The proclamation now also covers Alameda, Butte, Glenn, Lake, Mendocino, Monterey, Sacramento, San Francisco, Santa Cruz, Sonoma and Sutter counties.  

Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, San Diego, San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara counties were initially covered when the proclamation was first announced in February.

Due to heavy rainfall, a state of emergency had already been issued for San Diego and Ventura counties on Jan. 23.

The governor also requested a “Presidential Major Disaster Declaration for several communities impacted by widespread flooding, mudslides and debris flows during the storms,” Newsom’s office said.

If the declaration is approved, federal funds would be available to state, tribal, and local governments to cover emergency response and recovery costs.

The money would specifically benefit Butte, Glenn, Los Angeles, Monterey, San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, Santa Cruz, Sutter, and Ventura counties.

The declaration also asks for funding for hazard mitigation efforts statewide.

Another storm is expected to arrive in Southern California Friday night and bring “spotty” showers throughout the weekend.

The system will drop a lot of rain on Northern California but will not have a direct hit here in SoCal.

“We’re just getting the tail end of the cold front," said KTLA Meteorologist Henry DiCarlo. "It will be really spotty in nature but will bring us some light to moderate showers."

Luckily, the stormy weather is expected to be clear by Monday, according to the National Weather Service.

The 42,000 commercial apartment non-renewals represent a complete withdrawal from the commercial apartment market in California. The other 30,000 non-renewals would impact homeowners, rental dwellings, and other property insurance policies, according to State Farm.

The announcement applies to California customers only. The company said those impacted will be notified between July 3 and Aug. 20.

So, what should State Farm customers do if the company’s latest announcement impacts their policy?

Here’s what insurance experts recommend:

• Customers should shop for another insurance policy by asking for recommendations from trusted sources or seeking an independent insurance agent.
• Utilize the California Department of Insurance shopping tools available on their website.
• Compare multiple policies, shop smart and choose the best coverage that suits your needs.
• Call the state’s insurance consumer hotline at 800-927-4357.
• Buy insurance through the California Fair Plan if you strike out in the normal marketplace.

Regardless of the latest announcement, State Farm said that it will continue working with the Department of Insurance, Gov. Gavin Newsom and other policymakers as they pursue reforms “to establish an environment in which insurance rates are better aligned with risk.”

In February, the state’s insurance department announced proposals to reform California’s insurance regulations. The new proposal would allow insurance companies to switch from using historical data to catastrophe modeling, meaning companies would calculate projections of future risk when raising rates and pass on the cost of reinsurance to consumers.

The new changes are expected to take effect at the end of the year.

Last year, State Farm announced it would stop accepting new insurance applications for all business and personal property in California.

Since then, other companies like Allstate have announced similar moves.

The system will drop a lot of rain on Northern California but will not have a direct hit here in the Southland.

“We’re just getting the tail end of the cold front ... it will be really spotty in nature but will bring us some light to moderate showers,” KTLA Meteorologist Henry DiCarlo said.

KTLA's Storm Tracker shows on-and-off showers coming in waves on Saturday and Sunday.

“It's more of a frustrating forecast," Henry said. "You’re just going to have to be a little fluid with your plans."

The National Weather Service predicted around a quarter of an inch of rain for both days combined south of Point Conception.

Thunderstorms are always a wildcard, Henry said. A pop-up thunderstorm could drive rain totals for a certain area to closer to an inch.

Much cooler weekend temperatures are also expected to arrive with this storm.

The forecast afternoon highs drop by 15 degrees in the Inland Empire between Friday (74 degrees) and Saturday (59 degrees).

Snow levels will initially stay near 6,000 feet but drop closer to 4,000 feet by Sunday, causing a snow concern for the Grapevine area.

The stormy weather should clear out by Monday, according to the Weather Service.

Top Democratic leaders have already ruled out reforming progressive policies like Proposition 47, a ballot measure approved by 60% of state voters in 2014 that reduced certain theft and drug possession offenses from felonies to misdemeanors to address overcrowding jails. But a growing number of law enforcement officials, along with Republican and moderate Democratic lawmakers, said California needs to consider all options, including rolling back the measure.

