California wants to leave the US

A petition drive has begun in California to secede from the United States and gain independent statehood. According to the New York Post, the initiative has received approval from California Secretary of State Shirley Weber.

Under the plan, if 55% of the state’s residents vote in favour, California could become a sovereign nation with its own GDP, which would rank fifth in the world. However, experts note that such actions bear clear signs of separatism, causing concern in US political circles.