Students from McLane and Duncan Polytechnical high schools walked out of class Friday afternoon to protest deportations. The high schoolers marched between the two campuses on Cedar Avenue in east-central Fresno in a demonstration that disrupted the school day. A spokesperson for Fresno Unified School District said, "We respect our...
State Department Lays out Plans for $7 Billion-Plus Arms Sale to Israel
WASHINGTON — The State Department has formally told Congress that it plans to sell more than $7 billion in weapons to Israel, including thousands of bombs and missiles, just two days after President Donald Trump met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House. The massive arms sale...
Donation to Food Bank to Provide 1.3M Meals to Western Fresno County
A donation from a San Francisco-based energy company will help the Central California Food Bank's long-term efforts to feed Fresno County families. Over the next eight years, Intersect Power will give $325,000 to the Fresno-based nonprofit, according to a news release from the food bank. Money will go to the...
Fresno Mission Opens Second Thrift Store Supporting Homeless, Recovering Addicts
The Fresno Mission has opened its second thrift store, employing homeless people and former drug addicts and supporting the nonprofit's efforts to feed, clothe, house, and support people in need. "Mission Thrift is not just a thrift store, it's not just a place to buy cheap, used clothing or products,...
Judge Blocks Trump From Placing 2,200 USAID Workers on Paid Leave
WASHINGTON — A federal judge on Friday temporarily blocked the Trump administration from placing 2,200 employees of the U.S. Agency for International Development on paid leave. U.S. District Judge Carl Nichols, who was nominated by President Donald Trump, sided with two federal employee associations in agreeing to a pause in...
Alaska Legislature Asks Trump to Retain Denali’s Name
JUNEAU, Alaska — The Alaska Legislature passed a resolution Friday urging President Donald Trump to reverse course and retain the name of North America’s tallest peak as Denali rather than change it to Mount McKinley. Trump, on his first day in office, signed an executive order calling for the name...
Driver Facing DUI, Drug, and Gun Charges After Pursuit in Visalia
A driver on probation was arrested after a pursuit that began on Highway 198 and ended in Visalia, CHP said on Friday. Officers from the Visalia Area California Highway Patrol attempted to stop the vehicle before the driver fled, leading to a chase through the city. The driver was arrested...
Flu Season in the US Is the Most Intense It’s Been in at Least 15 Years
NEW YORK — The U.S. winter virus season is in full force, and by one measure is the most intense in 15 years. One indicator of flu activity is the percentage of doctor’s office visits driven by flu-like symptoms. Last week, that number was clearly higher than the peak of...
Visalia Woman Sentenced to 5 Years for High-Speed Chase That Injured Officer
A Visalia woman was sentenced Friday to five years in state prison for a 2022 high-speed chase in Tulare that left a police officer seriously injured, the Tulare County District Attorney's Office said in a statement. Lacey Gonzalez, 38, received the sentence after pleading no contest to multiple felony charges,...
More Active Duty Troops Will Head to US-Mexico Border, Bringing the Total to 3,600
WASHINGTON — The Pentagon will deploy roughly 1,500 more active duty soldiers to the southern border to support President Donald Trump’s expanding crackdown on immigration, a U.S. official said Friday. That would eventually bring the total to about 3,600 active duty troops at the border. The order has been approved,...