The U.S. Department of Homeland Security on Monday accused Hilton of canceling reservations of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, or ICE, agents at its hotel in Minneapolis. When its officers attempted to book rooms using official government emails and rates, Hilton canceled their reservations, DHS said in a post on social...
Visalia Police Arrest 16-Year-Old After Early Morning Shooting
A 16-year-old male was arrested early Monday following a shooting at a Visalia home that left no one injured, authorities said. Just after 12:30 a.m., Visalia Police Department officers responded to a report of gunfire at a residence in the 5600 block of West Seeger Court. Officers found evidence that...
Delcy Rodriguez Formally Sworn in as Venezuela’s Interim President
Jan 5 - Venezuela's vice president and oil minister Delcy Rodriguez was formally sworn in on Monday as the country's interim president, as U.S.-deposed President Nicolas Maduro appeared in a New York court on drug charges, after the Trump administration removed him from power in a dramatic weekend military action....
Winter Storms Wipe Out Drought in California, for Now
Heavy rain and snow has pounded California in recent weeks, causing floods, power outages, mudslides and other disruptions. But the storms have also filled reservoirs and deepened the snowpack in the Sierra Nevada, easing drought concerns in a state perpetually worried about not having enough water. The near-constant pace of...
Clovis Police Arrest DUI Driver After Toddler Struck in Parking Lot
A 62-year-old man was arrested on felony DUI charges after a toddler and the child’s mother were struck by a truck in a Clovis parking lot Saturday afternoon, authorities said. At 2:23 p.m., Clovis Police responded to a report of a toddler struck in the Trader Joe’s parking lot at...
Only 33% of Americans Approve of US Strike on Venezuela, Reuters/Ipsos Poll Finds
One in three Americans approve of the U.S. military strike on Venezuela that toppled the country's president and 72% worry the U.S. will become too involved in the South American country, according to a Reuters/Ipsos poll that concluded on Monday. The two-day poll showed 65% of Republicans back the military operation...
Who Is Delcy Rodríguez?
Delcy Rodríguez, a leftist and political confidant to captured Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, has suddenly become the country’s interim leader. She is in a delicate situation, pitted between the Trump administration in Washington, which says it expects Rodríguez’s cooperation, and a Venezuelan public that deeply distrusts American influence. She was...
Maduro Tells US Judge He Was ‘Kidnapped’
Nicolás Maduro, the ousted Venezuelan president, and his wife pleaded not guilty Monday to federal charges including drug trafficking and other crimes, two days after they were captured in a U.S. military raid in Caracas, the Venezuelan capital. Maduro, his hair streaked with gray, identified himself to the judge as...
New California Laws That Will Impact the Valley in 2026
Now that 2025 is in the rearview mirror, several important new laws take effect this year that will have key impacts on San Joaquin Valley residents. The Merced FOCUS, with help from CalMatters Digital Democracy and EdSource, has compiled a list that includes some of the top new laws that will impact Valley...
Kern County Deputies Arrest Two in Train Burglary
Deputies from the Kern County Sheriff’s Office arrested two men Wednesday after they were found inside a storage container on a train in Keene. Ricardo Rodriguez, 47, and Juan Diaz, 41, initially barricaded themselves inside the container and refused to surrender, according to the sheriff’s office. Deputies from the Mojave,...