Irvine Realtor Accused of Spying

The FBI arrested an Irvine real-estate agent at LAX on Sunday as she tried to board a flight to China, accusing her of acting as an unregistered agent for Beijing.

Prosecutors identified her as Wanying “Heather” Zhang, 34, and said she traveled to the Seattle area in 2025 at the direction of Chinese officials. A federal complaint says she surveilled a close relative of a senior Taiwanese official and sent photos, videos, and license-plate information to her contacts.

News reports identified the person she watched as the son of Taiwan’s president, Lai Ching-te. First Assistant U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli said the case is part of a broader Chinese effort to gather intelligence and influence political figures in the United States.

Zhang was detained before she could leave the country and was due in Los Angeles federal court Monday. A complaint is only an allegation, and it was unclear whether she had an attorney.

Transitional Kindergarten Faces Growing Pains

A year after California opened transitional kindergarten to every 4-year-old, the state’s free public-school alternative to preschool is showing some growing pains. Educators and parents say some districts are still sorting out bathrooms, behavior, and how to teach 4-year-olds through play.

The state began planning the rollout in 2021 with $1.2 billion, and spending on the grade reached about $3 billion in ongoing funds last year. Classrooms must now have one adult for every 10 children.

Not everyone sees a program in trouble. Interviews with parents across the state have found many calling the free program a positive experience for their 4-year-olds.

Experts say the fix is less about the concept than the rollout: better teacher training, more aides, and clear toileting plans. Play, they add, is how young children build real skills.

Stanford Professor Shares Nobel in Medicine

Stanford professor Karl Deisseroth shared the 2026 Nobel Prize in medicine on Monday for pioneering optogenetics, which uses light to switch brain cells on and off.

Deisseroth, 54, a professor of bioengineering and psychiatry who started his Stanford lab in 2004, shares the prize with German scientists Peter Hegemann and Georg Nagel. The three were honored for discoveries involving light-sensitive proteins and their use in optogenetics.

Optogenetics lets scientists control specific neurons with pulses of light, a tool now used in labs around the world to map how the brain shapes memory, movement, and emotion. Researchers are also exploring its clinical use, including attempts to restore vision.

Deisseroth, who had drifted off to sleep when the call came at 12:27 a.m. Pacific time, called optogenetics “an engine for discovery.” The three will split a prize of 12 million Swedish kronor, about $1.2 million.

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➤ Bay Area: A heat advisory remains in effect through Thursday for much of the interior Bay Area, with inland temperatures reaching the low 100s and elevated fire danger. Coastal flooding and beach hazards are also expected beginning Wednesday. (More)

➤ Marin County: Residents are raising privacy concerns after a report revealed a data breach involving the county’s Flock automated license-plate-reading cameras. (See Details)

➤ San Francisco: Potrero Hill’s Jackson Playground landed a $10 million state grant toward its $48 million renovation, which will bring new playgrounds, an outdoor multi-use court, improved ballfields, and an expanded clubhouse. (See Details)

➤ Calaveras County: The county will reprint voter pamphlets after its printing vendor mistakenly included candidate statements from the June election instead of the correct statements for November. Officials said the error does not affect ballots or voters’ ability to vote. (More)

➤ Tehama County: The sheriff’s office is asking for the public’s help identifying a suspect in a burglary in the Reeds Creek area. (More)

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➤ Monterey County: Sergio Galvez Perez was arrested and his 14-year-old daughter recovered in Mexico by Mexican authorities, the latest development in a case that began after an infant was found dead along a Monterey County road in August. (More)

➤ Bakersfield: Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., rallied in Bakersfield on Sunday for Randy Villegas, D, who is challenging Rep. David Valadao, R-Hanford, in the 22nd District. Valadao campaigned last week with House Speaker Mike Johnson, and the Cook Political Report rates the race a toss-up. (More)

➤ Channel Islands: A strengthening El Niño could bring a wetter winter to the Channel Islands, raising concerns that heavy storms could cause erosion on fire-scarred Santa Rosa Island and damage sensitive coastal habitats. (Read Story)

➤ Central Coast: Early voting opened Monday across the Central Coast ahead of the November election, with ballots in the mail and county election offices accepting votes in person. (More)

➤ Santa Barbara: A look back at 1926 recalls the controversy over Santa Barbara officials spending nearly $2,000 to move a prized “dragon palm” from the earthquake-damaged Arlington Hotel to Alameda Park. (Read Story)

