California Today: How the Weather Could Make Your Fireworks Fizzle

July 4, 2025, 6:31 a.m. Pacific time

Good morning. Here are the top stories from across California.

Today’s Top Story

How the Weather Could Make Your Fireworks Fizzle

Rain can put a damper on your July 4 display, and drought risks can turn a neighborhood celebration into a five-alarm fire.

Congress Passes a National School Voucher Program

The plan, part of the Republican domestic policy bill, includes all but the wealthiest families. But states must opt in, which could limit its reach.

Search Begins for 7 Missing After Disaster at Fireworks Warehouse in California

The company indicated that multiple people died in the incident three days before the Fourth of July, but officials have not issued a determination.

At 52,600 Acres, the Madre Fire Is California’s Largest This Year

The blaze is burning in a rural area of San Luis Obispo County, but its smoke has spread to nearby counties.

They Planned Parties and Salsa Music for July 4th. ICE Raids Made Them Think Twice.

Some communities in the Los Angeles region canceled events over fears of immigration raids, as Latinos grapple with how, and whether, to celebrate Independence Day.

Man Is Charged With Creating ‘Hit List’ of Public Officials

Noah Lamb, 24, was accused of playing a “central role” in a white supremacist group’s creation of a list of assassination targets, including a U.S. senator and a federal judge.

Immigration Agents Appear to Urinate in Public at a California School

School officials have demanded answers from federal agencies. It was the latest example of how locals have scrutinized the actions of immigration agents.

Mexico Confirms Arrest Warrant for Boxer Julio César Chávez Jr.

The well-known Mexican boxer was detained by U.S. immigration agents in California on Wednesday, days after fighting a high-profile contest against the former YouTuber Jake Paul.

42 Years After She Vanished, a Man She Was Seeing Is Charged in Her Murder

Teresa Peroni was last seen on July 4, 1983, in Selma, Ore. DNA testing confirmed that a skull found in 1997 was hers.

Local Conditions

Look up the heat index in your area using The Times’s heat tracker.

See active fires using The Times’s wildfire tracker.

Today's Recipe

Johnny Miller for The New York Times. Food Stylst: Laurie Ellen Pellicano.

Strawberry and Ice Cream Sandwiches

By Laurie Ellen Pellicano

319

15 minutes, plus time to heat grill, if using

Makes 4 to 6 sandwiches

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