California Dolphin

California’s coastal areas are obviously at highest risk from an incoming tsunami. But how far inland does the threat extend? The answer might surprise you. Tsunami hazard areas can be quite large depending on the location, and in some cases, they are home to large numbers of people. A large swath of Venice and all of Marina del Rey are in a tsunami hazard area. So are wide sections of Long Beach, including Belmont Shore, Naples Island and the city Convention Center. Significant segments of Orange County are also at risk. They include Newport Beach’s Balboa Island and Balboa Peninsula, as well as neighborhoods in Sunset Beach and Seal Beach. Even where tsunami hazard zones are relatively narrow, many Californians may not have the instinct to get to higher ground after the ground shakes. The Malibu Village mall is separated from the coast by two rows of houses, a golf course and Pacific Coast Highway, yet is still at risk because of its proximity to not just the ocean but also Malibu Lagoon. And the risk can vary. The tsunami hazard area in Manhattan Beach

Harmeet Dhillon — one of California’s most prominent Republican Party operatives, a cultural crusader against “woke” politics and a fervent champion of President-elect Donald Trump — was named Monday by Trump to a top civil rights post in the U.S. Department of Justice. If confirmed, Dhillon would be the second woman to lead the Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division, following President Biden’s choice of longtime civil rights lawyer Kristen Clarke. The office is tasked with enforcing federal civil rights laws across a wide swath of American life. A frequent commentator on conservative media, Dhillon has long been one of the most charismatic figures in the California GOP. She made an unsuccessful but closely watched play for Republican National Committee chair in 2023. “Harmeet Dhillon is very conservative and hardly a champion of civil rights as it is generally understood,” legal scholar and UC Berkeley Law School Dean Erwin Chemerinsky said by email Tuesday. “She was very active in challenging COVID restrictions. She has filed suits when conservatives claim their speech was restricted. She has challenged protection of transgender students. But there is nothing in

A chilling scene in the new movie “Wicked” sums up what’s wrong with President-elect Donald Trump’s view of immigrants. The two witches, Elphaba and Glinda, have traveled to the Emerald City to meet the Wonderful Wizard of Oz. The Wizard explains to them that he plans to consolidate power over his restive land by demonizing its animals, who not only have the power of speech but are also the equals of human beings. He will strip them of the ability to speak and confine them to cages. But why would you do such a thing, asks the tender-hearted, green-skinned Elphaba, whose horror at his plan will eventually turn her into the Wicked Witch of the West. “The best way to bring folks together,” the Wonderful Wizard of Oz tells the women, “is to give them a really good enemy.” That is the essence of Trump’s immigration policy. Trump told Kristen Welker of NBC’s “Meet the Press” on Sunday that he plans to keep his campaign promise to deport millions of people. “You have no choice,” he said. “First of all, they’re costing us a fortune.

California’s electric vehicle ambitions are facing a reality check. Sales growth has stalled as potential buyers balk at high sticker prices and unreliable public charging. The EV market will take an additional hit if President-elect Donald Trump follows through on vows to scuttle federal EV tax credit subsidies for buyers and slap tariffs on automobiles made in Mexico, driving prices higher. The headwinds are fueling fresh doubts about Gov. Gavin Newsom’s mandate that all new cars sold in California by 2035 be zero-emission vehicles. The first big test for the governor’s edict comes next year, when 35% of new vehicles sold must be zero-emission, up from 26.4% now. To hit that mark, EV sales would have to skyrocket 33%. “I have not seen a forecast by anyone that that number is achievable,” Toyota North America Chief Operating Officer Jack Hollis said on a conference call with reporters last month. “Demand is not there.” Jessica Caldwell, an analyst with Edmunds, was only slightly less skeptical. “It’s definitely a challenge,” she said. It’s so much of a challenge, state officials have changed the way they talk about

McCaul: Afghanistan investigation will continue after election Rep. Michael McCaul says Afghanistan investigation will go on “well after the election” 08:07 Washington — Secretary of State Antony Blinken is set to testify Wednesday before the Republican-led House Foreign Affairs Committee, which has long sought to question him over the deadly evacuation from Afghanistan.  Blinken’s testimony comes nearly three months after the committee voted along partly lines to recommend that the nation’s top diplomat be held in contempt of Congress amid a standoff over his appearance before the panel to discuss its investigation into the 2021 withdrawal.   The committee and State Department had been at odds for months, leading Rep. Michael McCaul of Texas, the Republican chairman, to issue multiple subpoenas for Blinken to testify in September. McCaul said Blinken’s appearance was important as the committee considers “potential legislation aimed at helping prevent the catastrophic mistakes of the withdrawal.”  Republicans on the committee released a lengthy report in September that detailed their yearslong investigation into the chaotic exit from Afghanistan and accused the Biden administration of misleading the public about the end of the 20-year

