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Craig Kohlruss/Fresno Bee/TNS

California halts sales of raw milk due to bird flu virus contamination

Current News / News & Features /

SAN JOSE, Calif. — Worried that a drink of infected raw milk could cause the H5N1 bird flu virus to jump to people, state health officials have ordered that all raw milk and cream from a Fresno-based dairy farm be pulled from store shelves.

Consumers should return any purchased milk to the store where it was bought, they add.

“...Read more

Sarah A. Miller/Idaho Statesman/TNS

Can Idaho doctors refer patients to other states for abortions? Federal judges weigh in

Current News / News & Features /

BOISE, Idaho — A federal court has denied Idaho Attorney General Raúl Labrador’s appeal for another District Court judge to oversee an abortion lawsuit, kicking back a decision on whether doctors can refer patients out of state down to a lower court.

The federal court also upheld an injunction barring Labrador or Idaho prosecutors from ...Read more

Alejandro Tamayo/The San Diego Union-Tribune/TNS

Bill would allow San Diego Association of Governments to earmark border crossing toll revenue for sewage crisis

Current News / News & Features /

SAN DIEGO — California state Sen. Steve Padilla announced Wednesday new legislation that would allow the San Diego Association of Governments to earmark a portion of anticipated toll revenue from the forthcoming Otay Mesa East border crossing to help fix the Tijuana River sewage crisis.

Existing law authorizes the regional planning agency to ...Read more

Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images North America/TNS

Louisiana Sen. Bill Cassidy draws primary challenge from former Hill colleague

Current News / News & Features /

WASHINGTON — Former Rep. John Fleming, now the Louisiana state treasurer, on Wednesday launched a 2026 primary challenge to Sen. Bill Cassidy, a fellow Republican who voted to convict Donald Trump at his second impeachment trial.

Fleming, who served four terms in the House and later worked in the first Trump administration, cited his “deep...Read more

News briefs

Current News / News & Features /

Parents, states press Congress to act on kids online safety bill

WASHINGTON — Parents whose kids died allegedly because of social media content are pushing lawmakers to require tech companies to alter practices to minimize such harms.

Attorneys general in more than half of U.S. states support the same legislation, saying “many social media...Read more

Gunman found dead, 2 children injured in Northern California school shooting, sheriff says

Current News / News & Features /

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — A suspected gunman is dead and two students were hospitalized with gunshots wounds Wednesday after Northern California authorities responded to a reported shooting at a faith-based elementary school in Butte County.

About 1 p.m. Wednesday, deputies responded to 911 calls reporting a suspected gunman who had fired shots at...Read more

John Kraus/Polaris Program/TNS/TNS

Trump taps billionaire SpaceX astronaut to run NASA

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President-elect Donald Trump will nominate financial technology billionaire Jared Isaacman, a longtime SpaceX astronaut, to serve as the next NASA administrator.

If confirmed, Isaacman would oversee a U.S. agency with a roughly $24.8 billion budget and a suite of human and robotic space exploration programs, including the flagship Artemis moon ...Read more

ALEJANDRO A. ALVAREZ/The Philadelphia Inquirer/TNS

NJ standardized test scores show students still struggling, and other takeaways from board of education meeting

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New Jersey released its annual statewide standardized test scores Wednesday, with good and bad news on how public school students are performing in math, language arts, and science.

The state Department of Education presented the statewide results to the Board of Education for third through ninth graders who took the New Jersey Student Learning...Read more

MANDEL NGAN/AFP/Getty Images North America/TNS

Trump picks Kelly Loeffler as head of Small Business Administration

Current News / News & Features /

President-elect Donald Trump said he will nominate former U.S. Sen. Kelly Loeffler to lead the Small Business Administration, a move that catapults one of his most loyal Georgia allies to a key position in his administration while jumbling the state’s political landscape.

“Kelly will bring her experience in business and Washington to reduce...Read more

JIM WATSON/AFP/Getty Images North America/TNS

Trump taps Peter Navarro as trade, manufacturing counselor

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WASHINGTON — President-elect Donald Trump tapped Peter Navarro as his senior counselor for trade and manufacturing, elevating the formerly incarcerated adviser back to a role similar to the one he played in the previous Trump administration.

