A federal government shutdown began on Oct. 1 after weeks of it looming, leaving scores of federal workers, including in California, at risk of going for days — potentially weeks — without pay. While it’s unclear how long this government shutdown will last, the longest government shutdown was 35 days...
Gaza Aid Flotilla Says It Has Been Intercepted by Military
Military personnel intercepted an international flotilla trying to deliver medicine and food to Gaza and boarded its boats as it approached the war-ravaged enclave, the mission's organizers said. Some 20 unidentified vessels were seen approaching the flotilla earlier on Wednesday night, multiple people on board said, as passengers put on...
Senators Again Vote Down Plans to Fund Government
As services that many Americans rely on were upended Wednesday by a government shutdown, dueling proposals to end it failed in the Senate for the third time in two weeks, as neither Republicans nor Democrats could muster sufficient bipartisan support. While critical services continue to operate — including Social Security...
Kern County Supervisor Predicts ‘Death of SGMA’ After Groundwater Bill Is Tabled
A pair of bills that arose out of the ongoing fight over groundwater in eastern Kern County’s desert have come to very different conclusions – one awaiting the governor’s signature and the other tabled indefinitely. Both bills address a process known as groundwater adjudication, in which a judge decides how much...
Tulare County Deputies Arrest Minor in Attempted Armed Gas Station Robbery
A 15-year-old boy was arrested after an attempted armed robbery at a Terra Bella gas station Tuesday night, authorities said. Deputies with the Tulare County Sheriff’s Office were called just before 10:15 p.m. to the Family Foods and Gas Station in the 9500 block of Road 236, the agency said...
Trump Administration Scraps $8 Billion for Climate-Related Projects
President Donald Trump's administration is cancelling nearly $8 billion in climate-related funding targeting 16 U.S. states, including California and New York, White House budget director Russ Vought said on Wednesday. Details of the cancellations will come from the U.S. Energy Department, Vought added in his post on X. — (Reporting...
Wildlife Advocate, Primate Expert Jane Goodall Dies at 91
Scientist and global activist Jane Goodall, who turned her childhood love of primates into a lifelong quest for protecting the environment, died on Wednesday at the age of 91, the institute she founded said. Goodall died of natural causes, the Jane Goodall Institute said in a social media post. "Dr....
States Sue Over US Justice Department’s New Restrictions on Grants for Domestic Violence Victims
A group of Democratic-led states filed a lawsuit on Wednesday challenging new U.S. restrictions barring them from using federal grant funding to provide legal services to victims of domestic violence and sexual assault if they are immigrants living in the United States illegally. The lawsuit marked the latest legal action...
Stocks Mixed, Gold Hits Record as US Government Shuts Down
NEW YORK/LONDON — U.S. stocks and the dollar treaded water in choppy trade on Wednesday, while gold struck a record high as the U.S. government shut down much of its operations, delaying the release of crucial jobs data which could muddy the interest rate outlook. U.S. private payrolls data that...
White House Warns Layoffs Are Imminent if Shutdown Drags On
The White House warned on Wednesday that worker layoffs are imminent as the first day of the government shutdown unfolded, even as Vice President JD Vance insisted no final decisions have been made. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters government agencies are already preparing for cuts. "Unfortunately, because...