Fresno

Pressured by growers and legislators, Gov. Gavin Newsom declared a drought emergency in 39 counties as most of California experiences severe drought. The order, which affects more than half of the state, will expedite water sales among growers while allowing state officials to keep reservoirs full and river fish protected.

As harvest season approached, growers begged county officials to vaccinate their workers. But the state and counties didn’t prioritize vaccine doses for farmworkers in February. So the growers and doctors stepped in and set up their own clinics.

Complex rules and landlord resistance are limiting the success of an unprecedented effort to help tenants. Advocacy groups are concerned what will happen after a statewide eviction moratorium ends June 30.

Across California, 44,241 people are being held in a county jail without being convicted or sentenced for a crime. That’s three quarters of all inmates. At least 1,317 people have been waiting in county jails for more than 3 years. For 332 of them, it’s been longer than 5 years. In 32 counties that gave […]

With counties moving to less-restrictive tiers and the state loosening visitation restrictions, hospitals are gradually allowing more visitors for non-COVID-19 patients. Some are moving immediately on new state recommendations, while others are weighing the risks.

Good morning, California. It’s Friday, March 19. Three big decisions The results of three controversial votes on Thursday could reverberate across California’s political, environmental and educational landscape for decades to come. Here’s a closer look at what’s at stake: — Ethnic studies curriculum. After heated debate that spanned four years, four drafts and more than […]

Emails reveal Fresno County public health officials tipped off Foster Farms executives during the county's largest-known COVID-19 workplace outbreak.

This week, 10 counties in the inland portions of Central and Southern California were slated to transition to the new vaccine distribution system helmed by Blue Shield — but limited communication, technical challenges and lack of transparency have resulted in delays for at least three counties. Meanwhile, the state is overhauling its equity program after […]

California’s air board will vote this week on stopping burns that spew plumes of smoke that can trigger asthma attacks. The move is long in coming — it was supposed to end a decade ago under state law.