Mariposa's sheriff says a family and their dog died of extreme heat exhaustion and dehydration while hiking in a remote area in August. Mariposa County Sheriff Jeremy Briese said Thursday that John Gerrish, his wife, Ellen Chung, their 1-year-old daughter, Miju, and their dog were walking in extreme heat before...
In Bipartisan House Vote, Trump Ally Steve Bannon Held in Contempt
WASHINGTON — The House voted Thursday to hold Steve Bannon, a longtime ally and aide to former President Donald Trump, in contempt of Congress for defying a subpoena from the committee investigating the violent Jan. 6 Capitol insurrection. In a rare show of bipartisanship on the House floor, the committee's...
High on Meth, California Man Drowned 4-Year-Old Daughter; Gets 11 Year Sentence.
A Northern California man was sentenced to 11 years in prison for the 2016 drowning of his 4-year-old daughter in the baptismal pool of a Catholic church. Gerardo Mendoza, 47, had been smoking methamphetamine for three days and began believing his two youngest children were “being attacked by evil” when...
Another In-N-Out Burger Shop Hit Over Vaccine Verification Rules
The popular In-N-Out hamburger chain is in trouble with yet another San Francisco Bay Area county over its failure to verify the vaccination cards of people choosing to dine-in with their double-doubles, shakes and fries. A spokesperson for Contra Costa County's environmental health division said that the department received repeated...
Efforts Drag on to Free 17 Missionaries Kidnapped in Haiti
PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti — Efforts to win the return of 17 members of a U.S.-based missionary group and a local driver stretched into a fourth day Wednesday, with a violent gang demanding $1 million ransom per person. The group seized includes five children aged from 8 months to 15 years, although...
FBI: Items Linked to Laundrie, Potential Human Remains Found in Florida
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Potential human remains were found Wednesday in a Florida wilderness area along with items believed to belong to Brian Laundrie, whose girlfriend, Gabby Petito, was found slain after he returned home alone from their cross-country road trip, according to the FBI. Michael McPherson, chief of the...
Bitcoin Tops $66,000 As Crypto Goes Mainstream
NEW YORK — Bitcoin stormed above $66,000 for the first time on Wednesday, riding a wave of excitement about how the financial establishment is increasingly accepting the digital currency's rise. One Bitcoin was valued at $66,096, as of 4:15 p.m. Eastern time, after earlier climbing as high as $66,974.77. The...
Putin Orders Russians to Stay Off Work as Pandemic Deaths Rise
MOSCOW — President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday ordered most Russians to stay off work for a week later this month amid rising COVID-19 infections and deaths, and he strongly urged reluctant citizens to get vaccinated. The government coronavirus task force reported 1,028 deaths in the past 24 hours, the highest...
Plans for Vaccinating Kids 5-11 Revealed by White House
WASHINGTON — Children ages 5 to 11 will soon be able to get a COVID-19 shot at their pediatrician's office, local pharmacy, and potentially even their school, the White House said Wednesday as it detailed plans for the expected authorization of the Pfizer shot for elementary school youngsters in a...
In-N-Out Refuses to Be ‘Vaccination Police’ for Government
The In-N-Out hamburger chain is sizzling mad after San Francisco shut down its indoor dining for refusing to check customers' vaccination status. The company's Fisherman's Wharf location — its only one in San Francisco — was temporarily shut by the Department of Public Health on Oct. 14. Authorities said it...