Join Us on Sept. 22 for ‘VotingMatters’ Regarding the State Ballot Questions! Coachella Valley Independent’s Indy Digest: Sept. 14, 2026

Indy Digest: Sept. 14, 2026

When you go to fill out the general-election ballot here in a few weeks, be sure to brace yourself—because in addition to selecting candidates for a LOT of offices, you’ll be asked to vote “yes” or “no” on 14 state ballot questions.

Yes: Fourteen.

In an effort to help you (and me!) know what in the heck all of these questions are about, we’re partnering with our friends at the Palm Springs Post (along with their sister publications in Indio and Palm Desert) and CalMatters to present “VotingMatters” at 5:30 p.m., next Tuesday, Sept. 22, on the patio at Willie’s Modern Fare, at 69830 Highway 111, in Rancho Mirage.

Dan Hu, CalMatters’ director of partnerships, will help breakdown, analyze and answer your burning questions about this year’s ballot propositions, in a conversation centered around the latest edition of their Voter Guide, which is an AMAZING resource for information on all of the things you’ll find on this year’s ballot.

As for the ballot questions, here’s just one example of how confusing these things can be: You’ve probably heard of the “billionaire tax” question—that’s Proposition 40—which “would require the estimated 200 Californians whose net worth exceeded $1 billion at the start of this year to pay a one-time 5% tax,” according to CalMatters’ Voter Guide.

Seems simple, right? Well, not really. You see, there are also Propositions 41 and 42, which are designed to block Proposition 40. So even if Prop 40 gets more than 50 percent of the vote, it would be nullified if either Prop 41 or 42 get a higher percentage of “yes” votes than Prop 40 does.

Uh, OK! This confusion makes me want a cocktail! Fortunately, we’ll be offering refreshments at this event, including beer and wine. (However, all ages are welcome.)

Admission is free and open to all. We do ask that attendees RSVP by responding to this newsletter or otherwise emailing me (jboegle@cvindependent.com) so we know how many beverages and snacks to order—but if you forget to RSVP and decide to come anyway, please do so.

Again, the event is next Tuesday, Sept. 22, at 5:30 p.m., at Willie’s Modern Fare in Rancho Mirage. Hope to see you there!

—Jimmy Boegle

More News

• Speaking of our partners at CalMatters: Gov. Gavin Newsom just signed two bills into law that will restrict teens’ access to chatbots and social media; CalMatters has the details: “The law on addictive social media may be the most controversial. It will require social media companies to either stop offering ‘addictive’ tools like infinite scroll and autoplay to users under 16 or to keep those users off their platforms entirely. Authors say the law is necessary to address a teenage mental health crisis and that it will force social media companies to take long-awaited action. … But digital rights organizations like the Electronic Frontier Foundation urged Newsom to veto the bill, calling it ‘well-intentioned, but deeply flawed.’ That organization said the bill defines ‘addictive features’ so broadly that it would effectively create a full ban on social media for kids under 16 and cut off youth from ‘essential information and experiences.’ The measure limiting artificial intelligence chatbots is more broadly supported, even by tech juggernaut OpenAI. Named after California teen Adam Raine, who died by suicide in 2025 after receiving tips from ChatGPT, the new law will impose time limits for minors and require built-in mental health resources.”

• There’s another U.S. measles outbreak, this time in Pennsylvania—and it’s claiming lives. CNN says: “A 40-year-old woman who lived in Jefferson County, Pennsylvania, has died from measles complications, the county coroner confirmed Sunday. It’s the third measles-associated death in a fast-growing outbreak that’s sparked a political clash between state and federal officials. The woman died Saturday, according to a news release from the Jefferson County Coroner’s Office, which said it was working with the Pennsylvania Department of Health on the case. The woman hadn’t been vaccinated against measles, the coroner, Greg Furlong, confirmed to CNN. The death follows two measles-associated deaths reported in Lancaster County at the end of August, the first connected to the viral illness in the state in 35 years. That county is the epicenter of Pennsylvania’s measles outbreak, which had reached 676 cases as of Friday, 108 of which were added in the previous week. One hundred twenty-four people have been hospitalized.”

