State Workers Ordered Back to Office

About 108,000 California state employees returned to the office four days a week Wednesday under Gov. Gavin Newsom’s return-to-office mandate.

Newsom issued the order in March 2025, arguing in-person work improves collaboration, accountability, and government services. The policy was delayed a year, and workers had been in the office two days a week since 2024.

The shift lands hardest on Sacramento, where about one in six area workers is a state employee, and where downtown businesses are counting on the returning foot traffic.

Unions are fighting back, and many are backing Assembly Bill 1729, which would require agencies to justify in-person work in writing rather than scrap the mandate.

SEIU Local 1000 is among the unions backing the bill as workers argue the mandate will increase commuting costs and create workplace challenges.

Judge Tosses Cardroom Game Ban

A San Francisco judge struck down state regulations that would have banned or severely restricted blackjack-style games at California cardrooms.

Judge Richard Darwin ruled Tuesday that the Bureau of Gambling Control, part of Attorney General Rob Bonta’s Department of Justice, lacked the authority to impose the statewide restrictions.

The rules targeted player-dealer arrangements that let cardrooms offer games resembling blackjack.

Cardroom advocates warned the regulations would have wiped out more than half of statewide cardroom revenue. The industry supports thousands of jobs and sends hundreds of millions of dollars a year to cities for police, parks, and libraries.

California Gaming Association President Kyle Kirkland called the decision a lifeline for those communities. The bureau said it was disappointed and is reviewing its options.

Sued Farmer Gives Away His Crop

A Reedley farmer is letting the public pick more than 125,000 pounds of white nectarines for free rather than watch them rot on the trees.

Third-generation grower Cesar Mora says a three-year legal fight with Los Angeles-based Giumarra Brothers Fruit Company has left him unable to sell the crop for a second straight year.

Giumarra sued Mora for breach of contract, alleging he stopped sending the Monalise white nectarines to the company after signing a 2017 agreement. Mora countersued, alleging fraud, misrepresentation and unfair business practices.

His videos, posted under the handle @NoNectarinesWasted, have drawn thousands of pickers and more than 866,000 views online.

Giumarra says it honors its contracts and safeguards its proprietary programs, and that the litigation is ongoing. The case is set for trial July 20.

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➤ San Jose: Two people were stabbed and multiple people were arrested after celebrations of Mexico’s World Cup victory turned violent Tuesday night, prompting San Jose police to declare an unlawful assembly. (More)

➤ Pacifica: Residents, surfers, and beachgoers are pushing back on long-term RV encampments in the Linda Mar Beach parking lot, citing public health, safety, and environmental concerns, as a petition urges local officials to relocate them. (More)

➤ San Francisco: Donald Luu resigned as president of the San Francisco Chinese Chamber of Commerce amid ongoing legal disputes, saying false allegations by an employee had become a distraction, while denying claims of sexual harassment. (More)

➤ Mount Shasta: A 31-year-old climber, part of a group of three novice climbers, survived a roughly 1,500-foot fall, sliding from about 13,000 to 11,500 feet before being rescued with a suspected broken ankle. (More)

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➤ San Joaquin County: The state is putting $6 million toward fighting invasive golden mussels that clog pipes and threaten water infrastructure in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta. (See Details)

➤ Merced County: Equipment theft and vandalism caused a widespread 911 outage across the North Valley, forcing multiple agencies to reroute emergency calls before service was restored. (More)

➤ Fresno: A bill by Assemblywoman Esmeralda Soria to bar registered sex offenders from running for local or state office failed in the Senate Elections Committee after she rejected amendments limiting it to lifetime registrants. (More)

➤ San Luis Obispo: Thirty-two young women, chosen from 300 applicants, graduate from CAL FIRE’s Camp Cinder today after completing hands-on firefighting and fire service training. (Read Story)

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➤ South Los Angeles: Federal authorities arrested 10 people in a sweeping sex trafficking investigation centered on the Figueroa Corridor, alleging the Hoover Gang exploited dozens of victims, including minors as young as 14. (More)

➤ Gardena: Residents in an unincorporated area along Main Street say recurring street takeovers are endangering the neighborhood and are demanding stronger enforcement. (More)

