U.S. Senator Alex Padilla attends a rally about redistricting at the Democracy Center of the Japanese American National Museum in Los Angeles on Aug. 14, 2025. Photo by Ted Soqui for CalMatters
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U.S. Sen. Alex Padilla of California will not run for governor in next year’s highly watched race to succeed Gov. Gavin Newsom, the senator unexpectedly announced in the U.S. Capitol on Tuesday.
The decision comes after months of speculation that California’s senior senator, who Newsom appointed to succeed former Vice President Kamala Harris after she stepped down in 2020, could throw his hat in the ring and dominate an otherwise open field.
Padilla’s staff confirmed Tuesday that he would not be seeking the governorship.
“It is with a full heart and even more commitment than ever that I am choosing to not be running for governor of California next year,” Padilla told reporters in the U.S. Capitol. “I choose to stay in this fight because the Constitution is worth fighting for.”
Padilla, the first Latino to represent California in the Senate, gained national attention this summer after a video went viral of him being forced to the ground and detained at a press conference hosted by Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem.
In his brief remarks, Padilla said he had received encouragement to run from people across the state, including business and labor leaders, people who approached him at his church, the grocery store and local parks.
“Californians have urged me to do everything I could to protect California and the American Dream from this vindictive president,” Padilla said. “I’ve been truly honored and humbled by their encouragement, and I’ve taken it to heart.”
The crowded Democratic field still includes prominent names like former U.S. Rep. Katie Porter, who made headlines for threatening to leave a televised CBS interview after the reporter asked questions she didn’t like, and former Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra. Former California State Controller Betty Yee, the only other female candidate still in the race, has called on Porter to drop out.
Other Democrats still in the mix include former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villairaigosa, who lost to Newsom in 2018; former Attorney General Xavier Becerra, State Superintendent Tony Thurmond; former state Controller Betty Yee; and former Assemblyman Ian Charles Calderon. Prominent Republican challengers include Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco and former Fox News contributor Steve Hilton.
Bright light city gonna set Humboldt’s soul on fire, reportedly
All hail Breeze Airways! You remember them, right? Back in July, it was announced that, starting in 2026, Breeze will swoop in to fill the Burbank-shaped travel hole left in Humboldt’s heart when Avelo Airlines opted to ghost us. Oh, and they’re going to hook us up with direct Salt Lake City flights as a bonus. Easy Breeze-y.
Huh?!
Well, it appears Breeze blessings continue. Today your Lost Coast Outpost was referred to some small print in an Instagram story posted by the airline that boasts of an ACV to Las Vegas route starting on March 11! How did we not hear of this?! Sure enough, LoCO clicked on over to Breeze Airways website and found ourselves able to book twice-weekly flights (Wednesday and Saturday) to Las Vegas for as low as $118 roundtrip!
Well, then! We’ve been itching to give the Sphere some of our money. Now it’s even easier!
Why are we finding out about this new freedom this way, you may ask? You’d think an airline might issue some sort of formal announcement when they add a sexy new route they want people utilize. A press release! Something! Sure, that might have been nice, but beggars like us can’t be choosey. Humboldt will take it.
UPDATE, 2:45 p.m.: …aaand now here’s the Humboldt County Administrative Office with a press release:
Breeze Airways has announced new nonstop air service between the California-Redwood Coast Humboldt County Airport (ACV) and Las Vegas, NV beginning March 11, 2026.
Starting today, travelers can book a flight on Breeze to Las Vegas, with prices starting from $49 each way.
“Breeze is known for its convenient, affordable flights, premium seating options, and amenities like fast onboard Wi-Fi and power at every seat, and we look forward to introducing travelers in the Humboldt County area to our Seriously Nice™ service,” said David Neeleman, founder and CEO of Breeze Airways. “Arcata-Eureka is exactly the kind of underserved market our airline set out to serve and we’re confident our new guests will enjoy their enhanced travel experience onboard one of our brand-new Airbus A220 aircraft.”
