Lawmakers had only a few days to review one of California's most consequential housing bills in recent years. And, with almost no deliberation, lawmakers approved Assembly Bill 130 despite the fact that housing advocates and environmental attorneys say two important sections of the law could greatly increase the cost of...
Under Trump, Becoming a US Citizen Gets Harder
WASHINGTON — A harder civics test. Stricter social media vetting. Neighborhood investigations into people’s “moral character.” The Trump administration is erecting new hurdles for lawful permanent residents applying for U.S. citizenship, part of a broader effort to tighten an immigration system that federal officials say has become too lax. Officials...
Clovis Botanical Garden Harvests Its Newest Feature: the Evert Family Visitors Center
A project that was years in the making was unveiled this week at the Clovis Botanical Garden, and this one needed a lot of green to grow. About $2 million dollars' worth of green, that is. The new 2,460-square-foot Evert Family Visitors Center will give the volunteer-led Clovis Botanical Garden,...
Fresno City Clerk Stermer Leaving for Sacramento County Post
Fresno's city clerk for the past four years is leaving for a new job. Todd Stermer tells Politics 101 he is leaving to become the clerk of Sacramento County. His last day is Nov. 30. "Fresno's really all I've ever known, so I'm excited to experience something different. I can...
A Fresno Immigrant’s American Dream: Simply Pita, Simply Heart
Walking into Simply Pita in Fresno feels like stepping into someone’s home — a warm, cozy space where families chat over meals, the scent of fresh pita drifts through the air, and the grill in the back hums with the rhythmic chopping of vegetables. A TikTok went big in Fresno...
Big Tech Makes Cal State Campuses Its AI Training Ground
On the first day of AI Camp, a new summer program at California State University, Savannah Bosley got a hands-on introduction to Amazon Bedrock, a system for building artificial intelligence apps. “I figured it wouldn’t hurt to put it on the résumé, to learn a new tool that’s maybe marketable,”...
Why Are Federal Election Monitors Heading to Fresno?
Why are federal election monitors heading to Fresno County? It stems from a sticky deadline in the 2022 election. Last Friday, the U.S. Department of Justice announced it was sending monitors to six locations in California and New Jersey “to ensure transparency, ballot security, and compliance with federal law.” California...
California Wants to Overhaul High School Learning. CART in Clovis Leads the Way
This story was originally published by CalMatters. Sign up for their newsletters. At CART High near Fresno, there is no gum stuck to the floor. The saffron-yellow walls are unmarred by graffiti. Toting laptops, students file calmly down spacious, light-filled hallways to classes like biotechnology and digital marketing. There’s no...
What Would Clovis and Fresno Look Like Under Proposition 50 Maps?
How would congressional representation for Fresno and Clovis change if voters approve Proposition 50? The special election — currently underway and concluding Nov. 4 — would split Clovis from one into three congressional districts. The Clovis City Council voted to oppose Prop. 50, concerned it would dilute its representation in...
Fowler Teachers Say District Is Shortchanging Them and Giving $$ to Admin
Fowler Unified teachers are up in arms over the district’s failure for two years in a row to allocate 55% of its budget for classroom teachers, as is required by state law. Longtime teachers tell GV Wire that the district has been putting dollars into beefing up the administration, adding...