Chat with the Chief: Holiday safety tips with Clovis Fire Chief Chris Ekk

Wednesday, December 11, 2024 1:09AM Learn from Clovis Fire Chief Chris Ekk to hear about some holiday safety tips to keep in mind. In our segment “Chat with the Chief” we sit down with top officials here in Central California. In this week’s Chat with the Chief, Action News anchor Vanessa Vasconcelos sits down with Clovis Fire Department Chief Chris Ekk to talk about some holiday safety tips to keep in mind. For news updates, follow Vanessa Vasconcelos on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Copyright © 2024 KFSN-TV. All Rights Reserved.

Disney and Toys for Tots spread holiday cheer with Disney’s Ultimate Toy Drive

Disney’s relationship with Toys for Tots dates back to 1947, when Walt and his team of animators designed the Toys for Tots logo. Wednesday, December 11, 2024 1:07AM The Walt Disney Company is celebrating the season of giving by supporting the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve’s Toys for Tots Program. The Walt Disney Company is celebrating the season of giving by kicking off Disney’s Ultimate Toy Drive. Since 1947, Disney has teamed up with the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve’s Toys for Tots Program. Toys for Tots Marines and volunteers have distributed 677 million toys to over 301 million children. “Good Morning America” helped kick off the campaign, explaining that the toy joy is fueled by volunteers who know how much it matters, like GYpC Serna, who still remembers the first time she unwrapped a donated toy that was under the tree just for her. “That was the first time I remember having a toy with just my name on it” she said. “You know, that didn’t say, ‘for the kids.’ And it was a metal Tonka truck. I’ve never forgotten how much hope that gave me.”

The Nutcracker at the Saroyan

Wednesday, December 11, 2024 12:55AM A timeless tradition, The Nutcracker, is returning to the Saroyan Theater this weekend. FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) — It’s a classic tale that centers on a young girl who receives a Nutcracker doll as a gift on Christmas Eve, leading to a magical adventure brought to life through dance. This weekend, local dancers will perform in this year’s production of The Nutcracker at the William Saroyan Theatre. Steven Montalvo, co-director of the Central California Ballet, joined us on Action News Live at Three to discuss the production presented in partnership with the Lively Arts Foundation. The Nutcracker has two performances at the William Saroyan Theatre: Saturday and Sunday at 2 pm, with a special Sugar Plum Party after each performance. You can purchase tickets at Ticketmaster or LivelyArts.org. Copyright © 2024 KFSN-TV. All Rights Reserved. Top Stories

Hundreds of bookstore staffers receive holiday bonuses from author James Patterson

Wednesday, December 11, 2024 12:42AM NEW YORK — Staffers at Thank You Books in Birmingham, Alabama, San Francisco’s City Lights Books and The Nook in Cedar Falls, Iowa, are among 600 booksellers receiving $500 holiday bonuses from James Patterson, the bestselling novelist who has been awarding independent store employees since 2015. “Booksellers save lives. Period,” Patterson said in a statement released Tuesday through his publisher, Little, Brown and Company. “I’m happy to be able to acknowledge them and all their hard work this holiday season.” The winners, including Davis Gustafson at Thank You Books and Erin Messer at City Lights, were nominated by co-workers and customers among others. Recipients also include Brandon Conrad of the Nook, Gina Marx of The Lynx in Gainesville, Florida, and Kirstin Kraig of Whale’s Tale Books in Lakewood, Colorado. Patterson chose the winners from thousands of applications. “We appreciate Mr. Patterson’s financial generosity as well as his generosity of spirit. We all continue to be awed by, and grateful for, Mr. Patterson’s continuing support of independent booksellers,” Allison Hill, CEO of the American Booksellers Association, said in a statement. “It

UnitedHealthcare CEO murder suspect’s mom filed missing person’s report in SF, sources say

Tuesday, December 10, 2024 11:29PM What we know about Luigi Mangione’s ties to Bay Area, suspect in the killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson. NEW YORK — Sources tell ABC News that the mother of the suspect in the killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson had filed a missing person’s report for her son in San Francisco in November. MORE: UnitedHealthcare CEO shooting suspect inspired by Unabomber: NYPD analysis Luigi Nicholas Mangione was arrested Monday in the Dec. 4 attack on Thompson after police say a worker at a McDonald’s in Altoona, Pennsylvania, alerted them to a customer who resembled the suspected gunman. When arrested, Mangione had on him a gun that investigators believe was used in the attack and writings expressing anger at corporate America, police said. When asked about the report, SFPD referred ABC News to the NYPD. This was not the only connection Mangione had with the Bay Area. ABC7 News I-Team reporter Dan Noyes uncovered that Mangione worked as a head counselor at Stanford in 2019 after attending an elite high school in Baltimore and earning his bachelor’s and master’s degrees

