Sacramento

Latin singer Codiciado gives back to local farmworkers ahead of tour

FRESNO COUNTY, Calif. (KFSN) — From the sun in the fields, to the bright lights on the stage. Friday, Erick Aragon, better known as Latin singer “Codiciado,” made a special stop in Reedley. “I want to help because I know how hard it is to work right here, its hot, so I come to give some food and some tickets for my show,” said Codiciado. He teamed up with the La Campensina radio station, a part of the Cesar Chavez foundation, to provide burritos to local farmworkers, something Maria Bravo appreciates and says it gives her hope for the future. “If he can do it, others can do it and I am so proud of him for working in the fields and now having his own music. He’s showing the rest of us that we can also make it,” said Bravo. As he goes back to his roots, he recalls his time in the fields. “I want to cry, when I am singing because my songs are about families and working hard for goods, so I see the people around me and I’m here so

Sacramento

Fresno praised for work combating homelessness, receives more funding

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) — An audit released earlier this month provided a scathing review of the state’s oversight of efforts to tackle homelessness. Over the past five years, the state spent 24 billion dollars to tackle homelessness; however, the effectiveness and outcomes of the programs haven’t been tracked, according to the audit. The report also found that the California Inter-Agency Council on Homelessness stopped tracking program spending in 2021. Governor Gavin Newsom said on Thursday that the state will expand California’s Housing Accountability Unit to include more aggressive enforcement of housing laws and reassign personnel to the unit. Although state oversight appears to be lacking, Fresno leaders and organizations receiving the funds say they hold themselves accountable. “We work hand in hand with the city of Fresno,” said Zack Darrah, Poverello House CEO. “Every single penny and dollar is, is scrutinized all the way to the you know, to this receipt, or that receipt, typically going through 1,000s of pages, every single month of what dollars are being spent on and what the impacts are of those dollars.” On Thursday, it was announced that Fresno

Sacramento

CART psychology students are researching and analyzing real-world problems, finding solutions

Saturday, April 20, 2024 12:50AM In a classroom at the Center for Advanced Research and Technology, students are finalizing their posters and projects for an upcoming symposium. CLOVIS, Calif. (KFSN) — In a classroom at the Center for Advanced Research and Technology (CART) groups of students are gathered around their laptops finalizing their posters and projects for an upcoming symposium. They’re all part of the Psychology and Human Behavior lab at the school. Each of the three groups we met with sent out surveys to students to collect data – and are now analyzing it based on the responses. “This is not a project you can really slack on.” Senior Estrella Aguilar said. Estrella Aguilar and her partners are looking at the link between teenage stress and sleep to see if their hypothesis is backed up by data. “Someone who is more stressed out would likely have more distress in their nightmares and, conversely, someone who has less stress has less distress in their nightmares,” Aguilar said. Miranda Caballero and her group are looking into the amount of time high school students spend on Instagram

Sacramento

Kaiser Permanente is making efforts to improve maternal, birthing outcomes for Black women

Saturday, April 20, 2024 12:47AM The Fresno community spent Black Maternal Health Week raising awareness about the racial disparities Black women face in maternal and birthing outcomes. FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) — The Fresno community spent Black Maternal Health Week raising awareness about the racial disparities Black women face in maternal and birthing outcomes. However, one Fresno doctor hopes the conversation continues. “It’s a serious matter,” said Dr. Christina Hiebert. “I think that in light of this, our state, especially in the state of California, has drawn attention to it and is working really hard to improve the situation.” Dr. Hiebert is the chief of Kaiser Permanente Fresno’s Birthing Center. She said — regardless of income, age and education — Black women are more likely to have serious pregnancy complications. Unfortunately, it doesn’t stop there. Black families are more likely to see the mom and child die during childbirth. According to Dr. Hiebert, there are multiple reasons for this dire outcome. “One is unequal access or barriers to health care. There’s also variations in the quality of care and care coordination, depending on where you’re receiving

