California’s Department of Education said Friday that graduation rates and enrollment dropped while absences increased in the state's public schools last year. But, with only 25% of students taking statewide assessment tests in 2020-21 as schools scrambled to administer the exams in the midst of the pandemic, it's impossible to...
Huge CA Tax Hike Pushed by Democrats. Make $150K, Get Ready to Pay More
SACRAMENTO — What could be the nation’s first universal healthcare system found new life after California Democrats proposed steep tax hikes to pay for it on Jan. 6, prompting strong opposition from insurers, doctors, and Republicans at the start of an election year. Progressives in California’s Democratic-dominated state Legislature...
Wild OT Raiders’ Win Sets the Stage for Playoffs
Derek Carr and the Las Vegas Raiders played to win, knocking the Los Angeles Chargers out of the playoffs and sending the Pittsburgh Steelers to the tournament. The NFL’s playoff field was set when the Raiders locked up the final wild-card spot by beating the Chargers in overtime in...
Did Facebook Aid in Killing of Federal Security Officer?
OAKLAND — The sister of a slain federal security officer is suing Facebook, alleging the tech giant played a part in the radicalization of two men who are accused of planning the killing on its platform. David Patrick Underwood was fatally shot and his partner was wounded while guarding...
Arbery Killers Get Life in Prison; No Parole for Father, Son
Three white men convicted of murder for chasing and killing Ahmaud Arbery were sentenced to life in prison Friday, with a judge denying any chance of parole for the father and son who armed themselves and initiated the deadly pursuit of the 25-year-old Black man. Murder carries a mandatory sentence of...
US Jobless Claims Rise by 7,000, but Still Low at 207,000
The number of Americans applying for unemployment benefits rose last week but remained at historically low levels, suggesting that the job market remains strong. U.S. jobless claims rose by 7,000 last week to 207,000. The four-week average of claims, which smooths out week-to-week gyrations, rose by nearly 4,800 to...
Supreme Court Skeptical of Biden’s Workplace Vaccine Rule
The Supreme Court’s conservative majority appeared skeptical Friday of the Biden administration's authority to impose a vaccine-or-testing requirement on the nation's large employers. The court also was hearing arguments on a separate vaccine mandate for most health care workers. The arguments in the two cases come at a time...
Murder Charges Over Stillbirths in Valley County Draw California AG Response
Prosecutors should not charge women with murder when a fetus dies, even if their behavior may have contributed to the death, California's top law enforcement official said Thursday. Attorney General Rob Bonta acted after prosecutors in the San Joaquin Valley's Kings County twice charged women with “fetal murder,” alleging...
Official: California COVID Surge Could Ease Next Month
The California surge in coronavirus cases has shut down schools and sidelined thousands of police, firefighters, teachers and health care workers but officials are hoping it will be short-lived. “My hope is that, you know, by the time we get to February, we’re on the downside of seeing that...
Oscar Winner and Groundbreaking Star Sidney Poitier Dies
Sidney Poitier, the groundbreaking actor and enduring inspiration who transformed how Black people were portrayed on screen and became the first Black actor to win an Academy Award for best lead performance and the first to be a top box-office draw, has died. He was 94. Poitier, winner of...