JERUSALEM/CAIRO — Israel controls 40% of Gaza City, a military spokesperson said on Thursday, as its bombardment forced more Palestinians from their homes there, while thousands of residents defied Israeli orders to leave, remaining behind in the ruins in the path of Israel's latest advance. Gaza health authorities said Israeli...
AB 727 Mental Health Support Advances Despite Online Predator Concerns
The California Senate Appropriations Committee approved Assembly Bill 727, despite pushback from Republicans that it puts children at risk for online grooming. AB 727, authored by California Assemblymember Mark Gonzalez, D-Los Angeles, is an effort to tackle the LGBTQ+ mental health crisis. After its passage in the committee last week...
Madera County School Bus Catches Fire, All Students Safe
A school bus carrying students from La Vina and Madera South High School caught fire Thursday morning after experiencing a mechanical malfunction, authorities said. The Madera County Sheriff’s Office reported that deputies responded to Avenue 8 and Road 23 ½ after farmworkers waved down the bus driver, who noticed smoke...
Vax Quack Lacks Facts. How Far Back Into Dark Ages Will RFK Jr. Take Us?
I almost died of rubella when I was 3. I was very weak and wouldn’t eat. My mother was frantic. The doctor prescribed mashed lima beans and I pulled through. I still keep lima beans in the freezer. It’s infuriating to see Bobby Kennedy Jr. be so benighted about vaccines,...
Epstein Victims Call for Release of More Documents and Accountability
WASHINGTON — Steps away from the Capitol, victims of Jeffrey Epstein, the disgraced financier and sex offender, on Wednesday demanded that all people who received sexual favors through Epstein be identified. They also demanded that Ghislaine Maxwell, the longtime associate of Epstein who is serving 20 years for sex trafficking,...
Visalia Police Respond to Gun Report Near Crestwood Valley Charter School
See the story update here. Original Story Visalia police responded Thursday morning after a report of a person with a gun near Crestwood Valley Charter School. Officers received the report at 9:09 a.m. and arrived as the suspect was seen leaving the school area, the Visalia Police Department said. No...
Kern County Authorities Take Suspect Into Custody Following Laundromat Standoff
A man wanted on a felony warrant was arrested Wednesday after barricading himself inside a laundromat in Frazier Park, authorities said. The Kern County Sheriff’s Office said deputies located Justin Beall, 45, around 3 p.m. while on patrol in the 3500 block of Mt. Pinos Way. Beall fled on foot...
Valley Crime Stoppers’ Most Wanted Person of the Day: Theodore Tisdale
September 4, 2025 Most Wanted Person of the Day Suspect Name: Theodore Tisdale Suspects Date of Birth: August 29, 1984 Physical Description: Black Male, 6’ 4, 252 lbs., Bald Head, Brown Eyes. Charges: Assault Warrant Number: F25905845 Synopsis of the Case: Theodore Tisdale is wanted on a felony warrant of...
Farage, in Washington, Takes Aim at UK Government Over Free Speech
LONDON/WASHINGTON — Nigel Farage, leader of the populist Reform UK party, took aim at what he called Britain's "awful authoritarian situation" on Wednesday, urging Washington to persuade the government to put an end to what he described as a clampdown on free speech. Giving evidence to the Republican-led U.S. House of...
Washington DC Sues Trump Administration Over Deployment of National Guard
Washington, D.C., sued the Trump administration on Thursday over the deployment of National Guard troops in the capital city. The lawsuit, filed in federal court, seeks a court order blocking the deployment on the grounds it is unconstitutional and violates multiple federal laws. "Armed soldiers should not be policing American...