Any hope that the state of California might kick in to fix the sagging Friant-Kern Canal was killed Thursday when a bill providing $400 million toward the effort was stripped of all funding. The bill, SB 559 by State Sen. Melissa Hurtado, D-Sanger, had been stuck in the suspense file...
McConnell: House $1.5T Infrastructure Bill ‘Isn’t Going Anywhere’
Before the offices of Reps. Jim Costa and TJ Cox could issue news releases trumpeting House passage of a $1.5 trillion infrastructure bill, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell declared the bill dead on arrival Wednesday. “This so-called infrastructure bill would siphon billions in funding from actual infrastructure to funnel into...
Valley Recognizes Armenian Genocide: 'Never Forget'
Social distancing didn't stop commemorations of the 105th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide in the Valley. There were no crowds of people, but crowds of video messages instead. Video Messages and Tributes "We may not be able to stand together in memorial, but we can stand together in spirit," said...
Republicans Hope to Set Stage for House Turnaround in Valley, State
LOS ANGELES — California is one of the most heavily Democratic states in the country, but Republicans this year are determined to regain a string of U.S. House seats the party lost to Democrats two years ago. President Donald Trump, who wants the House back under GOP control and House...
Hmong Comedian/Educator Headlines SE Asian Family Education Conference
Touger Xiong, a Hmong American comedian and educator, will be the keynote speaker Saturday at the second annual Southeast Asian Family Education Conference, "Journey to Success." Families can learn about services and scholarships and how best to support kids in school. The conference, which is co-sponsored by Fresno Unified's Parent...
Valley Congressmen Split on Trump Decision to Kill Iranian General
Iranian Gen. Qassem Soleimani helped oversee Iran's policy of state-sponsored terrorism that killed and injured thousands of people in the Mideast, and his death from a U.S drone strike early Friday was justified — and long overdue, U.S. Rep. Devin Nunes said Friday. But U.S. Rep. Jim Costa said other...
Cox: Trump Must Consult With Congress on Middle East
President Donald Trump must consult with Congress before taking any further action in the Middle East, where tensions intensified Friday after a U.S. military drone killed Iran's top general, U.S. Rep. TJ Cox said. The Trump administration has thus far not provided Congress with either clear objectives or alternatives to...
Valley’s ‘Climate Kids’ to Push Congress on Saving Earth
The world is still waiting to see if a climate case brought by 21 young plaintiffs in 2015 (Juliana vs United States ) will be allowed to continue to trial. Meanwhile, I will have the honor of traveling to Washington, D.C. this week, with three of the Central Valley’s student climate advocates. As...
Nunes Calls Mueller Report Needless, Terrible 2-Year Crisis
Following the conclusion of the Mueller Report, here is reaction from four Valley congressmen: Rep. TJ Cox (D-Fresno) “Our country is stronger when we are united behind common values — fighting for middle-class families, higher wages, and affordable healthcare for all. That’s where my focus has been ever since I...
In First House Speech, Cox Calls for End to Federal Shutdown
Payday will come Friday without any checks for about 800,000 federal employees affected by the government shutdown, forcing workers to scale back spending, cancel trips, apply for unemployment benefits and take out loans to stay afloat. On Thursday, Rep. TJ Cox (D-Fresno) used the impact of the shutdown as the...