A wildfire broke out Tuesday afternoon in Madera County, burning at least 16 acres with no containment, according to CalFire. Dubbed the 19 Fire, the blaze was reported around 4:31 p.m. near Golden State Boulevard and Road 19, just north of Fairmead. The cause is under investigation. CalFire’s Madera-Mariposa-Merced Unit...
Watch Twin Meteor Showers Reach Their Simultaneous Peak in Summer Skies
Our universe might be chock-full of cosmic wonder, but you can observe only a fraction of astronomical phenomena with your naked eye. Meteor showers, natural fireworks that streak brightly across the night sky, are one of them. The latest observable meteor showers travel in tandem. One, the Southern Delta Aquarids,...
New York Gunman Was Flagged by Security Camera System Before Attack, Sources Say
WASHINGTON/NEW YORK — Cameras at 345 Park Avenue flagged an approaching gunman on Monday as a potential threat that required immediate attention, seconds before he burst into the office skyscraper's lobby and began firing, according to two former federal officials familiar with New York building security systems. A still frame...
As Trump Cuts Education, Candidates Line Up for California’s Top Schools Job
This story was originally published by CalMatters. Sign up for their newsletters. As California intensifies its fight with the Trump Administration, the race for the state’s top schools job is becoming ever more crowded. Former Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon formally entered the race Monday to succeed Tony Thurmond as State...
US House Panel Rejects Immunity Request by Epstein Associate Maxwell
WASHINGTON — A Republican-led congressional committee rejected on Tuesday a request by a longtime associate of the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein for immunity from future prosecution as a condition for testifying to the panel in the midst of a political storm surrounding President Donald Trump. Ghislaine Maxwell, who...
Fresno’s Vacant Property Ordinance Punishes the Wrong People: Rassamni
In June, Fresno City Councilmembers enacted an ordinance to clean up blighted buildings in Tower District, with an aim — if successful — to expand the rule citywide. The new legislation implements hefty fines for owners of dilapidated properties that stay vacant longer than 120 days. It also implements fines...
Trump Approval Rating Sinks to 40%, the Lowest of His Term, Reuters/Ipsos Poll Finds
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump’s approval rating dropped one percentage point to 40%, the lowest level of his second term in office, as Americans remained concerned about his handling of the economy and immigration, a Reuters/Ipsos poll found. The three-day poll, which closed on Monday, surveyed 1,023 U.S. adults nationwide...
What’s Behind California’s Frozen Housing Market?
This story was originally published by CalMatters. Sign up for their newsletters. The national housing market is stuck in a post-pandemic rut. Prices and interest rates have stalled out at unaffordable highs, keeping buyers at bay. Sellers, unable to fetch the still-higher prices they want, are backing out of the...
Tulare County Authorities Find Body in Sequoia National Park
The body of a woman who had been missing since May was recovered last week in Sequoia National Park, the Tulare County Sheriff's Office says. Authorities announced Tuesday that Jomarie Calasanz, 26, of La Puente, California, was found on Thursday, July 24, by the agency’s Swiftwater Dive Rescue Team in...
Oil Prices Rise on Trade War Relief, US Pressure on Russia
NEW YORK — Oil prices rose on Tuesday, extending the previous day's rally, on optimism that a trade war between the U.S. and its major trading partners was abating and as President Donald Trump ramped up pressure on Russia over its war in Ukraine. Brent crude futures were up $2.17,...