California

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Mom Accused of Killing Daughter, 9, Enters a Plea

California's Ashlee Buzzard, who pleaded not guilty, faces life without parole if convicted

(Newser) - A California mother accused of killing her 9-year-old daughter in Utah has formally denied the charge and will remain behind bars as the case moves forward. Ashlee Buzzard, 40, of Lompoc, entered a not-guilty plea on Friday to a first-degree murder charge with special allegations in the death of her...

California Abandons Suit Over Federal Rail Money

Federal government wouldn't be a reliable partner on the project anyway, authority says

(Newser) - California has dropped its lawsuit against the Trump administration over the withdrawal of $4 billion in funding for the state's long-delayed high-speed rail project. The suit was filed soon after the Department of Transportation's announcement in July. The High-Speed Rail Authority said said this week that it will...

California Farm Heir Charged in Estranged Wife's Murder

Agribusiness scion Michael Abatti faces first-degree murder charge in Arizona

(Newser) - A homicide case in an Arizona mountain town has drawn in one of California's most powerful farming dynasties. Authorities say 63-year-old Michael Abatti, scion of an Imperial Valley agribusiness family, is being held in Imperial County, California, and is expected to be extradited to Arizona to face first-degree murder...

Fresh Storm Soaks Southern California
New Storm Brings
the Mud in California
photos
Dec 25, 2025 7:21 PM CST

New Storm Brings the Mud in California

Midwest, Northeast brace for major storm system

(Newser) - Another powerful storm system that could present Southern California with its wettest Christmas in years rolled into the region on Thursday, potentially causing more flooding and mudslides a day after heavy rain and gusty winds were blamed for at least two deaths. Forecasters warned the additional rain could increase the...

Deluge Begins in Southern California

Newsom declares state of emergency in LA County

(Newser) - A powerful winter storm swept through California on Wednesday, with heavy rain and gusty winds leading to evacuation warnings for mudslides in the south, bringing near white-out snow conditions in the mountains and hazardous travel for millions of holiday drivers. With forecasters warning of flash flooding and mudslides—and possibly...

Californians Warned: Maybe Don't Drive for Christmas

Atmospheric rivers are drenching the state

(Newser) - California officials and weather forecasters urged holiday travelers to avoid the roads on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day ahead of a series of powerful winter storms that threatened to slam the state with relentless rains, heavy winds, and mountain snow through Friday, the AP reports. Millions of people are expected...

SNL Writer Seeks Public's Help Finding Missing Sister

Christina Lynn Downer last seen in Los Angeles

(Newser) - Saturday Night Live writer Jimmy Fowlie is turning to the public for help as Los Angeles police search for his missing sister, Christina Lynn Downer. In an Instagram post shared Monday, the 40-year-old comedy writer said his family fears the 38-year-old may be in danger and asked followers to circulate...

During Group Swim, Witness Spots Shark Carrying a Body

55-year-old's remains missing following Sunday's report in Pacific Grove, California

(Newser) - A weekend swim off California's central coast has turned into a grim search for a missing woman after witnesses reported seeing a shark with a human body in its mouth. Authorities say a 55-year-old swimmer vanished around midday Sunday near Lovers Point in Pacific Grove, a popular Monterey County...

Cartel Honcho Who Faked Death, Came to US, Sentenced

Cristian Fernando Gutierrez-Ochoa gets 11 years

(Newser) - A Mexican cartel leader who faked his own death before taking up residence in California has been sentenced to 11 years in federal prison, reports CBS News . Cristian Fernando Gutierrez-Ochoa had been living under an alias before his arrest in the US in 2024. He pleaded guilty to laundering millions...

At LA Home Depot, a Painful Surprise for Day Laborers

Advocates slam high-pitch noise devices, say they cause physical harm like headaches and nausea

(Newser) - A Home Depot in Los Angeles is under fire for using high-pitched noise devices that critics say are making life miserable for day laborers who gather outside the store looking for work. The nonprofit Instituto de Educacion Popular del Sur de California (IDEPSCA) says that three sound-emitting machines were installed...

