Former U.S. Congressman Eric Swalwell has resigned amid explosive sexual assault allegations, as a fifth accuser comes forward with chilling claims from a 2018 incident. Authorities in Los Angeles have now launched a criminal investigation, intensifying the crisis surrounding the embattled politician. The accuser alleges she was drugged, assaulted, and choked unconscious during an encounter in a California hotel room. Swalwell has strongly denied all allegations through his legal team, calling them completely false.  

On Tuesday, February 17, 2026, a monstrous "Everest-style" avalanche thundered down Castle Peak near Donner Summit, engulfing a guided group of 15 backcountry skiers. As a ferocious "thunder-snow" blizzard hammers Northern California with up to 40 inches of fresh snow and 80 mph winds, search crews are racing against a freezing clock to find 9 skiers still buried alive.