California Gov. Gavin Newsom tossed out a slew of bills over the weekend, bucking several of his Democratic Party’s more progressive initiatives on things like standards for transgender care, regulating gas stoves and providing additional benefits for noncitizens.

Newsom, who has had to review more than 1,000 bills over the last few months ahead of Monday’s legislative deadline, vetoed AB 2442, AB 2513 and SB 227. 

AB 2442, which would have expedited medical licenses for out-of-state applicants seeking to perform transgender surgical procedures, was declined by Newsom on Friday. 

NEWSOM’S DEEPFAKE ELECTION LAWS ARE ALREADY BEING CHALLENGED IN FEDERAL COURT

“As the number of applicants who qualify for expedited licensure grows through legislation, the benefits of mandated prioritization may start to diminish, at the expense of potential negative impacts to other applicants,” Newsom said in his veto letter. “Additionally, the increase in staff needed to ensure expedited applications may lead to licensing fee increases.”

AB 2513 – a bill that would have required gas stoves to be sold with a warning label on them for potential toxins emitted – was also a hotly debated bill in the legislature but ultimately shot down by Newsom and dubbed a “static approach” that would fail to allow for timely updates to labeling content according to the most up-to-date scientific knowledge. 

“While I appreciate the author’s intent to provide consumers with information about the products they purchase, I am concerned that this bill codifies highly prescriptive labeling content that could only be changed by a future statutory amendment,” Newsom said in the veto letter.

800-PLUS BILLS LEFT ON NEWSOM’S DESK ILLUSTRATE CALIFORNIA’S OVERRGULATION PROBLEM: EXPERTS

Newsom vetoed a homeless accountability bill. (Anadolu/Contributor)

Among the progressive bills shot down was also SB 227, which would’ve required the Employment Development Department (EDD) to create an Excluded Workers Program to provide unemployment-style benefits to noncitizens. 

Newsom said that while “California has taken taken important steps to advance inclusion and equity for undocumented workers and mixed-status families who contribute significantly to California’s economy and local communities,” Congress must uphold its duty to create solutions that offer a legitimate pathway to citizenship for long-term residents who have made significant contributions.

NEWSOM VETOES BILL THAT WOULD LET NONCITIZEN STUDENTS WORK AT STATE’S PUBLIC UNIVERSITIES

The California state Capitol building in Sacramento on March 13, 2024. (Arturo Holmes/Getty Images for National Urban League)

“We can have a fair immigration system that works for families, U.S. workers, and employers, and also have a safe border,” Newsom said. “However, this bill sets impractical timelines, has operational issues, and requires funding that was not included in the budget.”

Also on Sunday, Newsom vetoed a bill to create safety measures for large artificial intelligence models, which would have been the first such law in the nation. 

Some high-profile bipartisan bills aren’t immune to being tossed out, either. Last week, Newsom vetoed a bipartisan accountability legislation that would’ve required more accountability and data reporting on the state’s spiraling homelessness crisis.

Already, Newsom has signed a package of public safety bills aimed at reducing organized retail theft. He’s also vetoed a number of progressive bills, including several that would have expanded aid to illegal immigrants through housing loans and permitted employment through the University of California (UC) system, and a reparations package for Black residents.

Promising to tackle the mental health crisis among young people, the blue state governor also signed a historic bill restricting cellphones in schools.

Newsom often vetoes bills if they appear redundant or the cost would further burden the state’s budget shortfall, according to a CalMatters analysis. Last year, Newsom vetoed 156 bills and signed 890, reflecting a veto rate of about 15%, similar to the previous year. His veto rate in 2021 was under 8%.

The Arizona Cardinals and San Francisco 49ers play on Sunday, Oct. 6, at Levi’s Stadium in a game on the NFL Week 5 schedule.

Which team will win the NFL Week 5 game?

Check out these NFL Week 5 picks and NFL Week 5 predictions for the game, which can be seen at 1:05 p.m. MST on FOX (stream with free trial from FUBO).

The 49ers are a 7.5-point favorite over the Cardinals in NFL Week 5 odds for the game, courtesy of BetMGM Sportsbook.

San Francisco is -375 on the moneyline, while Arizona is +300.

The over/under (point total) is set at 49.5 points.

Watch Cardinals at 49ers live with FUBO (free trial)

Jeremy Cluff writes: “The 49ers are the biggest favorite of the week. Can the Cardinals shock San Francisco? Can they even keep this game close? Not the way they are playing.”

NFL power rankings Week 5: Where are the 49ers, Cardinals now?

Bookies.com: Bet the Cardinals with the points vs 49ers

Bill Speros writes: “The 49ers active roster remains in flux. But their defense will be enough to win this one at home. But a full TD cover might be too much to ask, especially given how the Cardinals can score big-yardage-play TDs with Kyler Murray and Marvin Harrison Jr. Especially in garbage time.”

NFL Week 5 odds: Point spreads, moneylines, over/unders for betting on NFL games this week

The site’s formula predicts that the Cardinals will win the NFL Week 5 game against the 49ers.

