Are Christmas cards fading away? With social media and texting at our fingertips, many wonder if the tradition of sending handwritten holiday greetings is on its way out. However, many families still cherish the joy of sending and receiving Christmas cards, keeping this heartwarming tradition alive. Before you ditch the...
The Best Movies of 2024 as Ranked by AP Film Writers
As much as theaters are humming right now, with "Wicked" and "Moana 2" bringing moviegoers by the droves, it's been a fairly bruising movie year. In between the blockbusters, though, the challenge of not just capturing the attention of audiences but of simply getting to the screen feels more perilous...
Californians Pay Billions for Power Companies’ Wildfire Prevention Efforts. Are They Cost-Effective?
Diane Moss lost her home in the Santa Monica Mountains after power lines ignited the apocalyptic Woolsey Fire in 2018. Since then, she's pressed for a safer electric grid in California. "It's so easy to forget the risk that we live in — until it happens to you," said Moss,...
California’s Housing Crisis Has Gotten Worse, Not Better, Over the Last 30 Years
The Public Policy Institute of California, a think tank that conducts vigorous and objective research into vital state issues, is celebrating its 30th anniversary with a series of retrospective reports. Housing, or the chronic lack thereof, is arguably the most important of those issues, since it lies at the core...
No. 10 Boise State Grabs CFP Spot, Beating No. 19 UNLV 21-7 in Mountain West Championship
BOISE, Idaho — Ashton Jeanty ran for 209 yards and a touchdown and No. 10 Boise State earned a College Football Playoff spot, beating No. 19 UNLV 21-7 on Friday night for its second straight Mountain West title. Boise State (12-1, No. 10 CFP) is all but assured of a...
Willy Adames Agrees to $182 Million, 7-Year Deal With the Giants, AP Source Says
Willy Adames has agreed to a $182 million, seven-year contract with San Francisco, providing the Giants with a power-hitting shortstop in the prime of his career, according to a person familiar with the negotiations. The person spoke to The Associated Press on Saturday on condition of anonymity because the agreement...
$197M Winning Lottery Ticket Bought in L.A. Must Be Postmarked Today or Forfeited
A $197 million Mega Millions jackpot remains unclaimed in California, with the deadline for redemption rapidly approaching. The winning ticket, purchased at a Chevron gas station in Encino, Los Angeles, on December 8, 2023, is set to expire this Saturday. "We have no way of knowing who has the second...
US Announces Nearly $1 Billion More in Longer-Term Weapons Support for Ukraine
SIMI VALLEY — The United States will provide nearly $1 billion more in longer-term weapons support to Ukraine, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said Saturday as the Biden administration rushes to spend all the congressionally approved money it has left to bolster Kyiv before President-elect Donald Trump takes office next month....
Police-Made Crack Cocaine Cases from 1980s Under Review in Florida
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — A Florida prosecutor says he will seek to vacate as many as 2,600 convictions of people who bought crack cocaine manufactured by the Broward County Sheriff's Office for sting operations between 1988 and 1990. The Florida Supreme Court ruled in 1993 that people couldn't be charged...
FBI Offers $50,000 Reward in Hunt for UnitedHealthcare CEO’s Killer
NEW YORK — The gunman who killed the CEO of the largest U.S. health insurer likely left New York City on a bus soon after the brazen ambush that has shaken corporate America, police officials said. But he left something behind: a backpack that was discovered in Central Park. Investigation...