SACRAMENTO — California's attorney general said Wednesday he is putting a new emphasis on trying to alleviate the state's seemingly intractable affordable housing problem, including by creating a “strike force” to focus on tenant protections, on local governments that don't comply with state housing laws, and related issues. The 12-member...
Ruggs Drove 156 MPH Before Fatal Crash, Prosecutor Says
LAS VEGAS — Former Raiders wide receiver Henry Ruggs III was driving at 156 mph with a blood-alcohol content twice Nevada’s legal limit when his sports car slammed into the rear of a vehicle that burned, killing a 23-year-old woman, prosecutors said Wednesday. The Raiders released Ruggs late Tuesday, just...
Watchdog Finds No Misconduct in Mistaken Afghan Airstrike
WASHINGTON — An independent Pentagon review has concluded that the U.S. drone strike that killed innocent Kabul civilians and children in the final days of the Afghanistan war was not caused by misconduct or negligence, and it doesn't recommend any disciplinary action, The Associated Press has learned. The review, done...
California’s Crab Season Delayed to Protect Migrating Whales
SAN FRANCISCO — The start of the commercial Dungeness crab season will be delayed for some areas of Northern California for the third year in a row to protect whales and sea turtles from becoming entangled in trap and buoy lines. The California Department of Fish and Wildlife said Monday...
Youngkin’s Virginia Win Jolts Democrats; Eyes Turn to Tight Race in NJ
RICHMOND, Va. — Republican Glenn Youngkin won the Virginia governor's race early Wednesday, tapping into culture war fights over schools and race to unite former President Donald Trump's most fervent supporters with enough suburban voters to become the first GOP candidate to win statewide office in a dozen years. The...
Youngkin Wins Virginia Governor’s Race, Jolting Democrats
RICHMOND, Va. — Glenn Youngkin won the Virginia governor's race on Tuesday, tapping into culture war fights over schools and race to unite former President Donald Trump's most fervent supporters with enough suburban voters to become the first Republican to win statewide office here in 12 years. The 54-year-old Youngkin's...
CDC Gives Final Clearance for COVID Shots for Kids 5 to 11
U.S. health officials on Tuesday gave the final signoff to Pfizer’s kid-size COVID-19 shot, a major expansion of the nation’s vaccination campaign. The Food and Drug Administration already authorized the shots for children ages 5 to 11 — doses just a third of the amount given to teens and adults....
Thousands Flock to See Giant Stinky ‘Corpse Plant’
ENCINITAS — The bloom of a giant and stinky Sumatran flower nicknamed the “corpse plant” because it smells like a dead body is drawing huge crowds to a Southern California botanical garden. The bloom of the Amorphophallus titanum plant began Sunday afternoon at the San Diego Botanic Gardens in Encinitas....
Raiders Wide Receiver to Face DUI Case in Fatal Crash: Police
LAS VEGAS — Raiders wide receiver Henry Ruggs III faces a driving under the influence charge after a fiery vehicle crash early Tuesday in Las Vegas that left a woman dead and Ruggs and his female passenger injured, authorities said. According to police, Ruggs was driving a Chevrolet Corvette a...
Drug Companies Win in California Opioid Crisis Lawsuit
LOS ANGELES — A California judge has ruled for top drug manufacturers as local governments seek billions of dollars to cover their costs from the nation’s opioid epidemic. Orange County Superior Court Judge Peter Wilson issued a tentative ruling on Monday that said the governments hadn’t proven the pharmaceutical companies...