LOS ANGELES — The Los Angeles Rams keep doing just enough to win, and a team that appeared to be rebuilding this season has climbed all the way to the brink of another playoff berth. The Rams improved to 9-6 and took control of the NFC West on Sunday with...
What Goes on at Fresno County School Board Meetings? It’s Hard to Tell
School Zone, never a huge fan of covering School Board meetings, was even less of a fan of the Fresno County Board of Education's meeting last week when she discovered that the meeting wasn't user-friendly. The third-floor corner meeting room in the downtown Fresno headquarters is a little hard to...
Elaborate Holiday Light Displays Are Making Spirits Bright in a Big Way
CONCORD, N.H. — Tiny tots with their eyes all aglow might be enough to brighten some homes this holiday season. But others are adorned with thousands of blinking lights synched to blasting music, drawing crowds and bolstering both holiday and community spirit. In a cul-de-sac in Mesa, Arizona, 14 homeowners...
Bethlehem Marks a Second Subdued Christmas During the War in Gaza
BETHLEHEM, West Bank — Bethlehem marked another somber Christmas Eve on Tuesday in the traditional birthplace of Jesus under the shadow of war in Gaza. The excitement and cheer that typically descends on the Palestinian town in the occupied West Bank on Christmas were nowhere to be found: The festive...
The Fastest Spacecraft Ever Heads for Its Close-Up With the Sun
This Christmas Eve, a vehicle is traveling at incomprehensible speed around a celestial object to bring wonder to the people of Earth — and it’s not Santa’s sleigh. On Tuesday at 6:40 a.m. Eastern time, the Parker Solar Probe, a NASA spacecraft, is passing within 3.8 million miles of the...
Survey: Small Businesses Are Feeling More Optimistic About the Economy After the Election
A recent survey shows small business owners are feeling more optimistic about the economy following the election. The National Federation of Independent Businesses' Small Business Optimism Index rose by eight points in November to 101.7, its highest reading since June 2021. The Uncertainty Index declined 12 points in November to...
Heavy Travel Day off to a Rough Start After American Airlines Briefly Grounds All Flights
WASHINGTON — American Airlines briefly grounded flights nationwide Tuesday due to a technical issue just as the Christmas travel season kicks into overdrive and winter weather is threatening more potential problems for those planning to fly or drive. American flights were cleared to fly by federal regulators about one hour...
Global Monitor Says Famine Is Weeks Away in North Gaza. A US Diplomat Calls Warning ‘Irresponsible’
WASHINGTON — Deaths from starvation will likely pass famine levels in northern Gaza as soon as next month owing to Israel's "near-total blockade" of food and other aid, the U.S.-created global food-crisis monitor said on Tuesday. The finding by the Famine Early Warning System Network appeared to expose a rift...
California Residents on Edge as High Surf and Flooding Threats Persist on Christmas Eve
SANTA CRUZ, Calif. — Persistent high surf and flooding threats along California’s coast have residents on high alert a day after a major storm was blamed for one man’s death and the partial collapse of a pier, which propelled three people into the Pacific Ocean. The National Weather Service on...
Stock Market Today: Wall Street Holds Near Breakeven Ahead of Christmas
U.S. stock indexes edged higher in morning trading Tuesday, as gains for some Big Tech stocks made up for weakness elsewhere in the market. The S&P 500 rose 0.4%. The Dow Jones Industrial Average was up 14 points, or 0.1%, as of 9:58 a.m. Eastern time. The tech-heavy Nasdaq composite...