SACRAMENTO, Calif. — California Gov. Gavin Newsom and state lawmakers will return to the state Capitol on Monday to begin a special session to protect the state's progressive policies ahead of another Trump presidency. The Democratic governor, a fierce critic of President-elect Donald Trump, is positioning California to once again...
Betty L. Dawson, First Female Presiding Judge in Merced County, Dies at Age 76
The Valley’s legal community is mourning the death of Betty L. Dawson, who served as Merced County’s first female Superior Court presiding judge, before serving on California’s 5th District Court of Appeal. She died Nov. 17 at age 76 following a battle with Parkinson’s Disease for more than a decade. Dawson was appointed to the...
Biden’s Broken Promise on Pardoning His Son Is Raising New Questions About His Legacy
WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden’s decision to go back on his word and issue a categorical pardon for his son, Hunter, just weeks before his scheduled sentencing on gun and tax convictions was a surprise that wasn't all that surprising. Not to those who had witnessed the president’s shared anguish...
Biden Pardons His Son Hunter Despite Previous Pledges Not to
WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden pardoned his son, Hunter, on Sunday night, sparing the younger Biden a possible prison sentence for federal felony gun and tax convictions and reversing his past promises not to use the extraordinary powers of the presidency for the benefit of his family. The Democratic president...
2 Presidents, 2 Policies, 1 Superpower: America in Transition
WASHINGTON — The old adage about the interregnum between an election and an inauguration is that there is only one president at a time. Try telling that to the rest of the world now. While one president, the one actually still living in the White House, attends international summit meetings...
Skipper Says His Future Is Unknown After Bulldogs Fall to Bruins
PASADENA — Despite all the adversity he faced throughout this season and his career, Ethan Garbers was able to have a memorable finale for UCLA. The senior passed for 289 yards, including a touchdown on his final attempt, as the Bruins rallied for a 20-13 victory over Fresno State at...
SunFed Cucumbers and Costco Eggs Recalled Due to Potential Salmonella Contamination
ATLANTA - Cucumbers shipped to the U.S. and Canada, and organic eggs sold in 25 Costco stores in five southern U.S. states, were recalled this week for potential salmonella contamination. The cucumber outbreak sickened 68 people, including 18 who were hospitalized, in 19 states, the Centers for Disease Control and...
What to Know About the Plastic Pollution Crisis as Treaty Talks Conclude in South Korea
BUSAN, South Korea — The world's nations will wrap up negotiating a treaty this weekend to address the global plastic pollution crisis. Their meeting concludes Sunday or early Monday in Busan, South Korea, where many environmental organizations have also flocked to push for a treaty to address the volume of...
Heavy Snow Blankets Parts of the US During Busy Holiday Travel Weekend
BUFFALO, N.Y. — The first big snowfall of the season blanketed towns along Lake Erie on Saturday in the middle of the hectic holiday travel and shopping weekend, and numbing cold and heavy snow were forecast to persist into next week and cause hazards in the Great Lakes, Plains and...
Israeli Strike in Gaza Kills World Central Kitchen Workers, Israel Says 1 Was an Oct. 7 Attacker
DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip — An Israeli airstrike on a car in the Gaza Strip on Saturday killed five people, including employees of World Central Kitchen. The charity said it was "urgently seeking more details" after Israel's military said it targeted a WCK worker who was part of the Hamas...