Madera police seized multiple firearms and ammunition from a home after responding to a reported disturbance in which a firearm was brandished, authorities said Wednesday. Officers with the Madera Police Department were dispatched to the 900 block of Barnett Way, where they identified Anthony Lopez, 28, as the suspect. Police...
Merced County Traffic Stop Leads to DUI Arrest of Underage Driver
A Merced County traffic stop led to the arrest of a 20-year-old driver on suspicion of driving under the influence, the California Highway Patrol’s Merced area office said on Thursday. A CHP officer stopped the driver for failing to stop at a posted stop sign. During the stop, the officer...
Global Defense Stocks Advance After Trump Calls for Higher US Military Budget
Global defense stocks climbed on Thursday after President Donald Trump called for a substantial increase in the U.S. military budget, fueling a fresh rally amid ongoing geopolitical tensions. U.S. defense companies rebounded after falling on Wednesday following Trump's threat to block American contractors like RTX from dividend payouts or share...
Israeli Forces Kill Four in Gaza, Say They Hit Rocket Launch Site
Israeli forces killed at least four Palestinians in two separate strikes in the Gaza Strip on Thursday, hours after the military said it had hit the site of a failed militant rocket launch, the latest violence to jeopardize the ceasefire. Medics said an Israeli airstrike killed at least three people...
ICE Fatal Shooting of Minnesota Woman Puts US on Edge
The fatal shooting of a 37-year-old Minnesota mother by a U.S. immigration agent has put the city of Minneapolis and much of the United States on edge, with the potential of becoming another flashpoint in a polarized country. State and federal officials offered starkly different accounts of the shooting, in...
US Exit of Key UN Climate Treaty Criticized as Self-Sabotage
The United States' decision to withdraw from the United Nations' key climate treaty is a "colossal own goal" that will harm the U.S. economy, jobs and living standards, United Nations climate chief Simon Stiell said on Thursday. "While all other nations are stepping forward together, this latest step back from global...
Trump Requests $6 Million in Legal Fees in Georgia Election Interference Case
President Donald Trump asked a Georgia state court on Wednesday to order prosecutors to reimburse him for more than $6.2 million in legal fees he said he spent on fighting criminal charges of interfering in the 2020 presidential election he lost to Democrat Joe Biden. Trump’s lawyers said in a...
Thousands of Fresno Unified Retirees Cut Off From Health Care
A dispute between Community Health System and Fresno Unified’s health insurance provider, Aetna, has caused thousands of district retirees to be cut off from care. “Here I am about 2 1/2 years later and instead of lying in a bed paralyzed on my left side and unable to communicate, I'm healthy,...
Madera Police to Conduct Active Shooter Training at Middle School
The Madera Police Department will conduct active shooter training at Thomas Jefferson Middle School on Thursday and Saturday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., the department announced Wednesday. The exercises will include simulated gunfire, loud noises, and school alarm activations. Madera officers and designated role players will be on campus,...
Visalia Man Sentenced to Nearly 59 Years in Prison for Child Molestation
A Visalia man was sentenced Wednesday to 58 years and eight months in prison for molesting a child, the Tulare County District Attorney’s Office said. Armando Montero, 34, pleaded no contest on Dec. 4, 2025, to 11 counts of child molestation and two counts of possessing child pornography. The 11...