Restaurant operators opposed the new law, claiming it would force them to raise their prices and cut jobs, but economists at UC Berkeley say their data contradicts those predictions.

The Center on Wage and Employment Dynamics at UC Berkeley compared Glassdoor job posts and online food menu prices two weeks before the minimum wage raise and 2 weeks after. It found that wages increased by 18%, employment numbers remained stable and menu prices increased by only 3 to 7%, or 15 cents on a $4 burger.

Anneisha Williams said she knows the impacts firsthand. She’s been supporting her seven children on this minimum wage.

“I’ve seen new employees getting hired,” she said. “So I feel absolutely not. They’re not losing out on business. I feel that they’re growing more on business because if not, why are you guys still hiring employees?

California Jul 10

California fast food workers now earn $20 per hour. Franchisees are responding by cutting hours.

California Apr 1

California $20 fast food minimum wage is a win for workers, but worries franchisees

But what about the restaurant closures? Like 48 Rubio locations that shut down across the state.

“It’s very rare to really see a policy like the minimum wage lead to restaurants exiting the market unless they were already marginally on the edge of making it or not making it. And so, it’s really the other reasons that were causing the precarity of the restaurant,” said Dr. Enrique Lopezlira, the director of the Low Wage Work Program at UC Berkeley’s Labor Center.

But a survey given to fast food employers in July by the Employment Policies Institute, had very different results. The majority anticipated decreases in employment and significant increases in menu prices.

Though in the same month, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics showed California had approximately 750,000 fast food jobs, roughly 11,000 more than when the higher minimum wage law took effect.

“The CEOs just need to be fair with their workers. You know, that’s what I feel overall, you know,” Williams said.

The study’s authors said that profit margins at fast food restaurants are relatively high compared to full service restaurants, companies have room to absorb higher wage costs.

The study comes as the California Fast Food Council considers further increasing the minimum wage in 2025 and in November voters will decide on a Prop 32 that would increase the statewide minimum wage for other workers to $18 an hour.

But for some 4 million Californians who have yet to register to vote, Monday is the last day to register via mail.

Registration must be postmarked or submitted electronically by Monday, Oct. 21, 2024.

Decision 2024 Oct 17

What to know about the 10 propositions on the California election ballot

Decision 2024 Oct 15

Tracking your vote in California: A step by step guide

Qualifications to register to vote

To register to vote in California, you must be:

• A United States citizen and a resident of California 
• 18 years old or older on Election Day
• Not currently serving a state or federal prison term for the conviction of a felony 
• Not currently found mentally incompetent to vote by a court

Qualifications to pre-register to vote

To pre-register to vote in California, voters must:

• Be 16 or 17 years old, and
• Meet all the prior requirements 

Applicants will automatically become registered to vote on their 18th birthday.

Decision 2024 Sep 17

See key dates, voter information, ballot props and more for the Southern California election

Decision 2024 Oct 4

How do California propositions get their numbers? 

Where to register to vote in California

Voters can register here via the online application. The application is available in English, Spanish, Chinese, Hindi, Japanese, Khmer, Korean, Tagalog, Thai, and Vietnamese.

Voters can also register via pen and paper by visiting an elections office, library, Department of Motor Vehicles offices, or U.S. post office Paper applications must be delivered to an elections office before Oct. 21. 

Students studying abroad can register to vote using the Federal Post Card Application or by using the California Online Voter Registration system. 

Same-day voter registration

Same day or conditional voter registration is for Californains who miss the deadline to register to vote or update their voter registration information for an election to still cast their ballot. Eligible citizens can complete this process at a designated county elections office, polling place, or vote centers, found here. 

Members of the military, overseas voters and voters with disabilities should contact their local county elections office to learn about the conditional voter registration and available voting options. 

Safe Vote at home

Voters fearful for their safety and are eligible can enroll in the California Safe at Home voter program. Applicants are eligible to participate if they have experienced the following:

• Victim of domestic violence, stalking, sexual assault, human trafficking, child abduction, and elder or dependent adult abuse.
• Reproductive health care provider, employee, patient, or volunteer who has experienced threats of violence, violence, or harassment because of their affiliation with a reproductive health care services facility.
• Public entity employee/contractor who has experienced threats of violence, violence, or harassment because of their work for a public entity.
• Are a household member of a category listed above.
• Are in fear for their safety, or for the safety of a minor child or incapacitated adult.

Interested participants must visit their local enrollment agency after making an appointment. Completed applications are then sent to Safe at Home for review and approval.  

The deadline to register to vote with Safe at Home is Oct. 21. Voters who miss the deadline can still register up until Election Day, however, they will not be a confidential voter.

Am I already registered?

Voters can check here if unsure about their voting status. Voters can also check:

• Where they are registered to vote
• Check their political party preference
• Check their language preference for election materials
• Check the status of their vote-by-mail or provisional ballot
• Choose how they want to receive your state and county voter guides before each election
• Find their polling place.
• Find information for upcoming local and state elections.
• Find contact information for your county elections office.

Canceling voter registration

Voters currently registered to vote in California and would like to cancel your voter registration can complete the California Voter Registration Cancellation Request Form, and submit it to the county elections office.

Cancellation forms are available in English, Spanish, Chinese, Hindi, Japanese, Khmer, Korean, Tagalog, Thai, and Vietnamese. 

But for some 4 million Californians who have yet to register to vote, Monday is the last day to register via mail.

Registration must be postmarked or submitted electronically by Monday, Oct. 21, 2024.

Decision 2024 Oct 17

What to know about the 10 propositions on the California election ballot

Decision 2024 Oct 15

Tracking your vote in California: A step by step guide

Qualifications to register to vote

To register to vote in California, you must be:

• A United States citizen and a resident of California 
• 18 years old or older on Election Day
• Not currently serving a state or federal prison term for the conviction of a felony 
• Not currently found mentally incompetent to vote by a court

Qualifications to pre-register to vote

To pre-register to vote in California, voters must:

• Be 16 or 17 years old, and
• Meet all the prior requirements 

Applicants will automatically become registered to vote on their 18th birthday.

Decision 2024 Sep 17

See key dates, voter information, ballot props and more for the Southern California election

Decision 2024 Oct 4

How do California propositions get their numbers? 

Where to register to vote in California

Voters can register here via the online application. The application is available in English, Spanish, Chinese, Hindi, Japanese, Khmer, Korean, Tagalog, Thai, and Vietnamese.

Voters can also register via pen and paper by visiting an elections office, library, Department of Motor Vehicles offices, or U.S. post office Paper applications must be delivered to an elections office before Oct. 21. 

Students studying abroad can register to vote using the Federal Post Card Application or by using the California Online Voter Registration system. 

Same-day voter registration

Same day or conditional voter registration is for Californains who miss the deadline to register to vote or update their voter registration information for an election to still cast their ballot. Eligible citizens can complete this process at a designated county elections office, polling place, or vote centers, found here. 

Members of the military, overseas voters and voters with disabilities should contact their local county elections office to learn about the conditional voter registration and available voting options. 

Safe Vote at home

Voters fearful for their safety and are eligible can enroll in the California Safe at Home voter program. Applicants are eligible to participate if they have experienced the following:

• Victim of domestic violence, stalking, sexual assault, human trafficking, child abduction, and elder or dependent adult abuse.
• Reproductive health care provider, employee, patient, or volunteer who has experienced threats of violence, violence, or harassment because of their affiliation with a reproductive health care services facility.
• Public entity employee/contractor who has experienced threats of violence, violence, or harassment because of their work for a public entity.
• Are a household member of a category listed above.
• Are in fear for their safety, or for the safety of a minor child or incapacitated adult.

Interested participants must visit their local enrollment agency after making an appointment. Completed applications are then sent to Safe at Home for review and approval.  

The deadline to register to vote with Safe at Home is Oct. 21. Voters who miss the deadline can still register up until Election Day, however, they will not be a confidential voter.

Am I already registered?

Voters can check here if unsure about their voting status. Voters can also check:

• Where they are registered to vote
• Check their political party preference
• Check their language preference for election materials
• Check the status of their vote-by-mail or provisional ballot
• Choose how they want to receive your state and county voter guides before each election
• Find their polling place.
• Find information for upcoming local and state elections.
• Find contact information for your county elections office.

Canceling voter registration

Voters currently registered to vote in California and would like to cancel your voter registration can complete the California Voter Registration Cancellation Request Form, and submit it to the county elections office.

Cancellation forms are available in English, Spanish, Chinese, Hindi, Japanese, Khmer, Korean, Tagalog, Thai, and Vietnamese. 

The props include bond money for several projects, a change in how local governments get approval for those bonds and future money borrowing, the state minimum wage, rent control, prison labor, an existing tax for health-related funds and more.

Below, you’ll find summaries of each prop. Click on the prop number to learn more.

Decision 2024 Sep 17

See key dates, voter information, ballot props and more for the Southern California election

Decision 2024 Oct 4

How do California propositions get their numbers? 

Summaries of 10 California ballot props

• Proposition 2: Approval of bonds for public school and community college facilities.
• Proposition 3: Constitutional right to marriage.
• Proposition 4: Approval of bonds for protecting communities and natural lands from climate risks.
• Proposition 5: Allow for local bonds for affordable housing and public infrastructure with 55% voter approval instead of supermajority.
• Proposition 6: Eliminates constitutional provision allowing involuntary servitude in prisons.
• Proposition 32: Raises state minimum wage.
• Proposition 33: Expands local governments’ authority to enact rent control on residential property.
• Proposition 34: Restricts spending of prescription drug revenues by certain health care providers.
• Proposition 35: Provides permanent funding for Medi-Cal health care services.
• Proposition 36: Allows felony charges and increases sentences for certain drug and theft crimes.

How are propositions added to the California ballot?

There are two ways a ballot proposition can get on an election ballot in California.

First, the prop can be placed before voters by the California State Legislature.

Second, a prop can be added through a petition, which can be brought by anyone. If the petition receives enough signatures, it qualifies for the election ballot.

Important Nov. 5 general election dates

• Last day to register is Oct. 21
• Registered voters will get a vote-by-mail ballot. County elections office will begin mailing ballots by Oct. 7
• Ballot drop-off locations open Oct. 8. Click here for map of locations in Los Angeles County.
• Vote centers open for early in-person voting in all Voter’s Choice Act counties starting Oct. 26
• Election Day is Nov. 5.
• Vote-by-mail ballots must be postmarked on or before Election Day and received by Nov. 12

The complicated health policy and funding bill asks voters to make permanent an existing tax on managed health care insurance plans.

It has support from health and medical groups, and both Democrats and Republicans, but opponents say the plan could backfire. The debate over Prop 35 has made for some unusual coalitions of support and opposition.

Here’s what to know about Prop 35.

Decision 2024 Oct 14

How the homeless can vote in Los Angeles County and across California

Decision 2024 Oct 15

Tracking your vote in California: A step by step guide

What Prop 35 would do

The ballot prop would make permanent an existing tax on managed health care insurance plans. If the plan is approved by the federal government, the money would provide revenue for Medi-Cal health services, California’s public insurance program for low-income residents and people with disabilities. The money would fund programs for speciality care, emergency medical services, family planning, mental health, prescription drugs and more. Lawmakers would not be allowed to use the tax revenue to replace existing Medi-Cal spending.

Supporters say Prop 35 is necessary to secure needed funding without a new tax hike for health services. As Medi-Cal has grown, the state needs a reliable funding source to protect and and expand access to care under the program used by 15 million Californians, supporters say.

Opponents say restrictions on how the money is spent would limit future lawmakers’ ability to balance the state budget. The California Pan-Ethnic Health Network statement in opposition to the prop said its revenue structure likely would not receive required approval from the federal government, which would leave a funding gap and few options for lawmakers down the road.

From the ballot

Below is the language included on the election ballot for Prop 35.

A YES vote on this measure means: An existing state tax on health plans that provides funding for certain health programs would become permanent. New rules would direct how the state must use the revenue.

A NO vote on this measure means: An existing state tax on health plans would end in 2027, unless the Legislature continues it. The new rules would not become law.

Supporters of Prop 35

California Medical Association
Planned Parenthood Affiliates of California
California Hospital Association
California Dental Association
California Primary Care Association
California Democratic Party
California Republican Party

Opponents of Prop 35

League of Women Voters of California
California Pan-Ethnic Health Network
The Children’s Partnership
California Alliance for Retired Americans
Courage California

But for some 4 million Californians who have yet to register to vote, Monday is the last day to register via mail.

Registration must be postmarked or submitted electronically by Monday, Oct. 21, 2024.

Decision 2024 Oct 17

What to know about the 10 propositions on the California election ballot

Decision 2024 Oct 15

Tracking your vote in California: A step by step guide

Qualifications to register to vote

To register to vote in California, you must be:

• A United States citizen and a resident of California 
• 18 years old or older on Election Day
• Not currently serving a state or federal prison term for the conviction of a felony 
• Not currently found mentally incompetent to vote by a court

Qualifications to pre-register to vote

To pre-register to vote in California, voters must:

• Be 16 or 17 years old, and
• Meet all the prior requirements 

Applicants will automatically become registered to vote on their 18th birthday.

Decision 2024 Sep 17

See key dates, voter information, ballot props and more for the Southern California election

Decision 2024 Oct 4

How do California propositions get their numbers? 

Where to register to vote in California

Voters can register here via the online application. The application is available in English, Spanish, Chinese, Hindi, Japanese, Khmer, Korean, Tagalog, Thai, and Vietnamese.

Voters can also register via pen and paper by visiting an elections office, library, Department of Motor Vehicles offices, or U.S. post office Paper applications must be delivered to an elections office before Oct. 21. 

Students studying abroad can register to vote using the Federal Post Card Application or by using the California Online Voter Registration system. 

Same-day voter registration

Same day or conditional voter registration is for Californains who miss the deadline to register to vote or update their voter registration information for an election to still cast their ballot. Eligible citizens can complete this process at a designated county elections office, polling place, or vote centers, found here. 