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➤ Southern California: A dangerous heat wave is holding across the region through Thursday, with temperatures approaching or breaking records before cooler weather arrives this weekend. (More)

➤ Also Southern California: Metrolink fare increases took effect Monday across the regional commuter rail network. (See Details)

➤ Malibu: A shark bit a kayaker twice off Paradise Cove after he caught the animal while fishing and tried to release it. (More)

➤ San Diego: Police resumed walk-up services Monday at the Southern Division station in Palm City after it closed last week over potential mold concerns. (More)

➤ Los Angeles: A Southern California mother is warning others about West Nile virus after her son was hospitalized with a severe case. (Read Story)

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➤ Dodgers ace Yoshinobu Yamamoto will face Braves left-hander Chris Sale in a pivotal NLDS Game 3 today in Atlanta with the series tied 1-1. Sale shut out Los Angeles in their Aug. 27 matchup, while Yamamoto allowed just one run over 6 1/3 innings. (See Details)

➤ 49ers fullback Kyle Juszczyk will miss a few weeks after an MRI revealed a knee hyperextension and bone bruise suffered during Sunday’s 24-14 win over the Broncos. The injury avoided the initial worst-case concern of ACL damage. (See Details)

➤ Lakers forward Ziaire Williams proposed to his longtime girlfriend, model Paris Timan, during Bruno Mars’ concert at SoFi Stadium last week as Marry You played and confetti fell. Timan said yes as the couple appeared on the stadium’s big screen. (See Details)

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

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➤ California health insurers say a new state tax could raise premiums by about $100 per person annually, as insurers and doctors sue Gov. Gavin Newsom and the Legislature, arguing the tax violates a voter-approved limit on health care taxes. (See Details)

➤ Erewhon has made its Los Angeles County Museum of Art café permanent, marking the upscale grocer’s first concept café as it expands its brand beyond its 15 Southern California stores with an exclusive smoothie and limited-edition merchandise. (See Details)

➤ Dad’s Cookies has opened a brick-and-mortar bakery in downtown Fresno, growing from a home-kitchen business launched during the pandemic into a storefront with an espresso bar and dirty soda menu. (See Details)

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Could Your Retirement Budget Use Some Breathing Room?

Retirement should be about enjoying what you’ve worked for, not worrying about every expense. FinanceBuzz highlights practical ways retirees can trim unnecessary costs, from forgotten subscriptions and everyday purchases to larger recurring expenses that may no longer fit their lifestyle.

Small changes can add up and help your savings stretch further without sacrificing the things you enjoy. See the money moves FinanceBuzz recommends for cutting retirement costs.

➤ The U.S. Navy Blue Angels arrived in the Bay Area Sunday for San Francisco Fleet Week, returning after missing last year’s event because of the government shutdown. The jets will headline air shows over the bay Friday through Sunday, with viewing along Marina Green and the waterfront. (See Details)

➤ Guy Fieri will tape the new season of Tournament of Champions in Windsor from Oct. 8-23, with fans able to request tickets to attend the tapings. The Food Network competition pits 32 chefs against each other in a single-elimination tournament. (See Details)

➤ Sacramento artist Cecelia Perez has taken her Chicano-inspired “Hey Ruca” artwork national, collaborating with McDonald’s, Modelo, the Sacramento Kings, and San Francisco Giants. (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. 

➤ Your dog’s sleep twitches aren’t random, and researchers can now decode what’s behind them. (Listen Now)

➤ Amazon is issuing a new wave of refunds worth up to $200 after regulators accused it of deceptively enrolling Prime customers. (Hear Episode)

➤ Gen Z students are fueling a Catholic surge at nearly 60 college campuses, from Texas A&M to Silicon Valley. (Hear Details)

Have you ever been to a live taping of a TV show?

1. Yes, more than once
2. Yes, once
3. No, but I’d love to
4. No, and I’ll pass

Yesterday’s Results:

Have you ever gotten a speeding ticket?

1. More than once: 41%
2. Just once: 30%
3. Never: 20%
4. Pleading the fifth: 9%

After a 1925 earthquake, Santa Barbara rebuilt its downtown in one unified style, giving it the red-tile roofs and white walls it’s famous for today. What’s that style called?

Show me the answer