Page 4 - California

Biden announces 2 new monuments in California after wildfires destroy plans

In an announcement postponed by the Los Angeles wildfires, President Joe Biden on Tuesday designated two sites in California as national monuments that will honour Native American tribes while shielding picturesque mountains and deserts from mining and energy development. Biden made the designations at an event at the White House, a week after -- and on the other side of the country from -- how he'd originally planned to do so, with a speech in California's Eastern Coachella Valley. The president landed in California on January 6 but made it as far as Los Angeles before high winds -- that helped spark the Los Angeles blazes -- forced officials to scrap the event. It was a stark reminder that, even as Biden uses the last days of his administration to attempt to safeguard the environment, climate change is already helping to exacerbate natural disasters. Instead, Biden spoke next to screens featuring towering peaks, desert vistas and an array of plant and animal life. "I was hoping w

Southern California faces new wildfire warnings as winds regain strength

Weary and anxious from a week of massive blazes burning around Los Angeles, Southern California residents faced dire new wildfire warnings and power shutoffs Tuesday while they prepared to flee at a moment's notice as fire-fuelling winds blasted across the scarred landscape. The winds, predicted to reach near hurricane-force in some areas, were expected to peak Tuesday morning before easing and then regaining strength later in the day. A beefed-up firefighting force was in place to attack flareups or new blazes. A week after the first fires began, the flames have destroyed thousands of homes and killed at least 24 people. Life threatening and destructive and widespread winds are already here, LA city Fire Chief Kristin Crowley told a news conference. Residents gathered up their pets and family photos in case they had to make a hasty escape. In other developments, nine people were charged with looting, including a group that stole an Emmy award from a house that had been evacuated,

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Trump calls California wildfires 'worst catastrophes' in US history

The Los Angeles County medical examiner's office confirmed the death toll from the wildfires ravaging the area has risen to 16. The total of confirmed fatalities stands at 16 victims, and the cases remain under investigation. Five of the deaths were attributed to the Palisades Fire, and 11 resulted from the Eaton Fire, the coroner's office said in a statement Saturday evening. The previous number of confirmed fatalities was 11, but officials said they expected that figure to rise as cadaver dogs search levelled neighbourhoods and crews assess the devastation. Authorities have established a centre where people can report the missing. Firefighters raced to cut off spreading wildfires before potentially strong winds return that could push the flames toward the world famous J. Paul Getty Museum and the University of California, Los Angeles, while new evacuation warnings left more homeowners on edge. A fierce battle against the flames was underway in Mandeville Canyon, home to Arnold ..

USC seeks Indian collaborations to address healthcare challenges

India's efficient research systems and diverse population offer valuable opportunities for conducting impactful clinical trials

Federal govt to cover six months of California wildfire costs: Biden

Biden also spoke about the deployment of extensive federal resources, including firefighters, aircraft, and military personnel, to assist in combating the fires

California fires: Hollywood Hills burn as 'the big one' engulfs Los Angeles

More than 100,000 people were ordered to evacuate as dry, hurricane-force winds spread flames across parched ground that has seen no rain for months

Los Angeles wildfires burn towns, Hollywood in flames: What's happening?

Unrelenting wildfires fueled by dry conditions and fierce winds devastate Los Angeles, highlighting the growing impact of climate change on once-seasonal disasters

Damage, economic loss from California wildfire estimates top $50 bn

Raging wildfires in Los Angeles killed at least two people, destroyed hundreds of buildings and stretched firefighting resources

Donald Trump blames California Guv Newsom for Los Angeles wildfires

Trump said that Newsom wanted to protect a fish called a smelt by giving it less water instead of caring about the people of California

2 dead, 18 injured in small plane crash in Southern California, says police

Eleven people were injured when a small plane collided into the rooftop of a commercial building in Southern California, police said. Police got a report at 2.09 pm on Thursday about the crash in the Orange County city of Fullerton, said Kristy Wells, a Fullerton police spokesperson. Police and fire authorities arrived on scene and battled the blaze and evacuated surrounding businesses, Wells said. It was not immediately known what type of plane it was or whether those injured were in the aircraft or on the ground, Wells said. Fullerton is a city of about 1,40,000 people some 40 km southeast of Los Angeles.

