ATLANTA — The Atlanta Falcons are turning to rookie Michael Penix Jr. as their starting quarterback and benching veteran Kirk Cousins as they fight for their first playoff berth since 2017. Coach Raheem Morris announced the decision in a statement Tuesday night. "After review we have made the decision Michael...
Lillard and Antetokounmpo’s NBA Cup Triumph: A Stepping Stone to Greater Glory
LAS VEGAS — Damian Lillard and Giannis Antetokounmpo stood side-by-side during the postgame celebration after the NBA Cup final. Antetokounmpo was holding the MVP trophy. Lillard was holding the bigger trophy. And it was a moment that Lillard had waited a long time to savor. He's been a rookie of...
Colorado State and Utah State Sue Mountain West Over Exit Penalties
DENVER — Colorado State and Utah State have filed a lawsuit saying the Mountain West is engaging in "extraordinary and unauthorized actions" to penalize the five schools leaving the conference for the Pac-12. Boise State, Fresno State, San Diego State, Colorado State and Utah State announced in September they planned...
New Fresno Judge Champions Equal Access to Justice
Maria G. Diaz splits her time as an attorney between Los Angeles and Fresno but considers the Central Valley home. Last week, Gov. Gavin Newsom appointed Diaz, 55, to the Fresno County Superior Court bench. "I really believe in equal access to justice and diversity on the bench. And I...
He Has Prison in His Past. Now He Hopes Law School Is in His Future
Austin O'Campo went from prison to graduating from UC Berkeley, while living in his car. Now the 29-year-old San Jose resident is studying for law school while completing a fellowship designed to help young people like him find careers. The fellowship is through a nonprofit called CURYJ. Pronounced "courage," the...
Trump’s Picks for Top Health Jobs Not Just Team of Rivals but ‘Team of Opponents’
Many of President-elect Donald Trump's candidates for federal health agencies have promoted policies and goals that put them at odds with one another or with Trump's choice to run the Department of Health and Human Services, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., setting the stage for internal friction over public health initiatives....
Volunteers Needed To Clean Trash On the Lower Kings River
Volunteers are invited to spend a Saturday morning cleaning a section of the Kings River. The Kings River Fisheries Management Program's Kings River cleanup event will be held Saturday, Dec. 21 from 9 a.m. to 10:30 a.m near the Thorburn Channel to Cobbles Weir. Volunteers will be expected to sign-in...
Fresno County Mail Theft Probe Leads to Five Arrests
A months-long investigation into mail theft and identity fraud in Kerman resulted in the arrest of five suspects and the recovery of stolen mail and equipment used to commit fraud, the Kerman Police Department said in a statement on Monday. The investigation began after reports of stolen mail belonging to...
Are Fresno Unified’s Race-Based Training Programs Violating Anti-Discrimination Laws?
Concerns that several race-based training programs offered to Fresno Unified employees might violate anti-discrimination laws are being raised by former School Board candidate Emma Villa, an education consultant and advocate. Villa is questioning whether programs for "white-identifying" employees and for "men of color" should be open to all employees regardless...
What’s the Future of Fresno’s Closed IRS Facility? Proposal Would Build Homes There.
Property owners have been trying to find a use for the massive IRS facility in southeast Fresno for some time. A proposal would tear down the 532,000 square feet of office space to make way for single-family homes. Carlsbad-based Roundtree Properties hosted a community meeting in November to begin the...