Investigation Faults Bullet Train Travel Spending

California’s High-Speed Rail Authority reimbursed outside consultants nearly $600,000 for travel that state investigators found improper, including late-night rides to a nightclub, a tiki bar, and a cigar lounge.

The agency’s inspector general reviewed $1.15 million in travel billed by four consulting firms between 2024 and 2026. The agency paid $680,500 of it for travel that lacked documented advance approval.

Other flagged charges included more than $118,000 in international travel the contract barred, repeated rides to Planet Fitness gyms around Sacramento, and a nearly $40 luxury car ride of less than a mile downtown.

Authority spokesman Matt Rocco said the agency “takes these findings seriously” and will tighten approval rules and recover improper costs.

Assembly GOP Leader Alexandra Macedo of Visalia, whose district sits along the planned route, called the spending wasteful. Voters approved the line in 2008 at a projected $33 billion. The estimate now tops $126 billion.

Newsom Signs Wildfire Recovery Bills

Gov. Gavin Newsom signed four wildfire recovery bills in Altadena on Tuesday, setting the nation’s first enforceable standards for testing and cleaning smoke-damaged homes and extending mortgage relief for fire survivors.

The new laws require insurers to cover qualifying smoke-damage testing, remediation, and restoration, and they permanently extend forbearance protections for homeowners hit by future disasters.

Insurers must also pay for lead and asbestos testing in smoke-damaged homes inside a wildfire zone, restore homes to their pre-loss condition, and keep paying living expenses until a house is remediated and safe to occupy again.

AB 1842, by Assemblymember John Harabedian, D-Pasadena, extends forbearance protections to future disaster survivors, while AB 1847 extends mortgage relief for Palisades and Eaton fire survivors from 12 to 24 months. Los Angeles County Supervisor Kathryn Barger said survivors need clear, enforceable smoke-contamination standards.

Berkeley Lab Reports Strongest Dark-Matter Hint

Physicists with the Berkeley Lab-managed LUX-ZEPLIN experiment recorded a single particle interaction they cannot readily explain with known background sources, the most compelling dark-matter signal their experiment has produced.

The LUX-ZEPLIN detector sits nearly a mile underground in South Dakota, where 10 metric tons of liquid xenon are shielded from cosmic rays and other interference. If dark matter caused the event, the particle would outweigh a proton at least 200 times.

The result stands at 2.6 sigma, short of the five-sigma threshold physicists require to claim a discovery, with roughly a 0.5% chance known background produced it.

“It’s like mining for gold,” said Jingke Xu, a Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory scientist on the 250-member collaboration. Most of what the detector records, he said, is rock.

Similar detectors in China and Italy could test the result. UC Berkeley physicist Benjamin Safdi said confirmation may take months or years.

Your AC Quits. Now You’re Facing a $6,000 Bill.

It always seems to happen at the worst possible time. Your AC quits during the hottest week of the year. Your refrigerator suddenly stops cooling—with a week’s worth of groceries inside.

Then comes the repair or replacement bill.

Replacing a central AC system now costs homeowners around $6,000 on average—and depending on the home and system, it can climb above $12,000. Even replacing a refrigerator costs around $1,500 on average.

Homeowners insurance typically isn’t designed to cover appliances and systems that fail from normal wear and tear. That’s where Choice Home Warranty can help. Depending on your plan, coverage may include major systems and appliances such as air conditioning, heating, refrigerators, dishwashers, washers, and dryers.

Choice has covered more than 2.9 million homes and serviced more than 9.8 million claims.

See what a Choice Home Warranty plan could cover in your home.

➤ Berkeley: Crews began clearing the Harrison Corridor encampment Tuesday after a federal judge allowed the cleanup, with accommodations for disabled residents. The city declared the site a fire hazard and public nuisance after a rat-linked leptospirosis outbreak killed one person this summer. (See Details)

➤ Calaveras County: Herbert Wayne Smith, 65, of Valley Springs, was arraigned Tuesday on charges tied to allegedly starting the Gann Fire, which burned more than 10,000 acres in August and killed a 70-year-old woman in Angels Camp. Bail was set at $170,000. (More)

➤ Richmond: The city council approved a 45-day moratorium on new data centers, making Richmond the third Bay Area city to recently halt development while officials study impacts on electricity, water, pollution, and utility costs. (More)

➤ San Francisco: Developers released renderings for Fifty at First, a 910-foot office tower planned for the stalled Oceanwide Center site at 50 First St. The Gensler design keeps the old height but drops the second, shorter tower. (See Renderings)

➤ Sacramento: County supervisors approved airport parking increases that start when a new 5,500-space garage opens Oct. 26. Garage rates rise from $21 to $28 a day, daily lots from $14 to $19, and economy lots from $12 to $14. (See Details)

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➤ Hanford: Kings County Superior Court Judge Kendra Weber was charged with misdemeanor vehicular manslaughter in the September 2025 death of bicyclist Bryan Leroy Garcia, 63, who was struck by Weber’s vehicle on Hanford Armona Road. (See Details)

➤ Yosemite National Park: The Dome Fire grew to 100 acres near Chilnualna Falls by Tuesday evening. The park remained open, though the Chilnualna Falls Trail and routes toward Buena Vista and Crescent lakes closed. (More)

➤ Stockton: Wesley Brownlee’s brother testified Tuesday at the competency trial that will decide whether Brownlee, accused of six killings in 2021-22, can stand trial. He said Brownlee became withdrawn and stopped engaging in conversation after his arrest. (See Details)

➤ Madera Speedway jokingly advertised $6 hot dogs for Republicans and $17.50 for Democrats after backlash over GOP gubernatorial candidate Steve Hilton serving as grand marshal Sept. 26. The owner said the pricing isn’t real. (More)