Members of the military, overseas voters and voters with disabilities should contact their local county elections office to learn about the conditional voter registration and available voting options. 

Safe Vote at home

Voters fearful for their safety and are eligible can enroll in the California Safe at Home voter program. Applicants are eligible to participate if they have experienced the following:

• Victim of domestic violence, stalking, sexual assault, human trafficking, child abduction, and elder or dependent adult abuse.
• Reproductive health care provider, employee, patient, or volunteer who has experienced threats of violence, violence, or harassment because of their affiliation with a reproductive health care services facility.
• Public entity employee/contractor who has experienced threats of violence, violence, or harassment because of their work for a public entity.
• Are a household member of a category listed above.
• Are in fear for their safety, or for the safety of a minor child or incapacitated adult.

Interested participants must visit their local enrollment agency after making an appointment. Completed applications are then sent to Safe at Home for review and approval.  

The deadline to register to vote with Safe at Home is Oct. 21. Voters who miss the deadline can still register up until Election Day, however, they will not be a confidential voter.

Am I already registered?

Voters can check here if unsure about their voting status. Voters can also check:

• Where they are registered to vote
• Check their political party preference
• Check their language preference for election materials
• Check the status of their vote-by-mail or provisional ballot
• Choose how they want to receive your state and county voter guides before each election
• Find their polling place.
• Find information for upcoming local and state elections.
• Find contact information for your county elections office.

Canceling voter registration

Voters currently registered to vote in California and would like to cancel your voter registration can complete the California Voter Registration Cancellation Request Form, and submit it to the county elections office.

Cancellation forms are available in English, Spanish, Chinese, Hindi, Japanese, Khmer, Korean, Tagalog, Thai, and Vietnamese. 

The number of victims continues to grow in a federal investigation involving child pornography and exploitation at San Jose’s Valley Christian High School.

Investigators now believe as many as five teenage boys were victims of Todd Baldwin, the school’s former director of operations as well as teaching assistant and school coach.

Court documents show Baldwin, 44, admitted to San Jose police that he received pornographic images and videos from four male students and sold them online. That confession came after he was arrested in August 2023.

But an FBI investigation claims there’s at least one more victim.

The documents allege that, starting in October 2022, Baldwin made a deal with a 17-year-old at Valley Christian and a 16-year-old at Live Oak High School in Morgan Hill, convincing them to film and photograph themselves for pornographic purposes and send him the files over Snapchat and email. Investigators claim Baldwin then sold their content online and paid the students over Venmo and Cash App. Investigators found payments to students totaling more than $6,000.

“Once somebody’s image, a child’s image, is out on the internet, it’s out there forever, and the child is going to suffer continuing damage forever,” legal analyst Dean Johnson said. “These cases are treated very seriously and prosecuted relentlessly, and the consequences of being convicted are extremely serious.”

According to the criminal complaint, Baldwin filmed at least one of the students in his office on school grounds.

San Jose attorney Lauren Cerri, who represented survivors of child sexual abuse in schools, including a prior case involving Valley Christian’s former basketball coach, wonders what responsibility Valley Christian bears in this case.

“What did they know? What should they have known if they were properly supervising their employee and the students entrusted to their care?” she said.

Cerri and investigators are urging anyone with information to come forward to investigators so that all victims are known and receive justice.

California voters will decide a statewide proposition this fall that would make it easier for governments to borrow money for affordable housing and local infrastructure projects by changing a voter-approval requirement that dates to the late 1800s.

Under current California law, local governments seeking bonds to pay for projects like parks, police and fire stations, and affordable housing need to ask voters for permission. They also need a supermajority of the vote.

But if voters approve a legislative constitutional amendment on the November ballot, that threshold would decrease from the current two-thirds, a vote requirement that was part of the 1879 California Constitution, to 55 percent.

Here’s what to know about Prop 5.

Decision 2024 Oct 15

Tracking your vote in California: A step by step guide

Decision 2024 Oct 14

How the homeless can vote in Los Angeles County and across California

What would Prop 5 do?

Prop 5, placed on the ballot by state lawmakers, amends the California constitution by lowering the requirement to approve local government bonds to 55 percent of voters instead of a supermajority — at least two-thirds of voters. That would make it easier for local governments to borrow for affordable housing projects and other local infrastructure, like fire and police stations, road repairs, parks and more.

It would apply to future bonds, including any approved on this year’s November ballot.

Those bonds would then be repaid with higher property taxes.

A Yes vote on Prop 5 means certain local bonds and the property taxes that come with them could be ok’d by 55 percent of the vote of the local electorate instead of the current two-third requirement. The bonds would have to be for affordable housing, supportive housing, or public infrastructure.

A No vote means things stay the same, leaving the supermajority requirement in place.

The Legislative Analyst’s Office notes that a citizens’ oversight committees would be appointed to supervise spending. The nonpartisan agency’s report said certain local bonds are more likely to pass under the amended rules.

“A lower voter approval requirement would make it easier to pass local general obligation bonds for housing assistance and public infrastructure,” the LAO report said. “Recent local election results suggest that an additional 20 percent to 50 percent of local bond measures would have passed under Proposition 5’s lower voter approval requirement. Those measures would have raised a couple billion dollars over many years. A lower voter approval requirement also could mean local governments propose more measures.”

California has been here before. Voters lowered the approval standard for local school bonds from a supermajority two-thirds to 55 percent in 2000.

Who supports Prop 5

Supporters argue the current threshold is undemocratic, allowing one-third of voters to overrule two-third of voters when it comes to important community decisions on housing and public infrastructure. They also claim local governments would be allowed to better pursue their own priorities without as much reliance on state and federal money.

Prop 5 supporters include the following:

• California Democratic Party
• California State Building and Construction Trades Council
• AIDS Healthcare Foundation
• California Housing Partnership
• California YIMBY
• California Labor Federation
• League of Women Voters of California
• United Way Bay Area

Who opposes Prop 5

Opponents argue a broad consensus provided by the supermajority standard is needed for significant projects funded by bonds. In effect, the supermajority requirement acts as a restraint against big spending now that will need to be paid off — with interest — through higher taxes, opponents say. They also claim that financial burden would shift from state to local communities.

Prop 5 opponents include:

• California Chamber Of Commerce
• Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association
• National Federation of Independent Businesses
• California Republican Party
• Catalyst For Local Control

But how do you know what happens to your ballot after you submit it?

The state of California is offering Where’s My Ballot? It’s a way for voters to track the status of their vote-by-mail ballot.

Here’s what to know.

Decision 2024 Oct 14

How the homeless can vote in Los Angeles County and across California

Decision 2024 Oct 8

Ballot drop boxes open across Southern California

How can I track my ballot?

Voters can track their ballot via the Vote by Mail Status Tool. To track the status of a ballot, voters will need their last name, date of birth, house number or residential zip code. 

According to California Secretary of State Shirley Weber, ballots are collected from dropboxes regularly.

• Every 96 hours – excluding Saturdays and Sundays – between the 29th day before the election and the 10th day before the election.
• From staffed drop boxes at least every 72 hours – excluding Saturdays and Sunday –  after the 10th day before the election through the closing of the polls on Election Day.
• From unstaffed drop boxes every 48 hours – excluding Saturdays and Sundays – after the 10th day prior to an election through the closing of the polls on Election Day.

Subscribing to BallotTrax will allow voters to receive notifications on Vote by Mail ballot every step of the way via automatic email, SMS (text), or voice call notifications. Alerts will be sent when the election office mails the ballot, receives the ballot from the voter and counts the ballot. If there is a problem with the ballot an alert will also be sent. 

Voters having difficulties tracking their ballot can call (800) 815-2666 or email votebymail@rrcc.lacounty.gov for help.

All 50 states and the district of Columbia besides Illinois, Mississippi, Missouri, and Wyoming offer similar ballot tracking programs.

Where can I place my vote?

The map below shows ballot dropbox locations in Los Angeles County.

Additional ballot dropbox locations for the following counties can be found here:

• Orange County
• Riverside County
• Ventura County
• San Bernardino County

Decision 2024 Sep 17

See key dates, voter information, ballot props and more for the Southern California election

Elections Oct 3

See when Los Angeles County voters will get vote-by-mail ballot

What does a dropbox look like?

All official dropboxes will have the text “Official Ballot Drop Box” clearly marked on the outside of the box.

Ballot boxes in Los Angeles will typically feature a blue, yellow, and white color scheme, written instructions on side, and seal of Los Angeles county. 

Ballot boxes across counties have different designs. 

Ventura county boxes are typically white with red lettering, Orange county boxes are orange, white, and brown while boxes in Riverside and San Bernardino county feature a red, white, and blue design. 

Boxes are often bolted into cement or chain into place to meet national security standards.  

Ballots are picked up regularly by two county election workers. Problems or issues can be reported here.

Tampering with a drop box is a felony under California elections code.

Ballots can be placed anytime behind now and Nov. 5 at 8 p.m.

“Having a child that is not able to communicate their thoughts or feelings is terrifying,” she said. “We constantly question everything our children do and wonder how they will tell us something is wrong.”

She said within a couple months of James D. Reed III being Connor’s teacher at Creekside Elementary School in the Poway Unified School District (PUSD), she noticed sweeping changes in her son’s behavior.

For one thing, Connor didn’t want to ride the school bus anymore. For another: He started hitting and biting his teacher’s aides and lashing out at home.

Kathie’s lawsuit against Reed and the district alleged that months of abuse brought this behavior on.

“Unbeknownst to Connor’s family, Reed was terrorizing, bullying and assaulting Connor on a daily basis — and in front of district employees and school professionals,” trial attorney John Gomez said.

The lawsuit said witnesses saw Reed dragging Connor around the classroom and hitting him in the face on several occasions.

The matter reached its breaking point this January, when, the lawsuit alleges, Reed forced Connor’s head to the ground and pushed his face into the asphalt at least three times as the boy yelled in pain: “After finally freeing himself, Connor rushed at Reed, who responded by pushing and poking at Connor’s chest, taunting him with words like, ‘You want to go? Are you ready for this?’ ”

Again, Connor was 5.

Teachers and aides reported this to the principal, who placed Reed on administrative leave.

Brittanie Arnett, a spokeswoman for the district, said Reed was an education specialist at PUSD for about seven months.

“Toward the end of his brief tenure, concerns were raised by staff related to his interactions with a student…,” Arnett emailed NBC 7. “Shortly after the investigations commenced, Mr. Reed submitted his resignation.”

The resignation was submitted in February and, Arnett said, Reed has not worked for or been affiliated with the district since.

The lawsuit said Reed has a prior child-abuse conviction. According to San Diego Police report record, he was convicted of a misdemeanor charge of willful cruelty to a child. The conviction date and location was redacted.

“As a parent, you think it’s common sense that you would keep people that have injured a child before away from our kids,” Kathie said. “It was the last thing we ever expected.”

Connor’s parents have since removed him from Creekside and enrolled him in a new school.

The full statement PUSD sent to NBC 7 regarding the suit is below:

“Mr. Reed was hired as an educational specialist by the Poway Unified School District in August 2023 and submitted his resignation in February 2024. He has not been employed or affiliated with our school district since his resignation. Toward the end of his brief tenure, concerns were raised by staff related to his interactions with a student. When administration became aware of these concerns, an immediate investigation was initiated and the employee was placed on administrative leave. Local law officials also initiated an investigation. Shortly after the investigations commenced, Mr. Reed submitted his resignation.”

Later on Monday, NBC 7 received the following statement regarding the alleged incident:

“In January, SDPD officers were called to Creekside Elementary School to investigate a report involving a teacher, James D. Reed III, who was alleged to have inflicted injuries on a 5-your-old student. Upon arrival, officers discovered that Mr. Reed was not present at the location. No arrest was made at that time.

“Following the report, the San Diego Police Department’s Child Abuse Unit took charge of the investigation. Child Abuse Detectives conducted a comprehensive investigation to gather all relevant facts and evidence. Upon completion of the investigation, the case was forwarded to the San Diego City Attorney’s Office for review.“

The San Diego police are urging anyone with more information about the alleged attacks or any other similar incidents to call he SDPD Child Abuse Unit at (619) 531-2260. Tips can also be called in anonymously to Crime Stoppers at (888) 580-8477.

Three out-of-state suspects were arrested in connection to the operations, which also led to the discovery of two illegally possessed firearms, the office said in a news release Tuesday.

In the first stop, which occurred in Fresno County on Oct. 3, a canine unit alerted officers to narcotics hidden inside a cooler, the state said. Upon inspection, authorities found 11 pounds of fentanyl stuffed into packages of carne asada beef.

The fentanyl was valued at approximately $500,000, according to the Newsom’s office. The suspect, a Washington State resident, was arrested on felony charges of drug possession and transportation.

California officials said the following day, on Oct. 4 in Merced County, officers discovered two handguns and around 120,000 fentanyl-laced pills with an estimated value of $1.2 million. Two more Washington State residents were arrested on multiple felony counts.

“California continues the tough work to get deadly and illegal drugs off our streets,” Gov. Newsom said in a statement. “I am proud of the efforts by our CHP officers to help keep our community safe and hold drug peddlers accountable.”

Newsom said the busts were part of California’s campaign to combat the fentanyl and opioid crisis.

The governor’s office said his office has outlined initiatives that include doubling the number of service members who can intercept drug transports at checkpoints. They also launched a website to share the dangers of opioids and plan to “hold the opioid pharmaceutical industry accountable.”

Since January, California’s National Guard Counterdrug Task Force has seized over 500,00 pounds of fentanyl powder and 9.6 million fentanyl pills, valued at over $43 million, the state reported.

Ads on Prop 33 have dominated airwaves and online spaces with both supporters and opponents launching nasty attacks and accusations about each other.

What Prop 33 would do

Prop 33 seeks to repeal the Costa-Hawkins Rental Housing Act of 1995, which currently allows cities and counties to impose rent control only on units built before 1995.

Even for units built before 1995, if a tenant leaves, the landlord can raise the rent to market levels.

Also under current law, local governments cannot limit initial residential rental rates for new tenants or rent increases for existing tenants in certain residential properties. 

