California

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DOJ Sues to Halt California's New House Map

Complaint says the redistricting 'tramples on civil rights and mocks the democratic process'

(Newser) - The Justice Department on Thursday sued to block new congressional district boundaries approved by California voters last week, joining a court battle that could help determine which party wins control of the US House in 2026. The complaint filed in California federal court targets the congressional map pushed by Democratic...

Ex-Newsom Aide Charged With Stealing Campaign Funds

Dana Williamson allegedly involved in scheme to siphon $225K from Xavier Becerra's account

(Newser) - California Gov. Gavin Newsom's former chief of staff, Dana Williamson, was arrested Wednesday on multiple fraud charges as part of a public corruption case. The indictment, reviewed by the Sacramento Bee , alleges Williamson and others conspired to divert about $225,000 from a dormant political account belonging to former...

Newsom: Trump's Drilling Plan 'Dead on Arrival' in California

Plan would allow new drilling for the first time in decades, sources say

(Newser) - The Trump administration is reportedly preparing to open the California coast to new oil and gas drilling for the first time in about 40 years, according to three sources who spoke to the New York Times . The move is expected to trigger a showdown with the state's Democratic Gov....

Nancy Pelosi's Daughter Won't Run for House Seat

'I like the thought of forging my own path,' says Christine Pelosi, who plans state Senate run

(Newser) - Christine Pelosi, daughter of former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, announced Monday that she'll seek a seat in the California state Senate instead of running for her mother's soon-to-be-vacant US House seat. The younger Pelosi, an attorney and veteran Democratic organizer, had been widely seen as a possible successor...

California Town Bans All Tobacco Sales

Ban covers all products, deliveries, and even residential lease agreements

(Newser) - A small town just north of San Francisco has enacted what is being called the nation's strictest tobacco sales ban. The Tiburon Town Council voted unanimously Wednesday to prohibit the sale of all tobacco and nicotine products within the southern Marin County community—including cigarettes, cigars, and vaping devices....

OpenAI Slammed With Lawsuits Over 'Dangerous' ChatGPT

Complaints say AI-driven chatbot drove people even without prior mental health issues to suicide

(Newser) - OpenAI is facing seven lawsuits claiming ChatGPT drove people to suicide and harmful delusions, even when they had no prior mental health issues. The lawsuits filed Thursday in California state courts allege wrongful death, assisted suicide, involuntary manslaughter, and negligence, per the AP . Filed on behalf of six adults and...

California Redistricting Foes Bungled Their Response

Politico: Infighting, donor fatigue, and missed signals doomed Prop 50 opposition

(Newser) - In the high-stakes clash over California's congressional map, a coalition of good-government advocates, Republicans, and former allies struggled to stop Gov. Gavin Newsom's controversial redistricting measure. But the effort, spearheaded by physicist and GOP mega-donor Charles Munger Jr., quickly unraveled under the weight of fundraising woes, infighting, and...

California Republicans Sue Over State's New House Map

'The map is designed to favor one race of California voters over others,' lawyer says

(Newser) - California Republicans filed a federal lawsuit Wednesday to block a new US House map that voters just decisively approved at the ballot. Proposition 50, backed by Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom, is designed to help Democrats flip as many as five congressional House seats in the midterm elections next year. The...

Hunter Emerges After 19 Days Lost in Forest

'I've never been so happy in my life to see people,' says California's Ron Dailey

(Newser) - A man who planned to spend a day hunting in California's Sierra National Forest ended up spending nearly three weeks lost and struggling to survive. Ron Dailey, 65, of Selma, set out for the solo trip on Oct. 13. Family members said the experienced outdoorsman had planned to hunt...

Big Takeaways From Tuesday's Election
Big Takeaways
From Tuesday's
Election
THE RUNDOWN
Nov 5, 2025 6:42 AM CST

Big Takeaways From Tuesday's Election

Victories in key races signal shifting voter sentiment in favor of Democrats

(Newser) - Democrats scored sweeping victories across major states in Tuesday's elections, signaling a sharp backlash to President Trump's policies and offering their party new momentum ahead of the 2026 midterms. Voters turned out in "extraordinary" numbers for an off-year contest, per the New York Times , delivering wins for...

California Voters Approve Prop 50, Boosting Democrats

Effort expected to boost Democrats in 2026

(Newser) - California voters approved new congressional district boundaries Tuesday, delivering a victory for Democrats in the state-by-state redistricting battle that will help determine which party wins control of the US House in 2026 and, with it, the power to thwart or advance President Trump's agenda, the AP reports. The approval of...

Cops: Mom of Missing Girl Swapped License Plates

Authorities say Melodee Buzzard was last seen Oct. 9 near Colorado-Utah border

(Newser) - Authorities say the mother of missing 9-year-old Melodee Buzzard switched license plates during a cross-country road trip, a move investigators believe was intended to sidestep detection. The journey began Oct. 7, when Melodee and her mother, Ashlee Buzzard, left their home in Lompoc, California, for what was described as a...

Father Confesses to Killing Infant Son
He Killed
His Son, Then
Reported
Him Kidnapped
UPDATED
Nov 4, 2025 2:30 AM CST

He Killed His Son, Then Reported Him Kidnapped

Jake Haro sentenced in murder of 7-month-old Emmanuel

(Newser) - Jake Haro was sentenced Monday to more than 30 years behind bars in the murder of his 7-month-old son. The California man admitted to killing the boy after he and his wife, the boy's mother, initially reported the infant had been kidnapped outside a store in August, the AP...

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...

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