Category: Sacramento

See Caitlin Clark play in the Indiana Fever home opener against Sabrina Ionescu and the New York Liberty tonight.

President Biden marked the 70th anniversary of the Supreme Court decision.

Former President Donald Trump appears attentive in court as his defense team questions his former attorney Michael Cohen. Cohen already testified against Trump in the “hush money” criminal trial in New York. CBS News’ Errol Barnett and Katrina Kaufman break down the latest in Cohen’s testimony.

The governors of Pennsylvania, Oklahoma and Virginia wrote a letter Tuesday asking the territory to show mercy to the Americans arrested on the island.

When California’s voters 46 years ago passed Proposition 13, its iconic property tax limit, they ignited a perpetual conflict over how much tax money state and local governments need and who should supply it. Since 1978, public employee unions and other beneficiaries of government spending have repeatedly tried to repeal Prop. 13’s barriers and make it easier to enact new taxes. At the same time, business interests and anti-tax groups such as the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association, named for Prop. 13’s chief sponsor, have backed additional ballot measures to make new taxes more difficult. As the conflict raged, pro-tax interests became dominant in the Capitol and in local governments, but the anti-tax faction mostly prevailed in post-Prop. 13 ballot battles. In 2020, for example, voters rejected a union-sponsored ballot measure that would have changed Prop. 13 to allow higher taxes on commercial real estate. Concurrently, California courts have eroded some of the taxation barriers the anti-tax forces erected. In 2020, the state Supreme Court made raising local taxes easier by declaring that tax measures proposed by initiative needed only simple majority voter approval, rather than two-thirds. The nearly half-century

Corinne Purtill | Los Angeles Times (TNS) You feel a cold coming on, or maybe it’s already upon you: the telltale cough, sore throat and stuffy head. You swing by the drugstore, where a shelf full of over-the-counter products containing the mineral zinc claim to be able to shorten the duration of your symptoms. The promise of relief is tempting. But is it one these products can make good on? A new analysis of studies published on zinc and cold viruses concludes that there isn’t enough evidence to say whether over-the-counter zinc treatments have any effect on preventing the common cold. For those who pop lozenges or inhale nasal sprays once a cold has come on, the available research together indicates that the products may reduce the duration of symptoms by up to two days, said Daryl Nault, an assistant professor at Maryland University of Integrative Health and first author of the paper, published Wednesday by the nonprofit organization Cochrane. But those studies are so inconsistent in terms of the dosage, type of zinc, patient population and definition of cold symptoms that “confidence in the

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) — The man accused of shooting and killing his friend in northeast Fresno has pleaded not guilty to a felony murder charge. Christian Lavin appeared in court Thursday morning for his arraignment. He’s accused of killing Roberto Roman. RELATED: 30-year-old shot and killed by friend at northeast Fresno home while drinking and wrestling: PD It happened back on April 28 at a home on Pryor Drive and Richelle Avenue. Detectives say the two men were drinking and wrestling in the backyard, when Lavin grabbed a gun and shot Roman. Lavin is due back in court on July 11. Copyright © 2024 KFSN-TV. All Rights Reserved.

NEW YORK — Food shoppers can finally breathe a slight sigh of relief: After years of increases followed by months of plateau, grocery prices fell last month. Grocery prices retreated 0.2% from March to April, adjusted for seasonal swings, according to inflation data released Wednesday by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. But on the other end, food prices at restaurants rose 0.3% in that period. Food prices overall were flat as a result. The dip, while small, is a welcome reversal. Grocery prices began soaring at the start of the pandemic, far outpacing overall inflation for years as supply chains snarled, the war in Ukraine affected global crop exports, extreme weather damaged yields and corporations took an opportunity to pad prices. But back in February, overall food prices remained flat for the first time since April 2023. And now they’ve actually gone down, even if only slightly. Still, grocery prices are higher than they were a year ago. In the 12 months through April, prices rose 1.1%. But overall inflation for that period was higher, up 3.4%. Apples and eggs take a plunge In that

According to Rubio’s website, the only Central Valley locations listed are now Clovis and Visalia. Thursday, May 16, 2024 5:51PM Officials at Fresno’s River Park Shopping Center have confirmed to Action News that Rubio’s Coastal Grill closed suddenly Wednesday morning. FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) — Officials at Fresno’s River Park Shopping Center have confirmed to Action News that Rubio’s Coastal Grill closed suddenly Wednesday morning. Signage of the closure has since been posted outside the restaurant. The lease was not up, and news of the shutdown came as a surprise at the shopping center. Rubio’s had been in its current location for 15 years and had once occupied a portion of what is now Yard House. According to Rubio’s website, the only Central Valley locations listed are now Clovis and Visalia. Rubio’s has yet to comment on the closure. Copyright © 2024 KFSN-TV. All Rights Reserved.

