SEIU Local 1000, representing nurses and teachers, pushing for higher wages, telework and affordable healthcare

Thousands of California state workers walked off the job Wednesday in a sweeping one-day strike as tensions boiled over lapsed contract negotiations with Governor Gavin Newsom’s administration.

SEIU Local 1000, a union that represents roughly 100,000 public employees, has been at an impasse with the state since its contract expired on 30 June.

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© Photograph: Jae C Hong/AP

© Photograph: Jae C Hong/AP

© Photograph: Jae C Hong/AP

“It feels surreal being done, this has been my entire life for nearly four months,” said Catherine Breed, who finished her historic journey near the Mexico border on Monday.

The statement revealed in court papers raises questions about the reliability of the list of 20,000 people in California

The justice department’s list of suspected non-citizens in California includes a “high percentage” of people born in the United States, Los Angeles election officials said on Tuesday.

The statement, made in court papers, raises further questions about the reliability of a list of 20,000 people the justice department provided to election officials in Los Angeles last week. The department sent the county and California secretary of state the list last week and gave them a 48-hour deadline to segregate ballots cast from anyone on the list unless they could verify their citizenship. California election officials refused and the Department of Justice sued them on Thursday.

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© Photograph: Bloomberg/Getty Images

© Photograph: Bloomberg/Getty Images

© Photograph: Bloomberg/Getty Images

Videos show shark launching several feet from water as a group of friends pose for photos along Marina state beach

A great white shark put on a spectacular display for California beachgoers over the weekend, leaping from the water off Marina state beach and photobombing visitors.

Videos circulating online show a great white shark launching several feet out of the water in the background as a group of friends pose for photos along the beach.

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© Photograph: WaterFrame/Alamy

© Photograph: WaterFrame/Alamy

© Photograph: WaterFrame/Alamy

Coyote euthanized after reportedly roaming Atwater Village comfortably for months and attacking one-year-old boy

One Los Angeles neighborhood has been at war over a wild coyote, and over the weekend it all came to a head.

For months, the animal had been roaming the trendy Atwater Village, showing up in broad daylight, sleeping in back yards and approaching residents. At least one person had reportedly fed the coyote and others affectionately nicknamed it Wiley. But some residents feared the creature had become dangerously too cozy.

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© Photograph: Natural History Library/Alamy

© Photograph: Natural History Library/Alamy

© Photograph: Natural History Library/Alamy

Security cameras capture the moment a black bear walks into the Mammoth Lakes branch of the Mono county free library in California before opening time, reportedly raiding the staff's snack supply and helping itself to a jar of honey. The surprise visit coincided with the 100th anniversary of the publication of AA Milne's Winnie-the-Pooh

• Black bear breaks into California library to raid snacks and eat jar of honey

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© Photograph: Reuters

© Photograph: Reuters

© Photograph: Reuters

Community repair clinics around the country are teaching people how to fix their belongings and push back against throwaway culture

On a recent Monday night, a volunteer-run workspace in Brooklyn, New York, bustled with dozens of fixers. Some tinkered with sewing machines while others soldered circuit boards at a workbench. Caleb Young, co-founder of the Brooklyn Spark space, fit a DIY suction device on to the handle of a Dyson vacuum cleaner.

“It’s in our culture to throw things away, but sometimes the fix is easier than you’d think,” Young said.

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© Photograph: Courtesy Brooklyn Spark

© Photograph: Courtesy Brooklyn Spark

© Photograph: Courtesy Brooklyn Spark

Millions of customers’ genetic and personal information exposed in 2023, including more than 855,000 Californians

California’s attorney general, Rob Bonta, on Monday announced the state will receive a $6m settlement payment in 23andMe’s bankruptcy, resolving California’s legal claims related to a 2023 data breach that exposed 6.9 million customers’ ⁠genetic and other ⁠personal information.

California had ​unsuccessfully tried to block the $305m sale of 23andMe assets to TTAM Research Institute, a non-profit controlled by the 23andMe ⁠co-founder Anne Wojcicki. The state had argued that the bankruptcy sale violated California’s Genetic Information Privacy Act, and it had said ⁠consumers did not give express consent to the sale.

