California State Controller John Chiang warned on Sunday that if a resolution to California's budget crisis does not come soon, the state will be broke by the end of July. He predicts that, under current conditions, the state will have a $2.78 billion deficit by July 31st. The state could wind up defaulting on loans, and Gov. Schwarzenegger warns that state services and payments could grind to a halt. Read more »

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger met with the editorial board of the Fresno Bee on Tuesday. The meeting was live-streamed on the Internet. The governor said he continues to look for ways to reduce the state's crushing budget deficit without having to raise taxes. He also said the state needs to address the water shortage issues in the Central Valley, but that it may be a difficult thing to do until the budget crisis gets resolved and state government reform is implemented. Read more »

Former Republican presidential candidate Sen. John McCain made a stop in Fresno on Friday with Meg Whitman, the former CEO of EBay, who is running for governor of California. Earlier in the day, McCain formally endorsed Whitman at a meeting in Orange County. McCain told reporters in Fresno that Whitman is the future of the Republican Party and that she is what California needs to get itself out of its budget mess. Read more »

On Tuesday, President Obama nominated Sonia Sotomayor to be the next U.S. Supreme Court Justice. Sotomayor is currently a federal appeals court judge. If she wins confirmation, she would become the first Hispanic and only the third female justice on the high court. In Fresno, Hispanic leaders praised the nomination, while Republican officials said they wanted the U.S. Senate to ask her tough questions during the nominating process. Read more »