The Brief

Messages obtained by LAist show that Orange County Public Works officials were alerted to high fire danger, yet failed to take precautions on the day a crew accidentally started the massive Airport Fire during a September heat wave. Over the next 26 days, the fire burned down more than 160 buildings, injured 22 people and resulted in nearly $400 million in claims county taxpayers could be on the hook for.

Sean Doran, a spokesperson for the Orange County Fire Authority, told LAist the fire was sparked the afternoon of Sept. 9 while the crew was using heavy equipment to move large rocks in Trabuco Canyon.

LAist’s review of messages sent on Microsoft Teams, obtained through a public records request, show Operations & Maintenance supervisors and a senior manager were informed at 10 a.m. that morning of high fire danger. By that time, work at the site had been underway for three hours, according to Doran.

Even after the high fire danger warning, no water truck was brought in. More than three hours after that warning, work at the site sparked the fire.

That work was taking place without a water truck present, according to an equipment log in the job’s work order obtained by LAist. However, in a chat log from Sept. 10, Edward Frondoso, the deputy director for operations and maintenance at O.C. Public Works, says: “I know yesterday morning Bud had asked them to take the water truck out.” Nina Quimsing, an operations and maintenance manager, responds by noting that using a water truck is a department best practice.

On Sept. 10, the day after an O.C. Public Works crew unintentionally started the Airport Fire, department managers discuss what one described as a request for the crew to take a water truck with them. An OCFA spokesperson told LAist the fire was classified as unintentional.

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Illustration by Olivia Hughes for LAist

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County of Orange public records

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The records prompted LAist to seek answers with the county officials to understand decisions made that day, including:

• What is the county’s protocol for doing field work when fire risk is high?
• Who was responsible for making sure the crew took appropriate precautions?
• What, if anything, is the county doing to make sure such a misstep isn’t repeated?

Shannon Widor, a spokesperson for O.C. Public Works, told LAist he couldn’t comment for this story “due to pending claims and the likelihood of litigation.”

James Treadaway, who was the head of O.C. Public Works at the time of the fire, left his job suddenly in late September without a public explanation.

LAist reached out to the public works departments of Los Angeles, San Diego, Riverside and San Bernardino counties and the National Forest Service to ask about their policies for limiting risk on days when fire danger is high.

Several agencies require supervisors to only schedule work on low fire risk days or halt work on high fire risk days. Riverside County both forbids work on high fire danger days, and requires a water truck to be present for roadside work that could start a fire.

In contrast, an LAist review of Orange County’s policies did not find any reference to wildfire prevention, nor requirements to bring water trucks or halting work when the fire risk is high.

Image shows a re-creation of Microsoft Teams messages sent Sept. 10, the day after an O.C. Public Works crew unintentionally started the Airport Fire.

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County of Orange public records

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The Airport Fire burned more than 23,000 acres in Orange and Riverside counties before it was contained nearly a month later. It was officially declared out on Nov. 15.

The total cost of fighting the fire is expected to reach $95 million, according to Adrienne Freeman, a spokesperson for the U.S. Forest Service.

Numerous families reported losing their homes and livelihoods in claims to the county, which now reach into the hundreds of millions of dollars.

Among those injured in connection with the Airport Fire were eight firefighters, who rolled their vehicle as they were returning home from duty. Two of the firefighters were treated in a specialty neurorehabilitation hospital in Colorado. One was released last week after two months of treatment. The other continues to receive rehab treatment in Colorado.

A house burns in El Cariso Village along Ortega Highway during the Airport Fire.

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What the messages say

One thing that is clear: County officials have said the fire started when the crew was moving boulders to block off illegal paths and turnouts made by offroad vehicles along Trabuco Creek Road. An OCFA spokesperson told LAist two employees — a crew member and a supervisor — saw smoke coming from the basket of a truck loaded with boulders. They called 911 and used fire extinguishers at the scene in an unsuccessful attempt to put out the fire.

LAist’s review of Microsoft Teams messages between high-level O.C. Public Works managers detail some of their discussions after the fire started, and raise further questions about who’s responsible.

