WASHINGTON — Former President Barack Obama endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris’ campaign for the Democratic presidential nomination Friday, delivering Harris perhaps the most important missing piece in what has been a cascade of support from her party’s most influential leaders. Obama Originally Withheld Endorsement Obama, who has positioned himself as...
Eye-Popping Construction Costs Intensify California’s Chronic Housing Shortage
It's not hyperbole to declare that California's most serious economic, social and political issue is its chronic shortage of housing, particularly for families in the lower income brackets. As the yawning gap between demand and supply, especially in urban areas, pushes costs upward, it drags down the economy by discouraging...
Canada Women’s Soccer Coach Removed by Canadian Olympic Committee
PARIS — The Canadian Olympic Committee removed women's national soccer head coach Bev Priestman for the remainder of the Paris Games following an alleged drone spying scandal. The COC said in a statement released early Friday that assistant coach Andy Spence would lead the defending gold medalists for the remainder...
Mexican Drug Kingpin Ismael ‘El Mayo’ Zambada in US Custody
Mexican drug kingpin Ismael "El Mayo" Zambada, co-founder of the Sinaloa drug cartel, is in U.S. custody, the Justice Department said in a statement. They also announced the arrest of another Sinaloa cartel leader, Joaquin Guzman Lopez. Both men were arrested in El Paso. “The Justice Department has taken into...
Harris Tells Netanyahu ‘It Is Time’ to Get Hostage Deal Done and End Gaza War
WASHINGTON — Vice President Kamala Harris on Thursday said she urged Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to reach a cease-fire deal soon with Hamas so that dozens of hostages held by the militants in Gaza since Oct. 7 can return home. Harris Speaks With Netanyahu Harris said she had a “frank...
Child Online Safety Bill Scales Senate Hurdle, but Fate Remains Uncertain
The Senate on Thursday advanced sweeping legislation aimed at protecting children and teens online, in an overwhelmingly bipartisan test vote that put it on track for passage as soon as next week. But the fate of the package remains uncertain in the House, where free speech concerns and a fierce...
Reedley College’s Gagnon Passes On UCLA, Signs With the Dodgers
Reedley College pitcher Will Gagnon, 20, signed with the Los Angeles Dodgers on Wednesday. He was drafted on Day 3 in the 14th round of the 2024 MLB June Amateur Draft on July 16. Gagnon was the only junior college baseball player from California drafted this year. According to Dodgers...
Fresno Council Rejects Marijuana Retailer Next to Big Fresno Fair
A proposed marijuana retailer is now 0-for-2 in trying to find a location to sell in Fresno. Thursday, the Fresno City Council rejected by a 7-0 vote a conditional use permit for Fresno Farms' location across the street from the Big Fresno Fair. Fresno Farms had issues ever since the...
House Republicans Vote to Rebuke Kamala Harris Over Handling of Border Policy
WASHINGTON — House Republicans are moving quickly to emphasize Vice President Kamala Harris's role in the Biden administration's handling of the U.S. border with Mexico, passing a resolution Thursday that condemns her performance in the job. Resolution Echoes Attack Line From Donald Trump The resolution, which is purely symbolic, echoes...
A Man Got Third-Degree Burns Walking on Blazing Hot Sand in Death Valley, Rangers Say
PHOENIX — A European visitor got third-degree burns on his feet while briefly walking barefoot on the sand dunes in California's Death Valley National Park over the weekend, park rangers said Thursday. The rangers said the visitor was rushed to a hospital in nearby Nevada. Because of language issues, the...