California Heads to the Polls

Californians vote today for a new governor, the Los Angeles mayor, and 14 statewide propositions covering issues including housing, taxes, and voter ID requirements.

Democrat Xavier Becerra faces Republican Steve Hilton to succeed term-limited Gov. Gavin Newsom. Both campaigned in Southern California on Sunday.

Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass is fighting to keep her job against Councilmember Nithya Raman. A late Berkeley IGS/L.A. Times poll had the two tied at 40%, with 19% undecided. Raman had led by 11 points in September.

In San Francisco, Democrats Scott Wiener and Connie Chan are vying to succeed Nancy Pelosi in Congress. Both are courting the city’s Chinese American voters, who make up about 22% of the population. Wiener finished just 66 votes ahead of Chan in her Richmond District during the June primary.

Ballot Fight Reaches the Supreme Court

The Trump administration appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court on Monday to segregate California mail ballots tied to roughly 20,000 suspected noncitizens, a day before the election and after an appeals court rejected the bid.

The Justice Department sought an emergency order to set the ballots aside, arguing they should not be counted until voters’ citizenship is verified. The department called for a “limited injunction” to stop the state from mixing disputed ballots with others while the case proceeds.

California calls the federal list highly unreliable, warning it could include eligible voters. The Justice Department has not said how many people on the list actually submitted ballots.

Two lower courts had already sided with the state, and a district judge warned that setting ballots aside would “wreak havoc” on the election. The justices earlier rejected a separate Trump mail-ballot push before the midterms.

Data Breach Hits California Students

A data breach at a state education contractor may have exposed personal information on every California public school student enrolled since 2023.

The California Department of Education said testing vendor Educational Testing Service discovered that an unauthorized party copied student files between May 22 and Sept. 18, using a compromised login. More than 5.7 million students were enrolled in the state’s public schools during the 2025-26 school year.

Exposed data could include names, birthdates, home addresses, schools, grade levels, and demographic details, though officials said not every record held all of it.

ETS began notifying affected families in October. The department and State Board of Education are working with cybersecurity experts to assess the breach’s impact on students and families.

Flying together with our sponsor

18 Costco Shopping Secrets That Could Save You Serious Money

Think you know all the tricks to saving money at Costco? Think again! Even longtime members may be missing out on hidden discounts, special pricing codes, and little-known perks that could make their membership even more valuable.

From spotting clearance deals to understanding what those mysterious numbers on price tags really mean, these clever shopping hacks can help you stretch your dollars further. FinanceBuzz has uncovered 18 Costco secrets every shopper should know before their next warehouse visit.

Discover These 18 Costco Money-Saving Secrets Here >>

➤ Oakland: Kiara Bowling, 32, is speaking out nearly three months after a car taken by two brothers, ages 7 and 4, struck her while walking a dog, causing a traumatic brain injury. She has relearned to walk and says she forgives the boys. (Read Story)

➤ Yuba City: A shooting and stabbing at the Nagar Kirtan Sikh festival over the weekend are under investigation. Saturday’s shooting caused no reported injuries, while Sunday’s stabbing hospitalized two people and led to an arrest. Authorities don’t know if the incidents are connected. (More)

➤ Bay Area: Two small earthquakes shook the region Sunday evening and early Monday, measuring 2.6 near Berkeley and 2.5 near Concord. Residents reported feeling the shaking, but no injuries or damage were reported. (More)

➤ Sacramento: The Freeport Bridge will close weekdays from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. through Nov. 30 for repairs. Drivers will be detoured to the Paintersville Bridge, with the Freeport Bridge open evenings and weekends. (More)

➤ San Francisco: The University of San Francisco will retire its 90-year-old “Don” mascot next spring and replace it with a wolf while keeping the Dons nickname, after students objected that the figure evoked Spanish colonization. The wolf nods to the Jesuit founder’s family crest. (More)

Enjoy reading The California Flyover? Click here to share with your friends and family.

➤ San Luis Obispo: Two Cal Poly students studying abroad were injured in the Oct. 28 high-speed train crash in Urda, Spain, that killed at least 69 people. The university named neither. A family member identified one as third-year student Leah Silver-Fajardo, 21, hospitalized with broken bones. (More)

➤ Fresno County: A printing error on some ballots incorrectly labels Fresno Unified school board races as “Fowler Unified.” Officials say votes will still count correctly, and on-demand ballots are unaffected. (See Details)

➤ Bakersfield: Four people died in two shootings and two crashes within 22 hours over Halloween weekend. Victims included a 16-year-old boy, a 12-year-old girl struck by a car, and a woman hit by a police vehicle. All incidents remain under investigation. (More)

➤ Goleta: The city’s new $32 million train station will open Dec. 16 beside the existing Amtrak platform. The full-service depot features EV chargers, bus stops, bicycle facilities, and solar panels. (More)

➤ Santa Barbara: UC Santa Barbara professor J. Tyler Mefford won a nearly $1 million Packard Fellowship to develop low-cost renewable energy storage. His research aims to store solar and wind energy for months, making summer-generated power available in winter. (More)

Enjoy reading The California Flyover? Click here to share with your friends and family.