NFL Week 5 schedule: Television channels, how to watch, stream games

ESPN: 49ers have a 70.5% chance to beat Cardinals on Sunday

The site gives the Cardinals a 29.2% shot at winning the NFL Week 5 game, with the remaining percentage accounting for a tie.

Super Bowl odds 2025: Who are the betting favorites now?

Dimers: 49ers 26, Cardinals 19

It writes: “After extensive simulations, our model gives the Cardinals a win probability of 23%, while the 49ers have a win probability of 77%.”

NFL MVP odds 2024-2025: Who are the betting favorites now?

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NFL’s highest paid players in 2024: Quarterbacks | Running backs | Wide receivers | Tight ends | Offensive linemen | D-linemen | Cornerbacks | Safeties | Linebackers | Edge rushers | Highest paid players: Overall | By position | By team

Reach Jeremy Cluff at jeremy.cluff@arizonarepublic.com. Follow him on X, formerly Twitter @Jeremy_Cluff.

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After starting the season 0-2, the Denver Broncos found a way to get back-to-back victories on the road. Against the New York Jets, it wasn’t pretty and it could have gone the other way, but the Broncos still came out with the win.

An 0-2 start would give plenty of teams reason to panic, but the Broncos are now .500 for the season and have faced three quality defenses (Tampa Bay was without several starters and isn’t among the top units). Things could get interesting as the Broncos face some teams who aren’t as strong defensively, though they will face some quality offenses.

What do we know about the Broncos after the first four games? Let’s look at each of the four aspects of this team and how they’ve measured up thus far.

Against the Jets, the Broncos offense was terrible in the first half. Bo Nix’s passes were off, likely because of the rain, and the running game wasn’t there. But the Broncos played in the second half, running the ball well, and Nix had more zip to his passes.

Again, the Broncos have faced three quality defenses in the first four weeks. The Pittsburgh Steelers and the Seattle Seahawks, in particular, rank among the top defenses in the NFL. The Broncos won’t face a unit as strong as those two for at least a few weeks.

But the potential is there for the Broncos to be a solid offense, even a good offense. Nix is doing better with his decision making, the offensive line is doing well even with Mike McGlinchey’s absence and, while the Broncos lack an elite playmaker, they have the players who can get the job done.

It will be interesting to see how the Broncos do against the Las Vegas Raiders, who do not have a good defense. The Broncos need to have a good showing on offense, but if they do that in the Week 5 matchup at Mile High, there will be room for more optimism with the unit.

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Going into the season, there were plenty of concerns about how good the Broncos defense would be. Some wondered if this unit would be the downfall of the team.

After four weeks, it’s clear this defense can get the job done and then some. For the first four weeks, the defense has been the main reason the Broncos have stayed in games and, the past two weeks, they’ve held two quality offenses to just 16 points.

Consider Baker Mayfield, who has been playing well this season, but got just one touchdown pass agains the Broncos. Or Aaron Rodgers, who threw five touchdowns in the first three weeks but didn’t get a single scoring pass against the Broncos.

Despite not having a lot of elite playmakers other than Patrick Surtain II and perhaps Zach Allen, the Broncos defense is doing a lot of the heavy lifting. The Week 6 matchup against the Los Angeles Chargers, who are doing well on offense despite injuries, will likely test the Broncos defense, but if they come up big, then this unit could find itself among the best in the NFL.

It wasn’t that long ago that the Broncos struggled on special teams. Sure, they had a reliable kicker but they lacked a quality punter and had a coverage unit that was mediocre at best, but often bad.

That’s changed in the past two seasons. The Broncos punt coverage unit has been great, not allowing opponents to get much in the return game. And several times, the punt coverage unit has pinned opponents inside the 5-yard line, making it tough on opposing offenses.

Wil Lutz did miss a 50-yard field goal near the end of the Jets game but he’s been a steady performer otherwise. Riley Dixon did shank one punt against the Jets but he’s been consistent when it comes to his punts.

The Broncos are also getting quality work from Marvin Mims Jr., who has done a good job with fielding punts and knowing when to attempt a return and when to call for a fair catch. While Mims has yet to return a punt for a touchdown, he’s still getting the results you want to see.

Sean Payton hasn’t necessarily done the best job with play-calling, but give him credit for this: He’s not allowing the players to let mistakes get the best of them. The players continue to get after it, no matter the situation, and that’s what you want to see.

And what more can be said about Vance Joseph? He has silenced his critics by getting the most out of the defense.

The Broncos may not have an elite pass rusher, but they have 15 sacks in four games. The secondary, thought to be a weakness going into the season, is doing a good job, and when players have exited the lineup with injuries, others have stepped up.

Let’s not forget the job done by special teams coordinator Ben Kotwica. Since he has come to the Broncos, he has worked wonders with a unit that was among the worst in the NFL. After an abysmal 2022 season, the special teams showed improvement last year and, this year, ranks among the NFL’s best.

There’s always room for improvement, of course, but the coaching staff has these players believing they can win games. That can do a lot for a team that may lack experience in some areas, but has shown it has the talent to come through.

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