Federal Probe of Newsom Expands

A federal criminal investigation involving Gov. Gavin Newsom has expanded, with prosecutors subpoenaing six years of records tied to his overseas travel and its funding, part of a probe in the Eastern District of California.

The subpoenas, issued in early September, seek records from the California State Protocol Foundation, a nonprofit that has helped cover governors’ official travel expenses for more than two decades through private donations, plus communications involving Newsom’s aides and advisers.

Among those named is Rebecca Prowda, Newsom’s chief protocol officer and the wife of San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie. Being named does not indicate wrongdoing.

At least two criminal investigations involving Newsom had been underway for about a year in the Eastern District as of June, stemming from information about first partner Jennifer Siebel Newsom’s taxes and a separate corruption investigation involving former chief of staff Dana Williamson. The Williamson investigation was opened under the Biden administration.

Newsom’s office called the probe baseless and politically motivated. The Justice Department has denied its investigations are politically motivated.

Jury Finds Windsor Ex-Mayor Liable

A Sonoma County jury ordered former Windsor Mayor Dominic Foppoli to pay $12.6 million after finding him liable for sexually assaulting seven women over nearly two decades.

The seven women, who testified about assaults between 2001 and 2020, brought the civil case as criminal investigations into the allegations proceeded. Those investigations were later suspended for lack of evidence. Foppoli has never been criminally charged.

Jurors also held the Santa Rosa chapter of the Active 20-30 Club liable for one of the assaults and ordered it to pay $2 million. A hearing on punitive damages is set for Tuesday.

Foppoli denied the allegations, testifying the encounters either never happened or were consensual, and his attorneys said they plan to appeal. “I just know in heart that I did not assault any of these people who were in court today,” he said.

Orchestra Strike Cancels Opera Opener

The San Francisco Opera’s orchestra went on strike Saturday, forcing the company to cancel opening night of its 104th season along with the free Opera in the Park concert.

Musicians said management initially proposed cutting their pay 26%, then 20%, and most recently offered a five-year wage freeze. They argued the company is not in financial trouble, citing six sold-out productions in the past three years and an $8 million increase in donations over last year.

General Director Matthew Shilvock said he was “very disappointed” the orchestra chose to strike “rather than continuing to engage in dialogue at the negotiating table.”

The company offered ticketholders a refund, a credit toward another performance, or the chance to donate the value of their tickets. Its next scheduled performance is Sept. 16.

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➤ San Francisco: A Waymo pulled itself over and alerted police after detecting two juvenile passengers with a gun. Officers arrested the pair and said they found a loaded AR-style rifle, suspected marijuana, and mace spray. (Read Story)

➤ Lake-Mendocino County: The Lucas Fire grew to 4,008 acres Sunday morning but improved to 20% containment, with more than 1,800 personnel assigned. Evacuation orders and warnings remain in effect near Potter Valley as crews continue building control lines. (More)

➤ Tracy: A high school teacher and varsity football head coach was arrested after police said students found his cellphone recording them while they changed in a locker room. Jeffrey Pribble, 48, was placed on leave by the school district as police continue investigating. (More)

➤ Gilroy: A federal judge paused construction of an ICE detention facility near the Gilroy Premium Outlets, siding for now with Attorney General Rob Bonta and Santa Clara County, who argued the 24-acre project violated environmental and immigration laws. A final ruling is expected in October. (More)

➤ Shasta County: Registrar Clint Curtis was subpoenaed to appear in federal court Sept. 24 with ballots and records from the June primary after raising unsubstantiated questions about some ballots’ authenticity. (More)

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➤ Sacramento: Dave Regan, president of SEIU-United Healthcare Workers West and a union leader behind Proposition 40’s proposed tax on billionaires, has been accused in a union-commissioned report of threatening and harassing women. Regan admitted using profanity but denied any assault. (See Details)

➤ Fresno County: An injured rock climber was airlifted from a 700-foot cliff at Courtright Reservoir after falling from the steep rock face known as Power Dome. A multi-agency rescue team used a helicopter hoist to extract the climber, who was then taken to an ambulance for medical care. (Read Story)

➤ Mendota: A miniature Texas longhorn made a break for it after its owner stopped for a water break, escaping its trailer and roaming the area. Mendota police helped the owner safely corral the bull and get it back into its ride, with no injuries reported. (Read Story)

➤ Sanger High School closed its pool after chlorine levels reached twice the CDC’s acceptable maximum and water polo players reported painful, irritated eyes. The district is investigating the conflicting test results. (Read Story)

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➤ Southern California: More than 80 small earthquakes rattled the region over a 24-hour stretch, including six measuring magnitude 2.5 or higher. The strongest was a 3.4-magnitude quake near Catalina Island early Saturday. (Read Story)

➤ Malibu: Security stopped a woman who illegally entered the property of former Vice President Kamala Harris and husband Doug Emhoff on Friday night before she reached the house. Deputies later asked her to leave, and no arrest was made. (More)

