California

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Massive Wildfire Burns 129 Square Miles in California

Gifford Fire was 7% contained on Tuesday

(Newser) - More than 800 structures are threatened by a massive wildfire in central California that left at least three people injured as it burned through Los Padres National Forest. The Gifford Fire has scorched more than 129 square miles of coastal Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo counties, with 7% containment,...

This Is Summer in San Francisco
This Is Summer in
San Francisco
Aug 5, 2025 6:44 AM CDT

This Is Summer in San Francisco

Chilly days and persistent fog leave locals reaching for sweaters

(Newser) - San Francisco is shivering through its coldest summer in decades, as persistent clouds and chilly winds leave locals and tourists alike reaching for extra layers. Daytime highs have hardly escaped the mid-60s and July's average temperature was just 59.3 degrees—about a degree below what's typical....

Newsom Threatens Texas With Redistricting Showdown

Plan could give Democrats a major edge in congressional seats in California

(Newser) - California Gov. Gavin Newsom is considering a bold move to redraw the state's congressional map, setting the stage for a nationwide redistricting battle if Texas Republicans push forward with their own partisan plan . Newsom said Monday the redistricting plan is akin to "fighting fire with fire,"...

New York Post Is Going West
New York Post
Is Going West
Aug 4, 2025 6:59 PM CDT

New York Post Is Going West

Sister paper California Post will launch early next year

(Newser) - Go West, old newspaper. The New York Post, founded by Alexander Hamilton in 1801, has announced plans to launch a sister newspaper in California, where the Post already has millions of online readers, CNN reports. The newspaper's owners say they plan to publish the California Post starting early next...

Search on for Mom, Baby Who 'Vanished Into Thin Air'
After Family Visit, Mom, Baby
'Vanished Into Thin Air'
in case you missed it
Aug 3, 2025 3:00 PM CDT

After Family Visit, Mom, Baby 'Vanished Into Thin Air'

Whisper Owen, infant daughter have been missing in California for 2+ weeks

(Newser) - It's been more than two weeks since Whisper Owen and her 8-month-old daughter disappeared after visiting family in Fresno, California, and police are at a loss as to what happened to the two. "I'm desperate to find my daughter and her baby," Owen's mother, Vickie...

Lab Tests Point to Culprit in Monarch Butterfly Die-Off

Pesticides detected in the insects after mass deaths in California

(Newser) - Hundreds of monarch butterflies mysteriously died in southern California last year, and new research points to a likely culprit lurking in the landscape: common pesticides. Scientists say these peer-reviewed findings published in Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry offer rare, direct evidence linking chemical exposure to the monarchs' dramatic decline, reports...

Get Ready for a Tarantula Mating Frenzy

Males on the move, risking life to find a partner who hopefully won't eat them

(Newser) - As mating season sweeps across the Southwest, residents in 13 states should prepare for what could be a remarkable, or terrifying spectacle, depending on who you ask. Over the next several months, tens of thousands of male tarantulas will emerge from their burrows, setting out across states including California,...

Harris Rules Out Run for California's Top Job

Her decision reshapes the race to succeed Newsom

(Newser) - Kamala Harris has taken herself out of the running for California governor, choosing instead to keep her options open for a possible return to the national stage. In a statement Wednesday, the former vice president said she had "given serious thought" to a gubernatorial campaign in recent months...

Traffic, Protests, Falling Furniture Mar Tesla Diner Debut

Family is suing after they say outdoor patio covering slammed into woman's head in Hollywood

(Newser) - A man plans on filing suit against Elon Musk's new 24-hour Tesla diner in Los Angeles after he says a piece of furniture on the eatery's rooftop patio came loose and slammed into his wife. "It barely missed our baby's head by inches," a man...

'Hollywood Con Queen' Is Headed to California for Trial

Hargobind Tahilramani, accused in $1M impersonation scam, loses extradition try in UK

(Newser) - An alleged international scam artist known as the " Hollywood Con Queen " has lost a last-ditch attempt to avoid extradition from the UK to the US, setting the stage for a dramatic trial in California. Hargobind Tahilramani, a 45-year-old Indonesian citizen, faces charges related to an alleged seven-year...

