Stratolaunch jet, brainchild of late Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen, may be used to launch small satellites into space
A giant six-engine aircraft with the world’s longest wingspan – surpassing Howard Hughes’ infamous Spruce Goose – took off from California on its first flight on Saturday.
The behemoth, twin-fuselage Stratolaunch jet lifted off from Mojave Air and Space Port and climbed into the desert sky 70 miles north of Los Angeles. It landed two hours later.
Continue reading...The actor and 12 other parents will plead guilty after being accused of paying to rig children’s test scores and bribe coaches
Felicity Huffman has agreed to plead guilty in the college admissions cheating scandal, the biggest celebrity name so far to admit to her involvement in the scheme. Court documents made public on Monday show that 12 other prominent parents, in addition to Huffman, will also plead guilty in the case.
The actor was accused of paying $15,000 to have a proctor boost her older daughter’s SAT score in order to ease her way into college.
Continue reading...R&B star was due to do two Saturday performances at the Californian music festival
Solange has cancelled her Coachella performance a week out from the Californian festival due to “major production delays”, organisers say.
The R&B star was slated for two Saturday performances at the festival – on 13 and 20 April – but on Sunday night it was confirmed both would be cancelled.
Continue reading...Donald Trump has once again claimed there was a state of emergency while on a visit to the US-Mexico border in California, saying the US immigration system is 'full' and 'when it's full, there's nothing you can do about it'. The US president travelled to Calexico on Friday to view a section of the border barrier, which he described as new, even though it was a long-planned replacement for an older barrier
Continue reading...More than 900 employees sign letter criticizing abrupt firing of contractors, who make up 54% of Google’s workforce
More than 900 Google workers have signed a letter objecting to the tech giant’s treatment of temporary contractors, in what organizers are calling a “historical coalition” between Google’s full-time employees (FTEs) and temps, vendors and contractors (TVCs).
In March, Google abruptly shortened the contracts of 34 temp workers on the “personality” team for Google Assistant – the Alexa-like digital assistant that reads you the weather, manages your calendar, sends a text message, or calls you an Uber through your phone or smart speaker.
Continue reading...A large crowd of fans gathers to pay tribute to the rapper Nipsey Hussle after he was shot dead outside his Los Angeles clothing store on Sunday. The 33-year-old earned a Grammy nomination this year for his major-label debut and was a respected figure in south LA, where he grew up
Continue reading...Footage is consistent with claims of McCoy’s family, who said officers did not try to wake him or talk to him before shooting
Vallejo police have released footage of the killing of Willie McCoy at a Taco Bell, showing six officers shooting the 20-year-old who was sleeping in his car.
The disturbing body-camera videos show the young rapper had moved his hand to scratch his shoulder before officers opened fire. The footage is consistent with key claims of McCoy’s family, who watched footage earlier this month and said the officers “executed” him while he was not alert or awake. The videos, released after significant pressure, show:
Continue reading...Warm temperatures and stead rains have led to an explosion of colour in the Anza-Borrego desert
Continue reading...The fourth annual Bombay Beach Biennale took place last weekend on the shores of the Salton Sea in California. Artists and performers donated their time and talent to this volunteer-led event that transformed the town into a fully immersive artistic experience for 72 hours.
Continue reading...For decades, enthusiasts have hoped truffles can follow wine’s path to success in the state. Charlotte Simmonds joins a search for the delicacy
Staci O’Toole is lying face down in the dirt. “I can smell it!” she cries, nose to the roots of a hazelnut tree.
A funky, fungal odor emanates from a shallow hole in the ground of this Sonoma Valley orchard. It hints at a hidden treasure many years in the making: a French Périgord truffle, grown right here in California.
Continue reading...Weekend of rallies highlight how state’s diverse electorate and new early spot on primary calendar make it a prize for Democratic candidates
Bernie Sanders brought his anti-establishment message and calls for progressive reform to California, no longer as a long-shot presidential candidate but as a frontrunner with a good chance to win it all.
On Friday evening, Sanders kicked off a rally in sunny San Diego by thanking the thousands of supporters who had gathered, alongside a handful of right-wing protesters, for joining his “political revolution”.
