Spectators on a Southern California whale-watching cruise were excited when they spotted a gray whale, then amazed when the giant mammal gave birth right in front of them. The birth and the first moments of the calf's life were recorded on cellphone and drone video Monday off Dana Point, south of Los...
Satellite Launched to Map the World’s Oceans, Lakes, Rivers
A U.S.-French satellite that will map almost all of the world’s oceans, lakes and rivers rocketed into orbit Friday. The predawn launch aboard a SpaceX rocket from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California capped a highly successful year for NASA. Nicknamed SWOT — short for Surface Water and Ocean Topography...
So Long, California: Major County Votes to Study Secession
The November elections saw Californians continue to embrace progressive leadership, but voters in one of the state’s most populous counties are so frustrated with this political direction that they voted to consider seceding and forming their own state. An advisory ballot proposal approved in San Bernardino County — home to...
‘Do Better’: Newsom Pauses $1B in Homelessness Spending
California’s plans to reduce the nation’s largest homeless population aren’t good enough, Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom said Thursday, prompting him to halt $1 billion in state spending for local governments as he seeks to reset the state’s strategy ahead of his expected second term in office. California’s homeless population —...
Earn Some Pocket Money By Helping in Fresno County Elections
The November election is right around the corner and Fresno County officials are hoping to make it as smooth as possible. So, the county is seeking to hire 50 to 100 election workers for its voting centers. Fresno County Clerk and Registrar of Voters James Kus says multilingual people...
COVID-19 Has Dramatically Lowered the Life Expectancy of Californians
The COVID-19 pandemic has continued to make its way across the world with new waves of subvariants emerging. Currently, many Americans are battling BA.5, the latest Omicron subvariant said to be one of the most contagious. And, while attitudes about the virus have slowly changed with many Americans foregoing...
Fresno Supermarket Pulls All Tobacco Products from Store Shelves
A popular local grocery chain that largely caters to Latino customers has stopped selling tobacco products at its stores in Fresno and other Valley cities. The decision by Vallarta Supermarkets makes it the first and largest grocer in California to go tobacco-free. Anti-tobacco advocate Rosendo Iniguez, a spokesperson for the...
Why Is Fresno One of the Nation’s Hottest Housing Markets?
Even as other California cities saw rents plummet during the pandemic, Fresno stood out. Since 2017, the state’s fifth largest city has seen rents spike by 39%. New apartments are renting for prices similar to those in large coastal cities, and the average home now sells for $331,000. So how...
With COVID Tamed, It’s a ‘Grand Reopening’ in California
SAN FRANCISCO — California, the first state in America to put in place a coronavirus lockdown, is now turning a page on the pandemic. At the stroke of midnight, California lifted most of its COVID-19 restrictions and ushered in what has been billed as the state’s “Grand Reopening.” As of...
Fresno, Kern Residents Win $50K Each in Vaccination Lottery
Residents from Fresno and Kern counties were among 15 people winning $50,000 each on Friday in California's lottery among the nearly 22 million Californians who have received at least one dose of the coronavirus vaccine. State officials identified the winners by what county they lived in, with plans to contact...