All posts tagged: California

Woman killed and another in critical condition after being swept into the sea while sleeping on California beach

Woman killed and another in critical condition after being swept into the sea while sleeping on California beach

Published by Sam Flores

A woman was killed and another remains in critical condition after both were swept into the ocean by rough surf along the Santa Cruz County coast, marking California‘s second fatal ocean-related incident in recent days. On Wednesday, the two women, believed to be in their 20s, were pulled from the water near Yellow Bank Beach by eight rescue swimmers, according to the Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Office. One woman was airlifted from the beach by helicopter, while the other was transported using a Stokes basket, officials said. Investigators believe the women may have been sleeping when a rapidly rising tide caught them off guard and dragged them into the ocean, Santa Cruz County Fire Department Fire Captain Kyle Breton said. One woman was later pronounced dead at a hospital, while the other remained in critical condition as of Friday, a sheriff’s spokesperson confirmed. “Swimmers were able to locate the first victim and move them on to Panther Beach, where we began resuscitation efforts. A second victim was located further down shore, and was pulled into …

Inside Christian Pulisic’s bitter breakup with ex-girlfriend Alexa Melton

Inside Christian Pulisic’s bitter breakup with ex-girlfriend Alexa Melton

Published by Daniella Wilson

Stay ahead of the curve with our weekly guide to the latest trends, fashion, relationships and more Stay ahead of the curve with our weekly guide to the latest trends, fashion, relationships and more Stay ahead of the curve with our weekly guide to the latest trends, fashion, relationships and more Team USA star Christian Pulisic recently went through a public breakup with his girlfriend, Alexa Melton. The soccer star, 27, and pro golfer Melton, 25, were romantically linked in June 2024 when they were spotted together at the U.S. Women’s Open golf tournament. Melton also made several appearances at Pulisic’s AC Milan matches in Italy during the club’s 125th-anniversary event in December 2024. Pulisic, who made his 2026 World Cup debut Friday for Team USA, confirmed the relationship in his 2024 Paramount+ docuseries, PULISIC, saying that he and Melton connected when he slid into her DMs. However, it emerged just weeks ago that the relationship had ended. While neither Pulisic nor Melton provided a reason for the breakup, both have made public comments following …

69 Arrested In ‘Operation Hands Down’ Targeting Central California Gangs

69 Arrested In ‘Operation Hands Down’ Targeting Central California Gangs

Published by Jenni Sidey

Authored by Cynthia Cai via The Epoch Times, Authorities announced dozens of arrests, drug and firearm seizures, and thousands of dollars in cash confiscated in a large-scale operation targeting gangs in California’s Central Valley. Suspects arrested in Operation Hands Down. Fresno County Sheriff’s Office The multi-agency effort, dubbed Operation Hands Down, served 43 search warrants at various locations throughout the San Joaquin Valley, the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) stated in a June 10 press release. More than 500 law enforcement members joined the operation, leading to 69 arrests and the confiscation of 73 guns, 55 pounds of methamphetamine, 3 pounds of cocaine, a small amount of powdered fentanyl, and nearly $165,000. “This marked the culmination of a two-month undercover operation focusing on Mexican Mafia and Sureño gang members committing various crimes,” the CDCR stated. The arrests are expected to lower the amount of gang violence seen across the Central Valley, the department added. Among those arrested was Stefan Coronado from Stockton, California, who was identified as a secretary for the Mexican Mafia, …

How Americans Celebrated the Bicentennial — With Fireworks, a Freedom Train and Farrah

How Americans Celebrated the Bicentennial — With Fireworks, a Freedom Train and Farrah

Published by Sam Flores

WASHINGTON (AP) — In 1976’s “ Rocky,” heavyweight champion Apollo Creed arrives for the title fight dressed as George Washington, reenacting the crossing of the Delaware as models costumed as the Statue of Liberty lead the way. After entering the ring, Apollo switches into an Uncle Sam costume. “I want YOU!” he roars as he points to Rocky Balboa, the far less flamboyant palooka he’s chosen for this bicentennial bout in Philadelphia. Then the two boxers pound the daylights out of each other. It’s as accurate a representation of the American bicentennial vibe as has ever been put on film — plenty of fireworks, but not much thought about how 200 years of independence led to this. I was 13 years old in 1976. Kids my age — the tail end of the Baby Boom, or the vanguard of Generation X — grew up skeptical of the government. We had outlasted the Vietnam War and the Watergate scandal, with the occasional moment of joy — the moon landing, say — to break the gloom. The …

Veteran California US House Member Mike Thompson Will Face Democratic Challenger in November

Veteran California US House Member Mike Thompson Will Face Democratic Challenger in November

Published by Sam Flores

Democrat Eric Jones on Friday advanced to the November ballot in a Northern California congressional district, where he will face fellow Democratic Rep. Mike Thompson in the latest generational battle within the party. Jones, a 35-year-old former venture capitalist, took the second slot in California’s top-two, nonpartisan June 2 primary for the state’s 4th Congressional District. Thompson was first elected to the U.S. House in 1998 after serving as a state lawmaker. Having two Democrats on the ballot will ensure that the district, which includes the Napa-Sonoma wine country and stretches across a wide swath of Northern California north of the state capital, will remain in Democratic hands. The race becomes the second generational challenge against a California U.S. House Democrat. Rep. Doris Matsui, 81, replaced her late husband in the House when he died in 2005. She is facing a challenge from 41-year-old Sacramento City Councilwoman Mai Vang. In Los Angeles, 15-term Rep. Brad Sherman successfully fended off a younger Democratic challenger who did not advance to the November ballot because he failed to …

