East Bay Votes On Swalwell’s Seat

State Sen. Aisha Wahab, D-Hayward, held a narrow lead over fellow Democrat Melissa Hernandez as of 10 p.m. Tuesday in the East Bay special election to finish former Rep. Eric Swalwell’s 14th Congressional District term.

With about 59% of the expected vote in, Wahab led 32,149 to 30,457, roughly 51% to 49%, with no winner declared.

Both finalists are Democrats, so the party will retain the seat. The winner serves through January, and the two meet again in November for a full two-year term.

Swalwell resigned in April amid sexual misconduct allegations he denies. Separately, newly declassified FBI files released Monday show he told investigators in 2015 that he had a physical relationship with Christine Fang, a suspected Chinese operative.

The FBI found no violations of federal corruption statutes by Swalwell and no evidence of a quid pro quo. His attorney, Sara Azari, said the records confirm he “did nothing wrong.”

CENTCOM Chief Defends Lincoln Conditions

Adm. Brad Cooper, the head of U.S. Central Command, visited the San Diego-based USS Abraham Lincoln and defended conditions aboard the aircraft carrier.

The Lincoln has spent more than 260 days at sea, including more than 250 days without a port call, while supporting U.S. operations in the Middle East. Its roughly 5,000 sailors and Marines left San Diego in November.

Cooper said the carrier has one of the lowest number of mental health cases and praised its leadership for making mental health and crew resilience a priority.

The visit followed reports from families and military publications of moldy showers, food shortages, and several sailors attempting to jump overboard.

Navy Secretary Hung Cao said the ship would head home, replaced by the USS George Washington. Secretary of War Pete Hegseth called reports about conditions “completely misrepresented,” while President Trump said the deployment was “not nearly long enough.”

Shasta Registrar Wants to Hire Peters

Shasta County Registrar of Voters Clint Curtis says he wants to bring on Tina Peters, the former Colorado county clerk convicted on charges tied to an election security breach, to work in the county’s elections office.

Curtis said he would probably bring Peters on through a contract rather than as a county employee, replacing an assistant registrar who is on medical leave, with Curtis aiming to have the arrangement start Sept. 4.

Peters was convicted in 2024 on seven charges stemming from a 2021 breach of Mesa County’s election system and sentenced to nine years in prison. Colorado Gov. Jared Polis commuted the sentence, and she was released June 1.

Peters remains on parole and is not permitted to leave Colorado until 2029. A Shasta County official said she would still be subject to the county’s normal hiring process.

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➤ Alameda: Saildrone is deploying a new fleet of 23-foot wind- and solar-powered vessels from Hawaii to track a developing El Niño. Working with federal scientists, the drones will cover more than 3,000 miles during a four-month mission ending in December. (More)

➤ Antioch: Police are investigating an explosive device thrown at a man’s home after video of him using racial slurs at a black neighbor went viral. He already faces misdemeanor charges from a separate July incident, and detectives are investigating whether the attack is linked to the video. (More)

➤ San Jose: A purple Lamborghini Aventador valued around $500,000 was found burned on a highway near San Jose last week. The cause is unknown, with no sign of a mechanical problem. The car appears to have belonged to content creator Gabe Farrell. (More)

➤ Palo Alto: Parents and former students sued the school district and a high school principal over a 2025 mosque field trip, alleging students were given Qurans and encouraged to wear Islamic religious attire. The district says it hasn’t verified the claims. (More)

➤ San Francisco: Fire crews rescued a dog that tumbled over a cliff near Lands End on Monday. The dog was stranded near Deadman’s Point before firefighters pulled it to safety and reunited it with its owner. No injuries were reported. (See Photos)

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➤ Fresno: School trustee Keshia Thomas apologized to a former Bullard High teacher she accused of using a racial slur toward her son, but rejected calls to resign and end her city council bid. The teachers union says she recently withdrew her truth defense in the teacher’s defamation lawsuit. (More)

➤ Fresno County: A judge found Cassandra Michael, 18, guilty of first-degree murder in the 2025 killing of Caleb Quick, ruling she helped carry out a planned shooting by her boyfriend outside a McDonald’s. A dispositional hearing is set for Sept. 2. (See Details)

➤ San Luis Obispo County: Cal Poly is weighing whether to convert about 50 acres of prime campus farmland into a mixed-use project with a hotel, senior housing, and an events center. Students and faculty are pushing back, and a petition opposing it has topped 1,000 signatures. Officials say no decision is final. (More)

➤ Also Fresno County: University High School ranked 6th in California and 1st in the Central Valley in U.S. News & World Report’s annual high school rankings. Clovis North and Clovis West placed 2nd and 3rd in Fresno County. (See Details)

➤ Bakersfield: Fans are rallying to save Buck Owens’ Crystal Palace, the shuttered country music venue, after its foundation received an offer that would lead to its demolition. A petition to preserve the landmark is circulating, and the city council asked staff to explore ways to help a buyer. (More)

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➤ Los Angeles: A polling firm admitted a widely shared survey showing Mayor Karen Bass leading Councilwoman Nithya Raman by nearly 12 points before the Nov. 3 runoff was fabricated as a “social experiment.” (More)

