California Dolphin

When did it become fashionable to diminish the accomplishments of Vietnam War-era protesters by accusing them of inflated self-regard and delusions about what their activism accomplished? In my view, the situation in the Mideast is more nuanced and complex than the United States’ involvement in Vietnam ever was. Israel’s horrific response notwithstanding, I fear that many pro-Palestinian student activists are naively unwilling to confront the role that Hamas and its allies have played in the conflict. But telling students that their agitation is pointless or merely performative because some folks have doubts about the effectiveness of the anti-Vietnam War movement is just wrong. Opinion Columnist Robin Abcarian “Those students didn’t shorten that terrible war,” wrote New York Times columnist Nick Kristof about the protesters of the late 1960s. “Instead, they probably prolonged it.” “The nostalgic champions of the campus protests of the ’60s would have Americans believe they were a heroic success, stopping the Vietnam War,” wrote Jonah Goldberg in the Los Angeles Times. “But what they actually helped achieve was Richard Nixon’s election and seven more years of war.” There is certainly some truth

This week Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) ignored Donald Trump’s endorsement of Rep. Mike Johnson (R-La.) as House speaker and announced plans to try to force him out. One can only assume she is making that attempt for attention, because it seems doomed to fail on the House floor. Democrats have already pledged to support Johnson, and he has backing from much of the Republican caucus. Opinion Columnist LZ Granderson LZ Granderson writes about culture, politics, sports and navigating life in America. You may recall, Greene and the rest of the Freedom Caucus were the reason it took 15 rounds for former Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-Bakersfield) to get enough votes to win the speakership. The caucus is also why he got fired last October , after less than a year. He resigned from the House at the end of last year. And now Greene — who infamously blamed secret Jewish space lasers for wildfires and compared mask mandates to the Holocaust — is making another play for the spotlight. This time it happened to be the same week that the House passed its Antisemitism Awareness

“Evil Does Not Exist” is quite the title to ponder as Ryûsuke Hamaguchi’s great new film opens on a serene tracking shot through a wintry forest, accompanied by an Eiko Ishibashi score that is both subdued and foreboding. Could this be the untouched calm before a malevolent disturbance? We’re primed to think so, especially when the music cuts off abruptly and the sound of a chainsaw is heard. And yet to expect such genre mechanics from a patient, gently burrowing storyteller like Hamaguchi is a fool’s errand. Details may abound, but the only certainties here are mysteries, wherever this director takes us. The last journey was the exquisite “Drive My Car,” the Oscar-winning breakout that established Hamaguchi as a master with stories about modern lives and the strange workings of resilient hearts. The situation is nervier, however, with “Evil Does Not Exist,” an equally arresting, meditative follow-up which charts the emerging clash between a tight-knit rural community and a big company with intrusive development plans. Odd-jobbing single father of few words Takumi (an expressively stoic Hitoshi Omika) leads a simple life with his 8-year-old daughter

Gov. Gavin Newsom proclaimed a state of emergency Friday to help fund badly needed repairs of roads that were battered during this year’s storms, including the scenic Topanga Canyon Boulevard that was blocked by millions of tons of debris. The governor’s action comes two weeks after California Department of Transportation officials said the massive, 300-foot tall landslide that covered Topanga Canyon Boulevard in March with mud and rocks would not be cleared until fall, “if all things go well.” The proclamation enables Caltrans to request funding from the Federal Highway Administration’s Emergency Relief Program, which could cover up to 100% of the repairs completed 180 days after the emergency event, according to the governor’s office. It would also help state officials secure federal aid for other roads damaged by the torrential rains, including a portion of Highway 1 in Big Sur that crumbled and fell into the ocean. “Storms in March caused significant damage to critical parts of our transportation infrastructure — impacting not only traffic for our communities, but also hurting small businesses and workers,” Newsom said in a statement. “The state is working

A 52-year-old woman was killed in a rollover crash alongside Highway 86 in Thermal, authorities said Friday. Marcia Zarco of Thermal was fatally injured about 4:35 p.m. Thursday on southbound Highway 86, a quarter-mile north of 70th Avenue, adjacent to the Torres-Martinez Desert Cahuilla Indian Reservation, according to the California Highway Patrol. “For reasons still under investigation, her Kia Optima left the roadway toward the right shoulder and overturned,” CHP Officer David Torres told City News Service. “The (victim) was not wearing her seatbelt.” The Kia rolled roughly 150 feet off the highway and came to rest upright on its wheels, according to the CHP. Riverside County Fire Department crews reached the location just before 5 p.m. and initiated resuscitative measures but were unable to save her. Zarco was pronounced dead at the scene at 5:20 p.m. “Drugs or alcohol do not appear to be factors in this crash,” Torres said. Anyone with information was asked to contact the CHP’s Indio office at 760-772-5300.

