Good Morning
Welcome to the very first issue of Calibrate.
This newsletter was created for you—smart, curious, and ready for something real. We’re here to break down California’s biggest stories with clarity, depth, and no nonsense. Just the insight you’ve been waiting for.
49,000 Jobs Cut Under Trump (so far)
We’ve all heard the buzz: massive federal layoffs under the Trump administration. But the real numbers? They’re jaw-dropping.
Federal workers in D.C. wait in line to learn if they’re laid off.
👉 According to a new Hearst Television Data Team analysis, more than 49,000 federal workers have been laid off across 48 agencies and subagencies since Trump took office in January.
A Little Deeper
And this isn’t just bureaucratic belt-tightening. These are cuts to agencies that touch nearly every part of daily life. This is the top 5:
10,000 USAID workers: Foreign aid slashed; global disaster response crippled
6,700 IRS workers: Fewer staff to process returns, answer questions, or investigate fraud
3,400 U.S. Forest Service workers: Fire prevention and public land management, gutted
3,500 FDA workers: Potential delays in food safety and drug approvals
2,600 HHS workers: Health programs like Medicare, Medicaid, and pandemic response, scaled back
The administration calls it “streamlining.” Critics call it “sabotage."
We call it what it is: a restructuring of the federal government that could hit Californians hard, from longer wait times for services to weakened disaster readiness.
You can read the in-depth analysis and all the departments impacted by the cuts here.
From FOX News
New poll numbers indicate President Trump’s job approval rating is sinking fast. Just 44% approve, while 55% disapprove. On key issues, he is deep underwater:
Inflation: -26
Tariffs: -25
Economy: -18 (new low)
Foreign policy: -14
Immigration: -1
Rapid Reads
💫 FDA Silent as a deadly, nationwide E. Coli Outbreak Traced to California Farm.
💫 So, What Happens Now? How the Next Pope Is Picked and Who’s on the Shortlist?
💫 Unfiltered and Uncivil: San Diego Public Meetings Drown in F-Bombs.
💫 'It Wasn’t Scott': Defense Points to New Witness Who Says Laci Peterson Confronted Two Strangers.
💫 Gone in a Click: How to Delete Yourself from the Internet.
💫 New Destinations, No Layovers: A major Airline Ramps Up in San Diego.
💫 Experts Warn: GLP-1 Supplements May Be a Waste of Money for Weight Loss.
Recalibrate
Frustration Rising: Californians Weigh in on Homelessness and Lawmakers Blink
Homelessness continues to be a defining issue in California’s political landscape, and for now, Sacramento has made it clear: cities will be left to manage it independently.
A new UC Berkeley–POLITICO poll shows overwhelming frustration:
58% of voters and 65% of policy influencers say homelessness is the most urgent issue in the state.
Over 1 in 3 voters support arresting unhoused people who refuse shelter.
But lawmakers? They just backed away from setting any limits.
What Happened?
📌This week, a closely watched bill that would ban cities from arresting people for sleeping outside was gutted in committee in Sacramento.
📌Fierce opposition from police unions and mayors, some of whom have leaned hard into encampment crackdowns, prompted the bill’s author, State Senator Sasha Renée Pérez, to scale it back at the last minute.
📌The bill’s new, narrow focus? Protecting charity workers from being fined or arrested for helping homeless people.
📌Pérez said the politics were brutal:
🧩 What Now?
The effort to rein in enforcement has fizzled for now. But Pérez vows to revive the debate next year and find a balance that treats policing as a last resort.
🚨Why It Matters
Cities like San Jose and Sacramento are arresting more people post-Grants Pass, the 2023 Supreme Court ruling that gave cities broader authority over public camping.
Governor Newsom wants encampments cleared but draws the line at arrests, preferring voluntary shelter and mental health treatment.
Mayors like San Francisco’s Daniel Lurie argued the bill would "hamstring" efforts to clean up city streets.
👏 The Call to Action
This isn’t just a policy debate anymore. It’s a test of California’s identity. Californians are demanding action. But lawmakers are punting. Cities are left to chart their own course, and the result could be a patchwork of policies that vary block by block.
Before You Go
If you’re road-tripping anytime soon, consider this your official detour notice. You don’t usually think “fine dining” when you think of fried chicken but that’s exactly what makes Charlie’s Napa Valley so unforgettable.
💥 Recently named one of Esquire Magazine’s Best New Restaurants in America, this spot dishes out the crispiest, most crave-worthy buttermilk fried chicken: brined, double-fried, and optionally dunked in caviar-laced ranch. Because why not?
We came for the headlines. We stayed for the drumstick. 🍗
About Calibrate
✨Founded by journalists-turned-creators who’ve launched platforms and led award-winning newsrooms. Calibrate is rooted in this core belief: facts matter and stories told with honesty can still cut through the noise.
In Sync. In Seconds.
Because staying informed shouldn’t be hard.
We make it make sense.
Unfiltered. Unmatched. Unbothered.
This is Calibrate.