New filings detail chaos of mass federal employee firings amid shutdown
Chronicle/SARA DINATALE, SARA LIBBY: "Hundreds of federal employees’ jobs have been cut during the government shutdown — though many of those affected may have no idea — according to documents filed in federal court in San Francisco on Tuesday. The government also acknowledged in the filings that hundreds of layoff notices were sent out by mistake.
The documents were submitted Tuesday as part of a lawsuit filed the day the government shutdown began by four labor unions — including two local chapters of the American Federation of Government Employees that represent Social Security Administration employees and Environmental Protection Agency attorneys in Northern California and Nevada. They argue there is no statutory authority for the president to undertake mass layoffs simply because of a lapse in funding for federal agencies."
Dangerous ‘supershear’ earthquakes pose risk to California, new research suggests
LAT/RONG-GONG LIN II: "A specific type of earthquake that can cause particularly intense shaking is more common than previously believed, some scientists say — carrying potentially profound risk for communities across California, including those in the path of the notorious San Andreas fault.
Scientists have increasingly observed how the rupturing of a fault during an earthquake can be even faster than the speed of another type of damaging seismic wave, theoretically generating energy on the level of a sonic boom."
Supreme Court might upend Voting Rights Act and help GOP keep control of the House
LAT/DAVID G. SAVAGE: "The Supreme Court may help the GOP keep control of the House of Representatives next year by clearing the way for Republican-led states to redraw election districts now held by Black Democrats.
That prospect formed the backdrop on Wednesday as the justices debated the future of the Voting Rights Act in a case from Louisiana."
Benioff and Musk want Trump to send troops to S.F. to fight crime. The law is not on their side
Chronicle/BOB EGELKO: "Billionaires Marc Benioff and Elon Musk said in recent days that it’s time for President Donald Trump to send National Guard troops to San Francisco to crack down on crime. The law appears to say otherwise.
After Trump claimed Democrats had “destroyed” San Francisco and said he would send federal forces to “clean (it) up,” Benioff, chief executive officer of Salesforce and owner of Time magazine, told the New York Times last week that he agreed with the president’s plan. “We don’t have enough cops, so if they (the National Guard) can be cops, I’m all for it,” he said."
Proposition 50: The debate recap
Capitol Weekly/LEAH O'TARROW: "As California voters gear up for a statewide special election on Nov. 4 over the closely watched Proposition 50, Capitol Weekly, CalMatters and the University of California Student and Policy Center hosted a debate, “California Votes: Proposition 50,” on Tuesday, Oct. 14.
Moderated by Capitol Weekly’s editor Rich Ehisen and CalMatters’ Juliet Williams, the debate featured proponent Rusty Hicks, Chair of the California Democratic Party, arguing in favor of the proposition. Opposing the proposition was Patricia Sinay of the California Citizens Redistricting Commission."
Which of these 2025 bills did Gavin Newsom sign into law?
CALMatters/STAFF: "The fate of hundreds of bills recently approved by the Legislature now rests with Gov. Gavin Newsom. He has one month to sign or veto any measures passed in the final days before the session ended Sept. 13.
As his attention turns ever more toward national politics, how might Newsom’s approach change this year? What bill signings will he highlight to the public or bury in a late-night news dump? Could he veto more proposals as he tries to distance himself from contentious liberal policies and chart a more moderate image?"
Newsom vetoes car dealers’ bill to hike fees on buyers
CALMatters/RYAN SABALOW: "Gov. Gavin Newsom vetoed a bill that would have allowed California’s car dealers to tack on another $175 in fees to the cost of buying a vehicle.
On Monday, Newsom announced he wasn’t going to sign Senate Bill 791, which would have raised the fees dealers can charge to process Department of Motor Vehicles and other paperwork from $85 to up to 1% of the purchase price, capped at $260."
