U.S. average retail diesel prices crossed $5 a gallon for only the second time ever on Monday as the war in the Middle East squeezes supplies of the industrial fuel, according to fuel markets tracker GasBuddy. Economists have warned that surging diesel prices could slow global economic activity as the...
Kennedy Center Board Votes to Close for 2-Year Renovation Project
The board of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts voted Monday to shutter the institution for a two-year renovation project after President Donald Trump warned them that the building was in “very bad shape” and had been on “the verge of collapse” before he took over. Shortly...
Trump Upset as US Partners Reject Call for Hormuz Warship Escorts
Several U.S. allies rebuffed Donald Trump's call on Monday to send warships to escort tankers through the Strait of Hormuz, drawing criticism from the U.S. president, who accused Western partners of ingratitude after decades of support. The U.S.-Israeli war on Iran is in its third week with no end in...
Number of US Troops Wounded in War Against Iran Rises to About 200
The number of U.S. troops wounded in the war against Iran has risen to about 200, the U.S. military said on Monday, as the conflict entered its third week. The U.S. military's Central Command said the vast majority of those wounded had suffered minor injuries and 180 troops had already...
US Considers Withholding HIV Aid Unless Zambia Expands Minerals Access
LUSAKA, Zambia — The State Department is considering withholding lifesaving assistance to people with HIV in Zambia as a negotiating tactic to force the government of the southern African country to sign a deal giving the United States more access to its critical minerals. “We will only secure our priorities...
Trump Says He Thinks He Will Have the ‘Honor’ of Taking Cuba
President Donald Trump on Monday told reporters at the White House that he thinks he will have the "honor" of taking Cuba. — (Reporting by Ryan Patrick Jones in Toronto; Editing by Caitlin Webber)
Man Gets 25 Years to Life 10 Years After 2016 Killing
A man has been sentenced to 25 years to life in state prison for the 2016 murder of Debra Jessep. Joseph Marrio Alcala was sentenced Feb. 19 after a jury found him guilty of first-degree murder following a trial that began in January 2026, according to the Kings County Sheriff’s...
US Judge Upends Kennedy’s Overhaul of Childhood Vaccine Policies
A federal judge on Monday blocked key parts of Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s effort to reshape U.S. vaccine policy, including a move to reduce the number of shots routinely recommended for children, and revamp a federal advisory committee on inoculations. U.S. District Judge Brian Murphy in Boston sided...
Fresno County Highway 41 Lane Closures Scheduled for Pavement Repairs
The California Department of Transportation announced scheduled lane closures this week on Highway 41 in Fresno County for asphalt pavement repairs. Caltrans said the No. 2 lane along northbound Highway 41 from Sumner Avenue to just north of Adams Avenue will be closed Tuesday from 8 a.m. to 11 a.m....
Trump Administration Turns to Migrants to Address Farm Labor Shortage
WASHINGTON — For years, the agricultural sector has faced a tight labor market as farmworkers age and fewer new immigrants and younger Americans are willing to toil in the fields. Top Trump administration officials vowed that mass deportations would help, leading to “higher wages with better benefits” and a “100%...