OAKLAND — Food banks already dealing with increased demand from families sidelined by the pandemic now face a new challenge — surging food prices and supply chain issues walloping the nation. The higher costs and limited availability mean some families may get smaller servings or substitutions for staples such as peanut butter,...
Parole for Manson Follower Leslie Van Houten Recommended Again
SACRAMENTO — A California parole panel on Tuesday recommended for the fifth time that Charles Manson follower Leslie Van Houten be freed from prison, decisions previously rejected by two governors. Van Houten, 72, is serving a life sentence for helping Manson and other cult members kill Los Angeles grocer Leno...
Proposed Central Coast Sanctuary for Marine Life Advances
A federal agency announced Tuesday that it is taking a step toward designating a new national marine sanctuary off the central California coast that would be named for the region's Indigenous people. The proposed Chumash Heritage National Marine Sanctuary would span 7,000 square miles off San Luis Obispo and Santa...
Pfizer Asks FDA to OK COVID-19 Booster Shots for All Adults
Pfizer asked U.S. regulators Tuesday to allow boosters of its COVID-19 vaccine for anyone 18 or older, a step that comes amid concern about increased spread of the coronavirus with holiday travel and gatherings. Older Americans and other groups particularly vulnerable to the virus have had access to a third...
White House Rushes With Infrastructure Fixes for US Economy
BALTIMORE — The Biden administration is relying on infrastructure dollars to help fix the clogged ports and blanket the nation with internet access — but a series of initiatives rolled out on Tuesday show that the urgent pace might not be fast enough to address the immediate needs of an...
San Francisco Cop Dies From COVID After Missing Vaccination Deadline
SAN FRANCISCO — A police officer who was placed on leave for missing the city of San Francisco’s deadline to be inoculated has died after being stricken by COVID-19, the San Francisco Chronicle reported. Officer Jack Nyce, 46, tested positive on Nov. 2 and died Saturday at a hospital in Manteca,...
Raiders Cut 2020 1st Round Pick Arnette Over Social Media Post
The Las Vegas Raiders waived 2020 first-round pick Damon Arnette and have now cut ties with both first-round picks from that draft before the midpoint of their second season. General manager Mike Mayock called it a “painful decision” to release Arnette on Monday but said it was necessary in response...
Sierras Could See Up to 20 Inches of Snow, 95 MPH Wind Gusts
RENO — The National Weather Service has issued a winter weather advisory for the Lake Tahoe area where more than a foot of snow is possible in the upper elevations with winds gusting up to 95 mph over the ridges of the Sierra. The advisory is in effect from 4...
Emaciated Children in Kabul Hospital Point to Rising Hunger
KABUL — In Kabul's main children's hospital, 2½-year-old Guldana is sitting up in her bed, but she’s too exhausted to even open her eyes. Her tiny body is wrapped in a blanket, only her emaciated face showing. She’s one of a growing number of near-starving children who are brought every...
Dems End Deadlock. House Approves, Sends $1T Infrastructure Bill to Biden.
WASHINGTON — The House approved a $1 trillion package of road and other infrastructure projects late Friday after Democrats resolved a months-long standoff between progressives and moderates, notching a victory that President Joe Biden and his party had become increasingly anxious to claim. The House passed the measure 228-206, prompting...