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Spencer Blum
Meteorologist Spencer Blum was born and raised in South Florida. He developed a deep love for the weather at an early age after living through Hurricane Wilma. Spencer attended Florida State University in Tallahassee, FL, where he received a Bachelor’s Degree in Meteorology with a minor in Mathematics. You can always find him cheering on
Continue ReadingFederal purchase of Adelanto detention facilities raises questions about oversight
NewADELANTO, Calif. (KESQ) – The federal government’s purchase of immigration detention facilities in Adelanto is raising questions about transparency, state oversight and what the change could mean for people being held inside. The $950 million purchase transfers ownership of the Adelanto West ICE Processing Center, Adelanto East ICE Processing Center and the Desert View Annex
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Desert Water Agency customers to see rate changes in 2027; how much could bills increase?
PALM SPRINGS, Calif. (KESQ) – Water bills are going up for Desert Water Agency customers starting January 1, 2027, and some Coachella Valley residents are already raising concerns about what another increase could mean for their household budgets. The agency says the upcoming rate adjustments will result in an average 6.25% increase, with the additional
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Man arrested, charged in fatal e-bike crash that killed Desert Hot Springs woman in 2025
DESERT HOT SPRINGS, Calif. (KESQ) — A man who was previously identified in investigative documents but had not been charged in connection with a fatal e-bike crash in Desert Hot Springs was arrested Thursday after a warrant was issued in the case, authorities confirmed. Oscar Pinuelas was identified in California Highway Patrol investigative documents as
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Firebirds rookies still finding their footing in early part of the season
COACHELLA VALLEY, Calif. (KESQ) — The Coachella Valley Firebirds are back on home ice Friday night for their third game of the season, welcoming the San Diego Gulls for the first meeting between the two teams this year. Coachella Valley enters the matchup with three points after earning a win and an overtime loss against
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Riverside County to hold public listening sessions on Sheriff’s oversight options
RIVERSIDE COUNTY, Calif. (KESQ)— Riverside County residents will soon have several opportunities to weigh in on how the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department is overseen as a Board of Supervisors Ad Hoc Committee begins gathering public input on potential oversight options. The Board of Supervisors voted in July to establish the committee, which will examine ways
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10 years later, Palm Springs Police honor fallen Officers Vega and Zerebny
PALM SPRINGS, CA (KESQ)- Ten years after Palm Springs police officers Jose “Gil” Vega and Lesley Zerebny were killed in the line of duty, members of the Palm Springs Police Department gathered Thursday to remember the two officers and reflect on their lasting impact on the department and the community. Vega and Zerebny were killed
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This old CIA airfield is now a Chinese base
By Brad Lendon, CNN (CNN) — China’s military has opened a new outpost on a site in northwestern Laos which was once a Vietnam-era CIA airfield. The base, about 40 miles north of the capital Vientiane and just 25 miles from the nearest border with Thailand, comprises the China-Laos Joint Support and Training Center at
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Food needs continue beyond Hunger Action Month in the Coachella Valley
CATHEDRAL CITY, Calif. (KESQ) — Hunger Action Month has ended, but the need for food assistance continues across the Coachella Valley. For 80-year-old Michael Goodman, getting groceries comes with two challenges: paying for food on a limited income and making a difficult drive. FIND Regional Food Bank’s Homebound Delivery Program brings groceries to his Cathedral
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Palm Desert City Council passes new AI policy
PALM DESERT, Calif. (KESQ) – UPDATE: 10/8: Palm Desert City Council approved a new policy Thursday in a 5-0 vote outlining how the city can use artificial intelligence and what safeguards would be required. The proposed policy will classify AI uses as low, moderate or high risk, with different levels of oversight depending on how
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‘Con man’ and ‘cowardly’: Personal insults fly in heated Michigan, Georgia, Maine Senate debates
NewBy Eric Bradner, Steve Contorno, Patrick Svitek, CNN (CNN) — It didn’t take long for the personal attacks to fly in Thursday night’s debates for three marquee Senate races in Georgia, Michigan and Maine. Georgia Sen. Jon Ossoff opened by effectively putting Republican Rep. Mike Collins’ record on trial, highlighting his association with a white
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Palm Springs to host grand opening of $5.1M Demuth park pickleball complex
PALM SPRINGS (CNS) – Palm Springs will celebrate the grand opening of a $5.1 million pickleball complex at Demuth Park later this month. The grand opening will take place at 4 p.m. Oct. 21 at 4365 E. Mesquite Ave. The event will feature a ribbon-cutting ceremony, refreshments, music, giveaways, prizes, open play and demonstrations. The
Continue ReadingPerson shot during encounter with ICE agents in New York City, source says
CNN By John Miller and Julianna Bragg, CNN (CNN) — A person was shot during an encounter with federal immigration agents in the Bronx on Thursday afternoon, according to the New York Police Department. Just after 4 p.m., agents with ICE’s Enforcement and Removal Operations — a branch of ICE focused on arresting undocumented immigrants
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First DAC boys and girls cross-country meet of the season held at Xavier Prep
PALM DESERT, Calif. (KESQ) — The first Desert Athletic Conference cross country race of the season featured 14 local programs, combing all three leagues (DEL, DVL, SVL). The girls race was highlighted by a dominant performance from Palm Desert junior Marina Avila. Avila was in control from the start of the girls race, cruising to
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Federal budget deficit climbs to $2 trillion as fiscal jitters multiply
By Tami Luhby, CNN (CNN) — The federal budget deficit rose to nearly $2 trillion for the past fiscal year, spurred in part by ballooning interest payments and tariff refunds, the Congressional Budget Office reported Thursday. The gap between the revenue the federal government collects and the amount it spends widened by $218 billion, or
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Hurricane Isaias strengthens to Category 2 with evacuations underway in the Gulf states
By Dakota Smith, Eduardo Cuevas, Elise Hammond (CNN) – Hurricane hunters found 100 mph winds within Hurricane Isaias, making the storm a Category 2, according to the National Hurricane Center’s 4 p.m. CT update on Thursday. The agency noted “additional strengthening is expected” through early Friday. The official forecast calls for Isaias to peak with
Continue Reading Hurricane Isaias strengthens to Category 2 with evacuations underway in the Gulf states
CNN, ACCUWEATHER, MDFR FL-TF1, CIRA, NOAA, WSVN, WJHG, CIRA/NOAA By Dakota Smith, Eduardo Cuevas, Elise Hammond (CNN) – Hurricane hunters found 100 mph winds within Hurricane Isaias, making the storm a Category 2, according to the National Hurricane Center’s 4 p.m. CT update on Thursday. The agency noted “additional strengthening is expected” through early Friday.
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Man shot by ICE agents during operation in New York City, DHS says
NewBy John Miller, Julianna Bragg and Mark Morales, CNN (CNN) — A man from the Dominican Republic was shot by federal immigration agents during a targeted enforcement operation in the Bronx on Thursday, according to the Department of Homeland Security, marking the first shooting involving ICE agents in New York City since President Donald Trump’s
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Iranian operatives used AI to plant fake stories in multiple US media outlets
By Sean Lyngaas, CNN (CNN) — Operatives in Iran used OpenAI models and fake personas to help plant news articles critical of the US war against Iran in multiple US media outlets, OpenAI said on Thursday. About a dozen outlets around the world ran roughly 100 articles by seven fake journalists, OpenAI said in a
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