Two weeks ago, Gov. Gavin Newsom of California announced he would be leading a delegation to the U.N. climate change summit in Scotland. Four days later, his office abruptly announced he had changed his mind.

“Family obligations” was all his office would say, refusing to publicly elaborate in a decision that, times being what they are, unleashed a barrage of conspiracy theories. Was the governor having a bad reaction to the COVID-19 booster shot he had just gotten? Were any of his children — he has four ages 12 and under — infected again with the coronavirus? No and no, Capitol sources said.

Allies of the governor noted that most parents would understand why a couple with four small children might not want to take an extended trip to Glasgow over Halloween. California environmentalists also suggested that he might not be so wrong to skip the annual climate conference, which many of them view as a jet-fuel-wasting spectacle.

In theory, California conservatives should also have welcomed the decision. When it appeared the governor might be summit-bound, Kevin Kiley, a Republican assemblyman who challenged the governor in the September recall election, wrote in a blog post that “in the absence of our jet-setting governor,” he was requesting a special session on the port crisis, holding oversight hearings on pandemic unemployment fraud, holding town hall events on the governor’s vaccine mandate for schoolchildren and calling for hearings on mask mandates in elementary school classrooms.

“If we don’t fight for California,” Kiley said, “no one will.”

In any case, the governor — who was to have arrived at the summit on Nov. 1 and taken a Nov. 4 return flight — stayed home, working at his Capitol office, according to his spokeswoman, Erin Mellon. Lt. Gov. Eleni Kounalakis, the former U.S. ambassador to Hungary, led the California delegation instead. Newsom released pictures of his family (dressed as pirates) at Halloween, announced some appointments and sent out some election night encouragement to fellow Democrats.

Nevertheless, as days passed with no public appearances, chatter persisted.

“I don’t know where Gavin Newsom is and won’t speculate,” Kiley tweeted on Sunday. “But it’s pretty strange for the Governor to disappear for 11 days without explanation.”

“Where’s Gavin?” demanded Charlie Kirk, the head of the right-wing activist group Turning Point USA.

“It’s funny how certain folks can’t handle truth,” Jennifer Siebel Newsom, the governor’s wife, shot back in a tweet that was subsequently deleted. “When someone cancels something, maybe they’re just in the office working; maybe in their free time they’re at home with their family, at their kids’ sports matches, or dining out with their wife. Please stop hating and get a life.”

By Monday, “Gavin Newsom” was trending on Twitter. Unsubstantiated conjecture included Bell’s palsy, death and that he “and Kamala Harris are in an undisclosed secret location.” Meanwhile, Vogue posted a photo spread from the lavish San Francisco wedding on Saturday of the heiress Ivy Getty, a family friend of Newsom, officiated by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. Guests in the background of at least one photo included the governor.

During a call with reporters, California senators at the Glasgow climate summit became increasingly frustrated with questions about the governor’s absence — once, twice and then a third time. Robert Hertzberg, a Democratic senator from Van Nuys, said the delegation got a heads-up that “a family issue” would keep Newsom from joining them in Scotland. He added that he didn’t know which events the governor would tune into virtually this week.

“There is nobody in California who wanted to be at this conference more than Gavin Newsom,” Hertzberg said on Monday. “But we’re all human beings, man, we’re all human beings — something clearly — he’s with his family. I don’t think it’s appropriate to further dig into it. I take him at face value. Whatever it is, it is. And sometimes you need to stay home.”

By the end of the day, the governor’s office had issued a statement: “Last week Gov. Newsom worked in the Capitol with staff on urgent issues including COVID-19 vaccines for kids, boosters, ports, the forthcoming state budget and California’s continued economic recovery. He will have public events this week related to the economy and vaccines.”

In an interview, Mellon said that the governor attended the Getty wedding ceremony but not the reception; that the wedding was not the family obligation that kept him in California; that he always had been scheduled to return before the weekend; that he had been in his office, alive and well, all day on Monday; and that she had spent an hour and a half with him.

No matter. As afternoon turned to evening in California, tweeters were still tweeting.

“Where is Gavin Newsom?” Kirk, the conservative activist, demanded — again.

Two weeks ago, Gov. Gavin Newsom of California announced he would be leading a delegation to the U.N. climate change summit in Scotland. Four days later, his office abruptly announced he had changed his mind.