➤ Los Angeles County: Crews made multiple rescues during Sunday’s storms, including a person who fell 100 feet near Mount Wilson and two lost hikers near Switzer Falls. Responders also assisted at a crash on Angeles Crest Highway. (More)

➤ Los Angeles: Jury selection began Monday in the retrial of Jonathan Rinderknecht, accused of starting a fire that later grew into the 2025 Palisades Fire, killing 12 people and destroying more than 6,800 structures. His first trial ended with a deadlocked jury. (See Details)

➤ Palm Desert: Kali, a 12-year-old cheetah at the Living Desert Zoo, was euthanized last week after veterinarians discovered kidney failure and a large mass in her skull. A longtime visitor favorite, Kali had lived at the zoo since 2016. (More)

➤ SoCal Coast: The Coast Guard intercepted 37 people attempting to enter the U.S. illegally by sea between Oct. 5 and 30, including 23 near Santa Cruz Island and 13 off San Diego. Another person was detained after a boat capsized during a chase off Point Loma. (See Details)

➤ Also Los Angeles: A 100-foot Christmas tree arrived Monday at The Grove ahead of its 25th holiday season. The tree will feature 15,000 lights and 10,000 ornaments for the Nov. 16 lighting ceremony, complete with live performances, Santa, and artificial snowfall. (See Photo)

Enjoy reading The California Flyover? Click here to share with your friends and family.

➤ The Valkyries will parade along San Francisco’s Embarcadero on Wednesday after winning their first WNBA title Saturday, beating Atlanta 68-63 in Game 7. Finals MVP Gabby Williams, who scored 30 points, will kick off the celebration at the Ferry Building. (More)

➤ California’s NHL teams are off to a mixed start, with the San Jose Sharks fourth in the Pacific Division at 15 points, followed by the Anaheim Ducks in fifth with 13, and the Los Angeles Kings in seventh with 10. Edmonton leads the division with 24 points. (More)

➤ San Diego’s Wave beat Bay FC 1-0 Sunday in women’s soccer’s regular-season finale, with Mimi Van Zanten scoring in the ninth minute. Gotham FC claimed the league’s top seed with a 2-0 win over Utah, while second-seeded San Diego hosts Utah in a playoff quarterfinal Friday. (More)

➤ Yesterday’s Results: NFL | NBA | NHL | NCAAM | NCAAW | Tennis | Soccer

Flying together with our sponsor

➤ The 9-Cent Grocery Item Your Cardiologist Never Mentions. A study in the European Heart Journal linked a common grocery-store item to 41% fewer fatal heart events. It costs about nine cents, and most people walk past it every week. So why hasn’t your doctor brought it up? It isn’t a drug, so no drug rep ever puts it on their desk. And the few people who do find it often take far too little. See what it is (and how much to take)

➤ In-N-Out president Lynsi Snyder said the California burger chain may expand into Oklahoma, Arkansas, and Mississippi as it looks beyond its current 10-state footprint. The family-owned chain has a distribution hub in Texas, but Snyder offered no timeline for expansion. (More)

➤ Once Upon a Farm, the Berkeley-based kids’ food maker, is recalling all of its Tractor Wheels soft-baked bars over a choking hazard for toddlers after reports of children choking on the snacks. Buyers should discard the bars or return them for a refund. (See Details)

➤ Fresno’s growth is boosting housing demand and attracting new businesses as more families settle in. A study using Census data ranked Fresno first in California for business survival, with over 69% still operating after five years. (More)

Flying together with our sponsor

➤ Looking for your next favorite gadget? Explore this roundup of gadgets sold on Amazon and find inspiration for your shopping list. Whether you’re browsing for yourself or hunting for a gift, take a look through the featured picks. Your next discovery could be a click away.

Flying together with our sponsor

Costco Shoppers: Don’t Miss These 18 Money-Saving Secrets!

You might love shopping at Costco, but are you getting the most out of your membership? From hidden clearance deals to secret price tag codes, there are clever ways to save that even longtime shoppers overlook.

FinanceBuzz reveals 18 Costco shopping hacks that could help you keep more money in your pocket.

See All 18 Costco Money-Saving Secrets Here >>

➤ NASA Ames researchers in Mountain View are running motion simulations that recreate lunar touchdowns, with plans to share findings with teams in Houston as the agency prepares for its first crewed Moon landing since 1972, targeted for 2028. (Read Story)

➤ Mount Shasta’s “top hat” cloud has made the 2026 Weather Photographer of the Year shortlist, standing out among 5,500 entries worldwide. Public voting runs through Nov. 5, with winners announced Nov. 17. (See Photo)

➤ Country legend Buck Owens’ former ranch near Bakersfield is listed for $5.9 million. The 124-acre property features a sprawling home, pistachio orchards, a pool, tennis court, and private fishing lake. Owens bought the ranch around 1970, though his original home has since been demolished. (Read Story)

Flying together with our sponsor

➤ Simplify your brushing routine with the Sonic Glow Brush. Its soft, U-shaped mouthpiece uses sonic vibrations to clean teeth simultaneously, with cycles as short as 30 seconds. Featuring multiple cleaning modes and a rechargeable battery, it’s convenient for home or travel. See how it works today.

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

➤ Blood pressure readings can be inflated by seven everyday mistakes, and one can add nearly 20 points. (See Mistakes)

➤ As food prices continue to outpace the Fed’s target, planners say one weekly habit could shrink your grocery bill. (Hear Tip)

➤ Prosecutors are pushing to retry Lindsay Clancy for her three children’s deaths after a deadlocked jury forced a mistrial. (Listen Now)

Have you voted in this year’s midterm elections?

1. Yes, I’ve already voted
2. I’m voting today
3. I’m not voting this year
4. I can’t vote/not eligible

Yesterday’s Results:

What’s your favorite California sea creature?

1. Sea otter: 42%
2. Gray whale: 15%
3. Sea lion: 12%
4. Octopus: 11%
5. Something else: 9%
6. Great white shark: 6%
7. Elephant seal: 5%

Buck Owens had his first No. 1 country hit in 1963 with Act Naturally. Which world-famous rock band covered the song two years later, with its drummer on lead vocals?

Show me the answer