WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump and challenger Joe Biden will compete for TV audiences in dueling town halls instead of meeting face-to-face for their second debate as originally planned. The two will take questions in different cities on different networks Thursday night: Trump on NBC from Miami, Biden on ABC...
‘West Wing’ Reunites Cast With a Mission: Get Out the Vote
LOS ANGELES — While “The West Wing” creator Aaron Sorkin was gratified to bring an episode of the drama series to life on the stage, he’d rather discuss the bigger return he wants to see. “We’re just trying to push fans of ‘The West Wing’ to the polls,” Sorkin said....
Nunes to State on Ballot Box Battle: ‘Screw You’
Local Republicans are calling out Democrats as hypocrites, and more, over the issue of unofficial ballot boxes. After Democratic leaders ordered the Fresno County Republican Party to dismantle boxes they say defy the law, one prominent elected leader had a brief reply. Listen to this article: "Screw you! You created...
Cut Cable Shuts Down Virginia’s Online Voter Registration
RICHMOND, Va. — An accidentally severed fiber optic cable shut down Virginia's online voter registration system for several hours Tuesday, the last day to register before the November general election, authorities said. The Virginia Department of Elections said in statement on Twitter that a “fiber cut” affected connectivity for multiple...
Biden Addresses Idea of High Court Packing: ‘I’m Not a Fan’
WASHINGTON — Joe Biden says he is “not a fan” of adding seats to the Supreme Court, after weeks of avoiding questions about the idea that’s been pushed by progressives and used by Republicans to attack him. “I’ve already spoken on — I’m not a fan of court packing, but...
Brandi Orth: Vote-by-Mail Signature Verification Ensures Safety and Integrity
When it comes to Vote by Mail ballots, it may be reassuring to know that every single signature, on every single ballot envelope is compared to the voter’s signature on their Voter Registration record. Every single signature. In fact, in the March 2020 Presidential Primary election, 87% of Fresno County...
Opinion: Prop. 21 Will Make Valley’s Housing Crisis Even Worse for Latinos — And the Rest of Us
As our region continues to reel from an economic crisis sparked by the COVID-19 outbreak, many people throughout the Central Valley continue to struggle to make ends meet. Now, more than ever, the lack of available affordable housing is a pressing issue for Valley residents. A measure on the November...
Health Care Is Focus as Barrett Supreme Court Hearing Opens
WASHINGTON — Senate Democrats branded Supreme Court nominee Amy Coney Barrett a threat to Americans' health care during the coronavirus pandemic Monday at the start of a fast-tracked hearing that Republicans are confident will end with Barrett's confirmation to replace the late Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg before Election Day. In a competing effort to approvingly...
Lawmakers Want to Amend This Prop? It’ll Take a “Super, Super, Super-Duper Majority”
By Ben Christopher, CalMatters A reader has asked us a question about a lesser-known provision buried in one of the year’s most controversial ballot measures: Hey @FromBenC & @CalMatters - was hoping you could answer a #prop22 Q. Is there precedent for rqring 7/8th vote from legis for “consistent” changes...
Gloves Come Off in Contested Race for Fresno School Board
With responsibility for a $1 billion school district budget, the trustees of Fresno Unified have a say in spending more money than almost any other local public agency in the Central Valley. In the Nov. 3 election, three of the district's seven board seats are on the ballot. Incumbents are...