Tag: CAW

Californians who use iPhones got quite the scare when they checked their weather app’s 10-day forecast on Thursday morning, which showed some extremely high temperatures for the first Saturday of July.

The first week of July is slated to be a hot one, with cities in California’s interior reaching above 100 degrees, but the forecast for Saturday, July 6, shows unbearable temperatures hovering around 120 degrees for some places.

Sacramento is no stranger to reaching around 110 degrees, but the July 6 forecast shows 119. Fresno’s forecast says 121 and Bakersfield’s shows 120.

Coastal cities, which don’t really ever reach those numbers, are still showing much higher-than-average temperatures for that day.

San Diego’s forecast hovers between 74 and 80 degrees for the next 10 days, save for July 6, which shows 90. San Francisco residents may suffer in their abnormal 79 degrees for that date.

Although these are some extreme highs, it appears only iPhone Weather apps are showing these numbers and it could be a glitch that will be corrected. The company says it gets its weather information from more than a dozen sources.

However, other apps and websites show temperatures that appear more normal. It’s also important to mention that the 10-day forecast is never precise and that the temperatures change as the date approaches.

The National Weather Service’s station in Hanford also chimed in about the chances of 120-degree temperatures, saying that the probability of that happening in the area is 0%.

Climate scientist Daniel Swain said on Thursday morning that there are early signs of a potential major heatwave around the Fourth of July holiday, with possible record-breaking heat centered around Northern California.

July and August are traditionally the hottest months of the year, and even if the July 6 temperatures do not reach as high as what’s displayed on Thursday morning, it’s still going to be a hot stretch in the days around the Fourth of July.

(FOX40.COM) — Sacramento State was recognized by the California State Assembly as the first Black-Serving Institution in the state due to the university’s efforts to boost enrollment and graduation rates among Black students.  

The commemorative resolution was presented by the Assembly at a Thursday floor session with members of the campus inside the chamber.

“It sends a message to students about who we’re really here to serve,” university president Luke Wood said to FOX40.com, emphasizing that the campus is already a Hispanic-Serving Institution and an Asian American and Pacific Islander-Serving Institution.

Although Sacramento State does not qualify for the federal designations of being a Historically Black College or University, or a Predominantly Black Institution, the university enrolls more Black and African American students than any other campus in the CSU system, a university statement said.

The campus currently has around 2,000 students who are Black or African American, about 6% of the student population.

Recent efforts by President Luke Wood aim to ramp up programs to serve Black students, including establishing the nation’s first Black Honors College and the creation of a Black Success Initiative, which addresses the needs of Black and African American students, staff and administrators.

The Legislature is considering a bill, SB 1348, that would define a Black-Serving Institution as one that has a Black student population of at least 10% or 1,500 students.

Wood identified Compton College and California State University, Dominguez Hills as the other two campuses that could receive the designation if the bill becomes law.

“Think of us as the three institutions right now that are trying to lead the way in California so we can have safe havens across the state,” Wood said.

The summer season is a time when people try to cool down in a pool or in a California waterway. 

State and local agencies urge people to be cautious in the water when enjoying a swim in local rivers, lakes, or other bodies of water.

Part of being safe is wearing a life jacket and there are several agencies that loan them out to the public.

How to find an available life jacket

The California State Parks Division of Boating and Waterways (DBW) said it partners with multiple agencies to make life jackets available to individuals or families. 

Life jackets are available to the public on a loan basis and can be borrowed for a day or weekend.

Californians can find where free life jackets are being offered through the DBW website. 

On the website, the public can find where life jackets are available in their respective county and city. After clicking on a county, the site will show the entity’s address and phone number to check if free life jackets are available. 

What are California life jacket laws?

Under California law, every child under 13 years old on a moving recreation boat of any length must wear a Coast Guard-approved life jacket in “serviceable condition,” according to the DBW. 

When obtaining a life jacket, it needs to be the appropriate type and size to wear. 

The law doesn’t apply to children under 13, who are:
•On a sailboat and constrained by a harness attached to the sailboat
•In an enclosed cabin
•On a vessel engaged in an emergency rescue situation

Boats that are 16 feet or longer must carry a life jacket for everyone onboard along with a device designed for throwing such as a ring, cushion or horseshoe buoy.

Anyone who is onboard a personal watercraft, such as a jet ski, or is being towed behind a vessel is required to wear a Coast Guard-approved life jacket, according to the DBW. People on a boat less than 16 feet long, or a canoe or kayak of any length must wear a life jacket.

A life jacket must be carried for each person and must be readily available if stored. 

Anyone using an underwater maneuvering device is exempt from wearing a life jacket. An underwater maneuvering device is designed for underwater use that a person can pilot through diving, turning and surfacing moves, according to the DBW. 

