A gunman opened fire at the annual Gilroy Garlic Festival in California in the United States with several&nbsp;fatalities reported during the shooting.

The shooter opened fire at the food festival which was underway in California.&nbsp;Founded in 1979, the Gilroy Garlic Festival features food, drink, live entertainment and cooking competitions. It says it is hosted by volunteers and describes itself as the world’s greatest summer food festival.

It was being held at the outdoor Christmas Hill Park, where weapons of any kind are prohibited, according to the event’s website.

To provide a safe, family-friendly atmosphere, it said, entry was refused to anyone wearing clothing or paraphernalia indicating membership in a gang, including a motorcycle club.

NBC Bay Area said ambulance crews were told 11 people were “down” after shots rang out on the last day of the Gilroy Garlic Festival, an annual three-day event south of San Jose.

Videos posted on social media appeared to show festival attendees scattering in confusion as at least one loud popping sound could be heard in the background.

“What’s going on?” a woman can be heard asking on one video. “Who’d shoot up a garlic festival?”

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
BREAKING: ATF's San Francisco Field Division is responding to the scene of a reported shooting at the Gilroy Garlic Festival in Gilroy, California. <a href="https://t.co/fyMR5ZP9r7">pic.twitter.com/fyMR5ZP9r7</a>
— ATF San Francisco (@ATFSanFrancisco) <a href="https://twitter.com/ATFSanFrancisco/status/1155664680431624192?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 29, 2019</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

US authorities reacted with San Franciso agents tweeting that they were responding to the shooting at the festival in Gilroy. The motive of the attack is still unknown with the identity of the attacker still unknown.

(Inputs: Reuters)

A gunman opened fire at the annual Gilroy Garlic Festival in California in the United States with several fatalities reported during the shooting. The shooter opened fire at the food festival which was underway in California.

A gunman opened fire at the annual Gilroy Garlic Festival in California in the United States with several fatalities reported during the shooting. The shooter opened fire at the food festival which was underway in California. Founded in 1979, the Gilroy Garlic Festival features food, drink, live entertainment and cooking competitions. It says it is hosted by volunteers and describes itself as the world’s greatest summer food festival. It was being held at the outdoor Christmas Hill Park, where weapons of any kind are prohibited, according to the event’s website. To provide a safe, family-friendly atmosphere, it said, entry was refused to anyone wearing clothing or paraphernalia indicating membership in a gang, including a motorcycle club. NBC Bay Area said ambulance crews were told 11 people were “down” after shots rang out on the last day of the Gilroy Garlic Festival, an annual three-day event south of San Jose. Videos posted on social media appeared to show festival attendees scattering in confusion as at least one loud popping sound could be heard in the background. “What’s going on?” a woman can be heard asking on one video. “Who’d shoot up a garlic festival?” BREAKING: ATF's San Francisco Field Division is responding to the scene of a reported shooting at the Gilroy Garlic Festival in Gilroy, California. pic.twitter.com/fyMR5ZP9r7 — ATF San Francisco (@ATFSanFrancisco) July 29, 2019 × US authorities reacted with San Franciso agents tweeting that they were responding to the shooting at the festival in Gilroy. The motive of the attack is still unknown with the identity of the attacker still unknown. (Inputs: Reuters)

Gunman opens fire in California food festival; several injured

After San Jose mass shooting left at least 4 dead, the focus is back on gun culture in the United States. Here is a look at some shocking facts and figures.

US holds world record for 310 million guns

The Supreme Court on Friday handed President Trump a major victory by clearing the way for him to divert $2.5 billion from the military’s budget and use it to build an extra 100 miles of border wall in California, Arizona, and New Mexico. The justices, by a vote of 5 to 4, lifted orders by a federal judge in Oakland and the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco that had barred the administration from using the Pentagon’s money to build a border wall. Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. and the court’s four other conservatives joined in ruling for the Trump administration. They questioned whether the Sierra Club and other plaintiffs had standing to challenge the government’s spending policy.

U.S top court rules in Trump's favour in border wall funding dispute

An animal rescue group is asking for help caring for nearly 100 baby snowy egrets and black-crowned night herons left homeless last week after a tree fell in downtown Oakland.

Nearly 100 baby birds rescued from fallen CA tree

<a href="https://www.google.com/url?client=internal-uds-cse&amp;cx=006054055338965708568:09spwrlibei&amp;q=https://www.wionews.com/videos/aftershocks-hit-california-town-near-quake-epicenter-233762&amp;sa=U&amp;ved=2ahUKEwjj5KXbzK7jAhUGpI8KHQTDBLwQFjAIegQIBBAC&amp;usg=AOvVaw08a9k3uFTg11-6XgvNDdzU">California</a> lawmakers approved legislation on Thursday to create a $21 billion fund to help utilities in the state pay for claims arising from future wildfires sparked by their equipment, tackling a top issue for the state.

The approval came after power provider PG&amp;E Corp filed for bankruptcy in anticipation of more than $30 billion in wildfire liabilities.

The legislation now goes to Governor Gavin Newsom. The governor in June proposed California set up such a fund after S&amp;P Global Ratings warned it could lower its ratings on the state's two other major investor-owned power providers, Edison International's Southern California Edison and Sempra Energy's San Diego Gas &amp; Electric, to below investment-grade on or about July 12.

S&amp;P called for California's leaders to take "concrete actions" to reduce credit risks posed by wildfires to the state's utilities, which are under intense scrutiny after two years of brutal wildfires blamed on <a href="https://www.google.com/url?client=internal-uds-cse&amp;cx=006054055338965708568:09spwrlibei&amp;q=https://www.wionews.com/world/two-shot-two-others-hurt-in-san-francisco-area-shopping-mall-232599&amp;sa=U&amp;ved=2ahUKEwj-o5eYzq7jAhWJLI8KHYHZA_gQFjAEegQICBAC&amp;usg=AOvVaw1p1VVoYBAmKcpTK8bsXE4_">San Francisco</a>-based PG&amp;E's equipment.

Newsom in a statement cheered the bill approved by lawmakers, calling it a "decisive action."

"Strengthening our state's wildfire prevention, preparedness and mitigation efforts will continue to be a top priority for my administration and our work with the legislature," the Democratic governor added.

State Senator Bill Dodd, a Democrat who co-authored the legislation, said he expects Newsom will approve the bill soon.

"All that's left is the governor's signature," Dodd said.

The legislation allows California investor-owned utilities access to the fund if they agree to put a combined $5 billion toward improvements in their electrical grids, Dodd said.

The utilities and their ratepayers would evenly split the cost of supporting the fund. Payments from ratepayers will come from a 15-year extension of an existing rate increase and PG&amp;E would make the lion's share of payments into the fund among the power providers after emerging from bankruptcy, Dodd said.

"For PG&amp;E to access this fund, they have to exit bankruptcy within a year," Dodd said.

PG&amp;E will also have to compensate victims of wildfires in 2017 and 2018 caused by its equipment, Dodd said.

PG&amp;E filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in January to reorganize its finances to help pay expected claims from the 2017 and 2018 blazes, including November's Camp <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/huge-fire-erupts-at-power-station-outside-moscow-235028">Fire</a>. That blaze killed more than 80 people and levelled the town of Paradise in the deadliest and most destructive wildfire of California's modern history.

California is now bracing for fire season, with PG&amp;E working on a plan to remove 375,000 trees around its power lines in areas at high risk of wildfires this year.

PG&amp;E also aims to speed up equipment repairs and safety inspections and shut power lines if high temperatures and winds contribute to risks of wildfires.

&nbsp;

California lawmakers approved legislation on Thursday to create a $21 billion fund to help utilities in the state pay for claims arising from future wildfires sparked by their equipment, tackling a top issue for the state.

California lawmakers approved legislation on Thursday to create a $21 billion fund to help utilities in the state pay for claims arising from future wildfires sparked by their equipment, tackling a top issue for the state. The approval came after power provider PG&E Corp filed for bankruptcy in anticipation of more than $30 billion in wildfire liabilities. The legislation now goes to Governor Gavin Newsom. The governor in June proposed California set up such a fund after S&P Global Ratings warned it could lower its ratings on the state's two other major investor-owned power providers, Edison International's Southern California Edison and Sempra Energy's San Diego Gas & Electric, to below investment-grade on or about July 12. S&P called for California's leaders to take "concrete actions" to reduce credit risks posed by wildfires to the state's utilities, which are under intense scrutiny after two years of brutal wildfires blamed on San Francisco-based PG&E's equipment. Newsom in a statement cheered the bill approved by lawmakers, calling it a "decisive action." "Strengthening our state's wildfire prevention, preparedness and mitigation efforts will continue to be a top priority for my administration and our work with the legislature," the Democratic governor added. State Senator Bill Dodd, a Democrat who co-authored the legislation, said he expects Newsom will approve the bill soon. "All that's left is the governor's signature," Dodd said. The legislation allows California investor-owned utilities access to the fund if they agree to put a combined $5 billion toward improvements in their electrical grids, Dodd said. The utilities and their ratepayers would evenly split the cost of supporting the fund. Payments from ratepayers will come from a 15-year extension of an existing rate increase and PG&E would make the lion's share of payments into the fund among the power providers after emerging from bankruptcy, Dodd said. "For PG&E to access this fund, they have to exit bankruptcy within a year," Dodd said. PG&E will also have to compensate victims of wildfires in 2017 and 2018 caused by its equipment, Dodd said. PG&E filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in January to reorganize its finances to help pay expected claims from the 2017 and 2018 blazes, including November's Camp Fire. That blaze killed more than 80 people and levelled the town of Paradise in the deadliest and most destructive wildfire of California's modern history. California is now bracing for fire season, with PG&E working on a plan to remove 375,000 trees around its power lines in areas at high risk of wildfires this year. PG&E also aims to speed up equipment repairs and safety inspections and shut power lines if high temperatures and winds contribute to risks of wildfires.

California lawmakers approve legislation for $21 billion wildfire fund

India imposes tariffs on Almonds , 27 other U.S Products. California has more than 7,000 almond farmers. Farm products redirected to India due to China tariffs. California's almonds export to India valued at 650 USD. Watch this video to know more.

Trade war put almonds' farmers of U.S at risk

Manuel Hernandez isn't taking any chances. After a powerful magnitude 7.1 earthquake rocked the tiny desert town of Trona where he lives with his wife and two small children, bringing his fireplace crashing down onto the living room carpet, he's leaving his damaged home and heading to a nearby Red Cross Center.

Aftershocks hit California town near quake epicenter

Emergency officials in Southern California's high desert braced for strong, potentially dangerous aftershocks from a major earthquake that damaged buildings, ruptured gas lines and sparked numerous fires near the quake's remote epicentre.

