Clovis police and California Alcoholic Beverage Control agents cited three people for furnishing alcohol to minors during an undercover operation on Tuesday, authorities said. The "Shoulder Tap" operation used a decoy under 21, supervised by law enforcement, who asked adults outside local stores to buy alcohol while clearly stating they...
Trump to Remove US Sanctions on Syria in Major Policy Shift
RIYADH/DAMASCUS (Reuters) - President Donald Trump said on Tuesday he would order the lifting of sanctions on Syria at the behest of Saudi Arabia's crown prince, a major U.S. policy shift ahead of an expected meeting with Syria's Islamist President Ahmed al-Sharaa. Trump is set to say hello to Sharaa...
US Overdose Deaths Fell 27% Last Year, the Largest One-Year Decline Ever Seen
There were 30,000 fewer U.S. drug overdose deaths in 2024 than the year before — the largest one-year decline ever recorded. An estimated 80,000 people died from overdoses last year, according to provisional Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data released Wednesday. That’s down 27% from the 110,000 in 2023....
Debate Turns Raucous as House Panel Weighs Medicaid Cuts
WASHINGTON — As he called to order a marathon committee session to consider Medicaid cuts and other critical pieces of Republicans’ sweeping domestic policy bill, Rep. Brett Guthrie of Kentucky surveyed a packed hearing room Tuesday afternoon and asked for a respectful debate. “I know we have deep feelings on...
California Democrats Restore Penalties in Teen Sex Trafficking Bill After Backlash
California's Democratic leadership has once again executed a dramatic policy reversal following intense public backlash, this time on legislation concerning sex trafficking of minors, San Francisco Chronicle reports. Assembly Democrats initially opposed strengthening penalties for adults who purchase 16- and 17-year-olds for sex, stripping Assembly Member Maggy Krell's bill (AB379)...
Fresno Police Activity Shuts Down Stretch of Blackstone Avenue
Update on May 14, 2025 at 10:18 a.m. The Fresno Police Department reported that the suspect was arrested and that the road closure will open up soon. Original Story A portion of Blackstone Avenue is closed Wednesday for an active call involving a wanted suspect believed to be contained in...
Tulare County Authorities Seeks Suspects in Armed Carjacking
Deputies are searching for two suspects involved in an armed carjacking early Wednesday in Poplar, authorities said. Just before 12:30 a.m., Tulare County sheriff’s deputies responded to the 14600 block of Road 190 for reports of a carjacking. According to investigators, the victim told deputies two suspects wearing all black...
Trump Tariffs, Rising Health Care Costs Knock CA Budget Back Into Deficit
This story was originally published by CalMatters. Sign up for their newsletters. Facing a long horizon of budget deficits, California officials stretched and scrimped and massaged the numbers to stabilize the state’s finances last year. But an unforeseen economic downturn, spurred by President Donald Trump’s chaotic tariffs strategy, has knocked...
Waymo Recalls 1,200 Self-Driving Vehicles After Minor Collisions
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Alphabet's Waymo is recalling more than 1,200 self-driving vehicles to update software and address risks of collisions with chains, gates and other roadway barriers after U.S. auto safety investigators opened a probe last year. The recall affects 1,212 Waymo vehicles operating on the company's fifth-generation automated driving...
How Ancient Reptile Footprints Are Rewriting the History of When Animals Evolved to Live on Land
WASHINGTON — Scientists in Australia have identified the oldest known fossil footprints of a reptile-like animal, dated to around 350 million years ago. The discovery suggests that after the first animals emerged from the ocean around 400 million years ago, they evolved the ability to live exclusively on land much...