A vast swath of North America from the Great Lakes to the West Coast is at risk of blackouts this summer as heat, drought, shuttered power plants and supply chain woes strain the electric grid. Power supplies in much of the U.S. and part of Canada will be stretched, with demand growing again after two years of pandemic disruptions, according to ...Read more

WASHINGTON — When President Joe Biden went to Capitol Hill in October to arm-twist for his signature environmental and economic legislation, many Democrats remained hopeful the bill’s climate provisions would survive.

But Rep. Alan Lowenthal, D-Calif., was worried. If the bill failed, Congress might not get another shot for years.

“We’...Read more

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Tobi Magdison wants President Joe Biden to “keep to your promise” to the wildfire victims of El Dorado County. Candace Tyler wants to know why she and other fire victims have been overlooked by the federal government.

El Dorado County government officials released a five-minute video Tuesday in which residents plead ...Read more

In public, Elon Musk’s erratic tweets have sent Twitter Inc.’s shares flailing, as traders bet that the billionaire is preparing to walk away from or re-negotiate his $44 billion takeover of the social-media company. Behind the scenes, it’s more like business as usual, as advisers on both sides plug away at the day-to-day work of closing a...Read more

LOS ANGELES — Two women who alleged inappropriate behavior by a Cal State vice president said they were dismayed he did not face any discipline or undergo corrective action by Sonoma State President Judy Sakaki after an investigation concluded he engaged in inappropriate touching and made unwanted sexual comments to women while working at ...Read more

LOS ANGELES — Federal authorities charged 13 people and arrested five in connection with a California unemployment insurance benefits scheme they believe netted at least $2 million under the direction of a state prison inmate.

Natalie Le DeMola, a 37-year-old serving a life sentence for first-degree murder, was named as the ringleader, the U....Read more

When Alicia Lara picked up a second job and started working at the Jack in the Box in North Highlands, California in 2018, she regularly found herself forced to work through legally mandated breaks.

“When I needed a break I’d go to the manager but they wouldn’t give me any of my paid breaks,” Lara said through a translator. “We were ...Read more

TAIPEI, Taiwan — The man accused of opening fire inside a Taiwanese church in Laguna Woods, California, on Sunday is believed to have been driven by hatred for Taiwanese people and the political belief that Taiwan is a part of China, highlighting the increasingly fraught geopolitical situation in the Taiwan Strait.

David Wenwei Chou, a 68-...Read more

WASHINGTON — To many observers on Capitol Hill and in foreign aid circles, Sen. Rand Paul’s lonely opposition to swift passage of a $40 billion package of military, economic and humanitarian aid to Ukraine is nothing new. The Kentucky Republican has a well-known penchant for spending hawkishness mixed with dovishness when it comes to global ...Read more

CHICAGO — The mother of an elementary school student who took a gun to school in a backpack — which “accidentally discharged in the backpack while inside a classroom,” and grazed another student in the stomach — has been charged and will appear in court Wednesday, Chicago police said.

Tatanina Kelly, 28, faces three misdemeanor counts...Read more

Tesla Inc. customers might love the carmakers’ nifty keyless entry system, but one cybersecurity researcher has demonstrated how the same technology could allow thieves to drive off with certain models of the electric vehicles.

A hack effective on the Tesla Model 3 and Y cars would allow a thief to unlock a vehicle, start it and speed away, ...Read more

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Abortion may soon be a crime in Missouri, but prosecutions aren’t anticipated in Kansas City.

Jackson County Prosecutor Jean Peters Baker has all but guaranteed her office won’t bring abortion-related charges, saying she will use her prosecutorial discretion “to limit the erosion of reproductive rights.”

All ...Read more

LOS ANGELES — Enrollment in Los Angeles public schools is expected to plunge by nearly 30% over the next decade, leading to tough choices ahead about academic programs, campus closures, jobs and employee benefits — and forcing, over that time, a dramatic remake of the nation's second-largest school system.

The predicted steep drop, which ...Read more

LVIV, Ukraine — As the first Russian soldier to be tried for war crimes pleaded guilty to killing a Ukrainian civilian, fears grew Wednesday over the fate of hundreds of Ukrainian soldiers who surrendered at the Azovstal steelworks in Mariupol a day earlier.

Ukrainian officials say they are negotiating to exchange the beleaguered fighters for...Read more

Andrew Bade, who was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes nearly two decades ago, is accustomed to all the medical gear he needs to keep his blood sugar under control. His insulin pump contains a disposable insulin cartridge, and a plastic tubing system with an adhesive patch keeps in place the cannula that delivers insulin under his skin. He wears a ...Read more