➤ Los Angeles: The city council pulled a measure that would have asked November voters whether to allow certain noncitizens with legal status to vote in city and school board elections. (More)

➤ Orange County: John Wayne Airport worker and Navy veteran James Blair met the Utah woman whose viral video sparked a GoFundMe that raised more than $170,000 for him. He said he plans to keep working to help pay for his 90-year-old mother’s hospice care. (Read Story)

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➤ Pebble Beach Golf Links topped Golfweek’s annual ranking of the best public-access courses in the country for the second straight year. California placed 10 courses in the top 100, including Pasatiempo (No. 11), Spyglass Hill (No. 12), and a new entry at No. 17, Poppy Ridge in Livermore. (More) 

➤ The LA Lakers acquired center Walker Kessler in a sign-and-trade with the Utah Jazz, sending two unprotected first-round picks and two first-round pick swaps. Kessler signed a four-year, $130 million contract as part of the deal. (More)

➤ UCLA finished No. 6 in a CBS Sports ranking of Power Four schools based on performance across six major sports in 2025-26, followed by USC at No. 22, Stanford at No. 43 and Cal at No. 64. (More)

➤ Meanwhile, UCLA also announced its 2026 Athletic Hall of Fame class this week, a nine-member group that includes three-time All-American baseball player Garrett Atkins, Outland Trophy winner Kris Farris, and World Cup champion Sam Mewis. (See Class)

➤ San Diego State is officially a Pac-12 member after the rebuilt conference launched yesterday with seven new schools. The Aztecs join Boise State, Colorado State, Fresno State, Gonzaga, Texas State, and Utah State alongside holdovers Oregon State and Washington State. (More) 

➤ Yesterday’s Results: World Cup | Wimbledon | MLB

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➤ Rivian signed a long-term lease for about 60,000 square feet in Sacramento’s former Fry’s Electronics building on Northgate Boulevard, where it plans to open a showroom, service, and delivery center in the third quarter of 2027. (See Details)

➤ The Office star Leslie David Baker, who played Stanley Hudson, co-opened a Honey Baked Ham store in Sherman Oaks at 14427 Ventura Blvd., with the location opening June 22 and a grand opening set for July 11. (More)

➤ Marquez Brothers, maker of the El Mexicano brand, plans to produce yogurt at a new plant in Tulare’s former Saputo facility, an operation expected to create about 80 jobs. (More)

➤ Rocket Lab, the Long Beach launch company, announced an $8 billion deal to acquire Iridium, the satellite communications company founded by Motorola through its 1980s effort to build a global satellite phone network. (More)

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➤ Free fishing returns statewide on Saturday, July 4, the first of two 2026 license-free days offered by the state Department of Fish and Wildlife to mark America’s 250th birthday, though all other fishing rules still apply. (See Details)

➤ Two Northern California towns, wine-country Healdsburg in Sonoma County and Gold Country’s Grass Valley, landed on World Atlas’s list of California’s 11 friendliest small towns. (See Details)

➤ Ten-year-old Oliver Browner, a Fresno sixth grader, placed third at the 2026 National Yo-Yo Contest in Las Vegas and has drawn about 60,000 Instagram followers with his tricks. (Read Story)

➤ Disneyland is selling a $59 Evening Ticket for one park on select Sunday-through-Wednesday nights from July 12 to Aug. 5, tied to the Anaheim resort’s 70th anniversary. (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. Clicking the links will take you directly to these stories:

➤ Researchers highlighted five habits that are guaranteed to help you fall asleep quicker and stay asleep longer. (See Habits)

➤ The Justice Department and 17 states have accused three major egg producers of manipulating prices, inflating the market. (Hear Episode)

➤ A new report suggests everyday phone use may be quietly reshaping the body in ways few people realize. (Listen Now)

Would a celebrity’s name get you to try a new restaurant?

1. Yes, I’d check it out
2. Only if the food delivers
3. Doesn’t sway me at all
4. It’d make me skip it

Yesterday’s Results:

Should a homeowners association be able to fine residents for flying the American flag?

1. No, it’s a basic right: 49%
2. Only with reasonable limits: 14%
3. Yes, you agreed to the rules: 13%
4. Not sure: 12%
5. Other: 12%

What is the highest air temperature ever officially recorded anywhere on Earth?

Show me the answer