While shoplifting has been a growing problem, large-scale thefts, in which groups of individuals brazenly rush into stores and take goods in plain sight, have become a crisis in California and elsewhere in recent years. California Retailers Association said it's challenging to quantify the issue in California because many stores don't share their data.

Urban areas and big cities like Bay Area and Los Angeles saw a steady increase in shoplifting between 2021 and 2022, according to a study of the latest crime data by The Public Policy Institute of California. Across the state, shoplifting rates rose during the same time period but were still lower than the pre-pandemic levels in 2019, while commercial burglaries and robberies have become more prevalent in urban counties, the study says.

Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom, a champion of Proposition 47 who has repeatedly argued California already has tools to sufficiently go after criminals, rejected calls to reform the measure in January. He instead urged lawmakers to bolster existing laws and go after motor vehicle thefts and resellers of stolen merchandise. California also is spending $267 million to help dozens of local law enforcement agencies increase patrols, buy surveillance equipment and conduct other activities to crack down on retail theft.

“Not to say everything about Prop. 47 is hunky-dory and perfect,” Newsom said in January. "We want to help fix some of the ambiguities there, but we could do it without reforming or going back to the voters.”

California voters approved Proposition 47 in 2014 to help California comply with a 2011 California Supreme Court order, which upheld that California’s overcrowded prisons violated incarcerated individuals’ Eighth Amendment rights against cruel and unusual punishment. The proposition modified, but did not eliminate, sentencing for many drug and nonviolent property crimes, including thefts under $950.

Funding saved from having fewer people in jails and prisons, which totals to $113 million this fiscal year, have gone to local programs to fight recidivism with some successes, state officials and advocates said. But the proposition has made it harder to prosecute shoplifters and enabled brazen crime rings, law enforcement officials said. An effort to reform the measure failed in 2020.

Following Newsom's directions, Democratic leaders in both chambers at the Capitol also have shut down calls to repeal the measure. Last month, the state's new Senate President Pro Tempore Mike McGuire, with bipartisan support, introduced a package of legislation that would target auto thefts and large-scale resell schemes and expand diversion programs such as drug courts and treatment services. Online marketplaces also would be required to crack down on users reselling stolen goods on their platforms under the proposal.

"I do not believe that this state needs to touch Prop. 47 to be able to help make our communities safer, full stop,” McGuire said during a news conference.

Assembly Speaker Robert Rivas, who has said he also doesn't want to repeal Proposition 47, co-authored similar legislation taking aim at repeat thieves and online resellers. It would allow law enforcement to “stack” the value of goods stolen from different victims to impose harsher penalties and arrest people for shoplifting using video footage or witness statements. The measure also would mandate online sellers to maintain records proving the merchandise wasn't stolen and require some retail businesses to report stolen goods data.

But some Democratic lawmakers said those efforts won't be enough to make a difference. Assemblymember James Ramos, who authored bipartisan legislation to increase penalties for repeat shoplifters, said many lawmakers want to see “the pendulum swing back to the middle.” The bill would require voters’ approval.

“Prop. 47 needs to have some type of resetting,” Ramos said. “We have the opportunity now to start that dialogue.”

Democratic Assemblymember Kevin McCarty, chair of the Assembly Public Safety Committee, said he also is exploring options, including putting something on the ballot.

“Everything is on the table,” McCarty said.

Meanwhile, major retail groups and the California District Attorney Association, along with Democratic mayors of San Francisco and San Jose, have thrown their support behind a ballot initiative to stiffen penalties for repeat thieves, among other things. The groups are still collecting signatures to qualify for the November ballot before the April deadline.

The LA County Sheriff’s Department currently has only 23 operable buses out of a total of 82, and there have been days when as few as six were running, supervisors said.

Officials said the breakdown of the inmate transportation system has kept the county's seven jails overcrowded with incarcerated people who might have been released by a judge or sentenced to a state prison — if they had appeared in court.

“Transportation should not be a barrier to administering justice. Having individuals sit in our jails because we can’t transport them to court is simply unacceptable,” Supervisor Lindsey Horvath said.

