For the eighth year in a row, the Pentagon has failed an annual audit, the Department of Defense said on Friday, continuing a pattern of financial accountability problems that have drawn bipartisan criticism and emerged as a campaign issue. The Pentagon's first audit was conducted in 2018 and it consistently...
Visa, Mastercard to Pay $167.5 Million in ATM User Fee Settlement
Visa and Mastercard have agreed to pay a combined $167.5 million to settle a class action lawsuit accusing them of conspiring to keep ATM access fees artificially high. The proposed settlement was filed on Thursday in the federal district court in Washington and requires a judge’s approval. The accord would...
Fresno Unified Approves Retirement Incentive. It Saves $56 Million as 573 Leave Early
The Fresno Unified School Board unanimously approved a supplemental retirement plan Wednesday for more than 550 employees, shaving over $56 million over the next five years for the district's strained budget. “We will miss the employees who have chosen to take advantage of the supplementary retirement,” said Superintendent Misty Her....
Dyer, Frazier Trade Heated Words Over Granite Park
Lingering hard feelings over the Granite Park Sports Complex between Fresno Mayor Jerry Dyer and a nonprofit operator recently bubbled to the surface. Both Dyer and Terance Frazier told Politics 101 the two got into a heated verbal confrontation on Dec. 13 at Sequoia Brewing Company during a fundraiser for...
TikTok Signs Deal to Sell US Unit to American Investor-Led Venture
TikTok's Chinese owner, ByteDance, signed binding agreements with three major investors to sell just over 80% of the company's U.S. assets to American and global investors to avoid a U.S. government ban, TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew told employees on Thursday. The deal is a major step toward resolving years...
Seven Dead in Fatal Plane Crash Including Former NASCAR Driver Greg Biffle
Seven people were killed Thursday in the crash of a Cessna 550 business jet in Statesville, North Carolina, including former NASCAR driver Greg Biffle, NASCAR said. The plane crashed at the Statesville Regional Airport in North Carolina. The North Carolina Highway Patrol said it is believed that Biffle and members...
Trump Affirms 2028 Moon Landing Goal, Cancels Space Council in Executive Order
The Trump administration enshrined the U.S. goal to put humans back on the moon by 2028 and defend space from weapon threats in a sweeping executive order on Thursday that reorganized national space policy under the President's chief science advisor. — (Reporting by Joey Roulette)
Fresno Police Arrest Delivery Driver in Organized Retail Theft Case
A long-term organized retail theft investigation that began in Fresno in August led to the arrest of a suspect and the recovery of stolen property on Thursday, police said. The investigation began after Amazon employees reported that a third-party delivery driver failed to deliver packages to customers and did not...
$8M Table Mountain Gift Will Build ‘Inclusive’ Playground at Valley Children’s
An $8 million gift from the Table Mountain Rancheria to Valley Children's Hospital will go to build a playground that children of all abilities can enjoy. The playground, to be built on the hospital's south lawn, will include adaptive equipment, sensory-friendly zones, and shaded areas to accommodate children with different...
Oil Prices Settle Slightly Higher as Market Assesses Mounting Supply Risks
Oil prices settled marginally higher on Thursday as investors assessed the likelihood of further U.S. sanctions against Russia and the supply risks posed by a blockade of Venezuelan oil tankers. Brent crude closed 14 cents, or 0.2%, higher at $59.82 per barrel, while U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude was up...