California

Stories 1 - 20 |  Next >>

'Operation Kill Switch' Unearths $10M Home Depot Theft Ring

Police in Southern California say it's the biggest theft ring tied to the retailer

(Newser) - Authorities in Southern California have arrested 14 people in connection with what officials describe as the largest organized theft ring ever to target Home Depot. The suspects are accused of pulling off about 600 thefts at 71 Home Depot stores across multiple counties, leading to more than $10 million...

Parents Arrested as Police Search for Missing Infant
Parents of Missing Infant
Charged With Murder
UPDATED
Aug 26, 2025 2:28 PM CDT

Parents of Missing Infant Charged With Murder

Jake and Rebecca Haro told police 7-month-old Emanuel was kidnapped

(Newser) - The parents of 7-month-old Emmanuel Haro have been charged with murder, four days after their arrest in California. Jake and Rebecca Haro, who told police the boy was kidnapped in an attack outside a sporting goods store on Aug. 14, have also been charged with filing a false police report,...

Parents Sue ChatGPT After Teen Son's Death

They say the OpenAI tool coached Adam Raine on how to take his own life

(Newser) - The parents of a 16-year-old California boy who took his own life are blaming ChatGPT for his death, saying the bot coached him on how to do it. Both NBC News and the New York Times report that it's the first such suit filed against ChatGPT maker OpenAI. (Last...

Wildfires Threaten Homes in Oregon, California

Oregon's Picket Fire affecting about 4K homeowners

(Newser) - Thousands of homes in Northern California wine country and central Oregon were under evacuation orders and warnings as firefighting crews battled wildfires in dry, hot weather. Details from the AP :
  • In California, the Pickett Fire, which had charred about 10 square miles of Napa County, was just 11% contained by
...

States That Are the Most Fun
States That Are the Most Fun
Aug 24, 2025 1:10 PM CDT

States That Are the Most Fun

California tops WalletHub's rankings, while West Virginia needs to lighten up

(Newser) - Every day of your existence "should be sprinkled with at least a little bit of fun," not just your vacations. That's Travel + Leisure's take , and why the magazine is promoting WalletHub's latest rankings to find the state that has the most of it. The...

Erik Menendez's Wife: Parole Hearing Was 'Complete Setup'

Tammi Menendez blasts proceedings, as does Erik Menendez's stepdaughter: 'How is my dad a threat'

(Newser) - No one is likely more disappointed than Erik Menendez about his parole request being turned down this week in California—except maybe his wife and stepdaughter. Tammi Menendez, who's been married to Erik since 1999 , called his Thursday parole hearing "a complete setup" on X , adding that "...

Woman's Body Found After Video of Spouse Dragging Heavy Load

Cops: Sheylla Cabrera's remains were in Angeles National Forest, while husband has fled to Peru

(Newser) - The body of a missing woman was found in a Southern California forest days after her husband was recorded on surveillance video dragging something heavy out of their apartment complex north of Los Angeles, authorities said this week. Per the AP , Sheylla Cabrera, 33, of Lancaster was reported missing on...

California Lawmakers Send Redistricting Plan to Newsom

Governor launched Democratic effort after Texas took up new maps

(Newser) - California's legislature on Thursday approved a series of measures to redraw the state's congressional districts to favor Democrats in the next midterm elections, an action promised by Gov. Gavin Newsom to counter Texas' attempt to give Republicans more US House seats. Once Newsom signs it, scheduled for later...

Bear Throws Itself an Ice Cream Social in Tahoe

Deputies arrive at California ice cream shop to find creature sitting behind the counter

(Newser) - Cops had to deal with an unusual intruder at a California ice cream shop last weekend—a sweets-loving bear. According to a social media post from the El Dorado County Sheriff's Office, deputies were dispatched on Sunday to the eatery at South Lake Tahoe's Camp Richardson, where they...

Rare Plague Case Confirmed in California

Officials say infection likely came from flea bite during camping trip

(Newser) - Health officials in California have confirmed a rare case of bubonic plague in a resident of South Lake Tahoe, marking the first human infection in the area since 2020. According to El Dorado County authorities, the patient—whose identity and current condition remain undisclosed—is recuperating at home after...

