Students at UC Merced on Sunday began preparing for a three-day UC Regents meeting at the campus by launching a Gaza solidarity encampment at the Wallace Dutra Amphitheater, according to an Instagram post. "The UC Regents are meeting on our campus in two days! They will hear us!!" they said...
‘Judge Judy’ Sheindlin Sues for Defamation Over National Enquirer, InTouch Weekly stories
NEW YORK — “Judge Judy” Sheindlin sued the parent company of the National Enquirer and InTouch Weekly on Monday for a story that she said falsely claimed that she was trying to help the Menendez brothers get a retrial after they were convicted of murdering their parents. The story was first published on...
TikTok Trend #BlockOut2024 Challenges Celebrity Silence
In the aftermath of the glitzy Met Gala, a powerful movement is sweeping TikTok under the hashtag #BlockOut2024. This viral trend sees TikTok users advocating for the mass blocking of prominent celebrities like Zendaya, Taylor Swift, Beyoncé, and others, signaling a growing discontent with the perceived silence of influential figures...
Neighbors Appeal 4-Story NW Fresno Apartment Project. What Are They Saying?
A 4-story apartment complex overlooking a northwest Fresno neighborhood will go before the city of Fresno Planning Commission on Wednesday after several neighbors appealed the project. A neighbor of the complex at Herndon and Prospect avenues is organizing residents to oppose the project, saying the 82-unit development will clog traffic...
Changes OK’d for Golden Charter Academy After Two Hours of Questions
Golden Charter Academy staffers, parents, students, and supporters showed up en masse at last Wednesday's Fresno Unified School Board meeting to lobby trustees to approve two major changes to the school's charter: changing the school's address to 741 W. Belmont Ave., where a brand-new structure is scheduled to open in...
UNC Board Slashes Diversity Program Funding to Divert Money to Public Safety Resources
RALEIGH, N.C. — As North Carolina's public university system considers a vote on changing its diversity policy, the system's flagship university board voted Monday to cut funding for diversity programs in next year's budget.The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Board of Trustees approved a change that would divert...
Misery Deepens in Gaza’s Rafah as Israeli Troops Press Operation
RAFAH, Gaza Strip — Aid workers struggled Monday to distribute dwindling food and other supplies to hundreds of thousands of Palestinians displaced by what Israel says is a limited military operation in Rafah, as the two main crossings near the southern Gaza city remained closed. The United Nations' agency for...
What Drove Fowler City Manager to Surprise Resignation?
Wilma Tucker surprised Fowler City Hall when she turned in her resignation as city manager at the May 7 city council meeting. Tucker served for three years after holding the same role in Fresno from 2017 to 2021 when she was known as Wilma Quan-Schecter and Wilma Schecter. "The joy...
Merced Middle School Student to Compete in Prestigious Scripps National Spelling Bee
One of California’s top word wizards is about compete on the national stage. Rishabh Saha, an eighth grader at Merced’s Cruickshank Middle School, has earned a spot to compete at the 96th Scripps National Spelling Bee in Washington D.C., according to a news release from Merced City School District. Saha...
Bitwise CEOs Criminal Hearing Delayed Again. Plea Deal Near?
A change in plea could be coming for the two former CEOs of Bitwise Industries, but it will not happen on Thursday as planned. Jake Soberal and Irma Olguin Jr. face one count each of conspiracy to commit wire fraud. The company they founded and led went bankrupt last year,...