The owner of Facebook has agreed to buy $60bn (£44.5bn) of artificial intelligence chips from the US semiconductor company Advanced Micro Devices despite fears over the vast sums being spent on the AI industry. Meta, which also owns Instagram and WhatsApp, has clinched the five-year deal in which it will also buy 10% of the chip company. AMD signed a similar pact with OpenAI last year, which was hailed as a vote of confidence in its chips and software, significantly boosting its stock price. A recent series of chip supply agreements underscores the AI industry’s appetite for processors. Guardian
Apple typically announces its new products in one fell swoop, but Bloomberg’s Mark Gurmanreports that Cupertino may change things up for next week’s reveal. Apple is hosting a special “experience” on Wednesday, March 4. Apple typically refers to its launches as events if they’re announcements, and it normally hosts its reveals on Tuesdays. Gurman says he has heard that this will instead be an event for the press to try products that will be announced in the preceding days. PCMag
Half of parents would ignore a ban on social media for under-16-year-olds and allow their children on to services such as Instagram or Snapchat, the Government has been warned. A survey from Public First, shared with ministers, reported that 50pc of parents would still allow their children to access social apps even if they were nominally barred from them. It also found that 68pc of families believed their children would still find a way around the block and 45pc feared that their children would use unregulated apps instead. Telegraph
At least 21 police forces across England are still using Copilot AI despite West Midlands Police (WMP) blocking Microsoft’s tool after inaccurate evidence formed a decision to ban Israeli football fans, Sky News can reveal. The Birmingham force turned off access to the software after admitting, following initial denials, that a Copilot “hallucination” was responsible for a match that never happened being included in an intelligence document justifying excluding Maccabi Tel Aviv fans from Aston Villa in November. Sky News
Swedish VPN provider Mullvadis renowned for its staunch privacy stance — and its willing to be vocal about it. However, when the company attempted to bring its anti-surveillance “And Then?” advertisement to British television, it was met with rejection. Directed by Jonas Åkerlund, the 30-second spot aims to raise awareness about online censorship and mass surveillance. Originally designed to criticize “Chat Control” — the EU’s controversial proposal for mandatory message scanning — the campaign has since been repurposed to challenge any legislation that threatens digital freedom. Tech Radar
If you’ve ever opened an AI chatbot, asked a question, and gotten a confident answer that still didn’t move the work forward, you already understand the gap Gemini 3.1 Pro is trying to close. Google’s Gemini 3.1 Pro is positioned as its most advanced model for complex tasks, with a big emphasis on reasoning, long-context comprehension and “agentic” workflows. This latest model truly behaves more like a coworker that can plan and execute multi-step work, especially when you give it structured instructions. Tom’s Guide
CREWS WORKED TO KEEP IT COOL TO MAKE SURE IT WOULD NOT REIGNITE. IN SOLANO COUNTY, SOME TOUGH ECONOMIC NEWS AS JELLY BELLY IS CUTTING DOZENS OF JOBS IN FAIRFIELD. THE COMPANY SAYS THESE LAYOFFS WILL START IN EARLY JUNE. THIS IS MAINLY OFFICE-BASED ROLES IN MARKETING, FINANCE AND ACCOUNTING. THE COMPANY TOLD OUR PARTNERS AT THE SAN FRANCISCO CHRONICLE. THE MOVE WILL NOT IMPACT CANDY PRODUCTION, WAREHOUSING OR THE VISITOR CENTER.
Sixty-nine employees are slated to lose their jobs at Fairfield-headquartered Jelly Belly, according to a WARN notice obtained by SFGATE. Jelly Belly’s parent company, Ferrara Candy Company, is closing its Fairfield “corporate-commercial operations,” located at One Jelly Belly Lane, 2400 N. Watney Way, 2500 N. Watney Way, and 2385 N. Watney Way, according to screenshots of the WARN letter Fairfield Mayor Catherine Moy shared on Facebook on Friday.“This action will not impact any Fairfield Manufacturing, Warehousing, or Visitor Center roles,” Sukrat Baber, assistant general counsel of Ferrara Candy, wrote in the letter sent to the mayor and other local officials. “This layoff is expected to be permanent.”“This action will not impact any Fairfield Manufacturing, Warehousing, or Visitor Center roles,” Sukrat Baber, assistant general counsel of Ferrara Candy, wrote in the letter sent to the mayor and other local officials. “This layoff is expected to be permanent.”Ferrara Candy Company, which also owns other candy brands such as Nerds, Sweetarts and Laffy Taffy, acquired Jelly Belly in 2023. “These reductions were expected based on what they told us previously when they first acquired Jelly Belly,” Fairfield City Manager David Gassaway wrote in a letter last week to the City Council, according to Moy’s Facebook post. Despite the layoffs, Jelly Belly will continue making candy and offering tours at its factory, a popular Fairfield tourist attraction. Ferrara does not plan to close the factory. “We anticipate no impact to the Jelly Belly brand, our products, manufacturing levels, or service to our customers,” continued the statement from Ferrara provided to SFGATE.The news comes as another blow to Fairfield, following the closure of the Anheuser-Busch plant this month. However, “Some good news: We have seen healthy interest in companies considering buying the Budweiser plant,” Moy wrote in her Facebook post.See more coverage of top California stories here | Download our app | Subscribe to our morning newsletter | Find us on YouTube here and subscribe to our channel
FAIRFIELD, Calif. —
Sixty-nine employees are slated to lose their jobs at Fairfield-headquartered Jelly Belly, according to a WARN notice obtained by SFGATE. Jelly Belly’s parent company, Ferrara Candy Company, is closing its Fairfield “corporate-commercial operations,” located at One Jelly Belly Lane, 2400 N. Watney Way, 2500 N. Watney Way, and 2385 N. Watney Way, according to screenshots of the WARN letter Fairfield Mayor Catherine Moy shared on Facebook on Friday.
“This action will not impact any Fairfield Manufacturing, Warehousing, or Visitor Center roles,” Sukrat Baber, assistant general counsel of Ferrara Candy, wrote in the letter sent to the mayor and other local officials. “This layoff is expected to be permanent.”
“This action will not impact any Fairfield Manufacturing, Warehousing, or Visitor Center roles,” Sukrat Baber, assistant general counsel of Ferrara Candy, wrote in the letter sent to the mayor and other local officials. “This layoff is expected to be permanent.”
Ferrara Candy Company, which also owns other candy brands such as Nerds, Sweetarts and Laffy Taffy, acquired Jelly Belly in 2023.
“These reductions were expected based on what they told us previously when they first acquired Jelly Belly,” Fairfield City Manager David Gassaway wrote in a letter last week to the City Council, according to Moy’s Facebook post.
Despite the layoffs, Jelly Belly will continue making candy and offering tours at its factory, a popular Fairfield tourist attraction. Ferrara does not plan to close the factory.
“We anticipate no impact to the Jelly Belly brand, our products, manufacturing levels, or service to our customers,” continued the statement from Ferrara provided to SFGATE.
The news comes as another blow to Fairfield, following the closure of the Anheuser-Busch plant this month. However, “Some good news: We have seen healthy interest in companies considering buying the Budweiser plant,” Moy wrote in her Facebook post.
Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg faced questioning in a Los Angeles courtroom on Wednesday about Instagram’s under-13 users and Meta’s efforts to boost engagement, as a trial examines whether the company knowingly offered an addictive and harmful product to children and teens.
The landmark trial against Meta and YouTube kicked off in late January. It centers on allegations brought by a plaintiff identified as “KGM,” who claims that using social media from a young age caused her to become addicted and harmed her mental health.
KGM, who is now 20 years old, alleges that Facebook, Instagram and YouTube — with their recommendation algorithms and infinite scrolling — are designed to be addictive.
In the courtroom on Wednesday, Zuckerberg faced questions from KGM’s lawyer Mark Lanier over Meta’s policy for allowing children under 13 to access Instagram. KGM started using Instagram at 9 years old, according to Lanier.
Zuckerberg said users under 13 are not allowed on the platform, but added that it is a difficult rule to enforce because there are “a meaningful number of people who lie about their age to use our services.”
Lanier also pressed Zuckerberg about whether one of the company’s goals is to increase the time users spend on Instagram. Zuckerberg said Meta uses time spent on the app as a proxy to measure its performance against competitors like TikTok.
“It’s different than us trying to just increase time,” he said. “Just us trying to see how we’re stacking up in the industry.”
Zuckerberg also addressed Instagram’s beauty filters, which Meta temporarily shut down after concerns surfaced that they changed people’s appearance in a way that seemed to promote plastic surgery. Zuckerberg said the company decided to allow beauty filters in support of free expression, but said that “we shouldn’t create them ourselves or recommend them.”
This marks the first time Zuckerberg is defending his company before a jury, although he has previously testified before Congress regarding youth safety on Meta’s platforms.
Trial carries implications for similar cases
The outcome of the lawsuit could shape how thousands of similar cases brought against social media giants play out. TikTok and Snapchat were originally part of the lawsuit, but they settled before the trial started.
Some experts have drawn comparisons between the social media trial and the tobacco industry lawsuits of the 1990s, which sought to hold companies accountable for their products and how they were marketed.
“A trial like this one will hopefully uncover the disconnect between what companies say publicly to drive up business and engagement and what is actually going on behind the scenes,” UCLA law professor and tech justice attorney Melodi Dinçer told CBS News senior business and technology correspondent Jo Ling Kent.
Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg arrives at Los Angeles Superior Court on Feb. 18, 2026.
Patrick T. Fallon /AFP via Getty Images
Prior to Zuckerberg’s testimony, Meta told CBS News that it strongly disagrees with the allegations and that it is committed to supporting young people who use its platforms. The company also claims that KGM faced mental health struggles before she used social media.
A spokesperson from Google, the parent company of YouTube, also denied the allegations, calling them “simply not true.”
Zuckerberg’s appearance in the LA courtroom follows that of Instagram CEO Adam Mosseri, who testified in the trial last week. While on the stand, Mosseri said he does not believe people can be clinically addicted to social media platforms, instead referring to what he calls “problematic use,” when people spend more time on Instagram than they feel good about.
Prosecutors also pressed Mosseri over whether Instagram is prioritizing growth and profit over safety. In response, Mosseri said Instagram makes “less money from teens than from any other demographic on the app,” adding that teens don’t tend to click on ads.
We have all lived through the “roommate from hell” phase. But one woman’s college nightmare is officially taking the crown for the most dangerous roommate in history. TikTok creator @secretesse shared a “roommate horror story” that has racked up over 549,000 views. And the stars of the story are a brand-new oven and a tray of “charred to filth” nuggets.
The story is from when the creator was attending Flagler College. She recounted how her roommate, whom she called “Delaney,” returned from a popular college “Flip Night” and decided to do some late-night cooking. But the creator did not just find a messy kitchen next morning; it was a life-threatening situation. She details how her roommate’s simple craving for chicken nuggets nearly resulted in a burnt-down house.
The ‘Diddly-Do’ sound saved the creator and her roommate
The story reached its climax at 7:30 AM when the woman woke up to a persistent, “sing-songy” lullaby sound. She initially thought it was part of a dream, but it soon followed her to consciousness. After she followed the noise like “Hansel and Gretel,” she discovered it was the preheat alarm on their updated oven. Apparently, her roommate had left it on all night.
When she opened the oven door, smoke billowed out, triggering fire alarms across the house. Inside, there was a tray of over a dozen chicken nuggets that had been incinerated beyond recognition. When she went to confront Delaney, she found her roommate passed out face-down. She was still fully dressed in her heels from the night before, and completely unresponsive to the chaos.
What would have happened if she hadn’t intervened?
If the woman hadn’t woken up to that “diddly-do” alarm, the outcome could have been catastrophic. Kitchen fires are the leading cause of home fires and injuries. And leaving an oven unattended, especially while intoxicated, is a recipe for disaster.
