Lawmakers Return to Tackle Five Deals

California lawmakers have returned to Sacramento with less than a month to strike or kill several high-stakes deals before they adjourn Aug. 31.

At the center is wildfire legislation that fire survivors and insurers say could shift utilities’ wildfire costs onto insurance policyholders. Gov. Gavin Newsom and legislative leaders won’t detail the plan, saying only the current system “is not working” for survivors, utility customers, or insurance policyholders.

Lawmakers will also weigh the COMPETE Act, which would let Californians sue single companies for monopolizing a market. The California Chamber of Commerce warns it would expose businesses to sweeping new liability, while labor and consumer groups back it as a curb on corporate monopolies.

Los Angeles County, meanwhile, is pushing to limit childhood sex-abuse lawsuits that have cost it billions. Still unsettled is how to spend the state’s main climate fund and whether to grant special environmental relief for the tech-backed California Forever development in Solano County.

San Andreas Stress Levels Rise

A new study finds stress on parts of Southern California’s San Andreas and San Jacinto fault system has climbed to its highest level in 1,000 years.

Scientists have long warned the San Andreas, the state’s longest fault, could unleash “the Big One.” A 2008 simulation modeled a magnitude 7.8 rupture with nearly two minutes of shaking, hundreds of deaths, and billions in damage.

The new research flags Cajon Pass, where the two faults meet near San Bernardino, as a place a joint rupture could damage aqueducts and cut water supplies. San Diego State geologist Patrick Abbott said the faults are at critical stress levels.

Researchers stress it’s not a prediction. “It could go another 100 years. It could be tomorrow,” Caltech seismologist Lucy Jones said, urging residents to retrofit homes, stock emergency supplies, and “drop, cover, hold on.”

New Law Expands Missing-Person DNA Search

Gov. Gavin Newsom has signed a law letting California’s Missing Persons DNA Program use its DNA database to identify any unidentified person, living or dead, not just the deceased.

Until now, the state Department of Justice program, created in 2001, could use its DNA database only to identify unidentified deceased remains. AB 2018 expands it to all unidentified people and drops a “high-risk” label that Assemblymember James Ramos, D-San Bernardino, said had slowed some cold cases.

Ramos called the measure a “modernization” and said it is urgent given the disproportionate number of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Persons in the state.

The bipartisan measure, which cleared the Legislature unanimously, also keeps relatives’ DNA on file longer in case more remains surface. Attorney General Rob Bonta said the change is ultimately about families: “No family should know the prolonged uncertainty of waiting for answers.”

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➤ Foster City: A massive apartment fire that broke out Sunday at 815 Sea Spray Lane continued burning Monday. About 60 people were displaced, four firefighters suffered minor injuries, and the cause remains under investigation. (More)

➤ Lake Tahoe: When a horse bucked its rider and became stranded at 7,200 feet during the Tevis Cup endurance ride, a Butte County sheriff’s helicopter crew sedated the animal and airlifted it to safety. The horse was later loaded into a trailer and taken home. (See Details)

➤ Trinity Alps: Eight hikers, including two children, were found safe after getting lost on an overgrown trail in the Trinity Alps Wilderness. Search crews located the group at the Goldfield trailhead after they spent a night in the backcountry. (Read Story)

➤ Vallejo: Police responded to an illegal sideshow involving more than 100 cars early Sunday near Georgia Street and Columbus Parkway after some participants threw fireworks at patrol units. The crowd dispersed by 3 a.m. Police say they’ve recorded about six sideshows this year. (Details)

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➤ Central Coast: This year’s missing “Fogust” is tied to El Niño. Warmer ocean water has weakened the cooling that fuels the coast’s summer fog, bringing more sunshine but unusually high humidity. Santa Barbara is experiencing its fourth-most humid summer since records began in 1937. (More)

➤ San Joaquin Valley: Nearly 150 farmworkers are being monitored in three counties after arriving from an Arizona measles outbreak area, though no cases have been identified. (Details)

➤ Central Valley: A crowdsourced map lets residents see where automated license plate reader cameras are located across Fresno, Madera, Merced, and Visalia. The map comes as Flock Safety’s surveillance technology expands nationwide, fueling an ongoing debate over crime prevention and privacy. (More)

➤ Central Coast: The Trump administration is reviewing the California Coastal Commission, with public comments open through Aug. 22 after federal officials said the state has interfered with federal priorities. (Read Story)

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➤ Los Angeles: President Trump will visit Los Angeles today for a Republican National Committee fundraiser, where the White House says his remarks are expected to include criticism of Gov. Gavin Newsom. He is scheduled to appear at Trump National Golf Club in Rancho Palos Verdes before traveling to Las Vegas. (More)

➤ West Covina: A 24-year-old woman survived Saturday’s mass shooting at a Twin Falls, Idaho, In-N-Out, where she was helping train staff. She fled without her phone, leaving her family frantic for word. Three people were killed and seven wounded before the gunman killed himself. (Read Story)

