«SFGate» (sfgate.com)

The White House aide who revealed that Richard Nixon had secretly recorded his conversations as president has died. Alexander Butterfield was 99. His death was confirmed to The Associated Press by his wife, Kim, and John Dean, who served with Butterfield during the Watergate scandal. Butterfield was a deputy assistant to Nixon from 1969 to 1973. He oversaw the taping system connected to voice-activated listening devices that had been secretly placed in four locations, including the Oval Office. Butterfield... Читать дальше...

California has hundreds of affordable housing projects that are ready to build, but they cannot close the money gap. Morris Village in Modesto plans 44 affordable apartments, with half set aside for unhoused people. The project has spent six years chasing grants and loans, but sits just short of having enough funding to break ground. A new Enterprise Community Partners report says about 39,880 units sit in the same limbo. The report estimates California needs about $4.1 billion to clear the backlog. Читать дальше...

A Virginia boater is suing DC Water, saying its negligence led to a massive sewage leak into the Potomac River. The class action complaint, filed Friday, argues the utility failed to keep its Potomac Interceptor pipe in a safe condition. The lawsuit targets damage tied to the January pipe collapse and spill. The plaintiff seeks compensation for property owners, boaters, and businesses that lost use and enjoyment of the river. DC Water says the pipe, installed in the 1960s, was deteriorating. Officials... Читать дальше...

The San Pietro in Vincoli basilica in Rome is home to one of Michelangelo’s most famous works, the massive marble statue of Moses, as well as the purported chains that imprisoned the first pope. But some of its lesser-known treasures are getting artistic attention thanks to an infusion of European Union pandemic recovery funding. The funds are fueling a frenzied series of restorations at religious, historic and cultural sites around the Eternal City.

The detention by immigration authorities of two teen brothers who were prominent members of a nationally recognized mariachi band in South Texas is triggering bipartisan criticism. Eighteen-year-old Antonio Gámez-Cuéllar and 14-year-old Joshua were detained along with their 12-year-old brother and their parents, according to a relative and a girlfriend who organized a GoFundMe account for the family. The teenaged boys were prominent members of the McAllen High School Mariachi Oro band, which has visited the White House... Читать дальше...

The bribes allegedly included opulent trips to Hawaii and Vegas.

The offseason is off to a hot start.

The saga continues.

An intelligence assessment completed shortly before the U.S. and Israel launched a war in Iran determined that military intervention is unlikely to result in regime change. The internal analysis concluded that neither airstrikes nor a more prolonged military campaign would likely dislodge the government, even if the current leadership was killed. This is according to two people familiar with the finding who spoke on the condition of anonymity to describe the classified report. The intelligence assessment... Читать дальше...

Former Sinn Féin leader Gerry Adams faces a civil lawsuit in London that accuses him of being an Irish Republican Army leader responsible for bombings in England. A lawyer for three men wounded in the blasts told the High Court on Monday that Adams role in the paramilitary organization made him as culpable as the people who planted the bombs in 1973 and 1996. They seek vindication and ask for a token payout of a pound. Adams's attorney says he sympathized with the goals of the IRA and sought to justify their actions... Читать дальше...