HURON — A rooster signals the start of the day as workers wearing sombreros and ball caps emerge from the shadows and shuffle past boarded-up businesses in this tiny farm town. They converge on a dimly lit dirt lot outside Panaderia de Dios, a bakery sweetening the air with the...
Heng Attacks Costa. He Fires Back With His Own Shots.
Has Rep. Jim Costa done enough for the Central Valley? That appears to be one of the defining questions of the veteran Democrat's race against Republican challenger Elizabeth Heng. The incumbent congressman calls himself a problem-solver. In fact, Costa is a member of the bipartisan 48-member Problem Solver Caucus. Heng...
More Water Will Flow to the Valley Upon Trump's Signature
WASHINGTON — Congress has approved a sprawling bill that provides for increased water storage in the San Joaquin Valley. If signed by President Donald Trump, America's Water Infrastructure Act of 2018 would authorize more than $6 billion in spending over 10 years for projects nationwide. Folded into the bill is Rep....
O'Neill Leaving Federal Bench, Warns of Judge Shortage
Judge Lawrence O’Neill is leaving the federal bench in 16 months. He’s circled the date on his calendar: Jan. 31, 2020. But he’s concerned hyper-partisanship will delay his replacement and cause such crippling judicial gridlock that some suspects will have to go free. Serving as the chief district judge for...
US Has the Power to End the War in Yemen
Blinded by its obsession with Iran, the Trump administration is perpetuating an unwinnable civil war in Yemen and undermining the likelihood of a political settlement, writes Mohammed Buzzi in The Atlantic. Mohammed is the former Middle East bureau chief for Newsday. "In his speech to the United Nations General Assembly (last) week,...
Heng Dodges Question About Spotty Voting Record in Speech
Elizabeth Heng talked about her background and vision Monday for representing California's 16th District if she is elected to Congress in a speech to the Fresno Rotary Club. But at no time during her talk at the Cornerstone Conference Center did she directly address her rival's accusation that she has...
Pressley's Upset Another Win for Fresh Democratic Voices
BOSTON — Ayanna Pressley is all but assured of becoming the first black woman elected to Congress from Massachusetts, the latest example of the Democratic Party's embrace of diversity and liberal politics as the recipe for success in the Trump era. The 44-year-old's upset victory against longtime Democratic Rep. Michael...
What Does Costa Say About Tariffs, Immigration & Valley's Future?
"Nobody wins trade wars," says Rep. Jim Costa. That's the view of the Fresno Democrat, reacting to a series of import tariffs imposed in recent months by President Donald Trump. Those tariffs have sparked retaliation from countries such as China, impacting Valley agriculture. Trade policy is one of several issues...
National Spotlight Helps Heng. Will She Flip Blue Congressional Seat?
Getting banned on Facebook may have been the best thing to happen to Fresno congressional candidate Elizabeth Heng's campaign. In the least, it has elevated a second Valley congressional race into the national spotlight. Heng, a Republican, hopes to unseat seven-term Democrat Jim Costa of Fresno in the 16th District...
Will Kansas Send Gay, Native American Democrat to Congress?
TOPEKA, Kan. — Sharice Davids shattered the mold for a congressional primary winner from ruby red Kansas on Wednesday, becoming the state's first Native American and gay nominee for Congress. The 38-year-old attorney and activist prevailed in a close six-candidate Democratic primary Tuesday and will face four-term Republican Rep. Kevin...