«SFGate» (sfgate.com)

More than 150 Cuban medical staff have departed Honduras after the Central American country's new government abruptly cancelled the agreement. The departure of the medical staff Wednesday comes as President Donald Trump has pushed to isolate the Cuban government. Cuba’s practice of deploying doctors to other nations is often a means of diplomacy but is heavily criticized by the U.S. government. The Honduran government said the program did not meet regulations. The change came two months after President Nasry Asfura was sworn into office. Читать дальше...

President Donald Trump’s White House ballroom project is too big and should be scaled back. That's according to an architect and member of the board of the National Trust for Historic Preservation. David Scott Parker says the ballroom exceeds industry standards for size. He said it's more than 45% larger than it needs to be to hold 1,000 guests. Parker also says its south-facing porch is unnecessary. Parker is concerned the building will impede the sight line between the White House and the Capitol along Pennsylvania Avenue. Читать дальше...

The U.S. military says the United States and Ecuador have begun a joint military operation against organized crime groups in the South American country. The U.S. Southern Command said the forces were targeting “narco-terrorism" and posted a short video of a helicopter flying over men walking on the ground. An Ecuadorian general said “certain operations” took place Tuesday but wasn't specific about what was involved. President Daniel Noboa had said earlier that his government was taking joint operations... Читать дальше...

Voters who cast ballots during extended polling place hours in Dallas and Williamson counties are waiting to see if their votes will count. A rule change for primary voting in two Texas counties created mass confusion Tuesday that eventually led to a state Supreme Court ruling, threats of more legal action and the potential that an untold number of voters could find themselves disenfranchised. It is unclear exactly how many ballots were cast during the extended hours. But Democrats in deeply blue Dallas County... Читать дальше...

A federal judge has temporarily blocked the enforcement of an executive order issued last year by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis that designates two Muslim groups as foreign terrorist organizations. U.S. District Judge Mark E. Walker wrote in his preliminary injunction Wednesday that the First Amendment bars the governor from continuing the troubling trend of using an executive office to make a political statement at the expense of others’ constitutional rights. The governor’s order targeted the Council... Читать дальше...

The winning numbers in Wednesday's drawing of the "Idaho Pick 4 Day" game were: 2, 4, 6, 6

The winning numbers in Wednesday's drawing of the "California Daily 3 Midday" game were: 4, 6, 9

The horrific avalanche at Castle Peak near Tahoe killed nine people two weeks ago. 

The winning numbers in Wednesday's drawing of the "Arkansas Cash 3 Midday" game were: 0, 1, 6

The winning numbers in Wednesday's drawing of the "North Carolina Pick 4 Midday" game were: 0, 1, 1, 1, Bonus: 6

The winning numbers in Wednesday's drawing of the "North Carolina Pick 3 Midday" game were: 4, 4, 6, Bonus: 0

Trump is pressing big tech to build its own power as AI data centers spark anger over electric bills.

American Airlines received approval Wednesday to become the first U.S. airline to resume flights to Venezuela. The airline announced its intent to restore service to Venezuela in January on the same day that President Donald Trump ordered the Transportation Department to open up commercial airspace over that country in the wake of the U.S. military raid that ousted then-President Nicolás Maduro. American Airlines was the last U.S. airline flying to Venezuela when in 2019 it suspended flights between Miami and the capital... Читать дальше...

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem wrapped up two days of scrutiny in Congress, appearing for the first time in front of lawmakers since the shooting deaths of two protesters in Minneapolis at the hands of immigration enforcement officers. Noem came under blistering criticism from Democrats — and a few Republicans — over allegations that under her authority, immigration officers have abused the rights of immigrants and American citizens and used excessive force. She was also slammed over how... Читать дальше...

Jurors in a bellwether trial about the impacts of social media on children are studying a deposition from Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg. Shown in a New Mexico courtroom on Wednesday, the video interview with Zuckerberg explores research and company discussions about negative experiences among young users of Instagram and other Meta social media platforms. Prosecutors say Meta failed to disclose what it knows about the harmful effects of its platforms, in violation of state consumer protection laws. Meta... Читать дальше...

The LA city council has voted unanimously to designate the the so-called “Brady Bunch” house in the San Fernando Valley as a historic-cultural monument. The vote grants landmark protections to the house on Dilling Avenue that was used for exterior shots of the TV sitcom that ran from 1969 to 1974. Interior scenes were shot on a soundstage, with sets that bore no resemblance to the property that become a photo-op magnet for “Brady Bunch” fans. The landmark status protects the home, built in 1959, from demolition or major renovations ... Читать дальше...

The Virginia Supreme Court has again ruled that voters will get to cast ballots on a congressional redistricting plan that could help Democrats in this year’s midterm elections. The court said Wednesday that the April 21 referendum can go forward while it considers a legal challenge to the redistricting plan. Early voting for the referendum is supposed to begin Friday. It comes after the court made a similar ruling in February stemming from another tangential civil action. The Supreme Court agreed to hear that case... Читать дальше...

A new plan to lure back travelers seems to be working.

Brazil’s Senate unanimously ratified on Wednesday the free-trade deal between trade bloc Mercosur and the European Union, following same move by the country’s lower house and bringing the deal one step closer to implementation. The agreement seeks to integrate a total market of more than 700 million people. Argentina and Uruguay, two other members of the bloc, have already ratified the deal, which was under negotiation for more than 25 years. Paraguay is expected to do the same. Bolivia, the newest Mercosur member... Читать дальше...

Ecuador has declared Cuba’s ambassador and his diplomatic staff persona non grata and given them 48 hours to leave the South American country. The Ecuadorian government’s decision follows an executive order signed by Ecuadorian President Daniel Noboa in which he canceled the duties of Ecuador's ambassador to Cuba, also without explaining why. The measure comes amid mounting pressure by U.S. President Donald Trump on Cuba.

Florida’s attorney general says Florida has reopened a criminal investigation into former Cuban leader Raul Castro’s role in the 1996 shootdown of exile planes. Attorney General James Uthmeier says his office reactivated the case files after learning the probe had been shut down. Uthmeier made the comments on Wednesday in Miami. Florida Republicans and Senator Rick Scott have also urged federal officials to revisit the case, which happened 30 years ago last month. Lawmakers cite old reports that Castro ordered the attack. Читать дальше...

The chatbot allegedly told him: "You are choosing to arrive."

Colorado’s Democratic governor is signaling his openness to granting clemency to a former county clerk who was convicted in a scheme attempting to find proof of fraud in the 2020 presidential election. Gov. Jared Polis has faced a pressure campaign from President Donald Trump, who continues to repeat his false claims that the election was stolen from him. In a social media post on Tuesday, Polis compared the case of Tina Peters, who is serving a nine-year prison sentence, to that of a state lawmaker... Читать дальше...

MENLO PARK, Calif. (AP) — MENLO PARK, Calif. (AP) — TriplePoint Venture Growth BDC Corp. (TPVG) on Wednesday reported profit of $8.1 million in its fourth quarter.

FREMONT, Calif. (AP) — FREMONT, Calif. (AP) — Amprius Technologies Inc. (AMPX) on Wednesday reported a loss of $24.4 million in its fourth quarter.