LIVE: Trump’s team cross-examines Michael Cohen at hush money trial WATCH LIVE Welcome, Manage MyDisney Account Log Out Thursday, May 16, 2024 5:47PM The driver of the pickup that swerved, 33-year-old Trevor Branham, is facing a number of charges. LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Heart stopping video of a woman being saved from a dangling semi played in a Kentucky courtroom. The video shows the crash that led a semi-truck to careen into and precariously dangle over the Clark Memorial Bridge in Louisville Footage shows a pickup driver swerve out of his lane to avoid a stalled car before slamming into the semi. 26-year-old truck driver Sydney Thomas was hanging on to the wheel as the semi’s hood broke off 100 feet above the water. Louisville firefighters took nearly an hour to hoist that driver to safety and were hailed as heroes for the daring technical rescue. The videos were presented as evidence in court on Wednesday The driver of the pickup that swerved, 33-year-old Trevor Branham, is facing a number of charges, including driving with a suspended license. He was in court on Wednesday and has

WASHINGTON — The Justice Department on Thursday formally moved to reclassify marijuana as a less dangerous drug in a historic shift in generations of U.S. drug policy. A proposed rule sent to the federal register recognizes the medical uses of cannabis and acknowledges it has less potential for abuse than some of the nation’s most dangerous drugs. The plan, approved by Attorney General Merrick Garland, does not legalize marijuana outright for recreational use. The Drug Enforcement Administration will take public comment on the proposal to move marijuana away from its current classification as a Schedule I drug, alongside heroin and LSD. It moves pot to Schedule III, alongside ketamine and some anabolic steroids. EDITOR’S NOTE: The video above is from a previous broadcast and will be updated. The move comes after a recommendation from the federal Health and Human Services Department, which launched a review of the drug’s status at the urging of President Joe Biden in 2022. Biden also has moved to pardon thousands of people convicted federally of simple possession of marijuana and has called on governors and local leaders to take similar

Thinking of trying out online dating? Here’s a breakdown on whether or not dating apps are worth your time.

By MOLLY QUELL (Associated Press) THE HAGUE (AP) — South Africa told the United Nations’ top court on Thursday the situation in Gaza has reached “a new and horrific stage” as it sought emergency measures to halt Israel’s military operation in the enclave’s southern city of Rafah. It was the third time the International Court of Justice held hearings on the conflict in Gaza since South Africa filed proceedings at The Hague-based court in December accusing Israel of genocide. “Seven months ago South Africa could not have imagined that Gaza would be largely wiped off the map,” the country’s ambassador to the Netherlands, Vusimuzi Madonsela, told the panel of 15 international judges Thursday. During hearings earlier this year, Israel strongly denied committing genocide in Gaza, saying it does all it can to spare civilians and is only targeting Hamas fighters. The country says Rafah is the last stronghold of the group. Hamas has been designated as a terrorist organization by the United States, Canada and the European Union. Palestinians displaced by the Israeli air and ground offensive on the Gaza Strip walk through a makeshift

By MARK SHERMAN (Associated Press) WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court on Thursday rejected a conservative-led attack that could have undermined the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. The justices ruled 7-2 that the way the CFPB is funded does not violate the Constitution, reversing a lower court and drawing praises from consumers. Justice Clarence Thomas wrote the majority opinion, splitting with his frequent allies, Justices Samuel Alito and Neil Gorsuch, who dissented. The CFPB was created after the 2008 financial crisis to regulate mortgages, car loans and other consumer finance. The case was brought by payday lenders who object to a bureau rule that limits their ability to withdraw funds directly from borrowers’ bank accounts. It’s among several major challenges to federal regulatory agencies on the docket this term for a court that has for more than a decade been open to limits on their operations. The CFPB, the brainchild of Democratic Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts, has long been opposed by Republicans and their financial backers. The bureau says it has returned $19 billion to consumers since its creation. Unlike most federal agencies, the consumer