The Board of Supervisors voted unanimously Tuesday to implement an interim plan to get more working buses running from jails to courthouses and medical appointments. It includes borrowing vehicles from neighboring counties and asking the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation to help transport inmates to state prisons.

A report on whether the proposal is feasible, and how to pay for it, is due in 45 days, the Daily News reported.

The current county budget includes funding for the sheriff’s department to buy 20 additional buses, but those purchases had not happened as of Tuesday. The board said it will take up to 1 1/2 years for the new buses to arrive and be fortified with security renovations so they can be used for transporting inmates.

The sheriff’s department has not received a single new bus since 2018, Supervisor Hilda Solis said. The buses currently in operation — which the county report said take 1,500 inmates daily to courthouses, medical appointments or to state prison — may not last through the end of the year, she said.

The situation is aggravated by the fact that about half of those in county lockups, including the Men's Central Jail, are awaiting pretrial and have not been sentenced for a crime, the Daily News reported. Many sit in jail because they can’t post bail. Others are awaiting sentencing. The average daily inmate population in the system was about 12,177 in 2023.

Supervisor Janice Hahn suggested that the courts and the county public defender’s office use remote technology to reduce the need for in-person appearances.

It costs the county between $1.2 million and $1.6 million each year to maintain the fleet of aging buses, according to the approved motion.

The Police Department issued a brief news release on the subject Thursday evening.

A police spokesperson said the Montebello Unified School District was made aware of the allegation on Feb. 26.

The subject of the report was a teacher at the Applied Technology Center, officials said.

Montebello police investigators worked in conjunction with the school district's police department to look into the accusations but were unable to substantiate the claim, they said.

The teacher was not identified nor was any additional information released about the nature of the allegation.

The development comes on the heels of serious claims of bullying and sexual assault by parents and students at other schools in Montebello.

On Thursday, some parents protested outside the district's building demanding accountability and more proactive intervention.

In relation to those claims of sexual assault and bullying, the school district said it conducted a thorough investigation which has since concluded.

It's unclear if the February allegation made against the unnamed teacher is related in any way to recent unrest among some parents.

The structure is being built in Walnut in collaboration with the City and the Los Angeles County Fire Department, as well as two construction companies. Builders say it's the first structure of its kind to be built in California.

Early construction on the ADU began in early February with foundation, plumbing and sewage work. But on Wednesday, a 3D printing robotic arm by RIC Technology was put to work laying the concrete of the exterior walls.

The process is expected to take about 20 days.

The 2-bedroom, 2.5-bathroom structure will be entirely fire-resistant with concrete walls and a light-steel roof. The metal roof differentiates this project from others like it because most 3D-printed homes utilize a wooden roof, according to a press release from RIC Technology.

"The ADU will be built without a single piece of wood or nail; no ‘fuel’ on the main structure,” said Aaron Liu, CEO of Builtech Construction Group, the general contractor on the project. “So we significantly minimize the likelihood of fire entering the home, reducing its susceptibility to fire.”

Liu was certified by the National Fire Protection Association as a wildfire mitigation specialist. He says he's been actively researching how to reduce a home's vulnerability to fire.

“During wildfires, heat and oxygen, two of the three components of the 'fire triangle,' are beyond control,” he said. “Therefore, our focus is on eliminating 'fuel,' the unique architectural design and building materials in this case.”

Philips and Constance, the Walnut couple whose backyard will be home to the new structure, say they are "eager" to contribute to wildfire protection.

Permits for construction were pulled in February and the builders hope their new ADU, when completed, will lay the groundwork for the unique home-building technology to be deployed elsewhere across California.

“This project can be the beginning of something meaningful – a wider application of 3D printed homes that are less susceptible to fires,” said RIC Technology CEO Ziyou Xu.

Wildfires are responsible for the destruction of hundreds of thousands of homes in California in recent years, and several big-name insurance companies have stopped insuring homes in fire-prone areas or left the state entirely.

