This story was originally published by CalMatters. Sign up for their newsletters. On an early August morning, it didn’t take long to spot the first pair of huge white swans with orange and black bills and graceful, curving necks as they swam in the marsh along the side of a...
Outside Lands 2025: Where Music, Love, and Community Collide
By the time I hit the festival gates, the fog had already swallowed Golden Gate Park, bass thumping through the mist like a heartbeat. The air was sharp and salty from the ocean, laced with the smell of garlic fries and sweet treats. This wasn’t just another weekend — it...
Man Charged With Throwing Sandwich at US Agent Was Justice Dept Staffer
WASHINGTON — A man facing a felony assault charge for throwing a sandwich at a federal agent during President Donald Trump's crackdown on crime in Washington, D.C. worked at the U.S. Justice Department, Attorney General Pam Bondi said on Thursday. Sean Dunn, 37, assisted lawyers on international cases in the...
Fresno County Fire Burns 31 Acres at Lost Lake Recreation Area
Firefighters contained a blaze that burned 31 acres Tuesday at Lost Lake Recreation Area after a vehicle fire spread to nearby grass, CalFire reported. CalFire said crews arrived to find about 2 acres burning with a moderate rate of spread and potential to reach 50 acres. No structures were threatened,...
Costco to Stop Selling Abortion Pill Mifepristone at Its US Pharmacy Stores
Costco Wholesale said on Thursday it will stop selling abortion pill mifepristone across all its U.S. pharmacy stores, citing low demand. "Our position at this time not to sell mifepristone, which has not changed, is based on the lack of demand from our members and other patients, who we understand...
Mossad Chief Meets Qatari PM in Renewed Push for Gaza Ceasefire, Hostage Deal
Israel’s Mossad chief David Barnea met Thursday in Qatar with Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdul Rahman al-Thani for the highest-level talks since Gaza ceasefire negotiations collapsed three weeks ago, Axios reported. The meeting comes amid renewed efforts by the United States, Qatar, Egypt and Turkey to secure a comprehensive deal...
Why Young Americans Dread Turning 26: Health Insurance Chaos
Amid the challenges of adulthood, there is one rite of passage unique to the United States: the need to find your own health insurance by the time you turn 26. That is the age at which the Affordable Care Act declares that young adults generally have to get off their...
Valley Crime Stoppers’ Most Wanted Person of the Day: David Raymond Garcia
August 14, 2025 Most Wanted Person of the Day Suspect Name: David Raymond Garcia Suspects Date of Birth: November 10, 1986 Physical Description: Hispanic Male, 5’ 8, 150 lbs., Brown Hair, Hazel Eyes. Charges: Carjacking Warrant Number: F25905599 Synopsis of the Case: David Raymond Garcia is wanted on a felony...
Trump’s Debanking Order Could Create Headaches for Banks, Sources Say
President Donald Trump's executive order requiring banks not to discriminate against clients on political or religious grounds could create uncertainty and administrative headaches for the industry, sources said. Trump signed an executive order on Thursday directing the Treasury Department and bank regulators to ensure lenders do not have policies in...
California Was a Model for Transparency. Now the Capitol Operates in the Dark
This commentary was originally published by CalMatters. Sign up for their newsletters. California was once a national leader in requiring public officials to conduct their business — really our business — in public. Beginning with the Ralph M. Brown Act of 1953, which imposed strict limits on secret meetings by...