California is facing a potentially multibillion-dollar flood threat as El Niño gathers strength in the Pacific Ocean.

The warming El Niño phenomenon tends to unleash powerful storms in the Pacific, including atmospheric rivers, some of which are named the “Pineapple Express” if they originate near Hawaii. The heaviest rains tend to come ...Read more

WASHINGTON — Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said she spoke with Donald Trump about this week’s U.S.-China summit in Washington, and touted the “unshakable” bond between the two allies.

Takaichi said Trump called her “right after” hosting a state visit for Chinese leader Xi Jinping and gave her a “detailed” debrief. The ...Read more

WASHINGTON — The Trump administration is planning to release new fuel efficiency mandates on Monday that would ease more stringent rules implemented under President Joe Biden.

President Donald Trump pitched the changes, which he announced in December, as a way to boost the domestic auto industry and lower consumer costs. He made the original ...Read more

NEW YORK — The powerful early-season nor’easter that pounded the East Coast Saturday downed trees and flooded New York City streets and roadways as it unleashed heavy rain and powerful winds across the five boroughs.

The worst of the storm, though, was expected Saturday evening starting around 8 p.m. as a state of emergency was declared for...Read more

Prince Harry made good on a promise he gave to a 102-year-old World War II veteran by jumping out of a plane over Canada.

Harry met former paratrooper Ed Marshall at Sunnybrook Hospital in Toronto in November, according to the Sunnybrook Foundation.

Marshall told the royal during his visit that he celebrated his 100th birthday by skydiving. ...Read more

BALTIMORE — The ocean is officially closed.

That’s the message from the Ocean City Fire Department as rough weather brought high winds, heavy surf and flooding to the resort Saturday.

The department issued an ocean safety alert Saturday morning because of dangerous conditions along the beach. Details of the closure were not immediately ...Read more

China agreed to import at least 10 million metric tons of coal from the U.S. next year and again in 2028, according to the White House, in a sign of progress in easing trade frictions.

The two sides will also pursue more favorable tariffs on $30 billion of nonsensitive goods as part of an agreement struck under the Board of Trade, the U.S. said...Read more

LOS ANGELES — Presley Gerber, the son of supermodel Cindy Crawford who spoke eloquently about his struggles with addiction and mental health, entered the mansion-like sober living home in an elite section of Santa Monica on Saturday night.

The next morning, he was found dead of what police said was a drug overdose.

His death has brought much...Read more

LOS ANGELES — California Gov. Gavin Newsom on Friday signed legislation that seeks to remove abused and neglected animals from crowded municipal shelters during their owners' criminal cases, according to the bill's backers.

Assembly Bill 2344 by Assemblymember Matt Haney, a Democrat, declares animals seized in cruelty criminal cases "...Read more

BOISE, Idaho — It was a bad year for Bogus Basin.

By New Year’s Eve, the Boise-area recreation area had received only about 2 feet of natural snowfall, forcing it to increase its production of artificial snow by 120% compared with the previous season. Amid high temperatures, most winter precipitation fell as rain instead of snow — and the...Read more

President Donald Trump said Saturday he rejected a deal from Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz as Saudi Arabia’s capital came under attack from Yemen’s Houthis over the weekend.

“They made a proposal but I rejected it,” Trump said as he departed the White House on Saturday. “They want to make a deal where they open the strait ...Read more

CHICAGO — More than three weeks have passed since the last beluga whales were transported from a shuttered marine park in Canada to Shedd Aquarium and other facilities across the U.S. and Spain. The dramatic rescues involved lifting the whales with cranes and flying them across international borders.

But since then, five belugas have died: ...Read more

PHILADELPHIA — A wind-tattered and soggy Jersey Shore was reeling Saturday from the effects of an early-season nor’easter trudging up the coast this weekend.

Massive waves and rough surf were reported along the Shore — where New Jersey officials had issued a state of emergency — flooding streets and leaving some people without power.

�...Read more

President Donald Trump said Saturday he rejected a deal from Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz as Saudi Arabia’s capital came under attack from Yemen’s Houthis over the weekend.

“They made a proposal but I rejected it,” Trump said as he departed the White House on Saturday. “They want to make a deal where they open the strait ...Read more

President Donald Trump said Saturday that the issue of Taiwan came up in meetings with Chinese President Xi Jinping this week, as he refrained from repeating Washington’s decades-old stance on the self-governing island.

“We didn’t talk about it too much. Right now, it’s fine. It’s just moving along,” he told reporters when asked ...Read more