Leads:
- Today is election day in California. It's the day voters decide if they want to keep or oust Gavin Newsom as governor. Secretary of State, Dr. Shirley Webber says she has no problem calling the election before all the votes are certified. Early returns favor Newsom. Of the ballots collected so far, 52% are from registered Democrats, 25% from Republicans, and 23% from Independents. However, recent history indicates Republicans tend to prefer voting in-person on election day.
- We have an update on the Sacramento students and their families who are trapped in Afghanistan. Nate McGill, Principal of Ethel I Baker Elementary School, where three of the students go to school, has been in touch with them every day. This morning he tells KFBK that the students are still in hiding and waiting to be rescued, but now have a case open with the US Department of State.
- President Biden is in Northern California surveying wildfire damage. Following an aerial tour of the Caldor Fire in nearby El Dorado County, Biden said over 44,000 wildfires have burned land roughly the size of the state of New Jersey. He is pledging California will have every resource needed to keep families safe. He is also calling for action to combat climate change, saying this year, extreme weather will likely break the record in damage costs incurred.
Links:
- Secretary of State Antony Blinken is defending the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan. Testifying in a House hearing, Blinken said it was "time to end America's longest war," which sparked a heated discourse between the Secretary and a member of Congress.
- Los Angeles Times columnist Jean Guerrero told CNN's Brian Stelter on Sunday that California Republican gubernatorial candidate Larry Elder poses a "very real threat to communities of color" and doubled down on accusations of white supremacy.
- Florida's governor is vowing to stand with those fighting against COVID vaccine mandates. Ron DeSantis says it's all political and vows to protect jobs and families.