A planned strike by Sutter Health employees has been called off after the company and union leaders reached a tentative deal over the weekend. The agreement covers more than 4,000 workers at eight Sutter hospitals, including Sutter Lakeside in Lakeport, and promises a 14 percent pay raise along with protections for healthcare and retirement benefits. Union officials say it also tackles staffing and safety concerns that had fueled months of frustration. Sutter Health said the deal rewards workers while keeping patient care strong. The agreement still needs to be ratified by employees later this month.
Thousands of Kaiser Permanente workers across California hit the picket lines Tuesday, launching the biggest strike in their union’s history. Nurses, pharmacists, and other clinicians say they’re overworked, underpaid, and tired of watching patient care suffer while the health giant posts billion-dollar profits. Kaiser says around 2,800 Northern California employees joined the strike, which will run through Sunday, while most clinics and hospitals remain open.
A 14-year-old girl wanted in connection with a stabbing last week in Lake County is now in custody. Deputies arrested Nova Fabisch in Lakeport on Friday, accusing her of stabbing another teen multiple times with a pocket knife. The victim was hospitalized but is expected to make a full recovery, according to investigators. Fabisch faces charges including attempted murder and assault with a deadly weapon. Prosecutors say the case will remain in juvenile court for now.
A year after his disappearance, Humboldt County detectives are again asking for help finding 36-year-old John Starr Vang, last seen near Honeydew in August 2023. Vang was believed to be working on a marijuana grow when he vanished, and investigators recently released photos of three women seen with him at a Eureka Walmart just days before. They’re also looking for a man known as Mateo who may have worked with him on the same farm. Anyone with information about what happened to Vang is urged to call the Sheriff’s Office.
California farmers are sounding the alarm over Proposition 50, warning it could erase rural voices from the political map. The proposal would let lawmakers, not the state’s independent commission, redraw district lines for the next six years. Farm Bureau President Shannon Douglas says that means rural counties could get lumped in with faraway cities, giving urban voters even more sway. She says farmers deserve fair representation—not another round of political gamesmanship.
California is slapping warning labels on social media, treating it a bit like cigarettes for the digital age. Governor Gavin Newsom signed the new law Monday, saying it’s meant to protect kids from the mental health toll of constant scrolling. Studies have tied social media to anxiety, body image issues, and lost sleep. Newsom also signed companion bills to add age checks online and rein in AI chatbots.
