Jueves, 25 Junio 2026, 16:28
A rare pair of powerful earthquakes, known as a 'doublet,' struck Venezuela on June 24, 2026, killing at least 188 people and raising new questions for Californians about whether a similar back-to-back quake could hit the Golden State. The two quakes, each with a magnitude of 7.5, hit just a minute apart and originated from different faults, according to the U.S.
Geological Survey (USGS). The USGS, using predictive modeling, estimated that the death toll in Venezuela would most likely run into the thousands, with a substantial probability of exceeding 10,000.
A website set up to track missing people by leaders from the country's opposition reported that about 24,000 people remain unaccounted for, according to Reuters. The worst-affected area was La Guaira state, near Caracas and home to the city's airport.
Interim Venezuelan President Delcy Rodríguez said rescue crews from other countries would arrive soon and thanked leaders, including President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin. Trump said there had been a 'devastating' number of deaths.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said rescue teams were being deployed and the Pentagon would send assets to the damaged airport.
Beyond the devastation, the unusual timing of the quakes is drawing attention from earthquake experts because of how rare and destructive such events can be. Doublet earthquakes are rare; there is only a 5% chance of having two large quakes in a sequence be within 0.2 units of magnitude, according to the USGS.
Doublets can greatly increase damage with prolonged or repeated shaking. For California, where hundreds of active faults crisscross densely populated areas, the sequence is a reminder of the state’s own seismic risks and the possibility of complex, multi-event earthquakes.
California’s fault system is complex enough to produce earthquake sequences that resemble a doublet, though scientists say exact 'mirror' events like Venezuela’s are uncommon. California has over 500 active faults, many of them interconnected, and large earthquakes can trigger nearby faults, creating cascading events.
Recent research from the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa warns that stress is building across the San Andreas and San Jacinto fault systems, particularly near Cajon Pass — a key junction between fault zones in the Inland Empire. Researchers say that while no earthquake is imminent, the region could see a multi-fault rupture, in which several segments break together rather than as a single, isolated quake.
That kind of event could extend shaking over a wider area, increase duration and intensity, and amplify damage across multiple regions. While this isn’t exactly the same as two separate quakes minutes apart, it highlights a similar risk: compounded seismic impacts.
Like Venezuela, California sits along a major tectonic boundary — in this case between the Pacific Plate and the North American Plate. Instead of colliding, the plates slide past each other along the San Andreas Fault system, building stress over time.
Key risk factors include long stretches of fault that haven’t ruptured in more than a century, dense population centers near major faults (Los Angeles, Inland Empire, Bay Area), and soft soils in some regions that can amplify shaking. Scientists say stress levels in parts of Southern California are among the highest in at least 1,000 years — though that does not mean a quake is imminent.
In a large rupture scenario, strong shaking could last 30 to 60 seconds or more, roads, pipelines and buildings could be offset by feet of movement, and areas near faults and on loose soils would face the greatest damage. Unlike common myths, California will not fall into the ocean; the motion along the San Andreas Fault is horizontal, meaning the land shifts sideways rather than drops.
Source: visaliatimesdelta.com
A 33-year-old man was sentenced to 26 years in prison on Monday in Tulare County Superior Court for a deadly DUI crash that killed a woman in 2020 and a subsequent jail fight that injured a sheriff’s deputy.
Oscar Lopez-Almeida pleaded no contest to multiple charges, including gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated, DUI causing injury, driving with a suspended license due to a prior DUI conviction in Kings County in 2019, and assault with a deadly weapon.
The fatal crash occurred just before 6 p.m. on March 6, 2020, near the intersection of Avenue 184 and Road 64, southwest of the city of Tulare.
According to court records, Lopez-Almeida swerved his Honda Civic into the oncoming lane. The victim tried to avoid a collision but was struck on the passenger side.
The crash killed the victim’s wife.
A breath test administered after the crash revealed a blood-alcohol concentration above the legal limit. The surviving victim reported that Lopez-Almeida got out of his car and apologized.
