They've become a familiar sight along the wide commercial corridors of America — empty buildings once filled by big retailers who have closed their doors, in part because many of their customers shop online. Now, two new laws in California would let developers build housing on that land and...
Ian Makes Landfall in Southwest Florida as Category 4 Storm
Hurricane Ian made landfall in southwest Florida near Cayo Costa on Wednesday as a catastrophic Category 4 storm. About 2.5 million people were ordered to evacuate southwest Florida before the storm hit the coast with maximum sustained winds of 150 mph. It was heading inland, where it was expected to...
Murder Suspect and Teen Daughter Killed in California Shootout
An abducted 15-year-old girl and her father — a fugitive wanted in the death of the teen's mother — were both killed amid a shootout with law enforcement Tuesday on a highway in California's high desert, authorities said. San Bernardino County Sheriff Shannon Dicus did not specify whether Savannah...
Israeli Raid Leaves 4 Palestinians Dead in West Bank Camp
At least four Palestinians were killed and 44 wounded during an Israeli military raid Wednesday into the Jenin refugee camp in the West Bank, the Palestinian Health Ministry reported, marking the deadliest episode since Israel escalated a crackdown on the occupied territory earlier this year. Israeli forces said they...
Alzheimer’s Drug Shows Promise in Early Results of Study
Shares of Biogen and other drugmakers researching Alzheimer’s disease soared early Wednesday after Japan’s Eisai Co. said its potential treatment appeared to slow the fatal disease in a late-stage study. The drugmaker said early results showed that its treatment, lecanemab, reduced patient clinical decline by 27% when compared to...
New California Abortion Laws Set up Clash With Other States
Gov. Gavin Newsom signed more than a dozen new abortion laws Tuesday, including some that deliberately clash with restrictions in other states — a sign of the coming conflicts that must be sorted out as lawmakers rush to set their own rules now that Roe v. Wade has been...
Questionable Spending of $17M for Armenian Genocide Victims Leads to Investigation
The State Bar of California said Tuesday it is again investigating Mark Geragos, one of California's best-known celebrity lawyers, and another prominent attorney over how money was spent from a multimillion-dollar insurance settlement related to the Armenian Genocide. Geragos and Los Angeles attorney Brian Kabateck denied any wrongdoing and...
Pro-Moscow Officials: 4 Occupied Areas Vote to Join Russia
Pro-Moscow officials say people in all four occupied Ukrainian areas voted to join Russia in Kremlin-run referendums that have been dismissed by the U.S. and its Western allies as illegitimate. The preordained outcome sets the stage for a dangerous new phase in Russia’s seven-month war in Ukraine because it...
Iranian Lawmaker Slams Protesters; Cleric Appeals for Calm
A hard-line Iranian lawmaker on Tuesday slammed female protesters who have taken off mandatory headscarves as prostitutes, doubling down on the government's stance amid the dramatic demonstrations following the death of a 22-year-old woman detained by the country’s morality police. The harsh language by Mahmoud Nabavian, a legislator from...
Fresno Case Illustrates Issue of ‘Gooning,’ Forcibly Transporting Kids to Treatment
Within what's known as the secure transport industry, it's called “gooning.” Brawny men show up under the cover of darkness and force a teenager into a vehicle, taking them against their will to a boarding school, foster home or treatment center. The process is typically initiated by parents at...