Fire officials received reports of a fire near a model airplane field in Trabuco Canyon around 1 p.m. on Sept. 9. About an hour later, at 2:08 p.m., Frondoso, the deputy director for Operations & Maintenance, sent a message through Microsoft Teams to his colleague Fiona Man.

“i kind of have something important to talk to KO about,” Frondoso wrote. Frondoso's boss at the time was Kevin Onuma, who is now is the interim director of O.C. Public Works.

The following exchange between Frondoso and Man took place over the next 15 minutes:

LAist tried to reach out to all supervisors and managers named in the messages by phone and email and reached 10 of the 12. No one responded to the requests for comment.

What the crew did, and didn’t have that day

A house in flames at El Cariso Village in Lake Elsinore on Sept. 10.

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Flames are seen near the side of a road as the Airport Fire gained ground near Lake Elsinore.

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LAist obtained the crew’s master work order for the Trabuco Canyon job via a public records request. The project to place boulders and barriers called K-rails began on Aug. 28 and was set to finish on Sept. 13, according to the work order. On the day of the fire, the equipment assigned were a CAT loader, dump truck, and pickup truck, the work order shows.

Records the county disclosed to LAist do not show an order for a water truck or tank associated with the work on the day the fire started, although work orders from previous weeks along the same road do include a water truck or tank.

Messages obtained by LAist via the California Public Records Act from Sept. 10, the day after the fire started, show managers trying to piece together why the crew didn’t have a water truck.

“On the work order, it shows what equipment will be used, but I know yesterday morning [a crew supervisor] had asked them to take the water truck out,” Frondoso wrote to his subordinate Nina Quimsing, an operations and maintenance manager.

Quimsing wrote back:

“Use of water truck or water buffalo would be considered a BMP. It is up to the crew to use BMPs where appropriate. But our Field Operations Manual activity guidelines state ‘Use appropriate BMP.’ For every maintenance activity.”

“BMP” refers to best management practice.

LAist requested from O.C. Public Works all of its written policies and procedures regarding fire prevention during the type of work the crew was doing that sparked the fire. County officials have turned over 99 pages of documentation, which include a fire prevention plan.

That policy specifies that “all heat-producing equipment/appliances shall be kept at a sufficiently safe distance from other combustible materials and have adequate space for air circulation.” But it does not specifically address fire hazards associated with field work, such as whether to bring a water truck or cancel work on high fire danger days. Those conditions are addressed in plans by other counties’ agencies.

Crew were informed of fire danger after work had already started

Garrett Keene stands in the rubble of his home in El Cariso Village on Sept. 12.

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Vintage cars destroyed by the Airport Fire.

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At 11:48 a.m. on Sept. 10, Frondoso wrote to Quimsing: “have you ever heard of us delaying or deferring work due to fire safety concerns?”

Quimsing replied: “This is why we announce the fire danger ratings over the 800 Mhz in Silver 1 so crews are informed of the risks when operating equipment etc.”

The National Weather Service had issued an excessive heat warning for Sept. 9, the day the fire broke out, advising the public of “dangerously hot conditions” in the Santa Ana Mountains and foothills, which include Trabuco Canyon. Records show temperatures in the canyon reached 100 degrees that day.

Public records obtained by LAist document that a public works dispatcher followed the standard practice of radioing twice daily announcements about the level of fire danger to field crews, at 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. Work at the site began at 7 a.m. A log of those announcements shows that on the day the fire started, the dispatcher warned in both announcements of “high” fire danger — the first warning of that level in 2024.

In addition, public records show “Darrell, Bud, Brandon and David” were sent an email and called about the high fire danger alert. In the organization chart obtained by LAist via a public records request, Darrell Wilson is an operations and maintenance manager and David Fernandez, Brandon Morgan and Erik Budzinski are all listed as maintenance supervisors. They are all listed in the chart as working under Frondoso.

The struggle to get records

LAist filed a public records request with OC Public Works for the Microsoft Teams chat logs on Sept. 12, three days after the fire started. Initially, county officials responded that no chat records were found and closed our request on Sept. 23. LAist asked again if there were relevant records. They then disclosed dozens of chat messages, saying the records were identified in a “subsequent search.”

