Minggu, 01 November 2026

Whales Delay Crab Season, WNBA Champs, SpaceX’s 18th Flight

Sunday, November 1, 2026

Good Morning! On this day in 1910, San Diego renamed its City Park as Balboa Park, honoring Vasco Núñez de Balboa, the first European to spot the Pacific Ocean, as the city readied the grounds for the 1915 Panama-California Exposition.

A well-traveled SpaceX booster lit up the sky over Vandenberg on Halloween eve, and a great white made a splashy appearance among surfers in Pismo Beach. Get the details on both in Et Cetera, then tell us how you’d handle a close encounter in our Poll.

In case you missed it on Flyover Focus, we counted down the 10 most common scams putting Americans in danger right now, deceptions that cost victims $20 billion last year alone. These schemes are convincing enough to fool people who were sure they’d never fall for one, and odds are you’ve already encountered at least one of them. Plus, one scam on the list threatens to drain an entire retirement account. How many of them would you spot before it’s too late? Tune in here!

When was the last time you compared your car insurance? If it’s been a year or longer, the rate you’re renewing may deserve a second look. Today’s sponsor, Insurify, makes it easy to compare quotes from more than 120 insurers in just a few minutes.

Fresno State Patent Targets Utility Wildfires

A Fresno State engineering professor has patented a system designed to catch deteriorating power lines and other hazards weeks or months before they could start a fire.

Kerry McBee’s Real-Time Overhead Autonomous Monitoring System uses solar-powered sensors to track worn lines, wind-driven pole movement, and encroaching vegetation, and an AI neural network then decides whether conditions could spark a fire.

McBee developed the system with help from a $150,000 California Energy Commission grant after building a database of 25 of California’s deadliest wildfires. He estimates installation at about $5,000 per span between poles, a possible cheaper alternative to burying lines, and hopes to launch pilot programs with PG&E and Southern California Edison.

Whales Push Crab Season past the Holidays

California’s commercial Dungeness crab season, which usually opens Nov. 15, has been delayed until January, which will likely keep local crab off Thanksgiving and holiday tables.

The California Department of Fish and Wildlife cited an unusually high number of humpback whale entanglements this year, with nine confirmed off California so far, mostly in Monterey Bay, including four tied to crab gear.

This is the seventh straight year entanglements have delayed the opener. Recreational crabbers can still start Nov. 7 using hoop nets and snares, but traps are off-limits until at least Jan. 1, and the state will reassess in mid-December.

Valkyries Bring WNBA Title to Bay Area

The Golden State Valkyries won the WNBA championship in just their second season, beating the Atlanta Dream 68-63 at Chase Center in the first Game 7 in Finals history.

Gabby Williams, who played youth basketball in the Bay Area, scored 30 points and hit a clutch 3-pointer after Atlanta tied the game late in the fourth quarter. The sellout crowd chanted her name throughout the final period. You can watch highlights of the victory here.

The Valkyries have sold out every home game since debuting as an expansion team last season, and the cheapest Game 7 tickets were going for a Finals-record $381 a day before tipoff.

The Finals also brought controversy. Both teams left the court before the national anthem ahead of all seven games, citing their pregame routines, and the Dream's owners blamed the league after Game 6 was scheduled for a weekday afternoon.

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Last Year’s Best Rate Might Not Be This Year’s

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➤ Fairfield: Seven people were shot, one fatally, Friday night at a Spirit Halloween store inside Solano Town Center, and at least three of the survivors are in critical condition. Police haven’t identified a suspect or a motive. (More)

➤ Stockton: Ammaad Akhtar, 34, pleaded guilty Friday to attempting to provide material support to ISIS after an undercover operation in which federal prosecutors say he gave an agent money, two loaded guns, and other equipment in 2025. He faces up to 20 years in prison when he’s sentenced Feb. 26. (More)

➤ Stockton: After almost three years of construction, a backup levee protecting the Brookside neighborhood from the San Joaquin River is ready for winter, a key piece of a $2 billion plan to upgrade 23 miles of San Joaquin County levees by 2037. (More)

➤ Also Stockton: The City Council unanimously accepted a donation of two acres on Shoreline Drive in north Stockton that police plan to use for mounted patrol training and community engagement, though the department says plans for the site are still in the conceptual stage. (More)

➤ Visalia: Caltrans broke ground Friday on a $71 million overhaul of the Highway 99 interchange at Caldwell Avenue, the district’s first Central Valley interchange with roundabouts at every ramp, and it’s expected to finish in summer 2028. (More)

➤ Bakersfield: A crash-data analysis by local law firm Chain Cohn Clark ranks 23rd Street, 24th Street, and Chester Avenue as the city’s most dangerous intersection, with 34 crashes. Separately, Bakersfield police have installed six new red-light cameras along the Ming Avenue, White Lane, and Panama Lane corridors. (More)

