The Wonderful Company LLC, known for brands like POM Wonderful and Wonderful Pistachios, has filed a defamation lawsuit against activist and social media influencer Flor Martinez Zaragoza, accusing her of spreading false and damaging statements about the company's farming practices and business ethics. Zaragoza participated in a protest against local...
Has Fresno Unified Finally Planted the Flag for an Academic Revolution?
Simplicity is in at Fresno Unified. The 20-plus initiatives of the past to help struggling students have been replaced with four goals. Meanwhile, expectations are way up for students, teachers, and administrators. And, these goals and expectations must be embraced by the district's new superintendent — whether that is Interim...
Trump White House Rescinds Order Freezing Federal Grants After Widespread Confusion
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump's budget office on Wednesday rescinded an order freezing spending on federal grants, less than two days after it sparked widespread confusion and legal challenges across the country, according to two people familiar with the matter. The Monday evening order from the White House Office of...
Fresno Agencies Scramble for Clarity on Trump’s Ordered End to Federal Aid
Nonprofits, local governments, and other agencies are scrambling to understand what funds might be in jeopardy following a sweeping declaration from President Donald Trump pausing all federal grants, loans, and other aid. Trump clarified Tuesday through the Office of Management and Budget that his Monday memo would not affect Social...
Who’s In, Who’s Out in the Hush-Hush Fresno Police Chief Search?
City Hall is keeping its mouth shut on hiring Fresno's next police chief. Mayor Jerry Dyer and his administration have ignored several requests from GV Wire for an update. Dyer last spoke on the matter on Jan. 9, saying he had an upcoming meeting with the recruiting firm, Public Sector...
Former Fresno EOC Manager Sues Agency Claiming Harassment, Retaliation as Whistleblower
The Fresno Economic Opportunities Commission's former manager of equity and inclusions alleges in a civil lawsuit that she was harassed, retaliated against, and wrongfully terminated because she was a whistleblower who then-Chief Executive Officer Emilia Reyes targeted. The suit by Stacy Williams, filed on Nov. 22 in Fresno County Superior...
Magsig Says ‘Range of Light’ Prospects Are as Dark as Night
Fresno County Supervisor Nathan Magsig wrote on Facebook Friday that with President Donald Trump's election, a plan to designate 1.4 million acres of the Sierra National Forest as a national monument "has been prevented." Similarly, two U.S. Congressmembers introduced a bill to make it so only lawmakers can set large...
When Did Fresno EOC Finances Start Their Downhill Plunge?
One Fresno state lawmaker has put a spotlight on the financial morass of the Fresno Economic Opportunities Commission by calling for a forensic audit. Assemblymember Joaquin Arambula’s letter to his fellow commissioners in November, one month after he replaced his mother on the commission, charged that the agency’s financial footing...
Trump Orders Putting ‘People Over Fish.’ Will He Succeed?
President Donald Trump lost no time Monday in advancing his agenda for California’s water supply with a “presidential action” intended to send more Delta water south to millions of Southern Californians and San Joaquin Valley farms. The memo calls on the Secretary of Commerce and the Secretary of the Interior...
Convicted Jan. 6 Rioter Benjamin Martin Still Going to Prison
A Madera County man convicted of Jan. 6 Capitol riot crimes and gun-related offenses in a second trial, is headed to prison. Benjamin Martin, 46, is scheduled to self-surrender in Fresno on Wednesday to federal prison officials, the Department of Justice tells GV Wire. The federal Bureau of Prisons will...