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© Photograph: JHVEPhoto/Alamy

© Photograph: JHVEPhoto/Alamy

© Photograph: JHVEPhoto/Alamy

Catherine Breed began unprecedented journey at northern end of state, swimming 10 miles a day to reach other end in less than four months

A 33-year-old ultra-endurance athlete has completed an unprecedented swim down the entire coast of California, finishing the 900-mile journey in less than four months.

Catherine Breed will celebrate the end of her swim at San Diego’s Coronado beach on Monday afternoon, 111 days since she began her journey on 1 July at the northern border of California.

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© Photograph: Catherine Breed

© Photograph: Catherine Breed

© Photograph: Catherine Breed

The effort by the Trump administration comes as it wages a broader fight with California officials over voter rolls.

© Isadora Kosofsky for The New York Times

Ricardo Gonzalez, a US citizen, was detained and injured by ICE officers while being arrested in Long Beach, California, on 17 October, officials said. The Department of Homeland Security has not commented publicly on why Gonzalez was detained. The Long Beach police department said in a statement that officers arrived to find 'a large group disturbance' involving the federal agents. The police later removed the handcuffs on Gonzalez and transported him to the hospital for treatment

• ICE agents broke US citizen’s arm as they detained him in California, officials say

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© Photograph: Sherman Austin/stopice.net

© Photograph: Sherman Austin/stopice.net

© Photograph: Sherman Austin/stopice.net

Crackdown marks latest escalation in the Trump justice department’s push to target alleged noncitizen voting

• Send us your questions about immigration and the midterms

The US Department of Justice has filed criminal charges against 28 green card holders in California accused of fraudulently registering to vote and casting illegal ballots.

The crackdown marks another escalation in the federal government’s ongoing efforts against alleged noncitizen voting, efforts that Democrats and voting rights groups say are part of a strategy by the Trump administration to sow doubt in the results of the upcoming midterm elections.

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© Photograph: Kyle Grillot/Bloomberg via Getty Images

© Photograph: Kyle Grillot/Bloomberg via Getty Images

© Photograph: Kyle Grillot/Bloomberg via Getty Images

The police in Long Beach, Calif., said they were called by ICE for backup and found a man who was bleeding and handcuffed.

© Philip Cheung for The New York Times

Bear wandered into Mono county free libraries branch ahead of opening, snacking before wandering new releases

A California library on Wednesday had a visitor worthy of a story book on the 100th anniversary of Winnie-the-Pooh: a black bear that wandered inside, reportedly raided the snacks and helped itself to a jar of honey.

On Wednesday, a black bear walked into the Mammoth Lakes branch of the Mono county free libraries at about 6.10am, more than four hours ahead of its 10am opening time, the library director, Josef Bopp, told local news outlet KMPH.

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© Photograph: Mono County Office of Education

© Photograph: Mono County Office of Education

© Photograph: Mono County Office of Education

Ricardo Gonzalez was injured and taken to hospital after confrontation in Long Beach, according to officials

Federal immigration agents broke the arm of a US citizen in what a Democratic congressman said was a “brutal attack” during a confrontation with protesters in California.

Video of Saturday’s encounter in Long Beach shows Ricardo Gonzalez, identified as a former city employee, handcuffed and face down in a gutter, with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers kneeling on his back.

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© Photograph: Genaro Molina/Los Angeles Times/Getty Images

© Photograph: Genaro Molina/Los Angeles Times/Getty Images

© Photograph: Genaro Molina/Los Angeles Times/Getty Images

The dire projections come from the state’s Climate Change Assessment, which analyzes the impacts of changing weather patterns on the nation’s most-populous state.

© Mario Tama/Getty Images

The last long-term federal recovery funds allocated for a major disaster were for Hurricane Milton, which hit in late 2024

Survivors of extreme weather disasters across the US are facing long waits for government assistance funds to rebuild their lives, with the last long-term recovery funds allocated for Hurricane Milton that hit Florida two years ago. Government officials estimate more than $10bn is needed in long-term disaster recovery funding to rebuild affected communities in Los Angeles county and St Louis, Missouri, alone.