The smoke itself posed a major risk. Inhaling smoke from burnt food for several more hours could have led to carbon monoxide poisoning, or smoke inhalation for both roommates while they slept. Eventually, the intense heat could have caused the grease in the nuggets to ignite. Or, the high temperatures could have compromised the oven’s electrical components, leading to a structural fire.
Did the nuggets being frozen really save the house?
The narrator expressed a belief that the “ounce of moisture” trapped inside the frozen chicken nuggets was the only thing that prevented a fire. While it’s true that moisture can briefly slow down the carbonization process, it isn’t exactly a fire-suppression system. The real “hero” was likely the “all-new” updated appliance.
Modern ovens are designed with better insulation and safety features than older models. It allows them to sustain high temperatures for longer periods without the exterior igniting nearby cabinetry. However, even the best oven isn’t designed to “cook” a tray of frozen snacks for six hours straight. So, the moisture eventually evaporated, leaving the nuggets “charred to filth” and ready to ignite if left much longer.
Is it safe to put chicken nuggets in the oven and for how long?
Cooking chicken nuggets in the oven is generally the safest and most recommended method. But, you shouldn’t be passed out in your heels while doing it. Most frozen chicken nuggets require a preheated oven (usually around 400°F) and only 10 to 15 minutes of bake time.
The Safety Rule is,you should never leave an oven unattended while it is in use. If you are tired or under the influence, the logical thing to do is stick to snacks that don’t require high-heat appliances. Leaving nuggets in for hours, as Delaney did, causes the food to undergo a chemical breakdown where it becomes pure carbon, which is highly flammable.
Living with a roommate requires a basic survival instinct
It’s good luck that the woman caught the charred nuggets just in time. But her story proves that “low-stakes” roommate issues like messy dishes are not the worst thing that can happen. Regardless, the experience of co-living should not involve a “comatose” roommate nearly burning the building down for a snack. So, if you’re headed to “Flip Night,” maybe just buy a bag of chips for when you get home. Your roommate (and your oven) will thank you.
Scrolling used to be relaxing. Now it often feels chaotic. That is not a coincidence. Nearly everything you see on social media is controlled by algorithms that track what you like, watch, click and ignore. Over time, those signals get muddy. One curiosity click can reshape your feed for weeks. The solution is not deleting your accounts. It is retraining the system.
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Your social media experience starts the moment you tap an app, and every click helps shape what shows up next.(Jaap Arriens/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
How social media algorithms decide what you see
Algorithms pay attention to behavior, not intention. They track engagement patterns and repeat what keeps you scrolling. If your feed feels off, it usually means the algorithm learned the wrong lesson. Resetting your feed helps correct that.
Note: This article is written desktop-first (PC or Mac). When a step is phone-only or significantly different on mobile, it is clearly labeled.
How to clean up your Facebook Feed
Primary device: PC or Mac. Phone differences noted.
Use Content Preferences to retrain Facebook (PC or Mac)
Facebook’s feed is built around people, pages and groups you follow, plus recommended content and ads.
Click your profile photo in the upper right
Select Settings and Privacy > Content Preferences
From here, you can:
Add people and groups to Favorites
Snooze posts temporarily
Unfollow accounts without unfriending them
Reconnect with accounts you muted before
These tools are easiest to manage on a desktop.
Filter your Feed view (PC or Mac)
To bypass the main algorithmic feed:
Click Feeds in the left navigation
Choose to view only Favorites, Friends, Groups, or Pages
This shows content chronologically within those categories.
Hide and flag posts as you scroll (PC, Mac and phone)
On any post in your Facebook feed:
Click the three-dot menu in the upper right of the post
Choose Hide post, Snooze, or Unfollow, depending on what appears
Hiding posts and snoozing or unfollowing accounts sends the same signal to the algorithm. Use these options often. Facebook responds more reliably to repeated negative feedback than occasional clicks.
For suggested posts and reels, you may also see Not interested. Selecting it further trains the feed away from similar content.
Cut down ads and sensitive topics (PC, Mac and phone)
When ads appear:
Click the X to hide them
Or use the three-dot menu to hide or report
For deeper control:
Go to Settings and Privacy > Settings
Open Account Center
Click Ad Preferences > Customize ads
Select See All next to Ad Topics
Click View and manage topics
Click the topic name
Choose See less
Repeat this for every topic you want to limit.
To block specific words in comments:
Click your profile picture (top right on desktop)
Settings & privacy → Settings
In the left column, click Profile and Tagging
Under “Profile,” look for Hide comments containing certain words from your profile and click on the arrow next to it.
Choose a list of words, phrases or emojis you want to hide from your profile and type them in the box.
Click Save below it.
Using a computer gives you deeper control over social media settings that are harder to find on a phone.(Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)
How to clean up your Instagram feed
Primary device: Phone only
Instagram does not currently offer a reliable, universal option to reset its algorithm. Feed control on Instagram is manual and behavior-based. That means the app learns from what you hide, mute, unfollow and ignore.
Tell Instagram what you do not want to see (phone)
On posts that miss the mark:
Tap the three-dot menu
Select Not interested, Mute or Unfollow, depending on what appears
Use this consistently. Instagram responds more to repeated signals than one-off actions.
Fine-tune who appears in your feed (phone)
Visit accounts directly and tap Following to manage how their content shows up.
From here, you can:
Mute posts or stories
Add or remove Favorites
Restrict interactions
Unfollow the account
These actions immediately influence future recommendations.
Review account-level controls (phone)
Open Settings and review:
Muted accounts
Blocked accounts
Close Friends
Cleaning up these lists helps reduce clutter and repetitive content.
When a new Instagram account makes sense
If your feed still feels off after manual cleanup, starting fresh is the most effective reset.
To do this:
Log out and create a new account
Follow only accounts you truly want to see
Avoid mass-following during setup
Instagram’s algorithm is heavily influenced by early behavior, so a slow, intentional start matters.
Some users may hear about an Instagram “reset” feature, but as of now, it is not consistently available across accounts.
Fine-tune who you see (phone)
Tap the three-dot menu on posts to unfollow or favorite accounts.
From any profile, tap Following to:
Add Close Friend
Add Favorite
Mute posts or stories
Restrict interactions
Unfollow
Under Settings, review:
Muted accounts
Blocked accounts
Close Friends
Instagram’s feed is trained by what you hide, mute and unfollow, not by a single reset button.(iStock)
How to reset your TikTok For You page
Primary device: Phone only
Train the feed gradually (phone)
Press and hold on a video
Tap Not Interested
Consistency matters here.
Remove past likes (phone)
Go to Profile
Tap the heart icon
Unlike videos that may be influencing recommendations
Refresh the entire feed (phone only)
Tap Profile
Tap the three-line menu
Go to Settings and Privacy > Content Preferences
Tap Refresh Your For You Feed
Confirm
This resets recommendations but keeps your following list.
For a total reset, unfollow accounts manually or start fresh with a new account.
TikTok’s For You page reacts quickly when you mark videos as not interested or clean up past likes.(iStock)
Repeat this on videos that miss the mark. YouTube relies heavily on repeated feedback signals. This option is not consistently available on the YouTube mobile app. Use a computer for the best results.
Reset subscriptions (PC, Mac and phone)
Subscriptions heavily shape recommendations. Unsubscribe from channels you no longer watch. Rebuild your list intentionally.
YouTube recommendations are driven by watch history, search history and subscriptions you may have forgotten about.(Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)
X does not allow full ad removal, but these steps reduce targeting.
Train the feed as you scroll (PC, Mac and phone)
On posts or ads you do not want to see again:
Click or tap the three-dot menu
Choose Not interested, Block, or Mute, depending on what appears
Also:
Unfollow accounts that no longer add value
Block advertisers directly when possible
Repeated feedback matters more than occasional actions.
When starting a new X account makes sense
X’s algorithm is less forgiving than most platforms. If your feed feels irreparable, the most effective reset is:
Creating a new account
Following only accounts you truly want
Avoiding mass follows early on
Early behavior heavily shapes long-term recommendations. X offers fewer feed controls than most platforms, so changes may feel slower and less dramatic.
Small, consistent actions on your phone can gradually retrain algorithms and reduce daily feed fatigue.(Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)
How to clean up Threads
Works on PC, Mac and phone
Control what appears in For You
On the For You feed:
Click the three-dot menu
Mark posts as not interested, mute or block
Use Hidden Words (PC and phone)
Open Settings
Go to Hidden Words
Add words, phrases or emojis separated by commas
These filters apply across Threads and Instagram.
How to make LinkedIn useful again
Primary device: PC recommended
Switch to recent posts (PC and Mac)
At the top of your feed, click Sort by: Top
Change it to Recent
To make it permanent:
Go to Me
Click Settings and Privacy
Select Preferred Feed View
Choose Most recent posts
Click the left arrow to save
Reduce ad targeting (PC and Mac)
Go to Settings and Privacy
Open Advertising Data
Select Interests and Traits
Turn off categories you do not want
Aggressively train the feed (PC, Mac and phone)
On unwanted posts:
Click the three-dot menu
Select Not relevant or Not interested
Under My Network, review Followers and Following and unfollow accounts that add noise.
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Kurt’s key takeaways
Social media feels overwhelming when it runs on autopilot. A few minutes of cleanup can dramatically change what you see. Algorithms respond to clarity. The clearer your signals, the better your feed becomes. You do not need to quit social media to enjoy it again. You just need to take control.
If your feed reflects your behavior, what does yours reveal about how you spend your attention right now? Let us know by writing to us at Cyberguy.com
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Copyright 2026 CyberGuy.com. All rights reserved.
Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson is an award-winning tech journalist who has a deep love of technology, gear and gadgets that make life better with his contributions for Fox News & FOX Business beginning mornings on “FOX & Friends.” Got a tech question? Get Kurt’s free CyberGuy Newsletter, share your voice, a story idea or comment at CyberGuy.com.
Investigators in Florida say a double homicide discovered during a well-being check was linked to a shooting rampage hours later in a gated community on the other side of the state, which left five more people dead including the suspected shooter.The suspect had a romantic relationship with one of the Fort Lauderdale victims, who was connected to the victims in the second shooting in Sarasota, but Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office detectives released few other details.“The suspect’s motivation for targeting the Sarasota victims is unknown,” the sheriff’s office said in a statement Wednesday.According to the sheriff’s office, deputies received a call around noon Tuesday reporting an adult male with gunshot wounds in the front yard of a residence in a gated community. That man was taken to a hospital where he died. Deputies entered the residence after neighbors said the man’s wife was likely inside the home.When deputies entered the home, deputies said they found four adult victims, two male and two female, pronounced dead on the scene. One of the male victims was the suspect, 51-year-old Russell Kot.While working to identify Kot, authorities in Sarasota received information from the Fort Lauderdale Police Department advising that they were actively investigating a double homicide, and they believed their suspect was involved in the Sarasota shooting.Fort Lauderdale is more than 200 miles away from Sarasota, on the opposite side of Florida’s main peninsula.Fort Lauderdale provided Sarasota with the suspect’s vehicle information, which can be seen entering the neighborhood around 11:30 a.m. Sarasota deputies said their investigation revealed Kot had been in a previous romantic relationship with one of the victims in the Fort Lauderdale double homicide.That victim was also connected to the four people shot in Sarasota.The suspect’s motivation for targeting the Sarasota victims is unknown, officials said.The victims in the Sarasota shooting were later identified as Olga Greinert, Florita Stolyar, Anatoly Ioffe and Yaroslav Blyudoy.The Associated Press contributed to this report.
SARASOTA, Fla. —
Investigators in Florida say a double homicide discovered during a well-being check was linked to a shooting rampage hours later in a gated community on the other side of the state, which left five more people dead including the suspected shooter.
The suspect had a romantic relationship with one of the Fort Lauderdale victims, who was connected to the victims in the second shooting in Sarasota, but Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office detectives released few other details.
“The suspect’s motivation for targeting the Sarasota victims is unknown,” the sheriff’s office said in a statement Wednesday.
According to the sheriff’s office, deputies received a call around noon Tuesday reporting an adult male with gunshot wounds in the front yard of a residence in a gated community. That man was taken to a hospital where he died.
