Recall effort against Newsom and Bass underway in California

A recall attempt to knock California Gov. Gavin Newsom out of office is underway as he faces sharp criticism for his handling of the Los Angeles wildfires — with opponents labeling his leadership a “series of catastrophic failures.” Organizers against Newsom vowed to file papers in the next two weeks in hopes of jumpstarting the process that could lead to the Democrat’s ouster in the middle of his second term in the governor’s mansion. The state chief executive — along with Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass — is fighting for his political life as the wildfires have torched more than 40,000 acres (62.5 square miles, almost three times the size of Manhattan), destroyed more than 12,000 structures and killed at least 24 people.