➤ Fresno: A survey sent to District 7 voters asked whether candidate Nav Gurm’s Sikh faith or traditional attire, including a turban, would affect their vote. Gurm denied his campaign was behind the survey, and who commissioned it remains unclear. (More)

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➤ Chatsworth: NBC4 aerial reporter Eliana Moreno and pilot George Marciniw were killed when NewsChopper4 crashed Tuesday evening. A third victim, 29-year-old Edy Gutierrez Mejia, was killed on the ground, and two others were hospitalized. Federal aviation officials are investigating. (More)

➤ Also Chatsworth: Police arrested the driver of an SUV that slammed into a Metro bus Tuesday, killing passengers Gage Weida, 31, and Daniel Castillo, 46. NewsChopper4 later crashed nearby while covering the deadly bus collision, killing three more people. (More)

➤ Chino Valley: A San Bernardino County judge largely kept an injunction against the district’s policy requiring staff to tell parents when a student asks to be identified as a different gender. Board President Sonja Shaw said she believes staff will still notify parents under an amended policy that drops mention of gender. (See Details)

➤ Studio City: The newly opened Stars and Stripes gas station drew lines with an opening promotion offering regular gas for as little as $4.99 a gallon, well below Los Angeles County’s $6.09 average. By Wednesday morning, regular had climbed to $5.29 a gallon. (More)

➤ Los Angeles: UCLA reclaimed the No. 1 spot among public universities in Niche’s 2027 rankings and took first nationally for campus and college food. Stanford ranked No. 2 overall, Caltech No. 6, and UCLA No. 17. (See List)

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➤ The Anaheim Ducks signed 22-year-old forward Cutter Gauthier to a six-year contract worth $13.5 million per season. Gauthier led the team with 41 goals and 69 points last season. (More)

➤ The Los Angeles Chargers signed veteran wide receiver Marquez Valdes-Scantling to their practice squad after three receivers were hurt in Sunday’s loss to Arizona. Ladd McConkey is day-to-day with a rib injury and KeAndre Lambert-Smith was placed on injured reserve. (More)

➤ Cal safety Kingston Lopa earned two national weekly honors after intercepting three passes in a 21-18 win over Syracuse. Lopa leads the nation with four interceptions through two games. (More)

➤ Yesterday’s Results: MLB | Soccer

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➤ American Idol is moving production to Georgia for its 25th season after more than two decades in Southern California, with an Atlanta-area studio reportedly under consideration. Georgia offers qualifying productions a 20% tax credit plus a potential 10% promotional uplift. Season 25 premieres in 2027. (More)

➤ San Ysidro Ranch in Santa Barbara County ranked No. 22 on The 50 Best Hotels 2026 list, making it the only U.S. property in the top 25. The 550-acre retreat has 38 cottages and more than 130 years of history. (Read Story)

➤ Stone Brewing marked its 30th anniversary as Sapporo winds down the Escondido brewery and restaurant it retained after selling the brand to Firestone Walker and Duvel Moortgat. Fifty-eight workers will be laid off in October, with the cuts totaling 220 by January. (Read Story)

➤ Six California restaurants made The New York Times’ Restaurant List 2026: Restaurant Naides, Bar Panisse, Mesa Agricola, Komal, Jacaranda, and Yerord Mas. The picks span San Francisco, Berkeley, Escondido, Los Angeles, and Glendale. (Read Story)

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Could You Absorb a $6,000 Home Repair?

That’s approximately what a central AC replacement costs on average today. Depending on your system, the final bill could climb above $12,000. A new refrigerator averages around $1,500—and that’s before replacing the food that spoiled when it stopped cooling.

A home warranty can help you prepare before something breaks. Depending on the plan, Choice Home Warranty may cover major appliances and home systems that fail from normal wear and tear.

Don’t wait until the AC stops blowing cold air to think about the cost.

Check your available plans and see what coverage could cost.

➤ Joey, a search dog with Los Angeles County’s USA-2 task force, helped find three survivors in the rubble after a deadly June earthquake in Venezuela. The 71-member team spent 11 days searching through collapsed buildings there. (Read Story)

➤ Photographer May Pang featured candid photos of John Lennon from his 18-month “Lost Weekend” at a Fresno gallery Tuesday and Wednesday. The images document Lennon’s life from 1973 to 1975, when Pang was his partner during his separation from Yoko Ono. (See Photos)

➤ Mount Shasta made WorldAtlas’ list of California’s 12 most hospitable towns, with the outlet highlighting Big Springs in Mt. Shasta City Park, where anyone can fill a bottle for free from one of the sources of the Upper Sacramento River. (See List)

➤ A whale shark estimated at 20 feet swam beside a Newport Beach charter boat off San Clemente Island on Monday. Experts say above-average ocean temperatures and developing El Niño conditions are drawing tropical species north. (See Video)

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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. 

➤ Can you catch up on sleep, and how many hours does it take? (Listen Now)

➤ Democrats refuse to advance a sweeping crypto bill until new limits are placed on presidential profits from digital assets. (Hear Episode)

➤ House lawmakers held billionaire Leon Black in contempt of Congress, escalating their investigation into Jeffrey Epstein’s network. (Hear Details)

Sacramento’s airport is raising parking rates when its new garage opens. How do you usually get to the airport?

1. Park there myself
2. Get a ride from someone
3. Rideshare or taxi
4. Shuttle or transit
5. I avoid the airport at all costs
6. Other

Yesterday’s Results:

When the fried chicken craving hits, which chain gets your order?

1. Chick-fil-A: 30%
2. KFC: 29%
3. Popeyes: 16%
4. Other: 15%
5. Raising Cane’s: 10%

Two elements on the periodic table are named for California and for the Bay Area city where scientists created them a year apart in the late 1940s. Which two?

Show me the answer