Affordable flights to Las Vegas are scheduled to run Wednesdays and Saturdays, starting March 11, 2026. Travelers can book their flights on Breeze Airways now at FlyBreeze.com.
“We could not be happier that Breeze Airways has introduced new service between California Redwood Coast-Humboldt County Airport and Las Vegas,” said Second District Supervisor and Board Chair Michelle Bushnell. “We are so appreciative of Breeze’s dedication to meeting the needs of Humboldt County travelers and visitors and furthering connectivity in our region.”
For more information about Breeze Airways, visit FlyBreeze.com. For more information on the California Redwood Coast-Humboldt County Airport, please visit FlyACV.com.
What our Congressional district will look like if Proposition 50 passes. Areas in blue would be added to our current district; areas in red would be subtracted from it.
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By now we’re all clear about what Proposition 50 does, right? The idea is to gerrymander California’s congressional map to elect more Democrats to the House of Representatives. It was prompted, earlier this year, by Texas doing the same thing to elect more Republicans to the House of Representatives. The Supreme Court gave all this the OK a few years ago. Sad, but it is what it is.
What we’re talking about today is how you’re going to return your Humboldt County ballot to the Humboldt County Elections Office. You probably don’t want to mail it. The Postal Service has changed up its game somewhat, and your ballot might not get postmarked today.
What you want to do, today, is vote in person at one of the county’s voting centers, or drop your already completed and sealed (in the envelope) ballot off at one of the county’s ballot drop boxes.
Need a list of those voting centers and drop boxes? Sure. The Elections Office, like most government agencies, loves to publish its information in PDF format, because government workers live in a world where people still print things out on printers, and they can put graphics and stuff in there.
If you’re just looking for the information, rather than to be charmed by the Election Office’s choice of fonts and whatnot, the Outpost has you covered. See below. And if you have any questions or problems at all — lost your ballot, forgot to register to vote, etc. — know that Elections Office personnel will happily help you out. Call them at (707) 445-7481.
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VOTE CENTERS — OPEN UNTIL 8 P.M.
Humboldt County Office of Elections 2426 6th Street,
Eureka
Jefferson Community
Center 1000 B Street,
Eureka
Arcata Community
Center 321 Dr. Martin
Luther King Jr. Parkway, Arcata
Fortuna Veterans
Memorial Building 1426 Main Street,
Fortuna
McKinleyville Middle
School 2285 Central Avenue,
McKinleyville
A group of people at an August city council meeting.
The Arcata City Council may have had enough.
Item 11.b on Wednesday’s agenda would, if passed, edit the City Officials’ Protocol Manual to eliminate the option to comment on the city council meetings virtually; it’d require people to attend the meetings in-person if they wish to comment at all.
The public comment section near the beginning of the meeting after the staff reports would also be discarded, leaving one period for three-minute comments closer to the end of the meeting.
The proposed amendment would also add a section on when it’s acceptable to remove unruly participants from public meetings: speaking without the council’s recognition or outside of their allotted time, making threats, or delaying a meeting are all fair game for getting kicked out, though any behavior that disrupts the “orderly conduct” of a meeting would count. Rule-breakers get one warning and then an (optional) second one before being asked to leave, or if that fails, an escort out.
These restrictions come a few months after dozens of activists crashed and neutered a couple city council meetings, screaming and berating city officials and council members. Commenters have been able to call in via phone or Zoom since the pandemic, which some city employees privately blamed for fostering a culture permissive of anonymous personal attacks on other commenters and policy-makers alike. Some commenters also sometimes speak virtually multiple times at a meeting.
“Eliminating Zoom comments ensures that all participants are treated equally and that the Council can efficiently conduct its business,” reads a staff report on the item.
Legally, Arcata doesn’t have to offer virtual options for public comment. Senate Bill 707, which just passed last month, doesn’t force councils that govern cities with fewer than 30,000 people to do so.
Mayor Alex Stillman said during a phone interview yesterday with the Outpost that many of the virtual callers weren’t talking about city-related matters; many often focused on global politics.
