Female athletes and others listen as speakers share their opinions during the California Family Council press conference before the CIF’s Federated Council meeting last Friday morning, Feb. 6, 2026. Source: Screenshot of video by CA Family Council.
By Greg Burt, Vice President, California Family Council
LONG BEACH, CA — Outside a Long Beach hotel where the California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) convened its Federated Council meeting last Friday morning, female athletes stood shoulder to shoulder with parents, advocates, and state lawmakers to deliver a clear and urgent message: girls’ sports are for girls.
The 111-year old CIF, according to Wikipedia, is the governing body for public and private high school sports in California.
The February 6 press conference, organized by California Family Council’s Outreach Director Sophia Lorey, ahead of the CIF meeting, marked a significant moment in California’s ongoing debate over fairness and safety in women’s athletics. For the first time, two members of the California State Assembly publicly joined female athletes to confront CIF leadership over policies that allow males who identify as transgender to compete in girls’ sports and access female locker rooms, policies critics argue violate the original intent of Title IX. (Watch the press conference here…)
But the peaceful gathering also revealed the deep political divide surrounding the issue, as a prominent Democrat legislator representing the Long Beach area publicly criticized the presence of Republican lawmakers and dismissed concerns raised by female athletes.
Athletes Speak: “This Isn’t Fair. This Isn’t Safe.”
At the heart of the press conference were the voices of young women whose athletic careers have been directly impacted by CIF policies.
Reese Hogan, a varsity tri-sport athlete in track and field at Crean Lutheran High School, described the toll of repeatedly competing, and losing, against a male athlete in girls’ events.
“Track is not just something I do. It’s who I am,” Hogan said. “I train to push my limits, to compete fairly, and to earn every achievement through hard work. But over the past two years, that fairness has been taken away from me.”
Hogan detailed five separate competitions, spanning from May 2024 to January 2026, in which she lost to a male athlete competing in the girls’ division. One moment, she said, still stands out.
“At CIF finals, I broke my school record in the triple jump,” Hogan explained. “I jumped 37.2, earning a new personal record and breaking my school record. It was one of the proudest moments of my athletic career. That jump should have earned me first place.” Instead, a male athlete who jumped 4 feet farther placed first.
Hogan said the experience was devastating.
“CIF, why won’t you do anything?” she asked. “You are protecting males competing in women’s sports more than you are protecting the women the sport was created for.”
Hogan warned that allowing males into girls’ sports is not merely unfair, but dangerous.
“There is a reason sports are divided by sex,” she said. “It is not a matter of opinion; it’s a matter of fact.”
Locker Rooms and Lost Privacy
Another athlete, Audrey Vanherweg, a senior and four-year varsity athlete at Arroyo Grande High School, spoke about the consequences of CIF policies beyond the field of play.
Two years ago, Vanherweg said, she began hearing rumors that a boy was using the girls’ locker room. At first, she tried to ignore it. But when she learned that the same male student would also compete in girls’ track and field, the issue became unavoidable.
“I wasn’t going to go into a locker room and change in front of a boy,” Vanherweg said. Especially since he “wasn’t changing himself, but simply just watching all of us girls undress.”
Rather than risk her privacy, Vanherweg made a painful decision.
“I decided to go change in my car,” she said. “I’m more comfortable changing in my own car than in my own school locker room, where boys are welcomed to watch girls undress.”
As a thrower, she explained, competing against males also undermines fairness.
“Boys have a strength advantage,” she said, explaining that boys compete with the heavier implements in track and field competitions. “So, if a boy decides to throw as a girl, he not only has the strength advantage, but also a lighter implement.”
Vanherweg said she is speaking out not just for herself, but for future generations of girls.
“I’m speaking out against CIF policy, not only for myself, but for all other girls, girls who are too afraid to speak out, girls who don’t know what’s going on, and girls who haven’t been born yet,” she said.
Lawmakers Step In
Standing with the athletes were Assemblywoman Kate Sanchez (R–Murrieta) and Assemblyman David Tangipa (R–Fresno), the first time multiple Republican legislators have publicly joined female CIF athletes at such an event.
Assemblywoman Sanchez, author of AB 89, the Protect Girls’ Sports Act, said the rejection of her bill in committee last year did not end the fight.
“Politicians killed the bill, but they didn’t kill this movement,” Sanchez said. “And they didn’t silence these athletes.”
