Category: Local News

Syracuse Judge Rules NY State’s Vaccine Mandate for Health Care Workers Unlawful, Strikes It Down

A state Supreme Court judge in Syracuse struck down a statewide mandate for medical staff to be vaccinated against COVID-19, ruling that New York Gov. Kathy Hochul and the state’s health department overstepped their authority. In a landmark ruling issued on Jan. 13, New York State Supreme Court Judge Gerard Neri declared the statewide COVID-19 vaccine…


California Governor Unveils $297 Billion Budget With Cuts to Close $22.5 Billion Deficit

Gov. Gavin Newsom announced Jan. 10 a $297 billion budget proposal, with substantial cuts and delayed spending in various areas aiming to close California’s projected $22.5 billion shortfall in the next fiscal year. The proposed budget for the fiscal year 2023–24, which would start in July, would postpone and reduce funding for some programs, such…


Republican Congressman Calls For Ending Offshore Wind Projects in New Jersey Following Multiple Whale Deaths

Rep Jeff Van Drew (R-N.J.) is demanding an end to offshore wind activity in New Jersey after an “unprecedented” number of whales washed ashore in the area over the past month, and despite such projects being pushed forward by President Biden and NJ Governor Phil Murphy. Offshore wind projects (turbines placed in the ocean that…


NHL Backtracks After DeSantis Alleges Discrimination in Minority-Only Hockey Event

The National Hockey League (NHL) has reacted to allegations of discrimination from the office of Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis by backtracking on some of the eligibility criteria for a job fair that was meant to be restricted to select minority groups. A spokesperson for the NHL told The Epoch Times that the event—the Pathway to Hockey…


3 Dead, 2 Others Shot at Cleveland Home; Suspect in Custody

CLEVELAND—Police say three people were killed and two others were critically wounded in a shooting Friday evening at a Cleveland home, and a male suspect related to the victims is in custody. Police Chief Wayne Drummond said it appeared to be an isolated domestic incident in the Brooklyn Centre neighborhood a few miles southwest of…


End to Storms Is Near but California Braces for 2 More Atmospheric Rivers

California’s parade of atmospheric rivers may be nearing an end but not before at least two more of the rainstorms are due to drench the waterlogged state starting on Saturday, forecasters said. A series of atmospheric rivers rarely seen in such frequent succession has pounded the state since Dec. 26, killing at least 19 people…


Parents Protest Transgender Book Author Event at California High School

Parents protested Jan. 11 outside a California high school that invited 12-year-old students to a talk hosted by a parent group featuring Rachel Pepper, co-author of “The Transgender Child.” More than a dozen protesters stood huddled under umbrellas near Davis High School and later the Davis Joint Unified School District (DJUSD) offices in the heavy…


Nursing Home Owner Faces New Lawsuit in Ida Storm Evacuation

NEW ORLEANS—A nursing home owner who faces criminal and civil complaints over evacuating residents to a squalid warehouse to ride out Hurricane Ida in 2021 is now being sued by federal authorities who say he misspent $4 million. The latest complaint against Bob Dean Jr. was filed Thursday in U.S. District Court in Baton Rouge…


Former Insurance Agent Arrested for Allegedly Stealing $90,000 From Elderly Client

Newport Beach police arrested a 76-year-old woman Jan. 12 for multiple felony counts of financial elder abuse, grand theft of an elder, and forgery, according to the California Department of Insurance. Sally Nava Kanarek, of Huntington Beach, who worked as a life insurance agent from 2018 to 2021, allegedly forged checks to steal over $90,000…


Newsom’s Budget Pledges 5 Percent Boosts to UC, CSU Systems

Despite a slight decrease in higher education funding this year, Gov. Gavin Newsom pledged budget increases for the state’s two public university systems, according to his 2023–24 budget proposal released Jan. 10. If approved, both the University of California (UC) and California State University (CSU) systems will receive a 5 percent boost in funding, amounting…