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Rep. Eric Swalwell, a former Democratic presidential candidate who helped lead the second impeachment of President Donald Trump, has officially entered the fray to succeed California Gov. Gavin Newsom in next year’s gubernatorial race.

His core message? “Prices are too high and people are scared.”

Swalwell, 45, a prominent Trump antagonist on social media and a cable news darling who ran a short-lived bid for the White House in 2019, made the announcement Thursday night at the tail end of a nearly 10-minute interview with late-night host Jimmy Kimmel.

After joking that California was “the greatest country in the world,” to laughs from the Los Angeles studio audience, Swalwell grew serious and decried how Californians have been disproportionately targeted by a second Trump administration, whether through vengeful immigration raids or the cancellation of critical cancer and health research.

“This great state needs a fighter and a protector,” Swalwell said.

In a video posted to his campaign website, which went live shortly before his appearance on “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” aired, Swalwell says “no one will keep California safer” than he will. He name-drops Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi — the San Francisco titan of Democratic politics who recently announced her own retirement — and points to her decisions to appoint him to the House Intelligence Committee and as one of four Trump impeachment managers following the Jan. 6, 2021 attack on the U.S. Capitol.

Swallwell’s announcement comes a day after billionaire liberal activist Tom Steyer announced he is running to replace Newsom when he terms out in 2027. At least six other high-profile Democrats are also running, including former Rep. Katie Porter, former Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra and former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa. Prominent Republican challengers include Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco and former Fox News contributor Steve Hilton.

The challenge for the seven-term congressman, who said recently he was among the latest of Trump’s political enemies to be targeted for investigation by the Justice Department, will be proving he can govern for Californians at home in addition to sparring with Republicans on the national stage.

“We can say that we’re the fourth largest economy in the world — and we are, and I love to brag about that — but what does that mean if you can’t afford to live here?” Swalwell told Kimmel on Thursday.

On that front, Swalwell offers no concrete policy promises in his initial launch, but instead cites his experience as a planning commissioner and city councilmember for his hometown of Dublin, the Bay Area suburb nestled east of Hayward and west of Livermore. He represents the same region in Congress.

“I’ve worked as a planning commissioner and city councilman in a place of low income and low expectations and helped lead my hometown to become one of California’s most prosperous cities,” Swalwell’s campaign site says. “I’ll take that approach to the whole state.”

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Some of the red ink in California’s budget deficit is coming from unplanned spending in state prisons, according to a new report from the Legislative Analyst’s Office.

The California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation is on track to exceed its budget by roughly $850 million over three years despite recent cuts that include four prison closures and some labor concessions that trimmed payroll expenses. The state budget included $17.5 billion for prisons this year.

The office attributed the corrections department’s shortfall to both preexisting and ongoing imbalances in its budget. The analyst’s annual fiscal outlook projected a nearly $18 billion deficit for the coming year, which follows spending cuts in the current budget.

The corrections department last year ran out of money to pay its bills. In May, it received a one-time allocation of $357 million from the general fund to cover needs including workers’ compensation, food for incarcerated people and overtime.

Democratic Sen. Scott Wiener of San Francisco in a June 17 letter to the Department of Finance said he was “shocked and disappointed that (the corrections department) overspent its budget by such a significant amount” while the state faced a $12 billion general fund shortfall that resulted in cuts to key health care and social service programs.

“These were dollars that could have been used to provide basic services to some of our most underserved communities,” wrote Wiener. “While this year’s budget included measures requiring departments to ‘tighten their belts’ and reduce state operating expenses by up to 7.95%, (the corrections department) did the opposite, and overspent by nearly three percent.”

Without having any new dedicated funding to align its actual costs with its budget, Wiener warned, deficits “will likely persist” and put additional pressure on the general fund in years to come.

That’s despite Gov. Gavin Newsom’s attempts to save the state money through prison closures. Newsom in May moved to close the state prison in Norco in Riverside County next year, the fifth prison closure under his tenure.

Newsom’s administration estimates it saves about $150 million a year for each prison closure, which lawmakers and advocates regard as the only way to significantly bring down corrections spending. A spokesperson for Newsom’s Finance Department declined to comment on the analyst’s projection. Newsom will release his next budget proposal in January.

“We are allowing wasteful prison spending to continue while Californians are being told to tighten their belts and brace for deep federal cuts to core programs,” said Brian Kaneda, deputy director for the statewide coalition Californians United for a Responsible Budget in a statement to CalMatters. “We are spending millions on prisons that could be safely closed. That is government waste, not public safety.”

Robert Donovan Dunlap passed peacefully at the age of 81 on Thursday evening, October 16, 2025 in Eureka. He fondly was known as “Bob” and will be remembered for his kind heart, funny sense of humor and being a great storyteller.