➤ Venice: A woman drove onto the Venice Beach Pier before leading police on a short chase that ended after authorities say she drove into officers. She was arrested on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon on a police officer. (More)

➤ Boyle Heights: More than 300 residents have sued Lineage Logistics, alleging a June warehouse fire exposed them to hazardous smoke and ammonia and led to ongoing pest infestations. The company says cleanup is underway, with more than 63% of the destroyed food removed. (More)

➤ La Jolla: Video captured a San Diego lifeguard fighting through pounding El Niño-fueled surf to pull a man trapped against the rocks to safety. San Diego lifeguards have made nearly 3,900 rescues since June 1 amid relentless swells, strong rip currents and crowded beaches. (See Video)

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➤ The San Francisco Giants traded three-time batting champion Luis Arraez to the Phillies yesterday in the biggest move of a deadline-day selloff. Arraez is hitting .324 this season, second-best in the majors, and goes to Philadelphia along with reliever Caleb Kilian. (More)

➤ Meanwhile, the Los Angeles Angels traded starting pitcher Jose Soriano to the Blue Jays for three prospects, headlined by top shortstop prospect Arjun Nimmala. Soriano is under team control through 2028. (More)

➤ USC and Notre Dame announced a four-game football series from 2030 to 2034, ending a four-year hiatus in one of college football’s oldest rivalries. (More)

➤ Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman said he “passionately” disagrees with the narrative that his team is ruining baseball after acquiring Tarik Skubal from the Tigers over the weekend. Skubal is scheduled to make his Dodgers debut today against the Cubs. (More)

➤ Stanford junior Jay Leng won the 124th Western Amateur golf tournament, beating Vanderbilt’s Michael Riebe 5 and 4 in the championship match. Past winners of the tournament include Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods. (More)

➤ Yesterday’s Results: MLB | WNBA | Tennis | Little League Softball World Series

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➤ Santa Cruz ranks as the nation’s least affordable rental market, with an hourly wage of about $81 needed to afford a modest apartment. Local officials cite decades of underbuilding and a persistent housing shortage. (More)

➤ LaRocca Vineyards, the family-run organic winery that grew from a Forest Ranch vineyard in the early 1980s, closed after more than 40 years. The Butte County winery was known for its organic wines without added sulfites and its downtown Chico tasting room. (More)

➤ Registered data brokers are now required to honor Californians’ requests through the state’s DROP portal. Roughly 600 brokers have 45 days to process requests or face fines of $200 per day for each affected Californian, and about 350,000 residents have already signed up. (More)

➤ San Diego landlords can raise rents on covered units by up to 8.2% through July 2027 under California’s Tenant Protection Act. The cap, down from 8.8% last year, is calculated as 5% plus inflation, with a maximum increase of 10%. (More)

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➤ Auburn engineer Beau’s Satyress project went viral with renderings of “Three-Halves,” a 7-foot horned centaur robot pairing a humanoid torso with a four-legged base. Designed for wildfire and disaster work, it would be operated with a gaming controller. Beau hopes to have it standing by year’s end. (More)

➤ One cyclist mapped a viral 50-mile loop through San Jose that links all six of the city’s Costco warehouses. It begins on The Alameda and follows parts of the Coyote Creek Trail. One rider even downed a Costco hot dog at every stop. (More)

➤ A black bear beat the Southern California heat by taking a dip in a backyard spa in La Crescenta-Montrose. The bear lounged for less than five minutes before wandering off, marking the latest in a string of bear sightings near the San Gabriel foothills. (See Video)

➤ Kansas Crawford of Redding, who has twirled baton since age 2, will represent Team USA at the world championship in Paris beginning Aug. 5. The Foothill High School feature twirler trains in Sacramento, continuing a family tradition. (More)

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The following stories are featured exclusively on The Flyover Podcast—a daily show that gives you the most important headlines in under 15 minutes. Clicking the links will take you directly to these stories:

➤ Hidden ultra-processed ingredients lurk in over half your diet, but there are six simple swaps to fight back. (Hear Details)

➤ The first deaths have been reported in the nationwide cyclosporiasis outbreak, with two victims confirmed in Michigan. (Hear Episode)

➤ New Yorkers can finally camp overnight in Central Park, but scoring a free spot means winning a coveted citywide lottery. (Listen Now)

A Bay Area cyclist linked all six San Jose Costco warehouses into one viral 50-mile ride. Would you take it on?

1. Sign me up
2. Only for the hot dogs
3. Maybe half of it
4. I’ll drive, thanks

Yesterday’s Results:

Would you ever consider medical tourism for cheaper care?

1. No, I’ll stay stateside: 35%
2. Only if it were reputable: 26%
3. Yes, for the savings: 20%
4. I already have: 19%

California’s San Andreas Fault marks the boundary where two of Earth’s major tectonic plates slowly grind past each other. Name both plates.

Show me the answer