The powerful magnitude<a href="https://www.google.com/url?client=internal-uds-cse&amp;cx=006054055338965708568:09spwrlibei&amp;q=https://www.wionews.com/world/southern-california-hit-by-powerful-71-magnitude-earthquake-233468&amp;sa=U&amp;ved=2ahUKEwiPz7PRqKDjAhXz63MBHbRMCwQQFjAAegQIBRAC&amp;usg=AOvVaw0hOcDom0nBm07h94OFpz-P"> 7.1 tremor</a> rocked the Mojave Desert town of Ridgecrest near Death Valley National Park as darkness fell on Friday night, jolting the area with eight times more force than a 6.4 quake that had struck the same area 34 hours earlier.

California Governor Gavin Newsom requested federal assistance and placed the state Office of Emergency Services (OES) on its highest alert.

"We have significant reports of fires, structural fires, mostly as a result of gas leaks or gas line breaks," OES Director Mark Ghilarducci told a late-night news conference on Friday.

The quake also caused water main breaks and knocked out power and communications to parts of Ridgecrest, a city of about 27,000 that lies about 125 miles (202 km) northeast of Los Angeles.

No fatalities or serious injuries were reported from either quake, police said. But Ghilarducci said the full extent of damage would not be known before daybreak on Saturday.

"This was a very large earthquake, and we also know there's going to be a series of aftershocks as a result of the main quake," Ghilarducci said, adding his agency faced a "challenge" getting needed resources to the isolated quake zone. "This is not going to be something that's going to be over right away."

WIDELY FELT, MORE TO COME

Friday's earthquake was widely felt across Southern California, including greater Los Angeles, were shaking in some areas lasted about 40 seconds. Low-level rumbling extended as far north as the San Francisco Bay area and beyond to Reno, Nevada, and as far east as Phoenix, Arizona.

Seismologists said the <a href="https://www.google.com/url?client=internal-uds-cse&amp;cx=006054055338965708568:09spwrlibei&amp;q=https://www.wionews.com/world/southern-california-rocked-by-powerful-64-magnitude-earthquake-in-two-decades-233096&amp;sa=U&amp;ved=2ahUKEwiPz7PRqKDjAhXz63MBHbRMCwQQFjABegQIDxAC&amp;usg=AOvVaw2gBGSgwvHYPMRbETMG3vvM">initial quake on Thursday</a>, and dozens of smaller ones that followed it proved to be foreshocks to Friday's much larger temblor, which now ranks as Southern California's most powerful since a 7.1 quake that struck near a US&nbsp;Marine Corps base in the Mojave Desert in 1999.

The US&nbsp;Geological Survey said Friday's big quake was immediately followed by at least 16 aftershocks of magnitude 4 or greater and warned of a 50 per cent chance of another magnitude 6 quake in the days ahead.

South of Ridgecrest, there were reports of a building collapse and gas leaks in the small town of Trona, home to about 2,000 residents, Ghilarducci said.

A rockslide closed State Road 178 in Kern County, and video footage posted on Twitter showed a stretch of road had buckled.

Luke Smith, owner of Furys Sports Bar in Ridgecrest, said in a phone interview that Friday's quake shook tiles loose from the ceiling, slightly damaging his bar and knocking down some bottles.

Southern California's Metrolink commuter rail service reported delays on several of its lines for precautionary track inspections due to Friday's earthquake.

The last major destructive quake to hit Southern California was the 6.7 magnitude Northridge quake in 1994, which struck a densely populated area of Los Angeles. It killed 57 people and caused billions of dollars in property damage.

The comparatively limited extent of damage from Friday's quake, packing greater force than the Northridge event, was a function of its location in a remote, less developed area.

It's ground motion, however, startled seismically-jaded Southern Californians over a wide region.

Pools in Los Angeles sloshed wildly, and TV cameras at major league baseball's Dodger Stadium were shaking as they filmed the night game between the Los Angeles Dodgers and San Diego Padres.

A television anchorwoman ducked under her desk in midst of a local newscast as shouts of "get under a desk" were heard in the background.

Emergency officials in Southern California's high desert braced for strong, potentially dangerous aftershocks from a major earthquake that damaged buildings, ruptured gas lines and sparked numerous fires near the quake's remote epicentre.

Emergency officials in Southern California's high desert braced for strong, potentially dangerous aftershocks from a major earthquake that damaged buildings, ruptured gas lines and sparked numerous fires near the quake's remote epicentre. The powerful magnitude 7.1 tremor rocked the Mojave Desert town of Ridgecrest near Death Valley National Park as darkness fell on Friday night, jolting the area with eight times more force than a 6.4 quake that had struck the same area 34 hours earlier. California Governor Gavin Newsom requested federal assistance and placed the state Office of Emergency Services (OES) on its highest alert. "We have significant reports of fires, structural fires, mostly as a result of gas leaks or gas line breaks," OES Director Mark Ghilarducci told a late-night news conference on Friday. The quake also caused water main breaks and knocked out power and communications to parts of Ridgecrest, a city of about 27,000 that lies about 125 miles (202 km) northeast of Los Angeles. No fatalities or serious injuries were reported from either quake, police said. But Ghilarducci said the full extent of damage would not be known before daybreak on Saturday. "This was a very large earthquake, and we also know there's going to be a series of aftershocks as a result of the main quake," Ghilarducci said, adding his agency faced a "challenge" getting needed resources to the isolated quake zone. "This is not going to be something that's going to be over right away." WIDELY FELT, MORE TO COME Friday's earthquake was widely felt across Southern California, including greater Los Angeles, were shaking in some areas lasted about 40 seconds. Low-level rumbling extended as far north as the San Francisco Bay area and beyond to Reno, Nevada, and as far east as Phoenix, Arizona. Seismologists said the initial quake on Thursday, and dozens of smaller ones that followed it proved to be foreshocks to Friday's much larger temblor, which now ranks as Southern California's most powerful since a 7.1 quake that struck near a US Marine Corps base in the Mojave Desert in 1999. The US Geological Survey said Friday's big quake was immediately followed by at least 16 aftershocks of magnitude 4 or greater and warned of a 50 per cent chance of another magnitude 6 quake in the days ahead. South of Ridgecrest, there were reports of a building collapse and gas leaks in the small town of Trona, home to about 2,000 residents, Ghilarducci said. A rockslide closed State Road 178 in Kern County, and video footage posted on Twitter showed a stretch of road had buckled. Luke Smith, owner of Furys Sports Bar in Ridgecrest, said in a phone interview that Friday's quake shook tiles loose from the ceiling, slightly damaging his bar and knocking down some bottles. Southern California's Metrolink commuter rail service reported delays on several of its lines for precautionary track inspections due to Friday's earthquake. The last major destructive quake to hit Southern California was the 6.7 magnitude Northridge quake in 1994, which struck a densely populated area of Los Angeles. It killed 57 people and caused billions of dollars in property damage. The comparatively limited extent of damage from Friday's quake, packing greater force than the Northridge event, was a function of its location in a remote, less developed area. It's ground motion, however, startled seismically-jaded Southern Californians over a wide region. Pools in Los Angeles sloshed wildly, and TV cameras at major league baseball's Dodger Stadium were shaking as they filmed the night game between the Los Angeles Dodgers and San Diego Padres. A television anchorwoman ducked under her desk in midst of a local newscast as shouts of "get under a desk" were heard in the background.

California desert braces for aftershocks from major 7.1 quake

Andy Rubin, the creator of mobile operating system Android, has been accused by his estranged wife of concealing the payments he received from Google which he quit in 2014. In her plea before the a Califonia superior court, Rie Hirabaru Rubin has also alleged Andy of running "what appeared to be a sex ring".

Andy Rubin's exit from Google had shaken the technology world, primarily because of the US $90 million severance package the technology giant paid him. Andy was accused of sexual misconduct while working as senior vice president at Google and the technology giant's decision to pay him the handsome amount was slammed by employees.

The latest case against Andy was first highlighted by Buzzfeed based on the documents made public by the San Mateo superior court.

In the lawsuit, Rie Hirabaru Rubin alleged Andy "concealed his income" from her and kept her "in the dark as to his sources of income, the amount of money the family had, and what it was being spent on".

The lawsuit also accused Andy of having affairs with at least five other women.

Rie also alleged that Andy opened a separate bank account a few months before he left Google in October 2014 to receive his earnings and make "hundreds of thousands of dollars in payments to other women".

Andy's attorney said in a statement that "this is a family law dispute involving a wife who regrets her decision to execute a prenuptial agreement", another US-based publication The Verge reported.

"It is full of false claims, and we look forward to telling our side of the story," the attorney added.

The news of the payouts, reported by the New York Times last October, led to widespread protests on Google's campus.

Reacting to the New York Times story, Andy had said on Twitter that it's part of a smear campaign and contains inaccuracies.

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
2/2 to disparage me during a divorce and custody battle. Also, I am deeply troubled that anonymous Google executives are commenting about my personnel file and misrepresenting the facts.
— Andy Rubin (@Arubin) <a href="https://twitter.com/Arubin/status/1055632399172755456?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 26, 2018</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

According to CEO Sundar Pichai, Google has so far terminated 48 people for sexual harassment.

Andy Rubin, the creator of mobile operating system Android, has been accused by his estranged wife of concealing the payments he received from Google which he quit in 2014.

Andy Rubin, the creator of mobile operating system Android, has been accused by his estranged wife of concealing the payments he received from Google which he quit in 2014. In her plea before the a Califonia superior court, Rie Hirabaru Rubin has also alleged Andy of running "what appeared to be a sex ring". Andy Rubin's exit from Google had shaken the technology world, primarily because of the US $90 million severance package the technology giant paid him. Andy was accused of sexual misconduct while working as senior vice president at Google and the technology giant's decision to pay him the handsome amount was slammed by employees. The latest case against Andy was first highlighted by Buzzfeed based on the documents made public by the San Mateo superior court. In the lawsuit, Rie Hirabaru Rubin alleged Andy "concealed his income" from her and kept her "in the dark as to his sources of income, the amount of money the family had, and what it was being spent on". The lawsuit also accused Andy of having affairs with at least five other women. Rie also alleged that Andy opened a separate bank account a few months before he left Google in October 2014 to receive his earnings and make "hundreds of thousands of dollars in payments to other women". Andy's attorney said in a statement that "this is a family law dispute involving a wife who regrets her decision to execute a prenuptial agreement", another US-based publication The Verge reported. "It is full of false claims, and we look forward to telling our side of the story," the attorney added. The news of the payouts, reported by the New York Times last October, led to widespread protests on Google's campus. Reacting to the New York Times story, Andy had said on Twitter that it's part of a smear campaign and contains inaccuracies. 2/2 to disparage me during a divorce and custody battle. Also, I am deeply troubled that anonymous Google executives are commenting about my personnel file and misrepresenting the facts. — Andy Rubin (@Arubin) October 26, 2018 × According to CEO Sundar Pichai, Google has so far terminated 48 people for sexual harassment.

Andy Rubin ran 'sex ring', says estranged wife in lawsuit against Android creator

A US jury cleared California semiconductor designer CNEX Labs Inc of stealing trade secrets from Chinese electronics giant Huawei Technologies Co Ltd while awarding CNEX no damages on its own trade theft claims.

