California

Four arrested for plotting New Year's Eve attacks in Southern California

Federal authorities said Monday that they foiled a plot to bomb multiple sites of two US companies on New Year's Eve in Southern California after arresting members of an extremist anti-capitalist and anti-government group. The four suspects were arrested Friday in the Mojave Desert east of Los Angeles as they were rehearsing their plot, First Assistant US Attorney Bill Essayli said during a news conference. Officials showed reporters surveillance aerial footage of the suspects moving a large black object in the desert to a table. Officials said they were able to make the arrests before the suspects assembled a functional explosive device. In the criminal complaint, the four suspects named are Audrey Illeene Carroll, 30; Zachary Aaron Page, 32; Dante Gaffield, 24; and Tina Lai, 41. They are all from the Los Angeles area, Essayli said. Officials did not describe a motive but said they are members of an offshoot of a pro-Palestinian group dubbed the Turtle Island Liberation Front. The

California, 18 more US states to sue Trump over $100K H-1B visa fee hike

States argue that the $100,000 H-1B fee exceeds presidential authority, could disrupt tech, healthcare, and education, and adds a costly barrier for employers hiring skilled foreign workers

At least 4 dead, 10 injured in shooting at banquet hall in California

Four people were killed and 10 wounded in a shooting during a family gathering at a banquet hall in Stockton, sheriff's officials said Saturday. Heather Brent, a spokesperson for the San Joaquin County sheriff's office, said the victims included both children and adults. Early indications suggest this may have been a targeted incident, Brent said during a news conference at the scene. The shooting occurred inside the banquet hall, which shares a parking lot with other businesses. Detectives were still working to identify a possible motive. Authorities did not immediately provide additional information about the conditions of the victims. Officials said earlier that several were taken to hospitals.

Black Friday mall shooting wounds two, prompts evacuation in California

Police in California evacuated a shopping mall Friday, one of the busiest shopping days of the year, after a shooting left two people with gunshot wounds. The shooting was an isolated incident, the San Jose Police Department said on the social platform X. Officers evacuated and cleared Valley Fair Mall in Santa Clara to confirm there was no threat to public safety. The wounded were taken to a hospital, police said. San Jose and Santa Clara are neighbouring cities about 80 kilometres south of San Francisco. The day after Thanksgiving, known in the retail industry as Black Friday, marks the official start of the holiday shopping season in the US and is the biggest shopping day of the year.

Trump admin sues California over law banning masked federal agents

The Trump administration filed a lawsuit Monday over California's new laws banning federal agents from wearing masks and requiring them to have identification while conducting operations in the state. The federal government has argued the laws threaten the safety of officers who are facing unprecedented harassment, doxing, and violence and said it will not comply with them. California became the first state to ban most law enforcement officers, including federal immigration agents, from covering their faces while conducting official business under a bill that was signed in September by Governor Gavin Newsom. The law prohibits neck gaiters, ski masks and other facial coverings for local and federal officers, including immigration enforcement agents, while they conduct official business. It makes exceptions for undercover agents, protective equipment like N95 respirators or tactical gear, and it does not apply to state police. Newsom also signed legislation requiring law enforcement

Indian-origin truck driver sober during US crash, faces negligence charge

An Indian-origin driver who crashed his semi-truck killing three people in California last month was not driving while intoxicated, contrary to initial reports, but the case remains a grossly negligent homicide, US authorities have said. Jashanpreet Singh, 21, of Yuba City was arrested on October 21 under suspicion of driving under the influence' (DUI) and was charged with vehicular manslaughter with gross negligence as well as DUI causing injury in the multi-vehicle crash. Three people were killed and several others seriously injured in the crash in Ontario, California. An updated complaint, filed last week, said that toxicology reports confirmed that none of the substances tested were present in Singh's blood at the time the test was rendered. However, the case remains a grossly negligent homicide, the San Bernardino County District Attorney's Office said. The updated complaint includes the three counts of vehicular manslaughter with gross negligence, as well as the new charge o

