A renewed push for mineral exploration in California’s Eastern Sierra is drawing attention to a region whose economic history, environmental significance and Indigenous heritage have long been intertwined with mining.

At the center of the latest interest is a prospect near the town of Lone Pine, where Vancouver-based K2 Gold Corp. is advancing exploration activities in an area the company describes as one of the most promising undeveloped oxide gold and polymetallic opportunities in the western United States.

In corporate communications and investor materials, K2 Gold has characterized the project area as “one of the most compelling undeveloped oxide gold and polymetallic exploration assets in the western United States.” The company’s assessment reflects growing interest among mining firms in domestic mineral resources amid broader efforts to strengthen critical supply chains and expand access to strategically important commodities.

K2 Gold Chief Executive Officer Anthony Margarit has publicly stated that the prospect could eventually support multiple mining operations if exploration results continue to meet expectations. He has also estimated that the development of a full-scale mine could require between 10 and 15 years, underscoring the lengthy permitting, environmental review and infrastructure processes that typically accompany large mining projects in the United States.

Margarit declined to be interviewed for this article, and requests for comment submitted to K2 Gold were not returned before publication.

The prospect is located near Lone Pine, a small community in California’s Owens Valley that has deep historical ties to the mining industry. Situated beneath the dramatic peaks of the Eastern Sierra Nevada, the town has served for generations as a gateway to mineral-rich mountain ranges that attracted prospectors, investors and settlers during successive mining booms.

While contemporary exploration efforts are focused on future resource potential, the region’s landscape remains marked by the legacy of earlier mining eras. In many respects, both Lone Pine and the surrounding mountains preserve visible traces of economic activity that began more than a century and a half ago.

Mining activity accelerated across California following the Gold Rush of the late 1840s, a period that transformed the state’s economy and spurred rapid migration from across the United States and abroad. The discovery of valuable mineral deposits encouraged the establishment of settlements throughout resource-rich areas, including communities in the Owens Valley and along the eastern slopes of the Sierra Nevada.

Lone Pine emerged in 1861 as one such settlement. The town developed as a service and transportation center for workers employed in nearby gold and silver operations. As mining activity expanded, roads, supply routes and supporting infrastructure spread across areas that had long been used by Indigenous communities.

Historical accounts indicate that expanding settlement patterns significantly altered the traditional way of life of local Paiute and Shoshone peoples. Routes used for travel and trade were increasingly intersected by roads built to support mining and ranching activity. Grazing livestock introduced by settlers consumed vegetation and other food resources that Indigenous communities had relied upon for generations.

The resulting competition over land and resources contributed to escalating tensions between Native populations and incoming settlers. Those tensions eventually erupted into violence, leading to the deaths of hundreds of Indigenous people during conflicts associated with the broader settlement of the Owens Valley region.

The economic fortunes of many mining communities proved closely tied to the lifespan of nearby mineral deposits. As ore bodies became less productive during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, investment slowed and some mining operations ceased altogether.

Several settlements that had grown rapidly during periods of mineral discovery experienced population decline once extraction became less profitable. Some communities were largely abandoned and became ghost towns, while numerous mine workings and shafts were left behind across the surrounding hills and mountains.

Remnants of those earlier operations remain visible throughout parts of the Eastern Sierra today, serving as evidence of the cycles of expansion and decline that characterized mining development across the American West. Abandoned shafts, historical structures and former transport corridors continue to shape the region’s physical landscape.

The latest exploration efforts reflect a markedly different mining environment from that of the nineteenth century. Modern projects are generally subject to extensive geological analysis, environmental assessment, regulatory oversight and public consultation before production can begin. Companies seeking to develop new mines must navigate federal, state and local permitting requirements that can take years to complete.

For K2 Gold, the current phase remains focused on exploration and resource evaluation rather than mine construction. Any transition from exploration to development would depend on a range of factors, including geological results, economic feasibility, regulatory approvals and environmental review outcomes.

The company’s projections suggest that, even under favorable conditions, a producing mine would remain years away. That timeline highlights both the opportunities and challenges facing modern mineral development in regions where economic interests intersect with environmental concerns, historical legacies and community priorities.

As exploration continues near Lone Pine, the project has become part of a broader conversation about the future of resource development in the American West, where some of the country’s oldest mining districts are once again attracting attention from companies searching for new mineral discoveries.

In the rural mountains of northern California, local officials, healthcare professionals and families affected by suicide are grappling with a challenge that has become increasingly difficult to ignore: how to reduce self-inflicted deaths in communities where firearm ownership is deeply embedded in daily life.

