Santa Ana Winds Fuel Fire Danger

Red Flag Warnings take effect at 6 a.m. today across much of Los Angeles County as Santa Ana winds gusting up to 70 mph sweep into Southern California.

The strongest winds are expected this afternoon through Friday afternoon, with humidity dropping as low as 5%. The National Weather Service warned that any new fire could show extreme behavior in Los Angeles and Ventura counties, while a Fire Weather Watch covers the interior mountains of Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo counties Friday.

The region got an early preview Wednesday when a brush fire broke out in Brentwood. Crews stopped its spread at about 1.5 acres in roughly an hour, with no injuries or damaged structures.

Southern California Edison is weighing precautionary power shutoffs for more than 37,700 customers, including parts of Malibu. Heat Advisories also run through Saturday, with highs climbing into the mid-90s.

Audit: 57 Dams in Poor Condition

A new state audit found 57 California dams in poor or unsatisfactory condition and said regulators have never imposed punitive penalties on owners for failing to address safety violations.

Forty of those dams carry high or extremely high hazard ratings and cluster near the Bay Area, Los Angeles, and San Diego. The State Auditor estimates their failure could endanger up to 1.5 million people and cause more than $265 billion in damage.

Many owners say they can’t afford repairs, which the Department of Water Resources puts at about $28 billion statewide, including repairs for additional dams expected to be identified over the next five years. The department gained power to fine owners in 2017 but says it hasn’t had the staff or money to pursue cases.

Laura Hollender, a deputy director at the department, said it disagrees with some of the audit’s findings and recommendations. She said the agency is reviewing them as it prepares for a potentially wet El Niño winter.

OpenAI Engineer Accused of Hiding Recorder

Federal prosecutors charged an OpenAI engineer with planting a hidden recording device in an executive conference room at the company’s San Francisco offices.

Abdulrahman Alfozan, a 35-year-old Saudi national, was arrested Oct. 9 and made his first court appearance Tuesday. According to the complaint, the device was concealed in toilet paper and plugged into a USB port on the back of a TV.

A camera later captured Alfozan appearing to check behind the TV, and staff found a second recorder in a bag he left unattended. OpenAI said it fired the employee and has no indication he improperly accessed source code or customer data.

Alfozan faces up to five years in prison if convicted and is due back in court Oct. 19. It wasn’t immediately clear whether he has an attorney.

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➤ San Jose: Three people were hurt and about 100 evacuated after 30 batteries went into thermal runaway at Archer Aviation’s battery lab. The air-taxi company blamed employee error, and the injured were evaluated and released. (More)

➤ San Mateo County: City leaders warn that subsidized childcare and after-school programs serving more than 800 children could face cuts amid a nearly $230 million state funding shortfall. Lawmakers have agreed to negotiate a new funding formula. (See Details)

➤ Marysville: A 33-year-old Yuba City man pleaded not guilty Tuesday to murder in the Oct. 11 stabbing of a Save Mart assistant manager. Prosecutors say Douglas Eid, 64, was attacked after asking Samuel Hartbower to leave the store. A shopper who stepped in was also stabbed. (See Details)

➤ Humboldt County: Deputies arrested a 52-year-old Hoopa man who they say was trying to spread an active fire Sunday while dressed like a wildland firefighter. Aaron James Pole is also a person of interest in two other fires that day. (Read Story)

➤ Sebastopol: City officials ordered A&M BBQ to remove its commercial smokers after rejecting zoning changes that would allow them. Neighbors complained about smoke and poor air quality, but the owners say they plan to keep operating. (More)

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➤ Bakersfield: Someone fired shots into the KBAK/KBFX television station Tuesday while employees were inside, the station’s second shooting in a week. Police say 10 shots were fired into a conference room and an office in an attack last week. No one was hurt, and no arrests have been made. (More)

➤ Also Bakersfield: Professional fighter JC Llamas is running for the Ward 3 seat on the city council, which Ken Weir is vacating at the end of his term. Llamas has identified homelessness, reducing grocery costs, and improving financial transparency as campaign priorities. (Read Story)

➤ Stockton: The city council voted 4-2 to strip Jason Lee of his vice mayor title after rejecting his offer to resign it, and voted 6-1 to remove him from the audit committee. Lee, who remains the District 6 councilmember, accused colleagues of “weaponizing” their platform. (More)

➤ Fresno: California unveiled a new program Tuesday at Fresno State offering eligible aspiring teachers a one-time $10,000 stipend while completing required classroom training. The program aims to ease financial burdens during the state’s 600-hour training requirement. (See Details)

➤ Moss Landing: Hundreds of sea lions have been crowding onto a harbor bridge, snarling traffic for residents and anglers. A Marine Mammal Center official says the crowds of sightseers aren’t helping on a road with no real sidewalk. (More)

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➤ Laguna Beach: Caltrans closed a southbound lane of PCH between Reef Point Drive and Irvine Cove Drive after cracks opened in a Crystal Cove bluff just yards from the highway. Recent heavy swells have eroded the bluff, and the lane stays closed until repairs are done. (See Details)