Two weeks ago, Gov. Gavin Newsom of California announced he would be leading a delegation to the U.N. climate change summit in Scotland. Four days later, his office abruptly announced he had changed his mind. “Family obligations” was all his office would say, refusing to publicly elaborate in a decision that, times being what they are, unleashed a barrage of conspiracy theories. Was the governor having a bad reaction to the COVID-19 booster shot he had just gotten? Were any of his children — he has four ages 12 and under — infected again with the coronavirus? No and no, Capitol sources said. Allies of the governor noted that most parents would understand why a couple with four small children might not want to take an extended trip to Glasgow over Halloween. California environmentalists also suggested that he might not be so wrong to skip the annual climate conference, which many of them view as a jet-fuel-wasting spectacle. In theory, California conservatives should also have welcomed the decision. When it appeared the governor might be summit-bound, Kevin Kiley, a Republican assemblyman who challenged the governor in the September recall election, wrote in a blog post that “in the absence of our jet-setting governor,” he was requesting a special session on the port crisis, holding oversight hearings on pandemic unemployment fraud, holding town hall events on the governor’s vaccine mandate for schoolchildren and calling for hearings on mask mandates in elementary school classrooms. “If we don’t fight for California,” Kiley said, “no one will.” In any case, the governor — who was to have arrived at the summit on Nov. 1 and taken a Nov. 4 return flight — stayed home, working at his Capitol office, according to his spokeswoman, Erin Mellon. Lt. Gov. Eleni Kounalakis, the former U.S. ambassador to Hungary, led the California delegation instead. Newsom released pictures of his family (dressed as pirates) at Halloween, announced some appointments and sent out some election night encouragement to fellow Democrats. Nevertheless, as days passed with no public appearances, chatter persisted. “I don’t know where Gavin Newsom is and won’t speculate,” Kiley tweeted on Sunday. “But it’s pretty strange for the Governor to disappear for 11 days without explanation.” “Where’s Gavin?” demanded Charlie Kirk, the head of the right-wing activist group Turning Point USA. “It’s funny how certain folks can’t handle truth,” Jennifer Siebel Newsom, the governor’s wife, shot back in a tweet that was subsequently deleted. “When someone cancels something, maybe they’re just in the office working; maybe in their free time they’re at home with their family, at their kids’ sports matches, or dining out with their wife. Please stop hating and get a life.” By Monday, “Gavin Newsom” was trending on Twitter. Unsubstantiated conjecture included Bell’s palsy, death and that he “and Kamala Harris are in an undisclosed secret location.” Meanwhile, Vogue posted a photo spread from the lavish San Francisco wedding on Saturday of the heiress Ivy Getty, a family friend of Newsom, officiated by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. Guests in the background of at least one photo included the governor. During a call with reporters, California senators at the Glasgow climate summit became increasingly frustrated with questions about the governor’s absence — once, twice and then a third time. Robert Hertzberg, a Democratic senator from Van Nuys, said the delegation got a heads-up that “a family issue” would keep Newsom from joining them in Scotland. He added that he didn’t know which events the governor would tune into virtually this week. “There is nobody in California who wanted to be at this conference more than Gavin Newsom,” Hertzberg said on Monday. “But we’re all human beings, man, we’re all human beings — something clearly — he’s with his family. I don’t think it’s appropriate to further dig into it. I take him at face value. Whatever it is, it is. And sometimes you need to stay home.” By the end of the day, the governor’s office had issued a statement: “Last week Gov. Newsom worked in the Capitol with staff on urgent issues including COVID-19 vaccines for kids, boosters, ports, the forthcoming state budget and California’s continued economic recovery. He will have public events this week related to the economy and vaccines.” In an interview, Mellon said that the governor attended the Getty wedding ceremony but not the reception; that the wedding was not the family obligation that kept him in California; that he always had been scheduled to return before the weekend; that he had been in his office, alive and well, all day on Monday; and that she had spent an hour and a half with him. No matter. As afternoon turned to evening in California, tweeters were still tweeting. “Where is Gavin Newsom?” Kirk, the conservative activist, demanded — again.

Where’s Governor Gavin Newsom?

Californian officials warned on Saturday that "historic and extreme" wind conditions were set to fan raging wildfires in the north of the state as millions of residents face power cuts.