US cities that will pay you to move there

More than 20% of U.S. residents say they are more likely to move now that the election is over, and some cities are offering cold hard cash to attract newcomers. The pandemic-era rise of remote work made it possible for employees to work away from their company’s home base. Cities such as Tulsa, Oklahoma, and Columbus, Georgia, have tried to attract those workers with incentives worth thousands of dollars. These are the 10 best states to retire in 2024 Other initiatives, like the Choose Topeka program in Kansas, are available to workers who relocate to the area even if they don’t work remotely. Here are some of the places that will pay you to move there. The most affordable US cities for renters making minimum wage Home value and rent figures are from Zillow. Population estimates are based on U.S. Census data. Tulsa, Oklahoma Tulsa, Oklahoma, Skyline at Sunrise. (Photo by: Jumping Rocks/Universal Images Group via Getty Images) Population: Approximately 411,000 Typical home value: $202,495 (Oct. 2024) Median rent: $1,395 (Dec. 2024) Incentives: The Tulsa Remote program offers a $10,000 grant to remote workers who

Millions wasted on unused shelter beds in L.A., audit show

One-quarter of all city of Los Angeles-funded homeless shelter beds went unused between the 2019 and 2023 fiscal years, according to a new audit from City Controller Kenneth Mejia. The cost of those unused beds totaled more than $218 million in taxpayer money. And despite the available shelter beds, many who have expressed interest in them have been unable to obtain one, including about 30% of eligible people in the 2022 and 2023 fiscal years. The city has regularly reported a massive shortage of available beds for the unhoused. Mejia called the millions of dollars spent on unused beds over the past five years “unjustifiable.” “Any bed that goes unfilled means an unsheltered person living on the streets is waiting longer than they need to move into a safer space and begin their path to permanent housing,” Mejia said in a news release. A man sleeps on the sidewalk in Los Angeles, Tuesday, June 27, 2023. (Getty Images) The audit from Mejia’s office reveals the high cost and low success rate of the city’s recent homeless crisis initiatives, not just when it comes to the

Israel targets Syrian military bases and arsenals before new leaders can take them over

AQRABA, Syria —  Standing some 40 feet from the charred remains of the Syrian air force helicopter, Ahmad Abu Leyl, a young rebel fighter, cocked his ear, listening for the characteristic buzzing of an Israeli drone overhead. “I don’t want to get closer,” he said. “They might hit this place again if they see we’re near.” Then he climbed on his motorcycle, gunned the engine and sped away. It had been a difficult night for Abu Leyl and the small detachment of rebel fighters tasked with protecting the Aqraba military air base just three miles southeast of the edge of the capital, Damascus. They had arrived here early Monday, a day after the Syrian army crumbled — along with the brutally repressive government of Bashar Assad — and the rebels swept into power. Israel attacks Syrian military arsenals at Aqrabah military airbase All was calm at first, with Abu Leyl and his fellow rebels doing little more than stopping the occasional trespasser from looting the abandoned barracks and officer’s quarters. Then early Tuesday morning, a series of explosions turned the base’s last functional helicopters — a

Fire made a run at this celebrity-studded Malibu enclave. Some neighbors stood their ground

Past the security gates of the Serra Retreat area of Malibu sits a small enclave of luxury homes, many of them gated or enclosed with walls. The area is home to celebrities such as Patrick Dempsey and, at one time, Mel Gibson. The Franklin fire made a run at the area, but the extent of the damage remains unclear. One home with a pool was nearly demolished; another was little more than a chimney and a pile of smoldering rubble. Residents said some cars were also damaged, and some animals were killed in the fire. Riding his e-bike as he checked on homes was Alec Gellis, 31, who said he and a friend, Abel Rodgers, 33, stayed behind to save their home and protect those of their neighbors. Gellis said he was in his room resting around 11 pm when he began hearing people screaming and honking. He said he went outside to check what the commotion was all about. “I smelled smoke,” he said. “The sky was red and the whole canyon was lit up on the other side. … We were surrounded by

Malibu is a magnet for destructive fires. But this time, it might have caught a break

The conditions late Monday were primed for an explosive wildfire. Forecasters had issued a rare, particularly dangerous fire weather warning across much of Southern California, as strong Santa Ana winds were expected to further dry an already parched landscape. So when the Franklin fire broke out in Malibu on Monday night, it had the makings of a real disaster. Malibu is one of the most fire-prone parts of Southern California, often in the path of Santa Ana winds that drive blazes marching to the Pacific Ocean. But this time, the coastal city appears to have caught a break. A firefighting helicopter makes a water drop on the Franklin fire over Malibu Canyon. Driven by fierce Santa Ana winds, the Franklin Fire in Malibu Canyon grew to more than 2,200 acres on Dec. 10, 2024, on the hillsides near Pepperdine University. (Brian van der Brug/Los Angeles Times) The winds eased by Tuesday afternoon and didn’t reach historic speeds. That allowed an aerial assault on the fire from planes and helicopters that officials say helped save homes. The location of the fire not far from the ocean

Jamie Foxx reveals he had a stroke in Netflix stand-up special: ‘I don’t remember 20 days’