Former Rep. Katie Porter expresses remorse about her behavior in damaging videos
LAT/SEEMA MEHTA, DAKOTA SMITH: "Democratic gubernatorial candidate Katie Porter, under fire for recently emerged videos showing her scolding a reporter and swearing at an aide, expressed remorse for her behavior on Tuesday in her first public remarks since the incidents were publicized.
Porter, a former House member from Orange County and a top candidate in California’s 2026 governor’s race, said she “could have handled things better.”"
South Lake Tahoe mayor resigns after admitting to church theft, urges deputy to quit
Chronicle/AIDIN VAZIRI: "South Lake Tahoe Mayor Tamara Wallace has resigned from office after admitting she embezzled funds from a local church where she worked, ending a tumultuous chapter for the city’s leadership and calling on her deputy to do the same.
Wallace submitted her resignation by email late Monday night."
What the fork? (OP-ED)
Capitol Weekly/FRED GLICK: "California lawmakers often have good intentions when passing laws and regulations, but after decades of piling on new rules, the consequences are hitting everyone in the wallet.
It’s time we bring our guests, the voters, into this conversation and explain why their favorite restaurants are charging more, scaling back, or shutting down entirely."
California veterans are not a special interest (OP-ED)
Capitol Weekly/NICK BUSSE: "I’ve spent years building national partnerships between employers and our service members and their spouses—turning military experience into real jobs with real futures. In my role with the Capital Region Veterans Chamber, I’ve sat across from lawmakers, agency heads, and CEOs to push policy that improves veteran and family life. When I ran for Roseville City Council in 2024, I put veterans at the center of safe neighborhoods, smart growth, community parks, and policies that respect both business owners and residents.
That work taught me something I can’t ignore: California talks like a military-friendly state, but too often we don’t act like one. Veterans love this place—the coastline, the communities, the opportunity. What they don’t love is the price tag and a policy maze that turns “thank you for your service” into an IOU. Sacramento can fix this, but it requires choices, not slogans."
More young people in California struggling with anxiety, stress and social media, study finds
EdSource/VANI SANGANERIA: "A new survey paints a difficult but optimistic picture of California’s youth.
About 94% of young people in the state said they experience regular mental health challenges — up from 87% in 2023, with one-third reporting their mental health as “fair” or “poor,” according to a new report by Blue Shield of California and Children Now."
These top Bay Area school districts attracted families for years. Why is enrollment down?
Chronicle/SARAH RAVANI: "For 50 years, families flooded into the East Bay’s Tri-Valley region for spacious homes and good schools. Districts scrambled to build school campuses fast enough to keep up.
Dublin, for example, built eight new schools to meet demand as its school population nearly doubled from 2010 to 2020. The most recent addition is Emerald High School, a $374 million campus that opened last school year and boasts eight tennis courts, three basketball courts, a $30,000 3-D printer and 28 advanced placement classes."
California’s weather rollercoaster continues with a quick warmup ahead
Chronicle/GREG PORTER: "It’s been an active few days of weather in California, as a powerful storm system traversed the state, bringing a wide range of impacts from severe weather at the coast to heavy snow inland.
But the script is about to flip, at least in the Bay Area, as calmer weather returns and temperatures start to rise, topping out with a return to 70s and 80s by the weekend."
L.A. planners clear $2-billion project in Skid Row neighborhood
LAT/ROGER VINCENT: "A proposed mega-development in downtown Los Angeles, which would replace a cold storage facility with a $2-billion residential and commercial complex, cleared a major hurdle last week when the city Planning Commission backed it.
Commissioners unanimously recommended the construction of Fourth & Central in the Skid Row neighborhood."
For the first time, a California county removed its sheriff over misconduct allegations
CALMatters/NIGEL DUARA: "For the first time in California history, a county sheriff has been removed from office.
The San Mateo County Board of Supervisors voted unanimously to remove Sheriff Christina Corpus from office today, nearly a year after a damning report from a retired county judge found that she likely violated the county’s policy on nepotism and conflicting relationships."