In the News
Lawmakers are weighing options for cracking down on the concentration of market power in the shipping industry, which President Joe Biden targeted in his State of the Union Address Tuesday.
A dairy trade policy specialist says President Biden outlining plans to crack down on shipping issues in his State of the Union address will greatly benefit the flow of ag exports.
Shawna Morris with the U.S. Dairy Export Federation and National Milk Producers Federation tells Brownfield there have long been antitrust exemptions for shipping carrier companies and Biden's support will hopefully encourage legislative reform.
Rep. Jim Costa, D-Fresno, used an announcement about a $26 million project replacing Highway 99 bridges over Cottonwood Creek in Madera County to deliver even bigger news Friday.
Joined by state Transportation Commission Chair Lee Ann Eager, Costa said that future funding from the $1.2 trillion federal infrastructure bill will widen Highway to six lanes from Avenue 12 to the San Joaquin River.
FRESNO COUNTY, Calif. (KSEE/KGPE) - It's a project that's been decades in the making, and now local officials say it will be completed by the end of next year.
It's called Veterans Boulevard, which officials say will be completed before the end of 2023. The two-and-a-half-mile, $140 million project will connect Herndon, on the east side of Highway 99, to Shaw Avenue, on the west side of the 99.
"This is an exciting day in the city and county of Fresno," said Mayor Jerry Dyer at a groundbreaking ceremony for the final phase of the project on Thursday.
FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- Local leaders are taking action by investing in the community's future to better prepare police officers, firefighters and EMTs.
Construction is underway at the site of Fresno City College's new multi-million dollar First Responders Training Center.
The site will bring together a number of programs and academies into one 40-acre campus location.
FRESNO, Calif. (KSEE) – Exactly one year ago rioters stormed the US Capitol as members of congress sheltered in place.
Since then, two Central Valley residents have been charged with allegedly taking part in the break-in.
"A year ago today, of the 18 years I have had the honor and privilege to serve the people of our Valley and our nation, was the saddest day," US Congressman Jim Costa, who was in the Capitol when the riot happened.
FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- More than $19 million is being dedicated to improving transit in the San Joaquin Valley.
Those funds are coming from the $1.2 trillion infrastructure bill signed late last year.
This first round of funding will focus on improving transit systems, including purchasing new bus and rail car units.
The City of Fresno will receive $4.3 million. More than $2 million will go to Visalia, and $1.4 million will go to Hanford.
Porterville will receive $1.2 million, and Merced will get $1.3 million.
Export supply chain challenges persisted as 2022 began, as did NMPF's work, together with the U.S. Dairy Export Council (USDEC), to spotlight the disruptions faced by dairy exporters to build momentum for government action.
NMPF's focus on the issue in January continued its two-track approach of pushing for both legislative reform and near-term steps by the administration to complement that.
The ailing Friant-Kern Canal is getting a facelift seven decades after the 151-mile federal water project was completed.
Local, state and federal officials broke ground Jan. 26 on a $187 million repair of a 10-mile stretch of the canal that will improve water flow after land subsidence reduced water delivery by up to 300,000 acre-feet.
"It hasn't been easy," said state Sen. Melissa Hurtado, D-Sanger, whose legislation to provide state funds for the repairs was watered down and then vetoed by Gov. Gavin Newsom who wanted the bill to include other water projects.
CENTRAL VALLEY, Calif. (KSEE) – Federal, state, and local officials broke ground for a $180 million restoration effort to the Friant-Kern Canal.
"Where water flows food grows," said U.S. Representative Jim Costa, who represents California's 16th District. The Central Valley of California, known as the breadbasket of the world, has three of the highest-ranked counties for food production in the United States.
REEDLEY – A federal budget allocation has put Reedley College $2 million closer to being able to build a center where business, technology and agriculture can intersect through innovation.
Tariffs are a dirty word for many people in agriculture. As the American Farm Bureau Federation has pointed out, trade disruptions have created additional hardships for farmers who entered 2025 already dealing with crippling inflation and declining farm prices.
CENTRAL VALLEY, Calif. (KFSN) -- The first State of the Union address of President Trump's second term promised affordability going forward.
The president hopes to change Americans' minds about his economic agenda.
WASHINGTON, DC. (KSEE/KGPE) – In what was the longest State of the Union address in modern history, President Donald Trump began by focusing on immigration.
“When I last spoke in this chamber 12 months ago, I had just inherited a nation in crisis, with a stagnant economy, inflation at record levels, a wide-open border,” Trump said.
FRESNO, Calif. (KSEE/KGPE) – The Supreme Court ruled that President Donald Trump’s sweeping tariffs are illegal in a 6-3 vote.
“Today’s a good day for the rule of law. Today is a good day for affordability, something that Americans and Californians have been screaming for,” California Attorney General Rob Bonta said.