WASHINGTON, Feb 13 - The U.S. military is preparing for the possibility of sustained, weeks-long operations against Iran if President Donald Trump orders an attack, two U.S. officials told Reuters, in what could become a far more serious conflict than previously seen between the countries. The disclosure by the officials,...
Kern County Authorities Arrest Nine, Shut Down Four Illegal Dispensaries
Kern County authorities executed a coordinated operation Thursday evening, shutting down four illegal marijuana dispensaries and arresting multiple individuals. The Kern County Sheriff’s Office executed search warrants at the dispensaries around 6 p.m. Support came from the California Department of Fish and Wildlife’s Cannabis Enforcement Program, the California Department of...
US Releases $30 Million of Frozen New York Tunnel Funding
he Trump administration on Friday released $30 million of $205 million in frozen federal funding for the $16 billion Hudson Tunnel Project in New York after New York and New Jersey sued to challenge the decision. The two states had sought an emergency hearing after raising concerns the U.S. Department...
Stolen Car Burned and Abandoned, Fresno-Area CHP Issues Valentine’s Safety Warning
A Mitsubishi was reported stolen, burned and left on the side of a road, according to the Fresno-area California Highway Patrol. CHP shared the incident in a Valentine’s-themed public safety message, noting that discovering an empty parking spot or calling to report a vehicle stolen can quickly spoil the holiday....
Kennedy Allies Target States to Overturn Vaccine Mandates for Schoolchildren
Longtime allies of Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the nation’s health secretary, have launched a new effort to repeal laws that for decades have required children to be vaccinated against measles, polio and other diseases before they enter day care or kindergarten. A newly formed coalition of vaccine activists is targeting...
California Leaders Unveil Biggest Crackdown on Drunk Drivers in Decades
This story was originally published by CalMatters. Sign up for their newsletters. It’s been more than four decades yet Rhonda Campbell’s voice still quavered as she stood before a row of television cameras recalling the day in 1981 when a repeat drunk driver killed her 12-year-old sister. She remembers her...
Musk’s AI Chatbot Grok’s US Market Share Jumps Amid Sexualized Images Backlash, Data Shows
Feb 13 - Grok, Elon Musk's AI chatbot, has been gaining ground in the U.S. over the past months, data showed, even as it draws global censure and regulatory scrutiny after being used to generate a wave of non-consensual sexualized images of women and minors. U.S. market share of the...
Porterville Man Arrested in Child Exploitation Investigation
A 33-year-old Porterville man was arrested Wednesday on suspicion of distributing harmful matter to a minor and communicating with a minor with intent to commit a sexual offense, authorities said. Detectives with the Porterville Police Department said they received credible information from the Fresno County Internet Crimes Against Children Task...
Agents Suspended After Their Story of Shooting an Immigrant Falls Apart
Two federal agents have been suspended, and criminal charges against a man one of them shot have been dropped, after a prosecutor in Minnesota revealed that the story those agents told about the shooting was not true. Prosecutor Reverses Course The suspensions and dismissal followed an extraordinary court filing Thursday,...
US Withdraws Newly Updated List of Firms Allegedly Aiding China’s Military
The United States withdrew an updated list of Chinese firms allegedly aiding Beijing's military shortly after it was posted on Friday with the addition of some of China's biggest tech companies, including Alibaba and Baidu. The document, which was posted for about an hour, also had removed China's top memory...