‘Mr. Food’ dies at 81

‘Mr. Food’ dies at 81

Art Ginsburg, the delightfully dorky television chef known as Mr. Food, died at his home in Weston, Fla., today after a struggle with pancreatic cancer. He was 81.

Ginsburg — who enticed viewers for decades with a can-do focus on easy weeknight cooking and the tagline “Ooh! It’s so good!” — was diagnosed just over a year ago. The cancer had gone into remission after early treatments and surgery but returned earlier this month.

Ginsburg grew up in the meat business and eventually started his own catering company. He made his television debut in 1975 in upstate New York on a local morning program. His Mr. Food vignettes were syndicated in nine television markets by 1980. His popularity peaked in 2007, when he was appearing on 168 stations.

Drought worsens after improvement

ST. LOUIS

The worst U.S. drought in decades has deepened again after more than a month of encouraging reports of slowly improving conditions, a drought-tracking consortium said Wednesday, as scientists struggled for an explanation other than a simple lack of rain.

Though more than half of the continental U.S. has been in a drought since summer, rain storms had appeared to be easing the situation week by week since late September. But that promising run ended with Wednesday’s weekly U.S. Drought Monitor report, which showed increases in the portion of the country in drought and the severity of it.

Suicide blast hits near American base

KABUL

Two Taliban suicide bombers struck near a U.S. base in Kabul early Wednesday, killing two Afghan guards in the heart of a neighborhood filled with foreign forces and embassies. The attack came despite increased security ahead of a Muslim holy day that last year saw one the capital’s deadliest attacks.

The bombers apparently meant to target the American base but were spotted by security guards as they approached on foot. The guards fired on the assailants, killing them, but not before one of the vests exploded, said Gen. Mohammad Daoud Amin, the deputy provincial police chief.

Two Afghan security guards were killed and five civilians were wounded in the morning explosion, he said.

Associated Press