Deputies entered the residence after neighbors said the man’s wife was likely inside the home.
When deputies entered the home, deputies said they found four adult victims, two male and two female, pronounced dead on the scene. One of the male victims was the suspect, 51-year-old Russell Kot.
While working to identify Kot, authorities in Sarasota received information from the Fort Lauderdale Police Department advising that they were actively investigating a double homicide, and they believed their suspect was involved in the Sarasota shooting.
Fort Lauderdale is more than 200 miles away from Sarasota, on the opposite side of Florida’s main peninsula.
Fort Lauderdale provided Sarasota with the suspect’s vehicle information, which can be seen entering the neighborhood around 11:30 a.m.
Sarasota deputies said their investigation revealed Kot had been in a previous romantic relationship with one of the victims in the Fort Lauderdale double homicide.
That victim was also connected to the four people shot in Sarasota.
The suspect’s motivation for targeting the Sarasota victims is unknown, officials said.
The victims in the Sarasota shooting were later identified as Olga Greinert, Florita Stolyar, Anatoly Ioffe and Yaroslav Blyudoy.
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A man helped rescue a pregnant woman from a vehicle in a pond off Interstate 95 in Florida. Hours later, she gave birth to the child.Logan Hayes had been driving to work near Stuart before 8 a.m. Friday before the Gatlin exit near the weigh station.”As I was driving by, I saw this car in the pond,” he told WPBF.The vehicle was sinking. He jumped into the cold waters, swam out to the vehicle, and pulled the woman to shore.Hayes later learned the woman was pregnant. Martin County Fire Rescue crews arrived minutes later. The patient was taken to HCA Florida Lawnwood Hospital in Fort Pierce with serious injuries.MCFD divers entered the water to confirm no other occupants were inside and to assist with scene recovery.”Great teamwork by all responding units and the citizens on scene,” the agency posted on Facebook.SLCScanner’s Dan Toback, who posts information on the Treasure Coast, called it “an incredible story.”
A man helped rescue a pregnant woman from a vehicle in a pond off Interstate 95 in Florida. Hours later, she gave birth to the child.
Logan Hayes had been driving to work near Stuart before 8 a.m. Friday before the Gatlin exit near the weigh station.
“As I was driving by, I saw this car in the pond,” he told WPBF.
The vehicle was sinking. He jumped into the cold waters, swam out to the vehicle, and pulled the woman to shore.
Hayes later learned the woman was pregnant.
Martin County Fire Rescue crews arrived minutes later.
The patient was taken to HCA Florida Lawnwood Hospital in Fort Pierce with serious injuries.
MCFD divers entered the water to confirm no other occupants were inside and to assist with scene recovery.
“Great teamwork by all responding units and the citizens on scene,” the agency posted on Facebook.
SLCScanner’s Dan Toback, who posts information on the Treasure Coast, called it “an incredible story.”
It has been a rough start to the year for password security. A massive database containing 149 million stolen logins and passwords was found publicly exposed online.
The data included credentials tied to an estimated 48 million Gmail accounts, along with millions more from popular services. Cybersecurity researcher Jeremiah Fowler, who discovered the database, confirmed it was not password-protected or encrypted. Anyone who found it could have accessed the data.
Here is what we know so far and what you should do next.
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A publicly exposed database left millions of usernames and passwords accessible to anyone who found it online.(Wei Leng Tay/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
What was found in the exposed database
The database contained 149,404,754 unique usernames and passwords. It totaled roughly 96 GB of raw credential data. Fowler said the exposed files included email addresses, usernames, passwords and direct login URLs for accounts across many platforms. Some records also showed signs of info-stealing malware, which silently captures credentials from infected devices.
Importantly, this was not a new breach of Google, Meta or other companies. Instead, the database appears to be a compilation of credentials stolen over time from past breaches and malware infections. That distinction matters, but the risk to users remains real.
Which accounts appeared most often
Based on estimates shared by Fowler, the following services had the highest number of credentials in the exposed database.
Email accounts dominated the dataset, which matters because access to email often unlocks other accounts. A compromised inbox can be used to reset passwords, access private documents, read years of messages and impersonate the account holder. That is why Gmail appearing so frequently in this database raises concerns beyond any single service.
Email accounts appeared most often in the leaked data, which is especially concerning because inbox access can unlock many other accounts.(Felix Zahn/Photothek via Getty Images)
Why the exposed database creates serious security risks
This exposed database was not abandoned or forgotten. The number of records increased while Fowler was investigating it, which suggests the malware feeding it was still active. There was also no ownership information attached to the database. After multiple attempts, Fowler reported it directly to the hosting provider. It took nearly a month before the database was finally taken offline. During that time, anyone with a browser could have searched it. That reality raises the stakes for everyday users.
This was not a traditional hack or company breach
Hackers did not break into Google or Meta systems. Instead, malware infected individual devices and harvested login details as people typed them or stored them in browsers. This type of malware is often spread through fake software updates, malicious email attachments, compromised browser extensions or deceptive ads. Once a device is infected, simply changing passwords does not solve the problem unless the malware is removed.
Researchers believe infostealing malware collected the credentials, silently harvesting logins from infected devices over time.(Jaap Arriens/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
How to protect your accounts after a massive password leak
This is the most important part. Take these steps even if everything seems fine right now. Credential leaks like this often surface weeks or months later.
1) Stop reusing passwords immediately
Password reuse is one of the biggest risks exposed by this database. If attackers get one working login, they often test it across dozens of sites automatically. Change reused passwords first, starting with email, financial and cloud accounts. Each account should have its own unique password. Consider using a password manager, which securely stores and generates complex passwords, reducing the risk of password reuse.
Next, see if your email has been exposed in past breaches. Our No. 1 password manager pick includes a built-in breach scanner that checks whether your email address or passwords have appeared in known leaks. If you discover a match, immediately change any reused passwords and secure those accounts with new, unique credentials.
Check out the best expert-reviewed password managers of 2026 at Cyberguy.com.
2) Switch to passkeys where available
Passkeys replace passwords with device-based authentication tied to biometrics or hardware. That means there is nothing for malware to steal. Gmail and many major platforms already support passkeys, and adoption is growing fast. Turning them on now removes a major attack surface.
3) Enable two-factor authentication on every account
Two-factor authentication (2FA) adds a second checkpoint, even if a password is exposed. Use authenticator apps or hardware keys instead of SMS when possible. This step alone can stop most account takeover attempts tied to stolen credentials.
4) Scan devices for malware with strong antivirus software
Changing passwords will not help if malware is still on your device. Install strong antivirus software and run a full system scan. Remove anything flagged as suspicious before updating passwords or security settings. Keep your operating system and browsers fully updated as well.
The best way to safeguard yourself from malicious links that install malware, potentially accessing your private information, is to have strong antivirus software installed on all your devices. This protection can also alert you to phishing emails and ransomware scams, keeping your personal information and digital assets safe.
Get my picks for the best 2026 antivirus protection winners for your Windows, Mac, Android and iOS devices at Cyberguy.com.
5) Review account activity and login history
Most major services show recent login locations, devices and sessions. Look for unfamiliar activity, especially logins from new countries or devices. Sign out of all sessions if the option is available and reset credentials right away if anything looks off.
6) Use a data removal service to reduce exposure
Stolen credentials often get combined with data scraped from data broker sites. These profiles can include addresses, phone numbers, relatives and work history. Using a data removal service helps reduce the amount of personal information criminals can pair with leaked logins. Less exposed data makes phishing and impersonation attacks harder to pull off.
While no service can guarantee the complete removal of your data from the internet, a data removal service is really a smart choice. They aren’t cheap, and neither is your privacy. These services do all the work for you by actively monitoring and systematically erasing your personal information from hundreds of websites. It’s what gives me peace of mind and has proven to be the most effective way to erase your personal data from the internet. By limiting the information available, you reduce the risk of scammers cross-referencing data from breaches with information they might find on the dark web, making it harder for them to target you.
Check out my top picks for data removal services and get a free scan to find out if your personal information is already out on the web by visiting Cyberguy.com.
Get a free scan to find out if your personal information is already out on the web: Cyberguy.com.
7) Close accounts you no longer use
Old accounts are easy targets because people forget to secure them. Close unused services and delete accounts tied to outdated app subscriptions or trials. Fewer accounts mean fewer chances for attackers to get in.
Kurt’s key takeaways
This exposed database is another reminder that credential theft has become an industrial-scale operation. Criminals move fast and often prioritize speed over security. The good news is that simple steps still work. Unique passwords, strong authentication, malware protection and basic cyber hygiene go a long way. Do not panic, but do not ignore this either.
If your email account was compromised today, how many other accounts would fall with it? Let us know by writing to us at Cyberguy.com.
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Copyright 2026 CyberGuy.com. All rights reserved.
Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson is an award-winning tech journalist who has a deep love of technology, gear and gadgets that make life better with his contributions for Fox News & FOX Business beginning mornings on “FOX & Friends.” Got a tech question? Get Kurt’s free CyberGuy Newsletter, share your voice, a story idea or comment at CyberGuy.com.
Meta is doubling down on artificial intelligence with a massive $135 billion spending plan for 2026.
CEO Mark Zuckerberg revealed the eye-popping figure during a fourth-quarter earnings call on Wednesday, signalling a dramatic shift from social media toward a “personal superintelligence” future.
The investment – nearly twice the $72 billion spent in 2025 – will primarily fund massive data centres, custom silicon, and a $6 billion fibre-optic network deal with Corning.
Zuckerberg predicted that 2026 will be the year “AI dramatically changes the way we work,” as autonomous agents begin to handle complex tasks previously reserved for large teams.
While Meta’s revenue surged 24% to nearly $60 billion, the aggressive pivot has squeezed profit margins, which fell to 41% from 48% a year earlier.
The shift in priorities is already reshaping Meta’s workforce. The company recently cut approximately 1,500 roles from its Reality Labs division (10% of the division’s workforce) as resources are redirected from the “metaverse” toward AI-powered wearables and smart glasses.
Zuckerberg noted that AI tools are now allowing “a single, very talented person” to accomplish projects that once required dozens of employees, hinting that further flattening of the organization is likely.
However, the scale of Meta’s spending has reignited fears of a dotcom-style bubble. Industry titans like Cisco’s Chuck Robbins and Google’s Sundar Pichai have warned of “irrationality” and “overexcitement” in the sector. Even Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI, has admitted that investors may be overestimating the near-term returns of the technology.
Despite these warnings, investors initially cheered the results, sending Meta shares up 6.5%. With over $80 billion in cash reserves, Zuckerberg remains undeterred by bubble talk. He framed the current bottleneck not as a lack of demand, but as a lack of “compute and power,” asserting that those who own the infrastructure will define the next era of digital life.
Meta’s enormous bet on virtual reality ended last week, with the company reportedly laying off roughly 1,500 employees from its Reality Labs division — about 10% of the unit’s staff — and shutting down several VR game studios, according to The Wall Street Journal. It’s a huge reversal for a company that, just four years ago, staked its entire identity on the concept.
Few are going to miss it.
As industry watchers might remember, Facebook rebranded itself as Meta in 2021, promising to usher in a new era of technology led by VR devices.
In part, the decision was a bet on Gen Z’s preference to socialize in online games like Fortnite and Roblox as opposed to traditional social media apps. The change also helped Meta distance itself from the negativity surrounding its Facebook brand. Over the years, the brand had been damaged by data privacy scandals like Cambridge Analytica; reports from Facebook whistleblower Frances Haugen, who shared documents indicating Facebook knew of its negative impacts on children and teens; Congressional hearings over Facebook’s digital surveillance; its role in the spread of misinformation; its monopolistic practices, and more.
Meta’s vision at the time was that the metaverse would be the next big social platform, where users connected in a virtual world via Meta’s Horizon Worlds app and played games on their VR headsets.
Fast-forward, and the metaverse has effectively been abandoned in favor of AI.