Demetrice Davis’s home in north St Louis still has damage from the EF3 tornado that tore through the area in May 2025. “The insurance didn’t cover much of anything. And the Fema just kind of backed you up for a little while, but didn’t get you back on track,” he said. “The government agencies are not really doing what they’re supposed to do.”

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© Photograph: Ethan Swope/AP

© Photograph: Ethan Swope/AP

© Photograph: Ethan Swope/AP

Some 11 people were missing but 16 were rescued, including three who had injuries consistent with shark bites, the authorities said.

© Denis Poroy/Associated Press

An army of signature gatherers made plenty of cash hitting the streets in California to qualify various November initiatives.

© Mike Kai Chen for The New York Times

Report reveals that a shady mobster-turned-informant may have been involved in helping cover up murder

An in-depth investigation by the New York Times is raising further questions about the high-profile OJ Simpson case, in which the former football player was accused in the 1990s of killing his ex-wife – and whether a shady mobster-turned-informant may have been involved in helping cover up the murder.

The Times’s investigation revealed that California prosecutors were unable to fully investigate whether Simpson, who was accused but not convicted of his ex-wife’s murder, may have had an accomplice at the scene of the crime.

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© Photograph: Reuters

© Photograph: Reuters

© Photograph: Reuters

Some 11 people were missing but 16 were rescued, including three who had injuries consistent with shark bites, the authorities said.

© Denis Poroy/Associated Press

Protesters held rallies across the US as part of the 'No Kings' movement, voicing opposition to the Trump administration and calling for early voting ahead of November's midterm elections. The rallies coincide with heightened legal battles surrounding voting rules, including a recent federal lawsuit filed against California regarding mail-in ballots and warnings from the justice department concerning ballot processing. Current opinion polls suggest Democrats will win the House of Representatives in the upcoming midterms, while the Senate remains too close to call

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© Photograph: VCG/Getty Images

© Photograph: VCG/Getty Images

© Photograph: VCG/Getty Images

Rapid coastal erosion threatens coastal homes and economies, and as Super El Niño rounds the corner, a town is reckoning with the reality of climate crisis

San Clemente is one of southern California’s most picture-perfect beach towns – a capital of American surf culture since the 1950s. In two years, 2028 Olympic surfers will compete at Lower Trestles, a world-class surfing beach.

But the town’s longtime cultural and economic driver, its beaches, are now under threat. As pounding waves driven by late-summer storms in the Pacific devour chunks of the California coastline, some of San Clemente’s beaches are growing narrower, the sand increasingly eaten away.

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© Photograph: Ruaridh Stewart/ZUMA Press Wire/Shutterstock

© Photograph: Ruaridh Stewart/ZUMA Press Wire/Shutterstock

© Photograph: Ruaridh Stewart/ZUMA Press Wire/Shutterstock

About 6,000 homes under evacuation, affecting 16,000 residents in San Clemente and San Juan Capistrano

At least six homes burned and two firefighters were injured after a fast-moving wildfire blazed through parts of southern California on Friday.

Two firefighters were taken to the hospital with heat-related injuries from the Norte fire, officials said.

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© Photograph: Gregory Bull/AP

© Photograph: Gregory Bull/AP

© Photograph: Gregory Bull/AP

A modern-day prospector promised rural Imperial thousands of jobs and millions in tax revenue – but his plan has set off a firestorm of resistance

Sebastian Rucci zoomed in on a map in late 2024, looking closely at a large block of brown earth. The barren plot sandwiched between sprawling alfalfa fields and sleepy desert suburbs was exactly what he’d been searching for – the perfect place to realize his dream of building the largest artificial intelligence datacenter in California.

The dusty expanse wasn’t an obvious location. It was in the Sonoran desert, just north of the Mexican border, where temperatures regularly rose past 100F (37.8C). Water was scarce in the once-booming agricultural area, which gets its supply from the beleaguered Colorado River. And then, there was the city of Imperial – population 22,000 – to win over. As controversial datacenter projects have sprung up across the US, residents were naturally skeptical of a new, energy-guzzling neighbor.