“During my First Term, few were more effective or tenacious than Peter in enforcing my two sacred ...Read more

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution/TNS

Young Slime Life juror: 'There wasn't a smoking gun'

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ATLANTA — If Young Thug hadn’t pleaded guilty to gang, drug and gun charges on Halloween night, the rap superstar might have walked free, two jurors said after the lengthy trial ended this week.

The trial, the longest in Georgia history, concluded Tuesday as the two remaining defendants were acquitted of murder, gang and racketeering ...Read more

Olivier Morin/AFP/Getty Images North America/TNS

Canadian man leaps onto polar bear about to maul his wife in driveway, cops say. 'What a hero'

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A man is recovering after he leapt onto a polar bear to prevent it from mauling his wife in their driveway in Canada, police said.

It worked — and the bear attacked the man instead, the Nishnawbe-Aski Police Service said on Facebook on Tuesday, Dec. 3.

The couple had left their home before 5 a.m. to find their missing dogs when they ...Read more

Ethan Miller/Getty Images North America/TNS

Trump taps former Rep. Billy Long as IRS commissioner

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WASHINGTON — President-elect Donald Trump said he is selecting former U.S. Rep. Billy Long to serve as the commissioner of the Internal Revenue Service, enlisting a Republican who served in Congress for an incoming administration aiming to renew and expand a broad package of tax cuts.

“Since leaving Congress, Billy has worked as a Business ...Read more

K.C. Alfred/The San Diego Union-Tribune/TNS

San Diego County's GDP up to $261.7 billion -- bigger than half of U.S. states

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San Diego County last year saw its GDP rise 1.4% to $261.7 billion — bigger than half the states in America.

In data released Wednesday by the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, the U.S. gross domestic product grew 2.9% to $22.7 trillion — by far the largest in the world.

Slower GDP growth was common across the U.S. in 2023 in the bureau’...Read more

Jacqueline Charles/Miami Herald/TNS

Cassava in Haiti, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Honduras and Venezuela placed on UNESCO cultural heritage list

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Finally, some good news for Haiti courtesy of the United Nations cultural organization and its annual list of intangible cultural heritage of humanity.

The group, which previously recognized Haiti’s famous unifying freedom soup, soup joumou or pumpkin soup, as a contribution to humanity, on Wednesday paid homage to another traditional Haitian...Read more

Jose Luis Magana/Getty Images North America/TNS

Nadler steps aside as top Democrat on Judiciary Committee

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WASHINGTON — Rep. Jerrold Nadler, D-N.Y., announced Wednesday that he would not run for the ranking member position on the House Judiciary Committee and instead endorsed Rep. Jamie Raskin, D-Md., for the spot.

Nalder, in a letter to Democratic colleagues circulated on social media by The New York Times and other outlets, said Raskin has, in a...Read more

New York Police Department/TNS/TNS

UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson shot to death in 'brazen, targeted attack' in NYC; manhunt underway

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A hooded gunman who was lying in wait for UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson shot and killed the executive outside a Manhattan hotel Wednesday in what police say appears to be a brazen, targeted attack.

Thompson, 50, was fatally shot outside the Hilton hotel in Midtown where video evidence indicates the gunman waited about five minutes, as ...Read more

Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images North America/TNS

Hegseth tries to rally support as allegations swirl

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WASHINGTON — An embattled Pete Hegseth, President-elect Donald Trump’s pick to lead the Defense Department, trudged through meetings and appearances on Capitol Hill on Wednesday as he fought to assuage senators’ concerns about his past behavior and push back on the steady flow of negative press that has followed him in recent days.

In his...Read more

Stuart Cahill/Boston Herald/TNS

Boston City Council reaffirms sanctuary status to 'brace for impact' of Trump mass deportation vow

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BOSTON — The City Council voted unanimously Wednesday to reaffirm Boston’s status as a sanctuary city “to protect” immigrants amid President Donald Trump’s vow to carry out mass deportations when he takes office for the second time next month.

The 13-0 vote was to reaffirm the Boston Trust Act, which, per the Council’s approved ...Read more

Mark Wilson/Getty Images North America/TNS

Trump picks Paul Atkins, a former commissioner, to lead the SEC

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WASHINGTON — Senate Banking ranking member Tim Scott, R-S.C., didn’t waste any time Wednesday afternoon praising Paul Atkins after President-elect Donald Trump tapped Atkins to chair the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Atkins, a former SEC commissioner, would take over from SEC Chair Gary Gensler, who said last month that he will step ...Read more