The issue is particularly acute in Shasta County, located roughly 200 miles north of San Francisco. The county has one of California’s highest rates of suicide and one of its highest rates of household firearm ownership, creating a public health challenge that local leaders say requires solutions tailored to the region’s culture and demographics.

For families who have lost loved ones, the statistics reflect deeply personal tragedies. Kelly Rocha remembers receiving a late-night phone call in 2019 informing her that her father, Bill Rocha, had died by suicide after retrieving a firearm from his truck. The loss came as a shock, though she later reflected on warning signs that had emerged over time.

According to Rocha, her father was known as a sociable and hardworking man who spent decades working as a contractor. Like many residents of the region, he enjoyed hunting and fishing and owned multiple firearms.

Family members were aware of broader struggles involving anxiety, depression and alcoholism, conditions that had affected previous generations as well.His death highlighted a pattern that local officials say appears repeatedly throughout the county. Men account for the overwhelming majority of suicide deaths in Shasta County, and firearms are involved in most of those cases.

County data show that three-quarters of people who died by suicide in 2024 were men. Nearly all of those deaths involved firearms. Public health experts say the combination of widespread gun ownership and mental health challenges contributes to elevated risks compared with other parts of California.The trend is not limited to Shasta County alone.

According to data cited from the University of California, Davis BulletPoints Project, firearm ownership rates are significantly higher across California’s northern and inland regions than in major metropolitan areas.

In 2024, approximately 41% of households along California’s northern coast owned firearms, while ownership reached 35% in the upper Sierra region and 44% in the northern San Joaquin Valley. By comparison, firearm ownership stood at about 22% in urban regions including Los Angeles and the San Francisco Bay Area.

Researchers have noted that regions with higher firearm ownership rates often experience higher rates of suicide and other health disparities. Public health specialists emphasize that suicide attempts involving firearms are more likely to result in death than attempts using other methods, making access to guns a critical factor in prevention efforts.

Shasta County’s suicide rate has remained substantially above the statewide average in recent years. In 2022, the county recorded 33.3 suicide deaths per 100,000 residents, roughly three times California’s overall rate. Although the figure has declined since reaching that peak, local officials say it remains significantly elevated.

Data from recent years indicate that more than half of the county’s suicide deaths involved gunshot wounds. Preliminary figures show that 43 suicides were recorded in 2024, representing an increase of roughly 25% from the previous year.

The statistics have prompted local discussions about how to reduce access to lethal means during periods of crisis without alienating residents who view firearm ownership as part of their lifestyle and identity.Public health experts point to evidence supporting interventions such as gun violence restraining orders, also known as extreme risk protection orders.

These measures allow family members or law enforcement agencies to seek temporary restrictions on a person’s access to firearms if that individual is considered a danger to themselves or others.Supporters argue that such measures can create critical time and distance between a person in crisis and a lethal weapon.

However, advocates also acknowledge that legal interventions alone are unlikely to address the broader causes of suicide.Many prevention efforts instead focus on safe firearm storage practices. Health professionals working in northern California say conversations about secure storage are often more effective when framed around protecting family members rather than restricting rights.

One challenge, according to experts, is that some gun owners prioritize immediate access to firearms for home protection and may be reluctant to store weapons in locked containers. Mental health advocates argue that temporary changes in storage practices during periods of depression or emotional distress can significantly reduce risks.

Research cited by public health officials has suggested that individuals living in homes with firearms face higher risks of firearm-related injury and death. For this reason, clinicians increasingly encourage discussions about securing both firearms and ammunition, particularly when someone in a household is experiencing acute mental health difficulties.

The county’s response has also drawn attention from elected officials. Matt Plummer, who began serving as a county supervisor in 2025, said the county’s suicide statistics stood out when he reviewed data aimed at identifying major challenges facing the region.Plummer has developed a reputation for emphasizing data-driven policymaking and said the county’s suicide rate quickly emerged as one of the most pressing issues requiring attention.

For local leaders, the challenge extends beyond healthcare systems and involves broader questions about community culture, economic pressures and access to mental health resources.Families affected by suicide say breaking longstanding patterns requires open discussion and greater awareness.

Rocha said she hopes future generations of her family can avoid repeating cycles involving addiction and suicide that have affected previous generations.Mental health advocates echo that message, arguing that reducing stigma around depression, substance abuse and emotional struggles remains a critical component of prevention efforts.

