Friday, March 27, 2026

Good Morning! On this day in 1851, the Mariposa Battalion entered Yosemite Valley, becoming the first documented non-Indigenous people to set foot in what would become one of California’s most iconic landscapes.

Central Coast farmers are dealing with a record March heat wave that’s already stressing crops and speeding up growth. Find out what that could mean for yields and the risk ahead with details below in Central California.

Plus, with In-N-Out making another push into a Central Coast town, we’re asking readers to weigh in on today’s Poll or reply and let us know: what’s your favorite California burger chain?

Despite a 2.8% increase in Social Security benefits, seniors are receiving less than before. Rising premiums, deductible spikes, and benefit reductions are actually resulting in a pay cut. Tune in to The Flyover Podcast to hear Ayla Brown’s exclusive breakdown of the six specific ways seniors are actually getting less from their benefits this year. Tune in here!

Today’s sponsor, EnergyX, is addressing the growing lithium shortage with breakthrough technology that could reshape battery production and help power the future of data centers.

Take The Flyover with you. Busy day? Listen to our daily 15-minute podcast while commuting, cooking, or walking the dog—your Flyover fix, anywhere.

César Chavez Day Renamed

California lawmakers voted to rename César Chavez Day as Farmworkers Day, five days before the March 31 holiday.

The bill passed the Assembly 68-0 on Monday and cleared the Senate Thursday. It was co-authored by every member of both chambers. Gov. Gavin Newsom is expected to sign it quickly.

The move follows allegations reported by the New York Times last week that Chavez sexually abused girls and women during his years leading the farmworker movement in the 1960s and 1970s. Among his accusers is Dolores Huerta, 95, who co-founded what became the United Farm Workers.

Since the allegations surfaced, California State University, Fresno, has covered Chavez’s campus statue, and San Francisco, Los Angeles, and Sacramento have begun removing or reconsidering his name from public landmarks. Events in other places have been canceled, scaled back, or rebranded.

“This is not about one person. This is not about one narrative,” said Sen. Suzette Valladares, R-Simi Valley. “It’s about honoring generations of sacrifice, of resilience and hope.”

Bianco Ballot Dispute Moves Forward

A California court denied Attorney General Rob Bonta’s emergency bid to halt Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco’s investigation into more than 650,000 ballots seized from the November 2025 special election.

Bianco launched the probe after a citizens group claimed ballot discrepancies. Registrar of Voters Art Tinoco said the claims relied on incomplete data, including ballots not reflected in public totals.

Bonta’s office called the investigation “little more than a fishing expedition meant to sow distrust.” Bianco, one of two Republicans leading polls in the governor’s race, said the probe is a “fact-finding mission.”

California’s Transportation Push

The California Transportation Commission allocated nearly $900 million for mass transit, freight capacity, and next-generation transportation technology statewide.

The package includes $33 million for rail freight at the Port of Long Beach and $35 million for rail power stations in Los Angeles. The commission also approved $17.9 billion over four years for highway safety, bridge repairs, and expanded pedestrian access.

Separately, crews completed a 150-acre railhead facility south of Wasco in Kern County, clearing the way for future track installation on California’s high-speed rail line. Six rail lines now feed directly into the staging site, marking a shift from planning to construction.

According to wire reports, the project still faces delays, rising costs, and an uncertain full buildout.

Flying together with our sponsor

AI’s 80,000-Ton Battery Problem

As AI infrastructure explodes, so does lithium demand. Google’s AI data centers currently use 100 million+ lithium-ion cells for reliable, always-on power.

The problem? Big Tech’s race to build massive new data center capacity has Morgan Stanley forecasting an 80,000-ton lithium shortage this year.

Few companies are better positioned to benefit than EnergyX. Their patented tech produces up to 3X more lithium than traditional methods at speeds 500X faster than evaporation ponds.

Beyond the tech, they have rights to ~150,000 acres of lithium-rich land across North and South America, and they’ve just commissioned Project Lonestar, which could be America’s largest DLE lithium production plant.

Industry leaders like General Motors and POSCO have already invested. Join them as an early-stage EnergyX shareholder before EnergyX’s share price increases after April 16.