Los Angeles

Prep baseball roundup: Corona clinches Big VIII League championship

Corona High’s baseball team did what it was supposed to do Friday — clinch the Big VIII League championship with a 2-0 win over Corona Centennial, completing a three-game sweep of the Huskies. Ethan Schiefelbein, tuning up for the pressure of the Southern Section Division 1 playoffs, gave up five hits, struck out four and walked one. Corona is 22-2 overall, 12-0 in league and expected to be the No. 1 seed for the Division 1 playoffs when pairings are announced a week from Monday. Eastvale Roosevelt 6, Norco 3: Chase Pulido’s three-run home run in the fifth inning powered the Mustangs to victory. Corona Santiago 6, King 1: Barrett Ronson homered and had three RBIs for Santiago. Hart 5, West Ranch 3: The Indians pulled into a first-place tie in the Foothill League. Ryan De La Maza finished with three hits. Birmingham 6, Cleveland 0: Isaac Monterrubio gave up one hit in 4 2/3 innings and Allen Olmos finished up with 2 1/3 scoreless innings to help Birmingham stay unbeaten in the West Valley League. Christian Woods had three hits. Granada Hills 11, El

Los Angeles

The best songs from Taylor Swift’s ‘Tortured Poets Department’ double album

Taylor Swift wrote so much “tortured poetry” over the past two years that she didn’t know what to do with it all. In true TSwift fashion, the pop star surprised fans with 15 bonus songs two hours after releasing “ The Tortured Poets Department ” on Friday. The second installment, titled “The Anthology,” was not a true shocker to eagle-eyed Swifties who had observed the singer dropping hints about the number two since she announced the album in February at the Grammys. With 31 tracks across the two albums, fans have been parsing through the songs and dissecting lyrics since the clock struck midnight. Here are the best songs from the double album. ‘ So Long, London ’ Even with its stunning melody, the lyrics are the star of this song. Fans are speculating that the track is a sequel of sorts to “London Boy” from 2019’s “Lover,” which details the highs of her relationship with former longtime partner Joe Alwyn . “So Long, London” follows Swift’s tradition of saving the most devastatingly beautiful tune for Track 5, with a level of emotional vulnerability and

Los Angeles

LeBron James calls Nikola Jokic ‘one of the best players to ever play this game’

DENVER —  After the Lakers’ last practice before their playoff series begins Saturday night, LeBron James praised Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic, calling him “one of the best players to ever play this game.” “He does everything. Does everything. The most important thing is he changes the way his teammates think about their own play,” James said. “When you’re able to inspire your teammates to play at a level that sometimes they don’t even feel like they can play at, that’s the true testament of a great one.” James said Jokic’s combination of size and force is tough to equal, but that’s a challenge the Lakers have to accept. “There are a lot of guys who are physical but don’t possess the frame that Joker has as well. And he’s in great shape too,” James said. “Being able to match that intensity throughout 48 minutes, or however you’re on the floor and he’s on the floor, you have to match that. He’s damn good. And you just try to make it tough. He’s very good at everything. Offensively, he can do everything. You just try to

Los Angeles

Pursuit ends with suspect’s arrest in South Los Angeles

A dangerous pursuit that began in Hawthorne ended with the arrest of a suspect who allegedly stole a vehicle. The incident began around 5:30 p.m. Friday when a gold-colored Kia Soul with multiple occupants was making its way southbound on the 110 Freeway. The suspected stolen vehicle was involved in a collision while on the 110, causing significant damage to the front end. Officers with the California Highway Patrol began tailing the suspect, but elected not to engage in a ground pursuit, and instead, used its air patrol to follow the vehicle. The driver of the suspected stolen vehicle drove erratically through South Los Angeles, nearly causing several collisions on April 19, 2024. (KTLA) The driver of the suspected stolen vehicle drove erratically through South Los Angeles, nearly causing several collisions on April 19, 2024. (KTLA) The driver of the suspected stolen vehicle drove erratically through South Los Angeles, nearly causing several collisions on April 19, 2024. (KTLA) LAPD officers began a ground pursuit of the suspect on the 110 Freeway. The driver of the allegedly stolen vehicle surrounded near the Vernon Avenue underpass on

Los Angeles

4/19: CBS News Weekender

4/19: CBS News Weekender – CBS News Watch CBS News Lana Zak reports on a full jury seated in Donald Trump’s criminal trial, what’s changed 25 years after Columbine, and Taylor Swift’s new double album release. Be the first to know Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. Not Now Turn On

