The Stronach Group isn't well known outside horse racing. In the public eye, the big players are the likes of recent Triple Crown winners American Pharoah and Justify, trainer Bob Baffert and legendary horses Secretariat and Seattle Slew. But few — if any — have had a bigger impact on...
Will Devin Nunes Stop Talking to the Visalia Times-Delta, Too?
Cheers to the Visalia Times-Delta editorial board for calling Rep. Devin Nunes'Â $150 million defamation lawsuit against The Fresno Bee what it is:Â "poppycock." Many outlets have characterized The Bee as Nunes' "hometown newspaper."Â But the Times-Delta publishes in Tulare County, where the congressman resides. It is truly Nunes' hometown paper. In...
Six Essential Things to Know About Devin Nunes' Lawsuits
After the Republicans lost the House of Representatives in November, my colleague, David Taub, asked Fresno State political science professor Thomas Holyoke how the election results might affect Rep. Devin Nunes' high profile. “Since he no longer has the chairmanship of the intelligence committee for a platform, he will find other...
Trump Declares National Emergency to Build Border Wall
WASHINGTON — Battling with one branch of government and opening a new confrontation with another, President Donald Trump announced Friday he was declaring a national emergency to fulfill his pledge to construct a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border. Trump made the announcement from the Rose Garden, as he claimed illegal...
Fresno Parks Tax: Dueling Lawsuits But Ultimately One Winner
Dueling lawsuits in Fresno Superior Court ask the same question: Did Measure P pass with 52% of the vote? As instructed by the Fresno City Council last week, the city attorney filed suit asking a judge to settle the controversy. Did the measure that would raise the city sales tax...
California Wants Faster Way to Cut Wildfire Risk
SACRAMENTO — California wildland managers said Tuesday that they want to speed up logging and prescribed burns designed to slow wildfires that have devastated communities in recent years. After the deadliest and most destructive blazes in state history, officials are scrapping 12 years of efforts and starting anew on creating...
Judge Hearing Testimony on 2020 Census Citizenship Question
GREENBELT, Md. — A federal trial began Tuesday for lawsuits challenging the Trump administration's addition of a citizenship question to the 2020 census, a plan that a different court blocked last week. Former U.S. Census Bureau director John Thompson, the first plaintiffs' witness for the bench trial in Maryland, testified...
Physicians Criticize State Lawsuits Over Pelvic Mesh
SEATTLE — Doctors who specialize in female pelvic medicine say lawsuits by four states, including Washington and California, over products used to treat pelvic floor disorders and incontinence might scare patients away from the best treatment options — or maybe even push the products off the market. Sixty-three Washington surgeons signed...
Is AG Becerra's Focus on Trump Diverting His Attention From Crime?
SACRAMENTO — Xavier Becerra became perhaps the nation's most influential attorney general when he was named California's top lawyer two years ago, and he has since used his post atop what some call the "Resistance State" to pummel President Donald Trump's administration with dozens of legal actions. Heading into 2019,...
Boy Scouts’ Money Struggles: Is Bankruptcy an Option?
NEW YORK — The Boy Scouts of America deflected questions about a report suggesting it is considering seeking bankruptcy protection, though the head of the organization said it is exploring "all options" as it tries to stay afloat while facing sexual abuse lawsuits and dwindling membership. "I want to assure...