Huawei loses trade secrets case against US chip designer CNEX

A wine producer in the state of California in the United States is facing set backs in light of the rising tariff costs from the trade dispute between China and the United States. An hour outside of San Francisco in the city of Livermore, Wente Vineyards exudes the Californian lifestyle.

Californian wine sales in China hit by rising tariff costs

No fatalities were reported after an F-16 plane crashed into a building near the March Air Reserve Base in Riverside County on Thursday. The pilot of the plane, who was the only occupant of the aircraft, was ejected before the crash and safely landed at the airfield near Cactus Avenue and Meridian Parkway where a parachute was spotted.

F-16 Fighter Jet Crashed During Routine Training In California, Pilot Ejects Safely

A US court has awarded $2 billion on Monday to an elderly couple that developed non-Hodgkin's lymphoma after years of using Monsanto's popular weed killer Roundup, delivering a major blow to the agrochemical giant. This is the largest verdict against the company over Roundup.

US chemical giant Monsanto asked to pay $2bn in largest verdict yet over cancer claims

Uber Technologies Inc priced its initial public offering on Thursday at the low end of its targeted range for a <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/uber-drivers-go-on-strike-in-london-us-ahead-of-ipo-217164">valuation of $82.4 billion</a>, hoping its conservative approach will spare it the trading plunge suffered by rival Lyft Inc.

It is an underwhelming result for the most anticipated<a href="https://www.wionews.com/business-economy/uber-hit-with-australia-class-action-ahead-of-stock-listing-215549"> IPO since Facebook Inc's</a> market debut seven years ago. Uber raised $8.1 billion, pricing its IPO at $45 per share, close to the bottom of the targeted $44-$50 range.

However, the IPO still represents a watershed moment for Uber, which has grown into the world's largest ride-hailing company since its start 10 years ago.

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/wion-wallet-uber-lyft-drivers-hold-protest-217210/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

The year's biggest IPO comes against a backdrop of turbulent financial markets, fuelled by the trade dispute between the United States and China, as well as the plunging share price of Lyft, which is down 23 per cent from its IPO price in late March.

Uber's valuation in the IPO is almost a third less than its investment bankers predicted last year but still above its most recent valuation of $76 billion in the private fundraising market.

The IPO was oversubscribed, but Uber settled for a lower price to avoid a repeat of Lyft's IPO in late March, which priced strongly then plunged in trade. Uber also wanted to accommodate big mutual funds, which unlike hedge funds put in orders for a lower price.

Like Lyft, Uber will face questions going forward over how and when it expects to become profitable after losing $3 billion from operations in 2018.

"Ultimately, the success of Lyft's and Uber IPO's offerings will be judged based on post-IPO performance and how these companies can sustain their growth, while moving toward profitability and lowering their cash burn," said Alex Castelli, managing partner at advisory firm CohnReznick.

Despite Uber moderating its IPO expectations, some still consider the stock overpriced.

"Uber is basically Lyft 2.0. Good model, growing sales. But, yet again, here comes California math once more. It is still losing a ton of money," said Brian Hamilton, a tech entrepreneur and founder of data firm Sageworks. "If you buy, you are buying a bull market, not a company," he added.

In meetings with potential investors the past two weeks, Uber's chief executive Dara Khosrowshahi argued that Uber's future was not as a ride-hailing company, but as a wide technology platform shaping logistics and transportation.

The IPO pricing was a balancing act for Uber's team of underwriting banks, led by Morgan Stanley, Goldman Sachs &amp; Co and Bank of America Merrill Lynch, to negotiate a good price while leaving some upside to ensure the stock trades up on its market debut.

Uber is due to begin trading on the New York Stock Exchange on Friday under the symbol "UBER."

Uber Technologies Inc priced its initial public offering on Thursday at the low end of its targeted range for a valuation of $82.4 billion, hoping its conservative approach will spare it the trading plunge suffered by rival Lyft Inc.

Uber Technologies Inc priced its initial public offering on Thursday at the low end of its targeted range for a valuation of $82.4 billion, hoping its conservative approach will spare it the trading plunge suffered by rival Lyft Inc. It is an underwhelming result for the most anticipated IPO since Facebook Inc's market debut seven years ago. Uber raised $8.1 billion, pricing its IPO at $45 per share, close to the bottom of the targeted $44-$50 range. However, the IPO still represents a watershed moment for Uber, which has grown into the world's largest ride-hailing company since its start 10 years ago. The year's biggest IPO comes against a backdrop of turbulent financial markets, fuelled by the trade dispute between the United States and China, as well as the plunging share price of Lyft, which is down 23 per cent from its IPO price in late March. Uber's valuation in the IPO is almost a third less than its investment bankers predicted last year but still above its most recent valuation of $76 billion in the private fundraising market. The IPO was oversubscribed, but Uber settled for a lower price to avoid a repeat of Lyft's IPO in late March, which priced strongly then plunged in trade. Uber also wanted to accommodate big mutual funds, which unlike hedge funds put in orders for a lower price. Like Lyft, Uber will face questions going forward over how and when it expects to become profitable after losing $3 billion from operations in 2018. "Ultimately, the success of Lyft's and Uber IPO's offerings will be judged based on post-IPO performance and how these companies can sustain their growth, while moving toward profitability and lowering their cash burn," said Alex Castelli, managing partner at advisory firm CohnReznick. Despite Uber moderating its IPO expectations, some still consider the stock overpriced. "Uber is basically Lyft 2.0. Good model, growing sales. But, yet again, here comes California math once more. It is still losing a ton of money," said Brian Hamilton, a tech entrepreneur and founder of data firm Sageworks. "If you buy, you are buying a bull market, not a company," he added. In meetings with potential investors the past two weeks, Uber's chief executive Dara Khosrowshahi argued that Uber's future was not as a ride-hailing company, but as a wide technology platform shaping logistics and transportation. The IPO pricing was a balancing act for Uber's team of underwriting banks, led by Morgan Stanley, Goldman Sachs & Co and Bank of America Merrill Lynch, to negotiate a good price while leaving some upside to ensure the stock trades up on its market debut. Uber is due to begin trading on the New York Stock Exchange on Friday under the symbol "UBER."

Uber targets low end IPO valuation at $82 billion

A <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/19-year-old-synagogue-shooting-suspect-in-california-was-inspired-from-christchurch-shooter-214091">19-year-old man who authorities said gave himself up</a> to police shortly after carrying out a <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/one-dead-three-injured-in-us-synagogue-shooting-214031">deadly shooting in a Southern California synagogue</a> filled with Sabbath worshippers is also under investigation for a mosque arson.

The gunman walked into the suburban <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/san-diego-area-synagogue-shooting-appears-to-be-hate-crime-trump-214020">San Diego synagogue late Saturday morning</a>, the last day of the week-long Jewish holiday of Passover, and opened fire with an assault-style rifle, killing one woman inside and wounding three others, including the rabbi, authorities said.

In an interview on Sunday with NBC's "Today" program, Rabbi Yisroel Goldstein described the attack.

"I was face-to-face with this murderer, terrorist, who was holding a rifle and looking straight at me," Goldstein said. "As soon as he saw me, he started to shoot toward me. My fingers got blown away."

Goldstein said the woman killed was Lori Kaye, a founding member of the three-decade-old congregation.

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/1-dead-3-injured-in-synagogue-shooting-in-poway-214033/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

"Just a kind soul," said Goldstein, who underwent surgery at the hospital. "Everyone in the community knew her."

A woman who said she was a friend of Kaye, Audrey Jacobs, wrote on Facebook that Kaye left behind a husband and a 22-year-old daughter.

"Lori would have wanted all of us to stand up to hate," Jacobs wrote. "She was a warrior of love and she will be missed."

The other two wounded were an 8-year-old Israeli girl and her uncle. Their family had moved to the United States in search of a safer life after their home in Sderot on the Gaza border was hit several times by Palestinian rocket attacks.

The sheriff said they were struck by shrapnel but were "doing well" at a local hospital.

After the shooting, the suspect fled in a car, escaping an off-duty US&nbsp;Border Patrol agent who shot at the getaway vehicle but missed the suspect. The suspect pulled over and surrendered to police officers a short time later.

The suspect was identified as John Earnest, 19, of San Diego, the apparent author of a "manifesto" who claimed to have set a nearby mosque on fire last month and professed drawing inspiration from the gunman who killed nearly 50 people at two mosques in New Zealand.

San Diego County Sheriff Bill Gore said police and FBI were investigating Earnest's possible involvement in the March 24 pre-dawn arson fire at the Islamic Center of Escondido, a town about 15 miles (24 km) north of Poway. No one was hurt at the mosque fire.

Gore said Earnest has no prior criminal record.

Saturday's gun violence at the Congregation Chabad temple in the town of Poway, California, about 23 miles (37 km) north of downtown San Diego, unfolded six months to the day after 11 worshippers were killed and six others wounded by a gunman who stormed the Tree of Life synagogue in Pittsburgh yelling, "All Jews must die."

The assailant in that massacre, said to be the deadliest attack ever against Jews on U.S. soil, was also arrested.

The Passover violence came amid an upsurge in reports of anti-Semitism nationwide and abroad and followed a recent spate of deadly attacks on places of worship around the world.

Suicide bombings during Easter Sunday services at several churches in Sri Lanka killed more than 250 people. A gunman who opened fire at two mosques in Christchurch, New Zealand, on March 15 left 49 people dead and more than 40 wounded, some as they knelt in prayer.

Gore told reporters authorities were investigating the attack as a potential hate crime.

A rambling, violently anti-Semitic, anti-Muslim screed written by an individual calling himself John Earnest was found posted to the online text-storage site Pastebin.com and the file-storage site Mediafire.com. Links to the content on both sources were posted on the far-right internet message board 8chan.

In that letter, the author also claimed credit for the Escondido mosque arson, which was put out by congregants who were sleeping inside and woke up to the smell of smoke. Local media at the time reported that a message scrawled on the driveway of the mosque mentioned the New Zealand massacre.

Earnest was enrolled at California State University in San Marcos. In a statement, the university's president said the school was "dismayed and disheartened" to learn Earnest was a student and was working with the sheriff's department.

He attended Mt&nbsp;Carmel High School in San Diego, where his father taught physics before retiring in 2016, according to the San Diego Union-Tribune newspaper.

The synagogue on Saturday was hosting a holiday celebration that had been due to culminate in a final Passover meal that evening. Authorities said about 100 people were inside the temple, where Saturday services marking the Jewish Sabbath would have been under way or have just concluded.

A 19-year-old man who authorities said gave himself up to police shortly after carrying out a deadly shooting in a Southern California synagogue filled with Sabbath worshippers is also under investigation for a mosque arson.

