West Nile virus, a disease that is typically transmitted to people by mosquitos that have fed on blood from infected birds, has so far killed four California residents in 2025, including three in the San Joaquin Valley. In the Valley, West Nile deaths have been confirmed in Tulare, Fresno and...
Israel Deports Greta Thunberg and 170 Other Activists to Greece and Slovakia
Israel said it deported on Monday campaigner Greta Thunberg and another 170 activists from an international flotilla it prevented last week from delivering aid to Gaza, sending them to Greece and Slovakia. Earlier, Swiss and Spanish activists from the flotilla said they were subjected to inhumane conditions during their detention...
Is It Time for California to Bolt From Trump’s Autocratic America?
I will sing this vict'ry song 'Cause I'm already gone — The Eagles Divorce has a legal concept called “constructive abandonment.” When a spouse fails to perform the responsibilities of marriage—provides no emotional support, makes no financial contributions, refuses to have sexual relations—the spouse has abandoned the marriage. Californians, even...
Pope Leo Trims Powers of Vatican Bank, Rolling Back a Francis Reform
VATICAN CITY — Pope Leo cancelled the Vatican bank's sole authority over investments held by the city-state on Monday, rolling back one of the financial reforms of his predecessor Francis. In a short decree, Leo said the Vatican bank, known officially as Institute for the Works of Religion, would no...
CHP Seizes $900,000 in Cocaine During Traffic Stop in Merced County
A routine traffic stop on Highway 99 led to a major narcotics seizure on Saturday night. Just after 9:30 p.m., a California Highway Patrol officer stopped a vehicle north of Applegate Road. During the stop, the officer requested assistance from a Central Division K9 team. A search of the vehicle...
US Supreme Court Girds for Culture Wars With LGBT, Guns and Race Cases
WASHINGTON — The U.S. Supreme Court is set to wade back into the nation's culture wars during its new nine-month term that begins on Monday with a series of contentious cases on issues including transgender athletes, gay conversion therapy, guns and race. The first of these goes before the court...
WHO Estimates at Least 15 Million Teenagers Use E-Cigarettes Worldwide
At least 15 million people aged 13 to 15 use e-cigarettes globally, with young people on average nine times more likely to vape than adults in countries with data, the World Health Organization said on Monday. In its first global estimate of e-cigarette use, the WHO said more than 100 million...
Paramount Buys The Free Press, Ushering in a New Era at CBS News
Paramount said Monday that it was buying The Free Press, a digital news site founded as an alternative to traditional news organizations, and appointing its co-founder, Bari Weiss, as the editor-in-chief of CBS News. The purchase price was roughly $150 million in cash and Paramount stock, according to two people...
Gaza Peace Talks Are Set to Take Place in Egypt
Under pressure to end the war in the Gaza Strip after two brutal years of combat, negotiators for Israel and Hamas will meet Monday with mediators in Egypt to discuss a sweeping peace plan presented by President Donald Trump last week. Much still remains unresolved. The indirect talks between Israel...
Bitcoin Hovers Near All-Time High
NEW YORK — Bitcoin hovered near its record high on Monday as the world's largest cryptocurrency by market value continued to benefit from strong demand from investors. The rally in bitcoin since the start of the year has been underpinned by flows from institutional investors, friendlier policies of the administration...