In the News
The Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA) is mobilizing on Capitol Hill and in Congressional districts across America to hold Azerbaijan accountable for its seven-month blockade of Artsakh and escalating anti-Armenian aggression – backing a series of targeted amendments to the Fiscal Year 2024 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA – H.R.2670) to sanction Azerbaijan, support U.S. aid to Artsakh, and advance Artsakh self-determination.
Rep. Jim Costa announced this week a $2.16 million federal grant for the Fresno County Rural Transit Agency (FCRTA) to advance construction of a bus maintenance and operations facility in Selma.
“Fresno County residents, especially seniors and those with disabilities, depend on an effective transit service to meet their daily needs,” said Costa. “Thanks to the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, this investment will help establish a clean, modern transportation hub to expand transit service, while mitigating air quality impacts and creating good paying jobs in Selma.”
A bill from a local congressman hopes to address a growing nursing shortage.
Rep. Jim Costa, D-Fresno, proposed legislation to create a federal task force to find solutions for a coming shortage of nurses.
“The United States is at the precipice of what I believe is a devastating, potentially a catastrophic shortage of nursing in the near term and in the long term,” Costa said.
San Joaquin Valley Particularly Affected
He said a shortage of between 6,000 and 9,000 nurses is expected by 2030 in the San Joaquin Valley.
On a dirt road alongside the San Joaquin River, backed by a faint outline of the Sierra Nevada mountains, Fresno-area politicians and dignitaries gathered Monday morning to celebrate more public access to one of the region’s greatest natural features.
To be specific: Sycamore Island Park, located on the Madera County side of the river near Valley Children’s Hospital, will now be open daily, rather than Friday through Sunday. With no car entrance or trailer fees charged on weekdays.
Fresno County’s Rural Transit Agency is receiving a $2.1 million federal grant for a new maintenance/operations center in Selma, Rep. Jim Costa said on Thursday afternoon.
“Fresno County residents, especially seniors and those with disabilities, depend on an effective transit service to meet their daily needs,” said Costa in a news release. “Thanks to the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, this investment will help establish a clean, modern transportation hub to expand transit service, while mitigating air quality impacts and creating good paying jobs in Selma.”
Farm labor reform has virtually no chance of going anywhere, but that doesn’t mean there won’t be action on the workforce concerns. Many in the ag sector have turned to the farm bill to get help with automating many jobs, and a House Ag Committee task force plans to do an in-depth study of labor issues in the coming months.
FRESNO COUNTY, Calif. (KFSN) -- The local legal community laid out its case on Friday to add more federal court judges in the Central Valley.
Cases ranging from drug offenses to bankruptcy are heard inside the federal courthouse in downtown Fresno.
The US Court for the Eastern District of California covers 34 counties from Bakersfield to Redding.
"We have had six district judges assigned in this district since 1978. We have had no increases," said Anthony Ishii, a retired federal judge.
Rep. Jim Costa (D–Fresno) is proposing a bill to increase the number of federal judges in the Eastern District of California to help meet the high demand currently bogging down the judicial system.
Costa has secured bipartisan support for the bill, which is called the CASE LOAD Act of 2023.
The big picture: The CASE LOAD Act would create five additional judgeships for the Eastern District Court, which covers 34 counties and spans from Bakersfield to Redding.
Rep. Jim Costa (D-Fresno) met with members of the media Friday to discuss The Case Load Act of 2023.
The legislation is in response to the severe lack of judgeships for the federal Eastern District of California, which currently has only one judge for every 1,362,552 residents — by far the highest in the state, Costa said.
FRESNO, Calif. (KSEE/KGPE) – An aerial firefighting system built in Fresno by Caylym Technologies is used by eight countries worldwide to fight wildfires. However, it is still not used in the U.S.
According to Caylym Technologies, their air dispersal system provides a light rain that can cover over a quarter of a mile when fighting fires, and they use 264 gallons of water packed inside a cardboard box.
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.