California

California is investigating after a private jet carrying migrants arrived in Sacramento, officials say | CNN

Published

2 years ago

June 4, 2023

California is investigating after a private jet carrying migrants arrived in Sacramento, officials say | CNN

CNN
—

An investigation is underway after over a dozen migrants arrived in Sacramento, California, by private jet “with no prior arrangement or care in place,” Gov. Gavin Newsom and Attorney General Rob Bonta said Saturday.

California state officials on Saturday met with the group, who had documentation “purporting to be from the government of the State of Florida,” Bonta said.

The immigrants were taken from Texas to New Mexico, then flown by private chartered jet to California, where they were “dumped on the doorstep of a local church without any advance warning,” Newsom said in a statement.

The attorney general is investigating the incident and “evaluating potential criminal or civil action against those who transported or arranged for the transport of these vulnerable immigrants,” Bonta said in a statement.

The circumstances around who paid for the group’s travel and whether the migrants were misled with false promises will be investigated, according to the governor. Authorities did not say what countries the migrants had traveled from.

CNN has reached out to state officials from Texas and Florida for comment.

It isn’t the first time a plane carrying migrants has arrived unannounced in a Democratic state. Late last year, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis sent two planes carrying migrants to Martha’s Vineyard.

Migrants have also been bused to New York and other more liberal cities by Republican governors and local officials from southern states amid a humanitarian crisis at the southern US border.

Many who head to the US make long and dangerous treks in hopes of finding a better, safer life for their families. People immigrate to flee violence, for economic opportunities or to reunite with family members, experts say.

“California and the Sacramento community will welcome these individuals with open arms ad provide them with the respect, compassion, and care they will need after such a harrowing experience,” Bonta said.

The state is working with the Sacramento mayor’s office and local groups to make sure that the migrants “are treated with respect and dignity and get to their intended destination as they pursue their immigration cases,” Newsom said.

Bonta said the state will “continue to collect evidence, I want to say this very clearly: State-sanctioned kidnapping is not a public policy choice, it is immoral and disgusting.

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California

California wildfires live updates: Firefighters battle to contain blazes while thousands wait to return home

Published

33 minutes ago

January 17, 2025

Press Room

California wildfires live updates: Firefighters battle to contain blazes while thousands wait to return home

As winds die down in Southern California, firefighters have been able to get some of the most devastating wildfires under control. But as residents are allowed to return to the areas, the challenges of recovery are becoming painfully clear. Former FEMA Administrator Craig Fugate joins Stephanie Ruhle to discuss.

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California

Handful of dirt bikes and ATV join pair of riders during LA County pursuit

Published

9 hours ago

January 16, 2025

Press Room

Handful of dirt bikes and ATV join pair of riders during LA County pursuit

CBS News Los Angeles

Live

A handful of dirt bikes and an ATV joined a pair of riders being chased by the California Highway Patrol Thursday afternoon.

The pursuit started in East Los Angeles when officers spotted two dirt bikers riding along the roads. It continued through a handful of freeways as officers on the ground dropped back to allow a police helicopter to track them.

The original riders continued to weave through traffic until more dirt bikers and a few ATVs joined them on their drive around LA County.

Matthew Rodriguez

Matthew Rodriguez is a digital producer for CBS Los Angeles. He’s previously reported for local outlets like the Argonaut and Pasadena Weekly. Matt typically covers breaking news and crime.

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California

Endangered plant may have made California wildfires worse

Published

16 hours ago

January 16, 2025

Press Room

Endangered plant may have made California wildfires worse

A move to protect a federally endangered plant by halting the state construction of new utility lines is being highlighted in a newspaper report as a potential factor in California’s Palisades fire.

Downed utility lines in the area are being investigated for fuelling, and potentially even causing, the immense Palisades fire, says The New York Times.

However, the California Coastal Commission, who intervened in the utility line construction, have said that they did give out new permits for the utility pole project and “are very supportive of wildfire resiliency work.”

Why It Matters

The cause of the Pacific Palisades fire is under investigation by the Bureau for Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), and if government negligence was found to play a part, it would further fuel existing frustration with Mayor Bass, and Governor Newsom expressed by some California residents.

LA is also facing a climate-change-shaped future of increased droughts which will further impact the scope of wildfires, and needs to figure out how to balance everyday conservation with fire protection for the entire region.

Left: Braunton’s milkvetch, Astragalus brauntonii. Right: Utility pole in Altadena. Protection over the milkvetch plant suspended the building of new utility poles in the Palisades.

Left: Michael Charters, Right: Carolyn Kaster/Left: US Forest Service, Right: Associated Press

What To Know

In 2020, the California Coastal Commission fined the Los Angeles Department of Public Works (LADWP) $1.9 million over their utility pole project in the Pacific Palisades, as the project had bulldozed almost 200 federally protected Braunton’s milkvetch (Astragalus brauntonii) plants.

According to the Sierra Club, there are only 3,000 of these “purple-petalled perennial wildflower” plants left in the mountains, and they are listed under the Endangered Species Act.

The utility pole project policed by the Coastal Commission in 2020 was a public works project designed to install stronger, metal, utility poles in the Palisades, as some of the utility poles in the area were built almost 100 years ago. Downed utility lines have caused blazes in the past, and reporters from The New York Times have now found bits of power line debris in the Palisade hills.

The Coastal Commission told the LADWP in 2020 that they needed to seek a permit from the Coastal Commission to restart the development, as well as undo their roadwork and revegetate the area. While the LADWP paid the fine, it does not appear they ever restarted the utility poles project.

The LADWP has been contacted via phone call and voicemail for comment.

Sarah Christie, a spokesperson for the Coastal Commission, spoke to Newsweek about this incident saying: “In 2019, a hiker reported unpermitted bulldozing through an area of endangered plants and hiking trails in Topanga State Park.

“In addition to damaging native plants and public trails, this type of grading also can also encourage highly flammable, non-native grasses to flourish. But the damage was repaired the following year, and the Commission approved a permit for the Utility to move forward with their work to replace the poles.

“We are very supportive of wildfire resiliency work and will continue to promote efforts to harden homes and public infrastructure and create defensible space.”

What People Are Saying

Eric Edmunds, Chair of the Santa Monica Mountains Task Force in a 2020 letter: “Our task force has been involved with far too many cases of utility companies not using good judgment and failing to comply with the laws, policies, and ordinances that are in place to protect and preserve our finite natural resources.”

The LADWP in 2020: “[This project is] essential in regards to our wildfire mitigation plan.”

What Happens Next

The cause of the Palisades fire is still under investigation by the ATF, who have said it will take time to figure out the root cause of the blaze.

In the meantime, Angelenos are still combating active blazes, with the Eaton fire now at 55 percent containment, and the Palisades fire at 22 percent containment.

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