Joseph Castro, former chancellor of California State University, mishandled sexual misconduct allegations while serving as president of Fresno State, according to a report released Thursday. As the school's top leader, Castro failed to deal properly with complaints against campus administrator Frank Lamas because he had a “blind spot” for...
Suicide Bomber Strikes Kabul Education Center, Killing 19
A suicide bomber struck an education center in a Shiite area of the Afghan capital on Friday, killing 19 people and wounding 27, including teenagers who were taking university practice entry exams, a Taliban spokesman said. The morning explosion at the center took place in Kabul's Dashti Barchi neighborhood, an...
Hurricane Ian Heads for Carolinas After Pounding Florida
A revived Hurricane Ian threatened coastal South Carolina and the historic city of Charleston with severe flooding Friday after the deadly storm caused catastrophic damage in Florida and trapped thousands in their homes. With South Carolina’s coast under a hurricane warning, many left Charleston for higher ground and store owners in...
US Hits Russia With More Sanctions After Annexation of Ukrainian Regions
The U.S. on Friday sanctioned more than 1,000 people and firms connected to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, including its Central Bank governor and families of Security Council members, after President Vladimir Putin signed treaties absorbing occupied regions of Ukraine into Russia in defiance of international law. The Treasury Department named hundreds...
California Eyes Making Girls Flag Football a School Sport
Elsa Morin gripped the football and launched a perfect spiral. Then the 17-year-old dodged in and out of cones and yanked the flag hanging from another girl's belt for a key defensive play. “Something about football just gets me really excited,” said the senior at Southern California's Redondo Union...
Kurdish Officials: Death Toll Climbs in Iranian Drone Attack
An Iranian drone bombing campaign targeting the bases of an Iranian-Kurdish opposition group in northern Iraq on Wednesday killed at least nine people and wounded 32 others, the Kurdish Regional Government’s Health Ministry said. The strikes took place as demonstrations continued to engulf the Islamic Republic after the death...
US Long-Term Mortgage Rates up for 6th Week; 30-Year at 6.7%
Average long-term U.S. mortgage rates rose this week for the sixth straight week, marking new highs not seen in 15 years, before a crash in the housing market triggered the Great Recession. Mortgage buyer Freddie Mac reported Thursday that the average on the key 30-year rate climbed to 6.70%...
‘Gangsta’s Paradise’ Rapper Coolio Dies at Age 59
Coolio, the rapper who was among hip-hop's biggest names of the 1990s with hits including “Gangsta's Paradise” and “Fantastic Voyage,” died Wednesday at age 59, his manager said. Coolio died at the Los Angeles home of a friend, longtime manager Jarez Posey told The Associated Press. The cause was...
After Ian, Florida Hospitals Evacuate Hundreds of Patients
Hundreds of hospital patients were being evacuated from facilities across the Fort Myers region Thursday after damage from Hurricane Ian cut off water supplies. One area hospital began assessing the full damage from ferocious winds that tore away parts of its roof and swamped its emergency room. Other health...
In Reversal, Newsom Approves Farmworker Unionization Law
A broadly smiling Gov. Gavin Newsom joined about two dozen jubilant, cheering farmworkers camped outside the state Capitol Wednesday to sign one of the most contentious bills before him this year, reversing course on a measure to help farmworkers unionize after President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris...