WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Transportation Department is expected to declare that fuel economy rules issued under then President Joe Biden exceeded the government's legal authority by including electric vehicles in setting the rules, automaker officials said Monday. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said the department's National Highway Traffic Safety Administration...
George Wendt, Who Played a Beloved Barfly on ‘Cheers,’ Dies at 76
NEW YORK — George Wendt, an actor with an Everyman charm who played the affable, beer-loving barfly Norm on the hit 1980s TV comedy “Cheers” and later crafted a stage career that took him to Broadway in “Art,” “Hairspray” and “Elf,” has died. He was 76. Wendt's family said he...
Fresno Supervisors Go After Catalytic Converter Thieves With New Ordinance
A new Fresno County ordinance allows law enforcement to arrest anyone caught with an unattached catalytic converter. Even though catalytic converter thefts have dropped significantly since highs in 2023, insurers still reported more than 2,000 claims in California for the first half of 2024, according to a January article from...
Musk, Republican Party’s Biggest Donor, Says He Will Cut Political Spending
DOHA/WASHINGTON (Reuters) -Elon Musk, who spent nearly $300 million to back Donald Trump's presidential campaign and other Republicans last year, said on Tuesday he will cut his political spending substantially, the latest public signal that he is shifting his attention back to his business empire amid growing investor concerns. Musk...
Fresno Smoke Shops Sue City Hall, Want to Block New Rules
A trade group representing Fresno smoke shop owners filed a lawsuit Monday, asking a federal judge to block regulations imposed by the city council. The California Smoke Shops Association said the city's restriction of only seven smoke shops in each of the seven council districts — 49 total — would...
Why California’s Biggest Local Effort to Fight Homelessness Is Starting All Over Again
This story was originally published by CalMatters. Sign up for their newsletters. For three decades, the city and county of Los Angeles managed California's biggest homelessness crisis together. They had equal say in big funding decisions, and worked in tandem to coordinate housing programs through a joint city-county agency called...
US Health Authorities to Set Targets for Lowering Drug Prices
(Reuters) - The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services said on Tuesday it would set drug prices pegged to the lowest level paid by other high-income countries following an executive order from President Donald Trump last week aimed at lowering the prices of branded medicines for U.S. consumers. HHS...
Google Unveils AI Upgrades at I/O Conference Amid Search Challenges
MOUNTAIN VIEW, California (Reuters) - Alphabet's Google said on Tuesday it would put artificial intelligence into the hands of more Web surfers while teasing a $249.99-a-month subscription for its AI power users, its latest effort to fend off growing competition from startups like OpenAI. Google unveiled the plans at its...
Fresno Families Can’t Sell Their Gold Fast Enough: Jewelers
Gold's record prices have Fresno County families digging through their drawers and cashing in, local jewelers tell GV Wire. Stephanie Foster-Mullins, marketing director for the Fresno Coin Gallery, said the shop hasn't seen a rush like this since 2012 when gold first topped $2,000. "People are coming in — a...
Airstrikes Kill Dozens in Gaza as Criticism of Israel Grows
CAIRO/TEL AVIV (Reuters) - Israeli airstrikes killed at least 55 Palestinians in Gaza on Tuesday, local medics said, as Israel continued its bombardment of the strip despite mounting international pressure to stop military operations and allow unimpeded deliveries of aid. Britain's government announced it was suspending trade talks with Israel...