Tag: Local News

Katie Hobbs Takes Oath of Office as Arizona Governor

Katie Hobbs has been sworn in to become Arizona’s 24th governor on Monday and the first Democrat to hold the office since 2009. Hobbs will be Arizona’s fifth female governor and the state’s first Democrat in 16 years. She took the oath of office at the state Capitol to officially take over from Republican Doug Ducey. A…


California Turns Into Transgender Sanctuary State for Kids Trying to Modify Their Gender

California became the first sanctuary state in the country to allow children to undergo procedures related to modifying their gender on Jan. 1, adopting a stance that is vastly controversial, in contrast to some Republican-led states that have begun cracking down on invasive medical intervention for transgender-identifying kids. SB 107 was signed into law by Democrat…


Jeremy Renner Undergoes Surgery After Sustaining ‘Blunt Chest Trauma’ in Snowplow Accident

Actor Jeremy Renner has undergone surgery after sustaining blunt chest trauma and orthopedic injuries following a snowplowing accident in Nevada on New Year’s Day, his publicist has confirmed. “We can confirm that Jeremy has suffered blunt chest trauma and orthopedic injuries and has undergone surgery today,” his publicist, Samantha Mast, said in a statement to multiple publications on…


State Seeks Long Prison Term for Accused NYC Subway Gunman

NEW YORK—Prosecutors plan to seek a decades-long prison sentence for a man who is expected to plead guilty this week to opening fire in a subway car and wounding 10 riders in an attack that shocked New York City. Frank James, 63, is scheduled to enter a guilty plea on Tuesday in Brooklyn federal court,…


Illegal Aliens Overwhelm Officials in the Florida Keys, Prompt Closure of National Park

Some 500 illegal immigrants have landed on islands in the Florida Keys in the last several days, prompting officials to close the Dry Tortugas National Park on Sunday. “During the past 72 hours, [Border Patrol] agents have responded to a high volume of migrant landings in the [Florida Keys],” U.S. Border Patrol Chief Agent Walter Slosar said on Twitter…


Alabama Now Allows Carry of Concealed Handguns Without Permit

Alabama on Jan. 1 became the latest state to allow residents to carry concealed firearms without a permit. The new state law means that a person would not need to get a permit that requires a background check to legally carry a concealed handgun in public. A person can still choose to get a permit if…


Orange County Leaves OCPA, Seeks New Green Energy Agency

Following the Orange County Board of Supervisors’ Dec. 20 vote to withdraw the county’s unincorporated areas from the Orange County Power Authority (OCPA)—a local energy provider embroiled in controversy and accused of lacking transparency—the county now seeks a new agency to replace it. With the county’s departure, representing unincorporated areas, the power authority now only…


Rose Parade Avoids California Rain as It Welcomes New Year

PASADENA, Calif.—Flower-covered floats, marching bands and equestrian units celebrated the New Year on a chilly but dry Monday as the 134th Rose Parade slipped through a gap in California’s siege of drenching storms. Pasadena’s annual floral spectacle offered the optimistic theme of “Turning the Corner” for 2023, and former U.S. Rep. Gabby Giffords of Arizona,…


Man Arrested on Attempted Murder Charges in New York City Machete Attack

A 19-year-old man has been arrested on attempted murder charges, New York City authorities said Jan. 2. Trevor Bickford of Wells, Maine, was taken into custody and charged with attempted murder of a police officer and attempted assault, a New York City Police Department (NYPD) confirmed to The Epoch Times on Monday. Bickford could not…


Suspected Gas Blast Levels 2 Homes, Hurts 5 in Philadelphia

A suspected gas explosion a few hours into the new year demolished two Philadelphia row homes and damaged others, sending several people to the hospital, authorities said. Fire department officials said the blast occurred shortly before 3 a.m. Sunday in the Port Richmond neighborhood of northeast Philadelphia. Two buildings were reduced to rubble while others…