Earlier this year, San Jose politicians announced they were targeting the thousands of abandoned shopping carts clogging creeks and blighting streets. Now the first data on a pilot program aimed at curbing the problem is in, and the city must decide whether the results justify the financial cost of expanding it.
San Jose had long struggled to rein in the abandoned shopping cart problem, due in part to antiquated state rules and ineffective city code. Its multi-pronged strategy this year included stricter local regulations for large retailers, requiring them either to install theft-prevention mechanisms or security deposit devices, or to enter into a cart-retrieval contract that obligates the company to make weekly, proactive efforts to pick up their carts.
The city also successfully pushed a statewide bill to allow governments to return carts directly to retailers and recover the costs of retrieval.
Its most innovative effort was testing a cart retrieval program in two parts of the city, which collected 734 carts over three months.
“The thousands of carts that are lost every year and scattered across sidewalks, parks, our trails and waterways are not just a visible quality of life issue for our residents, not just an eyesore, but they actually really damage the environment,” Mayor Matt Mahan said last week. “I can tell you every single cleanup along the waterways we do, we’re fishing dozens of carts out, so I appreciate that we’re looking to find a measured, targeted program that’s got cost recovery baked in, that holds retailers accountable, incentivizes them for upstream loss prevention, keeping our neighborhoods and waterways clean.”
Before Gov. Gavin Newsom signed Sen. Dave Cortese’s bill, the state required a three-day window for retailers to pick up their carts without charge, which San Jose officials said inhibited its ability to recover costs. It also required local governments to impound carts for up to 30 days before they could sell or dispose of them and capped fines for retailers at $50 per cart each time they retrieved more than three carts over a six-month period.
The new legislation increased the penalty to $100 for each occurrence.
Locally, San Jose added more stringent regulations for retailers with at least 76 carts. Previously, the city had required retailers with at least 26 carts to submit an annual plan for retrieving and retaining their carts, including the loss prevention measures they intended to deploy.
City officials also greenlit a pilot similar to an existing Milpitas program, which uses a third-party service to collect abandoned carts.
San Jose contracted with the firm carTrac for $32,000 to monitor two areas. The first area ran south of the airport down to Tully Road, bounded to the east by Highway 101. The second area is centered around the intersection of Blossom Hill Road and Almaden Expressway.
While the program reported collecting carts from 50 retailers, 622 of the 734 carts came from 10 businesses, including many big-box stores. During the first 10 weeks, Costco accounted for 204 carts, followed by 137 from Whole Foods and another 108 from Walmart.
Rachel Roberts, deputy director of code enforcement, added that the city’s decision to test the program diverted resources equivalent to 62 proactive investigations, 10 potential citations, and a review of 30 shopping cart management plans.
The pilot program could be rolled out to other parts of San Jose next year if city officials add it to next year’s budget. It would require approximately $686,000 in startup costs, and — if the city charged a $100 fee for each of the 12,821 carts it estimates it could retrieve — would generate $1.28 million in revenue.
But with the city facing a budget shortfall next year, there are some concerns about adding the new program.
“We have a challenging budget year, next year, and we’re going to be in service preservation mode as a council,” District 8 Councilmember Domingo Candelas said. “I’m a little nervous about investing $700,000 in upfront costs.”
As part of the next steps, Roberts said the city is surveying retailers about the pilot’s success and its impact on their operations. If the city elects to move forward with the program, she added that a request for proposals would need to be completed by June to ensure the service could start in the next fiscal year.
While some questions remain, city officials acknowledged that retailers needed to be held accountable and better custodians of their carts.
“If the retailers can take actions that prevent us from ever needing to hire a third party to go collect carts and then charge them for cost recovery, that would be wonderful,” Mahan said. “I think we need this likely in place to incentivize that behavior, in which case, maybe our costs are significantly lower or closer to cost recovery. But we’ll learn more as we head toward the budget process.”
California officials and weather forecasters urged holiday travelers to avoid the roads and reconsider Christmas travel as a series of powerful winter storms brought relentless rains, heavy winds and mountain snow.
Storms began to move in late Tuesday evening and were expected to intensify into Christmas Eve. Authorities said the millions of people expected to travel across the state will likely meet hazardous, if not impossible, conditions as several atmospheric rivers were forecast to make their way through the state, the National Weather Service warned.
An atmospheric river is a long, narrow band of water vapor that typically forms over an ocean in the tropics. Strong winds create a funnel for the vapor that transports it north or southward, often targeting the California coast, where it is released as rain or snow on land, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
“If you’re planning to be on the roads for the Christmas holidays, please reconsider your plans,” said Ariel Cohen, a National Weather Service meteorologist in Los Angeles, during a Tuesday news conference.
Wind gusts exceeded 60 mph in Los Angeles County, knocking down trees and power lines, Cohen said, according to CBS Los Angeles. She added that the recent “storm is evolving exactly as we have been talking about” and urged “everyone to take these warnings and messages seriously as the accumulative effects of the rain will result in increasingly dangerous and life-threatening conditions as we head through the holiday time period.”
Forecasters said Southern California could see its wettest Christmas in years and warned about flash flooding, mudslides and debris flows in areas scorched by last January’s wildfires. Los Angeles County officials said they were knocking on the doors of some 380 particularly vulnerable households to order them to leave.
Drivers make their way in the rain on East Palm Canyon Drive, Tuesday, Dec. 23, 2025, in Palm Springs, Calif.
Pamela Hassell / AP
Malibu resident Claire Hamano told CBS Los Angeles on Monday that she was concerned the storm could potentially cause landslides near her home. She was filling her car with sandbags at one of the county’s distribution sites in preparation.
“If there are landslides, let’s say on the PCH, we won’t be able to get out … that’s kind of my biggest fear,” said Hamano. “I’m trying to prevent mud from flowing onto the street on my property.”
Southern California typically gets half an inch to 1 inch of rain this time of year, but this week many areas could see between 4 and 8 inches, National Weather Service meteorologist Mike Wofford said. It could be even more in the mountains. Gusts could reach 60 to 80 mph in parts of the central coast.
In addition to power outages and downed trees, officials also said the storms are expected to cause multiple road closures and airport delays.
