Catch Me Up: Daily news roundup for Sept. 29, 2025

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This Daily News Roundup for the 24 hours from 4:00 PM Sunday 9/28 to 4:00 PM Monday 9/29 is based on news articles created by Bay City News reporters and editors. We prompted ChatGPT to analyze the articles produced by our staff and to choose 5 stories to highlight. Then we used ElevenLabs and other tools to help us convert the text into audio based on the voice of Leslie Katz, one of our Bay City News editors. This content was verified by a human editor.

Hello, and welcome to Bay City News for Monday, Sept. 29, 2025. Here is a look at some of the top stories from across the region.

Our partners at CalMatters report that Governor Gavin Newsom must soon decide on a bill that would protect tenants from eviction if their Social Security benefits are delayed or terminated due to federal issues. The measure, Assembly Bill 246, passed the state Legislature earlier this month and is a response to threats from the Trump administration regarding mass firings of federal employees and potential Social Security cuts. The bill would grant tenants legal protections in eviction proceedings if federal problems, through no fault of the tenant, caused them to miss rent. If approved, courts would be required to pause evictions for up to six months, with tenants needing to pay back rent or agree to a payment plan within 14 days of benefits being restored. The legislation would remain in effect until Jan. 20, 2029, the day President Trump would leave office from his second term. Newsom has until October 13th to make a decision.

Shifting our focus to local development, our partners at San Jose Spotlight report that the Santa Clara County Planning Commission has rejected appeals for two large housing projects near South San Jose, despite the developer attempting to invoke the state’s “builder’s remedy” law. This law usually allows developers to bypass local building restrictions if a city or county lacks state-approved housing plans. However, county planners successfully rejected the proposals based on technicalities, citing missed application deadlines and incomplete information from the developer. The projects, which included plans for 49 single-family homes on 19 acres and 20 homes on 97 acres, sparked concerns from environmentalists who argue such developments threaten open space and wildlife corridors. The commission voted 5-2 to deny the appeals, forcing the developer to comply with local zoning requirements. County officials note that out of over 40 builder’s remedy applications submitted, totaling more than 6,500 homes, only about 10 have been deemed complete and allowed to move forward.

In transportation news, BART trains have gotten a little longer following recent ridership gains. The transit agency announced Monday that all trains on the Yellow Line, which runs from Antioch to the San Francisco International Airport, have increased from eight cars to nine. Additionally, BART has added cars to some trains on the Red, Blue, and Green lines, which will now feature four eight-car trains during morning and evening peak hours to boost capacity. This expansion comes as BART’s ridership in August saw a 10 percent increase compared to the same month last year, with September marking the busiest days of the year so far. The highest daily ridership total this year was on Sept. 10, with nearly 220,000 riders. BART attributes these increases to ongoing efforts to improve safety, cleanliness, and the overall rider experience, including the installation of new fare gates and an increase in on-time performance to 94%.

Meanwhile, in Napa County, a new mobile health services vehicle debuted Monday to make it easier for residents to access essential care and benefits. The “Be Well Mobile Services” is an RV-type vehicle designed to provide immediate access to a wide range of services. The vehicle will be regularly parked at the Sullivan Parking Lot K, at the corner of Third and Coombs streets in Napa, every Monday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. County staff will be on hand to assist people with eligibility determinations, quick health screenings, and referrals for services like Medi-Cal, CalFresh, CalWORKs, WIC benefits, behavioral health services, and seasonal vaccinations. Napa County Health and Human Services Agency director Jennifer Yasumoto stated that the service aims to remove barriers to care, bringing necessary benefits closer to home, and ensuring readiness to provide services even in times of disaster.

Elsewhere in the region, several Bay Area nonprofits are set to receive millions in federal grants to promote and research locally grown crops. The state Department of Food and Agriculture announced last week that a federal program will award $24.2 million to 50 projects across California, aimed at boosting the competitiveness of specialty crops. These crops include fruits, vegetables, tree nuts, dried fruits, horticulture, and nursery crops. Among the Bay Area recipients, the Santa Lucia Highlands Wine Artisans received nearly $496,000 to promote Monterey County and Santa Lucia Highlands wines. The West Sonoma Coast Vintners were awarded over $400,000 to promote wines to consumers in Texas. In Napa County, the Farmworker Foundation will receive $500,000 to develop a workforce pipeline for the wine industry through training. The Concord-based Pacific Coast Farmers’ Market Association secured more than $494,000 to teach shoppers how to cook with specialty crops through live demonstrations. And in Mendocino County, the California Land Stewardship Institute was awarded over $486,000 to provide outreach on sustainable farming practices to 120 farms.

Finally, some news on the sports front. The San Francisco Giants announced Monday the dismissal of Bob Melvin as the team’s manager, a day after their Major League Baseball season concluded without a postseason berth. Giants president of baseball operations Buster Posey stated that the decision was made after careful evaluation and meetings with ownership, citing a disappointing and frustrating performance. The Giants finished the 2025 season with an 81-81 record, accumulating a combined 161 wins and 163 losses during Melvin’s two seasons as manager. Melvin, who grew up in the Bay Area and played for the Giants from 1985 to 1994, previously managed the San Diego Padres, Oakland A’s, Seattle Mariners, and Arizona Diamondbacks.

And those are some of the top stories we’re following. Thank you for joining us for Bay City News.