Newsom’s RTO order, road safety concerns. Sacramento Bee top stories for June 23

From California politics to safety concerns on Sacramento roads, here’s a quick digest of some of the top stories for June 23, 2026.

• Gov. Gavin Newsom’s reversal on telework and his push to bring state workers back to offices four days a week starting July 1 may be tied to a potential 2028 presidential run, with analysts saying remote work could become a liability with voters outside California.

• Two years after 18-year-old Shawn Jordan was fatally struck on a sidewalk-less stretch of Walerga Road in North Highlands, Sacramento County officials say they need more deaths or injuries before prioritizing safety fixes — a stance experts dispute, pointing to the Golden Gate Bridge as proof that lane narrowing and barriers are feasible.

• Downtown Sacramento businesses remain skeptical that the state’s July return-to-office mandate affecting roughly 95,000 employees will actually materialize, even as foot traffic sits at 85% of April 2019 levels and local leaders rethink the urban core’s heavy reliance on office space.