Four California cities have secured spots in the top 20 of Orkin's annual "Top 50 Rattiest Cities List" for 2024. Los Angeles maintained its second-place position, while San Francisco, San Diego, and Sacramento also made the cut. Chicago retained its title as the rattiest city for the 10th consecutive year,...
Satire Publication The Onion Buys Alex Jones’ Infowars at Auction With Sandy Hook Families’ Backing
The satirical news publication The Onion won the bidding for Alex Jones' Infowars at a bankruptcy auction, backed by families of Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting victims whom Jones owes more than $1 billion in defamation judgments for calling the massacre a hoax. "The dissolution of Alex Jones' assets and...
Black and Latino Families Displaced From Palm Springs Neighborhood Reach Tentative Settlement
SACRAMENTO — Black and Latino families who were pushed out of a Palm Springs neighborhood in the 1960s reached a $5.9 million tentative settlement agreement with the city. The deal was announced Wednesday, and the city council will vote on it Thursday. The history of displacement that took place there...
Wembanyama Shrugs off 50-Point Performance Leaving Teammates in Awe as Spurs Top Wizards
SAN ANTONIO — Victor Wembanyama scored a career-high 50 points in a performance that left his San Antonio teammates and the opposition in awe. Wembanyama shrugged, wondering when he will do better after the Spurs' 139-130 victory over the Washington Wizards on Wednesday night. "Really, my first thought is, eventually...
Hopes Growing for Clovis Unified’s $400M Measure A to Pass
They're keeping their fingers crossed, but Clovis Unified School District officials are growing more optimistic that the $400 million Measure A, which was losing on election night, will eke out a victory. School bond measures are required to have 55% approval, and as of Tuesday's vote update by the Fresno...
Insurers Say Bear That Damaged Luxury Cars Was Actually a Person in a Costume
LOS ANGELES — California has seen its share of bears breaking into cars. But bears caught on camera entering luxury cars tipped off insurers that something wasn't quite right. In what's dubbed "Operation Bear Claw," the California Insurance Department said four Los Angeles residents were arrested Wednesday, accused of defrauding...
Israeli Airstrikes Hit Syria’s Capital and a Suburb, Killing 15 People, Syrian State Media Says
DAMASCUS, Syria — Israel carried out at least two airstrikes on a western neighborhood of Damascus and one of the capital's suburbs on Thursday, killing at least 15 people and wounding another 16, Syria's state news agency said. The airstrikes on the Mazzeh neighborhood in Damascus and the suburb of...
Ford Agrees to Pay Up to $165 Million Penalty to US Government for Moving Too Slowly on a Recall
DETROIT — Ford Motor Co. will pay a penalty of up to $165 million to the U.S. government for moving too slowly on a recall and failing to give accurate recall information. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration says in a statement Thursday that the civil penalty is the second-largest...
Veteran NBC Host Craig Melvin Tapped to Replace Hoda Kotb for the First Hours of ‘Today’ Show
NEW YORK — Veteran NBC host and news anchor Craig Melvin has been tapped to replace Hoda Kotb as co-host of the 7 a.m. to 9 a.m. hours of "Today." Melvin is a familiar face to "Today" show viewers. He currently hosts the show's third hour and is the news...
Caitlin Clark Draws a Big Crowd for an LPGA Pro-Am in Florida
BELLEAIR — Caitlin Clark brought her golf game and a big buzz to the LPGA Tour on Wednesday when the basketball star played in a pro-am that attracted a bigger crowd than the tour often gets for its tournament rounds. Clark played nine holes with Nelly Korda, the No. 1...