British political commentator Sami Hamdi detained at California airport

Sami Hamdi, a British political commentator, was being held Monday by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement after he was detained by ICE officers at San Francisco International Airport, according to federal officials. One senior US official said the detention was related to comments he has made about the Middle East. Hamdi, who is Muslim, was on a speaking tour in the US and on Saturday had addressed the annual gala for the Sacramento, California, chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, or CAIR. Earlier this morning, ICE agents abducted British Muslim journalist and political commentator Sami Hamdi at San Francisco Airport, apparently in response to his vocal criticism of the Israeli government during his ongoing speaking tour, the group said in a Sunday social media post. The detention is the latest in the Trump administration's ramped up efforts to identify and potentially expel thousands of foreigners in the United States who it says have either fomented or ...

California Guv Newsom to consider presidential run after 2026 midterms

California Gov. Gavin Newsom, a leading Democratic critic of President Donald Trump, says he will consider running for the White House in 2028 after the midterm elections next year. Asked in an interview with CBS Sunday Morning whether if would be fair to say he would give a campaign serious thought after the November 2026 vote, the term-limited governor said, I'd be lying otherwise. Newsom has been trying to raise his national profile, adopting a combative style that parodies Trump's social media strategy with similar all-caps posts, memes and merchandise. The Democratic governor has sparred with the Republican president over the deployment of the California National Guard following immigration protests and Trump's redistricting moves in Texas. Newsom has also led a campaign to redraw California's own maps to add five Democratic US House seats in response to the changes in Texas. Voting is underway on the so-called Proposition 50 and concludes on November 4. "I'm looking forward

Indian truck driver held in US after 3 killed in chain-reaction crash

Jashanpreet Singh, 21, who has reportedly been living in the US illegally, was arrested in California for vehicular manslaughter and driving under the influence of drugs

California governor signs law to protect kids from risks of AI chatbots

California Governor Gavin Newsom on Monday signed legislation to regulate artificial intelligence chatbots and protect children and teens from the potential dangers of the technology. The law requires platforms to remind users they are interacting with a chatbot and not a human. The notification would pop up every three hours for users who are minors. Companies will also have to maintain a protocol to prevent self-harm content and refer users to crisis service providers if they express suicidal ideation. Newsom, who has four children under 18, said California has a responsibility to protect kids and teens who are increasingly turning to AI chatbots for everything from homework help to emotional support and personal advice. "Emerging technology like chatbots and social media can inspire, educate, and connect but without real guardrails, technology can also exploit, mislead, and endanger our kids," the Democrat said. We've seen some truly horrific and tragic examples of young people

Judge halts Trump admin from sending National Guard troops to Oregon

President Donald Trump is sending 300 California National Guard members to Oregon after a judge blocked the administration from deploying that state's guard to Portland, according to California Gov. Gavin Newsom. Newsom pledged Sunday to fight the move in court. There was no official announcement from Washington that the California National Guard was being called up and sent to Oregon, just as was the case when Illinois' governor made a similar announcement Saturday about troops in his state being activated. Newsom, a Democrat, said in a statement that California personnel were on their way Sunday and called the deployment a breathtaking abuse of the law and power. The commander-in-chief is using the US military as a political weapon against American citizens, Newsom said in the statement. We will take this fight to court, but the public cannot stay silent in the face of such reckless and authoritarian conduct by the president of the United States. A Trump-appointed federal judge

Trump deploys California Guard to Oregon despite setback from court

The troops arrived Saturday night with no prior notice to state officials, and more troops are on the way, Oregon Governor Tina Kotek said in a statement Sunday

California Guv Newsom to sue Trump over sending National Guard to Oregon

The move marked another dramatic escalation in President Donald Trump's campaign to federalise law enforcement in Democratic states

Indian techie shot dead in California, Vodafone Idea shares, Trump media crackdown

A 30-year-old Indian techie was shot dead by Santa Clara police in California on 3rd September. His family was informed about his death only 15 days later. The family has now appealed to India’s Minis

Indian techie shot by US police; family seeks MEA's help to bring back body

In a statement, the Santa Clara Police Department in the US identified the deceased as Mohammed Nizamuddin, who hailed from Mahabubnagar in Telangana

