NASA’s first asteroid samples fetched from deep space parachuted into the Utah desert Sunday to cap a seven-year journey. In a flyby of Earth, the Osiris-Rex spacecraft released the sample capsule from 63,000 miles out. The small capsule landed four hours later on a remote expanse of military land, as the mothership set...
Monday’s Powerball Jackpot, Building for Months, Reaches $785 Million
DES MOINES, Iowa — The ninth-largest lottery jackpot will be on the line Monday night when numbers are drawn for a $785 million Powerball prize. The payout has grown so large because it has been building for more than two months, since a player in California matched all six numbers on July...
Federal Judge Again Strikes Down California Law Banning High Capacity Gun Magazines
SACRAMENTO — California cannot ban gun owners from having detachable magazines that hold more than 10 rounds, a federal judge ruled Friday. The decision from U.S. District Judge Roger Benitez won't take effect immediately. Democratic U.S. Attorney General Rob Bonta has already promised to appeal the ruling. The ban is...
Russia Says Armenian Separatists Surrender Arms After Azerbaijan Reclaims Nagorno-Karabakh
YEREVAN, Armenia — Ethnic Armenian separatists in Azerbaijan's region of Nagorno-Karabakh surrendered arms Friday to Russian peacekeepers, Russia's Defense Ministry said, two days after Azerbaijan reclaimed control of the breakaway region that has long been at the center of a conflict with neighboring Armenia. The ethnic Armenian armed groups handed...
Amazon Prime Video Will Soon Come with Ads, or a Monthly Charge to Dodge Them
Amazon Prime Video will include advertising during shows and movies starting early next year, joining other streaming services that have added different tiers of subscriptions. Members of Amazon Prime can pay $2.99 per month in the U.S. to keep their service ad-free, the company said Friday. The Streaming Services Battle...
Teen Rescued After Stunt Leaves Him Dangling From California’s Tallest Bridge
FORESTHILL — A 19-year-old was rescued after a stunt went wrong and left him dangling by a rope from California's tallest bridge, authorities said. Deputies responding to the Foresthill Bridge northeast of Sacramento determined the teen and his 17-year-old friend had been shooting video of him swinging from the steel...
Energy Department Announces $325M for Batteries That Can Store Clean Electricity Longer
The Energy Department has announced a $325 million investment in new battery types that can help turn solar and wind energy into 24-hour power. The funds will be distributed among 15 projects in 17 states and the Red Lake Nation, a Native American tribe based in Minnesota. Batteries are increasingly...
White House Preparing for Government Shutdown as House GOP Lacks Viable Funding Plan
WASHINGTON — The White House is preparing Friday to direct federal agencies to get ready for a shutdown after House Republicans left town for the weekend with no viable plan to keep the government funded and avert politically and economically costly disruption of federal services. The Impending Shutdown A federal...
Who Was Hardeep Singh Nijjar, the Sikh Activist Whose Killing Has Divided Canada and India?
NEW DELHI — Hardeep Singh Nijjar, a Sikh independence advocate whose killing two months ago is at the center of a widening breach between India and Canada, was called a human rights activist by Sikh organizations and a criminal by India’s government. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Monday that...
Wildfire-Prone California to Consider New Rules for Property Insurance Pricing
SACRAMENTO — California will let insurance companies consider climate change when setting their prices, the state's chief regulator announced Thursday, a move aimed at preventing insurers from fleeing the state over fears of massive losses from wildfires and other natural disasters. Unlike other states, California does not let insurance companies...