NEW YORK — Roughly 3 in 4 American adults believe the upcoming presidential election is vital to the future of U.S. democracy, although which candidate they think poses the greater threat depends on their political leanings, according to a poll. The survey from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs...
Wall Street Rallies, and Dow Jumps 500 After an Encouraging Update on US Unemployment
NEW YORK — U.S. stocks are climbing Thursday after a better-than-expected report on unemployment eased worries about the slowing economy. The S&P 500 was rallying by 1.6% in morning trading, a day after a big early gain evaporated and flipped into a loss. The Dow Jones Industrial Average was up...
Slimmer Deebo Samuel Impressing the 49ers at Training Camp With Brandon Aiyuk Out
SANTA CLARA — Deebo Samuel has looked like a different person since arriving for the offseason program this spring for the San Francisco 49ers — and it's not just about his new No. 1 jersey. The player who was an All-Pro in 2021 when he was one of the game's...
Homeowners Race to Refinance as Mortgage Rates Retreat From 23-Year Highs
LOS ANGELES — A recent pullback in mortgage rates is spurring more homeowners to refinance their home loan and lower their monthly payments. The Mortgage Bankers Association's refinance index, which tracks home loan application volume, surged 16% last week from the previous week to its highest level in two years,...
Chapman Has 3 Hits Including a Homer, Snell Goes 6 Innings and Giants Beat Nationals
WASHINGTON — Heliot Ramos and Matt Chapman hit fifth-inning solo homers to break a 3-3 tie and the San Francisco Giants beat the Washington Nationals 7-4 on Wednesday night. UP NEXT Giants LHP Kyle Harrison (6-5, 4.09 ERA) opposes LHP DJ Herz (2-4, 4.27) in the series finale. Giants Homer...
Kyle Schwarber’s Trio of Homers Powers Phillies to Triumph Over Dodgers
LOS ANGELES — Rookie pitcher Tyler Phillips thanked Kyle Schwarber for keeping the Philadelphia Phillies in the game after the designated hitter's second home run against the Los Angeles Dodgers. Schwarber's Offensive Outburst Leads Phillies to Victory Schwarber finished with three homers and tied a career high with seven RBIs...
Merced County Voters to Consider Public Safety Tax Amid Critical Shortage of Deputies
Merced County voters in November will decide whether to pass a half-cent sales tax to support the county's sheriff and district attorney offices along with fire protection. The Merced County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday unanimously agreed to put the sales tax on the ballot. It would require two-thirds approval...
Extreme Heat Strains Drinking Water Wells Throughout Valley
Despite back-to-back good water years, domestic wells are still drying up all across the San Joaquin Valley as record-breaking heat waves pummel the region. The state saw slightly above average runoff for the 2023-2024 water year with significant precipitation and major reservoirs largely above average levels. That's on top of...
Tiny Is an Adoptable Kitty Who Thinks She’s a Mighty Tabby
Meet petite 8-month-old purr bug Tiny, a diminutive but mighty tabby darling! She is a part of what is known as an "oops" litter since her mom was not spayed, and when she became pregnant the family could not keep all the kittens. Tiny is never rough but does love...
California Declares Panda Day as San Diego Zoo Debuts Giant Pandas
Gov. Gavin Newsom declared Thursday (Aug. 8) as California Panda Day to mark the public debut of two giant pandas at the San Diego Zoo. The pandas, Yun Chuan and Xin Bao, were the first to enter the United States in 21 years. The San Diego Zoo will open its...