WASHINGTON — The Pentagon has ordered all military leaders and commands to pull and review all of their library books that address diversity, anti-racism or gender issues by May 21, according to a memo issued to the force on Friday. It is the broadest and most detailed directive so far...
Fresno Pays the Most for Electricity. What Are Lawmakers Doing About It?
A new study finds Fresno pays the most for electricity bills. The region's utility promises to lower rates, and lawmakers are looking for energy-saving solutions as well. CashNet USA — an online lender — crunched data from the U.S. Energy Information Administration, a federal government agency. Fresnans pay an annual...
Freed Palestinian Student Accuses Columbia University of Inciting Violence
MONTPELIER, Vt. — A Palestinian student arrested as he was about to finalize his U.S. citizenship accused Columbia University on Thursday of eroding democracy with its handling of campus protests against the Israel-Hamas war. Mohsen Mahdawi, 34, who led anti-war protests at the Ivy League school in New York in...
First At-Home Test Kit for Cervical Cancer Approved by the FDA, Company Says
WASHINGTON — U.S. regulators have approved the first cervical cancer testing kit that allows women to collect their own sample at home before shipping it to a laboratory, according to a medical device company. Teal Health said Friday the Food and Drug Administration approved its Teal Wand for home use,...
US to Accept White South African Refugees While Other Programs Remain Paused
WASHINGTON — The Trump administration will welcome more than two dozen white South Africans to the United States as refugees next week, an unusual move because it has suspended most refugee resettlement operations, officials and documents said Friday. The first Afrikaner refugees are arriving Monday at Dulles International Airport outside...
15 States Sue Over Trump’s Move to Fast-Track Oil and Gas Projects via His ‘Energy Emergency’ Order
A coalition of 15 states is suing over President Donald Trump's efforts to fast-track energy-related projects, saying the administration is bypassing environmental protection laws and threatening endangered species, critical habitat and cultural resources. Trump issued an executive order declaring a "national energy emergency " on the first day of his...
New Fresno Judge Baloian Uses Experience on Both Sides of Legal Table
Melissa Baloian wanted to be an FBI agent when she was growing up. She stuck with law, but became a lawyer instead. "When I went into law school at USF Law, they really opened my eyes, giving me great experiences and seeing the bigger picture of our justice system," Baloian...
Leo XIV’s Service to Poor Propelled Him to Papacy, Cardinals Say
ROME — Pope Leo XIV presided over his first Mass as leader of 1.4 billion Roman Catholics on Friday, pledging to align himself with “ordinary people” and against the rich and powerful, and calling for missionary outreach to help heal the “wounds that afflict our society.” The election of Leo,...
The State Law Taking a Financial Toll on California Budgets
LOS ANGELES — In 2018, an anonymous tip led authorities in California to Eric Uller, who for decades had volunteered at an after-school program associated with the Santa Monica Police Department. An investigation revealed Uller, 50, had molested at least four boys on the city’s watch. Allegations from dozens of...
Iran to Send Russia Launchers for Short-Range Missiles, Sources Say
WASHINGTON/LONDON (Reuters) - Iran is preparing to deliver in the near future launchers for short-range ballistic missiles that the U.S. said Tehran sent to Russia last year for use against Ukraine, according to two Western security officials and a regional official. The delivery of the Fath-360 launchers - if it...