California

Governor Gavin Newsom says he expects to collaborate with lawmakers this year on reforms to the state's environmental review law, which has been used repeatedly by opponents of development to block construction.The California Environmental Quality Act, which was signed into law in 1970, aimed to ensure that the environmental impact of a project is taken into account.

Yoga isn't just an ancient practice.It can also be a lucrative business, especially in fitness-conscious California.What's more, yoga teachers can often have a lot of influence over their followers, making suggestions about their diet, sleep and sometimes even politics.As the coronavirus pandemic dragged on, many people started noticing a surprising overlap between some of the alternative theories circulating in the wellness community and the conspiracy theories espoused by followers of QAnon - for example, that the world is controlled by "the Deep State."

A single Cosumnes River levee sustained $1.5 million in damage after recent winter storms tore out a hole the size of a football field.But the federal government's emergency management has not yet agreed to give local officials the money to fix that embankment.The agency has refused to fund this stretch of the river for years, saying the barriers do not meet the criteria for intervention because they were not built to meet the agency's standards.

Hollywood's awards season has found an unlikely underdog in "RRR."S.S. Rajamouli's three-hour maximalist action epic is one of India's most expensive and top-grossing films of all time.It pairs two of the country's biggest stars, N.T. Rama Rao Jr. and Ram Charan, and topped Netflix streaming charts over the summer.

Hopland Volunteer Fire Department chief Mitch Franklin cuts away a large oak tree that fell on a vehicle, moderately injuring the driver on Old River Road, north of Hopland, Calif., in Mendocino County, Saturday, Jan. 14, 2023.Storm-battered California got more wind, rain and snow on Saturday, raising flooding concerns, causing power outages and making travel dangerous.

Petroleum sheens on the ocean off a stretch of Southern California coast are consistent with oil from local natural seeps, but old abandoned oil wells could be a factor, authorities said Saturday.The sheens have been observed off Santa Barbara County's Summerland Beach since early this month, and have been investigated by the U.S. Coast Guard and state and local agencies under a unified command.

A parade of atmospheric rivers has pummeled California since late December, leaving at least 19 people dead and one boy missing in a natural disaster that Gov. Gavin Newsom compared to "several hurricane systems."As another round of storms rolls in over the weekend, the state's flood control system - already battered by persistent rainfall - will be put to the test.

A man suspected of killing a Southern California sheriff's deputy remained hospitalized in critical condition after a gunbattle, authorities said Saturday.The Riverside County Sheriff's Department identified Jesse Navarro, 42, of Lake Elsinore as the suspect in the killing of Deputy Darnell Calhoun.

A man who wrestled the weapon away from the California mass shooter has now spoken out, describing a terrifying fight to disarm the gunman.The death toll from Saturday's shooting in Monterey Park, Calif., has risen to 11.Part of the McClatchy Media Network

The California Supreme Court on Monday overturned the murder convictions and death sentence for a man who killed three people and committed a series of other crimes in San Diego in 1985.The court ordered a new trial for Billy Ray Waldon, ruling unanimously that a lower court judge improperly allowed Bill Ray Waldon to represent himself at trial despite testimony at an earlier competency hearing that he suffered from paranoia and a thought disorder impairing his ability to think clearly.

The multiverse-skipping sci-fi indie hit "Everything Everywhere All at Once" led nominations to the 95th Academy Awards as Hollywood heaped honors on big-screen spectacles like "Top Gun: Maverick" and "Avatar: The Way of Water" a year after a streaming service won best picture for the first time.