Listed here are the morning’s high tales on Thursday, July 3, 2025…
- Sequoia Nationwide Park is understood for its iconic timber – the enormous sequoias. They tower tons of of ft above the Sierra Nevada. However one other draw to this park is hidden hundreds of ft under. It’s known as Crystal Cave, and it not too long ago reopened to the general public after a parade of pure disasters left it inaccessible for years.
- Current immigration raids in Southern California have been unconstitutional. That’s in response to a brand new lawsuit filed in Los Angeles towards the federal authorities.
- Organizers of one in all Northern California’s best-loved and longest-running music festivals are scrambling to save lots of the July 4th weekend occasion, amid sluggish ticket gross sales.
Crystal Cave Reopens Beneath Sequoia Nationwide Park After Pure Disasters
The scars of document flooding and one of many largest wildfires in Sequoia and Kings Nationwide Parks historical past remained on full show throughout a latest tour marking the reopening of an iconic landmark. Grove after grove of scorched up timber line the steep, half-mile hike right down to the whimsical spiderweb gate that acts as the doorway to Crystal Cave.
Crystal Cave is over one million years outdated and stretches about three miles, he says. Solely a small fraction of caves on the planet are etched from marble. It’s open to the general public for the primary time in 4 years – since a parade of pure disasters left it inaccessible. These disasters washed out roads and burned up the cave’s bespoke solar energy system. 2023’s sequence of atmospheric rivers wreaked havoc on the park’s infrastructure.
Sequoia Nationwide Park Superintendent Clay Jordan not too long ago greeted guests for the cave’s official reopening ceremony. “I’m happy with the accomplishments we’ve made in repairing a lot of the quarter billion {dollars} of injury between fires and floods, however we nonetheless have a methods to go,” he mentioned.
Feds Sued Over ICE Raids
Current immigration raids carried out by the Trump administration throughout Southern California have routinely violated detainees’ constitutional rights, in response to the allegations in a brand new lawsuit filed Wednesday towards the federal authorities.
The lawsuit was introduced by 5 employees who’ve been detained and 4 neighborhood organizations that target immigrant and employee rights. They allege federal brokers have racially profiled folks, disregarding their Fourth Modification rights towards unreasonable search and seizure. Additionally they say detainees have been held in “deplorable” situations in a downtown federal constructing basement, the place they aren’t getting their Fifth Modification proper to talk with an lawyer.
Officers with the Division of Homeland Safety mentioned federal immigration brokers should not concentrating on folks for arrest primarily based on their pores and skin shade and should not holding detainees in substandard situations. They mentioned immigration actions in L.A. have been lawful and “extremely focused.”
Northern California Music Competition Struggles With Low Ticket Gross sales
The Excessive Sierra Music Competition within the Plumas County city of Quincy has been a staple on Northern California’s music calendar since 1991. However organizers are scrambling this 12 months amid sluggish ticket gross sales.
Competition producer Dave Margulies mentioned he may depend on promoting 6,000 tickets earlier than the pandemic. However this 12 months, that quantity is nearer to 2,000. “So that leaves us a protracted, good distance away from sustainability. We’re a bit of nervous concerning the future going ahead, and hoping that the neighborhood rallies and helps us,” he mentioned.
