LOS ANGELES — Millions of Southern Californians nervously kept watch as winds began picking up Wednesday during a final round of dangerous wildfire weather forecast for the region where two massive blazes have killed at least 25 people and destroyed thousands of homes. A day after firefighters got a reprieve...
Firefighters Need Better Weather to Fight California’s Flames. When Will They Get Relief?
Fire danger remains high in parts of Los Angeles that have been ablaze for days, but there is hope that better weather over the weekend will give firefighters battling the flames some much-needed relief. After calmer weather on Tuesday helped firefighters snuff out fires, a rare warning of a “Particularly Dangerous...
Stock Market Today: Wall Street Jumps After Encouraging Inflation Report, Strong Bank Profits
NEW YORK — U.S. stocks are rallying Wednesday after Wall Street and financial markets worldwide got a shot of adrenaline from an encouraging update on U.S. inflation. Strong profit reports from the biggest U.S. banks are also helping to launch indexes toward their best day in two months. The S&P...
FDA Bans Red Dye No. 3 From Foods
U.S. regulators on Wednesday banned the dye called Red 3 from the nation’s food supply, nearly 35 years after it was barred from cosmetics because of potential cancer risk. Food and Drug Administration officials granted a 2022 petition filed by two dozen food safety and health advocates, who urged the...
US Population Projections Shrink From Last Year Because of Declining Birth Rates, Less Immigration
The Congressional Budget Office has shrunk its projections for the U.S. population in 30 years to 372 million residents, a 2.8% drop from last year, citing declining birth rates and less expected immigration. The budget office last year projected 383 million people living in the United States in 30 years...
SEC Sues Elon Musk, Saying He Didn’t Disclose Twitter Ownership on Time Before Buying It
The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission has sued billionaire Elon Musk, saying he failed to disclose his ownership of Twitter stock in a timely manner in early 2022, before buying the social media site. As a result, the SEC alleges, Musk was able to underpay “by at least $150 million”...
Fresno County Man Faces Murder Charges in Crash That Killed Four
A Fresno County man accused of allegedly causing a fiery crash that killed four people now faces murder charges, the Fresno County District Attorney’s Office announced Tuesday. The statement said that his contact with various law enforcement made it seem that he was noticeably intoxicated. A repeat drunk driver identified...
An Important Reservoir Was Offline When California Fires Began
An important reservoir that helps supply water in Pacific Palisades was offline at the time the fires began, officials said Friday, and that shutdown may have contributed to firefighters losing water so early in their fight against the blaze. The Santa Ynez Reservoir sits within the Palisades and can hold...
Freshman Congressman Adam Gray Lands on Ag, Natural Resources Committees
Freshman Congressman Adam Gray (D-Merced), representing California’s 13th district, has received appointments to the House Agriculture and Natural Resources committees, his office said Tuesday. Gray will join Rep. Jim Costa of Fresno, a fellow Democrat, on the Agriculture Committee, giving the Valley a strong 1-2 punch of farming issues. The...
Biden Moves to Lift State Sponsor of Terrorism Designation for Cuba, Part of Deal to Free Prisoners
WASHINGTON - President Joe Biden notified Congress of his intent to lift the U.S. designation of Cuba as a state sponsor of terrorism, the White House announced, as part of a deal facilitated by the Catholic Church to free political prisoners on the island. Senior U.S. administration officials, who previewed...