➤ San Francisco: The city is expanding its Market Street Safe Corridor ambassador program to Powell Street after 911 calls in existing zones dropped by half and commuters reported feeling safer downtown. (More)

➤ Bay Area: The National Weather Service is forecasting widespread rainfall across the Bay Area and Central Coast next week, with the best chance Tuesday through Thursday. (See Details)

➤ Chico: A Southern magnolia tree at Bidwell Mansion has been named California’s largest Southern magnolia, standing 92 feet tall and dating to about 1865, officials said. (More)

➤ Kings County: Gov. Gavin Newsom warned 15 California communities, including seven in Central California, for failing to comply with state housing laws. Those jurisdictions are more than two years behind and could face legal action if they don’t catch up. (More)

➤ Central Coast: Growers say a record-hot March is stressing crops, damaging sensitive produce like lettuce, and accelerating growth in others. Warmer nights are also reducing plant recovery, raising concerns about overall production. (More)

➤ Fresno: A new assembly bill would designate Fresno and San Joaquin county correctional officers as “peace officers,” expanding protections and benefits. The proposal, known as the Scanlon bill, is named for an officer injured in 2016 who later died. (See Details)

➤ Ocean Beach: An 18,000-gallon sewage spill forced the closure of Dog Beach on Wednesday after roughly half the discharge reached the San Diego River. Beachgoers were warned the water may cause illness. (More)

➤ San Clemente: The U.S. Department of Justice sued S&K Towing for allegedly auctioning 148 vehicles belonging to servicemembers—many from Camp Pendleton—without court orders over five years. A manager allegedly told a military lawyer who flagged the violations, “We do this all the time.” (See Details)

➤ San Ysidro: U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers found a person hidden inside a modified gas tank during a border inspection. The individual was hospitalized for burn injuries, and the 20-year-old driver was arrested. (See Photo)

➤ Granada Hills Charter High School won the 2026 California Academic Decathlon and will try to extend the state’s streak of 22 consecutive national titles next month in Garden Grove. (More)

➤ The Rams and 49ers will play in the NFL’s first regular-season game in Australia on Sept. 10 at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. (More)

➤ San Diego Padres pitcher Yu Darvish was placed on the restricted list as he recovers from elbow surgery. He’s expected to miss the 2026 season, and the move could free up the team from his $15 million salary. (More)

➤ A family of four can expect to pay an average of $413 to attend a Dodgers game this season, the highest in MLB. (More)

➤ Last weekend’s Fanatics Flag Football Classic in Los Angeles drew over 300 million views across television, social media, and online streams. (More)

➤ Meta cut hundreds of jobs Wednesday across units, including Facebook and Reality Labs, as it shifts spending from virtual reality to artificial intelligence. The move reflects a broader push to compete with rivals like OpenAI and Google. (More)

➤ Michelin added six Los Angeles restaurants to the California Michelin Guide as part of a 12-restaurant statewide update. The LA additions include Little Fish Melrose Hill. (See List)

➤ In-N-Out is making a second run at Buellton, a Central Coast town that previously rejected the chain over traffic concerns. The new application uses a revised site plan. (More)

Flying together with our sponsor

China’s 60% Stranglehold on Lithium is Cracking

China dictates the flow of 60% of the world’s lithium. That’s about to change.

America already has the 5th-most lithium reserves in the world. Now, domestic innovators like EnergyX are preparing to ramp up production to unlock this untapped supply.

Their patented tech can recover up to 3X more lithium than traditional methods. That’s already earned investment from giants like General Motors. Even better, they already have rights to nearly 150,000 acres of lithium-rich land across the Americas.

That includes up to 9.8 million tons of lithium in Chile alone, a $1.1 billion/year revenue opportunity at projected market prices. As China’s lithium becomes more volatile, these assets only become more valuable.

Now’s your chance to claim an early-stage stake in EnergyX’s growth. Invest in EnergyX at $12/share by April 16.

Comparisons to other companies are for informational purposes only. Past performance is not indicative of future results. Energy Exploration Technologies, Inc. (“EnergyX”) has engaged The Flyover to publish this communication in connection with EnergyX’s ongoing Regulation A offering. The Flyover has been paid in cash and may receive additional compensation. The Flyover and/or its affiliates do not currently hold securities of EnergyX. This compensation and any current or future ownership interest could create a conflict of interest. Please consider this disclosure alongside EnergyX’s offering materials. EnergyX’s Regulation A offering has been qualified by the SEC. Offers and sales may be made only by means of the qualified offering circular. Before investing, carefully review the offering circular, including the risk factors. The offering circular is available at invest.energyx.com/. Under Regulation A+, a company has the ability to change its share price by up to 20%, without requalifying the offering with the SEC.

➤ Airbnb listed the Hannah Montana Malibu beach house as a bookable stay, complete with the show’s original set design. Miley Cyrus herself helped announce the listing. (More)

➤ Disneyland’s Pirates of the Caribbean and the Blue Bayou restaurant will temporarily close starting May 4 for refurbishment. Blue Bayou is expected to reopen in late May, but no timeline has been set for the ride. (More)

➤ LA’s confusing parking signs are going viral again. A Culver City engineer says the clutter reflects competing parking rules, not an effort to confuse drivers, while state law limits simpler sign designs. (More)