SAN DIEGO — A 22-year-old white supremacist was denied a chance to address a courtroom before a judge sentenced him Thursday to life in prison without the possibility of parole for bursting into a Southern California synagogue on the last day of Passover in 2019 with a semiautomatic rifle, killing...
Biden’s Approval Slumps After a Slew of Crises: AP-NORC Poll
WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden's popularity has slumped after a slew of challenges in recent weeks at home and abroad for the leader who pledged to bring the country together and restore competence in government, according to a new poll by The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research. Fifty...
Merck Says Experimental Pill Cuts Worst Effects of COVID-19
WASHINGTON — Drugmaker Merck said Friday that its experimental COVID-19 pill reduced hospitalizations and deaths by half in people recently infected with the coronavirus, potentially a leap forward in the global fight against the pandemic. The company said it will soon ask health officials in the U.S. and around the...
‘Key Results’ Needed in Sierra Hiking Deaths Mystery
MARIPOSA — Authorities are awaiting key toxicology test results in the mysterious deaths of a family and their dog in a remote Sierra hiking area. Progress in solving the case the six-week-old case is limited to ruling out death by a gun or any other weapon, a lightning strike, carbon...
Newsom Signs Laws Aimed at Homeless Crisis; Pleads for Patience
Gov. Gavin Newsom signed seven new laws on Wednesday aimed at addressing the state's homelessness crisis, pleading with a skeptical public to have patience as the nation's wealthiest and most populous state struggles to keep people off the streets. Among California's myriad problems — including wildfires, historic drought and a...
It’s Flu Vaccine Time, Even if You’ve Had Your COVID Shots
Amid all the focus on COVID-19 vaccinations, U.S. health experts have another plea: Don’t skip your flu shot. Flu cases have dropped to historically low levels during the pandemic. The U.S. and Europe experienced hardly any flu last winter, and the Southern Hemisphere just ended its second flu season of...
Democrats Divided: Progressives, Centrists Say Trust Is Gone
WASHINGTON — In their fight over trillions of dollars, their paramount policy goals and perhaps their political fate, this isn't helping: Democratic progressives and centrists say they don't trust each other. They're tossing around words like “stupid" and “insanity" and they're drawing lines in the sand. Congressional majorities of both...
Prison Warden from Merced Accused of Inmate Sex Abuse
The warden of a federal prison in Northern California has been charged with sexually abusing an inmate, authorities said Wednesday. Ray J. Garcia, 54, of Merced, allegedly groped at least one of his female wards, asked at least two inmates to strip naked for him and took and stored photographs...
Congress Halfway Home in Averting Partial Federal Shutdown
WASHINGTON — Congress took a big step toward avoiding a partial federal shutdown on Thursday when the Senate passed a bill to keep the government funded through Dec. 3. The House was expected to follow suit shortly. The votes will help avert one crisis, but only delay another as the...
California Treasurer Often Shared Hotel Rooms With Employees on Trips
SACRAMENTO — California state Treasurer Fiona Ma repeatedly shared hotel rooms with employees, a practice she says saved money but that business experts contend crosses an ethical line and can lead to lawsuits like one Ma now faces, the Sacramento Bee reported Tuesday. Judith Blackwell, the former head of the...