The gray wolf population has increased in California after vanishing for nearly a century, but farmers are unable to protect their stock from attacks. Gray wolves are protected by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife service.

Mount Shasta

Gray wolves, once nearly extinct in the United States, have made a significant comeback in California, with the population rising to an estimated 50 to 70 wolves. The species is protected under both federal and state law, making it illegal for ranchers to harm them. As a result, livestock farmers near Mount Shasta have reported substantial losses, with some ranchers confirming dozens of cattle killed by wolves and many more suspected cases. 

The state has spent over $3 million compensating ranchers for confirmed wolf attacks, but funds are now limited to only verified kills, not preventative measures. California is exploring non-lethal deterrents, such as tracking maps and beanbag rounds, but many ranchers say these efforts are costly and often ineffective. The ongoing challenge highlights the tension between wildlife conservation and agricultural livelihoods, with the financial burden increasingly falling on ranchers and taxpayers.

Gray wolves are back in California, but livestock farms are suffering

On the California-Oregon border in the shadow of Mt. Shasta. Because it is potentially a kill site, we will be kind of cautious. We joined Axel Honeycutt from the California Department of Fish and Wildlife on the hunt for an apex predator. So these are wolf tracks and they're huge. They're almost as big as my hands. The gray wolf. Woo! Once hunted almost entirely to extinction in the U.S., wolves are making a big comeback in California. They've been caught on trail cams, traveling in packs along with their pups. They're healthy and well-fed, partly because these wolves... Look, that's a lot of black cattle hair in there. ...have developed a taste for beef. I mean, this is easy pickings for them is what it is. Ranchers Jim and Mary Rickards say that in the last year, they've lost 16 cows to confirmed wolf attacks with 60 suspected kills. That is absolutely profits. It really eats into your herd, into your bottom line. It's hard for a lot of us to stay in business. They come out of the tree line here, but... Ranch manager Joel Torres says the wolves chase the cows to tire them out, then viciously attack. I've seen every single one of them. And what's that like? It's nasty. It's pretty brutal. Why do you think they're so comfortable? Because nobody's ever shot at them or let them know, hey, it's dangerous around here, you know? They're so protected. The first gray wolf wandered back into California by accident in 2011. Wolves here soon became the most protected in the country, listed as endangered by both the federal and state government. What happens if you kill a wolf? Not good. Not good. Jail time. And so we are really defenseless. The state's population surged to 50 to 70 wolves in a decade. So California is now helping ranchers with a wolf tracking map and possibly allowing more aggressive deterrents like beanbag rounds. We're not talking about lethal measures at all, but we are talking about potentially injurious tools. Essentially teaching the wolf a negative lesson. Yeah, they need a negative lesson in order to have that reinforcement. Honeycutt works with UC Berkeley researchers to capture and tag wolves so they're easier to track. We're headed a bit further south now to one of the ranches where this wolf pack, the primary pack around here, has recently been seen. So this is Turbo Fladry. Janet Gliato showed us flags that are supposed to deter wolves at her Table Rock ranch. She's lost almost 50 animals. We've tried every deterrent that has ever been known or suggested. How much have you spent on this? Well, now that we have a night watchman that goes out every single night, we're probably paying about $70,000 to $100,000. California already spent more than $3 million compensating ranchers for their losses. And the money's running out. So now the state is only paying for confirmed wolf kills, not deterrents. The wolves, they're expensive. And if the state of California wants to sustain these sort of numbers, then it's going to be a costly project. Either for you or for them? Either way. And it should not be our job to feed the wolves. That's my ultimate hope. Patrick Griffin agrees. He investigates wolf attacks for California fish and wildlife so ranchers can get paid. Wolves need tolerant people to survive. That's the bottom line. If there's no compensation, tolerance goes away over a period of time. Is there an effort to replace those funds? That's something that, you know, is left up to the legislature and the people of California to decide. Wolves come at a cost and the vast majority of Californians will never have to deal with the consequences that wolves bring. Except on their taxes? Potentially, yeah. It's a price California taxpayers may have to pay for the love of wolves. For CBS Saturday Morning, I'm Carter Evans in Mount Shasta, California.

On June 12, the London-bound Boeing 787 crashed in Ahmedabad. All 230 passengers on board, except for one, were killed.

Ahmedabad

Engine fuel cut off before Air India plane crash, report reveals

A preliminary report depicted confusion in the cockpit shortly before an Air India jetliner crashed, killing 260 people last month, after the plane's engine fuel cutoff switches almost simultaneously flipped, starving the engines of fuel.

Air India crash report shows confusion over engine switch movement

An Israeli airstrike hit Palestinians near a medical center in Gaza on Thursday, killing 10 children and six adults, local health authorities said, as ceasefire talks dragged on with no immediate deal expected. This report contains graphic and disturbing images.

Jerusalem

Middle East Conflict

Israeli strike kills children near medical clinic in Gaza

Russian strikes against Ukraine persisted overnight and reportedly injured at least nine people and caused damage to a maternity hospital, according to officials. This comes as President Volodymyr Zelenskyy meets with European allies in Rome.

Kyiv

Ukraine Invasion

Russia launches more strikes, damages Ukraine maternity hospital

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is returning to Israel without a ceasefire deal with Hamas despite optimism from the Trump administration. CBS News' Elizabeth Palmer reports.

Tel Aviv-Yafo

Netanyahu returns to Israel without Gaza ceasefire deal

Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids in California turned violent after protesters clashed with agents from the Trump administration carrying out an operation at a Camarillo farm.

