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Judge orders mental health evaluation for man found with gun at Trump golf course in LA
Judge ruled Jeanine John Taele, discovered with firearm days before Trump visit, was unfit to face felony charge
A judge in California has suspended criminal proceedings against a man found with a loaded gun near Donald Trump’s golf course in Los Angeles, and instead ordered him to undergo a mental health evaluation.
Jeanine John Taele, 38, of Downey, California, was arrested for weapons violations days before the president spoke at a 5 August Republican fundraiser at the Trump National Golf Club in Rancho Palos Verdes.
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© Photograph: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

© Photograph: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

© Photograph: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images
A Surrogate Refused an Abortion and Fled to Texas. Now She Wants Custody of the Baby.

© LM Otero/Associated Press
Newsom Lists Sacramento Home for $7.5 Million as He Prepares to Leave Town

© Fred Greaves/Reuters
Gavin Newsom puts Spanish-style California mansion up for sale for $7.5m
The 12-bath, seven-bed home near the state capital boasts a 5,000-bottle wine cellar, a pool and a tennis court
California governor Gavin Newsom has put his Sacramento-area mansion up for sale, before his term will end in January.
The 12-bath, seven-bed Spanish-style home in Fair Oaks, a suburb of the California capital, hit the market on Monday with an asking price of $7.5m. The estate, which sits on a 8.2-acre (3.3-hectare) parcel of land, boasts an array of amenities including a full-size tennis court, a 5,000-bottle wine cellar, a pool, a cold plunge and a hot tub, according to a Zillow listing from realtors Matthew Hindy and Nick Sadek.
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© Photograph: Nick Sadek Sotheby's International Realty

© Photograph: Nick Sadek Sotheby's International Realty

© Photograph: Nick Sadek Sotheby's International Realty
The ex-gang member breaking the cycle of violence among LA youths
‘A child isn’t born to commit gun violence,’ Francisco Villarruel says
Francisco Villarruel and Gustavo Galvez sat in a park in Los Angeles reminiscing on their first boxing lesson together. They had gone to a big commercial gym, where they took turns hitting boxing pads and doing footwork exercises. They then started regularly training together.
For Villarruel, 40, working out together wasn’t really about boxing. It was about giving Galvez, 19, an opportunity to open up and to mentor someone whose pain he understands. “ I think a lot of the traumatic scenarios that he went through are very similar to mine in my upbringing,” Villarruel said.
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© Composite: The Guardian/Getty Images/Francisco Villarruel

© Composite: The Guardian/Getty Images/Francisco Villarruel

© Composite: The Guardian/Getty Images/Francisco Villarruel
Tech Leaders Haven’t Stopped the Billionaire Tax So Far. Will Ads Work?

© Mike Kai Chen for The New York Times
Nevada files lawsuit challenging federal plan for Colorado River revival
In Trump administration’s plan, California, Arizona and Nevada face about a 20% cut to water supply over two years
Nevada filed a federal lawsuit on Monday challenging the Trump administration’s new plan for the imperiled Colorado River, launching what could become the first of many court battles over the waterway that supplies 40 million people, dozens of tribes and 5.5m acres of farm land across the American west.
The federal plan, issued Friday, cut roughly 20% from the water supplied to lower basin states – Nevada, Arizona and California – over the next two years, with a potential for harsher cutbacks in the future, based on conditions.
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© Photograph: George Frey/Getty Images

© Photograph: George Frey/Getty Images

© Photograph: George Frey/Getty Images
French tourist dies in California’s Death Valley after being stranded in heat
Man, 68, was left searching for help in 116F weather after his car became stuck in mud along remote park road
A French tourist recently died in Death Valley national park after a car mishap left him stranded in 116F (47C) weather.
The visitor, identified as 68-year-old Pierre Michel Formosa, was traveling with another French man along the park’s remote West Side Road when their vehicle became stuck in mud near Queen of Sheba Mine Road.
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© Photograph: AaronP/Bauer-Griffin/GC Images

© Photograph: AaronP/Bauer-Griffin/GC Images

© Photograph: AaronP/Bauer-Griffin/GC Images
California Cancels Talks With Paramount Over Warner Bros. Merger

