Joseph Wambaugh, the master storyteller of police dramas, whose books, films and television tales powerfully caught the hard psychic realities of lonely street cops and flawed detectives trapped in a seedy world of greed and senseless brutality, died Friday at his home in Rancho Mirage, California. He was 88. The...
Air Traffic Control Trainees to Get Raise of 30%
OKLAHOMA CITY — Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy announced on Thursday that the Federal Aviation Administration would increase the pay for air traffic controller trainees by $5 an hour as a part of an effort to boost recruitment and retention. In a briefing for reporters at the FAA Academy in Oklahoma...
What We Know About Gene Hackman’s Death
An investigation is underway into the deaths of Gene Hackman and his wife, Betsy Arakawa, who were found dead at their home in Santa Fe, New Mexico, on Wednesday. Hackman’s body was found in a mud room, and Arakawa’s on the floor of a bathroom, according to a search warrant...
Mass Layoffs Begin at NOAA, With Hundreds Said to Be Fired in One Day
The Trump administration has begun firing employees at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, one of the world’s premier centers for climate science. The firings are expected to cost more than 800 people their jobs, out of a total of about 13,000 staff members, according to two people familiar with...
Federal Workers Will Get Another Email Asking Them to Detail Accomplishments
WASHINGTON — Federal workers are expected to receive another email as soon as Saturday asking them to describe what they achieved this past week, according to a person familiar with the matter. The email will come directly from agencies’ human resources divisions this time, instead of from the Office of...
QB Matthew Stafford Gets a Restructured Contract to Stay With Rams
LOS ANGELES — Quarterback Matthew Stafford is staying with the Los Angeles Rams under a restructured contract, ending weeks of speculation about the Super Bowl winner's future. The Rams announced their new agreement with Stafford on Friday without initially revealing any details. The 37-year-old Stafford had two years left on...
Ex-Tulare County Teacher Gets 13 Years for Child Sex Crimes
A former Porterville Military Academy teacher was sentenced to 13 years and 8 months in prison Friday for child molestation involving a 14-year-old victim, the Tulare County District Attorney's Office said in a statement. James Van Norton, 46, was found guilty on Sept. 26, 2024, of three felony counts of...
Californians Split on Trump, Newsom, and the State’s Future
A new PPIC Statewide Survey conducted Feb. 4–11, 2025, reveals a divided outlook on national and state issues. 30% of Californians and 33% of likely voters approve of President Donald Trump's job performance, echoing approval levels from his first term. About 39% of adults and 47% of likely voters believe...
NPR’s Tamara Keith: Trump Shouldn’t Pick the White House Press Corps
Valley Public Radio and a host of nonprofits brought National Public Radio's Tamara Keith — a Hanford native — to talk about her experience as the senior White House correspondent and former president of the White House Correspondents' Association. Keith served as president of the association in 2022 and 2023....
Trump Cuts Short Talks With Ukraine’s Zelenskyy After Oval Office Blow Up
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump shouted at Ukraine's leader on Friday during an extraordinary meeting in the Oval Office, berating President Volodymyr Zelenskyy for “gambling with millions of lives” and suggesting his actions could trigger World War III. Zelenskyy then abruptly left the White House without signing a critical minerals...