MOSCOW/WASHINGTON — Kirill Dmitriev, Russian President Vladimir Putin's special envoy for investment and economic cooperation, said on Friday he believes his country, the United States and Ukraine are close to a diplomatic solution to end Russia's war in Ukraine. Speaking to CNN after arriving in Washington for talks with U.S....
Fowler Teachers Say District Is Shortchanging Them and Giving $$ to Admin
Fowler Unified teachers are up in arms over the district’s failure for two years in a row to allocate 55% of its budget for classroom teachers, as is required by state law. Longtime teachers tell GV Wire that the district has been putting dollars into beefing up the administration, adding...
Trump’s DOJ Sending Election Monitors to California for Prop. 50 Voting
This story was originally published by CalMatters. Sign up for their newsletters. The Trump administration’s Department of Justice will deploy election monitors to five California counties on Election Day, the department announced Friday, in what it describes as an effort to “ensure transparency, ballot security, and compliance with federal law.”...
US Strike Against Alleged Drug Vessel in Caribbean Kills Six, Pentagon Says
WASHINGTON — A U.S. strike against an alleged drug vessel killed six suspected "narco-terrorists" in the Caribbean, U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said on Friday, the latest operation in President Donald Trump's counter-drug campaign in the region. In a post on X, Hegseth said this was the first strike carried...
Merced Police Cite Two in Alcohol Sting Operation
Merced police cited two men Thursday during a sting operation targeting adults who buy alcohol for minors. Under officer supervision, minor decoys stood outside local businesses licensed to sell alcohol and asked adults to purchase drinks for them, the department said. Of 19 adults approached at five stores, two —...
US Sanctions Colombian President Petro, Citing Illicit Drugs
The U.S. on Friday imposed sanctions on Colombian President Gustavo Petro, accusing him of refusing to stop the flow of cocaine to the U.S., as Washington increases pressure on the Latin American leader who has clashed with President Donald Trump. "Since President Gustavo Petro came to power, cocaine production in...
Vacant Fresno Home Erupts in Blaze Friday Morning
Firefighters battled a house fire in Fresno Friday morning that left a vacant home destroyed but caused no injuries. Just after 8:30 a.m., Fresno Fire Department crews responded to multiple 911 calls reporting flames and heavy smoke at a boarded-up home near the C and Mono streets. Upon arrival, firefighters...
Jon Bon Jovi ‘Grateful and Humble’ to Tour Again After Vocal Cord Surgery
U.S. rocker Jon Bon Jovi says he is "grateful and humble" to be able to return to the stage again following vocal cord surgery as the band that carries his name announced a comeback tour this week. The 63-year-old singer underwent surgery in 2022 and needed three years of rehabilitation...
Fresno State Faces San Diego State in Rare Day Game With Bowl Eligibility at Stake
Will the tailgaters be grilling breakfast food on Saturday? It may not be the most pertinent question, but with a rare day game Saturday, the Red Wave will be home for dinner. With a win over San Diego State, Fresno State would earn bowl eligibility and keeps hopes alive for...
US Military to Deploy Aircraft Carrier to South America Amid Soaring Tensions With Venezuela
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump escalated a U.S. military buildup in the Caribbean on Friday by deploying the Gerald Ford aircraft carrier group to Latin America, a show of force that far exceeds any past counter-narcotics need and represents Washington’s most muscular move yet in the Latin America region. "The...