Californian officials warned on Saturday that "historic and extreme" wind conditions were set to fan raging wildfires in the north of the state as millions of residents face power cuts. Governor Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency as the so-called Kincade Fire spread to 23,700 acres (9,591 hectares) after breaking out on Wednesday in the Sonoma wine region. The blaze, which is burning in remote steep terrain, has destroyed about 50 structures and forced the evacuation of the small community of Geyserville and of nearby vineyard operations. "This is definitely an event that we're calling historic and extreme," David King, meteorologist for the US National Weather Service, told Saturday's Los Angeles Times. "What's making this event really substantial... is the amount of time that these winds are going to remain." Hot, intense winds are expected to pick up on Saturday and last into Monday. The state's largest utility, Pacific Gas & Electric Co., said it expected to cut off power to 850,000 customers -- a precautionary shutdown that local media say would affect about two million people. "The weather event could be the most powerful in California in decades," PG&E said, with dry northeast winds forecast to gust up to 70 miles per hour (112 kilometers per hour). "PG&E will need to turn off power for safety several hours before the potentially damaging winds arrive," it added. "Winds of this magnitude pose a higher risk of damage and sparks on the electric system and rapid wildfire spread." About 1,300 firefighters battled the Kincade Fire, which is only five percent contained, according to the California Department of Forestry and Protection. 'Don't know what to do' "I can't explain it," 70-year-old Tina Tavares, who was evacuated from her Geyserville home, told the San Francisco Chronicle. "It's like you're in a bad earthquake, the ground is opening up... and you're seeing it and don't know what to do." PG&E has come under fierce scrutiny after it reported that even though power had already been shut down to nearly 28,000 customers in Sonoma County this week, some high-voltage transmission lines were still operating when the fire broke out. The same type of lines was responsible for California's deadliest wildfire ever -- last year's Camp Fire, which killed 86 people. PG&E, which filed for bankruptcy protection earlier this year, has been blamed for several other fires in the state in recent years. Governor Newsom hit out at the company on Friday, saying it had put "profits over the people of California for too long." He said it was "infuriating beyond words" that a state such as California had to endure blackouts. "It's about dog-eat-dog capitalism meeting climate change," he said, referring to PG&E. "It's a story about greed, and they need to be held accountable." Further south in California, tens of thousands of residents near Santa Clarita, just north of Los Angeles, evacuated their homes this week as the so-called Tick Fire scorched over 4,000 acres. The blaze forced the shutdown of all schools in the area as well as a major freeway, creating traffic chaos for commuters. Some 1,325 firefighters backed by air tankers and helicopters battled the flames close to densely packed communities, with 10,000 structures at threat, officials said. Six homes were destroyed, though the number was expected to rise. Wildfires also erupted over the border in Mexico's Baja California state, where local civil protection authorities said on Friday that three people had been killed and over 150 homes destroyed. The state's director of civil protection, Antonio Rosquillas, said that the municipality of Tecate, bordering the United States, was worst hit.

Millions face power cuts as California fires spread

Hundreds of thousands of Californians were still without electricity due to pre-emptive blackouts Thursday as hot, windy conditions causing wildfires spread south toward Los Angeles, in a situation blasted as "unacceptable" by the state's governor.

Some 540,000 customers in <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/power-cut-to-millions-as-california-faces-heightened-wildfire-risks-254853">California remained in the dark </a>Thursday afternoon after Pacific Gas &amp; Electric began switching off power the previous day, in a bid to prevent a repeat of last year's catastrophic infernos which killed around 90 people.

Many schools and universities have closed in northern parts of the state and people stocked up on gasoline, water, batteries and other basics, with frustration mounting at blackouts condemned by some as "third world."

"We're seeing a scale and scope of something that no state in the 21st century should experience," Governor Gavin Newsom said Thursday, blaming decades of "neglect" and "mismanagement" by PG&amp;E.

"What has occurred in the last 48 hours is kids staying home from school, parents that can't bathe their kids," he added. "Folks that come home from work, can't even find a way to get into their garage. You've got people that can't even access water, or medical supplies.

"This can't be, respectfully, the new normal," Newsom said, noting that the current weather conditions were certain to return.

The power cuts enable utility companies to inspect high-voltage lines for damage during particularly flammable conditions caused by high winds and dry vegetation.

Newsom said blackouts were "an industry best practice" under dangerous conditions, but blamed PG&amp;E's failure to modernize its network for the current scale of power cuts.

PG&amp;E defended the shutoffs, telling a press conference that inspections Thursday had found multiple cases of damage that could have caused wildfires had the lines been live.

"We faced the choice here between hardship on everyone or safety -- and we chose safety," said CEO Bill Johnson. "And I do apologize for the hardship this has caused. I think we made the right call."

With high-risk "red flag" winds spreading to the Los Angeles area further south, around 13,000 customers of Southern California Edison had their electricity cut Thursday.

"A number of fires... are burning and there have been structures that have been lost," said Mark Ghilarducci, emergency services director at the governor's office.

Fire-fighting planes and helicopters were called in to tackle two fires east of Los Angeles which spread to a combined 900 acres (360 hectares), and were described by officials as "zero percent contained."

The local fire department said multiple structures were destroyed and "numerous medical emergencies" occurred at one of the fires.

In the far south of the state, San Diego Gas &amp; Electric warned 30,000 customers living in high-risk areas they could potentially lose their power if conditions worsen.

