The White House said on Monday that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth authorized an admiral to conduct the strikes that killed 11 people on a vessel from Venezuela allegedly carrying illegal narcotics. White House spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt told reporters the admiral approved a second strike on the boat and was well...
Young California Democrats Are Challenging Veteran House Members in Safe Blue Seats
This story was originally published by CalMatters. Sign up for their newsletters. California’s battleground House districts might get the lion’s share of national attention for their role in deciding which party rules Congress’s lower chamber. But in a handful of California’s deep blue districts, an intra-party battle over the future...
US Cyber Monday Spending Forecast To Hit $14.2 Billion, Fueled by Wealthy
U.S. consumers are expected to spend $14.2 billion on Cyber Monday, according to Adobe Analytics, after a strong Black Friday weekend that saw wealthier consumers spend freely and lower-income shoppers hunt for deals. Americans are expected to spend 6.3% more online than last year's Cyber Monday - traditionally the country's biggest online...
Israel’s Netanyahu Holds Phone Call With Trump, Prime Minister’s Office Says
Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke with U.S. President Donald Trump on Monday, the prime minister’s office said, shortly after Trump wrote on social media that Israel should maintain dialogue with Syria. Netanyahu's office said they discussed disarming Palestinian militant group Hamas and demilitarizing the Gaza Strip. They also discussed...
Powell’s Fed Term Ends in May 2026. Hassett Emerges as Likely Successor
Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell’s term runs through May 15, 2026, but his successor may be named before Christmas, creating uncertainty for Powell and markets, The Street reports. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent is expected to recommend a nominee to President Donald Trump before the holiday, with the appointment subject to...
Merced CHP Stop for Traffic Violation Leads to Arrest, Gun Seizure
What began as a routine traffic stop for failing to obey a posted stop sign turned into a more serious enforcement action, CHP said on Monday. During a graveyard shift patrol, officers contacted a driver who not only failed to stop but was found to have cannabis in the vehicle....
How the Dismissed 2020 Election Case in Georgia Could Shape the Midterms
The election interference case against President Donald Trump in Georgia was dismissed last week, but the ghosts of the 2020 election are still looming over the state as next year’s midterms approach. Trump’s Justice Department has been investigating Fani Willis, the district attorney in Atlanta who brought criminal charges against...
Trump To Meet With Advisers on Venezuela as US Ramps up Pressure
WASHINGTON, Dec 1 — President Donald Trump plans to meet on Monday with top advisers to discuss Venezuela, among other topics, two sources familiar with the matter said. The Oval Office meeting, scheduled for 5 p.m. EST (2200 GMT), is expected to include Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Pentagon chief...
Four Dead After 14 People Shot at Child’s Birthday Party in Stockton
Four people died after 14 people were shot at a family gathering in Stockton in California's Central Valley on Saturday night, police said. The shooting took place at a child's birthday party, Stockton's Vice Mayor Jason Lee said in a Facebook post. "I am in contact with staff and public safety officials to...
Shopify Down for Thousands of Users on Cyber Monday, Downdetector Reports
Shopify experienced a possible outage Monday, with thousands of users reporting issues, according to Downdetector.com. More than 27,000 users had reported problems with the platform as of 8:50 a.m. PT, according to Downdetector, which tracks outages by collecting status reports from multiple sources. Most users reporting problems to Downdetector said...