A 19-year-old man who authorities said gave himself up to police shortly after carrying out a deadly shooting in a Southern California synagogue filled with Sabbath worshippers is also under investigation for a mosque arson. The gunman walked into the suburban San Diego synagogue late Saturday morning, the last day of the week-long Jewish holiday of Passover, and opened fire with an assault-style rifle, killing one woman inside and wounding three others, including the rabbi, authorities said. In an interview on Sunday with NBC's "Today" program, Rabbi Yisroel Goldstein described the attack. "I was face-to-face with this murderer, terrorist, who was holding a rifle and looking straight at me," Goldstein said. "As soon as he saw me, he started to shoot toward me. My fingers got blown away." Goldstein said the woman killed was Lori Kaye, a founding member of the three-decade-old congregation. "Just a kind soul," said Goldstein, who underwent surgery at the hospital. "Everyone in the community knew her." A woman who said she was a friend of Kaye, Audrey Jacobs, wrote on Facebook that Kaye left behind a husband and a 22-year-old daughter. "Lori would have wanted all of us to stand up to hate," Jacobs wrote. "She was a warrior of love and she will be missed." The other two wounded were an 8-year-old Israeli girl and her uncle. Their family had moved to the United States in search of a safer life after their home in Sderot on the Gaza border was hit several times by Palestinian rocket attacks. The sheriff said they were struck by shrapnel but were "doing well" at a local hospital. After the shooting, the suspect fled in a car, escaping an off-duty US Border Patrol agent who shot at the getaway vehicle but missed the suspect. The suspect pulled over and surrendered to police officers a short time later. The suspect was identified as John Earnest, 19, of San Diego, the apparent author of a "manifesto" who claimed to have set a nearby mosque on fire last month and professed drawing inspiration from the gunman who killed nearly 50 people at two mosques in New Zealand. San Diego County Sheriff Bill Gore said police and FBI were investigating Earnest's possible involvement in the March 24 pre-dawn arson fire at the Islamic Center of Escondido, a town about 15 miles (24 km) north of Poway. No one was hurt at the mosque fire. Gore said Earnest has no prior criminal record. Saturday's gun violence at the Congregation Chabad temple in the town of Poway, California, about 23 miles (37 km) north of downtown San Diego, unfolded six months to the day after 11 worshippers were killed and six others wounded by a gunman who stormed the Tree of Life synagogue in Pittsburgh yelling, "All Jews must die." The assailant in that massacre, said to be the deadliest attack ever against Jews on U.S. soil, was also arrested. The Passover violence came amid an upsurge in reports of anti-Semitism nationwide and abroad and followed a recent spate of deadly attacks on places of worship around the world. Suicide bombings during Easter Sunday services at several churches in Sri Lanka killed more than 250 people. A gunman who opened fire at two mosques in Christchurch, New Zealand, on March 15 left 49 people dead and more than 40 wounded, some as they knelt in prayer. Gore told reporters authorities were investigating the attack as a potential hate crime. A rambling, violently anti-Semitic, anti-Muslim screed written by an individual calling himself John Earnest was found posted to the online text-storage site Pastebin.com and the file-storage site Mediafire.com. Links to the content on both sources were posted on the far-right internet message board 8chan. In that letter, the author also claimed credit for the Escondido mosque arson, which was put out by congregants who were sleeping inside and woke up to the smell of smoke. Local media at the time reported that a message scrawled on the driveway of the mosque mentioned the New Zealand massacre. Earnest was enrolled at California State University in San Marcos. In a statement, the university's president said the school was "dismayed and disheartened" to learn Earnest was a student and was working with the sheriff's department. He attended Mt Carmel High School in San Diego, where his father taught physics before retiring in 2016, according to the San Diego Union-Tribune newspaper. The synagogue on Saturday was hosting a holiday celebration that had been due to culminate in a final Passover meal that evening. Authorities said about 100 people were inside the temple, where Saturday services marking the Jewish Sabbath would have been under way or have just concluded.

I was face to face with California synagogue shooter: Rabbi Yisroel Goldstein

A woman has died and a rabbi was injured after shots were fired inside a Poway, California synagogue filled with people celebrating the last day of Passover

1 Dead, 3 Injured in Synagogue Shooting in Poway

A Southern California couple was sentenced to 25 years to life in prison on Friday after the pair pleaded guilty to charges stemming from grim, headline-making accusations they beat, starved and shackled their 13 children in the family's home, prosecutors said.

David Turpin, 57, and his wife Louise Turpin, 50, had agreed to be sentenced to 25 years to life in prison as part of an agreement with Riverside County prosecutors that saw them plead guilty in February to torture, child abuse and false imprisonment charges.

The couple cried during the sentencing hearing, where they listened to statements from their children and delivered statements of their own, according to video footage.

"I'm sorry for everything I've done to hurt my children. Louise Turpin said. " I love them more than they could ever imagine."

As part of the plea deal, which called for additional charges against both spouses to be dropped, the Turpins will spend the rest of their lives in prison unless granted parole after a minimum of 25 years behind bars, the Riverside County District Attorney said on Twitter.

The sentencing marks the culmination of a criminal case that has convulsed the community of Perris, California, some 70 miles (113 km) east of Los Angeles, since an emaciated 17-year-old girl climbed out of a window of the family's home and called 911.

Deputies who raided the residence found the girl's 12 brothers and sisters, ranging in age from 2 to 29, trapped inside the darkened, foul-smelling house, some of them chained to beds.

The siblings, found to be suffering from malnourishment, muscle wasting, stunted growth and other signs of severe abuse, were taken into protective custody, and the parents were arrested.

Prosecutors said the victims had been denied proper nutrition, basic hygiene and medical care and were harshly punished for perceived infractions such as wasting water by washing their hands above the wrist.

The couple also were accused of taunting their children with pies and other food that they were forbidden to eat.

"My parents took my whole life from me, but now I'm taking my life back," said one of the Turpins' daughters, who was not named in court, on Friday.

David Turpin's parents, James and Betty Turpin of West Virginia, have said their son and daughter-in-law were a deeply religious couple who home-schooled their children and required them to memorize Bible scripture.

A Southern California couple was sentenced to 25 years to life in prison on Friday after the pair pleaded guilty to charges stemming from grim, headline-making accusations they beat, starved and shackled their 13 children in the family's home, prosecutors said.

A Southern California couple was sentenced to 25 years to life in prison on Friday after the pair pleaded guilty to charges stemming from grim, headline-making accusations they beat, starved and shackled their 13 children in the family's home, prosecutors said. David Turpin, 57, and his wife Louise Turpin, 50, had agreed to be sentenced to 25 years to life in prison as part of an agreement with Riverside County prosecutors that saw them plead guilty in February to torture, child abuse and false imprisonment charges. The couple cried during the sentencing hearing, where they listened to statements from their children and delivered statements of their own, according to video footage. "I'm sorry for everything I've done to hurt my children. Louise Turpin said. " I love them more than they could ever imagine." As part of the plea deal, which called for additional charges against both spouses to be dropped, the Turpins will spend the rest of their lives in prison unless granted parole after a minimum of 25 years behind bars, the Riverside County District Attorney said on Twitter. The sentencing marks the culmination of a criminal case that has convulsed the community of Perris, California, some 70 miles (113 km) east of Los Angeles, since an emaciated 17-year-old girl climbed out of a window of the family's home and called 911. Deputies who raided the residence found the girl's 12 brothers and sisters, ranging in age from 2 to 29, trapped inside the darkened, foul-smelling house, some of them chained to beds. The siblings, found to be suffering from malnourishment, muscle wasting, stunted growth and other signs of severe abuse, were taken into protective custody, and the parents were arrested. Prosecutors said the victims had been denied proper nutrition, basic hygiene and medical care and were harshly punished for perceived infractions such as wasting water by washing their hands above the wrist. The couple also were accused of taunting their children with pies and other food that they were forbidden to eat. "My parents took my whole life from me, but now I'm taking my life back," said one of the Turpins' daughters, who was not named in court, on Friday. David Turpin's parents, James and Betty Turpin of West Virginia, have said their son and daughter-in-law were a deeply religious couple who home-schooled their children and required them to memorize Bible scripture.

California couple accused of torturing their children is sentenced to life in prison

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is calling on President Donald Trump to sign into law a resolution ending American involvement in the war in Yemen.

Historic resolution to end US role in Yemen war

Composer Ramin Djawadi makes his 'Game of Thrones' swan song

'Digital detox' glasses black out the screens around you

Mexico scored three goals in a blistering first half but took their foot off the pedal in the second period and had to hold off a Paraguay comeback to win their friendly match 4-2 in California on Tuesday.

Jonathan Dos Santos took advantage of hesitancy in the Paraguayan defence after six minutes to smash home the opener from close range at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara.

An own goal from Gustavo Gomez doubled Mexico’s advantage three minutes later and Javier Hernandez finished off a lovely move to make it 3-0 and set up what looked like a comfortable second consecutive win for new coach Gerardo Martino.

However, goals from Hernan Perez and Derlis Gonzalez either side of Miguel Almiron’s red card for Paraguay gave the South Americans the chance to snatch an unlikely draw before Luis Montes restored Mexico's two-goal cushion in stoppage time

Mexico scored three goals in a blistering first half but took their foot off the pedal in the second period and had to hold off a Paraguay comeback to win their friendly match 4-2 in California on Tuesday.

Mexico scored three goals in a blistering first half but took their foot off the pedal in the second period and had to hold off a Paraguay comeback to win their friendly match 4-2 in California on Tuesday. Jonathan Dos Santos took advantage of hesitancy in the Paraguayan defence after six minutes to smash home the opener from close range at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara. An own goal from Gustavo Gomez doubled Mexico’s advantage three minutes later and Javier Hernandez finished off a lovely move to make it 3-0 and set up what looked like a comfortable second consecutive win for new coach Gerardo Martino. However, goals from Hernan Perez and Derlis Gonzalez either side of Miguel Almiron’s red card for Paraguay gave the South Americans the chance to snatch an unlikely draw before Luis Montes restored Mexico's two-goal cushion in stoppage time

Three first-half goals help Mexico to 4-2 win over Paraguay

Sixteen US states sued President Donald Trump's administration on Monday over his <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/trump-declares-us-mexico-border-emergency-democrats-protest-197678">decision to declare a national emergency</a> to fund a wall on the southern border with Mexico, saying the move violated the constitution.

The lawsuit, filed in a federal court in California, said the president's order was contrary to the Presentment Clause that outlines legislative procedures and the Appropriations Clause, which defines Congress as the final arbiter of public funds.

The move had been previously announced by Xavier Becerra the attorney general of California who said his state and others had legal standing because they risked losing money intended for military projects, disaster assistance and other purposes.

Several Republican senators have decried the emergency declaration, saying it establishes a dangerous precedent and amounts to executive overreach.&nbsp;

California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Oregon and Virginia are party to the complaint seeking an injunction.

"Use of those additional federal funds for the construction of a border wall is contrary to Congress's intent in violation of the US Constitution, including the Presentment Clause and Appropriations Clause," the complaint said.