If Prop 33 passed, local governments would be allowed to impose rental control on any apartment building regardless of when it was built.

Decision 2024 Sep 22

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Decision 2024 Oct 7

Prop 2, Prop 4: CA ballot measures that would authorize pair of $10 billion bonds

What supports Prop 33

Supporters of Prop 33, including the AIDS Healthcare Foundation’s Michael Weinstein, say giving local governments options to expand rental control would help stabilize the “skyrocketing” rents across the state, especially in Los Angeles and San Francisco.

Proponents also argue Prop 33 would help ease the homelessness crisis by “preserving rent-controlled units” for those in need of housing, such as seniors on a fixed income.

Supporters of Prop 33 also include:

• Los Angeles County
• San Francisco County
• City of Bell Gardens
• City of Santa Monica
• City of West Hollywood
• California Democratic Party
• Los Angeles County Democratic Party
• Marin County Democratic Party
• California Nurses Association
• United Teachers Los Angeles

Who opposes Prop 33

Opponents of Prop 33 point out the proposal would lead to a decline in rental property values across the state, which means property owners will pay less on property taxes, thus leading to the reduction  of property tax revenues for cities, counties, special districts and schools. 

Local government could lose tens of millions of dollars each year from the property taxes, according to the nonpartisan Legislative Analyst’s Office.

Critics also say Prop 33 would stop the construction of new housing, including affordable housing. That also means building affordable housing units like ADUs would become harder under Prop 33, according to opponents. 

 Opponents of Prop 33 also include:

• California Apartment Association
• California Association of Realtors
• California Black Chamber of Commerce
• California Building Industry Association
• California Chamber of Commerce
• California Council of Carpenters
• California Council for Affordable Housing
• California Small Business Association
• Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce
• Los Angeles County Business Federation

Ugly finger-pointing

The fight over Prop 33 has become even more divisive as the “Yes on 33” campaign began running ads, accusing the backers or the “No” campaign to be tied to the MAGA movement, calling corporate property companies that are part of the California Apartment Association, “greedy.”

Meanwhile the “No on 33” campaign is targeting Michael Weinstein, the polarizing figure and head of the AIDS Healthcare Foundation, accusing him of accumulating low-income housing properties and being a “slumlord.”

Those against Prop 33 also point out that previous ballot measures that were similar to the proposal had failed to get California voters’ approval, but proponents say now is the time to pass Prop 33 with the housing crisis in the state has reached a fever pitch.

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If approved, voters would allow the state government to borrow billions of dollars for the purpose of improving the infrastructure of public schools and protecting the environment. 

Props 2 and 4 are two of 10 statewide ballot propositions that will be left up to voters in the Nov. 5 election. Here’s what to know about each one:

Here’s what Prop 2 would do if passed:

• Would authorize the state government to borrow $10 billion for repairs, upgrades and new construction of K-12 public schools, community colleges and trade schools
  • $8.5 billion directed towards K-12 schools
  • $1.5 billion directed towards upper education
• Funding would be prioritized for improvements regarding health and safety of students and staff alike, and classroom upgrades.  

Who’s supporting Prop 2?

Supporters say schools across the state are often outdated and in need of basic repairs and upgrades or sometimes just outright unsafe. They also argue it’s one way to retain and attract teachers during a time where school staffing is short nationwide. 

• California Teachers Association 
• California School Nurses Organization
• Community College League of California
• CalChamber
• League of Women’s Voters

Who’s opposing Prop 2?

Those opposing the proposition argue bond obligations will cost the state close to $18 billion with interest, making it uneconomical. 

Passing the proposition would increase state costs by $500 million per year for 35 years, according to the nonpartisan Legislative Analyst’s Office.

• Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association
• Reform California
• Press-Telegram

Here’s what Prop 4 would do if passed:

Prop 4 would authorize California to borrow $10 billion in bonds for water conversation and wildfire prevention. Funds could also be used to protect communities and their associated lands.

• $3.8 billion towards drought, flood, and water supply concerns 
• $1.5 billion towards wildfire prevention
• $1.2 billion towards sea-level rise prevention
• $1.2 billion towards land conversation 
• $850 million towards energy infrastructure
• $700 million towards community parks 
• $450 million towards extreme heat resources 
• $300 million to help farmers mitigate climate change  

Who’s supporting Prop 4?

Supporters say the proactive approach to conserve and protect California resources will pay itself back as wildfires, droughts and pollution concerns become increasingly prevalent. 

• Clean Water Action
• CALFIRE Firefighters
• National Wildlife Federation
• The Nature Conservancy 

Who’s opposing Prop 4?

Similar to Prop 2, those opposing the argue bond obligations will cost the state far more than it’s worth and that natural disasters (and their prevention) should be budgeted for, not paid with bonds. Opposing analysts say the bonds will cost taxpayers $2 for every $1 spent.  

Passing the proposition would increase state costs by $400 million per year for 40 years according to the nonpartisan Legislative Analysts’ Office

• Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association

But for some 4 million Californians who have yet to register to vote, Monday is the last day to register via mail.

Registration must be postmarked or submitted electronically by Monday, Oct. 21, 2024.

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Qualifications to register to vote

To register to vote in California, you must be:

• A United States citizen and a resident of California 
• 18 years old or older on Election Day
• Not currently serving a state or federal prison term for the conviction of a felony 
• Not currently found mentally incompetent to vote by a court

Qualifications to pre-register to vote

To pre-register to vote in California, voters must:

• Be 16 or 17 years old, and
• Meet all the prior requirements 

Applicants will automatically become registered to vote on their 18th birthday.

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Where to register to vote in California

Voters can register here via the online application. The application is available in English, Spanish, Chinese, Hindi, Japanese, Khmer, Korean, Tagalog, Thai, and Vietnamese.

Voters can also register via pen and paper by visiting an elections office, library, Department of Motor Vehicles offices, or U.S. post office Paper applications must be delivered to an elections office before Oct. 21. 

Students studying abroad can register to vote using the Federal Post Card Application or by using the California Online Voter Registration system. 

Same-day voter registration

Same day or conditional voter registration is for Californains who miss the deadline to register to vote or update their voter registration information for an election to still cast their ballot. Eligible citizens can complete this process at a designated county elections office, polling place, or vote centers, found here. 

Members of the military, overseas voters and voters with disabilities should contact their local county elections office to learn about the conditional voter registration and available voting options. 

Safe Vote at home

Voters fearful for their safety and are eligible can enroll in the California Safe at Home voter program. Applicants are eligible to participate if they have experienced the following:

• Victim of domestic violence, stalking, sexual assault, human trafficking, child abduction, and elder or dependent adult abuse.
• Reproductive health care provider, employee, patient, or volunteer who has experienced threats of violence, violence, or harassment because of their affiliation with a reproductive health care services facility.
• Public entity employee/contractor who has experienced threats of violence, violence, or harassment because of their work for a public entity.
• Are a household member of a category listed above.
• Are in fear for their safety, or for the safety of a minor child or incapacitated adult.

Interested participants must visit their local enrollment agency after making an appointment. Completed applications are then sent to Safe at Home for review and approval.  

The deadline to register to vote with Safe at Home is Oct. 21. Voters who miss the deadline can still register up until Election Day, however, they will not be a confidential voter.

Am I already registered?

Voters can check here if unsure about their voting status. Voters can also check:

• Where they are registered to vote
• Check their political party preference
• Check their language preference for election materials
• Check the status of their vote-by-mail or provisional ballot
• Choose how they want to receive your state and county voter guides before each election
• Find their polling place.
• Find information for upcoming local and state elections.
• Find contact information for your county elections office.

Canceling voter registration

Voters currently registered to vote in California and would like to cancel your voter registration can complete the California Voter Registration Cancellation Request Form, and submit it to the county elections office.

Cancellation forms are available in English, Spanish, Chinese, Hindi, Japanese, Khmer, Korean, Tagalog, Thai, and Vietnamese. 

But how do these measures get placed on the ballot and how do these ballot measures get the number associated with them? 

Getting on the ballot 

There are two ways propositions can get on the ballot. 

• The first is the California State Legislature can place a proposed law before voters. 
• The second is through a petition. Anyone can bring forth a proposition. If it receives 546,651 signatures it will be placed on the ballot. If it is a Constitutional amendment it requires 874,641 signatures. 

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The proposition’s number 

Propositions are given numbers starting at one and increasing for a span of 10 years. 

Every 10 years, they restart using numbers from one again. 

A specific proposition is given a number based on when it qualifies for the ballot. They appear on the ballot in the order they qualify, but depending on what the new law would do.  

Propositions with bonds appear first, then constitutional amendments, followed by initiative measures and then referenda. 

The California State Legislature can choose to waive this. 

The California Secretary of State’s office said that is the reason why there is a gap in numbers between Proposition 6 and Proposition 32.

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The money is being distributed across 18 communities, including five in Southern California. It’s aimed at moving unhoused residents off the street in especially dangerous encampments into state-aided housing units with transitional support. 

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The money also comes with stricter accountability measures for local governments than before. Accepting the money requires recipients to adhere to all state housing and homeless laws, and remain in compliance with their pre-established housing plans. Failing to do so will result in a loss of funding and potentially further consequences. California’s Housing Accountability Unit will aid in its enforcement. 

“We’re supporting local communities’ efforts to get people out of encampments and connected with care and housing across the state.” Newsom said in a statement. “It’s important and urgent work that requires everyone to do their part. The state has committed more than $27 billion to help local governments tackle the homelessness crisis — and we want to see $27 billion worth of results.”

Los Angeles county will receive $11.3 million, the most of any city besides Sacramento. Neighboring cities including Pasadena, Riverside, San Bernardino and Palm Springs will also receive funding. 

Encampment Resolution Fund Recipients:

• City of Antioch – $6,812,686
• City of Berkeley – $5,395,637
• City of Carlsbad – $2,994,225
• City of Los Angeles – $11,351,281
• City of Palm Springs – $5,106,731
• City of Petaluma – $8,098,978
• City of Redlands — $5,341,800
• City of Richmond —- $9,336,746
• City of Sacramento — 18,199,661
• City of San Jose —- $4,821,083
• City of Victorville — $6,365,070
• City of Visalia —- $3,000,000
• County of Contra Costa —- $5,708,516
• County of Riverside — $12,612,779
• County of San Bernardino — $11,000,000
• City and County of San Francisco – $7,975,486
• Humboldt County — Continuum of Care – $3,784,294
• Pasadena –  Continuum of Care – $2,772,801

The awarded money is just the most recent of an overall $1 billion dollar investment to the state’s Encampment Resolution Fund (ERF). Thus far the fund has supported 109 projects across the state and helped 20,888 Californians transition out of homelessness.

Robert Rand, the author of “the Menendez Murders,” said Thursday that a letter that he found in 2018 was what Erik sent to his cousin Andy Cano nine months before the murders, complaining about ongoing sexual abuse from his father. Erik Menendez was 17 years old when the letter was written and sent.

“I found the letter in a dresser full of Andy Cano’s paper in 2018 when his mother Marta let me go through his room, and she said, ‘If you can find anything, great.’ I found that letter and realized it was a major piece of new evidence,” said Rant. 

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That letter is now one of the two pieces of evidence that Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascón is reviewing for the possible request for resentencing of the brothers, who were convicted for murdering their parents, Jose and Kitty Menendez at their Beverly Hills mansion in 1989. They were both sentenced to life in prison in 1996.

The second piece of evidence, according to the brothers’ defense attorney Mark Geragos, is a signed declaration from a member of the band Menudo who said that he too was molested in the house by Jose Menendez. 

Another avenue for their release that Gascón is considering would be resentencing them if he believes they repaid their dues for the killings. 

Rant, who said to be speaking with the brothers regularly, said that this new development has made the brothers “cautiously optimistic” that their release is possible. 

A resentencing hearing is set for Nov. 29.

Here’s what attorney Mark Geragos said while speaking with NBC Los Angeles’ Colleen Williams. 

Is there new evidence?

There is. 

We filed both pieces of evidence, one which was a letter that predates the killings, from Eric to his cousin Andy, who tragically died over 20 years ago. 

In that letter, he describes the abuse by his father and how it was weighing on him as you can imagine. 

The second piece of evidence is a declaration by one of the members of the band Menudo, who came forward bravely decades after it happened, signed a declaration saying, unbelievably as it may seem, that he too was molested and at the home, which was one of the points that was raised, at least in the first trial, that Jose Menendez felt so comfortable or so safe in the home where he had molested his own kids that he thought he could bring in a third party.

Was the evidence not admissible before?

Neither of those items of evidence were available during the trials. 

They’ve been in custody for 35 years. Their case has languished. Basically, they had no appellate rights for the last almost 20 years after they exhausted all appeals.

These were found almost by happenstance somewhere in the neighborhood less than 10 years ago, and the declaration was brought forward within the last two years.

Did new TV shows on the brothers play a role?

There’s been about four treatments or re-examinations of this case in the last couple of years.

The Netflix documentary has been playing for the last week. There’s another one that drops next week. There was a previous one that had played out months ago back in February. 

We filed this writ back in May. The DA has been taking this seriously all alone. We’ve done a number of things in terms of turning over evidence to them. 

We’ve now presented the idea of, alternatively, from setting the conviction aside to just have them re-sentence.

We’ve done conditional examinations. 

And I think most importantly, 24 of the family members have signed a letter asking the DA to re-sentence them and let them come home. 

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What could happen now? 

A re-sentencing is something that certainly is what the DA talked about Thursday and what we have sent over in terms of a petition for resentencing supported by the family. 

That is one option where the sentence would be technically recalled. They’d be re-sentenced by a judge. And presumably, they would get time served. 

The other option is to set aside the conviction. That’s what the habeas is. If you set aside the conviction, they can get a new trial. 

But that doesn’t seem to make a lot of economic sense in a challenging economy in California when you’re cutting back on the court expenditures.

How are Lyle and Erik?

They’re both now housed together at Donovan State Prison. I’ve been down there. 