Camarillo

Protesters clash with ICE agents over immigration operation

CNN’s Isa Soares explains how a crippling 50% tariff on goods from Brazil may not be all about the economy.

Washington

Global Tariffs

Trump targets Brazil with 50% tariff

Volunteers in Texas are searching for flood victims and combing through debris along a 30 mile stretch of the Guadalupe River. CNN’s Ed Lavandera spoke with Texans who are coming together to bring closure to their community.

Center Point

Urgent search operations for flood victims stretch miles in Texas

U.S. President Donald Trump said the United States would impose a 35% tariff on imports from Canada next month and planned to impose blanket tariffs of 15% or 20% on most other trade partners.

Trump puts 35% tariff on Canada, eyes 15%-20% levies for others

Volunteers in Comfort, Texas, are digging through debris with heavy equipment and cadaver dogs, searching for flood victims. U.S. President Donald Trump is set to visit Friday, raising questions about his plan to scale back federal disaster relief.

Texas

Volunteers dig through Texas flood wreckage ahead of Trump visit

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio have held rare face-to-face talks on the sidelines of an ASEAN meeting in Malaysia, discussing the war in Ukraine, as well as developments in Iran and Syria.

Kuala Lumpur

Top U.S., Russia diplomats discuss Ukraine on ASEAN sidelines

Russia has intensified its aerial attacks on Ukraine, using upgraded drones designed to cause more damage and evade air defences. In Kyiv, a young woman captured video of the drones overhead — just before explosions echoed through the city.

Russia’s upgraded drone tactics bring intensified attacks across Ukraine

The Ventura County Fire Department said they responded to calls of people having breathing problems at a farm in Ventura County, California, after federal agents appeared to deploy tear gas canisters into the crowd.

Ventura County

Intense standoff in California between protesters, federal agents

A federal judge has green-lit a class action lawsuit challenging President Trump's executive order to end birthright citizenship and issued a preliminary injunction blocking the order.

Judge blocks Trump's birthright citizenship order

A partial tunnel collapse in Los Angeles temporarily buried 31 workers in Los Angeles, California. CBS News' Carter Evans reports on the rescue operation.

Los Angeles

31 trapped workers rescued after tunnel collapse

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio expressed “disappointment and frustration” over continued Russian attacks on Ukraine and said new sanctions on Russia are a “real option.” Kylie Atwood has more details from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Rubio: New Russia sanctions a ‘real option’

With Russia again bombarding Ukraine with drones, U.S. President Donald Trump says he’s considering sending another missile defence system to Ukraine.

Trump muses missile defence system for Ukraine

Officials in Texas are promising to address concerns about flood warnings in parts of the state, but say the ongoing search-and-rescue efforts must be complete first.

Texas officials to address flood warnings after search complete

Linda Yaccarino is stepping down as CEO of X after two years leading Elon Musk's social media company. Yaccarino's departure comes one day after the company's Grok chatbot began pushing antisemitic tropes in responses to users.

San Francisco

Yaccarino steps down as CEO of Elon Musk's X

Parts of Ukraine were on fire overnight after Russia launched its largest drone attack on Ukraine since the war unfolded. Just hours earlier, Trump directly called out Vladimir Putin for stalled peace talks.

Moscow

Trump calls out Putin for stalled peace talks

The Trump administration branded the event as one of the steps it is taking to reshape its relationship with the African continent.

Five African leaders have lunch with Trump

The search continues in central Texas for the more than 160 people still missing from the deadly floods that hit over the Fourth of July. CBS News reporter Karen Hua has more.

Kerr County

Recovery operations ongoing in Texas as more than 160 still missing

U.S. President Donald Trump announced on social media that he issued tariff letters to Algeria, Brunei, Iraq, Libya, Moldova and the Philippines.

Trump sends tariff letters to six more countries

Video released by the Houthi media center shows the bulk carrier ‘Magic Seas’ being attacked and later sinking in the Iran-backed rebel group’s first attack this year on a commercial shipping vessel in the Red Sea.

Sana'a

Houthi rebels claim responsibility for attack on ship in Red Sea

The European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg ruled Russia violated international law in Ukraine and was responsible for the downing of Malaysia Airlines Flight MH17.

Top European court rules Russia violated international law in Ukraine

The death toll from the July Fourth flash flood that ravaged a swath of central Texas Hill Country rose on Tuesday to at least 109, many of them children, as search teams pressed on through mounds of mud-encrusted debris looking for scores of people still missing.

Texas flood death toll hits triple digits, tally of missing tops 180

U.S. President Donald Trump pushed back during his Cabinet meeting about a question regarding Jeffrey Epstein. The DOJ claims Epstein had no list of clients, which is drawing criticism from some of the president's supporters.

Trump questioned over report saying Epstein didn't have client list

The copper industry is facing new uncertainty after U.S. President Donald Trump said he will impose 50 per cent tariffs on all copper imports. More than half of all Canadian copper exports go to the U.S.

Ontario

Trump threatens 50% tariff on copper imports

CNN’s Josh Cambell reports on questions over a lack of flood warning signals and lagging investment in river gauges in Kerr County after deadly floods killed over 100 people in Central Texas.

Officials face questions over preparedness for Texas floods

Hundreds of firefighters battled a fast-moving wildfire that reached the outskirts of the southern French city of Marseille on Tuesday, forcing people to stay indoors and the nearby airport to close.