The Brief

California overwhelmingly approved Proposition 50, the measure that dramatically changed congressional district boundaries in the state to favor Democrats.

In Southern California, the measure passed with 64% of the votes.

And while it’s true that all six counties in Southern California voted in favor of Prop. 50, the smallest margin was in Orange County, which voted 55%-45% to pass it.

It’s well known that Orange County has a larger concentration of Republican voters than other parts of Southern California, but there were some notable statistics — based on data from the Registrar’s office — that shed more light on how residents there voted.

For example, there was overwhelming support for the measure in Santa Ana — 76%. Outrage over raids by Immigration and Customs Enforcement may be one reason. The city is about half Latino and has been subject to several enforcement actions by the federal agency.

Santa Ana is Orange County’s only “sanctuary city,” signifying that city leadership stands with immigrants and limits cooperation with immigration enforcement.

The cities of Irvine, Anaheim and Tustin were among the cities that also showed strong backing for Proposition 50, each topping 60% support.

Villa Park led Prop. 50 opposition

Proposition 50 redrew congressional district boundaries so that more Democrats could get elected to Congress from California. Backers hope it will help the party take control of the House of Representatives in next year’s midterm election.

Gov. Gavin Newsom said it was a response to Texas, which redrew its political boundaries to elect more Republicans to Congress. A federal judge on Tuesday blocked Texas from using its newly drawn map, ruling that it is likely an unconstitutional racial gerrymander.

Republicans in California also are challenging Prop. 50 in court.

In Southern California, Republican Representatives Ken Calvert and Darrell Issa saw their red-leaning districts of Riverside and Northern San Diego County turn solidly Democratic. Calvert is expected to challenge fellow Republican Representative Young Kim in next year’s primary.

Villa Park, a mostly residential enclave in the heart of Orange County and with a population of 5,800, led the opposition to the proposition with 63% of voters casting “no” ballots. Newport Beach and Yorba Linda — traditional strongholds of President Donald Trump — each saw 60% of its voters opposing the measure.

Trump had denounced Prop. 50 as a Newsom power grab.

Seven OC cities opposed 50

Under Proposition 50, Newport Beach will likely be represented by Democratic Representative Robert Garcia, whose politics are well to the left of much of the city. The measure split Yorba Linda into two different districts. Yorba Linda is now represented by Kim. Under the new maps, the conservative city will likely be represented by two Democrats.

Seven of Orange County’s 35 cities plus the unincorporated area opposed Prop. 50.

Here’s the breakdown of how Orange County cities voted:

Infant formula linked to a botulism outbreak that has sickened dozens of babies across 15 states may still be on store shelves even after being recalled, federal health officials say.

As of Wednesday, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said, 31 cases of suspected or confirmed infant botulism have been reported in babies who consumed ByHeart Whole Nutrition formula and got sick between August and mid-November.

No deaths have been reported. But all 31 babies were hospitalized with the illness, which can cause a potentially life-threatening form of gradual paralysis in infants less than a year old.

"Epidemiologic and laboratory data show that ByHeart Whole Nutrition infant formula might be contaminated with Clostridium botulinum, which is causing infant illness in multiple regions of the country," the FDA said.

ByHeart Whole Nutrition recalled two batches of its infant formula earlier this month before expanding the recall to all of its products — which include cans and single-serve packets — last week. They are sold at major retailers — including Target, Publix, Walmart and Whole Foods — and online nationwide, with some products shipped to customers outside the U.S.

ByHeart, which describes itself as a "next-generation baby nutrition company," first hit the market in 2022. The FDA says its products make up "approximately 1%" of all infant formula sold in the U.S., so it does not have concerns about a potential shortage.

In an apology note to parents, ByHeart says it is cooperating with the FDA and "investigating every facet of our process" to identify the cause of the outbreak.

In the meantime, the company — along with the FDA — is urging adults to stop using the formula and monitor their babies for symptoms of botulism. The FDA is also asking stores to stop selling the product.

But in its Wednesday update, the agency said it had "received reports that recalled formula is still being found on store shelves in multiple states." NPR has reached out to the FDA for more information but did not hear back by publication time.

