Rain and snow in the final weeks of December surpassed forecasts, and the weather drove a figure that showed 80 percent of the state in extreme or exceptional drought conditions in mid-December down to about one-third of the state experiencing the conditions at the end of the month, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor. However, officials warned those extreme levels of weather would likely not continue through the rest of the winter months and that water restrictions would likely be necessary as much of the state returns to drought-level conditions....

The Pleasant Hill Police Department said they were called to reports of an assault which occurred inside a Target store on January 11. When officers arrived at the scene, they found the alleged victim, a member of the functional needs community who requires the use of a wheelchair, being treated by medical personnel. Prior to the alleged attack, the man in the wheelchair had confronted a motorist who had illegally parked outside in a disabled spot....

The Lathrop Police Department said the incident happened after 10:15 p.m. local time in the 1000 block of Greengate Place. The man, who is in his 30s, attempted to light a mortar-type firework, which exploded in his hand. Authorities applied a tourniquet to the man’s arm to limit the flow of blood. In a Facebook post, the Lathrop Police Department said: “Yesterday was a very busy day for calls for service, as was expected....

The Californian Democrat, who is a prominent critic of Trump and who played a key role in the president’s impeachment, accused the commander in chief of “sabotaging” the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) to win the election in November. “I don’t say this lightly: when we escape this Trump hell, America needs a Presidential Crimes Commission. It should be made up of independent prosecutors who look at those who enabled a corrupt president,” he tweeted....

Information from an invoice obtained by the Times through a records request show a total of 300 million N95 respirators are expected to be sent to California. In advance of the first delivery, an advance of $495 million was expected to be sent. Governor Newsom announced the agreement between California and BYD in April, telling MSNBC’s Rachel Maddow the stated had “secured through a consortia of nonprofits and a manufacturer here in the state of California upwards of 200 million masks on a monthly basis....

The fire has burned at least 254,446 acres and is just 35 percent contained, according to the latest data from the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (Cal Fire). The blaze is the state’s largest fire this season. The Dixie Fire is roughly 397 square miles, eight times the size of San Francisco’s 46 square miles. More than 12,000 structures are threatened and at least 67 buildings have been destroyed since the fire erupted on July 14....

Non-essential government services in California will be closed and federal employees will have a paid day off, but what will be open across the state on Memorial Day? Stores in California Stores will be open on Memorial Day, and many will be hosting sales. Home Depot, Lowe’s and Best Buy will be open today, as will Kohl’s, Old Navy, Sears, Macy’s and TJ Maxx. Target and Walmart will be open....

“There’s a lot of concerns regarding safety measures and how to protect us from COVID-19, especially the highly contagious Omicron variant,” the petition to the Oakland Unified School District (OUSD) says. “We must go back to distance learning until the cases go down again.” As of early Wednesday, it was signed by more than 980 OUSD students. The students demanded KN95 or N95 masks for every student, twice-weekly testing for everyone on school campuses, and more outdoor spaces for eating....

In the video, a woman named Erika Baze took her daughter to the protests which had been peaceful thus far for Danyelle. While walking, Baze claimed that Maxwell “jumped out” in front of her in a muumuu and began yelling at the mother and child, both of whom are white. “Do not film my daughter!” Baze yelled as Maxwell began filming the interaction on her cell phone. “I’ll f*cking kill you,” Maxwell responded before being dragged away by her shirtless husband....

Homekey is an outgrowth of Project Roomkey, which helped supply shelter for those susceptible to the coronavirus. Governor Gavin Newsom’s office said $800 million, most of which was federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act money, was spent on Homekey in 2020 to provide shelter for 8,200 people. Newsom’s administration planned to take it even further. To expand the program, California will spend $5.8 billion of state and federal funds over the next two years and create and estimated 42,000 housing units....