It added that Trump had "veered the country toward a constitutional crisis of his own making."

"Congress has repeatedly rebuffed the president's insistence to fund a border wall, recently resulting in a record 35-day partial government shutdown over the border wall dispute," the document read.

"After the government reopened, Congress approved, and the president signed into law, a $1.375 billion appropriation for fencing along the southern border, but Congress made clear that funding could not be used to build President Trump's proposed border wall."

The complaint added that the Department of Homeland Security had violated the National Environmental Policy Act by failing to evaluate the environmental impact of the wall in California and New Mexico.

Friday's declaration enables the president to divert funds from the Pentagon's military construction budget and other sources.&nbsp;

Sixteen US states sued President Donald Trump's administration on Monday over his decision to declare a national emergency to fund a wall on the southern border with Mexico, saying the move violated the constitution.

Sixteen US states sued President Donald Trump's administration on Monday over his decision to declare a national emergency to fund a wall on the southern border with Mexico, saying the move violated the constitution. The lawsuit, filed in a federal court in California, said the president's order was contrary to the Presentment Clause that outlines legislative procedures and the Appropriations Clause, which defines Congress as the final arbiter of public funds. The move had been previously announced by Xavier Becerra the attorney general of California who said his state and others had legal standing because they risked losing money intended for military projects, disaster assistance and other purposes. Several Republican senators have decried the emergency declaration, saying it establishes a dangerous precedent and amounts to executive overreach. California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Oregon and Virginia are party to the complaint seeking an injunction. "Use of those additional federal funds for the construction of a border wall is contrary to Congress's intent in violation of the US Constitution, including the Presentment Clause and Appropriations Clause," the complaint said. It added that Trump had "veered the country toward a constitutional crisis of his own making." "Congress has repeatedly rebuffed the president's insistence to fund a border wall, recently resulting in a record 35-day partial government shutdown over the border wall dispute," the document read. "After the government reopened, Congress approved, and the president signed into law, a $1.375 billion appropriation for fencing along the southern border, but Congress made clear that funding could not be used to build President Trump's proposed border wall." The complaint added that the Department of Homeland Security had violated the National Environmental Policy Act by failing to evaluate the environmental impact of the wall in California and New Mexico. Friday's declaration enables the president to divert funds from the Pentagon's military construction budget and other sources.

Sixteen US states sue Trump after he declares emergency to fund border wall

California will "imminently" challenge President Donald Trump's declaration of a national emergency to obtain funds for <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/trump-aide-predicts-hundreds-of-miles-of-border-wall-by-2020-197976">a US-Mexico border wall</a>, state Attorney General Xavier Becerra said on Sunday.

"Definitely and imminently," Becerra told ABC's "This Week" program when asked whether and when California would sue the Trump administration in federal court. Other states controlled by Democrats are expected to join the effort.

"We are prepared, we knew something like this might happen. And with our sister state partners, we are ready to go," he said.

Trump invoked the emergency powers on Friday under a 1976 law after Congress rebuffed his request for $5.7 billion to help build the wall that was a signature 2016 campaign promise.

The move is intended to allow him to redirect money appropriated by Congress for other purposes to wall construction.

The White House says Trump will have access to about $8 billion. Nearly $1.4 billion was allocated for border fencing under a spending measure approved by Congress last week, and Trump's emergency declaration is aimed at giving him another $6.7 billion for the wall.

Becerra cited Trump's own comment on Friday that he "didn't need to do this" as evidence that the emergency declaration is legally vulnerable.

"It's become clear that this is not an emergency, not only because no one believes it is but because Donald Trump himself has said it's not," he said.&nbsp;

Becerra and California Governor Gavin Newsom, both Democrats, have been expected to sue to block Trump's move.

Becerra told ABC that California and other states are waiting to learn which federal programs will lose money to determine what kind of harm the states could face from the declaration.

He said California may be harmed by less federal funding for emergency response services, the military and stopping drug trafficking.

"We're confident there are at least 8 billion ways that we can prove harm," Becerra said.

Three Texas landowners and an environmental group filed the first lawsuit against Trump's move on Friday, saying it violates the Constitution and would infringe on their property rights.

The legal challenges could at least slow down Trump's efforts to build the wall but would likely end up at the conservative-leaning U.S. Supreme Court.

Congress never defined a national emergency in the National Emergencies Act of 1976, which has been invoked dozens of times without a single successful legal challenge.

Democrats in Congress have vowed to challenge Trump's declaration and several Republican lawmakers have said they are not certain whether they would support the president.

"I think many of us are concerned about this," Republican Senator Ron Johnson of Wisconsin, who chairs the Senate Homeland Security Committee, told NBC's "Meet the Press."

Trump could, however, veto any resolution of disapproval from Congress.

White House senior adviser Stephen Miller told Fox News on Sunday that Trump's declaration would allow the administration to build "hundreds of miles" of border wall by September 2020.

"We have 120-odd miles that are already under construction or are already obligated plus the additional funds we have and then we’re going to outlay – we’re going to look at a few hundred miles."

Trump's proposed wall and wider immigration policies are likely to be a major campaign issue ahead of the next presidential election in November 2020, where he will seek a second four-year term.

California will "imminently" challenge President Donald Trump's declaration of a national emergency to obtain funds for a US-Mexico border wall, state Attorney General Xavier Becerra said on Sunday.

California will "imminently" challenge President Donald Trump's declaration of a national emergency to obtain funds for a US-Mexico border wall, state Attorney General Xavier Becerra said on Sunday. "Definitely and imminently," Becerra told ABC's "This Week" program when asked whether and when California would sue the Trump administration in federal court. Other states controlled by Democrats are expected to join the effort. "We are prepared, we knew something like this might happen. And with our sister state partners, we are ready to go," he said. Trump invoked the emergency powers on Friday under a 1976 law after Congress rebuffed his request for $5.7 billion to help build the wall that was a signature 2016 campaign promise. The move is intended to allow him to redirect money appropriated by Congress for other purposes to wall construction. The White House says Trump will have access to about $8 billion. Nearly $1.4 billion was allocated for border fencing under a spending measure approved by Congress last week, and Trump's emergency declaration is aimed at giving him another $6.7 billion for the wall. Becerra cited Trump's own comment on Friday that he "didn't need to do this" as evidence that the emergency declaration is legally vulnerable. "It's become clear that this is not an emergency, not only because no one believes it is but because Donald Trump himself has said it's not," he said. Becerra and California Governor Gavin Newsom, both Democrats, have been expected to sue to block Trump's move. Becerra told ABC that California and other states are waiting to learn which federal programs will lose money to determine what kind of harm the states could face from the declaration. He said California may be harmed by less federal funding for emergency response services, the military and stopping drug trafficking. "We're confident there are at least 8 billion ways that we can prove harm," Becerra said. Three Texas landowners and an environmental group filed the first lawsuit against Trump's move on Friday, saying it violates the Constitution and would infringe on their property rights. The legal challenges could at least slow down Trump's efforts to build the wall but would likely end up at the conservative-leaning U.S. Supreme Court. Congress never defined a national emergency in the National Emergencies Act of 1976, which has been invoked dozens of times without a single successful legal challenge. Democrats in Congress have vowed to challenge Trump's declaration and several Republican lawmakers have said they are not certain whether they would support the president. "I think many of us are concerned about this," Republican Senator Ron Johnson of Wisconsin, who chairs the Senate Homeland Security Committee, told NBC's "Meet the Press." Trump could, however, veto any resolution of disapproval from Congress. White House senior adviser Stephen Miller told Fox News on Sunday that Trump's declaration would allow the administration to build "hundreds of miles" of border wall by September 2020. "We have 120-odd miles that are already under construction or are already obligated plus the additional funds we have and then we’re going to outlay – we’re going to look at a few hundred miles." Trump's proposed wall and wider immigration policies are likely to be a major campaign issue ahead of the next presidential election in November 2020, where he will seek a second four-year term.

California tells Trump lawsuit over border wall is 'imminent'

California Governor Gavin Newsom on Monday signed an order withdrawing more than two-thirds of the state's National Guard troops from the US-Mexico border, calling claims of an illegal immigration crisis there nothing but "political theatre."

Newsom said most of the roughly 360 National Guard members deployed to the border would be reassigned to other duties in the state, with about 100 remaining behind as part of a task force targeting drug trafficking and cartels.

"This whole border issue is a manufactured crisis. We are not interested in participating in this political theatre," Newsom said at an afternoon news conference in Sacramento.

The governor, a Democrat who took office in January, said border crossings were at their lowest level since 1971 and that the state's undocumented population had dropped to a more than 10-year low.

"This is pure politics, period full stop," he said.

The move was a rebuke to President Donald Trump, who won the election in 2016 partly on a populist pledge to build a wall on the southern US border which he said in his campaign Mexico would pay for.

Trump's demand for $5.7 billion to help build that wall was central to a 35-day partial US government shutdown that ended last month. He agreed to reopen the government for three weeks to allow lawmakers time to find a compromise and avert another shutdown on February 15.

Newsom's predecessor, Governor Jerry Brown, agreed to send National Guard troops to the border last April after reaching agreement with the Trump administration that they would focus on fighting criminal gangs and smugglers and not enforce immigration laws.

New Mexico Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham last week ordered the withdrawal of most National Guard troops deployed at the border by her Republican predecessor at Trump's request last year.

Trump has deployed an extra 3,750 US troops on the border this month.

Newsom said some of the National Guard troops would be re-deployed to help fight what he said were mushrooming illegal marijuana farms following approval of a 2016 ballot measure to legalize recreational cannabis - legislation the governor helped champion.

"We have to hold accountable those who are not participating in the legal cannabis market," he said. "These illegal grows are manifesting, getting bigger."

California Governor Gavin Newsom on Monday signed an order withdrawing more than two-thirds of the state's National Guard troops from the US-Mexico border, calling claims of an illegal immigration crisis there nothing but "political theatre.

California Governor Gavin Newsom on Monday signed an order withdrawing more than two-thirds of the state's National Guard troops from the US-Mexico border, calling claims of an illegal immigration crisis there nothing but "political theatre." Newsom said most of the roughly 360 National Guard members deployed to the border would be reassigned to other duties in the state, with about 100 remaining behind as part of a task force targeting drug trafficking and cartels. "This whole border issue is a manufactured crisis. We are not interested in participating in this political theatre," Newsom said at an afternoon news conference in Sacramento. The governor, a Democrat who took office in January, said border crossings were at their lowest level since 1971 and that the state's undocumented population had dropped to a more than 10-year low. "This is pure politics, period full stop," he said. The move was a rebuke to President Donald Trump, who won the election in 2016 partly on a populist pledge to build a wall on the southern US border which he said in his campaign Mexico would pay for. Trump's demand for $5.7 billion to help build that wall was central to a 35-day partial US government shutdown that ended last month. He agreed to reopen the government for three weeks to allow lawmakers time to find a compromise and avert another shutdown on February 15. Newsom's predecessor, Governor Jerry Brown, agreed to send National Guard troops to the border last April after reaching agreement with the Trump administration that they would focus on fighting criminal gangs and smugglers and not enforce immigration laws. New Mexico Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham last week ordered the withdrawal of most National Guard troops deployed at the border by her Republican predecessor at Trump's request last year. Trump has deployed an extra 3,750 US troops on the border this month. Newsom said some of the National Guard troops would be re-deployed to help fight what he said were mushrooming illegal marijuana farms following approval of a 2016 ballot measure to legalize recreational cannabis - legislation the governor helped champion. "We have to hold accountable those who are not participating in the legal cannabis market," he said. "These illegal grows are manifesting, getting bigger."

