A live artillery shell exploded prematurely during a live-fire amphibious demonstration at Camp Pendleton in celebration of the military branch's 250th anniversary and shrapnel from it pelted

A global wave of “No Kings” demonstrations took place Saturday, as countless protesters gathered in cities across the United States and abroad to voice opposition to what organizers describe as growing threats to democracy and executive overreach.

“We all know where our strength is: together. If we don’t stand up now, they could take it away — this democracy that we stand for. We’re still the United States of America; that means all of us, and the true king is the U.S. Constitution, not a wannabe dictator.”

The issue of undocumented truck drivers has drawn national attention since semi-tractor-trailer driver Harjinder Singh, a native of India, was arrested in August.

CalExit, a group whose name is a play on the the United Kingdom’s breakup with the European Union, recently filed a proposed ballot initiative to start the process of California’s secession from the United States.

United Way of Santa Barbara County's Red Feather Ball 2025, by Merryl Brown Events, October 10, 2025, Santa Barbara Historical Museum, Santa Barbara,