California
California nurse Brianna Solari says she was kicked off Southwest flight over her medical condition
A humiliated California nurse claimed she was kicked off a Southwest Airlines flight and was discriminated against because of her skin condition as she tried to get home following surgery.
Brianna Solari was confronted by an airline crewmember on Thursday when she was flying out of Hollywood Burbank Airport after she had undergone a procedure to reduce the tumors on her body from her neurofibromatosis (NF), according to KCRA.
Neurofibromatosis is a genetic disorder that causes non-cancerous tumors to grow in the nervous system and skin across the body.
“I lack an enzyme, which is neurofibromin, which is a tumor suppressor,” Solari told the outlet. “So tumors grow along nerves and can be tiny, little pinpoint tumors, or they can be enormous. Some of them can be very disfiguring.”
Solari, a nurse from Roseville, CA, flew down to Los Angeles for the operation on Wednesday and planned to remain in the city until the next day when she would head back to Sacramento at 12:10 p.m.
Her plans changed when she boarded Southwest Flight 3471 and a crewmember allegedly asked her to step off the plane.
“I exited the airplane, and they said there had been some concerns,” Solari told the outlet.
“‘Do you have any, you know, medical conditions, or diseases?’ And I said, no, I had surgery,” she explained. “That’s none of their business what’s going on. But I said, no, I had surgery. And they said, ‘OK.’”
Solari alleges the man got out his phone and called somebody, later revealed to be a doctor contracted with the airline.
The nurse had requested to speak to the doctor about her condition, but the employees had prevented her.
“I said, let me speak to the doctor. I wasn’t examined by this physician,” Solari said.
During the entire fiasco, Solari says she experienced a range of emotions all because of the way she looked.
“Humiliated, embarrassed, ashamed? It’s already hard enough. It’s already difficult enough with this condition because I did have some visible tumors on my face and my arms, and people would comment,” she added.
After missing her original flight, Solari had to obtain a letter from her surgeon clearing her to fly, which she showed to employees at the airport.
She was placed on a new flight back to Sacramento, but it didn’t change Solari’s feelings toward the airline.
“I don’t think I’ll ever fly them again. I think this could have been handled much more professionally,” She said. “They should have waited until they had all of the information before making a decision that ultimately impacted my day, my flight, my traveling, and my overall perspective on Southwest has changed.”
“We are disheartened to learn of the Customer’s experience flying with us and extend our deepest apologies for the inconvenience,” a Southwest spokesperson told The Post.
“Even though our team ultimately received clearance for the customer to travel, we weren’t able to do so in time for the flight’s departure. We rebooked her on a later flight, offered a travel voucher for a future flight along with a meal voucher, and we’re following up with her directly to discuss the situation.
Solari says she was given a $500 flight voucher and a $45 meal voucher from the airline but is still threatening legal action, KCRA reported.
“This is absolutely discrimination! Violating my medical privacy. They don’t have to know I just said I had surgery, and that should be it. They shouldn’t be prying into my private medical information,” Solari said.
California
California high surf and flood warnings continue after pier collapse
What’s New
California’s coastal residents are facing dangerous conditions this Christmas Eve as high surf and flood warnings continue after heavy waves caused a pier to collapse on Monday.
Why It Matters
Portions of the Pacific coast are currently under hazardous seas warnings, high surf warnings and coastal flood warnings as it is shaping up to deliver some of the most severe surf conditions of the winter season, according to the National Weather Service (NWS) office in Portland.
The NWS issued a high surf warning, with waves reaching up to 35 feet, which can pose significant risks to both property and lives.
“Large waves can sweep across the beach without warning, pulling people into the sea from rocks, jetties, and beaches,” the agency warned in a Christmas Eve bulletin.
The alert remains in effect until Tuesday evening, prompting evacuations and heightened vigilance in several coastal communities.
What To Know
The NWS warnings come after a municipal wharf in Santa Cruz that was under renovation succumbed to a storm’s force. Around 150 feet of the structure collapsed into the Pacific, pulling three engineers inspecting the site into the water. All three individuals survived with two rescued by lifeguards and one swimming to safety.
Santa Cruz Mayor Fred Keeley said that section of the pier had been damaged over time, and the structure was in the middle of a $4 million renovation following destructive storms last winter.
Tony Elliot, Santa Cruz Parks & Recreation Department head, confirmed that the severed portion of the wharf, which included restrooms and a closed restaurant, drifted nearly half a mile before settling in the San Lorenzo River.
In response, coastal towns including Santa Cruz have evacuated vulnerable homes and hotels as the state braces for more damage.
What People Are Saying
Keeley said Monday: “We are anticipating that what is coming toward us is more serious than what was there this morning.”
The National Weather Service’s Bay Area office said in a post on X (formerly Twitter): “You are risking your life, and those of the people that would need to try and save you by getting in or too close to the water.”
