Get ready: The Great California Shakeout is coming Thursday.
California
California’s annual earthquake drill happens Thursday. Here are details

Ed Lee, left, the late San Francisco mayor, and others participate in the Great California Shakeout annual earthquake drill as they “drop, cover and hold on” at an elementary school in the city in October 2011.
The event is an annual earthquake drill, aimed at increasing public awareness about what to do during major shaking. Millions of people around the world have signed up for the drills, which are scheduled for 10:16 a.m. local time.
“The best protective action you can take during an earthquake is to drop down, get under your desk, cover your head and hold on to something that’s sturdy, like the leg of a table,” said state geologist Jeremy Lancaster, with the California Geological Survey, during a presentation Monday.
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The Great ShakeOut website also provides additional preparation tips, like securing items that might fall during earthquakes, creating family disaster plans and restocking emergency supply kits.
The drill occurs a day before the 36th anniversary of the devastating 6.9-magnitude Loma Prieta earthquake, which was centered near Santa Cruz and caused widespread damage, including to the Bay Bridge and the Marina district.
What’s happening Thursday?
At 10:16 a.m., the MyShake app will buzz for millions of Californians. The alert will display an infographic instructing users to drop, cover and hold on. It also includes an audio message, indicating that it is an earthquake drill.
The U.S. Geological Survey’s ShakeAlert system, which underlies the MyShake app, provides warning in advance of earthquake shaking by detecting seismic waves. People near the epicenter may receive little or no advance warning, however.
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What if I don’t get the test alert?
Users should make sure they have the latest version of the MyShake app installed, and also have location services and notifications enabled.
While MyShake encourages users to practice the drill, those who don’t want to receive the message can temporarily turn off app notifications.
Who’s participating?
More than 53.2 million people worldwide have signed up for the event, according to the ShakeOut website on Tuesday. There are over 10 million participants registered across California. About 1.5 million people have signed up in the Bay Area.
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BART is planning to trigger its ShakeAlert early warning earthquake system at 10:16 a.m., which will cause trains to automatically slow down to 27 mph and come to a brief stop.
BART will also make a systemwide public announcement encouraging riders to be prepared for earthquakes. The transit agency is also testing internal communications systems and simulating damage inspections.
What else is going on this week on the earthquake front?
This week, the California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services is hosting a statewide tour with an earthquake simulation trailer and providing quake preparedness information. This simulator is akin to the California Academy of Science’s Shake House.
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California
More SoCal rallies for and against military action in Iran expected on Sunday and Monday
LOS ANGELES (KABC) — Worshippers across Los Angeles were met with an increased law enforcement presence on Sunday as police and sheriff’s deputies stepped up patrols outside mosques, synagogues and cultural landmarks following the strikes on Iran.
Local officials said there are no credible threats to Southern California, but the Los Angeles Police Department and the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department heightened visibility as a precaution to ensure communities stay safe.
More demonstrations tied to the attack on Iran are expected Sunday and Monday. Several protests were held across Southern California on Saturday.
READ MORE | Rallies for and against military action in Iran draw demonstrators across Southern California
While Iranian-Americans celebrated in Westwood, protesters gathered in downtown Los Angeles to oppose the Trump administration’s attacks against Iran.
While some groups gathered in downtown Los Angeles to protest the strikes, others assembled in Westwood to celebrate “the fall of the Ayotollah,” according to organizers.
Authorities said they will continue monitoring events as the region prepares for additional gatherings in the days ahead.
This is a developing story. This article will continue to be updated as more information becomes available.
Copyright © 2026 KABC Television, LLC. All rights reserved.
California
San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan officially announce run for California governor
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California
Six planets to align in “planetary parade” above California. Here’s how to see it.
A rare celestial event will be taking place in the sky above California on Saturday night, as six planets are expected to be visible in what is being called a “planetary parade.”
Look towards the western horizon 30-60 minutes after sunset. Mercury, Venus, Jupiter, and Saturn will all be lined up along an arc, visible to the naked eye creating a literal parade of planets.
The alignment only occurs every few years, with the next one not until 2028.
Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn are frequently seen in the night sky, but the addition of Venus and Mercury make this planet lineup particularly noteworthy.
In the San Francisco Bay Area, there will be some cloud coverage Saturday evening, but it should be in the high levels of the atmosphere so hopefully the horizon remains clear. In Los Angeles and San Diego, the forecast is expected to be clear.
Meanwhile, the planetary parade may not be visible in the northern part of the state, with cloudy conditions expected Saturday night in Sacramento, and possible showers and thunderstorms in Eureka and Redding.
People with telescopes and binoculars will also be able to see Uranus and Neptune as well.
For amateur astronomers, this also would be a fun time to test out your telescope skills by checking out Jupiter’s many moons or Saturn’s rings.
Please note that if your view is obscured by buildings, trees or hills, you won’t see the parade because it will appear very low on the horizon.
The nontechnical term is Parade of Planets, but the technical term is planetary alignment. Basically, it’s just the name for what happens when the planets and sun line up in the sky, these happen during events called oppositions and conjunctions.
Opposition is the term for when a planet is directly opposite the Earth from the Sun. Meanwhile, conjunction is when they are aligned with each other and is when we get the best views of the planets.
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