California Republicans Sue to Stop Democrats' New Maps

Lawsuit asks state Supreme Court to freeze the legislation for a month

(Newser) - California Republicans have taken their fight over new congressional districts to the state Supreme Court, seeking to halt a redistricting plan championed by Gov. Gavin Newsom and legislative Democrats, reports KCRA . The GOP lawmakers argue that Democrats are pushing the changes too quickly, sidestepping rules that require a 30-day...

With Baby Missing, Cops Question Mom's Kidnap Story

Rebecca Haro claims she was knocked out, woke up to find 7-month-old Emmanuel missing

(Newser) - A California mother's claim that her baby was kidnapped outside a retail store has gripped a community, but police say her story doesn't add up, leaving investigators and the public with unanswered questions. The 7-month-boy was reported abducted outside a Big 5 store in Yucaipa just before...

Rats Wreaking Havoc on California Almond Farms

Rodent infestation spreads as abandoned orchards fuel the surge

(Newser) - California's almond industry is under siege as a relentless rat infestation chews through crops and equipment, leaving a trail of damage costing farmers up to $310 million, the San Francisco Chronicle reports. According to the Almond Board of California, roof rats have damaged more than 100,000 acres...

Texas Pushing Ahead With Redistricting Plans

Democrats in the state have signaled they will return

(Newser) - Texas Republicans on Monday aimed to resume pushing through redrawn US House district maps that would carve out a bigger GOP advantage in the 2026 midterm elections after state Democrats indicated they were ready to end a two-week walkout, the AP reports. In response, California Democrats are also moving ahead...

Thrown Overboard, He Found a Buoy Covered in Seals
Thrown Overboard,
He Found a Buoy
Covered in
Seals
in case you missed it
Aug 16, 2025 4:20 PM CDT

Thrown Overboard, He Found a Buoy Covered in Seals

California fisherman held on for 7 hours, leading to his rescue

(Newser) - Alone in cool waters off California's Central Coast, a 29-year-old fisherman survived a harrowing night by clinging to a buoy for nearly seven hours—with several seal companions. The Morro Bay Police Department said John Gsell's boat "struck a large object" around 10pm on Friday, sending...

For 2 Days, He Was Trapped Behind a Waterfall

California authorities finally retrieved Ryan Wardwell from Seven Teacups falls with helicopter

(Newser) - California police used a helicopter to rescue a man trapped for two days behind a waterfall along the Kern River when the "extreme hydraulics" of the water pushed him off his climbing lines, law enforcement officials said. Ryan Wardwell, 46, of Long Beach, California, had planned to rappel down...

Arnold Weighs In on Newsom's Gerrymandering Fight

Ex-California governor Schwarzenegger isn't happy with redistricting plans from any corner

(Newser) - As Gov. Gavin Newsom continues to push for redistricting in his state, trolling President Trump all the while, another big name out of California is pushing back on both Newsom and the Trump-backed GOP plan to do the same in Texas. "I'm getting ready for the gerrymandering battle,...

Welfare Check Leads to Another Arrest for Paul Rodriguez

Comedian, 70, is arrested on charges of narcotics possession, same as he was in March

(Newser) - When Paul Rodriguez was arrested earlier this year in California for narcotics possession, his lawyers insisted that the drugs belonged to the driver of the vehicle he was riding in, not to Rodriguez. Police now say the 70-year-old comedian is once more in legal trouble, after being arrested Monday (again...

Freak Accident Kills Driver on California Freeway

Ingrid Zapata, 57, was killed when a loose tire struck her vehicle

(Newser) - A freak accident on a California freeway has claimed the life of a 57-year-old woman. Ingrid Zapata of Moreno Valley was killed on the 60 Freeway when a rear tire detached from a pickup truck, crossed the center divider, and smashed into her windshield, reports KTLA . The incident happened about...

Border Patrol Agents Amass at Newsom's Redistricting Event

About 100 feds detained one person during apparent immigration raid

(Newser) - As California Gov. Gavin Newsom prepared to hold a press conference regarding the state's efforts to combat the President Trump-backed redistricting plan in Texas , Border Patrol agents staged what the Los Angeles Times calls a "show of force" outside the venue. Newsom spoke at downtown Los Angeles' Japanese...

Stories 1 - 20 |  Next >>
Most Read on Newser