In communities where self-reliance is often valued, encouraging residents to seek help before reaching a crisis point remains a central goal.As Shasta County searches for solutions, officials, clinicians and families continue to navigate the difficult intersection of mental health, firearm access and rural culture.

Their efforts reflect a broader challenge facing many communities across the United States, where suicide prevention increasingly depends on balancing public health strategies with deeply rooted traditions and personal freedoms.

Filipino migrants with pending applications for U.S. permanent residency say uncertainty surrounding a recent government memo on green card processing has heightened concerns over their legal status, employment prospects and family stability, while immigration advocates continue to seek formal clarification from federal authorities.

Questions emerged after comments by Philippine Ambassador to the United States Jose Manuel Romualdez to Philippine broadcaster GMA News, in which he said Filipinos applying for a green card would need to “go home first,” reflecting guidance that appeared consistent with a U.S. government memo whose implications have been widely debated among migrant communities.

The remarks drew attention among Filipino workers in the United States, many of whom have spent years building careers and supporting families while awaiting decisions on their residency applications.Sharvari Dalal-Dheini, director of government relations at the American Immigration Lawyers Association, said uncertainty remains because U.S. authorities have yet to issue updated public guidance clarifying reports that elements of the policy may have been reconsidered.

“Stakeholders continue to be confused and dubious of the government’s claims. Until we have official word, we remain concerned and extremely cautious,” Dalal-Dheini said.The lack of clear guidance has created challenges for migrants attempting to plan their futures, according to advocates and workers affected by the policy debate.

Immigration lawyers say applicants are often reluctant to make major employment, housing or family decisions when regulatory requirements remain unclear.Among those affected is Marie, a Filipino migrant whose green card application remains pending.

She said the uncertainty extends beyond migrants themselves and affects the broader network of relatives and communities that depend on them.According to Marie, the consequences of prolonged uncertainty could also be felt by U.S. citizens who rely on migrant workers for essential services and care.

The issue is particularly significant in sectors such as elder care, where Filipino workers have long played an important role in addressing labor shortages and supporting aging populations in parts of the United States.Gabriela, a Filipino caregiver who has worked at the same retirement home in California’s San Fernando Valley for 15 years, said concerns about her immigration status have intensified because her permanent residency application has not yet been resolved.

She has cared for one patient, now 97 years old, for nine years and said the prospect of being required to leave the country raises questions about the continuity of care for elderly residents as well as the welfare of her own family.Gabriela said she migrated to the United States after concluding that opportunities in the Philippines were insufficient to provide the level of financial support she sought for her children.

With her residency application still pending, she said she fears the consequences for both her family and the people under her care if she were required to return to the Philippines before receiving a final decision on her immigration status.The concerns expressed by Filipino migrants highlight broader questions about labor migration and the economic factors that continue to drive workers overseas.

Marie said many migrants leave their home countries because of limited economic opportunities and the need to secure stable incomes for their families. She argued that immigration policies should take into account the human impact on workers who have established lives abroad while contributing to the economies and communities where they live.

“There needs to be more leadership from both the U.S. government and the Philippines government to understand the human impact, the human cost of these things,” she said.The Philippine Embassy in Washington defended the country’s record on migrant welfare and said the government remains committed to supporting Filipinos overseas.

“The Philippines is recognized globally as being at the forefront of promoting and protecting the welfare and rights of Filipino nationals overseas,” an embassy spokesperson said.The spokesperson said many overseas Filipinos choose to work abroad after assessing their personal circumstances and determining that international employment offers greater professional, financial or career opportunities than those available at home.

“While the Philippines continues to offer opportunities as a growing economy, many overseas Filipinos have carefully weighed their choices and determined that employment abroad is better suited to their personal, professional, or financial goals,” the spokesperson said.For migrants awaiting greater clarity, however, uncertainty remains the dominant concern.

Immigration advocates say formal guidance from U.S. authorities will be critical in determining how affected applicants proceed and whether existing interpretations of the policy accurately reflect government intentions.

Until such clarification is issued, lawyers, workers and advocacy groups say many applicants are likely to remain cautious about making decisions that could affect their legal status, employment and family arrangements in the United States.

The incident occurred at an aerospace facility in Garden Grove, southeast of Los Angeles, where a storage tank holding about 7,000 gallons (26,000 liters) of methyl methacrylate developed a leak. Emergency officials warned that the situation posed significant risks to nearby communities due to the chemical’s flammable nature and the possibility of a thermal runaway reaction.

Incident Commander Craig Covey said emergency planners were preparing for two primary scenarios: a complete tank failure resulting in a large chemical spill or an explosion that could affect neighboring tanks containing fuel and other hazardous materials.

