U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers made a series of arrests over the weekend that included individuals previously convicted of serious crimes, the agency said. Among those taken into custody was Maria Silvia Martinez-Vasquez, a Mexican national who had been convicted of voluntary manslaughter in Visalia, according to ICE. The...
Trump Family Crypto Project Countersues Billionaire Backer Sun for ‘Smear Campaign’
World Liberty Financial, the crypto venture co-founded by President Donald Trump and his sons, said on Monday it had filed a defamation lawsuit in Florida state court against Hong Kong-based crypto entrepreneur Justin Sun, as a dispute escalates between the project and one of its most prominent backers. World Liberty...
Fresno Trustee Unveils Literacy Checklist for County Schools Superintendent Hopefuls
Fresno Unified Trustee Susan Wittrup has developed a 10-point literacy accountability checklist aimed at evaluating candidates for Fresno County superintendent of schools. The framework is designed to assess whether proposed plans, presentations, or leadership approaches align with evidence-based reading instruction and clear systems of accountability. The checklist emphasizes early literacy,...
US, Gulf Arab Nations Draft New UN Resolution on Strait of Hormuz
The United States and Gulf Arab nations are drafting a U.N. Security Council resolution designed to condemn Iran for blocking the Strait of Hormuz in response to a U.S.-Israeli bombing campaign, U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Mike Waltz said on Monday. Waltz said negotiations will take place this week on the...
Kern County Verdict: Man Convicted in Oildale Shop Killing
A Kern County jury has found a man guilty of murdering a security guard during a robbery at an Oildale tobacco shop, authorities said. Cesar Vasquez was convicted of first-degree felony murder with a special circumstance that the killing occurred during the commission of a robbery, according to the Kern...
Evacuations Planned as Suspected Hantavirus Outbreak Traps 150 on Ship off Cape Verde
Medics were working on Monday to evacuate two people with symptoms of the deadly hantavirus after a suspected outbreak on a luxury cruise ship held off West Africa carrying mostly British, American and Spanish passengers, officials said. Around 150 people were still stuck on the vessel after three people - a...
Oil Prices Jump 6% as Iran Sets UAE Oil Port Ablaze, Strikes Vessels in Strait of Hormuz
Oil prices jumped about 6% on Monday as Iran stepped up attacks on the United Arab Emirates and ships in the Middle East Gulf over the past 24 hours, the most serious escalation since a U.S.-Iran ceasefire came into force in early April. Brent futures rose $6.79, or 6.3%, to...
DHS Intelligence Office Did Not Properly Secure Smartphones, Watchdog Says
WASHINGTON — The Department of Homeland Security failed to effectively secure smartphones used by staff in its intelligence office, raising the risk of cyberattacks and unauthorized access to sensitive information, the department’s inspector general said in a report published Monday. The independent watchdog found that the department did not require...
Britney Spears Pleads Guilty to Reckless Driving in DUI Case
Pop star Britney Spears settled her case of driving under the influence of drugs and alcohol by pleading guilty on Monday to a lesser charge of reckless driving that reduces the probationary time she otherwise would have faced. Spears' lawyers entered the plea on her behalf during a brief hearing...
S&P 500 Falls From Record High on Middle East Worries
Wall Street dipped from record highs on Monday after a South Korean ship was hit by an explosion in the Strait of Hormuz and Tehran demonstrated its grip on Middle East oil, dampening optimism about strong first-quarter earnings reports. Energy stocks rose after the reports of the latest confrontations. An...