LOS ANGELES | Southern California fire scorches huge swath of public lands
LOS ANGELES — Southern Californians faced with the loss of lives and homes in a huge wildfire are also grappling with the destruction of a vast swath of public lands that are popular destinations for hikers, horseback riders and mountain bikers. The Woolsey fire has charred more than 83 percent of National Park Service land … Continue reading LOS ANGELES | Southern California fire scorches huge swath of public lands
BILLINGS, Montana | Experts look ways to curb deaths as fires get more severe
BILLINGS, Montana— Creating fire buffers between housing and dry brush, burying spark-prone power lines and lighting more controlled burns to keep vegetation in check could give people a better chance of surviving wildfires, according to experts searching for ways to reduce growing death tolls from blazes in California and across the U.S. West. Western wildfires … Continue reading BILLINGS, Montana | Experts look ways to curb deaths as fires get more severe
WESTLAKE VILLAGE, Calif | Heroic California cop who died in bar shooting is mourned
WESTLAKE VILLAGE, Calif.— Sheriff’s deputies knew him as a cop’s cop, one who would “go to the ends of the earth” to solve a crime. To family and friends, Ron Helus was a devoted husband and father who loved to go fly fishing with his son. On Thursday, Helus will be hailed as a hero … Continue reading WESTLAKE VILLAGE, Calif | Heroic California cop who died in bar shooting is mourned
JACKSON, Miss | GOP senator should explain ‘hanging’ remark, challenger says
JACKSON, Miss. — A white Republican U.S. senator from Mississippi needs to fully explain her comment about a “public hanging,” her black Democratic challenger says. Republican Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith made the remark in a video that surfaced Sunday. She praised a cattle rancher at a Nov. 2 campaign event in Tupelo by saying: “If he … Continue reading JACKSON, Miss | GOP senator should explain ‘hanging’ remark, challenger says
WASHINGTON | DHS replacement will face same border challenges
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump and Homeland Security chief Kirstjen Nielsen never quite clicked personally as the president chafed at her explanations of complicated immigration issues and her inability to bring about massive changes at the U.S.-Mexico border. With Nielsen’s departure now considered inevitable, her eventual replacement will find there’s no getting around the immigration … Continue reading WASHINGTON | DHS replacement will face same border challenges
WASHINGTON | Justice Department and CNN spar over Acosta’s press pass
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump’s administration is trying to fend off a legal challenge from CNN and other outlets over the revocation of journalist Jim Acosta‘s White House “hard pass.” U.S. District Court Judge Timothy Kelly heard arguments Wednesday afternoon from lawyers representing CNN and the Justice Department. The news network is seeking an immediate … Continue reading WASHINGTON | Justice Department and CNN spar over Acosta’s press pass
WASHINGTON | Mattis compares border mission to one against Pancho Villa
WASHINGTON— Defense Secretary Jim Mattis defended the use of active duty troops on the U.S.-Mexican border, saying that in some ways it provides good training for war. He argued that it’s analogous to a 1916 deployment to counter the Mexican revolutionary Gen. Francisco “Pancho” Villa. Speaking to reporters Wednesday on his way to visit U.S. … Continue reading WASHINGTON | Mattis compares border mission to one against Pancho Villa
WASHINGTON | Seeking a 2020 comeback, House GOP elects McCarthy as leader
WASHINGTON — Republican Rep. Kevin McCarthy easily won an internal party election to take over the shrunken House GOP caucus, handing the seven-term Californian a familiar role of building the party back to a majority as well as protecting President Donald Trump’s agenda. With Speaker Paul Ryan retiring and the House majority gone, the race … Continue reading WASHINGTON | Seeking a 2020 comeback, House GOP elects McCarthy as leader