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Supreme Court blocks California law limiting schools from telling parents about trans students

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Supreme Court blocks California law limiting schools from telling parents about trans students


The U.S. Supreme Court has temporarily blocked a California law that limited when schools could require staff to disclose a student’s gender identity, clearing the way for schools to tell parents if their children identify as transgender without getting the students’ approval.

Rear view of multiracial students with hands raised in classroom at high school

The decision came after religious parents and educators, represented by the Thomas More Society, challenged California school policies aimed at preventing staff from disclosing a student’s gender identity.

Erwin Chemerinsky, dean and professor of law at the University of California Berkeley School of Law, said the ruling favors parents’ ability to be informed. “The Supreme Court today rules in favor of the claim of parents to be able to know the gender identity and gender pronoun of the children,” Chemerinsky said.

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FILE:{ }transgender flag against blue sky background { }(Photo: AdobeStock)

FILE:{ }transgender flag against blue sky background { }(Photo: AdobeStock)

The decision temporarily blocks a state law that bans automatic parental notification requirements if students change their pronouns or gender expression at school. The Thomas More Society called the decision a major victory for parents, saying the court found California’s policy likely violates constitutional rights.

Chemerinsky said the Supreme Court’s action is an emergency ruling. “This law is now put on hold. So what this means is that schools can require that teachers and other staff inform parents of the gender identity or gender pronouns of children,” he said.

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Kathie Moehlig, founder and executive director of Trans Family Support Services, said she is concerned about how the ruling could affect students who do not have supportive families.

“I am really concerned about our kids that do come from these non affirming homes, that they know that they’re going to get in trouble, that they’re going to possibly have violence brought against them possibly kicked out of their homes,” Moehlig said.

Moehlig said parents should eventually know, but that the conversation should happen when a student feels safe. “Our students are going to be less inclined to confide in any adults that might be able to help to get them access to mental healthcare, to a support system. They may still tell their peers but they’re certainly not going to tell any other adult,” she said.

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Equality California, a LGBTQ+ civil rights organization, shared a statement:

Equality California, the nation’s largest statewide LGBTQ+ civil rights organization, released the following statement from Executive Director Tony Hoang in response to today’s U.S. Supreme Court shadow docket ruling in Mirabelli v. Bonta regarding California’s student privacy protections for transgender youth. Today’s decision by the U.S. Supreme Court to intervene in this case is deeply disturbing. By stepping in on an emergency basis, the Court has effectively upended California’s student privacy protections without hearing full arguments and before the judicial process has run its course. While not surprising, this move reflects a dangerous willingness to short-circuit the established judicial process to dismantle protections for transgender youth. While this case continues to be litigated, the ruling revives Judge Benitez’s prior decision, which broadly targets numerous California laws protecting transgender and gender-nonconforming students — threatening critical safeguards that prevent forced outing and allow educators to respect a student’s affirmed name and pronouns at school. These protections exist for one reason: to keep students safe and ensure schools remain places where young people can learn and thrive without fear. To be clear: today’s decision does not impact California’s SAFETY Act, which prohibits school districts from adopting policies that forcibly out transgender students. The SAFETY Act remains in full effect, and we will continue defending it. Transgender youth deserve dignity, safety, and the freedom to learn without fear. We will never stop fighting for transgender youth and their families. Equality California will continue working with parents, educators, and advocates to ensure schools remain safe, welcoming, and focused on the success and well-being of every student.

The case now returns to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, which will decide whether the California law is constitutional.



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4.6 earthquake jolts Northern California awake, residents report shaking homes for miles

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4.6 earthquake jolts Northern California awake, residents report shaking homes for miles


4.6 earthquake jolts Northern California awake, residents report shaking homes for miles

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READY… ACCORDING TO THE MONTEREY COUNTY OF EMERGENCY SERVICES THERE’S ONLY BEEN 429 EARTHQUAKES IN OUR AREA THAT ARE ABOVE A 4.0 MAGNITUDE. BUT OFFICIALS AND EXPERTS SAY IT IS ONLY A MATTER OF TIME UNTIL THE NEXT BIG ONE. NOW TO PREPARE YOU CAN SIGN UP WITH YOUR COUNTY’S EMERGENCY SERVICES ALERTS BY GOING ON THE COUNTY WEBSITE. YOU CAN ALSO DOWNLOAD THIS APP CALLED MYSHAKE. IF A QUAKE ABOVE 4.5 MAGNITUDE HITS CALIFORNIA, YOU CAN GET AN ALERT A FEW SECONDS YOU FEEL IT IN YOUR AREA. THAT DEPENDS ON HOW CLOSE YOUR ARE TO THE EPICENTER. IT WILL REMIND YOU WHAT TO DO AND ALLOWS YOU TO SHARE AND SEE WHAT DAMAGES HAVE BEEN REPORTED NEAR YOU. NOW DOWNLOADING SOME SORT OF ALERT SYSTEM IS IMPORTANT, ESPECIALLY FOR THOSE OF US LIVING NEAR THE COAST. I SPOKE WITH SANTA CRUZ COUNTY’S OFFICE OF EMERGENCY SERVICES, AND THEY HAD FOUR REMINDERS: FIRST ONE – PREP YOUR LIVING SPACE. TRY TO AVOID PLACING BOOKSHELVES AND BIG FURNITURE NEAR ENTRY WAYS THAT COULD FALL AND BLOCK DURING AN EARTHQUAKE. SECONDLY – LIKE FOR ANY NATURAL DISASTER: HAVE A PLAN. WHEN IT COMES TO AN EARTHQUAKE, UTILITIES LIKE YOUR WATER AND SEWER SYSTEM MAY NOT WORK. THIRD – MAKE SURE YOU HAVE A GO BAG PREPPED WITH YOUR FOOD, WATER, CASH… AND THE LAST ONE: PUT ALL YOUR ESSENTIAL IDENTITY AND HEALTH DOCUMENTS IN ONE PLACE SO YOU CAN JUST GRAB IT AND GO. THE BIGGEST EARTHQUAKE TO HIT OUR NECK OF THE WOODS WAS THE LOMA PRIETA QUAKE IN 1989. THAT CLOCKE

