WASHINGTON — In a contentious confirmation hearing to be the nation's top health official, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. struggled to answer questions about how he would reform Medicaid or Medicare, the government health care programs used by millions of disabled, poor and older Americans. Republican Sen. Bill Cassidy of Louisiana,...
Trump White House Rescinds Order Freezing Federal Grants After Widespread Confusion
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump's budget office on Wednesday rescinded an order freezing spending on federal grants, less than two days after it sparked widespread confusion and legal challenges across the country, according to two people familiar with the matter. The Monday evening order from the White House Office of...
Judge Clears Former Fresno City College Coach Ed Madec in Threats Case
ABC30 reported that a Fresno County judge cleared former Fresno City College men's basketball coach Edward Madec of criminal wrongdoing, ruling that the charges against him did not meet the standard of probable cause. Details of the Alleged Incident Madec was arrested on Oct. 13, 2023, after allegedly threatening to...
Merced Authorities Seek Public’s Help in Finding Missing At-Risk Man
The Merced Police Department is requesting help in locating Oliver Ervin, 94, police said in a statement. Ervin was last seen around midnight on Tuesday in the Loughborough area, wearing a black T-shirt and green and black pants. Anyone with information on his whereabouts is urged to contact the Merced...
Valley’s Violent Crime Rate Is CA’s Highest. Fresno Bucks the Trend.
California’s violent crime rate edged up in 2023, continuing a post-pandemic trend, while property crime declined in most counties, according to adjusted data from the state’s Department of Justice. The Public Policy Institute of California reported that violent crime statewide increased by 1.7% to 503 incidents per 100,000 residents —...
CSU Campuses Brace for Possible Cuts in Classes and Sports
When Kaitlin Anderson committed to play golf for Sonoma State University, she posed proudly in a Seawolves sweatshirt. But last week, school officials announced that they plan to end all NCAA sports next year, part of a bid to balance the school's budget amid sliding enrollment and anticipated cuts to...
Another Heartbreaking Mountain West Defeat for Fresno State
The Fresno State's men's basketball team was one second away from upsetting Wyoming in Laramie and getting its first Mountain West road victory under first-year coach Vance Walberg. But Obi Agbim hit a contested 3-pointer at the buzzer to tie it at 67 apiece, and the Cowboys buried the Bulldogs...
Flawed Emergency Alert Systems Lagged When Residents Needed Them Most During Los Angeles Wildfires
LOS ANGELES — When disaster strikes, government emergency alert systems offer a simple promise: Residents will get information about nearby dangers and instructions to help them stay safe. As the deadly LA wildfires and other major emergencies have shown, alerts rely on a complicated chain of communication between first responders,...
Pardoned Jan. 6 Rioter Wanted for Charges of Soliciting Minor
A Jan. 6 rioter who pardoned by President Donald Trump and released from prison last week is being sought on preexisting charges in Texas of soliciting a minor online. The district attorney in Harris County, Texas, said Tuesday that his office was searching for Andrew Taake, who at the time...
US Children Fall Further Behind in Reading, Make Little Improvement in Math on National Exam
WASHINGTON — America's children have continued to lose ground on reading skills in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic and have made little improvement in math, according to the latest results of an exam known as the nation's report card. The findings are yet another setback for U.S. schools and...