Data Center Backlash Reaches San Diego

San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria signed an executive order last week directing city staff to pursue a temporary moratorium on new and expanding data centers, with the proposal headed to the city council for consideration.

The move follows a public outcry over a proposed 400-megawatt data center at the Navy’s NAVWAR site in Old Town, which would be the state’s largest and draw power equal to about 320,000 homes. Because the site sits on federal land, the city has limited say.

San Diego is hardly alone. At least 26 local measures addressing data center development have been proposed or passed statewide since June, from Oakland to Los Angeles County, despite seven new state laws regulating the industry last month.

Opponents warn the sites could strain the grid, drain water, and raise already-high electricity rates. Backers counter that blanket bans push billions in investment elsewhere, likening the build-out to railroads and highways.

Record Pup Year for California Wolves

California’s gray wolves produced at least 42 pups this year, the most since the animals returned to the state in 2011.

Eight of the state’s 10 active packs produced pups, led by the Whaleback pack in Siskiyou County with a minimum of nine, according to the state’s latest quarterly wolf report. A lone wolf of unknown origin also appeared in Lake County, far west of any established pack.

The state’s wolf coordinator calls the count a conservation success, a milestone for a species that returned to California after a long absence. But a bigger population also has to eat, and researchers have found two packs living mostly on cattle.

The spread keeps pushing south and west, and it comes at a cost to ranchers. The report logged 15 confirmed and six probable livestock depredations last quarter, and the state paid about $40,900 in compensation.

National Parks Are Free Today

California’s national parks are waiving their entrance fees today for Theodore Roosevelt’s birthday, the second-to-last fee-free day of 2026.

The waiver covers the gate fee at parks from Yosemite and Lassen Volcanic to Sequoia and Kings Canyon, though camping, reservations, and permits still cost what they always do. At Yosemite, that gate fee normally runs $35 per vehicle.

New this year, the fee-free days apply only to U.S. residents, the Park Service says. International visitors still pay the regular rate to get in.

The day honors a president who doubled the number of national parks from five to 10 and famously camped with John Muir in Yosemite. After today, the last free day of 2026 is Veterans Day on Nov. 11.

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➤ Oakland: A proposal to raise Oakland’s minimum wage to $30 an hour, up from $17.34, cleared a city council committee on a 4-0 vote and heads to the full council Dec. 1. Large employers would hit the mark by 2030. (More)

➤ San Francisco: Film and TV production is up 28% this year, generating more than $32 million in local spending, according to the city’s Film Commission. Officials credit the growth partly to an updated $1 million rebate program designed to attract Hollywood productions. (See Details)

➤ San Jose: Twenty-four cars burned in a carport fire in the 200 block of Shadow Run Drive early Saturday, and firefighters knocked it down within an hour with no injuries. Investigators haven’t ruled out arson. (More)

➤ Sierra Buttes: Three people were hoisted to safety by helicopter Sunday after a satellite SOS from a steep slope near the lookout tower, about 80 miles northeast of Sacramento. Crews from Sierra and Nevada counties and Washoe County, Nevada, assisted. (More)

➤ Bay Area: Jerry Garcia’s family unveiled plans for a Bay Area center honoring the Grateful Dead co-founder, with an archive, a research library, and a venue for live music. No location or timeline was set. (Read Story)

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➤ Fresno: City council candidate Naindeep Singh, a Central Unified trustee, was arrested Saturday on suspicion of driving under the influence of a drug, police said, ahead of the Nov. 3 election. A toxicology report is pending, and Singh did not answer a reporter’s call. (More)

➤ Fresno County: Visit Fresno County, the area’s tourism agency, warned travelers that a fraudulent website is impersonating its page. The agency said it has no tie to the scam and will never ask for payment on travel-related items. Its real site is visitfresnocounty.org. (More)

➤ Watsonville Community Hospital is losing $86,000 a day and has just five days of cash reserves left, raising concerns about closure. Officials are considering cutting maternity services while seeking a $26 million grant. (More)

➤ Cayucos: Bridge repairs began Monday on Toro Creek Road near Morro Bay, reducing traffic to one lane on weekdays through Nov. 6. Crews will work from 7 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. to improve bridge safety. (More)

➤ Also Fresno: The Fresno Chaffee Zoo will relocate red wolves Cypress and Daisy to separate facilities by year’s end after they failed to breed. The endangered wolves will be paired with new mates, while the zoo welcomes a mother and son. (See Details)

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➤ Montclair: A suspected drunk driver struck cyclists on a Halloween ride Saturday night, killing two and dragging one victim at least a mile before fleeing. Police arrested Valentin Alberto Rodriguez, 38, on suspicion of hit-and-run and vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated. (See Details)

➤ Los Angeles: Walter Koenig, best known for playing Ensign Pavel Chekov on the original Star Trek series, died at his North Hollywood home. He was 90. Koenig portrayed Chekov in seven Star Trek films and later appeared on Babylon 5. (More)