She said that if someone was disabled and couldn’t make it to a meeting but wanted to comment, the city would be able to accommodate them in some way. Stillman said she’d made house calls over the years to concerned citizens and that emailing or calling council members on the phone was still an option.
Stillman said that the elimination of the public comment section early in the meeting was kind of a return to the status quo. It was added in the late 2000’s when the council meetings often stretched late into the night to make sure concerned residents didn’t have to stay until the end of the meeting to comment. Now, most council meetings only last until about 8:30. She also pointed out that the virtual comment option was only added a few years ago, and people managed to go decades without it.
“Change is hard,” Stillman said. “And that’s all we’ve got in life, is change…So I think all in all, we’re just going back to the way it was for years in the past.”
Press release from the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office:
The Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office needs the public’s help to locate missing person Corey Shannon-Johnson, 33 -years-old, of McKinleyville. Corey Shannon-Johnson was reported missing on Nov.1, 2025 and was last seen in McKinleyville. He is described as a white male adult, 5’9” tall, 185 lbs., brown hair and blue eyes.
Anyone who has seen or knows the whereabouts of Shannon-Johnson is asked to call the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office at 707-445-7251 and refer to case number 202504996.
On 10/31/2025, at approximately 0104 hours, the CHP Humboldt Communication Center (HCC) received a call of a vehicle versus pedestrian traffic crash on SR-96, east of Hostler Field Road. Based on CHP’s preliminary investigation, it was determined Cory Tracy was driving a 2009 Volkswagen GLI westbound on SR-96, east of Hostler Field Road. For an unknown reason, Jason McCullough was walking within the westbound lane of SR-96, and a crash occurred between the Volkswagen and Mr. McCullough. As a result of the crash, Mr. McCullough sustained fatal injuries. Mr. Tracy was evaluated for drug and/or alcohol impairment and was determined not to be impaired. Whether Mr. McCullough was under the influence of drugs and/or alcohol at the time of the crash remains under investigation.
The CHP is continuing its investigation into this crash and asks anyone with information related to it to contact the Humboldt Area office at (707) 713-6300. Please reference CHP Case Number 9125-2025-00701.
The California Highway Patrol extends its condolences to the family of the deceased and would like to thank all responding agencies for their response and assistance with this investigation.
UPDATE - 3:45 P.M. – Humboldt County Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) spokesperson Christine Messinger got back to us: “As of now, we do not have new information about when benefits will be available. We’re hopeful it’s soon.”
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UPDATE - 1:30 P.M. – California Attorney General Rob Bonta issued a press statement this afternoon in response to the Trump administration’s announcement to partially reinstate SNAP benefits for November.
In his statement, Bonta criticizes President Donald Trump’s “unlawful” decision to rescind federal food assistance in the first place, adding that “the federal government could fully fund November SNAP benefits if it wanted to.” Read the full statement below.
OAKLAND —California Attorney General Rob Bonta today issued the following statement in response to the news that the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) will only be providing partial Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits for the month of November. This morning, in a new legal filing, the Trump Administration wrote the following: “Per orders issued by the United States District Courts for the Districts of Massachusetts and Rhode Island, [the Trump Administration] intends to deplete SNAP contingency funds completely and provide reduced SNAP benefits for November 2025.” Last week, Attorney General Bonta co-led a coalition of 23 attorneys general and three governors in filing a lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts against the USDA and its Secretary, Brooke Rollins, over the unlawful suspension of November SNAP benefits.
