WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden is plunging into the next phase of his administration with the steady approval of a majority of Americans, according to a new poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research. The survey shows Biden is buoyed in particular by the public's broad backing...
After Pipeline Cyberextortion Attempt, Gasoline Ticks Higher
NEW YORK — Gasoline futures are ticking higher Monday following a cyberextortion attempt on a vital U.S. pipeline that carries fuel from the Gulf Coast to the Northeast. The Colonial Pipeline transports gasoline and other fuel through 10 states between Texas and New Jersey. It delivers roughly 45% of fuel...
California Wants Gas Appliances Out of New Homes by 2023
SAN FRANCISCO — California’s energy policy and planning agency wants to transition new homes away from gas-powered appliances. The California Energy Commission released a draft building standards code on Thursday that would require new homes to be equipped with circuits and panels that support all-electric appliances for heating, cooking, and...
Republicans Promote Pandemic Relief They Voted Against
NEW YORK (AP) — Rep. Nicole Malliotakis, R-N.Y., said it pained her to vote against the $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan. But in the weeks that followed, the first-term Republican issued a news release celebrating more than $3.7 million from the package that went to community health centers in her...
America’s New Normal: A Degree Hotter Than Two Decades Ago
America’s new normal temperature is a degree hotter than it was just two decades ago. Scientists have long talked about climate change — hotter temperatures, changes in rain and snowfall and more extreme weather — being the “new normal.” Data released Tuesday by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration put...
Asian American Health Workers Fight Virus and Racist Attacks
NEW YORK — Medical student Natty Jumreornvong has a vaccine and protective gear to shield her from the coronavirus. But she couldn't avoid exposure to the anti-Asian bigotry that pulsed to the surface after the pathogen was first identified in China. Psychiatry patients have called her by a racist slur...
Cruise Company Threatens to Skip Florida Ports Over Vaccine Proof Ban
Miami-based Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings is threatening to keep its ships out of Florida after the governor signed legislation banning businesses from requiring that customers show proof of vaccination against COVID-19. The company says the law signed by Gov. Ron DeSantis is at odds with guidelines from federal health authorities...
California Population Fell by More Than 182K Last Year, State Says
SACRAMENTO — California’s population fell by more than 182,000 people in 2020, marking the first year-over-year loss ever recorded for the nation’s most populous state. State officials announced Friday that California’s population dipped 0.46% to just under 39.5 million people from January 2020 to January 2021. The news comes one...
SoCal Agency Targets Distribution Centers for Poor Air Quality
LOS ANGELES — Southern California air quality regulators on Friday were considering a rule that would curb diesel emissions from thousands of trucks that ferry goods from the growing number of massive warehouses in the region run by Amazon and other companies. Areas around the facilities have weathered increased pollution...
Weak Jobs Report Could Spur, Slow Biden’s Huge Money Package
WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden's promised economic comeback hit a speed bump Friday with the April jobs report, which found modest job gains of 266,000 that complicated his $4 trillion push on infrastructure, education and children. The employment report failed to show that the U.S. economy was accelerating forward, so...