Apart from supplying endless fodder to journalists and Democrats, the White House’s attempts to put a lid on the Jeffrey Epstein affair provide a useful test for a question that will matter more the deeper we travel into Donald Trump’s second term: Namely, to what extent does MAGA populism exist...
Fresno’s Mission Thrift Asks for Clothing Donations After Fire Burns $125K in Goods
The Fresno Mission Thrift Store has fully reopened after a fire earlier this month destroyed thousands of dollars in donated goods and forced a temporary shutdown. The fire broke out July 10 in a large donation pile in the store’s storage area on Sierra Avenue, between Blackstone Avenue and Highway...
Gabbard Releases New Documents Targeting Obama Administration
WASHINGTON — Tulsi Gabbard, the director of national intelligence, released new documents Wednesday that she said undermined the conclusion of intelligence agencies during the Obama administration that Russia favored the election of Donald Trump in 2016. Gabbard released a declassified version of a report from the House Intelligence Committee, originally...
In Landmark Opinion, World Court Says Countries Must Address Climate Change Threat
THE HAGUE - The United Nations' highest court on Wednesday said countries must address the "urgent and existential threat" of climate change by cooperating to curb emissions, as it delivered an opinion set to determine future environmental litigation. The opinion by the International Court of Justice, also known as the...
White House Unveils Artificial Intelligence Policy Plan
WASHINGTON - The White House released an artificial intelligence (AI) policy plan on Wednesday spelling out priorities for the U.S. to achieve "global dominance" in the sector. President Donald Trump's plan calls for open-source and open-weight AI models to be made freely available by developers for anyone in the world...
WHO Sees ‘Deadly’ Surge in Malnutrition in Gaza. 21 Children Under Five Killed in 2025
The World Health Organization said on Wednesday it was seeing a deadly surge in malnutrition in Gaza that has led to the deaths of 21 children under five so far in 2025. Malnutrition centers are full without sufficient supplies for emergency feeding, the health agency said, as the hunger crisis...
State Department Investigating Harvard’s Participation in Exchange Visitor Program
The U.S. State Department has opened an investigation into Harvard University's eligibility as a sponsor in the exchange visitor program, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Wednesday, as the Trump administration takes aim at the country's oldest and richest university. "To maintain their privilege to sponsor exchange visitors, sponsors...
Israeli Strike Kills Hungry Gaza Family in Their Sleep
GAZA/CAIRO - The Al-Shaer family went to bed hungry at their home in Gaza City. An Israeli airstrike killed them in their sleep. The family - freelance journalist Wala al-Jaabari, her husband and their five children - were among more than 100 people killed in 24 hours of Israeli strikes...
US Existing Home Sales Fall More Than Expected in June
WASHINGTON - U.S. existing home sales fell more than expected in June, suggesting the housing market slump could be deepening as higher mortgage rates and economic uncertainty keep potential buyers on the sidelines. Home sales dropped 2.7% last month to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 3.93 million units, the...
Trump Strikes Tariff Deal With Japan, Auto Stocks Surge
WASHINGTON/TOKYO - U.S. President Donald Trump struck a trade deal with Japan that lowers tariffs on auto imports and spares Tokyo from punishing new levies on other goods in exchange for a $550 billion package of U.S.-bound investment and loans. It is the most significant of a clutch of agreements...