KYIV, Ukraine — Europe pushed to toughen its response Monday to Moscow's invasion of Ukraine, with Sweden joining Finland in deciding to seek NATO membership and European Union officials working to rescue proposed sanctions on Russian oil. Ukrainian troops repulsed Russia's attempted advances and even rolled back the front...
K-9 Helps Arrest Suspect Who Rammed Fresno Police Car
Fresno police arrested a suspected car thief who rammed a police cruiser before leading officers on a chase that hit speeds of 100 mph on Highways 41 and 168, officials said. The man was captured with help from a K-9 after he abandoned the stolen Chevrolet Tahoe and tried...
California Lawmakers Raise Awards for Malpractice Lawsuits
The California Legislature on Thursday agreed to increase how much money people can win in medical malpractice lawsuits, resolving one of the thorniest disputes in state politics by raising a cap on damages for the first time in 47 years. Since 1975, the most money that Californians could win...
Americans Bet $125B on Sports in 4 Years Since Legalization
Americans have bet more than $125 billion on sports with legal gambling outlets in the four years since a U.S. Supreme Court ruling cleared the way for all 50 states to offer it. On Saturday's anniversary of the decision in a case brought by New Jersey, two-thirds of the...
Fresno Man Arrested for Dragging Woman’s Body 8 Miles With His Truck, Police Say
A man suspected in a fatal hit-in-run in northwest Fresno in which the victim's body was dragged more than 8 miles was in critical condition after jumping from a three-story house in Bass Lake while deputies tried to arrest him, authorities said. In addition, the Fresno County Sheriff-Coroner's Office...
California Budget Surplus Now $97.5B as Rebate Debate Continues
California is entering the next budget year with a record-smashing surplus of nearly $100 billion, Gov. Gavin Newsom said Friday. Newsom unveiled a revised budget plan of just over $300 billion for the next fiscal year, the highest in state history and fueled by surging tax revenues. The state...
US Defense Chief Talks to Russian Counterpart About Ukraine War
WASHINGTON — U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin spoke with Russian Minister of Defense Sergey Shoygu on Friday, marking the highest level of American contact since the war began in late February. Pentagon Press Secretary John Kirby said Austin “urged an immediate ceasefire in Ukraine and emphasized the importance of...
Israeli Police Beat Mourners at Journalist’s Funeral
Israeli police on Friday moved in on a crowd of mourners at the funeral of Al Jazeera journalist Shireen Abu Akleh, beating demonstrators with batons and causing pallbearers to briefly drop the casket. The crackdown came during a rare show of Palestinian nationalism in east Jerusalem — the part...
UAE’s Long-Ailing Leader Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Dies at 73
The United Arab Emirates' long-ailing ruler and president, Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, died Friday, the government announced in a brief statement. He was 73. Sheikh Khalifa oversaw much of the country’s blistering economic growth and his name was immortalized on the world’s tallest building, the Burj Khalifa,...
No Sea Serpents, Mobsters but Tahoe Trash Divers Strike Gold
They found no trace of a mythical sea monster, no sign of mobsters in concrete shoes or long-lost treasure chests. But scuba divers who spent a year cleaning up Lake Tahoe’s entire 72-mile shoreline have come away with what they hope will prove much more valuable: tons and tons...