California's quest to improve its air quality will take a new turn on Dec. 18 with the launch of the E-Bike Incentive Project that will provide up to $2,000 to buy electric bikes or equipment like helmets. But to be eligible, you'll need to meet income qualifications. The first installment...
Fresno Police Arrest 13 at DUI Checkpoint, Announce Holiday Patrols
Thirteen drivers were arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence during a DUI enforcement operation conducted by the Fresno Police Department on Saturday, the department announced on Tuesday. First-time DUI offenders in California face steep consequences, including an average of $13,500 in fines and penalties, along with a suspended...
Polygamous Sect Leader Gets 50 Years in Prison in Scheme to Orchestrate Sex Involving Children
PHOENIX — A polygamist religious leader who claimed more than 20 spiritual "wives" including 10 underage girls was sentenced to 50 years in prison on Monday for coercing girls as young as 9 years old to submit to criminal sex acts with him and other adults, and for scheming to...
California to Consider Requiring Mental Health Warnings on Social Media Sites
SACRAMENTO — California would be the first U.S. state to require mental health warning labels on social media sites if lawmakers pass a bill introduced Monday. The legislation sponsored by state Attorney General Rob Bonta is necessary to bolster safety for children online, supporters say, but industry officials vow to...
New California Sen. Adam Schiff Wants to Be More Than a Trump Antagonist
WASHINGTON — Democrat Adam Schiff stood on the Senate floor almost five years ago as a House impeachment manager and made a passionate case that Donald Trump should be removed from office for abusing the power of the presidency. "If right doesn't matter, we're lost," he told the senators, his...
Did UC Merced Students Tip the US House Election for Democrat Adam Gray?
Did students at UC Merced help flip a San Joaquin Valley Congressional district? The Merced FOCUS reviewed election numbers from Congressional District 13, and the results show the precinct that contains UC Merced pulled in 337 more votes for Gray than Duarte. That is a larger margin than the 187 votes which...
Bookstore Staffers Receive Holiday Bonuses From Author James Patterson
NEW YORK — Staffers at Thank You Books in Birmingham, Alabama, San Francisco's City Lights Books and The Nook in Cedar Falls, Iowa, are among 600 booksellers receiving $500 holiday bonuses from James Patterson, the bestselling novelist who has been awarding independent store employees since 2015. "Booksellers save lives. Period,"...
Trump Calls Trudeau the ‘Governor’ of ‘The Great State of Canada’
OTTAWA, Ontario — President-elect Donald Trump mocked Canada’s prime minister in a post late Monday that described him as “Governor Justin Trudeau of the Great State of Canada.” The social media post also cited a surprise dinner between the two leaders at Mar-a-Lago over the Thanksgiving weekend and called it...
Taiwan Says China Has Deployed Largest Fleet of Ships in Decades
Taiwan said Tuesday that China was conducting its largest maritime operations in nearly three decades, sending nearly 90 naval and coast guard vessels into waters stretching from the southern Japanese islands to the South China Sea. Taiwanese defense officials said the scope of the deployment suggested that China was not...
Californians Send Loud Message: The State Is a Mess
Pundits and academics who have parsed the data of Donald Trump's presidential victory five weeks ago differ on the fine points but generally agree that it reflected voters' widespread unhappiness with the status quo, particularly their personal finances and inflation. Living costs jumped about 20% under the Biden administration. While...