U.S. traffic deaths last year fell to the lowest number since 2019 after a sharp rise in road fatalities during the COVID pandemic. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said traffic deaths fell 6.7% to 36,640 and the fatality rate fell to 1.10 fatalities per 100 million vehicle miles traveled,...
Supreme Court Justices Skeptical of Trump Order to Restrict Birthright Citizenship
With President Donald Trump present, U.S. Supreme Court justices signaled skepticism on Wednesday toward the legality of his directive to restrict birthright citizenship in the U.S., part of his hardline immigration approach that would upend the long-held understanding of a key constitutional provision. In his historic visit to the top...
Merced County Authorities Arrest Man After Gun Found During Traffic Stop
A man was arrested early Friday after deputies discovered a loaded handgun during a traffic stop. At 1:30 a.m., a Madera County sergeant stopped a vehicle in the Beachwood area for expired registration. A search of the vehicle revealed a loaded 9 mm handgun. The driver, William Grajeda, 41, was...
US Retail Sales Strong in February. Rising Gasoline Prices Will Hurt Spending
U.S. retail sales increased by the most in seven months in February as motor vehicle purchases rebounded and temperatures warmed up, but surging gasoline prices because of war in the Middle East were expected to crimp spending in the months ahead. The Commerce Department's delayed report on Wednesday suggested that...
In South Dakota, Neighbors Feel Sorry for Kristi Noem’s Husband
CASTLEWOOD, S.D. — That couldn’t be him, could it? The cartoonishly large breasts. The pink spandex. The come-hither stare. “Must be AI,” a burly cattle rancher named Kevin Ruesink said as he inspected pictures of his neighbor Bryon Noem that had been published by The Daily Mail on Tuesday morning....
Trump Says He Is Working With Johnson, Thune to Fund Immigration Agents
President Donald Trump said on Wednesday he was working with U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson and Senate majority leader John Thune to fund immigration agents through a process that bypasses the Senate filibuster. "We are going to work as fast, and as focused, as possible to replenish funding for our...
Chime Goes Down for Thousands of Users, Downdetector Shows
Chime experienced a possible outage Wednesday, according to Downdetector.com. More than 3,100 users had reported problems with the platform as of 9:56 a.m. PT, according to Downdetector, which tracks outages by collecting status reports from multiple sources. Most users who reported an issue to Downdetector said that they had issues...
California, States Seek $10.3 Million for Helping Block Kroger-Albertsons Merger
California and a group of states are seeking $10.3 million in fees and costs for helping block the Kroger-Albertsons merger, a bid that would refill the state's coffers as it emerges as a major player in U.S. antitrust enforcement. Of that amount, California would recoup $5.1 million as it forges...
Could Clovis Be the First City in Fresno County to Get a 7 Brew Coffee?
Clovis could soon get a new coffee and beverage dealer as the city's planning commission clears the way for 7 Brew Coffee to land at Clovis and Shaw avenues. The Arkansas-based coffee chain that caught the attention of private equity investors proposed adding a drive-thru location between McDonald's and El...
Democrats Start to Hammer Vulnerable Republicans Over the War in Iran
A new ad campaign from a Democratic-aligned group is slamming a vulnerable Republican member of Congress over his support for the war in Iran, a sign that Democrats view the conflict as a political liability for Republicans in the midterm elections. The group, VoteVets Action Fund, supports military veterans running...