SAN JOSE, Calif. — For years, former Santa Clara County Supervisor Dianne McKenna helped older friends and family navigate the process of seeking an excuse from jury duty — an experience she eventually brought to her state lawmaker.

Last week, Gov. Gavin Newsom signed the bill McKenna inspired — beginning Jan. 1, 2028, people 80 and older...Read more

WASHINGTON ― Retiring Michigan U.S. Sen. Gary Peters said he has accepted a position as the new director of the Center for the Political Future at the University of Southern California, beginning after his term ends in January.

The Bloomfield Township Democrat will also be appointed the Carmen H. and Louis Warschaw Endowed Chair in Practical ...Read more

ORLANDO, Fla. — Tropical Storm Fay continued to churn Monday even gaining some forecast short steam in the far eastern Atlantic, according to the National Hurricane Center.

As of the NHC’s 5 a.m. advisory, the center of the storm was located about 405 miles southwest of the Azores moving south-southeast at 2 mph with maximum sustained winds...Read more

LOS ANGELES — Gov. Newsom has declared a statewide emergency for California in anticipation of this winter's El Niño-fueled storms, a new sign of growing worry about costal flooding and high waves expected in the coming months.

El Niño may bring high surf, high impact storms to the state which "warrants early, coordinated, and targeted ...Read more

PHILADELPHIA – In the last month, Pennsylvania health officials have announced four measles-associated deaths but have been tight-lipped about almost every detail, beyond sharing their county of residence and that all were unvaccinated.

Most of what the public knows about the four deaths linked to the outbreak — ranging in age from a ...Read more

Ukrainians are already drawing up contingency plans for what threatens to be the worst wartime winter yet.

Under near-constant attack since Russia’s invasion of February 2022, residents are well-versed in getting through cold periods during airstrikes and regular blackouts. But last winter’s prolonged sub-zero temperatures brought a new ...Read more

An indignant Cuban Foreign Ministry said over the weekend that it learned through a story in the Miami Herald that Costa Rica considers diplomatic relations between the two countries fully severed, and that San José never formally notified Havana of the decision.

The ministry’s statement was responding to remarks Costa Rican Foreign Minister...Read more

Chancellor Friedrich Merz reinforced his message that he’ll see through his reform agenda as Germany’s leader after his Christian Democratic Union crashed out of a regional parliament for the first time in the country’s post-World War II history.

The election debacle in the Baltic coast state of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania — where ...Read more

LOS ANGELES — In the pre-sunrise hours on Humboldt Bay, a fishing boat called the Silver Spray encountered a powerful 18-foot wave that tore the top of the boat off, launching the four men aboard into the dark waves.

Skipper Al Burns described to The Times somersaulting underwater as the 35-foot ship sank.

It was Dec. 14, 1999, and one man ...Read more

“Better dead than red.”

Cold War conservatives used to say that, and they meant it: Better to suffer nuclear annihilation, they believed, than endure a “red” victory. And by “red” they meant anyone on the left of the political spectrum – from the Soviet communists to their “fellow travelers” in the U.S.

It’...Read more

Philadelphians die in traffic crashes more than people who live in Chicago, Boston, Washington and New York.

In fact, three times more Philly residents than New Yorkers died in traffic crashes in 2024, according to a report from the Philadelphia city controller’s office based on the most recent data available.

I research ...Read more

People are turning to artificial intelligence for a seemingly unending variety of reasons. Many ask AI what to cook for dinner or how to develop a workout plan. Some even rely on AI to create school handouts or revise a work email.

Increasingly, however, they are asking it different kinds of questions. How do I cope with grief? Why ...Read more

Smartwatches have become an increasingly popular way for people to monitor their health and fitness. About 100 million – nearly 4 in 10 – U.S. adults own a smartwatch. Worldwide, market research estimates approximately 560 million smartwatch wearers.

Yet a growing body of research demonstrates that one of the most commonly used ...Read more

This year’s El Niño has the potential to be one of the strongest in living memory, and the evidence is showing up around the world.

The U.S. just saw its hottest summer on record in the Lower 48 states. Drought is slowing shipping in the Panama Canal. The Pacific is experiencing an exceptionally busy hurricane season, while the ...Read more

The human body is remarkably good at getting used to the environment around it. You’ve probably experienced this if you’ve ever gone to a matinee and emerged from the dark theater into sunshine. Your eyes sting, so you squint and shield your face until they adjust to the bright sunlight.

In the same way, the body can grow ...Read more

CNN, MS NOW and Politico are headed to court to challenge the constitutionality of President Donald Trump's order to ban the three news organizations from the White House.

The three outlets announced Monday they are jointly filing a lawsuit in U.S. Federal Court in Washington, D.C. asking for a temporary restraining order that restores their ...Read more

Russia’s ruling party is set to take more than three-quarters of seats in parliamentary elections that were tightly managed by the Kremlin to demonstrate support for President Vladimir Putin over the war in Ukraine.

United Russia got 57.8% backing for 355 of the 450 seats in the State Duma, as the lower house of parliament is known, with 95% ...Read more

Chancellor Friedrich Merz reinforced his message that he’ll see through his reform agenda as Germany’s leader after his Christian Democratic Union crashed out of a regional parliament for the first time in the country’s post-World War II history.

The election debacle in the Baltic coast state of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania — where ...Read more

U.S. and Chinese officials offered upbeat assessments of their talks on artificial intelligence, trade and investment, signaling a mutual desire to steady ties ahead of this week’s summit between leaders Donald Trump and Xi Jinping.

China’s top trade negotiator, Li Chenggang, said the talks were held in a “good atmosphere” as he left ...Read more