By ALANNA DURKIN RICHER, COLLEEN LONG and FARNOUSH AMIRI (Associated Press) WASHINGTON (AP) — The White House has blocked the release of audio from President Joe Biden’s interview with a special counsel about his handling of classified documents, arguing Thursday that Republicans in Congress only wanted the recordings “to chop them up” and use them for political purposes. The dispute over access to the recordings is at the center of a Republican effort to hold Attorney General Merrick Garland in contempt of Congress and more broadly to hinder the Democratic president’s reelection effort in the final months of the closely contested campaign. “The absence of a legitimate need for the audio recordings lays bare your likely goal — to chop them up, distort them, and use them for partisan political purposes,” White House counsel Ed Siskel wrote in a scathing letter to House Republicans ahead of scheduled votes by two House committees to refer Garland to the Justice Department for the contempt charges over the department’s refusal to hand over the audio. “Demanding such sensitive and constitutionally-protected law enforcement materials from the Executive Branch because

Attorney General Merrick Garland took questions from reporters Thursday as two Republican-led House committees consider a contempt of Congress resolution against him. Garland has defied the committees’ requests for audio recordings of former special counsel Robert Hur’s interview with President Biden in a classified documents investigation.

Wall Street continues a rise driven by impressions of a resilient economy and likely cuts to interest rates this year.

A Florida woman faces potential years in prison after ammunition was found in her luggage, joining four other Americans arrested for similar offenses this year. Kris Van Cleave reports.

Thursday, May 16, 2024 1:22PM A bill to set standards for the batteries is advancing to the Senate. NEW YORK CITY — There’s a movement in Washington, D.C. to prevent lithium-ion battery fires as a bill to set standards for the batteries is advancing to the Senate. One of its biggest supporters is FDNY Commissioner Laura Kavanagh. We’ve been talking and learning about the dangers of lithium-ion batteries for years, specifically uncertified devices as they can create explosive fires that are not just destructive, but many times deadly. These intense blazes are also extremely challenging for firefighters to put out. The House passed a bill to require the Consumer Product Safety Commission to establish a safety standard for rechargeable batteries and require a certification that they are legitimate. New York Congressman Ritchie Torres helped introduce the legislation last year. Commissioner Kavanagh has also been on Capitol Hill herself pushing for it. She posted Wednesday night that she’s grateful for the bipartisan support. The next step would be for Senate approval. Just last week, there was a battery fire on the 67th floor of a high-rise

LIVE: Trump’s team to cross-examine Michael Cohen at hush money trial WATCH LIVE Welcome, Manage MyDisney Account Log Out Thursday, May 16, 2024 1:20PM A proposed four-story apartment complex in northwest Fresno will not move forward — for now. FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) — A proposed four-story apartment complex in northwest Fresno will not move forward — for now. There were cheers from the audience at Wednesday night’s Planning Commission meeting after a unanimous vote to uphold an appeal from neighbors. Those opposed said the planned complex at Herndon and Prospect avenues would impact traffic, did not meet fire safety codes and would tower over other structures in the area. The land was re-zoned in 2014 to urban neighborhood residential, and the Planning and Development Department argued the project complied with height requirements and could meet fire and parking codes. Ultimately, the commission ruled due to significant growth over the last decade, increased traffic could be detrimental to the public. Copyright © 2024 KFSN-TV. All Rights Reserved. Top Stories

Amid a dramatic two weeks of resignations and allegations made against the Miss USA organization, Miss Hawaii USA Savannah Gankiewicz – who had originally placed as the first runner-up at the 2023 Miss USA pageant – has stepped up to be crowned Miss USA. “While this decision was not made lightly, I firmly believe that this opportunity was meant for me and I am ready to make a positive impact with this organization that I hold dear to my heart,” said the 28-year-old, who was crowned by the governor of Hawaii Josh Green at a ceremony in Honolulu, Hawaii, on Wednesday. “I am dedicated to taking action and making a difference. With my background as a certified mental health first aid responder and training in anti-bullying suicide prevention, I understand, the importance of prioritizing your well-being and advocating for those in need. I believe that the true change starts from within and I am determined to lead by example and empower the class of 2024 and beyond,” she said addressing a crowd in a hotel in Waikiki, a small aquarium in the background. Gankiewicz has