AP California News

By The Associated Press Reaction to the death of Tony Bennett at age 96: “So sad to hear of Tony’s passing. Without doubt the classiest singer, man, and performer you will ever see. He’s irreplaceable. I loved and adored him. Condolences to Susan, Danny and the family.” — Sir Elton John, via Instagram. “RIP Tony

By KRYSTA FAURIA and JILL LAWLESS Associated Press LOS ANGELES (AP) — The combined strike by Hollywood actors and screenwriters entered its second week with no sign that a swift ending will be achieved, and union leaders and star strikers sought Friday to keep morale high as the novelty of picket lines wears off. “The

By BEN FINLEY and HANNAH SCHOENBAUM Associated Press RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — A tornado heavily damaged a major Pfizer pharmaceutical plant in North Carolina on Wednesday, while torrential rain flooded communities in Kentucky and an area from California to South Florida endured more scorching heat. Pfizer confirmed that the large manufacturing complex was damaged by

By KARENA PHAN Associated Press “Think pink! think pink! when you shop for summer clothes. Think pink! think pink! if you want that quelque chose.” That advice, sung as an epiphany in the 1957 musical film “Funny Face,” has definitely been heeded — just take a look around at fashion and media. The fascination around

By CHRISTOPHER RUGABER AP Economics Writer WASHINGTON (AP) — Anonymous comments with racist, sexist and abusive messages that were posted for years on a jobs-related website for economists originated from numerous leading U.S. universities, according to research released Thursday. Some economists have long condemned the website, Economics Job Market Rumors, for its toxic content. The

By SCOTT SONNER and HAVEN DALEY Associated Press SAND HARBOR, Nev. (AP) — Lake Tahoe tourism officials were surprised, and a bit miffed, when a respected international travel guide put the iconic alpine lake straddling the California-Nevada line on its list of places to stay away from this year because of the harmful ecological effects

ISABELLA O’MALLEY Temperatures have peaked at or above 110 degrees Fahrenheit (43.3 degrees Celsius) the entire month of July in Phoenix. Air conditioning, which made modern Phoenix even possible, is a lifeline. When a cloudless sky combines with outdoor temperatures over 100 F, your house turns into an “air fryer” or “broiler,” as the roof

By MARCIO SANCHEZ Associated Press LOS ANGELES (AP) — A tiny neighborhood store in downtown Los Angeles sold the winning ticket for the Powerball jackpot worth an estimated $1.08 billion, the sixth largest in U.S. history and the third largest in the history of the game. The winning numbers for Wednesday night’s drawing were: white

By HEATHER HOLLINGSWORTH Associated Press Lottery dreamers are setting their sights on the growing Mega Millions jackpot drawing on Friday after a ticket worth more than $1 billion was sold for the Powerball lottery. Here’s a look at how this drawing compares to other jackpots and why these winnings have become so high. HOW DOES

TORONTO (AP) — Padres right-hander Robert Suarez was activated off the 60-day injured list before Thursday afternoon’s game against the Blue Jays. Suarez signed a $46 million, five-year contract to stay with the Padres last November but has not pitched this season because of a sore elbow. Right-handed knuckleballer Matt Waldron was optioned to Triple-A

By LINDSEY BAHR AP Film Writer Barbie, the doll, may be 64 years old, but “Barbie,” the movie, is a pandemic baby. Greta Gerwig, the Oscar-nominated filmmaker behind “Little Women” and “Lady Bird,” started dreaming it up at a time when she wasn’t sure movies would ever come back. “I wanted to channel something that

By FABIOLA SÁNCHEZ Associated Press MEXICO CITY (AP) — A street-food salesgirl who became a tech entrepreneur and senator is shaking up the contest to succeed Mexico’s popular president and offering many voters the first real alternative to her country’s dominant party. Xóchitl Gálvez, 60, helped her family as a girl by selling tamales on

By MARCIO SANCHEZ Associated Press LOS ANGELES (AP) — A tiny neighborhood store in downtown Los Angeles sold the winning ticket for the Powerball jackpot worth an estimated $1.08 billion, the sixth largest in U.S. history and the third largest in the history of the game. The winning numbers for Wednesday night’s drawing were: white

By MARIA SHERMAN AP Music Writer Country music star Jason Aldean ‘s latest music video for “Try That In A Small Town,” lasted just one weekend on Country Music Television before the network pulled it in response to an outcry over its setting and lyrics. In the video, Aldean — who has been awarded country

By BRITTANY PETERSON and SIBI ARASU Associated Press Back in 2015, California’s dry earth was crunching under a fourth year of drought. Then-Governor Jerry Brown ordered an unprecedented 25% reduction in home water use. Farmers, who use the most water, volunteered too to avoid deeper, mandatory cuts. Brown also set a goal for the state

By BRIAN MELLEY Associated Press LONDON (AP) — Three of Kevin Spacey ‘s accusers are liars, his lawyer told jurors Thursday at the actor’s sexual assault trial, and he suggested they not convict him for making a “clumsy pass” at a fourth man. Spacey was an easy mark for men who hopped on a “bandwagon”

ISABELLA O’MALLEY Temperatures have peaked at or above 110 degrees Fahrenheit (43.3 degrees Celsius) the entire month of July in Phoenix. Air conditioning, which made modern Phoenix even possible, is a lifeline. When a cloudless sky combines with outdoor temperatures over 100 F, your house turns into an “air fryer” or “broiler,” as the roof

By JEFF TURNER Associated Press LOS ANGELES (AP) — A row of tightly trimmed ficus trees along a stretch of sidewalk outside Universal Studios has become a hot spot in the face-off between Hollywood studios and striking screenwriters and actors. Some members of the Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists and Writers