As the June 15 constitutional deadline for enacting a 2024-25 state budget approaches, the good news for Gov. Gavin Newsom is that all-important income tax revenues in April slightly exceeded the administration’s $16.3 billion assumption. Even so, the bad news is that overall revenues from income, sales and corporate taxes...
Valley Children’s Gets ‘Historic’ Gift to Boost Cancer Treatments. How Big Is It?
A $15 million donation to Valley Children's Hospital will expand its ability to provide the most advanced bone marrow transplant and T-cell therapy for youngsters who have been diagnosed with cancer. The anonymous gift, which the hospital called "historic" in a news release Thursday, is one of the largest single...
Californians Are Protecting Themselves from Wildfire. Why Is There an Insurance Crisis?
Spend any time thinking or talking about insurance in California these days and you’re bound to hear the word “mitigation.” Fire officials, lawmakers, insurance agents and others are asking homeowners to help lower the risk of devastating wildfires by making improvements to their properties — in some cases at great...
Family Fun, Community Events Highlight Cinco de Mayo Weekend in Fresno
May is starting with a bang when it comes to events. Rapper YG, the entertaining baseball team Savannah Bananas, Grammy winners Ozomatli, and "Disney's Aladdin" are in town. With Saturday being "Star Wars Day," there are several events with themes saluting the movie franchise. And, Cinco de Mayo is on...
Magical ‘Aladdin’ Delivers Magic Carpet Ride and Dad-Joke Humor
Genie's wit and puns would make any dad joke-teller proud. And, the colorful sets and the special effects of the carpet ride made for a magical premiere of "Disney's Aladdin" at the Saroyan Theatre on Wednesday night. Disney's Aladdin, which is the last production of the Broadway in Fresno season,...
Over 2,000 Arrested in US Campus Pro-Palestinian Protests
LOS ANGELES — At least 200 people were arrested at UCLA Thursday, bringing the nationwide total of arrests to more than 2,000 at dozens of college campuses since police cleared an encampment at Columbia University in mid-April, according to a tally by The Associated Press. Demonstrations — and arrests —...
Another State Department Official Resigns Over Biden’s Gaza Policy
In a recent interview with NPR's All Things Considered host Mary Louise Kelly, Hala Rharrit, a veteran Arabic-speaking public affairs official with the State Department, announced her resignation in protest of the Biden administration's approach to the conflict in Gaza. Rharrit, who served for 18 years and held the position...
These Two Fresno Pacific Students Faced Challenges. They’ll Graduate on Saturday.
Commencements ceremonies aren’t stories — but the people walking across the stage are. At Fresno Pacific University, 979 graduates mean 979 stories of first-generation students, working adults, and advancing professionals from the Central Valley’s mosaic of racial, ethnic, social, and economic backgrounds getting an academic, professional, and spiritual education that...
Crawford Goes 7 Innings, Wong Has 3 Hits, and Red Sox Beat Giants
BOSTON — Kutter Crawford pitched a career-high seven innings, Connor Wong had three hits and the Boston Red Sox beat the San Francisco Giants 6-2 on Wednesday night. Crawford (2-1) allowed two runs on four hits — including a home run — and two walks with six strikeouts as the...
WNBA Teams Look for Bigger Arenas When Caitlin Clark Comes to Town
WNBA teams have started making moves to capitalize on the popularity of Caitlin Clark. Some are booking bigger venues for when Clark and the Indiana Fever come to town. The Las Vegas Aces and Washington Mystics have moved their games against the Fever to bigger arenas. The numbers Clark generated...