JERUSALEM — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu faced a midnight deadline on Tuesday to put together a new coalition government — or be looking at the possibility of leading his Likud party into the opposition for the first time in 12 years. Netanyahu has struggled to secure a parliamentary majority...
Marine Inspector General Suspended Amid Tank Sinking Probe
SAN DIEGO — The Marine Corps inspector general, Major General Robert Castellvi, has been suspended amid the ongoing probes into last summer's fatal sinking of a seafaring tank off the Southern California coast, a newspaper reported Monday. Nine men died in the accident involving an amphibious assault vehicle July 30...
‘DWI Dude’ Attorney Sentenced for Scamming Drug Traffickers
SHERMAN, Texas — A Texas lawyer known as the “DWI Dude” has been sentenced to more than 15 years in federal prison for falsely promising Colombian drug traffickers he'd get their charges reduced or dismissed in exchange for cash, prosecutors said. Jamie Balagia, 65, was sentenced Monday to 188 months...
‘Horrible’ Weeks Ahead as India’s Virus Catastrophe Worsens
NEW DELHI — COVID-19 infections and deaths are mounting with alarming speed in India with no end in sight to the crisis and a top expert warning that the coming weeks in the country of nearly 1.4 billion people will be “horrible.” India's official count of coronavirus cases surpassed 20...
Bakersfield’s McCarthy Amps Up Pressure on Rep. Liz Cheney Over Trump Barbs
WASHINGTON — House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy stepped up the pressure on No. 3 House Republican Liz Cheney on Tuesday, claiming rank-and-file concerns about “her ability to carry out her job” as she trades insults with former President Donald Trump. McCarthy's comments on the Fox News Channel underscored the continued,...
Mexico City Metro Overpass Collapse Kills at Least 23
MEXICO CITY — An elevated section of the Mexico City metro collapsed and sent the train plunging toward a busy boulevard late Monday, killing at least 23 people and injuring at least 79, city officials said. Rescuers found four bodies inside a rail car that was dangling from the overpass...
California’s Sen. Padilla Seeks Expansion of Land, Water Protection
LOS ANGELES — California Sen. Alex Padilla on Monday proposed a vast expansion of government protection for public lands and rivers that he said would fight climate change and safeguard natural treasures for generations to come. His proposal would combine three bills already passed in the House and looks to...
FDA Expected to OK Pfizer Vaccine for Teens Within Week
WASHINGTON — The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is expected to authorize Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine for youngsters ages 12 to 15 by next week, according to a federal official and a person familiar with the process, setting up shots for many before the beginning of the next school year. The...
Bill and Melinda Gates Announce They Are Getting Divorced
SEATTLE — Bill and Melinda Gates said Monday that they are divorcing but would keep working together at the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, one of the largest charitable foundations in the world. In identical tweets, the Microsoft co-founder and his wife said they had made the decision to end...
Mom Who Killed 4, Now Chowchilla Prison Inmate, Has Death Penalty Overturned
SACRAMENTO — The California Supreme Court on Monday reversed the death penalty for a woman who killed her four young daughters and tried to kill her son by setting their house on fire 23 years ago. The justices unanimously upheld the first-degree murder, attempted murder and arson convictions of 57-year-old...