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© Photograph: Gina Ferazzi/Los Angeles Times/Getty Images

© Photograph: Gina Ferazzi/Los Angeles Times/Getty Images

© Photograph: Gina Ferazzi/Los Angeles Times/Getty Images

State and local officials said that they received thousands of names lacking key identifying information, and that many of the names were paired with addresses over which they had no jurisdiction.

© Gabriela Bhaskar/The New York Times

Justice department warns election officials of prosecution if they ‘knowingly tabulate ballots’ cast by noncitizens

The Trump administration is escalating its fight with California ahead of next month’s midterm elections, warning that local officials who process and tabulate ballots submitted by suspected noncitizen voters are putting themselves at risk of criminal investigation and potential prosecution.

The letter on Friday from senior justice department officials and obtained first by the Associated Press is the latest salvo in an ongoing tussle with heavily Democratic California, coming just a day after the Trump administration sued the state to prevent it from counting mail-in ballots from people the federal government has identified as “likely” noncitizens until their immigration status can be confirmed.

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© Photograph: Kayla Bartkowski/Los Angeles Times/Getty Images

© Photograph: Kayla Bartkowski/Los Angeles Times/Getty Images

© Photograph: Kayla Bartkowski/Los Angeles Times/Getty Images

Hot, windy weather stokes fires in southern California with mandatory evacuation orders in place for many

A fast-moving fire spread into neighborhoods in southern California on Friday as the region braces for more hot, windy weather that will amplify fire dangers through Saturday.

Several structures could be seen ablaze in video footage captured by local news helicopters as firefighters worked to wrangle the more than 465 acre Norte fire, which erupted in Orange county on Friday.

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© Photograph: Paul Bersebach/The Orange County Register/AP

© Photograph: Paul Bersebach/The Orange County Register/AP

© Photograph: Paul Bersebach/The Orange County Register/AP

The Fields Medalist Terence Tao is on the front lines of a debate about artificial intelligence and the future of his field.

© Ariana Drehsler for The New York Times

Largest blaze the Henderson fire near San Diego as strong winds and severe heat could fuel rapid spread

Multiple wildfires ignited across California on Thursday as the state braced for more strong winds and high temperatures that could fuel rapid fire growth over the next several days.

The largest blaze, dubbed the Henderson fire, erupted in Camp Pendleton, a San Diego Marine Corps training base, and quickly consumed more than 1,000 acres. Evacuations have been issued and officials briefly closed part of the Interstate 5, a major highway in the region.

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© Photograph: David Swanson/AFP/Getty Images

© Photograph: David Swanson/AFP/Getty Images

© Photograph: David Swanson/AFP/Getty Images

El Niño will likely shift weather patterns to bring more rain, but much snow still isn’t forecast for the northern states

Winter in the United States looks like it will generally be wetter and warmer, but not necessarily snowier, according to the federal government’s seasonal outlook and other meteorologists’ forecasts. You can thank or blame El Niño.

El Niño is likely to shift weather patterns to bring more moisture, but with it higher temperatures. That should help erase persistent western drought, but it is unlikely to make northern snow-lovers happy, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (Noaa) said on Thursday.

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© Photograph: Selcuk Acar/Anadolu/Getty Images

© Photograph: Selcuk Acar/Anadolu/Getty Images

© Photograph: Selcuk Acar/Anadolu/Getty Images

The lawsuit seeks to temporarily block the state from counting mail ballots of voters it claims are likely noncitizens, opening a new front in the administration’s legal fights with election officials.

© Patrick T. Fallon/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images

DoJ had demanded that LA county confirm citizenship of people on list in thumb drive, but officials refused

• Send us your questions about immigration and the midterms

The US Department of Justice sued California on Thursday, seeking a court order to prevent the state from tabulating certain ballots cast in the midterm elections.