Urban Los Angeles itself was not expected to be at-risk, although police Wednesday night said they would clear some vulnerable homeless camps.

Several other small fires were reported further north but quickly tackled by firefighters.

PG&amp;E on Thursday had completed inspections on some power lines in its blackout regions, and had restored electricity to more than 228,000 customers by late afternoon.

But others may have to wait several days for inspections before normal service can be restored.

Last November, PG&amp;E's faulty power lines were determined to have sparked the deadliest wildfire in the state's modern history, which killed 86 and destroyed the town of Paradise.

Outdated facilities including vulnerable wooden poles and failure to deforest land surrounding high-voltage transmission lines were blamed for the inferno, causing PG&amp;E to go bankrupt in January.

The company agreed to pay an $11 billion settlement over the devastating wildfires in northern California.

"Those were decisions that were made by Pacific Gas and Electric -- they chose not to modernize their grid," said Newsom. "Over the course of many, many years, it led to their own demise, it led to bankruptcy."

The cost of 48 hours of power cuts could reach $2.6 billion, Michael Wara, an expert in energy and climate policy at Stanford University, told CNN.

Hundreds of thousands of Californians were still without electricity due to pre-emptive blackouts Thursday as hot, windy conditions causing wildfires spread south toward Los Angeles, in a situation blasted as "unacceptable" by the state's governor.

Hundreds of thousands of Californians were still without electricity due to pre-emptive blackouts Thursday as hot, windy conditions causing wildfires spread south toward Los Angeles, in a situation blasted as "unacceptable" by the state's governor. Some 540,000 customers in California remained in the dark Thursday afternoon after Pacific Gas & Electric began switching off power the previous day, in a bid to prevent a repeat of last year's catastrophic infernos which killed around 90 people. Many schools and universities have closed in northern parts of the state and people stocked up on gasoline, water, batteries and other basics, with frustration mounting at blackouts condemned by some as "third world." "We're seeing a scale and scope of something that no state in the 21st century should experience," Governor Gavin Newsom said Thursday, blaming decades of "neglect" and "mismanagement" by PG&E. "What has occurred in the last 48 hours is kids staying home from school, parents that can't bathe their kids," he added. "Folks that come home from work, can't even find a way to get into their garage. You've got people that can't even access water, or medical supplies. "This can't be, respectfully, the new normal," Newsom said, noting that the current weather conditions were certain to return. The power cuts enable utility companies to inspect high-voltage lines for damage during particularly flammable conditions caused by high winds and dry vegetation. Newsom said blackouts were "an industry best practice" under dangerous conditions, but blamed PG&E's failure to modernize its network for the current scale of power cuts. PG&E defended the shutoffs, telling a press conference that inspections Thursday had found multiple cases of damage that could have caused wildfires had the lines been live. "We faced the choice here between hardship on everyone or safety -- and we chose safety," said CEO Bill Johnson. "And I do apologize for the hardship this has caused. I think we made the right call." With high-risk "red flag" winds spreading to the Los Angeles area further south, around 13,000 customers of Southern California Edison had their electricity cut Thursday. "A number of fires... are burning and there have been structures that have been lost," said Mark Ghilarducci, emergency services director at the governor's office. Fire-fighting planes and helicopters were called in to tackle two fires east of Los Angeles which spread to a combined 900 acres (360 hectares), and were described by officials as "zero percent contained." The local fire department said multiple structures were destroyed and "numerous medical emergencies" occurred at one of the fires. In the far south of the state, San Diego Gas & Electric warned 30,000 customers living in high-risk areas they could potentially lose their power if conditions worsen. Urban Los Angeles itself was not expected to be at-risk, although police Wednesday night said they would clear some vulnerable homeless camps. Several other small fires were reported further north but quickly tackled by firefighters. PG&E on Thursday had completed inspections on some power lines in its blackout regions, and had restored electricity to more than 228,000 customers by late afternoon. But others may have to wait several days for inspections before normal service can be restored. Last November, PG&E's faulty power lines were determined to have sparked the deadliest wildfire in the state's modern history, which killed 86 and destroyed the town of Paradise. Outdated facilities including vulnerable wooden poles and failure to deforest land surrounding high-voltage transmission lines were blamed for the inferno, causing PG&E to go bankrupt in January. The company agreed to pay an $11 billion settlement over the devastating wildfires in northern California. "Those were decisions that were made by Pacific Gas and Electric -- they chose not to modernize their grid," said Newsom. "Over the course of many, many years, it led to their own demise, it led to bankruptcy." The cost of 48 hours of power cuts could reach $2.6 billion, Michael Wara, an expert in energy and climate policy at Stanford University, told CNN.

'Unacceptable' power cuts blasted as California fire risk spreads south

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