Could Esmeralda Soria eschew a third term in the state Assembly and make an attempt for the chamber on the other side of the state Capitol? Several Democratic insiders told Politics 101 there is considerable buzz that Soria, D-Fresno, is considering a run for state Senate District 14 in 2026....
Trump Backs Idea to Send Some DOGE Savings to American Citizens
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump said that he likes the idea of giving some of the savings from Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency back to U.S. citizens as a kind of dividend. He said at an investment conference in Miami on Wednesday that the administration is considering a concept...
Tulare County At-Risk Child Missing, Authorities Seek Public’s Help
Authorities are searching for an at-risk, missing 12-year-old girl, the Exeter Police Department said in a statement. Aubreana Madrigal was last seen in the Exeter area around 8:30 p.m. on Wednesday. She is about 5 feet 4 inches tall, weighing 140 pounds, with brown hair and brown eyes. She was...
Will Kevin McCarthy Take a Job at Westlands? Talks Underway.
The nation's biggest water district may hire the former U.S. Speaker of the House on as an adviser, sources say. Westlands Water District confirmed that preliminary discussions have taken place with Kevin McCarthy, a former Republican congressman from Bakersfield. The agency, which has its headquarters in Fresno, does not have...
Humphrey’s Executor: A Look at the 90-Year-Old Ruling Trump is Targeting
WASHINGTON — A month into President Donald Trump's second term, lawyers for the Republican administration seem intent on provoking a legal fight to overturn a 90-year-old Supreme Court decision known as Humphrey's Executor that has been critical to the development of the modern U.S. government. Humphrey's Executor ushered in an...
Fresno County Crash Kills Pedestrian, CHP Investigates
The California Highway Patrol is investigating a fatal crash early Thursday morning involving a pedestrian near Manning and Zediker avenues in Fresno County, the agency said in a statement. A 22-year-old male from Reedley, was driving a Kia Optima eastbound on Manning Avenue when, for reasons under investigation, a 38-year-old...
30-Year Mortgage Rate Dips to 6.85%, Signaling Hope for Housing Market
The average rate on a 30-year mortgage in the U.S. eased for the fifth week in a row to its lowest level since late December, a welcome boost for prospective homebuyers in what's traditionally the busiest time of the year for home sales. The average rate fell to 6.85% from...
Europe’s Leaders, Dazed by an Ally Acting Like an Adversary, Recalculate
LONDON — For years, European leaders have fretted about reducing their dependence on a wayward United States. On Monday, at a hastily arranged meeting in Paris, the hand-wringing gave way to harried acceptance of a new world in which Europe’s most powerful ally has begun acting more like an adversary....
Buttigieg at Crossroads: Senate Run or Presidential Bid?
TRAVERSE CITY, Mich. — Some believe the Democratic Party's next savior is living here, huddled with family, in the relative obscurity of a small city on the shores of Lake Michigan. Pete Buttigieg has yet to decide if that's a responsibility he wants. For now, Buttigieg, the 43-year-old former U.S....
Israel Mourns as Hamas Returns Remains of Mother and Young Children
JERUSALEM — Ariel and Kfir Bibas — two of the youngest hostages held in Gaza — became a symbol for Israelis of the brutality of Hamas' Oct. 7, 2023, attack. The return of what are presumed to be their bodies on Thursday dashed hopes they had survived captivity and struck...