Sanchez emphasized that Title IX was designed to guarantee fairness and opportunity for women.
It was “never meant to be controversial,” she said. “It was meant to guarantee girls a fair shot, a fair race, a fair roster, and a fair opportunity to win.”
She warned that those protections are being eroded across California.
Girls “are losing podium spots, losing championships, losing scholarships… and some are even losing the basic right to privacy and safety in their own locker rooms.” Sanchez said. “That is not equality. That is not progress, and we will not pretend it is.”
Assemblyman Tangipa, a former Division I football player at Fresno State, challenged fellow lawmakers to stop referring to those who want female-only sports as Nazis. He also urged fathers to confront the reality facing young women.
“Why or how is it somehow believed [that it’s] Nazi ideology when you just wanna place to dress freely, and why and how is it Nazi ideology when you want to play in your sport freely?” Tangipa asked. “Why do we ignore safeguards and disregard biology and reality, which is insanity?
He urged fathers to step up.
“There are boys in your daughter’s locker room. There are boys in your daughter’s sports,” he said. “Where are you?”
Tangipa pledged continued action, including potential ballot initiatives, to restore protections for female athletes.
A Democrat Arrives—Then Attacks
In an unexpected development, Assemblyman Josh Lowenthal (D–Long Beach), the Speaker pro Tempore and representative of the district where the CIF meeting was held, appeared near the protestors, but not to support their cause.
Instead, Lowenthal criticized the presence of Republican legislators in his district, accusing them of staging a press conference “about trans kids in sports” without notifying him.
“We all know they don’t actually care about women,” Lowenthal said, adding that an upcoming budget vote funding $90 million for “women’s reproductive health, [abortion]” specifically for Planned Parenthood, would prove his point.
Assemblywoman Sanchez later responded by posting a video of Lowenthal’s remarks on X. (Watch this post here…)
“Respectfully,” Sanchez wrote, “I will stand up to protect girls’ sports in any city, and I’ll always stand with these brave women… No man, especially not you, will ever tell me otherwise.”
Sophia Lorey Challenges CIF
After the press conference, Sophia Lorey, Outreach Director for California Family Council and a former four-year CIF varsity athlete herself, addressed the CIF Federated Council directly, issuing a pointed challenge to its leadership. Lorey rejected the claim that CIF’s hands are tied by state law, arguing that the federation has the authority to act now if it chooses to do so.
“You have a policy in place,” Lorey told the board. “Until you remove the policy that allows males to be in female locker rooms and sports, you can’t say your hands are tied by the state. Remove that policy and stand up for these girls.” Lorey emphasized that female athletes should never have to resort to lawsuits to secure basic protections, adding that CIF leaders have a limited window to act. “Silence is no longer neutrality,” she warned, calling on CIF officials to work with advocates and restore fairness and safety in girls’ sports.
Many of the female athletes also went inside to address CIF leadership directly during the public comment period.
For them, the issue is not partisan.
“This isn’t about politics,” Sanchez said. “It’s about principle.” And as the athletes made clear, they are no longer willing to be silent.
“When you sideline girls,” Sanchez warned CIF leaders, “we will stand up. When you ignore them, we will amplify them. And we will not stop fighting.”
About California Family Council
California Family Council works to advance God’s design for life, family, and liberty through California’s Church, Capitol, and Culture. By advocating for policies that reinforce the sanctity of life, the strength of traditional marriages, and the essential freedoms of religion, CFC is dedicated to preserving California’s moral and social foundation.
Mike Bowers has been named president of Kaiser Foundation Health Plan and Hospitals in Northern California. Photo: Kaiser Nor Cal
Mike Bowers served as interim leader since February 2025
By Elissa Harrington, Sr. Media Relations & PR Rep., Kaiser Permanente Northern California
OAKLAND, Calif.— Kaiser Permanente has named Mike Bowers as president of Kaiser Foundation Health Plan and Hospitals in Northern California.
Bowers has served as the region’s interim president since February 2025, overseeing operations for 21 hospitals and 203 medical offices, as well as the health care and coverage of 4.6 million Kaiser Permanente members.
Bowers joined Kaiser Permanente in 2022 as senior vice president for health plan and hospital operations in Northern California. Under his leadership, Northern California achieved significant improvements in care quality, patient safety, and affordability through an innovative care delivery redesign process. The region also earned national recognition, receiving seven prestigious Beacon Awards from the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses recognizing exceptional patient care and a supportive work environment.
