Those states include Michigan, Minnesota, Georgia, New Jersey and South Dakota. In Minnesota specifically, more than 30 community water systems were impacted, CBS News previously learned.

In Georgia, the Clayton County Water Authority, which serves 300,000 customers in the Atlanta area, said cyber activity last month caused a water pressure drop and forced the agency to issue a boil water advisory. Service was restored within hours, however.

Some utilities have lost critical remote-control capabilities, forcing operators to switch to manual mode. In several cases, the hackers gained remote access to pumps, valves and water pressure. 

So far, according to officials, the cyberattacks have had no impact on drinking water, which has remained safe.

On July 30, the FBI, Environmental Protection Agency and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency all warned that cyber threat actors had remotely accessed online infrastructure for water and wastewater systems in at least seven states, "resulting in a loss of monitoring and control functionality." 

The water agencies were advised to disconnect their operating programs from the internet and strengthen their password protections and firewalls.

While federal investigators suspect Iran-backed hackers are behind the attacks, they have not made any formal attribution.

The tactics resemble a 2023 campaign by the CyberAv3ngers, a group linked to the Iranian Revolutionary Guard, which tapped into water-system controllers using default passwords.

California Highway Patrol officers say that the incident happened at around 10:10 p.m. near Mile Marker 26-50. For unknown reasons, the car veered off the side and ended about 200 feet below. 

Search and Rescue teams with the Los Angeles County Fire Department were also called to the scene, where they began working to extricate the people inside the vehicle. They said that a helicopter was en route to try airlifting the victims to safety at around 11 p.m., but later canceled the request.

Three passengers were taken to hospitals in stable condition and one person was pronounced dead at the scene. 

As of Thursday morning, the CHP said both sides of the highway remain closed. Traffic is being redirected to the Angeles Forest Highway until emergency crews leave the scene. 

In a post to Facebook, the veterinary center said Jackie received a contrast CT scan and a bone marrow biopsy. She's been under the center's care for more than two weeks after she was rescued following a fight with two other eagles.

The center added that she recovered well from anesthesia and is now resting in her recovery enclosure with supplemental oxygen.

"Our veterinary team, together with our scientific advisory council and consulting specialists, are now reviewing today's findings alongside her previous test results," the center said. "Additional lab work is still pending. We will share a more comprehensive update once we have had the opportunity to review everything."

Jackie and her partner, Shadow, have gained fame after being observed for years on the Big Bear Eagle Nest Cam, run by the nonprofit Friends of Big Bear Valley. As a couple, they've hatched and raised several eaglets, including Sandy and Luna, who hatched in April.

In their own blog post, the FOBBV asked the public to allow Ojai Raptor Center to keep doing its job without interruption. 

"Ojai will give updates when they have any new information to report," the blog reads. "They are doing their best to treat Jackie with supportive care while trying to find the root cause of her illness."

The FOBBV told the public not to call, text or show up at Ojai Raptor Center's doors.

"There is a petition out there, that FOBBV does not support, demanding updates for the public. None of us are entitled to any information, this petition does nothing for Jackie, hinders her care team and only heightens people's anxiety over the situation," FOBBV said. "It is a disappointment to see individuals leaving nasty comments on Ojai Raptor Center's Facebook updates and elsewhere. Their goal is to get Jackie healthy and release her back to her territory, please let them do their job."

Officers said they were called to the 7600 block of Van Nuys Boulevard at 8:12 a.m. for reports of a home invasion and kidnapping. By the time they arrived, however, police said that the suspect, who hasn't yet been identified, had already fled from the area in a black Ford Explorer.

The department said the suspect allegedly kidnapped a 3-year-old boy.

The California Highway Patrol later told CBS LA that the boy and suspect were located on the 5 Freeway near Los Banos, a town about 70 miles northwest of Fresno in Merced County, where the man was taken into custody. He remained behind bars in Merced County as of Wednesday night.

CHP officers said that the suspect was found thanks to OnStar technology inside the vehicle, which he had rented before the incident. The OnStar team was able to disable the vehicle, allowing CHP officers to approach and finally arrest the suspect.

According to LAPD officials, an Amber Alert was never issued because the car didn't have license plates. 

Aerial footage later in the day showed an LAPD plane transporting the boy back to Los Angeles.

The relationship between the boy and the suspect is unknown.