California pulls most National Guard troops from US-Mexico border

California pulls out troops from Mexico border

Warren Ragudo died after two Taser shocks by police intervening in a family altercation. Ramzi Saad died after a Taser shock by police during a dispute between Saad and his mother. Chinedu Okobi died after police used a Taser to subdue him in a confrontation they blamed on his refusal to stop walking in traffic.

All three were unarmed. All three had histories of mental illness. And all three died last year in a single northern California county, San Mateo.

They were among at least 49 people who died in 2018 after being shocked by police with a Taser, a similar number as in the previous two years, according to a Reuters review of police records, news reports and court documents.

The deaths typically draw little public scrutiny – no government agency tracks how often Tasers are used or how many of those deployments prove fatal, and coroners and medical examiners use varying standards to assess a Taser's role in the death. But some communities now are considering more restrictive Taser policies following allegations that the weapons were used excessively or deployed against people with physical or mental conditions that put them at higher risk of death or injury.

Reuters has contacted 14 police departments, counties and cities that saw a Taser-related death or other serious Taser-related incidents in 2018. Of those, five are reviewing their Taser policies; three had conducted reviews and made no changes, and five declined to comment because investigations into the incidents were still ongoing.

Reuters now has documented a total of at least 1,081 US deaths following the use of Tasers, almost all since the weapons began coming into widespread use in the early 2000s. In many of those cases, the Taser, which fires a pair of barbed darts that deliver a paralyzing electrical charge, was combined with other force, such as hand strikes or restraint holds.

Following the three San Mateo deaths, all within nine months, the county board of supervisors and the district attorney launched ongoing reviews of the use and safety of Tasers, which were touted by police and the weapon’s manufacturer as a near-perfect, “non-lethal” weapon when they began coming into widespread use more than a decade ago.

There is a need to reevaluate “the proper role for Tasers and how and when they are engaged,” Dave Pine, a member of the Board of Supervisors told Reuters. Until then, “I personally think it would be appropriate to have a moratorium on their use.”

Most independent researchers who have studied Tasers say deaths are rare when they are used properly, but in a series of reports in 2017, Reuters found that many police officers are not trained properly on the risks and weapons are often misused.

Reuters was able to obtain cause-of-death data for 779 of the 1,081 deaths it has documented and the Taser has deemed a cause or contributing factor in 21 per cent of those.

Axon Enterprise Inc, the Taser’s manufacturer, says most deaths involving the weapons are a result of drug use, underlying physiological conditions, such as heart problems, or other police force used along with the Taser.

Axon argues that most cause-of-death rulings implicating its weapons are misinformed and said in an email that Tasers albeit "not risk-free" are "the safest and effective less-lethal use of force tool available to law enforcement.”

RECOGNIZING THE RISKS

Reuters reporting, which included the most complete accounting to date of fatalities following Taser shocks, showed that many cases involved high-risk subjects, such as people agitated by drugs or mental illness, people with heart problems, people who are very young or very old or very frail.

At least half those who died after Taser shocks last year fell into one or more of those categories. As in previous years, about 90 per cent were unarmed and nearly a quarter had a history of mental illness.

As police departments have become more aware of Tasers’ risks and limitations, a growing number have restricted their use, says Chuck Wexler, executive director of the Police Executive Research Forum (PERF) think tank. Still, many officers remain unaware of the hazards when they encounter those vulnerable to a Taser's shock, Wexler warns.

“That’s a big problem.”

The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, one of the nation’s largest police forces, drafted a new Taser policy last year that would put new restrictions on the weapons' deployment, according to an official familiar with the initiative. The policy awaits final approval from the department’s new leadership, which took over after November’s elections.

In Cincinnati, the police department is reviewing its Taser policy after an 11-year-old girl was shocked last year, said Lt. Steve Saunders, a spokesman. In Chula Vista, California, an automatic review is underway following the death of Jason Watts, 29, who died in October after police shocked him in a confrontation at a store, spokesman Capt. Phil Collum said.

Public discourse over Tasers’ safety has been especially heated in San Francisco, where the Board of Supervisors voted in June to block funding for the police department’s long-debated plan to purchase the weapons.

Nationally, there are no uniform standards governing police use of Tasers, although PERF and the International Association of Chiefs of Police offer model guidelines that warn against using Tasers on vulnerable populations and limit the number and duration of shocks during deployment.

Axon said it offers police departments “the latest public-safety best practices and training” for Taser use, including warnings about vulnerable populations. The company also offers “de-escalation training” to help officers resolve conflicts without Tasers, as well as “empathy training for special populations, including the mentally ill.”

CONCERNS IN SAN MATEO

In San Mateo, the county coroner ruled the death of Ramzi Saad a homicide: "cardiac arrest occurring during physical exertion, physical restraint and tasering."

Police visited the Redwood City home where Saad, 55, lived with his mother on Aug. 13 after a neighbour witnessed him shoving his mother during an argument and called 911.

Saad, who suffered from schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, diabetes, and high blood pressure, was shocked with a Taser at least twice after threatening an officer, then lost consciousness as he was pinned to the ground by other police, investigators later found. He was pronounced dead at the hospital.

Stephen Wagstaffe, the county’s district attorney, found the officers’ response justified, but the second death in 2018 after a Taser shock made local officials take notice.

Two months later, the questions about Taser use grew more urgent: Chinedu Okobi, 36, died on October 3 after being shocked by San Mateo County Sheriff's deputies in Millbrae.

The deaths have raised major concerns, Wagstaffe told Reuters. He said he has directed staff “to come up with as much information as possible on Taser-related deaths." The results of the fact-gathering exercise will go to the sheriff and the county’s 15 municipal police chiefs “to help them in their judgment on the future use of Tasers,” Wagstaffe said.

The district attorney is conducting a separate, formal investigation into whether the deputies who confronted Okobi before his death committed any crimes. That inquiry should be completed by the end of the month and will be made public, Wagstaffe told Reuters.

While Pine favours a moratorium on Taser use during the review, several municipal police chiefs told Reuters they preferred to wait for Wagstaffe’s Okobi investigation before deciding whether to alter policies. The sheriff’s department, which operates countywide, is against a moratorium. Carlos Bolanos, the San Mateo County Sheriff, said he was awaiting results of Wagstaffe's report into Okobi's death before his department conducts its own internal review into the death.

Meanwhile, Okobi’s death has become a flashpoint in the county’s debate over Taser use. The sheriff's department and Okobi's sister Ebele, a Facebook executive, have offered conflicting accounts about the events surrounding Okobi's death. The Board of Supervisors will hold a public meeting on February 11 to discuss law enforcement's Taser use. Presenters will include officials from Axon, the county sheriff's office, the American Civil Liberties Union and Dr Zian Tseng, a cardiologist, Pine said.

Warren Ragudo died after two Taser shocks by police intervening in a family altercation. Ramzi Saad died after a Taser shock by police during a dispute between Saad and his mother.

