Oil futures sank below $100 a barrel while equity and bond prices rallied sharply on Wednesday after the United States and Iran agreed on a two-week ceasefire, prompting hopes for a resumption of oil and gas flows through the Strait of Hormuz. On Tuesday night U.S. President Donald Trump announced...
Modesto Police Arrest 2 After “ICE OUT” Painted on Road During Protest
Modesto police arrested two women Tuesday evening after they allegedly painted “ICE OUT” on a public roadway during a demonstration near Doctors Medical Center. Officers were monitoring the protest along Florida Avenue when they saw two individuals use white paint to write the message on the street, according to the...
Peter Schrag Dies at 94. He Wrote About California’s ‘Paradise Lost’
Peter Schrag, a longtime opinion editor of The Sacramento Bee who wrote a well-received book about the conundrum of California governance — a state blessed with extraordinary wealth and opportunity and, in his view, cursed with too much populist democracy — died on March 19 in Davis, California. He was...
Want $5K for a Documentary? Enter CMAC’s Big Tell Film Contest
Community Media Access Collaborative invites all local filmmakers to dig into the Central Valley's untold stories for the annual The Big Tell Film Contest. The regional film contest awards 10 applicants $5,000 grants to produce five-minute documentaries that showcase local stories. The program, open to all experience levels, is looking...
Trump Announces 50% Tariffs on Nations Supplying Iran With Weapons
President Donald Trump said on Wednesday that imports from countries supplying Iran with military weapons will face immediate 50% tariffs with no exemptions, announcing the threatened duty in a social media post just hours after agreeing to a two-week ceasefire with Tehran. Trump's Truth Social post did not specify which...
Fresno County Detective Rescues Six Kittens From Attic Crawl Space
A Fresno County sheriff’s detective rescued six kittens from an attic crawl space at the department’s Area 3 substation in Selma, officials said. Detective Solis of the Ag Task Force heard unusual meowing coming from the ceiling and investigated. He found five kittens under a loose board and coaxed them...
Jeff Shell Steps Down as Paramount President
Paramount Skydance said on Wednesday that Jeff Shell is stepping down as the company's president and board member amid allegations that he violated U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission disclosure rules. Shell became president overseeing day-to-day operations when Paramount Global completed its merger with Skydance Media last year. Las Vegas gambler...
Long Island Architect Pleads Guilty to ‘Gilgo Beach’ Serial Killings
A Long Island architect admitted in court on Wednesday to killing eight women in attacks dating to the 1990s, ending a notorious serial killer case that stymied investigators until DNA evidence helped lead to the arrest of Rex Heuermann in 2023. Heuermann, 62, told a judge in Riverhead, New York, that...
Indiana Suspends Gas Tax for 30 Days Amid Rising Prices
Indiana on Wednesday became the second U.S. state to suspend its gas tax amid the ongoing U.S.-Israeli conflict with Iran. Governor Mike Braun, a Republican, said the suspension of the 7% usage tax on fuel will last 30 days and could be extended depending on "the circumstances in the Middle...
Bondi Won’t Appear on Capitol Hill for Scheduled Epstein Deposition
WASHINGTON — Pam Bondi, the former attorney general whom President Donald Trump fired last week, will not appear next week for a scheduled deposition with the House Oversight Committee as part of its inquiry into convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. The committee said in a statement Wednesday that it would...