His childhood was spent in Cambria and Chino, California. He later attended Villanova Prep in Ojai, where he was a standout baseball & basketball athlete and would receive a sports scholarship to the University of San Diego. He graduated from USD in 1966 and would begin his career as a school teacher back in his roots of Chino.

While he thoroughly enjoyed being an educator, he would find his professional success as a chief executive officer of several county fairs throughout the state of California in San Bernardino County, Kern County Trinity County and Solano County. His passion for these communities would shine through with his ideas to showcase projects and exhibits from agriculture to entertainment to local crafts.

He was the ultimate host with his love for food and spirits to share with all that came in contact with him at his elaborate BBQ parties to break bread and toast a beverage with his friends, employees, and family. Bob also enjoyed making people laugh with his incredible repertoire of jokes that he could deliver with the perfect cadence, accent, timing and punchline. We were all better for knowing Bob and all he had to give to show in how much he loved and cared for the many people that had the pleasure of calling him friend.

He is survived by his children Brian Dunlap, Julie Fernstrom, Timothy Dunlap, Erin Dunlap, Tony Dunlap and eight grandchildren.

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As you know, the Kelly Clarkson Show is “the uplifting daytime destination for humor and connection,” a boast which was on full display today when Kelly had on a couple of our neighbors on to share their story. 

During today’s “RAD HUMAN” portion of the show, Clarkson interviewed Amy Bowers Cordalis, a Yurok attorney who chronicled her tribe’s generational fight to remove dams on the Klamath River. Later in the segment, Cordalis was joined by her niece, Keeya, one of the young people who, earlier this year, became among the first to kayak the river’s full length in more than a century.

Tune in above!

A short and unsubstantial Arcata City Council meeting last night was highlighted by a public hearing where commenters shared their opinions on public transportation with a focus on their “unmet needs.” On the whole, much of the feedback was positive — but the Humboldt Transit Authority’s inability to run buses on Sundays and late at night got some flak.

The comments will be forwarded to the Humboldt County Association of Governments. Other jurisdictions have done the same; both the Humboldt County Board of Supervisors and the Eureka City Council heard from residents this past week. 

Both speakers and councilmembers talked about the difficulty people without cars have getting around Humboldt County; councilmember Kimberley White even mentioned she had to hitch rides after meetings back to Valley West when her car needed repairing recently. The lack of public transport to Bayside and south G Street was also mentioned.

Councilmember Stacy Atkins-Salazar said there was a chance the requests for late night and Sunday routes may never be realized, despite their frequency. 

“Obviously, it’s important to hear all of the unmet needs,” she said. “But I think when they get evaluated, they go through a process of what is reasonable to meet, which is a whole metric. So just because we might want Sunday service or Bayside (which lots of people do), if the metrics don’t show that it’s reasonable to meet for funding, then it doesn’t get met. Which is why sometimes we hear the same requests year after year.”

It wasn’t all bad news; Mayor Alex Stillman said that over 1,000 Cal Poly Humboldt students were riding the bus to and fro the new Hinarr Hu Moulik dorms daily, and White said she was excited to be able to take a cheap public bus all the way to Willow Creek to see family during the holidays. The route to Ukiah got a few shoutouts as well from the councilmembers, as did HTA’s affordability, dependability, and speed.

“You have to have numbers to run all night. We’re not an urban area like San Francisco,” Stillman said. “…We’re not there yet. Our population base is still 134,000 people for the entire county. It’s going to take a while for this to come.”

Other tidbits: Hyland Fence, Forest Update, End of Stillman’s Tenure

City Manager Merritt Perry said during his report that he’d reached out to the owners of a property on Hyland Street in Bayside whose recently installed fence was blocking pedestrian access to Golf Course Road (a few Bayside residents complained about the fence at the last city council meeting. The old shortcut shaved off about 200 yards). However, both the fence and the path are on private property, and Perry said they didn’t seem too interested in removing it. No action for future meetings was planned. 

Michael Furniss, the chair of the Forestry Management Committee, updated the council on the various going-ons in city-owned forests, complete with trail cam footage of cougars and owls and other creatures. Surprise: there are a lot of ‘em out there!

Last night’s meeting was the last city council meeting 86-year-old Alex Stillman will preside over as mayor. A special meeting to elect a new mayor and vice mayor will be held Dec. 11. 

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The Trump administration today proposed opening nearly 1.3 billion acres of U.S. coastal waters to new offshore oil and gas leases. The plan includes opening federal waters off the California coast to drilling operations for the first time in four decades, along with a remote region off Alaska in the northern Arctic where drilling has never before taken place.

