From his perch on the 3,000-foot wall of El Capitan in Yosemite National Park, Charles Winstead heard the unexpected whoosh of a BASE jumper’s parachute and looked up. “I turned on my camera, and, sure enough, there was a couple more, and then a couple more and a couple more,”...
Louvre Chief Blames CCTV Gaps for $102 Million Jewellery Heist
The Louvre's cameras failed to detect burglars in time to prevent their audacious daylight heist of some of France's crown jewels, the museum's director said on Wednesday, amid growing anger directed at officials over major security lapses. The thieves broke into the world-famous Paris museum on Sunday using a crane...
Israel’s Parliament Gives Initial Nod to Occupied West Bank Annexation
JERUSALEM — A bill applying Israeli law to the occupied West Bank, a move tantamount to annexation of land which Palestinians want for a state, won preliminary approval from Israel's parliament on Wednesday. The vote was the first of four needed to pass the law and it coincided with the...
Fresno County Authorities Identify Driver in 189-Mile, 3-County Pursuit as Woman
Update on Oct. 27, 2025 at 3:36 p.m. The Fresno County Sheriff's Office identified the driver as Rebekah Madison, 36. She was booked into jail on a felony charge of evading police with a bail set at $5,000. Authorities said the pursuit lasted 2 hours and 13 minutes, covering nearly...
A Scholarship for Black California Students Has to Accept White Applicants. Here’s Why
This story was originally published by CalMatters. Sign up for their newsletters. A scholarship for Black students at UC San Diego is now available to anyone, regardless of race, after students and a right-leaning nonprofit organization sued the university for discrimination this July. The plaintiffs argued that the scholarship fund...
What Is Sanger Unified’s Secret Sauce? Engaging Instruction, Focus on Student Growth
At Washington Academic Middle School in the Sanger Unified School District, students in Samantha Nixon’s eighth grade math class recently tackled how to organize and tabulate a large fast-food order. “Start chatting in your groups. How many hamburgers did he order altogether?” Nixon asked the students. The students noisily debated the...
Overturned Truck Closes Northbound Highway 99 Offramp at Ashlan Avenue in Fresno
The northbound Highway 99 offramp and outermost lane at Ashlan Avenue closed Wednesday after a garbage truck overturned, according to Caltrans. Traffic was reported backed up to Shields Avenue. Officials said there is no estimated time for reopening. — Connect with Anthony W. Haddad on social media. Got a tip? Send an email.
Gallup Poll: Congress Approval Falls to 15%, Trump Holds Steady
Americans’ approval of Congress has plunged to just 15%, while approval of former President Donald Trump remains steady at 41%, according to a new Gallup poll released Tuesday. The drop for Congress represents an 11-point fall from a month earlier, with disapproval now at 79%. Much of the decline stems...
Madera Man Arrested for Attempted Sexual Assault of Juvenile
A 43-year-old Madera man was arrested Saturday morning after police say he unlawfully entered a home and attempted to commit a sexual act on a young female juvenile. The Madera Police Department received a 911 call at about 3 a.m. reporting an unknown male inside a residence. Officers arrived to...
World Court Says Israel Must Allow UN Aid to Gaza and Ensure Basic Needs of Palestinians Are Met
THE HAGUE — The United Nations' top legal body, the International Court of Justice, on Wednesday gave an advisory opinion saying that Israel is under the obligation to ensure the basic needs of the civilian population in Gaza are met. The panel of 11 judges added Israel has to support...