.

Today’s Highlight in History:

On July 6, 1957, Althea Gibson became the first Black tennis player to win a Wimbledon singles title as she defeated fellow American Darlene Hard 6-3, 6-2.

Also on this date:

In 1483, England’s King Richard III was crowned in Westminster Abbey.

In 1777, during the American Revolution, British forces captured Fort Ticonderoga (ty-kahn-dur-OH’-gah).

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Today in History: July 3, Union wins Battle of Gettysburg

In 1885, French scientist Louis Pasteur tested an anti-rabies vaccine on 9-year-old Joseph Meister, who had been bitten by an infected dog; the boy did not develop rabies.

In 1933, the first All-Star baseball game was played at Chicago’s Comiskey Park; the American League defeated the National League 4-2 behind winning pitcher Lefty Gomez of the New York Yankees.

In 1942, Anne Frank, her parents and sister entered a “secret annex” in an Amsterdam building where they were later joined by four other people; they hid from Nazi occupiers for two years before being discovered and arrested.

In 1944, an estimated 168 people died in a fire that broke out during a performance in the main tent of the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus in Hartford, Connecticut.

In 1945, President Harry S. Truman signed an executive order establishing the Medal of Freedom.

In 1967, Nigerian forces invade the Republic of Biafra, sparking the Nigerian Civil War.

In 1988, 167 North Sea oil workers were killed when explosions and fires destroyed a drilling platform.

In 2013, an Asiana Airlines Boeing 777 from Seoul, South Korea, crashed while landing at San Francisco International Airport, killing three passengers and injuring 181.

In 2016, Philando Castile, a Black elementary school cafeteria worker, was killed during a traffic stop in the St. Paul suburb of Falcon Heights by Officer Jeronimo Yanez. (Yanez was later acquitted on a charge of second-degree manslaughter.)

In 2018, six followers of the Aum Shinrikyo doomsday cult were hanged along with its leader, Shoko Asahara; they had been convicted of crimes including a 1995 sarin gas attack that killed 13 people and made thousands of others sick on the Tokyo subway system.

In 2020, the Trump administration formally notified the United Nations of its withdrawal from the World Health Organization; President Donald Trump had criticized the WHO’s response to the coronavirus pandemic. (The pullout was later halted by President Joseph Biden’s administration.)

Today’s Birthdays:

The 14th Dalai Lama, Tenzin Gyatso, is 89.
Singer Gene Chandler (“Duke of Earl”) is 87.
Country singer Jeannie Seely is 84.
Actor Burt Ward (TV: “Batman”) is 79.
Former President George W. Bush is 78.
Actor-director Sylvester Stallone is 78.
Actor Geoffrey Rush is 73.
Retired MLB All-Star Willie Randolph is 70.
Former first daughter Susan Ford Bales is 67.
Actor-writer Jennifer Saunders (“Absolutely Fabulous”) is 66.
Actor Brian Posehn is 58.
Political reporter/moderator John Dickerson is 56.
Rapper Inspectah Deck (Wu-Tang Clan) is 54.
Rapper 50 Cent is 49.
Actors Tia and Tamera Mowry (MOHR’-ee) are 46.
Comedian-actor Kevin Hart is 45. Actor Eva (EH’-vuh) Green is 44.
San Diego Padres infielder Manny Machado is 32. NBA power forward Zion Williamson is 24.

Gretchen McKay | (TNS) Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

I’m a pasta fanatic — pappardelle with Bolognese and clouds of Parmesan is a particular fave — but I’m no longer running mile after mile each week to train for races, so it’s probably a good idea to cut back on the carb-loading.

A video on my social media feed reminded me that sliced zucchini squash makes an inexpensive, low-cal substitute for lasagna noodles, and it doesn’t require a lot of fuss to prepare. So I set out to make the traditional Northern Italian dish using panko-and-Parmesan coated strips of the veggie instead of the flat, wide sheets of pasta.

One reason to fall in love with zucchini is that it has a very mild taste, which makes it easy to incorporate into many different recipes. Another is that it’s super good for you. A source of fiber and folate, which aids in digestion and metabolism, the green summer squash is also high in magnesium and vitamin C.

Zucchini are also pretty easy to find in even the smallest grocery store. And in just a few weeks, it will be ubiquitous at farmers markets both large and small as well as countless backyard gardens — sometimes for free, if your green-thumbed neighbors are generous.

I considered this dish a test run for what I hope will be a veggie-forward summer in the kitchen. In addition to the cheese-coated zucchini planks, the recipe features an easy meat-and-tomato sauce and two cheeses: shredded mozzarella and dollops of ricotta. Designed to serve just two or three people, it’s made in a loaf pan for just four or five slices.

This dish isn’t for everyone: Both my daughters responded with a “gag” emoji when I told them the lasagna included a simple meat sauce. But that’s an easy enough fix if you’re 100% vegetarian — simply omit and make up the difference with a little more cheese, or substitute a plain tomato sauce. Either way, it’s both filling and pretty tasty.

