OCEA HOT DOG WAGON
OCEA.org: Hot Dog Wagon Schedule
Upcoming stops, all 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.: Sept. 30 at OCERS in Santa Ana, Oct. 1 at SSA and Probation in Laguna Hills, Oct. 6 at OCCR, HCA and ROV in Santa Ana, Oct. 13 in Laguna Beach, Oct. 15 at CSS and Probation in Santa Ana, Oct. 20 in Fullerton, and Oct. 29 at GGCEA and GGEL in Garden Grove. The wagon marks its 25th anniversary this year; the schedule is subject to change.
LABOR
AFLCIO.org: ‘Huge, Absolutely Huge’: The Working People Weekly List
California’s Public Employment Relations Board certified a union for Uber and Lyft drivers after enough drivers signed on to trigger recognition.
LOCAL
OCGov.com: Orange County Proclaims State of Local Emergency Related to Hurricane Marie
Board Chair Doug Chaffee signed a countywide local emergency proclamation over coastal damage from Hurricane Marie, following separate declarations by Dana Point, Laguna Beach and San Clemente. The proclamation opens the door to state and federal reimbursement and goes to the full Board for ratification.
VoiceofOC.org: OC Sheriff Overspends by $29 Million, Officials Say its a Budgeting Strategy
The Sheriff’s Department ran $29 million over budget last fiscal year and $77 million over across three years, the largest overrun of any county department. Sheriff officials say the CEO’s office intentionally underfunds the department at the start of each year and expects supplemental requests; they point to lower tax revenue and higher costs for inmate meals, uniforms and IT.
VoiceofOC.org: OC Fire Authority to Get Federal Money for Search and Rescue Ahead of El Niño
OCFA will receive more than $1.8 million from FEMA for California Task Force 5, a 70-person urban search and rescue team drawn from fire departments across the county. The grant lands as the state declares an emergency ahead of a forecast Super El Niño.
VoiceofOC.org: Garden Grove Replaces Be Well OC’s Mental Health Services
Garden Grove’s council approved a $1.5 million first-year contract with Healthcare In Action after Mind OC said it could no longer sustain Be Well OC crisis services in the city. The new provider will run eight hours a day, down from 18, and council members raised concerns about evening coverage gaps.
VoiceofOC.org: Education, Buybacks, Infrastructure: Can OC Curb E-bike Deaths and Injuries?
E-bike injuries are now the leading cause of trauma visits at the region’s children’s hospitals, and rules vary across the county’s 34 cities. The DA’s $100,000 buyback event ran out of money midway through, and experts argue for protected bike lanes and consistent countywide standards.
VoiceofOC.org: How Will Newport Beach Leaders Pull Together an Election in 50 Days?
Newport Beach is running its first independent election in nearly 50 years on 50 days notice after a judge ordered a vote on three ballot initiatives covering transparency, term limits and district elections. The OC Registrar declined to provide voter data or support because of the concurrent statewide election, and the city has appealed to the state Supreme Court.
NATIONAL
Partnership for Public Service polling puts trust in the federal government at 27%, yet record shares of Americans say civil servants are competent (65%) and committed to helping people like them (61%).
AI
The order directs the Government Operations Agency to convene experts within two months on stronger frontier AI safety rules, including onsite audits and a kill switch. It also creates an AI Cybersecurity Officer in every state agency and expands job training and public benefit programs to address AI’s effects on California workers.
MultiState.us: State AI Employment Laws Address Monitoring, Hiring, and Bias Concerns
States weighed 155 workplace AI bills in 2026 sessions. California advanced limits on AI surveillance that reads neural data or emotional state, Colorado and Connecticut enacted notice requirements for automated hiring tools, and most bias-audit mandates died in committee.
