WASHINGTON - U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said he is confident the administration will defeat any lawsuit challenging the department's decision to rescind $4 billion in U.S. government funding for California's high-speed rail project. "I wish it could have gone to California. We were supportive of the California project, but when we're...
Appeal Court Rejects Fresno County Challenge. DA and Sheriff Races Set for 2028
The next Fresno County District Attorney and Sheriff race will remain in 2028, after an appellate court refused to hear the case on Wednesday. Last month, Fresno County Superior Court Judge D. Tyler Tharpe sided with the state in its lawsuit against Fresno County over when the next election date...
FDA Approves Juul’s Tobacco and Menthol E-Cigarettes
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has authorized the sale of Juul Labs' e-cigarette device and refill cartridges in tobacco and menthol flavors, after years of struggle with heightened regulatory scrutiny, the agency and company said on Thursday. Juul, which was once a major player in the e-cigarette market before...
Israeli Strikes Kill 27 in Gaza, Three Die in Church Late Pope Often Spoke To
CAIRO/JERUSALEM - Israeli forces killed at least 27 people in attacks in the Gaza Strip on Thursday, including three people who died in a strike on a church that late Pope Francis used to speak to regularly, medics and church officials said. Eight men tasked with protecting aid trucks were...
Trump Cuts Decimate Hanford’s National Weather Service Office
The National Weather Service office in Hanford is down to five meteorologists and is tied for the highest vacancy rate in the nation following budget cuts by the Trump administration. The Los Angeles Times reported Wednesday that the Hanford station is supposed to have 13 meteorologists to service an area...
Russia Says Trump’s New Weapons Pledge a Signal for Ukraine to Abandon Peace Efforts
MOSCOW - President Donald Trump's decision to ramp up arms shipments to Ukraine is a signal to Kyiv to abandon peace efforts, Russia said on Thursday, vowing it would not accept the "blackmail" of Washington's new sanctions ultimatum. Trump announced a toughened stance on Russia's war in Ukraine on Monday,...
Israel’s Attacks on Damascus Hinder Chemical Weapons Search, Syrian Official Says
THE HAGUE - Israeli airstrikes on Damascus are hampering Syria's efforts to find and destroy chemical weapons stockpiled during the rule of toppled ruler Bashar al-Assad, a government adviser said on Thursday. A planned visit by inspectors from the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) has already had...
US Strikes Destroyed Only One of Three Iranian Nuclear Sites, NBC News Reports
A new U.S. assessment has found that U.S. strikes in June mostly destroyed one of three targeted Iranian nuclear sites, but the other two were not as badly damaged, NBC News reported on Thursday, citing current and former U.S. officials. The report said that U.S. officials believe the attack on...
Valley Crime Stoppers’ Most Wanted Person of the Day: Christopher Michael Asher
July 17, 2025 Most Wanted Person of the Day Suspect Name: Christopher Michael Asher Suspects Date of Birth: July 9, 1966 Physical Description: White Male, 5’ 11, 215 lbs., Brown Eyes, Gray Hair. Charges: Grand theft Warrant Number: F24902608 Synopsis of the Case: Christopher Michael Asher is wanted on a...
US Seeks One-Day Sentence for Police Officer Convicted in Breonna Taylor Case
WASHINGTON - The U.S. Justice Department has asked a federal judge to sentence a former Louisville police officer who was convicted last year of violating Breonna Taylor's civil rights to serve just one day in prison, despite the fact the conviction carries a maximum sentence of life in prison. In...