Top schools, 49ers draft, Meta layoffs: Your 4/23 evening update
The Sacramento Bee published a wide range of stories on Thursday, from a former Sacramento city councilman’s guilty plea to new high school rankings to a beloved gift shop’s final day looming. Here’s a roundup of just some of the day’s biggest reporting:
• Ten Sacramento-area public high schools ranked among California’s top 250 in the U.S. News & World Report Best High Schools rankings, with West Campus High School leading locally at No. 22 statewide with a 100% graduation rate.
• The 2026 NFL Draft kicked off Thursday, with the San Francisco 49ers set to make six picks over the draft’s three days. Whether the 49ers find the next Brock Purdy or just add depth for a team that finished 12-5 despite many injuries in 2025 remains to be seen.
• Meta announced plans to lay off about 10% of its workforce starting May 20 and close about 6,000 open roles, citing efforts to run the company more efficiently.
• Tesla’s California market share dropped to 7.7% in the first quarter of 2026, with year-to-date registrations falling 24.3% as overall EV sales plummeted statewide.
• The Blue Diamond gift shop in midtown Sacramento closes Friday after a 42-year run as parts of the company’s processing plant permanently shut down.
• Former Sacramento City Councilmember Sean Loloee pleaded guilty to seven federal charges, admitting he obstructed labor investigations, underreported taxes and fraudulently obtained nearly $1.2 million in COVID-19 relief funds. He agreed to pay $2.4 million.
• Sacramento City Unified’s former top financial officer alleged the board of trustees knowingly approved an unaffordable teachers’ contract despite repeated warnings, as the district faces a deficit that could lead to state receivership.
• The CEO of Devastating Pyrotechnics made his first court appearance in the deadly Esparto warehouse explosion that killed seven workers last year. Kenneth Kin Chee faces seven counts of murder and is being held without bail.
