California health officials on Friday warned against foraging for wild mushrooms after a poison found in certain varieties killed one person and caused liver damage to others. The California Poison Control System identified 21 cases of poisoning, including the death of one adult, from a potent toxin known as amatoxin...
US Envoy Says Ukraine Peace Deal Close, but Moscow Wants Radical Changes
MOSCOW — President Donald Trump's outgoing Ukraine envoy said a deal to end the Ukraine war was "really close" and depended on resolving just two major issues but the Kremlin said there had to be radical changes to some of the U.S. proposals. Trump, who says he wants to be...
A Century of Trekking Toward Hope at Our Nation’s Christmas Tree
This December, our community will mark a milestone few traditions in America can claim: the 100th Annual Trek to the Nation’s Christmas Tree. On Saturday, Dec. 14, families, veterans, church groups, and visitors from around the world will once again gather at the base of the Gen. Grant Tree in...
Merced County Tomato Plant Harvests 120K Gallons of Drinking Water Daily
Technology capable of extracting evaporation from tomato pulp is producing 120,000 gallons a day of “new water” clean enough to drink in Los Banos in Merced County. The “water harvesting” unit was developed by Australian company Botanical Water Technologies, which moved to the United States around five years ago. The...
Merced Approves Site for $14M Fire Station. Here’s Where and Why It’s Needed
The Merced City Council this week unanimously approved a location for a new fire station in the Bellevue Ranch area – a sixth firehouse to help accommodate the city’s burgeoning growth. Fire Station No. 56 at M Street and M Circle, just south of East Bellevue Road, will house additional engines and a new...
Gaza Talks at Critical Moment, Ceasefire Not Complete, Qatar’s Prime Minister Says
Negotiations on consolidating the U.S.-backed truce in the war in Gaza are at a "critical" moment, Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani said on Saturday. Mediators are working to force the next phase of the ceasefire forward, al-Thani, whose country has been a key mediator in the war,...
MAHA Activists Urge Trump to Fire His EPA Administrator
WASHINGTON — Several prominent activists in the “Make America Healthy Again” movement are urging President Donald Trump to fire Lee Zeldin, the administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, over his decisions to loosen restrictions on harmful chemicals. In a petition circulated on social media, the activists wrote that Zeldin “has...
Fresno County Authorities Seek Public’s Help Identifying Woman Found Unconscious
Fresno County deputies are asking for the public’s help identifying a woman found unconscious in a Sanger field Saturday, Nov. 22, after efforts to confirm her identity through fingerprints failed. Deputies and EMS responded to the area and treated the woman, who briefly regained consciousness but remained incoherent before being...
US Supreme Court May Be Poised To Ditch More of Its Precedents
WASHINGTON, Dec 6 —The U.S. Supreme Court has given itself more opportunities in the coming months to overturn its own past rulings, a signal that its conservative justices are rethinking how much allegiance they owe to legal precedents set years ago by the nation's top judicial body. A case being...
Meta Strikes Multiple AI Deals With News Publishers
Meta has struck several commercial AI data agreements with news publishers including USA Today, People Inc, CNN, Fox News, The Daily Caller, Washington Examiner and Le Monde, the company said on Friday. The tie-ups will allow the Facebook-parent to provide "real-time" news and updates through its artificial intelligence chatbot by...