Evacuation orders across Southern California
Parts of Los Angeles are under evacuation warnings this week, with an emphasis on protecting burn scar areas affected by recent wildfires, according to CBS Los Angeles. Many people in burn scar areas decided not to leave after receiving an evacuation notice, Los Angeles Police Department Chief Jim McDonnell said. He urged them to reconsider.
“The threat posed by this storm is real and imminent,” McDonnell said.
Los Angeles County put up K-rails, a type of barrier, around a burn scar to help catch sliding debris during rainstorms. Residents could also pick up free sandbags to protect their homes, said Kathryn Barger, a Los Angeles County supervisor representing Altadena.
Local and state officials are gearing up to respond to emergencies through the week. The state has deployed resources and first responders to a number of counties along the coast and in Southern California. The California National Guard is also on standby to assist.
Northern flood watch
In Northern California, much of the Sacramento Valley and the San Francisco Bay Area were under a flood watch and a high wind warning through Friday. Forecasters warned of heavy snow and said gusts were expected to create “near white-out conditions” Wednesday in parts of the Sierra Nevada and make it “nearly impossible” to travel through the mountain passes.
A pedestrian carries an umbrella while walking on a path at Alamo Square Park, in San Francisco, Tuesday, Dec. 23, 2025.
Jeff Chiu / AP
There’s also a risk of severe thunderstorms and a small chance of tornadoes along the northern coast.
Heavy rain and flash flooding already led to water rescues and at least one death in Northern California, local officials said. Shasta County Sheriff Michael L. Johnson on Monday declared a state of emergency to prepare for more rain and allow the state to help with hazard mitigation and search and rescue operations.
Disneyland is ready to start work on a new parking structure for the influx of visitors flocking to see the new Avatar themed land, Marvel attractions and Coco boat ride debuting at the Anaheim theme park resort over the next five years.
Disneyland has filed a pair of building permits with the city of Anaheim for new commercial construction of a 3.2 million-square foot, 8-level parking structure as part of the $1.9 billion DisneylandForward project.
The permits also call for the installation of electrical, plumbing and mechanical services in addition to 300 electrical vehicle chargers at the East Parking Structure.
The new 6,000-space Eastside parking structure and transportation hub would push the existing Disneyland bus drop off/pick up area along Harbor Boulevard to Disneyland’s Manchester employee parking lot that backs up to the I-5 Freeway.
A pedestrian bridge would connect visitors by foot between the existing Disneyland bus drop off/pick up area on the west side of Harbor Boulevard and Disneyland’s Manchester employee parking lot on the east side of Harbor Boulevard.
Concept art of the Disneyland pedestrian bridge over Harbor Boulevard set to begin construction in Fall 2026. (Courtesy of Disney)
Work is set to begin in fall 2026 on the multiyear construction project on the east side of the Disneyland theme park resort.
The new garage and bridge are an essential first step as Disneyland plans to build four new attractions at Disney California Adventure over the next five years as part of the DisneylandForward plan.
Concept art of the Avatar themed land proposed for the Disneyland resort. (Courtesy of Disney)
A California Highway Patrol task force this month arrested 13 people and recovered over $800,000 in stolen merchandise in connection with an organized retail theft ring that operated across Northern California.
The CHP Valley Division’s Organized Retail Crime Task Force, which includes investigators from the Sacramento Police Department and the Placer County District Attorney’s Office, was alerted in September to a pair of retail theft suspects operating in Placer County and at multiple other locations throughout the state, the agency said in a press release.
On October 1, the Rocklin Police Department located the suspects with help from the Valley Division ORCTF. The suspects identified others who were purchasing stolen merchandise from them and reselling it for profit at flea markets in Oakland, San Jose, Galt, Modesto and Stockton, the CHP said.
Investigators used information provided by the suspects to conduct surveillance operations and establish links among the theft suspects, the stolen merchandise buyers and resellers, and the flea-market locations, the CHP said. Search warrants were obtained for six homes, three storage lockers, and one storage lot.
Evidence seized during the CHP’s “Operation Silent Night” targeting an organized retail theft ring.
California Highway Patrol
On December 11, the CHP said multiple law enforcement agencies conducted Operation Silent Night, executing warrants in Oakland, Richmond, San Leandro, and Galt. The operation resulted in 13 arrests and the seizure of over 400 boxes and 200 bags of stolen merchandise, along with two firearms, more than $10,000 in cash, five vans, two passenger vehicles, and two trailers, the CHP said.
The stolen merchandise included cosmetics, household goods, clothing, power tools, toys, alcohol, and diapers. The day after the raids, Cal Expo provided an exposition hall to help investigators process and catalog the recovered merchandise, which amounted to 44,140 stolen items valued in excess of $800,000.
A Cal Expo warehouse with recovered evidence from an alleged organized retail theft ring.
California Highway Patrol
The following suspects were taken to the Placer County Jail for booking. They were identified as:
Isaid Garcia Chapas, 41, Oakland
Irene Cruz Barragan, 35, Oakland
Daniela Cruz Barragan, 33, Oakland
Robert Lorenzo Luna-Varela, 34, Oakland
Jefferson Isaed Garcia-Rivera, 22, Oakland
Jennifer Garcia Cruz, 19, Oakland
Elan Rosales Montes, 35, Oakland
Claudia Ivet Cruz Barragan, 42, Oakland
Yolanda Carrillo Martinez, 45, Oakland
Ivan Miranda Espinoza, 33, Oakland
Bach Ngoc Thi Bui, 53, El Sobrante
Yuridia Sandoval Ramirez, 35, Oakland
Eryn Wilfred Corea Guevara, 29, Oakland
“Organized retail theft is not a victimless crime. It impacts businesses, workers, and communities across California,” said CHP Valley Division Chief Tyler Eccles in a prepared statement. “This investigation highlights the strength of collaboration between law enforcement and our retail partners, and our commitment to holding organized theft networks accountable.”
Governor Gavin Newsom established the CHP’s Organized Retail Crime Task Force in 2019 to target sophisticated theft rings, beginning in Southern California before expanding to the San Francisco Bay Area and other parts of the state. In 2021, Newsom signed Assembly Bill 331, which permanently extended the task force and gave the CHP more authority to coordinate regional property crime efforts.
