HUNTINGTON BEACH — Some residents, business owners and environmentalists questioned whether authorities reacted quickly enough to contain one of the largest oil spills in recent California history, caused by a suspected leak in an underwater pipeline that fouled the sands of famed Huntington Beach and could keep the beaches there...
EXPLAINER: Why Home Protection Is Important in Wildfires
Wildfires have destroyed nearly 50,000 homes in California alone in the last five years, and scientists say global warming is only making things worse. While much attention is focused on managing overgrown forests, fire managers say it’s equally crucial to increase the fire resistance of homes and the area immediately...
Prisons, Border Wall: How GOP Is Looking to Use COVID Money
CHICAGO — When Democrats passed President Joe Biden's $1.9 trillion coronavirus relief package, Republicans called it liberal “pet projects” disguised as pandemic aid. But now that Republican governors and local leaders have the money in hand, they are using it for things on their wish lists, too. Alabama lawmakers are...
Alex Jones Loses Lawsuits Over Sandy Hook ‘Hoax’ Conspiracy
A Texas judge has found Infowars host and conspiracy theorist Alex Jones liable for damages in three defamation lawsuits brought by the parents of two children killed in the Sandy Hook Elementary School massacre over his claims that the shooting was a hoax. Judge Maya Guerra Gamble in Austin, home...
Newsom Announces COVID Vaccination Mandate for Students
California will enact the nation’s first coronavirus vaccine mandate for schoolchildren, Gov. Gavin Newsom said Friday, aiming to have all students in seventh through 12th grades vaccinated by next fall once the shots gain final federal approval for everyone 12 and over. The governor said he expects the U.S. government...
Recovery Hampered as Inflation Hits New Highs in US, Europe
WASHINGTON — Inflation has reached new highs in the United States and Europe as rising energy prices and supply bottlenecks restrain an economic recovery from the pandemic in both economies. The U.S. Commerce Department reported Friday that prices rose 4.3% in August from a year earlier. While only lightly higher...
No. 18 Fresno State, Looking for 4th Straight Win, Faces Hawaii
HONOLULU — No. 18 Fresno State will look to continue making noise this weekend, even if everything around the Bulldogs is silent. The Bulldogs will be seeking a fourth straight victory Saturday when they visit Hawaii, which won't allow fans in the Clarence T.C. Ching Athletic Complex because of local...
California Enacts Law to Strip Badges From Bad Officers
California has joined the vast majority of states in setting up a way to strip the badges of police officers who act criminally or with bias, a change that was among several criminal justice reforms signed into law Thursday by Gov. Gavin Newsom. The nation's most populous state was one...
California Takes Step to Return Land to Black Couple’s Heirs
MANHATTAN BEACH — Nearly a century ago, white leaders of a Southern California city robbed a Black family of their prime beachfront land and legacy. Descendants of Willa and Charles Bruce — including the couple’s great-great grandson — returned to the scene of the crime in Manhattan Beach on Thursday...
0% Water Allocation Eyed Next Year for California
SACRAMENTO — California's reservoirs are so dry from a historic drought that regulators warned Thursday it's possible the state's water agencies won't get anything from them next year, a frightening possibility that could force mandatory restrictions for residents. California has a system of giant lakes called reservoirs that store water...