County in the Greater LA area, California
A crash on Los Alisos Boulevard in Mission Viejo has claimed one life and left another person in critical condition. Police say a racing scenario involving two Nissan Infiniti drivers led to the fatal collision. A GoFundMe has been launched to cover funeral costs, while a memorial has formed at the crash site.
A California arbitration has held Uber liable for the actions of its driver, ruling the company is vicariously liable for a passenger-killing incident in Orange County. The arbitrator described Uber as more than a platform, and the award is not binding beyond this case.
Wildfire risk rises across California as strong Santa Ana winds, low humidity, and heat prompt public-safety power shutoffs in multiple counties. Authorities warn residents to prepare and utilities say they are pre-deploying crews and coordinating with state agencies.
Two Chinese men have been detained after flying from Mexico to John Wayne Airport on Aug. 26 with U.S. passports that did not match their biometric data, federal prosecutors have said. Authorities say the men bought the passports in Mexico, surrendered their Chinese passports, and planned to return the U.S. documents to an intermediary contacted via WeChat.
El Niño is strengthening, bringing risks of floods, heat and rising seas. California officials warn of a potentially historic winter as climate pressures strain infrastructure and communities prepare for extreme weather and food impacts.
A cluster of wildfires, including the Norte Fire in Orange County, is expanding under Santa Ana winds. Six homes have been damaged or destroyed. Firefighting teams are attacking the blazes from the ground and air, with evacuations continuing and power disruptions reported in parts of the region.
The US ground stop has disrupted flights nationwide for hours, with officials attributing the outage to overloaded, decades-old air traffic control equipment. The airspace has reopened, but investigators warn it will take time to unwind the disruption and restore normal operations.