➤ Orange County: Amid a rise in youth e-bike injuries, Orange County held an e-bike and e-motorcycle buyback Sunday, offering gift cards for surrendered bikes. (More)

➤ San Diego: City leaders are introducing a resolution today seeking more local control over driverless ride services, including rules covering public safety, curb use, and data privacy. The proposal also calls for keeping driverless vehicles out of San Diego International Airport over safety concerns. (Read Story)

➤ SoCal Coast: El Niño waters are drawing unusual sea life north, with hammerhead sharks, a whale shark, and rare tropical rays recently spotted off the coast. (Read Story)

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➤ The Los Angeles Chargers opened their season with a 26-14 home loss to the Arizona Cardinals. A blocked punt helped Arizona pull away in the fourth quarter, while Ladd McConkey had 82 receiving yards and a touchdown before leaving with a chest injury. (More)

➤ USC football moved up two spots to No. 12 in the latest AP Top 25 after improving to 3-0 with a win over Louisiana. The Trojans remain the only California team in the poll. (See Full Rankings)

➤ The Los Angeles Rams will be without Myles Garrett for at least four weeks after the star pass rusher undergoes arthroscopic knee surgery, according to NFL Network. Garrett will be placed on injured reserve after playing in Los Angeles’ Week 1 loss to the San Francisco 49ers. (More)

➤ Former Los Angeles Lakers guard Nick Smith Jr. has agreed to a one-year deal with Real Madrid after becoming an unrestricted free agent this offseason. Smith averaged 7.6 points in 17.5 minutes across three NBA seasons with the Charlotte Hornets and Lakers. (More)

➤ Yesterday’s Results: US Open | NFL | MLB | NASCAR | F1 | Soccer | FIBA

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➤ San Francisco-based Anthropic’s chief executive, Dario Amodei, urged AI companies to deliberately “slow the pace” of building more powerful models, warning that advances are outrunning safety work. Rival OpenAI backed the idea. (See Details)

➤ Paramount Skydance’s potential exit from California could cost the state up to 58,000 jobs and $21.2 billion in annual economic output, according to a company-commissioned report. The studio has threatened to leave if its Warner Bros. Discovery merger is blocked. (See Details)

➤ Ruiz Foods is cutting about 175 jobs at its Dinuba plant effective Nov. 4 as it shifts to a five-day production schedule. The company said the cuts are needed to better align production with expected customer demand. (See Details)

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[ACT FAST] This Robotics Stock’s Price Changes Thursday

Fresh off two major product acquisitions, including from a once-SoftBank-backed robotics pioneer, Miso Robotics’ share price will change Thursday. 

From those acquisitions alone, Miso added new customers like Jersey Mike’s, Cinnabon, and Auntie Anne’s and grew its patent portfolio 10X overnight. 

And that’s not all Miso’s done this year. In addition to major restaurant chains, Miso’s robots are now being deployed on college campuses and even an NBA arena.

Everyday people like you who don’t want to miss the robot boom have already invested more than 44,000 times to date. Industry powerhouse Ecolab even invested too. 

Hurry to join them before Miso’s price changes from $5.48/share Thursday night.

➤ Point Reyes National Seashore has been named the foggiest national park in the U.S., averaging roughly 200 foggy days a year. Its famous marine fog can linger for weeks during summer. (More)

➤ Hundreds of corgis took over Pismo Beach over the weekend for the annual Corgi Nation Vacation, featuring costume contests, beach races, live music, and vendors. The festivities concluded Sunday with a beachfront brunch. (More)

➤ A restored 1912 houseboat with a century-plus history is on the market for $1 million at Waldo Point Harbor in Sausalito. Once a working tugboat, the Mirene was bought as salvage in 1981 and later restored into a floating home and seagoing yacht. (Read Story)

➤ A nearly 500-pound bluefin tuna was caught off San Diego on a rod and reel, with the fish weighing 446 pounds after being gilled and gutted. The catch was described as the largest bluefin ever landed on rod and reel off Southern California. (See Details)

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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. 

➤ Two best friends of 30 years took DNA tests, and what came back explains why everyone said they had the same laugh. (Hear Story)

➤ A New York honors student was suspended on the first day of school over a cup of coffee. (Hear More)

➤ MIT scientists found a simple sound, played while you sleep, that may help your brain wash itself clean. (Listen Now)

Could you see yourself living on a houseboat?

1. Absolutely, sign me up
2. Maybe as a vacation, not full-time
3. I already do
4. Only if it never left the dock
5. No thanks, I like solid ground

Yesterday’s Results:

Do you have a personalized license plate?

1. No: 70%
2. Yes: 24%
3. Thinking about it: 6%

A herd of wild bison has roamed Santa Catalina Island for about a century. How did they get there?

Show me the answer