Jamie Foxx is finally telling the whole story about his hospitalization last year in the language he knows best: comedy. In his new comedy special released Tuesday, the Oscar winner revealed that he suffered a stroke last April. At that time, Foxx’s family had released a since-deleted statement that he was receiving care for an undisclosed “medical complication.” While Foxx continued to share updates on his recovery, he declined in March to tell the full story until he could do so “in a funny way,” Variety reported. He made good on that promise with arrival of his Netflix stand-up special “What Had Happened Was.” During the 68-minute show, Foxx recounts his months-long health journey — beginning with the April evening when a “bad headache” turned much graver. “I asked my boy for a aspirin,” he recalled, “and I realized quickly that when you in a medical emergency, your boys don’t know what the f— to do. “Before I could get the aspirin,” he continued, pausing to snap his fingers, “I went out. I don’t remember 20 days.” With the help of friends and family, Foxx

Lawmakers race to avert government shutdown with deadline nearing

Lawmakers race to avert government shutdown with deadline nearing – CBS News Watch CBS News Congress only has 10 days left to figure out government funding before the shutdown deadline. CBS News congressional correspondent Nikole Killion explains why House Speaker Mike Johnson will almost certainly have to lean on Democrats to keep the lights on. Be the first to know Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. Not Now Turn On

How mass deportations could devastate the U.S. economy

How mass deportations could devastate the U.S. economy – CBS News Watch CBS News President-elect Donald Trump plans to deport up to 11 million undocumented immigrants. But how much will it cost? Jeremy Robbins, executive director for the American Immigration Council, joins “America Decides” to look at the impact many say will go far beyond the billions needed just to carry out the removals. Be the first to know Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. Not Now Turn On

Could Kari Lake become Trump’s ambassador to Mexico?

Could Kari Lake become Trump’s ambassador to Mexico? – CBS News Watch CBS News Kari Lake, a two-time unsuccessful candidate for statewide office in Arizona, is a leading contender to be President-elect Donald Trump’s pick for ambassador to Mexico, according to a new report from Semafor. Shelby Talcott, a politics reporter for Semafor who wrote the article, and Laura Davison, politics editor for Bloomberg, join “America Decides” to discuss. Be the first to know Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. Not Now Turn On

Gov. Gavin Newsom urges completion of California’s largest new reservoir project in 50 years

Gov. Gavin Newsom on Tuesday reaffirmed his support for building Sites Reservoir, a proposed $4.5 billion project that would be the largest new reservoir constructed in California in 50 years, as a way for cities and farms to better prepare for droughts made worse by the warming climate. “We are going to continue to do everything we can to put the pressure on to get this project done,” Newsom said. “We are going to continue to advocate for federal resources,” he added. “Donald Trump, this is your kind of project.” Sites would be California’s eighth largest reservoir, a 13-mile-long off-stream lake that would divert flows from the Sacramento River during wet winters to provide water to 500,000 acres of Central Valley farmlands, and 24 million people, including residents of Santa Clara County, parts of the East Bay and Los Angeles. “We have got to get out of our own damn way,” Newsom said, criticizing lawsuits and red tape that have slowed or blocked construction of other reservoirs in California. “The world we invented is competing against us. We are consumed by process. We are paralyzed

Biden says he was ‘stupid’ not to put his name on pandemic relief checks like Trump did

By JOSH BOAK WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden said Tuesday he was “stupid” not to put his own name on pandemic relief checks in 2021, noting that Donald Trump had done so in 2020 and likely got credit for helping people out through this simple, effective act of branding. Biden did the second-guessing as he delivered a speech at the Brookings Institution defending his economic record and challenging Trump to preserve Democratic policy ideas when he returns to the White House next month. As Biden focused on his legacy with his term ending, he suggested Trump should keep the Democrats’ momentum going and ignore the policies of his allies. The president laid out favorable recent economic data but acknowledged his rare public regret that he had not been more self-promotional in advertising the financial support provided by his administration as the country emerged from the pandemic. “I signed the American Rescue Plan, the most significant economic recovery package in our history, and also learned something from Donald Trump,” Biden said at the Washington-based think tank. “He signed checks for people for 7,400 bucks …

Propuesta de la Iglesia de un día de tregua en México gana apoyos en medio de la violencia

CIUDAD DE MÉXICO. — La cúpula de la Iglesia católica mexicana se sumó el lunes al llamado para que los criminales realicen una tregua nacional durante la emblemática celebración del día de la Virgen de Guadalupe, que se festeja el 12 de diciembre, y la Navidad. La Conferencia del Episcopado Mexicano alabó la propuesta que hizo, en un editorial, la Arquidiócesis Primada de México, y dijo en un comunicado que la iniciativa busca el “cese de la violencia armada y la comunicación hostil”. “En un país donde la violencia ha dejado dolorosas cicatrices en las familias y polarización entre los actores sociales, esta propuesta invita a reflexionar y actuar en favor de la reconciliación, el respeto y la dignidad humana”, expresaron las autoridades eclesiásticas al exhortar a los diferentes sectores políticos y religiosos a sumarse a la causa. “Si logramos este pequeño paso, fortaleceremos el camino impulsado por el diálogo nacional por la paz que busca construir una paz duradera”, agrega el texto. Más temprano, el sacerdote Omar Sotelo, director del Centro Católico Multimedia —una entidad dependiente de la Iglesia católica mexicana que se hizo