In a news release shared by the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department, deputies said that plainclothes federal agents reported a suspicious individual on the property at 1 Trump National Drive in Rancho Palos Verdes on Saturday afternoon.

"The individual was observed walking throughout the golf course grounds taking photographs and videos and appearing to monitor security-planning activities," the release said. 

When deputies approached the man, who has been identified as 38-year-old Downey resident Jeanine John Taele, they determined he was already under investigation by the El Segundo Police Department for an alleged robbery at an AT&T store in November 2025. 

"Deputies detained Taele and located his vehicle in a parking lot on the golf course," the release said. "During the detention, deputies recovered a 16-round magazine containing hollow point ammunition from Taele's pants pockets."

While searching his vehicle, deputies said they also recovered a loaded pistol with a round chambered and an additional loaded magazine that also had hollow point ammo. Federal authorities also noted that a pair of binoculars and a badge that read "security protection agent" were also found.

Taele, a former U.S. Marine who served in both Iraq and Afghanistan, was arrested and booked on charges of carrying a concealed firearm and possession of armor-piercing/prohibited ammunition, deputies said. 

"Recognizing the potential security implications surrounding the incident, detectives ... obtained and executed a search warrant yesterday afternoon for Taele's residence," the release said. 

Investigators said an illegally modified AR platform rifle, a 1911 .45 caliber pistol, an AR platform upper receiver, body armor, high-capacity magazines, bulk pistol and rifle ammunition, two radio signal devices and multiple notebooks containing "concerning statements" were recovered from the home during Monday's search warrant.

The statements referenced the White House, law enforcement sources told CBS News.

"With respect to this defendant, we do not comment on the specifics of protective intelligence matters," the Secret Service said in a statement. "However, the U.S. Secret Service thoroughly investigates any information or activity that may reasonably be perceived as a protective intelligence concern or indicate a potential threat or directed interest toward any individual under Secret Service protection."

Taele received multiple commendations during his eight years in the Marines, including for good conduct. After leaving the service, he was a licensed armed security guard, according to a public records search.

Deputies said the investigation is being conducted with the FBI's Joint Terrorism Task Force and the U.S. Secret Service. 

"Additional charges could be added as the investigation continues. Taele remains in custody," the release said. "The investigation is ongoing."

Law enforcement sources tell CBS News that Taele had initially approached employees at the golf course and falsely identified himself as a U.S. State Department employee who needed to see Secretary of State Marco Rubio. Secret Service personnel, who were already on the property to conduct advanced security preparations, were then alerted to Taele's presence by staff.  

Deputies said the case was presented to the LA County District Attorney's Office for filing consideration on Tuesday morning. He was scheduled to appear in court on Wednesday morning, but his hearing was postponed. No rescheduled date was announced.

Sources tell CBS News that Taele has no known prior history with the Secret Service and that he was not on their radar. Investigators said they would be reviewing the material and items recovered from Taele's home, contacting friends and family members and reconstructing his activities before the arrest to determine his intentions.

"With respect to this defendant, we do not comment on the specifics of protective intelligence matters. However, the U.S. Secret Service thoroughly investigates any information or activity that may reasonably be perceived as a protective intelligence concern or indicate a potential threat or directed interest toward any individual under Secret Service protection," a statement provided to CBS News from USSS said. 

U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli said on X that his office and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives were also investigating the incident, and that they would be providing information as soon as possible.

He later said that Taele was also federally charged for the incident, and that he now faces up to 10 years in federal prison after he was charged with possession of an unregistered short-barreled rifle. Taele still faces charges in a Los Angeles Superior Court for the incident, Essayli noted.

"While we are still investigating the motives of this individual, we are thankful he was apprehended before the President's visit," a statement from Essayli said when federal charges were announced. "Federal and local law enforcement stepped in early and prevented what could have been a dangerous situation from occurring. This investigation remains ongoing."

Authorities said that Taele visited the golf course twice before the president's visit, once on Friday and again on Sunday when he was arrested.

President Trump was briefly in Southern California on Tuesday for a Republican National Committee fundraising dinner hosted at his Rancho Palos Verdes golf course. He departed a little before 9 p.m. as he heads to Las Vegas, Nevada.

Victim of alleged 2025 robbery speaks

The alleged victim of Taele's November 2025 robbery spoke with CBS LA the day after his arrest was announced. 

"The way he was talking, he was reporting something to someone. Like, he was recording or doing some sort of voice talk to someone," said Pavish Patel, the AT&T store employee working at the time of the alleged robbery. "I don't know what that was."