© Daniel Cole/Reuters
Harry and Meghan See Their California Dreams, and Riches, Fade Away

© Dylan Martinez/Reuters
Trump Accounts Get an Unlikely Endorser: Gavin Newsom

© Jeff Chiu/Associated Press
‘Darth Vader’ comes out in favor of Flock cameras at San Diego city council meeting
The dark lord – or someone dressed like him – said the technology would aid the empire in tracking ‘rebel scum’
A man dressed as Darth Vader appeared to poke fun at San Diego officials for using Flock Safety automated license plate readers at a city council meeting this week, a stunt that comes as the company faces growing backlash linked to spying concerns.
The man, whose real identity remains unknown, masqueraded on Thursday as the Star Wars villain at a San Diego public safety committee meeting.
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© Photograph: City of San Diego

© Photograph: City of San Diego

© Photograph: City of San Diego
The US has a plan to save the Colorado River. Experts say it won’t be enough to stop the crisis
The 10-year blueprint mandates water cuts of up to 40% for California, Arizona and Nevada
It’s official: after years of tense negotiations and missed deadlines, there is finally a plan to govern the future of the imperiled Colorado River - or at least the makings of one.
With the previous framework set to expire in October, the US Bureau of Reclamation publicly released its proposal for a new plan on Friday.
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© Photograph: John Locher/AP

© Photograph: John Locher/AP

© Photograph: John Locher/AP
Trump talks up White House ballroom and says he views strait of Hormuz as ‘American territory’ – as it happened
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US Senator Tim Sheehy, a Montana Republican and a cattle rancher, has come out against a plan announced Friday by Donald Trump to allow for an increase in imported ground beef.
”I’ve advised President Trump against this course of action for a year because American ranchers have been struggling against the packer monopoly for decades, and this will further harm them - most of whom are MAGA Republicans,” Sheehy wrote on X. “The President’s heart is in the right place on wanting lower prices for the American people, and beef prices have been impacted by the Mexican screwworm. But the reality is this action will make it more difficult for American ranchers to rebuild our herd and bring prices down for the American people. And most importantly, this will harm our ranching families who feed the nation.”
Trump announced a plan on Truth Social to allow 300,000 metric tonnes of beef to be imported without tariffs over the next 90 days, to be sold for hamburger at a 25 percent discount to current prices. Trump offered this agreement with an unnamed source as measure to lower prices while “as we work to rebuild this herd and help our ranchers.”
The US beef cattle herd is near historic lows, and beef prices have skyrocketed over the last year. The average price of ground beef in American cities is around $7.12 a pound, an increase of 9.4 percent year-over-year according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
This is a slap in the face to every war hero and every service member who has worn the uniform. It’s beyond comprehension for a president to want his own name on a Navy ship while our armed forces are living in deteriorating conditions aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln. For generations, millions of Black women and men have proudly served in the United States military, defending freedoms that too often were not even afforded to them, their families, or their communities. Donald Trump is making a mockery of that legacy by treating military service as another opportunity for personal branding. Our brave service members signed up to defend the nation, not the fragile ego of one man. America deserves better than this.
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© Photograph: Evan Vucci/Reuters

© Photograph: Evan Vucci/Reuters

© Photograph: Evan Vucci/Reuters
He has a work permit, a coffee shop – and an ICE ankle monitor: ‘Is this America?’
Business owner Assim Alkhawaja was arrested by ICE as he dropped off Lyft passengers at a military base. Now he’s stuck in a terrifying fight to stay in the US
Deep within the bowels of San Diego’s federal courthouse, Assim Alkhawaja sat on the floor outside a nondescript office, waiting to be called for his ICE-mandated immigration appointment. He stared straight ahead, his posture tense, his face a mask.
The hallway was brown, as was the carpet. Above Alkhawaja’s head hung a framed stock photo of a waterfall. A few paces away, official government signs encouraged people without legal status to self-deport. “Leave on your own terms,” they read, in several languages. “Claim a free flight and an exit bonus for each member of your family.”
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© Photograph: Amanda Ulrich

