Saying the plan from city councilmembers to reduce and regulate smoke shops throughout Fresno punished good business owners, city of Fresno Planning Commissioners opposed the plan already more than a year in the making. The city of Fresno's smoke shop ordinance would have forced the 82 smoke shops throughout the...
American Accused of Assaulting Pennsylvania Student Extradited From France to US
PHILADELPHIA — An American accused of sexually assaulting a Pennsylvania college student in 2013 and later sending her a Facebook message that said "So I raped you" was extradited Thursday from France to the United States. Ian Cleary, 31, of Saratoga, California, arrived in the U.S. and was being flown...
Looking for His Father, a Worried Son Went to Fire Evacuation Zone but Found Death and Devastation
LOS ANGELES — Shaw Zhao was worried even before he arrived in Los Angeles last week: His father's neighborhood was in an evacuation zone as deadly wildfires raged in the metropolitan area, and Zhao hadn't heard from the 84-year-old the previous night. As he made his way from the airport...
Netanyahu Postpones Cabinet Vote on Gaza Strip Ceasefire Deal
Israel delayed a Cabinet vote Thursday on the long-awaited ceasefire deal that would pause the fighting in the Gaza Strip and release dozens of hostages. Israeli airstrikes, meanwhile, killed at least 72 people in the war-ravaged territory. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu blamed a last-minute dispute with Hamas for holding up...
Fresno Police Seek Help in Locating Missing At-Risk Teen
Authorities are asking for the public’s help in locating Taya Britton, 15, who was last seen early Tuesday morning, the Fresno Police Department said in a statement. Britton was reported missing after being spotted around 3 a.m. on Tuesday near Shields and Temperance avenues. Police consider Britton to be at-risk....
Palestinians in Gaza Eager to Return Home in Ceasefire, but Many Will Find Nothing Left
Palestinians in the Gaza Strip are eager to leave miserable tent camps and return to their homes if a long-awaited ceasefire agreement halts the Israel-Hamas war, but many will find there is nothing left and no way to rebuild. Israeli bombardment and ground operations have transformed entire neighborhoods in several...
Rams Head to Philadelphia for NFC Divisional Playoff Matchup Looking to Stop Barkley This Time
Los Angeles Rams (11-7) at Philadelphia (15-3) Sunday, 3 p.m., NBC BetMGM NFL Odds: Eagles by 6 Against the spread: Los Angeles 10-8; Philadelphia 12-6 Series record: The teams are meeting for the fourth time in the playoffs, with the Rams having won two of the previous three matchups. Last...
Fresno’s Jeff Atmajian, Orchestrator of ‘Joker’ and ‘Wicked,’ Speaks at Saroyan Theatre
Fresno native Jeff Atmajian, known for his work on blockbuster films such as "Joker" (2019), "Wicked" (2024), and "The Dark Knight" (2008), returned home Wednesday to speak at the Saroyan Theatre for the San Joaquin Valley Town Hall's Daytime Speaker Series on "The Magic of Music in Films." Atmajian, an...
UCLA Students Panic as Wildfires Approach and Communication Lines Falter
UCLA students are expressing growing frustration and fear as the threat of wildfires looms near campus. Many feel left in the dark, and the university’s response has done little to ease their anxiety. As smoke fills the air and flames approach, tensions are rising among students. Social media platforms like...
Costa, Valadao React to Possible Conditions on Wildfire Relief
House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-Louisiana, floated the idea of placing conditions on federal aid for California wildfire relief. "I think there should probably be conditions on that aid. That's my personal view. We'll see what the consensus is. I haven't had a chance to socialize that with any of the...