The emergency declaration allows Valley Water to work with local authorities and businesses to “implement regulations and restrictions on the delivery and consumption of water,” the chair of the board, Tony Estremera, said in a statement Wednesday. The district—which manages the water resources system for the county’s 2 million residents—has called for a mandatory 15 percent reduction in water use compared to 2019 levels (which equates to a 33 percent reduction from 2013 water levels) along with other water restrictions, as supplies are threatened across the state, the statement said....

The 76-year-old woman, known only as Marty, was driving home from her daughter’s house in Bonita in southern San Diego County when she saw her neighbor’s mobile home in flames. She quickly parked her car and began to bang on the side of the house to try and get the people inside to come out. Eventually one man emerged from the home, but another person was still trapped inside....

He did not plan to run out nine McDonald’s All-Americans on a single team. He did not plan to run a platoon system. He did not plan to limit his best players’ minutes and shot attempts and, theoretically at least, their potential for individual glory. Until he had to, and then he planned every detail. When forwards Willie Cauley-Stein and Alex Poythress chose to return to Kentucky for their junior seasons, and when the Harrison twins decided to play for the Wildcats as sophomores, Calipari’s roster suddenly was overcrowded with talented players....

1. Anthony Davis, Kentucky (2011-12) At his peak: 14.2 points, 10.4 rebounds, 4.7 blocks, 62.3 FG percentage Yes, Davis played only one year for Calipari at Kentucky. But this 6-10 forward packed more into that one season than all but the most elite players have accomplished in a full four-year career. Davis was the national player and freshman of the year for Sporting News and most other national outlets. He was a consensus first-team All American....

Companies such as Barclays, Siemens, Prudential and Powergen have begun to invest in new technology to make call centers more like the local shops or chatty door-to-door salesmen of yore. Barclays’ Gadbrook Park Call Center, which opened last year and was named best European call center by the industry magazine Call Center Focus, based its customer-service model on Ritz-Carlton’s. “We’ve replicated what a five-star hotel chain would deliver with bespoke service,” says director Rob Hawthorn....

Back in Washington, Dole the senator is mired in a battle with Dem-ocrats over the minimum wage. Dole the candidate is sinking in the polls. But he tells no one of his plan for two weeks. Then novelist and friend Mark Helprin, already working on Dole’s convention acceptance speech, suggests he leave the Senate. Telling wife Elizabeth he’s “seriously thinking” about quitting, Dole pages Helprin in D.C.’s Union Station to ask him to draft a farewell address....

The 2015 league MVP spoke to kids at a 7-on-7 tournament in Atlanta earlier this month, and Stack.com was there to record his speech. Newton delivers strong words to the young football players — and explains why he dances on the field. “When you see me play, they see me dabbing, they see me dancing, they see me doing this and doing that. Why? Because I’m telling everybody on that field, ‘I can do what I want to, when I want to do it,’” Newton said....

Newton’s foundation partnered with Harris Teeter and kids and families from the Second Harvest Food Bank to serve a Thanksgiving meal to underprivileged kids. The event was hosted by Top Golf Charlotte. As a role model and a face that people look up to in the Charlotte community, Newton has embraced paying it forward through his foundation and felt inspired by the reactions he got from the kids. “Just a person that gave them hope,” Newton said of what he hopes the kids take away from his appearance....

The NFL MVP was put on the spot Thursday by a local radio host while promoting his upcoming charity kickball event in Charlotte, N.C. He was asked to sing Usher’s 1997 hit “Nice and Slow” and, in typical Newton fashion, he was up for it. MORE: Panthers lead most underrated teams | Cam’s dabbing bobblehead Newton, who remixed some of the lyrics to plug his kickball game, wasn’t necessarily bad, but it doesn’t look like the Panthers have to worry about him leaving for a career as an R&B singer....

Just before Christmas last year, he made a very public appearance at a local Dick's Sporting Goods to do some good and take kids shopping. Of course, the most cynical of fans said he did it for the publicity. (Really, this is a thing we saw with some regularity in Facebook comments.) So to those people, I'd just ask what Cam's motivation was for what you'll read below. Newton visited with Matthew Bailey, a seventh grader in North Carolina, who is facing brain cancer....