Days after the team was eliminated in the first round of the NBA Playoffs by the Denver Nuggets, the Los Angeles Lakers Friday fired coach Darvin Ham. “We greatly appreciate Darvin’s efforts on behalf of the Lakers and recognize the many accomplishments achieved over the past two seasons, including last year’s remarkable run to the Western Conference Finals,” Lakers Vice President of Basketball Operations and General Manager Rob Pelinka said in a statement. “We all want to thank Darvin for his dedication and positivity. “While this was a difficult decision to make, it is the best course of action following a full review of the season. This organization will remain unwavering in its commitment to deliver championship-caliber basketball to Lakers fans around the world.” Ham led to the Lakers for two seasons, compiling a 90-74 record. Ham played college ball at Texas Tech and played for eight seasons in the NBA, including stints with the Detroit Pistons, Atlanta Hawks, Bucks, Washington Wizards, Indiana Pacers and Denver Nuggets. He was been an NBA assistant coach for more than a decade, including a 2011-13 stint with the

By Meredith Gordon May 3, 2024 / 2:52 PM EDT / Essentials CBS Essentials is created independently of the CBS News editorial staff. We may receive commissions from some links to products on this page. Promotions are subject to availability and retailer terms. Caitlin Clark poses with WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert after being selected first overall pick by the Indiana Fever during the 2024 WNBA Draft at Brooklyn Academy of Music on April 15, 2024 in New York City.  Sarah Stier/Getty Images The Caitlin Clark era in Indianapolis has begun. The NCAA all-time scoring leader entered the 2024 WNBA Draft, becoming the top overall pick when she was chosen by the Indiana Fever . The 2024 WNBA season is set to begin and all eyes are on Clark.  Clark became a national sensation while playing for the Iowa Hawkeyes and looks to bring that star power to the WNBA . The Fever will play in 36 nationally televised games this season, but those games won’t all be on the same network. Keep reading below for how to watch Caitlin Clark and the Indiana Fever in

By Olivia Gazis, Margaret Brennan Updated on: May 3, 2024 / 3:09 PM EDT / CBS News Israel: Another Hamas-held hostage is dead Israel says another hostage taken by Hamas is dead 03:51 CIA Director William Burns arrived in Cairo, Egypt, Friday for the latest round of high-stakes negotiations over a hostage and cease-fire deal between Hamas and Israel, two U.S. officials and a source familiar with the matter told CBS News.  The visit follows a stretch of technical talks and a fresh proposal from Israel that U.S. officials have described as “generous.” File: : Central Intelligence Agency Director William Burns listens during a hearing with the House (Select) Intelligence Committee on March 12, 2024, in Washington, D.C.  Anna Moneymaker / Getty Images Egyptian intelligence officials, alongside senior Qatari and American negotiators, have been for months facilitating the talks, which in recent weeks have taken on new urgency amid a looming Israeli ground invasion of Rafah, in southern Gaza, where more than 1.4 million Palestinians are sheltering. Burns’ arrival signals negotiators may be nearing a critical window that could be decisive for a potential agreement.

May 3, 2024 / 2:47 PM EDT / CBS News Dey Street Books We may receive an affiliate commission from anything you buy from this article. In his new memoir, “You Never Know” (published May 7 by Dey Street Books), Tom Selleck, star of such hit TV series as “Magnum, P.I.” and “Blue Bloods,” writes of the serendipity that launched his career. Read an excerpt below, and don’t miss Tracy Smith’s interview with Tom Selleck on “CBS News Sunday Morning” May 5! “You Never Know” by Tom Selleck Prefer to listen? Audible has a 30-day free trial available right now. The whole thing is stunning when you think about it. A kid goes on The Dating Game and, through the machinations of a clever agent, two of the biggest studios in Hollywood each think the other is interested in him. This kid, who has no real acting experience and no real desire to become an actor, ends up bulls***ting with the president of 20th Century-Fox and is promptly invited into the studio’s New Talent program. And what seals the deal is college basketball. Go figure … You

By Brittany Vincent Updated on: May 3, 2024 / 2:30 PM EDT / Essentials CBS Essentials is created independently of the CBS News editorial staff. We may receive commissions from some links to products on this page. Promotions are subject to availability and retailer terms. TCL Upgrading your home entertainment center doesn’t have to break the bank. Major retailers like Walmart are offering deep discounts on quality TVs from some of the biggest brands available. If you’re ready for a bigger screen or just need an upgrade in general, you can get one now, with some even going for as low as $250! But that’s not all. You can find a wide range of prices and features with these TVs on sale that come with built-in streaming and vivid 4K resolution. There are even some with voice remotes and other fun features that you’ll love using. More affordable HD models provide crisp colorful images too. And we’re talking brands like Samsung , Sony and many more.  With the latest TVs more accessible than ever, you can kit out your home theater with great tech without