Warren Ragudo died after two Taser shocks by police intervening in a family altercation. Ramzi Saad died after a Taser shock by police during a dispute between Saad and his mother. Chinedu Okobi died after police used a Taser to subdue him in a confrontation they blamed on his refusal to stop walking in traffic. All three were unarmed. All three had histories of mental illness. And all three died last year in a single northern California county, San Mateo. They were among at least 49 people who died in 2018 after being shocked by police with a Taser, a similar number as in the previous two years, according to a Reuters review of police records, news reports and court documents. The deaths typically draw little public scrutiny – no government agency tracks how often Tasers are used or how many of those deployments prove fatal, and coroners and medical examiners use varying standards to assess a Taser's role in the death. But some communities now are considering more restrictive Taser policies following allegations that the weapons were used excessively or deployed against people with physical or mental conditions that put them at higher risk of death or injury. Reuters has contacted 14 police departments, counties and cities that saw a Taser-related death or other serious Taser-related incidents in 2018. Of those, five are reviewing their Taser policies; three had conducted reviews and made no changes, and five declined to comment because investigations into the incidents were still ongoing. Reuters now has documented a total of at least 1,081 US deaths following the use of Tasers, almost all since the weapons began coming into widespread use in the early 2000s. In many of those cases, the Taser, which fires a pair of barbed darts that deliver a paralyzing electrical charge, was combined with other force, such as hand strikes or restraint holds. Following the three San Mateo deaths, all within nine months, the county board of supervisors and the district attorney launched ongoing reviews of the use and safety of Tasers, which were touted by police and the weapon’s manufacturer as a near-perfect, “non-lethal” weapon when they began coming into widespread use more than a decade ago. There is a need to reevaluate “the proper role for Tasers and how and when they are engaged,” Dave Pine, a member of the Board of Supervisors told Reuters. Until then, “I personally think it would be appropriate to have a moratorium on their use.” Most independent researchers who have studied Tasers say deaths are rare when they are used properly, but in a series of reports in 2017, Reuters found that many police officers are not trained properly on the risks and weapons are often misused. Reuters was able to obtain cause-of-death data for 779 of the 1,081 deaths it has documented and the Taser has deemed a cause or contributing factor in 21 per cent of those. Axon Enterprise Inc, the Taser’s manufacturer, says most deaths involving the weapons are a result of drug use, underlying physiological conditions, such as heart problems, or other police force used along with the Taser. Axon argues that most cause-of-death rulings implicating its weapons are misinformed and said in an email that Tasers albeit "not risk-free" are "the safest and effective less-lethal use of force tool available to law enforcement.” RECOGNIZING THE RISKS Reuters reporting, which included the most complete accounting to date of fatalities following Taser shocks, showed that many cases involved high-risk subjects, such as people agitated by drugs or mental illness, people with heart problems, people who are very young or very old or very frail. At least half those who died after Taser shocks last year fell into one or more of those categories. As in previous years, about 90 per cent were unarmed and nearly a quarter had a history of mental illness. As police departments have become more aware of Tasers’ risks and limitations, a growing number have restricted their use, says Chuck Wexler, executive director of the Police Executive Research Forum (PERF) think tank. Still, many officers remain unaware of the hazards when they encounter those vulnerable to a Taser's shock, Wexler warns. “That’s a big problem.” The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, one of the nation’s largest police forces, drafted a new Taser policy last year that would put new restrictions on the weapons' deployment, according to an official familiar with the initiative. The policy awaits final approval from the department’s new leadership, which took over after November’s elections. In Cincinnati, the police department is reviewing its Taser policy after an 11-year-old girl was shocked last year, said Lt. Steve Saunders, a spokesman. In Chula Vista, California, an automatic review is underway following the death of Jason Watts, 29, who died in October after police shocked him in a confrontation at a store, spokesman Capt. Phil Collum said. Public discourse over Tasers’ safety has been especially heated in San Francisco, where the Board of Supervisors voted in June to block funding for the police department’s long-debated plan to purchase the weapons. Nationally, there are no uniform standards governing police use of Tasers, although PERF and the International Association of Chiefs of Police offer model guidelines that warn against using Tasers on vulnerable populations and limit the number and duration of shocks during deployment. Axon said it offers police departments “the latest public-safety best practices and training” for Taser use, including warnings about vulnerable populations. The company also offers “de-escalation training” to help officers resolve conflicts without Tasers, as well as “empathy training for special populations, including the mentally ill.” CONCERNS IN SAN MATEO In San Mateo, the county coroner ruled the death of Ramzi Saad a homicide: "cardiac arrest occurring during physical exertion, physical restraint and tasering." Police visited the Redwood City home where Saad, 55, lived with his mother on Aug. 13 after a neighbour witnessed him shoving his mother during an argument and called 911. Saad, who suffered from schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, diabetes, and high blood pressure, was shocked with a Taser at least twice after threatening an officer, then lost consciousness as he was pinned to the ground by other police, investigators later found. He was pronounced dead at the hospital. Stephen Wagstaffe, the county’s district attorney, found the officers’ response justified, but the second death in 2018 after a Taser shock made local officials take notice. Two months later, the questions about Taser use grew more urgent: Chinedu Okobi, 36, died on October 3 after being shocked by San Mateo County Sheriff's deputies in Millbrae. The deaths have raised major concerns, Wagstaffe told Reuters. He said he has directed staff “to come up with as much information as possible on Taser-related deaths." The results of the fact-gathering exercise will go to the sheriff and the county’s 15 municipal police chiefs “to help them in their judgment on the future use of Tasers,” Wagstaffe said. The district attorney is conducting a separate, formal investigation into whether the deputies who confronted Okobi before his death committed any crimes. That inquiry should be completed by the end of the month and will be made public, Wagstaffe told Reuters. While Pine favours a moratorium on Taser use during the review, several municipal police chiefs told Reuters they preferred to wait for Wagstaffe’s Okobi investigation before deciding whether to alter policies. The sheriff’s department, which operates countywide, is against a moratorium. Carlos Bolanos, the San Mateo County Sheriff, said he was awaiting results of Wagstaffe's report into Okobi's death before his department conducts its own internal review into the death. Meanwhile, Okobi’s death has become a flashpoint in the county’s debate over Taser use. The sheriff's department and Okobi's sister Ebele, a Facebook executive, have offered conflicting accounts about the events surrounding Okobi's death. The Board of Supervisors will hold a public meeting on February 11 to discuss law enforcement's Taser use. Presenters will include officials from Axon, the county sheriff's office, the American Civil Liberties Union and Dr Zian Tseng, a cardiologist, Pine said.

As death toll keeps rising, US communities start rethinking Taser use

Big Pacific storms are set to dump up to seven feet (2.1 meters) of snow in <a href="https://www.google.com/url?q=http://www.wionews.com/world/california-police-use-genealogy-websites-to-arrest-suspect-in-1990s-rapes-189698&amp;sa=U&amp;ved=0ahUKEwjb5bjWvPHfAhXLgI8KHaO_DNAQFggFMAA&amp;client=internal-uds-cse&amp;cx=006054055338965708568:09spwrlibei&amp;usg=AOvVaw1LDPW6_X1njSfGUVNduApC">California</a>'s Sierra Nevada mountains and several inches of rain elsewhere in the state, forcing evacuations in areas at risk to mudslides.

The first storm moved over Southern California on Tuesday, with rainfall of up to 3 inches (7.6 cm) expected in parts of Los Angeles and Ventura Counties and up to 4.5 inches (11.4) in the Santa Monica Mountains, the National Weather Service (NWS) reported.

Police in Los Angeles and Santa Barbara counties ordered evacuations from areas damaged by last year's wildfires because of the risk heavy rain would trigger mud and debris flows on charred hillsides.

Significant road closures and travel delays were possible in the Los Angeles area given risks of flash flooding and rockslides, the NWS reported.

An even bigger storm was brewing out at sea and set to hit the coast on Wednesday, Accuweather reported.

Areas north of Santa Barbara were likely to see up to 3 inches (7.6 cm) of rain. As much as seven feet of snow was possible over 6,000 feet (1,829 meters) in the Sierra Nevada mountains.

"The big one is still out in the middle of the Pacific," said AccuWeather meteorologist John Gresiak. "It`s a very powerful storm."

The weather is a boon for California`s farmers and ski areas, given most of the state is recovering from years of drought, according to the United States Drought Monitor.&nbsp;

The wild weather is the result of moisture-laden winds from the Pacific known as "atmospheric rivers."&nbsp;

The first storm will reach the U.S. Midwest and Northeast on Thursday and Friday, gathering more moisture from the Gulf of Mexico. The second storm will hit the central and eastern United States through the weekend, Gresiak said.

Big Pacific storms are set to dump up to seven feet (2.1 meters) of snow in California's Sierra Nevada mountains and several inches of rain elsewhere in the state, forcing evacuations in areas at risk to mudslides.

Big Pacific storms are set to dump up to seven feet (2.1 meters) of snow in California's Sierra Nevada mountains and several inches of rain elsewhere in the state, forcing evacuations in areas at risk to mudslides. The first storm moved over Southern California on Tuesday, with rainfall of up to 3 inches (7.6 cm) expected in parts of Los Angeles and Ventura Counties and up to 4.5 inches (11.4) in the Santa Monica Mountains, the National Weather Service (NWS) reported. Police in Los Angeles and Santa Barbara counties ordered evacuations from areas damaged by last year's wildfires because of the risk heavy rain would trigger mud and debris flows on charred hillsides. Significant road closures and travel delays were possible in the Los Angeles area given risks of flash flooding and rockslides, the NWS reported. An even bigger storm was brewing out at sea and set to hit the coast on Wednesday, Accuweather reported. Areas north of Santa Barbara were likely to see up to 3 inches (7.6 cm) of rain. As much as seven feet of snow was possible over 6,000 feet (1,829 meters) in the Sierra Nevada mountains. "The big one is still out in the middle of the Pacific," said AccuWeather meteorologist John Gresiak. "It`s a very powerful storm." The weather is a boon for California`s farmers and ski areas, given most of the state is recovering from years of drought, according to the United States Drought Monitor. The wild weather is the result of moisture-laden winds from the Pacific known as "atmospheric rivers." The first storm will reach the U.S. Midwest and Northeast on Thursday and Friday, gathering more moisture from the Gulf of Mexico. The second storm will hit the central and eastern United States through the weekend, Gresiak said.

California storms to dump up to 7 feet snow

Some 30,000 striking Los Angeles teachers demanding higher pay, smaller classes and more support staff from the nation`s second-largest school district walked picket lines for a second day on Tuesday, with no new talks on the horizon.

Negotiators for the Los Angeles Unified School District and the United Teachers Los Angeles have not met since union leaders rejected the LAUSD`s latest contract offer on Friday night, calling the proposal an "insult."

Asked on Tuesday afternoon whether the two sides had any intention of returning to the bargaining table, an LAUSD spokeswoman said: "Nothing is scheduled at this time."

The strike, shattering 30 years of labor peace by Los Angeles teachers, has not completely idled instruction in the sprawling district encompassing some 1,200 schools.

The district has enlisted administrators and substitute teachers to keep classes open on a limited basis through the strike, although LAUSD reported only about a third of its 492,000 public school students showed up on the first day of the walkout.

About 148,000 additional students are enrolled in LAUSD`s independently managed charter schools and have been unaffected for the most part by this week`s labor strife.

On Tuesday, however, a group of no more than four dozen unionized teachers at three LAUSD charter schools operated by a company called The Accelerated Schools walked off the job in a separate dispute they said was focused on job security.

It marked only the second charter school strike in the nation and the first in California, said Randi Weingarten, president of the American Federation of Teachers parent union.

The Los Angeles walkout followed a wave of teachers` strikes across the United States over pay and school funding, including in West Virginia, Kentucky, Oklahoma and Arizona. Denver teachers could vote to strike by Saturday if no deal on a new contract is reached by then.&nbsp;

SYMPATHY FOR TEACHERS

Public sympathy appeared strongly aligned with the Los Angeles teachers` union, with more than three-quarters of those polled by Loyola Marymount University`s Center for the Study of Los Angeles saying they supported the teachers.

The survey, released on Tuesday, showed strike support running at 60 per cent or more across all demographic groups, including age, income and political leanings. Among parents with children at home, support topped 82 per cent, a finding reflected in the presence of many parents seen walking picket lines with the teachers, despite the inconvenience the strike posed for working families.

Aside from the education disruption, the teachers` strike could have implications for the political aspirations of Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti, considered a likely contender for the 2020 Democratic presidential nomination.

Garcetti expressed support for the striking teachers on Tuesday, telling Reuters at a teachers` rally on Tuesday that the strike "is an important and righteous fight about the soul of our schools. Every parent, every kid deserves a decent-sized classroom where teachers aren’t overwhelmed by the numbers." 
&nbsp; 
The mayor previously avoided taking sides in the dispute, over which he has little practical sway because the LAUSD is governed by an independently elected school board that appoints its superintendent.

The two sides remained at loggerheads on how much the district needs to invest in hiring staff, including nurses, librarians and other support staff. 
Superintendent Austin Beutner said the district had offered staff increases that would cost $130 million a year - more than county officials have said is available - while the union`s demands would cost $800 million.

Beutner offered to join teachers in lobbying state lawmakers to increase education funding. "Join me on the bus," he said. "Let`s go."

UTLA negotiators want a 6.5 per cent pay raise. Teacher pay currently averages $75,000 in the LAUSD, according to state figures. The district has offered a 6 per cent hike with back pay.

Some 30,000 striking Los Angeles teachers demanding higher pay, smaller classes and more support staff from the nation`s second-largest school district walked picket lines for a second day on Tuesday, with no new talks on the horizon.

