Good morning. Here’s what you need to know to start your day.
- A strong earthquake and brief tsunami threat rattles Northern California.
- NorCal school shooter ID’d, was motivated by religious issues, authorities say.
- How does a holiday tradition shine for 104 years? Meet Altadena’s village of volunteers.
- And here’s today’s e-newspaper.
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Earthquake leaves Northern California with ‘emergency whiplash’
Tens of thousands of Northern Californians had a harrowing morning on Thursday, which may be putting it mildly.
First came the rattling from a magnitude 7 underwater earthquake off the coast of Humboldt County just before 10:45 a.m. The powerful temblor caused power outages and broke water lines in some communities, plus knocked plenty of products off store shelves. But no major injuries or damage were reported as of yesterday afternoon.
Soon after the initial shaking, residents’ cellphones began their own rattling, blaring a warning: There was now the threat of a tsunami along a wide stretch of the Pacific Coast — from northern Santa Cruz County and extending well into Oregon.
Over roughly the next hour, government agencies were busy alerting residents to seek higher ground. Firefighters ordered Bay Area beachgoers to evacuate. The San Francisco Zoo was evacuated and closed. Train service through an underwater tunnel was shut down. Boat owners scrambled to get their vessels out of the harbor.
Then about an hour later, the National Weather Service had an update: The warning was canceled as “no tsunami danger presently exists” along the coastline.
That left some feeling what my colleagues Grace Toohey and Hannah Wiley described as “emergency whiplash,” mixed with confusion.
“But officials say that they followed the correct protocol to respond to a potentially dangerous tsunami and that it was necessary to provide residents adequate time to reach safety,” they reported.
Some in the initial warning zone told The Times that community members didn’t know what they were supposed to do.
The general guidance from the weather service: “Move to high ground or inland (away from the water).”
Thursday morning’s quake was felt throughout the North and Central coasts and as far away as Sacramento, Reno and southern Oregon. It was followed by multiple aftershocks.
Olivia Cobian runs a bed-and-breakfast in the historic town of Ferndale and told Times reporters the nearly 130-year-old building “looked like a war zone.”
“Claw tubs that had been lifted off [their mounts] and scooched over,” she said. “This is crazy.”
Gov. Gavin Newsom issued a state of emergency for Del Norte, Humboldt and Mendocino counties to “allow more resources to go where needed for emergency response to this morning’s earthquake.”
Yesterday’s quake and the unnerving hour that followed is a good reminder that there are things we can all do to be a little more prepared — no matter where you are in the Golden State. Here are a few questions to consider:
- Do you have earthquake kits and go-bags?
- Do you have a stash of canned food and bottled water?
- Do you have extra food and supplies for pets?
- Do you know your neighbors?
- Have you signed up for early warning alerts?
- Do you live or work in a building that’s at higher risk during a quake?
- Does your home need any retrofitting?
If you’re newly inspired to work through those questions and more, check out The Times’ handy guide on all things earthquake preparedness.
Today’s top stories
A Northern California gunman planned “child executions” at a Christian school, authorities said
- Butte County authorities said they found a statement by the gunman, identified as 56-year-old Glenn Litton, who said the school shooting was in response to “America’s involvements in genocide and oppression of Palestinians” and attacks in Yemen.
- The shooting left two children wounded and ended with the attacker dead. The Butte County sheriff described the gunman as a homeless, mentally ill man with a long criminal record.
Newsom touts California efforts on fentanyl at the border. Will it matter to Trump?
- Newsom visited the border Thursday to promote the state’s ongoing efforts to crack down on fentanyl smuggling, a key issue as he attempts to navigate relations with Trump.
- The news comes as fentanyl overdoses appear to be on the decline.
- Trump recently announced plans to slap 25% tariffs on Mexico and other top trading partners in part to curb the flow of fentanyl into the U.S.
California voters wanted stricter penalties for crime. Can reformers find a new message?
- Despite recent defeats at the ballot box, some reform advocates are confident their movement “doesn’t need a rebrand.”
- Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman, who unseated progressive George Gascón, argued voters shouldn’t have to “choose between prioritizing safety and instituting real and effective criminal justice reform.”
The Forest Service is encouraging people to cut Christmas trees on public lands (with permits)
- Every year, Americans chop down hundreds of thousands of Christmas trees — often for $20 or less. Forest officials say it helps reduce the risk of wildfires.
