Wall Street's main indexes were mixed on Monday as investors treaded cautiously ahead of a widely expected Federal Reserve rate cut later this week in a meeting that is shaping up to be one of the most divisive in years. Delayed data last week showed that consumer spending increased moderately...
Paramount Makes $108.4 Billion Hostile Bid for Warner Bros Discovery
Paramount Skydance on Monday launched a hostile bid worth $108.4 billion for Warner Bros Discovery, in a last-ditch effort to outbid Netflix and create a media powerhouse that would challenge the dominance of the streaming giant. Netflix had emerged victorious on Friday from a weeks-long bidding war with Paramount and...
Supreme Court Hears Fight Over Trump’s Power To Fire FTC Member
The U.S. Supreme Court heard arguments on Monday concerning the legality of Donald Trump's firing of a Federal Trade Commission member in a major test of presidential power, with a Justice Department lawyer asking the justices to overrule a 90-year-old legal precedent. The Justice Department has appealed a lower court's...
Powerful 7.6-Magnitude Earthquake Strikes Japan’s Northeast Region
A powerful magnitude 7.6 earthquake shook Japan's northeast region late on Monday, prompting tsunami warnings and orders for residents to evacuate. A tsunami as high as three meters (10 feet) could hit Japan's northeastern coast after an earthquake with an estimated magnitude of 7.6 occurred offshore at 11:15 p.m. (1415...
California Discourages Wild Mushroom Foraging After Fatal Outbreak
California health officials on Friday warned against foraging for wild mushrooms after a poison found in certain varieties killed one person and caused liver damage to others. The California Poison Control System identified 21 cases of poisoning, including the death of one adult, from a potent toxin known as amatoxin...
US Envoy Says Ukraine Peace Deal Close, but Moscow Wants Radical Changes
MOSCOW — President Donald Trump's outgoing Ukraine envoy said a deal to end the Ukraine war was "really close" and depended on resolving just two major issues but the Kremlin said there had to be radical changes to some of the U.S. proposals. Trump, who says he wants to be...
A Century of Trekking Toward Hope at Our Nation’s Christmas Tree
This December, our community will mark a milestone few traditions in America can claim: the 100th Annual Trek to the Nation’s Christmas Tree. On Saturday, Dec. 14, families, veterans, church groups, and visitors from around the world will once again gather at the base of the Gen. Grant Tree in...
Merced County Tomato Plant Harvests 120K Gallons of Drinking Water Daily
Technology capable of extracting evaporation from tomato pulp is producing 120,000 gallons a day of “new water” clean enough to drink in Los Banos in Merced County. The “water harvesting” unit was developed by Australian company Botanical Water Technologies, which moved to the United States around five years ago. The...
Merced Approves Site for $14M Fire Station. Here’s Where and Why It’s Needed
The Merced City Council this week unanimously approved a location for a new fire station in the Bellevue Ranch area – a sixth firehouse to help accommodate the city’s burgeoning growth. Fire Station No. 56 at M Street and M Circle, just south of East Bellevue Road, will house additional engines and a new...
Gaza Talks at Critical Moment, Ceasefire Not Complete, Qatar’s Prime Minister Says
Negotiations on consolidating the U.S.-backed truce in the war in Gaza are at a "critical" moment, Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani said on Saturday. Mediators are working to force the next phase of the ceasefire forward, al-Thani, whose country has been a key mediator in the war,...