SYDNEY — Australia vowed stricter gun laws on Monday as it began mourning victims of its worst mass shooting in almost 30 years, in which police accused a father and son of killing 15 people at a Jewish celebration at Sydney's famed Bondi Beach. The older gunman, aged 50, was...
Hollywood Director Rob Reiner and His Wife Are Found Dead
Rob Reiner, the son of a pioneering television comedian who became a popular sitcom actor himself before directing a slate of beloved films, including “This Is Spinal Tap,” “When Harry Met Sally …” and “The Princess Bride,” died Sunday. He was 78. His death, along with that of his wife,...
Hamas Says Israel’s Killing of Senior Commander Threatens Ceasefire
CAIRO/GAZA CITY — Israel's assassination of a senior Hamas commander threatens the viability of the Gaza ceasefire, the chief negotiator of the militant group said on Sunday, calling on President Donald Trump to demand Israel comply with the terms of the truce. Thousands of Hamas supporters rallied in central Gaza...
What We Know About the Deadly Shooting at Brown University
Update: 10 p.m., Sunday, Dec. 14, 2025: The man held as a "person of interest" in the Brown University shooting that left two students dead and nine injured will be released from custody, authorities said on Sunday night. Providence Police Chief Oscar Perez said earlier at a midday news conference...
Hate High Prices? Don’t Blame the President, Say Trump Voters
When Ron Dailey goes out to eat, he is shocked by prices on the menu. “Breakfast is $20 no matter how you slice it,” said Dailey, 63, who voted for President Donald Trump in November 2024. Dailey, a Denver-area resident who works for a human resources outsourcing solutions firm, thinks...
Proposed Pumping Allocations by Kings County Groundwater Agencies Stir Complaints
Incompatible pumping allocations being considered by two groundwater agencies in north Kings County have prompted a blizzard of responses, and even some accusations, from farmers and multiple entities. The South Fork Kings Groundwater Sustainability Agency and Mid-Kings River GSA each had draft pumping allocation policies out for public comment. The...
America’s Doctors Are Rich, Miserable, and Sick of Paperwork
Look around a physicians’ car park in Dallas, Texas, and the rewards from years slogging away in training are evident. “It looks like a German-car dealership,” says Scott Yates, a doctor, from behind the wheel of his BMW. He reels off all the luxury-car brands he can see. Yet he...
With Fed independence in Crosshairs, Will Supreme Court Back Trump Again?
WASHINGTON — The U.S. Supreme Court's conservative justices appear ready to endorse President Donald Trump's power to fire a regulatory agency official despite job protections given by Congress. But they have signaled reluctance to give him similar authority over the Federal Reserve in a major case set to be argued...
Second Hmong Council Member Appointed in Merced. Where Does He Stand on District 2 Issues?
The Merced City Council appointed Yang Pao Thao to the District 2 council seat left vacant by Ronnie De Anda’s resignation in October. The appointment of a qualified southwest Merced representative on Dec. 2 follows the council’s decision to move forward without a special district election. In a 5-1 vote, council members...
House Republicans Release Health Plan That Would Allow Subsidies to End
WASHINGTON — House Republicans plan to hold votes next week on a narrow health care bill that would allow expanded Affordable Care Act subsidies to expire as scheduled at the end of the month while making several changes aimed at holding down costs. They released the measure late Friday afternoon,...