PHILADELPHIA — Pharmacy chain Rite Aid said Sunday that it has filed for bankruptcy and obtained $3.45 billion in fresh financing as it carries out a restructuring plan while coping with falling sales and opioid-related lawsuits. The company operates multiple stores in Fresno and around the Central Valley. In 2022,...
Israeli Shelling on Lebanon Border Kills Reuters Journalist, Wounds 6
ALMA Al-SHAAB, Lebanon — An Israeli shell landed in a gathering of international journalists covering clashes on the border in south Lebanon on Friday, killing a Reuters videographer and injuring six other journalists. An Associated Press photographer at the scene saw the body of Reuters videographer Issam Abdallah and the...
Republicans Pick Jim Jordan as Nominee for House Speaker, Putting Job Within the Trump Ally’s Reach
WASHINGTON — Republicans chose Rep. Jim Jordan as their new nominee for House speaker on Friday during internal voting, putting the gavel within reach of the staunch ally of GOP presidential front-runner Donald Trump. Jordan, of Ohio, will now try to unite colleagues from the deeply divided House GOP majority around his bid ahead...
California Considers Stepping in to Manage Groundwater Basin in Farm Country
SACRAMENTO — California officials on Thursday faulted communities in a stretch of the crop-rich San Joaquin Valley for failing to develop a plan to adequately protect groundwater in the often drought-plagued state. The state's water resources board set an April hearing to determine whether the Tulare Lake Subbasin in the...
Sen. Menendez Accused of Being an Unregistered Agent of Egypt’s Government in Updated Indictment
NEW YORK — U.S. Sen. Bob Menendez of New Jersey was charged Thursday with conspiring for years to act as an agent of the Egyptian government while he held a powerful role in shaping U.S. foreign policy, putting the Democrat in deeper legal trouble as he continues to reject calls to resign....
Kaiser Permanente Reaches a Tentative Deal With Health Care Worker Unions After a Recent Strike
OAKLAND — Unions representing 75,000 health care workers have reached a tentative agreement with industry giant Kaiser Permanente following a strike over wages and staffing levels, the parties announced Friday. Details of the agreement were not immediately released, but both sides said a full announcement was forthcoming. The three-day strike last week...
Israel Orders Unprecedented Evacuation of 1 Million in Gaza as Possible Ground Offensive Looms
JERUSALEM — Israel’s military told some 1 million Palestinians on Friday to evacuate northern Gaza and head to the southern part of the besieged territory, an unprecedented order applying to almost half the population ahead of an expected ground invasion against the ruling Hamas militant group. The U.N. warned that so...
GOP’s Scalise Ends His Bid to Become House Speaker After Failing to Secure the Votes to Win Gavel
WASHINGTON — Republican Steve Scalise has ended his bid to become House speaker after failing to secure the votes to win the gavel. Scalise told GOP colleagues at a closed-door meeting late Thursday of his decision. Next Steps Uncertain Next steps are uncertain as the House is essentially closed while...
Republican Steve Scalise Is Seen as a Fighter and Becoming House Speaker Might Require a Brawl
WASHINGTON — With his walker positioned on the mound, Rep. Steve Scalise threw out the ceremonial first pitch at Washington Nationals ballpark in the fall of 2017, a breathtaking comeback for the Republican congressman who just months earlier was fighting for his life after a gunman had opened fire on lawmakers at their own...
As Desperation in Gaza Grows, Israel Says It Won’t Allow Aid to Flow Until Hamas Releases Hostages
JERUSALEM — U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken vowed American support to Israel on Thursday as its military pulverized the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip with airstrikes and prepared for a possible ground invasion. As Palestinians tried to stock up on bread and groceries amid dwindling supplies, Israel said nothing would be allowed...