They’re doing an amazing job of a project called the Green Space Project, which is a Norwegian model about trying to reduce recidivism. 

Lyle is engineering or is vital to putting the project together. 

Erik is a very talented artist who is decorating the space itself

In order to give people the idea that eventually 90% of these people who are incarcerated are going to be let back into the community, the idea is to get them the opportunity to learn the skills to re-assimilate.

What is the timetable?

I’d like to get them home before the end of the year. 

The DA has indicated that all times in the last year and a half when I’ve worked with this office, they have been very serious and diligent in following up on things.

Either one, I just want to get them home under any terms and conditions. These are two people that I would venture to say you’re never going to have to worry about re-offending.  

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Gov. Gavin Newson vetoed state Senate bill 278 over the weekend.   

“I cried, you know. At first, I was numb. I thought how could this be,” Alice Lin, 81-year-old victim of wire fraud and supporter of the bill, said. “This bill you know would really, really help a lot of people from losing the money,” she said.  

NBC4’s I-Team met Lin in January when she first shared her story, saying how a man befriended her online and persuaded her to wire money to an account.   

She says bank employees did not do enough to warn her about possible fraud as she wired more than $700,000 only a couple of days apart.     

The proposed bill would have required financial institutions to delay certain transactions if there is “reasonable” suspicion of fraud and also inform a designated contact on an account of any suspected fraudulent transaction.    

“If I were stopped, I would think about it. I have three days you know. I may think about it. I may talk to other people talk to the relatives or talk to my children. Things may turn around maybe totally different. (It) may save me and save my money,” Lin said.   

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In his veto message, the Governor raised concerns about some of those actions, saying in part, “the mandatory three-day hold on transactions suspected of abuse could lead to unintended consequences, such as delaying legitimate transactions and restricting access to funds.

Newsom also said the proposed enforcement provisions “need further review to ensure they are legally sound and minimize the risk of costly litigation – a burden that would ultimately fall on taxpayers.”

“We ended up with no opposition on the floor of the assembly, zero opposition,” State Senator Bill Dodd (D-Napa) said.

Senator Dodd, who authored the bill, told the I-Team the proposal went through multiple committees which worked with financial institutions and consumer advocates over a two-year period to get passed in the legislature. He believes the veto comes at a larger expense.   

“People are getting ripped off across this state, across our country, in numbers that are just astronomical,” Dodd said.  

According to the latest information from the Federal Trade Commission, older adults reported losing more than $1.6 billion to fraud in 2022, compared to about $1 billion the previous year. 

The Governor suggests the legislature continue refining the concept behind the bill.   

Senator Dodd said they will not seek a veto override but will continue their efforts.   

“I’ve termed out at the end of this year, so unfortunately, it’s not going to be me that will be running this bill, but I assure you, there will be one of my colleagues from last year or somebody new coming in, that will pick up on this bill,” he said.  

Lin said her garden has kept her from her darkest days, and on the day of the veto announcement, a flower in her garden, which she says rarely blooms, did so.  

She said that gives her hope and strength to continue her fight for a new law.   

“I won’t give up for sure,” Lin said.    

It appears the Governor was approached by at least one large bank regarding the concerns outlined in his veto. 

The NBC4 I-Team asked the governor’s office if he discussed these concerns with the folks behind the bill before making his decision.

The governor’s office said that the veto message speaks for itself.    

As the I-Team previously reported, Lin is suing the bank that conducted the transactions. A judge recently ruled against a motion to dismiss the case by the bank. 

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A hearing is set for Nov. 29, according to Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascón.

New evidence  

While the Menendez brothers’ previous appeals did not work out in their favor, the District Attorney’s Office said it’s decided to hold a resentencing hearing due to new evidence.

Gascón said his office has received a photocopy of a letter that was allegedly sent by one of the brothers to another family member, discussing sexual molestation by their father, Jose Menendez. 

The DA added the brothers’ attorneys also submitted another piece of evidence that may be linked to the claim their father had sexually molested them. 

The defense attorneys are alleging the new evidence would have change the outcome of the case.

However, the Beverly Hills Police Department, which was the investigating agency at the time of the murders, said it has not been contacted by the DA’s Office regarding the new developments.

Gascón, who is running for reelection, said he is be more open to “reviewing things that other prosecutors may not.”

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Rehabilitation

Under California law, a prosecutor can evaluate whether someone has been rehabilitated and ask the court to determine resentencing. 

Lyle Menendez was 21 years old, and Erik was 19 when they murdered their parents.

If the court determines whether the brothers were rehabilitated and paid their dues to society while maintaining good behavior in prison, they could be resentenced.

But the resentencing hearing does not mean the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s office will decide whether the previous trial and verdict were wrong. 

The new evidence also has yet to be reviewed by the DA’s office, Gascon said. 

What happens after resentencing?

The Menendez brothers could walk out based on what the court decides.

They could also be given a shorter sentence.

Another possible outcome is having a new trial.

Both cases are located in the Central Valley region, and both patients had contact with dairy cattle that had been infected with H5 bird flu.

There is no known link between the two cases.

The two patients are said to be experiencing mild symptoms, including conjunctivitis. They are not hospitalized for the virus.

While the risk to the general public remains low, those who interacted with infected animals, including dairy or poultry farm workers, are at higher risk of getting bird flu. The animal-to-human spread of the virus is rare.

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Public health officials also assure that pasteurized milk and dairy products are safe to consume as pasteurization inactivates the bird flu virus.

Those who work with farm animals should wear personal protective equipment or PPE, such as N95 masks, face shields, goggles and gloves, the public health department said. 

Accessibility to Fertility Treatments 

Millions of Californians will see expanded access to IVF and other fertility treatments thanks to a new state mandate. 

Under the new law, large insurance companies are required to provide coverage for the diagnosis and treatment of infertility and fertility services, including a maximum of three egg retrievals with unlimited embryo transfers.

The law also impacts the LGBTQ+ community and same-sex couples who want to have children as it broadens the definition of “infertility” to include a person’s inability to reproduce either as an individual or with their partner without medical intervention.

The law is expected to impact millions of Californians, and doctors expect more families to seek care now that fertility treatments and IVF will be more affordable for many.

The law will go into effect in July 2025.

Chemicals in tampons

California will ban the sale of tampons and other menstrual products that contain potentially toxic chemicals. 

Under the law, the intentional use of perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances, also known as PFAS, in menstrual products will be prohibited. 

The Department of Toxic Substances Control is required to adopt these regulations on or before Jan. 1, 2029. And manufacturers must provide detailed product information and register with the department by July 1, 2029.

The law will fine manufactures who violate the regulations. And all money collected from the penalties will be deposited to the T.A.M.P.O.N. Act Fund.

Maternal mortality among Black women

A new law that aims to reduce racial and ethnic inequality in maternal and infant health care outcomes will require California’s medical facilities to conduct “evidence-based implicit bias training” for health care professionals. 

It builds on existing laws requiring these training for health care providers involved in perinatal care. 

But the new law introduces several new enhancements, including mandating health care facilities to report their adherence to training protocols to the state Attorney General’s office with penalties for non-compliance.

Current health care providers must complete their training by June 1, 2025. While new providers are required to complete training within six months of their start date.

“When giving birth, individuals are asked to listen to their bodies and to share that information with the medical professionals caring for them,” said Assemblymember Akilah Weber, M.D. “Unfortunately, concerns surrounding discomfort or pain are not taken as seriously when they are made by persons of color, specifically black persons.

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Alzheimer’s disease

A package of twelve bills were signed into law to aid law enforcement, doctors and health care providers better serve the growing number of California adults with Alzheimer’s disease and their families. 

Health care and law enforcement officials will be required to have training on how to interact with wandering people suffering from Alzheimer’s, autism and dementia. 

Also health care professionals who primarily work with older patients will be mandated to take continuing education in geriatrics and dementia care.

As one in four Californians is expected to be age 60 or over in 2030, the new laws are anticipated to help change the aging services. 

Substance abuse facilities increase

California will expand the range of facilities that can treat people who are on a temporary conservatorship for substance use disorder.

Currently, a psychiatric health facility provides 24-hour inpatient care for people with mental health disorders. 

Under the new law, mental health rehabilitation centers and psychiatric health facilities can offer 24-hour inpatient care to people with a severe substance use disorder. 

Treatment centers will have the new flexibility in managing treatment slots so they can increase the number of hospital beds available for substance use disorder patients.

Accessible prescription labels

Pharmacy dispensers are now required to provide patients who identify as blind or have low vision with accessible prescription medication labels upon request. 

These labels can be in the form of supplemental documentation with large fonts, braille or for blind patients, the use of text-to-speech technology. 

The bill, sponsored by the California Council of the Blind, was based on recommendations published back in 2013 from a United States Access Board Working Group. 

Breast milk bank

A new law intends to allow more families to receive donor milk for their babies regardless of what insurance they have.

When a parent does not produce or does not produce enough breast milk, pasteurized donor human milk is the next best nutrition source for infants below normal birth weights. The new law defines donor milk as essential under commercial insurance — bringing it up to speed with Medi-Cal standards.

Breast milk reduces some health outcomes in infants, such as necrotizing enterocolitis, a life-threatening bowel disease which occurs about 60% more frequently in Black and Latino children, according to UC data.

Donor milk comes from people who are lactating and have been screened.Previously, hospitals had to have a tissue bank license to give donor milk to patients — now that barrier moves the license burden to already accredited milk banks such as the University of California Health Milk Bank.

UC Riverside Health recently opened a breast milk collection facility as well.

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Francisco Caldera Uriarte, 41, pleaded not guilty to a charge of first-degree murder and two charges of willful child cruelty in connection with the March 29, 2020, shooting of his 35-year-old wife, Natalia.

Uriarte was arrested in Mexico in May and was transferred last week back into the custody of U.S. law enforcement in San Diego, according to the Chula Vista Police Department.

Prosecutors said Uriarte’s been at large in Mexico since the shooting and a judge agreed “that makes him a very significant risk of flight.” Uriarte was denied release on bail.

The shooting occurred during a fight at their apartment in the 500 block of Oxford Street, about a mile and a half west of Castle Park High School, Chula Vista police said.

At the time, police said officers received a call from a neighbor claiming to have heard a woman scream at around 1:38 a.m. Once officers arrived at the apartment complex, they found three children — 9-year-old twins and a 3-year-old — who said their mother and father had been in a physical fight, Chula Vista Police said.

Patrol officers found Natalia Uriarte, a makeup artist, dead and her husband gone.

The suspect’s cousin told police Uriarte left a threatening voicemail to a man he believed his wife was seeing.

The children, who were not harmed, told officers that their dad had fled the scene and they believed he killed their mother during the fight, CVPD said.

A judge also issued a protective order for the children, who the prosecutor said have been safe since the night of the shooting.

The day after the killing, Chula Vista Police released a picture of Uriarte, who they believed killed his wife and was considered armed and dangerous.

Uriarte was booked into San Diego Central Jail on Thursday on suspicion of murder and child endangerment. He was being held without bail pending arraignment, scheduled for Wednesday.

Here are six new laws that aim to reduce crime across the Golden State.

Tougher penalties for robberies

A new law targets large-scale thefts, including sledgehammer crimes, flash-mob attacks, smash-and-grab robberies. 

Prosecutors will be required to impose harsher sentences again for those who damage or destroy property valued at more than $50,000 while committing a felony. 

A similar law expired in 2018. The new law will sunset by 2030.

While shoplifting has been a growing problem, large-scale, smash-and-grab thefts, in which groups of individuals brazenly rush into stores and take goods in plain sight, have become a crisis in California and elsewhere in recent years. Such crimes, often captured on video and posted on social media, have brought particular attention to the problem of retail theft in the state.

The new law is part of a bipartisan legislative package of about a dozen bills aiming to crack down on thefts, making it easier to go after repeat shoplifters and auto thieves and increase penalties for those running professional reselling schemes.

Gun control

People convicted of animal cruelty will be banned from owning a firearm for at least 10 years under the 2024 Gun Violence Prevention Act.

Animal cruelty acts include maliciously and intentionally maiming, mutilating, torturing or wounding an animal, or maliciously or intentionally killing an animal.

Supporters, including the California District Attorneys’ Association, said the law is “much-needed” because of the link between violence against animals and violence against humans. 

Riverside State Senator Richard Roth and Burbank State Senator Anthony Portantino, who initially proposed the law, cited a domestic violence study that showed the overwhelming number of women in abusive relationships reported their animals were threatened, harmed or killed by their abusers. 

PCH speed cameras

The city of Malibu will be allowed to add up to five speed cameras on a dangerous stretch of Pacific Coast Highway.

Among the 60 people who died on PCH in the last 15 years were four Pepperdine University students, who were fatally struck in October 2023. 

The new law will allow the installation of automated speed cameras on the 21-mile stretch of the roadway.

The law goes into effect in January 2025.

Forensic services

The California Justice Department will be able to continue to provide forensic DNA services by extending funding for Prop 69, the DNA Fingerprint, Unsolved Crime and Innocence Protection Act, which was passed by voters in 2004. 

The new law will also extend the sunset date for Prop 69.

At the same time, criminal fines will continue to go toward funding crime-solving DNA programs at the state Department of Justice and local law enforcement agencies.

Domestic violence

Newsom’ signing of a bipartisan package of bills means the state will establish a restitution fund for domestic violence victims while forcing restraining orders applications to be processed without delay. 

Newsom’s office said the new law will help domestic violence survivors to rebuild their lives by providing them financial help through the restitution fund. 

Fines and fees from white-collar criminals will go toward domestic violence victims’ restitution fund. 

As another way of protecting victims, California will also require automakers to protect drivers’ data privacy. 

For one, drivers will be able to terminate remote access to their cars, which will prevent abusers from tracking their victims and controlling their vehicles.

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Soliciting minors

The penalty for soliciting and buying sex from minors under 16 will be raised to a felony.

Current state laws limit the penalties for soliciting a minor to a misdemeanor charge. In addition to making it a felony if the victims were under 16, the new law would also allow prosecutors to charge repeat offenders with a felony if the victims were at least 16 years old.

