Local News

More Than 187,000 Dreamers Have Renewed DACA Thanks to Court Order Secured by California

SACRAMENTO – California Attorney General Xavier Becerra announced that as a result of the court order secured by California, more than 187,000 Dreamers have been able to renew their deferred action and work authorization under DACA since January. This data was published in the latest quarterly report on DACA renewals, which the federal government is required to file as part of the preliminary injunction that California secured to preserve DACA.

"While the Trump Administration keeps trying to crush our Dreamers’ hope for a better life, we continue to fight to defend their rights,” said Attorney General Becerra. “Our success in the courtroom means our colleagues, classmates, and family members with DACA authorization may live, work and succeed out of the shadows.”

Fresno County Assessor Selected to Recieve a $2.25 Million State Grant

FRESNO - Fresno County Assessor-Recorder Paul Dictos announced yesterday that his office is the recipient of a $2.25 million grant under the newly enacted “State Supplementation for County Assessors’ Program” (SSCAP). After listening to California Assessors’ cries for help and reading a passionate letter from Assessor Dictos, Governor Brown appropriated $5 million dollars for the next three years- a total of $15 million. Fresno County will receive $750,000 annually for the next three years.

Grant funds will only pay for overtime and much needed extra help in order to alleviate the Assessor’s perennial backlog and help to accelerate, increase, and preserve the county’s flow of property tax revenue. With an unprecedented boom in construction, this Assessor can use all the help he can get. “Considering recent job cuts suffered by my department, this grant is mana from heaven above”, said Dictos.

.State Attorney Announces Progress in Making Communities Safer Through Project Safe Neighborhoods in Fresno

FRESNO - One year ago, the Department of Justice announced the revitalization and enhancement of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), which Attorney General Sessions has made the centerpiece of the Department’s violent crime reduction strategy. PSN is a nationwide initiative that brings together federal, state, and local law enforcement officials, prosecutors, and community leaders to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in a community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them.

The PSN strategy empowers each district to develop targeted, localized violent crime reduction strategies, tailoring solutions to each individual community. PSN has been proven to reduce violent crime since it was launched in 2001, and the revitalized version has been enhanced with new technologies and a redoubling of efforts to strengthen partnerships with local communities.

National MS Society Commits $12 Million to 40 New Research Projects to Stop Multiple Sclerosis, Restore Function & End MS Forever

NEW YORK - The National Multiple Sclerosis Society has just committed $12 million to support 40 new multi-year MS research projects. These are part of a comprehensive approach to accelerate research breakthroughs aimed at stopping MS, restoring lost function, and ending the disease forever.

This financial commitment is the latest in the Society's relentless research effort, investing a projected $35.8 million in 2018 alone to support new and ongoing studies around the world. To date, the Society has committed more than $1 billion in research funding.

Attorney General Becerra: Consumers Deserve the Right to Hold Apple Accountable: Should the Courts Overturn the Illinois Brick Decision

SACRAMENTO – California Attorney General Xavier Becerra has joined a bipartisan multistate amicus brief to the U.S. Supreme Court in Apple v. Pepper, supporting consumers who allege that Apple, Inc. (Apple) violated antitrust laws by monopolizing distribution of iPhone applications (apps).

In Apple v. Pepper, Apple is appealing a judgment in favor of consumers from the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals. Apple argued that the appellate court’s ruling should be overturned based on a 1977 U.S. Supreme Court decision, Illinois Brick v. Illinois (Illinois Brick). The decision established that only a direct purchaser of goods could seek legal remedies for antitrust violations committed by a manufacturer or service provider.