The NWS office in Portland, Oregon, said in a post on X:“It will likely go down as some of the highest surf this winter.”
California Governor Gavin Newsom’s press office posted to X on Monday afternoon, saying that he is aware of the situation with the pier.
“@CAGovernorNewsom has been briefed on a previously damaged section of the Santa Cruz pier that broke off due to heavy surf. @Cal_OES is coordinating with local officials and is ready to provide support,” Newsom’s press office wrote. “Residents and visitors should avoid the area and follow local guidance.”
What Happens Next
As California residents grapple with these dangerous conditions, meteorologists warn that the storm’s high surf may be the most intense of the season.
With more severe weather expected, officials are urging the public to heed warnings and avoid risky coastal areas.
This article includes reporting from The Associated Press.
California
Video shows moments shoplifting suspects discuss new California laws in back of Seal Beach patrol car
A recently viral video shows the moments that two shoplifters discuss Proposition 36, one of the new laws in effect in California that now makes stealing a felony, while sitting in the back of a police car.
The video, which was shared on Sunday by the Seal Beach Police Department, follows along with a trio of shoplifting suspects as they hit multiple stores back on Dec. 4, making off which more than $1,600 in stolen merchandise.
The suspects first enter an Ulta Beauty store at around 7:12 p.m., where police say they took off with almost $650 worth of stolen merchandise. Less than an hour later, they enter a Kohl’s store, where they reportedly stole more than $1,180 worth of items. They can then be seen as they leave the store, walking through the parking lot with stolen items in tow.
Suddenly, the video cuts to body camera footage of police chasing the suspects through a parking lot before they’re arrested, according to a statement released on Monday.
The suspects have been identified as Destiny Bender, 24, and Deanna Hines, 24, of Long Beach and 26-year-old Signal Hill woman Michelle Pitts. All three were booked on charges of grand theft, conspiracy to commit a crime and resisting arrest.
Video shows two of those suspects sitting handcuffed in the back of a patrol car.
“It’s a felony?” one can be heard asking.
“B—h new laws,” the other responds. “Stealing is a felony. And this is Orange County b—h they don’t play.”
Seal Beach police offered an explanation of the new changes in effect across California.
“Proposition 36, which voters approved in November 2024, creates stricter penalties for organized theft and expands law enforcement capabilities to combat repeat offenders,” the Seal Beach police statement says. “Specifically, it permits felony charges for petty theft with prior convictions, allows aggregating the value of stolen goods from multiple thefts to meet the $950 felony threshold, and introduces enhancements for theft crimes involving two or more offenders acting in concert.”
The video was set to the tune of “These Boots Are Made For Walkin’” by Nancy Sinatra, likely alluding to the large furry boots worn by one of the suspects.
Police say that the release of the video is a part of their “Don’t Steal in Seal” campaign, which highlights arrests and looks to educate the public on the consequences of committing crimes in their city.
“The campaign has received widespread praise for this innovative approach and effectiveness in engaging the community,” the department release said.
California
A portion of the Santa Cruz pier in California collapses
Words of caution circulated online after a portion of the Santa Cruz Wharf in California broke off and drifted into the surrounding waters on Dec. 23.
Two people with minor injuries were rescued and transported to a local hospital, and a third made their way to safety on their own after the partial collapse happened at 12:45 p.m. PT, according to Santa Cruz officials. No deaths were reported.
A bystander-captured video and shared on X of a large part of the wharf, which is similar to a pier but often smaller, and its debris drifting in the water on the same day. The video owner is credited as Harrison Patiño. A second video, viewed by TODAY.com, shows a small, house-like wooden structure floating in the ocean following the partial collapse.
The 2,745-foot-long wharf has long been a local landmark and tourist attraction and was constructed in 1914, according to the City of Santa Cruz website. It is the sixth wharf to have existed at the site just off of Beach Street.
On X, the press office for Gavin Newsom, the governor of California, cautioned residents and visitors to avoid the area and follow local guidance.
“Newsom has been briefed on a previously damaged section of the Santa Cruz pier that broke off due to heavy surf,” the post reads in part. “(California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services) is coordinating with local officials and is ready to provide support.”
In a press conference later in the day, Santa Cruz officials confirmed that authorities had braced for potential damage to the wharf ahead of time due to strong storms and swell.
“We also would tell people that we want them to stay away,” Rob Oatey of the Santa Cruz Fire Department said. “We pointed out before, the ocean right now is extremely dangerous, so we’re telling all people to stay away, to observe from a safe distance. It’s the holidays, and we have people visiting from out of the area. Observe from a very safe distance. And if they can observe online.”
The official cautioned that debris from the wharf will continue to spread in the ocean and that storms would continue to affect the area for the next four or five days.
The Santa Cruz Wharf has now been closed to the public.
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