Mayor caught on hot mic, Dominguez fate revealed. Your Sacramento week in review

It was a busy week in the Capital City, with major developments in politics, public safety, labor and community issues defining the week of July 20–24.

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Here’s what you need to know:

• Sacramento Mayor Kevin McCarty and Vice Mayor Karina Talamantes were caught on a hot mic Tuesday discussing how to remove disruptive people from City Council meetings. The disruptions stemmed from public opposition to an agreement between the city and the Central California Intelligence Center, a federally-funded hub that shares intelligence with ICE.

• Award-winning cheesecake shop Cakes by Jeff the Chef will close its Downtown Commons location at the end of July. Owner Jeff Taylor, who won Food Network’s “Sugar Showdown” and A&E’s “Best in Chow,” said the storefront closure is not the end of the business and hinted at future plans.

• Yolo Superior Court Judge Samuel T. McAdam declared Carlos Reales Dominguez legally insane and ordered him committed to a state hospital following his conviction in the 2023 Davis knife rampage. Dominguez, diagnosed with schizophrenia, was found guilty of involuntary manslaughter in the stabbing deaths of David Breaux and Karim Abou Najm.

• A group of Jesuit High School alumni, parents and supporters called Men for Others has sued the Carmichael Catholic school over its plan to begin admitting girls in 2027. The lawsuit alleges breach of fiduciary duty and claims the school rejected roughly $10 million in pledges from alumni seeking to preserve the all-boys model.

• The Central Valley Flood Protection Board will consider approving a new cross-levee fence in the Pocket neighborhood at its Friday meeting. Sacramento residents and Councilmember Jennings oppose the project, arguing it conflicts with plans for the proposed 17-mile Sacramento River Parkway trail.

• Nearly 10,000 attending doctors in the University of California system announced a unionization effort called UC Doctors United at a Thursday news conference. The campaign, a joint effort with SEIU Doctors United, aims to advocate for improved working conditions, stronger patient care and better protections for academic freedom.