Republican candidate for U.S. Senate Steve Garvey sat down with Inside California Politics in early May for one of his first post-primary interviews to discuss his ability to win in November, current college protests and concerns over his back taxes.

The former MLB first baseman and businessman believes he can win with strong campaigning and voter outreach in a state where registered Democrats outnumber registered Republicans by about 2 to 1.

“We’ve had significant progress with independents, those who are undecided, the disenfranchised Democrat. We will win it because we care about all people,” Garvey said.

Garvey says he’s actively campaigning to get his message out.

“We’re very aggressive with our mantra, which is ‘common sense, compassion, and consensus,’” Garvey said.

Recently, Garvey turned his focus to the Israel-Hamas war and the violence on college campuses between pro-Palestinian protesters and counter-protesters, as well as police.

“This is terrorism disguised as free speech,” Garvey said. “We should have free speech, but it should be organized the right way. It should not attack other people.”

“When they are attacking students who are Jewish, it is a hate crime. I support Israel yesterday, today, and tomorrow. We should stand by and protect their needs. We can’t tell them not to protect their sovereignty.”

On domestic matters, he says if elected to the Senate, he’ll push to secure funding for local police departments and border security.

“The economy…It’s the kitchen table and the gas station. To all those needs men and women have every day. They need help,” he said.

Garvey said that must include lower taxes but it’s the very issue of his own income taxes that’s garnered a lot of attention this spring. Documents show he has recently owed at least $350,000 in back taxes to the government.

His opponent in the 2024 November election, Rep. Adam Schiff, has tried to capitalize on the issue.

“Californians deserve a senator who will fight for them, not someone who thinks the rules don’t apply to him,” Schiff said recently.

Garvey said the issue is going to be resolved.

More from ‘Inside California Politics‘
• San Francisco Mayor London Breed on the city’s “perception” problem
• NewsNation political editor Chris Stirewalt discusses 2024 election
• Constitutional law expert weighs in on Supreme Court Mifepristone case

“For 50 years, I have filed, always filed my taxes on time,” Garvey said. “There have been some challenges we have had. There are ongoing discussions with the IRS and the state. It will be resolved in the future. We never neglect our responsibilities.”

Garvey finished second in the state’s March 5 primary with 31.5% of the vote. Schiff finished first with roughly 4,600 votes (0.06%) more than Garvey.

Two other Democratic candidates, Rep. Katie Porter and Rep. Barbara Lee, finished in third and fourth place respectively with just under 25% of the vote combined.

Just over two weeks after Arizona’s Supreme Court ruled that an 1864 law limiting most abortions in the state was valid, California government leaders will seek to pass a law that will allow Arizona doctors to come to the state to provide abortions and related health care to residents of that state.

California state senators Nancy Skinner and Cecilia Aguiar-Curry will introduce SB 233, which would allow licensed Arizona doctors to provide that care to Arizona patients in California through the end of November of this year, according to a news release from the office of the governor and the Legislative Women’s Caucus.

The bill will have an urgency clause, which will allow it to go into effect as soon as it receives the governor’s signature.

If passed, the Arizona doctors will be overseen by the California Medical Board Osteopathic Medical Board.

In Arizona, access to abortion will be severely limited starting on June 8 because of the 19th-century law that will be allowed to go into effect.

The law states that anyone who “provides, supplies or administers” an abortion or medication that induces an abortion could face a prison sentence of several years unless the procedure is necessary to save the mother’s life.

The action from California leaders is the latest in an attempt to expand protections for abortion-related care in the state.

Since the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in 2022 that it is up to states to regulate abortions, California has enshrined reproductive health care in its Constitution through a voter-approved amendment, and several laws have limited cooperation with other states that seek to prosecute women who travel to California for an abortion or related care.

This article will be updated after a news conference by state leaders on Wednesday morning.

(FOX40.COM) — While some parts of the United States will celebrate a rare total solar eclipse on April 8, most of the country will be able to see the sun partially blocked by the moon’s shadow, including many Californians.

The path of totality, the thin track of land from where the sun will appear completely blocked, will travel roughly from Texas to New York, but residents in California could still have an opportunity to see a partial solar eclipse.

How much of the sun is blocked out and at what time will depend largely on where you are in California and how cloudy it is in your area.

What time is the April 8, 2024 eclipse?

The moon’s passing in front of the sun could last a total of about two hours, with the sun slowly becoming more blacked out as the moon moves in front of it, but the time when the maximum amount of the sun will be blocked will happen between 11 a.m. and 11:20 a.m. PST.

People in Southern California will see the peak of the solar eclipse in the earlier part of that timeframe, while those who live in Central California will see the peak a little later, and those in the northern part of the state will see the peak during the final minutes of that period.

The amount of sun blacked out by the moon also correlates with the regions of the state, with those closer to the southern end seeing more of the sun darkened, potentially between 50 and 70 percent, while those in the north will see something closer to a 30 to 50 percent blockage.

