SANTA CLARA — The San Francisco 49ers made the kind of decision that could set a franchise back for years when they traded three first-round picks to draft Trey Lance third overall in 2021. The big investment in a potential franchise quarterback turned into a dud with Lance making just...
Fani Willis Acknowledges a ‘Personal Relationship’ With Prosecutor She Hired in Trump’s Georgia Case
ATLANTA — Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis acknowledged in a court filing on Friday having a “personal relationship” with a special prosecutor she hired for the Georgia election interference case against former President Donald Trump but argued there are no grounds to dismiss the case or to remove her...
Federal Judge in DC Postpones Trump’s March Trial on Charges of Plotting to Overturn 2020 Election
WASHINGTON — A federal judge in Washington formally postponed Donald Trump's March trial on charges of plotting to overturn the 2020 election as a key legal appeal from the former president remains unresolved in the courts. U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan on Friday vacated the March 4 trial date in...
Carl Weathers, NFL Linebacker-Turned-Actor, Dies at 76. He Starred in ‘Rocky’ and ‘The Mandalorian.’
NEW YORK — Carl Weathers, a former NFL linebacker who became a Hollywood action movie and comedy star, playing nemesis-turned-ally Apollo Creed in the “Rocky” movies, facing off against Arnold Schwarzenegger in “Predator” and teaching golf in “Happy Gilmore,” has died. He was 76. Matt Luber, his manager, said Weathers died...
US Begins Strikes on Militias in Iraq, Syria, Retaliating for Fatal Drone Attack, Officials Tell AP
WASHINGTON — The U.S. military launched an air assault on dozens of sites in Iraq and Syria used by Iranian-backed militias and the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Quds force Friday, in the opening salvo of retaliation for the drone strike that killed three U.S. troops in Jordan last weekend, officials told...
Hamas is Expected to Respond Soon to a Proposal That Includes Hostage Releases
A senior Hamas official said Friday the group will respond “very soon” to a proposal that includes extended pauses in Gaza fighting and phased exchanges of Hamas-held hostages for Palestinians imprisoned in Israel. Hamas and other militants in Gaza are holding dozens of hostages, after having abducted about 250 during...
US Bolsters Defenses Around Jordan Base as It Readies Strikes in Response to Drone Attack
WASHINGTON — The U.S. has bolstered defenses at a base in Jordan that was attacked by Iran-backed militants as it prepares for a wider U.S. response to the drone attack that killed three service members, a U.S. official said Friday. Even as a larger U.S. military response seemed imminent, some...
Exxon Overcomes Hefty Charge and Falling Crude Prices to Top Profit Expectations
Exxon Mobil's fourth-quarter revenue and profits declined along with the price of oil, and the energy giant was weighed down by a hefty impairment charge tied to regulatory issues in California. Still, it posted a healthy adjusted profit and the company raised its quarterly dividend. Shares rose 2% before the...
Big Automakers May Be Using Chinese Aluminum Produced With Uyghur Forced Labor: Rights Group
TAIPEI, Taiwan — Automakers including Tesla, General Motors, Volkswagen, and Toyota are failing to ensure they are not using forced labor as part of their China supply chains, a report released Thursday by Human Rights Watch says. The U.S.-based nonprofit linked some of the world’s largest car manufacturers to aluminum...
Oregon High Court Says 10 GOP State Senators Who Staged Long Walkout Can’t Run for Reelection
SALEM, Ore. — The Oregon Supreme Court said Thursday that 10 Republican state senators who staged a record-long walkout last year to stall bills on abortion, transgender health care and gun rights cannot run for reelection. The decision upholds the secretary of state’s decision to disqualify the senators from the...