Report: LA Wildfire Damages Top $50B
It's Another Year
of Costly Disasters
Jul 29, 2025 10:25 AM CDT

It's Another Year of Costly Disasters

Global disaster losses in the first half of 2025 total more than $131B: Munich Re

(Newser) - A surge of wildfires and powerful storms has already driven global natural-disaster losses to more than $131 billion in just the first half of 2025. While that figure is down from the $155 billion tallied over the same period last year, it remains well above the long-term averages, reflecting...

'Freak Accident' Kills Google Engineer on Yosemite Trail

Falling branch struck Angela Lin, raising questions about trail safety

(Newser) - A peaceful hike among Yosemite's towering sequoias turned tragic when a Google engineer was fatally struck by a falling tree branch. Angela Lin, 29, was killed while hiking with her boyfriend and two friends in Yosemite's famed Tuolumne Grove on July 19, per SFGate . She was nearly...

Sears Will Soon Have Only 6 Stores Nationwide

New closing in Burbank will leave just one location in California

(Newser) - Sears is closing its store in Burbank—which will leave just one location standing in all of California, reports the San Jose Mercury News . The only remaining California store—after the Burbank closure and a previously announced one in Whittier this month—will be in Concord. However, KTLA suggests...

In Silicon Valley, 9 Households Own Staggering Piece of the Pie

About 15% of the wealth as the disparity of wealth in Silicon Valley is getting much, much worse

(Newser) - In Silicon Valley, the ultra-rich get richer while many residents struggle just to survive. The Guardian reports that economic inequality in the California region that's home to the likes of Apple, Google, and Meta has reached staggering new levels. According to San Jose State University's 2025 "Silicon...

In-N-Out Owner Ticks Off Customers in Native California
In-N-Out Suddenly Has
a California Problem
in case you missed it
Jul 26, 2025 6:00 AM CDT

In-N-Out Suddenly Has a California Problem

Owner Lynsi Snyder says she's moving her family out of the state, and a backlash ensues

(Newser) - The In-N-Out burger chain began in California more than 75 years ago, and state residents have generally loved it ever since. But new comments from owner Lynsi Snyder have suddenly caused a serious rift with the fan base, reports SF Gate . The 43-year-old, who is the granddaughter of the founders,...

California's 'Shield' Law Takes On Texas' 'Heartbeat' Law

Texas man files suit against Golden State doctor who allegedly shipped abortion pills to his girlfriend

(Newser) - A Texas man is taking a new legal tack in the nation's ongoing fight over abortion pills. Jerry Rodriguez has filed a federal wrongful-death lawsuit against California physician Remy Coeytaux, alleging Coeytaux illegally mailed abortion medication to Rodriguez's girlfriend—despite California's "shield" law that protects...

Ratings for These 'Smart' Toilets Are 'Through the Roof'

Tech-driven restrooms offer privacy, accountability, rapid deployment for cities

(Newser) - America's public restroom shortage is so dire the country now ranks 30th globally, sharing the spot with Botswana. Building more traditional bathrooms isn't the simple answer, though, as upkeep and misuse quickly turn new facilities into cautionary tales. Enter "smart" restrooms, an experiment led by the...

Hotel Staff 'Heartbroken' After Dozens of Peacocks Vanish

Workers believe they were stolen from California hotel

(Newser) - Dozens of peacocks and peahens known for wandering the grounds of a historic Art Deco hotel south of Sacramento, California, are missing, and the hotel staff said Tuesday they believe the birds were stolen. After a customer at the Ryde Hotel mentioned Sunday seeing two men grabbing one of the...

Elon Musk's New Eatery Is 'Grease Meets the Jetsons'

Tesla Diner opens in LA, with 24-hour restaurant, EV charging stations, and drive-in theater

(Newser) - Fries come with a charge on the side at Los Angeles newest eatery: Elon Musk's Tesla Diner is now open around the clock in West Hollywood, reports SFGate , and also serves as a charging station for electric vehicles and a drive-in theater of sorts. It opened on Monday at,...

Handwritten Notes Lead to Rescue of Lost Mom and Son
Handwritten Notes Lead to
Rescue of Lost Mom and Son
in case you missed it
Jul 20, 2025 7:20 AM CDT

Handwritten Notes Lead to Rescue of Lost Mom and Son

Stranded family used notes and survival skills to stay safe in California forest

(Newser) - A routine training session for Calaveras County's volunteer search and rescue team quickly turned frighteningly real on Saturday when the team was alerted to a mother and her 9-year-old son missing in the forest near Northern California's Spicer Reservoir. The pair, last heard from after leaving Sacramento...

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