Patel said that Taele accused him of recording with his Meta glasses while he was inside the store trying to transfer his phone number. 

"I said, 'I'm not recording you,' and then I went back to mind my own business. Then he also starts saying, 'If you're recording me, it won't be good for you.'"

He also alleged that Taele then followed a female customer to the door and started acting strangely, by reciting everything that was happening inside the store and documenting how many people were inside, where the exits were and how many security cameras he could see. 

Once Taele left, Patel says he came back and demanded that all of his personal information be deleted. After again leaving for a short time, Patel then said that Taele returned to the store and took his Meta glasses before leaving in his pickup truck. 

Taele pleaded not guilty to charges in the robbery case. 

For 63 years now, the theater has pulled the strings on imagination in Los Angeles County. 

"I often say to people, 'Do you like joy?'" said Mary Fagot, the co-executive director of the theater. "Obviously, most people do. And I say, 'Well then, you should come to a Bob Baker Marionette show.'"

Stepping into the Highland Park theater is like stepping into another world, where puppets take center stage. 

"It's all about imagination, joy, creativity. That was the kind of thing that people craved," Fagot said. 

Each of the puppets is a handcrafted, original creation. Some date back decades, drawing the awe of Angelenos since the 1930s. 

"I think the puppets kind of do half the job of getting you into that spirit," said one of the puppeteers while speaking with CBS LA. 

Despite the longstanding tradition, big changes are underway at the theater, where the "Choo Choo Revue" show becomes the first new production to debut since the 1980s. The show has new characters and a fresh storyline for Los Angeles. 

The show comes as they look to their community for help after losing their original building in 2018. They want to establish a permanent place where people can enjoy live theater for years to come by purchasing the York Theatre in Highland Park. 

"There have been generations and generations of young people and families who have had their very first experience of live theater here," Fagot said. "LA would lose something of its identity if it lost Bob Baker Marionette Theater. We are just a cornerstone of the culture here, and that is really worth getting behind and saving."

One of those is puppeteer Ginger Duncan, who fell in love when she saw her first show at just 8 years old. 

"I watched the show and the earth moved beneath me," Duncan said. 

The theater hosts approximately 20,000 students on a yearly basis, most of whom come from Title I school districts, which serve students from low-income families. With funding now threatened, Duncan fears that programs serving underserved schools could be cut, saying that the money is invaluable to Los Angeles. 

"We would be able to reach more underserved communities, which is where I was from," she said.

So far, the theater has raised more than $4.5 million and are looking to the community help close the $500,000 funding gap and whatever repairs and restorations costs come after they hopefully purchase the property. 

"I take it every day. It's gotten cleaner, definitely, and much safer, I believe," said Jonathan Tirado, a daily commuter who works at Hollywood High School. 

Tirado goes round-trip from the North Hollywood Red Line station to and from work and has noticed a big difference.

"There's a lot more patrol on the Metro stations now too," he said. "Especially with the new D Line that came in. It has gotten a lot better, especially since COVID."

According to Metro officials, the transit has seen a nearly 60% drop in homeless people loitering over the past two years. They're attributing the success to nonprofit organizations that do homeless outreach throughout their system. 

"Right now, we've got six different partners all throughout Los Angeles County that total 24 multidisciplinary teams, who go on the system and do outreach from early in the morning until late at night," said Craig Joyce, LA Metro's Senior Executive Officer of Care-Based Services. 

Additionally, they believe that a new series of safety measures, which includes security ambassadors who fan across the transit lines and their strict fare-enforcement program called "Tap to Pay," have made a difference.

At around 3:15 p.m., Los Angeles County Fire Department crews were called to the 13000 block of E. Avenue R, near 130th Street East, in the Littlerock area for a gunshot victim, department officials told CBS LA. 

Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department deputies, who have taken over the investigation, told CBS LA that the SBSD deputies were serving a search warrant at a home in the area when a shooting occurred. Law enforcement sources said that the warrant was being conducted in connection with a narcotics investigation. 

SBSO officials tell CBS LA that a detective was shot during the incident and taken to a nearby hospital to undergo treatment. At the latest, department officials said the detective was in stable condition after undergoing emergency surgery.

"There was an exchange of gunfire. We do not know how many shots were fired at this point. Homicide will determine that based on the facts and evidence," Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna said during a news conference after the shooting. "The suspect, he was armed, dangerous and he was willing to shoot it out with the police. That's a very dangerous individual, in my opinion."