Officials for RIC Technology say they are excited to continue working with like-minded companies like Liu's to build more "non-combustible, fire-resistant homes" in these wildfire-prone areas.

The shooting happened Wednesday around 2:30 p.m. behind the Redlands Community Center at 111 West Lugonia St.

Witnesses told the Redlands Police Department that the victim was chased by several suspects through the community center and out the back doors of the gymnasium.

The unidentified male victim was found suffering a gunshot wound in the leg on the 100 block of West Lugonia Street. He was transported to the hospital for treatment of his injuries, which were not believed to be life-threatening.

The Redlands Community Center was forced to close for the remainder of the day and all scheduled events were canceled, officials said. It reopened to the public on Thursday.

The shooting is under investigation and anyone with information is urged to contact the Redlands Police Department at 909-798-7681.

Alaska Access is a $5-per-month service that allows users to receive various travel benefits for frequent flyers, including a monthly voucher for in-flight Wi-Fi, advanced alerts for major fare sales and a personalized calendar filled with the lowest fares for your favorite destinations.

The airline already offers another popular subscription service called Flight Pass, which allows travelers to pay a fixed monthly fee in exchange for a predetermined amount of roundtrip flights throughout California, Las Vegas, Phoenix and Salt Lake City.

Officials for the airline say there's been increased consumer demand for "personalized and tailored experiences" since launching Flight Pass in 2022.

Shane Jones, vice president of business development at Alaska Airlines, said the airline considered the busy lives and valuable time restraints of its customers when developing Alaska Access.

"Alaska Access is part of our commitment to make travel more affordable and convenient for everyone – whether planning for your dream vacation or returning home from college," Jones said in a news release. "Our new subscription service allows you to discover some of our best deals of the year right at your fingertips, in just minutes."

The airline says its already seeing heavy demand from travelers planning and booking their trips months in advance. Those who subscribe to the service will receive a special alert about major sales the night before the general public, allowing them to book a trip and select seats before anyone else.

The service also provides a one-time code issued every month for free Wi-Fi on Alaska flights, and the personalized fare calendar will help you sort flights by price or points to more than 500 global destinations.

"It takes the guesswork and time out of finding the best-valued flights on Alaska," the airline said.

For more information about Alaska Access, including terms and conditions, click here.

From 10 a.m. to 11 a.m., fans can spot Betts working the drive-thru and front counter before the Boys in Blue take on the St. Louis Cardinals during the team’s 2024 home opener at Dodger Stadium on March 28.

Betts will be at the Raising Cane’s location on 1300 E Valley Blvd.

Raising Cane’s will also present a $100,000 check to Betts’ 5050 Foundation, which provides sports programs to inner city schools during the event.

The fast-food chain restaurant has held similar events with rapper Saweetie, reality star Ariana Madix and women’s basketball players from Louisiana State University.

The 2024 baseball season marks Betts’ fifth year with the Los Angeles Dodgers.

The roundtrip service will be offered for all Friday, Saturday and Sunday Angels home games, as well as three games against the Los Angeles Dodgers that take place midweek.

Baseball fans can leave their cars behind and avoid traffic by taking the Angels Express at a price of $10 per adult. Additionally, three children 17 and under can ride for free with a paying adult, Metrolink says.

The Angels Express service was discontinued following the 2019 MLB season. In its return, the service is expanding to the Inland Empire/Orange County Line. Inland Empire fans can board at the Riverside-Downtown station and ride directly to Anaheim without needing to transfer.

Service on the Orange County Line will operate between Los Angeles union Station and Anaheim and Oceanside to Anaheim.

Metrolink CEO Darren Kettle called the return of the Angels Express service "long-awaited."

“As two of America’s great pastimes, taking the train and baseball go hand in hand, and we look forward to once again connecting Southern Californians with the sights and sounds of the ballpark – and the memories made there," Kettle said.

Trains will drop off passengers at the Anaheim Regional Transportation Intermodal Center, aka ARTIC, which is a short walk from Angel Stadium. Return trains will leave 30 minutes after the final out, or 30 minutes after scheduled fireworks show on select Saturdays.

