California Warns of Healthcare Phone Scam

California health officials are warning residents about callers impersonating state health department employees to obtain personal information about pharmacy visits or prescriptions.

The California Department of Public Health says it has received multiple reports of the scam, which is targeting Californians statewide. Callers may claim that a prescription was filled in someone’s name, then threaten legal action or say the prescription will be canceled unless the person verifies their identity.

Some victims are transferred to fake police video calls featuring people in uniform and staged recording rooms. The department says its employees will never ask for Social Security numbers, credit card information, or payment over the phone.

Officials recommend that anyone who receives a suspicious call hang up, contact the department directly, and report the scam to local law enforcement and the Federal Trade Commission.

SF Declares Emergency Ahead of El Niño

San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie declared an emergency Friday to prepare for the severe storms, flooding, and high tides El Niño could bring this winter.

The declaration temporarily waives certain contracting requirements so departments, including Public Works, the Port of San Francisco, and San Francisco International Airport, can secure supplies quickly. It also organizes city government under an incident command system and allows the mayor to shift funds between departments.

Emergency Management Director Mary Ellen Carroll said the city is preparing for heavy rain and wind that can flood streets and knock out power, plus higher coastal water levels that can flood waterfront areas even on dry days. Officials urged residents to pick up sandbags and restock emergency kits now.

San Francisco joins other California jurisdictions that have declared local emergencies since Gov. Gavin Newsom issued a statewide proclamation in late September.

A Ghost Town Gets New Life

The remote California mining town of Cerro Gordo, near Death Valley, is being revived as a historic destination, drawing fresh attention to its rugged past.

After booming as a silver-mining town, Cerro Gordo became a ghost town in the 1890s. A zinc-mining comeback followed in the early 1900s, when L.D. Gordon restarted operations, and mining continued intermittently until the town was largely abandoned by the 1950s.

Thousands once called Cerro Gordo home, and more than $500 million in minerals came from its 30 miles of mines. The town’s silver also helped fuel Los Angeles’ early growth as a commercial hub.

Today, the site is open to visitors as restoration work continues.

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One California prison. A request for 1,000 Bibles.

After a single email to chaplains, one California prison requested 1,000 Bibles. That’s a powerful reminder of how much interest there can be behind walls most of us rarely think about.

There are incarcerated men and women who want to read God’s Word but don’t have a Bible of their own. Through Prison Fellowship, you can help meet that need.

Your gift helps place a Bible in someone’s hands, giving them a place to explore faith, reflect on forgiveness, and find hope for what comes next.

The need may be larger than you imagined. But the way to help is simple: one Bible, in one person’s hands.

Help answer the request.

➤ Stockton: Lincoln Unified School District is asking voters to approve a $79 million bond measure on Nov. 3 to fund school safety upgrades, classroom and lab improvements, and repairs to roofs, HVAC systems, restrooms, and other facilities. (More)

➤ Sacramento County: Hundreds of Nightingale College graduates await a judge’s ruling on whether they can apply for California nursing exams while the college challenges the state’s licensing requirements. (More)

➤ Northern California: PG&E warned that power shutoffs could affect about 644 customers in parts of seven counties, including Butte, Lake, Napa, Shasta, Solano, Sonoma, and Yolo, amid elevated fire danger. (More)

➤ Kern County: The 2025 Child Death Review report found no fentanyl-related deaths among children under 18 for a second year in a row, while overall child deaths fell about 12%. (More)

➤ Madera County: Sancho Kibutu was extradited from Kenya to California, where he is expected to face sentencing in Madera County Superior Court for a 2011 crash that killed a 16-year-old passenger. (More)

➤ Bakersfield: Betty’s Barn of Antiques’ estate sale wraps up today, running 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., with antiques and vehicles from the late Betty Sadler’s collection. (More)

➤ Los Angeles: The city’s first 20 automated speed cameras go live Monday, issuing warnings for 60 days before civil fines of $50 to $500 begin, with all 125 cameras expected to be active by year’s end. (More)

➤ San Diego: Gov. Gavin Newsom announced a $50,000 reward for information leading to an arrest and conviction in the 2008 killing of 20-year-old Darnell Smith in the Emerald Hills neighborhood. (More)

➤ San Diego: A LendingTree analysis of auto insurance data found 28.2 accidents per 1,000 drivers, the highest rate in California and second-highest among the 50 largest U.S. cities. (More)

➤ The Golden State Valkyries evened the WNBA Finals at 2-2, beating the Atlanta Dream 67-62 on the road after building a 16-point first-half lead and holding Angel Reese to eight points. Game 5 is Monday in San Francisco. (More)

➤ No. 16 USC was upset 24-7 on the road at Wisconsin as the Badgers scored three unanswered touchdowns and held the Trojans to minus-17 rushing yards. USC dropped to 6-2 ahead of next week’s matchup with No. 3 Ohio State. (More)

➤ No. 9 UCLA beat Michigan State 28-10 at home to reach 7-0 for the first time since 2005, while California surrendered 42 unanswered points in the second half of a 59-20 loss to No. 23 SMU. (See Scores)

➤ Former Los Angeles Rams running back Lawrence McCutcheon died at 76 after battling Parkinson’s disease. A five-time Pro Bowl selection, he later spent decades in the team’s front office. (More)

➤ The San Francisco 49ers look to stay unbeaten today at the Atlanta Falcons, while the Los Angeles Rams visit the Las Vegas Raiders seeking to rebound from consecutive losses. (More)

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

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The request has already been made.

Somewhere behind California’s prison walls, someone wants to open a Bible and read it for themselves.

You can help close the gap between that request and a Bible they can hold. Through Prison Fellowship, your generosity helps provide access to God’s Word and its message of grace, purpose, and new life.

A request for hope deserves an answer.

Help provide a Bible today.

➤ Rivian is bringing Ghostbusters to Halloween with a one-of-a-kind Ecto-R1 and a software update adding themed games, lights, and sounds to its electric vehicles. (More)

➤ Fresno Chaffee Zoo is rehoming its red wolf pair, Cypress and Daisy, by year’s end because the two haven’t successfully bred. (More)

➤ A Thousand Oaks woman has turned her Feather Avenue front yard into a Halloween spectacle, with skeletons and monsters rising from the ground, zombie silhouettes on the garage, and a ghoul perched on a tree swing. Katie Reith started the tradition when her kids were little and keeps adding to it so younger families can enjoy the same kind of neighborhood fun. (More)

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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, straight from the heart of the country. 

➤ Linda McMahon pursues an unusual career goal: convincing Congress that her own department isn’t needed. (Hear More)

➤ Pooh’s rumored British homecoming fizzled before the bear could pack his pants, which he never wore anyway. (Listen Now)

➤ Michelin inspectors loosened their belts across the South and crowned three new stars, including a restaurant in rural Georgia. (Podcast Available)

What’s your go-to Halloween movie?

1. Ghostbusters
2. Hocus Pocus
3. Something truly terrifying
4. I skip the scary stuff
5. Other (reply to tell us)

Yesterday’s Results:

Have you ever visited Death Valley?

1. Yes: 54%
2. No, and I don’t plan to: 26%
3. No, but it’s on my list: 20%

Howard Hughes built an enormous wooden flying boat in Southern California, the largest aircraft of its time with a wingspan longer than a football field. It lifted off only once, briefly, over Long Beach Harbor in 1947. What was this giant plane nicknamed?

Show me the answer