GREENVILLE — A wildfire raging in Northern California exploded in size overnight, becoming the third-largest wildfire in state history amid high temperatures and strong winds. Better weather conditions were expected to aid the firefight on Friday. The Dixie Fire grew by 110 square miles between Thursday night and Friday morning,...
‘We Lost Greenville.’ Wildfire Decimates N. California Town
GREENVILLE — The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection says a raging wildfire that swept through a tiny Northern California mountain town is now the sixth-largest in state history. The 3-week-old wildfire engulfed the town of Greenville, wiping out historic buildings and leaving much of the downtown in ashes,...
Fresno Famous: ‘Kai the Hitchhiker’ Loses Bid to Overturn Murder Conviction
A former online celebrity who became known for allegedly using a hatchet to fend off an attack on a highway worker in Fresno failed in his attempt to have his conviction in a 2013 murder overturned. Caleb McGillvary was convicted two years ago of the 2013 murder of attorney Joseph...
Iran Swears in New Hard-Line President Amid Regional Tension
TEHRAN, Iran — The protégé of Iran’s supreme leader, Ebrahim Raisi, was sworn in as the country's new president during a ceremony in parliament on Thursday, an inauguration that completes hard-liners’ dominance of all branches of government in the Islamic Republic. The former judiciary chief known for his distrust of...
Israel Launches Airstrikes on Lebanon in Response to Rockets
TEL AVIV, Israel — Israel on Thursday escalated its response to rocket attacks the previous day from Lebanon by launching rare airstrikes on its northern neighbor, the army and Lebanese officials said. A statement from the Israeli military said jets struck the launch sites from which the rockets were fired,...
Majority of NY Assembly Would Oust Cuomo if He Doesn’t Quit
ALBANY, N.Y. — A majority of state Assembly members support beginning impeachment proceedings against Gov. Andrew Cuomo if he doesn't resign over investigative findings that he sexually harassed at least 11 women, according to an Associated Press count Wednesday. At least 86 of the body’s 150 members have said publicly...
Biden Seeks to Boost Fuel Economy to Thwart Trump Rollback
DETROIT — The Biden administration wants automakers to raise gas mileage and cut tailpipe pollution between now and model year 2026, and it has won a voluntary commitment Thursday from the industry that electric vehicles will comprise up to half of U.S. sales by the end of the decade. The...
Shipping Snags Prompt US Firms to Mull Retreat From China
WASHINGTON — Game maker Eric Poses last year created The Worst-Case Scenario Card Game, making a wry reference to the way the coronavirus had upended normal life. He had no idea. In a twist that Poses never could have predicted, his game itself would become caught up in the latest...
US Jobless Claims Down 14,000 to 385,000 as Economy Rebounds
WASHINGTON — The number of Americans applying for unemployment benefits fell last week by 14,000 to 385,000, more evidence that the economy and the job market are rebounding briskly from the coronavirus recession. The Labor Department reported Thursday that unemployment claims — a proxy for layoffs — dropped last week...
Judge Says Newsom Can Brand Recall ‘Republican’ in Voter Guide
Gov. Gavin Newsom can refer to the recall against him as a Republican effort in the state’s official voter guide, a judge said in a tentative ruling released Wednesday. Sacramento Superior Court Judge Laurie M. Earl issued her tentative ruling hours before the parties were set to appear in court...