MINNEAPOLIS (AP) – A judge has granted prosecutors’ request to add a third-degree murder charge against the former Minneapolis police officer charged in George Floyd’s death. Judge Peter Cahill on Thursday added the charge after the former officer, Derek Chauvin, failed to get appellate courts to block it. Cahill had earlier rejected the charge as…… MORE
WASHINGTON (AP) – Emboldened by their majorities in the House and Senate, Democrats are making a new push to enact the first major new gun control laws in more than two decades and they’re starting with stricter background checks. T he House is poised to pass two bills on Thursday that would require background checks…… MORE
DALLAS (AP) – Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton says a lawsuit by Twitter won’t deter his office from investigating the content moderation practices of the social media giant and four other major technology companies. Twitter sued the Republican official this week in an effort to halt his probe, which. Twitter says Paxton launched in retaliation…… MORE
LOS ANGELES (AP) – Two U.S. Postal Service employees have been charged with abusing their positions to purchase postal money orders with thousands of dollars in California unemployment benefits obtained through false claims of pandemic-related job losses. The Los Angeles U.S. Attorney’s Office says the two were arrested Wednesday. A criminal complaint alleges conspiracy, aggravated…… MORE
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) – California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s administration says the massive new federal coronavirus relief bill will pump more than $150 billion into the state’s economy. Nearly half of that money will go to Californians directly in the form of $1,400 checks and expanded unemployment benefits. Another $26 billion will go to the state…… MORE
FRESNO, CA (KMJ) — A man was arrested on Friday following a month-long human trafficking investigation. It started February 1 when the Fresno Police Department was called to Belmont Ave. and Broadway St. to check the welfare of a 28-year-old woman. Police believed the woman may be a victim of human trafficking. The Fresno Police…… MORE
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) – California Gov. Gavin Newsom painted a positive picture of the state’s pandemic response during his State of the State address. But some of his statements Tuesday night lacked key context or twisted the facts. He called California’s death rate one of the lowest per capita in the nation, but data from…… MORE
LOS ANGELES (AP) – California Gov. Gavin Newsom urged an exhausted state to dream of brighter days ahead during his annual State of the State address. Newsom spoke Tuesday evening from an empty Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, surrounded by 56,000 seats representing roughly the number of people who have died during the pandemic. Newsom…… MORE
Rep. Devin Nunes, R-Calif., on Tuesday claimed the $1.9 trillion coronavirus stimulus package Congress is expected to pass has “nothing” to do with the ongoing pandemic, and simply is a “slush fund” for Democrats. Nunes told Fox Business’ “Mornings with Maria” the stimulus package likely to pass a House vote tomorrow “has nothing to do with…… MORE
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) – California would take a step toward having counselors instead of police respond to people experiencing mental health crises under a bill backed Monday by gun-violence prevention groups. People who dial or text 9-8-8 would be connected with counselors to get help from mobile crisis support teams staffed with mental health professionals.…… MORE
