![\"California](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/IMG_DSC09859_2_1_8GNFQDP7_L767652860.JPG\" "\\"California")
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California Secretary of State Shirley Weber, pictured here in 2023, is encouraging Californians to vote as early as possible.<\/p>\n
Cameron Clark<\/p>\n
From a federal lawsuit over California\u2019s voter rolls to a fired White House press secretary trashing her Central Coast hometown, Sacramento Bee readers had plenty to argue about last week. Here are the five stories that drew the most comments between Oct. 12 and Oct. 18 \u2014 and the conversations your neighbors are still having.<\/p>\n
Feds sue California over alleged noncitizen voters<\/p>\n
The U.S. Department of Justice sued California on Thursday, demanding the state set aside the ballots of some 20,000 voters it says may not be citizens. Gov. Gavin Newsom didn\u2019t mince words, calling the suit a \u201csad, desperate attempt by\u201d President Donald Trump \u201cto use his politicized Justice Department to try to suppress California voters just three weeks before Election Day.\u201d The DOJ says California is \u201cknowingly imposing an obstacle\u201d on federal investigations of voter fraud. Readers lit up the comments on both sides.<\/p>\n
\u00bb\u00bb Read the story, see the comments<\/a><\/p>\n Weber urges Californians to vote early<\/p>\n Secretary of State Shirley Weber told voters not to wait, saying returning ballots quickly could help speed up California\u2019s notoriously slow count. Weber also said the state is ready to go to court if anyone tries to interfere with voting \u2014 a message that landed as federal immigration sweeps continued in parts of the state.<\/p>\n \u00bb\u00bb Read the story, see the comments<\/a><\/p>\n Fired press secretary calls Cambria \u2018a liberal cesspool\u2019<\/p>\n Katie Zacharia lasted just five days as White House press secretary before being fired Friday. But what really got commenters going was a resurfaced interview in which she described her Central Coast hometown of Cambria as \u201ca liberal cesspool\u201d with \u201ca lot of drugs, meth, pot.\u201d In the same interview, she warned viewers, \u201cdo not raise your kids there.\u201d Zacharia attended Coast Union High School, where her 2003 yearbook voted her \u201cmost talkative.\u201d<\/p>\n \u00bb\u00bb Read the story, see the comments<\/a><\/p>\n Suspicious white powder sent to Panetta\u2019s office<\/p>\n U.S. Rep. Jimmy Panetta\u2019s district office in Santa Cruz was briefly evacuated Friday after a staffer opened an envelope containing \u201ca suspicious white powder.\u201d The staffer put the envelope in the trash, cleared the office and called 911. Everyone was medically cleared. \u201cThreats, fearmongering, and violence against public servants have become far too common over the past decade and undermine our democracy,\u201d Panetta said. \u201cBut these attempts to intimidate us will not deter us from doing our job.\u201d<\/p>\n