The suspect was also fatally wounded during the shootout. He has not yet been identified. 

No other injuries were immediately reported in the incident and it's unknown if anyone has been taken into custody.

Aerial footage from the scene of the shooting showed more than a dozen law enforcement vehicles in a remote part of the Antelope Valley. A large part of one property in the area had been blocked off by crime scene tape, including two white SUVs with several vehicle doors ajar.

During the news conference, Luna said that "there's a lot of information that we don't know yet," and that he wasn't sure if there was actually a warrant being served at the time.

"We're still piecing a lot of things together, bringing in more resources. In regards to the location where this incident happened, it is an extremely active investigation," he said. "I do want to stress ... there is no current threat to our community at this time."

San Bernardino County Sheriff Shannon Dicus also spoke at the news conference, saying that the detective was shot in the lower ribcage. 

"We have a lot to be thankful for when these things happen, of course, with any of our employees in these critical incidents," Dicus said, thanking LASD for their support in the investigation and their work in transporting the injured deputy to the Antelope Valley Hospital via helicopter. 

Dicus said that the detective is a veteran in his 30s who has been with the department since 2014. 

"The smell is horrendous, horrific," said one of the many speakers. 

Now about two months removed from the day the blaze first erupted, leaving severe damage to the cold storage facility and 85 million pounds of food to rot, residents say their day-to-day lives are still being impacted as the lengthy cleanup process continues. 

Wednesday's meeting saw more than 60 members of the public address the AQMD board to explain how the ongoing situation has affected them. 

"This is just one more toxic example on top of another," said one woman.

She was one of many who emphasized the fact that it wasn't just a fire that burned down a building in their neighborhood, but a toxic fire that left behind potential health hazards for the thousands living nearby.

"Everything out there is toxic now. AQMD, you guys are responsible for that," one speaker said.

The meeting comes after Lineage Logistics, which operates the 500,000-square-foot facility, has already been cited by AQMD officials for the rotten odor. They've also been cited for rodent and pest control violations by the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health, all issues that have extended to people living in the surrounding area. 

"I support the order to hold Lineage accountable for the harm they've done to East LA and Boyle Heights," said another speaker, many of whom arrived via buses that were provided by Los Angeles City Councilwoman Ysabel Jurado, who represents their neighborhoods. 

Lineage officials said earlier this week that they've removed approximately 80% of the rotten food so far, and that they expect to have cleanup finished by the end of next week. On Tuesday, Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass penned a letter to company shareholders hoping to highlight the negative impacts that residents have had to deal with in the wake of the fire. 

Bass also spoke during Wednesday's meeting. 

"I am here because I want to speak alongside the Boyle Heights and East LA community who have endured unacceptable conditions for nearly two months," Bass said. "To this day, the putrid offensive odor coming from the tens of millions of pounds of rotting food in the warehouse is unbearable. Now flies, rats and other pests have infested the community and we are most concerned that schools are preparing to reopen amid unresolved concerns around air quality."

She went on to address the litany of issues that have come from the fire's aftermath, as well as the work that local leaders have done to try helping residents. 

"The residents and business owners in Boyle Heights and East LA deserve to breathe clean air in their homes, in schools, and in their workplaces," Bass said. "So, I urge the Hearing Board to leverage the full extent of its oversight and enforcement authority to issue a strong Order of Abatement with the maximum penalties for the ongoing air quality violations, including maximum financial fines."

They're hopeful that AQMD officials can take further action against Lineage for the smell. 

"AQMD is an enforcement agency, so enforce," one speaker said. "Unfortunately, AQMD and other agencies and electives have not stepped up with the urgency required."

Another meeting is scheduled on Thursday, when board members will hear more from the public, and a possible public address from a Lineage official. At the meeting, they'll consider an abatement, which would call for a larger, faster cleanup process and allow for the AQMD to impose its highest fines on Lineage for each notice of violation that the district issues. 

So far, Lineage has received nine violations related to the smell. AQMD has received more than 1,700 public complaints in the last month, according to documents shared at the meeting.

Experts say simple changes at home and taking advantage of utility rebates and energy efficiency programs will lower costs.

In downtown Los Angeles, Jack Hester is trying to save money any way he can. He even comes to the LADWP building in person to avoid paying third-party fees.