While the announcement was anticipated, it was met today with fierce condemnation by state and local representatives, including our local U.S. Congressman, Rep. Jared Huffman, who serves as ranking member of the House Natural Resources Committee. He described the Trump administration’s moves as part of “an all-out war on clean energy.” 

Congressional Democrats held a virtual press call this afternoon. You can watch the video of that event at the bottom of this post. 

Meanwhile, California Governor Gavin Newsom today addressed the move from the Cop 30 climate conference in Brazil, saying Tump’s offshore drilling proposal is “dead on arrival.” See below.

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In a subsequent statement, Newsom said this:

Trump’s idiotic plan endangers our coastal economy and communities and hurts the well-being of Californians. This reckless attempt to sell out our coastline to his Big Oil donors is dead in the water. Californians remember the environmental and economic devastation of past oil spills. For decades, California has stood firm in our opposition to new offshore drilling, and nothing will change that. We will use every tool at our disposal to protect our coastline. It’s interesting that Donald’s proposal doesn’t include the waters off Mar-a-Lago.

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Huffman and U.S. Senator Alex Padilla also issued a press release:

Washington, D.C. – Today, Natural Resources Committee Ranking Member Jared Huffman (D-Calif.) and U.S. Senator Alex Padilla (D-Calif.) condemned the Trump administration’s draft 2027-2032 Outer Continental Shelf Oil and Gas Leasing Program, which proposes opening vast swaths of previously protected federal waters, including along the California coast, all of Alaska’s offshore waters, and the eastern Gulf of Mexico.

“With this draft plan, Donald Trump and his Administration are trying to destroy one of the most valuable, most protected coastlines in the world and hand it over to the fossil fuel industry.

“They didn’t listen to Californians. They didn’t listen to communities up and down the West Coast. Instead, Trump wants to take a wrecking ball to our communities while trampling over anyone who stands between him and what billionaires demand.

“These lease areas are not only irreplaceable, but allowing drilling in these areas would undermine military readiness and pose risks to national security. But Trump doesn’t care. Californians remember every spill, every dead dolphin and sea otter, every fishing season wrecked by contamination. We built stronger, cleaner, more resilient coastal communities — and a burgeoning $1.7 trillion coastal economy — in spite of all that. And we’re not going to stand by and watch it get destroyed by Trump’s oil and gas pet projects.

“This plan targets California and the whole West Coast because they think we will roll over. They are wrong. We’re going to fight this with everything we have.”

Background

The Trump administration’s draft 2027 to 2032 Offshore Oil and Gas Leasing plan released on November 20 marks the most aggressive push in decades to open all of the California coast, nearly all of Alaska’s offshore waters, and vast stretches of the eastern Gulf of Mexico to oil and gas drilling, including areas long protected by moratoria and despite opposition from even Republican senators in Florida.

The proposal includes six lease sales off California between 2027 and 2030, the first attempt to drill in these waters in more than forty years. This move directly targets areas President Biden withdrew from future leasing in January 2025, when he protected 625 million acres in the Pacific, Atlantic, Eastern Gulf, and Arctic. Trump tried to wipe out those protections on his first day back in office, repeating the same maneuver a federal court rejected in 2017 when he attempted to undo President Obama’s Arctic and Atlantic withdrawals.

The draft plan also lands in the shadow of the Republican budget reconciliation law passed in July 2025, which mandated new lease sales in the Gulf of Mexico and Alaska, lowered offshore royalty rates, and expanded fossil fuel industry access without environmental review.

Here’s video from the press call:

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And lastly, here’s the announcement from the U.S. Department of the Interior:

WASHINGTON — The Department of the Interior today announced a Secretary’s Order titled “Unleashing American Offshore Energy,” directing the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management to take the necessary steps, in accordance with federal law, to terminate the restrictive Biden 2024–2029 National Outer Continental Shelf Oil and Gas Leasing Program and replace it with a new, expansive 11th National Outer Continental Shelf Oil and Gas Leasing Program by October 2026. As part of this directive, the Department is releasing the Secretary’s Draft Proposed Program for the 11th National Outer Continental Shelf Oil and Gas Leasing Program. 

These actions reflect the Trump administration’s continued commitment to restoring American Energy Dominance by replacing the smallest offshore leasing plan ever published by an administration with one that fully addresses the nation’s growing energy needs. 

“Offshore oil and gas production does not happen overnight. It takes years of planning, investment, and hard work before barrels reach the market,” said Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum. “The Biden administration slammed the brakes on offshore oil and gas leasing and crippled the long-term pipeline of America’s offshore production. By moving forward with the development of a robust, forward-thinking leasing plan, we are ensuring that America’s offshore industry stays strong, our workers stay employed, and our nation remains energy dominant for decades to come.” 