Bay Area

USC cancels all graduation appearances after dropping Muslim speaker

Associated Press LOS ANGELES — The University of Southern California further shook up its commencement plans Friday, announcing the cancelation of a keynote speech by filmmaker Jon M. Chu just days after making the controversial choice to disallow the student valedictorian from speaking. The private university in Los Angeles on Monday said it was canceling valedictorian Asna Tabassum’s speech at the May 10 ceremony because of safety concerns. Tabassum, who is Muslim, has expressed support for Palestinians in the ongoing Israel-Hamas war, and university officials said the response to her selection as valedictorian had “taken on an alarming tenor.” They did not cite any specific threats. The university’s decision was met with praise from pro-Israel organizations but condemnation from free speech groups and the Council on American-Islamic Relations. Students and faculty marched across campus Thursday in silent protest of the university’s decision. Now, university officials say they are “redesigning” the entire commencement program. “Given the highly publicized circumstances surrounding our main-stage commencement program, university leadership has decided it is best to release our outside speakers and honorees from attending this year’s ceremony,” the university said

Bay Area

East Palo Alto: Arrest made in fatal February stabbing

EAST PALO ALTO – A 19-year-old East Palo Alto man was arrested Friday in connection with a fatal stabbing in February, police said. The suspect, identified as Ernesto Alexis Mora Samayoa, was already in custody for an unrelated crime, East Palo Alto police Chief Jeff Liu said in a news release. The stabbing happened just before 8:30 p.m. on Feb. 8 at University Avenue and Bell Street. Officers arrived to find two men suffering from stab wounds. One was treated at the scene for minor injuries while the other was taken to Stanford Hospital with life-threatening injuries. The second man died of his injuries at the hospital on March 2. He was identified as Frank Finney, 60, of East Palo Alto. Police have not released a motive for the stabbing. In March, police released video surveillance footage of the attack. The footage showed the attack, as well as a large white SUV whose driver appeared to witness the attack. Liu, in the news release, thanked “community members who contributed to this investigation.” He also thanked the San Mateo County District Attorney’s Office, the county’s forensics

Bay Area

Indonesia volcano continues to erupt, closing nearby airport

By Gracey Wakary and Edna Tarigan | Associated Press MANADO, Indonesia — Indonesian authorities closed an airport and residents left homes near an erupting volcano Thursday due to the dangers of spreading ash, falling rocks, hot volcanic clouds and the possibility of a tsunami. Mount Ruang on the northern side of Sulawesi Island had at least five large eruptions Wednesday, causing the Center for Volcanology and Geological Disaster Mitigation to issue its highest-level alert, indicating an active eruption. The crater emitted white-gray smoke continuously during the day Thursday, reaching more than 500 meters (1,600 feet) above the peak. People have been ordered to stay at least 6 kilometers (3.7 miles) from the 725-meter (2,378 foot) mountain. More than 11,000 people live in the affected area and were told to leave. At least 800 have done so. An international airport in Manado city was temporarily closed Thursday as volcanic ash was spewed into the air. “We have to close flight operations at Sam Ratulangi Airport due to the spread of volcanic ash, which could endanger flight safety,” said Ambar Suryoko, head of the regional airport authority.

Bay Area

Firefighters work carefully around remains of Copenhagen landmark

By Jan M. Olsen | Associated Press COPENHAGEN, Denmark — Firefighters stabilizing the burned-out husk of Copenhagen’s historic Old Stock Exchange tried to use giant shears on a crane Friday to cut away dangling scaffolding, but suffered a setback when the implement fell into the debris. A large blaze broke out Tuesday at the 400-year-old landmark in Copenhagen, toppling its roof and iconic dragon-tail spire. On Thursday, a large section of the outer wall of the building collapsed inwards. The most valuable paintings and items inside had been saved from the flames, and no one was injured. “A further building collapse is absolutely a possibility,” said Tim Ole Simonsen, a spokesman for the Greater Copenhagen Fire Department, adding that structural engineers were assessing how best to remove precarious remnants of scaffolding. “It is very difficult work.” He later said the work was paused and “our efforts have taken a new turn,” after the powerful shears mounted on the end of a crane had fallen into the ruins of the building. There also were still small pockets of fire to extinguish and “tons” of debris to