For this month's payment, his bill is $109.76, but he said it can reach $160 to $180. Living on a fixed income, Hester says he got rid of his air conditioner because he simply couldn't afford to keep it running.

"I go to a senior citizen place and sit most of the day and eat like this, where that bill won't be that much money. I used to have a unit there, and it was like $300 and $400 extra," Hester said.

That difficult choice is one that utility companies hope more customers can avoid. LADWP says customers can save money on their bills by setting the thermostat to 78 degrees or higher and turning it up or off when leaving home.

It's advised to run ceiling fans counterclockwise, keep blinds or curtains closed on sunny windows and shift heavy appliance use outside peak summer hours of 1 p.m. to 8 p.m.

Southern California Edison says cooling the house can be just as important as when the AC runs. Energy demand is lower, and energy costs are lower earlier in the day, and running a fan while the AC is on helps keep temperatures lower.

SoCal Edison spokesperson Diane Castro says to unplug appliances when you're not home and set the thermostat at 85 degrees when away to reduce cooling costs by up to 10%.

She said many utility companies also offer incentive programs and rebates for customers who manage their energy use; they just must sign up.

Hester says he's managing the best he can for now. "The heat now, you've got two fans going when I'm sitting there, one blowing in and in the door opening."

For LADWP, some rebates are more than $200 for installing new energy-efficient appliances, such as an air conditioning unit. 

In a statement provided to CBS News, Meta said that "a misconfiguration by Irregular, an independent testing company Meta uses, inadvertently allowed one of our models access to the internet during evaluation."

In its statement, Meta did not name the AI model in question, but sources told the tech outlet The Information that it involved Meta's Muse Spark 1.1, according to Reuters.  

"The model subsequently exploited a security vulnerability in a third-party service, in a manner similar to previously-reported instances with other companies," Meta said Wednesday. "Meta learned of this when Irregular notified us, and we are currently investigating and will issue a full retrospective once we have all the facts."

Last week, Anthropic said its artificial intelligence models hacked into three other organizations during testing. The revelation came just days after ChatGPT maker OpenAI disclosed its rogue models had also hacked another company.

Anthropic, the San Francisco-based AI company behind Claude, posted on its website July 30 that it discovered the three incidents after reviewing more than 141,000 evaluation runs.

It had launched a "large-scale" cybersecurity review which specifically looked for evidence whether its AI models were able to access the internet from within testing environments that should have been sealed off, in response to the OpenAI incident, Anthropic said.

Anthropic said the models involved in the incidents were Claude Opus 4.7, Claude Mythos 5 and an internal research test model. The earliest incidents date to April, the AI company said.

"Claude compromised the impacted organizations' infrastructure using basic techniques," Anthropic said, such as exploiting weak passwords.

In all three incidents, the AI models were tasked with a "capture the flag" cybersecurity challenge, which Anthropic said has been one of the ways it assesses a model's cyber capabilities.

The models were given a fictional scenario and told a piece of secret information, or the "flag," had been hidden on a different machine on the network with the objective of breaking in and retrieving it, it said.

It added that it had already reached out to the affected organizations, which it did not name. Two of them said they had not previously detected the activity. Anthropic said it was "continuing to reach out to the third."

Anthropic also said it conducted its review with Irregular.

"Addressing these risks will require closer cooperation across the AI ecosystem," Irregular said in a July 30 post on X.

Last month, OpenAI said its AI models went rogue during an evaluation of its models, breaking into the servers of AI startup Hugging Face. OpenAI described it as a "significant security incident."

These incidents have highlighted the vulnerabilities in AI security and controls and raised questions over how AI can be safely kept under human control as the technology's usage becomes more widespread globally.

The Miami-Dade Sheriff's Office said it received multiple calls about the incident and responded to the scene. Deputies spoke to family members and learned Hilton was alone inside the home. 

In the TikTok livestream, which has since been taken down, Hilton appears to be bloodied and in a distressed mental state.    

Hilton, whose real name is Mario Lavandeira, was taken to a local hospital for medical attention, law enforcement said.

"The Miami-Dade Sheriff's Office Crisis Response Unit and Licensed Mental Health Professionals are also on scene providing support and resources to the individual's family," the sheriff's office said.

In a statement posted to his website Wednesday evening, his family said it was "able to confirm that Perez is able to communicate, which has given our family hope."

