Californians may not get SNAP payments next month, governor says
Chronicle, ALDO TOLEDO: "As the federal government shutdown stretches into its third week, California Gov. Gavin Newsom is warning that the state’s SNAP recipients may not receive their November payments — a disruption he says could be “devastating” for families as the Thanksgiving holiday approaches.
President Donald Trump has not yet indicated how he intends to fund November SNAP benefits for up to 42 million people amid the shutdown, about 5.5 million of them Californians, according to Newsom’s office."
READ MORE -- Newsom warns Californians’ SNAP benefits could be delayed because of federal shutdown -- LAT, KEVIN RECTOR
Supporters are way ahead in fundraising for Newsom’s Prop. 50, but the race remains close
CALMatters, MAYA C. MILLER/JEANNE KUANG: "California, listen up: Former President Barack Obama wants you to know that the whole nation is counting on you this November.
“Democracy is on the ballot,” the 44th president says straight to camera in the latest advertisement from Gov. Gavin Newsom’s campaign for Proposition 50, the ballot question that asks voters to temporarily gerrymander California’s congressional districts to favor Democrats."
Firing artillery over Interstate 5 is ‘really rare’ for Camp Pendleton, expert says
LAT, HANNAH FRY/MELODY GUTIERREZ/RONG-GONG LIN II: "The celebration at Camp Pendleton was billed as an uplifting event to honor the 250th birthday of the United States Marine Corps and highlight the enduring strength and commitment of the nation’s troops.
A simulated beach assault in which artillery was fired from the sand toward the interior of the sprawling base was intended to be a capstone demonstration of the capabilities of the Marine Corps. But the display went awry — and was forced to end early — when an artillery round exploded midair, sending shrapnel raining down onto a California Highway Patrol cruiser that was parked on an Interstate 5 on-ramp."
This city banned the Pride flag. Newsom’s maps would give them a progressive, gay congressman
CALMatters, MAYA C. MILLER: "California may have a reputation as a bastion of blue, but there are only so many Democratic voters to go around.
Under Proposition 50, Gov. Gavin Newsom’s plan to gerrymander California’s congressional maps to favor Democrats, no incumbent Democrat would take on more Republican voters than Rep. Robert Garcia of Long Beach."
S.F. Mayor Lurie pushes back at Trump, saying the National Guard won’t help drug crisis
Chronicle, KO LYN CHEANG: "Mayor Daniel Lurie said Monday that sending the National Guard to San Francisco, as President Donald Trump has threatened to do, would not make the city safer or help it tackle the ongoing drug crisis.
The mayor made it clear in a statement that National Guard troops don’t have the authority to arrest drug dealers and said local law enforcement was already working with federal agencies to shut down open-air drug markets."
L.A. City Council candidate to be fined $17,500 for ethics violation
LAT, NOAH GOLDBERG: "After 12 years on the Los Angeles City Council, Curren Price will be term-limited out of the legislative body this coming year.
The candidate he hopes will replace him comes from his staff, his deputy chief of staff, Jose Ugarte, who has been referred to in the past as Price’s “right-hand man.”"
Special Episode: A Debate on Proposition 50 (PODCAST)
Capitol Weekly, STAFF: "On October 14, 2025, Capitol Weekly, CalMatters, and the University of California Student and Policy Center presented California Votes: Proposition 50 – Should Californians support mid-decade redistricting?
Proposition 50 would require California to use new congressional district maps through 2030. Use of independent Citizens Redistricting Commission maps would resume after that date."
Letter to the editor: SB 41 is a win for patients and providers
Capitol Weekly, CHRISTINA DOWNEY: "As a practicing rheumatologist in Redlands, I see firsthand how delays and denials in receiving care hurt my patients. One of the most common areas where my patients struggle with these roadblocks comes when accessing medication. Why? Because of the practices of pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs). These drug pricing ‘middlemen’ decide which medications are included in insurance companies’ formularies – essentially choosing which drugs can and cannot be accessed. That’s why I want to thank Governor Newsom and California lawmakers for passing SB 41, an important step toward putting patients, not profits, first.
By banning spread pricing, requiring PBMs to pass rebates to patients, and increasing operational transparency, this law will help ensure that patients can actually access the medications intended for them. For many of my patients, especially those with chronic rheumatic conditions, this can mean the difference between starting a treatment on time or facing irreversible disease progression and organ damage."
Youth in crisis: a call for compassionate action
Capitol Weekly, LUISA ORTEGA: "I stand at the intersection of two identities: a child of immigrants and a scholar in the field of mental health and education equity. That vantage has shown me both narratives of perseverance—and the silent crisis unfolding among our youth.
On the surface, our communities appear to be “getting back to normal,” after the pandemic. But beneath that fragile veneer, youth, especially Latine youth, bear wounds that run deep."
California young people are struggling with anxiety and stress, study finds
LAT, VANI SANGANERIA: "About 94% of young people in California said they experience regular mental health challenges, with one-third reporting their mental health as “fair” or “poor,” according to a new report by Blue Shield of California and Children Now.
