Pressure is mounting to find new uses for an estimated 70,000 acres – or 20% – of farmland in southern Tulare County that will likely be taken out of production to reduce groundwater use by 2040. With nearly 15% of Tulare County’s workforce employed in ag and ag-related industries, according...
Black Smoke Signals No Pope Elected at First Conclave Vote
Black smoke billowed from the chimney of the Sistine Chapel on Wednesday evening, signaling an inconclusive first vote by cardinals locked in the Sistine Chapel in a conclave to elect a new pope to guide the Roman Catholic Church. Thousands of faithful gathered in St. Peter's Square waiting for smoke...
Judge Demands Trump Officials Detail Legal Grounds for Deporting Palestinian Activist
(Reuters) - A federal judge instructed the Trump administration on Wednesday to detail the legal precedent for its plan to deport Mahmoud Khalil, a Palestinian activist whose presence in the country the government alleges could harm U.S. foreign policy interests. District Court Judge Michael Farbiarz in Newark, New Jersey, ordered...
Tulare Murder Case Ends With Woman Sentenced to Life
A woman was sentenced to life in prison Wednesday for the 2020 stabbing death of her boyfriend, the Tulare County District Attorney’s Office announced. Alicia Espinoza, 27, pleaded guilty in March to second-degree murder and second-degree burglary in the killing of her boyfriend, who was found stabbed to death in...
Housing Component Halted, but Fresno’s Senior Center Is Moving Forward
Fresno Mayor Jerry Dyer's landmark senior center is moving forward even though the nearby housing portion has halted. The state recently passed over the application for $15 million in essential tax credits to help build senior housing near Ashlan and Blackstone avenues at the highly anticipated Fresno Senior Activity Center,...
Trump’s Budget Would Abolish Funding for English Learners, Adult Ed, Teacher Recruitment
President Donald Trump would maintain funding levels for students with disabilities and for Title I aid for low-income students while wiping out long-standing programs serving migrant children, teachers in training, college-bound students, English learners and adult learners in the education budget for fiscal 2026. Trump’s “skinny budget,” which he released...
Wired Wednesday: Will Fresno County Measure C Tax Be Renewed?
On this week’s Wired Wednesday, GV Wire senior reporter David Taub talks with KMPH Fox 26 “Great Day” anchor Karl Cooke about the status of Measure C for the 2026 ballot. Measure C is a Fresno County half-cent sales tax measure that funds transportation projects and repairs. In 2006, voters...
US Health Chief Kennedy Launches Autism Project Using Medicare and Medicaid Data
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Federal health agencies will create a database of autism patients enrolled in Medicare and Medicaid that researchers will use to study the causes of autism spectrum disorder, U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr said on Wednesday. "We're pulling back the curtain, with full...
Video: Raccoon With Meth Pipe in Its Mouth Discovered During a Routine Traffic Stop in Ohio
A Springfield Township police officer in central Ohio discovered a pet raccoon named "Chewy" sitting in the driver's seat with a glass methamphetamine pipe in its mouth during a routine traffic stop on Monday. Officer Austin Branham initiated the stop after noticing the vehicle's registered owner had an active warrant...
Disney Parks Thrive in Second Quarter. Company Adds 1.4 Million New Streaming Subscribers
Disney posted solid profits and revenue in the second quarter as its domestic theme parks thrived and the company added well over a million subscribers to its streaming service. The company also boosted its profit expectations for the year, sending shares up 11% Wednesday. Disney also announced that it will...