In an earlier statement, the family said it could "confirm that Perez is receiving medical care, and our family's focus right now is on his well-being. We kindly ask that you respect Perez's privacy, as well as the privacy of his family, during this difficult time."

Hilton, 48, grew to prominence in the 2000s when he started a controversial celebrity blog. The journalist has courted many controversies over the years for his unfiltered take on celebrity life, not hesitating to criticize those celebrities who he disliked. 

TikTok said the video was flagged by its automated moderation system and sent to its team for review, but an error by a moderator caused a delay in its removal. The steam remained up for about 15 minutes, according to TikTok.

The company said it alerted law enforcement immediately and banned the account.

If you or someone you know is in emotional distress or a suicidal crisis, you can reach the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline by calling or texting 988. You can also chat with the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline here.

For more information about mental health care resources and support, The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) HelpLine can be reached Monday through Friday, 10 a.m.–10 p.m. ET, at 1-800-950-NAMI (6264) or email info@nami.org.

mFLUSIVA, approved for adults ages 50 and older, is the first influenza vaccine using mRNA technology to receive FDA approval.

"This approval also reflects the ongoing potential of our mRNA platform to help address important public health challenges through continued scientific innovation," Moderna said in a statement. "We are grateful to the clinical trial participants, investigators, regulators and Moderna teams whose contributions made this milestone possible."

The FDA is part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, and the approval comes despite repeated criticism of mRNA technology by Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Last year, Kennedy canceled 22 vaccine development projects that use mRNA technology.   

The FDA had earlier this year said it would refuse to consider Moderna' application. But it reversed course about a week later and stated it would allow the vaccine to proceed to review after discussions with Moderna "led to a revised regulatory approach and an amended application, which FDA accepted." 

The dispute had centered on a 40,000-person clinical trial that found Moderna's new vaccine was more effective in adults aged 50 and older than one of the standard flu shots used today. In a refusal-to-file letter sent to Moderna though, FDA vaccine director Dr. Vinay Prasad faulted the trial for not including another brand specifically recommended for people 65 and older. 

Moderna subsequently revised its application to seek full vaccine approval for adults aged 50 to 64 and accelerated approval for adults aged 65 and older. The drugmaker also agreed to conduct an additional study of the drug's use by older adults.

Moderna said it expects to have mFLUSIVA available for the 2026-27 flu season. 

Assembly Bill 446, authored by Assemblymember Chris Ward, D-San Diego, would prohibit businesses from using a consumer's personal information to determine how much they are willing to pay for a product or service, a practice commonly referred to as "surveillance pricing."

Ward said negotiations over the bill are continuing as lawmakers work to address concerns raised by opponents while preserving the measure's core protections.

"We are actively meeting daily, both with opposition but also with other interested partners, to make sure that the technical detail of this is right," Ward said.

The current California Consumer Privacy Act (2018) grants consumers various rights over their personal information, but it does not address how businesses use the data when setting prices.

"While California provides some of the strongest privacy protections in the nation, existing law does not restrict businesses from using consumer data to change their internal pricing, a form of individualized price discrimination," said Assemblymember Ash Kalra.

Ward said he is willing to make amendments to the bill to gain additional support but does not want to weaken it to the point that it becomes ineffective.

Democratic lawmakers, union leaders, and consumer advocacy groups say they hope to get the legislation onto Gov. Gavin Newsom's desk before the August 31 deadline. 

"I am really imploring our Senate to be able to do the right thing and find the courage because there's been a lot of opposition voices," said Ward, who has led the effort to pass AB 2564. 

Supporters say surveillance pricing allows companies to use artificial intelligence and data collected through web browsing, app usage and other online activity to determine what individual consumers may be willing to pay, resulting in different prices for the same product.

"We need to make sure that we are not treating different people differently across the board, but particularly when it comes to this affordability question, that we're using their own personal information to decide whether willingness to pay is for something and really discriminate based on that," Ward said.

Opponents of AB 2564 have claimed that the bill would prohibit both price increases and decreases, pointing to the potential loss of discounts.  

California is among multiple states, including Maryland and Connecticut, that have passed or are considering similar measures.  

Lorena Gonzalez, president of the California Labor Federation, AFL-CIO, said the legislation targets large companies that use extensive consumer data to maximize profits rather than small businesses offering traditional discounts or coupons.

"We're talking about Instacart and Vons and using everything about you, everything they know about you, which unfortunately is a lot, to extract as much profit as possible," she added.

