As New Yorkers mourned the victims of a mass shooting last week in a midtown Manhattan office building, Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, inserted himself into the discourse. His comments concerned a photo taken Thursday of Gov. Kathy Hochul of New York, a Democrat, sitting on a folding chair inside a...
Trump Says Banks Discriminate Against His Supporters While White House Prepares Order
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump on Tuesday said he believes that banks discriminate against him and his supporters, adding that Bank of America and JPMorgan Chase had previously refused to accept his deposits. "They totally discriminate against, I think, me maybe even more, but they discriminate against many conservatives," he...
House Democrats Renew Effort Calling for Palestinian Statehood
More than a dozen House Democrats have signed a draft letter urging the Trump administration to recognize a Palestinian state, and the leader of the effort said Monday that he planned to introduce a resolution to codify the push. “We believe recognizing Palestinian statehood and obligating Palestinian leaders to abide...
US DOJ to Open Grand Jury Probe Into Obama Officials, Source Says
WASHINGTON — U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi has directed federal prosecutors to launch a grand jury probe into allegations that members of Democratic former President Barack Obama's administration manufactured intelligence on Russia's interference in the 2016 elections, a source familiar with the matter said on Monday. The Justice Department said...
State Gives Adventist Health OK for $1B in Bonds. Valley Children’s Gets $11M Grant
California gave Adventist Health the green light in issuing up to $1 billion in bonds to upgrade its record system and refinance debt. At the same time, Valley Children's will get more than $11 million in grant money for new equipment and renovation costs. The California Health Facilities Financing Authority...
Fresno Man Pleads Guilty in $30 Million Fraud Scheme
A Fresno man pleaded guilty Monday to wire fraud in a scheme that defrauded lenders and financial institutions out of more than $30 million, federal prosecutors said. Matthew Dane Billingsley, 39, admitted to fabricating brokerage account statements and misrepresenting loan purposes between June 2018 and February 2023, according to the...
Fresno County Traffic Stop Leads to Prison Sentence for Mexican National in Fentanyl Case
A Mexican national has been sentenced to more than three years in federal prison for trafficking over 200,000 fentanyl pills through Fresno County, authorities said Monday. Miguel Obed Romero Reyes, 26, of Sinaloa, Mexico, was sentenced to three years and five months by U.S. District Judge Kirk Sherriff for possessing...
Statue of Confederate General Albert Pike to Be Reinstalled in Washington
WASHINGTON — A statue of Confederate General Albert Pike, which was overturned in 2020 during the "Black Lives Matter" protests after George Floyd's murder, will be reinstalled in Washington, the National Park Service said on Monday. "The National Park Service announced today that it will restore and reinstall the bronze...
Record Number of Senate Democrats Vote to Block Israel Weapons Sales
A record number of U.S. Senate Democrats, more than half the caucus, voted last week to block U.S. military sales to Israel amid growing concern over the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, The Hill reported. Two resolutions, introduced by Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vermont), failed largely along party lines. One aimed to...
Fresno County House Fire Displaces Two Adults and Injures Dog
A house fire south of Selma displaced two adults and injured a dog early Monday morning, according to CalFire. Crews responded to the blaze near Kamm and Thompson avenues, where they found the home fully engulfed in flames and power lines down on the south side of the property. The...