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Akebono Taro, the first ever foreign-born sumo wrestler to be named a grand champion, has died of heart failure, his family confirmed Thursday. He was 54. Akebono, who was born Chad George Ha’aheo Rowan in Hawaii in 1969, died this month in Japan. U.S. sumo wrestler Akebono, left, performs the grand champion ring-entering ceremony at the Meiji Shrine in Tokyo …

California lawmakers don’t know for sure how big their budget deficit is, but on Thursday they decided it’s big enough to go ahead and reduce spending by about $17 billion. The vote represents a preemptive strike from Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom, who is trying to get ahead of a stubborn shortfall that has been increasing every month and will likely …

A dead humpback whale that washed ashore on New Jersey’s Long Beach Island on Thursday was the first such death in the state this year, according to a marine mammal rescue group. The Marine Mammal Stranding Center said it received a call at 6:45 a.m. reporting a dead humpback whale in the surf in Long Beach Township. It said the …