When Gail Curley began her job as Marshal of the U.S. Supreme Court less than a year ago, she would have expected to work mostly behind the scenes: overseeing the court's police force and the operations of the marble-columned building where the justices work. Her most public role was...
California Parents Could Soon Sue for Social Media Addiction
California could soon hold social media companies responsible for harming children who have become addicted to their products, permitting parents to sue platforms like Instagram and TikTok for up to $25,000 per violation under a bill that passed the state Assembly on Monday. The bill defines “addiction” as kids...
Powell: ‘Soft’ Economic Landing May Be out of Fed’s Control
Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell, fresh off winning Senate confirmation for a second term earlier in the day, acknowledged for the first time Thursday that high inflation and economic weakness overseas could thwart his efforts to avoid causing a recession. For weeks, Powell has portrayed the Fed's drive to raise interest...
Newsom Threatens Mandatory Water Cuts Unless Conservation Improves
Gov. Gavin Newsom threatened Monday to impose mandatory water restrictions if residents don't use less on their own as a drought drags on and the hotter summer months approach. Newsom raised that possibility in a meeting with representatives from major water agencies, including those that supply Los Angeles, San...
Russian Sentenced to Life in Ukraine’s 1st War Crimes Trial
KYIV, Ukraine — A captured Russian soldier who pleaded guilty to killing a civilian was sentenced by a Ukrainian court Monday to life in prison — the maximum — amid signs the Kremlin may, in turn, put on trial some of the fighters who surrendered at Mariupol’s steelworks. And...
Starbucks Leaving Russian Market, Shutting 130 Stores
Starbucks is pulling out of the Russian market. In a memo to employees Monday, the Seattle coffee giant said it decided to close its 130 stores and no longer have a brand presence in Russia. Starbucks said it will continue to pay its nearly 2,000 Russian employees for six...
Pfizer Says 3 COVID Shots Protect Children Under 5
Three doses of Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine offer strong protection for children younger than 5, the company announced Monday. Pfizer plans to give the data to U.S. regulators later this week in a step toward letting the littlest kids get the shots. The news comes after months of anxious waiting...
California School Bus Driver Charged With Giving Fentanyl to Students
A bus driver at a private Southern California school was charged Friday with selling fentanyl to special-needs students on campus, including a girl who was treated for an overdose. Melissa Harloam-Garrison, 46, was charged with child endangerment and furnishing controlled substances to a minor, along with other drug and...
Archbishop: Pelosi Will Be Denied Communion Over Abortion Stand
The conservative Catholic archbishop of San Francisco said Friday that he will no longer allow U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to receive Communion because of her support for abortion rights. Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone said in he sent Pelosi a letter April 7 expressing his concerns after she vowed to...
‘Never Have I Been so Ashamed’: Russian Envoy Criticizes War
A veteran Russian diplomat to the U.N. Office at Geneva says he handed in his resignation before sending out a scathing letter to foreign colleagues inveighing against the “aggressive war unleashed” by Russian President Vladimir Putin in Ukraine. Boris Bondarev, 41, confirmed his resignation in a letter delivered Monday...