Jason Derulo faces criticism over ‘cruel’ underground shark tank in his California mansion

Jason Derulo faces criticism over ‘cruel’ underground shark tank in his California mansion

Published by Daniella Wilson

Stay ahead of the curve with our weekly guide to the latest trends, fashion, relationships and more Stay ahead of the curve with our weekly guide to the latest trends, fashion, relationships and more Stay ahead of the curve with our weekly guide to the latest trends, fashion, relationships and more Jason Derulo has been criticized by an animal welfare organization after he revealed his at-home shark tank. Last month, the “Watcha Say” singer, 36, showed his shark and stingray tank to YouTuber N3on on a recorded tour of his $15 million Tarzana, California home. In the video, he revealed that he lets his son name the animals. The circular tank is positioned underground as the living room’s centerpiece and covered by glass, allowing people to walk above it and see the animals swimming below. The video drew criticism from an animal welfare organization, the International Fund for Animal Welfare, after it circulated online. “Normalising the ownership of sharks in a domestic tank sends a damaging message to audiences around the world,” said IFAW’s Christian …

David Hockney obituary: ‘The loss to the art world is immense’ | UK | News

David Hockney obituary: ‘The loss to the art world is immense’ | UK | News

Published by Sam Flores

David Hockney was Britain’s most famous artist (Image: Getty) David Hockney, who has died aged 88, was Britain’s best-loved and most famous artist by a country mile. Instantly recognisable for his round spectacles, oversized suits and trademark flat caps, plus his peroxide blonde hair, he was a genius who created bold and unorthodox prints. Hockney, who died peacefully at home on Thursday, was best known for his swimming pool paintings that defined Californian’s carefree existence but also for his portraits, American landscapes and, later, for scenery of his native Yorkshire. In 2018, one of his swimming pool paintings sold at auction for nearly £70 million – at the time, a record for a living artist. Prime Minister Keir Starmer led tributes to Hockney, describing him as “one of Britain’s most celebrated artists”. A spokesman for Number 10 said: “His vivid, instantly recognisable work influenced generations of artists, and the Prime Minister’s thoughts are with his friends and family.” Alex Farquharson, director of Tate Britain, where a major Hockney exhibition is due to open in October …

Cajon Pass appears primed for a massive earthquake crossing two major Southern California faults

Cajon Pass appears primed for a massive earthquake crossing two major Southern California faults

Published by Jenni Sidey

The ground north and east of Los Angeles holds one of Southern California’s most uneasy meeting points. At Cajon Pass, the San Andreas and San Jacinto fault systems crowd together in a tectonic bottleneck. This is a place where the next major earthquake may not simply stay in its lane. A new study suggests that this junction is now carrying some of the highest modeled stress of the past 1,000 years. More striking still, the two fault systems appear to be loading in a pattern. In the past, this pattern has been linked to ruptures. These ruptures jumped across both systems rather than stopping at the pass. That distinction matters. A rupture confined to one fault is dangerous enough. One that crosses both could produce a far larger event across a heavily populated and infrastructure-rich part of Southern California. The San Andreas Fault System (SAFS) in Southern California, with the main SAF fault trace in purple and San Jacinto Fault trace in blue. (CREDIT: Journal of Geophysical Research) A junction with a long memory Earthquakes …

Why California Takes So Long to Count Votes

Why California Takes So Long to Count Votes

Published by Daniella Wilson

When it comes to counting votes, there’s no rushing California. America’s most populous state is also home to the nation’s most frustrating political tradition—a lengthy wait to find out the winners of key elections. Californians only learned yesterday evening—a full week after they finished casting ballots in the state’s primaries—which candidates had been nominated for governor. The state also took several days to determine who will advance in U.S. House races that could play a decisive role in which party controls Congress next year. And the counting is far from done. California’s glacial vote-count is a function of its enormous size and generous ballot-access laws; most people vote by mail, and the state will accept ballots that are postmarked by Election Day and arrive up to a week after. For years, Democratic state officials saw little urgency in hurrying the process, prioritizing accuracy and voter participation over speed in determining results. But this conspiracist political era, when the country’s loudest election denier happens to be its president, has started to change that mindset. Read: The …

Who Is Steve Hilton? Fox News Vet to Make California Governor Bid

Who Is Steve Hilton? Fox News Vet to Make California Governor Bid

Published by Daniella Wilson

A November California election will see a television personality make a run after all. A day after Spencer Pratt was eliminated from the L.A. mayoral race, former Fox News host Steve Hilton clinched second place in the California gubernatorial primary and will face Biden-era HHS secretary Xavier Becerra in the general election. The British-born newbie candidate held off progressive Tom Steyer, who had been nipping at Hilton’s heels as votes rolled in but could never quite close the gap. The Republican Hilton held a lead of at least 300,000 votes and four percentage points over Steyer pretty much since the primary a week ago, even as Becerra passed him for first place several days in. On Tuesday, with a fresh vote drop of more than 600,000 ballots, Steyer closed the gap slightly. But Hilton still maintained a lead of 200,000 votes and 2.5 percentage points after the vote drop. With just 9% of votes remaining to be counted, the AP late Tuesday called the race. The move ends the progressive billionaire Steyer’s bid to reform California with a series …