According to the CHP, since the ORCTF’s inception in 2019, the agency has been involved in over 4,200 investigations, with over 4,700 suspects arrested and the recovery of nearly 1.5 million stolen goods valued at over $68.7 million statewide as of November 30.
California authorities announced Tuesday they have found the body of 9-year-old Melodee Buzzard and arrested her mother for murder. See the full news conference.
Detectives from the LAPD Juvenile Division and Internet Crimes Against Children Unit, assisted by the Special Agents from Homeland Security Child Exploitation Investigation Group personnel, believe there may be additional potential victims and have released a photo of Perez in hopes of encouraging them to come forward.
Perez was identified as a 5-foot-7-inch-tall Latino man weighing 170 pounds with black hair and brown eyes.
According to police, Perez is believed to target minor-aged female victims.
He was booked on a single count of possession of child or youth pornography.
Anyone with information regarding the alleged offense or victims who want to come forward was urged to email the LAPD Juvenile Division Internet Crimes Against Children Unit at icac@lapd.online
Calls during non-business hours or weekends should be made to 877-527-3247. Tipsters who prefer to remain anonymous can call Crime Stoppers at 800-222-8477 or visit lacrimestoppers.org
California joined 20 other states and the District of Columbia on Monday in a lawsuit that seeks to prevent the federal Consumer Financial Protection Bureau from being defunded and closed by the Trump administration.
The legal action filed in U.S. District Court in Eugene, Ore., by the Democratic attorneys general accuses Acting Director Russell Vought of trying to illegally withhold funds from the agency by unlawfully interpreting its funding statute. Also named as defendants are the agency itself and the Federal Reserve’s Board of Governors.
“For California, the CFPB has been an invaluable enforcement partner, working hand in hand with our office to protect pocketbooks and stop unfair business practices. But once again, the Trump administration is trying to weaken and ultimately dismantle the CFPB,” California Atty. Gen. Rob Bonta said in a news conference to announce the 41-page legal action.
The lawsuit asserts that the agency is crucial for states to carry out their own consumer protection mission and that its closure would deprive them of their statutorily guaranteed access to a database run by the bureau that tracks millions of consumer complaints, as well as to other data.
The agency did not immediately respond to a request for comment about the lawsuit, led by Bonta and the attorneys general from Oregon, New York, New Jersey and Colorado.
Established by Congress in 2010 after the subprime mortgage abuses that gave rise to the financial crisis, the agency is funded by the Federal Reserve as a method of insulating it from political pressure.
The Dodd-Frank Act statute requires the agency’s director to petition for a reasonable amount of funding to carry out the CFPB’s duties from the “combined earnings” of the Federal Reserve System.
Before this year, that was interpreted to mean the Federal Reserve’s gross revenue. But an opinion from the Department of Justice claims that should be interpreted to mean the Federal Reserve’s profits, of which it has none, because it has been operating at a loss since 2022. The lawsuit alleges the interpretation is bogus.
“Defendant Russell T. Vought has worked tirelessly to terminate the CFPB’s operations by any means necessary — denying Plaintiffs access to CFPB resources to which they are statutorily entitled. In this action, Plaintiffs challenge Defendant Vought’s most recent effort to do so,” the federal lawsuit states.
The complaint alleges the agency will run out of cash by next month if the policy is not reversed. Bonta said he and other attorney generals have not decided whether they will seek a restraining order or temporary injunction to change the new funding policy.
It also dropped a lawsuit against Zelle that accused Wells Fargo, JPMorgan Chase, Bank of America and other banks of rushing the payment app into service, leading to $870 million in fraud-related losses by users. The app denied the allegations.
Vought was a chief architect of Project 2025, a Heritage Foundation blueprint to reduce the size and power of the federal bureaucracy during a second Trump administration. In February, he ordered the agency to stop nearly all its work and has been seeking to drastically downsize it since.
The lawsuit filed Monday is the latest legal effort to keep the agency in business.
“It is deflating, and it is unfortunate that Congress is not defending the power of the purse,” Colorado Atty. Gen. Philip Weiser said during Monday’s news conference.
“At other times, Congress vigilantly safeguarded its authority, but because of political polarization and fear of criticizing this President, the Congress is not doing it,” he said.
As we close out 2025, here’s a look back at the wild weather experienced this year. From snow to wildfires to tornadoes to flooding, 2025 will be one for the record books.
What You Need To Know
Record snow fell in southern states, including Louisiana, Florida, Alabama and Mississippi, in January
A tornado outbreak in May saw an EF3 in St. Louis and an EF4 in south-central Kentucky
For the first time in a decade, no hurricane made landfall in the United States
It didn’t take long into the New Year for Mother Nature to become active.
First big storm of the season Jan 3. to Jan 6
On Jan. 3, a storm system moved onshore along the West Coast, producing snow in the mountains of Washington and Montana. The southern side of the storm produced severe weather, including the first tornado of the year in Northern California.
As it moved east across the Great Plains and Midwest on Jan. 4 and 5, it intensified and pulled in moisture from the Gulf. Parts of Kansas, including the Kansas City metro, saw upwards of 12 to 18 inches of snow, nearly a season’s worth in one storm.
The St. Louis metro accumulated 8 to over 12 inches, with Weldon Spring, Mo. being the big winner. The snow was so intense at one point, thunder snow was reported.
Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport received 8 inches of snow, a new daily record, leading to canceled flights. At the height of the storm, the pressure dropped to 976 millibars, equivalent to a Category 2 hurricane.
The southern side of the system on Jan. 5 produced severe weather in the Lower Mississippi River Valley, with 17 tornado reports and dozens of wind reports.
The storm pushed east and was along the East Coast by Jan. 6. From Virginia to Pennsylvania and New Jersey, snow accumulated. Richmond, Va. experienced blizzard conditions leading to water outages, which took at least three days to fully restore.
Southern snow Jan. 21 to 22
Snow in the south happens, but it’s usually a few flakes, not half a foot or more. A large southern storm system brought big snows to states like Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi and Florida in late January. Pensacola, Florida, shattered its two-day snowfall record, accumulating 8.9 inches of snow.