County officials have told LAist that this is just one batch of records and more will be released in the coming weeks. Staff told LAist that all public records requests related to the Airport Fire are being reviewed by legal counsel because it is a “high visibility” item.

Chat logs reviewed by LAist also reveal how staff were directed to “pick up the phone” if they were discussing the fire. “As a reminder, please do not email, message or text any opinions or details,” Widor wrote via Teams to some managers.

Claims for damages and the fallout

As a result of the Airport Fire, Orange County has already received claims for damages amounting to close to $400 million. They range from people who say they lost their entire homes, to hotel costs due to evacuation orders.

“My entire retirement plans + future have been affected by this loss, and I have lost everything to plan for my future wellbeing,” one person wrote in their claim, seeking $1.8 million for losses.

Another man, who claimed $39,000 in damages, said his vehicle was torched with all of his construction equipment inside.

Residents wishing to file a claim against the county have six months to file from the date the damage was incurred.

How to file a claim

• If it is a claim related to personal injury or damage to property against the County of Orange, a claim form must be filled and mailed or hand delivered within six months to:

  • Clerk of the Board of Supervisors
  • 400 W. Civic Center Dr., 6th Floor, Santa Ana, CA 92701
• All other claims have to be filed to the same address within one year.

Residents with damages to their property caused by the Airport Fire can also file for property tax relief.

To apply, fill out this form and submit to the County Assessor’s office within 12 months from the time your property was damaged.

At some other SoCal agencies, work stops on high fire danger days

LAist reached out to the public works departments of Los Angeles, San Diego, Riverside and San Bernardino counties and the National Forest Service to ask about their policies for limiting risk on days when fire danger is high.

Notably, San Bernardino adopted fire guidelines in 2010. In a memo released to LAist, then-San Bernardino County Public Works Director Granville Bowman said the new guidelines were adopted due to two earlier fires caused by “vehicles and equipment being used to conduct field operation assignments.” The guidelines require supervisors to “schedule all non emergency activities that can start fires to a period of low fire risk and ensure all risks are considered before scheduling,” among other measures.

The county’s guidelines also say vehicles should not be operated in “high risk” areas defined by a combination of dry vegetation, temperatures over 85 degrees, and humidity of less than 25%. Failure to follow the guidelines can result in disciplinary action or dismissal.

The National Forest Service relies on a fire risk management tool called the “Project Activity Level” (PAL) system to determine which industrial activities, including timber harvesting and maintenance, can be safely allowed to proceed on a daily basis. On the day the Airport Fire broke out, the danger rating for the closest Forest Service stations, and most stations in Southern California, was “E” — the highest danger level.

Freeman, the U.S. Forest Service spokesperson, said “anything that’s not emergency work” is prohibited when the PAL system indicates that level of fire danger. “We actually can and do shut down things like utility work if we feel like there's a high potential for a fire to start based on that work,” Freeman said, referring to work on U.S. Forest Service land.

The Airport Fire started just outside of forest service land. But at least one local agency, San Diego County, relies on the Forest Service fire danger alert system to plan its own field work.

Donna Durckel, spokesperson for San Diego County’s Land Use and Environment Group, said the county’s senior equipment operators receive a text each day advising them of the current PAL level. They use that information to determine “what work is allowed to take place,” she said.

In Los Angeles, the public works department halts construction and maintenance activities in fire-prone areas during red flag days, according to Lisette Guzman, a spokesperson for L.A. County’s Public Works Department. O.C. was not under a red flag warning the day the Airport Fire broke out.

In Riverside, the county’s Transportation and Land Management Agency, which maintains county roads, has a written policy that requires a water truck be assigned to tractor mowers when trimming vegetation on roadsides. Felisa Cardona, a spokesperson for the agency, told LAist the policy also applies to other types of road maintenance work that has the potential to start fires.

Riverside’s policy also requires employees to check the weather forecast in the morning, and to postpone work when there’s low humidity and/or high winds that could spark fires.

