HELENA, Mont. — While record snowfall and single-digit temperatures pummel much of the United States, an extreme snow drought and unusually warm weather are keeping skiers off the mountains, snowmobilers off the trails and water out of the rivers across much of the West. In many places famed for deep...
US Senators Unveil Bill to Prevent Scam Ads on Social Media Platforms
U.S. Senators Ruben Gallego and Bernie Moreno have introduced anti-scam legislation requiring social media platforms to vet their advertisers. The bipartisan bill, called the Safeguarding Consumers from Advertising Misconduct Act, or the SCAM Act, would require social media platforms to take “reasonable steps” to combat fraudulent advertising or face legal...
US Pushes to Widen Talks With Iran Beyond Nuclear Issue
Meaningful talks between the United States and Iran will have to include Tehran's missile arsenal and other issues, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Wednesday, as Tehran said it would only discuss its nuclear program, not its missiles. Talks between the countries amid fears of a military confrontation...
Congress Targets Housing Crisis as Solutions Elude Trump
President Donald Trump has struggled to address the housing crisis. But Congress has been moving forward with legislation that, if signed into law, could bring the most significant changes to federal housing laws in a generation, potentially igniting a building boom. In October, the Senate approved a package of bills...
Ukraine, Russia Wrap First Day of US-Brokered Peace Talks in Abu Dhabi
Ukrainian and Russian negotiators wrapped up the first day of new U.S.-brokered talks in Abu Dhabi on Wednesday, seeking to advance efforts to end Europe's biggest conflict since World War Two as fighting raged on. The two-day trilateral meetings come after Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said Russia had exploited a...
Valley Crime Stoppers’ Most Wanted Person of the Day: Jessica Lynn Harris
February 4, 2026 Most Wanted Person of the Day Suspect Name: Jessica Lynn Harris Suspects Date of Birth: March 3, 1980 Physical Description: White Female, 5’ 5, 123 lbs., Brown Hair, Blue Eyes. Charges: Grand theft Warrant Number: F23906513 Synopsis of the Case: Jessica Lynn Harris is wanted on a...
Driver Walks Away Unharmed After Solo Crash East of Porterville
California Highway Patrol officers responded Tuesday to a solo-vehicle crash on Pleasant Oak Drive near Highway 190, authorities said. The driver was able to walk away unharmed, according to CHP Porterville. No other details were released. Officers reminded motorists to obey traffic laws, avoid distractions, and drive safely. — Connect...
Will Gavin Newsom Be the Democrats’ Next Mistake?
Gavin Newsom has a memoir coming out this month, “Young Man in a Hurry” — another heavy hint that he intends to run for the Democratic Party’s presidential nomination. To judge by some of the more fawning media profiles (Vogue describes him as “lithe, ardent, energetic, a glimmer of optimism...
Trump to ‘Draw Down’ 700 Immigration Agents in Minnesota
President Donald Trump's administration will reduce the number of federal immigration enforcement agents in Minnesota by 700, although about 2,000 agents will remain on the ground, White House border czar Tom Homan announced on Wednesday. Trump has deployed thousands of armed immigration enforcement agents in and around Minneapolis this year...
Israeli Strikes Kill 23 in Gaza, Health Officials Say
Israeli tank shelling and airstrikes killed 23 Palestinians including seven children in Gaza on Wednesday, health officials said, the latest violence to undermine a truce in the enclave. Among the dead was a medic who rushed to help victims of a strike in the southern city of Khan Younis and...