US to pay $116 mn to settle lawsuits over sexual abuse at California prison

The U.S. government will pay nearly USD 116 million to resolve lawsuits brought by more than 100 women who say they were abused or mistreated at a now-shuttered federal prison in California that was known as the rape club because of rampant staff-on-inmate sexual misconduct. Under settlements approved Tuesday, the Justice Department will pay an average of about USD 1.1 million to each of 103 women who filed individual lawsuits against the Bureau of Prisons over their treatment at the Federal Correctional Institution in Dublin, California. The settlement follows one in a separate class-action last week in which the Bureau of Prisons agreed to open some of its facilities to a court-appointed monitor and publicly acknowledge pervasive abuse and retaliation at FCI Dublin. We were sentenced to prison, we were not sentenced to be assaulted and abused, lawsuit plaintiff and former Dublin prisoner Aimee Chavira said. I hope this settlement will help survivors, like me, as they begin to hea

Nvidia steps up hiring in China to focus on research in AI-driven cars

The world's second most valuable company will end the year with about 4,000 people, up from just about 3,000 at the start of 2024

Adobe forecasts below-estimate FY25 revenue on slower subscription spending

Adobe is making significant investments in AI-driven image and video generation technologies in response to the growing competition

Strong earthquake strikes off California, tsunami warning cancelled

A 7.0 magnitude earthquake shook a large area of Northern California on Thursday, knocking items of grocery store shelves, sending children scrambling under desks and prompting a brief tsunami warning for 5.3 million people along the US West Coast. The quake struck at 10:44 a.m. west of Ferndale, a small city in coastal Humboldt County, about 130 miles (209 km) from the Oregon border, the U.S. Geological Survey said. It was felt as far south as San Francisco, some 270 miles (435 km) away, where residents felt a rolling motion for several seconds. It was followed by smaller aftershocks. There were no immediate reports of major damage or injury. A tsunami warning was issued shortly after the temblor struck and covered nearly 500 miles (805 km) of coastline, from the edge of California's Monterey Bay north into Oregon. It was a strong quake, our building shook, we're fine but I have a mess to clean up right now, said Julie Kreitzer, owner of Golden Gait Mercantile, a store packed wit

Employee lawsuit claims Apple spies on workers even at home, gags speech

Amar Bhakta, who has been part of Apple's digital advertising team since 2020, claims the tech giant places significant restrictions on work devices

California lawmakers begin special session to protect state laws from Trump

California Governor Gavin Newsom and state lawmakers returned to the state Capitol on Monday to begin a special session to protect the state's progressive policies ahead of another Trump presidency. The Democratic governor, a fierce critic of President-elect Donald Trump, is positioning California to once again be the center of a resistance effort against the conservative agenda. He is asking his Democratic allies in the Legislature, who hold supermajorities in both chambers, to approve additional funding to the attorney general's office to prepare for a robust legal fight against anticipated federal challenges. Democratic Assemblymember Jesse Gabriel on Monday introduced legislation to set aside USD25 million for legal fees to respond to potential attacks by the Trump administration on state policies regarding civil rights, climate change, immigration and abortion access. While we always hope to collaborate with our federal partners, California will be ready to vigorously defend ou

Elon Musk slams delay in California vote count, praises India's poll system

Donald Trump won a second term as President of the United States after securing 295 electoral votes in the 2024 presidential election, defeating Democratic rival Kamala Harris, who garnered 226 votes

Storm brings record rain to northern California, US Northeast faces snow

A major storm dropped more snow and record rain in California, causing small landslides and flooding some streets, while on the opposite side of the country blizzard or winter storm warnings were in effect Saturday for areas spanning from the Northeast to central Appalachia. The storm on the West Coast arrived in the Pacific Northwest earlier this week, killing two people and knocking out power to hundreds of thousands, mostly in the Seattle area, before its strong winds moved through Northern California. Santa Rosa, California, saw its wettest three-day period on record with about 32 cm of rain falling by Friday evening, according to the National Weather Service in the Bay Area. Flooding closed part of scenic Highway 1, also known as the Pacific Coast Highway, in Mendocino County and there was no estimate for when it would reopen, according to the California Department of Transportation. On the East Coast, another storm brought much-needed rain to New York and New Jersey, where ra

California voters reject raising minimum wage to nation-high $18 per hour

Voters in California have rejected a ballot measure that would have raised the state minimum wage to USD 18 per hour by 2026, the highest in the country. Opponents, including the California Chamber of Commerce, said it would have increased costs, led to higher taxes and pushed businesses to cut jobs. "With the economy and costs top of mind for many voters this election, that message appears to have resonated," said Jennifer Barrera, the chamber's president and CEO. Proponents estimated that the measure would have benefited two million workers, including hotel and grocery employees. "Proposition 32's failure to pass is disappointing for all Californians who believe that everyone who works should earn enough to support their families," said Kathy Finn, president of UFCW 770, a Southern California union representing nearly 30,000 workers in various sectors. The current minimum wage rates are USD 16 per hour for most workers and USD 20 in the fast-food sector. The health care sector w