The 2026 World Cup has ended — after almost six weeks, 104 matches and games spread across three countries: the United States, Canada and Mexico.

Spain is the World Cup champion again, defeating the defending champion Argentina to claim its second title. With the win, Spain holds World Cup titles for both the men's and women's national teams — a first.

Here are the moments that stood out to NPR's team of journalists who covered the tournament:

All the drama before the tournament, and just pure enjoyment once underway

For the most part, the 2026 World Cup was a smooth, fun and safe one.

Sure, the mandatory hydration breaks added for all games (including those in domed stadiums with air conditioning) and a first-ever halftime show in the final were maddening for the soccer purists. But, still, the U.S., Mexico and Canada put on a great show for the world — with record viewership and attendance.

And, wow, were people treated to some remarkable soccer games. Let's not forget the hand-wringing when the announcement was made about expanding the number of countries from 32 to 48. "The quality of play will be poor! There will be blowouts! It just won't be as fun!" And then we all saw what actually happened.
Those World Cup debutants — or those that hadn't been in decades — were just delightful. Scotland (and their wonderful fans), anyone? People from other countries enjoying and exploring the U.S. and posting the absolute best social media videos about it. And what about African countries powering into the knockout rounds? Soccer at its best.
— Russell Lewis

During the World Cup round of 32 match between the United States and Bosnia-Herzegovina, fans of the U.S. roared and cheered throughout in Santa Clara, Calif. The Americans won 2-0 on July 1 to advance to the round of 16 against Belgium.

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The enthusiasm for the U.S. team is hopefully the start of something

I've been to a lot of sporting events, but I'm not sure I've heard a crowd pop like in Seattle when forward Folarin Balogun forced an own goal when the U.S. faced Australia, or like in Santa Clara, Calif., when midfielder Malik Tillman hit the free kick to put the U.S. up 2-0 despite being shorthanded after the Balogun red card.

It's been a joy to see children all over the country, from L.A. to Kansas City to Atlanta to New York, wearing the team's red-and-white striped jerseys. I had friends and family who never normally watch the sport text me during the U.S. games.

Look, I'm not naive. The U.S. still has a long way to go to match the passion of, say, Argentina when it comes to our national soccer teams. But compared to the tiny crowds at other friendlies I've attended, or getting outnumbered by Mexico fans in the Gold Cup final in Houston, this was a great start.

And I'm hopeful that come the next CONCACAF Nations League, which begins this fall, or even the possible Copa América that might be on deck here in the States in 2028, the passion will linger long enough that this story might change.
— Becky Sullivan

The Cape Verde-Argentina game

Cape Verde was an exciting team to watch in this tournament. The narrative was that they came out of nowhere, which is not quite true: yes, this was their first time qualifying for a World Cup, but in African tournaments, Cape Verde has been playing amazing soccer for years.
As someone who follows soccer closely, I think African soccer is having a moment, and we may see it come to full bloom in the 2030 World Cup (hosted in part by Morocco). Vozinha, Cape Verde's extraordinary goalie, was one of the breakout stars of this cup at age 40.

On the other hand, Argentina is a relentless team; they were the defending champions. They have Lionel Messi, a living legend. The game, played in Miami, was a nail-biter: until the last moment, no one knew how it would end.

The fans were wild (there was a moment in the press box when the stadium was shaking so hard, a local journalist turned to me and said, "It never shakes like this." I will never forget that game.
— Jasmine Garsd

Argentina's forward Lionel Messi reacts during the 2026 World Cup final loss against Spain. This is likely Messi's final World Cup game.

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The Argentina team working to decrease cardiac health globally

As someone who has followed the Argentina team for decades, this is nothing new: It is a team notorious for being slow starters, as if they needed to be up against the wall to find their motivation.

They started off the last World Cup, in 2022, with a shocking loss to Saudi Arabia, and then, just as everyone had discounted them, they went on to win the entire tournament.

The matches in this year's World Cup followed a similar pattern: Like against Cape Verde, Argentina seeming to be on standby during the first half, then coming to life in the second.