Funding for the Angels Express comes from Metrolink partner agencies LA Metro, Orange County Transportation Authority (OCTA) and Riverside County Transportation Commission (RCTC).

“We’re excited to partner with Metrolink to bring [Angels Express service] back with even more options for getting to and from the ballpark," said Tam T. Nguyen, OCTA Chair. "The Angels are Orange County’s team. And because they also draw from L.A. and the Inland Empire, riding the rails from all those destinations helps reduce traffic and improve regional air quality.”

The service will run during all Friday, Saturday and Sunday home games, as well as midweek Dodgers games taking place on March 26, Sept. 3 and Sept. 4.

The Angels home opener is Saturday, April 5 against the Boston Red Sox.

The passenger rail service says that by taking the Angels Express, riders can "enjoy the camaraderie of traveling with other Angels fans while Metrolink does the work of getting them to and from the stadium."

For more information, including ticketing information and a complete schedule for the Angels Express service, click here.

Departure and return times are below:

ORANGE COUNTY LINE: L.A. Union Station to Anaheim

ORANGE COUNTY LINE: Anaheim to L.A. Union Station

ORANGE COUNTY LINE: Oceanside to Anaheim

ORANGE COUNTY LINE: Anaheim to Oceanside

INLAND EMPIRE-ORANGE COUNTY LINE: Riverside to Anaheim

INLAND EMPIRE-ORANGE COUNTY LINE: Anaheim to Riverside

More than 3,000 Californians participated in the contest to name the new plows.

“Snow doubt about it – we received a blizzard of creative and fun names for our snowplows. Our 872 snowplows statewide play a pivotal role in clearing what is standing in the way of safe travel for drivers,” Caltrans Director Tony Tavares said.

"The Big LePlowski" proved to be a very popular name, taking the top prize in three districts.

It was unclear if "The Big Lebowski" star Jeff Bridges, aka "The Dude," approved but he could consider it over a white Russian.

Caltrans provided a list of each of the district winners below:

• District 1 (Eureka): "The Big LePlowski" submitted by Ryan Rafferty.
• District 2 (Redding): "The Big LePlowski" submitted by Scott Anderson.
• District 3 (Sacramento): "Scoop" submitted by Christopher Torpie.
• District 4 (Bay Area): "Snowtorious B.I.G." submitted by Scott Johnson.
• District 5 (Central Coast): "Yeti Redi" submitted by Elizabeth Jackson.
• District 6 (Fresno/Bakersfield): "Sir-Plows-A-Lot" submitted by Thaddeus Ashford.
• District 7 (Los Angeles): "The Big LePlowski" submitted by Shiree Swenson.
• District 8 (San Bernardino/Riverside): "Buzz Iceclear" submitted by Kendra Sweeney.
• District 9 (Eastern Sierra): "Pepe Le Plow" submitted by Lina Martensson.
• District 10 (Stockton): "Plowzilla" submitted by [Angel Eldred].
• District 11 (San Diego): "Darth Blader" submitted by Jacob Stanley.

Each of the 11 winners will receive a $50 gift card, according to Caltrans.

The Bay Area's Scott Johnson will get an extra $100 gift card for taking home the grand prize with his entry of "Snowtorious B.I.G."

The grand prize went to Caltrans District 4 (Bay Area) resident Scott Johnson of Oakland for his submission, "Snowtorious B.I.G." Other notable submissions included "Pepe Le Plow," submitted by District 9 (Eastern Sierra) resident Lina Martensson, "Plowzilla," submitted by District 10 (Stockton) resident Angel Eldred, and "Sir Plows-A-Lot," submitted by District 6 (Fresno/Bakersfield) resident Thaddeus Ashford.

One name that received an avalanche of submissions was "The Big LePlowski," which was submitted by three people: District 1 (Eureka) resident Ryan Rafferty, District 2 (Redding) resident Scott Anderson, and District 7 (Los Angeles) resident Shiree Swenson.

“Snow doubt about it – we received a blizzard of creative and fun names for our snowplows. Our 872 snowplows statewide play a pivotal role in clearing what is standing in the way of safe travel for drivers. Please take care out there and give our scooper friends space,” said Caltrans Director Tony Tavares.

