Local Politics · Los Angeles County
At least four California election workers received federal criminal grand jury subpoenas over the past week, with one delivered to the Orange County Registrar of Voters on Thursday seeking unredacted voter records for 60 people. The subpoenas followed a Wednesday order from U.S. District Judge David O. Carter warning federal prosecutors to stop threatening state and local election employees with criminal charges. In Los Angeles County, three Registrar-Recorder employees were subpoenaed to testify before a grand jury on Nov. 4, the day after the midterm election. LA County Registrar-Recorder Dean Logan called the approach "confrontational" while DOJ spokesperson Kiersten Pels said receiving a subpoena does not mean one is a target. The Justice Department has appealed Carter's ruling to the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals.
Local Politics
Election officials in Butte, Fresno, San Benito, and Orange counties received federal letters last week demanding they segregate ballots from lists of individuals identified as likely noncitizens, with threats of criminal charges for noncompliance. Local registrars reported the lists were poorly formatted, contained partial or missing identifying information, and included names not on active voter rolls; Butte County found 32 of 47 listed individuals were not registered voters. State officials refused to comply, arguing the federal government risks disenfranchising eligible voters. A federal judge in Los Angeles appeared skeptical of the administration's legal arguments during a Tuesday hearing.
Public Safety · Huntington Beach, CA
King tides caused by gravitational alignments of the Earth, moon, and sun flooded streets and sent seawater into homes and businesses along California, Florida, South Carolina, and North Carolina coasts beginning the week of Oct. 25-28, 2026. In Huntington Beach, officials shut down traffic on a flooded portion of the Pacific Coast Highway. Record high tides were set in Santa Barbara, San Pedro, San Diego, and La Jolla, while Virginia Key in Miami recorded its highest king tide in three decades. Forecasters said coastal flooding was expected through Saturday, Oct. 31, with Florida flood warnings active through early Friday.
