Category Archives: KMJ Top Stories

California City Official Compares Mask Refusal to Civil Rights Fight

California City Official Compares Mask Refusal to Civil Rights Fight

A member of the Temecula, California, City Council is facing blowback for comparing her refusal to wear a mask to Rosa Parks’ famous fight for civil rights. According to the Hill, the council member, Jessica Alexander, made the comparison during a council meeting where the members were deciding how much longer to continue with virtual meeting.…MORE

Recall Effort Against Governor Qualifies, Newsom Brushes It Off

Recall Effort Against Governor Qualifies, Newsom Brushes It Off

Californians hoping to remove Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom from office have met the state’s minimum number of valid signatures to push a recall election forward this fall.[vemba-video id=”5e77ba57742cf1d2f1d4fdf68e72f64″] County officials have verified 1,626,042 signatures, according to the California secretary of state’s website. Recall backers needed at least 1,495,709 valid signatures to qualify, which represents 12% of the…MORE

Gov. Newsom ‘Very Open’ to Drug Injection Site Bill

Gov. Newsom ‘Very Open’ to Drug Injection Site Bill

A California law to set up sites that permit injecting heroin is advancing in the state legislature, potentially leaving embattled Democrat Gov. Gavin Newsom to weigh signing it amid a potential recall. “The Democrats are the party of enablers right now — and at taxpayer expense,” state Senate Republican Leader Scott Wilk wrote in a statement,…MORE

Justices Skeptical of California Nonprofit Disclosure Law

Justices Skeptical of California Nonprofit Disclosure Law

Several US Supreme Court justices seemed skeptical Monday of a California law that requires charitable organizations that solicit donations to disclose a list of their contributors to the state attorney general. The challenge is brought by conservative non profits American for Prosperity Foundation (a Koch affiliated group) and the Thomas More Law Center, who want to keep…MORE

Local Politicos React to Armenian Genocide Declaration

Local Politicos React to Armenian Genocide Declaration

FRESNO, CA (KMJ) A number of valley politicians and officials are reacting positively to President Biden’s official declaration recognizing the Armenian genocide by the Ottoman Empire more than a century ago. SACRAMENTO – Senator Andreas Borgeas (R-Fresno) issued the following statement in response to President Joseph R. Biden’s historic, and long overdue, recognition of the Armenian…MORE

Biden Recognizes Armenian Genocide

Biden Recognizes Armenian Genocide

The United States is formally recognizing that the systematic killing and deportation of hundreds of thousands of Armenians by Ottoman Empire forces in the early 20th century was “genocide” as President Joe Biden used that precise word that the White House has avoided for decades for fear of alienating ally Turkey. With the acknowledgement, Biden…MORE

Newsom Orders Fracking to be Phased Out, Critics Slam Move

Newsom Orders Fracking to be Phased Out, Critics Slam Move

(CNN) — California will stop issuing new hydraulic fracturing permits by January 2024 as part of a statewide effort to reach carbon-neutrality by 2045, Gov. Gavin Newsom announced in a news release Friday.Fracking uses high-pressure water to fracture rocks in order to access pockets of oil that would otherwise be unreachable. Newsom directed the state’s Department of…MORE

Caitlyn Jenner to run for California Governor in Recall Election

Caitlyn Jenner to run for California Governor in Recall Election

Caitlyn Jenner, the former Olympian and reality TV star, announced Friday she plans to run to replace California Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom in an expected recall election later this year. “I’m in! California is worth fighting for,” she tweeted Friday morning. Jenner, a longtime Republican, filed paperwork in Los Angeles County and announced her intent on her website.…MORE

California’s Public Universities to Require COVID-19 Vaccine

California’s Public Universities to Require COVID-19 Vaccine

Two of the nation’s largest university systems say they intend to require COVID-19 vaccinations for all students, faculty and staff on University of California and California State University campuses this fall. Several U.S. colleges and universities also have said they plan to require the vaccination. But Thursday’s joint announcement from the 10-campus University of California…MORE

McFarland High Teacher Accused of Sexual Misconduct with a Minor

McFarland High Teacher Accused of Sexual Misconduct with a Minor

  McFARLAND, CA (KMJ) — A McFarland High School welding teacher was placed on administrative leave after he was arrested and charged with alleged sexual misconduct with a minor. Miguel Martinez was arrested by the Kern County Sheriff’s Department , according the school district. The McFarland Unified School District released the following statement to parents and…MORE