Another example was Argentina-England, and yet another heart attack special. Argentina seemed to be getting its bearings in the first half of the game. It wasn't until after the 55th minute, when England scored a goal, that Argentina began to awaken and put up a fight. They equalized in the 85th minute, and then scored again in stoppage time to win and advance to the final.

Argentina played the same way in the final, but unlike the previous games, could not find a way to bounce back.

— Jasmine Garsd

Unfortunately, the high ticket prices were justified

From the moment FIFA released the first tickets, our eyes collectively popped at the price of the tickets — what a cash grab! Hundreds of dollars for the seemingly low-demand group stage games, $1,000 or more for each U.S. game, and thousands for Sunday's final.

But the fears of half-empty stadiums, of empty hotels, or visitors turned off by the high prices, never quite came to fruition. I'm sad to report it turns out FIFA was onto something. It turns out the World Cup is very fun and very cool, and many people are willing to pay those prices, whether diehard fans traveling from overseas or curious locals who wanted the experience.

Soccer has long hung its hat on being the most accessible sport to play — all you need is a ball! — but a $10,000 entry price to the final, and hundreds for the cheapest games, are the latest proof that's changing.

— Becky Sullivan

France's forward Kylian Mbappé celebrates scoring a goal against Sweden in a round of 32 match. Mbappé finished the tournament as the Golden Boot winner with 10 goals, increasing his overall World Cup total to 22, the most all-time.

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Kylian Mbappé's unbelievable speed

It's one thing to watch him play on TV, but when you see him in person, you really understand just how fast French captain Kylian Mbappé is.

I did a little digging after the France-Morocco game near Boston, and found that Mbappé's fastest recorded sprint on a pitch was faster than Jamaican Olympic gold medalist Usain Bolt's average set in his 100m World Record in 2009.

Mbappé's speed was 23.6 miles per hour, recorded in a 2019 match between Paris Saint-Germain and AS Monaco. And that speed helped him win yet another Golden Boot award. His 10 goals were the most in the tournament, increasing his overall World Cup total to 22, the most all-time.

— Jasmine Garsd

The much-hated VAR

VAR, or video assistant referee, was first introduced at the World Cup in 2018. At the time, fans and teams appreciated it as a way to correct the occasional referee error or missed call. Fast-forward to 2026, and VAR is ubiquitous in almost every game.
At times, the decisions have been accused of being ludicrous: a Colombian goal against Portugal annulled because a toenail was found offside by the VAR.
An Iranian goal against Belgium was wiped away because the striker's butt was offside. There have also been controversial VAR calls, like the questionable foul that led to an Egyptian goal against Argentina being annulled. Argentina won that game and Egypt got knocked out.

Fans also say it's slowing down the game and putting a damper on goal celebrations, lest the great VAR take the moment away.

— Jasmine Garsd

The continued politicizing of the Cup

It's nothing new: The 2018 Russia World Cup was rife with accusations of sportswashing of human rights abuses and FIFA corruption. The 2022 Qatar World Cup faced similar criticism.

During this World Cup, there were critiques of the U.S. government's immigration policy as tens of thousands of foreign tourists tried to enter the country. The U.S.-led war against Iran trickled onto the soccer field, too.

Iran's soccer team had planned to base its training camp in Arizona. But it moved to Tijuana, Mexico, amid security fears and other worries. Then, the U.S. government only allowed Iran's team to enter the country a single day (and, later, two days) before each game, and the team had to depart immediately afterward.

And, of course, the prohibitive cost of tickets, and President Trump's involvement in the tournament. He only attended one game, the final between Argentina and Spain, and was booed. There were also conversations about various teams and their colonial histories.

— Jasmine Garsd

FIFA President Gianni Infantino (L) and President Donald Trump arrive for the final ceremony after the 2026 World Cup final won by Spain over Argentina in East Rutherford, N.J. on July 19, 2026.

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Trump's call to Infantino was an uncomfortable new frontier

The White House's involvement with the red card given to Balogun, the U.S. striker, was an uncomfortable new frontier for U.S. national teams.