According to CNBC, some of the casualties include studios making VR titles inside Meta, like Armature Studio (“Resident Evil 4 VR“), Twisted Pixel (“Marvel’s Deadpool VR“), and Sanzaru (“Asgard’s Wrath). Meanwhile, the VR fitness app Supernatural, which Meta acquired in 2023 for $400 million, will no longer produce new content and will move into “maintenance mode.” Camouflaj, the studio behind the “Batman: Arkham Shadow” VR game, has also been impacted by layoffs, as reported by GeekWire.
And last week, The Verge noted that Meta’s program to bring VR to work, Workrooms, is shutting down, as well.
The news follows an earlier Bloomberg report from December, which said that Meta was slashing the virtual reality department’s budget by up to 30%. Around the same time, Meta announced that it was pausing its program to share its Meta Horizon operating system, which runs on its Quest-branded VR headsets, with other third-party headset device makers.
Unlike the news of Meta’s rebrand, the deprioritization of the company’s metaverse efforts should come as no surprise — the division lost money at an excessive rate, worryinginvestors, and had never turned a profit.
In total, the company had funneled some $73 billion into Reality Labs. To put that into context, you’d have to spend $1 million per day for 200 years to match that kind of spending.
“Building in the open” fails
Besides beingoverhyped by investors and analysts alike, initial versions of the metaverse were just bad products. The goofy, soulless avatars didn’t even have legs, and one metaverse selfie of Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg was so bad it even became a viral meme. In short, Meta was overpromising a future while its product still under-delivered. It was a failure of the “build in the open” model, where early tech products are shipped to consumers in hopes of getting feedback that can be used to iterate.
Image Credits:Facebook
That model works when customers are actively interested in a technology. But in the case of the metaverse, there was only middling consumer demand. Though Meta quickly gained a majority share of the VR market with its Oculus headsets, the headsets saw declining sales. Last spring, Counterpoint Research noted that global VR headset shipments had fallen by 12% year-over-year in 2024, which was their third consecutive year of declines. Meta had accounted for 77% of those 2024 headset shipments.
Image Credits:Meta
Meta, betting on the “if you build it, they will come” strategy, was more interested in the profits that could be made from running its own platform for apps and games than whether or not consumers even wanted these so-called face computers.
Specifically, Zuckerberg was looking for a way to bypass the ability of Apple and Google to tap into Meta’s revenue through their app stores.
“This period has…been humbling, because as big of a company as we are, we’ve also learned what it is like to build for other platforms. And living under their rules has profoundly shaped my views on the tech industry,” Zuckerberg said in a keynote speech at the company’s Facebook Connect 2021 event, referencing the Apple-Google duopoly. “I’ve come to believe that the lack of choice and high fees are stifling innovation, stopping people from building new things, and holding back the entire internet economy.”
He proposed that the metaverse could grow to a billion people in the next decade, hosting “hundreds of billions” of dollars in digital commerce. Analysts like McKinsey & Co. and investment bank Citi backed up this questionable forecast with their own heady estimates of the metaverse becoming a multi-trillion-dollar platform by 2030.
Meta quest app store
Meta may have had dollar signs in its eyes, but the apps built for the metaverse weren’t being adopted in massive numbers, at least for a company of Meta’s size.
Though there’s no external visibility into Meta’s own VR app store, you can look at Meta’s apps with iOS and Android counterparts as a proxy for adoption. According to modeled estimates from app intelligence provider Apptopia, the Meta Horizon app has been downloaded 60.4 million times globally and 39.8 million times in the U.S. since May 2018. A better estimate for adoption, however, is its app activity.
From a U.S. panel, Apptopia has figures for the average sessions per daily active user in the U.S., which grew from 3.49 in January 2023 to 4.93 in January 2026. While that’s still a high-water mark for the app, it may not have been enough for Meta.
For comparison, outside of VR, Meta now has over 3.5 billion daily active users across its social apps Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, and Messenger.
An attendee wears a Quest 3s virtual reality headset during the Meta Connect event in Menlo Park, California, US, on Wednesday, Sept. 25, 2024. Image Credits:David Paul Morris/Bloomberg / Getty Images
Of course, had this all succeeded, Meta would have created a new social empire, built on the back of VR gaming — not unlike Facebook’s early days as a social network, when partners like Zynga — whose games included Farmville, and Words with Friends — drove double-digit revenue streams for Facebook. (Ultimately, Facebook’s 30% cut of virtual goods sales, combined with restrictive platform policies, drove Zynga to launch its own gaming portal and pivot to mobile.)
But this time, Zuckerberg telegraphed his desire to tap into developer revenue far too soon. Meta might have had a better shot at attracting developers to build for VR if it promised to undercut Apple or Google’s standard 30% fees, or those of other gaming platforms. Instead, Meta did the opposite: it charged more.
Even before VR became a sizable platform worth investing in, Meta announced its plans to take a whopping 47.5% of the sales of digital assets within Horizon Worlds, consisting of a 30% hardware platform fee and another 17.5% fee for Horizon Worlds itself. Creators, unsurprisingly, were not happy.
Image Credits:Meta
As bad, Meta wasn’t building the metaverse with user safety as a top priority. As with its rush to scale its social network, the company tended to be reactive rather than proactive about safety features. For instance, the company only rolled out its “Personal Boundary” feature, which put a buffer between avatars, after reports that users were experiencingsexual harassment in the metaverse. In some cases, users had even engaged in virtual rape and gang rape in Meta’s Horizon Worlds. Meta later dialed back the safety feature a bit by adjusting the Personal Boundary to only default to “on” when a user is engaging with “non-friends” in the metaverse and allowing users to switch it off entirely.
In May 2022, TechCrunch asked a Meta rep to detail its support measures for Horizon Worlds. The company described several tools, including blocking and reporting features, a “safe zone” button for users to instantly block and mute others, and a feature to temporarily remove disruptive people from venues that was built in response to user feedback. Despite outlining these tools, Meta declined to say what sort of actions it would take to address individual bad actors’ behavior.
Image Credits:Meta
At the time, users told TechCrunch that those who faced abuse in the metaverse would often react with an obvious move: instead of recording the abuse, they would take off their headset and take a break from VR. But when they returned, their harasser would still appear in their list of recent encounters, and it was too late to submit a report of the abuse with the video and audio attached.
These types of scenarios were seemingly not thought through from the start, and detailed policies around what constitutes abuse didn’t exist. When a metaverse code of conduct was later published, it still didn’t detail any consequences beyond saying Meta would “take action on users.”
Also around this time, Meta declined to share the makeup of its team building the metaverse with TechCrunch. (But if we had to bet, we’d guess there weren’t as many women on the project as men. This would reflect the makeup of Meta overall, so it’s not a bad bet!)
AR, mixed reality, and AI proved more popular
Another nail in the proverbial coffin for the metaverse was the success of Meta’s Ray-Ban AR glasses, which have seen increased consumer interest in recent months. With features like the ability to record hands-free, stream music, and chat with Meta AI, the glasses began to outsell traditional Ray-Bans in some retail stores in 2024. The company is now considering doubling the output of the glasses to meet consumer demand, Bloomberg reported this week.
Meta Ray-Ban displayImage Credits:Meta / Meta
With an eye on AI, the company more recently introduced Ray-Ban Display last year, which are similar smart glasses that also include a display for apps, alerts, and directions on the right lens. The company has since paused its international plans for this product, citing “unprecedented demand.” (Or rather, overly conservative inventory forecasting.)
With other companies, including OpenAI, Amazon, and various startups, looking to hardware AI devices as the next potential computing platform, VR seems even more of a dated relic of a vision for the web that never came to pass.
Combined, these factors, and particularly the adoption of AI as a possible app platform, make it hard for Meta to continue to justify spending on VR. Instead, Meta will focus on the products that have potential, like its Ray Ban and AI glasses, AI app’sgrowth, and large language models.
Sierra ski resorts got a boost from the winter storm that brought new snowfall to the region over the weekend.Palisades Tahoe received nearly three feet of snow in all. See 24 hour totals from resorts as of Monday morning below. See the snow totals, as of Sunday morning, below. As for rainfall, three-day totals show nearly an inch and a half of rain fell in Sacramento and more than 4 inches of rain in Placerville. Other 72-hour totals included: Pollock Pines: 3.86″Auburn: 2.13″Modesto: 1.19″Stockton: 0.83″The storm was great news for the water year, Meteorologist Kelly Curran said. Overall, Sacramento has received 9.33 inches of rain since Oct. 1, which is 146% of the average. Stockton has received 8.29 inches, or 172% of the average. Modesto has received 7.86 inches, or 189% of the average. See more 72-hour rain totals below.(Video below: See how much more rain is expected on Monday.)REAL-TIME TRAFFIC MAPClick here to see our interactive traffic map.TRACK INTERACTIVE, DOPPLER RADARClick here to see our interactive radar.DOWNLOAD OUR APP FOR THE LATESTHere is where you can download our app.Follow our KCRA weather team on social mediaMeteorologist Tamara Berg on Facebook and X.Meteorologist Dirk Verdoorn on FacebookMeteorologist/Climate Reporter Heather Waldman on Facebook and X.Meteorologist Kelly Curran on X.Meteorologist Ophelia Young on Facebook and X.Watch our forecasts on TV or onlineHere’s where to find our latest video forecast. You can also watch a livestream of our latest newscast here. The banner on our website turns red when we’re live.We’re also streaming on the Very Local app for Roku, Apple TV or Amazon Fire TV.See more coverage of top California stories here | Download our app | Subscribe to our morning newsletter | Find us on YouTube here and subscribe to our channel
Sierra ski resorts got a boost from the winter storm that brought new snowfall to the region over the weekend.
Palisades Tahoe received nearly three feet of snow in all.
See 24 hour totals from resorts as of Monday morning below.
See the snow totals, as of Sunday morning, below.
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As for rainfall, three-day totals show nearly an inch and a half of rain fell in Sacramento and more than 4 inches of rain in Placerville. Other 72-hour totals included:
Pollock Pines: 3.86″
Auburn: 2.13″
Modesto: 1.19″
Stockton: 0.83″
The storm was great news for the water year, Meteorologist Kelly Curran said.
Overall, Sacramento has received 9.33 inches of rain since Oct. 1, which is 146% of the average. Stockton has received 8.29 inches, or 172% of the average. Modesto has received 7.86 inches, or 189% of the average.
See more 72-hour rain totals below.
(Video below: See how much more rain is expected on Monday.)