The FDA says it is working with state partners and retailers "to ensure an effective recall" as its investigation into the outbreak continues.

ByHeart infant formula was removed from shelves at a Walmart store in Temecula, Calif..

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JoNel Aleccia

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AP

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What we know about the outbreak

As of Wednesday, the FDA said the 31 cases had been reported in 15 states: Arizona, California, Idaho, Illinois, Kentucky, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, North Carolina, New Jersey, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Texas and Washington.

The outbreak has grown since the FDA first announced its investigation on Nov. 8. At that point, it said that out of an estimated 83 cases of infant botulism reported nationwide since August, 13 of the infants had consumed ByHeart formula at some point.

That raised red flags because botulism is uncommon in dairy products and "there is no historical precedent of infant formula causing infant botulism," the FDA said.

In response, ByHeart promptly recalled two batches of its products. The next day, it announced that the California Department of Public Health had tested a sample from one of those batches, and the result came back positive for Clostridium botulinum, the bacteria that causes infant botulism.

That sample came from an opened can, which ByHeart originally said did not prove that its product was to blame (as the bacteria can occur naturally in places like soil and dust). But in an FAQ on its website, it now says further testing by a third-party group identified the bacteria in some samples of unopened formula, too.

ByHeart says the FDA informed it in a "late-night call" on Nov. 10 that it had found two more cases of infant botulism in babies that had consumed its formula. The next day, ByHeart, citing "too many unanswered questions," recalled all of its products and released information for parents about how to switch to a different formula brand.

What to know about infant botulism 

Botulism is a rare but serious illness caused by Clostridium botulinum. When a baby swallows the spores, "they grow in the gut and make toxin," according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Symptoms can appear three to 30 days after consuming the bacteria, and generally start with constipation, poor feeding, difficulty swallowing and loss of head control.

"If untreated, infants with infant botulism experience a progressive, flaccid paralysis that can lead to breathing difficulties and require weeks of hospitalization," the CDC says.

Treatment for infant botulism involves an antitoxin known as BabyBIG, which is administered through an IV.

The CDC says parents should stay vigilant for several weeks after their baby last consumed ByHeart formula. They are advised to wash contaminated surfaces and label any leftover powder "DO NOT USE" and store it safely for a month, in case their infant develops symptoms and the state health department wants to test it.

The CDC says parents should seek immediate medical care if they see any concerning symptoms, and also directs them to an infant botulism outbreak hotline from the California Department of Public Health set up specifically to respond to this outbreak.

What the company is doing 

ByHeart says it is conducting its own "extensive testing" and giving the FDA "complete and unrestricted access to all of our facilities and products for their investigation."

The company has released more resources for customers in the days since the recall, like a 24/7 support hotline and refunds for purchases since October.

It has also pledged to implement stronger safeguards and testing in the future, saying that Clostridium botulinum was "not among the pathogens routinely tested for across the industry" — until now.

In the meantime, several affected family members have taken legal action.

The parents of two four-month-olds who were hospitalized with infant botulism — in Arizona and Kentucky — filed separate federal lawsuits last week. They accused ByHeart of negligence and are seeking compensation for medical bills and emotional distress after both their daughters required hospitalization. A separate class-action suit filed in New York alleges deceptive marketing.

ByHeart told NPR over email that it cannot comment on litigation, but reiterated its commitment to supporting families and the FDA's investigation.
Copyright 2025 NPR

Hosting and preparing a Thanksgiving meal can be hectic enough. Meeting everyone’s dietary needs does not have to be the thing that tips your very full metaphorical plate.

For some advice, LAist asked one of L.A.’s premiere vegan chefs, Maciel Bañales Luna of Maciel’s Plant-Based Butcher & Deli in Highland Park.

A vegan butcher? Explain yourself!

Bañales Luna creates her own meat substitutions from scratch so her shop is part deli, serving sandwiches and sides, and part butcher counter where you can buy plant-based “meats” like vegan pastrami and mesquite turkey, all made in-house and plant-based. Read my full write-up from Maciel’s early days here.