New Orleans was transformed into a winter wonderland, with snowball fights captured on Bourbon Street. For the first time it their history, the National Weather Service in Lake Charles, La., issued blizzard warnings.
People walk around on Bourbon Street as snow falls in the French Quarter in New Orleans, Tuesday, Jan. 21, 2025. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)
Snow wasn’t the only big weather event in January.
Los Angeles wildfires
The Santa Ana winds led to dangerous fires across California. 14 fires burned throughout the entire month, with the Pacific Palisades and the Eaton fires as the two largest. Tens of thousands of structures were damaged or destroyed, and fatalities are estimated in the hundreds.
A car travels down East Mendocino Street as a wildfire burns in the hills near Eaton Canyon, Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2025, in Altadena, Calif. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)
May 15 to 16 tornado outbreak
Spring saw bouts of severe weather, with several storms producing destructive tornadoes.
In May, a deadly tornado outbreak hit the Midwest and Ohio River Valley, with more than 60 tornadoes reported. An EF3 tornado, with estimated winds of 150 mph, touched down in the Greater St. Louis area on May 16, bringing destruction across the northern part of the city and killing four people.
Damage in the St. Louis metro after an EF3 tornado touched down on May 16, 2025. (Pic: NWS St. Louis)
The same storm system produced a large EF4-rated tornado, with winds estimated at 170 mph, across south-central Kentucky. This long-tracked tornado caused 19 fatalities and billions of dollars in damage.
Texas Hill Country flooding
Turning to summer—During the early morning hours of July 4, the remnants of Tropical Storm Barry combined with Pacific moisture, producing heavy thunderstorms across the Texas Hill Country. Rainfall totals ranged from 8 to over 20 inches in just a few hours, leading to the dramatic rise of the Guadalupe River.
Camp Mystic stands next a creek that feeds into the Guadalupe River, Monday, July 7, 2025, in Hunt, Texas, after flash flooding swept through the area. (AP Photo/Eli Hartman)
One of the worst-hit areas was in Kerrville, Texas, where Camp Mystic, a girl’s summer camp along the river, flooded. The water rose so quickly that the camp did not have time to evacuate. Twenty-five campers and two teenage counselors perished during the devastating floods.
Tampa hits 100 degrees
2025 saw its fair share of weather records shattered. On July 28, the Tampa International Airport recorded the first triple-digit temperature since records began in 1890. The area hit 100 degrees!
Hurricane season
Speaking of numbers… This was the first time in a decade that no hurricane had made landfall in the United States. However, in late August, Hurricane Erin brought dangerous surf and rip currents to the East Coast.
Numerous houses along North Carolina’s Outer Banks fell into the sea because of coastal flooding and erosion.
Five homes collapsed Tuesday in Buxton along North Carolina’s Outer Banks. (Spectrum News 1/Lauren Howard)
Although no hurricane made landfall in the U.S., Hurricane Melissa made history as the third-most intense Atlantic hurricane and made landfall in Jamaica as a Category 5 storm with winds of 185 mph. The storm killed over 100 people and caused at least $10 billion in damage.
Our team of meteorologists dives deep into the science of weather and breaks down timely weather data and information. To view more weather and climate stories, check out our weather blogs section.
As we close out 2025, here’s a look back at the wild weather experienced this year. From snow to wildfires to tornadoes to flooding, 2025 will be one for the record books.
What You Need To Know
Record snow fell in southern states, including Louisiana, Florida, Alabama and Mississippi, in January
A tornado outbreak in May saw an EF3 in St. Louis and an EF4 in south-central Kentucky
For the first time in a decade, no hurricane made landfall in the United States
It didn’t take long into the New Year for Mother Nature to become active.
First big storm of the season Jan 3. to Jan 6
On Jan. 3, a storm system moved onshore along the West Coast, producing snow in the mountains of Washington and Montana. The southern side of the storm produced severe weather, including the first tornado of the year in Northern California.
As it moved east across the Great Plains and Midwest on Jan. 4 and 5, it intensified and pulled in moisture from the Gulf. Parts of Kansas, including the Kansas City metro, saw upwards of 12 to 18 inches of snow, nearly a season’s worth in one storm.
The St. Louis metro accumulated 8 to over 12 inches, with Weldon Spring, Mo. being the big winner. The snow was so intense at one point, thunder snow was reported.
Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport received 8 inches of snow, a new daily record, leading to canceled flights. At the height of the storm, the pressure dropped to 976 millibars, equivalent to a Category 2 hurricane.
The southern side of the system on Jan. 5 produced severe weather in the Lower Mississippi River Valley, with 17 tornado reports and dozens of wind reports.
The storm pushed east and was along the East Coast by Jan. 6. From Virginia to Pennsylvania and New Jersey, snow accumulated. Richmond, Va. experienced blizzard conditions leading to water outages, which took at least three days to fully restore.
Southern snow Jan. 21 to 22
Snow in the south happens, but it’s usually a few flakes, not half a foot or more. A large southern storm system brought big snows to states like Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi and Florida in late January. Pensacola, Florida, shattered its two-day snowfall record, accumulating 8.9 inches of snow.
New Orleans was transformed into a winter wonderland, with snowball fights captured on Bourbon Street. For the first time it their history, the National Weather Service in Lake Charles, La., issued blizzard warnings.
People walk around on Bourbon Street as snow falls in the French Quarter in New Orleans, Tuesday, Jan. 21, 2025. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)
Snow wasn’t the only big weather event in January.
Los Angeles wildfires
The Santa Ana winds led to dangerous fires across California. 14 fires burned throughout the entire month, with the Pacific Palisades and the Eaton fires as the two largest. Tens of thousands of structures were damaged or destroyed, and fatalities are estimated in the hundreds.
A car travels down East Mendocino Street as a wildfire burns in the hills near Eaton Canyon, Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2025, in Altadena, Calif. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)
May 15 to 16 tornado outbreak
Spring saw bouts of severe weather, with several storms producing destructive tornadoes.
In May, a deadly tornado outbreak hit the Midwest and Ohio River Valley, with more than 60 tornadoes reported. An EF3 tornado, with estimated winds of 150 mph, touched down in the Greater St. Louis area on May 16, bringing destruction across the northern part of the city and killing four people.
