Update: 12:15 p.m., Tuesday, Nov. 18: The USGS has revised the earthquake's magnitude down to 4.1. Original Story A 4.4-magnitude earthquake shook California’s Central Coast early Tuesday, rattling indoor objects. The U.S. Geological Survey reported the quake struck near Templeton at a depth of 3.5 miles at about 9:54 a.m....
Dana Williamson’s Indictment Reveals Hidden World of Political Operatives
This commentary was originally published by CalMatters. Sign up for their newsletters. Most Californians probably see the Capitol as a place where governors, legislators and other state officials gather to do the public’s business. That’s true, at least superficially. Elected officeholders come and go, but the Capitol has a permanent...
US Lawmakers to Vote on Epstein Files Release as Trump Drops Opposition
WASHINGTON — The Republican-controlled U.S. House of Representatives will vote on Tuesday to force the release of Justice Department files on the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, moving ahead on a matter that has fractured relations between President Donald Trump and some of his most ardent supporters. Two days...
Election Officials Press Trump Administration Over Voter Data
A coalition of 10 top state election officials sent a letter Tuesday pressing Attorney General Pam Bondi and Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem over whether their agencies had been forthcoming about their use of private voter data. “We write to express our immense concern with recent reporting that the Department...
Uber and Uber Eats Users Report Widespread Issues, Downdetector Says
Uber and Uber Eats experienced a possible outage Tuesday, with thousands of users reporting issues, according to Downdetector.com. More than 10,000 users reported problems with Uber and Uber Eats as of 9:20 a.m. PT, according to Downdetector, which tracks outages from multiple sources. User commented issues including app log-in failures,...
Former Bredefeld Aide Claims Sexual Harassment, Workplace Violence in County Filing
A former aide to Fresno County Supervisor Garry Bredefeld has filed a claim alleging she was subjected to sexual harassment and workplace violence. Jennifer Ortega, through her attorney, Peter Bradley, filed the claim with the county on Nov. 12, public records show. Ortega also received a “right-to-sue” letter from the...
Tulare County Authorities Seek Public’s Help After Man Found Dead in Roadway
A 37-year-old Tulare man was found dead after deputies responded to a vehicle-versus-pedestrian report south of Avenue 184, the Tulare County Sheriff’s Office said. Deputies arrived around 1:15 a.m. on Sept. 27 and found Arnoldo Renteria lying unresponsive in the middle of Road 80 with major head and back injuries....
Valley Crime Stoppers’ Most Wanted Person of the Day: Israel Efrain Delacruz
November 18, 2025 Most Wanted Person of the Day Suspect Name: Israel Efrain Delacruz Suspects Date of Birth: October 31, 2003 Physical Description: Hispanic Male, 5’ 8, 130 lbs., Black Hair, Brown Eyes. Charges: Assault Warrant Number: F259009295 Synopsis of the Case: Israel Efrain Delacruz is wanted on a felony...
Covered California Enrollment Opens. Will Thousands in the Valley Be Unable to Pay?
Fresno barber Juan Gonzalez expects to pay more than three times more for health insurance coverage through Covered California than he did in 2025 because federal tax credits that help subsidize the cost of his monthly premiums are set to expire at the end of December. “It was $44 per month before,...
Bakersfield Tax Preparer Sentenced in $25 Million Fraud Scheme
A Bakersfield tax return preparer was sentenced Monday to 18 months in prison for helping orchestrate a scheme that sought $25 million in fraudulent federal income tax refunds, federal prosecutors said. According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Victor Cruz, 41, prepared and filed more than 500 false tax returns between...