Prosecutors cited aggravating factors, including that the crimes caused great bodily injury, that the defendant used a vehicle as a weapon, and that his criminal history showed increasing seriousness. For these charges, the court imposed the maximum sentence of 25 years in prison under California law.
Lopez-Almeida received an additional year for a separate incident while in custody at the Bob Wiley Detention Facility. In February 2024, he participated in a fight involving other inmates and battered a sheriff’s deputy.
Source: kmph.com
California has unveiled a new public dashboard designed to track job losses potentially linked to artificial intelligence, a tool that Governor Gavin Newsom's office says is the first of its kind in the United States. The California AI-Unemployment Tracker, developed in collaboration with the California Policy Lab at UCLA and the Employment Development Department, aims to monitor unemployment claims for patterns among workers in occupations considered highly exposed to AI disruption.
The tracker utilizes unemployment data to identify trends, although it does not prove that AI directly caused specific layoffs. Instead, it provides insight into whether unemployment claims are rising among workers in jobs more susceptible to AI influence.
Governor Newsom emphasized the proactive approach, stating that the state is not merely observing AI advancements but is actively preparing through robust governance and innovative policy.
Initial findings from the tracker have shown no evidence of a statewide spike in unemployment claims from workers in high-AI-exposure occupations. Dr.
Ben Hyman, senior researcher at the California Policy Lab, noted that currently, there is no indication of large-scale AI-related layoffs in California's labor market. However, researchers have identified more targeted patterns, including an increase in claims from college-educated workers in high-AI-exposure roles and a sustained rise in the San Francisco Bay Area for those in such occupations.
Till von Wachter, a UCLA economics professor and faculty director of the California Policy Lab at UCLA, highlighted that the tracker replaces speculation with evidence, offering a clearer understanding of labor market changes and how to best support affected workers. The dashboard, which will be updated monthly, can help the state identify where job search support, retraining, upskilling, health coverage guidance, and other resources may be needed.
This initiative is part of broader workforce-tracking efforts mandated by an executive order, underscoring California's commitment to addressing the impact of AI on employment.
Source: cbsnews.com
Source: gov.ca.gov
A magnitude 5.6 earthquake struck parts of Northern California on [date], causing widespread shaking and prompting residents to seek safety. The quake occurred at 8:10 a.m., with its epicenter located in a rural area of the region.
Within minutes, a magnitude 2.0 aftershock was recorded, heightening concerns about additional seismic activity.
Local authorities reported no immediate casualties or major structural damage, but emergency services are conducting assessments across affected areas. The earthquake was felt as far away as the San Francisco Bay Area, with social media users reporting shaking that lasted several seconds.
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) confirmed the event and noted that aftershocks are likely in the coming days.
Residents are urged to review earthquake preparedness plans and secure heavy furniture. Schools and businesses in the impacted zones have been advised to check for safety hazards.
This event serves as a reminder of the seismic risks in California, where the Pacific and North American tectonic plates interact. Experts recommend having emergency kits, knowing safe spots, and practicing drop, cover, and hold on drills.
Source: telemundo52.com
If you want to catch the Strawberry Moon at its brightest, one of the best places to do it is just a short drive from home. Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks offer some of California’s darkest night skies — a perfect backdrop for watching June’s full moon rise over giant sequoias and deep Sierra canyons.
The Strawberry Moon will soon illuminate the night sky, the first full moon of summer because it occurs after the summer solstice, which was on Sunday, June 21. Despite its nickname, June's moon won't look red like a strawberry, according to the Old Farmer's Almanac.
Its name comes from the fact that the fruit usually ripens and is ready for picking around this time of year. Full and new moons' names are traditionally used to track the seasons, the almanac states.
June's full moon's nickname originated from the Native American Algonquian tribes in the northeastern U.S., as well as the Ojibwe, Dakota and Lakota peoples. Here's what to know about the full moon and when it's set to peak in the night sky.
The Strawberry Moon peaks on Monday, June 29, at 4:57 p.m. PT and will stay bright that evening, according to the Farmer's Almanac.
