WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump on Tuesday ordered a “complete blockade” on sanctioned oil tankers going to and from Venezuela, an escalation of his administration’s monthslong pressure campaign against Nicolás Maduro, the leader of Venezuela. “Venezuela is completely surrounded by the largest Armada ever assembled in the History of South...
Madera Police to Conduct DUI Checkpoint Friday Night
The Madera Police Department will hold a DUI checkpoint on Friday from 7:30 p.m. to 2 a.m. at an undisclosed location, the department announced Tuesday. Police said the checkpoint locations are based on data showing a high number of impaired-driving-related crashes. The department said the goal is to improve public...
Heating Costs Expected to Rise 9.2% This Winter
Consumers already tapped out from rising home energy costs face yet another strain on their pocketbooks — surging heating costs. Higher electricity and natural gas prices coupled with forecasts for unusually cold temperatures across parts of the country are expected to drive up bills as winter takes hold. The average...
Hollywood Blockbuster Keeps Wall Street Hooked, Oil Jumps on Venezuela Blockade
Wall Street opened higher on Wednesday as the blockbuster battle for Warner Bros Discovery vied for attention with Federal Reserve speakers and leaping oil prices after U.S. President Donald Trump's latest power-play in Venezuela. Netflix's shares opened 2.5% higher after the WBD board rejected Paramount Skydance's $108.4 billion hostile bid,...
Mexican President Calls on UN to Avoid Bloodshed in Venezuela
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum on Wednesday asked the United Nations to act to avoid bloodshed in Venezuela, as tensions escalate between the South American country and the United States. Sheinbaum said during her morning press conference that Mexico is against intervention and foreign interference in Venezuela. "I call on the...
Republicans Back US House Democrats’ to Force Vote on Healthcare Subsidies
WASHINGTON, Dec 17 - Enough Republicans lawmakers on Wednesday backed Democrats' effort to force vote on extending Obamacare healthcare subsidies in the U.S. House of Representatives. — (Reporting by Costas Pitas and Doina Chiacu;)
3 to 5 Fresno Unified Schools May Shut Down, but Not Because of SEDA: Dyer
Fresno Mayor Jerry Dyer says he calmed Fresno Unified's worries about the city's southeast plan after saying he will recommend restrictions on how the plan will be rolled out. Three days before Fresno City Council was set to vote on the 9,000-acre Southeast Development Area specific plan and environmental study...
Well Registration Efforts Continue in Tulare and Fresno Counties
Valley groundwater agencies are continuing their push for landowners to register wells, some by holding workshops and others by extending deadlines. Landowners in the Mid-Kaweah Groundwater Sustainability Agency can get help registering wells at two workshops on Friday, Dec. 19, and Friday, Jan. 16, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m....
Fresno Police Arrest Gang Member in Series of Shootings at Same Residence
A 22-year-old man was arrested in connection with multiple shootings at the same Fresno residence last month, none of which resulted in injuries, Fresno police said. Northwest Policing District officers first responded at about 7:24 a.m. on Nov. 2 to a report of shots fired at a home near West...
Authorities Still Trying to Identify Brown University Gunman Three Days Into Manhunt
Authorities on Tuesday once again asked members of the public for help identifying the suspected gunman who killed two Brown University students in a classroom over the weekend, as the manhunt stretched past 72 hours and residents remained on edge. In a late-afternoon press conference, officials in Providence, Rhode Island,...