Gonzalez acknowledged it can be difficult for consumers to prevent companies from collecting their personal data as artificial intelligence becomes more integrated into everyday technology.

"It's really hard," Gonzalez said. "I often see like I don't use AI, right. But I just realized if I Google something now, I can't avoid AI."

Ward said he expects to introduce another round of amendments before asking the Senate to take up the bill for a floor vote in the coming weeks.

He added that he is in close conversation with Governor Newsom's office to give the bill the best chance of becoming law, and there will likely be one more set of amendments in the coming weeks.

It's already the third reported human case in Southern California, after Long Beach and Los Angeles health officials reported their first cases in late June and July. 

The patient has only been identified as an Anaheim resident, HCA officials said. 

"West Nile virus is endemic in Orange County, recurring every year during the summer months and continuing into the fall," said a statement from Orange County Health Officer Dr. Regina Chinsio-Kwong. "There have been multiple detections of WNV-positive mosquitoes in Orange County, signaling that this could be an intense WNV season. The best way to avoid West Nile virus infection is to take precautionary measures to avoid mosquito bites."

A map from Orange County Vector Control shows that Anaheim, Cypress, Buena Park and Fullerton are among the county's hotspots for mosquitoes that have tested positive for the virus. Officials are concerned that this year's numbers could surpass the county's worst-ever recorded numbers in 2014, when nine people died. 

"We are concerned that with the high activity detected in the mosquitoes, that people are likely to be at risk of getting sick for getting sick from West Nile virus," said the Orange County Vector Control lab director, Amber Semrow. 

So far in 2026, more than 300 West Nile virus-positive samples have been collected from mosquitoes, more than two times higher than the 2014 numbers, which vector control officials referred to as an epidemic, as they had more cases than anywhere in the nation. 

Health care officials said that most people who become infected with the virus don't show symptoms, but approximately 20% of people will develop fever and may get headaches, body aches, nausea, tiredness and sometimes a skin rash. Serious symptoms, which are more rare, can include severe headaches, neck stiffness, confusion, muscle weakness or paralysis. 

People over 50 and those who have certain medical conditions are at an increased risk of serious complications, HCA's release said. 

Residents were advised to empty standing water on their property, make sure window and door screens are in good condition, use insect repellant, limit outdoor activity at dusk and dawn or wear long sleeves when outdoors to limit risk of contracting the virus. 

"A lot of times we tell people dump and drain ... get rid of that standing water. That's still true," said OC Vector Control spokesperson Brian Brannon. "But, with mosquitoes flying around with West Nile virus, you also need to put on repellant at dusk and dawn. You need to protect yourself from getting that disease, which can be deadly."

More information on Orange County Vector Control and mosquito mitigation efforts can be found on their website.

It's dangerous to look directly at the sun without proper eye protection. But researchers were able to peek at its scorching surface with the help of the National Science Foundation's Daniel K. Inouye Solar Telescope, located on the island of Maui in Hawaii.

Scientists originally took the images for a different reason: to fine-tune and test the limits of the telescope. But when they looked at the results, they realized they'd photographed the sun's bright outer shell at higher resolution than ever before.

What's more, they saw strange feathery patterns rippling across the surface.

The images "reveal a solar landscape unlike any that had been seen before, uncovering small-scale and dynamic swirls everywhere at the edges of magnetic areas," the NSF's National Solar Observatory said in a news release.

"That reminds me of famous paintings, like the swirling skies in Van Gogh's Starry Night," said solar physicist Ruizhu Chen with Stanford University, who was not involved with the new research.

Researchers saw ripples of instability on the sun's surface caused by bits of magnetized plasma moving past each other at different speeds — similar to waves that stir when a gust of wind blows over water. It's a well-known phenomenon called the Kelvin-Helmholtz instability (KHI) that guides how fluids move.

This has been glimpsed on Earth and other planets like Jupiter and Saturn, but "it has not been observed ever at that level on the solar surface," according to study co-author Friedrich Wöger with the National Solar Observatory.

Dr. David Boboltz, deputy director at the National Solar Observatory, said the discovery, "backed up by analysis of numerical simulations, is a major step forward in our understanding of the dynamics and evolution of solar and stellar plasma, and will serve as a basis for future discoveries."

The findings were published Wednesday in the journal Nature.

Scientists are curious about the sun's inner workings to better track massive bursts of energy called coronal mass ejections that can hurl toward Earth. When they hit, they can trigger solar storms, potentially scrambling GPS communications and producing colorful auroras. 

