LOS ANGELES — Unless you're a quarterback in a collapsing pocket, you'll probably hear Jared Verse before you see him. The Los Angeles Rams' rookie linebacker already looks like the NFL's next great pass rusher just eight games into his career, but his verbal abilities are also world class. Whether...
Madera County Project Aims to Curb Groundwater Pull by Paying Farmers for New Land Uses
Residents and advocates in the small community of Fairmead have been working for years to find ways to relieve pressure on the area's aquifer to protect domestic wells. With the latest election, they hope all that planning can finally come to fruition. Last week, Californians voted to approve Proposition 4,...
When to Catch the Last Supermoon of the Year
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. — Better catch this week's supermoon. It will be a while until the next one. This will be the year's fourth and final supermoon, looking bigger and brighter than usual as it comes within about 225,000 miles (361,867 kilometers) of Earth on Thursday. It won't reach its...
Trump Chooses New York Rep. Elise Stefanik as Ambassador to United Nations
NEW YORK — President-elect Donald Trump has chosen Rep. Elise Stefanik to serve as his ambassador to the United Nations, picking a loyal ally with little foreign policy experience to represent the U.S. at the international organization. "Elise is an incredibly strong, tough, and smart America First fighter," Trump said...
Stock Market Today: Most of Wall Street Rolls Higher as Bitcoin Bounces Above $84,000
NEW YORK — Most U.S. stocks are rising Monday and adding to the gains made during their best week of the year. The S&P 500 was up 0.1% in afternoon trading, and three out of every four stocks in the index were climbing. It's coming off a 4.7% spurt last...
California Farmers Enjoy Pistachio Boom, With Much of It Headed to China
LOST HILLS — In a sprawling plant in the heart of California's farmland, millions of shells rush down a metallic chute and onto a conveyor belt where they are inspected, roasted, packaged and shipped off to groceries around the world. Pistachios are growing fast in California, where farmers have been...
Mattel Says It ‘Deeply’ Regrets Misprint on ‘Wicked’ Dolls Packaging That Links to Porn Site
NEW YORK — Toy giant Mattel says it "deeply" regrets an error on the packaging of its "Wicked" movie-themed dolls, which mistakenly links toy buyers to a pornographic website. The error gained attention on social media over the weekend, where numerous users shared photos of the URL printed on the...
Trump Names Stephen Miller to Be Deputy Chief of Policy in New Administration
NEW YORK — President-elect Donald Trump is naming longtime adviser Stephen Miller, an immigration hard-liner, to be the deputy chief of policy in his new administration. Confirming the appointment, Vice President-elect JD Vance posted a message of congratulations on Monday to Miller on X and said, "This is another fantastic...
Justin Herbert Has TDs Passing and Rushing as Chargers Beat Titans for 3rd Straight Win
INGLEWOOD — The combination of steady play by Justin Herbert and a strong defense has given the Los Angeles Chargers their best start in six years. Herbert threw for a touchdown and ran for one, and the Chargers had seven sacks in their third straight victory, 27-17 over the Tennessee...
Devastated Democrats Play the Blame Game, and Stare at a Dark Future
MADISON, Wis. — A depressed and demoralized Democratic Party is beginning the painful slog into a largely powerless future, as its leaders grapple with how deeply they underestimated Donald Trump’s resurgent hold on the nation. The nationwide repudiation of the party stunned many Democrats who had expressed a “nauseous” confidence...