California

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The Man Who Gave Us the Frozen Burrito Dead at 88

Food industry innovator Duane Roberts also restored iconic California hotel

(Newser) - Duane Roberts, the entrepreneur credited with inventing the frozen burrito, has died at 88, TMZ reports. His wife, Kelly J. Roberts, said he died peacefully in his sleep on Saturday night, just days before his 89th birthday, with family and their three dogs by his side. In a statement, she...

After Grandma's Fall, Teen Creates a Winning Solution
After Grandma's Fall, Teen
Creates a Winning Solution
in case you missed it
Nov 1, 2025 3:11 PM CDT

After Grandma's Fall, Teen Creates a Winning Solution

FallGuard camera system detects falls, sends alerts without any wearable tech

(Newser) - A California eighth-grader just took home the title "America's Top Young Scientist"—and a $25,000 prize—for inventing a new kind of fall-detection device inspired by his grandmother's accident. Thirteen-year-old Kevin Tang developed FallGuard, a camera-based monitoring system that uses an algorithm he programmed himself...

A Few Problematic Wolves Emerge in California

Officials had to euthanize 4 wolves after 'unprecedented level' of livestock deaths

(Newser) - Gray wolves have died at the hands of California officials for the first time in more than a century. Wildlife officials in October euthanized members of one of the state's 10 wolf packs after a surge in livestock attacks—a move that highlights the ongoing tension between wolf recovery...

The States With the Highest 'Top 5%' Income

Connecticut is No. 1 on GOBankingRates list, with average household income of $637,673 for top 5%

(Newser) - How much does it take to count oneself among the top 5%? It differs per state, but in Connecticut, the top contender in GOBankingRates' ranking , the average household income for this elite demographic exceeds $637,000, while the median household income across the entire state just cracks $93,000. In...

DHS Has 2 Words for Report on Agents Wearing Halloween Masks

'Happy Halloween!' agency rep says of immigration officials reportedly sporting holiday getup in LA

(Newser) - A Homeland Security spokeswoman had a two-word response when asked about a report that immigration agents in Los Angeles had been seen wearing Halloween masks: "Happy Halloween!" That answer from Tricia McLaughlin came in response to an inquiry by NBC News about an LA Taco report that included...

Lawsuit: Grandpa Was 'Boiled Alive' in Hotel Shower

Loved ones of late Terril Johnson say water was so hot they couldn't pull him out in San Jose, Calif.

(Newser) - Relatives of a grandfather who died from severe burns suffered in a scalding shower at a San Jose hotel are suing, reports KGO . According to the lawsuit, Terril Johnson, said to be in his 70s, had just arrived at the Fairfield by Marriott Inn & Suites near the San Jose...

After Cliffside Rescue, Dog 'Was Giving Everyone Kisses'

Pooch went over San Francisco bluff, perched on narrow ledge for 20 minutes before rescue

(Newser) - A pet dog fell off an oceanside bluff in San Francisco and spent more than 20 minutes clinging to a narrow ledge until firefighters came to his rescue, officials said. The brown and white dog was playing with another pooch on Tuesday at Fort Funston, a coastal park with steep...

Chicken-Stealing Activist Convicted, Faces Years in Prison

Jury convicts Zoe Rosenberg for late-night animal rights stunt

(Newser) - A California activist who took four chickens from a slaughterhouse has been convicted of trespassing and conspiracy, the Guardian reports. Zoe Rosenberg, 23, admitted to removing the birds from Petaluma Poultry in Sonoma County last year but described her actions as an animal rescue , not a crime. Despite her defense,...

Hiker Dies After Fall From Infamous Mt. Whitney Section

Conditions were especially dangerous Saturday on the 99 Switchbacks stretch

(Newser) - A hiker died after slipping and falling off a cliff on Mount Whitney's infamous 99 Switchbacks section on Saturday. The 2.2-mile stretch, known for its steep zigzags and rapid elevation gain, had been coated in fresh snow and battered by high winds, making already tricky terrain especially dangerous,...

Bijou Phillips Wants to Drop 'Masterson' From Kid's Name

Move comes as Danny Masterson serves prison time for rape

(Newser) - Bijou Phillips has filed to legally remove Masterson as her daughter's surname in the wake of her ex-husband and the girls' father, Danny Masterson, going to prison for rape . According to court documents, Phillips submitted the request to a California court on October 24, asking to change her 11-year-old...