© Photograph: Amanda Ulrich

© Photograph: Amanda Ulrich
We’ll never be royals: the California town where Prince Harry and Meghan lived says goodbye
As the couple plans their return to the UK, Montecito’s whirlwind stint on the global stage may be coming to an end
The bucolic coastal California town of Montecito was thrust into the limelight six years ago as the backdrop for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s second act following an acrimonious split from Buckingham Palace.
But as the couple plans their return to the United Kingdom, Montecito’s whirlwind stint on the global stage may be coming to an end.
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© Photograph: David McNew/AFP/Getty Images

© Photograph: David McNew/AFP/Getty Images

© Photograph: David McNew/AFP/Getty Images
Florida Counts Its Election Ballots Fast. Why Can’t California Keep Up?

© Lynne Sladky/Associated Press
Aisha Wahab Wins California Special Election to Replace Eric Swalwell

© Heather Diehl/Getty Images
Progressive Aisha Wahab wins California special election to fill Eric Swalwell seat
State senator beats rival Melissa Hernandez and will replace US congressman who quit amid sexual misconduct claims
Progressive Aisha Wahab has been elected to Congress in a special election following a bitter intra-party battle over the seat formerly held by Eric Swalwell, who resigned in April after facing sexual misconduct allegations. Swalwell has denied the allegations.
Wahab, a state senator, was widely considered the frontrunner in the district in California’s East Bay and had the backing of the state Democratic party as well as Our Revolution, labor unions, local officials and the state’s attorney general, Rob Bonta.
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© Photograph: Jeff Chiu/AP

© Photograph: Jeff Chiu/AP

© Photograph: Jeff Chiu/AP
Website behind widely shared fake election polls run by 21-year-old
Exclusive: Rahil Prakash tells the Guardian: ‘I wanted to see if fake polls could penetrate the ecosystem that easily’
A 21-year-old recent college graduate was behind an anonymous website that put out widely shared fake election polling in Wisconsin, Nevada and California, the Guardian can reveal.
The website, Median Strategies, abruptly shut down and withdrew its polling earlier this week following questions from a reporter from the Los Angeles Times. In an unsigned statement, it described a “short-term social experiment” to examine how fake polling “could enter and spread through the political information ecosystem without independent verification”.
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© Photograph: Kayla Wolf/AP

© Photograph: Kayla Wolf/AP

© Photograph: Kayla Wolf/AP
Homeland Security Made a Big Claim About Noncitizen Voting. Now It Can’t Prove It.

© Roger Kisby for The New York Times
Controversial California oil pipeline can continue to operate, judge rules
State sought to stop system off coast of Santa Barbara from resuming operations after Trump ordered its reopening
An oil pipeline can continue to operate off the California coast after a judge gave it the green light this week, despite the opposition of state regulators and environmental groups.
The system off the coast of Santa Barbara resumed operations earlier this year for the first time in more than a decade after Donald Trump ordered Sable Offshore Corporation to reopen it, citing US energy needs during the war in Iran.
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© Photograph: Bloomberg/Getty Images

© Photograph: Bloomberg/Getty Images

© Photograph: Bloomberg/Getty Images
FBI raids Eric Swalwell’s home amid sexual assault claims inquiry – report
Federal agents also ‘seized electronic devices’ from former Democratic representative at San Francisco airport
Authorities are said to have searched the Washington DC home of disgraced former California Democratic representative Eric Swalwell on Sunday amid an ongoing law enforcement investigation into sexual assault allegations.
CNN reported that federal agents on Saturday also “seized electronic devices” from Swalwell at the San Francisco airport, citing unnamed sources familiar with the investigation. Multiple other outlets have confirmed the federal search; the Daily Mail was the first to report this law enforcement activity.
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© Photograph: Rich Pedroncelli/AP