“We are setting up these evacuations in preparation for these two options,” Covey said, describing the threat as serious and requiring immediate precautionary measures.

Garden Grove Police Chief Amir El-Farra said approximately 40,000 people were covered by the evacuation order, although several thousand residents chose to remain in their homes despite warnings from authorities.

Emergency crews continuously sprayed water on the tank in an effort to reduce its temperature and stabilize conditions. Later on Friday, Covey reported that cooling operations had succeeded in lowering the tank’s temperature to about 61 degrees, closer to what officials described as a safe operating range.

Authorities continued searching for alternatives that could further reduce the risk of either a major spill or an explosion.

Orange County Health Officer Regina Chinsio Kwong said the evacuation zone was established to protect residents from potential exposure to hazardous vapors in the event of a catastrophic failure.

She urged the public to report any detection of a strong fruity odor associated with methyl methacrylate, while noting that the smell alone did not necessarily indicate harmful exposure levels.

No injuries had been reported as of Friday evening, and officials had not determined the cause of the leak, which was first identified on Thursday.

Emergency responders were also preparing containment measures to prevent any released chemical from entering storm drains, waterways or channels that flow into the Pacific Ocean.

According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, methyl methacrylate can irritate the skin, eyes and respiratory system. Acute or prolonged exposure may also result in respiratory and neurological effects.

A prolonged marine heatwave off the California coast is altering whale migration and feeding behavior, increasing the risk of entanglements with commercial fishing equipment and accelerating efforts to expand whale-safe fishing technologies across the U.S. west coast.

Scientists say warming offshore waters are shrinking the cold, nutrient-rich zones that sustain krill, anchovies and sardines, key prey species for humpback whales. As those prey populations move closer to shore, whales are increasingly entering areas heavily used by California’s Dungeness crab fleet.

The overlap has intensified concerns over the fishery’s conventional trap system, which relies on vertical lines extending from traps on the seafloor to floating surface buoys. Tens of thousands of such lines can remain in the water during crab season, creating entanglement hazards for whales migrating and feeding along the Pacific coast.

California regulators this spring again imposed restrictions on portions of the commercial crab fishery off central California, temporarily closing areas to traditional gear as whale activity increased near fishing grounds.

Similar closures have become more common in recent years as ocean warming disrupts long-established migration and feeding patterns.Marine biologists say humpback whales face the greatest risk because of their behavior around fishing equipment.“Humpbacks are curious and they’ll scratch their backs on the gear,” said Kathi George, director of cetacean conservation biology at The Marine Mammal Center.

“If they get a line caught on their body, they’ll breach and they’ll roll and end up entangling themselves.”Entangled whales can remain trapped in fishing gear for months, often dragging heavy equipment across long distances.

Researchers say the strain can prevent whales from feeding or diving normally, contributing to exhaustion, infection, starvation and drowning.According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, 36 whales were confirmed entangled along the U.S. west coast in 2024, the highest reported number since 2018.

Scientists caution that many incidents likely go unrecorded because entangled whales can disappear offshore before being observed.In response, California approved commercial deployment of ropeless “pop-up” crab fishing systems for the first time this year, allowing parts of the fleet to continue operating later into the season while reducing risks to marine mammals.

The technology eliminates permanently floating buoy lines. Instead, ropes and buoys remain stored with the trap on the seafloor until fishermen return and activate an acoustic release mechanism that sends the gear to the surface.

Supporters say the system could substantially reduce whale entanglements while allowing fishermen to maintain harvests during periods when traditional gear would otherwise be prohibited.

Environmental groups and fisheries managers increasingly view adaptive fishing systems as necessary as climate-driven ocean changes intensify along the Pacific coast.

Scientists expect continued overlap between whales, shipping traffic and fishing operations as warming conditions reshape marine ecosystems.“We will have to continue to be adaptive and science driven in terms of our management to reduce wildlife risk and keep fishermen on the water,” said Caitlynn Birch, a marine scientist and Pacific campaign manager at Oceana.

Birch said California’s transition toward whale-safe fishing systems could become a model for other fisheries operating along the west coast.Separate monitoring efforts are also expanding in California’s coastal waters as researchers and conservation agencies seek to better track whale movements in high-risk areas.

Camera systems installed near locations including Golden Gate Bridge and Alcatraz Island may eventually support broader surveillance coverage across the San Francisco Bay region to improve detection of whales moving near shipping lanes and fishing zones.