A bloodied spear was found at the scene of a double homicide and attempted suicide in Santa Ana, though it was not clear whether the weapon was used in the attacks, police said Friday. The chaotic and gruesome scene unfolded Thursday around 4:30 p.m. in the 1200 block of East Chestnut Avenue, according to police. A woman called police and informed them that she and her uncle had been stabbed, said Natalie Garcia, a spokeswoman for the Santa Ana Police Department. A bloodied spear was found at the scene. (KTLA) When police arrived, they found the woman and her uncle dead inside a storage facility along with an injured man who authorities say is the suspect in the killings. He was taken to a hospital in critical condition, police said. Neither the victims nor the suspect, all of whom police say were adults, has been identified. Garcia said the injured man had been dating the woman who was found dead. She had been fatally shot in the upper torso, and her uncle died from stab wounds, police said. Authorities are investigating the case as a

Bill Maher on his HBO talk show this week said that pro-Palestinian student protests on college campuses are what happens when “activism merges with narcissism.” The Atlantic columnist David Frum referred to protesters like the UCLA students who were violently attacked Wednesday by a mob of counterprotesters as “banana-allergy revolutionaries.” During Tuesday night’s tactical police response to Columbia University students’ taking over a building on campus, author Judith Miller tweeted: “Hey Columbia protesters! If you’re so proud of what you’re doing, why are you covering your faces?” Mocking student protesters has become a fun and easy pastime since they began marching and camping out in opposition to Israel’s ongoing military incursions in Gaza following the Oct. 7 attack by Hamas in Israel. All critics and jeering old folks need is a platform (cable TV, Instagram, a tattered soap box) to discredit the movement as the performative act of feckless snowflakes and spoiled children. The protective gear of the “gluten-free warriors” is a form of dress-up. Their safety measures — encampment barricades and self-manned medical tents — are seen as ploys for attention. They’re called cowards

When San Diego County Supervisor Terra Lawson-Remer first saw the Coast Runner milling machine being marketed as some state-of-the-art product for creative people in California, she was livid. Despite its chill name and the retro colors splashed on its side, Lawson-Remer said the Coast Runner was clearly just a rebranded Ghost Gunner — a desktop machine the state outlawed in 2022 for its ability to turn simple slabs of metal into homemade components for untraceable ghost guns, including AR-15s, AK-47s and semiautomatic pistols. “The idea that you could take the same exact product that is designed to kill people, put a different packaging on it, and suddenly it’s not lethal and not illegal? That is just offensive,” Lawson-Remer said. On Thursday, San Diego County sued the manufacturer of both devices, Texas-based Defense Distributed, asking a state court to declare the Coast Runner illegal under California law and to order the company to stop selling and marketing it in the state. “The ‘Coast Runner’ is in fact the Ghost Gunner with a new coat of paint,” the lawsuit argues. “It has the same internal designs, the

Metro warned of delays on the system after bus drivers threatened to call a “sick out” Friday in protest of the rising number of assaults on operators. The Los Angeles County Transportation Authority issued an alert that bus lines 18, 45, 53, 66, 70, 81,106, 108, 110, 111, 115, 134, 180, 206, 212, 246, 251, 487 and 720 could experience “significant delays.” Train and bus operators have criticized Metro for failing to respond forcefully enough to violence on the system. Drivers have been the target of several recent attacks, including a man who stabbed a bus driver in Willowbrook while passengers watched. Last year, the agency logged 168 assaults, a slight increase from the previous year. The assaults included being spat on and being stabbed. It remains unclear how many of the 4,500 unionized Metro bus drivers planned to participate in the “sick out,” but union officials said the action was not authorized. Under the union’s contract with Metro, strikes are not allowed. In private Facebook groups, several workers said Friday that their divisions looked emptier than usual. Metro pleaded with drivers to go to

After being eliminated from the NBA playoffs by the Denver Nuggets for the second consecutive season, the Lakers have fired coach Darvin Ham, the team announced Friday. The decision comes days after the Lakers lost in Game 5 to Denver after Jamal Murray’s second game-winner of the series. The Lakers went 47-35 this season, the eighth-best record in the West. They won their play-in tournament game and advanced to face the Nuggets, who they again lost to in a tightly contested five-game series. “We greatly appreciate Darvin’s efforts on behalf of the Lakers and recognize the many accomplishments achieved over the past two seasons including last year’s remarkable run to the Western Conference finals,” Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka said in a statement. “We all want to thank Darvin for his dedication and positivity. While this was a difficult decision to make, it is the best course of action following a full review of the season. This organization will remain unwavering in its commitment to deliver championship-caliber basketball to Lakers fans around the world.” After Game 5, when asked to reflect on his time with