© Photograph: Rich Pedroncelli/AP

© Photograph: Rich Pedroncelli/AP
‘It kept adding up’: how add-on utility fees can lead to eviction for tenants
Tenants can be evicted for not paying utilities even if they have paid rent – tenants and their allies are fighting back
This story was supported and co-published by the journalism non-profit the Economic Hardship Reporting Project
In 2024, Constance Soule got a surprise from her landlord: a “notice of termination” that gave her 10 days to move out of her apartment.
Soule, a disabled Alzheimer’s patient with a housing voucher, had paid her rent at a Larkspur, California, complex managed by Greystar, the country’s largest apartment manager. But she was about to be evicted from her home across from the Golden Gate Bridge solely over utility charges, court documents show.
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© Composite: Courtesy Virgil Square Tenants Association

© Composite: Courtesy Virgil Square Tenants Association

© Composite: Courtesy Virgil Square Tenants Association
This California town booted out its leaders. Now they’re refusing to leave
Avenal has been rocked by the council’s refusal to accept the results of a recall election – and the repercussions extend far beyond the Central valley
From the outside, the city of Avenal appears to embody every bit of its motto – an “oasis in the sun”. Approaching the community, passing through the dusty yellow hillsides of the Central valley, Avenal emerges with a sudden burst of green on the horizon.
Its small-town feel and quiet tree-lined streets offer respite from the bustling Interstate 5 about five miles away. But trouble is brewing here that has brought this lonesome city national attention.
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© Photograph: Philip Cheung/The New York Times/Redux/eyevine

© Photograph: Philip Cheung/The New York Times/Redux/eyevine

© Photograph: Philip Cheung/The New York Times/Redux/eyevine
Harry and Meghan’s Break With Britain and Planned Return: a Timeline

© Asanka Ratnayake/Getty Images
Reporters and military duo held at gunpoint by security at US space force base
Officers reportedly believed invitees were trying to make unauthorized entry on to Vandenberg base in California
Five news reporters and two members of the military who were invited to an event at the Vandenberg space force base in California were briefly detained at gunpoint by security officers who thought they were gatecrashers, according to local news reports.
The incident happened on Monday ahead of an invitation-only groundbreaking for a new training facility for missile operators at the federal airfield near Santa Barbara, California. Reporters from Noozhawk and KEYT were among those detained, and both outlets published articles detailing the detainment.
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© Photograph: Matt Hartman/AP

© Photograph: Matt Hartman/AP

© Photograph: Matt Hartman/AP
UC Berkeley professor admits to using AI to edit op-ed on students’ math skills
Zvezdelina Stankova says she used AI to ‘help edit’ an article about some of her students being ‘five to eight years’ behind
A math professor at the University of California, Berkeley, criticizing a “severe” math deficiency among students in an op-ed for the San Francisco Standard, admitted to using artificial intelligence to help edit the piece.
The Standard published a 2,000-word piece by Zvezdelina Stankova last week, in which the professor said some of her math students were “five to eight years” behind and lacked a “middle school” education on fractions and basic algebra. Stankova said the UC system’s test-blind admissions were to blame, suggesting that students who weren’t sufficiently prepared for the rigor of Berkeley’s mathematics program were admitted because a longstanding benchmark like the SAT had disappeared.
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© Photograph: Ben Margot/AP

© Photograph: Ben Margot/AP

© Photograph: Ben Margot/AP
California becomes first US state to set efficiency rules for replacement tires
Regulations that would block sale of older tires praised by environmental groups amid rightwing backlash
California has become the first state in the nation to mandate that replacement tires be energy efficient, a major auto industry regulation set to block the sale of older tires and make vehicles on the road greener.
State regulators have said the new rules will reduce emissions and drivers’ fuel costs. But the rules – which come as the Trump administrations fights to block other California restrictions to promote greener cars – have already sparked a rightwing backlash, with one conservative news outlet calling the policies a “massive overreach”.
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© Photograph: Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

© Photograph: Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

© Photograph: Justin Sullivan/Getty Images
Firefighters sound alarm as US faces critical staffing shortage: ‘We don’t have enough people’
Firefighters describe being pushed to limit by a brutal wildfire season, with key leadership roles going unfilled
The US has faced a critical shortage of firefighters at the US Forest Service (USFS) this summer as thousands of fires erupted across the country.
Despite officials’ claims that the firefighting workforce was stronger than ever, the agency has failed to keep pace with escalating conditions and the catastrophic fires fueled by them, according to nine firefighters who spoke to the Guardian anonymously, because they are barred from disclosing the information to the public.
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© Photograph: San Francisco Chronicle/Hearst Newspapers/Getty Images