By Duarte Dias, Ramy Inocencio December 11, 2024 / 5:04 AM EST / CBS News Cork’s role in fighting climate change How cork — the same material used to seal wine bottles — could save the planet 06:02 Lisbon, Portugal — The sound of a cork popping out of the end of a bottle is known across the world. It often precedes moments of celebration, a shared meal or simply the quiet enjoyment of a glass of wine. But many who’ve taken part in the simple ritual may not realize that it’s also a synonym for sustainability, natural wonder, and even human ingenuity. Cork, the humble material used for centuries to seal bottles, is a unique product not only for the way it’s grown, but also for the plethora of inventive uses people have found for it — which go far beyond the ubiquitous bottle stoppers. Cork is used in everything from the building of spacecraft to the insulation of homes, and it can replace rubber or plastic on just about anything that needs protection from heat or vibration. Thanks to the unique, delicate conditions in

Aunque los cines están muy concurridos en este momento, con “Wicked” y “Moana 2″ atrayendo a multitudes de espectadores, ha sido un año bastante duro para el cine. Entre los éxitos de taquilla, sin embargo, el desafío de no sólo captar la atención del público, sino simplemente llegar a la pantalla, parece difícil que nunca. El año estuvo marcado por cineastas que apostaron todo, desde un montón de 120 millones de dólares, como Francis Ford Coppola con “Megalopolis” (“Megalópolis”) hasta su vida como el cineasta disidente iraní Mohammad Rasoulof con “The Seed of the Sacred Fig” (“La semilla de la higuera sagrada”). Considerando los caminos de “The Apprentice” (“El Aprendiz”), sobre el ascenso de Donald Trump en Nueva York, o el documental sobre la ocupación israelí “No Other Land” (que aún carece de distribuidor), la pregunta sobre qué se estrena fue un refrán común y escalofriante. Eso también hizo que las películas que lograron abrirse camino —aquellas que contaron historias urgentes o deslumbraron con originalidad en una época de dominio de secuelas— fueran aún más dignas de celebración. A continuación, la selección de los críticos

Residents along five streets in Paso Robles will see road repairs starting mid-next year. And because nothing beneath the surface needs to be upgraded, construction is expected to take up to a year. Other current projects, such as the Creston Road Corridor Project on the east side of the city, need upgraded sewer mains, fire hydrants, conduit, and more, construction is expected to last two years in total. The city will be taking bids during the early part of next year to fix 16th, 18th, 32nd, and 36th streets. Combined, the total project will cost more than $4 million. For longtime residents like Victoria Barron, it is a relief now that downtown has seen its improvements. “Now they’re slowly working their way this way to improve our roads over here,” Barron said. “So, I knew it was a matter of time. I’m just really grateful that it’s finally happening. Barron says she’s seen a horrible accident because of the unkept roads. The beginning of the street actually had such big potholes that a guy beefed it on his bike and then got ran over,” Barron

Are you doing your holiday shopping in person or online this year? While online shopping has grown tremendously, in-store purchases still dominate with Americans spending about $7 trillion in retail stores compared to $1.2 trillion online last year, according to Capital One Shopping. Now, artificial intelligence (AI) is changing the way consumers find the perfect gifts and score the best deals. AI can offer personalized recommendations, price comparisons, and savings opportunities. Unlike generic gift guides, AI tools like Cheerful, co-founded by UC Santa Barbara graduate Ben Revzin, craft highly tailored suggestions based on recipients ages, interests, preferences, and price points then show you links to purchase them. Basically for Cheerful specifically, AI is taking the interests that you write, its like a recipe for a cake,” Revzin explains. You throw in the interests, you throw in how old your gift recipient is so your parents’ age or your friend’s age, whatever it is, and then it’s basically creating and thinking up, in real-time, gift ideas for that person. So AI is making it all happen. Its kind of like the oven. If saving money is

A prosecutor told jurors Tuesday that ballistics evidence linked a man to the shooting death of a veteran UPS employee who was among a trio of people who tried to stop him after he was allegedly seen rummaging around a parked car in Covina four days before Christmas in 2021, while a defense attorney countered that his client opened fire only after being punched and kneed. Trevor Howard Thompson, now 37, is charged with one count of murder stemming from the Dec. 21, 2021, death of 38-year-old Joey Manuel Casias, along with two counts each of assault with a semiautomatic firearm and illegal possession of a firearm. The murder charge includes the special circumstance allegation of murder to avoid arrest, along with an allegation that Thompson personally used a firearm causing death. Deputy District Attorney Michelle Weiske told the Pomona jury that the bulk of the charges against the defendant stem from his alleged actions in December 2021 after he was seen inside a white BMW that had inadvertently been left unlocked. Thompson was first confronted by the vehicle’s owner, who was informed that someone

Renters in Los Angeles can anticipate more support from the city after Tuesday’s expansion of programs under Measure ULA, including eviction defense, rental assistance and income support for seniors and people with disabilities. In a 12-0 vote, the City Council approved final guidelines for Measure ULA housing production and homelessness prevention initiatives, as well as plans to use more dollars generated by the tax, which was approved by voters in April 2023 and established a tax on the sale of property of more than $5 million. Council members Traci Park and Monica Rodriguez were absent during the vote. Councilman Curren Price recused himself because is a landlord. The panel also approved an amendment introduced by Councilman Bob Blumenfield for a report on if and how the city might exempt or lessen the burden on nonprofits building or acquiring affordable housing for seniors. “I’m trying to find a way that we can help those organizations out that are doing that housing, and this is a report to help us find that pathway to help those nonprofits that are doing this important work but are unfortunately, the