Cloud cover could also affect your chance of seeing the solar eclipse.

The interactive map at this link allows you to enter an address and see the historical data of cloud cover on April 8 for that area.

The interactive map at this link allows you to see what the eclipse will look like in your area.

How can I see the solar eclipse?

The southeastern part of the state looks like it may have the clearest skies, with parts of the Bay Area, the southern coast and the northern coast having the highest probability of clouds on that date.

Because it is a partial solar eclipse, the part of the sun that does make it through will still be strong enough to cause vision damage and it is advised to only see the celestial event with proper eye protection.

(FOX40.COM) — A family from El Dorado County has identified the two brothers who were attacked by a mountain lion over the weekend.

In a statement from the family provided through the El Dorado County Sheriff’s Office, Taylen Brooks, 21, and Wyatt Brooks, 18, from the Mount Aukum community, were identified as the victims of the attack.

Taylen Brooks died in the encounter with the animal on Saturday afternoon. His brother is recovering from the attack and has had multiple surgeries.

“We are all devastated by the tragic loss of Taylen yet thankful Wyatt is still with us and are well- aware the outcome could have been even worse,” reads part of the family statement.

The brothers are described as enjoying hunting and fishing together, and spending a lot of time outdoors.

Taylen worked alongside his father painting houses and cutting firewood, and was a talented guitar player, and Wyatt has been in the Mt. Adams Fire Academy since September 2023 and aspires to work with CAL FIRE, the statement continues.

The family statement also included a link for the Brooks Brothers Support Fund, which will help the family pay for funeral services for Taylen and the recovery of Wyatt.

The attack happened in an area southeast of Georgetown, about 55 miles northeast of Sacramento.

According to the sheriff’s office, the two brothers were shed hunting, which is searching for antlers dropped by deer, when they were attacked.

18-year-old Wyatt was able to get away from the animal and called emergency services.

Later that night, officials from El Dorado County and the California Dept. of Fish and Wildlife euthanized a mountain lion in the area, which was later confirmed to have been the animal that attacked the two brothers.

State Farm General Insurance Company plans to non-renew about 30,000 property insurance and 42,000 commercial apartment policies in California, the company announced Wednesday.

State Farm, California’s largest insurer as of 2022, said the move would impact 2% of its total policies in the state and was made to ensure “long-term sustainability.”

The 42,000 commercial apartment non-renewals represent a complete withdrawal from the commercial apartment market in California. The other 30,000 non-renewals would impact homeowners, rental dwellings, and other property insurance policies, according to State Farm.

The announcement applies to California customers only. The company said those impacted will be notified between July 3 and Aug. 20.

“This decision was not made lightly and only after careful analysis of State Farm General’s financial health, which continues to be impacted by inflation, catastrophe exposure, reinsurance costs, and the limitations of working within decades-old insurance regulations. State Farm General takes seriously our responsibility to maintain adequate claims-paying capacity for our customers and to comply with applicable financial solvency laws. It is necessary to take these actions now,” the company said in a statement.

The company also said it will continue working with the Department of Insurance, Gov. Gavin Newsom and other policymakers as they pursue reforms “to establish an environment in which insurance rates are better aligned with risk.”

In February, the state’s insurance department announced proposals to reform California’s insurance regulations. The new proposal would allow insurance companies to switch from using historical data to catastrophe modeling, meaning companies would calculate projections of future risk when raising rates and pass on the cost of reinsurance to consumers.

The new changes are expected to take effect at the end of the year.

Last year, State Farm announced it would stop accepting new insurance applications for all business and personal property in California.

Since then, other companies like Allstate have announced similar moves.

(FOX40.COM) — The California Highway Patrol released a statement and video of Wednesday’s head-on collision involving a wrong-way driver and a parked CHP vehicle along Interstate 80 in Yolo County.

The video is dash cam footage provided by a member of the public who was driving on the far right lane of eastbound I-80 at the time of the crash.

On Thursday, CHP Assistant Commissioner Ezery Beauchamp provided more information on what the state-wide law enforcement agency is calling an ‘act of violence.”

While stopped on the right-hand shoulder of eastbound I-80 near Mace Boulevard, a wrong-way driver “intentionally” drove head-on into a CHP patrol vehicle at 3:38 p.m. on Wednesday.

Two officers were seated in the patrol vehicle with their seatbelts on during the collision and were transported to a local hospital with minor to major injuries.

The suspect driver was arrested at the scene and will be booked into the Yolo County Jail.

“Acts of violence like this against our officers will not be tolerated,” Beauchamp said in a video posted to Facebook on Thursday. “Our CHP detectives and investigative personnel will work collaboratively with the district attorney’s office to ensure this individual is held accountable for his actions.”