© Photograph: San Francisco Chronicle/Hearst Newspapers/Getty Images

© Photograph: San Francisco Chronicle/Hearst Newspapers/Getty Images
The fight to protect a trans landmark in California from ICE’s biggest contractor
Compton’s Cafe is one of the earliest examples of LGBTQ+ resistance. Today, a prison company occupies the site
One of the earliest documented examples of LGBTQ+ resistance against police happened on a hot summer night 60 years ago this month. It started not with the throwing of a brick, as it did in New York City’s 1969 Stonewall riots, but with the throwing of a coffee cup inside Compton’s Cafeteria in San Francisco.
When police attempted to raid Compton’s – a hub for the drag performers, trans people and sex workers in the city’s Tenderloin neighborhood – hundreds of people in the community fought back. A drag queen threw a coffee mug at a police officer; others threw dishes and chairs outside. It was the culmination of years of police harassment, arrests and violence against the community and the beginning of the city’s trans movement.
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© Photograph: Don Rasmussen/ProBonoPhoto.org

© Photograph: Don Rasmussen/ProBonoPhoto.org

© Photograph: Don Rasmussen/ProBonoPhoto.org
Republicans reportedly fear datacenter backlash could cost them Ohio Senate seat – as it happened
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Those unfamiliar with Alaska politics are likely raising an eyebrow at some repeated names.
No, we’re not talking about Dan S Sullivan and Dan J Sullivan, two Republicans with the same name running for US Senate – an issue that went to the state supreme court earlier this summer. We’re talking about the Begiches. Nick Begich III, a Republican, is currently leading the race to represent Alaska in the US House of Representatives for a second term while Tom Begich, a Democrat, is advancing to the general election for governor in November.
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© Photograph: Bloomberg/Getty Images

© Photograph: Bloomberg/Getty Images

© Photograph: Bloomberg/Getty Images
California Passes New Rule Regulating Replacement Car Tires

© Justin Sullivan/Getty Images
When to Expect Election Results in Alaska, California, Florida and Wyoming

© Scott McIntyre for The New York Times
Trump Takes Aim at CNN Reporter Kristen Holmes During Event to Honor California Lifeguard

© Doug Mills/The New York Times
What to Watch in Tuesday’s Primary Elections in Alaska, Florida and Beyond

© Associated Press
A California County Eyes a New Hire: Tina Peters, the Election Denier

© David Zalubowski/Associated Press
Election denier Tina Peters to be hired as elections consultant in conservative California county
Shasta county, hotbed of US election denialism movement, set to appoint ex-Colorado clerk who served prison term
A northern California county that has become a hotbed of activism for those who sow doubts about the reliability of voting machines plans to hire Tina Peters, the prominent Colorado election denier recently released from prison, to work on elections.
Clint Curtis, the top election official in Shasta county, told the Guardian he plans to hire Peters as a consultant to replace Brent Turner, his top deputy, who has been on medical leave. He said Peters would not have access to the county’s voting system and did not directly respond when asked what her responsibilities would be. Plans to hire Peters, who is still on parole and must receive permission to travel outside Colorado, were first reported by Action News Now.
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© Photograph: David Zalubowski/AP

© Photograph: David Zalubowski/AP

© Photograph: David Zalubowski/AP
Trump tells 10-year-old rescued by teen lifeguard: ‘I don’t know if I’d do it’
President hosts Nathanial Rai and lifeguard Ryder Williams at White House after video of California rescue went viral
Nathanial Rai had been swept off his feet along the California coast, was rescued by a 16-year-old lifeguard – and was now sitting in the Oval Office with Donald Trump.
Of the rescuer, Ryder Williams, Trump said to Nathanial: “He’s a real hero. I don’t know if I’d do it.
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© Photograph: Alex Wong/Getty Images

