It’s the political equivalent of homecoming week for conservatives, a chance to revel over President Donald Trump’s return to power and the dismantling of government institutions despised by the MAGA movement. But as the Conservative Political Action Conference got underway outside Washington on Thursday, the group’s influential chair, Matt Schlapp,...
America’s Newest Gun Owners Are Upending Preconceptions About Who Buys a Gun and Why
Ken Green’s tipping point came as he watched an angry mob storm the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. John Alvarado’s came during the COVID-19 pandemic, as he evolved from a self-described “bleeding-heart liberal” to a deeply religious conservative. A spike in anti-Asian violence in that same period is what...
Nearly 1 in 10 U.S. Adults Identifies as LGBTQ+, Survey Finds
Nearly 1 in 10 adults in the United States identifies as LGBTQ+, according to a large analysis from Gallup released Thursday — almost triple the share since Gallup began counting in 2012, and up by two-thirds since 2020. The increases have been driven by young people, and by bisexual women....
How California’s Wildfire Crisis Is Burning Through Your Wallet
For years, we’ve known that California is a kindling box, waiting for the next spark to ignite another catastrophic fire. Whether it’s downed power lines, dry lightning, deliberate arson, or a flat tire, which lead to the destruction of a family’s property, the threat of large-scale wildfires isn’t just a...
Merced Police Arrest High School Staffer in Sexual Assault Investigation
A staff member at El Capitan High School in Merced has been arrested on suspicion of sexually assaulting a student, the Merced Police Department said in a statement on Thursday. Merced police identified the suspect as John Mobley III, 34, who had been employed as an intervention coordinator at the...
Musk Waves Chainsaw and Charms Conservatives Talking Trump’s Cost-Cutting
OXON HILL, Md. — Billionaire Elon Musk appeared at a conservative gathering outside Washington on Thursday waving a chainsaw in the air, showing openness to auditing the Federal Reserve and accusing Democrats of "treason." Musk, the Tesla CEO who has become perhaps President Donald Trump's most influential adviser, spoke about...
Could Trump Really Return DOGE Savings to Taxpayers?
WASHINGTON — An idea first proposed on social media has bubbled up to the White House and received President Donald Trump's enthusiastic endorsement: Take some of the savings from billionaire Elon Musk's drive to cut government spending and return it to taxpayers. “I love it,” Trump said late Wednesday on Air Force...
Suspect in Wild Fresno High-Speed Chase Indicted on Gun Charge
A federal grand jury indicted a Fresno man on a charge of being a felon in possession of a firearm, Acting U.S. Attorney Michele Beckwith said Thursday. The charge stems from a high-speed chase last month that ended with David Garcia, 32, allegedly trying to drive through a fence at...
How Will Big Federal Layoffs Impact Yosemite and Other Sierra Destinations?
President Donald Trump's promise to reduce the federal government has hit the national parks and national forests. The Associated Press reports 1,000 newly hired National Park Service employees have been laid off. The U.S. Department of Agriculture confirmed to GV Wire that 2,000 probationary employees with the U.S. Forest Service...
Fed Audit of CA High-Speed Rail Begins. $4B in Funding at Stake.
President Donald Trump's cabinet followed through Thursday on a promise made earlier this month to audit California's high-speed rail project. Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy directed the Federal Railroad Administration to review the feasibility of the California High-Speed Rail and $4 billion previously allocated for the project. Duffy questioned cost...