The top Republican and Democrat on a U.S. Senate committee played video showing the lead-up to the shooting of U.S. citizen Alex Pretti to Trump immigration officials at a hearing on Thursday, sharply questioning whether the use of force was appropriate. The committee's Republican chairman, U.S. Senator Rand Paul, said...
Senate Questions Health Care Firm for Profiting Off Program Meant for Poor
The Senate Health Committee is seeking answers from a private company that makes millions off a federal drug program meant to help the poor. Sen. Bill Cassidy, the Republican committee chair and a doctor from Louisiana, sent a letter last week to Apexus, the Texas-based company, asking about its profits,...
Kern County Authorities Make Multiple Arrests After Juvenile Robbery in Bakersfield Area
Deputies from the Kern County Sheriff’s Office made multiple arrests following a January robbery in which a juvenile was held at gunpoint for jewelry, authorities said. On Jan. 5, deputies from the Lamont Substation responded to a report near Fairfax Road and Shirley Lane in Bakersfield, where two masked male...
Mexican Ships Carrying Humanitarian Aid Enter Havana Harbor
HAVANA, Feb 12 - Two Mexican-flagged ships loaded with humanitarian aid entered Havana Harbor early on Thursday, a Reuters witness said, as Cuba's long-time ally made good on a promise to assist after Washington threatened tariffs on countries that send oil to Cuba. One of the ships, the Papaloapan, carried...
At Family Style Food Fest, Oakland’s Culture Takes Center Stage
While San Francisco was buzzing with Super Bowl pop-ups, despite being nearly an hour away from the actual game, Oakland was doing what Oakland does best: throwing its own kind of party. The Oakland Family Style Food Festival took place on Saturday and it gave me more than just a...
Jury Finds Man Not Guilty By Reason of Insanity in Father’s Murder
DUBLIN — A court in Ireland found Henry McGowan of New York not guilty by reason of insanity Thursday for the death of his father at a luxury hotel in November 2024. The so-called special verdict, reached by a jury of six men and six women, came swiftly, after just...
Trump Directs Energy Department to Issue Funds to Keep Coal Plants Online
WASHINGTON, Feb 11 - President Donald Trump on Wednesday ordered the Defense Department to purchase electricity from coal-fired power plants in his latest effort to boost the coal sector. The move, which was announced at the White House as an executive order, calls for the Pentagon to form purchase agreements...
Push for Body Cameras for DHS Underscores Trump Administration’s Shift
As the aggressive tactics of federal officers advancing President Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown have come under scrutiny, the use of body cameras has emerged as a rare point of bipartisan agreement in negotiations over a spending bill to keep the Department of Homeland Security running. Democrats in Congress have said...
Fugitive, Fraud: Who Is Jia Bei Zhu? Reedley Biolab Head Once Wanted to ‘Defeat American Aggressor’
Police records obtained by GV Wire paint a clearer picture of jailed Reedley lab operator Jia Bei Zhu, his criminal past in Canada, connections to China, and contact with the property manager of his Las Vegas home raided in January for being another possible illegal biological threat. In April, Zhu's...
Wall Street Regulator to Restore Some Jobs after Cuts, Chair Says
WASHINGTON, Feb 12 - Wall Street's top regulator is working to restore some of its workforce following last year's deep cuts at the behest of the White House, the agency's chief told Congress on Thursday. "We have gaps in different divisions, so we will fill that," Paul Atkins, chair of...