Last week The Business Journal published a story about Caglia Environmental that quoted from a letter from a so-called taxpayer group we received in a news release. That was a mistake, and this error led to story about allegations that were later proven false. We regret this error in judgement and regret any damage it may have caused the longtime family business. In an era when unsubstantiated allegations can circulate instantaneously, journalists must be extra diligent to ensure the information they present was gathered from credible sources and that both sides of a story have their say. We ..read more

The Fresno Bee announced its latest transition to a digitally focused platform, cutting back on its printing schedule by half. The media outlet currently publishes a newspaper six days a week. As part of a journey to a “sustainable future,” there will only be three days with a publication, though the print quality will be higher, according to a story Friday by Christopher Kirkpatrick, senior editor of The Fresno Bee.  “This transition will also allow us to invest in making our digital experiences better, including a big update to the digital edition that I’m excited to share more about s ..read more

Wall Street capped a choppy week of trading Friday with the best day for the stock market in over two months, as traders welcomed cooler-than-expected U.S. employment data as a sign that inflationary pressures on the economy are easing. The S&P 500 rose 1.3%, its best day since late February. The benchmark index also erased its losses for the week. The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 1.2%. The Nasdaq composite ended 2% higher, reflecting strong gains by technology sector stocks, which accounted for much of the rally. The nation’s employers added 175,000 jobs last month, down sharply from ..read more

A New Hampshire jury awarded $38 million to the man who blew the lid off abuse allegations at the state’s youth detention center Friday, in a landmark case finding the state’s negligence allowed him to be beaten, raped and held in solitary confinement as a teen. The state said the award will be reduced to $475,000 under its law that caps damages. David Meehan went to police in 2017 and sued the state three years later. Since then, 11 former state workers have been arrested and more than 1,100 other former residents of the Youth Development Center in Manchester hav ..read more

Three anti-wind power groups are suing New Jersey to overturn a key environmental approval for a wind energy farm planned off the coast of Long Beach Island. Save Long Beach Island, Defend Brigantine Beach and Protect Our Coast NJ filed suit in appellate court on April 26 challenging a determination by the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection that the Atlantic Shores wind farm project meets the requirements of a federal coastal protection law. Atlantic Shores is one of three proposed wind farms off New Jersey’s coast that have preliminary approval. Bruce Afran, an attorney for the ..read more

The Los Angeles Lakers fired coach Darvin Ham on Friday after just two seasons in charge. The Lakers announced on social media that they were dismissing Ham four days after their season ended with a first-round playoff loss to Denver in five games. Ham led Los Angeles to the Western Conference finals less than a year ago in his first season as an NBA head coach. He had replaced Frank Vogel, who was fired by the Lakers exactly 18 months after winning the franchise’s 17th championship in 2020. Ham had two winning seasons and made two playoff appearances, but that’s not enough with the ..read more

They’re lounging, biting each other and generally making a ruckus in numbers not seen in more than a decade. And don’t even think about stealing their anchovies. San Francisco’s famed Fisherman’s Wharf district is seeing a surge in sea lions. First appearing at Pier 39 after the 1989 earthquake, the sea lions have become a well known tourist attraction. The number of sea lions — marine mammals that make loud barking calls and can weigh up to a half-ton — crashing at the pier fluctuates over the seasons. On most days more than a hundred can be seen. But this week, Pier 39 harbormaster Sheila Ch ..read more

With the midday sun blazing, an experimental orange and white F-16 fighter jet launched with a familiar roar that is a hallmark of U.S. airpower. But the aerial combat that followed was unlike any other: This F-16 was controlled by artificial intelligence, not a human pilot. And riding in the front seat was Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall. AI marks one of the biggest advances in military aviation since the introduction of stealth in the early 1990s, and the Air Force has aggressively leaned in. Even though the technology is not fully developed, the service is planning for an A ..read more

Madera welcomed its first cannabis dispensary Wednesday, from the retailer that lays claim to opening Fresno’s first recreational storefront. It’s also opening its second Fresno dispensary. Cannabis retailer Embarc hosted a soft opening Wednesday for its dispensary in Madera at 530 E. Yosemite Ave. That same day, Embarc opened its second location in Fresno at 1784 W. Shaw Ave. Embarc was one of the first cannabis retail storefronts to open in Fresno in summer 2022, along with the Artist Tree. With this expansion into Madera, and its second store in Fresno, Embarc now has a total of 15 locatio ..read more

Construction on Fresno’s high-speed rail station could begin as early as 2027. Margaret Cederoth, the California High-Speed Rail Authority’s director of planning and sustainability, confirmed the timeline at an open house meeting Wednesday in Fresno. Cederoth said in an interview with Fresnoland that if plans stay on schedule, construction for the Fresno station could begin within the next four years. “If we keep moving to schedule then we will be issuing bids in the 2026 timeframe,”  Cederoth said. “And moving to construction in 2027 and 2028.” Authorities showed off design plans for th ..read more