A former recycling employee is suing the Fresno Economic Opportunities Commission in a lawsuit that claims the agency failed to pay minimum wages and overtime compensation, failed to provide meal periods and rest breaks, and failed to pay him for business expenses. The complaint by plaintiff Cameron Young was filed...
Investigation Reveals Millionaire Musicians Exploit COVID Relief Funds for Luxury Spending
A Business Insider investigation has revealed how wealthy musicians used a pandemic relief program intended for struggling venues to fund luxury expenses and personal payouts. The Shuttered Venue Operators Grant program, established in 2020, was meant to support independent venues and arts groups during COVID-19 shutdowns. High-Profile Artists Misuse Grants...
Did Fresno Council Change Rules To Deny Arias Its Presidency?
Miguel Arias will no longer automatically become Fresno City Council president in 2026. The council last week passed new rules that could bypass Arias. The council on Dec. 12 abandoned its rotational system and instead will vote for its president and vice president. The new rules take effect in 2026...
AG Bonta Clears Fresno Police in Officer-Involved Shooting Death
California Attorney General Rob Bonta, under Assembly Bill 1506, released a report Wednesday that cleared Fresno police in the officer-involved shooting death of Austin Flores, 27, in Fresno on May 19, 2022. The state Department of Justice investigation found that "taking into account the totality of circumstances involved in this...
Fresno Strike Ends as City Reaches a Deal With White-Collar Union
A three-hour meeting Tuesday evening between representatives of a striking union and the city of Fresno officials — including Mayor Jerry Dyer — resulted in terms amenable to both sides, ending the job action a day early. Jesse Gonzalez, president of the City of Fresno Professional Employees Association, said the...
Federal Reserve Cuts Its Key Rate by a Quarter-Point but Envisions Fewer Reductions Next Year
WASHINGTON — The Federal Reserve cut its key interest rate Wednesday by a quarter-point — its third cut this year — but also signaled that it expects to reduce rates more slowly next year than it previously envisioned, largely because of still-elevated inflation. The Fed's 19 policymakers projected that they...
New York Man Finds Mastodon Jaw While Gardening in His Backyard
SCOTCHTOWN, N.Y. — Scholars are hailing the discovery of a fossilized mastodon jaw discovered by a man who spotted two giant teeth while gardening at his upstate New York home this year. The mastodon jaw and some other bone fragments were found in late September in a backyard near Scotchtown,...
The ‘Murder Hornet’ Has Been Eradicated From US, Officials Say
SEATTLE — The hunt for the “murder hornet” in the northwest corner of Washington state began like a criminal investigation, with bee carcasses creating a crime scene and the public being asked to send tips about the potential culprit’s whereabouts. Search grids were created. Traps were set. Soon, state entomologists...
Gov. Newsom Declares State of Emergency Over Bird Flu Outbreak
Gov. Gavin Newsom declared a State of Emergency to strengthen California’s response to Avian Influenza A or Bird Flu, following its detection in dairy cows on Southern California farms, the his office said Wednesday. The virus, first identified in U.S. cattle earlier this year in Texas and Kansas, has spread...
Herndon Avenue Walmart Gas Station Coming in January
That construction on Herndon Avenue between Palm and Ingram avenues will end soon. A gas station owned by Walmart is expected to open by the end of January 2025. At the south end of the Walmart parking lot, the gas station will have 16 pumps and diesel, according to a...