Yet, young people also expressed hope about the future and said addressing their mental health issues and taking action on issues they care about helps them cope, the report said."
What is happening to ethnic studies in California?
EdSource, BETTY MARQUEZ ROSZALES/LASHERICA THORNTON: "This year, all California public schools were expected to adopt a high school graduation requirement teaching ethnic studies classes on the history, contributions and struggles of California’s African Americans, Latinos, Asian Americans and Native Americans.
But around the state, some students are in ethnic studies classes; others are not. And for those who are in ethnic studies classes, the curriculum can vary."
California students plan to join walkout in support of climate legislation
EdSource, MALLIKA SESHADRI: "Hundreds of students across more than 50 California high schools are planning to participate in walkouts on Oct. 24 to voice support for legislation that would hold oil companies accountable for damage to infrastructure and costs associated with the climate crisis, The Hechinger Report reported.
Since 2024, Vermont and New York have adopted similar laws to the Polluters Pay Climate Superfund Act now on the table in California."
A scholarship for Black California students has to accept white applicants. Here’s why
CALMatters, ADAM ECHELMAN: "A scholarship for Black students at UC San Diego is now available to anyone, regardless of race, after students and a right-leaning nonprofit organization sued the university for discrimination this July.
The plaintiffs argued that the scholarship fund violated a series of laws, including the Ku Klux Klan Act of 1871, which was put in place to protect Black Americans in the South.
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Send kids to school with a cough or sniffles? Some parents say no way
LAT, JENNY GOLD: "During the pandemic, the rules for school attendance with the sniffles were clear, if a bit draconian: Keep a child home from school at any sign of illness.
Since then, school policies have softened significantly. At L.A. Unified, for example, parents are directed to send their children to school if they have a mild cold or cough. The main symptoms that require keeping a child home are fever of 100.4 and above, vomiting or diarrhea, according to district instructions on “How to Safely Send Your Student to School.”"
Salmon reach headwaters for first time in a century after California dam removal
Chronicle, KURTIS ALEXANDER: "Salmon on the Klamath River have crossed a major threshold a year after four dams were removed along the California-Oregon border, with the fish reaching the river’s headwaters for the first time in more than a century.
Oregon wildlife officials said Friday that multiple salmon were observed in Upper Klamath Lake, as well as its major tributaries, which confirms the 300-mile migration of salmon from the Pacific Ocean in Northern California to their historical spawning grounds in southern Oregon."
Five sunny days, then fog and thunder? Here’s what is stirring off California’s coast
Chronicle, GREG PORTER: "What a run it’s been. If San Francisco hits 70 again Tuesday — and it almost certainly will — it’ll mark the city’s fifth straight day of glorious late-summer weather.
But subtle changes are already underway, as cooler temperatures and scattered showers are set to return."
More rain could be on the way this week to Southern California
LAT, SUMMER LIN/KAREN GARCIA: "Parts of the Los Angeles region could see light rain this week as a small chance of thunderstorms brings the possibility of more precipitation following last week’s soaking, according to the National Weather Service.
There is a 10% chance of rainfall across Los Angeles County on Tuesday night, but that chance of showers drops to as low as 5% going into Wednesday, said Carol Smith, a National Weather Service meteorologist in Onxard."
Warner Bros. Discovery officially hangs a ‘for sale’ sign around company
LAT, MEG JAMES: "Warner Bros. Discovery has officially acknowledged the company is up for sale, marking the third time in the last decade the storied assets have been on the auction block.
The company’s board announced Tuesday that it has initiated “a review of strategic alternatives ... in light of unsolicited interest the Company has received from multiple parties for both the entire company and Warner Bros.”"
City Council passes ordinance to limit SDPD role in federal task forces such as ICE
Times of SD, CITY NEWS SERVICE: "Citing a spike in Immigration and Customs Enforcement raids and arrests, the San Diego City Council unanimously gave tentative approval to an ordinance Monday intended to prevent local law enforcement from joining certain federal task forces.
The Due Process and Safety Ordinance will set “clear legal boundaries that protect residents, workers, and visitors regardless of immigration status, gender identity, disability, or healthcare decisions,” according to a staff document from Councilman Sean Elo-Rivera’s office."
Waymo is being investigated by the feds for a robotaxi illegally passing a school bus
Chronicle, RACHEL SWAN: "An incident in which a Waymo vehicle illegally passed a school bus in Georgia has put the driverless car company under a microscope again, this time catching the attention of federal regulators.
Officials at the National Highway and Traffic Safety Administration opened their probe of about 2,000 Waymo vehicles last week after video surfaced of a Waymo maneuvering around a stopped school bus with red lights flashing in Atlanta. In the footage captured on Sept. 22, the robotaxi approaches from a side street and briefly pauses before veering right to avoid hitting the bus’s right bumper, then left to circle around the bus."