Here is a complete list of district winners:

• District 1 (Eureka): The Big LePlowski submitted by Ryan Rafferty
• District 2 (Redding): The Big LePlowski submitted by Scott Anderson
• District 3 (Sacramento): Scoop submitted by Christopher Torpie
• District 4 (Bay Area): Snowtorious B.I.G. submitted by Scott Johnson
• District 5 (Central Coast): Yeti Redi submitted by Elizabeth Jackson
• District 6 (Fresno/Bakersfield): Sir-Plows-A-Lot submitted by Thaddeus Ashford
• District 7 (Los Angeles): The Big LePlowski submitted by Shiree Swenson
• District 8 (San Bernardino/Riverside) Buzz Iceclear submitted by Kendra Sweeney
• District 9 (Eastern Sierra): Pepe Le Plow submitted by Lina Martensson
• District 10 (Stockton): Plowzilla submitted by Angel Eldred
• District 11 (San Diego): Darth Blader submitted by Jacob Stanley

All the winners received a $50 gift card. Grand prize winner Scott Johnson will get an additional $100 gift card. Winning names with multiple submissions (we're looking at you Big LePlowski!) used a random drawing to determine the winner. Prizes were courtesy of iHeartMedia, according to Caltrans.

State Farm, California’s largest insurer as of 2022, said the move would impact 2% of its total policies in the state and was made to ensure “long-term sustainability."

The 42,000 commercial apartment non-renewals represent a complete withdrawal from the commercial apartment market in California. The other 30,000 non-renewals would impact homeowners, rental dwellings, and other property insurance policies, according to State Farm.

The announcement applies to California customers only. The company said those impacted will be notified between July 3 and Aug. 20.

“This decision was not made lightly and only after careful analysis of State Farm General’s financial health, which continues to be impacted by inflation, catastrophe exposure, reinsurance costs, and the limitations of working within decades-old insurance regulations. State Farm General takes seriously our responsibility to maintain adequate claims-paying capacity for our customers and to comply with applicable financial solvency laws. It is necessary to take these actions now,” the company said in a statement.

The company also said it will continue working with the Department of Insurance, Gov. Gavin Newsom and other policymakers as they pursue reforms “to establish an environment in which insurance rates are better aligned with risk.”

In February, the state’s insurance department announced proposals to reform California’s insurance regulations. The new proposal would allow insurance companies to switch from using historical data to catastrophe modeling, meaning companies would calculate projections of future risk when raising rates and pass on the cost of reinsurance to consumers.

The new changes are expected to take effect at the end of the year.

Last year, State Farm announced it would stop accepting new insurance applications for all business and personal property in California.

Since then, other companies like Allstate have announced similar moves.

A robbery suspect who refused to drop a rifle was fatally shot by officers in Reseda Thursday morning, police said.

Detectives and SWAT personnel serving a search and arrest warrant attempted to remove the suspect from a residence in the 7900 block of Reseda Boulevard just before 5 a.m., Los Angeles Police Department Detective Aguilar said.

“He ultimately did but he did not surrender when he came out," Aguilar said. "He was armed with a rifle. The officers did give him commands to drop the rifle, which he did not comply with and then ultimately an officer-involved shooting resulted.”

The unidentified suspect was taken to a local hospital where he was pronounced dead.

No details about the robberies the man was suspected of committing were immediately provided.

The suspect was described as a Hispanic man in his late 30s. No injuries to the officers or the public were reported.

Aguilar said the rifle was recovered at the scene.

Investigators served a search warrant on Tuesday at a home in the 15500 block of Second Street, according to a news release from the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department.

"During service of the warrant, investigators located suspected methamphetamine, paraphernalia, marijuana, seven marijuana smoking devices and a large amount of U.S. currency within the residence," the Sheriff's Department stated.

The items were found in an area described as easily accessible to the children, aged 9 and 10, authorities said.

Investigators determined the residence was unsafe and the kids were turned over to the custody of Child and Family Services.

