WASHINGTON — Steve Bannon, a longtime ally of former President Donald Trump, was sentenced Friday to serve four months behind bars after defying a subpoena from the House committee investigating the Jan. 6 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol. U.S. District Judge Carl Nichols allowed Bannon to stay free pending appeal...
Woman Charged with Benefits Scam Using Scott Peterson, Cary Stayner Names
SACRAMENTO — A California woman was charged with using the names of convicted killers, including Scott Peterson, to collect more than $145,000 in fraudulent unemployment benefits — a small but headline-grabbing part of more than $20 billion stolen in similar scams during the coronavirus pandemic, prosecutors said Wednesday. Brandy Iglesias...
British Prime Minister Calls It Quits. See Which Vegetable Outlasted Her
LONDON — British Prime Minister Liz Truss quit on Thursday — bowing to the inevitable after a tumultuous term in which her policies triggered turmoil in financial markets and a rebellion in her party that obliterated her authority. Making a hastily scheduled statement outside her 10 Downing Street office, Truss...
Iranian Rock Climber Who Competed Without Hijab Returns Home
Iranian climber Elnaz Rekabi returned to Tehran early Wednesday after competing in South Korea without wearing a headscarf, an act widely seen as support for anti-government demonstrators amid weeks of protests over the Islamic Republic's mandatory hijab. After landing, Rekabi gave a careful, emotionless interview to Iran’s hard-line state...
Biden Hopes to Cut Gas Prices by Releasing Oil Reserves
WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden will announce the release of 15 million barrels of oil from the U.S. strategic reserve Wednesday as part of a response to recent production cuts announced by OPEC+ nations, and he will say more drawdowns are possible this winter, as his administration rushes to...
Father Says ‘No Joy’ in Kristin Smart Murder Conviction
The father of Kristin Smart, the San Luis Obispo college student who vanished from the Cal Poly campus 26 years ago, says a murder conviction hasn't ended the “agonizingly long journey" to find the truth about his daughter. “Without Kristin, there’s no joy or happiness in this verdict,” Smart’s father,...
Putin Declares Martial Law in Annexed Regions of Ukraine
Russian President Vladimir Putin declared martial law Wednesday in the four regions of Ukraine that Moscow annexed and gave all regional governors in Russia emergency powers that open the door for sweeping new restrictions throughout the country. Putin didn’t immediately spell out the steps that would be taken under...
IRS Ups Standard Deductions, Tax Brackets Due to Inflation
Taxpayers will get fatter standard deductions for 2023 and all seven federal income tax bracket levels will be revised upward as the government allows people to shield more of their money from taxation because of persistently high inflation. For couples who file jointly for tax year 2023, the standard...
Jury Finds Paul Flores Guilty of Murdering Kristin Smart
SALINAS — The last man seen with Kristin Smart was convicted Tuesday of killing the Cal Poly San Luis Obispo freshman, who vanished from campus 26 years ago. Jurors unanimously found Paul Flores guilty of first-degree murder, the San Luis Obispo Tribune reported. His father, Ruben Flores, was found not guilty of...
Morro Bay Coast to Be Offered up for Large Offshore Wind Farm
Large coastal areas near Morro Bay and Humbolt will be offered in the first-ever lease sale for offshore wind energy on the West Coast, Biden administration officials said Tuesday. The Dec. 6 sale will represent the first U.S. auction for commercial-scale floating offshore wind energy development. The administration hailed...