NEW YORK — With a combined $270 million in worldwide ticket sales, “Wicked” and “Gladiator II” breathed fresh life into a box office that has struggled lately, leading to one of the busiest moviegoing weekends of the year. Jon M. Chu’s lavish big-budget musical “Wicked,” starring Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo, debuted with...
G7 Foreign Ministers Meet in Italy With Hopes of Progress Toward Mideast Ceasefire
FIUGGI, Italy — Foreign ministers from the world’s leading industrialized nations met Monday as signs emerged of progress on a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah and a certain pressure to advance diplomatic efforts in both the Mideast and Ukraine wars ahead of the new U.S. administration taking office. Progress on...
Augillard, Douglas Lead the Way as Bulldogs Rally Past Long Beach State
LONG BEACH — Amar Augillard led Fresno State with 25 points and David Douglas Jr. made a go-ahead 3-pointer with 42 seconds left as the Bulldogs took down Long Beach State 72-69 on Saturday night in a nonconference game. Augillard shot 8 of 21 from the field, including 4 for...
Israel Strikes Without Warning in Beirut, Kills at Least 15 as Cease-Fire Sought
BEIRUT — Israeli airstrikes Saturday in central Beirut killed at least 15 people, officials said, as the once-rare attacks on the heart of Lebanon's capital continued without warning while diplomats scrambled to broker a cease-fire. Lebanon's Health Ministry said 63 people were wounded in the strikes, which were the fourth...
Trump Taps Rollins as Ag Chief in Final Cabinet Pick
WASHINGTON — President-elect Donald Trump said Saturday that he will nominate former White House aide Brooke Rollins to be his agriculture secretary, the last of his picks to lead executive agencies and another choice from within his established circle of advisers and allies. The nomination must be confirmed by the...
Fresno State Becomes Bowl Eligible, Defeats Colorado State on Senior Night
The Fresno State football team dashed Colorado State's hopes for a possible berth in the Mountain West Conference championship by defeating the Rams 28-22 at Valley Children's Stadium on Saturday. The victory on Senior Night makes the Bulldogs bowl eligible for the fourth straight year. The Bulldogs are 6-5 this...
After Fresno Visit, Newsom Announces $24.7M Taxpayer-Funded Apprenticeship Program
California is investing $24.7 million in apprenticeship programs across various industries, supporting over 8,000 positions that will offer participants an average wage of $32 per hour. The funding, announced by Governor Gavin Newsom following his Fresno visit, will be distributed among 65 apprenticeship programs spanning healthcare, transportation, education, advanced manufacturing,...
How Will Merced County Fund Public Safety After Measure R’s Failure?
The countywide public safety tax likely won't receive the necessary two-thirds approval to pass. But in Livingston, Measure L is on track to succeed. Merced County officials are vowing to keep going and try again for a countywide public safety sales tax initiative upon the imminent failure of Measure R....
As Atmospheric River Soaks California, Farmworkers Await Flood Aid Promised in 2023
Floodwaters devastated the small communities of Pajaro and Planada in early 2023. California gave each town $20 million to recover – but as residents face down another winter, much of the aid has yet to reach them. After flood waters from heavy rainstorms deluged two small farmworker towns in January...
Sacramento Region Gained People but Flubbed Economic Opportunities Over 50 Years
Fifty years ago this month I moved to Sacramento and a few months later, just after Jerry Brown became governor, began covering politics for the long-defunct Sacramento Union newspaper. I have lived in five different homes — soon to be six — and my workplaces have always been in downtown...