The suspects, identified as 44-year-old Sara Molina, 29-year-old Jenaro Diaz and 20-year-old Marven Rivera, were arrested and booked on suspicion of child endangerment.

Rivera was also booked on suspicion of possession of marijuana for sales and a probation violation was issued for Diaz, the Sheriff's Department said.

Anyone with further information regarding the case was asked to contact Deputy Hillebrand at 760-552-6800. Callers can remain anonymous by calling We-Tip at 800-78CRIME or going to www.wetip.com.

The lawsuit, filed in federal court in New Jersey, alleges that Apple has monopoly power in the smartphone market and uses its control over the iPhone to “engage in a broad, sustained, and illegal course of conduct.”

The lawsuit — which was also filed with 16 state attorneys general — is the latest example of the Justice Department’s approach to aggressive enforcement of federal antitrust law that officials say is aimed at ensuring a fair and competitive market, even as it has lost some significant anticompetition cases.

President Joe Biden has called for the Justice Department and the Federal Trade Commission to vigorously enforce antitrust statutes. The increased policing of corporate mergers and business deals has been met with resistance from some business leaders who have said the Democratic administration is overreaching, but it’s been lauded by others as long overdue.

The case is taking direct aim at the digital fortress that Apple Inc., based in Cupertino, California, has assiduously built around the iPhone and other popular products such as the iPad, Mac and Apple Watch to create what is often referred to as a “walled garden” so its meticulously designed hardware and software can seamlessly flourish together while requiring consumers to do little more than turn the devices on.

The strategy has helped make Apple the world’s most prosperous company, with annual revenue of nearly $400 billion and, until recently, a market value of more than $3 trillion. But Apple’s shares have fallen by 7% this year even as most of the stock market has climbed to new highs, resulting in long-time rival Microsoft — a target of a major Justice Department antitrust case a quarter-century ago — to seize the mantle as the world’s most valuable company.

Apple has defended the walled garden as an indispensable feature prized by consumers who want the best protection available for their personal information. It has described the barrier as a way for the iPhone to distinguish itself from devices running on Google’s Android software, which isn’t as restrictive and is licensed to a wide range of manufacturers.

Fears about an antitrust crackdown on Apple’s business model have contributed to the drop in the company’s stock price, along with concerns that it is lagging Microsoft and Google in the push to develop products powered by artificial intelligence technology.

But antitrust regulators made it clear in their complaint that they see Apple's walled garden most as a weapon to ward off competition, creating market conditions that enable it to charge higher prices that have propelled its lofty profit margins while stifling innovation.

“Consumers should not have to pay higher prices because companies violate the antitrust laws,” Attorney General Merrick Garland said in a statement. “We allege that Apple has maintained monopoly power in the smartphone market, not simply by staying ahead of the competition on the merits, but by violating federal antitrust law. If left unchallenged, Apple will only continue to strengthen its smartphone monopoly.”

With the attempt to rein in Apple's dominance, the Biden administration is escalating an antitrust siege that has already triggered lawsuits against Google and Amazon accusing them in engaging in illegal tactics to thwart competition, as well as unsuccessful attempts to block acquisitions by Microsoft and Facebook parent Meta Platforms.

Apple's business interests are also entangled in the Justice Department's case against Google, which went to trial last fall and is headed toward final arguments scheduled to begin May 1 in Washington, D.C. In that case, regulators are alleging Google has stymied competition by paying for the rights for its already dominant online search engine to be the automatic place to handle queries on the iPhone and a variety of web browsers in an arrangement that generates an estimated $15 billion to $20 billion annually.

Now that the Justice Department is mounting a direct attack across its business, Apple stands to lose even more.

The Justice Department is following up an other recent attempts to force Apple to change the way it runs the iPhone and other parts of its business.

Epic Games, the maker of the popular Fortnite video game, filed an antitrust lawsuit against Apple in 2020 in an effort break down the barriers protecting the iPhone App Store and a lucrative payment system operating within it. Apple has long collected commissions ranging from 15% to 30% on digital transactions completed within apps, a setup that Epic alleged was enabled by an illegal monopoly that drives up prices for consumers.

