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...
Nations at UN Climate Talks Agree on $300B a Year for Poor Countries in a Compromise Deal
BAKU, Azerbaijan — United Nations climate talks adopted a deal to inject at least $300 billion annually in humanity's fight against climate change, aimed at helping poor nations cope with the ravages of global warming in tense negotiations in the city where industry first tapped oil. The $300 billion will...
What to Know About Lori Chavez-DeRemer, Trump’s Pick for Labor Secretary
WASHINGTON — President-elect Donald Trump on Friday named Oregon Rep. Lori Chavez-DeRemer to lead the Department of Labor in his second administration, elevating a Republican congresswoman who has strong support from unions in her district but lost reelection in November. Chavez-DeRemer will have to be confirmed by the Senate, which...
What to Know About Scott Turner, Trump’s Pick for Housing Secretary
Scott Turner, President-elect Donald Trump choice to lead the Department of Housing and Urban Development, is a former NFL player who ran the White House Opportunity and Revitalization Council during Trump's first term. Turner, 52, is the first Black person selected to be a member of the Republican's Cabinet. Here...