Billionaire Tax Trails; Wealth-Tax Ban Leads

By Wednesday, a tax on California’s billionaires was headed to defeat, and voters were leaning toward Proposition 42, a rival measure to ban wealth taxes outright that drew backing from both billionaires and Gov. Gavin Newsom.

The billionaire tax trailed with about 56% opposed after an opposition campaign that spent hundreds of millions, arguing the levy would drive wealthy residents out of state. Backers said the one-time 5% tax would have made billionaires help fund health care.

Voters also rejected Proposition 39, a voter ID requirement, by about 59%, a defeat the Associated Press called Tuesday night.

Two housing measures passed: Proposition 1, a housing bond, with about 59%, and Proposition 37, a homebuyer loan program, with roughly 61%.

Democrats Flip Key California Seats

Democrat Marni von Wilpert has won the open 48th District, NBC News projects, leading Republican Jim Desmond by nearly 20 points for the San Diego-area seat being vacated by Republican Rep. Darrell Issa.

Her projected win flips the region’s last Republican-held seat and gives Democrats all five San Diego-area districts. Across the state, Democrats won several other contested House races, adding to their newly secured majority.

In the Central Valley’s 22nd District, Democrat Randy Villegas defeated Republican Rep. David Valadao, a longtime target of national Democrats, according to The Associated Press. Valadao was seeking his seventh term in Congress.

Both races were reshaped by Proposition 50, the redistricting measure approved in 2025 and backed by Gov. Gavin Newsom, which redrew five districts to favor Democrats. Both Democrats built substantial leads on election night, with ballot counting continuing Wednesday.

Raman Overtakes Bass in L.A. Count

Los Angeles City Councilwoman Nithya Raman overtook Mayor Karen Bass for the lead in the mayor’s race Wednesday as additional ballots were counted.

Raman held about 51% to Bass’ 49% with more than 700,000 votes counted, reversing an election-night deficit. Both candidates are Democrats, and the race remained too close to call.

Bass, seeking a second term, campaigned on her record on homelessness, crime, and expanded film-industry tax credits. Raman, a former Bass ally turned critic, argued the city needs new leadership on public safety and emergency response.

With ballots still outstanding, county officials expect counting to continue for days.

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➤ Sacramento: Incumbent Democrat Rob Bonta was projected to win reelection as California attorney general over Republican Michael Gates, capturing about 64% of the vote. (More)

➤ Bay Area: Voters across five counties approved the Regional Transit Measure, a sales tax increase projected to raise about $1 billion annually for BART, Muni, Caltrain, and AC Transit. The measure passed with roughly 61% support. (More)

➤ San Francisco: State Sen. Scott Wiener won the race to succeed Nancy Pelosi in Congress after Supervisor Connie Chan conceded Wednesday. Wiener will be the first openly LGBTQ person to represent San Francisco in Congress. (More)

➤ San Francisco: Mission Local said its reporter was barred from Scott Wiener’s election-night party over perceived bias in its Israel-Palestine coverage. The campaign later reversed course and allowed the reporter in. (More)

➤ Also San Francisco: Voters rejected a measure to reopen the Upper Great Highway to weekday car traffic, with about 63% opposed. It marked the third time in four years the city voted on car access to the coastal road. (More)

➤ Napa County: Paul Pelosi, husband of former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, pleaded no contest to a misdemeanor hit-and-run after striking a parked car in Yountville in July. He received a six-month driving ban and was ordered to pay fines and fees. (More)

➤ East Bay: Democrat Rep. Aisha Wahab led Melissa Hernandez 56.5% to 43.5% Wednesday afternoon in her bid for a full term in the 14th Congressional District, with about 53% of the expected vote counted. Wahab won an August special election to replace Eric Swalwell, who resigned in April. (More)

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➤ Fresno: Naindeep Singh narrowly led Rob Fuentes by just 16 votes in the race for Fresno City Council District 1, with about 38% of the expected vote reported as of late Tuesday night. (More)

➤ Clovis: Misty Gomez and Antonio Garcia pleaded guilty to second-degree murder in the killing of Clovis educator Geoffrey Bernardi. Both were arrested in Mexico and returned to Fresno County, with sentencing set for Dec. 4. (More)

➤ Fresno County: Measure S, a proposed half-cent transportation sales tax to fund local road repairs and improvements, was trailing in early returns, with about 53% of voters opposed. (More)

➤ Bakersfield: A woman accused of firing shots at KBAK-TV twice in October will undergo a mental competency evaluation before standing trial. Thomashana Renee Zeigler, 46, faces multiple felony charges, with a hearing set for Dec. 1. (More)

➤ Hope Ranch: Fire crews responded to a half-acre vegetation fire near Santa Barbara sparked by a recurring geological phenomenon locals call the “Hope Ranch Volcano,” which releases steam and sulfurous gases. (More)

➤ Carpinteria: The city is building a 1,400-foot sand berm to protect beachfront homes and infrastructure from potentially severe winter storms, starting earlier than usual due to flooding concerns. (See Details)