➤ Silver Lake: Gene Atkins was sentenced Wednesday to more than 200 years to life for a 2018 Trader Joe’s shootout and hostage standoff. Employee Mely Corado was killed by police gunfire, but Atkins was convicted of murder for provoking the shootout. (More)

➤ North County: SDG&E is holding public meetings this week on its proposed $1.62 billion Golden Pacific Powerlink, a 145-mile line connecting Orange County and the Imperial Valley. Critics cite wildfire risks and 200-foot towers, while SDG&E says the project would strengthen the grid. (More)

➤ Los Feliz: A water main break opened a sinkhole Wednesday near Franklin and Normandie avenues, trapping a Spectrum van. The technician was unharmed, but the van continued sinking. The break also forced a road closure and disrupted 30 water services. (See Details)

➤ San Diego: Fleet Week returns Nov. 1-15 with free ship tours, military displays, concerts, and a boat parade on San Diego Bay. Last year’s festivities were canceled due to the federal government shutdown. (More)

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➤ Los Angeles Dodgers lost 6-2 to the Milwaukee Brewers Wednesday, falling behind 3-0 in the National League Championship Series. Milwaukee hit three home runs, leaving the defending champions facing elimination tonight at Dodger Stadium. (More)

➤ Los Angeles Rams left tackle Alaric Jackson drew a two-game suspension for punching Buffalo Bills linebacker Bradley Chubb after Monday’s overtime loss. (More)

➤ The Golden State Valkyries will face the Atlanta Dream in WNBA Finals Games 3 and 4 at 17,000-seat State Farm Arena rather than Atlanta’s usual 3,500-seat venue. Game 3 will now be played Oct. 21. (More)

➤ Fresno State men’s basketball will face Alabama State on Nov. 20 at downtown Fresno’s Selland Arena, where the Bulldogs played from 1966 through 2003. They returned to the arena last season for the first time in 16 years. (More)

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

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➤ Midway Rising, a $4.2 billion redevelopment of San Diego’s Sports Arena site, goes before a city council committee Friday. The plan includes 4,254 homes, with 2,000 affordable units. The full council could vote in November. (See Details)

➤ Disney offered $20 million for some of Character.ai’s intellectual property after the chatbot startup filed for bankruptcy. Once valued at $1 billion, the company faces lawsuits alleging harm to teens and says the platform could shut down without a sale. (More)

➤ San Diego County’s Craft Coast was named Brewery of the Year in its size class at the Great American Beer Festival, winning gold medals for its Oscura dark lager and Beería brown ale. (More)

➤ Doe House, a 1908 Pacific Heights mansion built for timber baron Frank P. Doe, hit the market for $27 million, its first listing in nearly 30 years. It last sold in 1998 for $4.9 million. (More)

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Try this age spot trick (it will shock you)

If you think age spots are caused by aging or even sun damage, think again.

In his latest exposé, former chief of surgery Dr. Steven Gundry is launching a crusade against the skincare industry to reveal the biggest lie it has ever told women.

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➤ Millions of Californians will drop, cover, and hold on at 10:15 a.m. today for the Great California ShakeOut. More than 10.1 million people statewide are registered for the annual earthquake drill, which began in Southern California in 2008. (More)

➤ Point Reyes’ nonnative deer trace back to 36 animals a landowner bought from the San Francisco Zoo in the 1940s and released for hunting. By 2002 they numbered about 1,100, prompting a culling and contraception program that left an aging herd unable to breed. (Read Story)

➤ Palantir CTO Shyam Sankar told Face the Nation that some Silicon Valley AI researchers have taken up smoking to signal their faith that AI will cure cancer, calling it “mass psychosis.” He offered no evidence of how widespread it is, though other reports describe a nicotine revival among tech founders. (More)

➤ Cheap cars took over WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca Monday as the 24 Hours of Lemons marked its 20th anniversary with its first race at the track. Forty-five teams ran a seven-hour race in cars bought for $500 or less. (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. 

➤ Five things are quietly reshaping your 2027 Social Security check, and most retirees only catch one. (Listen Now)

➤ Global health researchers have linked roughly one in eight new cancer cases worldwide to a dozen common infections, some preventable. (Hear Details)

➤ Federal regulators have accused nine of the nation’s largest banks of closing accounts over customers’ political and religious beliefs. (Listen Now)

Do you keep an earthquake emergency kit at home?

1. Yes, fully stocked
2. Sort of, but it needs refreshing
3. No, but I should
4. No, and I’m not worried
5. Other (reply to tell us)

Yesterday’s Results:

When do you start getting into the holiday spirit?

1. Right after Thanksgiving: 39%
2. I’d rather skip the hype: 22%
3. Not until December: 20%
4. As soon as Halloween’s over: 13%
5. It’s never too early: 6%

Laguna Seca, where the 24 Hours of Lemons just raced, is home to one of motorsport’s most famous turns: a blind left-right plunge that drops about 5½ stories. What is it called?

Show me the answer