➤ San Luis Obispo County: Health officials are investigating eight more suspected E. coli cases tied to Brookshire Farms’ pumpkin patch on Los Osos Valley Road, on top of five confirmed cases that put three children in intensive care. Anyone who visited the farm between Oct. 16 and 26 and has stomach symptoms is urged to call their doctor. (More)

➤ San Diego County: Federal prosecutors have indicted 42 alleged members and associates of the Poway-based gang Varrio Hidden Hills, saying they ran a meth and fentanyl operation from Oceanside to the U.S.-Mexico border. 35 have been arrested so far, and more arrests and charges are expected. (More)

➤ Los Angeles: Meta has settled with a second teen suing social media companies over alleged addiction-related mental health harms, leaving Snapchat as the only defendant in a trial with opening statements set for Wednesday. (More)

➤ Glendale: Doctor Violetta Mailyan was sentenced to 15 years in prison and ordered to repay nearly $33 million for billing Medicare more than $45 million for Botox injections that prosecutors say were medically unnecessary or never given. (More)

➤ USC scored three touchdowns in a 30-18 upset of No. 2 Ohio State at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, rebounding from a 24-7 loss at Wisconsin that was the lowest-scoring game of Lincoln Riley’s head-coaching career. (More)

➤ No. 7 UCLA improved to 8-0 with a 27-0 shutout of Nevada at the Rose Bowl, while Cal lost 31-10 at NC State and Stanford fell 52-24 to Louisville. (See Scores)

➤ The Los Angeles Lakers’ record $12.5 billion sale to Josh Kushner and former Disney CEO Bob Iger moved closer to completion after Kushner and team governor Mark Walter reportedly “agreed on all outstanding terms.” (More)

➤ The Los Angeles Chargers face the Los Angeles Rams at SoFi Stadium today as the NFL’s last winless team. (See Preview)

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➤ 1 Cup of This Morning Drink Floods Your Body with Stem Cells. Harvard Researchers found that people who drank this hot morning drink had a 47% improvement in blood vessel function, a sharp drop in blood pressure, and a 220% increase in stem cells. See which drink here.

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➤ A SpaceX booster flew for the 18th time Friday night, launching 27 Starlink satellites from Vandenberg Space Force Base at 9:04 p.m. on Halloween eve before landing on a drone ship in the Pacific. It was SpaceX’s 118th Falcon 9 flight of the year. (More)

➤ A great white estimated at 12 to 15 feet cruised between surfers near Pismo Beach’s Pier Avenue on Wednesday and splashed one with its tail as it swam off, a close encounter that left no one hurt and that experts say reflects a rebounding shark population and a healthy ocean. (More)

➤ San Francisco’s SFDanceworks opens its ninth season Wednesday at Z Space with two world premieres, a five-dancer work by Jermaine Maurice Spivey and a trio by longtime collaborator Brett Conway. The program, which runs through Nov. 7, also features San Francisco Ballet principal Joseph Walsh in a Merce Cunningham solo. (More)

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The following stories are featured exclusively on The Flyover Podcast—a daily show that gives you the most important headlines in under 15 minutes, straight from the heart of the country.

➤ Halloween came with curfews and extra cops as towns braced for a repeat of last year's teenage mayhem. (Hear More)

➤ Scientists uncovered secrets of Mars’ ancient, watery past inside a rose-colored meteorite found in the Sahara Desert. (Listen Now)

➤ Art experts revealed how beginners could start collecting valuable artwork without spending a fortune. (Podcast Available)

A fisherman kayaking off the coast of Half Moon Bay captures a heart-pounding close encounter with a great white shark on video.

What would you do if a great white swam by you in the ocean?

Yesterday’s Results:

How are you spending Halloween night?

Skipping it this year: 37%
Handing out candy: 24%
Staying in with a scary movie: 11%
Trick-or-treating with the kids: 10%
Costume party: 10%
Haunted house or theme park: 8%

In 1951, a San Diego businessman converted his drive-in into a hamburger stand built around a drive-thru window and a two-way intercom, topped by a giant clown. What fast-food chain did he launch?

Show me the answer

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Voting Record, Walkable Communities, and a Mobile Sweet Shop

Sunday, November 1, 2026

Good Morning! On this day in 2023, the Texas Rangers beat the Arizona Diamondbacks 5-0 to win their first World Series in franchise history. The title came 51 years after the team moved to Arlington.

Daylight saving time ended at 2 a.m. We hope you enjoyed the extra hour of sleep, but remember the oven and car clocks won’t fix themselves.

Texas Sets Midterm Early Voting Record

More than 7.4 million Texans voted before early voting closed Friday, a midterm record.

That’s nearly 39% of the state’s 19 million registered voters, counting mail ballots. Harris County set its own midterm record with more than 1 million early voters.

University of Houston political scientist Brandon Rottinghaus largely credits the Senate race between Republican Ken Paxton and Democrat James Talarico. He expects up to 10 million ballots, which would beat the 2018 midterm record of 8.3 million.