After a monthlong trial in 2021, a federal judge ruled mostly in favor of Apple with the exception of deciding that links to competing payment options should be permitted inside of iPhone apps. Apple unsuccessfully resisted that portion of the ruling until the U.S. Supreme Court refused to hear an appeal in January, forcing the company to relent. But the concessions that Apple made to comply with the ruling are still facing a “bad faith” challenge from Epic, which is seeking an April 30 hearing to ask U.S. District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers to order more changes.

Apple also had to open up the iPhone to allow apps to be downloaded and installed from competing stores in Europe to comply with a new set of regulators called the Digital Markets Act, or DMA, earlier this month but its approach is being pilloried by critics as little more than an end-around the rules that will enable it to continue to muscle out real competition. European Union regulators already have vowed to crack down on Apple if it finds the company's tactics continue to thwart true consumer choice.

All of this comes on top of a $2 billion (1.8 billion euro) fine that European regulators slapped on Apple earlier this month after concluding that the company had undermined competition in the music streaming through the iPhone, despite Spotify being the leader in that market.

The unidentified male suspect cut the fumigation tent, removed a window screen, and opened an unlocked window to enter the home shortly after 5:30 a.m., the Ventura Police Department stated in an Instagram post.

"Once inside, the suspect stole multiple items, including various types of jewelry and a laptop," the post read.

The police department posted a surveillance image in hopes of identifying the suspect.

He was described as a possibly Hispanic male between 30 and 35 years old with a mustache and partial beard.

Anyone with information about the case was asked to contact Detective Nick Davy at 805-339-4481 or ndavy@venturapd.org.

“It does look like Saturday, by the afternoon, we’re going to start seeing rain develop," KTLA Meteorologist Henry DiCarlo said.

Satellite imagery Thursday morning showed a low-pressure system in the Pacific Ocean stretching longer and holding together a little stronger as it continues to track south.

“This increases the amount of area that could be affected by rain,” Henry said. “Most of the rain is forecast to arrive late Saturday and continue into midday Sunday."

The storm should provide decent rainfall amounts, with up to an inch forecast for the foothill and mountain communities.

A quarter of an inch to a half inch of rain could fall along the coastal and valley regions, Henry said. "It's not an overly huge storm but big enough."

Cold temperatures will also hit the region with afternoon highs in the San Fernando Valley dropping from the mid-70s Thursday down to the mid-60s on Saturday.

Afternoon highs for some areas of the Inland Empire may not reach 60 degrees on Saturday.

Snow levels overnight Saturday into Sunday could drop to between 4,000 and 4,500 feet with snow possible on the 5 Freeway through the Grapevine area, according to the National Weather Service.

The storm is expected to exit the region Sunday evening as sunny and breezy conditions return.

The incident occurred around midnight when officers responded to a report that a Metro bus on Line 2 had been hijacked at gunpoint, Metro officials confirmed in a statement.

The male suspect forced the driver to travel to multiple locations, during which time the bus was involved in multiple collisions.

One of the incidents, captured on surveillance video, occurred as the bus traveled through a red light on West 11th Street and South Grand Avenue.

Video showed a vehicle traveling through the intersection hit the side of the bus as it ran the light. The motorist's vision may also have been blocked by another bus slowing down in the next lane.

A few blocks later, the bus slammed into the side of the Ritz-Carlton Hotel at West Olympic Boulevard and Georgia Street.

The bus went partially through the wall of the building, apparently damaging a vault inside the hotel.

The bus driver and one other person, injured during one of the vehicle collisions with the bus, were taken to a local hospital in stable condition, Metro officials said.

No passengers were riding on the bus at the time of the hijacking.

The suspect, later identified as 24-year-old Anai Lindsey, was captured and arrested by Los Angeles Police Department officers after fleeing the scene.

Police described Lindsey as unhoused and said he was facing kidnapping charges.

The weapon, which turned out to be a BB gun, was recovered on the bus.

Anyone with further information about the incident was asked to call Crime Stoppers at 800-222-8477.