• So the president’s son’s lavish wedding was secretly paid for by a Russian oligarch with close ties to Vladimir Putin. A decade ago, a statement like that would have been international, HUGE news. But it’s 2026 now, so, sigh. ProPublica broke the story; the lede: “On May 24, Donald Trump Jr. was celebrating in the Bahamas, as scantily clad dancers in stilettos and sailor caps performed for him and his guests. It was the last night of his wedding, a lavish, three-day party held across a pair of ultra-exclusive private islands. A five-tier funfetti cake had been airlifted in from Florida, and helicopters and seaplanes descended on the islands before guests settled into their oceanfront villas. That night on the beach, Trump Jr. lifted his bride into the air while fireworks launched from a barge over the sea. ‘It was everything we dreamed of and more,’ his wife later wrote on Instagram. That dream was heavily funded by a secret benefactor: Umar Kremlev, a Russian oligarch close to President Vladimir Putin. Kremlev footed the bill for hundreds of thousands of dollars of wedding expenses, according to records reviewed by ProPublica and interviews with three people familiar with the event. The oligarch paid to rent out one of the private islands, where a reception was held and where guests slept. He also covered other big-ticket items, like the fireworks show, and his team helped plan the event. Kremlev is the head of the International Boxing Association, a scandal-plagued sports group that has been financed by the Russian state-owned energy giant Gazprom.”

• So the president told a crowd of supporters to “cheat like hell” during the upcoming election. A decade ago, a statement like that would have been international, HUGE news. But it’s 2026 now, so, sigh. The Washington Post (gift link) reports: “Closing out the GOP’s midterm convention in Dallas on Thursday, President Donald Trump asked those in the audience to raise their right hands. He then led them in a pledge, to him, that they would vote in the midterm elections. ‘I pledge to the greatest president in the history of the United States, that loves us so much he can’t even breathe,’ he said, raising his own right hand and periodically pausing to allow the crowd to repeat after him. ‘… that I will go out with my family, my friends. I’ll do it any way. I don’t care if I’m registered or not. I’m going to try and cheat like hell, like they do,’ Trump continued, referring to his years-long baseless claims that widespread voter fraud has tilted elections in favor of Democrats. After some meandering, Trump had the crowd promise that they would take their friends and family members to vote Nov. 3—even if they voted for Democrats. ‘So help me God,’ he said, concluding the pledge.”

• And finally … two legends of the entertainment world with Coachella Valley ties have passed away. First: The first drag show I ever saw, at South Lake Tahoe, was emceed by the great James “Gypsy” Haake. He has passed away at the age of 93. News Channel 3 reports: “According to a post on his Facebook page, Haake was surrounded by loving family and friends, at his Los Angeles home when he passed. Haake’s death was announced September 13. Details regarding a celebration of his remarkable life are expected to be announced in the coming days. For decades, Haake was a beloved and influential presence in the Southern California entertainment community, with a career that stretched from legendary drag venues to major stages and special events. His life and career helped establish drag entertainment as a theatrical art form long before it entered the mainstream.”

• Fashion designer to the stars Bob Mackie has died. The New York Times (gift link) says: “Bob Mackie, the exuberant costume and fashion designer whose glittering, beaded, sequined, rhinestoned, feathered and often winged creations bedecked, bedazzled and elevated performers like Carol Burnett, Diana Ross, Tina Turner, Bernadette Peters, Bette Midler, Mitzi Gaynor, Liza Minnelli, Elton John, RuPaul and, most memorably and enduringly, Cher—as well as an 11 1/2-inch model named Barbie—died on Monday in Palm Springs, Calif. He was 87. The death, at a hospital, was caused by pneumonia, Joe McFate, Mr. Mackie’s longtime design director, said. ‘He dressed every spangly woman in show business,’ Frank DeCaro, the author of ‘Unmistakably Mackie: The Fashion and Fantasy of Bob Mackie’ (1999), said in an interview. ‘You can mention some of the greatest names in fashion, and the average person won’t be able to conjure up, for example, a Giorgio Armani suit. But if you say to an American of a certain age, “What is a Bob Mackie?,” they know exactly what you’re talking about.’”

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