Oil prices were little changed on Wednesday after U.S. President Donald Trump said the war with Iran could end soon, telling the world to watch out for an "amazing two days", while U.S. forces imposing a blockade turned back vessels leaving Iranian ports. Brent futures rose 31 cents, or 0.3%,...
Tunnel Collapse Near Knights Ferry Leaves One Dead, One Injured, Officials Say
One person died and another was injured Tuesday after a tunnel collapse during a construction project near Knights Ferry, the Modesto Fire Department said in a statement. The Modesto Fire Department and Stanislaus Consolidated Fire Protection District were dispatched at about 3:42 p.m. to the area near Schell and Sonora...
Bakersfield by the Numbers: The Crimes Driving 58,000 Calls for Help
The Bakersfield Police Department reported responding to tens of thousands of calls for service in March while making more than 1,000 arrests, according to newly released monthly crime statistics. Police said the department’s communications center received 58,764 incoming calls during the month, including 24,141 calls to 911. Officers made 1,069...
Fresno Police Cite 114 Drivers During Distracted Driving Enforcement Operation
Fresno police issued 114 citations to drivers for violating hands-free cell phone laws during a distracted driving enforcement operation conducted on Saturday, authorities said. California law, in place since 2008, prohibits drivers from holding a phone or other electronic device while operating a vehicle. The restriction applies to activities including...
Trump Says Iran War ‘Close to Over’
President Donald Trump said the war with Iran was close to over, telling the world to brace for an "amazing two days", as the army chief of mediator Pakistan arrived in Tehran in a bid to prevent a renewed conflict. The diplomatic push came as U.S. and Iranian officials weighed...
Claude AI Goes Down for Thousands of Users Wednesday, Downdetector Reports
Claude AI is experiencing a possible outage Wednesday, with thousands of users reporting issues, according to Downdetector.com. More than 7,000 users had reported problems with the platform as of 8:02 a.m. PT, according to Downdetector, which tracks outages by collecting status reports from multiple sources. Most users reporting problems to...
The Battle Over Refreshers Heats Up as McDonald’s Enters the Mix
One of the hottest beverages these days is the refresher. At Caribou Coffee, one can pick up a Strawberry Coconutmilk Refresher. Taco Bell’s take on the trend includes a Dragonfruit Berry Aqua Refresca. The restaurant chain Sonic released a line in March that has a Mango Peach Sparkling Refresher. The...
City of Fresno Dodges Sanctions Even Though Judge Says Arguments Were Fake
The city of Fresno will not face sanctions for faking legal arguments in its attempt to remove a business near a railroad improvement project in central Fresno. As part of a railroad grade separation project, the city plans to build an underpass at Blackstone and McKinley avenues next to Fresno...
How China’s Weapons Transfers to Iran Have Evolved Over Decades
For much of the past two decades, China has maintained a delicate balance in its military relationship with Iran, offering often indirect assistance instead of arms sales. That approach is now drawing renewed attention after U.S. officials said intelligence agencies were assessing whether China may have shipped shoulder-fired missiles to...
Trump’s Blockade Risks Upending an Emerging Détente With China
WASHINGTON — When China declared on Monday that the U.S. blockade of Iranian oil leaving the Strait of Hormuz was “dangerous and irresponsible,” it was a brief window into President Donald Trump’s latest challenge: how to keep the Iran conflict from upending an emerging detente with China. Trump is expected...