LOS ANGELES — Shoppers were startled last weekend to see a bear cub browsing the offerings at a Los Angeles supermarket. Video aired by CBS 2 shows the small bear strolling the aisles on Saturday at the Ralphs store in the Porter Ranch area of the San Fernando Valley. After...
Death Toll Up to 65 in Algeria Wildfires; Nation to Mourn
ALGIERS, Algeria — The death toll in fires ravaging mountain forests and villages in Algeria’s Berber region climbed Wednesday to 65 people, including 28 soldiers, as the president declared a three-day mourning period this week to honor the lives lost. The Civil Protection authority announced the rising number of victims,...
Facebook Bans Firm Behind Pfizer, AstraZeneca Smear Campaign
PROVIDENCE, R.I. — Facebook said Tuesday that it has removed hundreds of accounts linked to a mysterious advertising agency operating out of Russia that sought to pay social media influencers to smear COVID-19 vaccines made by Pfizer and AstraZeneca. A network of 65 Facebook accounts and 243 Instagram accounts was...
US Consumer Prices Rose in July but at Slower Pace
WASHINGTON — Prices for U.S. consumers rose last month but at the slowest pace since February, a sign that Americans may gain some relief after four months of sharp increases that have imposed a financial burden on the nation's households. Wednesday’s report from the Labor Department showed that consumer prices...
Hospitals Run Low on Nurses as They Get Swamped With COVID
The rapidly escalating surge in COVID-19 infections across the U.S. has caused a shortage of nurses and other front-line staff in virus hot spots that can no longer keep up with the flood of unvaccinated patients and are losing workers to burnout and lucrative out-of-state temporary gigs. Florida, Arkansas, Louisiana...
Huge Dixie Fire Destroys Over 1,000 Structures; Montana Blaze Threatens Towns
California’s largest single wildfire in recorded history continued to grow after destroying nearly 550 homes while authorities in Montana ordered evacuations as a wind-driven blaze roared toward several remote communities. The dangerous fires are among some 100 large blazes burning Wednesday across 15 states, mostly in the West, where historic...
Bangladesh Vaccinating Rohingya Refugees Amid Virus Surge
DHAKA,Bangladesh — Bangladesh's government and aid agencies started vaccinating Rohingya refugees Tuesday as a virus surge raises health risks in the sprawling, cramped camps where more than 1 million people who fled Myanmar are sheltering. The highly transmissible delta variant is driving an infection surge across Bangladesh, with around 20,000...
US Vows to Isolate Taliban if They Take Power by Force
KABUL, Afghanistan — A U.S. peace envoy brought a warning to the Taliban on Tuesday that any government that comes to power through force in Afghanistan won’t be recognized internationally after a series of cities fell to the insurgent group in stunningly quick succession. Zalmay Khalilzad, the U.S. envoy, traveled...
Video of San Diego Deputy’s Exposure to Fentanyl Criticized
A public safety video that told viewers a deputy had a near-death experience after being exposed to fentanyl used actual footage, the San Diego Sheriff’s department said Monday after critics questioned the deputy’s severe reaction. The video shows “an actual incident involving our deputy as he processed a white powdery...
Big Win for $1T Infrastructure Bill: Senate Shows It Can Act
WASHINGTON — With a robust vote after weeks of fits and starts, the Senate approved a $1 trillion bipartisan infrastructure plan on Tuesday, a rare coalition of Democrats and Republicans joining to overcome skeptics and deliver a cornerstone of President Joe Biden’s agenda. The 69-30 tally provides momentum for this...