University of California students, professors, staff sue Trump admin

The Trump administration is using civil rights laws to wage a campaign against the University of California in an attempt to curtail academic freedom and undermine free speech, according to a lawsuit filed Tuesday by faculty, staff, student organisations and every labour union representing UC workers. The lawsuit comes weeks after the Trump administration fined the University of California, Los Angeles $1.2 billion and froze research funding after accusing the school of allowing antisemitism on campus and other civil rights violations. It was the first public university to be targeted with a widespread funding freeze. The administration has frozen or paused federal funding over similar allegations against elite private colleges, including Harvard, Brown and Columbia. According to the lawsuit, the Trump administration has made several demands in its proposed settlement offer to UCLA, including giving government access to faculty, student, and staff data, releasing admissions and hirin

US heatwave smothers Pacific Northwest, poses risk in California, Arizona

Residents of the western US are sweltering in a heat wave that's already hospitalized some as temperatures will continue to hit dangerous levels throughout the weekend in Washington, Oregon, Southern California, Nevada and Arizona. Around 1.2 million people were under extreme heat risk Saturday, meaning temperatures are expected to stay dangerously high with no relief overnight. The largest area under the warning is around Tucson, Arizona, where the National Weather Service forecast dangerous highs between 102 and 107 degrees Fahrenheit (39 and 42 degrees Celsius). Areas of inland Southern California also faced extreme risk. Another 18.6 million are under major heat risk, affecting workers and anyone without regular cooling and hydration, including in Miami. Portland, Oregon, reported a record high for August 22, according to preliminary data. Struggling through the smothering heat were long-distance runners who were passing a baton in a relay race from inland Mt. Hood to the Pacifi

Trump admin seeks $1 bn settlement from UCLA, says White House official

The Trump administration is seeking a $1 billion settlement from the University of California, Los Angeles, a White House official said Friday. The person was not authorised to speak publicly about the request and spoke on condition of anonymity. The Trump administration has suspended $584 million in federal grants, the university said this week. In recent weeks, the Department of Justice has accused UCLA of antisemitism. UCLA is the first public university whose federal grants have been targeted by the administration over allegations of civil rights violations related to antisemitism and affirmative action. The Trump administration has frozen or paused federal funding over similar allegations against private colleges. The new UC president, James B Milliken, said in a statement Friday that it had received notice from the Department of Justice and is reviewing it. Earlier this week, we offered to engage in good faith dialogue with the Department to protect the University and its .

Trump admin freezes $584 mn UCLA grants, research projects at risk

The Trump administration has suspended USD 584 million in federal grants for the University of California, Los Angeles, nearly double the amount that was previously thought, the school's chancellor announced on Wednesday. UCLA is the first public university whose federal grants have been targeted by the administration over allegations of civil rights violations related to antisemitism and affirmative action. The Trump administration has frozen or paused federal funding over similar allegations against private colleges. "If these funds remain suspended, it will be devastating for UCLA and for Americans across the nation," Chancellor Julio Frenk said on Wednesday in a statement, noting the groundbreaking research that has come out of the university. The departments affected rely on funding from the National Science Foundation, the National Institutes of Health and the Department of Energy, Frenk said. The US Department of Education did not immediately respond to an email from The ...

Massive California wildfire grows, becomes state's largest in 2025

Rising temperatures on Wednesday posed new challenges for firefighters who have made incremental progress against a massive wildfire in central California that has injured four people as it has become the biggest blaze in the state so far this year. More than 870 remote homes and other structures at the northern edge of Los Padres National Forest are threatened by the Gifford Fire, which grew only slightly overnight after burning out of control for days. The fire has scorched at least 339 square kilometres of Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo counties, with just 9 per cent containment. It surpassed the 326-square-kilometer Madre Fire, which erupted last month in southeastern San Luis Obispo County, as the state's largest fire of 2025. Crews working in steep, inaccessible terrain will be dealing with temperatures in the mid-90s (35 Celsius) on Wednesday and above 100 (38 Celsius) on Thursday, said Capt. Scott Safechuck with the Santa Barbara County Fire Department. We have hot weath