Another round of wet weather and wind could lead to potential severe thunderstorms Saturday and snow-related travel delays in the Sierra through Monday. The KCRA 3 weather team is calling Saturday an “Alert Day” because conditions could risk public safety. Steady overnight rain Friday into Saturday in the Valley will taper off to scattered showers Saturday, with an increase in thunderstorm potential into the afternoon, according to Meteorologist Dirk Verdoorn. Sunday is an Alert Day for the Sierra and an Impact Day for the Valley, as the weather could affect travel and outdoor activities. Monday is an Alert Day for the Sierra. See the full weekend forecast here.Track Doppler radar and traffic maps here for rain and snow.Share your weather videos at kcra.com/upload.See the latest road conditions from Caltrans here. Follow live updates of weather impacts below:Saturday: 9:35 a.m.: Here’s another update on Sierra roadways. I-80: Chain controls eastbound from Kingvale to Truckee. Chain controls westbound from the Donner Lake Interchange to 4.7 miles west of Kingvale. Highway 50: One way controlled traffic at 3.8 miles east of Riverton until 8 p.m. due to slide removal. Highway 88: From 6.5 mi east of Peddler Hill to 1 mi west of Woodfords. 9:30 a.m.: Here are impacts to expect today. 7:14 a.m.: The Midtown Farmers Market, a Saturday mainstay in Sacramento, announced it would cancel the market this Saturday due to the anticipated weather forecast.Organizers said the anticipated wind conditions “meet and exceed our established safety threshold.” The market noted that the decision was made in the interest of the vendor, staff and public’s safety.The Jan. 3 event was set to launch a new “circular retail” expansion, aiming to uplift sustainability efforts and upcycling practices.6 a.m. : Sierra chain controls are in effect for portions of Interstate 80 and Highway 50. I-80: Eastbound from Kingvale to Truckee. Westbound from the Donner Lake Interchange to 2.5 miles east of the Highway 20 junction.Highway 88: From 6.5 mi east of Peddler Hill to 1 mi west of Woodfords.Chain controls means that cars without four-wheel drive and snow tires equipped will need chains installed on their tires.The speed limit on Sierra highways is also reduced during chain controls, with Interstate 80 set at 30 mph and Highway 50 at 25 mph.Friday:10 p.m.: With the rain coming through, typical flood-prone areas will see more water, and while creeks and streams are expected to fill, they should not flood. The primary concern is street flooding, which is often caused by blocked drains.”What happens is we get these winds that come in and start to knock down the leaves off the trees,” Matt Robinson, a Sacramento County public information manager, said. “From time to time, people may toss trash onto the street. Those things compile and end up blocking our drainage system, causing street flooding. This is what we want to avoid.”To mitigate the risk, the county is urging residents in unincorporated areas to clean the drains and culverts near their properties. Additionally, officials advise against driving through flooded waters.9 p.m.: Dirk Verdoorn times out the forecast:REAL-TIME TRAFFIC MAPClick here to see our interactive traffic map.TRACK INTERACTIVE, DOPPLER RADARClick here to see our interactive radar.DOWNLOAD OUR APP FOR THE LATESTHere is where you can download our app.Follow our KCRA weather team on social mediaMeteorologist Tamara Berg on Facebook and X.Meteorologist Dirk Verdoorn on FacebookMeteorologist/Climate Reporter Heather Waldman on Facebook and X.Meteorologist Kelly Curran on X.Meteorologist Ophelia Young on Facebook and X.Watch our forecasts on TV or onlineHere’s where to find our latest video forecast. You can also watch a livestream of our latest newscast here. The banner on our website turns red when we’re live.We’re also streaming on the Very Local app for Roku, Apple TV or Amazon Fire TV.See news happening? Send us your photos or videos if it’s safe to do so at kcra.com/upload.–KCRA 3’s Daniel Macht contributed to this story.
Another round of wet weather and wind could lead to potential severe thunderstorms Saturday and snow-related travel delays in the Sierra through Monday.
The KCRA 3 weather team is calling Saturday an “Alert Day” because conditions could risk public safety.
Steady overnight rain Friday into Saturday in the Valley will taper off to scattered showers Saturday, with an increase in thunderstorm potential into the afternoon, according to Meteorologist Dirk Verdoorn.
Sunday is an Alert Day for the Sierra and an Impact Day for the Valley, as the weather could affect travel and outdoor activities. Monday is an Alert Day for the Sierra.
Follow live updates of weather impacts below:
Saturday:
9:35 a.m.: Here’s another update on Sierra roadways.
I-80: Chain controls eastbound from Kingvale to Truckee. Chain controls westbound from the Donner Lake Interchange to 4.7 miles west of Kingvale.
Highway 50: One way controlled traffic at 3.8 miles east of Riverton until 8 p.m. due to slide removal.
Highway 88: From 6.5 mi east of Peddler Hill to 1 mi west of Woodfords.
7:14 a.m.: The Midtown Farmers Market, a Saturday mainstay in Sacramento, announced it would cancel the market this Saturday due to the anticipated weather forecast.
Organizers said the anticipated wind conditions “meet and exceed our established safety threshold.” The market noted that the decision was made in the interest of the vendor, staff and public’s safety.
The Jan. 3 event was set to launch a new “circular retail” expansion, aiming to uplift sustainability efforts and upcycling practices.
6 a.m. : Sierra chain controls are in effect for portions of Interstate 80 and Highway 50.
I-80: Eastbound from Kingvale to Truckee. Westbound from the Donner Lake Interchange to 2.5 miles east of the Highway 20 junction.
Highway 88: From 6.5 mi east of Peddler Hill to 1 mi west of Woodfords.
Chain controls means that cars without four-wheel drive and snow tires equipped will need chains installed on their tires.
The speed limit on Sierra highways is also reduced during chain controls, with Interstate 80 set at 30 mph and Highway 50 at 25 mph.
Friday:
10 p.m.: With the rain coming through, typical flood-prone areas will see more water, and while creeks and streams are expected to fill, they should not flood. The primary concern is street flooding, which is often caused by blocked drains.
“What happens is we get these winds that come in and start to knock down the leaves off the trees,” Matt Robinson, a Sacramento County public information manager, said. “From time to time, people may toss trash onto the street. Those things compile and end up blocking our drainage system, causing street flooding. This is what we want to avoid.”
To mitigate the risk, the county is urging residents in unincorporated areas to clean the drains and culverts near their properties. Additionally, officials advise against driving through flooded waters.
Much of Friday will offer Northern California a break from wet weather, but more rain and snow are expected through the weekend.The KCRA 3 weather team issued an Alert Day for Saturday because conditions could risk public safety. Sunday is an Impact Day as the weather could affect travel and outdoor activities. Meteorologist Tamara Berg said rain is likely to return after sunset hours Friday. South winds could also bring gusts to the region.Alert Day Saturday Showers will be around on the hit-and-miss variety during the day. Some of these showers may be intense. Isolated severe storms are possible as the atmospheric ingredients are there. Some storms will be capable of producing heavy downpours, lightning and small hail. Parts of the Central Valley and lower Foothills are under a marginal storm risk via the Storm Prediction Center outlook for Saturday. It’s likely any storms that pop up may turn severe. Isolated areas with a funnel cloud or brief tornado can’t be ruled out. Canceled EventsThe Midtown Farmers Market, a Saturday mainstay in Sacramento, announced it would cancel the market this Saturday due to the anticipated weather forecast. Organizers said the anticipated wind conditions “meet and exceed our established safety threshold.” The market noted that the decision was made in the interest of the vendor, staff and public’s safety.The Jan. 3 event was set to launch a new “circular retail” expansion, aiming to uplift sustainability efforts and upcycling practices. RainBerg said rain is expected to be on and off for both Saturday and Sunday. Below are the estimated rainfall totals from Friday evening through Monday.Valley: 1-3 inchesFoothills: 3-5 inchesSierra: 4-6 inchesIsolated thunderstorms are possible throughout this period, and Saturday is likely to see stronger storms.SnowBerg said snow is expected at the Sierra passes level of 7,000 feet by early Saturday. When enough snow falls, road officials are likely to issue chain controls, which means cars without four-wheel drive and snow tires equipped will need chains installed on their tires.The speed limit on Sierra highways is also reduced during chain controls, with Interstate 80 set at 30 mph and Highway 50 at 25 mph.Elevations above 6,000 feet could see two to four feet of snow from Friday evening through Monday. The Carson and Sonora passes may see up to five feet of snow.The National Weather Service issued a Winter Storm Warning from 10 p.m. Friday through 4 p.m. Monday ahead of anticipated near-whiteout conditions and major travel delays. NWS is also discouraging mountain travel during that time.Wind Berg said wind gusts across the Sacramento Valley could range on Saturday from 30-40 mph.See rain totals from previous days in the graphic below.REAL-TIME TRAFFIC MAPClick here to see our interactive traffic map.TRACK INTERACTIVE, DOPPLER RADARClick here to see our interactive radar.DOWNLOAD OUR APP FOR THE LATESTHere is where you can download our app.Follow our KCRA weather team on social mediaMeteorologist Tamara Berg on Facebook and X.Meteorologist Dirk Verdoorn on FacebookMeteorologist/Climate Reporter Heather Waldman on Facebook and X.Meteorologist Kelly Curran on X.Meteorologist Ophelia Young on Facebook and X.Watch our forecasts on TV or onlineHere’s where to find our latest video forecast. You can also watch a livestream of our latest newscast here. The banner on our website turns red when we’re live.We’re also streaming on the Very Local app for Roku, Apple TV or Amazon Fire TV.See more coverage of top California stories here | Download our app | Subscribe to our morning newsletter | Find us on YouTube here and subscribe to our channel
Much of Friday will offer Northern California a break from wet weather, but more rain and snow are expected through the weekend.
The KCRA 3 weather team issued an Alert Day for Saturday because conditions could risk public safety. Sunday is an Impact Day as the weather could affect travel and outdoor activities.
Meteorologist Tamara Berg said rain is likely to return after sunset hours Friday. South winds could also bring gusts to the region.
Alert Day Saturday
Showers will be around on the hit-and-miss variety during the day. Some of these showers may be intense. Isolated severe storms are possible as the atmospheric ingredients are there.
Some storms will be capable of producing heavy downpours, lightning and small hail. Parts of the Central Valley and lower Foothills are under a marginal storm risk via the Storm Prediction Center outlook for Saturday.
It’s likely any storms that pop up may turn severe. Isolated areas with a funnel cloud or brief tornado can’t be ruled out.
Canceled Events
The Midtown Farmers Market, a Saturday mainstay in Sacramento, announced it would cancel the market this Saturday due to the anticipated weather forecast.
Organizers said the anticipated wind conditions “meet and exceed our established safety threshold.” The market noted that the decision was made in the interest of the vendor, staff and public’s safety.
The Jan. 3 event was set to launch a new “circular retail” expansion, aiming to uplift sustainability efforts and upcycling practices.
Rain
Berg said rain is expected to be on and off for both Saturday and Sunday. Below are the estimated rainfall totals from Friday evening through Monday.
Valley: 1-3 inches
Foothills: 3-5 inches
Sierra: 4-6 inches
Isolated thunderstorms are possible throughout this period, and Saturday is likely to see stronger storms.
Snow
Berg said snow is expected at the Sierra passes level of 7,000 feet by early Saturday.
When enough snow falls, road officials are likely to issue chain controls, which means cars without four-wheel drive and snow tires equipped will need chains installed on their tires.
The speed limit on Sierra highways is also reduced during chain controls, with Interstate 80 set at 30 mph and Highway 50 at 25 mph.
Elevations above 6,000 feet could see two to four feet of snow from Friday evening through Monday. The Carson and Sonora passes may see up to five feet of snow.
The National Weather Service issued a Winter Storm Warning from 10 p.m. Friday through 4 p.m. Monday ahead of anticipated near-whiteout conditions and major travel delays. NWS is also discouraging mountain travel during that time.
Wind
Berg said wind gusts across the Sacramento Valley could range on Saturday from 30-40 mph.
See rain totals from previous days in the graphic below.
