Newman
About 720 residents in Stanislaus County have lost CalFresh benefits, as of Nov. 1, because of new federal work requirements. It represents a small percentage of the 85,000 county residents receiving CalFresh food assistance , but the number of those affected will grow as their eligibility comes up for renewal in the months ahead. The county’s Community Services Agency said 2,100 people could lose the assistance if they don’t meet the work requirements under H.R. 1, the federal bill that made changes to the nation’s Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. CalFresh is the name for SNAP in California. A CSA spokesperson said Tuesday the agency has conducted eligibility assessments for CalFresh recipients through October, and more people are expected to lose benefits each month as additional work requirement assessments are done between November and June, 2027. “Stanislaus County remains committed to supporting community members who rely on CalFresh benefits ,” the CSA said. “When residents lose access to food assistance, it is a concern.” The county will continue to monitor the effects of H.R. 1 on residents and work closely with community partners to help connect eligible individuals and families with available food resources and support services, the agency said. New
Sacramento, CA — A California Public Utilities Commission proposal would affect planned utility work in Tuolumne, Calaveras, Amador, and Mariposa counties. The CPUC is planning to vote on new guidelines (SPD-37 Joint IOU Application) on November 19. It would set stricter rules, evaluation formulas, audit standards, and cost-recovery conditions that utilities must meet to build long-term underground power-line networks.
Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara today ordered insurance companies to preserve residential property insurance coverage for approximately 50,000 policyholders in Tuolumne, Stanislaus and Calaveras counties after Governor Gavin Newsom issued an emergency declaration for the Dove Fire. The Commissioner’s Bulletin shields those living within the fire perimeters or adjoining ZIP Codes of the Dove Fire from insurance non-renewal or cancellation for one year from the date of the governor’s emergency declaration, regardless of whether they suffered a loss.
Vehicles kill an estimated 44,000 mule deer and 780 mountain lions on California roads each year, according to a new UC Davis report that identified hundreds of wildlife collision hotspots across the state, including a stretch of Highway 50 in El Dorado County. The 2026 California Roadkill Hotspots Report, released Tuesday by the university’s Road Ecology Center, found that wildlife collisions remained a persistent problem despite growing investments in crossings designed to help animals move safely across highways. Researchers argued that California needs more roadside fencing to prevent animals from entering traffic, particularly where existing bridges and culverts could provide safe passage beneath highways. “But just building a crossing doesn’t mean wildlife will use it — they’ll try to cross wherever they are. Fencing is the answer to reducing roadkill, not crossings alone,” said Fraser Shilling, director of the UC Davis Road Ecology Center. Thousands of animals killed on California roads Researchers estimated that vehicles killed more than 44,000 mule deer annually on California freeways, highways and major paved roads between 2016 and 2024. That represented nearly 10% of the state’s estimated 475,000 mule deer and more than four times the number reported killed by hunters in 2024. The report
After a tight race, Californians sided with Democratic leaders, approving their proposed change to the recall process. The recall will take place in two parts: first, whether an official should be recalled, then, who should replace them.
In yet another escalation of Compass' ongoing battle with multiple listing services, the mega brokerage announced on Nov. 12 that it has sued 15 MLSs across the country. The antitrust lawsuits challenge each organization's rules surrounding the public marketing of home listings that do not appear on the MLS. A...
California’s snow forecast brings a windy Sierra storm Friday into Saturday, with roughly a foot of snow favored at several higher mountain locations. Snow starts dense before turning colder overnight, making this a useful addition to the developing base. Saturday offers easing winds and lingering showers, while another system could add mountain snow Sunday into Monday with less certainty. Southern […] The post SnowBrains Forecast: Around a Foot of Sierra Snow for California appeared first on SnowBrains .
One Thanksgiving feast on my list takes place inside a replica farmhouse beside an airport, complete with a military theme. Another restaurant has served roasted duck and whole lobster alongside traditional turkey. I love that kind of holiday plot twist. California restaurants clearly don’t treat Thanksgiving as a one-bird show....
California’s wine industry headed into 2026 with more uncertainty than at any point in the past two decades, according to experts. The USDA’s final Grape Crush Report, released in April, found that a structural reset is taking place for the state’s wine-grape industry. Wine‑grape acreage across the...