"To understand the dynamic space weather that affects Earth, we have to see the small-scale processes driving it," said Dr. Jacqueline Keane, NSF program director for the National Solar Observatory. "For decades, seeing these vortices at such tiny scales remained elusive. By pairing a massive four-meter mirror with state-of-the-art optics and instruments, the NSF Inouye Solar Telescope delivers the resolving power needed to reveal these ultrafine details for the first time, enabling discoveries that were once beyond our reach."

The Mexican fast-casual restaurant said Wednesday it was cooperating with public health authorities as they investigate the outbreak linked to jalapeño peppers grown in Sinaloa, Mexico. The peppers were distributed by Coast Citrus Distributors to wholesale and restaurants, including Qdoba and Chipotle, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said.

"Out of an abundance of caution, we have proactively removed jalapeños from all our restaurants at this time," San Diego-based Qdoba said in a statement. "We take any report involving guest health seriously and are committed to responding appropriately based on the facts and guidance from public health authorities." 

Since Qdoba and Chipotle removed the affected products, the CDC said, "neither of these establishments are considered a current ongoing risk to consumers in this outbreak." 

At least 345 people across 27 states have been sickened with the strain of Salmonella Javiana linked to the jalapeños, 36 of whom have been hospitalized, the CDC said Wednesday. No deaths have been reported.

The majority of cases are in Colorado and Minnesota, with each reporting at least 110. Other cases have been reported in Alabama, Arkansas, California, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Missouri, Montana, North Carolina, North Dakota, Nebraska, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Washington, Wisconsin and Wyoming.

The CDC said the Food and Drug Administration was working to determine whether the jalapeños went to grocery stores. The CDC urged consumers to check with the place of purchase to confirm the source of their jalapeño peppers.

Coast Citrus Distributors agreed to recall the remaining product implicated in the outbreak, the FDA said.

On Tuesday, Chipotle announced it pulled jalapeños linked to the salmonella outbreak in Minnesota and said that it has replaced the peppers with product from another grower.

The Minnesota Department of Health said of the 84 Minnesotans interviewed as part of its investigation, 75 reported eating at Chipotle. The agency said the customers ate at the restaurant between June 14 and July 14, with most eating there between June 24 and July 2.

Salmonella can cause diarrhea, fever and stomach cramps within eight to 72 hours after exposure, according to the Mayo Clinic, which said most healthy people recover within days to a week without treatment.

The livestream was halted and later removed by the platform, though footage and images of the attack have continued to circulate.

Local police initially reported the death of a delivery worker, but later identified the victim as Gastelum, who was reportedly 25 years old and posted lifestyle content.

The attack took place in a busy shopping plaza near the Sinaloa prosecutor's office in Culiacan, the state capital.

The drive-by shooting death have been in retaliation for social media posts about a criminal group, authorities said Wednesday.

"The lines of investigation include numerous publications, some of which refer to a criminal group," Mexico's Security Cabinet posted on X, referring to online posts, without providing further details.  

Soldiers and police were deployed while forensic experts collected evidence and removed the body, according to footage from local TV stations.

The district has been troubled over the past two years by internal struggles within the powerful local cartel.

Around a dozen influencers — some allegedly linked to criminal gangs — have been killed in recent years in Sinaloa, local media said.

Last year, Mexican social media influencer Valeria Marquez was shot dead at a beauty salon during a livestream on TikTok, where she had tens of thousands of followers. Prosecutors said she appeared to be murdered by a hit man and expressed fear before being killed.

In July, authorities announced the arrest in Jalisco of Ramon Angel Alvarez Ayala, whom officials linked to the killing of Marquez as well as the November 2025 murder of Uruapan Mayor Carlos Manzo, Reuters reported.

Marquez's murder shocked Mexico — where killings and kidnappings are a daily occurrence — and brought into sharp focus both its femicide epidemic and growing violence against influencers.

In January 2025, a small plane was reported to have dropped pamphlets in Culiacan threatening around 20 artists and YouTubers for alleged dealings with a warring faction of the Sinaloa drug cartel.

Influencers have been targeted in other parts of Latin America. Last year in Venezuela, police arrested an alleged accomplice in the murder of a TikTok influencer who was killed during a livestream after denouncing members of the Tren de Aragua criminal gang and allegedly corrupt police officers.