SACRAMENTO — California Gov. Gavin Newsom announced Tuesday that he wants to restrict students' usage of smartphones during the school day, citing the mental health risks of social media. The announcement, which was first reported by Politico, comes a day after U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy called on Congress to...
Fresno Trustees Prepare for Votes on $2.1 Billion Budget, $500M Bond Measure
The Fresno Unified School Board is scheduled to vote Thursday on a $2.1 billion spending plan for the 2024-25 year that includes some belt-tightening as well as dipping into reserves to cover costs. At the same meeting trustees could also green light putting a $500 million bond measure on the...
Fresno Garbage Rate Hike Vote on Thursday. Where Does Council Stand?
Fresno garbage rates could increase on July 1 unless ratepayers say no by Thursday. Or the city council decides that the hikes pose too big of a burden for ratepayers. After a six-month process, the Fresno City Council will hold a hearing at 5 p.m. The city estimates 116,957 ratepayers...
Palestinian Supporters Hang ‘Stop the Genocide’ Banner on El Capitan in Yosemite Protest
Visitors to Yosemite Valley on Tuesday morning saw a banner reading "Stop the genocide" on El Capitan, according to social media posts and the San Francisco Chronicle. A group calling themselves @ClimbersWithPalestine have hung a banner reading “Stop the Genocide” from El Capitan, the iconic 3,000-ft granite wall in Yosemite...
California Business & Labor Hammer Out a Deal on Workplace Violation Lawsuits
For years, California businesses have tried to repeal a unique state labor law that allows workers to sue their bosses over alleged workplace violations and generates hundreds of millions of dollars in employer penalties for the state. In a deal announced Tuesday to amend the law, some of those employers...
How the Teamsters and a Homegrown Union Plan to Take On Amazon
After years of organizing Amazon workers and pressuring the company to bargain over wages and working conditions, two prominent unions are teaming up to challenge the online retailer. Partnership Between ALU and Teamsters The partnership was made final after members of the Amazon Labor Union, the only union formally representing...
Colorado LGBTQ+ Club Shooter Pleads Guilty to 50 Federal Hate Crimes
DENVER — The shooter who killed five people and injured 19 others at an LGBTQ+ club that was a refuge in the conservative city of Colorado Springs pleaded guilty to federal hate crime charges and was sentenced to 55 life terms in prison on Tuesday, but once again declined to apologize...
Boeing CEO Apologizes to 737 Max Crash Victims’ Families in Senate Hearing
U.S. lawmakers pressed Boeing's chief executive Tuesday about the company's plans to fix its manufacturing problems and its willingness to heed whistleblowers' warnings, while relatives of people who died in two crashes of Boeing 737 Max jetliners were in the room to remind him of what was at stake. Boeing CEO Appears...
Madera Hospital Re-Opening Gets Closer With Arrival of State Loan Funds
The first portion of an essential $57 million loan arrived Monday at Madera Community Hospital. The California State Treasurer's Office confirmed receipt of the $15 million that the hospital's operators can use to get the shuttered hospital up and running, according to a news release. The rest of the money...
Brace Yourselves. Triple-Digit Heat Is Heading Back Here.
If you feel like you've got a case of weather whiplash, you're not alone. In less than a week, high temperatures in the Fresno area will take a 20-degree jump upward into triple-digit territory. From Monday's high of 85, temperatures will gradually climb this week until Friday, when the edge...