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Article Icon 1WHCD Shooter Identified as Torrance Man

Federal authorities identified a 31-year-old Torrance man as the suspected gunman who opened fire outside the White House Correspondents’ Dinner (WHCD) Saturday night.

Cole Tomas Allen charged a security checkpoint at the Washington Hilton armed with a shotgun, handgun, and multiple knives, striking one agent whose bulletproof vest stopped the round. President Trump and Vice President JD Vance were evacuated as officers cleared the ballroom.

U.S. Attorney for D.C. Jeanine Pirro announced charges of using a firearm during a crime of violence and assault on a federal officer, with more expected. “This individual was intent on doing as much harm and as much damage as he could,” Pirro said.

Allen graduated from Caltech in 2017, interned at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in 2014, and tutors at C2 Education in Torrance. Investigators say he left writings indicating he intended to target Trump administration officials and appears to have acted alone. He is due in court today.

Article Icon 1Voter ID Measure Qualifies for Ballot

California voters will decide in November whether to require government-issued ID at the polls and expand citizenship verification requirements, after Secretary of State Shirley Weber confirmed Friday the initiative cleared the signature threshold.

The constitutional amendment would require a government-issued ID at polling places and the last four digits of an ID number for mail-in ballots. It would also require annual county reports on citizenship verification rates.

Assemblymember Carl DeMaio, R-San Diego, who led the signature drive, said the measure aims to bolster public trust in elections. Backers submitted enough signatures to exceed the roughly 875,000 required.

Opponents, including the League of Women Voters and American Civil Liberties Union, say the requirement could disadvantage older, low-income, and disabled voters lacking current identification. A 2026 UC Berkeley poll found 85% of Republicans favor the measure compared with 38% of Democrats.

Article Icon 1Lodi Hunter Killed by Charging Elephants

A 75-year-old Lodi vineyard owner and big-game hunter was killed by a charging elephant herd while on a guided hunt in central Africa on April 17.

Ernie Dosio, owner of Modesto-based Pacific AgriLands and a fixture in the Lodi wine community, was hunting yellow-backed duikers in Gabon’s Lope-Okanda rainforest. His party stumbled into five female elephants with a calf, which charged.

Dosio’s professional guide was injured in the attack.

Dosio served on the Lodi Winegrape Commission and was known for charity work supporting local agriculture groups. His body is being repatriated to California with help from the U.S. Embassy in Gabon.

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Northern California

Fairfield: Large crowds gathered at Travis Air Force Base over the weekend for the biennial Wings Over Solano air show, headlined by the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds. (See Details)

➤ Sacramento: Gov. Gavin Newsom on Friday announced three $50,000 rewards for information leading to the arrest and conviction in unsolved Northern California homicides: the 2014 and 2021 killings of Marc Thompson and Tyler Dickson in Butte County, and the 2015 shooting of Anthony Baraja in a Sacramento Home Depot parking lot. (See Details)

➤ Smith River: Sens. Alex Padilla and Adam Schiff and Rep. Jared Huffman announced $2.5 million in federal funds for a pedestrian bridge over Highway 101 on Tolowa Dee-ni’ Nation tribal lands near the Oregon border, citing decades of close calls and pedestrian incidents at the crossing. (See Details)


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Central California

Avenal: A Kings County Superior Court judge denied the city’s bid to halt Tuesday’s recall election targeting four council members, ruling Avenal had cooperated with county officials for six months before challenging their authority. Ballots have already been mailed and voting is underway. (More)

➤ McFarland: ICE activated the 700-bed Central Valley Annex, its eighth California detention center, at a former Kern County prison operated by GEO Group. The facility began housing detainees within the past two weeks under an existing intergovernmental services agreement, contributing to a statewide detention capacity of nearly 10,000 beds. (See Details)

➤ Fresno: A 144th Fighter Wing F-15 lost its canopy Saturday after a flyover at the Clovis Rodeo, prompting an emergency landing at Fresno Yosemite International Airport. The pilot circled to burn off fuel before landing safely, with no injuries reported. (More)


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Southern California

Brea: The Carbon Fire in unincorporated Brea reached 30% containment Sunday morning after burning about 200 acres. Some evacuation warnings were lifted, though others remain in place, and Carbon Canyon Road is closed between Brea Hills Avenue and Ruby Street. No structures have been reported damaged. (See Details)

➤ Agoura Hills: Project leaders last week set a Dec. 2 ribbon-cutting for the Wallis Annenberg Wildlife Crossing over the 101 Freeway, the largest wildlife bridge in the world. The 10-lane span broke ground on Earth Day 2022 to reconnect mountain lion habitat split by the highway. (More)

➤ Riverside County: A 3.6 magnitude earthquake struck near the Stagecoach festival grounds Sunday morning. No injuries or damage were immediately reported, officials said. (More)


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California Sports

➤ The San Diego Wave erased a two-goal deficit in Denver, scoring three times in 16 minutes for a 3-2 road win over the expansion Summit. The Wave sit atop NWSL standings with a five-game win streak. (More)

➤ UCLA had zero players selected in the 2026 NFL Draft, the program’s first shutout since 2012. (More)

ESPN’s Mel Kiper gave the Chargers a B, the Rams a C+, and the 49ers a C in his 2026 NFL Draft grades. (See Grades)

Yesterday’s Results: NBA | NHL | MLB | NCAAB | NCAASB | Soccer | Golf | NASCAR

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California Business

Viva Supermarket owner and former Sacramento Councilmember Sean Loloee, 55, pleaded guilty last week to federal fraud charges tied to his grocery chain, including obstructing a labor probe, tax fraud, and laundering pandemic relief funds. (More)

California is awarding tax credits to 38 film and TV projects expected to generate nearly $800 million in economic activity, including The Simpsons Movie 2, Phineas and Ferb, and Black Is Blue.  (See Details)

San Francisco’s Ghirardelli Square has been purchased by Embrace Real Estate and 18-23 Partners. Financial terms were not disclosed. The new owners say they plan to keep the 12-building waterfront complex a premier destination for visitors. (See Details)

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Et Cetera

Trout season opened statewide Saturday, with state wildlife officials reporting all lakes up to 10,000 feet are ice-free heading into opening weekend. Anglers 16 and older need a fishing license, and the daily limit is five trout. (More)

➤ Folsom topped U.S. News & World Report’s 2025-26 list of the 161 best places to live in California, followed by Palo Alto, Cupertino, San Ramon, and Encinitas. The rankings weighed quality of life, value, desirability, and job-market strength. (See Details)

➤ California-born pianist Ruth Slenczynska, the last living student of Sergei Rachmaninoff, has died at 101 at an assisted living facility. The child prodigy debuted with a Paris orchestra at age 7, played for five U.S. presidents, and recorded her final album in her 90s. (See Details)

A 50-foot red-and-white structure along Interstate 5 near Kettleman City has become a roadside curiosity after Bay Area artist Tacy Prins Woodlief listed it on Google Maps as “The Poleee,” spelled with three E’s, based on high school road trips. The listing drew a wave of playful, often fantastical reviews. (See Details)

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The Poll

Will you cast a line this trout season?

  1. Yes, already did this weekend
  2. Yes, at some point
  3. Maybe
  4. Not my thing

Friday’s Results:

Which sport new to the LA28 Olympics are you most excited to watch?

  1. None of them: 33%
  2. Softball: 16%
  3. Flag football: 15%
  4. Lacrosse: 14% 
  5. Cricket: 12%
  6. Squash: 10%
California Trivia

The Folsom Powerhouse, an 1895 hydroelectric plant on the American River, was among the first facilities in the U.S. to do what?

Show me the answer

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