“My fellow attorneys general and I took the Trump Administration to court because they chose to suspend November SNAP benefits. That decision was not only unlawful, as two federal courts ruled on Friday; it has also forced the 42 million individuals who rely on SNAP to scramble and figure out where their next meal is going to come from. Americans of all political persuasions have rightfully been outraged,” said Attorney General Bonta. “This morning, we learned that the Trump Administration has decided, at long last and in the face of growing public pressure, to partially fund November SNAP benefits. This is an important development, but the reality is that SNAP benefits won’t become immediately available to recipients. This lag is problematic and the result of President Trump’s failure to follow the law until ordered to do so. In addition, today’s announcement by the Trump Administration represents a moral failure. We are the richest country in the world, and the federal government could fully fund November SNAP benefits if it wanted to. Recent images and videos of long lines at food pantries nationwide highlight the gravity of the current situation — we must continue to care for those in greatest need. My office remains focused on holding the Trump Administration accountable for its illegal actions.”
A copy of this morning’s filing by the Trump Administration can be found here.
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Original post: The Trump administration announced Monday that it will send partial SNAP payments to the 42 million low-income Americans who rely on federal food assistance. However, only “50% of eligible households’ current allotments” will be covered, according to a court filing submitted by the Justice Department.
On Friday, a U.S. District Court judge ruled that the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program must be funded using federal contingency funds, despite the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s claim that “the well has run dry” due to the ongoing government shutdown. The judge ordered the administration to provide an update on SNAP benefits on Monday.
In the filing issued this morning, the Justice Department told the court that it would “fulfill its obligation to expend” money in an emergency account for SNAP to allow states to “calculate the benefits available for each eligible household,” according to The New York Times.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) had planned to freeze Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program payments on Nov. 1. Two dozen states and the District of Columbia sued the federal government in response, arguing that it has billions in contingency funds to keep the federal food assistance program funded through November. SNAP, known as CalFresh here in California, provides monthly food benefits to approximately one in eight Americans, including about 32,000 people here in Humboldt.
The Outpost contacted the Humboldt County Department of Health and Human Services’ media team this morning to find out what this means for local folks who receive SNAP benefits. We’ll update this post when we hear back.
In the meantime, check out the list of resources below if you or someone you know needs help finding a bite to eat. We’ll do our best to keep this list updated.
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Arcata House Partnership has free food at its pantry in Valley West. The nonprofit is in “urgent” need of non-perishable food items. Donations can be taken to Arcata House Partnership’s office at 4677 Valley West Blvd. in Arcata between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. Monday - Friday. More information here.
Cal Poly Humboldt students can find groceries and snacks at the OhSNAP! Student Food Pantry in RWC 122. Pantry hours can be found here. Starting the second week of November, students can pick up free meals at the Gutswurrak Student Activities Center. A schedule for meal pick-up will be available here. Students can also receive meal assistance through the university’s Swipe Assistance Program or through emergency grant assistance at this link.
Esmeralda’s 2.0 in Eureka will offer a”Good Neighbor Bundle” to SNAP/EBT cardholders. The $10 meal can feed a family of four. Details here.
Falafelove in King Salmon is a free meal to anyone who’s hungry. “We will be serving a chicken barley soup at no charge for anyone who asks, no questions asked – until the government shutdown resolves.” Details here.
Food for People distributes fresh produce and non-perishable food items at food distribution sites across the county. Type in your zipcode at this link to find a location near you.
Food Not Bombs serves free (vegan) hot meals every week in Arcata and Eureka. Meals are served every Sunday at 3 p.m. on Clark Plaza in Old Town Eureka and the Arcata Plaza. Food Not Bombs also provides meals at 4 p.m. on Mondays at Bayshore Way and Broadway in Eureka, near the rear entrance to the Bayshore Mall.
The Humboldt Gold Exchange in Eureka is providing free meal bags for children with proof of a SNAP/EBT card. More information can be found here.
Los Bagels is offering a free four-pack of bagels at Arcata and Eureka locations. SNAP recipients are limited to one pack of bagels per week, and you must have your SNAP/EBT card and ID on hand.
Old Town Coffee & Chocolates is offering free breakfast at both of its Eureka locations daily from 7:30 to 10 a.m. Just ask for the “special snack.” More information here.
St. Vincent de Paul offers free meals Monday -Saturday from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at its dining facility at 35 W. Third Street. Details here.
