SAN JOSE, Calif. — Thousands of people awoke without power Wednesday morning after a powerful storm slammed into the Bay Area, toppling trees and further complicating holiday travel across the region.

The North Bay, Peninsula and the South Bay appeared to bear the brunt of the latest storm front, which packed wind gusts topping out at 108 mph...Read more

One common argument we hear against having a natural Christmas tree is the misconception that the trees are cut down from the forest then hauled away to market. The belief is that fewer trees are left to help capture carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.

What actually happens is that Christmas trees are grown as a harvestable farm crop much like ...Read more

NEW YORK — As murders and shootings in New York City continue to drop to record lows, NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch on Wednesday announced a new milestone: 1,000 fewer people shot this year than in 2021.

“Incredible stat! As of today, NYC has recorded 1,000 FEWER shooting victims than in 2021. And 235 fewer than last year,” Tisch posted...Read more

The cause of death has been revealed for a 26-year-old English free climber and content creator who died last year while scaling Spain’s tallest bridge, Castilla La Mancha.

Photographer Lewis Stevenson’s death in the early morning hours of Oct. 13, 2024 occurred due to blunt force head injuries and uncontrolled descent from height, ...Read more

BRISTOL, Pa. — As first responders arrived at the Bristol Health and Rehab Center Tuesday afternoon, they were faced with a nightmarish scene: a nursing facility that housed 120 people had exploded, and dozens were trapped.

Shards of wood, glass, and paneling littered the lawn. The smell of gas hung thick in the air — and flames were ...Read more

MINNEAPOLIS — At Quruxlow Restaurant on Lake Street in Minneapolis, only a portion of the dining space is being used because of a drop-off in customers. Business at the African restaurant is also roughly half of what it was before this month’s ICE crackdown, according to the restaurant’s manager.

The restaurant is just one immigrant-owned...Read more

The Justice Department’s long-awaited rollout of the Jeffrey Epstein files has been a chaotic spectacle that, so far, has largely turned the spotlight back to his previously known associates, including President Donald Trump and former President Bill Clinton, while fueling frustrations.

As of Tuesday evening in Washington, the DOJ had ...Read more

LEXINGTON, Ky. — The U.S. Department of Education has canceled grants for 40 schools across 20 Kentucky school districts, according to the Lexington committee that administers the funds.

The grants were slated to award $47 million to Kentucky school districts over five years, but federal officials are canceling the final two years of the ...Read more

DENVER — Colorado’s prisons will run out of beds for men in the next fiscal year unless significant changes are made to either reduce the prison population or increase capacity, a state analyst projects in a new report.

A sharp decrease in parole releases coupled with a steady stream of new prisoners entering custody means the state’s ...Read more

MINNEAPOLIS — Immigration enforcement officers have told religious leaders they won’t raid Minnesota’s churches this holiday season, the state’s highest ranking Catholic leader said.

Local Department of Homeland Security (DHS) officials told the archdiocese they have no intention of entering churches and schools unless there is an ...Read more

BOSTON — A woman has died after collapsing and becoming unresponsive in the nightclub ICON, according to the family and club, as Boston Police and the Boston Licensing Board are reviewing the tragic incident.

Anastaiya Colon fell to the floor while dancing in the club ICON shortly after midnight Sunday morning and had passed away as of ...Read more

LEXINGTON, Ky. — Drivers along a stretch of Main Street near the intersection with West Dixie in London have grown accustomed to the sight of signs and battery-operated candles near the tire center, just down the road from the police station and city hall.

On the 23rd of every month, like clockwork, a line of people forms along the sidewalk ...Read more

ORLANDO, Fla. — The Florida Department of Transportation deleted its own social media posts praising a decorative crosswalk near the Pulse memorial for “enhancing safety” amid a statewide street art crackdown that set off a firestorm of controversy, according to records made public late Tuesday.

State officials revealed the deleted posts ...Read more

COLUMBIA, S.C. — Fluoride has been used in water systems across the country for decades, with multiple studies showing it has slowed the prevalence of tooth decay in children and adults.

But a handful of South Carolina legislators want to ban fluoride in public drinking water. A pair of bills introduced in the past year are challenging the ...Read more

LOS ANGELES — The slayings of Hollywood legend Rob Reiner and his photographer wife, Michele, have given rise to a complex and intensely watched legal struggle involving their accused son, prosecutors and defense attorneys, who all face key strategic decisions in the coming weeks and months.

Prosecutors allege Nick Reiner fatally stabbed his ...Read more

BOSTON — An out-of-state adult visitor who spent time in the region earlier this month has been diagnosed with measles, according to health officials who are warning the public of possible exposures in multiple locations.

The visitor arrived at Boston Logan airport on American Airlines flight 2384 from Dallas-Fort Worth on Dec. 11 at 2:39 p.m...Read more

BALTIMORE — A coalition of states filed a lawsuit this week challenging a recent action by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services that seeks to restrict access to gender-affirming care for transgender youth.

The suit, filed in federal court, asks a judge to block what HHS has labeled a “declaration,” issued Dec. 18, asserting ...Read more