Some 30,000 striking Los Angeles teachers demanding higher pay, smaller classes and more support staff from the nation`s second-largest school district walked picket lines for a second day on Tuesday, with no new talks on the horizon. Negotiators for the Los Angeles Unified School District and the United Teachers Los Angeles have not met since union leaders rejected the LAUSD`s latest contract offer on Friday night, calling the proposal an "insult." Asked on Tuesday afternoon whether the two sides had any intention of returning to the bargaining table, an LAUSD spokeswoman said: "Nothing is scheduled at this time." The strike, shattering 30 years of labor peace by Los Angeles teachers, has not completely idled instruction in the sprawling district encompassing some 1,200 schools. The district has enlisted administrators and substitute teachers to keep classes open on a limited basis through the strike, although LAUSD reported only about a third of its 492,000 public school students showed up on the first day of the walkout. About 148,000 additional students are enrolled in LAUSD`s independently managed charter schools and have been unaffected for the most part by this week`s labor strife. On Tuesday, however, a group of no more than four dozen unionized teachers at three LAUSD charter schools operated by a company called The Accelerated Schools walked off the job in a separate dispute they said was focused on job security. It marked only the second charter school strike in the nation and the first in California, said Randi Weingarten, president of the American Federation of Teachers parent union. The Los Angeles walkout followed a wave of teachers` strikes across the United States over pay and school funding, including in West Virginia, Kentucky, Oklahoma and Arizona. Denver teachers could vote to strike by Saturday if no deal on a new contract is reached by then. SYMPATHY FOR TEACHERS Public sympathy appeared strongly aligned with the Los Angeles teachers` union, with more than three-quarters of those polled by Loyola Marymount University`s Center for the Study of Los Angeles saying they supported the teachers. The survey, released on Tuesday, showed strike support running at 60 per cent or more across all demographic groups, including age, income and political leanings. Among parents with children at home, support topped 82 per cent, a finding reflected in the presence of many parents seen walking picket lines with the teachers, despite the inconvenience the strike posed for working families. Aside from the education disruption, the teachers` strike could have implications for the political aspirations of Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti, considered a likely contender for the 2020 Democratic presidential nomination. Garcetti expressed support for the striking teachers on Tuesday, telling Reuters at a teachers` rally on Tuesday that the strike "is an important and righteous fight about the soul of our schools. Every parent, every kid deserves a decent-sized classroom where teachers aren’t overwhelmed by the numbers." The mayor previously avoided taking sides in the dispute, over which he has little practical sway because the LAUSD is governed by an independently elected school board that appoints its superintendent. The two sides remained at loggerheads on how much the district needs to invest in hiring staff, including nurses, librarians and other support staff. Superintendent Austin Beutner said the district had offered staff increases that would cost $130 million a year - more than county officials have said is available - while the union`s demands would cost $800 million. Beutner offered to join teachers in lobbying state lawmakers to increase education funding. "Join me on the bus," he said. "Let`s go." UTLA negotiators want a 6.5 per cent pay raise. Teacher pay currently averages $75,000 in the LAUSD, according to state figures. The district has offered a 6 per cent hike with back pay.

Los Angeles 'teachers' strike extends to second day with no talks on horizon

A California man has been arrested in connection to rapes committed in the 1990s after his DNA was linked to the crime scenes through commercial genealogy websites, which initially turned up both the suspect and his twin, police said on Friday.

Kevin Konther, 53, was taken into custody on Thursday at his home in Southern California and booked on suspicion of rape, kidnapping and child sexual abuse, Orange County Sheriff's spokeswoman Carrie Braun said. One of the victims was nine years old at the time of the attack.

Konther was identified as a suspect by sheriff's detectives using techniques similar to those used in recent years to help solve a number of older crimes. Last year, a 73-year-old former police officer was arrested over the 'Golden State Killer' string of murders and rapes across California in the 1970s and 1980s.

In investigating the 1990s rapes, which were committed in Orange County, investigators working with the Federal Bureau of Investigation compared DNA samples collected at two crime scenes to that found on the websites used by consumers to trace their ancestry, Braun said.

Detectives use the sites to follow the family trees of matches, seeking blood relatives who roughly fit the profile of the suspected criminal.

Both Konther and his twin brother were taken into custody on Thursday before investigators identified Konther as the suspect and released his brother, who has not been publicly identified, Braun said. She declined to name the website used or the family member whose DNA led to the suspect.

Konther was being held in lieu of $1 million bail pending an initial court appearance scheduled for Monday, where he will be arraigned on two counts of felony rape, oral copulation on a child under the age of 14, lewd and lascivious acts on a child under 14 and aggravated sexual assault.

The sheriff's department asked the public to come forward with any information about the case. It was not immediately clear if Konther had retained an attorney.

The nine-year-old victim was walking home from a Lake Forest, California convenience store on the evening of October 21, 1995, when a man pulled her into a wooded area and raped her, according to the sheriff's department.

Three years later, a 31-year-old woman jogging on a trail in Mission Viejo, California, was pulled into the bushes by a man who raped her before fleeing.

Both victims reported the attacks to police but for more than two decades the DNA collected did not match any suspects in an FBI database, Braun said.

A California man has been arrested in connection to rapes committed in the 1990s after his DNA was linked to the crime scenes through commercial genealogy websites, which initially turned up both the suspect and his twin, police said on Friday.

A California man has been arrested in connection to rapes committed in the 1990s after his DNA was linked to the crime scenes through commercial genealogy websites, which initially turned up both the suspect and his twin, police said on Friday. Kevin Konther, 53, was taken into custody on Thursday at his home in Southern California and booked on suspicion of rape, kidnapping and child sexual abuse, Orange County Sheriff's spokeswoman Carrie Braun said. One of the victims was nine years old at the time of the attack. Konther was identified as a suspect by sheriff's detectives using techniques similar to those used in recent years to help solve a number of older crimes. Last year, a 73-year-old former police officer was arrested over the 'Golden State Killer' string of murders and rapes across California in the 1970s and 1980s. In investigating the 1990s rapes, which were committed in Orange County, investigators working with the Federal Bureau of Investigation compared DNA samples collected at two crime scenes to that found on the websites used by consumers to trace their ancestry, Braun said. Detectives use the sites to follow the family trees of matches, seeking blood relatives who roughly fit the profile of the suspected criminal. Both Konther and his twin brother were taken into custody on Thursday before investigators identified Konther as the suspect and released his brother, who has not been publicly identified, Braun said. She declined to name the website used or the family member whose DNA led to the suspect. Konther was being held in lieu of $1 million bail pending an initial court appearance scheduled for Monday, where he will be arraigned on two counts of felony rape, oral copulation on a child under the age of 14, lewd and lascivious acts on a child under 14 and aggravated sexual assault. The sheriff's department asked the public to come forward with any information about the case. It was not immediately clear if Konther had retained an attorney. The nine-year-old victim was walking home from a Lake Forest, California convenience store on the evening of October 21, 1995, when a man pulled her into a wooded area and raped her, according to the sheriff's department. Three years later, a 31-year-old woman jogging on a trail in Mission Viejo, California, was pulled into the bushes by a man who raped her before fleeing. Both victims reported the attacks to police but for more than two decades the DNA collected did not match any suspects in an FBI database, Braun said.

California police use genealogy websites to arrest suspect in 1990s rapes

The US Supreme Court on Monday rejected the latest challenge to California`s ban on foie gras, a delicacy produced from the enlarged livers of ducks and geese that have been force-fed corn.

The court declined to hear an appeal by producers of foie gras, including the Association des Eleveurs de Canards et d`Oies du Quebec, a Canadian nonprofit that represents duck and goose farmers. In doing so, the high court left intact a 2017 ruling by the San Francisco-based 9th US Circuit Court of Appeals upholding the law.

Animal rights groups contend that the force-feeding process is painful, gruesome and inhumane.

California enacted the law in 2004 but it did not go into effect until 2012. The Supreme Court in 2014 rejected an earlier appeal brought by producers and restaurants.

Foie gras means "fatty liver" in French. The product is produced by force-feeding corn to ducks and geese to enlarge their livers, which are harvested to make gourmet dishes.

The law specifically bans any product created by "force feeding a bird for the purpose of enlarging the bird`s liver beyond a normal size."&nbsp; 
&nbsp;

The US Supreme Court on Monday rejected the latest challenge to California`s ban on foie gras, a delicacy produced from the enlarged livers of ducks and geese that have been force-fed corn.

The US Supreme Court on Monday rejected the latest challenge to California`s ban on foie gras, a delicacy produced from the enlarged livers of ducks and geese that have been force-fed corn. The court declined to hear an appeal by producers of foie gras, including the Association des Eleveurs de Canards et d`Oies du Quebec, a Canadian nonprofit that represents duck and goose farmers. In doing so, the high court left intact a 2017 ruling by the San Francisco-based 9th US Circuit Court of Appeals upholding the law. Animal rights groups contend that the force-feeding process is painful, gruesome and inhumane. California enacted the law in 2004 but it did not go into effect until 2012. The Supreme Court in 2014 rejected an earlier appeal brought by producers and restaurants. Foie gras means "fatty liver" in French. The product is produced by force-feeding corn to ducks and geese to enlarge their livers, which are harvested to make gourmet dishes. The law specifically bans any product created by "force feeding a bird for the purpose of enlarging the bird`s liver beyond a normal size."

US Supreme Court rejects challenge to California foie gras ban

Three men were killed and four wounded in a shooting at a bowling alley in the Los Angeles suburb of Torrance and police said early on Saturday they were searching for a suspect or suspects.

The incident followed a fight at the Gable House Bowl, a bowling alley and arcade that also offers laser tag, according to local media.

The Torrance Police Department said officers responded to a shot-fired call at the location found multiple gunshot victims. Two men were taken to hospital, two opted to seek their own medical attention, and three were pronounced dead at the scene.

"Investigators are currently conducting a follow-up investigation, and are working to identify the suspect(s) involved," the department said in a statement.

Customers described a fight before the gunshots rang out. 
"We just ran into the bar and we just took cover because after the fight we heard 'pop! pop!" Gable House Bowl patron Jesus Perez told the Los Angeles Times.

Torrance is about 25 miles (40 km) south of Los Angeles.

Three men were killed and four wounded in a shooting at a bowling alley in the Los Angeles suburb of Torrance and police said early on Saturday they were searching for a suspect or suspects.

Three men were killed and four wounded in a shooting at a bowling alley in the Los Angeles suburb of Torrance and police said early on Saturday they were searching for a suspect or suspects. The incident followed a fight at the Gable House Bowl, a bowling alley and arcade that also offers laser tag, according to local media. The Torrance Police Department said officers responded to a shot-fired call at the location found multiple gunshot victims. Two men were taken to hospital, two opted to seek their own medical attention, and three were pronounced dead at the scene. "Investigators are currently conducting a follow-up investigation, and are working to identify the suspect(s) involved," the department said in a statement. Customers described a fight before the gunshots rang out. "We just ran into the bar and we just took cover because after the fight we heard 'pop! pop!" Gable House Bowl patron Jesus Perez told the Los Angeles Times. Torrance is about 25 miles (40 km) south of Los Angeles.

Three killed, four wounded in California bowling alley shooting: Police

california

California, News on California, stories on California, articles on California, California stories at Wion, California news, California latest news