Marine heatwaves in the Pacific have become more frequent and intense over the past decade, affecting fish populations, marine mammal migration routes and coastal fisheries.

Researchers say those changes are forcing regulators and fishing industries to adopt increasingly flexible management systems capable of responding quickly to changing environmental conditions.

The measure, backed by Service Employees International Union Healthcare Workers West, would impose a temporary 5% tax on individuals with a net worth exceeding $1 billion who were living in California as of Jan. 1, 2026.Supporters say the tax would generate about $100 billion in revenue, with most of the funds intended to offset federal cuts to healthcare programs for low-income residents, particularly Medicaid-related services.

The California Secretary of State must still verify the petitions and formally certify the measure for the ballot. Organizers said they submitted more than 1.5 million signatures, well above the roughly 875,000 required to qualify.California permits ballot campaigns to pay petition circulators per signature, and signature gathering costs often average around $15 each, making statewide initiatives among the most expensive in the country.

“This is about protecting healthcare access,” said Liz Perlman, executive director of an American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees chapter supporting the proposal. “Hospitals are closing and people will die. Why? So billionaires can get another tax cut that they don’t need.”The proposal has quickly emerged as a national test of public sentiment on taxing extreme wealth and could trigger a multimillion-dollar political fight involving labor unions, wealthy donors and Silicon Valley executives.

Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders has publicly backed the initiative, while Democratic Governor Gavin Newsom and prominent California technology investors have strongly opposed it, warning it could accelerate the departure of high-income residents from the state.

Nearly half of California’s personal income tax revenue comes from the top 1% of earners, making the state particularly sensitive to migration among wealthy taxpayers.“After playing with matches since October, the SEIU has succeeded in lighting a ‘Tax the Rich’ wildfire,” said David Lesperance, a tax consultant who advises wealthy clients, some of whom have already relocated from California over concerns about the proposal.

Opponents argue that even a one-time wealth tax would create long-term fiscal risks by encouraging billionaires to shift residency and investment elsewhere.Brian Brokaw, a longtime Newsom adviser leading a political committee against the measure, said the proposal was structurally flawed and would weaken California’s tax base.

“Enacting a so-called wealth tax in just one state wouldn’t target a small group it would impact all 40 million Californians,” Brokaw said. “This proposal trades a short-term revenue bump for long-term losses.”At least 25 billionaires listed in Forbes magazine’s 2025 ranking of the world’s 500 wealthiest people either lived in California or maintained major ties to the state, according to an Associated Press review.

Determining tax liability, however, could become legally complex because many own multiple residences across different states.The push for additional state healthcare funding comes after President Donald Trump signed a federal tax-and-spending package last year that is projected to cut more than $1 trillion nationwide over a decade from Medicaid and federal food assistance programs.

Ventura County Sheriff Jim Fryhoff said at a press conference that the unnamed person, the only suspect so far, has not been arrested. Investigators are seeking video and photos from the public to help them learn what caused Paul Kessler, 69, to fall and hit his head during Sunday protests in Thousand Oaks, about 40 miles (65 km) west of Los Angeles.

“What exactly transpired prior to Mr. Kessler falling backward isn’t crystal clear right now,” Fryhoff said.

Kessler’s death has been ruled a homicide by medical examiners, with the cause of death listed as blunt force trauma to his head. Officials emphasized that a death being ruled a homicide means that another person was involved, but does not indicate if anything criminal took place.

Authorities have not ruled out that other people were involved.

Kessler was conscious when taken to the hospital and spoke with investigators while there, the sheriff said. He declined to say what Kessler told officers.

Witnesses have provided conflicting accounts about who was the aggressor in the incident, the sheriff said. The medical examiners office said Kessler had non-lethal injuries to the left side of his face, which could indicate he was hit before falling, but that it was not certain that was the case.

U.S. officials and civil rights groups have warned of increased threats against Jews, Muslims and Arab Americans following the Oct. 7 attack by the Palestinian militant group Hamas in which Israel says 1,400 were killed and more than 240 taken hostage, and the ensuing Israeli bombardment of the Hamas-run Gaza Strip, where Palestinian health authorities say more than 10,000 people have been killed.

Fryhoff said his deputies have increased patrols around mosques and synagogues because of Kessler’s death.

Last month, an Illinois man was charged with hate crimes for stabbing a 6-year-old Muslim boy to death and wounding his mother in an attack that officials said targeted them for their religion in a response to the war.

The Jewish Federation of Greater Los Angeles identified the victim at Sunday’s protest as a Jewish man and said the incident was the fourth act of antisemitic violence in the Los Angeles area this year, and the second since Oct. 7.

