A 2025 State Auditor report estimated that continued telework for state employees would save California around $225 million a year in real estate and facility costs. Supporters of remote work argue the state should consider that projected savings especially as it faces a bleak budget outlook.
Almost a quarter of adults in Humboldt County are enrolled in CalFresh. This puts the county at the 9th highest enrollment in California, up from 19th in 2014.
About 14% of California residents use CalFresh, the state’s version of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. But usage in the far northern portion of the state is much higher, according to a report from the University of California, Davis. In Del Norte County, total participation is 24.8%, in Humboldt County, it’s 22.4%, Siskiyou County is 22.3%, and it’s 20.2% in Trinity County.
The report noted that higher participation in CalFresh often aligns with other indicators of economic insecurity, including poverty and unemployment.
Another analysis from UC Davis, using data from 2014 to 2024, found workers in Humboldt County earn less than those in the rest of California. Median household income in Humboldt County rose about $17,000 over 10 years, adjusted for inflation, while it increased by about $38,000 statewide. That means income grew by about 43% in Humboldt County compared to almost 62% statewide. Despite an unemployment rate typically below the state average, more than 6% of people in Humboldt work full-time, year round and still live in poverty. That share has almost doubled since 2014, while decreasing statewide.
Scientists have confirmed that seven weaned northern elephant seal pups at Año Nuevo State Park tested positive for highly pathogenic avian influenza, known as H5N1.
The confirmation, provided by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Veterinary Services Laboratory, marks California’s first confirmed detection of the virus in a marine mammal. Researchers estimate that about 30 seals, mostly recently weaned pups, plus one adult male, have died so far. Additional samples are still being processed, and officials say the outbreak appears to have been caught early.
Field teams already monitoring the colony noticed a slight uptick in dead seals late last week and observed animals showing neurological symptoms, including tremors, weakness and seizure-like activity. During a post-mortem exam on one known female weaned pup, veterinarians found signs that the disease moved quickly. “The animal was in excellent nutritional condition,” said Megan Moriarty, a wildlife veterinarian at UC Santa Cruz. “That means she likely died quickly from a disease process that happened rapidly, as opposed to something more chronic.” Moriarty said the seal showed significant damage to the brain and lungs — findings consistent with the neurological symptoms researchers had observed in the seals out in the field.