WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump has determined the United States is engaged in "a non-international armed conflict" with drug cartels, according to a document notifying Congress of its legal justification for deadly U.S. strikes on boats off Venezuela. The text of the document, which was reviewed by Reuters on Thursday,...
Gallup: Americans’ Trust in News Media Sinks to Record Low
Americans’ confidence in the news media has fallen to a new low, according to a new Gallup poll. Just 28% saying they have a “great deal” or “fair amount” of trust in television, newspapers, and radio to report the news fully, fairly, and accurately. That figure is down from 31%...
New Hard Rock Casino Opening in California’s Tejon Pass Near Bakersfield
A new $600 million casino is opening this fall just south of Bakersfield that will provide entertainment for both sides of the Grapevine. The Hard Rock Casino will open Nov. 13 with a 150,000-square-foot gaming floor and more than 2,000 slot machines, according to a news release. About 15 miles...
Clovis Unified Boasts Increased Enrollment, High Test Scores, and New $600 Million Campus
Clovis Unified School District used its annual State of the District breakfast Thursday morning to tout increased enrollment, high graduation rates, and expanding programs. The setting spoke volumes about the district's trajectory: the $600 million Terry P. Bradley Education Center that has received extensive media attention throughout California. The state's...
Israeli Forces Intercept Aid Flotilla, Sparking Global Protests
Israel faced international condemnation and protests on Thursday after its forces intercepted around 40 boats carrying aid and more than 400 foreign activists, including Swedish campaigner Greta Thunberg, to Gaza. Cameras broadcasting live feeds from the boats, verified by Reuters, showed armed Israeli soldiers in helmets and night vision goggles...
US FDA Approves Another Generic Version of Abortion Pill
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved Evita Solution's generic version of the abortion drug, mifepristone, the regulator said. The drug is manufactured by the privately held company that describes its mission as being to "normalize abortion" and make it "accessible to all," the FDA said in a letter...
Democrats Pull Away From AIPAC, Reflecting a Broader Shift
WASHINGTON — For 17 years, Rep. Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., the minority leader, has been taking polite meetings with J Street, a center-left lobbying group that promotes a two-state solution in the Middle East. But in all those years of relationship building, Jeffries never sought the group’s endorsement. He was more...
US Sends $230 Million to Lebanon as It Moves to Disarm Hezbollah, Sources Say
WASHINGTON/BEIRUT — President Donald Trump's administration approved $230 million for Lebanon's security forces this week as they push to disarm the once powerful armed group Hezbollah, sources in Washington and Beirut said. A Lebanese source familiar with the decision said the funding included $190 million for the Lebanese Armed Forces...
Rams’ 4 Biggest Causes for Concern vs. 49ers on Thursday Night
The Los Angeles Rams are heavier favorites tonight against the San Francisco 49ers than they've been in any game this season. That seems hard to believe considering their division rivals are 3-1 and always seem to give them trouble, but San Francisco is missing a number of key starters and...
California Businesses, Lawmakers Turn Up Heat Over Workplace Temperatures
This commentary was originally published by CalMatters. Sign up for their newsletters. In political jargon, “heat” means pressure on politicians to do something they may be reluctant, for whatever reason, to do. But heat itself — high temperatures, sometimes in triple digits, that afflict inland California each summer — is...