It wasn't a surprise, exactly — President Trump has often used sports as a way to score political points. But it was extraordinary for Trump to personally call FIFA president Gianni Infantino to ask for the red card to be reviewed.

Whether his call made a difference in FIFA's decision to allow Balogun to play — FIFA insists it did not — the optics were terrible, and for many fans, it dimmed a summer's worth of enthusiasm for the team.
For days after Trump confirmed reports of his call to Infantino, U.S. Soccer remained silent on the president's involvement. That silence left some fans feeling as though the organization welcomed the White House's intervention.

Then, when asked about it last week — after plenty of time had passed to issue a statement — the head of U.S. Soccer essentially shrugged.

"The president is able to do what the president wants to do. The president is the president of the United States," U.S. Soccer CEO J.T. Batson said. "Obviously we're incredibly grateful for all the support for all of our fans all across the country, wherever they are. And we're excited about that, and we know that that'll pay dividends going forward."

— Becky Sullivan

Fans react at a bar in New York as the USA scores to make it 4-1 against Paraguay in a World Cup group match.

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The World Cup that sparkled and thrilled 

This is the fourth World Cup that I've covered for NPR, and, unlike at the Olympics, the pride in one's country at the World Cup is always so striking.

Fans — young and old — attend the games or show up in the host cities to be around others to cheer on their team. The passion, the fervor and just the sheer love of home.

Seeing tens of thousands of fans in a stadium, a bar, or a watch party and watching them will their country forward believing that anything is possible on the pitch. And sometimes the fans aren't even from any of the countries playing that day.

Soccer is a global sport and a global love. It truly is a treat to see in person.
— Russell Lewis

Want more fútbol in the United States? Major League Soccer has just resumed its season, and is working to capitalize on World Cup fever in the U.S.

NWSL, the National Women's Soccer League and USL Championship are also underway. And the number-two-ranked U.S. Women's National Team is back in action this fall with a pair of tune-up matches against No. 1 Spain — ahead of next year's Women's World Cup in Brazil.
Copyright 2026 NPR

In one big way, Gov. Gavin Newsom is tougher on public employee unions than his Republican counterpart in Texas: Making state workers show up in the office.

After facing strong opposition from workers, it took Texas Gov. Greg Abbott three months to reverse his 2025 ban on remote work for state employees. But Newsom, whose return-to-office mandate has been in effect since July 1, shows no signs of backing down.

It’s a stance that has upset — and at times befuddled — some state workers who are calling for the governor to scrap the four-day-a-week in-office policy as they hammer out new labor agreements.

Typically, they’re allies to the Democratic governor. They helped him fight off a recall in 2021, and they encouraged their members to vote for him against his Republican opponents.

More importantly to them, they maintain they’re just as effective at home, which they say they proved when Newsom ordered them to work from home during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“It’s confusing to people when they think that they’ve done a great job to be told, ‘Well we don’t think it’s good enough and you should incur going back into the office,’” said D’Arcy McLeod, chairperson of the Professional Engineers in California Government’s bargaining team.

Roughly 108,000 of California’s more than 245,900 state employees are affected by the mandate, according to the state human resources department. The others generally already are required to work at a specific location five days a week, including prison, firefighting, law enforcement, and custodial employees.

Service Employees International Union Local 1000, California’s largest state worker union, represents 96,000 employees and is in contract negotiations. It argues that remote work saves taxpayers and employees money, reduces traffic and lowers emissions — all without affecting productivity.

Newsom’s mandate allows exemptions on a case-by-case basis, including for those who live 50 miles or farther from their worksite, or who conduct work outside the office, such as telehealth providers and inspectors. Public transportation costs for commuting are also reimbursable.

But that isn’t enough for SEIU, which in May filed an unfair labor practices complaint with the California Public Employment Relations Board. It also threw its support behind a bill that would give state agencies more authority to shape their hybrid work policies.

“A blanket mandate does not work for all the jobs that our workers do,” said Anica Walls, the union’s president. “Let the departments decide.”

California exceptionalism?