But the California legislation doesn’t go as far as laws in other states. In Texas, for example, an adult would be charged with a felony for soliciting a minor under 17 and could face harsher penalties if the victim was under 14.

Release of sexual predators

When the state decided to release a sexually violent predator known as the Pillowcase Rapist into Southern California’s Antelope Valley last month, community members, law enforcement officials and political leaders voiced their concerns and outrage. 

“While I understand that the state performs a comprehensive study and assessment before proposing a site, nothing takes the place of the real-world perspectives that only community members can offer. I want to ensure my constituents are kept informed about this process and have every opportunity to weigh in on this decision,” Los Angeles County Supervisor Katheryne Barger, who represents the Antelope Valley area, said. 

The releases of sexually violent predators are more common in rural communities across the state often without involving local authorities in the decision-making process.

Now a new law that aims to increase transparency in criminals’ releases will ensure law enforcement agencies are better informed and involved in placements.

The law also promises to provide more information about criminals and give communities more time to prepare. 

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President Joe Biden authorized the U.S. military to help defend Israel, but he is continuing to call for a cease-fire across the region. Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi echoed calls for de-escalation.

Israeli and U.S. officials said most of the 180 projectiles were intercepted.

“My understanding in the report that we’re getting from the administration is no one was harmed in the missile strikes,” Pelosi said.

The missile strike comes after Israel’s ground invasion into Lebanon and an Israeli airstrike over the weekend that killed the leader of the Iranian-backed militant group Hezbollah.

In a post on X, the president of Iran said Tuesday’s strike was “in defense of the interests and citizens of Iran” and directly warned the prime minister of Israel not to enter into a conflict with Iran.

Pelosi has been critical of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, even refusing to be present at his address to Congress over the summer.

On Tuesday, she reiterated Biden’s efforts to get the Israeli prime minister to call for a regional cease-fire.

“We would like him to agree to that,” she said. “He seems to agree, and then he backs off.”

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In a Tuesday interview with CNBC’s Jim Cramer, Chipotle CSO Jack Hartung discussed business in California since the burrito-maker upped prices in April, saying there’s “macro resistance” from consumers to inflation across the industry.

“Our read on California is less about resistance to our price increase, and it’s more of a macro impact,” Hartung said. “Because when you look at the restaurant industry, the restaurant transactions are down for everybody.”

Hartung formerly served as Chipotle’s CFO, and he characterized the chain’s California price increase as “in the middle” on the spectrum of other restaurants that also made menu items more expensive. The company raised prices in the state by about 7% to offset the new higher minimum wage regulations for fast-food workers, which raised the mandated hourly rate from $16 to $20 per hour.

Chipotle beat Wall Street’s expectations during its last quarter and reported growing market share and restaurant transactions across every income level. Other consumer peers have described a pullback from lower income customers. Chipotle’s core customer base — like other fast-casual chains — consists of consumers with higher incomes, CNBC reported.

Hartung also teased at how Chipotle plans to use artificial intelligence to help its business, pointing to the “Autocado,” a robot that cuts, cores and peels avocados, and another program that automates the process of creating bowls and salads. He said it’s “early days” for the technology but claimed it wouldn’t “remove that personalization” from the business.

“There’s still going to be that eye-to-eye contact,” Hartung said. “But there are things behind the scenes, like way before our restaurants ever open, that are complicated tasks, they’re time consuming tasks, and if we can make those simpler for our crew, they’re going to have a better experience.”

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Cal Fire stats updated Tuesday show that 6,528 wildfires so far this year have burned 1,001,993 acres. Last year at the start of October, 5,492 wildfires burned 293,462 acres.

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The acreage totals bring California close to its five-year average for early October of 1,085,577 acres.

The most dangerous months, historically, are ahead. Fall is typically the worst time of the year for wildfires in Southern California due to dry conditions and the infamous Santa Ana Winds, which have fanned some of the region’s most destructive fires.

The fires include three major Southern California wildfires that started in early September and continued to burn about one month later.

As of Tuesday, the arson-related Line Fire in San Bernardino County was at 43,400 acres with containment at 76 percent. That figure dropped from earlier in the week due to a flare-up that forced additional evacuations.

The Bridge Fire in San Bernardino County was at 54,800 acres with containment at 98 percent. The Airport Fire in Orange and Riverside counties was 95-percent contained at 23,500 acres.

Firefighters gained ground on the fires after a temperature cooldown, but warmer conditions arrived over the weekend.

“The dry vegetation, steep slopes and wind aligned … to create conditions for the rapid fire spread,” according to a statement late Monday from the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, or Cal Fire.

Above-normal temperatures are in this week’s forecast.

Here are some of the new laws that will go into effect in the coming months as early as Jan. 1, 2025.

Crime

• Harsher sentences for flash-mob, smash-and-grab robberies
• People convicted of animal cruelty will be banned from owning a firewarm for 10 years.
• Domestic violence victims can file restraining orders without delay while being able to keep their car data private from their abusers. 
• Pacific Coast Highway in Malibu will get at least five speed cameras.
• California will be able to continue to collect and use DNA samples from people arrested for certain crimes
• Local law enforcement agencies will be better informed when sexually violent predators are set to be released in their area.
• The penalty for soliciting and buying sex from minors under 16 will be raised to a felony.

Business

• All plastic shopping bags will be banned starting in 2026.
• Cannabis lounges where customers can buy the drug, then stick around for a meal or a live show will be legalized, starting on Jan. 1, 2025.
• The maximum criminal fines for corporations will increase.

Health

• Insurance companies will be required to cover IVF. 
• The sale of tampons and other menstrual products that contain potentially toxic chemicals will be banned in California. 
• A new law will require pharmacies to provide accessible prescription labels or supplemental documentation to patients with vision disabilities. 
• California will expand the type of facilities that can treat people with a substance use disorder. 
• Families will have better access to donor milk for their babies regardless of what insurance they have. 

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Education

• California private, non-profit colleges and universities will be banned from offering legacy admissions.
• Six artificial food dyes will be prohibited from school foods.
• Oil and gas operations near schools will be restricted. 
• A new law will restrict the use of smartphones on school campuses.

Tech and social media

• It will become illegal to create and distribute sexually explicit images of a real person.
• Social media companies are required to come up with a system through which users can report sexually explicit deepfakes.
• Social media companies will be prohibited from knowingly providing addictive content feeds to minors starting in 2027.
• Parents who profit from social media posts using their children will be required to set aside some of the earnings for them.
• Companies that are testing their AI models will have to publicly disclose safety protocols.

Civil rights

• Native Americans will get better access to social support and tribal housing programs.
• Textbooks for K-12 California schools must include the treatment and perspectives of Native Americans, especially during the Mission and Gold Rush periods. 
• Law enforcement agencies will be required to collect data on crimes occurring on Indian lands and report the information to the state Department of Justice as an effort to reduce the number of missing and murdered indigenous people in California.  
• New laws will help create more stable housing for migrant farm workers through the support from the state Department of Housing and Community Development.

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Attorney General Rob Bonta announced the lawsuit Monday, which was filed that day in Humboldt County Superior Court and details the case of Anna Nusslock. In February, Nusslock was 15 weeks into her pregnancy when her water broke and she was rushed to Providence in Eureka, where she lives.

According to the complaint, Nusslock was told by the doctor at the hospital that they could not provide an abortion “so long as one of Anna’s twins had detectable heart tones, unless Anna’s life was sufficiently at risk.” The doctor recommended she take a helicopter to the University of California, San Francisco for emergency services. But she doubted her insurance would cover the $40,000 cost of the ride.

She asked if she could drive to UCSF, and the doctor advised that if she drove 270 miles (435 kilometers) south, which is about five hours, to San Francisco she would “hemorrhage and die,” according to the complaint. Nussbaum was discharged to Mad River Community Hospital 12 miles (19 kilometers) away, where she received the abortion at a labor and delivery unit that is scheduled to close this month, according to Bonta’s office.

“They broke the law, and we are taking action to make sure they never do it again,” Bonta said at a news conference.

A spokesperson for Providence Health and Services, the hospital’s parent company, said in a statement Monday that it was reviewing the complaint, which it had just learned of. The hospital said Tuesday it had reached out to Nusslock to apologize and it was revisiting training and education in emergency medical situations.

“This was a tragic situation that did not meet our high standards for safe, quality, compassionate care,” said Garry Olney, chief executive for the Providence Northern California Service Area, in a message to employees. “We will learn from this and renew our commitment to ensuring that the care and experience we deliver are aligned with our high standards, every time and in every care setting.”

Bonta’s lawsuit states that California’s Emergency Services Law prohibits “patient dumping” and requires emergency departments to provide emergency care to those who need it. The lawsuit alleges violations of state civil rights and unfair competition laws.

The goal of the measure passed this year by legislators is to give students a fair opportunity to access higher education, regardless of their socioeconomic status.

“In California, everyone should be able to get ahead through merit, skill, and hard work,” Newsom said in a statement after signing the bill Monday. “The California Dream shouldn’t be accessible to just a lucky few, which is why we’re opening the door to higher education wide enough for everyone, fairly.”

The law taking effect in Sept. 2025 affects private institutions that consider family connections in admissions, including the University of Southern California, Stanford University, Claremont McKenna College and Santa Clara University.

The public University of California system eliminated legacy preferences in 1998.

Legacy admissions came under renewed scrutiny after the U.S. Supreme Court last year struck down affirmative action in college admissions.

Democratic Assemblymember Phil Ting, who authored the California bill, said it levels the playing field for students applying to college.

“Hard work, good grades and a well-rounded background should earn you a spot in the incoming class – not the size of the check your family can write or who you’re related to,” Ting said in a statement Monday.

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San Jose resident Christina Dahro has been visiting her father in Lebanon. She’s been contacting the U.S. Embassy for help to get back to the Bay Area, but she said that they haven’t been much help at all.

Israel has begun it’s ground incursion into Lebanon, all in an effort to push Hezbollah forces away from the Israeli border.

“America has done nothing. I’ve called the Embassy, they said email us. My brother and I emailed the Embassy, then, they sent us a link,” she said.

Christina says that link doesn’t offer assistance to get out. On Monday, the U.S. Department of State spokesperson Matthew Miller said they are not evacuating American citizens but have been working with them to provide updates about commercial flights available.

Dahro said that she got a ticket on her own out of Beirut.

“I found a ticket. I told a travel agency just get me out because I need to get back to the Bay Area,” she said. “I’m actually going to take a very risky drive at 8:30 p.m. your time to the airport and just pray and cross my fingers that I get out and nothing happens.”

In the last few days, Dahro said that she’s been collecting donations from people in the Bay Area and buying supplies for people who have lost their homes. She received $2,500 dollars in donations.

“Each blanket is $10. Each mattress is $10. They helped so many people and if it wasn’t for me, they would be sleeping on the floor, cold,” she said.

As Dahro tries to leave Lebanon, she knows there are others who may not have that option.

“It’s not fair that my people are getting bombed and killed and nobody is doing anything,” she said. “It’s a rollercoaster. I need to get back home. I need to get back to work. I need to go back to San Jose. But then what am I doing by leaving people here that need help?”

Sponsored by Assemblywoman Akilah Weber, D-La Mesa, the bill is intended to get medically necessary milk to babies in the neonatal intensive care unit who otherwise might do without.

“Addressing disparities in health care starts with ensuring access to essential nutrition,” Weber said. “With the mortality rate for Black infants being three times higher than that of white infants, it’s crucial we address health care inequities beginning at birth.

“This bill represents the final step in expanding access to donor milk for all families, regardless of their insurance, and making a significant difference in health outcomes for newborns and their families.”

When a parent does not produce or does not produce enough breastmilk, pasteurized donor human milk is the next best nutrition source for infants below normal birth weights. AB 3059 defines donor milk as essential under commercial insurance — bringing it up to speed with Medi-Cal standards.

“Creating greater access to donor milk is vital for the health and well-being of newborns and their families,” said University of California President Dr. Michael V. Drake. “We applaud Assemblymember Weber for her leadership on AB 3059, and we are grateful that the Governor has signed this important bill into law.

“At the University of California, we are excited to work together toward a future where infants have easier access to this essential nutrition, especially those whose families are most vulnerable.”

Breast milk reduces some health outcomes in infants, such as necrotizing enterocolitis, a life-threatening bowel disease which occurs about 60% more frequently in Black and Latino children, according to UC data.

Donor milk comes from people who are lactating and have been screened. Excess milk goes to accredited milk banks, where it is “processed, pasteurized, tested and distributed to NICUs, hospitals and families when it’s medically necessary,” a statement from the UC read.

Weber’s bill removes a regulation to make distribution of healthy milk easier. Previously, hospitals had to have a tissue bank license to give donor milk to patients — now that barrier moves the license burden to already accredited milk banks such as the University of California Health Milk Bank.

The UC Health Milk Bank, operated by UC San Diego Health, is one of three in California. However, UC Riverside Health recently opened a breast milk collection facility as well.

“I’ve seen, first-hand, how donor milk improves the health, and even survival, of babies in the NICU,” said Dr. Lisa Stellwagen, medical director of the UC Health Milk Bank. “I’m thankful for Governor Newsom’s signature of AB 3059, which will have a significant impact in ensuring hospitals can easily offer donor milk to babies who need it.

“With this new law, California is making major strides in improving health outcomes for babies in NICUs across the state.”

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The litigation concerns the A.B. and Jessie Polinsky Children’s Center, a 24-hour facility that provides temporary emergency shelter for children “who must be separated from their families for their own safety, or when parents can not provide care,” according to the county.

Attorneys representing the plaintiffs allege that between 1994 and 2020, their clients were sexually abused by staff members and threatened in order to keep them from reporting the abuse.

The complaints allege the county, which owns and operates the center through its Health and Human Services Agency, failed to have adequate employee background checks and screening processes and failed in its duty to protect children placed in its care.

“There was an institutional failure to adequately staff the facility and monitor employees so that children would not be left alone in circumstances that invited sexual abuse,” the complaint read.

