WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Sales of new U.S. single-family homes unexpectedly increased in April as builders lowered prices to lure buyers, but rising mortgage rates and an uncertain economic outlook remain constraints for the housing market. New home sales surged 10.9% to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 743,000 units last...
Three Well-Tested Ways to Undermine an Autocrat
Opinion by Nicholas Kristof on May 21, 2025. The question I get most often is: What can we do to take our country back? So let me try to answer, drawing on lessons from other countries that have faced authoritarian challenges. The funny thing is that there's a playbook for...
Test Your Memorial Day Knowledge With This Quiz
Memorial Day is when we pause and honor those who gave their lives for our freedom. Some were famous men who died in battle. Others were unknown soldiers killed in historic battles. How much do you know about America’s military history? Test your knowledge with this short quiz. 1. Which...
Work Requirements Could Transform Medicaid and Food Aid Under US Budget Bill
The U.S. social safety net would be jolted if the budget bill backed by President Donald Trump and passed Thursday by the House of Representatives becomes law. It would impose work requirements for low-income adults to receive Medicaid health insurance and increase them for food assistance as well as cut...
Stop Making Cents: US Mint Moves Forward With Plans to Kill the Penny
WASHINGTON — The Trump administration says making cents doesn't make sense anymore. The U.S. Mint has made its final order of penny blanks and plans to stop producing the coin when those run out, a Treasury Department official confirmed Thursday. This move comes as the cost of making pennies has...
Fresno County Detectives Revive 2017 Drive-By Murder Case
Homicide detectives with the Fresno County Sheriff’s Office have obtained new information in the 2017 murder of Francisco Acosta, 68, in Huron. Thus, they are revisiting the case and asking for the public's help to solve it. Homicide Details On Sunday, Jan, 29, 2017, at 9:40 a.m., Huron police reported...
Will the Pacific Coast Highway Reopen for Memorial Day Weekend?
Pacific Coast Highway will reopen to public travel at 8 a.m. Friday, ahead of Memorial Day weekend, Gov. Gavin Newsom announced today. The iconic roadway, which was closed following the Palisades Fire, will now operate with two lanes in each direction. The reopening comes earlier than the previously announced end-of-May...
The Artist Tree Set to Open Second Fresno Cannabis Location
One of Fresno's first cannabis companies to open a dispensary will soon unveil a second location. The Artist Tree will open near Shaw and Marty avenues on June 26, according to a news release from the company. This will mark the brand's 10th store overall. "We're so excited and grateful...
Fresno Unified Is Fixing Accessibility to HR Building After Months of Complaints
Fresno Unified's Jason Stansell is happy that the district is finally addressing accessibility issues at the district's human resources building. But he questions why it took the district months to provide equal access to all. “The district, as a whole, doesn’t care about disabled individuals, needing services, needing help,” Stansell,...
Fresno Affordable Housing Takes a Huge Hit. State Kills City’s ‘Pro-Housing’ Status
Mayor Jerry Dyer said at Thursday's city council meeting that Fresno has lost a state designation allowing it to apply for grant money for affordable housing projects. Dyer announced that after two years, the city had lost its Pro-Housing Designation. The designation allows the city and developers to better compete...