The Trump administration dramatically reduced efforts to pursue tax cheats in 2025, government data shows, shedding tens of thousands of employees at the Internal Revenue Service, including those charged with enforcement. The result was a 5% decline in revenue collected through enforcement actions, or almost $5 billion, in the fiscal...
Trump Threatens To Fire Powell if He Does Not Resign From Fed
President Donald Trump on Wednesday vowed to fire Jerome Powell if he opted to stay on at the Federal Reserve after his term as chair ends, doubling down on a criminal investigation into the central bank that is threatening to delay the confirmation of Powell’s successor. Powell’s tenure as chair...
Oil Steady as Hormuz Shipping Constraints Counter US-Iran Peace Hopes
Oil prices were little changed on Wednesday after U.S. President Donald Trump said the war with Iran could end soon, telling the world to watch out for an "amazing two days", while U.S. forces imposing a blockade turned back vessels leaving Iranian ports. Brent futures rose 31 cents, or 0.3%,...
Tunnel Collapse Near Knights Ferry Leaves One Dead, One Injured, Officials Say
One person died and another was injured Tuesday after a tunnel collapse during a construction project near Knights Ferry, the Modesto Fire Department said in a statement. The Modesto Fire Department and Stanislaus Consolidated Fire Protection District were dispatched at about 3:42 p.m. to the area near Schell and Sonora...
Bakersfield by the Numbers: The Crimes Driving 58,000 Calls for Help
The Bakersfield Police Department reported responding to tens of thousands of calls for service in March while making more than 1,000 arrests, according to newly released monthly crime statistics. Police said the department’s communications center received 58,764 incoming calls during the month, including 24,141 calls to 911. Officers made 1,069...
Fresno Police Cite 114 Drivers During Distracted Driving Enforcement Operation
Fresno police issued 114 citations to drivers for violating hands-free cell phone laws during a distracted driving enforcement operation conducted on Saturday, authorities said. California law, in place since 2008, prohibits drivers from holding a phone or other electronic device while operating a vehicle. The restriction applies to activities including...
Trump Says Iran War ‘Close to Over’
President Donald Trump said the war with Iran was close to over, telling the world to brace for an "amazing two days", as the army chief of mediator Pakistan arrived in Tehran in a bid to prevent a renewed conflict. The diplomatic push came as U.S. and Iranian officials weighed...
Claude AI Goes Down for Thousands of Users Wednesday, Downdetector Reports
Claude AI is experiencing a possible outage Wednesday, with thousands of users reporting issues, according to Downdetector.com. More than 7,000 users had reported problems with the platform as of 8:02 a.m. PT, according to Downdetector, which tracks outages by collecting status reports from multiple sources. Most users reporting problems to...
The Battle Over Refreshers Heats Up as McDonald’s Enters the Mix
One of the hottest beverages these days is the refresher. At Caribou Coffee, one can pick up a Strawberry Coconutmilk Refresher. Taco Bell’s take on the trend includes a Dragonfruit Berry Aqua Refresca. The restaurant chain Sonic released a line in March that has a Mango Peach Sparkling Refresher. The...
City of Fresno Dodges Sanctions Even Though Judge Says Arguments Were Fake
The city of Fresno will not face sanctions for faking legal arguments in its attempt to remove a business near a railroad improvement project in central Fresno. As part of a railroad grade separation project, the city plans to build an underpass at Blackstone and McKinley avenues next to Fresno...