It's go time. The race for the Larry O'Brien Trophy is finally beginning. The 2025 NBA playoffs start Saturday with four games: Indiana-Milwaukee, Denver-Los Angeles Clippers, New York-Detroit and Los Angeles Lakers-Minnesota. The other four Game 1s are Sunday: Oklahoma City-Memphis, Boston-Orlando, Cleveland-Miami and Houston-Golden State. Miami and Memphis claimed...
Americans Haven’t Found a Satisfying Alternative to Religion
(Believing) On Sundays, I used to stand in front of my Mormon congregation and declare that it all was true. I’d climb the stairs to the pulpit and smooth my long skirt. I’d smile and share my “testimony,” as the church calls it. I’d say I knew God, Jesus Christ,...
Supreme Court Blocks, for Now, New Deportations Under 18th Century Wartime Law
The Supreme Court on Saturday blocked, for now, the deportations of any Venezuelans held in northern Texas under an 18th century wartime law. In a brief order, the court directed the Trump administration not to remove Venezuelans held in the Bluebonnet Detention Center "until further order of this court." Justices...
Senator Slams ‘Margaritagate’ Stunt During Deportee Visit
There was the pool furniture in the background. There were the tropical drinks, which looked to be margaritas garnished with cherries. And then there were the deported prisoner and the American senator, sitting and chatting. That senator, Chris Van Hollen of Maryland, accused El Salvador's government on Friday of aiming...
Fresno County Pushes Valley to Highest Rates of Domestic Violence Calls in CA
Across most of the San Joaquin Valley, calls to law enforcement to report domestic violence have remained steady — or even gone down — in recent years. But a dramatic spike in Fresno County has given the Valley the highest rate of such calls of any region in the state....
LA Rams Can Bolster a Contending Roster With Another Strong Showing in NFL Draft
LOS ANGELES — A few seasons after Los Angeles Rams general manager Les Snead famously used his draft picks as trade capital for veterans who won a Super Bowl, he has spent the past two years rebuilding his roster primarily by using those picks the old-fashioned way. If he gets...
Mijo Proves Love Is Blind and That One Eye Is More Than Enough
Mijo may only have one eye, but this pint-sized pup sees the world through a lens of love. The 5-month-old Chihuahua (maybe terrier) mix is melting hearts across the Valley after being rescued from a local shelter, where he was waiting with a severely injured eye that ultimately had to...
Taking a Mental Health Leave From Work Is an Option Most People Don’t Know About
NEW YORK — Her first panic attack came at a company-wide meeting, right before her scheduled presentation. Carolina Lasso had given many similar talks about her marketing team's accomplishments. When her name was called this time, she couldn't speak. "I felt a knot in my throat," Lasso said. "My head,...
Hey PG&E Customers, Get Ready for New ‘Transaction Fees’
Pacific Gas & Electric customers are already paying some of the nation's highest rates for electricity, and their bills could be getting a little bigger. PG&E is notifying customers that they'll have to pay transaction fees starting May 19 if they use a bank account, credit card, or debit card...
Fresno County Ending ‘Squaw Valley’ Fight After Latest Court Ruling
A state appeal court ruled that Fresno County does not have standing when challenging a lawsuit over a state law banning derogatory place names. And one county supervisor says the fight is over. A 3-0 ruling from the Fifth Appellate District found in favor of the state and ordered the...