TOKYO — Japan's longest-serving prime minister, Shinzo Abe, said Friday he is stepping down because a chronic health problem has resurfaced. He told reporters that it was “gut wrenching” to leave many of his goals unfinished. Abe has had ulcerative colitis since he was a teenager and has said the...
With Improving Virus Data, California Looks To Reopen Again
Gov. Gavin Newsom is expected to announce plans today for reopening businesses that have been shuttered since July amid soaring coronavirus cases and hospitalizations. In anticipation of the governor's announcement, there is a common refrain coming from businesses and local governments buffeted by the outbreak: We need clarity. Counties need...
New School-Opening Guidelines Bring Good News for Special Needs Students
Like many students across the Valley, Jodie Howard's son has struggled with distance learning since schools closed abruptly last March due to the coronavirus pandemic. He has autism and has a hard time understanding why his computer, once a source of gaming fun, now represents hard work and challenges as...
Chancellor: State Center Classes Will Be Online for Spring Semester
Most classes for students in the State Center Community College District will continue to be online for the spring 2021 semester, chancellor Paul Parnell announced in an email. The district's top priority is the safety of students, faculty, and staff, and so officials have remained in closed contact with local...
California Bill to Strip Bad Cops of Badges Heads to Final Vote
[aggregation-styles] Los Angeles Times Three months after the police killing of George Floyd ignited national outrage and filled California streets with protesters, the Legislature is in the final hours of a session that is poised to deliver a much more modest law enforcement reform agenda than many expected. But one...
Led by NBA, Athletes Again Put Focus on Racial Justice
LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. — NBA players didn’t come to Disney solely for a restart. They also wanted social reform. The Milwaukee Bucks showed how far they're willing to go to get it by opting not to play in their playoff game Wednesday. Two more games were postponed later in...
Putin Touts Russia’s COVID-19 Vaccine as Effective and Safe
MOSCOW — The Russian president on Thursday praised a coronavirus vaccine that Russia approved for use earlier this month as effective and safe, a clear bid to address international skepticism about the shots that have only been studied for two months in a few dozen people. In an interview with the state...
Newsom Announces Deal to Boost COVID Testing and Lower Costs
SACRAMENTO — California has signed a contract worth up to $1.4 billion with a company to provide a significantly cheaper coronavirus test that will allow the state to eventually more than double the number of people tested to 250,000 per day, Gov. Gavin Newsom announced Wednesday. California now averages about...
Officials Change Virus Testing Advice, Bewildering Experts
NEW YORK — U.S. health officials have sparked a wave of confusion after posting guidelines that coronavirus testing is not necessary for people who have been in close contact with infected people. The new guidance was posted earlier this week on the website of a federal agency, the Centers for...
New State Policy Opens Local Schools for A Few Kids
New guidelines from the California Department of Public Health opens the door to allowing small numbers of students back on campuses closed since March 13. A lot of details remain to be hashed out, and Valley officials on Wednesday were studying the Cohorting Guidance to learn how it might apply...