California
Critically endangered whale seen off California coast: 'Every sighting is incredibly valuable to us'
An extremely rare sighting has occurred off the coast of California and biologists say they are thrilled by the discovery.
A North Pacific right whale was spotted near Point Reyes by a marine wildlife team that was in the Greater Farallones and Cordell Bank National Marine Sanctuary, Jenna Malek, North Pacific right whale recovery coordinator and marine mammal specialist, told Fox News Digital.
“This is very exciting for us because we know very little about where these whales go when they’re not in Alaska,” Malek said.
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“So this helps us to better understand some of the areas that they might be frequenting, what time of year they might be there and what type of activities they are doing.”
Malek said there have only been a few sightings of the mammal since the 1970s — with 15 of those reports recorded in California.
The endangered North Pacific right whale was spotted near California while a group of marine wildlife specialists were out on the rocky waters. (NOAA/Pt. Blue/ACCESS, D. Devlin)
Right whales have very distinctive features, which is how the trained species observers were able to identify the whale as the rare North Pacific right whale.
Two distinguishing features include the V-shaped blow of the right whale — compared to the vertical spout of a humpback whale.
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Right whales also have what is referred to as “calluses” on their heads.
“These are white patches of rough skin that have things like barnacles on them, and those are actually what we use to identify individual right whales, because it’s sort of like a fingerprint,” Malek said.
“So the pattern doesn’t change as the whale ages, and so we could get a picture of that and say, ‘Oh, we’ve sighted this whale previously based on this information.’”
Due to the rocky conditions in the sea at the time of the sighting in late May, the observers were not able to get a solid look at the calluses on the head of the North Pacific right whale to determine its identity.
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Based on the footage captured by the observation crew, the whale was believed to be in a state of behavior called “milling,” in which it was resting on the surface and not traveling in a specific direction or actively feeding.
Less than 50 North Pacific right whales are believed to make up the eastern population and only 300-400 of the entire species remain, scientists say. (NOAA/Pt. Blue/ACCESS, D. Devlin)
“This whale just seemed to be taking it easy because it wasn’t moving … and so, because of that slow breath pace and the lack of movement in any given direction, it’s likely that it was resting or sleeping,” Malek said.
Less than 50 North Pacific right whales make up the eastern population.
The location of this sighting adds to its rarity because less than 50 North Pacific right whales make up the eastern population.
In the entirety of the species on the eastern and western sides, only 300 to 400 remain, Malek said.
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“There’s a population that’s on the western side of the North Pacific off of Russia and Japan, and this population is doing a little bit better than the ones we have here off the coast of the U.S. and Canada, but we don’t know enough about them,” the marine specialist added.
Based on the genetic analysis that her team has been conducting, they do not believe that any sort of interbreeding has taken place between the eastern and western North Pacific right whales, but there are believed to be a limited number of breeding females.
Malek said there are still many things about the North Pacific right whale the team is hoping to learn; sightings like this play a large role in discovering behaviors and habits of this rare mammal.
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“We have not been able to identify any definitive migratory pathway or breeding and calving area for the North Pacific right whales, and that includes looking at historical whaling logs,” the expert added.
“This whale may have been in Alaska or may have been further north, but now it’s in California.”
“There’s nothing that really stands out as a place that they’re going from point A to point B pretty consistently every year, so seeing them off of California is interesting for us,” she said. “It doesn’t necessarily indicate that this is [an] ecologically important area for them, but it does tell us that this whale may have been in Alaska or may have been further north, but now it’s in California.”
Aside from the state of Alaska, California has become the location with the highest number of North Pacific right whale sightings. (NOAA/Pt. Blue/ACCESS, D. Devlin)
Aside from Alaska, California has become the location with the highest number of North Pacific right whale sightings.
Malek said there has been an increase in sightings recently and, while that does not necessarily mean that the population is increasing, it does mean that people are able to identify them and are better at reporting their findings.
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For those who may come across this endangered species while in the water, the team says it’s best to report the discovery to np.rw@noaa.gov and an expert will respond to verify the sighting.
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“We encourage folks to take pictures from a respectful distance. Collect that kind of information and then report it to our fisheries because each and every single sighting is incredibly valuable to us.”
California GOP delegates Roxanne Hoge and Elizabeth Barcohana join Trace Gallagher to discuss multiple issues impacting California.
California GOP delegates Roxanne Hoge and Elizabeth Barcohana dissect the state’s pressing issues with Trace Gallagher. They criticize the SF Giants’ ‘Pride Night’ controversy and players’ right to religious expression. The delegates also discuss Los Angeles’s economic decline and Sacramento’s expensive homeless campsite, highlighting concerns about over-regulation and social issues. They conclude by addressing California’s large-scale Medicaid fraud, suggesting a lack of accountability.
