Getting around the West Bank is never easy, but it’s a lot harder if you are Palestinian. That’s no accident. We rode along on two bus trips, one for Israelis, the other for Palestinians, that tell a story of separate and unequal roadways. The two passengers departed from neighboring communities...
Chris Wallace Is Leaving CNN, Eager to Explore New Media Landscape
NEW YORK — Chris Wallace says he's leaving CNN after three years and, at age 77, is eager to see what a transformed media environment has to offer. "When I look at the media landscape right now, the people who are going independent, whether it's podcasting or streaming, that seems...
Merced’s Iconic Laura Fountain Returns to Splendor With $300K Restoration
A landmark from days of old when Merced was known as "Fountain City" is back, fully restored for new generations to appreciate. City leaders and residents appluaded and cheered Monday morning as the Laura Fountain in Applegate Park came back to life, water flowing freely from its marble columns, pouring...
If You Thought Trump Wasn’t Serious About Deportations, Look at His First Appointments
A strange thing about the presidential campaign we just endured is how many people rationalized their support for Donald Trump by arguing that he wouldn’t make good on some of his central promises. “I think mass deportation is just talk, but the era of open borders will be over,” Scott...
Biden EPA to Charge First-Ever ‘Methane Fee’ for Emissions Waste by Oil and Gas Companies
WASHINGTON — Oil and natural gas companies for the first time will have to pay a federal fee if they emit dangerous methane above certain levels under a final rule announced Tuesday by the Biden administration. The Environmental Protection Agency rule follows through on a directive from Congress included in...
Trump Picks Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee to Be Ambassador to Israel
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — President-elect Donald Trump will nominate former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee as ambassador to Israel, Trump announced Tuesday. Huckabee is a staunch defender of Israel and his intended nomination comes as Trump has promised to align U.S. foreign policy more closely with Israel's interests as it...
At the Pandemic’s Start, Americans Began Drinking More. They Still Are.
Americans started drinking more as the COVID-19 pandemic got underway. They were stressed, isolated, uncertain — the world as they had known it had changed overnight. Two years into the disaster, the trend had not abated, researchers reported Monday. The percentage of Americans who consumed alcohol, which had risen from...
Last GOP Congressman Anchored in Democratic LA County Concedes in Race Against Former NASA Exec
LOS ANGELES — U.S. Rep. Mike Garcia, the last Republican congressman anchored in heavily Democratic Los Angeles County, on Monday conceded to Democrat George Whitesides, ending his reelection bid in a district north of Los Angeles. In a statement, Garcia, a former Navy fighter pilot, said he had congratulated Whitesides...
Aid Groups Say Israel Misses US Deadline to Boost Humanitarian Aid Entering Gaza
JERUSALEM — Israel has failed to meet U.S. demands to allow greater humanitarian access to the Gaza Strip, where conditions are worse than at any point in the 13-month-old war, international aid organizations said Tuesday. In Washington, however, the Biden administration was less definitive, saying Tuesday that the steps Israel...
Speaker Mike Johnson Says Republicans Are ‘Ready to Deliver’ on Trump’s Agenda
WASHINGTON — House Speaker Mike Johnson said Tuesday that Republicans are "ready to deliver" President-elect Donald Trump's agenda after his election victory, insisting the GOP won't make the mistakes of last time and will be much better prepared for a second-term Trump White House. Standing on the steps of the...