Continue reading...Devin Nunes’ Cow has a herd of 498,000 followers on Wednesday night, surpassing the California congressman’s 396,000
A parody Twitter account that mocks Devin Nunes now has more followers than the California congressman does – all because of media attention brought by a defamation lawsuit Nunes brought against Twitter and users who make fun of him on the platform.
Devin Nunes’ Cow had more than 498,000 followers on Wednesday evening. Nunes’ own Twitter account had 396,000.Another account cited in the suit, “Devin Nunes’ mom” has since been suspended.
Continue reading...The quirky home features dinosaurs and a sign proclaiming ‘Yabba-dabba-doo’, but neighbors aren’t amused
California architecture has captured the world’s imagination with its classic midcentury bungalows and beach houses. But one architectural landmark in the state has gone a distinctively different route, and it’s not to the town’s liking.
The “Flintstones” home in northern California appears to take its architectural cues from the town of Bedrock. The experimental house was built in the 1970s using a technique that involved spraying concrete to create curved walls. The result is a building where Fred and Wilma would feel at home, and it has become a landmark for drivers passing on I-280.
Continue reading...Gavin Newsom’s executive order means 737 death row inmates will not be executed during his tenure
California’s governor is set to issue a moratorium on capital punishment in the US’s most populous state, providing a reprieve for hundreds of inmates sentenced to death.
On Wednesday morning, Gavin Newsom is expected to sign a new executive order that will put in place an executive moratorium on the death penalty, meaning 737 inmates awaiting execution in California will not be put to death during the governor’s tenure.
Continue reading...Felicity Huffman and Lori Loughlin were among 50 charged in scheme to get children into universities via bribery and cheating
There are 50 people charged in the case, including actors Felicity Huffman, known for her role on the TV show Desperate Housewives and the feature film Transamerica, and Lori Loughlin, a cast member on the TV series Full House. Defendants in the case include parents and college athletics coaches.
Continue reading...Scheme helped wealthy Americans buy their children’s way into elite universities including Yale, Georgetown and Stanford
US federal prosecutors have charged the Hollywood actors Felicity Huffman and Lori Loughlin, along with almost 50 other people, over a $25m scheme to help wealthy Americans buy their children’s way into elite universities including Yale, Georgetown, Stanford and the University of Southern California.
Huffman appeared in court in Los Angeles on Tuesday afternoon, where a magistrate judge said she could be released on a $250,000 bond. The judge ordered the Desperate Housewives star to restrict her travel to the continental United States. Huffman’s husband, the actor William H Macy, attended his wife’s initial court appearance. He has not been charged and authorities have not said why.
Continue reading...Ernest Quintana’s family knew he was dying of chronic lung disease when he was taken by ambulance to a hospital, unable to breathe. But they were devastated when a robot machine rolled into his room in the intensive care unit that night and a doctor told the 78-year-old patient by video call he would likely die within days.
“If you’re coming to tell us normal news, that’s fine, but if you’re coming to tell us there’s no lung left and we want to put you on a morphine drip until you die, it should be done by a human being and not a machine,” his daughter Catherine Quintana said.
Continue reading...Leia and Caroline Carrico found ‘safe and sound’ by fire captain and firefighter who followed tracks from pink rubber boots
Armed with some outdoor survival training, granola bars and pink rubber boots, two sisters aged five and eight survived 44 hours in rugged northern California wilderness before they were found dehydrated and cold but in good spirits on Sunday, authorities said.
A fire chief and firefighter from a local volunteer department found Leia and Caroline Carrico in a wooded area about a mile and a half from their home in the small community of Benbow, where they had last been seen on Friday afternoon, Humboldt county sheriff William Honsal said.
Continue reading...The city’s 3,000 teachers walked off the job to demand higher pay, smaller classes and more school resources
Striking teachers in Oakland, California, reached a contract agreement Friday with district officials to end a week-long walkout.
The Oakland Education Association, which represents the city’s 3,000 teachers, said that union leaders reached a four-year agreement that calls for teachers to receive an 11% salary increase and one-time 3% bonus. The deal also requires the district to reduce class sizes and hire more student support staff, including special education teachers and counselors, the union said in a statement.
Continue reading...On 9 February, the 20-year-old Willie McCoy was shot and killed by police officers in California. He was shot an estimated 25 times in less than four seconds. At the time he had been asleep in his car at a Taco Bell. Willie was an up-and-coming rapper who went by the name of Willie Bo, in a group called FBG
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