It's all about sides and substitutions 

Start with traditional Thanksgiving recipes and substitute with vegan options.

These days, in Southern California, it's pretty easy to find vegan alternatives in your neighborhood grocery store like vegan milks and butters.  

”I like the Miyoko's butter,” Bañales Luna said. “It's very delicious, so I use that.”

For mashed potatoes, she recommends soy milk.

“It's so creamy and rich, and kind of thicker than the other ones,” Bañales Luna said.

She also highly recommends coconut milk as a dairy substitute, especially for its texture. Just be aware the coconut flavor can come through in a simple dish. But it could work for something with more ingredients like green bean casserole.

Casseroles in general often use sour cream. For that, Bañales Luna recommends cashews for a base instead. She says even some non-vegan friends like her version because it can lighten a traditionally heavy dish.  

“You are losing all the fat and the grease from the dairy,” Bañales Luna said. “You can use it for everything. You won't lose that creamy part of what dairy does.”

Maciel's vegan turkey loaf, stuffing and cranberries

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Courtesy Maciel's Plant-Based Butcher & Deli

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A main dish for the vegans 

There’s a fair share of faux-turkey products in the frozen aisle in November, but sometimes they lack in taste and texture. If you go that route, don’t be afraid to dress it up.

If you’re a vegan guest, offer to bring a main meal.

“ As a vegan, I like to make my friends' lives easier," she said. "I'm gonna bring my own protein. I can make a meatloaf with vegan ground beef, lentils or mushrooms. There's just many things.”

Can’t skip dessert 

Pumpkin pies and apple crisps can be easy to make vegan and stay delicious. For an egg substitution, Bañales Luna likes to use flaxseed meal.

“Just add some water into two tablespoons of that,  stir it, and then you leave it there for a few minutes,” she said. “And then it's ready to bake or whatever you need to do. It's simple.”

And if you want to skip the oven, you can use her’s vegan chocolate mousse as an inspiration,

”It's just using silken tofu,” Bañales Luna said. “It just has a ton of protein and just a few ingredients. And then instead of chocolate, you can add pumpkin or whatever you want to make. It's just a matter of being a little bit creative.”

Need more help? 

These cookbooks will teach you how to prepare vegan meals to delight everyone at your table:

• The Choi of Cooking: Flavor-Packed, Rule-Breaking Recipes for a Delicious Life from Roy Choi
• Big Vegan Flavor from Nisha Vora
• The Vegenaise Cookbook: Great Food That's Vegan, Too from Bob Goldberg

Proposition 50, the Democratic-backed ballot measure to temporarily redraw the state’s congressional maps, has scrambled California’s congressional playing field in more ways than you might think.

Yes, it’s given Democrats the opportunity to flip up to five Republican-held seats, said Erin Covey, House editor at the Cook Political Report. But it’s also made a handful of blue districts even safer. That, Covey said, puts Democrats in a position to beat Republicans — who set off the mid-decade redistricting fight — at their own game nationally.

“In terms of the national redistricting outlook, I think that California is basically putting Democrats in a position where they may be able to fight this to a draw or at least limit Republicans to only picking up maybe three or four seats through redistricting alone,” Covey said.

That’s despite the fact that far more GOP-led states have moved to redraw their maps ahead of 2026 than blue states. Texas, the first to redraw its maps at the behest of President Donald Trump, just saw its new districts blocked by a district court. It’s unclear whether that ruling will stand if the U.S. Supreme Court decides to weigh in.

“Seats are going to flip as a result of these new maps [but] a lot of these maps cancel each other out. And so we’re in kind of an interesting situation where it may not be quite as good for Republicans as they anticipated going into this,” she said. “Without California, that would not have been possible because of the sheer number of seats that the California map affects. It really was a significant achievement on the part of Democrats and could potentially make the difference in the majority next year.”

Here’s a look at the biggest shifts under Proposition 50 — with thanks to Covey and the number crunchers over at the Cook Political Report for many of the data points below.

