BEIRUT — Hundreds of handheld pagers exploded near simultaneously across Lebanon and in parts of Syria on Tuesday, killing at least eight people, including members of the militant group Hezbollah and a girl, and wounding the Iranian ambassador, government and Hezbollah officials said. Officials pointed the finger at Israel in...
US Retail Sales Ticked Up Last Month in Sign of Ongoing Consumer Resilience
WASHINGTON — Americans spent a bit more at retailers last month, providing a small boost to the economy just as the Federal Reserve considers how much to cut its key interest rate. Retail sales ticked up 0.1% from July to August, after jumping the most in a year and a...
Fresno, Madera Schools Face Shooting Threats as Social Media Trend Sparks Lockdowns
Authorities in Fresno and Madera counties are increasing security around schools amid a wave of social media posts threatening campus shootings. The Fresno Police Department and Madera County Sheriff's Office have issued statements addressing the situation. The Fresno Police Department announced it will heighten its uniformed presence around schools on...
49ers Call Their Latest Loss at Minnesota a ‘Wake-up Call’
SANTA CLARA — Minnesota has been a house of horrors for the San Francisco 49ers for decades. The Niners' eighth straight loss in the Twin Cities looked an awful out like the one a year ago. The Vikings flummoxed Brock Purdy with their pressure packages and burned the San Francisco...
49ers Receiver Deebo Samuel Will Miss a Couple of Weeks With a Calf Injury
SANTA CLARA — The San Francisco 49ers offense was dealt another blow with star receiver Deebo Samuel getting sidelined by a strained calf. Coach Kyle Shanahan said Monday that Samuel got hurt in the closing minutes of Sunday's 23-17 loss to the Minnesota Vikings and will likely miss "a couple...
Freeman’s 3-Run Homer Helps Dodgers to Win, Dropping Braves Out of Playoff Position
ATLANTA — Freddie Freeman hit a three-run homer against his former team and the Los Angeles Dodgers beat Atlanta 9-0 on Monday night, dropping the Braves out of a playoff position. Up Next Dodgers: RHP Bobby Miller (2-4, 8.17) will open a three-game series in Miami on Tuesday night against...
Senate to Vote Again on IVF Fertility Protections in Election-Year Push
WASHINGTON — The Senate will vote for the second time this year on whether to consider legislation that would establish a nationwide right to in vitro fertilization — Democrats' latest election-year attempt to force Republicans into a defensive stance on women's health issues. Senators will vote Tuesday on whether to...
Election Officials Prepare for Threats With Panic Buttons, Bulletproof Glass
MARIETTA, Ga. — The election director in Cobb County, an Atlanta suburb where votes will be fiercely contested in this year's presidential race, recently organized a five-hour training session. The focus wasn't solely on the nuts-and-bolts of running this year's election. Instead, it brought together election staff and law enforcement...
Major Companies Abandon an LGBTQ+ Rights Report Card After Facing Anti-Diversity Backlash
NEW YORK — More than two decades ago, when gay men and lesbians were prohibited from serving openly in the U.S. military and no state had legalized same-sex marriages, a national LGBTQ+ rights group decided to promote change by grading corporations on their workplace policies. The Human Rights Campaign initially focused its report card, named...
Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs Has Been Indicted on Sex Trafficking and Racketeering Charges
NEW YORK — Sean “Diddy” Combs faces federal sex trafficking and racketeering charges in an indictment, unsealed Tuesday, claiming he hit and abused women for over a decade and presided over a sordid empire of sexual crimes. The music mogul “engaged in a persistent and pervasive pattern of abuse toward...