Longtime Surfers Develop Odd Chest Growths

Doctors are drawing attention to soft, fatty growths that form on the chests of longtime surfers.

UC Irvine dermatology professor Dr. Jeffrey Klein led research into the benign masses, which his team named “liposurfomas” after studying seven surfers. The lumps develop where the chest presses against a shortboard during paddling and tend to grow with more time in the water.

Klein said the growths are often mistaken for cancer, which can lead to unnecessary testing and treatment. Surfers can manage them with foam padding inside a wetsuit or have them removed through liposuction or surgery, though the masses can return if surfing continues.

Veteran surfers have long known about the bumps, and legendary surfer Corky Carroll once wrote about his own, calling himself “the man with four breasts.”

California Closes ‘Montana Loophole’

California has closed a loophole that let wealthy residents avoid tens of thousands of dollars in taxes on luxury vehicles by registering them in Montana.

Buyers set up shell companies in Montana, which has no statewide sales tax or vehicle registration fees, to purchase Ferraris, Lamborghinis, and RVs they then drove and stored in California. On a $500,000 car, California sales tax can top $50,000, depending on the local rate.

The new law, signed by Gov. Gavin Newsom, treats a shell company as a California resident if at least one member lives in the state, and it lets tax officials hold individual members liable for unpaid taxes and penalties. State Sen. Jerry McNerney, D-Pleasanton, who wrote the bill, said, “Closing the Montana Loophole will help restore some fairness to our sales tax system by ensuring that everyone pays what they owe.”

McNerney estimates the loophole costs California about $20 million a year, while state officials have put the figure closer to $10 million.

State Workers Set Oct. 21 Strike

California’s largest state worker union has authorized a one-day strike for Oct. 21, which would be its first statewide walkout.

Members of SEIU Local 1000, which represents about 100,000 state employees, voted 96.2% in favor, the union announced Thursday. The union is seeking bigger raises, more affordable health coverage, and more flexibility to work from home after its contract expired at the end of June.

The union accuses CalHR, the agency that negotiates for the state, of bargaining in bad faith, and a state labor board sided with the union on that complaint in late September. Union President Anica Walls said in a statement, “This vote is a notice to the Newsom administration that if they continue to bargain in bad faith, we will take action.”

CalHR says the state remains open to negotiating and is prepared to enter mediation, while Walls has warned that a strike could delay services at the DMV and the state’s unemployment and disability offices.

Flying together with our sponsor

➤ Monte Sereno: An elderly couple died after a fire engulfed their two-story home around 2 a.m. Wednesday, despite a neighbor’s attempt to break in and wake them. Investigators haven’t released a cause or the victims’ names. (More)

➤ San Francisco: The Public Defender’s Office released bodycam video showing officers punching Kevon Gibson during an August 2025 arrest, accusing them of excessive force. Police found a loaded handgun in his pocket, a jury later convicted him on gun and resisting-arrest charges, and a district attorney’s review found the force justified. (More)

➤ Sonoma County: Supervisors declared an emergency ahead of what could be a record El Niño winter, which forecasters put at 75% odds. Crews are clearing culverts and staging sandbags. (More)

➤ Arroyo Grande: Organizers cleared the audience from a Sept. 21 school board candidate forum after Assembly candidate Shannon Kessler, a Republican, refused at first to cover her “Save Girls Sports” shirt, which also carried her campaign information on the back. The League of Women Voters of San Luis Obispo County, which hosted the event at Arroyo Grande High, bans campaign clothing inside forums, and Kessler says others wearing political messages weren’t asked to cover up. (More)

➤ Fresno: The City Council voted unanimously Thursday to oppose privatizing Fresno County libraries, after a private company approached county supervisors offering what Councilmember Mike Karbassi said would be $7 million in savings. The county says the issue won’t be on the Board of Supervisors’ Oct. 20 agenda. (More)

➤ San Luis Obispo County: Health officials confirmed the county’s first measles case of 2026 and are warning people who visited Family Industrial Medical Center in San Luis Obispo on Oct. 5–6 or the Arroyo Grande Community Hospital emergency room on Oct. 7. Anyone exposed should watch for symptoms for up to 21 days. (More)

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

➤ Southern California Coast: Swells of up to 6 feet from Tropical Storm Rachel pounded beaches Thursday, flooding the Pacific Coast Highway in Laguna Beach and battering the Long Beach peninsula, where officials handed out sandbags and inspected homes for damage. A coastal flood advisory remains in effect for Ventura, Los Angeles, and Orange county beaches until 2 p.m. Tuesday. (More)

