Last week President Donald Trump’s Department of Justice delivered a blow to one of the foundational beliefs of the MAGA movement, one that helped carry him back to the White House. In an unsigned memorandum, the department declared that there was no evidence that Jeffrey Epstein, the disgraced deceased convicted...
How Erratic Results, High Costs Doomed Fresno Unified’s Student Improvement Program
This story was originally published by EdSource. Sign up for their daily newsletter. The Fresno Unified School District and its teachers union have reached an agreement to terminate a decade-old, once-promising student improvement program that expanded from a pilot in a handful of low-performing schools to 40 of the district’s...
Valadao, Costa Spar on What Passage of Trump’s Bill Means for Medicaid Recipients
As the drama unfolded Wednesday night into Thursday, Rep. David Valadao was one of the initial holdouts on voting for the "One Big Beautiful Bill." Valadao, R-Hanford, did not immediately cast "aye" on a procedural vote for President Donald Trump's spending and tax cut plan. For hours, Speaker of the...
Trump Impounds Billions in Education Funding. For Fresno Unified, It’s $7.1 Million
President Donald Trump this week in a last-minute decision chose to withhold approximately $1 billion in federal funds to California schools already designated by Congress, according to the California Department of Education. Department of Education Superintendent Tony Thurmond is now considering legal action against the administration, his department said in...
Check Out Newest Downtown Mural. It’s a Spectacular Tribute to Fresno Artisans
Fresno Ideaworks is home to a new downtown mural that celebrates those who work with their hands. Instead of a big entrance sign, Ideaworks opted to hire a local artist to paint a massive mural on the front of the building at 1730 H St. The Artist and Design Michael...
Dear Mayor and City Council, Fresno’s Housing Bottlenecks Are a Modern Form of Redlining
Dear Mayor and Councilmembers, I am writing to respectfully urge you to reconsider and vote yes on the proposed ministerial approval for office-to-dwelling conversions without watering it down. This amendment, as originally proposed, is a necessary step to unlock Fresno’s potential and address our growing housing needs. As President of...
Fresno Unified’s Embattled Nikki Henry Exits. ‘I Own My Mistake. I Won’t Let It Own Me.’
After a battle between Fresno Unified and the Fresno Teachers Association became public, the district's chief communications officer announced on social media she's left the district. Former Communications Chief Nikki Henry on LinkedIn said that Monday was her last day with the district. The district's Wednesday board agenda removed Henry's...
O’Brien Launches Fresno County Schools Chief Campaign by Handing Out ‘Homework’
Dr. Eimear O'Brien officially kicked off her campaign for Fresno County Superintendent of Schools on Saturday afternoon in the shaded backyard of her northeast Fresno home surrounded by close relatives, more than 100 friends, and two former Fresno County schools chiefs. O'Brien's endorsers including Larry Powell and Jim Yovino, both...
CA Rolls Back Its Landmark Environmental Law to Speed Housing Construction
SACRAMENTO — California leaders on Monday rolled back a landmark law that was a national symbol of environmental protection before it came to be vilified as a primary reason for the state’s severe housing shortage and homelessness crisis. For more than half a century, the law, the California Environmental Quality...
Will Valadao Spoil Trump’s Plan for July 4th ‘Big Beautiful Bill’ Signing?
Rep. David Valadao, R-Hanford, and other Republicans in Medicaid-dependent districts, sent a letter to Senate Majority Leader John Thune and House Speaker Mike Johnson saying they can't support the Senate's version of President Donald Trump's "Big Beautiful Bill." "Protecting Medicaid is essential for the vulnerable constituents we were elected to represent,"...