Damage in the St. Louis metro after an EF3 tornado touched down on May 16, 2025. (Pic: NWS St. Louis)
The same storm system produced a large EF4-rated tornado, with winds estimated at 170 mph, across south-central Kentucky. This long-tracked tornado caused 19 fatalities and billions of dollars in damage.
Texas Hill Country flooding
Turning to summer—During the early morning hours of July 4, the remnants of Tropical Storm Barry combined with Pacific moisture, producing heavy thunderstorms across the Texas Hill Country. Rainfall totals ranged from 8 to over 20 inches in just a few hours, leading to the dramatic rise of the Guadalupe River.
Camp Mystic stands next a creek that feeds into the Guadalupe River, Monday, July 7, 2025, in Hunt, Texas, after flash flooding swept through the area. (AP Photo/Eli Hartman)
One of the worst-hit areas was in Kerrville, Texas, where Camp Mystic, a girl’s summer camp along the river, flooded. The water rose so quickly that the camp did not have time to evacuate. Twenty-five campers and two teenage counselors perished during the devastating floods.
Tampa hits 100 degrees
2025 saw its fair share of weather records shattered. On July 28, the Tampa International Airport recorded the first triple-digit temperature since records began in 1890. The area hit 100 degrees!
Hurricane season
Speaking of numbers… This was the first time in a decade that no hurricane had made landfall in the United States. However, in late August, Hurricane Erin brought dangerous surf and rip currents to the East Coast.
Numerous houses along North Carolina’s Outer Banks fell into the sea because of coastal flooding and erosion.
Five homes collapsed Tuesday in Buxton along North Carolina’s Outer Banks. (Spectrum News 1/Lauren Howard)
Although no hurricane made landfall in the U.S., Hurricane Melissa made history as the third-most intense Atlantic hurricane and made landfall in Jamaica as a Category 5 storm with winds of 185 mph. The storm killed over 100 people and caused at least $10 billion in damage.
Our team of meteorologists dives deep into the science of weather and breaks down timely weather data and information. To view more weather and climate stories, check out our weather blogs section.
As we close out 2025, here’s a look back at the wild weather experienced this year. From snow to wildfires to tornadoes to flooding, 2025 will be one for the record books.
What You Need To Know
Record snow fell in southern states, including Louisiana, Florida, Alabama and Mississippi, in January
A tornado outbreak in May saw an EF3 in St. Louis and an EF4 in south-central Kentucky
For the first time in a decade, no hurricane made landfall in the United States
It didn’t take long into the New Year for Mother Nature to become active.
First big storm of the season Jan 3. to Jan 6
On Jan. 3, a storm system moved onshore along the West Coast, producing snow in the mountains of Washington and Montana. The southern side of the storm produced severe weather, including the first tornado of the year in Northern California.
As it moved east across the Great Plains and Midwest on Jan. 4 and 5, it intensified and pulled in moisture from the Gulf. Parts of Kansas, including the Kansas City metro, saw upwards of 12 to 18 inches of snow, nearly a season’s worth in one storm.
The St. Louis metro accumulated 8 to over 12 inches, with Weldon Spring, Mo. being the big winner. The snow was so intense at one point, thunder snow was reported.
Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport received 8 inches of snow, a new daily record, leading to canceled flights. At the height of the storm, the pressure dropped to 976 millibars, equivalent to a Category 2 hurricane.
The southern side of the system on Jan. 5 produced severe weather in the Lower Mississippi River Valley, with 17 tornado reports and dozens of wind reports.
The storm pushed east and was along the East Coast by Jan. 6. From Virginia to Pennsylvania and New Jersey, snow accumulated. Richmond, Va. experienced blizzard conditions leading to water outages, which took at least three days to fully restore.
Southern snow Jan. 21 to 22
Snow in the south happens, but it’s usually a few flakes, not half a foot or more. A large southern storm system brought big snows to states like Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi and Florida in late January. Pensacola, Florida, shattered its two-day snowfall record, accumulating 8.9 inches of snow.
New Orleans was transformed into a winter wonderland, with snowball fights captured on Bourbon Street. For the first time it their history, the National Weather Service in Lake Charles, La., issued blizzard warnings.
People walk around on Bourbon Street as snow falls in the French Quarter in New Orleans, Tuesday, Jan. 21, 2025. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)
Snow wasn’t the only big weather event in January.
Los Angeles wildfires
The Santa Ana winds led to dangerous fires across California. 14 fires burned throughout the entire month, with the Pacific Palisades and the Eaton fires as the two largest. Tens of thousands of structures were damaged or destroyed, and fatalities are estimated in the hundreds.
A car travels down East Mendocino Street as a wildfire burns in the hills near Eaton Canyon, Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2025, in Altadena, Calif. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)
May 15 to 16 tornado outbreak
Spring saw bouts of severe weather, with several storms producing destructive tornadoes.
In May, a deadly tornado outbreak hit the Midwest and Ohio River Valley, with more than 60 tornadoes reported. An EF3 tornado, with estimated winds of 150 mph, touched down in the Greater St. Louis area on May 16, bringing destruction across the northern part of the city and killing four people.
Damage in the St. Louis metro after an EF3 tornado touched down on May 16, 2025. (Pic: NWS St. Louis)
The same storm system produced a large EF4-rated tornado, with winds estimated at 170 mph, across south-central Kentucky. This long-tracked tornado caused 19 fatalities and billions of dollars in damage.
Texas Hill Country flooding
Turning to summer—During the early morning hours of July 4, the remnants of Tropical Storm Barry combined with Pacific moisture, producing heavy thunderstorms across the Texas Hill Country. Rainfall totals ranged from 8 to over 20 inches in just a few hours, leading to the dramatic rise of the Guadalupe River.
Camp Mystic stands next a creek that feeds into the Guadalupe River, Monday, July 7, 2025, in Hunt, Texas, after flash flooding swept through the area. (AP Photo/Eli Hartman)
One of the worst-hit areas was in Kerrville, Texas, where Camp Mystic, a girl’s summer camp along the river, flooded. The water rose so quickly that the camp did not have time to evacuate. Twenty-five campers and two teenage counselors perished during the devastating floods.
