LOS ANGELES — Kanye is now Ye. A Los Angeles judge on Monday approved the request of the rapper, producer, and fashion designer to legally change his name from Kanye Omari West to just Ye, with no middle or last name. “There being no objections, the petition for change of...
San Francisco Offers $100K Rewards in Effort to End Crime Spiral
SAN FRANCISCO — San Francisco will give out cash awards of up to $100,000 for information about the ringleaders of high-level auto burglaries — in yet another push to battle crime in a city marked by attention-grabbing vehicle smash and grabs, home break-ins, and retail theft. The cash rewards would...
Leadership Failures Fanned Arson Fire Destruction of Navy Ship: Report
WASHINGTON — A Navy report has concluded there were sweeping failures by commanders, crew members, and others that fueled the July 2020 arson fire that destroyed the USS Bonhomme Richard, calling the massive five-day blaze in San Diego preventable and unacceptable. While one sailor has been charged with setting the...
San Francisco Sets Recall Election for Scandal-Plagued School Board
SAN FRANCISCO — San Francisco parents and other residents frustrated by the city’s scandal-plagued Board of Education will get a chance to recall three of its members. City officials announced Monday that a special municipal election will be held on Feb. 15 after an effort to recall the board members...
LA County Wants Kobe Bryant’s Widow to Have Psychiatric Exam
LOS ANGELES — Los Angeles County is seeking to compel psychiatric evaluations for Kobe Bryant's widow and others to determine if they truly suffered emotional distress after first responders took and shared graphic photos from the site of the 2020 helicopter crash that killed the basketball star, his teenage daughter...
Hezbollah Leader Claims He Is Backed by 100,000 Fighters
BEIRUT — Lebanon’s Hezbollah leader declared for the first time on Monday that his powerful militant group has 100,000 trained fighters. His speech appeared to be meant as a deterrent to domestic foes following the nation’s worst internal violence in years. Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah disclosed the size of the Shiite...
Haiti Gang Reportedly Seeks $17M for Kidnapped US Missionaries
PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti — A gang that kidnapped 17 members of a U.S.-based missionary group has demanded a $17 million ransom for them, according to Haiti's justice minister, as quoted by the Wall Street Journal. Justice Minister Liszt Quitel said the gang was demanding $1 million per person. Quitel did not...
Quick Approval of Mix-and-Match COVID Booster Shots Expected
WASHINGTON — Federal regulators are expected to authorize the mixing and matching of COVID-19 booster doses this week in an effort to provide flexibility as the campaign for extra shots expands. The upcoming announcement by the Food and Drug Administration is likely to come along with authorization for boosters of...
Sierra Snow Impacts Travel in Northern California
SACRAMENTO — A cold front passing through drought-stricken California brought snow to the northern Sierra Nevada and rain, showers and drizzle elsewhere, the National Weather Service said Monday. The Sierra snowfall was significant enough to impact travel over the higher passes, the weather service said. Caltrans reported that Ebbets Pass...
Derek Carr After Big Win: ‘I’m Still Here as a Leader’
DENVER — The Las Vegas Raiders were determined not to let Jon Gruden's undoing lead to their own downfall. They delivered an emphatic 34-24 victory in Denver for longtime special teams coordinator Rich Bisaccia, their interim head coach, snapping a two-game skid and propelling them into a first-place tie with...