“Mike’s leadership has strengthened our operational performance, expanded our joint efforts with The Permanente Medical Group, and elevated the experience we provide to our members,” said Craig T. Albanese, MD, president, Integrated Care and Coverage, Kaiser Permanente. “His proven ability to deliver meaningful results positions our Northern California region for continued growth and long-term success.”
Bowers brings nearly three decades of health care leadership experience to this role. Before joining Kaiser Permanente, he served as regional chief operating officer for SSM Health’s St. Louis and Southern Illinois regions, following four years as president of SSM Health St. Joseph Hospitals in St. Louis. His career has included leadership roles at Dignity Health in California’s Central Valley, Community Hospital Corporation in Dallas, and Memorial Hermann in Houston.
Bowers is a Fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives and serves on multiple community boards. He holds both a Master of Health Administration and a Master of Business Administration from the University of Houston–Clear Lake, and a Bachelor of Science in Biological Sciences from the University of Pittsburgh.
About Kaiser Permanente
Kaiser Permanente is committed to helping shape the future of health care. We are recognized as one of America’s leading health care providers and not-for-profit health plans. Founded in 1945, Kaiser Permanente has a mission to provide high-quality, affordable health care services and to improve the health of our members and the communities we serve. We currently serve 12.6 million members in 9 states and the District of Columbia. Care for members and patients is focused on their total health and guided by their personal Permanente Medical Group physicians, specialists, and team of caregivers. Our expert and caring medical teams are empowered and supported by industry-leading technology advances and tools for health promotion, disease prevention, state-of-the-art care delivery, and world-class chronic disease management. Kaiser Permanente is dedicated to care innovations, clinical research, health education, and the support of community health. For more information, go to about.kp.org.
Includes statewide offices, Congress, State Assembly, County Supervisor and others
Deadline: March 6 unless incumbent chooses to not run for re-election
By Dawn Kruger, Community and Media Relations Coordinator, Contra Costa County Clerk-Recorder-Elections Department
Today, Monday, February 9, the Candidate Filing Period for the June 2, 2026, Statewide Direct Primary Election begins, and nomination papers will be available for candidates running for Statewide Constitutional offices, United States Representative in Congress, Member of the State Assembly, County offices and Superior Court Judges. The nomination period runs through 5:00 pm Friday, March 6, 2026, unless an incumbent chooses to not run for re-election. The deadline is then extended by five days to 5:00 pm Wednesday, March 11th.
Offices up for election include the statewide positions of Governor, Lieutenant Governor, Secretary of State, Controller, Treasurer, Attorney General, Superintendent of Public Instruction, Insurance Commissioner and Board of Equalization, District 2. Plus, elections for the House of Representatives, State Assembly, Board of Supervisors, Districts 1 and 4, Assessor, Auditor-Controller, Clerk-Recorder, Treasurer-Tax Collector and County Superintendent of Schools will be held in June, as well.
Papers for offices that are up for election will be available at the Contra Costa Elections Office, located at 555 Escobar Street, Martinez. County Elections staff are working with the City Clerk in Richmond to help implement the electoral reform passed by the voters of Richmond in 2024 requiring candidates for City Council and Mayor to file with the City of Richmond and run in the Primary.
For further information on the primary election and key dates, go to www.contracostavote.gov
“Election activities for the 2026 Primary are ramping up in Contra Costa County,” said Kristin B. Connelly, Contra Costa Registrar of Voters. “Candidate filing is an important first step in the election process, and our Candidate Services team is prepared to guide prospective candidates through key deadlines, requirements, and resources as they consider running for public office.”
Interested candidates can schedule an appointment through email at candidate.services@vote.cccounty.us or by calling 925-335-7800. Walk-ins are accepted, but subject to the availability of staff. Appointments are available on weekdays from 8:30 am to 4:30 pm. Filing documents and information will be provided to interested constituents at their appointment. The process takes approximately 20 minutes.
Contra Costa Health’s Environmental Health Program is certified by the California Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery (CalRecycle) as the LEA for Solid Waste in the county. The LEA ensures that all solid waste disposal facilities and medical waste generators comply with applicable local, state and federal codes and regulations.