The dual protests in Thousand Oaks on Sunday drew about 100 people from each side, Fryhoff said, and no other incidents were reported. Law enforcement occasionally drove by the scene of the protest prior to Kessler’s fall and saw nothing that alarmed them, he added.

Rabbi Noah Farkas, the leader of the Jewish Federation of Greater Los Angeles, citing conversations with local government officials, earlier said a pro-Palestinian protester had struck the victim on the head with a megaphone. Fryhoff said he could not confirm that took place, but that it was possible.

The Los Angeles chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, a civil rights group, expressed grief on Monday over what it called a “tragic and shocking loss,” while also asking people to “refrain from jumping to conclusions” or “sensationalizing such a tragedy for political gains.”

A planned $3 billion semiconductor facility in India by chip consortium ISMC that counted Israeli chipmaker Tower as a tech partner has been stalled due to the company’s ongoing takeover by Intel, three people with direct knowledge of the strategy said.

Report this ad

A second mega $19.5 billion plan to build chips locally by a joint venture between India’s Vedanta and Taiwan’s Foxconn is also proceeding slowly as their talks to rope in European chipmaker STMicroelectronics (STMPA.PA) as a partner are deadlocked, a fourth source with direct knowledge said.

Modi has made chipmaking a top priority for India’s economic strategy as he wants to “usher in a new era in electronics manufacturing” by luring global companies.

India, which expects its semiconductor market to be worth $63 billion by 2026, last year received three applications to set up plants under the incentive scheme. They were from the Vedanta-Foxconn JV; a global consortium ISMC which counts Tower Semiconductor (TSEM.TA) as a tech partner; and from Singapore-based IGSS Ventures.

The Vedanta JV plant is to come up in Modi’s home state of Gujarat, while ISMC and IGSS each committed $3 billion for plants in two separate southern states.

The three sources said ISMC’s $3 billion chipmaking facility plans are currently on hold as Tower could not proceed to sign binding agreements as things remain under review after Intel acquired it for $5.4 billion last year. The deal is pending regulatory approvals.

Talking about India’s semiconductor ambitions, India’s deputy IT minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar told Reuters in a May 19 interview ISMC “could not proceed” due to Intel acquiring Tower, and IGSS “wanted to re-submit (the application)” for incentives. The “two of them had to drop out,” he said, without elaborating.

Tower is likely to reevaluate taking part in the venture based on how its deal talks with Intel pan out, two of the sources said.

ISMC consortium partners Next Orbit Ventures did not respond to a request for comment. Tower and Intel declined to comment. Singapore-based IGSS and India’s federal IT ministry did not respond to requests for comment.

Setback For Vedanta

Most of the world’s chip output is limited to a few countries like Taiwan, and India is a late entrant. Amid much fanfare, in September, the Vedanta-Foxconn JV announced its chipmaking plans in Gujarat. Modi called the $19.5 billion plan “an important step” in boosting India’s chipmaking ambitions.

But things have not gone smoothly as the JV tries to hunt for a tech partner. The fourth source said Vedanta-Foxconn had got on board STMicroelectronics for licensing technology, but India’s government had conveyed it wants STMicro to have “more skin in the game” – like a stake in the partnership.

STMicro is not keen on that and the talks remain in limbo, the source added. “From STM’s perspective, that proposal doesn’t make sense because they want India market to first be more mature,” said the person.

Deputy IT minister Chandrasekhar told Reuters during the May 19 interview the Vedanta-Foxconn JV was “struggling currently to tie up with a technology partner.”

In a statement, Vedanta-Foxconn JV CEO, David Reed, said they have an agreement with a technology partner to transfer technology with licenses, but declined to comment further.

In a move seen to revive investor interest, India’s IT ministry on Wednesday said the country will start re-inviting applications for chipmaking incentives. This time the companies can apply until December next year, as opposed to the initial phase where there was only a 45 day window.

“It is expected that some of current applicants will reapply and new fresh investors will also apply,” Minister Chandrasekhar said on Twitter.

Fresno (AP) — For decades, worshipping in temples, Ram Asra has sung spiritual songs known as kirtans.

He did so on a recent Sunday at the Shri Guru Ravidass Sabha in Fresno, California, seated cross-legged on a dais in the temple’s prayer hall playing a harmonium. Devotees closed their eyes and swayed to the calming melody.

