Major U.S. stock indexes closed near record peaks on Friday, little changed from the start of a muted post-Christmas trading session, while expectations of Federal Reserve interest rate cuts and safe haven appeal pushed precious metals prices to all-time highs. Public holidays kept markets closed in Australia, Hong Kong and...
Hmong New Year Event in Fresno Celebrates Their 50 Years in America
The year 2025 marked the 50th anniversary of the first arrivals of Hmong refugees in the United States. While families and clans have been discussing their storied history all year, the celebration now culminates in the biggest New Year gathering of Southeast Asians in North America, said former Fresno City...
Fortnite Goes Down for Thousands of Users, Downdetector Reports
Fortnite experienced a possible outage Friday, with thousands of users reporting issues, according to Downdetector.com. More than 2,000 users had reported problems with the platform as of 1:37 p.m. PT, according to Downdetector, which tracks outages by collecting status reports from multiple sources. Most users reporting issues say they’re experiencing...
New York to Require Social Media Platforms to Display Mental Health Warnings
Social media platforms with infinite scrolling, auto-play and algorithmic feeds will be required to display warning labels about their potential harm to young users’ mental health under a new law, New York Governor Kathy Hochul announced on Friday. "Keeping New Yorkers safe has been my top priority since taking office,...
One Gaza Girl’s Fight to Survive Extreme Hunger
In early October, Hoda Abu al-Naja, age 12, landed in a hospital in the Gaza Strip because severe malnutrition was ravaging her body. In six months, she had lost a third of her weight, her doctors said. Her limbs were spindly, her ribs visible, and her shoulder blades jutted from...
Zelenskyy Says He’ll Meet With Trump Over the Weekend
KYIV, Ukraine — President Volodymyr Zelenskyy of Ukraine said Friday that he would meet this weekend with President Donald Trump, as Ukraine and the United States try to maintain momentum in U.S.-led efforts to end the war with Russia. There was no immediate confirmation from the White House. But in...
Israel Becomes First Country to Formally Recognize Somaliland as Independent State
Israel became the first country to formally recognize the self-declared Republic of Somaliland as an independent and sovereign state on Friday — a decision that could reshape regional dynamics and test Somalia’s longstanding opposition to its secession. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel would seek immediate cooperation with Somaliland in...
After Ditching the Penny, US Should Eliminate $50 and $100 Bills
As the United States retires the penny, it should also reexamine larger cash denominations. The nickel is an obvious inefficiency costing 13.78 cents to produce, but the more consequential reform is retiring high-value paper notes. Phasing out the $100 and $50 bills would make tax evasion and many criminal enterprises harder to run, increase...
Fresno Unified Is Hiring. Which Positions Are Open?
Fresno Unified School District is looking to fill teaching positions and school leadership roles for the 2026-27 school year. “We are actively seeking dedicated individuals who are passionate about making a difference in students’ lives and helping guide them toward successful futures. With openings across a wide range of teaching...
Fresno County Crash Kills Driver on Christmas Morning
A man was killed early Thursday morning after his car struck a tree in an unincorporated area of Fresno County, the California Highway Patrol said. CHP said the crash occurred around 12:34 a.m. on Henderson Road between Floral and Rose avenues. Preliminary investigation showed the driver lost control of his...