The Sun (San Bernardino, CA)

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — NASA’s newest crown jewel blasted off Sunday to hunt for planets around other stars, explore secret dark energy and survey the cosmos like never before. SpaceX launched the $4.3 billion Roman Space Telescope shortly after daybreak aboard a triple-the-firepower Falcon Heavy rocket. Roman blazed toward an observation point 1 million miles (1.6 million kilometers) away that’s home to the Webb Space Telescope, one of NASA’s other big-ticket eyes in the sky.

Iran’s supreme leader called on Muslim countries to stand together against Israel and the United States, imploring them to “know your real enemy.” A monitor says a tanker vessel was struck in the Strait of Hormuz on Saturday. Israel’s Shin Bet said it had evacuated the prime minister’s oldest son from the U.S. following a threat. And an Israeli airstrike in Gaza killed at least two Palestinians, including a 3-year-old, authorities said.

On their Nov. 3 ballots, voters will fill all four district seats on the state’s most obscure elected body, the California State Board of Equalization. Each of the four districts on the ballot has about 10 million residents, meaning BOE members represent populations larger than entire states. A fifth seat on the board is held ex officio by the state controller, currently Democrat Malia Cohen, who is separately running for reelection against Republican Herb Morgan.

The consensus box of Del Mar horse racing picks comes from handicappers Bob Mieszerski, Eddie Wilson, Kevin Modesti and Mark Ratzky. Here are the picks for thoroughbred races on Sunday, August 30, 2026.

Yes, it’s September — or as some people here call it, locals’ summer. The tourists have gone home and we have things all to ourselves. Why sit home because you don’t want to spend any money? Here are some fun activities that don’t cost a dime. Sept. 1, 8 — Chatsworth: Want to learn to play mah-jongg? Yes, everyone’s doing it now. It’s a thing. Take a free two-session beginner’s class from 1 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. at the Chatsworth library.

The president believes he has now, by executive order, renamed Lake Ontario, one of the Canada-adjacent Great Lakes, as Lake America. Lake America? That’s the name? I don’t think he workshopped it. For geographic and historic context on Lake Ontario, here’s what the Associated Press tells us: “The province of Ontario, founded in 1867, took its name from the lake.” And as a reminder, the city of Ontario took its name from the province. You know this story, right?

When Marisa Mender-Franklin walks through any of the nine flower farms she runs in Memphis, Tennessee, her first thoughts are of gratitude. Partly for the flowers and the bees, but mostly for the support of her neighbors. That’s because members of her local Facebook Buy Nothing group shared their unused yards and gardens with her, allowing her to achieve her dream of owning a flower shop and working as an urban flower farmer.

Buying a used car can be a smart money move. During a typical ownership cycle, the cost of a used vehicle is usually significantly lower than buying or leasing a new car. Choose one that’s only a few years old, and it will likely have relatively low miles and plenty of reliable years ahead at a nicer price than getting a new vehicle. You can save even more by selecting a fuel-efficient hybrid model known for reliability.

Inland scout leaders are working on plans to develop a new regional home at Fairmount Park, near the Santa Ana River and the 60 Freeway in Riverside. The Riverside City Council approved on Tuesday, Aug. 25 plans to work with Scouting America California Inland Empire Council to reserve land at the park for a future headquarters that would include indoor and outdoor meeting spaces and an official Scout store. The organization, currently based in Redlands, would have six years to complete the work.

This year’s California county voter information guides will once again display a serious inequity. Arguments in favor of bond and tax measures will usually be well written and signed by several local luminaries. Arguments against will often be less professionally written, have fewer signers, and may even be completely missing.