WASHINGTON — Last week, President Donald Trump celebrated his grip over the Republican Party. “Look at what happened last night,” Trump boasted at a Cabinet meeting on Wednesday, after yet another MAGA-aligned candidate he had endorsed walloped an establishment Republican, this time in the Texas primary. “That was the prelude...
Iran Halting Indirect Talks With US Over Israel’s Lebanon Incursion, Tasnim Says
Iran is halting indirect negotiations with the U.S. after Israel ordered troops to push deeper into Lebanon to battle Tehran-backed Hezbollah, the Iranian news agency Tasnim said on Monday, complicating diplomatic efforts to end three months of war. Tasnim said the Islamic Republic's negotiating team was stopping exchanging messages with...
US Construction Spending Beats Expectations in April
U.S. construction spending increased more than expected in April, boosted by single-family homebuilding, though rising mortgage rates amid the war with Iran continued to cast a shadow over the housing market. The Commerce Department's Census Bureau said on Monday that construction spending rose 0.4% after a downwardly revised 0.2% increase...
Visalia Police Arrest Driver Found Unconscious Behind Wheel on DUI, Weapons Charges
A 53-year-old man was arrested early Monday on suspicion of driving under the influence and weapons-related charges after officers found him unconscious behind the wheel of a vehicle stopped in a Visalia roadway, police said. At about 4:09 a.m., Visalia police officers were handling an unrelated call for service near...
Driver Clocked at 84 MPH in 65 Zone Had Never Been Licensed, Modesto CHP Says
California Highway Patrol officers in Modesto stopped a driver traveling 84 mph in a 65 mph zone and discovered the driver had never been licensed, authorities said Sunday. The traffic stop led to the vehicle being impounded, according to a CHP-Modesto social media post. Officials did not release the driver's...
Why Peter Thiel Is Decamping to the End of the World
BUENOS AIRES, Argentina — The Saturday tournament at the Buenos Aires chess club hosted its usual lineup of players, including an accountant, a college student and schoolchildren. But this time, hunched over the club’s tiny wooden tables with them, was a new entrant: Peter Thiel, a right-wing tech billionaire and...
Russian-Appointed Official Says Child Killed, 11 Injured in Drone Attack
A Russian-appointed official said a Ukrainian drone struck an apartment building in a Russian-held part of southern Kherson region, killing a child and injuring 11 people. Vladimir Saldo, Russian-appointed governor of Russian-held parts of Kherson region, wrote on Telegram the strike occurred in the city of Henichesk, on the shore...
He Was Satirized on British TV. Now He’s Trump’s Pick to Lead California.
This year, the candidates for California governor were asked at a forum what they were watching on television. Steve Hilton, the Republican who is President Donald Trump’s pick for the job, brought up a British political satire called “The Thick of It.” “It’s from the producers of ‘Veep,’” he told...
Israeli Strike Kills at Least Two at Gaza Seaport Cafe, Medics Say
An Israeli airstrike killed at least two Palestinians and wounded 12 on Sunday at a Gaza cafe that was packed with people celebrating public holidays, health officials said. There was no immediate Israeli comment. An October ceasefire, brokered by U.S. President Donald Trump, has failed to halt Israeli attacks in...
Eleven Confirmed Dead in Washington State Chemical Accident, All Bodies Recovered
The death toll from a chemical tank rupture in the U.S. state of Washington climbed to 11 as crews recovered the bodies of all nine missing people, authorities said on Saturday. Two fatalities had been confirmed after the tank containing "white liquor" - a chemical solution of sodium hydroxide and...