It will still look full a few days before and after it peaks. Other names for the Strawberry Moon include Berries Ripen Moon, Blooming Moon, Green Corn Moon, Hoer Moon, and Birth Moon.
The moon's nicknames, like April's Pink Moon, May's Flower Moon or June's Strawberry Moon, originated from Native Americans, Colonial Americans and European and other cultures' names for the moon. To get the best view of the moon, check local weather forecasts in your area to make sure there won't be heavy cloud coverage or storms.
If you're going to go stargazing the night of the full moon, make sure to check the weather and cloud coverage, dress appropriately, use bug spray to avoid bites from mosquitoes, and bring a blanket, a sleeping bag or a reclining chair to lie on. The rest of the full moon dates for 2026 include the Buck Moon on July 29, the Sturgeon Moon (partial lunar eclipse) on August 28, the Harvest Moon on September 26, the Hunter's Moon on October 26, the Beaver Moon (super moon) on November 24, and the Cold Moon (super moon) on December 23.
Plan your visit to Sequoia and Kings Canyon national parks. The best time to visit is late spring through early fall; summer for full access, fall for fewer crowds.
The parks are open year‑round; some roads and areas close seasonally due to snow. Entrance fee required.
You can get there by car via Highway 198 (Sequoia) or Highway 180 (Kings Canyon). During the summer months, the Sequoia Shuttle whisks visitors from downtown Visalia to the Sequoia's main entrance.
Source: visaliatimesdelta.com
California state leaders are working against the clock to reach last-minute agreements with interest groups on several high-profile ballot measures before Thursday's deadline to withdraw them from the November election. The annual ritual involves intense negotiations behind closed doors, as lawmakers seek to avoid costly and contentious campaigns by striking compromises.
One major deal has already been announced: a compromise between Uber and the state's trial lawyers. Uber had qualified a ballot initiative to cap attorney contingency fees and limit medical cost recoveries for crash victims, while attorney groups countered with a measure to increase Uber's liability for sexual misconduct.
The resulting legislation, Senate Bill 623, would cap medical cost recoveries in cases involving medical liens, but only for crashes involving ride-hailing services. It would not restrict contingency fees.
In exchange, Uber must strengthen driver background checks, including annual renewals and rejection of drivers convicted of violent offenses or DUI in the past seven years. The bill also prohibits attorneys from recommending medical providers they have financial ties to.
Consumer Watchdog praised the deal as striking a fair balance.
A record-breaking $11.25 billion affordable housing bond, Senate Bill 417, appears headed for the November ballot. The bond would authorize $10 billion for affordable housing construction, rehabilitation, and preservation, plus $1.25 billion to help veterans buy homes.
Governor Gavin Newsom said the bond would help over 40,000 people buy homes and create or preserve tens of thousands of affordable units. The Legislature must pass the bill by Thursday and the governor must sign it before it appears on the ballot.
However, the billionaire wealth tax—a one-time 5% tax on California's roughly 200 billionaires proposed by the Service Employees International Union-United Healthcare Workers West—remains unresolved. The union has rejected Governor Newsom's late-hour efforts to negotiate a withdrawal, despite Newsom's opposition and alliance with other labor groups and healthcare organizations.
The union estimates the tax would raise $100 billion for healthcare, schools, and food programs. Billionaires and Silicon Valley moguls argue it would drive wealthy residents out of the state.
The union offered a 2% alternative, but Newsom called it "poorly designed." Union President Dave Regan expressed doubts about a last-minute compromise and said they are prepared to go forward with the ballot measure.
Lawmakers are also expected to vote on a proposed constitutional amendment to increase the cap on deposits into the state's rainy day fund from 10% to 20% of general fund tax revenue. The "Save for California's Future Act" would also allow using excess revenues to pay down the state's $20 billion federal unemployment insurance debt from the COVID-19 pandemic.
The proposal is part of ongoing efforts to stabilize California's finances amid a multi-year budget deficit and heavy reliance on income taxes from wealthy residents.
Source: kpbs.org