The suit came two days after the department made a specious demand to the state. On Tuesday, the department sent election officials in Los Angeles county a thumb drive with a handwritten password purporting to contain the names of noncitizens registered to vote. The department asked officials to confirm the citizenship of anyone on the list and set aside ballots from those whose status could not be confirmed. It gave the state 48 hours – an extremely narrow window – to take action. It did not provide details on how it came up with the names on the list. In its lawsuit, filed in federal court in the central district of California, the justice department said it had provided the state with more than 20,000 names of likely noncitizens.

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© Photograph: David Paul Morris/Bloomberg via Getty Images

© Photograph: David Paul Morris/Bloomberg via Getty Images

© Photograph: David Paul Morris/Bloomberg via Getty Images

Rising costs and threatened healthcare benefits are testing voters’ loyalty to Trump as Democrat Randy Villegas challenges David Valadao

Vanessa Martinez used to work two jobs to make ends meet. Now she works three.

In another era, the 26-year-old from California’s hardscrabble Central valley could have been a poster child for the American Dream, the sort of ambitious, up-by-her-bootstraps personality that politicians of both major parties like to highlight.

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© Photograph: Patrick T Fallon/AFP/Getty Images

© Photograph: Patrick T Fallon/AFP/Getty Images

© Photograph: Patrick T Fallon/AFP/Getty Images

The court said that California could not impose state requirements on federal law enforcement operations.

© Daniel Cole/Reuters

Jack Russell terrier that escaped from family’s cabin in September was caught in a live trap

Luna, a Jack Russell terrier who eluded capture for over a month as concern for the dog’s survival mounted ahead of winter in Yellowstone national park, was caught in a live trap Wednesday and reunited with her owners.

The 10-year-old dog had been spotted crossing intersections, strolling through employee housing and entering lodges through automatic doors at the sprawling national park that’s home to grizzly bears, wolves and other predators.

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© Photograph: Marie Jaskula/AP

© Photograph: Marie Jaskula/AP

© Photograph: Marie Jaskula/AP

Two-mile stretch of Huntington Beach closed after sighting at location popular with surfers and swimmers

A popular southern California beach was closed after a great white shark was reportedly spotted “exhibiting aggressive behavior” on Tuesday afternoon.

The Huntington Beach fire department said there was a “credible report” of a 10-12ft great white shark circling near a lifeguard tower, which is considered aggressive behavior according to the city’s marine safety division’s “shark response protocols”.

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© Photograph: Huntington Beach Fire Department via Facebook

© Photograph: Huntington Beach Fire Department via Facebook

© Photograph: Huntington Beach Fire Department via Facebook

Xavier Becerra is a heavy favorite to become California’s first Latino governor in the modern era, though he does not talk much about the milestone.

© Gabriela Bhaskar/The New York Times

Boardwalk destroyed in Long Beach and homes damaged, while Baja California in Mexico and Las Vegas also affected

Southern California coastal communities are picking up the pieces after a weekend of extreme weather brought flooding that overtook city streets and intense waves battered beachside homes.

The remnants of Tropical Storm Rachel hit Mexico’s Baja California over the weekend as well as southern California and Las Vegas. While meteorologists noted that Rachel weakened into a post-tropical cyclone as it approached California, it still left a trail of destruction.

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© Photograph: Jae C Hong/AP

© Photograph: Jae C Hong/AP

© Photograph: Jae C Hong/AP

Our reporter, John Branch, joined a team installing cameras in the Sierra Nevada for detecting wildfires. Artificial intelligence is used to sift through images from the network, helping firefighters identify and respond to early to signs of wildfires.

Waves from Post-Tropical Storm Rachel crashed into beachfront homes in Long Beach, Calif. over the weekend, prompting evacuations.

© Mario Tama/Getty Images

Two Democratic candidates choose opposite tacks on public safety and policing, seeking to corral undecided voters.

© Jae C. Hong/Associated Press

Gov. Gavin Newsom called the president “dangerous and deranged” after his remarks at a political rally, where Mr. Trump said the Iran war was necessary to “keep the world safe.”

© Doug Mills/The New York Times