California Today: Park Fire, Now California’s Largest This Year, Spreads Rapidly

Today's top stories from California.

July 26, 2024, 9:31 a.m. Eastern time Good morning. As you can see, California Today now looks a little different. It still features a curated collection of New York Times articles about the state, but it will no longer include a staff-written introduction each day. Thank you for reading California Today, and we hope you continue to enjoy the newsletter in its new format. Today's Top Story Daniel Dreifuss for The New York Times Park Fire, Now California's Largest This Year, Spreads Rapidly One man is being held without bail after a witness saw him push a flaming vehicle down an embankment on Wednesday, the authorities said. The Park fire has burned more than 164,000 acres. Read more More California News Newsom Orders California Officials to Remove Homeless Encampments The directive from Gov. Gavin Newsom is the nation's most sweeping response to a Supreme Court decision last month that gave local leaders greater authority to remove homeless campers. Southwest Airlines Will End Its Longstanding Open-Seating Policy The airline said it was scrapping its trademark, 50-year tradition of offering open seating, where passengers choose seats once they have boarded the plane. Man Who Broke Into Los Angeles Mayor's Home Is Sentenced to Drug Treatment A 29-year-old intruder who smashed a glass door to enter Mayor Karen Bass's official residence pleaded no contest to a vandalism charge. Darryl Daniel, Illustrator of Snoop Dogg's First Album Cover, Dies at 56 The 1993 album "Doggystyle" went on to sell millions of copies around the world and solidified the career of Mr. Daniel, known as Joe Cool, as a hip-hop illustrator. In Win for Uber and Lyft, California Court Upholds Gig-Worker Proposition Passed by voters in 2020, the ballot measure classifies drivers of ride-hailing apps as independent contractors rather than as employees. Today's Recipe Johnny Miller for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Samantha Seneviratne. Black Forest Sheet Cake By Samantha Seneviratne 1 hour 25 minutes, plus cooling Makes 12 servings Play a Game The Mini Crossword Solve this bite-sized puzzle in just a few minutes. Spelling Bee How many words can you make with 7 letters? Wordle Guess the 5-letter word with 6 chances. See all our games Sign up for Your Places: Extreme Weather. Get notified about extreme weather before it happens with custom alerts for places in the U.S. you choose. Get it in your inbox Need help? Review our newsletter help page or contact us for assistance. You received this email because you signed up for California Today from The New York Times. To stop receiving California Today, unsubscribe. To opt out of other promotional emails from The Times, including those regarding The Athletic, manage your email settings. To opt out of updates and offers sent from The Athletic, submit a request. Subscribe to The TimesGet The New York Times app Connect with us on: Change Your EmailPrivacy PolicyContact UsCalifornia Notices The New York Times Company. 620 Eighth Avenue New York, NY 10018