With a loaf pan and some sauce, it’s easy to turn summer’s zucchini into a cheesy lasagna. (Gretchen McKay/Pittsburgh Post-Gazette/TNS)

Pan Zucchini Lasagna

PG tested

2 medium zucchini, ends trimmed

1 egg

1 cup panko breadcrumbs

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

2 teaspoons Italian seasoning, divided

Olive oil, for pan

1 clove garlic, minced

1/2 onion, chopped

1/2 pound ground beef

1/2 cup canned tomatoes

Red pepper flakes

Salt and pepper

8 ounces shredded mozzarella

1/3 cup ricotta

1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a loaf pan with overhanging strips of parchment paper (so you can lift the lasagna out after cooking).

With sharp kitchen knife or mandoline, slice zucchini into very thin slices.

In large bowl, beat egg with a little water. In a second bowl, stir together panko, grated Parmesan and 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning. Dip zucchini slices into egg, then into the panko mixture and press so the crumbs adhere. Place on a plate and set aside while you make sauce.

Pour a glug of oil into a large saute pan and heat over medium heat. Add onion and cook until translucent, about 3 minutes. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute, then stir in ground beef. Cook, breaking up with a fork or spoon, until meat is browned.

Add canned tomatoes and red pepper flakes and stir to combine. Cook for about 2 minutes, then season to taste with salt and pepper.

Place a layer of breaded zucchini in the bottom of the prepared loaf pan. Top with 1/3 of the mozzarella cheese, and 1/3 of sauce. Dot with 1/3 of the ricotta. Repeat two more times for three layers, then sprinkle the chopped parsley on top.

Place in preheated oven and bake for 35-40 minutes, or until and top are bubbly and slightly crispy. Remove from oven and allow to sit for 5-10 minutes before slicing.

Serves 4.

— Gretchen McKay, Post-Gazette

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©2024 PG Publishing Co. Visit at post-gazette.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

Scott Hartbeck | (TNS) TravelPulse

Europe is hot.

And I’m not just talking about what’s happening on your favorite social media feed. Indeed, the momentum from 2023 — a year when seemingly everybody hopped on a plane across the pond — appears unabated, with early summer crowds currently swarming the continent, resulting in the usual hand-wringing and host of news stories about overtourism.

I’m talking about temperatures.

As I write this, A-list destinations like Rome and Florence are flirting with triple digits with an excessive heat warning in place, and the forecast for Athens features highs in the upper 90s and sunny skies for the foreseeable future.

So here’s a friendly reminder that you should not underestimate the heat in Europe.

I doesn’t matter how much dry heat or humidity you’re used to dealing with, it has a tendency to hit differently in Europe, and you need to have a game plan to deal with it when you travel there in the summertime.

Why do high temperatures in Europe differ from those back home?

For starters, regardless of where you’re from in the U.S., you probably don’t walk around all day in the summer sightseeing. If you are out and about during a heat wave, odds are you are bouncing between air-conditioned spaces.

There is no way to avoid it: you will be pounding the pavement and exposed to the elements on your European vacation. No matter the season, you haven’t come all this way to sit inside and watch TV, so your days will inevitably be chock-a-block with things to do and see. Activity plus high temperatures can lead to an exhaustion level you’re just not used to.

Another reason is that air conditioning, while certainly common in southern Europe and larger hotels all over the continent, isn’t usually as powerful as you may want it to be. This is especially true regarding the units located in apartments or older hotels. Even when you have A/C, it’s probably not going to crank out arctic air like it might back home. Furthermore, sometimes there are limits on how low you can run it and/or settings in place that make sure it doesn’t run while you aren’t in the room.

Lastly, many of us have a tendency to overindulge in Europe, and alcohol, caffeine and heavy meals can all serve to amplify the affects of heat.

How should you beat the heat in Europe during summer?

Early to rise, late to bed

It doesn’t matter where you are on the European map or what sort of heat wave you’re in the throes of, conditions won’t be oppressive between six and nine in the morning, as these are almost always the coolest hours of the day. While nighttime can still be stuffy, once you get past eight, you won’t have to worry about being beaten down by the sun.

While you can’t stack all of your tourist activities into these hours, it’s the perfect time to take walks to scout things out for later (thus spending less time out and about during the hotter periods of the day) and avoid the crowds at photogenic beauty spots.

Wherever you can, book tickets to attractions ahead of time to cut back on any time spent standing outside during peak heat hours. And if the attraction is located outside, book later in the day when there will be fewer crowds (day trips tend to overwhelm attractions during midday), and you won’t have to wait outside as long.

What to wear

Regarding clothing, wear a hat and loose-fitting, breezy outfits made of light colors. These will keep you cooler than tight-fitting dark-colored gab, regardless of whether it’s “wicking” or not.

Apply and re-apply sunscreen, hydrate like you’ve never hydrated before and always rest in the shade where you can. And when it comes to the aforementioned alcohol and caffeine, you’ll want to keep things in moderation.

It’s not all gloom and doom, the summer season in Europe offers long days, fun beach experiences and scores of other travelers to meet and make memories with, but the heat can be a downer if you don’t take precautions.

So just take the precautions and you’re sure to still have the time of your life this summer!

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©2024 Northstar Travel Media, LLC. Visit at travelpulse.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.