➤ San Diego: Crews began work Monday on a multi-year overhaul of roadways around San Diego International Airport, starting with Grape Street and Pacific Highway. The project adds separated bike lanes, modernized traffic signals, and railroad crossing upgrades, with work running through fall 2027. (More)

➤ Silver Lake: Gene Evin Atkins was convicted of second-degree murder in the 2018 death of Trader Joe’s manager Melyda Corado, who was fatally struck by a police officer’s bullet during a gunfight with Atkins. A previous jury convicted him on 40 other counts but deadlocked on the murder charge. (More)

➤ Riverside County: Sheriff Chad Bianco warned his department may have to cut more than 600 positions, citing a $125 million budget shortfall. Supervisors increased funding by about $25 million but said limited revenue required balancing competing needs. (More)

➤ Manhattan Beach: Police are warning of a recent rise in vehicle thefts, with Hyundai and Kia models targeted at higher rates. Many models sold from 2011 to 2022 lacked engine immobilizers, a vulnerability that has fueled thefts nationwide. (More)

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➤ MLB owners unanimously approved the record $3.9 billion sale of the San Diego Padres to an investor group led by private equity billionaire José E. Feliciano and his wife Kwanza Jones. (More)

➤ Los Angeles Lakers governor Jeanie Buss is contesting her siblings’ vote to sell the family’s remaining 17.8% stake to incoming majority owners Bob Iger and Josh Kushner, with her attorney arguing the sale would violate a 2017 court ruling. (More)

➤ San Diego Padres minor league catching coordinator Oswaldo Pirela was detained by immigration authorities at El Paso International Airport over the weekend while traveling for work. Pirela is a Venezuelan asylum seeker with two U.S.-born daughters. (More)

➤ The NBA accused ESPN of reporting “numerous and significant inaccuracies” about its investigation into the Los Angeles Clippers and forward Kawhi Leonard, saying the results will be made clear once the probe concludes. (More)

➤ Yesterday’s Results: MLB | WNBA | Tennis

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➤ San Francisco home prices are climbing at their fastest pace in a decade, up nearly 20% in a year, as wealth from the city’s AI boom fuels bidding wars, Redfin data shows. Across the bay, Oakland’s housing market remains far cooler, with one-bedroom rents near $2,000, about half San Francisco’s $4,000. (More)

➤ Meanwhile, the Valley home market remains sluggish, with mortgage rates near 6.6%, as many Fresno-area buyers wait for rates to potentially fall later this year, a local loan officer says. The region’s median home price sits around $475,000, typically requiring two incomes and low debt to afford. (More)

➤ Happy Hens, a San Diego County egg supplier, was tied by county health officials to a salmonella outbreak traced to raw-egg mayonnaise at a Ramona deli. The outbreak has grown to 21 cases and seven hospitalizations. The farm denies any link, and the market has stopped using unpasteurized eggs. (More)

➤ Long Beach’s port is moving ahead with plans for small modular nuclear reactors that would float on barges to power port operations and passing ships. Startup Bluecore Energy says one reactor could power 15,000 homes, though the plan may run up against California’s 1976 ban on new nuclear construction. (More)

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➤ Novato’s spaceship house, the rotating hilltop “Round House” that Highway 101 commuters have spotted since 1963, is for sale for the first time. The three-bedroom home rotates up to 320 degrees, powered by old washing-machine motors, and anchors a seven-home compound listed at $3.3 million. (See Video)

➤ Sacramento Zoo has welcomed three HeroRATs, African giant pouched rats trained to sniff out landmines, tuberculosis, and trafficked wildlife. Guests can see one starting tomorrow in a new habitat near the cheetahs, with scent-detection demonstrations in the amphitheater. (More)

➤ Under Canvas Yosemite, a new luxury glamping resort near Yosemite National Park, received a hands-on review from Travel + Leisure. Set on 85 forested acres 10 miles from the park’s north entrance, its 71 safari-style tents offer hot showers, gourmet dining, and nightly s’mores. Rates start at $314. (Read Story)

➤ A runaway pig nicknamed Wilbur led a wild chase through West Hollywood, darting through alleys and slipping between one man’s legs as bystanders pursued. It took several people to corral him. He now waits at a West Los Angeles animal shelter for his owner. (Watch)

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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:

➤ Your childhood kitchen held these five staples that America has abandoned, and experts now say one is healthier than butter. (See Foods)

➤ Fraternity pledges were allegedly forced to cut and bag cocaine for a sprawling drug ring at Penn State. (Hear Details)

➤ Reports of worsening conditions aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln are raising serious questions about life on the warship. (Listen Now)

Camping or glamping? Settle the great outdoors debate:

1. Give me a tent and a campfire
2. Glamping all the way
3. Other (reply to tell us)

Yesterday’s Results:

Which classic car would you most love to own?

1. A ’60s muscle car: 25%
2. A vintage convertible: 22%
3. A classic luxury car: 18%
4. Keep me modern: 18%
5. Something else: 17%

Manhattan Beach is often called the spiritual home of which sport?

Show me the answer