WASHINGTON — As President Donald Trump seeks to reframe his message on affordability, he is increasingly denying there is a problem at all. Speaking at a gathering of McDonald’s franchise owners and operators in Washington, Trump boasted that he had “normalized” inflation, slashed regulations like water restrictions that helped small...
Wall Street Slides as Valuation Concerns, Rate-Cut Jitters Linger
Wall Street's main indexes dropped on Tuesday on concerns over lofty equity valuations and dimming prospects of an interest rate cut from the Federal Reserve, while investors awaited Nvidia's earnings and key government data due later this week. Most heavyweight tech stocks were under pressure, with Amazon.com, down 2.3%. Chip...
CHP Reports Multiple-Vehicle Crash Closes Lanes on Grapevine
The California Highway Patrol says the right three lanes of southbound Interstate 5 at Grapevine Road are closed following a multiple-vehicle crash on Monday. Emergency personnel are on scene, authorities said. Drivers in the area are urged to slow down, maintain safe distances, limit distractions, wear seat belts, and ensure...
Trump Supports Escalated Efforts To Target Cartels in Mexico, Colombia
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump said Monday he supports aggressive action against drug cartels and narcotics production in Mexico and Colombia, his latest saber-rattling in the region after a series of strikes on small boats in the Caribbean and Pacific. Trump has intensified his campaign against maritime drug trafficking, authorizing...
Restaurateur Bobby Salazar Enters Not Guilty Plea in Arson Case
Fresno restaurant owner Bobby Salazar pleaded not guilty to federal charges of mail fraud and arson related to a 2024 fire that destroyed one of his eateries. Appearing at the Robert E. Coyle U.S. Courthouse in downtown Fresno on Monday afternoon, Salazar answered to a six-count indictment returned by a...
Community College Instructors Call for Chancellor Goldsmith’s Immediate Dismissal
The same day that State Center Community College District Chancellor Carole Goldsmith announced she would retire by September 2026, the union of community college faculty tallied "no confidence" votes and said she should step down immediately. Instructors say that a culture of retaliation has grown during Goldsmith's tenure. They also...
Hamas Rejects UN Gaza Resolution
Hamas rejected the United Nations Security Council passing a U.S.-drafted resolution endorsing U.S. President Donald Trump's Gaza plan, saying it fails to meet Palestinians' rights and demands and seeks to impose an international trusteeship on the enclave that Palestinians and resistance factions oppose. "Assigning the international force with tasks and...
Kaweah Health Names New CEO. He is Marc Mertz
Kaweah Health in Visalia has promoted from within its ranks for a new CEO. The board of directors for the district hospital announced Monday that Marc Mertz, formerly the hospital's chief strategy officer, will replace longtime chief executive officer Gary Herbst. The hospital cited Mertz's background in mergers and acquisitions,...
UN Security Council Adopts US Resolution on Trump’s Gaza Plan
The UN Security Council on Monday voted to adopt a U.S.-drafted resolution endorsing President Donald Trump's plan to end the war in Gaza and authorizing an international stabilization force for the Palestinian enclave. Israel and the Palestinian militant group Hamas agreed last month to the first phase of Trump's 20-point plan for...
Trump Says ‘We’ll Be Selling’ F-35s to Saudi Arabia
President Donald Trump said on Monday he plans to approve the sale of U.S.-made F-35 fighter jets to Saudi Arabia, speaking a day before he hosts Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman for a day of diplomacy. "I will say that we will be doing that," Trump told reporters in...