NEW YORK — Zohran Mamdani, the 34-year-old mayor of New York City, fueled his rise with a simple message about affordability and the moral imperative of properly taxing the rich. But Tuesday, Mamdani sent out a conflicting message, floating a property tax increase that would affect middle-class New Yorkers and...
A College President With Ties to Epstein Is Also Seen as a Campus Savior
In 1975, Bard College, a quirky liberal arts school awash in debt and with an endowment of about $100,000, faced extinction. Trustees, seeking an energetic new leader, turned to an odd choice to helm a struggling college: Leon Botstein, a 28-year-old musician and academic. They told him to “build something...
Tulare County Man Gets Life for Child Molestation
A 70-year-old Orosi man was sentenced to life in prison Tuesday for molesting eight girls under the age of 14 over a three-year period, the Tulare County District Attorney's Office said on Thursday. Manuel Huitron was sentenced in Department 4 of the Tulare County Superior Court, Visalia Division, following his...
Trump Says US Will Give UN Money to Make It Stronger, More Viable
WASHINGTON, Feb 19 - The United States will give the United Nations money to strengthen it and help make it viable, President Donald Trump told the opening meeting of his Board of Peace on Thursday. The U.S. is the biggest contributor to the U.N. budget, but under the Trump administration...
CHP Warns of Hazardous Driving on Highway 168 Near Shaver Lake
The California Highway Patrol is warning drivers of hazardous conditions on a stretch of Highway 168 near Shaver Lake. CHP officials said that the six-mile segment between the top of the four-lane and Shaver Lake is experiencing heavy snow and gusty winds, which can reduce visibility to near-whiteout levels. Drivers...
With Witkoff and Kushner, Trump Bets on Diplomacy Without Diplomats
BERLIN — Over the past year, the Trump administration has engaged in unconventional diplomacy, gunboat diplomacy and, in the most sensitive crises, diplomacy without diplomats. On Tuesday, the administration tried all three tactics at once. In Geneva, President Donald Trump’s most trusted envoys — his real estate friend Steve Witkoff...
Madera County Storms Knock Out Power to Mountain Communities
The Madera County Sheriff’s Office of Emergency Services says power outages are affecting several mountain communities following recent storms. Neighborhoods impacted include Sugar Pine, Central Camp, Pine Ridge Road, and Rock Point Road. The county’s Emergency Operations Center has been active since the storm began, coordinating response efforts and monitoring...
Netflix Has Ample Room to Increase Its Offer in Battle for Warner Bros, Sources Say
Netflix has ample cash and could increase its offer for HBO Max owner Warner Bros Discovery if rival bidder Paramount Skydance ups its own offer, two people with knowledge of the matter said. The two media giants have been locked in a heated rivalry over Warner Bros and its storied...
Epstein Tried to Build Web of Powerful Ties Across Middle East, Documents Show
The departure of the chief executive of Dubai port giant DP World is the biggest fallout in the Middle East from U.S. Department of Justice documents which show that disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein tried to build a powerful network of political figures and business leaders across the region. DP World announced on...
Tree Blocks Road, Cuts Phone Lines in Merced County
A tree has fallen, blocking both lanes of El Capitan Way at Pepper Street in Merced County, the California Highway Patrol said Thursday. Phone and communication lines in the area are also down. Authorities urged drivers to avoid the area and use alternate routes while crews respond. Updates are available...