Tampa hits 100 degrees
2025 saw its fair share of weather records shattered. On July 28, the Tampa International Airport recorded the first triple-digit temperature since records began in 1890. The area hit 100 degrees!
Hurricane season
Speaking of numbers… This was the first time in a decade that no hurricane had made landfall in the United States. However, in late August, Hurricane Erin brought dangerous surf and rip currents to the East Coast.
Numerous houses along North Carolina’s Outer Banks fell into the sea because of coastal flooding and erosion.
Five homes collapsed Tuesday in Buxton along North Carolina’s Outer Banks. (Spectrum News 1/Lauren Howard)
Although no hurricane made landfall in the U.S., Hurricane Melissa made history as the third-most intense Atlantic hurricane and made landfall in Jamaica as a Category 5 storm with winds of 185 mph. The storm killed over 100 people and caused at least $10 billion in damage.
Our team of meteorologists dives deep into the science of weather and breaks down timely weather data and information. To view more weather and climate stories, check out our weather blogs section.
Whether you’re flying or driving, the weather could impact your holiday travel next week. Here’s what to expect across the country.
What You Need To Know
Heavy rain is expected in California and the Pacific Northwest
A clipper system brings heavy snow across the Northeast and New England before Christmas
Temperatures are trending significantly above normal for Christmas
Here are the weather highlights for holiday travelers.
A more detailed forecast for each day can be found below.
Monday
A prolonged period of wet weather is on tap this week across Northern California and the intermountain west. Monday evening into Tuesday morning could see some showers across the Ohio Valley and snow in the Great Lakes. Southern California remains mostly dry today, but wetter trends ramp up tomorrow.
Tuesday
Snow is possible across New England and the Northeast on Tuesday, with parts of Maine seeing up to 6 to 8 inches. Totals remain on the low end with only a couple inches of accumulation everywhere else. Out west, rain and snow continues, with heavy rain spilling into southern California.
Christmas Eve
California will see wet weather on Christmas Eve as another atmospheric river brings in Pacific moisture, leading to periods of heavy rain and mountain snow. Some strong storms are also possible across Southern California. The possibility of showers will be present through the Ohio Valley.
Christmas
The Rockies and areas westward see wet and wintry weather on Christmas Day, with the higher elevations seeing a white Christmas. Much of the central and eastern U.S. will be warmer than normal with mostly dry conditions.
Friday
The day after Christmas could finally offer a break for some areas out west, but high elevation snow chances continue. Some rain is possible across the Northeast.
Our team of meteorologists dives deep into the science of weather and breaks down timely weather data and information. To view more weather and climate stories, check out our weather blogs section.
SAN FRANCISCO — The future of women’s basketball was on full display at Chase Center on Sunday night.
And Cal had no answer for her.
Despite a valiant effort, Cal couldn’t stop Freshman sensation Jazzy Davidson as she scored 24 points in a 61-57 win for USC.
Sakima Walker finished with 13 points and 10 rebounds for Cal. Taylor Barnes also had 13 points and Lulu Twidale added 11 points.
Cal did just enough to trail by just three points at halftime.
But Cal quickly took back the momentum coming out of the halftime break. The Bears scored seven unanswered points to start the third quarter to take a three-point lead and force USC coach Lindsay Gottlieb to call a timeout.
After scoring 14 points in the first half, Cal held Davidson to just three points in the third quarter.
Cal’s lead ballooned to as large as nine in the third quarter, but USC ended the quarter on a 10-3 run to come within two points of Cal’s lead heading into the fourth quarter.
USC took a four-point lead with under 90 seconds left on a jumper from Kara Dunn. Two free throws from Gisella Maul cut the Trojans’ lead to just two at the 1:15 mark.
But a costly turnover down two and a missed free throw trailing by Walker was the difference late as USC hit every clutch shot at the line to seal the win.
Despite a hot-scoring start from Davidson, Cal kept up with the high-powered USC offense.
The Bears shot 41% from the field and didn’t allow USC to find a secondary scorer in the first half. Davidson scored 14 points through the first two quarters, but no other USC player scored more than seven.
USC forced 11 Cal turnovers that led to nine points, helping the Trojans build a 31-28 advantage by halftime.
“Strawberry smoothie!, I found it!” shrieks a high-pitched 10-year-old voice.
“I need the Baby Face serum,” says another 5th-grade girl.
“It’s right here,” says a third. “Oh, it’s actually kind of cute,” she adds, referring to the baby pink packaging.
That’s just some of the audio recorded when CBS News California Investigates Correspondent Julie Watts sent her 5th-grade daughter and some classmates (with parents’ permission) undercover shopping for skincare products to see what would happen when the kids tried to buy products that, according to dermatologists, contain anti-aging ingredients that could harm their young skin.
From bubblegum cleansers to Sephora Barbie to kid-fluencers promoting viral brands, the skincare industry is cashing in on the so-called “Sephora kids” trend, named after one of the trendy cosmetic stores that sells the viral skincare brands, though Sephora didn’t create the trend.
Nielsen data show Gen Alpha (kids under 12) households spend billions of dollars a year on skincare and makeup. However, dermatologists warn that many viral products, which are sold in brightly-colored packaging and appear to be marketed to kids, often contain hidden anti-aging ingredients that can harm young skin.
The industry says it doesn’t market adult skincare to kids, but most shoppers wouldn’t know that by looking at the shelf or even the fine print on the fruit-shaped and brightly colored packaging with product names like “strawberry smooth” and “baby facial.”
“Do you think it smells like blackberries?” one girl asked when selecting a retinol product in a blackberry-shaped bottle that comes in a fruit-covered box. “Probably,” another girl responded.
In a recent interview with Fortune Magazine, Sephora’s CEO insisted that the company does not market to kids. “It is incumbent on us, it is incumbent on our over 250, 300 brands, that we’re talking to the right audience at the right time about the right thing.”
Take a look at the shelf. Can you tell the difference?
Green checks indicate products intended for kids, according to the skincare brand. A red “X” indicates products not intended for kids, according to the brand.
Green checks indicate products intended for kids, according to the skincare brand. A red “X” indicates products not intended for kids, according to the brand.
