After more than a year of trying to negotiate a new contract, the city of Fresno's Professional Employees Association warned City Hall its members are preparing to strike. The union of city engineers, architects, paralegals, and department supervisors says the city has stopped negotiating. They want a 3% raise, changes...
Man Is Charged With Burning American Flag During Washington Protest Over Netanyahu Visit
WASHINGTON — Federal authorities have charged a man with burning an American flag in the nation’s capital during protests against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s address to Congress in July. Michael Snow Jr., 24, of Durham, North Carolina, is charged with destruction of federal property over the burning of the...
OpenAI Releases AI Video Generator Sora but Limits How It Depicts People
SAN FRANCISCO — OpenAI has publicly released its new artificial intelligence video generator Sora but the company won't let most users depict people as it monitors for patterns of misuse. Users of a premium version of OpenAI's flagship product ChatGPT can now use Sora to instantly create AI-generated videos based...
Justice Department Ignored Some Policies When Seizing Reporters’ Phone Records, Watchdog Finds
WASHINGTON — Federal prosecutors sidestepped some Justice Department rules when they seized the phone records of reporters as part of media leak investigations during the Trump administration, according to a new watchdog report being released as the aggressive practice of hunting for journalists' sources could again be resurrected. The report...
Negotiations Over the War in Ukraine Could Start ‘in the Winter,’ Poland’s Leader Tusk Says
WARSAW, Poland — Poland's prime minister said Tuesday that negotiations over Russia's war in neighboring Ukraine could start "in the winter," as his country prepares to take over the rotating presidency of the European Union on Jan. 1. "Our presidency will have, among others, joint responsibility for the shape of...
Republican-Led States Roll Out Plans That Could Aid Trump’s Mass Deportations
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. — As President-elect Donald Trump assembles his administration, Republican governors and lawmakers in some states are already rolling out proposals that could help him carry out his pledge to deport millions of people living in the U.S. illegally. Lawmakers in a growing number of states are proposing...
Dodgers Expect Ohtani to Be Ready to Hit but Not to Pitch for Opener
DALLAS — The Los Angeles Dodgers expect Shohei Ohtani to be ready to hit when the reigning World Series champions open their season in Japan against the Chicago Cubs on March 18 and 19. "I don't think he'd have it any other way," manager Dave Roberts said Monday of the...
49ers’ Playoff Hopes Teetering Even After Get-Right Game vs. Bears
SANTA CLARA — After three straight losses, including back-to-back blowouts, the San Francisco 49ers needed a get-right game. The Chicago Bears helped provide just that. Brock Purdy carved up Chicago's defense to lead San Francisco to its best offensive output of the season and the defense dominated the Bears in...
Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield Reverses Decision to Put a Time Limit on Anesthesia
One of the country’s largest health insurers reversed a change in policy Thursday after widespread outcry, saying it would not tie payments in some states to the length of time a patient went under anesthesia. Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield said in a statement that its decision to backpedal resulted...
Wind-Driven California Wildfire Prompts Evacuations as It Burns Near Malibu’s Pepperdine University
MALIBU — Thousands of Southern California residents were under evacuation orders Tuesday as firefighters battled a wind-driven wildfire in Malibu that burned near seaside mansions and Pepperdine University, where students sheltering at the school's library watched as the blaze intensified and the sky turned deep red. "Just seeing the flames...