States have taken different approaches to calling workers back to the office since the pandemic. Republican-led Nevada and Democratic-led New Mexico require state employees to be in the office five days a week, for example. Utah with a Republican governor wants them at the office twice a week.

But Newsom’s blanket policy appears to be an outlier among other blue states with robust public employee unions: Colorado, Hawaii, Illinois, Massachusetts, New York, Oregon and Washington state still embrace remote work in some capacity. It also differs from Texas, a Republican-led state that Newsom has contrasted with California.

A few months after President Donald Trump began his second term and called for federal employees to return to the office, Abbott banned remote work for Texas state employees. But following a multi-agency survey that found that telework did not curb productivity and helped reduce turnover, Abbott walked back the move.

Newsom “is a man who has talked about the importance of innovation, wrote an entire book about government adapting to technology and providing services in a more cost-effective way,” said Ted Toppin, the executive director of the engineers union.

“It strikes me as interesting and ironic that Texas would have a more modern, flexible and efficient take on state employee telework.”

Despite a state audit that concluded that telework could save California as much as $225 million a year, Newsom moved forward with his March 2025 executive order directing workers back into the office at least four days a week.

In May during a state budget presentation, Newsom told reporters that he is “empathetic to change,” but that returning to the office helps build a sense of community. The governor has also contended that in-person work fosters collaboration, accountability and helps boost small businesses.

McLeod said he’s surprised Newsom remains resolute to the mandate even after the audit found that remote work proved successful during and after the pandemic.

“Every single Newsom appointed official that testified for the state auditor indicated that … the work that was being delivered during telework was substantially of higher quality and more efficient,” said McLeod of the engineers union.

The CalPERS Sacramento Regional Office in downtown Sacramento on July 15, 2026. Photo by Miguel Gutierrez Jr., CalMatters

What unions wanted from Newsom

In some ways the rift echoes labor disputes from California’s last two governors.

Republican Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger came out swinging against public employees with unsuccessful ballot measures that were designed to cut their influence. He later imposed unpaid furloughs on public employees during the Great Recession.

Then Democratic Gov. Jerry Brown battled with unions over pensions, passing a law that curbed retirement benefits and required workers to chip in more for their benefits. He had a reputation for being stingy with raises, too.

Public employee unions were optimistic about Newsom. He offered concessions when he asked workers for temporary pay reductions during the pandemic, gave one-time bonuses to many employees and negotiated contracts that often included goodies for workers in hard-to-fill positions even if the deals didn’t please everyone.

Then came the fight over returning to the office.

Besides union leaders, Newsom’s steadfast commitment to in-person work has baffled Steve Maviglio, a Democratic political consultant who has worked with public employee unions on pension issues. For Newsom, a Democratic politician who is likely eyeing a bid for the presidency, “it’s political malpractice to come across as anti-labor,” said Maviglio.

“The only thing you’ll be able to say is that ‘I stood up to state workers,’ which isn’t particularly helpful in a Democratic primary where labor is the key constituency nationwide for Democrats.”

But for Will Swaim, chief executive of the libertarian think tank California Policy Center, Newsom’s fight with the unions signals something larger than remote work. Rather, it is a “policy disagreement that has turned into a foundational challenge to democracy,” said Swaim.

SEIU 1000 has donated at least $2 million to current members of the Legislature, according to the CalMatters Digital Democracy database. In addition to its contract, the union is pushing for more flexible telework policies through a legislative proposal currently in the state Senate.

Through its campaign donations and labor talks, SEIU is attempting to wrest control from Newsom, a publicly elected official, over who gets to shape policies over government work, according to Swaim.

“That’s simply undemocratic,” said Swaim. “I don’t know anybody out there who believes that in their jobs they could tell their boss, ‘I’m not coming to the office, no matter what you want.’ It just doesn’t fly.”

But bosses should work to accommodate current employees, according to SEIU president Walls — especially if they have presumably bigger ambitions to oversee even more workers.

“As a state employee I would have trouble voting for someone who would be the boss of federal employees when I know he hasn’t shown to be a stellar employer to state employees,” said Walls.