Under the new proposal for the 2026–2031 National Outer Continental Shelf Oil and Gas Leasing Program, Interior is taking a major step to boost United States energy independence and sustain domestic oil and gas production. The proposal includes as many as 34 potential offshore lease sales across 21 of 27 existing Outer Continental Shelf planning areas, covering approximately 1.27 billion acres. That includes 21 areas off the coast of Alaska, seven in the Gulf of America, and six along the Pacific coast. The proposal also includes the Secretary’s decision to create a new administrative planning area, the South-Central Gulf of America. 

“Offshore oil and gas development requires long-term vision, steady policy, and the confidence for companies to invest in American energy. For years, that confidence was undercut by the Biden Administration’s failed leasing policies,” said Jarrod Agen, Executive Director of the National Energy Dominance Council. “By putting a real leasing plan back on track, we’re restoring energy security, protecting American jobs, and strengthening the nation’s ability to lead on energy for decades to come. 

This action implements Executive Order 14154 and supplements Secretary’s Order 3418, both titled “Unleashing American Energy.” The orders instruct all Interior Department bureaus and offices to accelerate responsible energy development consistent with federal law. By replacing the failed Biden-era plan with a robust and competitive offshore leasing program, the Department will open new opportunities for offshore investment and job creation, reinforce America’s role as a global energy leader, and help ensure a stable and secure energy supply well into the future. 

Under the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act, the Secretary of the Interior must prepare a national program that identifies the size, timing, and location of potential lease sales to best meet the country’s energy needs while considering economic, environmental, and social factors. 

The current proposal follows a public request for information and comment published in April 2025. The Department received more than 86,000 comments from stakeholders, states, industry representatives, and members of the public. Feedback from those comments informed the proposal released today. 

Before the program and individual lease sales are finalized, the public will have multiple opportunities to provide input. The Department encourages broad participation in the upcoming 60-day public comment period, which will begin when the proposal is published in the Federal Register on November 24, 2025. 

As of September 1, 2025, the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management manages 2,073 active offshore oil and gas leases covering about 11.2 million acres. Offshore production accounts for roughly 15 percent of the nation’s domestic oil output. The Outer Continental Shelf is estimated to contain about 68.8 billion barrels of oil and 229 trillion cubic feet of natural gas yet to be discovered. 

Today’s announcement marks the first of three proposals that will be developed before final approval of the 2026–2031 program. Inclusion of a planning area in this proposal does not guarantee that it will be included in the final program or offered for lease. Each lease sale will undergo additional review, environmental analysis, and opportunities for public comment. 

For more information and to view maps of the proposed areas, visit www.boem.gov/National-Program. 

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After operating as a joint coffee house/cannabis dispensary for the past eight months, the geometric building at 2742 Broadway in Eureka will soon be remodeled and reopened as a Shotz Coffee, which also has locations in Fortuna and Rio Dell.

This morning we stopped by the big tin can of a building, with its cantilevered window shades and cinder block derrière, and spoke with Assistant Manager Peter Portman. He confirmed that owners Tashina and Mike Benson recently sold the business to Shotz owner Nicole Norton.

The cannabis dispensary portion closed this past Sunday while the coffee drive-through will operate through the end of the month, Portman said.

The Bensons, who also own a weed farm in Southern Humboldt, purchased Gold Rush Coffee from founders Joe and Karen Paff in 2022, according to a recent story from SFGate. This past April, the couple re-opened the drive-through as a coffee-cannabis combo with the clever double-moniker Gold Rush Coffee and Green Rush Cannabis. A “GR” logo served both aspects of the business.

In that April SFGate story, Tanisha Benson discussed the collapse of wholesale cannabis prices in California, saying, “The bulk market since legalization is really hard on a farmer — like, you just cannot make a living wage. It’s not realistic.”

The coffee industry hasn’t exactly been a goldmine either in recent months. The Trump administration’s tariffs on coffee contributed to skyrocketing wholesale prices, which impacted businesses here in Humboldt and across the country. Last week, amid inflation concerns, the administration rolled back tariffs on more than 200 food products, coffee included. 

Haleigh Licona, a manager at the Fortuna Shotz location, told the Outpost via email that the place will reopen as Shotz Coffee sometime in January.

In the office at the back of the building this morning, Portman said most of the crew of employees will continue working at the location under the new ownership. The dispensary lounge will be remodeled back into a walk-in lobby for coffee drinkers. Shotz also offers food items, including breakfast burritos, bagels, açai bowls and banana bread.

Portman is among the employees who will stick around.

“I’m really excited about it, honestly,” he said. “I like this spot. I like the clientele we have here. It’s really special.”