San Francisco Cable Car Jolts to a Stop, Injuring 15

So far, no clear reason for the mishap has emerged; investigation is ongoing

(Newser) - More than a dozen people were hurt when a San Francisco cable car abruptly stopped on Monday afternoon. Fifteen people had injuries ranging from minor to moderate, the San Francisco Fire Department posted on social media. Two of the injured were immediately taken to hospitals, while 11 others were treated...

California Hires Ousted CDC Director
California Hires
Ousted CDC Director
Dec 15, 2025 12:30 PM CST

California Hires Ousted CDC Director

Susan Monarez, Debra Houry to advise state's new public health initiative

(Newser) - California has hired two former CDC leaders who were fired or quit after clashes with the Trump administration. Gov. Gavin Newsom said Monday that former CDC director Susan Monarez, who claimed she was fired after refusing to approve vaccine guidance not backed by science , and former chief medical officer Debra...

Suspected DUI Driver Slams Into High School Running Team

Teens were waiting at Anaheim intersection when car veered off the road

(Newser) - Eight members of a California high school running team were hospitalized Wednesday after a car veered off the road and struck them at a street intersection, say police, who are investigating the case as a possible DUI. The crash occurred just before 3pm as members of Anaheim High School's...

Poodle Snatching Suspect Busted After Highway Chase

Police in California say masked man grabbed dog from woman on walk

(Newser) - A man is facing robbery charges after police said he snatched a poodle from a woman out for a walk in San Mateo, California, and then led officers on a brief chase on the highway. Authorities say the incident unfolded around 9am Monday, when a masked suspect, identified as 33-year-old...

Judge Ends National Guard Deployment in LA

Ruling finds Trump administration acted illegally in keeping troops there for 6 months

(Newser) - A federal judge in California has decided that the crisis that once justified keeping National Guard troops in Los Angeles is over. In a ruling Wednesday, per the Los Angeles Times , US District Judge Charles R. Breyer ordered the Trump administration to immediately end its deployment of California National Guard...

Son Arrested in Grammy-Nominated Singer's Fatal Stabbing

Police say 31-year-old Micah Sykes attacked Jubilant Sykes at home

(Newser) - Grammy-nominated singer Jubilant Sykes was fatally stabbed inside his California home on Monday, allegedly by his own son. A third person called 911 to report an assault in progress around 9:20pm, per KTLA . Santa Monica police found 71-year-old Sykes, a gospel and opera singer, with "critical injuries consistent...

Romney's Sister-in-Law Found Dead in California
Mitt Romney's
Sister-in-Law
Took Her Own Life
UPDATED
Dec 10, 2025 12:00 AM CST

Mitt Romney's Sister-in-Law Took Her Own Life

Carrie Romney was found dead near California mall in October

(Newser) - The death of Mitt Romney's sister-in-law has been ruled a suicide, NBC Los Angeles reports. Carrie Elizabeth Romney was found dead after a fall from the rooftop of a five-story parking garage in southern California in October. The county medical examiner determined the 64-year-old died from blunt traumatic injuries...

School Reopenings Tied to Better Mental Health for Kids

Study finds sharp drop in mental health visits, prescriptions after pandemic closures ended

(Newser) - A new study suggests that the mental health of California children was boosted significantly after schools resumed in-person classes in 2021, adding weight to the debate over the costs of prolonged pandemic school closures, per the New York Times . Researchers analyzed medical claims for nearly 186,000 privately insured children...

FBI: She Stole $30M From Banks, Posing as Heiress

Michigan woman Mary Carole McDonnell is now believed to be in Dubai

(Newser) - The FBI is searching for a 73-year-old Michigan woman accused of stealing nearly $30 million from financial institutions while pretending to be an heiress. Authorities allege that between July 2017 and May 2018, Mary Carole McDonnell defrauded banks in California's Los Angeles and Orange counties, falsely claiming she was...

Dad Dies Saving Son After Kayak Capsizes on California Lake

Neither was wearing a life jacket as kayak overturned on lake

(Newser) - A California father died over the weekend after keeping his 7-year-old son afloat long enough for rescuers to arrive when their kayak capsized Saturday afternoon at Lake Perris, about 70 miles east of Los Angeles, reports the Los Angeles Times . Neither the father nor the child was wearing a life...

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