JENA, La. — Columbia University graduate student Mahmoud Khalil can be kicked out of the U.S. as a national security risk, an immigration judge in Louisiana found Friday during a hearing over the legality of deporting the activist who participated in pro-Palestinian demonstrations. The government's contention that Khalil's presence in...
Fresno Council Approves Going After Copper Thieves. Will DA Prosecute on County Side?
The Fresno City Council on Thursday introduced a rule allowing police to seize excessive amounts of copper wire from people and empowering the city attorney to prosecute those crimes. People caught with at least 10 pounds of commercial grade wire — excluding people with business licenses — can have it...
Madera County Sheriff Recovers $80K in Stolen Goods Tied to 13 Burglaries
Authorities in Madera County have recovered roughly $80,000 worth of stolen property and arrested two men in connection with a string of 13 commercial burglaries across the county, the Madera County Sheriff's Office said Friday. The Madera County Sheriff’s Investigations Unit launched a coordinated investigation after identifying a pattern linking...
California May Add Bigfoot to List of State Symbols? States Battle Over Bread, Beasts and Beverages
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — A proposal to designate the tortilla as New Mexico's official state bread had unanimous support from lawmakers. On Friday, though, it ended up falling flat. It wasn't because Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham isn't a fan of the round wraps that have long been a staple of Mexican,...
Victim Identified in South Fresno Gang Shooting, No Arrests Made
A 24-year-old man was fatally shot Thursday evening in what police say was a gang-related shooting in south Fresno, the Fresno Police Department said in a statement. Shortly after 5 p.m., officers responded to a ShotSpotter alert indicating multiple rounds fired near Vine and Bardell avenues. While en route, officers...
After a Rocky 90-Day Tenure, LA’s Recovery Czar Is Stepping Down
LOS ANGELES — Three months ago, Mayor Karen Bass of Los Angeles appointed Steve Soboroff to oversee the first phase of the huge recovery effort that confronted the city after the January wildfires. “There is no one better equipped to create our rebuilding plan,” she said at the time. Soboroff,...
Money, Not Instruction Time, Is at Heart of Designated Schools Negotiations
For close to a year, Fresno Unified and its teachers union have been haggling over the district’s proposed elimination of its Designated Schools Program. Money is at the heart of the ongoing dispute about the program that provides extended-day learning for students at 40 schools. The district says it is...
3 People Killed and 1 Injured When Plane Crashes in South Florida Near a Major Highway
BOCA RATON, Fla. — Three people were killed and one was injured when a small plane crashed Friday morning in South Florida near a major interstate highway and pushed a car onto railroad tracks, officials said. Boca Raton Fire Rescue assistant chief Michael LaSalle said the plane crash that killed...
Trump Canceled Millions in CA School Grants. The State Sues to Reclaim the Money
This story was originally published by CalMatters. Sign up for their newsletters. The Trump administration overstepped its authority when it cut short pandemic relief grants for K-12 schools, a move that cost them hundreds of millions of dollars, according to a lawsuit filed Thursday by California and a dozen other...
How Diplomatic Engagement With Iran Could Work Under Trump
U.S. and Iranian officials are expected to meet Saturday in Oman in what could mark a significant diplomatic opening for former President Donald Trump — one that evaded his predecessor, Joe Biden, Trita Parsi writes in a recent Time article. After weeks of private correspondence and public threats, Trump ordered...