A five-month-old child in Merced County has tested positive for COVID-19, health officials said Wednesday. It's the county's first infant-related infection and the health department is expressing concern about an uptick in the number of children contracting the disease. “It is crucial that we protect the vulnerable populations in our...
Saturday Classes? Schools Mull Ways to Make up Lost Time
When students return to school after a lengthy pandemic-induced absence, the consensus is they will have lost significant academic ground. Still unresolved for governments and educators are the questions of how — or even whether — teachers should try to make up for lost learning. Some have proposed holding evening...
Valley Faith-Based Nonprofits Hurt by COVID-19 Get $100K Boost
More than $100,000 has been raised to benefit Valley faith-based nonprofits and community benefit organizations that are facing financial hardships because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The Faith-Based Nonprofit Resilience Fund, spearheaded by the Center for Community Transformation at Fresno Pacific University in partnership with nonprofit leaders, was created in April...
7 California Counties Get OK to More Quickly Reopen
SACRAMENTO — Gov. Gavin Newsom moved to further ease the coronavirus choke-hold on California's economy Tuesday by allowing more businesses to reopen and following through on his promise to swiftly approve requests from counties to move ahead more quickly if they have been minimally harmed by the pandemic. Business offices can...
California GOP Dream: Party Poised to Win US House Seat
LOS ANGELES — A former Navy combat pilot built a double-digit lead in the fight for an open U.S. House seat north of Los Angeles, positioning Republicans to capture a Democratic-held congressional district in California for the first time in over two decades. Political newcomer Mike Garcia had a 12-point...
Powell Warns of a Possible Sustained Recession From Pandemic
WASHINGTON — Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell warned Wednesday of the threat of a prolonged recession resulting from the viral outbreak and urged Congress and the White House to act further to prevent long-lasting economic damage. The Fed and Congress have taken far-reaching steps to try to counter what is...
Paul Manafort Released From Prison Due to Virus Concerns
WASHINGTON — Paul Manafort, Donald Trump’s onetime presidential campaign chairman who was convicted as part of the special counsel’s Russia investigation, has been released from federal prison to serve the rest of his sentence in home confinement due to concerns about the coronavirus, his lawyer said Wednesday. Manafort, 71, was released Wednesday morning...
‘A Pretty Scary Thing:’ Kid Illness Tied to Virus Worries NY
Amber Dean had recovered from a mild bout of the coronavirus and her family of five had just ended their home quarantine when her oldest son, 9-year-old Bobby, fell ill. “At first it was nothing major, it seemed like a tummy bug, like he ate something that didn't agree with...
Deadline to Get COVID-19 Stimulus Check by Direct Deposit is Here
Anyone still waiting for a federal COVID-19 stimulus payment must act by Wednesday to receive their money by direct deposit, the IRS says. The government is urging taxpayers to provide their bank account information online by noon if they want to speed up delivery of the money. Otherwise, qualified recipients...
Chancellor Points to Online Fall Classes, but Fresno State Yet to Decide
Fresno State is continuing to mull options for reopening classes this fall semester, months after the COVID-19 pandemic forced the closure of schools and universities statewide. The Fall 2020 Planning Task Force is considering two scenarios for fall, even though California State University Chancellor Tim White said Tuesday that most...