Country artist Randy Travis released a new song Friday — nearly 11 years after a stroke left him largely unable to speak or sing. trib.al/MY7ZI68

The judge handling former President Trump’s hush money case clarified Friday that Trump is allowed to testify during the trial, correcting the former president’s assertion a day earlier that a gag order prevented him from doing so. trib.al/22IfAwv

TSA agents at Miami International Airport found a slithery surprise last Friday after a traveler attempted to sneak a bag of snakes through security. trib.al/zKPxZjq

The 2024 Point In Time count shows more people living on the streets in Bakersfield than ever before. trib.al/MTgNoSk

Young Democratic voters are sounding the alarm and warning President Biden that his reelection bid could be in jeopardy if he doesn’t change course on the issues that matter most to them, including the war in Gaza. trib.al/a8D9ZN7

Retail giants Amazon and Walmart, among others, have stopped selling weighted infant sleep products over safety fears. trib.al/9BPyP3S

Kern County launched its Asian Chamber of Commerce Friday morning at the Liberty Bell. trib.al/hQT9yuv

The story of the Dust Bowl, the years-long environmental disaster that re-shaped California and especially Kern County, has been told many times. trib.al/WkMG2Mt

The bodies of three missing surfers, including one American and two brothers from Australia, have been found, according to Mexican authorities. trib.al/ikUPHUi

A federal judge has set a June 3 trial hearing for San Diego women investigators allege recruited minors to smuggle drugs from Mexico in their bodies through the pedestrian lane of a border crossing. trib.al/ZkOPGih

Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders (R) ordered the state to defy new changes to Title IX that add protections for transgender students. trib.al/MTSuuVf

COURT WATCH: A Wasco man who admitted to engaging in sex acts with girls he knew were underage has pleaded no contest to four felony counts, according to court records. trib.al/oA52uwK

The “Rob Wink Film Festival” was not only created in memory of Winkler, but is also committed to bringing Kern creatives together and offer a pathway to connect, inspire and create the projects. Read more about Saturday's free screenings.
trib.al/Rp5ra65

Paris opens huge water storage basin to clean river for Olympic swimming trib.al/dg0P24y

CHP is holding the “Age Well, Drive Smart” program designed to provide older drivers with the keys to driving safer and driving longer. The next class is happening May 9th.
trib.al/aNz61KC

Firefighters were seen battling a structure fire Friday afternoon on South Union Avenue. trib.al/VfNbMYb

ICYMI: Bakersfield police will be checking drivers for signs of impairment and proper licensing Friday night.
trib.al/EVAdcBi

SHOWER ATTACK: An attack by a neighbor against a woman at her most vulnerable — showering in her southwest Bakersfield home — has resulted in him getting nearly a decade in prison. trib.al/xKAzgln

On Derby weekend, nearly 120,000 mint juleps are served. This requires more than 10,000 bottles of bourbon, 1,000 pounds of mint leaves, and 60,000 pounds of ice. trib.al/02eE3mM

Inflation in several battleground states in the 2024 election is below the national average — in some cases by more than a full percentage point — as food prices retreat even while housing costs stay hot, according to an analysis of regional data. trib.al/ItXv1fp