california

California's Department of Fair Employment and Housing said in a lawsuit filed Wednesday that Black employees at Tesla's Fremont plant in the state have faced racism and harassment.

The assaults have prompted some businesses to close early, while volunteers have set up protective escorts for older residents.

The court sided with two churches that said a ban on indoor church services violated their rights to free exercise of religion. But the justices let stand restrictions that cap attendance at 25%.

The vice president-elect will be sworn in on Wednesday by Justice Sonia Sotomayor, both women of color who broke barriers. As vice president, Harris will tip control of the Senate to Democrats.

Gov. Gavin Newsom says President Trump has approved some $350 million in wildfire recovery funds. A FEMA statement had said the state and local governments could handle the damage.

The alarming wildfires on the West Coast are again putting the spotlight on climate change. But it's not the only reason why we're seeing so much destruction and lives lost.

In addition to dangerous smoke and fog, there is now concern that two of the biggest fires threatening cities and towns near Portland, Ore., might combine.

"This could be the greatest loss of human lives and property due to wildfires in our state's history," Oregon Gov. Kate Brown said. Fires are burning more than 900,000 acres across the state.

Farm workers in California are facing the double health threat of working during the coronavirus pandemic and fire season. Wildfire smoke often makes the air quality dangerous for harvesting produce.

At the moment, California is battling roughly 625 concurrent wildfires across the state, including a number of new fires that appeared overnight.