Indian American Democrat Darshana Patel has won reelection to the California State Assembly, defeating Republican challenger Carrie Espinoza Villanueva in the Nov. 3, 2026, midterm elections. Patel received 96,942 votes, or 60.2 percent, against Espinoza Villanueva’s 64,091 votes, or 39.8 percent, according to the November 10 election update published by...
California is investing in new research exploring psychedelic treatments for veterans facing mental health challenges. The California Initiative for Precision Medicine is offering grants to study how psychedelic therapies could help veterans struggling with conditions including depression, anxiety, substance abuse and post-traumatic stress disorder. Some studies have shown promising results, suggesting psychedelic treatments may offer new options for people who have not responded to traditional therapies. The initiative plans to award up to four million dollars over the next several years to fund research projects examining the potential benefits and effectiveness of these treatments. California is home to nearly one-and-a-half million veterans, many of whom face mental health challenges after returning from military service. Researchers hope the funding will provide more information about the safety and effectiveness of psychedelic therapies and help determine whether they could eventually become an additional treatment option for veterans.
The Chemehuevi Indian Tribe has unveiled a sweeping master plan that would reshape its reservation on the California side of Lake Havasu over the next 50 years, with new housing, schools, a yacht club and even a cross-lake ferry route all on the drawing board. Construction on the plan's first project is expected to begin in 2027.
California Democrats are on track to secure the largest legislative supermajority in modern state history following the November midterm elections, while Republicans face the prospect of an even smaller presence in the state Capitol. The nationwide referendum on President Donald Trump and the Republican Party appears to have influenced down-ballot...
(The Center Square) – A new water plan for the San Francisco Bay/Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta Watershed is expected to cost California’s taxpayers at least $2.9 billion. That amount would pay exclusively for one program detailed in the Bay-Delta Plan – the Healthy Rivers and Landscapes program. Officials and staff have not said how much implementation of the full plan would cost taxpayers. The California Water Resources Control Board adopted the Bay-Delta Plan at its Oct. 28 meeting. The plan is essentially an update to a plan that state officials implemented in 1995. The plan is meant to ensure adequate water quality and water supplies for commercial, agricultural and residential use, as well as protect water supplies needed to sustain natural habitats of wildlife indigenous to the delta, according to an executive summary. No one from the Water Resources Control Board responded to The Center Square's request for comment. “This groundbreaking plan begins a new era of environmental protection, creating enforceable flow standards while giving communities, farms and industry the flexibility to manage their supplies and work together to restore California’s most important and overburdened watershed,” E. Joaquin Esquivel, chair of the State Water Resources Control Board, said in a press
NOAA's outlook favors wetter weather across California as Thanksgiving travel approaches.
Here are the morning’s top stories on Wednesday, November 11, 2026. Attorney General Rob Bonta is urging a federal appeals court to maintain protections for the health of detainees… who sued the Trump administration over dangerous conditions at an immigration jail in California’s Mojave Desert. Alameda County...
The National Weather Service Bay Area office upgraded their high surf warning to extreme with waves up to 50 feet possible over the weekend. photo credit: Wikimedia/Brocken Inaglory Rain and dangerous coastal conditions are on the way to the North Bay in the next few days. The National Weather Service had already put out warnings for major weather risk at Bay Area beaches this weekend. Now forecasters have raised that warning to extreme. National Weather Service Bay Area Meteorologist Joe Merchant said it's because of a large swell headed towards California from a storm off the West Coast. "With that comes some really dangerous breaking waves," Merchant said. "We're going to see breaking waves up to 25 to 35 feet and it would and occasionally over 50 feet at times." The largest breaking waves could come to locations like Maverick's off Half Moon Bay, where big wave surfers are likely to flock . Merchant said the general public should be extremely cautious at the coast this weekend. "There's really no need to get anywhere near the water," Merchant said. He also noted the recent death of a beach goer near Santa Cruz. "Conditions are going to be deadly on or
California residents who purchased tickets online for Knott’s Berry Farm or California’s Great America are entitled to cash payments
A community celebration at the California State Railroad Museum on Nov. 7 honored Bridget Biddy Mason, a formerly enslaved woman who won her freedom in California and became a prominent nurse, midwife, philanthropist, and real estate entrepreneur. The event, hosted by the Sojourner Truth African Heritage Museum and California State...
With improved weather conditions for burning, effective this past Friday morning, Nov. 6, the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection Tuolumne Calaveras Unit rescinded its seasonal suspension. Lifting the suspension, which had been in place since May 25, effectively allows residents with a valid permit within State Responsibility Areas...
