Energy Secretary Chris Wright said Wednesday that the United States intended to maintain significant control over Venezuela’s oil industry, including by overseeing the sale of the country’s production “indefinitely.” “Going forward we will sell the production that comes out of Venezuela into the marketplace,” Wright said at a Goldman Sachs...
Will This Be the Year California Makes Kindergarten Mandatory?
By Carolyn Jones, CalMatters This story was originally published by CalMatters. Sign up for their newsletters. The past few years, California has been all about the ABCs, 1-2-3s and the wheels on the bus, investing more than $5 billion in early childhood education. But kindergarten, a staple of elementary schools...
California’s Urgent Issues Loom over Newsom Campaign and His Would-Be Successors
This commentary was originally published by CalMatters. Sign up for their newsletters. Political California cranked up for the New Year on Monday. The Legislature reconvened after a 114-day recess, Gov. Gavin Newsom renewed his nascent campaign for president and the dozen or so men and women who covet his job...
Could Mysterious California News Site Influence 2026 Elections?
This story was originally published by CalMatters. Sign up for their newsletters. Earlier this year, as the political battle over Congressional redistricting brought California into the national spotlight, Facebook users were shown a curious series of ads. The ads, from a straightforward-looking news site called the California Courier, often felt...
Fresno County Authorities Seek Relatives of Man Who Died in Riverdale
The Fresno County Sheriff-Coroner’s Office is asking for the public’s help locating relatives of a 63-year-old man who died last month in Riverdale. Officials said Jorge Figueroa passed away Dec. 2, 2025. He is possibly originally from Guadalajara, Mexico. The Coroner’s Office said staff have searched numerous personal records but...
Warner Bros Rejects Revised Paramount Bid as Risky Leveraged Buyout
Warner Bros Discovery's board has unanimously turned down Paramount Skydance's latest attempt to acquire the studio, saying its revised $108.4 billion hostile bid amounted to a risky leveraged buyout that investors should reject. In a letter to shareholders on Wednesday, Warner Bros' board said Paramount's offer hinges on "an extraordinary...
Wall Street Mixed as AI-Driven Rally Cools, Investors Assess Labor Data
Wall Street's main indexes were mixed on Wednesday, with the S&P 500 and the Dow coming off their intraday record highs after rallying in the previous two sessions, while investors assessed numerous economic datasets. At 10:09 a.m. ET, the Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 145.00 points, or 0.30%, to 49,317.08,...
US Seizes Venezuela-Linked, Russian-Flagged Oil Tanker After Weeks-Long Pursuit
The U.S. seized a Russian-flagged oil tanker that was being shadowed by a Russian submarine on Wednesday, after pursuing it for more than two weeks across the Atlantic as part of Washington's efforts to block Venezuelan oil exports, U.S. officials said. It appeared to be the first time in recent...
Merced County DUI Arrest After Driver Caught Speeding Over 100 MPH
A driver was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence after being stopped for speeding more than 100 miles per hour on Highway 99 in Merced County, the California Highway Patrol said Wednesday. CHP said an officer stopped the vehicle traveling northbound on Highway 99 just north of Liberty...
Fresno Supes Approve Sex Offender Rules. Technicality Could Leave Many Homeless
Saying the county needs a way to regulate transitional homes and protect neighbors, Fresno County supervisors Tuesday approved a final limit on how many sex offenders can live in a single home. But while the operators of one facility agreed with one portion of the ordinance, they said another part...