The complaint identifies the alleged victims as John and Jane Doe. At the time, they were under 10 years old. Now, they are in their 30s. Some of the alleged offenses include:

• 1998: Plaintiff alleges at 9 years old he was regularly sexually assaulted in his bedroom by his abuser
• 1999: Plaintiff alleges at 7 years old he was groped as a way for his abusers to tell him to calm down
• 1999: Plaintiff alleges at 8 years old she was groped by her abuser that groomed her hair

There are 50 unnamed defendants in the complaint.

County spokesman Michael Workman said the county cannot comment on pending litigation.

The complaints were filed by Slater Slater Schulman LLP, a national law firm that frequently takes up cases involving sexual abuse.

The firm’s founding and managing partner, Adam Slater, said in a statement, “It is utterly unacceptable that such heinous acts were allowed to persist in a place meant to provide safety and care. These were children seeking refuge during a highly disruptive moment in their young lives. Rather than providing them a place to be loved and nurtured, the county was sending child after child into their own personal hell.”

Former employees told NBC 7 over the phone that the center was understaffed, employees and volunteers were mistreated and that the children were difficult to control under the circumstances. They had not, however, heard any complaints of sexual abuse there.

On Sunday, Gov. Gavin Newsom signed SB 729 into law, which requires large group health care service plans to provide coverage for the diagnosis and treatment of infertility and fertility services, including a maximum of three egg retrievals with unlimited embryo transfers.

The new law is also a win for members of the LGBTQ+ community and same-sex couples who want to have children. It broadens the definition of “infertility” to include a person’s inability to reproduce either as an individual or with their partner without medical intervention.

The law is expected to impact millions of Californians.

Dr. Don Royster, of the Southern California Center for Reproductive Medicine in Newport, says he expects more families to seek care now that fertility treatments and IVF will be more affordable for many.

“We would probably estimate 15% of our families have some sort of fertility coverage,” Dr. Royster told NBC4. “Sometimes, it’s limited to just the diagnostic portion of their evaluation, all the way through IVF is that’s necessary. And as when we as fertility providers see families that can’t seek care because they can’t afford it, it’s very disheartening.”

Without insurance, the treatments could cost tens of thousands of dollars.

The law will go into effect in July 2025 for those who qualify. You can read the text of the law here.

Schiff became a household name during the first impeachment trial of former President Donald Trump. The former federal prosecutor served in the California State Senate before heading to D.C.

“I want to build more childcare facilities and recruit a bigger quality childcare workforce. I want to bring down the cost of energy by investing in alternatives to fossil fuels that will drive the cost down,” Schiff said. “I’m going to continue focusing on delivering for Californians, on addressing this Tijuana pollution crisis, on addressing our need for immigration reform.”

Garvey is a California baseball legend, who believes his business and philanthropic experience will translate into political acumen.

“In the 70s and 80s, California was the heartbeat of America, and it’s just not now, and it should be. This vast state that arguably the greatest farming and ranching in the world and agriculture and water and mountains and so forth needs help,” Garvey said.

On Politically Speaking — NBC 7’s weekly show exploring political issues impacting San Diego — Garvey answered questions about the hundreds of millions of dollars he owes in back taxes.

“I think anytime with personal issues, it’s very, very important to be diligent with them and stay with them, so we’re making progress. We should settle everything by the end of the year,” Garvey said.

Garvey also said he does not support a national ban on abortion and that he believes Americans have the right to bear arms.

In his one-on-one interview, Schiff discussed the Tijuana River Valley sewage crisis and maintained that building housing in California would persist as a priority should he be elected to the upper house.

“I would start with housing. We have to build a lot more housing to bring down the cost of housing because people can’t afford a place to live,” Schiff said. “So I’m focused at the federal level and will be in the Senate on dramatically expanding the low-income housing tax credit, something that will incentivize the development of millions of new homes.”

Both candidates discussed their stances on immigration. Schiff has gone on record saying the bi-partisan border security bill that died in the Senate earlier this year after Trump voiced his opposition was “wrongheaded from the start.”

“I think we need a broad approach that strengthens enforcement on the border with a lot more border personnel that strengthens the resources to adjudicate asylum claims quickly,” Schiff said. “It’s a terrible system where people are made to wait for years before they determine whether they’re eligible for asylum.”

Garvey explained what he meant when he said immigration needs to happen “the American way.”

“We have a wonderful process where people around the world can go to by going through the documents. Then when it’s their turn, they get the opportunity to come to America,” Garvey said. “I think we need to get back to ‘Remain in Mexico,’ have support from Mexico and work with them. Let’s finish off the border wall.”

You can see the candidates’ full interviews on Politically Speaking on NBC 7’s website or YouTube.

We wouldn’t believe it either if it wasn’t for hiker Bryce Pierce, who captured the extraordinary moment on camera early Saturday morning while hiking the east side of Cowles Mountain with his dogs.

“I heard loud rustling,” Pierce told NBC 7 in an email. “That’s when I saw the bobcat first, and then I realized coyotes were after it and soon enough one attempted to climb.”

Pierce, who works as a zoologist with the County’s agricultural department, started rolling his camera as the determined coyote climbed the trunk of an approximately 30-foot tree after the wild cat. The two face off for a fiesty few moments and — potentially luckily for the bobcat — a distraction halts the coyote.

“I think the presence of my dogs and I may have discouraged them to continue, but at least the bobcat may live to see another day,” Pierce said.

The coyote stares down the camera before inching back down the tree.

Pierce hikes the trail weekly and often sees coyotes in pursuit of quail, deer and rodents, but he’s never witnessed something like this. He wasn’t nervous to be up close to the nature show, although he definitely kept a close eye on the predators.

“It was like a National Geographic moment for me like something out of an African safari or something,” Pierce said, adding his only regret … “I just wish I had brought my good camera that time.”

The wild canines are not known to climb but occasionally a media outlet will report an instance of tree-scaling coyotes, particularly while in pursuit of prey.

Chairman Greg Johnson made the announcement Monday after the Giants finished 80-82 in manager Bob Melvin’s first season — with one more victory than in 2023. San Francisco hasn’t reached the playoffs since winning the NL West in 2021.

The 37-year-old Posey joined the club’s ownership group in September 2022, less than a year after his retirement in November 2021.

“As we look ahead, I’m excited to share that Buster Posey will now take on a greater role as the new president of baseball operations,” Johnson said in a statement. “We are looking for someone who can define, direct and lead this franchise’s baseball philosophy and we feel that Buster is the perfect fit. Buster has the demeanor, intelligence and drive to do this job, and we are confident that he and Bob Melvin will work together to bring back winning baseball to San Francisco.”

Posey was a seven-time All-Star with a career .302 batting average. He was San Francisco’s fifth overall draft pick in the 2008 amateur draft out of Florida State.

He and wife Kristen moved their family back to the East Bay suburb of Lafayette last year after a stint living in their native Georgia immediately following his retirement. He called it a career after the Giants’ franchise-record 107-win season in 2021. He opted out of the pandemic-shortened 2020 campaign.

Zaidi was hired away from the rival Los Angeles Dodgers in November 2018.

“We appreciate Farhan’s commitment to the organization and his passion for making an impact in our community during his six years with the Giants,” Johnson said. “Ultimately, the results have not been what we had hoped, and while that responsibility is shared by all of us, we have decided that a change is necessary.”

Johnson, Posey and Melvin were set to address the media on Tuesday at Oracle Park.

It was unclear which candidates from underrepresented groups were considered by the Giants, as required by Major League Baseball.

“We are also fully committed to following the Selig Rule and ensuring diversity in our hiring for any of our open positions,” Johnson said.

But for some 4 million Californians who have yet to register to vote, Monday is the last day to register via mail.

Registration must be postmarked or submitted electronically by Monday, Oct. 21, 2024.

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Qualifications to register to vote

To register to vote in California, you must be:

• A United States citizen and a resident of California 
• 18 years old or older on Election Day
• Not currently serving a state or federal prison term for the conviction of a felony 
• Not currently found mentally incompetent to vote by a court

Qualifications to pre-register to vote

To pre-register to vote in California, voters must:

• Be 16 or 17 years old, and
• Meet all the prior requirements 

Applicants will automatically become registered to vote on their 18th birthday.

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Where to register to vote in California

Voters can register here via the online application. The application is available in English, Spanish, Chinese, Hindi, Japanese, Khmer, Korean, Tagalog, Thai, and Vietnamese.

Voters can also register via pen and paper by visiting an elections office, library, Department of Motor Vehicles offices, or U.S. post office Paper applications must be delivered to an elections office before Oct. 21. 

Students studying abroad can register to vote using the Federal Post Card Application or by using the California Online Voter Registration system. 

Same-day voter registration

Same day or conditional voter registration is for Californains who miss the deadline to register to vote or update their voter registration information for an election to still cast their ballot. Eligible citizens can complete this process at a designated county elections office, polling place, or vote centers, found here. 

Members of the military, overseas voters and voters with disabilities should contact their local county elections office to learn about the conditional voter registration and available voting options. 

Safe Vote at home

Voters fearful for their safety and are eligible can enroll in the California Safe at Home voter program. Applicants are eligible to participate if they have experienced the following:

• Victim of domestic violence, stalking, sexual assault, human trafficking, child abduction, and elder or dependent adult abuse.
• Reproductive health care provider, employee, patient, or volunteer who has experienced threats of violence, violence, or harassment because of their affiliation with a reproductive health care services facility.
• Public entity employee/contractor who has experienced threats of violence, violence, or harassment because of their work for a public entity.
• Are a household member of a category listed above.
• Are in fear for their safety, or for the safety of a minor child or incapacitated adult.

Interested participants must visit their local enrollment agency after making an appointment. Completed applications are then sent to Safe at Home for review and approval.  

The deadline to register to vote with Safe at Home is Oct. 21. Voters who miss the deadline can still register up until Election Day, however, they will not be a confidential voter.

Am I already registered?

Voters can check here if unsure about their voting status. Voters can also check:

• Where they are registered to vote
• Check their political party preference
• Check their language preference for election materials
• Check the status of their vote-by-mail or provisional ballot
• Choose how they want to receive your state and county voter guides before each election
• Find their polling place.
• Find information for upcoming local and state elections.
• Find contact information for your county elections office.

Canceling voter registration

Voters currently registered to vote in California and would like to cancel your voter registration can complete the California Voter Registration Cancellation Request Form, and submit it to the county elections office.

Cancellation forms are available in English, Spanish, Chinese, Hindi, Japanese, Khmer, Korean, Tagalog, Thai, and Vietnamese. 

The visit was Harris’ second since announcing her bid for the White House, and it is likely her last before the election in five and a half weeks.

Attendees said the vice president made it known that “this race is as close as it could possibly be.”

“It was fabulous,” said Audrey Smith of San Francisco who attended the event.

Close to 1,000 attendees gathered at the fundraiser to hear Harris speak for 25 minutes on key issues including abortion access, immigration and the economy.

“I thought that was encouraging, and I also appreciated the fact that she is really focused on making sure that there is representation for working people and the middle class,” Smith said.

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Prior to her stop in the Bay Area, Harris made a stop in Arizona.

During her visit to Arizona, the vice president attempted to rebrand herself around immigration issues. Reportedly, Harris is proposing stricter asylum restrictions compared to President Biden, amidst a record 10 million illegal border crossings since President Joe Biden and Harris assumed office.

“We do have a broken immigration system and it needs to be fixed,” Harris said.

Hedi Rivera of Hayward said she is confident the Harris-Walz campaign is doing what’s needed to win come November.

Rivera added a Harris victory could inspire young women to seek the highest office in the nation, and it’s something she would not have been able to envision without the vice president’s bid.

“I think everybody should have that opportunity – I think everyone in America,” Rivera said.

Sunday’s event was expected to bring in a substantial contribution to the campaign. Tickets for the event ran anywhere from $500 for the cheapest tickets to over $900,000 for a table of four.

The last time Harris was in town she raised more than $12 million.

Now the vice president is headed to Los Angeles for more campaign events in the state on Sunday.

Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff will make a stop in the Bay Area, speaking at a Menlo Park campaign reception on Sunday.

The Koi Nation’s chances of owning a Las Vegas-style casino seemed impossible until a federal court ruling in 2019 cleared the way for the tiny tribe to find a financial partner to buy land and place it into a trust to make it eligible for a casino.

Now the tribe of 96 members has teamed up with the Chickasaw Nation of Oklahoma, which owns the biggest casino in the world, and is waiting for U.S. Department of Interior Secretary Deb Haaland to decide whether the 68-acre (27-hectare) parcel the tribe bought for $12.3 million in Sonoma County in 2021 is put into trust.

Placing the land into trust would allow the Koi to move closer to building a $600 million casino and resort on prime real estate in the heart of Northern California’s wine country.

The decision comes as the U.S. government tries to atone for its history of dispossessing Indigenous people of their land, in part through a federal legal process that goes beyond reinstating ancestral lands and allows a tribe to put land under trust if it can prove “a significant historical connection to the land.”

The Koi Nation, a Southeastern Pomo tribe whose ancestors lived in Northern California for thousands of years, faces mounting opposition from other tribes and even California Gov. Gavin Newsom over its plans for the Shiloh Resort and Casino, which would include a 2,500-slot machine casino and 400-room hotel with spa and pool.

If approved, the casino would be built near Windsor, about 65 miles (105 kilometers) north of San Francisco, near two other Native American casinos a few miles away: Graton Resort and Casino in Rohnert Park and River Rock Casino in Geyserville.

The money generated would allow tribal members a better life in one of the country’s most expensive regions, including educational opportunities for young tribe members, said Dino Beltran, Vice Chairman of the Koi Nation’s Tribal Council.

“It has taken us years to be on the same playing field as every other tribe in the United States and now the same tribes that have established themselves are against us. It’s a very sad thing,” Beltran said.