This article was originally published on CalMatters and was republished under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives license.

Picture a gigantic, greasy, fried tiramisu. Layers of cream, espresso and lady fingers are deep fried in a thick, sweet batter before being sprinkled with cocoa powder.

This unique treat can only be found right now at the Orange County Fair.

The fair runs through Aug. 16 and in addition to pig races, carnival rides and outdoor music, the big draw is the food — carefully curated creations that test the limits of what’s typical. This year is no different. I was there on opening day, and here’s what I tried:

What’s new at the fair this year, and where you can find it:

One of my favorite new items was the Croffle from Mom's Bakeshoppe. This treat was sweet and refreshing with the cold ice cream.

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Joshua Letona

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LAist

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• The Chocolate Chip Croffle from Mom's Bakeshoppe is a must if you like sweet treats. It’s a cross between a buttery croissant and crispy waffle. Then it’s adorned with vanilla ice cream, chocolate chips, whipped cream and a caramel drizzle. This creation made its way to the States from South Korea, where it’s a beloved street food. 
  
• A French onion bun is an OC Fair exclusive from Ten Pound Buns, which bills itself as the king of cheese breads. The French onion bun combines gooey melted cheese and caramelized onions on a crispy piece of bread. Everything at their stand is made to order, and the portion sizes are very shareable! 

I love peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, but had never taken it to this level before. Highly recommend.

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Joshua Letona

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LAist

)

• The Peanut Butter and Jelly Bacon Cheeseburger from the Philly Cheesesteak stand did not disappoint. Don’t be alarmed by this strange sweet and savory combo; the flavors balance each other out perfectly. The burger comes with crispy bacon, cheese, lettuce, tomato and pickles on top of a beef patty smothered in jelly and peanut butter.  

What else is on the menu?

As a born-and-raised Nebraskan, this was my first time at the OC Fair, and I felt like I needed to try some classics. So, I headed to the OG at the OC Fair, Chicken Charlie’s.

They've been at the OC Fair for 30 years now, and are known for classics like the deep-fried Oreos and new eye-popping inventions. Some of their new concoctions this year include: A fried mangonada — which features fresh mango battered, deep fried and topped with chamoy, lime and Tajin. There's also a Shawarma fry cone, Parmesan garlic fry cone and the fried tiramisu I mentioned.

The treats I tried ranged from $10 and $15 each, but there are some deals to be had. Chicken Charlie’s is offering a $30 anniversary meal deal that includes an entrée, fries, fried Oreos and a drink.

“I love being at the fair,” Charlie Boghosian, creator and owner of Chicken Charlie’s, told me. “I love creating new things, because I think frying is an art.”

Profound words from the person who created items like fried Kool-Aid, bacon-wrapped pickles and a Krispy Kreme chicken sandwich.

More new fair creations and where you can find them at the fair this year:

• Street Corn Baked Potato (Corn Star & Baked Potato Club)
• Chili Mac 'n' Cheese Baked Potato (Corn Star & Baked Potato Club)
• Street Corn Fries (Corn Star & Baked Potato Club)
• Tot-Zilla (Corn Star & Baked Potato Club)
• Vegetarian Broc-Star Potato with broccoli (Corn Star & Baked Potato Club)
• Dutch Fries with black truffle mayo (Biggy's)
• Dubai Deep-Fried Oreo (Fried Affair)
• Porkapalooza Pizza (Enzo's Pizza)
• Korean Corn Dogs and Cheese Sticks rolled in Takis or buldak ramen (Mustard's)
• Chupacabra Tasti Chips (Tasti Chips)
• Candied drinks dirty beverages (Sugar Puff Candy)
• Gluten-free Cheese Curds (Tasti Burger)
• Loaded Tater Kegs (Tasti Burger)
• Pizza Bacon Bombs and Bacon-Wrapped Churro (Bacon Nation)
• Lord of the Rings Dog (Pink's)
• Freeze-dried candy beverages and Candy Blast gummies (Sugar Puff Candy)
• Gooey Maple Butter Popcorn Cone (Planet Popcorn)