Rodents are not a new problem for Central Valley growers. However, the explosion in the roof rat population over the last 12 months has researchers and farmers scrambling to not only figure out what caused the boom, but also how to deal with it. Calls to the state for help...
Visalia Police Detain Six After School Altercation Involving Replica Gun
Visalia police detained six people Thursday morning following an altercation near Crescent Valley Charter School in the 100 block of East Main Street. Officers responded at 9:09 a.m. to reports of a man with a gun near the school. During the incident, one individual displayed what was later determined to...
Fresno Unified Expands HBCU Ties to Improve College Readiness
Fresno Unified School District is adding another university to its HBCU Step-Up program, designed to increase graduation rates and improve college readiness. The district partnered with Fort Valley State University, a historically Black college in Georgia, offering expanding dual enrollment opportunities to 70 more students from Sunnyside and McLane high...
Wall Street Indexes Rise as Data Keeps Rate Cut Views Intact
The three major U.S. stock indexes were higher on Thursday as labor market data did not change expectations for an interest rate cut by the Federal Reserve this month. Shares of chip company Broadcom, considered a key artificial intelligence player, were up 1.2% ahead of its quarterly results due after the...
Northwestern University President Steps Down After Trump Funding Cuts
CHICAGO — The president of Northwestern University, a prestigious school in suburban Chicago, announced on Thursday that he would resign as the institution deals with budget issues stemming from cuts in federal funding by the Trump administration. President Michael Schill, who has led the university in Evanston, Illinois, for three...
US Accuses Southern California Edison in Lawsuit of Igniting Eaton, Fairview Wildfires
The U.S. government filed two lawsuits against Southern California Edison on Thursday, blaming the utility's equipment for sparking two wildfires, including the Eaton Fire in January that damaged National Forest System lands. The lawsuits against the unit of Edison International were filed by the U.S. Department of Justice in Los...
Israeli Military Says It Controls 40% of Gaza City, Plans to Expand Operation in Coming Days
JERUSALEM/CAIRO — Israel controls 40% of Gaza City, a military spokesperson said on Thursday, as its bombardment forced more Palestinians from their homes there, while thousands of residents defied Israeli orders to leave, remaining behind in the ruins in the path of Israel's latest advance. Gaza health authorities said Israeli...
AB 727 Mental Health Support Advances Despite Online Predator Concerns
The California Senate Appropriations Committee approved Assembly Bill 727, despite pushback from Republicans that it puts children at risk for online grooming. AB 727, authored by California Assemblymember Mark Gonzalez, D-Los Angeles, is an effort to tackle the LGBTQ+ mental health crisis. After its passage in the committee last week...
Madera County School Bus Catches Fire, All Students Safe
A school bus carrying students from La Vina and Madera South High School caught fire Thursday morning after experiencing a mechanical malfunction, authorities said. The Madera County Sheriff’s Office reported that deputies responded to Avenue 8 and Road 23 ½ after farmworkers waved down the bus driver, who noticed smoke...
Vax Quack Lacks Facts. How Far Back Into Dark Ages Will RFK Jr. Take Us?
I almost died of rubella when I was 3. I was very weak and wouldn’t eat. My mother was frantic. The doctor prescribed mashed lima beans and I pulled through. I still keep lima beans in the freezer. It’s infuriating to see Bobby Kennedy Jr. be so benighted about vaccines,...