Among the most vocal critics of the Koi Nation’s project is Greg Sarris, chairman of Graton Rancheria, a federation of Coast Miwok and Southern Pomo people with more than 1,500 members. The tribe’s casino is the biggest in the Bay Area and is undergoing a $1 billion expansion.

Sarris, who last year was appointed by Newsom to the University of California Board of Regents, said the Koi Nation are Southeastern Pomo people whose ancestral home is in Lake County, about 50 miles (80 kilometers) northeast of the project site.

The tribe, Sarris said, is not linguistically, culturally or historically connected to Sonoma County and he accused the tribe of cherry-picking land that already draws tourists.

“They are claiming that part of their deep historical connection is they had a family member in the early 20th century who lived in Sonoma County,” Sarris scoffed.

The Indian Gaming Regulatory Act, enacted by Congress in 1988, sets rules for how and where Native American tribes can operate casinos, and generally limits them to ancestral lands that have been returned to the tribe.

But the law also makes a “restored lands” exception for federally recognized tribes that do not have a reservation — or rancheria, as they are called in California — to build a casino outside their ancestral land if the tribe can show historical and modern connections to the area where the gambling facility will be located. The land also has to be near where a significant number of tribal members reside.

“Generally speaking, tribes cannot game on any land that is taken into trust after 1988 but there are important exceptions to that general prohibition that are meant to be fair to tribes that did not have land in 1988,” said Kathryn Rand, an expert on tribal gaming law at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas’s International Center for Gaming Regulation.

Before white colonizers arrived in California, Koi Nation’s ancestors lived on an island in Lake County and traded with other tribes in Northern California, according to the tribe’s website.

In 1916, the U.S. government approved land in Lake County for Koi Nation’s rancheria about 28 miles (45 kilometers) north of the proposed casino site. The land was eventually declared uninhabitable by the Bureau of Indian Affairs because of its rocky terrain and many Koi families moved south to neighboring Sonoma County, mainly to Sebastopol and Santa Rosa, where the tribe is now headquartered.

Four decades later, the federal government took that land and sold it for an airport, leaving the tribe landless. After a lengthy court battle, a federal judge in 2019 ruled the Koi Nation had the right to pursue buying land for a casino.

Michael Anderson, a Koi Nation attorney, said a historic trail used by the tribe from the Clear Lake basin to Bodega Bay, on Sonoma County’s Pacific Coast, runs through a portion of the property, which supports the legal requirement of having a “significant historical connection to the land.”

Anderson said their legal case is strong. But, “the politics is a whole different thing,” he added.

Sarris, whose casino gives millions to small, non-gaming tribes and has become a major donor to California politicians, said the Koi Nation has previously tried to get land under trust to open a casino in Solano and Alameda Counties — both in the San Francisco Bay Area — and accused the tribe of “reservation shopping.”

Anderson said the term was offensive and Sarris is simply trying to protect his lucrative casino from competition.

“This is about market protection, that’s the heart of it,” Anderson said.

Newsom and local politicians also oppose the project along with the Dry Creek Band of Pomo Indians, which operates River Rock Casino.

Newsom’s office sent a letter last month to Department of the Interior Assistant Secretary of Indian Affairs Bryan Newland urging him not to move forward with the Shiloh casino project and another proposed casino in the Bay Area, saying the governor is concerned the department is not considering other sites for the casinos and approving them would “stretch the limits of the ‘restored lands’ exception.”

The department is weighing three other land trust applications under the “restored lands” exception, including one by the Scotts Valley Tribe that wants to build a casino in Solano County. In Oregon, the Coquille Indian Tribe wants to open a casino in Medford, about 170 miles (273 kilometers) south of its tribal headquarters and closer to the California border.

Casino-owning tribes are pushing back on both. The Guidiville Rancheria tribe in Northern California has applied but has not yet identified land for their project, according to the Bureau of Indian Affairs.

Haaland will consider several factors in making her decision, including opposition to the casinos, said Steve Light, an expert on tribal gaming policy at the UNLV International Center for Gaming Regulation.

But the secretary also will take into account whether the casino will help with “tribal self-determination, tribal self-governance, and tribal economic development, job creation and resources for the tribe,” he said.

Of the 574 federally recognized tribes, 110 are in California. According to the American Gaming Association, there are 87 tribal casinos in the state, making California the largest tribal gaming market in the country.

“With 40 million people in California, this is presumably still an untapped market, but one that is increasingly competitive,” Light said.

__

This story has been updated to correct the name of the law that regulates tribal casinos. It is the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act.

California now has three more state symbols, as of law signed by Gov. Gavin Newsom on Friday.

State legislation now decrees that California’s official crustacean is the Dungeness crab, the state slug is the banana slug and the official seashell is the black abalone.

“California has some of the most biodiverse environments in the world – with over 5,500 plants, animals, and other life forms. From the majestic California redwood down to the delicate California quail, every organism matters here – and it’s time we celebrated our less cuddly friends before they get too crabby. The Dungeness crab, the banana slug, and the black abalone each bring much to our state and are well deserving of this recognition,” said Newsom.

State crustacean: Dungeness crab

Assemblymember Jim Wood (D-Healdsburg) authored AB 1797, which established the Dungeness crab as California’s crustacean of the highest decree.

Regulated by the Legislature dating back to 1895, the Dungeness crab heralds as one of the state’s oldest commercial fisheries and today is still a pillar of the state’s coastal economy, according to the office of the governor.

State slug: Banana slug

The slug most closely resembling a banana is an integral part of California’s ecosystems, especially the famous redwood forests, for the slugs’ diet is made of plants that compete with redwood seedlings for light, water and nutrients.

Assemblymember Gail Pellerin (D-Santa Cruz) wrote AB 1850, establishing this creature as the official state slug.

UC Santa Cruz alumni should be happy with this development. Sammy the banana slug has long been their school mascot. Interestingly, this extremely slow slug (its maximum speed is 6.5 inches per minute) was seen as an ideally unconventional counterpoint to the fierce competition of other universities.

State seashell: Black abalone shell

Assemblymember Diane Dixon (R-Newport Beach) penned AB 2504, which established the shell of the black abalone as California’s official state seashell.

Abalone shells have long been sought for their iridescent interiors made from layers of nacre, otherwise known as mother-of-pearl. Many coastal California Native American tribes used these shells in in daily life and ceremonially. Shells dating back 7,400 years point to ancients human settlements. Black abalone shells were once used for currency and have been found along trade routes reaching farther than the Mississippi, according to the office of the governor.

Black abalone shells come from mollusks that once covered the California coast. Now, they are endangered.

On Sept. 23 around 2:15 p.m., a wild bat who tested positive for rabies and later died at a rehabilitation facility was collected by an employee in the Africa Tram area of the park, according to the County of San Diego Communications Office.

The County Public Health Laboratory confirmed that the bat was infected with rabies. Officials urged anyone who was in the area of the Africa Tram on Sept. 23 and had direct contact with a bat before 2:15 p.m. to contact County Public Health Services as soon as possible.

“Park visitors who had no physical contact with the bat are not at risk for rabies,” officials said.

“Human rabies is usually fatal without prompt post-exposure vaccine and treatment,” San Diego County Public Health Officer Dr. Ankita Kadakia said. “Rabies transmission can happen from a bat bite or if a bat’s saliva comes in contact with a cut or abrasion, or with mucous membranes, such as the eyes, nose or mouth.”

The county said officials have detected five rabid bats throughout the San Diego region in 2024. There are many species of bats found in San Diego County who feed on insects such as mosquitoes. Other bat species feed on nectar from plants and pollinate them in the process.

County officials advised that if you come in contact with a bat to wash the affected area thoroughly with soap and water and get medical advice immediately.

Rabies is a preventable viral disease that is most often transmitted through the bite of a rabid animal. Symptoms in humans can take weeks to months to develop. Once symptoms develop, rabies is usually fatal, but prompt post- exposure treatment following exposure to the virus will prevent the disease, officials said.

“I had lived in a few hacker houses before and wanted to replicate that energy,” said Cantillon, 20, co-founder of HackHer House and founder of the startup NOX. “A place where really energetic, hardcore people came together to solve problems. But every house I lived in was mostly male. It was obvious to me that I wanted to do the inverse and build an all-female hacker house that created the same dynamic but with women.”

Cantillon, who has lived in several hacker houses over the years, saw a need for a space dedicated exclusively to women. That’s why she co-founded HackHer House, the first all-female hacker house in the San Francisco Bay Area.

“A hacker house is a shared living space where builders and innovators come together to work on their own projects while collaborating with others,” said Jennifer Li, General Partner at Andreessen Horowitz and sponsor of the HackHer House. “It’s a community that thrives on creativity and resource sharing, making it a cost-effective solution for those in high-rent areas like Silicon Valley, where talented founders and engineers can easily connect and support each other.”

Founded by Cantillon, Zoya Garg, Anna Monaco and Anne Brandes, this house was designed to empower women in a tech world traditionally dominated by men. 

“We’re trying to break stereotypes here,” said Garg, 21, a rising senior at Stanford University. “This house isn’t just about living together; it’s about creating a community where women can thrive in tech.”

Located in North Beach, HackHer House was home this summer to seven women, all of whom share the goal of launching successful ventures in tech. 

Venture capital played a key role in making HackHer House possible. With financial backing, the house offered subsidized rent, allowing the women to focus on their projects instead of struggling with the Bay Area’s notoriously high living costs.

“New grad students face daunting living expenses, with campus costs reaching the high hundreds to over a thousand dollars a month,” said Li. “In the Bay Area, finding a comfortable room typically starts at $2,000, and while prices may have eased slightly, they remain significantly higher than the rest of the U.S. This reality forces many, including founders, to share rooms or crash on friends’ couches just to make ends meet.” 

Hacker houses aren’t new to the Bay Area or cities like New York and London. These live-in incubators serve as homes and workspaces, offering a collaborative environment where tech founders and innovators can share ideas and resources. In a city renowned for tech advancements, hacker houses are viewed as critical for driving the next wave of innovation. By providing affordable housing and a vibrant community, these spaces enable entrepreneurs to thrive in an otherwise cutthroat and expensive market.

Watch this video to see how Hacker House is shaping the future of women in tech.

Current state laws limit the penalties for soliciting a minor to a misdemeanor charge. In addition to making it a felony if the victims were under 16, the new law would also allow prosecutors to charge repeat offenders with a felony if the victims were at least 16 years old.

Gavin Newsom Sep 22

Gov. Gavin Newsom signs law banning all plastic shopping bags at grocery stores

politics Sep 21

Gov. Newsom signs law to protect children from social media addiction

“Today marks an incredible victory for California children,” said Republican Sen. Shannon Grove, who authored the measure. “With the signing of my bill, SB 1414, we are reaffirming our commitment to safeguarding the most vulnerable among us — our children.”

The bipartisan measure was drafted with input from survivors, the author said. It received overwhelming support from the Legislature and the first partner Jennifer Siebel Newsom. Supporters said the new law will help California correct its outdated provisions. The measure is a crucial step to protect more children and help law enforcement go after criminals who solicit minors for sex, they say.

The California legislation doesn’t go as far as laws in other states. In Texas, for example, an adult would be charged with a felony for soliciting a minor under 17 and could face harsher penalties if the victim was under 14.

Gavin Newsom on Thursday also signed three other measures to boost protections for human trafficking and domestic violence victims, including one requiring emergency rooms to implement protocols to allow patients who are potentially victims to discreetly notify health care workers of their abuse.

“Human trafficking is a disgusting and reprehensible crime that leaves lasting pain on victims and survivors,” the governor said in a statement. “These new laws will help us further hold predators accountable and provide victims with the support and care they need.”

The Democratic governor, who has said he “cares deeply” about the issue, last year signed another bill authored by Grove to make child trafficking a serious crime. Anyone convicted of at least three serious felonies in California is punished by a sentence of between 25 years and life in prison, known as the “three strikes law.”

The chick, technically a “lesser flamingo,” which are native to western India and sub-Saharan Africa, is on display now at the Safari Park in Escondido.

Like all members of its species, the chick was born with gray feathers and is the size of a tennis ball. Zoo officials say it’s thriving in the care of its foster parents.

Earlier this year, the zoo gave the two dads, which were already exhibiting nesting behavior, a fake egg to take care of so they wouldn’t interfere with other nests. Eventually, they replaced the fake with a fertile egg, which eventually hatched on Aug. 25.

“The fertile egg was laid by a pair of birds who have produced fertile eggs within the last few years,” zoo spokeswoman Emily Senninger told NBC 7. “The hope was by giving their first egg to fosters, this pair would lay a second egg.”

It’s impossible to know for sure whether same-sex flamingos are aware of each others’ gender, the spokeswoman said, “but we do believe they know the difference.”

Flamingo chicks feed on “crop milk,” which comes from a parent’s upper digestive tract, before weening off it at about 2 months of age.

Two flamingos of the same gender rearing the chick are not unheard of, according to experts.

“They aren’t abundantly common to our knowledge, but same-sex pairings are seen more often in several species —flamingos being one of them,” Senninger told NBC 7. “This is something that has been documented in zoos as well as in the wild.”

It’s not clear what the chick’s sex is yet.

But for some 4 million Californians who have yet to register to vote, Monday is the last day to register via mail.

Registration must be postmarked or submitted electronically by Monday, Oct. 21, 2024.

Decision 2024 Oct 17

What to know about the 10 propositions on the California election ballot

Decision 2024 Oct 15

Tracking your vote in California: A step by step guide

Qualifications to register to vote

To register to vote in California, you must be:

• A United States citizen and a resident of California 
• 18 years old or older on Election Day
• Not currently serving a state or federal prison term for the conviction of a felony 
• Not currently found mentally incompetent to vote by a court

Qualifications to pre-register to vote

To pre-register to vote in California, voters must:

• Be 16 or 17 years old, and
• Meet all the prior requirements 

Applicants will automatically become registered to vote on their 18th birthday.

Decision 2024 Sep 17

See key dates, voter information, ballot props and more for the Southern California election

Decision 2024 Oct 4

How do California propositions get their numbers? 

