Author: admin

By MATTHEW LEE, AP Diplomatic WriterWASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden and his family were given tens of thousands of dollars in gifts from foreign leaders in 2023, according to an annual accounting published by the State Department on Thursday, with first lady Jill Biden receiving the single most expensive present: a $20,000 diamond from India’s leader.The 7.5-carat diamond from Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi was easily the most costly gift presented to any member of the first family in 2023, although she also received a brooch valued at $14,063 from the Ukrainian ambassador to the United States and a…

By COLLEEN LONGWEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) — Donald Trump is expected to hold a big Washington rally the day before he’s sworn in as the nation’s 47th president.The victory rally, as it’s being billed, will be held at the Capitol One Arena in the District of Columbia on Jan. 19. Trump has always preferred rally-style events where he can freewheel and joke with his supporters. He’ll be inaugurated in a formal ceremony at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 20th.“This is President Trump’s VICTORY RALLY the DAY before being sworn in as the 47th President — the crowd needs to…

It wasn’t quite as dramatic as any come-from-behind victory by Silky Sullivan, Vigors or Zenyatta, but California horses collectively summoned a stirring rally in 2024.After failing to win a single Eclipse Award in 2023, thoroughbreds who raced at Santa Anita and Del Mar beat expectations and deserve to win as many as four national divisional championships for 2024 when the honors are announced at a Jan. 23 dinner in Palm Beach, Fla.Voting by racing journalists and executives ended Thursday. Here are the first-, second- and third-place choices on my ballot in 17 equine and human categories, including the Horse of the Year title that…

By MICHAEL LIEDTKEApple has agreed to pay $95 million to settle a lawsuit accusing the privacy-minded company of deploying its virtual assistant Siri to eavesdrop on people using its iPhone and other trendy devices.The proposed settlement filed Tuesday in an Oakland, California, federal court would resolve a 5-year-old lawsuit revolving around allegations that Apple surreptitiously activated Siri to record conversations through iPhones and other devices equipped with the virtual assistant for more than a decade.The alleged recordings occurred even when people didn’t seek to activate the virtual assistant with the trigger words, “Hey, Siri.” Some of the recorded conversations were…

The rise of bird flu across farms in California has raised questions about the virus and and its potential threat to humans. While the threat to humans is currently small, here is what you need to know about the state of bird flu.On Dec. 18, Gov. Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency as the H5N1 bird flu virus continues to infect dairy herds across the country — including more than 600 in California, according to state’s Department of Food and Agriculture.Since April, there have been 61 human cases of avian flu nationwide, according to U.S. Centers for Disease Control…

LOS ANGELES — After the crowd had emptied and Kendrick Lamar’s “Not Like Us” no longer filled the UCLA men’s locker room, Dylan Andrews stood in the Intuit Dome tunnel processing it all – the junior’s first win over Gonzaga in three tries.“Good to just come out on top,” Andrews told a group of reporters outside the locker room.A hint of relief lingered in his tone because, yes the Bruins had beaten the Bulldogs 65-62, but Andrews hadn’t had much control over that outcome. He played just 17 minutes, was 0 of 5 from the field, and looked to create…

Later this month, the man who promised to be “a dictator on Day 1” will take the presidential oath of office for the second time.He’s likely spent much of his time during the two month-plus transition period since the Nov. 5 election drafting executive orders and other measures to act immediately on that promise.About the least surprising order will likely be one declaring a national state of emergency on immigration. Trump has promised to deport millions of undocumented immigrants, with about one-third of the nation’s 11 million now living in California.What realities might this produce? For one thing, don’t expect…

By TODD RICHMOND MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Nearly 200 absentee ballots somehow went uncounted in Wisconsin’s liberal capital after the Nov. 5 election, prompting state election officials to launch an investigation Thursday into whether the city clerk broke the law. The Wisconsin Elections Commission voted unanimously to investigate whether Madison City Clerk Maribeth Witzel-Behl failed to comply with state law or abused her discretion. Commission members said they were concerned the clerk’s office didn’t inform them of the problem until late December, almost a month and a half after the election. Commission Chair Ann Jacobs certified Wisconsin’s election results on Nov. 29.…

Murrieta Valley outside hitter Miley Thunstrom entered her senior season with a list of goals.Murrieta Valley senior outside hitter Miley Thunstrom has been chosen the IE Varsity Girls Volleyball Player of the Year for the 2024 season, she sits on the court on Friday, Dec. 13, 2024 in Murrieta. (Photo by Anjali Sharif-Paul, The Sun/SCNG) Murrieta Valley senior outside hitter Miley Thunstrom has been chosen the IE Varsity Girls Volleyball Player of the Year for the 2024 season, she stands on the court on Friday, Dec. 13, 2024 in Murrieta. (Photo by Anjali Sharif-Paul, The Sun/SCNG) Murrieta Valley senior outside…

Media scream, “Too many people have guns!” Second Amendment activist Maj Toure says more people should carry guns. “Everybody should be walking around,” he says in my new video, “like, ‘Oh man, I left my gun in the house. Let me go back and get it.’ It should be as normal as a cellphone.” Activists and some politicians want gun control. Toure says, “All gun control is racist!” All? “It was literally started to stop Black people from having the means to defend themselves.” He’s right. In the 1600s, American colonies had rules against Blacks owning guns. “It’s a good…