West
Republican David Valadao wins re-election to US House in California's 22nd Congressional District
Incumbent Republican Rep. David Valadao won re-election to the U.S. House in California’s 22nd Congressional District in the San Joaquin Valley. The highly contested race was considered to be a tossup.
Republican Gabe Evans was also declared the winner in Colorado’s 8th Congressional District on Tuesday night. Valadao and Evans’ victories now put the GOP two wins away from a majority in the House.
The breakdown currently stands at: 216 Republicans to 206 Democrats. There are still 13 races to be called as of Tuesday evening.
The congressional race was a high-stakes rematch between Valadao and Democratic challenger Rudy Salas. Valadao, who has represented the district since 2013 – except for one term from 2019-21 – is one of the few Republicans to have survived in a largely Democratic-leaning district the last few years. The district also has more registered Democrats than Republicans.
REMATCH SET BETWEEN GOP REP. VALADAO, DEMOCRATIC CHALLENGER IN BATTLEGROUND CALIFORNIA DISTRICT
The California state Capitol building on National Urban League California Legislative Advocacy Day on March 13, 2024, in Sacramento. (Arturo Holmes/Getty Images for National Urban League)
Valadao is known for his moderate positions that sometimes go against the more conservative wing of his party. He voted to impeach former President Trump, which made him both a target of Trump allies and a key figure for Democrats seeking to flip the seat.
Rep. David Valadao, R-Calif., poses during a ceremonial re-enactment of his swearing-in ceremony in the Rayburn Room on Capitol Hill in Washington on Jan. 6, 2015. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin, File)
Salas, a former state assemblyman, sought to unseat Valadao after narrowly losing in 2022. Salas, who has strong ties to labor unions and the state’s agricultural workers, has aimed to mobilize the electorate in CA-22’s majority-Latino district, which encompasses parts of California’s Central Valley.
The 22nd District has faced significant challenges, including water shortages, illegal immigration issues and economic concerns. Both candidates boast deep local roots.
In 2022, Valadao beat Salas by less than 4,000 votes.
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New Mexico
Less smoke and better storm chances Sunday in New Mexico
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — Good to moderate air quality will persist in Albuquerque but may be worse in places where wildfires, like the Sacaton Fire, are burning Sunday.
The smoke may be little thicker to the south near the Sacaton fire into Socorro County and near Truth of Consequences. No weather advisories are in effect but we may see some showers and thunderstorms pop up this afternoon. That may mostly be over the eastern and southern counties. The Sacaton Fire might get little rain, which would be relief for the ever-growing fire.
Rain chances in the Albuquerque metro are lower — maybe 10%. We’re more likely to see a shower or storm over the East Mountains or Sandia Mountains later this afternoon.
Storms in eastern New Mexico, closer to Texas, might have some strong winds later. About the same weather is expected Monday. Highs in the 90s both days will trend back to drier and hotter weather later in the week.
Oregon
Watch: Cops follow black bear through town
WILSONVILLE, Ore. (CNN) – Under the cover of the night sky, a bear took a jaunt around an Oregon town. Its presumed search for a snack was interrupted by a police officer’s bright spotlight.
For the next few minutes, the officer followed the bear as it sauntered down the road, even making sure the animal didn’t dart into the road.
Eventually, video shows the officer corralled the black bear and escorted it to a nearby river where it would be safer.
Copyright 2026 CNN Newsource. All rights reserved.
Utah
Utah’s Venezuelan community gathers to honor victims, aid survivors after deadly earthquakes
MURRAY, Utah — People with ties to Venezuela gathered in Murray on Sunday, sharing stories from families who lost loved ones and from those whose relatives are on the ground delivering resources to communities impacted by the disaster.
On June 24, Venezuela experienced two major earthquakes with magnitudes of 7.2 and 7.5, which have killed thousands of people since then.
The gathering was hosted by an organization called Alianza Venezolana Utah.
People in the community sang and shared moments of silence for parents, cousins and siblings in Venezuela at Murray Park. One of those people was South Jordan resident Ludmila Ruiz.
Ruiz said her younger brother met up with friends at his home in La Guaira to watch the World Cup when tragedy struck. She shared videos of his building where he lived, now destroyed.
She said they still have not found his body.
“When I feel sad, I think of my brother and that he would want me to help others right now,” Ruiz said. “My brother was a special man.”
Eighteen-year-old Leander Guevara said he was on a routine call with his mom back home that day.
“Randomly, everything starts shaking and the signal goes off and all I hear is screaming,” Guevara explained.
He said their home in Caracas is safe. He says his mom runs a church in Venezuela and that she and others are handing out food and clothes to people who need it.
“They made arepas, they’re offering clothes, they actually used the church as a sleeping shelter,” Guevara said.
Still, he says rebuilding will take time.
“It’s actually pretty hard right now to rebuild everything in Venezuela,” he said. “It’s going to stay like this a long while. This is not just right now — next months, this is going to be hard. This is only the beginning.”
Ruiz said that while her brother is gone, he would have wanted her to carry his spirit forward by helping their loved ones back home.
“We know our community needs food, medicine,” she said. “I’ll use that energy, that emotion, and work for my community.”
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