This commentary was originally published by CalMatters. Sign up for their newsletters. Good news is a rarity in California’s massive public school system, which purports to educate nearly 6 million students but struggles to improve chronically subpar academic achievement levels on state and federal tests. The most recent round of...
High-Speed Rail Hits a New Snag as Lawmakers Reject Proposal to Expedite Construction
By Yue Stella Yu and Jeanne Kuang, CalMatters This story was originally published by CalMatters. Sign up for their newsletters. A legislative proposal aiming to speed up California’s high-speed rail construction met its fate Friday, spelling trouble for the already costly and long-delayed project. Senate Bill 445, authored by Sen....
Fresno County Garnet Fire Expands to 17,561 Acres, 8% Contained
Fire crews continued to make progress overnight against the Garnet Fire burning in the Sierra National Forest, which has grown to 17,561 acres and is 8% contained in Fresno County, officials said Saturday. Evacuation orders remain in effect for zones K27, K30, K31, K32-A, and K40, while warnings are in...
Lawsuit Links CA Teen’s Suicide To Artificial Intelligence
The parents of a California teenager who committed suicide sued OpenAI, alleging that ChatGPT taught him how to harm himself, according to a lawsuit the parents filed Aug. 26. Matthew and Maria Raine, the parents, filed a 40-page lawsuit in the California Superior Court in San Francisco against the company...
Fresno Spotlight: Lawsuit in Killing of Homeless Man by Deputies Will Go to Trial
The Fresno County Sheriff’s Office long has denied wrongdoing in the killing of an unarmed homeless man shot to death by two reserve sheriff’s deputies. The killing took place at a wrecking yard southwest of Fresno in March 2020. However, U.S. District Court Judge Kirk E. Sherriff said in a...
Fresno County Needs Election Workers for November Redistricting Vote. Apply Now
On Nov. 4, California will hold a special election for Gov. Gavin Newsom's plan to redistrict the state's legislative maps. Fresno County will need election workers. The Fresno County Clerk/Registrar of Voters is accepting applications for election worker positions until Friday, Sept. 5 through the FresnoCountyJobs.com website, according to a...
Hearing Ends Without Ruling On Trump’s Firing Of Fed Governor Cook
A court hearing on President Donald Trump's attempt to fire Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook ended on Friday with no immediate ruling from the judge hearing the unprecedented legal fight, meaning the U.S. central bank policymaker will remain in place for now. After hearing oral arguments for two hours in...
Gov. Newsom Launches New Task Force To Clear CA Homeless Encampments
This story was originally published by CalMatters. Sign up for their newsletters. Gov. Gavin Newsom launched a new homeless response task force Friday, marking the latest escalation in his ongoing campaign to eradicate encampments, including in Fresno. Newsom’s office expects to deploy the team within the next month to camps...
Fresno Supervisor Nathan Magsig Says Crews Gaining Ground on Garnet Fire
As of Friday afternoon, the Garnet Fire in Fresno County has grown to 17,159 acres and is at 8% containment. Officials confirmed that the cause of the fire was lightning. Evacuation orders remain in effect for zones K27, K30, K31, K32-A, and K40, while warnings are in place for K28,...
Judge Allows Release of Accused Arsonist Bobby Salazar on $1M Bond
Accused arsonist Bobby Salazar can be released from custody later Friday if he posts a $1 million bond, a federal judge ruled. He appeared in Fresno federal court in front of U.S. Magistrate Judge Barbara A. McAuliffe. The bond can be posted after his release. Salazar, 63, the operator of...