Bay Area

First stage of world’s largest election under way in India

By Ashok Sharma and Krutika Pathi | Associated Press NEW DELHI — Millions of Indians began voting on Friday in a six-week election that’s a referendum on Narendra Modi, the populist prime minister who has championed an assertive brand of Hindu nationalist politics and is seeking a rare third term as the country’s leader. People began lining up at polling stations hours before they were allowed in at 7 a.m. in parts of 21 states, from the Himalayan mountains to the tropical Andaman Islands. Nearly 970 million voters — more than 10% of the world’s population — will elect 543 members to the lower house of Parliament for five years during the staggered election that runs until June 1. The votes will be counted on June 4. There are a total of 28 states in India. The voting ended at 6 p.m. (1230 GMT) and the turnout was estimated at around 60% of 166.3 million eligible voters in the first round, the election authority said in a statement. By comparison, India’s 2019 national election registered the highest ever voter turnout — 67.11% — in the

Los Angeles

Ventura city attorney fired amid indecent exposure investigation at a Chick-fil-A

In a special meeting of the Ventura City Council nearly a week ago, the council voted unanimously to oust its city attorney. Ventura Mayor Joe Schroeder said in a written statement that the firing of Andrew Heglund was “due to a personal matter.” But now it appears that the low-profile firing was in response to a police investigation into an indecent exposure incident at a Chick-fil-A restaurant in the city that involved Heglund, according to authorities, his attorney and local media reports. Authorities have been tight-lipped about providing details in the case. Capt. Dean Worthy, spokesperson for the Ventura County Sheriff’s Department, told The Times that the investigation, initially started by the Ventura Police Department, was being handled by the sheriff’s sexual assault unit with the major crimes bureau and that it involved Heglund. Ron S. Bamieh, attorney for Heglund, said there is an investigation but no pending criminal charges. “We’re optimistic that the investigation will bear out that Mr. Heglund did not commit any criminal acts,” he said. “There’s much exaggeration over some people who got upset at a Chick-fil-A.” Responding by email to

Los Angeles

In scramble to protect workers against heat, California officials exclude prisons from new rules

After last-minute objections from state officials thwarted plans to implement protections for workers in hot warehouses and other indoor facilities, California’s workplace safety agency is trying again to adopt the measures before the summer heat arrives. At a March 21 meeting, the state board overseeing workplace safety standards was primed to approve the landmark regulations. Shortly before the start of the meeting, however, officials from the state’s Finance Department, which must sign off on new workplace rules, intervened. They raised concerns about the costs that California prisons and other public entities would incur trying to adhere to the new rules, saying the price tag for cooling correctional facilities could run “in the neighborhood of billions of dollars.” Now, California’s Division of Occupational Safety and Health, or Cal/OSHA, said it will revise the proposed indoor heat rule to exclude state and local correctional facilities — an amendment that would appear to clear a path for approval of the rules in coming weeks. H.D. Palmer, a spokesman for the Department of Finance, indicated the department supported the move. “I don’t want to get ahead of our staff’s

Los Angeles

‘Sesame Street’ writers reach tentative contract deal, averting strike

Writers Guild of America members employed by Sesame Workshop have struck a tentative contract deal with management, averting a strike after negotiations stalled over compensation and union representation for the nonprofit organization’s animation and social media staff. The bargaining unit of 35 — which includes the “Sesame Street” writing staff — and Sesame Workshop settled on a new five-year contract Friday, the day their previous agreement expired. The new deal includes jurisdiction and minimum rates for animation and new media programs, protections against artificial intelligence, paid parental leave benefits and improvements to streaming residuals, according to the WGA. “We are so proud to work for an organization that values its writers, and we believe this new contract will positively impact writers throughout the children’s media landscape,” the bargaining unit’s negotiating team said Friday in a statement. “‘S’ truly is for Solidarity. We are glad to have a contract in place that allows Sesame to do what it does best — lead.” Sesame Workshop did not immediately respond to a request for comment. On April 16, the bargaining unit voted unanimously to authorize a strike following

Los Angeles

Watch live: Authorities in pursuit of suspected stolen vehicle

The California Highway Patrol is in pursuit of a driver who allegedly stole a vehicle in South Los Angeles. The pursuit reportedly began in Hawthorne. The vehicle was driving on the wrong side of the road, and officers elected not to engage in a ground pursuit for safety reasons. At one point, there was a collision on the 110 Freeway that caused damage to the front end of the Kia. The vehicle has multiple occupants, and CHP’s air patrol has been following closely. One of the suspects apparently jumped out of the vehicle during the pursuit. The suspect is driving erratically through multiple areas of South L.A. Sky5 is overhead.