Mom May Have Used Wig to Alter Missing Girl's Appearance

Search for Melodee Buzzard now focuses on weekend road trip

(Newser) - California authorities are intensifying their search for missing 9-year-old Melodee Buzzard , now focusing on a road trip her mother took earlier this month. Investigators suspect Ashlee Buzzard may have tried to disguise Melodee at a car rental agency ahead of that trip. Surveillance footage from Oct. 7 shows Melodee in...

Transportation Secretary: I'm Revoking Funding for California

Duffy says state will lose funding over commercial driver's license issue

(Newser) - Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy warned Sunday that he is about make good on a threat to revoke millions in federal funds for California because he says the state is illegally issuing commercial driver's licenses to noncitizens, the AP reports. In an appearance on Fox News Channel's Sunday Morning ...

Woman Puts Up 12 Billboards in Her Search for Love
She Couldn't Find
a Partner, So
She Launched
MarryLisa.com
in case you missed it
Oct 26, 2025 11:01 AM CDT

She Couldn't Find a Partner, So She Launched MarryLisa.com

California's Lisa Catalano, 42, also paid for 12 billboards looking for love along Highway 101

(Newser) - A Bay Area woman's quest for love took a public turn when she paid for a dozen billboards along Highway 101 to find a husband, drawing national attention, a flood of applications, and plenty of hate mail, reports SFGate . Forty-two-year-old Lisa Catalano launched her campaign early last month, with...

The Most Expensive ZIP Codes in America

Fisher Island's 33109 off Miami Beach, Florida, tops PropertyShark ranking

(Newser) - Nine of the most expensive ZIP codes in the nation land in either California or on New York's Long Island—but, per a PropertyShark ranking , it's a Florida location that takes the No. 1 spot. That would be Fisher Island, right off the coast of Miami Beach, a...

State Democrats Object to DOJ Sending Election Monitors

Administration says Republicans in California, New Jersey asked for federal observers

(Newser) - The Justice Department said Friday it will send federal election observers to California and New Jersey to monitor their Nov. 4 elections. The Trump administration said it's responding to requests from the states' Republican Party organizations, the Guardian reports, with Attorney General Pam Bondi saying the goal is to...

California Is Getting Tough on 'Aquatic Feral Pigs'

New law allows hunters to kill mute swans at any time

(Newser) - California hunters will soon have the green light to kill mute swans, a move state officials say is aimed at controlling a "destructive, non-native" species. Starting Jan. 1, anyone with a hunting license can take the birds at any time, while landowners and lessees are allowed to do so...

Plane Crash-Lands, Striking Pedestrian

Yet Tuesday's incident in Long Beach 'could have been a whole lot worse'

(Newser) - A woman walking through a park in Long Beach on Tuesday afternoon unexpectedly found herself in the path of a small airplane making an emergency landing on a soccer field. Fire officials say the incident happened shortly after 4pm, when the aircraft—described by KTLA as "possibly experimental"—...

Wild Bear Visits the Zoo, 'Looking for a Friend'

Curious cub meets Sequoia Park Zoo's resident bears before going on its way

(Newser) - A young wild black bear gave staff at California's Sequoia Park Zoo an unexpected surprise Friday morning when it decided to drop by for a visit with the zoo's three resident bears. The bear seemed "really, really interested" in Tule, Ishung, and Kunabulilh, the three captive American...

Shrapnel Hits CHP Vehicle During Controversial Drills

Newsom, Vance clashed over live fire

(Newser) - Metal shrapnel from an exploding artillery shell fell hit and damaged a California Highway Patrol vehicle as personnel at a US Marine Corps base fired live rounds over a highway—against the objections of Gov. Gavin Newsom—during weekend exercises observed by Vice President JD Vance, the AP reports. The...

Odd Crime Bust Sight: Decapitated Lego Figurines

Santa Rosa cops recover tens of thousands of stolen pieces from suspect's home

(Newser) - Police in Santa Rosa, California, say they have dismantled an elaborate—and unusual—theft ring. Its focus: Legos. Lots and lots of Legos. Police arrested 39-year-old Robert Lopez after a raid on his house, where they found tens of thousands of loose Lego pieces and figurines, along with unopened sets,...

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