Where to register to vote in California

Voters can register here via the online application. The application is available in English, Spanish, Chinese, Hindi, Japanese, Khmer, Korean, Tagalog, Thai, and Vietnamese.

Voters can also register via pen and paper by visiting an elections office, library, Department of Motor Vehicles offices, or U.S. post office Paper applications must be delivered to an elections office before Oct. 21. 

Students studying abroad can register to vote using the Federal Post Card Application or by using the California Online Voter Registration system. 

Same-day voter registration

Same day or conditional voter registration is for Californains who miss the deadline to register to vote or update their voter registration information for an election to still cast their ballot. Eligible citizens can complete this process at a designated county elections office, polling place, or vote centers, found here. 

Members of the military, overseas voters and voters with disabilities should contact their local county elections office to learn about the conditional voter registration and available voting options. 

Safe Vote at home

Voters fearful for their safety and are eligible can enroll in the California Safe at Home voter program. Applicants are eligible to participate if they have experienced the following:

• Victim of domestic violence, stalking, sexual assault, human trafficking, child abduction, and elder or dependent adult abuse.
• Reproductive health care provider, employee, patient, or volunteer who has experienced threats of violence, violence, or harassment because of their affiliation with a reproductive health care services facility.
• Public entity employee/contractor who has experienced threats of violence, violence, or harassment because of their work for a public entity.
• Are a household member of a category listed above.
• Are in fear for their safety, or for the safety of a minor child or incapacitated adult.

Interested participants must visit their local enrollment agency after making an appointment. Completed applications are then sent to Safe at Home for review and approval.  

The deadline to register to vote with Safe at Home is Oct. 21. Voters who miss the deadline can still register up until Election Day, however, they will not be a confidential voter.

Am I already registered?

Voters can check here if unsure about their voting status. Voters can also check:

• Where they are registered to vote
• Check their political party preference
• Check their language preference for election materials
• Check the status of their vote-by-mail or provisional ballot
• Choose how they want to receive your state and county voter guides before each election
• Find their polling place.
• Find information for upcoming local and state elections.
• Find contact information for your county elections office.

Canceling voter registration

Voters currently registered to vote in California and would like to cancel your voter registration can complete the California Voter Registration Cancellation Request Form, and submit it to the county elections office.

Cancellation forms are available in English, Spanish, Chinese, Hindi, Japanese, Khmer, Korean, Tagalog, Thai, and Vietnamese. 

Containment neared 100 percent for two major Southern California wildfires in Los Angeles, Orange, San Bernardino and Riverside counties with isolated flare-ups reported for a third that started earlier in September.

The Bridge, Airport and Line fires ignited during one of the warmest weeks of the year, destroying and damaging homes and other buildings as they burned a combined 120,000-plus acres by late September. Cooler weather helped firefighters increase containment.

Scroll for updates on the three fires.

Bridge Fire: Los Angeles and San Bernardino counties

The Bridge Fire burning in two counties was nearly 55,000 acres and 97-percent contained Thursday after starting Sept. 8. The fire threatened 4,409 structures, destroyed 81 and damaged 17 others.

“This week’s hot, dry weather caused vegetation within the fire perimeter to flare up, leading to visible smoke in some areas of the fire yesterday (Tuesday),” fire officials said in a mid-week update. “It will likely do so again today as pockets of unburned fuel burn off. Firefighters will engage in mop-up efforts and investigate all smoke and extinguish isolated heat sources. The removal of hazardous trees continues in areas across the fire.”

California Wildfires Sep 18

Find recovery resources for the Bridge and Line fires in LA and San Bernardino counties

Sep 16

Are you fire-ready? Take these steps to prepare for a wildfire evacuation in California

The fire began near East Fork and Glendora Mountain roads and initially remained small, but grew in size at the end of an early September heat wave on Sept. 10, destroying dozens of structures as it marched into San Bernardino County.

It is the largest active fire in the state.

Road closures were in effect at the following locations:

• Eastbound Big Pines Highway at Largo Vista Road (residents only)
• State Route 2 at Flume Canyon Road westbound
• Big Rock Creek Road at Forest Service Road 4N55
• Mescal Creek Road at Mescal Canyon Road
• State Route 39 at the base of San Gabriel Canyon (residents only)
• Glendora Mountain Road north of Big Dalton Canyon Road
• Glendora Ridge Road from Mt. Baldy to Glendora Mountain Road

Airport Fire: Orange and Riverside counties

The Airport Fire was at 23,500 acres Thursday with containment at 95 percent.

Hot Shot firefighters were camping out in difficult terrain, minimizing the amount of time required to get teams into and out of the fire zone.

“We’re doing everything we can while it’s cooler to construct those fire lines, improving them and making sure they’re tested by the wind,” Orange County Fire Authority Capt. Steve Concialdi said.

Earlier this week, a helicopter was used to remove and replace damaged powerlines.

The fire, which started at 1:21 p.m. on Sept. 9, destroyed 160 structures, damaged 34 others and resulted in 15 injuries, according to Cal Fire. Of the 15 injured, all but two were firefighters who suffered minor injuries fighting the blaze, many of them heat- related.

On Sept. 19, eight firefighters were injured when a transport truck carrying an Orange County Fire Authority hand crew swerved and rolled over on an Irvine freewway as they returned from the fire. Four crew members remain hospitalized in stable to critical conditionfwhile four others were treated and released, authorities said.

Most evacuation orders and warnings have been lifted in Orange County. All evacuation orders and warnings in Riverside County were lifted

The following road closures were in effect in Orange County:

• Trabuco Canyon Road and Trabuco Creek Road
• El Toro Road and Live Oak Canyon Road
• Ortega Highway at Nichols Institute

Line Fire: San Bernardino County

The arson-related Line Fire started Sept. 5 and grew to 39,200 acres with containment Thursday at 83 percent.

“There was minimal fire activity across the Line Fire Wednesday, though there was still some smoldering and isolated flareups,” Cal Fire said. “Mostly clear skies prevailed across the fire area today. Thursday is expected to be a little warmer and drier and then there will be a slight cooling trend over the weekend before another warmup next week.”

Four structures were damaged and one was destroyed in the fire, which authorities said is a case of arson. A Norco man has pleaded not guilty to starting the wildfire that forced the evacuation of thousands of homes.

A man who threw a backpack with an improvised explosive device that went off at a screening area Wednesday inside a Santa Maria courthouse was scheduled to appear for arraignment on a firearms violation, authorities said.

Five people suffered injuries that are not considered life threatening in the explosion at the courthouse in Santa Barbara County. Twenty-year-old Nathaniel McGuire, a Santa Maria resident, was wearing body armor under a jacket when he was taken into custody after running from the scene and attempting to get into his vehicle, the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Department said in a news release.

A court security officer detained McGuire in a courthouse parking lot.

California Sep 25

Man in custody after explosion at Santa Maria courthouse injures several people

UCLA Sep 26

Judge orders UCLA's Jackie Robinson Stadium on VA grounds locked down

Witness Shane Mellon told KSBY that he was at the courthouse when he heard what sounded like chairs falling over. The courtroom bailiff escorted him and others from the building.

“It was a loud bang,” he said.

Mellon said he saw what looked like a sweater smoldering and a man screaming. Four or five people got on top of him, trying to keep him restrained, Mellon said.

“I think this could have been way worse than it was if not for the deputies just jumping on top of that guy,” Mellon said.

The courthouse was closed and residents near the building were told to avoid the area as authorities investigated the explosion. A five-block area that included businesses, homes and a school was evacuated.

McGuire was arrested Wednesday on attempted murder and explosives charges. He was scheduled to appear for arraignment that day in connection with his July arrest for illegal gun possession — a loaded and concealed revolver that was not registered to him.

Investigators said the bombing appeared to be in retaliation for the earlier arrest.

“We do believe this is a local matter that has been safely resolved and that there are no outstanding community safety concerns,” Santa Barbara County Undersheriff Craig Bonner said.

Three of the people injured in the explosion suffered burns. All were treated at a hospital and released.

Santa Maria is about 150 miles northwest of Los Angeles. Pop star Michael Jackson was tried and acquitted of sexual abuse two decades ago at the courthouse.

Prop 32 is one of 10 statewide ballot proposition that will be left up to voters in the Nov. 5 election. Here’s what to know about the measure that would increase the state’s minimum wage from the current $16 per hour.

Here’s what Prop 32 would do if passed

• Businesses with 26 or more employees would need to raise wages to $17 an hour for the remainder of the year, and to $18 an hour on Jan. 1.
• Businesses with 25 or fewer employees would be required to raise wages to $17 on Jan. 1, and $18 an hour on Jan. 1, 2026. 

If favorably voted on, California will have the highest statewide minimum wage in the country. It would put approximately $3,000 extra per year in the pockets of 2 million workers who have yet to benefit from industry specific raises.  

Who’s supporting Prop 32?

• Joe Sanberg. The millionaire startup-investor turned anti-poverty-advocate first started his $18 an hour campaign in 2021. Sanberg has poured $10 million into raising the signatures needed to put this prop on the ballot but missed a key deadline last year, bouncing prop 32 to this year instead. In an interview with NBC, Sanberg said, “My mom raised me by herself in Southern California. We lost our home to foreclosure when I was a teenager, and my mom worked as hard as a mom could work and raise me and my brother to the best of her abilities.”
• California Labor Federation
• Unite Here
• One Fair Wage
• Working Families Party California
• California Democratic Party
• League of Women Voters of California

Who’s opposing Prop 32?

• California Chamber of Commerce
• California Restaurant Association
• California Grocers Association
• National Federation of Independent Business
• Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association

The prop has garnered heavy pushback from the state and business groups who fear disproportionate effects on local businesses. They argue a raise in wages would lead to a direct raise in consumer prices, making it harder for local businesses to keep their doors open among other rising costs. Job loss is another concern, however, according to the California Legislature’s nonprofit fiscal and policy advisor, it is estimated to change just one-quarter of 1 percent if passed. Other advocacy groups are pushing an unsystematic piecemeal strategy instead, or a series of smaller increases tailored to a specific area, rather than a uniform statewide hike. 

California became the first state in the nation to approve a $15 statewide minimum wage. Just last year Californians also raised fast food wages to a minimum $20 an hour, and medical staff to $25. But many say it’s still not enough. According to the MIT living wage calculator, single childless adults living in even the cheapest areas of the state need to make at least $20 an hour to live comfortably. According to 2021 data from the Bureau of Economic Analysis, the annual cost of living in the state is a little over $53,000. The current minimum wage comes to about $33,000, according to the Los Angeles Times. Major metropolitan areas including Los Angeles, San Francisco, San Diego, and San Jose often cost far more. Almost 40 California cities already mandate minimum wages over the state’s minimum, and six have already reached $18 an hour.  

Thus far, supporters have raised a little over $600,000, while those opposing have raised $65,000. 

But for some 4 million Californians who have yet to register to vote, Monday is the last day to register via mail.

Registration must be postmarked or submitted electronically by Monday, Oct. 21, 2024.

Decision 2024 Oct 17

What to know about the 10 propositions on the California election ballot

Decision 2024 Oct 15

Tracking your vote in California: A step by step guide

Qualifications to register to vote

To register to vote in California, you must be:

• A United States citizen and a resident of California 
• 18 years old or older on Election Day
• Not currently serving a state or federal prison term for the conviction of a felony 
• Not currently found mentally incompetent to vote by a court

Qualifications to pre-register to vote

To pre-register to vote in California, voters must:

• Be 16 or 17 years old, and
• Meet all the prior requirements 

Applicants will automatically become registered to vote on their 18th birthday.

Decision 2024 Sep 17

See key dates, voter information, ballot props and more for the Southern California election

Decision 2024 Oct 4

How do California propositions get their numbers? 

Where to register to vote in California

Voters can register here via the online application. The application is available in English, Spanish, Chinese, Hindi, Japanese, Khmer, Korean, Tagalog, Thai, and Vietnamese.

Voters can also register via pen and paper by visiting an elections office, library, Department of Motor Vehicles offices, or U.S. post office Paper applications must be delivered to an elections office before Oct. 21. 

Students studying abroad can register to vote using the Federal Post Card Application or by using the California Online Voter Registration system. 

Same-day voter registration

Same day or conditional voter registration is for Californains who miss the deadline to register to vote or update their voter registration information for an election to still cast their ballot. Eligible citizens can complete this process at a designated county elections office, polling place, or vote centers, found here. 

Members of the military, overseas voters and voters with disabilities should contact their local county elections office to learn about the conditional voter registration and available voting options. 

Safe Vote at home

Voters fearful for their safety and are eligible can enroll in the California Safe at Home voter program. Applicants are eligible to participate if they have experienced the following:

• Victim of domestic violence, stalking, sexual assault, human trafficking, child abduction, and elder or dependent adult abuse.
• Reproductive health care provider, employee, patient, or volunteer who has experienced threats of violence, violence, or harassment because of their affiliation with a reproductive health care services facility.
• Public entity employee/contractor who has experienced threats of violence, violence, or harassment because of their work for a public entity.
• Are a household member of a category listed above.
• Are in fear for their safety, or for the safety of a minor child or incapacitated adult.

Interested participants must visit their local enrollment agency after making an appointment. Completed applications are then sent to Safe at Home for review and approval.  

The deadline to register to vote with Safe at Home is Oct. 21. Voters who miss the deadline can still register up until Election Day, however, they will not be a confidential voter.

Am I already registered?

Voters can check here if unsure about their voting status. Voters can also check:

• Where they are registered to vote
• Check their political party preference
• Check their language preference for election materials
• Check the status of their vote-by-mail or provisional ballot
• Choose how they want to receive your state and county voter guides before each election
• Find their polling place.
• Find information for upcoming local and state elections.
• Find contact information for your county elections office.

Canceling voter registration

Voters currently registered to vote in California and would like to cancel your voter registration can complete the California Voter Registration Cancellation Request Form, and submit it to the county elections office.

Cancellation forms are available in English, Spanish, Chinese, Hindi, Japanese, Khmer, Korean, Tagalog, Thai, and Vietnamese.