NEW YORK — A judge ruled Tuesday that Donald Trump committed fraud for years while building the real estate empire that catapulted him to fame and the White House. Judge Arthur Engoron, ruling in a civil lawsuit brought by New York’s attorney general, found that the former president and his...
Target Closing 9 Stores, including 3 in SF, Because of Organized Retail Theft
NEW YORK — Target will close nine stores in four states, including one in East Harlem, New York, and three in San Francisco, saying that theft and organized retail crime have threatened the safety of its workers and customers. The closings, which will be effective Oct. 21, also include three...
1st Saudi Envoy to the Palestinians in West Bank, Israeli Minister in Riyadh Amid Normalization Push
RAMALLAH, West Bank — Saudi Arabia's newly appointed envoy to the Palestinian Authority presented his credentials to President Mahmoud Abbas during his first visit to the Israeli-occupied West Bank on Tuesday, a move linked to recent American efforts to normalize ties between Saudi Arabia and Israel. The trip by nonresident...
Newsom Signs Laws on Concealed Weapons, 11% Tax Hikes on Guns and Ammo
SACRAMENTO — California will double the taxes on guns and ammunition and use the money to pay for more security at public schools and various violence prevention programs under a new law Gov. Gavin Newsom signed Tuesday. The federal government already taxes the sale of guns and ammunition at either...
Newsom Signs Law Barring Schoolbook Bans Based on Racial, Gender Teachings
SACRAMENTO — Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a bill Monday to ban school boards from rejecting textbooks based on their teachings about the contributions of people from different racial backgrounds, sexual orientations and gender identities. Newsom called the measure “long overdue.” “From Temecula to Tallahassee, fringe ideologues across the country are...
Who’s In, Who’s Out, and How to Watch Wednesday’s 2nd GOP Presidential Debate
The field for the second Republican presidential debate will be smaller than the first. Seven candidates have qualified for Wednesday night's debate at Ronald Reagan's presidential library in California, the Republican National Committee said, confirming that former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson did not make the cut this time. Former President Donald Trump,...
US Consumer Confidence Tumbles in September as American Anxiety About the Future Grows
WASHINGTON — The confidence of American consumers slipped this month, particularly about the future, as expectations persist that interest rates will remain elevated for an extended period. The Conference Board, a business research group, said Tuesday that its consumer confidence index fell to 103 in September from 108.7 in August....
At Least 20 Dead in Gas Station Explosion as Nagorno-Karabakh Residents Flee to Armenia
YEREVAN, Armenia — At least 20 people were killed and nearly 300 others were injured in an explosion at a crowded gas station in Azerbaijan's Nagorno-Karabakh region as thousands of ethnic Armenians rushed to flee into neighboring Armenia, the separatist territory's authorities said Tuesday. Population Exodus Some 19,000 people —...
Hunter Biden Sues Rudy Giuliani and Another Lawyer Over Accessing and Sharing of His Personal Data
WASHINGTON — Hunter Biden sued Rudy Giuliani and another attorney Tuesday, saying the two wrongly accessed and shared his personal data after obtaining it from the owner of a Delaware computer repair shop. The lawsuit was the latest in a new strategy by Hunter Biden to strike back against Republican allies of Donald...
Donald Trump, Skipping GOP Debate, Eyes California Delegate Sweep in State He Loves to Hate
LOS ANGELES — Few corners of the U.S. may be less hospitable to Donald Trump than California, where he lost by more than 5 million votes in the 2020 election. But as the former president seeks to return to the White House, the liberal bastion may give him an unlikely boost....