WASHINGTON — The IRS said Thursday it will make permanent the free electronic tax return filing system that it experimented with this year and is asking all 50 states and the District of Columbia to help taxpayers file their returns through the program in 2025. The IRS tried the Direct...
Walkouts, Encampments & Protests Provided Me With a Classic Berkeley Education
My time as a University of California, Berkeley student recently concluded with a commencement ceremony that matched the academic year — steeped in protests calling attention to the Palestine-Israel conflict. Berkeley has long been identified as a hub for student activism. This reputation was solidified during 1960s demonstrations in support...
Warning: Pay Special Attention to California’s November Ballot Measures
California politics being what they are – deeply blue domination by Democrats – means that many of the races on the November ballot are already decided. The outcome of Democratic President Joe Biden’s replay battle with Republican predecessor Donald Trump – assuming that both are nominated – is very much in...
Israeli War Cabinet Minister Proposes to Dissolve Parliament
Israeli war cabinet minister Benny Gantz's from the centrist party proposed on Thursday to dissolve the country's parliament, Reuters reported. Gantz's call for dissolution signaled the growing disdain for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's coalition government and Netanyahu's prosecution of the war against Hamas. Following an ultimatum by Gantz in May...
Beatles, Stones, or Queen? Tribute Bands and Fresno Rainbow Pride Parade Top the Weekend
The month ahead will be filled with top acts entertaining the Valley like Brooks & Dunn, Smokey Robinson, George Lopez, Andrew Schulz, and Martina McBride. But the accent this weekend is on tribute bands performing the hits of legendary artists like The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, and Queen. And, the...
Power Outages Could Linger for Days After Storms Batter Texas Again, Leaving 1 Dead
HOUSTON — Power outages scattered across storm-weary Texas on Wednesday could linger into the weekend after storms flooded streets in Houston for the second time this month and ripped off roofs in Dallas, leaving a teenager dead and injuring others. The teen was killed Tuesday at a construction site while...
49ers Sign WR Jauan Jennings to Extension Through 2025 Season
SANTA CLARA — The San Francisco 49ers signed receiver Jauan Jennings to a contract extension through the 2025 season to get one of their two missing receivers back at practice. The Niners had given Jennings a $4.89 million restricted free agent tender in March before signing him to a two-year...
The US-Built Pier in Gaza Broke Apart. Here’s How We Got Here and What Might Be Next
WASHINGTON — A string of security, logistical and weather problems has battered the plan to deliver desperately needed humanitarian aid to Gaza through a U.S. military-built pier. Broken apart by strong winds and heavy seas just over a week after it became operational, the project faces criticism that it hasn’t...
Massachusetts Fugitive ‘Bad Breath Rapist’ Captured in California After 16 Years
DANVILLE, Calif. — A fugitive dubbed the “bad breath rapist” has been arrested in the San Francisco Bay Area more than 16 years after he fled following his conviction for sexually assaulting a coworker in Massachusetts, authorities said this week. Tuen Kit Lee was found guilty at a 2007 trial...
Police Dismantle Pro-Palestinian Camp at Wayne State University in Detroit
DETROIT — Police broke up a pro-Palestinian encampment Thursday at Wayne State University in Detroit and arrested at least eight people after organizers turned down offers to meet with school officials and refused to leave. President Kimberly Andrews Espy cited health and safety concerns and disruptions to campus operations. Staff...