NORWALK — The winner of a $26 million California Lottery prize may have literally washed the chance of a fortune down the drain. The winning SuperLotto Plus ticket for the Nov. 14 drawing was sold at an Arco AM/PM convenience store in the Los Angeles suburb of Norwalk. Thursday was...
For Muslims in America, Eid Al-Fitr Comes as Pandemic Eases
For Qassim Abdullah, this year’s Islamic holiday of Eid al-Fitr marked a bit of a milestone: Now fully vaccinated, the 66-year-old finally felt comfortable enough to return to his mosque for the Eid prayer on Thursday, his first time back since the start of the pandemic. “It's overwhelming and exciting,”...
Israel Threatens Gaza Ground Invasion Despite Truce Efforts
JERUSALEM — Israel on Thursday said it was massing troops along the Gaza frontier and calling up 9,000 reservists ahead of a possible ground invasion of the Hamas-ruled territory, as the two bitter enemies plunged closer to all-out war. Egyptian mediators rushed to Israel for cease-fire efforts but showed no...
Teachers Union President Is ‘all in’ on Full Fall Reopening
The president of the American Federation of Teachers said Thursday there should be a full return to in-person learning in the fall and her union is “all in” on bringing students back to the classroom. In an address on social media, Randi Weingarten said the wide availability of vaccines and...
CDC: Fully Vaccinated People Can Largely Ditch Masks Indoors
WASHINGTON — In a move to send the country back toward pre-pandemic life, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Thursday eased indoor mask-wearing guidance for fully vaccinated people, allowing them to safely stop wearing masks inside in most places. The new guidance still calls for wearing masks in...
EPA Revokes Trump-Era Policy That Loosened Clean-Air Rules
WASHINGTON — The Environmental Protection Agency is revoking a Trump-era rule that overhauled how the agency evaluates air pollutants, a move the Biden administration says will make it easier to enact limits on dangerous and climate-changing emissions. EPA said Thursday it reviewed a rule issued by the Trump administration last...
‘American Idol’ Contestant Exits Show Amid Video Controversy
A 16-year-old “American Idol” contestant has dropped out of the singing competition after a video circulated of him sitting next to someone wearing what appears to be a Ku Klux Klan hood. Caleb Kennedy, advanced into the Top 5, apologized for the video on Twitter and Instagram on Wednesday, saying...
US Agents Encounter More Single Adults Crossing Border
LA JOYA, Texas — Parents emerge from the brush into a baseball field, carrying exhausted children. Border Patrol agents dictate orders: Families with young children in one line and unaccompanied children in another. The smallest of three lines is for single adults. The scene Tuesday night in La Joya, a...
Hamas, Israel Fighting Escalates Even Amid Truce Efforts
GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip — Hamas sent a heavy barrage of rockets deep into Israel on Thursday, and Israel pounded Gaza with more airstrikes. The relentless escalation of hostilities came even as Egyptian negotiators held in-person talks with the two sides, intensifying efforts at mediation. Previous fighting between Israel and...
California Tree Trimmer Charged in Deadly Throat-Slashings
OROVILLE — A tree trimmer in rural Northern California has been charged in throat-slashing serial killings that left three people dead, prosecutors announced Thursday. Ryan Scott Blinston, 37, of the small city of Oroville, was charged on Wednesday with murder, attempted murder and arson. The charges included special sentencing allegations...