The three-member panel hears matters related to solid waste enforcement, permits and appeals.
County residents who have an interest in public policy and solid waste management are encouraged to apply for this volunteer opportunity. Panelists receive a stipend of $50 on those days on which the panel meets. The County Board of Supervisors will appoint to fill three vacancies for a four-year term ending on March 31, 2030.
Applications should be returned to the Clerk of the Board of Supervisors, County Administration Building, 1025 Escobar Street, Martinez, CA 94553 no later than 5 p.m. on Friday, March 6, 2026. Applicants should plan to be available for public interviews via video conference on Monday, March 23, 2026.
For more information about the LEA Independent Hearing Panel, contact Tim Kraus, Contra Costa County Environmental Health, at (925) 608-5549 or Tim.Kraus@cchealth.org.
“They should go back to the drawing board and give us a cost savings plan that demands more sacrifice from BART management, senior staff, and retirees.”
By Marc Joffe
BART has published a plan to balance its budget in the event voters reject the half-cent additional transit sales tax slated for the November 2026 ballot. BART’s plan appears to be well thought out but imposes far more inconvenience on riders than is necessary to close an expected $376 million deficit.
The most visible change is the station closures. Under its more extreme Phase 2 plan, BART would close 15 stations systemwide, including these five in Contra Costa: Orinda, North Concord, Pittsburg Bay Point, Pittsburg Center, and Antioch. Oakland Airport station would close, but SFO would stay open. Five other stations in Alameda County south of Oakland would be shuttered, as would four stations in San Mateo County south of Daly City. (See related article)
But most of these stations should not close. As BART itself recognizes, the savings from shuttering stations are not that large. And there is an alternative that would achieve a large portion of the expected savings, which is to operate the stations on an unstaffed basis. This idea may seem strange to BART riders expecting to see a station agent, but the fact is that many train stations in California operate without staff, including several on Capitol Corridor and Caltrain. Even Pittsburg Center on e-BART often operates without staff.
That said, both Pittsburg Center and North Concord have very low utilization (less than 1000 riders on an average weekday) and are reasonable candidates for closure. Indeed, BART should demolish the North Concord station and sell the parking lot to a developer for conversion to single family housing, a use consistent with the adjoining neighborhood.
Pittsburg Center, being in the median of Highway 4, does not offer a similar redevelopment option. It is one of three stations on the eBART extension connecting Antioch, Pittsburg and Bay Point using standard-gauge diesel multiple-unit trains which are incompatible with the rest of BART. The BART retrenchment plan envisions closing the whole eBART extension. A better choice would be to find a private operator to take it over.
That operator should be given discretion over fares and the option to convert the line to driverless technology in hopes of achieving a profit or at least minimizing the need for taxpayer subsidies.
As anyone who has visited an airport in the last few decades knows, driverless trains are nothing new. Outside the Bay Area, they are used for non-airport systems such as Honolulu’s Skyline and Vancouver’s Skytrain. Paris, Singapore, and other cities have successfully converted some of their lines to autonomous operation and Washington DC’s Metro is looking into doing the same thing.
Over the longer term, the entire BART system should be driverless: it could achieve large operational cost savings while maintaining or even increasing service frequency. Yet BART is not giving serious consideration to transitioning to driverless trains. When BART Director Matt Rinn spoke to CoCoTax in November I asked him about the idea and saw that he was unfamiliar with it. Staff should be discussing this option with the governing board.
They don’t do so because BART operates primarily for the benefit of staff and the labor unions that collect a portion of their salaries via dues. Riders are second, and taxpayers are a distant third.
Contra Costa taxpayers already pay plenty for transit, and, this November, it is time for us to tell BART and other agencies “no more.” They should go back to the drawing board and give us a cost savings plan that demands more sacrifice from BART management, senior staff, and retirees.
One change that should be considered is a 10% salary reduction for all BART employees receiving over $100,000 per year. Based on my analysis of 2024 wage and overtime data, this option would save $54 million. Costly overtime hours should also be limited: in 2024 alone five BART employees collected over $200,000 in overtime a piece.
BART’s plan defers advanced payments for retiree health benefits. This saves $38 million, but only by pushing the cost onto future taxpayers when the fund holding the advance retiree health funding is exhausted. Instead, the BART retiree health benefit should be eliminated just as it was for Stockton employees when that city went bankrupt in 2012. With BART facing functional bankruptcy in 2026, a similar economy is needed. Retirees can get subsidized healthcare through Covered California or Medicare just as those of us who work in the private sector usually do.