Wet weather continues in Northern California to kick off the new year. Plan for wet roads through the morning on Thursday and light to moderate rain across the region. The heaviest rain will be in the morning through about 9 a.m., while the rest of the day will have off and on showers. An isolated thunderstorm can’t be ruled out, and storms may arrive through sunset. Areas south and east of Sacramento are in the best window for an isolated storm. Estimated rain totals for today are: Valley: 0.50-0.75”Foothills: 0.50-1.00”Sierra: 1.00-2.00”Friday is now looking to be mostly dry with isolated showers, but breezes will pick up before the next round of rain arrives overnight, Meteorologist Tamara Berg said. Breezes will increase to windy conditions as the rain arrives and lasts through Saturday morning.The KCRA 3 weather team is issuing Impact Days for both Thursday and then Saturday and Sunday because of how rainy conditions, and eventually snow, could affect travel and outdoor activities.Below are the forecast amounts of Valley rain from Wednesday through Monday: Sacramento: 2-3 inchesStockton: 1-2 inchesModesto: 1-2 inchesYuba City: 3-4 inchesPlacerville: 3-5 inchesSonora: 3-5 inchesSee rain totals so far in the graphic below.WindExpect Valley gusts up to 35 mph through Saturday morning. Winds will relax to breezes Saturday afternoon and remain breezy through Sunday.SnowRain is expected in the Sierra through early Friday. By later Friday, snow levels will drop to the 7,000-foot elevation.When enough snow falls on the roads, chain controls could be put into effect. When that happens, vehicles without four-wheel drive or snow tires are required to install chains on their tires.The speed limit on Interstate 80 is also reduced to 30 mph, while it also reduces to 25 mph on Highway 50.Berg said by Saturday afternoon, snow levels will fall to 6,500 feet in the Sierra. On Sunday, snow levels could continue to drop to elevations above 5,000 feet.Snow and wind will make Sierra travel difficult through the weekend, Berg said. From Friday to Sunday, about 8-10 inches of snow could fall at Donner summit and 10-12 inches at Echo Summit. REAL-TIME TRAFFIC MAPClick here to see our interactive traffic map.TRACK INTERACTIVE, DOPPLER RADARClick here to see our interactive radar.DOWNLOAD OUR APP FOR THE LATESTHere is where you can download our app.Follow our KCRA weather team on social mediaMeteorologist Tamara Berg on Facebook and X.Meteorologist Dirk Verdoorn on FacebookMeteorologist/Climate Reporter Heather Waldman on Facebook and X.Meteorologist Kelly Curran on X.Meteorologist Ophelia Young on Facebook and X.Watch our forecasts on TV or onlineHere’s where to find our latest video forecast. You can also watch a livestream of our latest newscast here. The banner on our website turns red when we’re live.We’re also streaming on the Very Local app for Roku, Apple TV or Amazon Fire TV.See more coverage of top California stories here | Download our app | Subscribe to our morning newsletter | Find us on YouTube here and subscribe to our channel
Wet weather continues in Northern California to kick off the new year.
Plan for wet roads through the morning on Thursday and light to moderate rain across the region.
The heaviest rain will be in the morning through about 9 a.m., while the rest of the day will have off and on showers.
An isolated thunderstorm can’t be ruled out, and storms may arrive through sunset. Areas south and east of Sacramento are in the best window for an isolated storm.
Estimated rain totals for today are:
Valley: 0.50-0.75”
Foothills: 0.50-1.00”
Sierra: 1.00-2.00”
Friday is now looking to be mostly dry with isolated showers, but breezes will pick up before the next round of rain arrives overnight, Meteorologist Tamara Berg said. Breezes will increase to windy conditions as the rain arrives and lasts through Saturday morning.
The KCRA 3 weather team is issuing Impact Days for both Thursday and then Saturday and Sunday because of how rainy conditions, and eventually snow, could affect travel and outdoor activities.
Below are the forecast amounts of Valley rain from Wednesday through Monday:
Sacramento: 2-3 inches
Stockton: 1-2 inches
Modesto: 1-2 inches
Yuba City: 3-4 inches
Placerville: 3-5 inches
Sonora: 3-5 inches
See rain totals so far in the graphic below.
Wind
Expect Valley gusts up to 35 mph through Saturday morning. Winds will relax to breezes Saturday afternoon and remain breezy through Sunday.
Snow
Rain is expected in the Sierra through early Friday. By later Friday, snow levels will drop to the 7,000-foot elevation.
When enough snow falls on the roads, chain controls could be put into effect. When that happens, vehicles without four-wheel drive or snow tires are required to install chains on their tires.
The speed limit on Interstate 80 is also reduced to 30 mph, while it also reduces to 25 mph on Highway 50.
Berg said by Saturday afternoon, snow levels will fall to 6,500 feet in the Sierra. On Sunday, snow levels could continue to drop to elevations above 5,000 feet.
Snow and wind will make Sierra travel difficult through the weekend, Berg said.
From Friday to Sunday, about 8-10 inches of snow could fall at Donner summit and 10-12 inches at Echo Summit.
Northern California will experience another foggy morning on Tuesday ahead of a stretch of wet weather that will last into the new year.Commuters on Monday morning woke up to dense fog affecting visibility across Northern California.The National Weather Service issued a Dense Fog Advisory for parts of the Sacramento region and the Central Valley until 12 p.m. Drivers are recommended they drive more slowly and expect poor visibility on the highways.Meteorologist Tamara Berg said similar to Monday, the fog will clear by the afternoon and be replaced by clouds.New Year’s Eve rainChances of rain on Wednesday increase by the afternoon. Berg said amounts will be light, but people ringing in 2026 will likely see wet conditions.Those looking to go outside Thursday are also likely to experience rain. More rain showers are possible Friday and through the weekend.The KCRA 3 weather team is issuing Impact Days for both Thursday and Friday because of how rainy conditions could affect travel and outdoor activities.Below are the forecast amounts of Valley rain from Wednesday through Sunday: Sacramento: 1-2 inchesStockton: 1-1.5 inchesModesto: A quarter-inch to a half-inchYuba City: 2-2.5 inchesPlacerville: 2-3 inchesSonora: 2-3 inchesSnowSnow levels begin above 9,000 feet on Wednesday, leaving much of the Foothills and lower Sierra elevations undisturbed by snow impacts. But by Friday, snow levels will drop to the 7,000-foot elevation.When enough snow falls on the roads, chain controls could be put into effect. When that happens, vehicles without four-wheel drive or snow tires are required to install chains on their tires.The speed limit on Interstate 80 is also reduced to 30 mph, while it also reduces to 25 mph on Highway 50.Berg said by Sunday, snow levels could continue to drop to elevations above 5,000 feet.REAL-TIME TRAFFIC MAPClick here to see our interactive traffic map.TRACK INTERACTIVE, DOPPLER RADARClick here to see our interactive radar.DOWNLOAD OUR APP FOR THE LATESTHere is where you can download our app.Follow our KCRA weather team on social mediaMeteorologist Tamara Berg on Facebook and X.Meteorologist Dirk Verdoorn on FacebookMeteorologist/Climate Reporter Heather Waldman on Facebook and X.Meteorologist Kelly Curran on X.Meteorologist Ophelia Young on Facebook and X.Watch our forecasts on TV or onlineHere’s where to find our latest video forecast. You can also watch a livestream of our latest newscast here. The banner on our website turns red when we’re live.We’re also streaming on the Very Local app for Roku, Apple TV or Amazon Fire TV.See more coverage of top California stories here | Download our app | Subscribe to our morning newsletter | Find us on YouTube here and subscribe to our channel
SACRAMENTO, Calif. —
Northern California will experience another foggy morning on Tuesday ahead of a stretch of wet weather that will last into the new year.
Commuters on Monday morning woke up to dense fog affecting visibility across Northern California.
The National Weather Service issued a Dense Fog Advisory for parts of the Sacramento region and the Central Valley until 12 p.m. Drivers are recommended they drive more slowly and expect poor visibility on the highways.
Meteorologist Tamara Berg said similar to Monday, the fog will clear by the afternoon and be replaced by clouds.
New Year’s Eve rain
Chances of rain on Wednesday increase by the afternoon. Berg said amounts will be light, but people ringing in 2026 will likely see wet conditions.
Those looking to go outside Thursday are also likely to experience rain. More rain showers are possible Friday and through the weekend.
The KCRA 3 weather team is issuing Impact Days for both Thursday and Friday because of how rainy conditions could affect travel and outdoor activities.
Below are the forecast amounts of Valley rain from Wednesday through Sunday:
Sacramento: 1-2 inches
Stockton: 1-1.5 inches
Modesto: A quarter-inch to a half-inch
Yuba City: 2-2.5 inches
Placerville: 2-3 inches
Sonora: 2-3 inches
Snow
Snow levels begin above 9,000 feet on Wednesday, leaving much of the Foothills and lower Sierra elevations undisturbed by snow impacts. But by Friday, snow levels will drop to the 7,000-foot elevation.
When enough snow falls on the roads, chain controls could be put into effect. When that happens, vehicles without four-wheel drive or snow tires are required to install chains on their tires.
The speed limit on Interstate 80 is also reduced to 30 mph, while it also reduces to 25 mph on Highway 50.
Berg said by Sunday, snow levels could continue to drop to elevations above 5,000 feet.
A Facebook comment in an online networking group is causing a stir among some of Raleigh’s small business owners.
On Dec. 20, an anonymous commenter in a local networking group on Facebook responded to a post by a parent asking for advice regarding her transgender son.
“There’s no such thing as a transgender son. Blessings to
you, but the sooner you help your son realize this, the more successful he
(maybe a she) will be,” the anonymous comment read.
Gigi Stephenson is an administrator of the group. She said
someone flagged the comment for review. As an admin on the page, Stephenson
said she could see that the anonymous comment was made by Jennifer Martin, the executive director of the Greater Raleigh Merchant’s Association.
Martin has been with the GRMA, which does business
as Shop Local Raleigh, since 2010. The organization presents many local events
each year including Falling for Local at Dix Park, the Raleigh Food Truck Rodeo
Series, the Raleigh Christmas Parade and the annual Brewgaloo craft beer
festival
“We’ve had a pretty loud and open stance on you will not be
able to hide behind anonymous commenting or posts that we feel you are a danger
to the community,” Stephenson told WRAL on Monday. “This is something that the
community deserves to know. They’re spending money with this organization.”
Martin’s post got the attention of other local business
owners, including Be Like Missy’s Erica Vogel, who made a social media post of her own announcing her business would be stepping away from Shop Local Raleigh and
Brewgaloo in light of the comment.
“Being that it was her, I felt really torn because I’ve been
a big supporter of her and of Shop Local Raleigh for at least five years, and
I’ve encouraged a ton of my small business-owning friends to join and be a part
of the community, “ Vogel told WRAL. “I always looked at what she did as
inclusive and promoting small business, but to see such an ugly and hateful
comment happen, it made me feel really conflicted.”
Vogel said Martin emailed her following her post – not
denying that she made the comment – but correcting her title which was
incorrectly listed as the owner of Shop Local Raleigh and Brewgaloo.
“I
am always open to conversation and work hard to be welcoming and supportive of
all small businesses in our community. Because your post
references businesses I do not own, I’m asking that it be removed. If not, we
will need to have our attorney formally request its removal,” Martin wrote in the email, which Vogel shared with WRAL. “I
hope we can resolve this quickly and respectfully.”
The comment prompted a Change.org petition
calling for Martin to be held accountable.
“This should include a formal apology, mandatory sensitivity
training, financial support for one of our local organizations who provide
direct aid to trans youth and any other corrective actions deemed appropriate
by SLR. Every person, regardless of their gender identity should feel seen and
supported by the communities they belong to,” the petition reads. It has gotten
more than 500 signatures.
The Night Market Company also posted on Facebook that it
would not be participating in Shop Local Raleigh events due to the comment.
Stephenson said she would like to see “education come from
this.”
She said she would like to see Martin “really take some time to think about this comment
and how it affects the people in her community, the very community that has
carried this nonprofit, and the people who show up at these event.”
WRAL has reached out to Martin but has not heard back. Several GRMA board members told WRAL they had no comment.
Shop Local Raleigh posted on the group’s Facebook page on Monday afternoon:
“The Board of Directors of the Greater Raleigh Merchants Association (Shop Local Raleigh) is aware of concerns surrounding a recent, personal, social media comment made by our Executive Director. The Board is currently addressing the matter. The comment made does not reflect those of the organization. Shop Local Raleigh is dedicated to a culture of diversity, inclusion and respect.”
