The Archdiocese of Los Angeles, the nation’s largest archdiocese, has agreed to pay $880 million to 1,353 people who say they were sexually abused as children. The settlement brings the archdiocese’s cumulative payout in sex abuse lawsuits to more than $1.5 billion. The settlement was announced Wednesday in a joint...
Phillips 66 to Close LA Refinery After New California Oil Law
LOS ANGELES — Oil company Phillips 66 announced Wednesday that it plans to shut down a Los Angeles-area refinery by the end of 2025, citing market concerns. The refinery accounts for about 8% of California's refining capacity, according to the state's Energy Commission. The company said it will remain operating...
Visalia School Lockdown Ends After Man with Airsoft Gun Arrested
A man carrying an airsoft gun prompted a brief lockdown at Willow Glen School in Visalia on Thursday morning, according to the Visalia Police Department. Police responded to reports of a man with a rifle near the school around 8:15 a.m. Officers quickly arrested the man, and the lockdown was...
Electoral Battleground North Carolina Starts Early In-Person Voting While Recovering From Helene
ASHEVILLE — Early in-person voting began statewide Thursday in the presidential battleground of North Carolina, including in mountainous areas where thousands of potential voters still lack power and clean running water after Hurricane Helene's epic flooding. Helene's arrival three weeks ago in the Southeast decimated remote towns throughout Appalachia and...
Ionescu’s 3-Pointer With 1 Second Left Gives Liberty Win Over Lynx and 2-1 Lead in WNBA Finals
MINNEAPOLIS — Sabrina Ionescu watched Breanna Stewart carry the New York Liberty all game, until it was time to win it. Then the ball was hers. "In the timeout, (coach) Sandy (Brondello) was like, 'You're going to shoot the shot,'" Ionescu said. The star guard made it, a 3-pointer from...
Super Bowl Loss Still Stings for the 49ers Headed Into Rematch Against the Chiefs
SANTA CLARA — Eight months later, the pain of losing a second Super Bowl in five seasons to the Kansas City Chiefs has barely subsided for the San Francisco 49ers as they prepare for a rare regular-season rematch. Memories of Chris Jones blowing up key plays with pressure, Patrick Mahomes...
Shohei Ohtani Homers as the Dodgers Rout the Mets for a 2-1 Lead in the NLCS
NEW YORK — By the time Shohei Ohtani stepped to the plate in the eighth inning Wednesday night, the Los Angeles Dodgers were already in control. Once the ball left his bat, Game 3 of the National League Championship Series was over. Ohtani launched a three-run homer and the Dodgers...
One Day Only: $5 Microchips for Dogs and Cats in Fresno
Mark it on your calendar: Oct. 21 is the day to get your pets microchipped. On Monday, the Central California Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals will have its 10th annual Microchip Madness Event at its facility, 103 S. Hughes Ave., in Fresno. The nonprofit will offer $5...
Zelenskyy Says 10,000 North Koreans Could Join Russian Forces in Ukraine as He Pushes ‘Victory Plan’
BRUSSELS — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Thursday his country has intelligence information that 10,000 troops from North Korea are being prepared to join Russian forces fighting against his country, warning that a third nation wading into the hostilities would turn the conflict into a "world war." Zelenskyy did not...
Death of Ex-One Direction Member Liam Payne at 31 Shocks Fans Around the World
BUENOS AIRES — The death of Liam Payne, who shot to stardom as a member of the boy band One Direction and grappled with intense global fame while still in his teens, sent shockwaves across the world Thursday as Argentine authorities continued their investigation at the scene. Fans, music industry...