California
4.2-magnitude earthquake rattles Southern California
FOX 2 San Francisco reporter Tom Vacar joined FOX Weather on Tuesday night to reflect on his memories of covering the powerful magnitude 6.9 Loma Prieta earthquake that struck in 1989.
SAN BERNARDINO, Calif. – A magnitude-4.2 earthquake shook San Bernardino County and parts of Southern California on Wednesday, but there were no immediate reports of any damage.
According to the U.S. Geological Survey, the quake was centered about 2 miles from San Bernardino but occurred at a depth of nearly 10 miles, which likely limited impacts.
Shaking was felt from the east side of Los Angeles to near Oceanside, north of San Diego.
California shake map
(FOX Weather)
According to experts, the quake occurred along the San Jacinto Fault Zone, which usually leads to smaller quakes.
The fault zone is fairly active, but since reliable recordkeeping began, the largest magnitude has been a 6.8, which occurred in 1918.
EPICENTER OF LATEST CALIFORNIA EARTHQUAKE TRACED TO GROUND UNDER SAN FRANCISCO INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT
Earthquakes with a magnitude of around a 5.5 or less can be felt but produce little, if any, damage.
According to California’s Department of Conservation, the state experiences two or three events each year that are reported to be at a magnitude of 5.5 or greater.
Because initial estimates put Wednesday evening’s quake at around a magnitude-4.5, the state’s Shake Alert system notified cell phone users in the immediate area of the impending event.
7 FACTS ABOUT EARTHQUAKES
Due to the quake’s limited scope, the U.S. National Tsunami Warning Center quickly ruled out any type of increased wave activity along the West Coast.
The Los Angeles Fire Department said it conducted surveys after the shaking and found no structural damage.
The last significant quake to strike the Golden State happened on Dec. 20, 2022, when a magnitude-6.4 earthquake rattled the town of Ferndale.
A magnitude 6.4 earthquake was felt across the north coast of California early Tuesday morning, causing some damage.
California
Wolf activity recorded in Truckee area, California tracking data shows
Public officials in Truckee are warning residents and visitors that wolf activity has been recorded in the area.
The California Department of Fish and Wildlife’s wolf tracking map recently updated to show some activity both above and below the Interstate 80 corridor through the Truckee area.
Truckee authorities released a statement over the weekend prompted by the map, encouraging residents to be alert.
In particular, authorities say pet and livestock owners in the area should be paying closer attention to their animals – especially around the early morning and evening hours.
Truckee police noted that there have been no confirmed wolf encounters within city limits.
Wolf activity has been increasing in California as the wild animals make a comeback in the state. Most of the recorded wolf activity has been in the counties further north, closer to the Oregon border.
With the increasing activity has also come increasing clashes between wolves and livestock. Ranchers have voiced their frustration over mounting kills attributed to wolves, with livestock owners having little recourse due to the wolf being a protected animal.
California Fish and Wildlife debuted a wolf-tracking map in 2025 to help ranchers monitor activity.
Exact numbers in California vary, but wildlife officials have said the state’s population has surged to between 50 to 70 wolves in a decade.
California
FBI raid in Las Vegas possibly linked to California biolab
LAS VEGAS (KSNV) — Property records show that the Northeast Las Vegas home raided by the FBI and Las Vegas police is owned by an LLC linked to a similar biolab operation in California.
In October 2023, the U.S. Department of Justice announced the arrest of Jia Bei Zhu, a 62-year-old Chinese citizen also known as Jesse Zhu, Qiang He, and David He.
Zhu, who previously lived in Clovis, was arrested on charges of manufacturing and distributing misbranded medical devices in violation of the federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act, as well as making false statements to the Food and Drug Administration.
David He, also known as Jia Bei Zhu, and his romantic and business partner, Zhaoyan Wang, are listed in property records as owners of the Sugar Springs residence, where hazardous materials teams began their investigation Saturday morning.
According to court documents, between December 2020 and March 2023, Zhu and Wang allegedly manufactured, imported, sold, and distributed hundreds of thousands of test kits—including COVID-19, HIV, pregnancy, clinical urinalysis, and other diagnostic tests—in the United States and China.
The activity was carried out through Universal Meditech Incorporated and Prestige Biotech Incorporated, companies based in Fresno and Reedley, California.
On December 18, 2022, Reedley Code Enforcement received a complaint about non-permitted plumbing visible from outside Prestige Biotech’s warehouse. The following day, officials were granted access to the facility, where they observed various in vitro diagnostic (IVD) test kits, manufacturing equipment, and shipping supplies. Several employees were seen packaging test kits for shipment.
According to the criminal complaint, investigators allege Zhu made multiple false statements to FDA officials during the investigation. Among other claims, Zhu said his name was Qiang “David” He; that he was hired by Universal Meditech as a COVID-19 consultant in 2021; and that he had been recently hired by Prestige Biotech to communicate with government agencies and dispose of warehouse property at their request. He also claimed he had no knowledge of either company’s manufacturing or distribution activities and denied awareness of an Amazon listing for PBI-branded pregnancy test kits or a shipment of 47,500 pregnancy test kits imported from China to UMI at a Las Vegas address.
In a report by the House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party examining the Reedley biolab, investigators said they observed blood, tissue, and other bodily fluid samples, along with serums. The report also noted the presence of thousands of vials containing unlabeled fluids and suspected biological material.
Investigators further discovered approximately 1,000 mice kept in inhumane, overcrowded conditions. A worker who appeared to be in charge claimed the animals were transgenic—genetically engineered to simulate the human immune system and capable of catching and carrying the COVID-19 virus.
In Las Vegas, Sheriff Kevin McMahill said the suspect’s name would not be released but emphasized there is no threat to the public and that the incident is isolated.
California
59-vehicle pile up in foggy conditions closed major California highway for hours
A 59-vehicle pile-up shut down a main California highway Saturday morning as fog severely limited visibility.
The crash happened on Highway 99, nearly 40 miles north of Bakersfield, in Tulare County. The area, located in California’s Central Valley, is known as a top producer of agriculture.
CHP officers said there was an initial crash on each side of the highway, which was followed by a series of other crashes, with 59 vehicles involved in total.
Fog limited visibility in the area to about 150-200 feet, the CHP said.
The highway was closed in both directions until about 2:30 p.m. as crews worked to clear the scene. It’s a major highway that stretches the entire length of the Central Valley.
Officials said multiple people suffered minor to moderate injuries.
The CHP said drivers should slow down, increase their following distance and remain alert, especially in low-visibility or congested areas.
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