SAN FRANCISCO — Meta on Wednesday said that it plans to cut approximately 600 jobs in its artificial intelligence division, according to a memo sent to employees that was relayed to The New York Times, as the company seeks to keep pace with competitors in the furious contest over the...
Oil Rises About 2% on Higher US Demand, Trade Talk Optimism
NEW YORK — Oil prices pushed higher for a second day on Wednesday, rising by about 2%, buoyed by growing U.S. energy consumption and hopes of progress for a U.S. trade deal with China and India. Brent crude futures rose $1.29, or 2.1%, to $62.61 a barrel by 11:09 a.m....
Most Americans Support US Recognition of Palestinian State, Reuters/Ipsos Poll Shows
WASHINGTON — Most Americans - including 80% of Democrats and 41% of Republicans - think the U.S. should recognize Palestinian statehood, a sign that President Donald Trump's opposition to doing so is out of step with public opinion, a Reuters/Ipsos poll found. The six-day poll, which closed on Monday, found...
Russia Holds Nuclear Drills, Ukraine Seeks Swedish Fighter Jets
Russia said on Wednesday it had carried out a major training exercise involving nuclear weapons, a day after the United States announced a delay in plans for a second summit between presidents Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump on the Ukraine war. The Kremlin released video showing General Valery Gerasimov, head of the...
Catalina Island Deer Removal Plan Sparks Controversy. Critics Call It Inhumane
The Catalina Island Conservancy plans to eradicate the island’s mule deer population to reduce wildfire risks, reviving controversy after a previous aerial hunting proposal was scrapped, the Los Angeles Times reported. The nonprofit, which manages most of the island, has applied for state approval to use professional contractors to shoot...
US Health Insurance Premiums Rose to $27,000 for Families in 2025
NEW YORK — Annual premiums for U.S. families with employer-sponsored health insurance in 2025 rose 6% to nearly $27,000, reflecting higher spending on popular weight-loss treatments and other prescription drugs, according to a survey by health-policy organization KFF. The survey of employers, conducted in the first half of this year,...
Valley Crime Stoppers’ Most Wanted Person of the Day: Larry Darnell Rainey
October 22, 2025 Most Wanted Person of the Day Suspect Name: Larry Darnell Rainey Suspects Date of Birth: November 30, 1975 Physical Description: Black male, 6'2", 180 lbs., Black Hair, Brown Eyes. Charges: Probation Violation Warrant Number: F23903912 Synopsis of the Case: Larry Darnell Rainey is wanted on a felony warrant...
Nearly a Year After Truce, Women in South Lebanon Say War Never Ended
Nearly a year after a truce was meant to bring calm to Lebanon's border with Israel, tens of thousands of people have not yet returned to ruined towns in the south, kept away by deadly Israeli strikes and slim prospects of rebuilding. Among them, 50-year-old farmer Zeinab Mehdi, who fled her home in the border town of...
Wall Street Ticks Lower as Investors Digest Earnings; Netflix Drops
Wall Street slipped on Wednesday, with Netflix's weak profit weighing on sentiment as investors monitored a flood of corporate earnings to get clarity in a high-stakes reporting season. Shares of Netflix dropped 7.8% on Wednesday after the streaming giant's fourth-quarter revenue outlook failed to excite investors. At 09:39 a.m., the...
Netanyahu Hints at Opposition to Any Turkish Forces in Gaza
JERUSALEM/CAIRO — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu hinted on Wednesday at his opposition to any role for Turkish security forces in the Gaza Strip as part of a mission to monitor a U.S.-backed ceasefire with the Palestinian militant group Hamas. Speaking in Jerusalem alongside visiting U.S. Vice President JD Vance,...