A storm that moved into Northern California overnight is resulting in power outages, flooded roads and downed tree limbs.The KCRA 3 weather team issued an Alert Day for both Wednesday and Thursday, which indicates that conditions could be a risk to public safety.Snowy conditions can also lead to chain controls. When they are in effect, all vehicles except those with four-wheel drive and snow tires equipped are required to install chains. Also, the speed limit for Interstate 80 is reduced to 30 mph, while the limit is 25 mph on Highway 50.Find the full forecast here.Track power outages here.We are tracking live weather updates as we receive them. Live updates 6:30 p.m.: Traffic is being held on I-80 in both directions at Doner Summit do to multiple spinouts, Caltrans said. 5:15 p.m.: A tree fell on a home in Carmichael on Wednesday. The people who lived there were out of town and no one was hurt.5 p.m.: A flash flood warning has been issued by the National Weather Service for a portion of the Sacramento area. People are being asked to be cautious of flooded roads, creeks and streams as well as poor drainage areas. The warning is expected to last until 7:30 p.m.4:50 p.m.: About 344 SMUD customers are without power, according to the utility’s outage map.See the map here. 4 p.m.: The National Weather Service has issued a special weather statement for the Sacramento area. Until about 4:45 p.m., pea-sized hail and winds of about 30 miles per hour are expected. 3:15 p.m.: Evacuation warnings are in effect for the Cosgrove Creek area near Valley Springs and La Contenta due to rising water levels , according to the Calaveras County Office of Emergency Services. Under an evacuation warning residents are advised of a potential threat to life and property. There is a possibility for an evacuation order.To see the evacuation warning zone on a map, click here. 12:30 p.m.: Traffic on westbound I-80 is being turned around at Truckee and Donner Lake Interchange due to multiple spinouts.12 p.m.: As of this writing, there are at least 96,000 utility customers across California without power, according to a state dashboard.In San Joaquin County, PG&E said about 2,600 customers in the Stockton area lost their power.11 a.m.: The Imaginarium at Cal Expo is closed Wednesday because of wind-related concerns.10:57 a.m.: The California Highway Patrol Yuba-Sutter division shared video of a water rescue that happened midnight Wednesday near Highway 113.10:27 a.m.: The Amador Fire Department said it is at Westover Field on Airport Road in Sutter Creek, filling sandbags for anyone who needs them.10 a.m.: As of this writing, there are roughly 123,000 utility customers across California without power.9:55 a.m.: These are chain controls as of this writing.Interstate 80Eastbound traffic: Chains are required from Kingvale to Truckee.Westbound traffic: Chains are required from the Donner Lake Interchange to 4.7 miles west of Kingvale. Traffic is being turned around at Truckee and Donner Lake Interchange due to multiple spinouts.Highway 50Chains are required from Twin Bridges to Meyers.9:51 a.m.: The Grass Valley Fire Department shared pictures of its firefighters handling storm-related issues in the city.9:45 a.m.: Pacific Gas & Electric Co. talked about its efforts in addressing storm-related damages.9:15 a.m.: The Sacramento Municipal Utility District spoke about what it’s doing to address storm-related damages.9 a.m.: See our updated forecast in the video player below.7:55 a.m.: The California Highway Patrol said at least one person died in what appears to be a weather-related crash.CHP said a vehicle crashed into a telephone pole at Franklin Boulevard and Point Pleasant Road. That was reported shortly before 6 a.m.7:40 a.m.: See weather highlights from our 7 a.m. newscast in the video player below.7:10 a.m.: The California Highway Patrol East Sacramento division said its officers are responding to multiple reports of vehicle spinouts amid stormy conditions.7 a.m.: A statewide dashboard indicates that at least 138,000 utility customers across California are without power.6:55 a.m.: These are chain controls for mountain travel as of this writing. When chain controls are in effect, chains are required on all vehicles except those with four-wheel drive and snow tires equipped.Also, the speed limit is reduced with chain controls. On Interstate 80, the speed limit is 30 mph, while Highway 50’s speed limit is 25 mph.Interstate 80Chains required from Kingvale in Placer County to Truckee in Nevada County.Highway 50Chains are required from Twin Bridges to Meyers.6:20 a.m.: Traffic expert Brian Hickey observed flooding along Interstate 80 at Norwood Avenue. Motorists were seen driving through the flooding.6 a.m.: See weather highlights from our 6 a.m. newscast in the video player below.4 a.m.: KCRA 3 spotted a tree that fell on a home along Cedarhurst Way in the Carmichael area of Sacramento County.REAL-TIME TRAFFIC MAPClick here to see our interactive traffic map.TRACK INTERACTIVE, DOPPLER RADARClick here to see our interactive radar.DOWNLOAD OUR APP FOR THE LATESTHere is where you can download our app.Follow our KCRA weather team on social mediaMeteorologist Tamara Berg on Facebook and X.Meteorologist Dirk Verdoorn on FacebookMeteorologist/Climate Reporter Heather Waldman on Facebook and X.Meteorologist Kelly Curran on X.Meteorologist Ophelia Young on Facebook and X.Watch our forecasts on TV or onlineHere’s where to find our latest video forecast. You can also watch a livestream of our latest newscast here. The banner on our website turns red when we’re live.We’re also streaming on the Very Local app for Roku, Apple TV or Amazon Fire TV.See more coverage of top California stories here | Download our app | Subscribe to our morning newsletter | Find us on YouTube here and subscribe to our channel
SACRAMENTO, Calif. —
A storm that moved into Northern California overnight is resulting in power outages, flooded roads and downed tree limbs.
The KCRA 3 weather team issued an Alert Day for both Wednesday and Thursday, which indicates that conditions could be a risk to public safety.
Snowy conditions can also lead to chain controls. When they are in effect, all vehicles except those with four-wheel drive and snow tires equipped are required to install chains. Also, the speed limit for Interstate 80 is reduced to 30 mph, while the limit is 25 mph on Highway 50.
We are tracking live weather updates as we receive them.
Live updates
6:30 p.m.: Traffic is being held on I-80 in both directions at Doner Summit do to multiple spinouts, Caltrans said.
5:15 p.m.: A tree fell on a home in Carmichael on Wednesday. The people who lived there were out of town and no one was hurt.
5 p.m.: A flash flood warning has been issued by the National Weather Service for a portion of the Sacramento area. People are being asked to be cautious of flooded roads, creeks and streams as well as poor drainage areas. The warning is expected to last until 7:30 p.m.
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You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site.
A Flash Flood Warning has been issued for portions of Sacramento, West Sacramento, Natomas, Rio Linda, Elverta and Raley Field as doppler radar has indicated thunderstorms producing heavy rain. Turn around, don’t drown! #CAwxpic.twitter.com/Xhdn6yEcFt
4 p.m.: The National Weather Service has issued a special weather statement for the Sacramento area. Until about 4:45 p.m., pea-sized hail and winds of about 30 miles per hour are expected.
This content is imported from Twitter.
You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site.
3:15 p.m.: Evacuation warnings are in effect for the Cosgrove Creek area near Valley Springs and La Contenta due to rising water levels , according to the Calaveras County Office of Emergency Services. Under an evacuation warning residents are advised of a potential threat to life and property. There is a possibility for an evacuation order.
To see the evacuation warning zone on a map, click here.
12:30 p.m.: Traffic on westbound I-80 is being turned around at Truckee and Donner Lake Interchange due to multiple spinouts.
12 p.m.: As of this writing, there are at least 96,000 utility customers across California without power, according to a state dashboard.
In San Joaquin County, PG&E said about 2,600 customers in the Stockton area lost their power.
11 a.m.: The Imaginarium at Cal Expo is closed Wednesday because of wind-related concerns.
10:57 a.m.: The California Highway Patrol Yuba-Sutter division shared video of a water rescue that happened midnight Wednesday near Highway 113.
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You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site.
10:27 a.m.: The Amador Fire Department said it is at Westover Field on Airport Road in Sutter Creek, filling sandbags for anyone who needs them.
This content is imported from Facebook.
You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site.
10 a.m.: As of this writing, there are roughly 123,000 utility customers across California without power.
9:55 a.m.: These are chain controls as of this writing.
Interstate 80
Eastbound traffic: Chains are required from Kingvale to Truckee.
Westbound traffic: Chains are required from the Donner Lake Interchange to 4.7 miles west of Kingvale. Traffic is being turned around at Truckee and Donner Lake Interchange due to multiple spinouts.
Highway 50
Chains are required from Twin Bridges to Meyers.
9:51 a.m.: The Grass Valley Fire Department shared pictures of its firefighters handling storm-related issues in the city.
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You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site.
9:45 a.m.: Pacific Gas & Electric Co. talked about its efforts in addressing storm-related damages.
9:15 a.m.: The Sacramento Municipal Utility District spoke about what it’s doing to address storm-related damages.
9 a.m.: See our updated forecast in the video player below.
7:55 a.m.: The California Highway Patrol said at least one person died in what appears to be a weather-related crash.
CHP said a vehicle crashed into a telephone pole at Franklin Boulevard and Point Pleasant Road. That was reported shortly before 6 a.m.
7:40 a.m.: See weather highlights from our 7 a.m. newscast in the video player below.
7:10 a.m.: The California Highway Patrol East Sacramento division said its officers are responding to multiple reports of vehicle spinouts amid stormy conditions.
This content is imported from Twitter.
You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site.
The winter storm among us has brought flooding on US-50 and on surface streets. Your East Sacramento CHP units are responding to multiple reports of spinouts! We urgently remind you to drive with extra caution. Keep your eyes focused on the road ahead and move over for officers!
7 a.m.: A statewide dashboard indicates that at least 138,000 utility customers across California are without power.
6:55 a.m.: These are chain controls for mountain travel as of this writing. When chain controls are in effect, chains are required on all vehicles except those with four-wheel drive and snow tires equipped.
Also, the speed limit is reduced with chain controls. On Interstate 80, the speed limit is 30 mph, while Highway 50’s speed limit is 25 mph.
Interstate 80
Chains required from Kingvale in Placer County to Truckee in Nevada County.
Highway 50
Chains are required from Twin Bridges to Meyers.
6:20 a.m.: Traffic expert Brian Hickey observed flooding along Interstate 80 at Norwood Avenue. Motorists were seen driving through the flooding.
6 a.m.: See weather highlights from our 6 a.m. newscast in the video player below.
4 a.m.: KCRA 3 spotted a tree that fell on a home along Cedarhurst Way in the Carmichael area of Sacramento County.
Marketing products on Facebookis about to become more expensive for influencers, content creators, and companies. The social platform’s parent company, Meta, informed members with business accounts that they’ll have to start paying if they want to send more than two links per month to customers and followers through the site.
The good news for entrepreneurs and small companies promoting their businesses on Facebook is that Meta’s move to limit links on organic posts is currently just a test. The bad news is there’s a better than fair chance the tech giant will not only make the two-free-monthly-links-policy permanent, but possibly extend it to its other social platforms like Instagram. The reason? The trial restriction reflects Meta’s ongoing efforts to wring as much profit from its various business units as possible.
The alert sent to Facebook business account holders noted that the only way to avoid the link limitation is to “(s)ubscribe to Meta Verified” for the monthly fee of $14.99. That premium option already offers users a badge vouching for their company’s legitimacy, and also provides protective measures against fraudsters impersonating them.
Several media reports have quoted Meta officials stressing the trial nature of the link limitation. Social media expert Matt Navarra was among the first people to alert other business account holders to the change, and offered Meta’s reasoning behind it.
An Inc.com Featured Presentation
“This is a limited test to understand whether the ability to publish an increased volume of posts with links add additional value for Meta Verified subscribers,” Navarra wrote in a Facebook post, in which he initially seemed to try calming any fears the expensive update will remain in place for good. “This isn’t enforcement or a platform-wide rule change — it’s a small, controlled test.”
But in subsequent posts, Navarra changed his tone, noting Meta’s continued quest to monetize as many aspects of its social media platforms as possible. Those reminders were unlikely to have allayed his readers’ fears that the current trial forcing Facebook business account holders to subscribe to Meta Verified isn’t the next step in the company’s profit-enhancing process.
“(I)t does reinforce a broader direction,” Navarra acknowledged. “Meta Verified is increasingly being treated as a trust layer, not just a badge. If this expands, it would mark a meaningful shift.”
In some ways, it already does.
Not only will Facebook business account holders be limited to two monthly free links in their messages — which most use to drive followers or customers to their content. In its restriction notice, meanwhile, Meta underlined that those two freebies should be used on the very first day of each month, because “unused posts won’t be rolled over” for use later on.
Even in the restriction’s current test, Navarra noted, creators and small business marketers are effectively watching their unlimited link publishing capabilities being placed behind the Meta Verified paywall.