Salary and benefit cuts in addition to the layoffs BART already has planned may seem harsh, but these are the types of reductions companies have to make when they are losing money and there is less demand for their product. Because BART now needs more of our money, we have the power to veto any cost-saving plan that fails to prioritize the needs of beleaguered taxpayers and riders. Let’s exercise that veto. In November, say NO to the transit sales tax.
Marc Joffe is the President of the Contra Costa Taxpayers Association
From Tuesday, Feb. 10th to Wednesday, Feb 11th, we will be making repairs to the playground at Eagleridge Park located on Eagleridge Drive and Greystone Court. The playground will reopen on Thursday, February 12th.
Is there a park in your neighborhood that needs repairs? Let us know when you visit seeclickfix.com/antioch and submit a new request.
The Antioch Raley’s store on Lone Tree Way will be closing at the end of April according to social media reports. Photo source: Yelp
UPDATE: “…after careful review of the store’s performance and economic factors, we have chosen not to extend the lease.” – Carol Barsotti, Raley’s Chief Communications Officer
By Allen D. Payton
According to reports on social media by people claiming to be employees, the Antioch Raley’s store will be closing at the end of April when the lease expires. It was confirmed by corporate in Sacramento during a phone call with an Antioch resident this week.
Comments on Next Door claim an official announcement was made to store employees on Thursday but there’s been no public announcement issued by the company as of Friday night.
The store and the shopping center where it’s located on Lone Tree Way, have had problems over the years, including shoplifting, especially following the opening of the methadone clinic two blocks away next to the 7-11 Store on Sunset Lane at Davison Drive, in the late 1990’s. The City spent $800,000 fighting to prevent the clinic from locating there, but because it’s zoned for medical it couldn’t be stopped.
Questions were emailed Friday night to corporate media representatives asking for an official announcement and the reasons for the store closing other than the lease expiring. They were also asked if they know where the US Bank branch inside the store will be relocating.
2/7/26 UPDATE: In response, Carol Barsotti, Raley’s Chief Communications Officer wrote, “The Raley’s leadership team has made the difficult decision to close our Antioch store on Lone Tree Way. We have been proud to serve the community at this location since 1979.
With the lease up for renewal and after careful review of the store’s performance and economic factors, we have chosen not to extend the lease. The store will close at the end of April.
We are committed to supporting our team members through this transition and will work to place as many as possible at other Raley’s locations.
At this time, I do not have information on where the US Bank branch may be relocating.
We want to thank our loyal customers for their support over the years. While this location will close, we look forward to continuing to serve our customers at nearby locations and throughout our family of stores.”
Antioch Police Officers investigate the crash of a BMW on Deer Valley Road Friday afternoon, Feb. 6, 2026. Photos courtesy of a resident who chose to remain anonymous.
“He ended up driving north bound into the oncoming south bound traffic. Luckily, he walked out of it.” – Sgt. Rob Green
By Allen D. Payton
A solo car collision in Antioch Friday afternoon, Feb. 6, 2026, was caused by what appeared to be the medical emergency of a 25-year-old male from Brentwood, according to Antioch Police Sgt. Rob Green.
According to Con Fire Captain George Laing, “The call came in at 12:10 pm at Deer Valley Road near Mammoth Way” down the street from the Kaiser Permanent Antioch Medical Center.
“I can confirm that we had a response of two trucks, an engine, a medic unit, a battalion chief, a medical supervisor and a medical helicopter,” Laing shared. “There was one person who was transported to John Muir Walnut Creek but by ground.”
Asked if there were any passengers in the car Green said, “Just a driver.”
“Luckily, he walked out of it, and Con Fire took him for only the medical emergency he was suffering from,” he added.
The young man was driving a four-door BMW which was severely damaged in the crash.
“He ended up driving north bound into the oncoming south bound traffic,” Green shared. “He hit trees on both sides of the car, and the passenger side of the car was sheared off. The way the car hit the trees, the ‘A’ pillars, which hold up the roof, were sheared off and we had to pull the roof up off of his head. Fortunately, the driver’s side door was already gone so it was easier to extract him from the vehicle. The fire department had to cut off parts of the dashboard to get him out of there.”
