Republican Sen. Mitch McConnell is announcing on Thursday that he won’t seek reelection next year, ending a decadeslong tenure as a power broker who championed conservative causes but ultimately ceded ground to the fierce GOP populism of President Donald Trump. McConnell, the longest-serving Senate party leader in U.S. history, chose...
EU Official Meets With Trump Counterparts to Resolve Tariff Threats
WASHINGTON — Hoping to head off a potential trade conflict, a top European Union official stressed the importance of active engagement and fairness in trade during a four-hour meeting with Trump administration officials. “The top objective as it was presented to us yesterday by our American partners is reciprocity,” Maroš...
White House Will Celebrate Black History Month, Some Government Agencies Skip
WASHINGTON — The Trump administration will celebrate Black History Month at the White House on Thursday, preserving a tradition at the same time that President Donald Trump's executive order ending the federal government's diversity, equity and inclusion programs has disrupted its observance elsewhere. Executive Order Creates Agency Confusion The ceremony...
Zelenskyy-Trump Tensions Spike as Press Event Cancelled
KYIV, Ukraine — A planned news conference after talks between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and U.S. President Donald Trump's Ukraine envoy was canceled Thursday as political tensions deepened between the two countries over how to end the almost three-year war with Russia. The format of the press event, which was...
Stock Market Today: Wall Street Retreats From Its Record as Walmart Slides
NEW YORK — Wall Street is retreating from its record as a slide for Walmart weighs on U.S. stock indexes Thursday. The S&P 500 was down 0.6% in morning trading after setting all-time highs in each of the last two days. The Dow Jones Industrial Average was down 439 points,...
Fresno Police to Conduct Weekend DUI Checkpoint
The Fresno Police Department will conduct a DUI checkpoint on Feb. 22 from 9 p.m. to 4 a.m. at an undisclosed location, they said in a statement. Checkpoint locations are determined based on data highlighting areas with high rates of impaired driving crashes. The department said the primary goal is...
‘A Step Backwards’: How Federal Threats to DEI Impact CA Schools
A letter to U.S. schools from Craig Trainor, acting assistant secretary for civil rights at the federal Department of Education, in Washington, D.C., has schools nationwide trying to figure out what to do about their diversity programs. Tough decisions lie ahead for schools across California as the federal government cracks...
Watch Out for Nibbles. He’ll Put His Mark on Your Heart!
If you feel a whispery nibble on your fingertips or bare toes, it’s just sweet 10-month-old Nibbles expressing his affection! He’s also very fond of all things catnip and of hanging out in high places to survey the activities below! With those big, beautiful eyes, this tabby man sweetheart doesn’t...
Struggling Forever 21 Plans to Close 200 Stores in Possible 2nd Bankruptcy
The struggling clothing retailer Forever 21 appears even closer to a second bankruptcy reports Bloomberg News, with plans to close 200 locations. News broke Tuesday that the Forever 21 location at Fashion Fair Mall would be among those closing. The U.S.-based licensee of Forever 21 has been looking for a...
2 People Are Dead in a Small Plane Collision at a Southern Arizona Airport
A midair collision involving two small planes in southern Arizona killed two people Wednesday morning, authorities said. Federal air-safety investigators said each plane had two people aboard when they collided at Marana Regional Airport on the outskirts of Tucson. One plane landed uneventfully and the other hit the ground near...