For more than two hours Wednesday night, Ye, the rapper formerly known as Kanye West, performed on a futuristic orblike stage that was at times illuminated to resemble a spinning globe. For that finite amount of time, his half-decade of antisemitic and racist controversies did not seem to matter to...
Fresno County Crews Contain 45-Acre Wildfire Near Coalinga, No Injuries
Firefighters contained a 45-acre wildland fire near Highway 33 and Palmer Avenue north of Coalinga Thursday afternoon, Fresno County CalFire reported. The blaze caused no reported injuries, officials said. The cause of the fire is under investigation. The City of Coalinga Fire Department assisted in responding to the incident. —...
Merced County Authorities Arrest 72-Year-Old for Pound of Meth
A 72-year-old man was arrested Saturday evening after deputies found a pound of crystal methamphetamine in his vehicle, the Merced County Sheriff’s Office said. Deputies were patrolling Joseph Gallo Drive near the Sure Stay Best Western in Livingston when they recognized the man as having an active felony warrant from...
US Interior Department Moves to Cut Staff Through Deferred Resignation, Early Retirement
The U.S. Department of the Interior will offer employees new opportunities to leave the agency as part of a plan to improve efficiency, it said in a statement on Thursday. Interior will offer a new deferred resignation program and voluntary early retirement, it said, without giving details on the number...
City Worker Whose Racism Cost Fresno $15.4 Million Named in Assault Case
The city of Fresno worker whose racial epithets helped lead to a $15.4 million verdict could cost the city even more as another civil lawsuit progresses in federal court. Code enforcement officer Howard Lacy, who GV Wire has learned still works for the city, was arrested in 2022 for misdemeanor...
US Army Chief of Staff Asked to Step Down by Hegseth, Sources Say
U.S. Army Chief of Staff Randy George has been asked to step down by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and take immediate retirement, two U.S. defense officials and a source familiar with the matter told Reuters on Thursday. Hegseth, a former Fox News host, has moved quickly to reshape the department,...
Kern County Authorities Arrest 4 in Bakersfield During Copper Wire Theft Investigation
Four people were arrested Wednesday in Bakersfield during the execution of a search warrant tied to a copper wire theft investigation, authorities said. The Kern County Sheriff’s Office Rural Crimes Investigation Unit, with Lamont deputies and assistance from KERNCATT, Kern County Probation, and Code Compliance, served the warrant in the...
US Judge Tosses Most of Blake Lively’s Lawsuit Against Justin Baldoni
A federal judge on Thursday dismissed most of Blake Lively's claims in her lawsuit accusing Justin Baldoni of sexual harassment in connection with the filming of their 2024 romantic drama "It Ends With Us." The decision was issued by U.S. District Judge Lewis Liman in Manhattan. It followed more than...
ICE Detains Islamic Society of Milwaukee President Salah Sarsour, Mosque Says
Islamic Society of Milwaukee President Salah Sarsour, who is a Palestinian American, has been detained by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency, the mosque said on Thursday. ISM, which is Wisconsin's largest mosque, said Sarsour, 53, is a legal permanent resident who has lived in the U.S. for over...
Rapper Pooh Shiesty, 7 Others Arrested, Charged With Robbing, Kidnapping
American rapper Pooh Shiesty and seven others were arrested on charges of robbery and armed kidnapping of music industry figures, the U.S. Justice Department said on Thursday. The DOJ listed the initials R.D. as one of the victims, feeding speculation that rapper Gucci Mane, whose real name is Radric Davis,...