Just weeks after a dramatic purge of China's top general, the CIA is moving to capitalize on any resulting discord with a new public video targeting potential informants in the Chinese military. The U.S. spy agency on Thursday rolled out the video depicting a disillusioned mid-level Chinese military officer, in...
Trump Administration Erases the Government’s Power to Fight Climate Change
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump on Thursday announced he was erasing the scientific finding that climate change endangers human health and the environment, ending the federal government’s legal authority to control the pollution that is dangerously heating the planet. Undoing a Pillar of Climate Policy The action is a key...
Trump Says Netanyahu Should Be Pardoned for Corruption
President Donald Trump said on Thursday Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu should receive a pardon for corruption charges, saying Israeli President Isaac Herzog should be "ashamed of himself" for not granting one. Here are the details: Trump said Netanyahu has been a great wartime prime minister and that the Israeli...
Judge Temporarily Blocks Hegseth from Punishing Kelly for Video
WASHINGTON — A federal judge Thursday temporarily blocked Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth from punishing Sen. Mark Kelly, D-Ariz., for participating in a video that warned active-duty service members not to follow illegal orders. Judge Richard J. Leon of the District Court for the District of Columbia wrote in a 29-page...
Fresno County Doesn’t Have a Hotel Tax. That Could Change
To make up revenue gaps, Fresno County Supervisors on Tuesday directed staff to create an ordinance and tourist tax to go before voters in November. Called a transient occupancy tax, the fee applies to all hotels, campgrounds, RV sites, and short-term rentals in the unincorporated parts of the county. Fresno...
Homeland Security Shutdown Draws Nearer as Democrats Block Funding
WASHINGTON — Senate Democrats blocked a spending bill Thursday that would have funded the Department of Homeland Security past a Friday night shutdown deadline without adding any new restrictions on immigration enforcement, an expected outcome after bipartisan talks on limiting President Donald Trump’s crackdown deadlocked. With the funding deadline less...
Mercedes-Benz to Recall 11,895 Vehicles in the US Over Fire Hazard, NHTSA Says
Mercedes-Benz is recalling 11,895 vehicles in the U.S. over high-voltage batteries that can fail internally and pose a fire risk while parked or driving, the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said on Thursday. Vehicle owners are being told to park outside, limit charging and seek a free battery replacement,...
Wall Street Sinks as Tech Rout Deepens on AI Angst
Wall Street's main indexes reversed sharply on Thursday as investors intensified their selloff of technology shares and fled transport stocks amid worries about artificial intelligence disruption, while they digested the latest labor market data and awaited a key inflation report. After starting the day higher, equity indexes turned negative in...
Trump Revokes Basis of US Climate Regulation, Ends Vehicle Emission Standards
WASHINGTON, Feb 12 - The administration of President Donald Trump on Thursday announced the repeal of a scientific finding that greenhouse gas emissions endanger human health, removing the legal basis for federal climate regulations. Ending the Legal Basis for Climate Rules It also ended subsequent federal greenhouse gas emission standards...
‘In God We Trust’ Must Be Paired With Dignity, Respect, and Humanity
At the end of January, I eclipsed into a new decade, my 30s. Reflection is a common activity when hitting major life milestones. One of the things that I think about (in addition to the grey hairs I see in the mirror) is whether we are regressing as a people...