© Photograph: Alex Wong/Getty Images

© Photograph: Alex Wong/Getty Images
AI eyes in the sky: new satellites and artificial intelligence are transforming wildfire detection
Hi-tech cameras orbiting Earth and on the ground, along with AI, help firefighters extinguish blazes before they spread
The fires in Spokane, Washington, this summer are the latest reminder that when a wildfire is detected can be just as important as where it starts. A blaze found within minutes can often be contained before it spreads. Wait too long, and a small spark can become a major disaster.
A new effort to shorten that timeline began in July when a SpaceX rocket carried the first three FireSat satellites into orbit. The trio is the first part of a planned network of 50 satellites built solely to spot wildfires while they are still small enough to stop.
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© Photograph: David Ryder/Reuters

© Photograph: David Ryder/Reuters

© Photograph: David Ryder/Reuters
‘Awed by nature’: fans mourn California’s beloved Jackie the bald eagle, whose legacy soars on
Famous raptor helped livestream viewers in difficult moments, and inspired a conservation project at her lake home
The bald eagle Jackie made her home on the shore of southern California’s Big Bear Lake for most of her 14 years. But her death earlier this week drew international attention.
The Los Angeles Times described her as “arguably the world’s most famous bald eagle”. For years, millions of people tuned into a live stream of Jackie’s nest, watching her rear her eaglets, work out life with her mate, Shadow, and, perhaps most memorably, incubate her eggs while almost completely buried in snow.
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© Photograph: Los Angeles County Parks San Dimas Raptor Rescue Center/AP

© Photograph: Los Angeles County Parks San Dimas Raptor Rescue Center/AP

© Photograph: Los Angeles County Parks San Dimas Raptor Rescue Center/AP
Joy in Hollywood as historic Cinerama dome to reopen: ‘People still want to go to the movies’
Sony Pictures in July announced that the celebrated theater, built in 1963 and shuttered during Covid, will reopen in 2028
Drive down Sunset Boulevard in Los Angeles, along the Hollywood Walk of Fame, and you’ll see a movie theater straight out of The Jetsons.
Built in 1963, the Cinerama dome is instantly memorable: a white, geodesic construction that looks like a giant golf ball cut in half and plopped down in the middle of the city.
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© Photograph: Jim Steinfeldt/Getty Images

© Photograph: Jim Steinfeldt/Getty Images

© Photograph: Jim Steinfeldt/Getty Images
California law would force companies to disclose toxic chemicals in disposable diapers
Legislation requiring disclosure of chemicals in diapers passed assembly and will go before state senate soon
New California legislation would require manufacturers to disclose the “mystery cocktail” of toxic chemicals used in disposable diapers.
Diapers often contain among the most toxic substances – phthalates, lead, Pfas, quats, arsenic, a range of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and “fragrance”, which can include any number of 1,200 compounds thought to be hazardous to human health.
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© Photograph: Polina Strelkova/Getty Images

© Photograph: Polina Strelkova/Getty Images

© Photograph: Polina Strelkova/Getty Images
AIPAC Targets Progressive Democrat in Race to Replace Swalwell
Years of Trump Support Came Undone in 15 Minutes in an Airport.

© Gabriela Bhaskar/The New York Times
Teenager pleads guilty to attacking California sea lion in viral video
Tyler Muehl, 18, could face a year in prison for kicking marine animal four times on La Jolla coast
An 18-year-old California man has admitted he kicked a sea lion in a video that went viral recently – while referring to himself by the name of an Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) competitor – and has pleaded guilty to a federal crime.
Tyler Muehl, of San Diego’s La Jolla neighborhood, faces up to a year in prison and a $100,000 fine after acknowledging in court on Thursday that he violated the Marine Mammal Protection Act’s prohibition on harassment of wildlife, federal prosecutors said in a statement.
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© Photograph: NurPhoto/Getty Images

© Photograph: NurPhoto/Getty Images

© Photograph: NurPhoto/Getty Images
An Unlikely Emergency Appeal to the Supreme Court From a Dog Named Bruce

© Allison Robbert for The New York Times
California Ignored Sexual Abuse of Women in Prison, Justice Dept. Says

© Dan Hernandez/San Francisco Chronicle, via Associated Press
Timber Fire Threatens California’s Big Sur Region: What to Know

© Nic Coury/Associated Press