AP California

CalMatters A blistering California heat wave over the past week and through the Fourth of July holiday could be topped off by the hottest temperature ever recorded on Earth. That kind of extreme heat has led to more deaths than wildfires and cost billions of dollars over a decade, according to the state insurance department.

Associated Press SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — Top California Democrats want to advance legislation to crack down on retail theft, announcing they plan to send the measure to voters in November despite a tough-on-crime initiative already backed by retailers and law enforcement. The lawmakers’ plan, led by Gov. Gavin Newsom, seeks to put fewer people behind

SAN DIEGO (AP) — Two giant pandas from China have safely arrived in Southern California, where they will be cared for as part of an ongoing conservation partnership, the San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance said Friday. The pandas, Yun Chuan and Xin Bao, will spend the next several weeks acclimating to their new home in

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Opponents of the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza staged a protest that evolved into brawling and one arrest outside a Los Angeles synagogue over the weekend in violence condemned by President Joe Biden and the city’s mayor, who called for more police patrols. Fighting between pro-Palestinian demonstrators and counterprotesters erupted Sunday outside

By SCOTT SONNER Associated Press RENO, Nev. (AP) — Records tumbled across the Southwest United States on Thursday as temperatures soared past 110 degrees Fahrenheit (43 degrees Celsius) from southeast California to Arizona, where the region’s first heat wave of the year was expected to maintain its grip for at least another day. Although the

By RONALD BLUM AP Baseball Writer NEW YORK (AP) — Shohei Ohtani says he lost sleep after his translator was accused of stealing millions of dollars from the two-way baseball star. Ippei Mizuhara was fired by the Los Angeles Dodgers after the season opener on March 21 when a federal gambling investigation became public. Mizuhara

YUMA, Ariz. (AP) — A Yuma man has been arrested for allegedly starting a wildfire in a national wildlife preserve in southwest Arizona near the California border, according to authorities. Yuma County Sheriff’s officials said 47-year-old Jason Bradley Martin remains jailed on suspicion of arson, criminal damage and other charges. They announced Saturday night that

By TERRY SPENCER Associated Press FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) — Rapper and singer Sean Kingston and his mother committed more than a million dollars in fraud in recent months, stealing money, jewelry, a Cadillac Escalade and furniture, documents released Friday allege. Kingston, 34, and his 61-year-old mother, Janice Turner, have been charged with conducting an

By SOPHIE AUSTIN Associated Press/Report for America SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — The California Senate advanced a set of ambitious reparations proposals Tuesday, including legislation that would create an agency to help Black families research their family lineage and confirm their eligibility for any future restitution passed by the state. Lawmakers also passed bills to create

By CLAIRE RUSH and JENNIFER McDERMOTT Associated Press A congressman who represents California’s north coast has sent a letter to federal regulators asking that they “urgently place” a senior official in the state to respond to tribal needs as wind power is developed offshore. U.S. Rep. Jared Huffman sent the letter as the U.S. offshore

By MICHELLE CHAPMAN and DEE-ANN DURBIN AP Business Writers Red Lobster, the casual dining chain that brought seafood to the masses with inventions like popcorn shrimp and “endless” seafood deals, has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. The 56-year-old chain made the filing late Sunday, days after shuttering dozens of restaurants. “This restructuring is the

LOS ANGELES (AP) — It’s Shohei Ohtani Day in Los Angeles. The Japanese two-way superstar was honored at Los Angeles City Hall on Friday and presented with a city council resolution that declared May 17 as Shohei Ohtani Day for the duration of his Dodgers career. Ohtani signed a record $700 million, 10-year contract with

By ELLIOT SPAGAT Associated Press JACUMBA HOT SPRINGS, Calif. (AP) — On many nights, hundreds of migrants squeeze through poles in a border wall or climb over on metal ladders. They gather in a buffer zone between two walls with views of the night lights of Tijuana, Mexico, waiting hours for Border Patrol agents while