➤ Santa Maria canceled its annual pumpkin-smashing event, set for Nov. 7, as a precaution after San Luis Obispo County health officials began investigating E. coli cases possibly tied to a local pumpkin patch. (See Details)

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➤ L.A. County: Sheriff Robert Luna is projected to win reelection over predecessor Alex Villanueva in a rematch of their 2022 race, which Luna won by 23 points. (More)

➤ Pacific Palisades: A jury has been selected for the retrial of Jonathan Rinderknecht, accused of setting a brush fire that prosecutors say reignited into January 2025’s deadly Palisades Fire. His first trial ended in a mistrial after jurors deadlocked. (More)

➤ Also L.A. County: A series of illegal street takeovers involving participants from the Bay Area led to 22 arrests by the L.A. County Sheriff’s Department. (More)

➤ Ocotillo Wells: A small plane crashed into a hillside and caught fire Tuesday morning near Ocotillo Wells in eastern San Diego County, killing the pilot, who was the only person aboard. (More)

➤ San Diego: A magnitude 4.7 earthquake struck northern Baja California near Mexicali on Tuesday morning, with shaking felt across parts of Southern California. No damage was initially reported. (More)

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➤ Brandon Aiyuk filed for reinstatement and plans to report to the San Francisco 49ers on Friday. The receiver hasn’t played since tearing his ACL in October 2024. (More)

➤ The Golden State Valkyries’ championship-clinching Game 7 win over the Atlanta Dream drew a WNBA playoff-record 3.3 million viewers. (More)

➤ Additionally, the Valkyries celebrated their WNBA championship Wednesday with a victory parade through San Francisco, drawing crowds of fans along the Embarcadero. (See Details)

➤ The Golden State Warriors are withholding paychecks from center Kristaps Porzingis, who stepped away from the team before training camp and is leaning toward retirement. (More)

➤ Cutter Gauthier became the first player in Anaheim Ducks franchise history with back-to-back hat tricks, scoring three times in the Ducks’ 5-4 win over the Canucks on Tuesday. (More)

➤ Two winless teams made the Los Angeles City Section football playoffs thanks to computer rankings that reward tough schedules. Westchester, outscored 408-34 during its 0-10 season, will even host a first-round game Friday. (More)

➤ Yesterday’s Results: NCAAF | NHL | NBA | NCAAM | NCAAW | Soccer

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➤ Fresno County agriculture reached a record $9.64 billion in gross production value in 2025, up 6.8% from 2024, keeping the county No. 1 in California and the nation. Pistachios overtook grapes as the second-most valuable commodity behind almonds. (More)

➤ Mammoth Mountain moved up its 2026-27 opening to today after an early storm dumped up to 15 inches of snow, putting the Eastern Sierra resort among California’s first ski areas to open this season. (More)

➤ Il Porto, a waterfront café from investor and restaurateur Eduardo Rallo, is set to open at San Francisco’s Pier 31 near the Alcatraz ferry landing in spring 2027, bringing sit-down dining, drinks, and live music to the busy tourist gateway. (More)

➤ America’s top-rated Taco Bell sits on the sand in Pacifica, where the oceanfront Cantina on Highway 1 averages 4.44 stars across more than 4,600 Google reviews, the best of any location nationwide. (More)

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➤ A 4-foot-long ball python was found curled up in a trash can at Glendale’s Brand Park on Monday. Animal control rescued the snake, now recovering at Pasadena Humane, though its origins remain a mystery. (More)

➤ Those mysterious fireworks over San Francisco on Election Night weren’t about the vote. They were part of Fireworks AI’s Forge 2026 conference, which featured a 10-minute show near Pier 27. (More)

➤ Legendary rock climber Alex Honnold returned to Yosemite this week, hiking the 8.2-mile Panorama Trail with friends and sharing scenic photos. Honnold made history in 2017 as the first person to climb El Capitan without ropes. (More)

➤ Two monster striped bass weighing 48 and 40 pounds were caught at San Luis Reservoir in just two weeks. Fishing guide Roger George called the back-to-back catches extraordinary, with both trophy fish safely released back into the water. (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. 

➤ Americans are fed up with tip screens, but what’s the real effect on workers’ paychecks? (Listen Now)

➤ Passengers who paid more than $300,000 for a lifetime at sea have been forced off their cruise ship in Cambodia. (Hear Why)

➤ The scientist who helped create Russia’s Novichok nerve agent, then accused Moscow of using it for state-level hits, has been found dead. (Hear Story)

Have you ever been to a championship parade or big sports celebration?

1. Yes, I’ve been in the crowd for one
2. A few over the years
3. No, but I’d love to
4. Not my kind of thing

Yesterday’s Results:

Be honest: Do you drink your morning coffee on an empty stomach?

1. Always: 63%
2. Sometimes: 12%
3. Never: 10%
4. I’m a tea person: 10%
5. Other: 5%

Yountville, a small town in the heart of the Napa Valley, is home to what many consider the finest restaurant in America, a three-Michelin-star landmark run by chef Thomas Keller. What is it called?

Show me the answer