Deputies from the Kern County Sheriff’s Office arrested a 19-year-old man after discovering multiple firearms and ammunition at a Lamont residence following a report of shots fired. On Wednesday, deputies responded to a report of gunfire near Weedpatch Highway and Kam Avenue on the northern outskirts of Lamont. Investigators found...
Trump Meets Venezuelan Opposition Leader Machado After Praising Interim President
U.S. President Donald Trump was meeting with Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado on Thursday afternoon, in a high-stakes encounter that could affect how the U.S. president seeks to shape the South American country's political future. Machado, who fled Venezuela in a daring seaborne escape in December, is competing for...
Porterville Man Sentenced to Life for Multiple Child Sex Crimes, Evading Police
A Porterville man was sentenced to life in prison Wednesday for multiple sex crimes involving a child, the Tulare County District Attorney's Office said in a Thursday statement. Erwin McDarment, 37, was sentenced after pleading no contest in December 2025 to charges in two separate cases. He was also sentenced...
Man Arrested in Juvenile Sex Assaults, Fresno Police Seek More Victims
Fresno police arrested a man Tuesday in connection with multiple sexual assault charges on juveniles and are asking the public for help identifying potential additional victims. Investigators said Santiago Flores, 30, was taken into custody in Mendota on multiple sexual assault-related charges. Authorities say Flores solicited a female juvenile in...
Fresno Unified Retirees Will Have to Wait Until 2027 for New Medicare Option
Fresno Unified School District on Thursday announced a new healthcare option for Medicare retirees, more than two weeks after retirees lost coverage due to a contract dispute. The new option, however, will not take effect until 2027. On Jan. 5, the district said contract disagreements between Community Health Systems and...
Does Fresno City Council Believe in Transparency? Let’s Find Out
When he was the mayor of Fresno, Alan Autry often said, "The truth will set you free, but first it will make you miserable." As applied to politics, this meant that it was best to practice transparency and let the chips fall where they may. The Fresno City Council is...
Merced County Drivers Warned About Dangers of Fog After Jeep, Semi Collide
A Jeep collided with a semi truck early Thursday morning on a county road in Merced County, with dense fog and low visibility cited as major factors, the California Highway Patrol said. No serious injuries were reported. CHP officers said the Jeep driver did not see the semi backing into...
Trump Threatens to Use Military Over Minnesota Anti-ICE Protests
President Donald Trump threatened on Thursday to invoke the Insurrection Act to deploy military forces in Minnesota after days of angry protests over a surge in immigration agents on the streets of Minneapolis. Confrontations between residents and federal officers have become increasingly tense after an Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent...
Michigan Governor Says North America Free Trade Deal Critical for US Auto Production
Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer said Thursday it was critical for U.S. auto production that the Trump administration reach a deal this year to extend a North American free trade deal with Canada and Mexico and warned of China's rise as a major auto producer. The trade deal, called the United...
Cyberattack in Venezuela Demonstrated Precision of US Capabilities
WASHINGTON — The cyberattack that plunged Venezuela’s capital into darkness this month demonstrated the Pentagon’s ability not just to turn off the lights, but also to allow them to be turned back on, according to U.S. officials briefed on the operation. The Jan. 3 operation was one of the most...