LOS ANGELES — Twenty firefighters from California returned to the United States on Wednesday after spending nearly a month battling wildfires in Australia. The firefighters based at Angeles National Forest arrived at Los Angeles International Airport and were scheduled to reunite with their families at a city fire station. The...
No Cash? Salvation Army Now Accepting Mobile Donations
CHICAGO — Carolyn Harper made her pitch for donations to the Salvation Army with a smile on her face and a bell in her hand, trying to convince shoppers along Chicago’s busy Michigan Avenue that there was “no line, no wait.” Despite her prodding, half a dozen people apologetically explained...
Families and Fun Blend Together at International Celebration
For the seventh consecutive year, the Islamic Cultural Center of Fresno hosted a community celebration with international cuisine, crafts and family-friendly activities. The weekend event featured food vendors, performers, bounce houses, a culturally-inspired photo booth and more, spread throughout ICCF's northeast Fresno campus. Included among the event's offerings: camel rides...
On a Gorgeous Weekend, Granite Park Is Big Hit With Families
The cooler weather complemented perfectly with two big activities taking place at Granite Park this past weekend — The Big Bounce America and a memorial softball tournament. Both drew sizable, yet manageable crowds, with a $3 cover charge to enter the facility. Each event had its own entry fees as...
Walters: California’s Vexing Poverty Puzzle
California, as we all should know by now, has the nation’s highest rate of poverty as measured by the Census Bureau’s supplemental – and most accurate – methodology. The primary reason is California’s horrendously high cost of living, particularly for housing, that overwhelms the relatively meager incomes of millions of...
White House Wants $4.5 Billion in Emergency Border Funding
WASHINGTON — The Trump administration on Wednesday asked Congress for an additional $4.5 billion in emergency funds for the U.S.-Mexico border as the administration contends with a surge of Central American migrant families, with the bulk of the money for shelter and care. The number of families and children arriving...
Larry Patten: Hospice Won’t Kill You and It’s Not Giving Up
Are you thinking about hospice care? Better be careful! Hospice will kill you! Hospice means there’s nothing more that can be done! Hospice is all about giving up! Hearing false and misleading statements like those three prompted me to write "A Companion for the Hospice Journey." Any discussion about hospice...
Cradling Children, Migrant Families Cross Border in Waves
MCALLEN, Texas — A mother cradled a crying toddler as she waited in line with 20 other women to shower. Dozens of fathers quietly held their children's hands in an enclosure made of chain-link fencing. While these families were held at an overcrowded Border Patrol processing center, a fresh wave...
Wings Advocacy Helps Lift Homeless Families Into a Better Life
For families who have endured the struggle of homelessness, the opportunity to be housed again presents its own set of challenges. Among them: furnishing their living space with necessities like a bedding, lamps, plates, and utensils to name just a few items. That's where Wings Advocacy Fresno comes in. "The...
Zakaria: Is Immigration a Trap for Democrats?
President Trump's reversal of his administration's policy of separating immigrant families apprehended crossing the U.S. border may feel like a win for Democrats, but they should temper their celebration, says Washington Post commentator Fareed Zakaria. "Immigration has become an issue that passionately motivates a large group of Americans, perhaps like...