Our undercover shoppers couldn’t, and no one at Sephora or competitor Ulta Beauty seemed concerned when the undercover tweens bought only products intended for older skin.
Enter the so-called Sephora kids bill, which, according to the author, Democratic Assemblymember Alex Lee, was intended to target the industry that some say is cashing in on the “Sephora kids” craze.
Assembly Bill 728 would trigger an age verification flag at the register when clerks scan “anti-aging” products with certain ingredients like retinol and harsh acids. Kids would need to be with someone over 18 in order to buy those products in-store, and there’d be a pop-up similar to this one for vapes when purchasing the products online.
Opponents, including the retail industry, the skincare industry and dermatologists, called the bill misguided. They blame social media, not the skincare industry, and argue that the age restrictions would be too difficult to implement.
As it turns out, social media marketing is so effective that the skincare industry also used it to try to kill the bill.
CBS News Confirmed found that the Personal Care Product Council, which represents the skincare industry, spent thousands of dollars targeting lawmakers with misleading Facebook and Instagram ads claiming the bill would require an ID “to buy cosmetics.”
But who better to investigate the proposed solution than the kids it aims to protect? So, Watts teamed up with her daughter’s fifth-grade class.
Watts took the kids to the California State Capitol, where they interviewed lawmakers and lobbyists and attended the bill’s first hearing, where they heard from supporters and opponents.
“A lot of doctors prescribe or just recommend retinoids and retinols for kids and teens. So what do you think about that?” one of the children asked Asm. Lee, who happens to be California’s youngest legislator.
“That’s a good question,” Lee responded. “So in a prescription setting, it makes a lot more sense, right? But the products that we’re talking about, you buy Sephora or Ulta, you don’t have to ever see a doctor about these things.”
He explained that a warning at the register, rather than fine print on the box, would be harder to miss and it would ensure that an adult is aware that the product is not intended for young skin.
When asked by a student why this bill was so important to him, Lee answered:
“Lots and lots of big companies, corporations that profit, that make a lot of money off things we don’t feel good about… and I think it’s really bad that companies make money off of children.”
The first time Lee introduced this bill, it only restricted products for kids under 13, which the industry said it could not enforce. So he told the kids he raised the age limit when reintroducing it to simplify the age-verification process.
After interviewing Lee, the fifth-grade class attended the bill’s first committee hearing and heard from both supporters and opponents of the bill.
Notably, she was one of at least two committee members who missed the first half of the bill hearing, including the arguments in support.
“She didn’t get to experience Scarlet’s story and her testimony and how it affected her, said one student.
“I don’t think that it’s fair for people to be late,” another student added, “because then they might only hear one side of it.”
“I’m just a bill.”
As previously reported by CBS News California Investigates, it is not uncommon for California lawmakers to miss significant portions of committee hearings. In some cases, they may be assigned to two committees that meet at the same time, or they may have to leave to testify on behalf of one of their own bills in another committee.
Bauer-Kahan ultimately declined to vote on the bill, which is also a common practice in California’s legislature. Not voting has the same impact as voting no, but without leaving a record of a vote against the bill.
Bauer-Kahan’s staff said she did not have time to meet with the 5th graders to answer questions.
“I think Assemblyman Lee would need to define what an anti-aging product is,” one student said, agreeing with Bauer-Kahan. “Because the company can just be like, ‘OK, that’s not an anti-aging product.’”
The bill passed the committee with a 4/2 vote, but was quietly killed by Democratic leadership before Lee got the chance to propose amendments.
Assembly Appropriations Chair Buffy Wicks ultimately decided to hold the bill in the so-called suspense file, meaning it can’t move forward, and other lawmakers will never get the chance to vote.
Generally speaking, the suspense file is reserved for bills that are anticipated to cost the state a lot of money.
Capitol sources told CBS News California that the Appropriations Committee specifically requested this bill even though the nonpartisan legislative council designated AB 728 as “Non-Fiscal” and “Non-Appropriations.” It was the only bill to die in the suspense file that had both those designations, indicating that it was not a costly bill.
The 5th graders were scheduled to meet with Asm. Wicks the day of the hearing, but she canceled due to a conflicting meeting. Since that day, staff for Wicks and the Appropriations Committee have failed to respond to several emails from CBS News California.
We’ve repeatedly asked:
Why did Asm. Wicks and her staff request that this bill be sent to appropriations?
Why did they refer it to the suspense file if it is not a fiscal bill and is not expected to impact the budget?
We’re still waiting for a response.
Are you smarter than a 5th grader?
In its defense, the industry says it has its own solution. The Personal Care Products Council, the lobby for the skincare industry, says brands are using social media to combat the Sephora kids trend. It cites examples like Dove’s The Face of 10 campaign, which encourages kids to be kids.
“I’m not sure that this advertising campaign is going to have the intended effect,” said Drew Cingel, Ph.D. The U.C. Davis professor studies the intersection of adolescents, psychology, and social media marketing.
He notes that telling kids to act their age is more likely to have the opposite effect. When Watts showed some of the ads to the 5th graders, several agreed.
“They’re probably going to make me want to go buy (the products),” one of the fifth-graders said, looking at these ads, because, like, that girl definitely doesn’t look like 10. She looks like six or seven.”
“A 10-year-old certainly doesn’t want to be any younger than they already are,” Cingel noted. “These are not the people that they look up to. It’s the people older than them and what they are doing.”
And when we asked the kids about influencer marketing, many had no idea the influencers got free products or were paid for their posts.
“We know that developmentally, they don’t recognize ads at the same level that adults do,” Cingel said. “And it becomes much more blurred in a social media environment.”
Critics and fans alike point to social media kid-fluencer marketing for the rise of the so-called Sephora kids craze. Get-ready-with-me videos saturate social media feeds, targeting young girls with multi-step skincare routines where popular brands partner with kid-fluencers to create viral skincare products.
Dr. Smita Awasthi, the director of pediatric dermatology at UC Davis Health, said younger kids appear to be the target audience for many of the viral skincare products. She’s seen the adverse reactions firsthand.
“These sorts of products are meant for peeling the skin, and you know mature skin could use that,” she said.
