While San Francisco was buzzing with Super Bowl pop-ups, despite being nearly an hour away from the actual game, Oakland was doing what Oakland does best: throwing its own kind of party. The Oakland Family Style Food Festival took place on Saturday and it gave me more than just a...
Jury Finds Man Not Guilty By Reason of Insanity in Father’s Murder
DUBLIN — A court in Ireland found Henry McGowan of New York not guilty by reason of insanity Thursday for the death of his father at a luxury hotel in November 2024. The so-called special verdict, reached by a jury of six men and six women, came swiftly, after just...
Trump Directs Energy Department to Issue Funds to Keep Coal Plants Online
WASHINGTON, Feb 11 - President Donald Trump on Wednesday ordered the Defense Department to purchase electricity from coal-fired power plants in his latest effort to boost the coal sector. The move, which was announced at the White House as an executive order, calls for the Pentagon to form purchase agreements...
Push for Body Cameras for DHS Underscores Trump Administration’s Shift
As the aggressive tactics of federal officers advancing President Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown have come under scrutiny, the use of body cameras has emerged as a rare point of bipartisan agreement in negotiations over a spending bill to keep the Department of Homeland Security running. Democrats in Congress have said...
Fugitive, Fraud: Who Is Jia Bei Zhu? Reedley Biolab Head Once Wanted to ‘Defeat American Aggressor’
Police records obtained by GV Wire paint a clearer picture of jailed Reedley lab operator Jia Bei Zhu, his criminal past in Canada, connections to China, and contact with the property manager of his Las Vegas home raided in January for being another possible illegal biological threat. In April, Zhu's...
Wall Street Regulator to Restore Some Jobs after Cuts, Chair Says
WASHINGTON, Feb 12 - Wall Street's top regulator is working to restore some of its workforce following last year's deep cuts at the behest of the White House, the agency's chief told Congress on Thursday. "We have gaps in different divisions, so we will fill that," Paul Atkins, chair of...
Bans on Many CBD Products Loom This Year
Millions of Americans who rely on the cannabis compound CBD to ease arthritis, anxiety, sleep problems or plain old boredom could soon be in for a shock. By November, many CBD creams, tinctures, gummies and beverages are to be swept from shelves nationwide, under a provision of the legislation that...
Six More Children Reunited With Russian, Ukrainian Families, US and Russia Say
Six more Russian and Ukrainian children are being reunited with their families, Washington and Moscow said on Thursday, crediting efforts by U.S. first lady Melania Trump. One child would return to Russia and five children would be reunited with their families in Ukraine, Russia's presidential commissioner for children's rights, Maria...
Dollar under Pressure as Traders Weigh Economic Data; Yen Set for Strong Weekly Finish
NEW YORK, Feb 12 - The U.S. dollar edged lower against major currencies on Thursday as traders assessed a stream of economic indicators for their monetary policy implications while the Japanese yen continued its march towards one of its strongest weekly finishes in a year. U.S. Labor Department data on...
Oil Prices Tumble Below $1 as IEA Cuts Demand Forecast
Oil prices tumbled below $1 a barrel on Thursday investors gave more weight to the International Energy Agency lowering of its global oil demand forecast for 2026 against the receding risk of U.S. attacks on Iran. Brent crude oil futures were down $1.26, or 1.82%, at $68.14 a barrel by...