But not all of Asra’s experiences in sacred spaces have been so sublime. He is a member of the former untouchable caste in India, and recounted a time when he was pulled aside at another U.S. temple and told not to enter the kitchen.

“I felt so disrespected,” he said.

Asra feels much more secure at the Fresno Ravidassia temple. Congregants follow Guru Ravidass, a 14th century Indian teacher who also belonged to the former untouchable caste whose members are also known as Dalit, which means “broken” in Hindi.

Several congregants, who say equality is at the heart of their faith, are now championing a bill which aims to outlaw caste discrimination in California. Caste is a division of people based on birth and descent.

If the legislation passes, California will become the first state to add caste to its nondiscrimination laws. In February, Seattle became the first U.S. city to pass a similar law.

There are about 20,000 members of the Ravidassia community in California’s Central Valley — a vast majority of them with roots in Punjab in northwestern India. There are five Ravidassia temples in California alone — in Fresno, Pittsburg, Rio Linda, Selma and Yuba City — with a sixth under construction in Union City.

Signs supporting the bill grace the walls of the Fresno temple. Annihilating caste is intrinsic to the Ravidassia ethos, said Amar Daroch, president of the Fresno temple. He said Guru Ravidass envisioned a classless, casteless utopia he called “Begampura,” which means “a land without sorrow” in Hindi.

“Our goal is to create Begampura right here,” he said.

The legislation has been met with strong opposition from groups who say it will lead to discrimination against Hindu Americans and those of Indian descent. Several Dalits have also spoken against it, saying they do not wish to be burdened with a caste identity that they feel is irrelevant in this country.

But many in the Ravidassia community believe this law would bring attention to a problem they say does affect their lives.

In California, members of the Ravidassia community come from Hindu, Indigenous and Sikh backgrounds. Their temples have the appearance and feel of a Sikh gurdwara, with the sacred text, the Guru Granth Sahib, installed as the focal point in the main prayer hall. The text includes 40 verses of Guru Ravidass, in addition to other spiritual leaders.

Ravidassia religious practices vary from Sikhism. However, many in the community do identify themselves as Sikh and have much in common with the Sikh community including dress, food, language and other customs.

The principle of equality also forms the basis of Sikh theology, said Opinderjit Kaur Takhar, associate professor of Sikh Studies at the University of Wolverhampton in the United Kingdom, a city that has a sizeable Punjabi population including a large Ravidassia community. Takhar said the Golden Temple in Amritsar, India, the most significant shrine in Sikhism, was designed with four doors, sending the message that “everyone from all walks of life, all corners of the world and all castes are welcome to come in and be together.”

She mentioned the importance of a post-worship community meal known as langar, saying its purpose “is to sit down as equals and share food with everyone regardless of caste, which used to be taboo.”

Vinod Kumar Chumber, chairman of the Shri Guru Ravidass Sabha in Union City, California, said those teachings on equality have not translated into reality in the U.S. and beyond. In Punjab, Chumber said each village has gurdwaras led by dominant-caste members and those run by Dalits.

“Things are improving, but people are still not being treated equally,” he said, adding that members of his community are rarely found in leadership positions at mainstream U.S. Sikh temples. “We figured it was best for us to have our own places of worship where we can freely practice our customs and celebrate our festivals.”

Members of the Fresno Ravidassia community say fighting for equality is part of their history and their spiritual DNA, which has motivated them to come forward with their stories despite the potential repercussions of being exposed to the larger community as “lower-caste.” Community members say they still experience discriminatory treatment from people who share otherwise share everything from culture and food to language and national origin.

Harbhans Singh said his friend opened a grocery store in a largely South Asian neighborhood in Central California that did well in the beginning, but “his business flopped” once customers learned his caste.

“He had to shut down his business,” he said. “How can this still happen in the United States?”

Harblas Singh, who worked at a poultry plant near Fresno, said his Punjabi colleagues refused to sit with him at lunch after learning he was Dalit.

“I came to this country hoping that I can break away from the chains of caste,” he said. “But it seems as if we cannot accomplish that as human beings. We need the law to do that for us.”

Rajinder Ganger, who used to run a trucking company in Selma, said one of his upper-caste drivers quit after learning Ganger’s caste identity.

“He said his relatives were berating him for working with me,” he said.

Rajinder Kumar, whose family operates a business in Bakersfield, said the answer to caste bias is education and an enforceable anti-discrimination law that names caste as a protected category. He says categories such as “ethnicity” or “national origin” will still not cover the type of discrimination he and the others in the Ravidassia community frequently face.

