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...
US: French Cement Firm Admits Islamic State Group Payments
French cement company Lafarge pleaded guilty Tuesday to paying millions of dollars to the Islamic State group in exchange for permission to keep open a plant in Syria, a case the Justice Department described as the first of its kind. The company also agreed to penalties totaling roughly $778 million. Prosecutors accused...
Steve Bannon Should Get 6-Month Sentence, Justice Dept. Says
The Justice Department declared Monday that Steve Bannon should serve six months behind bars and pay a $200,000 fine for defying a congressional subpoena from the House committee investigating the Jan. 6 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol. Convicted last summer, the longtime ally of former President Donald Trump should get a hefty sentence...
Newsom Sets Date to End California’s COVID Emergency
California's coronavirus emergency will officially end in February, Gov. Gavin Newsom announced Monday, nearly three years after the state's first confirmed death from the disease prompted a raft of restrictions that upended public life. The decision will have little practical impact on most people's lives, as most of the...
The Way You Smell Could Be Attracting Dangerous Mosquitoes, Study Shows
A new study finds that some people really are “mosquito magnets” and it probably has to do with the way they smell. The researchers found that people who are most attractive to mosquitoes produce a lot of certain chemicals on their skin that are tied to smell. And bad...
Notorious Pedophile on Trial for Kidnapping Fresno Girl Dies
A self-proclaimed pedophilia advocate and accused kidnapper who was on trial for allegedly grooming a 12-year-old Fresno girl has died in custody in Arizona, according to public records. Nathan Larson was arrested in 2020 by authorities who said they caught him flying across the country with the girl who...