WASHINGTON (AP) – The U.S. Postal Service’s famous motto – “Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night stays these couriers” – is being tested like never before, by challenges well beyond the weather. Its finances have been devastated by the coronavirus. The Trump administration may attach big strings to federal bailouts. And…… MORE
Veteran, Ex-Cop Killed in California Police Shooting
PASADENA, Calif. (AP) – Authorities say a San Diego man fatally shot during a gun battle with police in California was a former U.S. Marine and ex-police officer. Dramatic video released Tuesday shows Lloyd Nelson Jr. firing his gun May 8 at police after his car crashed head-on into a police vehicle during a pursuit…… MORE
Applications for Jobless Aid Fall to Still-High 1.48 Million
WASHINGTON (AP) – The number of laid-off workers who applied for unemployment benefits fell to 1.48 million last week, the 12th straight drop and a sign that layoffs are slowing but are still at a painfully high level. The steady decline in claims suggests that the job market has begun to heal from the pandemic,…… MORE
Report: State, Local Aid Needed to Avert 4 Million Layoffs
WASHINGTON (AP) – A new private sector report is warning anew of continuing damage to the economy if Washington doesn’t deliver several hundred billion dollars in budget relief to states and local governments amid the coronavirus pandemic. But Wednesday’s report by Moody’s Analytics, a private sector economic research firm, could also help illustrate a path…… MORE
‘Faces of the Conquerors’: President’s Trip to Rushmore Draws Fire
SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (AP) – President Donald Trump’s plans to kick off Independence Day with a showy display at Mount Rushmore are drawing sharp criticism from Native Americans who view the monument as a desecration of land violently stolen from them. Several groups led by Native American activists are planning protests for Trump’s July 3…… MORE
Newsom Uses Funding as Threat Over COVID-19 Mandates
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) – California Gov. Gavin Newsom says he could withhold up to $2.5 billion in the upcoming state budget from local governments that fail to comply with mandates intended to slow the spread of the coronavirus. The funding threat comes as California sees a worrisome rise in the number of virus cases and…… MORE
CA Schools Chief: Officers Needed on Some Campuses
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) – California’s top schools official says he is working to re-imagine the role of police officers at the state’s 10,000 public schools. Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond said Wednesday that some schools would still need officers on campus to protect students from serious dangers, including shootings or bomb threats. Thurmond, the…… MORE
Monsanto Settlement to Fund Water Cleanup in Calif. Cities
LOS ANGELES (AP) – Major California cities say they’ll use their share of a $650 million settlement to clean up the now-banned chemical PCB from polluted bays, lakes and other waterways. The giant chemical company Monsanto announced the tentative agreement Wednesday with government entities that had filed suit since 2015 over polluted waterways and estuaries.…… MORE
Disney Delays CA Theme Park Reopenings
ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) – Disney is postponing the mid-July reopening of its Southern California theme parks until it receives guidelines from the state. The company announced Wednesday an indefinite postponement for Disneyland and Disney California Adventure in Anaheim. Disney hoped to reopen them on July 17 after a four-month closure due to the coronavirus. But…… MORE
Voters to Decide Fate of CA Affirmative Action Ban
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) – California voters will decide in November whether governments and public colleges and universities can consider race in their hiring and admissions decisions. The state has banned affirmative action policies since 1996 when voters approved a constitutional amendment that bans preferential treatment based on race and other factors. The state Senate voted…… MORE