- The Forest Service sold permits for more than 300,000 Christmas trees in 2023. Here’s how you can obtain a permit.
What else is going on
- Federal officials launched a probe into a Cybertruck crash in California that killed three college students.
- People who were at LAX and Children’s Hospital of Orange County in recent days may have been exposed to measles, health officials warned.
- Activists have a new tactic to close the Aliso Canyon gas storage facility.
- A former SoCal candidate is accused of registering cartoon cats to vote.
- A massive lottery jackpot is set to expire on Saturday.
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Commentary and opinions
- Trump’s explicit threats against the Bidens, and his record of trying to politicize the Justice Department and FBI, almost justify an unpardonable pardon, columnist Jackie Calmes writes.
- Starbucks became the coffee shop of last resort for Stacy Torres, an author and assistant professor of sociology at UC San Francisco.
- “Magnolia” made me want to write about movies, writes Matt Brennan, deputy editor of entertainment and arts at The Times. Then Hollywood stopped making movies like “Magnolia.”
This morning’s must reads
Two “missing women” cases in Los Angeles went viral online, even as the facts got complicated. In the same week, Chanel Banks and Hannah Kobayashi were reported missing. Banks was found in Texas, while authorities say Kobayashi is “voluntarily missing.”
Other must reads
- A swap meet near Joshua Tree has closed, and residents are heartbroken.
- A Long Beach couple planned a simple day hike in Yosemite. Then they got lost in the snow with no overnight gear.
- On a Crenshaw Boulevard corner, old gives way to new, but it stays in the family.
How can we make this newsletter more useful? Send comments to [email protected].
For your downtime
Going out
- 🎄 Thousands of people visit Christmas Tree Lane. Here’s how volunteers keep the tradition alive.
- 🕯️ Disneyland’s holiday fest dazzles with Latin traditions and a candlelit “Silent Night.”
- ⛴️ A “flying” electric ferry could get visitors across Lake Tahoe in 30 minutes.
- 💅 Here’s a look at how a makeup designer meticulously created those eye-popping looks for “The Substance.”
- 🎭 The groundbreaking L.A. opera company Industry marks the end of an era as its visionary artistic director steps down.
Staying in
- 🍿 Keira Knightley, who stars in a new Netflix thriller series, reflects on the controversial cue card scene in “Love Actually.”
- 🇨🇦 “The Sticky,” premiering Friday on Prime, is an enjoyable Canadian caper akin to “Fargo,” our critic writes.
- 📺 Netflix doubles down on developing its comedy programming for authentic laughs.
- 🧑🍳 Here’s a recipe for gingerbread heart houses.
- ✏️ Get our free daily crossword puzzle, sudoku, word search and arcade games.
A question for you: Which famous Californian, living or dead, would you want to have dinner with and why?
Tim Moran writes: “The Californian I would most like to have dinner with is Jerry Brown. During his long political career, Brown has proven to be an independent thinker, a visionary on topics like the environment, and a remarkably resilient politician.”
Elissa writes: “I’d love to have dinner with Nancy Pelosi. What a long, successful amazing career she has had while still being a supportive wife and mother. I could talk to her for hours. Having had four children and then having a career myself, I can’t imagine how she accomplished all that she did.”
And ScottEadie writes: “ ‘The Getaway’ introduced me to Steve McQueen and became one of my favorite movies of all time. Many years ago I had a dream that I met him in person. It was incredibly vivid, so much so that at times it felt as if it had actually happened.”
Thanks for all the emails this week. It was nice hearing from you!
And finally … your great photo of the day
Today’s great photo is from Lynn Crosswaite of Los Angeles: the “rocky and wold” El Matador Beach.
Lynn writes: “It’s become a very busy location for engagement photos and Instagram postings. But, the day I was there was the first rainy day of this winter. So, hardly any people and instead of a standard sunset shot, I got this moody one. The rocks look almost prehistoric. That suits me.”
Show us your favorite place in California! Send us photos you have taken of spots in California that are special — natural or human-made — and tell us why they’re important to you.
Have a great day, from the Essential California team
Ryan Fonseca, reporter
Defne Karabatur, fellow
Andrew Campa, Sunday reporter
Hunter Clauss, multiplatform editor
Christian Orozco, assistant editor
Stephanie Chavez, deputy metro editor
Karim Doumar, head of newsletters
Check our top stories, topics and the latest articles on latimes.com.