But Dr. Awasthi says removing the outer layer of a child’s skin can lead to painful rashes and sunburns.
While she does prescribe retinoids for acne treatment, “Retinol is over the counter and typically used in anti-aging products… If a 12-year-old has acne that needs medical treatment, then I would hope they would seek out a dermatologist rather than getting it on their own,” she said.
Over-the-counter retinoids for acne come with clear warnings on packaging that is more strictly regulated than cosmetic retinols.
Before you put all the blame on the parents, you might want to try researching some of these products yourself.
“Even myself, as a dermatologist, if I’m not paying very close attention, I might miss an ingredient just because there are different names for things,” Dr. Awashti said.
Members of Brownie Troop 60125 volunteered at the Family Giving Tree warehouse in Sunnyvale on Dec. 7, sorting, wrapping and organizing gifts and getting them ready for bagging for the nonprofit’s Holiday Wish Drive. The troop also hosted a Virtual Giving Tree along with Junior Troop 60174, adopting 25 wish cards, and used cookie sale proceeds to shop for gifts at Pennyland Toys in Campbell, which offered the troops a discount. Donations to the Virtual Giving Trees can be made until 9 p.m. on Jan. 15, 2026, at https://wishdrive.org/girlscouttroop60125
Founded in Milpitas and now located in Santa Clara, Family Giving Tree has already collected more than 24,000 gifts this season and is working toward helping 50,000 children and families across the Bay Area, according to Evelyn Huynh, director of community resource development.
Peninsula Symphony concert
Grammy-nominated pianist Joyce Yang will perform with the Peninsula Symphony Jan. 17, 2026, in a program balancing the First Concerto of Beethoven with three orchestral visions of the story of “Romeo and Juliet.” Works by Strauss, Prokofiev and Diamond complete this program, to be performed at Campbell’s Heritage Theatre, located at 1 W Campbell Ave.
Despite large swaths of San Francisco struggling with blackouts as heavy rainstorms moved through the Bay Area on Saturday night, the Warriors’ 119-116 over the Suns was not lacking for juice.
Like many of Golden State’s games this season, it was competitive late into the fourth quarter.
With a minute showing on the clock, Curry brought the ball up with the Warriors leading by just two. Curry hit Gary Payton II, who found Jimmy Butler on the baseline for a contested layup that he turned into an and-1 score and a 115-112 lead.
Devin Booker responded by driving for an and-1 layup of his own five seconds later. Collin Gillespie had a chance to take the lead on an open corner three, but he missed, Brandin Podziemski grabbed a contested rebound, and Steph Curry made two free throws to push the lead back to four.
But Gillespie made it a 117-116 game when his one-legged 3-pointer in the corner went cleanly through the rim. The Suns elected not to foul, and let Steph Curry make a baseline layup with 5.7 seconds remaining. The Suns missed a desperation attempt from midcourt to end the wild game.
Curry scored a team-high 27 and Butler put up 25 points for Golden State, and Will Richard added 20. Booker led Phoenix with 38 points, and Dillon Brooks scored 22.
It was abundantly clear early on that neither side had much love for the other.
There were three technical fouls handed out and one ejection.
Draymond Green was ejected in the second quarter after shoving Gillespie from behind and arguing with the officials afterwards.
Booker also got whacked with a tech for complaining to Pat Fraher’s crew over what he believed to be an uncalled foul on Curry.
Brooks, the longtime Warriors nemesis, and Butler had a brief incident when Butler flung the ball at Brooks after a Warriors bucket, but no technical was called.
The Suns jumped out to a 44-32 lead after one quarter, but the Warriors cut the deficit to 67-64 at halftime thanks to Richard and Butler’s aggression. The Warriors led 93-87 after three quarters.
The Warriors (14-15) will remain in the Bay Area and will welcome the Magic to Chase Center on Monday.
Turnovers, turnovers, turnovers
Steve Kerr has tried quite possibly every lineup combination possible, attempted a multitude of tactics this season, all in aims of finding a way of mitigating the Warriors’ turnover-happy ways.
None of them are working, and nothing he did seemed to work on Saturday night. After giving up 30 points on 20 turnovers on Thursday, Golden State did not benefit from being back home.
The Warriors turned the ball over 13 times in the first half alone, and 20 times overall. Those giveaways led to 15 points for Phoenix.
Will Richard makes most of opportunity
One adjustment Kerr made in rainy San Francisco was giving an unheralded rookie another chance. After starting a dozen games in November and early December, the second-round rookie Richard was a healthy scratch for each of the past three losses.
But with the team in need of a spark, Kerr went back to the kid from Georgia.
He made the most of his first action in almost two weeks when he checked in during the first half in lieu of Buddy Hield. The rookie out of Florida scored 20 points, shooting 6 of 7 in the process, including 4-of-4 on 3-pointers and 4-of-4 from the line.
Jonathan Kuminga out with illness
One game after rejoining the Warriors’ rotation, Jonathan Kuminga remained at home with an unspecified illness. Curry also previously missed time with an illness.
Kuminga rejoined the rotation after three consecutive healthy scratches, and produced two points and four rebounds in 10 minutes of action.
A massive outage knocked out power to 130,000 homes and businesses in San Francisco on Saturday, Pacific Gas and Electric Co. said.
The power failure left a large swath of the northern part of the city in the dark, beginning with the Richmond and Presidio neighborhoods and areas around Golden Gate Park in the early afternoon and growing in size.
PG&E did not immediately respond to requests for comment on the cause of the blackouts. The outage represents roughly one-third of the utility company’s customers in the city.
Social media posts and local media reported mass closures of restaurants and shops and darkened street lights and Christmas decorations.
The San Francisco Department of Emergency Management said on X there were “significant transit disruptions” happening citywide and urged residents to avoid nonessential travel and treat down traffic signals as four-way stops.
The city’s transportation agencies said they were bypassing some Muni bus and BART train stations because of the power outages.
At least some of the blackouts were caused by a fire that broke out inside a PG&E substation at 8th and Mission streets, fire officials posted on X at about 3:15 p.m.
At about 4 p.m., PG&E posted on X that it had stabilized the power grid and was not expecting additional customer outages. The company said it was unable to confirm if power would be restored by later Saturday.
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