WASHINGTON — Members of the U.S. military will be required to get the COVID-19 vaccine beginning next month under a plan laid out by the Pentagon and endorsed by President Joe Biden. In memos distributed to all troops, top Pentagon leaders said the vaccine is a necessary step to maintain...
New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo to Resign Over Sexual Harassment
NEW YORK — Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced his resignation Tuesday over a barrage of sexual harassment allegations in a fall from grace a year after he was widely hailed nationally for his detailed daily briefings and leadership during some of the darkest days of the COVID-19 pandemic. In a televised...
Senate Dems Unveil $3.5T Budget for Social, Climate Efforts
WASHINGTON — Senate Democrats unwrapped a budget resolution Monday envisioning a massive $3.5 trillion, 10-year cascade of federal resources, aiming historic sums at family support, health and education programs and an aggressive drive to heal the climate. The measure is a pivotal first step in what will likely be a...
Convicted Killer Who Buried Disabled Fresno Man Alive is Eligible for Release
Gov. Gavin Newsom has allowed the release of a killer who served four decades in prison for the murder of a developmentally disabled man in Fresno who was buried alive, officials said Monday. Newsom took no action last Friday on the state parole board's latest decision granting parole to David...
Valley 14-Year-Old Becomes Youngest to Swim Length of Lake Tahoe
A 14-year-old boy from Los Banos has become the youngest person to swim the entire 21.3-mile length of Lake Tahoe and complete the alpine lake’s coveted Triple Crown. James Savage completed the trip across the scenic lake, which straddles the California-Nevada line, in 12 hours on Aug. 1. He earlier...
Official: Sturgis Motorcycle Rally Is the Busiest in Years
STURGIS, S.D. — Law enforcement officials say the first few days of this year's Sturgis Motorcycle Rally have been among the busiest they've seen. Some 700,000 people were expected to celebrate their enthusiasm for motorcycles at the 10-day event that kicked off Friday in the western South Dakota city. “There...
Taliban Press On, Take 2 More Afghan Provincial Capitals
KABUL, Afghanistan — The Taliban took control of two more provincial capitals in Afghanistan on Monday, officials said. Their fall marked the latest development in a weekslong, relentless Taliban offensive as American and NATO forces finalize their pullout from the war-torn country. The militants have ramped up their push across...
Fresno’s Jalen Green Shines at NBA Summer League
Jalen Green was without one of his Houston teammates for his NBA Summer League debut because of COVID-19 protocols, the same reason the Washington-Indiana game was postponed. The second overall pick from this year's draft helped bring the headlines back to the court. Green Led All Starters in Scoring Green...
Senators Push Infrastructure Bill a Step Closer to Passage
WASHINGTON — Senators hoisted the $1 trillion bipartisan infrastructure package over another hurdle late Sunday, a coalition of Democrats and Republicans pushing it closer to passage despite a few holdouts trying to derail one of President Joe Biden's top priorities. The rare bipartisan momentum was holding steady, a reflection of...
‘Code Red’: UN Scientists Warn of Worsening Global Warming
Earth is getting so hot that temperatures in about a decade will probably blow past a level of warming that world leaders have sought to prevent, according to a report released Monday that the United Nations called a “code red for humanity.” “It’s just guaranteed that it’s going to get...