The number of Americans filing new applications for unemployment benefits fell last week from an upwardly revised level in the prior week, suggesting layoffs remained low, but tepid hiring is stoking households' anxiety about the labor market. While difficulties adjusting the weekly unemployment claims data for seasonal fluctuations around the...
Trump Border Czar Homan Says ICE in Minneapolis Will Be More ‘Targeted,’ Drawdown Possible
U.S. border czar Tom Homan, newly installed as commander of President Donald Trump's immigration enforcement surge in Minneapolis, said on Thursday that federal agents would focus on "targeted" operations, shifting away from the broad street sweeps that have drawn widespread outrage. Homan also said he would reduce the 3,000-strong force...
Maine’s Immigrant Students Stay Home as ICE Operation Ramps Up
PORTLAND, Maine — Shandy Priddy, a delivery driver for Target in Portland, Maine, was dropping off a package at an apartment complex Friday morning when a stranger approached with a startling question: Would Priddy drive her son to school? On the fourth day of an unprecedented federal immigration crackdown in...
Hillary Clinton and Tucker Carlson Walk Into a Saudi Real Estate Forum
RIYADH, Saudi Arabia — It was rather hard to parse why Hillary Clinton, the former Democratic presidential candidate, and Tucker Carlson, the contrarian right-wing commentator, had been invited to speak at a real estate conference in Saudi Arabia. Neither had much to say about real estate. Yet, on Wednesday, they...
US Senate Democrats Demand Immigration Reforms to Avert Shutdown
U.S. Senate Democrats called for new restrictions on immigration agents on Wednesday, setting up a confrontation with the Trump administration that could lead to a partial government shutdown. Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer said agents with the Department of Homeland Security, including ICE, must stop wearing face masks, use body cameras,...
Prosecutors Seek July Trial for Mangione in State Murder Case
NEW YORK — State prosecutors in New York asked a judge Wednesday to set a July trial date for the murder case against Luigi Mangione, months before a parallel federal trial in which he is charged with killing a health care executive in New York City. The proposed start date...
Teachers Assail Fresno Unified Trustees for Doubling Their Own Pay
The Fresno Unified School Board adopted a state-approved stipend change, more than doubling trustees' monthly pay and generating barbs from the teachers union. Earlier this month, trustees voted, 6-1, to increase their monthly stipend from $2,110 to $4,500, or $54,000 annually, starting Feb. 1. “I don't really see it as...
Gold Extends Record Run, Races Past $5,400/Oz
Spot gold extended its record‑setting rally on Thursday, marching above the $5,400 per ounce mark as investors sought safety amid deepening economic and geopolitical uncertainty. Spot gold XAU= was up 0.3% at $5,413.67 an ounce at 2209 GMT after hitting a record high at $5,418.39 earlier in the session. Geopolitical...
Fresno and Madera Homelessness Rises Again in Annual Count
As hundreds of trained volunteers spread across Fresno and Madera counties this week, officials conducting the area's annual Point-in-Time (PIT) count reported a familiar trend: Homelessness is up again. Preliminary estimates from the Fresno Madera Continuum of Care indicate homelessness has increased from last year, continuing a rise that has...
Madera Police Seek Public Help Identifying Housing Authority Vandalism Suspect
The Madera Police Department is asking for the public’s help identifying a man captured on surveillance video vandalizing the Housing Authority building, the department said on Wednesday. Got a Tip? Authorities said anyone with information about the suspect should call the Madera Police Department at (559) 675-4220 or Crime Stoppers...