➤ Long Beach: A magnitude 3.2 earthquake struck about a mile southwest of Signal Hill at 12:44 a.m. Friday, the U.S. Geological Survey said. No damage was reported. (More)

➤ Pacific Palisades: Owners at the Villa De La Paz condo complex, where the fire destroyed 66 of 107 units, say a power line that Los Angeles Department of Water and Power moved closer to the site is keeping them from getting rebuilding permits. The utility has proposed a taller pole to fix the problem, but residents say it quoted them $50,000 to $60,000 to install it. (More)

➤ The Golden State Valkyries visited the Las Vegas Aces in Game 3 of their WNBA semifinal last night, needing one win to clinch a Finals berth. (See Score)

➤ No. 21 UCLA visits No. 13 Oregon this afternoon seeking its first win in Eugene since 2004, while No. 19 USC visits Penn State for a White Out game. (See Preview)

➤ Sacramento Kings owner Vivek Ranadivé reportedly turned a recent team dinner into a roast, directing criticism at players, coaches, and executives as a motivation tactic. The Kings went 22-60 last season. (More)

➤ Fresno State fans 21 and older can wash down stadium fare with a new bone-shaped “beer bone” tonight, when the Bulldogs host No. 23 Boise State in the Milk Can Game. (See Photos)

➤ Yesterday’s Results: NCAAF | WNBA | NHL | Soccer | NBA | Golf

Flying together with our sponsor

➤ Brighten your smile with Purely White Deluxe Purple Whitening Strips. Featuring peroxide-free PAP+ technology and color-neutralizing purple pigments, these dentist-formulated strips help remove stains and reduce yellow tones without the sensitivity of traditional whitening treatments. Easy to apply and gentle on enamel, they’re currently 40% off!

Flying together with our sponsor

Genius Gadgets: The 37 That Actually Earn Their Keep

Smart shoppers know the secret: the best gadgets earn their keep. These 37 picks prove it. They aren’t gimmicks or dust collectors, they’re practical innovations that deliver real value every single day.

Whether you’re organizing your space, upgrading your routine, or getting a head start on gifts, this list highlights what’s genuinely worth buying right now. The catch? These popular items are selling faster than anticipated, so availability won’t last.

Click Here

➤ The 20th California Capital Airshow opens today at Mather Airport in Sacramento County, with gates at noon and afternoon performances starting at 3:30 p.m. Organizers are also promising a nighttime show of drones, fireworks, and planes rigged with pyrotechnics and LED lights, with CEO Darcy Brewer saying, “When the sun goes down, the skies light up.” (More)

➤ A Colorado dad whose 7-year-old son became the youngest person to climb Yosemite’s El Capitan in May says multiple people reported the family to Child Protective Services. Joe Evermore said critics don’t understand climbing, and CPS declined to pursue the complaints. (More)

➤ A young black bear wandered onto Morro Rock early Wednesday, drawing a crowd and briefly closing Coleman Drive and the walking path to the rock. State wildlife biologists hazed the roughly 2-year-old bear toward Morro Creek, which they expect it to follow back to its usual habitat. (More)

Flying together with our sponsor

➤ Your Hair Doesn’t Grow From Your Hair. Thinning hair may have more to do with your skin than you realize. Hair grows from follicles rooted in skin, which relies on a structural protein that naturally declines with age. As levels fall, strands may become thinner and weaker. Discover the overlooked connection between skin and thinning hair. Learn more.

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

➤ The IRS is mailing notices about $1,000 in free retirement money, but strict cutoffs apply. (Listen Now)

➤ This year’s Nobel Peace Prize went to a South African jurist, drawing swift condemnation from Israel. (Hear Details)

➤ Severe turbulence forced a Colombia-to-New York flight to divert to Miami, sending at least eight people to the hospital. (Podcast Available)

What’s your favorite part of an airshow?

1. Roaring jet flyovers
2. Aerobatic stunts
3. Fireworks and night shows
4. Touring planes on the ground
5. Never been to one

Yesterday’s Results:

If you got the chance, would you go to space?

1. Not for me: 53%
2. In a heartbeat: 24%
3. Maybe, I’d think about it: 23%

In 1977, Los Angeles Dodgers star Dusty Baker hit his 30th home run, and teammate Glenn Burke thrust a palm overhead that Baker reached up and slapped. That exchange is widely credited as the first-ever what?

Show me the answer