➤ Orange County: Metrolink suspended Orange County Line service between Laguna Niguel/Mission Viejo and Oceanside through Friday, with trains instead turning around at Laguna Niguel. The agency wants to avoid delays if high tides damage the beachfront tracks near San Clemente. (More)

➤ San Diego ranks second nationally for car accidents, with 28.2 accidents per 1,000 drivers, according to a LendingTree study. Other California cities in the top 10 include Los Angeles and San Francisco tied for third, Sacramento in sixth, Long Beach in eighth, and San Jose in ninth. (See List)

➤ Southern California: Rare devil rays are appearing off the coast as unusually warm Pacific waters draw tropical marine life north. Three species have been spotted in recent months, with spinetail devil rays reported most frequently. (Read Story)

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➤ Luka Dončić scored 52 points with eight 3-pointers to lift the Lakers past the Jazz 132-123 on Sunday, the NBA’s first 50-point game of the season as Los Angeles moved to 3-0. The Lakers host the Portland Trail Blazers tonight. (More)

➤ The Lakers lead California’s NBA teams at No. 6 in NBC Sports’ latest power rankings after a 3-0 start. The Clippers rank No. 20, followed by the winless Warriors at No. 28 and Kings at No. 30. (See Rankings)

➤ LAFC clinched its eighth Major League Soccer playoff berth in nine seasons with a 2-2 draw against the LA Galaxy on Sunday. Denis Bouanga and Leo Walta erased a 2-0 deficit, putting LAFC sixth in the Western Conference while the Galaxy sit ninth. (More)

➤ Yesterday’s Results: MLB | NFL | NBA | NHL

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➤ What will you discover on this Amazon gadget list? Whether you’re browsing for yourself or looking for a gift, DealWatchdogs rounds up gadgets available on Amazon for you to explore. Take a look through the picks and see if something earns a spot on your wish list.  LEARN MORE

➤ San Francisco-based AI giant Anthropic filed to go public on the Nasdaq under the ticker “ANT,” potentially becoming the first major AI lab to list its shares in one of the largest market debuts ever. The Claude maker reported surging revenue but significant losses. (More)

➤ Skechers listed its longtime corporate headquarters in Manhattan Beach for sale, offering a nearly 30,000-square-foot Class A office building being marketed by CBRE through a competitive bidding process. (More)

➤ Trejo’s Donuts, the Hollywood donut shop associated with actor Danny Trejo, will close Thursday as its lease ends, though the business says it plans to reopen elsewhere. (More)

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➤ Could your next grocery trip cost less? When checkout totals squeeze your budget, a few changes to your shopping routine may help. Explore The Penny Hoarder’s grocery savings tips for ideas to try before your next store run. See which tips could work for your household.

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➤ Palm Desert’s annual Golf Cart Parade rolled down El Paseo on Sunday, with actor Anthony Anderson serving as grand marshal as decorated carts, school bands, and community groups brought crowds together along the desert boulevard. (More)

➤ Sunnyvale homeowners have transformed their house into an immersive Harry Potter display, complete with a flying car and Hagrid’s Hut, drawing visitors from across the Bay Area. The free display runs daily through Halloween. (See Video)

➤ Assenti’s Pasta, a family-run shop in San Diego’s Little Italy, landed seventh on Yelp’s list of the Top 100 Pasta Places in the U.S. The shop has been making fresh pasta since 1981. (See List)

➤ Nathalie Chabas, a 9-year-old in Alameda, rigged a store-bought skeleton to an AI chatbot so it tells jokes and chats with passersby. Her creation, Uncle Murray, even invented its own backstory: it died falling down the stairs. (See Details)

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➤ They Did Everything Right. They Still Had Heart Attacks. Nicole, 57, ate clean and walked daily. Frank, 66, was told his numbers looked great. Both had blood pressure and cholesterol “under control.” What went wrong? Researchers are examining the tiny energy engines inside heart cells and how they change with age. See the three overlooked nutrients tied to heart strength →

The following stories are featured exclusively on The Flyover Podcast—a daily show that gives you the most important headlines in under 15 minutes. 

➤ A new study ranks the top 10 and bottom 10 car models for resale value. (See Ranking)

➤ Humana and UnitedHealthcare are dropping Medicare Advantage plans, upending coverage for 1 million seniors. (Listen Now)

➤ A passenger’s alarming text message caused an entire plane to be grounded, searched, and delayed overnight. (Hear Story)

What’s your go-to donut order?

1. Classic glazed
2. Chocolate frosted
3. Maple frosted
4. Jelly or cream filled
5. Anything with sprinkles
6. Other (reply to let us know)

Yesterday’s Results:

When is it OK to start playing Christmas music?

1. After Thanksgiving: 60%
2. December only: 24%
3. As soon as Halloween ends: 7%
4. Year-round: 5%
5. Never: 4%

Which famed photographer, born in San Francisco, is best known for his black-and-white images of Yosemite?

Show me the answer