NEW YORK — Major League Baseball will test robot umpires as part of a challenge system during spring training at 13 ballparks hosting 19 teams, which could lead to regular-season use in 2026. MLB has been experimenting with the automated ball-strike system in the minor leagues since 2019 but is...
Death Toll in Gaza From Israel-Hamas War Passes 44,000, Palestinian Officials Say
DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip — The death toll in the Gaza Strip from the 13-month-old war between Israel and Hamas has surpassed 44,000, local health officials said Thursday. The Gaza Health Ministry does not distinguish between civilians and combatants in its count, but it has said that more than half...
Jussie Smollett’s Conviction in 2019 Attack on Himself Is Overturned
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — The Illinois Supreme Court on Thursday overturned actor Jussie Smollett's conviction on charges of staging a racist and homophobic attack against himself in 2019 and lying to Chicago police, saying he should not have been charged a second time after reaching a deal with prosecutors. Court Finds...
Fresno Council Lowers Speed Limits on Friant and Audubon
The Fresno City Council ratified changes to speed limits made by city staff along two northeast city roads. A stretch of Friant Road from Shepherd to Copper avenues changed from 50 miles per hour to 45. On Friant between Copper Avenue and Copper River Drive, the 55 MPH limit is...
How About an Honest Conversation About the Range of Light Monument Proposal?
It sometimes seems that we have lost the ability to truly communicate with one another. It is not so much what we say to one another, but how we listen. Even friends can find it difficult to hear opposing views from each other. But the outcome can be rich if...
UConn Coach Geno Auriemma Breaks NCAA Wins Record With 1,217th Victory
STORRS — Geno Auriemma soaked in the moment. UConn's Hall of Fame coach now stands alone atop the NCAA basketball wins list. Auriemma broke a tie with former Stanford women's coach Tara VanDerveer, earning his 1,217th career victory with an 85-41 win over Fairleigh Dickinson on Wednesday night. "We never...
Fresno Doctors Will Pay $2.4 Million to Settle Kickback Allegations, DOJ Says
Two Fresno physicians have agreed to pay a combined $2.4 million to resolve allegations of participating in unlawful kickback schemes tied to prescriptions for mail-order pharmacies, federal prosecutors announced Thursday in a news release. The settlements involve Fresno podiatrist Dr. Jagpreet Mukker and pain medicine specialist Dr. Amitabh Goswami, along...
Warriors Guard De’Anthony Melton to Undergo Season-Ending Knee Surgery
SAN FRANCISCO — Golden State Warriors guard De'Anthony Melton will undergo season-ending knee surgery. The team announced Wednesday that Melton will have his procedure soon for a sprained left anterior cruciate ligament that coach Steve Kerr said is partially torn. Melton, who had missed the last two games, thought about...
Massive Ground Beef Recall Affects Restaurants Nationwide, USDA Warns
A massive recall of ground beef has been issued due to potential E. coli contamination, affecting restaurants nationwide. The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) announced that approximately 167,000 pounds of fresh and frozen ground beef products from Wolverine Packing Co. in Detroit, Michigan, are being...
Chris Stapleton Wins 4 CMA Awards, but Morgan Wallen Is Entertainer of the Year
NASHVILLE - Chris Stapleton took home four Country Music Association Awards and hardly left the stage on Wednesday night, while an absent Morgan Wallen was shut out all evening until taking the night's biggest prize, entertainer of the year. Stapleton's wins included song of the year and single of the...