“Whether you are a cashier, a business owner, a professor, or a doctor — in 2023 — you are still an untouchable,” he said. “When does that stop? How much money do you have to make? How many degrees do you have to get to make it stop?”

After the recent Sunday worship at the Fresno temple, Kumar took the microphone in the prayer hall, urging members to speak up for the caste bill. Footage of community members testifying before the Senate Judiciary Committee looped on a screen behind him.

During the April hearing, elderly community members who couldn’t speak English showed up, and made their views known to the committee with a simple “vote yes.” Kumar said such courage is no longer an option but an imperative for the community.

“There is no need to hide,” Kumar said. “We have hundreds of stories to share. We all need to come forward and make our voices heard.”

The caste bill has given members of the larger Sikh community an opportunity to show solidarity with the Ravidassia community and to uphold the tenets of their faith, said Kashmir Singh Shahi with the Gurdwara Sahib in Fremont, a Sikh congregation. He said his temple is diverse and free from discrimination and stereotyping.

“That’s the way it should be,” he said, adding that while caste discrimination may be “less prevalent” in the United States, some still suffer because of it and that alone justifies the need for such a law.

Gurbachan Singh, a community elder in Fresno who has founded several Ravidass temples, said he would like to see people start having those conversations, challenging as they may be.

“If we don’t go to the other gurdwaras, talk to them and speak the truth, that’s on us,” he said. “I hope to see a day when all our temples stand together on the foundation of truth.”

Sutter County District Attorney Jennifer Dupré said the two syndicates were responsible for multiple shootings where 11 people were shot, including five people at a Sikh temple in Stockton last year and two more victims at a temple in Sacramento last month.

None of the victims died. Dupré said all of the men arrested are part of California’s Sikh community and were members of one of two rival groups whose feud was fueled by intense personal connections.

“This started out as one group, and one faction broke off, and since then they have been rivals trying to outdo each other. Mainly they show up places and try to shoot each other,” Dupré said, comparing it to the U.S. Civil War “where brothers were fighting against brothers.”

Dupré said the arrests are not related to the murders last year of a Sikh family in the San Joaquin Valley, which included the killings of an 8-month-old baby, the baby’s parents and an uncle.

Dupré said the violence began in 2018 at the annual Sikh Parade in Yuba City, one of the largest South Asian festivals held outside of the Indian subcontinent. There, Dupré said, a man was beaten so hard with a sword that it broke. The violence soon escalated to shootings, including one at a wedding party in 2021.

The rash of violence attracted the attention of the Yuba-Sutter Narcotic and Gang Enforcement Task Force, which launched an investigation with assistance from the FBI, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and various other local, state and federal law enforcement agencies.

The investigation intensified in March, when authorities learned of potential violence at a Sikh parade in Sacramento. Dupré said police stopped two cars before they reached the parade, arresting seven people and seizing four handguns and two other guns with large capacity magazines.

A shooting still happened at the parade, injuring two people, but Dupré said a “mass casualty incident” was prevented.

“If those weapons had gotten into the parade, it could have been a bloodbath,” Dupré said.

Altogether, Dupré said police seized 41 guns during the investigation, including a weapon described as a “machine gun.”

Authorities arrested 17 people, including Karandeep Singh, Pardeep Singh, Pavittar Singh, Husandeep Singh, Sahajpreet Singh, Harkirat Singh, Tirath Ram, Dharamvir Singh, Jobanjit Singh, Gurvinder Singh, Nitish Kaushal, Gurminder Singh Kang, Devender Singh, Karambir Gill, Rajeev Ranjan, Jobanpreet Singh and Singh Dhesi.

Dupré said five other people — Amandeep Singh, Harmandeep Singh, Gursharn Singh, Grucharan Singh and Jaskaran Singh — have not yet been arrested.

Dupré said the men have not had a court appearances yet. It’s not clear if they have attorneys yet who can speak on their behalf.

Yuba City, a city of nearly 70,000 people along the Feather River just north of Sacramento, has a large Sikh community. Locals often refer to the area as “mini Punjab,” named after the Indian state where many Sikhs live. Each November, tens of thousands of people travel to the city for Nagar Kirtan, one of the largest Sikh gatherings in the U.S.

Sikhs also have a large presence throughout California’s Central Valley. The Sacramento County Assistant Sheriff said seven of the shootings occurred in Sacramento County within the past year.

“The investigation in this particular case and the charges that have been brought forth does not in any way reflect or represent the vibrant Sikh community that are such an important and vital part of the greater community in this region,” Sacramento County District Attorney Thien Ho said.