“This isn’t really about verification as much as about bundling survival features behind a subscription,” Navarra told the BBC. “If you’re a creator or a business, I think the message is essentially if Facebook is a part of your growth or traffic strategy, that access now has a price tag attached to it… And that’s new in its explicitness, even if it’s been the direction of travel for a while.”
In other words, don’t be shocked if the current test becomes a permanent rule — and starts migrating to other Meta social platforms. Anticipating that, Navarra offered affected entrepreneurs a valuable communications reminder.
“Tests like this underline why building a business that’s overly dependent on any one platform’s goodwill is incredibly risky,” he told the broadcaster, saying this kind of squeezing will likely increase over time. “For creators it reinforces a pretty brutal reality that Facebook is no longer a reliable traffic engine and Meta is increasingly nudging it away from people trying to use it as one.”
Go inside one interesting founder-led company each day to find out how its strategy works, and what risk factors it faces. Sign up for 1 Smart Business Story from Inc. on Beehiiv.
Northern California will see a break in the wet weather on Tuesday, but a powerful storm will send several rounds of potentially damaging winds, heavy rain and heavy snow to the region Tuesday night through Thursday. This comes after some places in the Foothills and Sierra measured 6 to 11 inches of rain since Saturday. The KCRA 3 weather team is issuing Alert Days for Wednesday and Thursday, which are issued to indicate conditions that could prove risky to public safety.Friday is expected to be an Impact Day. Showers and mountain snow will likely cause travel delays, but winds will be calmer.Gov. Gavin Newsom said on Sunday night that emergency response teams and equipment are being deployed to nine counties to protect from flooding and severe weather. KCRA 3 reached out to the governor’s office to find out which counties this applies to. The governor’s office responded, saying that El Dorado, Orange, Lake, Marin, Mendocino, Colusa, Glenn, Plumas and Nevada counties will be receiving the extra equipment and personnel. The first round of high winds and heavy rain will move across the region between 10 p.m. Tuesday and 4 a.m. Wednesday. Gusts of 40 to 60 mph could cause tree damage in the Valley and Foothills. Scattered power outages are also possible going into Christmas Eve Day. A High Wind Watch was issued by the National Weather Service for the Coastal Hills, Valley and Foothills. It will be in effect from 7 pm Tuesday through 4 am Wednesday.Brief bursts of heavy rain will come with the winds overnight. Most of the daylight hours Wednesday will be calmer with scattered showers in the Valley and steadier rain in the Foothills. Another round of high winds and heavy rain is expected Wednesday night into Thursday morning. The Sacramento Valley could see an additional 1 to 2 inches of rain by Friday. As each band of rain moves east into the Sierra, precipitation will turn into heavy snow. Wednesday’s snow level will be around 6,500 feet. This is low enough for accumulation at the Tahoe area summits. Long delays and chain controls are possible Wednesday.The snow level will drop to 4,500 feet on Thursday and then 4,000 feet on Friday. Check the latest chain control information from Caltrans here.In total, the Tahoe area summits could measure several feet of snow by Friday evening. Drivers should avoid traveling in the mountains Wednesday through Friday if possible. Leer en españolShare your weather photos and videos with us at kcra.com/uploadWatch our latest nowcast here REAL-TIME TRAFFIC MAPClick here to see our interactive traffic map.TRACK INTERACTIVE, DOPPLER RADARClick here to see our interactive radar.DOWNLOAD OUR APP FOR THE LATESTHere is where you can download our app.Follow our KCRA weather team on social mediaMeteorologist Tamara Berg on Facebook and X.Meteorologist Dirk Verdoorn on FacebookMeteorologist Heather Waldman on Facebook and X.Meteorologist Kelly Curran on X.Meteorologist Ophelia Young on Facebook and X.Watch our forecasts on TV or onlineHere’s where to find our latest video forecast. You can also watch a livestream of our latest newscast here. The banner on our website turns red when we’re live.We’re also streaming on the Very Local app for Roku, Apple TV or Amazon Fire TV.
Northern California will see a break in the wet weather on Tuesday, but a powerful storm will send several rounds of potentially damaging winds, heavy rain and heavy snow to the region Tuesday night through Thursday.
This comes after some places in the Foothills and Sierra measured 6 to 11 inches of rain since Saturday.
The KCRA 3 weather team is issuing Alert Days for Wednesday and Thursday, which are issued to indicate conditions that could prove risky to public safety.
Hearst Owned
Wednesday and Thursday are KCRA 3 weather Alert Days. High winds, heavy rain and heavy snow will significantly impact plans for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.
Friday is expected to be an Impact Day. Showers and mountain snow will likely cause travel delays, but winds will be calmer.
Gov. Gavin Newsom said on Sunday night that emergency response teams and equipment are being deployed to nine counties to protect from flooding and severe weather. KCRA 3 reached out to the governor’s office to find out which counties this applies to. The governor’s office responded, saying that El Dorado, Orange, Lake, Marin, Mendocino, Colusa, Glenn, Plumas and Nevada counties will be receiving the extra equipment and personnel.
The first round of high winds and heavy rain will move across the region between 10 p.m. Tuesday and 4 a.m. Wednesday. Gusts of 40 to 60 mph could cause tree damage in the Valley and Foothills. Scattered power outages are also possible going into Christmas Eve Day.
A High Wind Watch was issued by the National Weather Service for the Coastal Hills, Valley and Foothills. It will be in effect from 7 pm Tuesday through 4 am Wednesday.
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A High Wind Watch will be in effect starting at 7 pm Tuesday.
Brief bursts of heavy rain will come with the winds overnight. Most of the daylight hours Wednesday will be calmer with scattered showers in the Valley and steadier rain in the Foothills.
Another round of high winds and heavy rain is expected Wednesday night into Thursday morning. The Sacramento Valley could see an additional 1 to 2 inches of rain by Friday.
As each band of rain moves east into the Sierra, precipitation will turn into heavy snow. Wednesday’s snow level will be around 6,500 feet. This is low enough for accumulation at the Tahoe area summits. Long delays and chain controls are possible Wednesday.
The snow level will drop to 4,500 feet on Thursday and then 4,000 feet on Friday.
In total, the Tahoe area summits could measure several feet of snow by Friday evening. Drivers should avoid traveling in the mountains Wednesday through Friday if possible.
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Sierra snow will be measured in feet later this week.
In 2025, The Atlanta Voice reaffirmed its place as a cornerstone of Black-owned media in Atlanta, honoring nearly six decades of legacy while embracing innovation to meet the moment. The year stood as a powerful reflection of where the paper has been, where it stands, and where it is boldly headed.
From launching new storytelling platforms and opening creative community spaces to earning major civic recognition and expanding its newsroom, 2025 marked a pivotal chapter in the publication’s ongoing mission to inform, uplift, and advocate for Atlanta’s Black communities.
Preserving Black History Through New Media
This year brought an expansion of storytelling through the launch of In The Black: Legacy of Legends, a video series dedicated to capturing and preserving the stories of Black leaders, pioneers, and cultural figures whose impact has shaped Atlanta and the nation.
The series reflects a long-standing commitment to honoring elders and documenting lived experiences that too often go unrecorded. By embracing video storytelling, the newsroom bridged generational gaps, ensuring Black history is not only written, but seen and heard. At its core, the initiative reinforces a belief that Black communities must continue to control their own narratives.
Strengthening the Newsroom
The reporting team grew in 2025 with the addition of journalist Tabius McCoy, further strengthening the paper’s commitment to rigorous, community-centered journalism. McCoy brought fresh perspective and a deep respect for the mission, contributing coverage that informs, challenges, and reflects the realities of Atlanta’s Black communities. His arrival underscored continued investment in the next generation of storytellers while upholding the standards that have defined the newspaper for decades.
A Historic Honor for a Lasting Legacy
The Atlanta Voice Publisher, Janis Ware (left) and her sister, Dr. Rhonda Ware (right). Photo by Jazmine Brazier/The Atlanta Voice
One of the most significant milestones of the year came with the induction of Publisher Janis Ware and her late father, J. Lowell Ware, into the Atlanta Press Club Hall of Fame. The honor recognized their enduring contributions to journalism and the preservation of Black-owned media in Atlanta. J. Lowell Ware’s leadership guided the paper through eras of profound social change. Janis Ware has carried that legacy forward—navigating the modern media landscape with vision, resilience, and a deep commitment to community accountability. The dual induction symbolized a bridge between generations and reaffirmed the publication’s lasting influence in Atlanta’s media history.
In another first, a Midday Open House welcomed community members, partners, and supporters into the organization’s space for a celebration rooted in transparency and connection. Guests engaged directly with staff, learned more about the work behind the headlines, and celebrated the paper’s role as a trusted voice in Atlanta. The event reflected a long-held belief by the publication: journalism is strongest when it is accessible, relational, and grounded in the communities it serves.
A New Creative Chapter: WAREhouse Studios
The year also marked the opening of WAREhouse Studios, a creative and production space designed to support multimedia storytelling, collaboration, and community engagement. The studio represents an investment not only in the future of the publication but in the broader ecosystem of Black creatives and storytellers. WAREhouse Studios positions the organization to expand its digital and visual storytelling capabilities while creating new opportunities for innovation, partnerships, and cultural preservation.
Recognized as a Legacy Business
Recognition came in the form of the Invest Atlanta Legacy Business Grant, honoring the newspaper’s longstanding economic and cultural impact on the city. The designation highlighted resilience, adaptability, and the importance of one of Atlanta’s historic Black-owned institutions. The grant serves as both recognition and reinforcement—acknowledging the continued role the paper plays in shaping civic dialogue and sustaining Black entrepreneurship.
Leadership Honored on a Citywide Stage
Photo By Trarell Torrence Credit: Photo by Trarell Torrence
Publisher Janis Ware was also named a2025 Salute to Women of Achievement honoree by the YWCA of Greater Atlanta, recognizing women whose leadership and service have made a lasting difference in the community. The honor reflected decades of dedication not only to journalism but to equity, representation, and the preservation of Black-owned media in an era of consolidation and change.
Investing in Black Entrepreneurship: In The Black-Black Business Directory
Economic empowerment remained a key focus with the expansion of the In The Black- Black Business Directory, a growing digital resource designed to spotlight, support, and sustain Black-owned businesses across metro Atlanta. More than a listing, the directory serves as a tool for visibility, connection, and the circulation of Black dollars—making it easier for readers, residents, and institutions to intentionally support Black entrepreneurship. Integrated into the publication’s digital ecosystem, the directory reinforces a role that extends beyond storytelling to active community investment. The initiative aligns with a long-held belief that storytelling and economic justice are deeply connected. Highlighting Black-owned businesses alongside coverage of civic leadership, culture, and history reflects a holistic approach to community advocacy, one that recognizes ownership, access, and opportunity as essential parts of progress.
Digital Reach and Community Engagement
Digital growth continued throughout 2025, demonstrating expanding reach and influence across platforms.
Facebook led performance with 5.6 million views and 1.6 million visitors, while Instagram generated 2.4 million views and reached 1.1 million users. On X, our content received 532,000 impressions, expanding our visibility in real-time conversations. Emerging and professional platforms also contributed to our digital footprint. , while Threads recorded 23,000 views and LinkedIn achieved 16,000 impressions.
Together, these milestones underscore the publication’s ability to connect with audiences across generations while maintaining the depth and credibility that define its journalism.
Looking Ahead
As 2025 comes to a close, the year stands as a testament to the power of legacy paired with innovation. From honoring the past to building new platforms, opening doors, and creating space for future generations, the work continues to evolve while remaining grounded in its founding mission. Nearly 60 years after its founding, The Atlanta Voice remains a trusted voice for Atlanta’s Black communities, telling stories that matter, preserving history, and helping shape what comes next.
The conversation continues beyond these pages. Readers can stay connected by following The Atlanta Voice on social media, subscribing to our newsletters, and visiting theatlantavoice.com for ongoing coverage of Atlanta’s Black communities.
