All articles tagged with #california
A lethal avian influenza strain H5N1 has infected Northern elephant seals at Año Nuevo State Park, with seven pups testing positive and about 30 seals dead since late last week, marking the first documented cases in this population.
The FBI executed search warrants at the Los Angeles Unified School District headquarters and at the superintendent Alberto Carvalho’s home as part of a police investigation, highlighting a federal probe into district affairs.
California’s Infant Botulism Treatment and Prevention Program sends handmade birthday cards to families of babies hospitalized for infant botulism, offering support months after treatment linked to ByHeart formula.
First-time California buyers have a 20-day window (Feb. 24–Mar. 16) to enter a lottery for up to $150,000 in down-payment assistance through CalHFA’s Dream For All Shared Appreciation Loan. The aid is a shared-appreciation loan repaid at sale or refinance plus 15–20% of the home’s appreciation, with funds recycled into the program. Eligibility requires at least one borrower to be a first-generation homebuyer, all borrowers to be first-time buyers, California residency, county income limits, a DFA lender pre-approval letter, and completion of a mandatory one-hour education course.
California is pushing to electrify home heating with heat pumps (aiming for six million installations by 2030), backed by rebates and easier permitting, but high electricity prices complicate the economics. A Harvard study finds regional differences: savings tend to occur in the South and Pacific Northwest, while the northern Midwest could see higher bills. In California, coastally favorable conditions are tempered by costly rates, larger or colder homes, and required electrical upgrades; solar can help, but upfront costs and rate plans largely determine whether heat pumps save money.
California Democrats gathered in San Francisco to pledge a national counterstrike against Donald Trump, praising Prop 50’s redistricting as a blueprint for resistance, honoring Pelosi and Newsom, and navigating a crowded governor’s race and internal debates over Silicon Valley’s influence as midterm momentum builds.
Two more people died Friday in unrelated incidents at Heavenly Resort near Lake Tahoe, adding to a Sierra winter that already claimed nine lives in the Castle Peak avalanche last week. The deaths involved a 33-year-old man skiing on an intermediate trail and a 58-year-old man in a medical emergency; authorities say the cases are unrelated, under investigation, and the names have not been released.
A Sacramento man convicted in 1999 of kidnapping and molesting eight children—luring them with candy and toys—has been granted elderly parole and will be released from the California Institution for Men in Chino, provoking anger from victims and the prosecutor who oversaw the case. Despite a sentence of 20 years plus three consecutive 25‑to‑life terms, the parole board deemed him suitable under California’s elderly parole rules, and the decision was upheld on review. Critics question how the program applies to him, with one survivor calling the parole a disservice to Californians. Prosecutors and advocates have urged screening him as a sexually violent predator, though CDCR did not comment on the release date or rationale.
With nine Democrats and two Republicans running for California governor, party leaders warn the crowded field could split the vote under the top-two jungle primary, potentially letting Republicans reach the general election; calls have emerged for candidates to drop out or unite to prevent a GOP victory in November 2026.
Nine skiers were killed in a Sierra Nevada avalanche near Lake Tahoe; after days of dangerous weather, rescuers recovered all victims from a 15-person backcountry group that included six women and three guides from Blackbird Mountain Guides, with four survivors previously rescued as crews fought through high avalanche danger and a storm.
All nine victims of the Sierra Nevada avalanche have been recovered after a multi-day, helicopter-assisted search; eight were found earlier this week and the last on Saturday. The group included six women who were close friends and experienced skiers, along with three professional guides, while six others survived. The incident is the deadliest avalanche in the U.S. since 1981, and responders faced brutal weather and a flight restriction while continuing mitigation and rescue operations.
Rescue teams recovered the bodies of nine missing backcountry skiers days after a California avalanche, concluding a multi-day recovery operation near Truckee with support from federal and local responders.
A heavy avalanche on Castle Peak in California’s Sierra Nevada during a multi-day backcountry ski trip killed eight skiers and left one missing, with six survivors sheltering as rescuers fought whiteout conditions and opened investigations into the incident.
Nevada County authorities opened a criminal negligence investigation into the Lake Tahoe avalanche that killed at least eight skiers and left a ninth missing, with OSHA notified and the district attorney to determine charges; the guiding company’s decisions are under scrutiny as six of 15 participants survived and recovery is hindered by hazardous weather.
A renowned astrophysicist, Carl Grillmair, 67, who contributed to the discovery of water on a distant planet, was shot dead on the front porch of his Llano, California home. Detectives later arrested 29-year-old Freddy Snyder on murder, carjacking and burglary charges with a $2 million bail; motive remains undisclosed and the investigation is ongoing. Grillmair, tied to Caltech and the Infrared Processing and Analysis Center, was celebrated for his work in astronomy and for building an observatory at his Antelope Valley residence.