Election Day is Tuesday, with polls open 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Nuclear Projects Flock to Texas

X-energy is awaiting federal approval to build a more than $4 billion nuclear reactor at Dow’s plastics plant in Seadrift. It’s one of more than half a dozen reactor projects underway in Texas, fueled by federal money and power-hungry data centers.

The Energy Department committed up to $2.15 billion to the project. An environmental group challenged its financing, but a federal licensing board dismissed the challenge in June. The group is appealing.

Texas wants more. Republican Gov. Greg Abbott signed a law last year creating a state nuclear energy office and a $350 million fund to grow the industry.

Parks Agency Fights Boca Chica Records Release

Texas Parks and Wildlife on Friday asked the attorney general to block release of a draft agenda listing a closed-door discussion of land at Boca Chica State Park.

The Texas Tribune requested the document after Texas Monthly reported commissioners planned to discuss selling 1,300 acres, reportedly to SpaceX. The agency claims a “deliberative process” exemption.

Gov. Greg Abbott says a sale won’t get a vote “anytime soon,” and the agency says it’s off November’s agenda. Democratic gubernatorial candidate Gina Hinojosa opposes any sale.

SpaceX already owns hundreds of acres around the park, which surrounds its launch site.

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Last Year’s Best Rate Might Not Be This Year’s

Before you let your policy renew again, take a quick look at what else is available. You could find a lower price for something you’re already paying for.

Compare your rates with Insurify and see if you could save.

➤ Galveston: City Council Member Jason Hardcastle faces drunken driving and resisting arrest charges after a two-vehicle crash Friday, allegedly refusing a breath test and resisting a court-ordered blood draw. (See Details)

➤ San Antonio: The Alamo Area Metropolitan Planning Organization is asking residents to help shape billions of dollars in future transportation investments through five public meetings focused on the region's Mobility 2050 plan. (More)

➤ West Lake Hills: A pair of blown transformers plunged Chaparral Stadium into darkness on Friday, halting Westlake's showdown with unbeaten Cedar Ridge in the second quarter. (See Details)

➤ Grand Prairie: Bolder Adventure Park, a massive indoor climbing and zip line attraction at Epic Central, has closed permanently after four years, with mounting financial troubles reportedly forcing the 66,000-square-foot venue out of business. (More)

➤ Richardson: Officials revived BizTown, a miniature city where students learn to run businesses, manage money, and turn a profit, after parents who enjoyed the program as children pushed for its return. (Read Story)

➤ Collin County: Frisco, Celina, Anna, and Allen are reinventing their downtowns as walkable community hubs, embracing small-town charm as suburban growth pushes north, with one Frisco newcomer comparing the experience to Gilmore Girls. (Read Story)

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➤ No. 13 Texas Tech beat No. 22 Arizona 34-26 as Tommy Castellanos, starting in place of benched quarterback Will Hammond, threw two touchdown passes and ran for 117 yards and another score. (More)

➤ Arch Manning threw for 220 yards and three touchdowns as No. 11 Texas routed Mississippi State 31-3 despite accounting for just 280 yards of total offense. (More)

➤ No. 19 SMU was upset 30-27 at Syracuse on a touchdown pass with 17 seconds left, while Jaden Craig’s touchdown run with 1:11 remaining lifted TCU past Kansas 22-16. (See Scores)

➤ The Houston Astros owner Jim Crane returned to familiar territory on Friday, hiring Cardinals executive Randy Flores as general manager 15 years after recruiting Jeff Luhnow from St. Louis to build Houston’s championship dynasty. (More)

➤ The Dallas Cowboys host the Arizona Cardinals today as 6.5-point favorites after scoring a season-high 38 points against the Philadelphia Eagles. (See Preview)

Flying together with our sponsor

Flying together with our sponsor

Same Car. Same Coverage. A Smaller Bill?

The service is free, with no hidden fees. Just a few minutes could help you find a monthly expense worth trimming.

See how much you could save with Insurify today.

Average savings based on initial quotes. Actual savings vary. Not typical.

➤ About 3,300 costumed runners and walkers, including hundreds of cancer survivors, filled downtown Beaumont Saturday for a Halloween-themed race supporting free breast and ovarian cancer screenings. (See Details)

➤ An Austin couple turned their love of European candy into a mobile sweets shop, with Greg Kinney converting a truck to sell imported Swedish treats, including gluten-free, dye-free, and vegan options. (Read Story)

➤ A Carrollton homeowner transformed his property into a free, biohazard-themed Halloween attraction featuring a 15-foot animatronic monster and a real subway car serving as the entrance. (See Details)

Flying together with our sponsor

The following stories are featured exclusively on The Flyover Podcast—a daily show that gives you the most important headlines in under 15 minutes, straight from the heart of the country.

➤ Halloween came with curfews and extra cops as towns braced for a repeat of last year's teenage mayhem. (Hear More)

➤ Scientists uncovered secrets of Mars’ ancient, watery past inside a rose-colored meteorite found in the Sahara Desert. (Listen Now)

➤ Art experts revealed how beginners could start collecting valuable artwork without spending a fortune. (Podcast Available)