Leads:
- A father and son are under arrest, accused of causing one of this year's most destructive wildfires. The El Dorado County D-A's office confirms 32-year-old Travis Smith from Folsom, and 66-year-old David Smith from Somerset are in custody on "reckless arson" charges, in connection to the nearly 222,000-acre Caldor Fire. Their alleged actions "caused inhabited properties to burn and resulted in great bodily injury to multiple victims." The case is not without controversy, though, as the Smiths' representative Mark Reichel argues they are innocent, and that he's not seen any evidence to the contrary. Nonetheless, Travis and David Smith will appear in court this Friday, and are currently being held on one-million-dollar bail.
- Convicted killer Scott Peterson is being resentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. Peterson was first convicted for the murder of his pregnant wife Laci Peterson and their unborn son in 2004. The Supreme Court overruled his sentence in August 2020 amid allegations of juror misconduct. Members of Laci's immediate family faced her killer for the first time in 17 years and gave statements to the courtroom.
- The national weather service predicts up to a quarter-inch of rain may fall this first wave of the storm. Forecasters say between 5 to 10 inches of snow are expected at elevations above 5,000 feet. The next wave which is expected to arrive Sunday, is also expected to be much stronger, with heavier rain and snow totals predicted.
- California is looking to become a sanctuary state for abortion rights in the event Roe v. Wade is overturned by the Supreme Court. A proposal supported by Governor Gavin Newsom and other California leaders was released by the Planned Parenthood Action Fund Wednesday that outlines several steps the state can take to increase funding and access to abortions. Among them is a program for low-income women who travel from out-of-state to get the procedure. Almost two-dozen states are poised to outlaw or severely restrict abortion if the Court upholds a Mississippi law that bans the procedure in most cases after 15 weeks of pregnancy.
Extra Links:
- Latinos in America have long been associated with the Democratic party, but a new poll indicates more Latinos may vote Red in the next election.
- Some in the retail industry thought the pandemic could end in-store shopping as we know it. But brick-and-mortar retailers weren't destroyed, and many managed to emerge from the pandemic stronger.