UC Merced will commence NCAA Division II sports competition during the 2025-26 academic year and will be eligible for the postseason in 2026-27, university officials announced Thursday. Nine of the Bobcats' 12 intercollegiate varsity programs will compete in the California Collegiate Athletic Association. The men's and women's water polo teams...
Bill Belichick Joining ‘Inside the NFL’ for Upcoming Season
LOS ANGELES — Bill Belichick has added a second media job for the upcoming season. The CW Network announced Thursday that Belichick will be one of the analysts on “Inside the NFL.” Belichick, who coached the New England Patriots to six Super Bowl titles during his 24 years at the...
Alec Baldwin Trial Halted as Judge Reviews Defense Motion to Dismiss Due to Ammo Dispute
SANTA FE — Alec Baldwin ’s involuntary manslaughter trial was put on hold Friday while the judge considers a defense motion to dismiss the case over disputed ammunition. Judge Mary Marlowe Sommer sent the jury home for the day after a hearing on the issue raised more questions and called...
A Packed Fresno City Hall Witnesses Badhesha’s Historic Moment for Sikhs
The Sikh and legal communities packed Fresno City Hall on Thursday, honoring one of their own. Raj Badhesha is now a judge. In a special ceremony, 28 judges from multiple jurisdictions held an honorary session to enrobe Badhesha, 40, and swear him in as a judge. Coming from the Fresno...
The Embattled Biden Campaign Tests Kamala Harris’ Strength vs. Trump
Under siege from fellow Democrats, President Joe Biden’s campaign is quietly testing the strength of Vice President Kamala Harris against former President Donald Trump in a head-to-head survey of voters, as Biden fights for his political future with a high-stakes news conference Thursday. Survey Conducted This Week The survey, which...
Emergency Workers Uncover Dozens of Bodies in a Gaza City District After Israeli Assault
DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip - Civil defense workers on Friday dug bodies out of collapsed buildings and pulled them off rubble-covered streets, as they collected dozens of Palestinians killed this week by an Israeli assault in a district of Gaza City. The discovery of the bodies came after Israeli troops...
Destination Paris: Swimmer Ryan Murphy Longs to Reclaim Top Spot on Medal Podium at the Olympics
INDIANAPOLIS — Ryan Murphy longs to reclaim the top spot on the medal podium at the Paris Olympics. America's backstroke star was relegated to silver and bronze in his individual races at Tokyo — a performance that still irks him just a bit. “There’s definitely no shortage of motivation from...
These Picassos Prompted a Gender War at an Australian Gallery. Now the Curator Says She Painted Them
WELLINGTON, New Zealand - They were billed as artworks by Pablo Picasso, paintings so valuable that an Australian art museum's decision to display them in an exhibition restricted to women visitors provoked a gender discrimination lawsuit. The paintings again prompted international headlines when the gallery re-hung them in a women's...
Russian Passenger Jet Crashes Flying Empty Near Moscow, Killing Its Crew of 3
MOSCOW - A Russian passenger jet crashed Friday while flying without passengers, killing its crew of three, officials said. The Sukhoi Superjet 100 went down in the Moscow region, according to Russian emergency officials. The authorities said the plane belonged to Gazprom Avia, a carrier owned by the Russian state-controlled...
Republicans Are Gathering in Milwaukee to Nominate Donald Trump Again. Here’s What to Expect
MILWAUKEE - For all the usual stagecraft, the Republican National Convention that opens Monday is different from Donald Trump's previous nominating affairs. In 2016 and 2020, Trump was the underdog heading into fall and faced criticism from within his own party. This year, he will accept the Republican nomination with...