Congressional District 1

The new North State district is seen as an easy pickup opportunities for Democrats.

District 1, currently held by Republican Doug LaMalfa, shifted west and now includes both Chico and Santa Rosa. Under the old map, Trump won the district by 25 points; under the new boundaries, he would have lost by 12. LaMalfa said he will run, but it’s going to be tough: State Senate President Mike McGuire, who has represented Sonoma County in the Legislature for 12 years, is in the race, along with Audrey Denney, an educator and consultant who unsuccessfully challenged LaMalfa twice.

Congressional District 3

District 3, represented by Republican Rep. Kevin Kiley, now includes more of Sacramento County and shifts from a Trump +3 to a district former Vice President Kamala Harris would have won by double digits.

Two Democrats have announced their intention to run: Rep. Ami Bera and Nevada County Supervisor Heidi Hall. The big question, Covey said, is what Kiley does.

“He could choose to stay in the Third, which of course would be very tough,” she said. “He could move to the Sixth District, which is also a seat that Harris would’ve won by eight points in 2024. … And then the third option for Kiley outside of retiring or running for something else entirely would be to run in the Fifth District, which is Tom McClintock’s seat.”

McClintock, a Republican, has been in Congress since 2009.

District 22

Aside from 2018, when Central Valley GOP Rep. David Valadao fell victim to a blue tidal wave that swept Democrats into control of Congress, the 22nd District has been a thorn in the side of Democrats.

Valadao has defied political gravity, winning over working-class Latino voters to hang on to a seat even when party registration favored Democrats. In 2024, he won by seven points to Trump’s six. But with the new Proposition 50 lines, the current 22nd would have favored Trump by less than two points.

Health care could be central here: six out of 10 residents are enrolled in Medi-Cal, the state’s Medicaid program.

“His biggest vulnerability going into this election is the impact that the Big Beautiful Bill has on health care, in particular Medicaid cuts,” Covey said. “The district has shifted to the right in recent years as a lot of the Hispanics in the Central Valley have become more and more open to voting for Trump.”

Whether that holds after Trump’s immigration crackdown, and amid affordability concerns, is unclear.

Several Democratic candidates are running, including Dr. Jasmeet Bains, a moderate Bakersfield assemblymember and physician, and progressive Randy Villegas, who earned Sen. Bernie Sanders’ endorsement.

District 40

This Southern California seat has the distinction of being the only California district made more Republican by Proposition 50.

Orange County Republican Rep. Young Kim currently holds it. But longtime Inland Empire Republican Rep. Ken Calvert plans to run there, setting up a potential clash between two strong GOP contenders.

While Kim is well-liked in her district, the redrawn 40th District actually has more of Calvert’s current turf than Kim’s.

“I believe Kim’s portion is about a third and Calvert’s portion is about half the district, so it makes sense that they would both want to run in this seat,” Covey said. “I think this will be a really competitive race.”

Kim, she said, is an incredibly strong fundraiser and campaigner.

“She has put up a really strong electoral performance in Orange County for the past couple of years for a Republican and has typically done better than Trump and won over Democratic voters,” Covey said.

But Calvert is also a “heavyweight,” she added, who will likely run to Kim’s right — and could perform well among the conservative voters in the district’s eastern swath.

“He’s chairman of the Appropriations Committee. He’s been around forever,” Covey said. “He was also someone who I was wondering if he was maybe going to retire. And I guess he feels like he’s in a position where still has a very good shot at winning this district, even against Young Kim.”

District 48

Speaking of retirements: All eyes are on longtime San Diego-area GOP Rep. Darrell Issa to see whether he stays in the newly drawn 48th District, which now slightly favors Democrats.

Issa could jump into the Kim-Calvert race in District 40 or lean on his immense personal wealth to compete in the new District 48, which now includes more of San Diego and liberal Palm Springs.

Whatever Issa decides, there will be plenty of competition on the other side of the aisle: Declared candidates include San Diego City Councilwoman Marni von Wilpert and former Obama administration official Ammar Campa-Najjar, who previously ran unsuccessfully twice for Congress.