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4.6 earthquake jolts Northern California awake, residents report shaking homes for miles

Updated: 9:36 AM CDT Apr 2, 2026

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A magnitude 4.9 earthquake struck Northern California early Thursday, according to the U.S. Geological Survey, with many saying they felt their homes shake for a few seconds in a 100-mile stretch, including San Francisco. The quake hit at 1:41 a.m. PST east-southeast of Boulder Creek, the USGS said. It had a depth of 6.7 miles. Boulder Creek, which has about 5,000 people, is about 65 miles southeast of San Francisco.Some residents said they were first awakened by earthquake alerts on their phones, then felt their beds and windows shake. Some items were knocked off store shelves in Boulder Creek.The shaking was felt in other parts of the Central Coast, including Marina, where at least one resident said they felt slight shaking and were awakened by it.The National Tsunami Warning Center said there is no tsunami danger from the earthquake. No damage or injuries were immediately reported.

A magnitude 4.9 earthquake struck Northern California early Thursday, according to the U.S. Geological Survey, with many saying they felt their homes shake for a few seconds in a 100-mile stretch, including San Francisco.

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The quake hit at 1:41 a.m. PST east-southeast of Boulder Creek, the USGS said. It had a depth of 6.7 miles. Boulder Creek, which has about 5,000 people, is about 65 miles southeast of San Francisco.

Some residents said they were first awakened by earthquake alerts on their phones, then felt their beds and windows shake. Some items were knocked off store shelves in Boulder Creek.

The shaking was felt in other parts of the Central Coast, including Marina, where at least one resident said they felt slight shaking and were awakened by it.

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The National Tsunami Warning Center said there is no tsunami danger from the earthquake.

No damage or injuries were immediately reported.

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April kicks off in the Sierra with chain controls on I-80

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April kicks off in the Sierra with chain controls on I-80



Just days after Northern California saw a stretch of record high temperatures, the high Sierra Nevada is once again getting snow.

Chain controls went up on Interstate 80 in the Sierra early Wednesday morning.

As of 7 a.m., controls are in effect westbound from the Donner Lake Interchange to Rainbow. On the eastbound side, chain controls are in effect from Kingvale to Truckee.

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Highway 50 is not seeing any restrictions at this time.

Other major Sierra roads seeing chain controls Wednesday include Highways 4, 49 and 88.

Wednesday also marks the day California’s Department of Water Resources will conduct its fourth snow survey of the season. As of Monday, the statewide snowpack is at about 18% of average.

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Meet the moderators; Fresno State to host bipartisan California governor candidate forum

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Meet the moderators; Fresno State to host bipartisan California governor candidate forum


Preparations are underway for a major bipartisan gubernatorial candidate forum set for Wednesday at Fresno State, where several high-profile candidates for California governor will make their case to voters.

The event is expected to spotlight issues impacting not only the Central Valley but also communities across the state, with a strong focus on affordability, agriculture, and water policy.

Confirmed candidates scheduled to appear include:

  • Xavier Becerra, attorney and former U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services
  • Chad Bianco, Riverside County sheriff
  • Steve Hilton, author and Fox News contributor
  • Matt Mahan, San Jose mayor
  • Katie Porter, former U.S. representative
  • Antonio Villaraigosa, former Los Angeles mayor

The forum will be moderated by Fresno County Supervisor Buddy Mendes and former State Assemblymember Kristin Olsen, who say their goal is to ensure Central Valley concerns remain front and center.

“There are so many issues related to affordability right now, energy costs, housing costs, regulatory costs, even food prices,” Olsen said. “These are real challenges affecting families, farmers, and farm workers in the Central Valley. We want to make sure candidates clearly explain how they’ll address them if elected.”

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Moderators say they are prepared to press candidates for direct answers.

“That will be our challenge,” Olsen said. “We’ll clearly lay out expectations for candid responses, and if someone doesn’t answer the question, we’ll follow up.”

Mendes emphasized the importance of water policy, a critical issue for the region’s agricultural economy, noting that many statewide candidates may lack a full understanding of how California’s water systems operate.

“A lot of candidates don’t fully understand water movement in this state, how storage works, or the difference between surface water and groundwater,” Mendes said.

He added that keeping candidates focused may be one of the biggest challenges during the forum.

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“We might have to stop them and remind them to answer the question instead of running out the clock,” Mendes said.

Mendes, who is a registered republican, and Olsen, who has since switched from republican to no party preference, have both moderated in the past, though this marks their first time moderating a gubernatorial forum.

They stressed that their approach will be firm but nonpartisan.

“This isn’t about being partisan, it’s about answering the questions,” Mendes said.

Organizers say hosting the forum in Fresno is intentional, aiming to elevate issues specific to the San Joaquin Valley — a region they say is often overlooked in statewide political discussions.

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The forum is scheduled to run from noon to 1:30 p.m. and is sponsored by 30 agricultural associations statewide. It will be streamed live on the FOX26 YouTube page.



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