Oakdale’s first Pride event is moving forward this weekend after organizers changed venues following pushback over its original location and a planned drag performance.
Some residents pushed back over the event’s original location at Dorada Park and a planned drag performance.
“I also understand staff has issued a permit for a so-called Pride event,” one speaker said during the latest City Council meeting.
Another speaker raised concerns about the event being advertised as open to all ages, including children, and having a drag queen host.
After the public pushback, organizers moved the event indoors to the Bianchi Center.
“It was a huge upgrade to be able to provide a more accessible space in the heart of Oakdale,” said Ryan Hall, president of CalPride.
Hall said the idea to bring Pride to the city did not come from outside Oakdale, it came from people living there.
“That’s my place as a mom of rainbow kids, absolutely,” said Elizabeth May, owner of Sisters Coffee.
May’s coffee shop hosts a monthly LGBTQ+ social.
“I had a young man walk in here and say, ‘We don’t have anywhere to have a social here for LGBTQ.’ I said, ‘Heck yes,’” May said.
Still, the backlash has left parents like May concerned.
“How does it feel? Scary. I’m excited, but as a mom of a kid in the community, I’m nervous for them,” May said.
May said the venue change helped ease some of the tension.
“The different venue made a win-win situation for everyone. I was very proud of the kids for making that hard decision,” May said.
For organizers, the drag performance is part of the celebration.
“Enjoy some line dancing, enjoy some live music, enjoy the drag show, and then also enjoy community members and our local businesses, our local artists and partner organizations,” Hall said.
Oakdale Pride is scheduled for Sunday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Entry is free.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom, a Democrat who is considering a run for president as he approaches the end of his term, called for a national “billionaires’ tax” on Friday even as he fights another proposal targeting the wealthy in his home state.
Newsom also said the U.S. government should own a stake in artificial intelligence companies. His proposals, outlined in a Substack post, aligns him with the Democratic Party’s populist left, and he argued that urgent changes are needed to prevent the elite concentration of wealth and power from undermining democracy.
“It’s time for an economic reset for America,” Newsom wrote.
The governor announced his agenda a day after an influential health care union in California pledged to go forward with a ballot measure that would impose a one-time 5% tax on the assets of billionaires living in the state as of Jan. 1, 2026.
Newsom opposes that measure, as do many of the liberal interest groups that typically favor higher taxes. They fear it would drive billionaires out of California, eroding the state’s tax base over the long term for a one-time influx of cash. A technology mecca, California has more billionaires than any other state — a few hundred, by some estimates.
“You may not be able to pick up and move to Texas or Florida to shelter your income from taxation, but I promise you that billionaires can, and do,” Newsom wrote. “Wealth is movable, and it shops for the state with the lowest taxes. The fight belongs at the federal level, where this broken system was created in the first place.”
A minimum tax on large net worths
Newsom said the solution is a new national tax policy, rather than a state-by-state system. He proposed a minimum tax on anyone with a net worth above $100 million. He also wants to make it illegal for the wealthy to borrow against their stock portfolios to fund their luxury lifestyles tax free.
Newsom said there should be new rules for inheritance taxes, warning that “the transfer of wealth among the ultra-wealthy will lock in a permanent American aristocracy of inherited wealth.” And he wants to raise corporate tax rates to where they were before President Donald Trump’s first-term tax cut.
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The need is especially urgent as artificial intelligence threatens to displace workers and further concentrate wealth, he wrote.
“We need to ensure every American owns a stake in the future being built by AI through a national public equity fund that takes a major stake in the new economy,” he wrote. “Simply, as artificial intelligence reshapes the country, every American should own a piece of the future it builds.”
Revenue generated by his proposals could be used to retrain workers, fund universal child care, make college free and increase funding for health care.
‘Money buys influence’
Newsom, who has drawn attention as one of Trump’s most high-profile political antagonists, is getting an early start on laying out a policy framework for his potential White House bid months before the midterm elections, which have typically marked the informal start of overt presidential campaigning.
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The embrace of a wealth tax by Newsom, a moderate on tax policy despite his liberal reputation, signals a notable shift in the political landscape since Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren struggled to get traction in her 2020 campaign, which she largely centered around a 2% levy wealth tax.
Newsom portrayed the nation’s tax code as a corrupt system built to help an elite few.
“Money buys influence, and influence rewrites the rules,” he wrote. “Those rewritten rules funnel even more wealth to the few. Under this weight, democracy itself starts to buckle.”
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