Bill Buchanan

Jet black and sinewy, the Big Boy is one sharp-looking octogenarian. The steam locomotive touring the United States is a captivating summer 2026 event drawing onlookers to the tracks, but don't ignore the heritage passenger cars hauled behind. The yellow train in tow, trimmed in sleek gray and red, is the Union Pacific railroad's office car special. Usually roaming the rails without public notice, the streamliner carries employees, guests and VIPs on company business.

Mon, 06/29/2026 - 5:30pm | Bill Buchanan Media Player Error. Today we talk with two accomplished people at different stages of life about their experiences of Davis: Ken Wagstaff, a former mayor who moved here in the 1960s, and Adithi Sumitran, who just graduated from UC Davis and heads to law school at UC Berkeley this fall. The subjects include Davis, the recent defeat of the Measure V housing measure, and what they think the community needs more of, and less of.

2026 is a pretty good year for renters in Davis. The city’s vacancy rate has continued to grow, to around 10 percent, says real estate professional Kit Boschken on today’s Davisville. Rents are down from last year. Parts of the market are shifting, she adds— students are less interested in sharing a large house as a place to live, and students coming out of campus housing want leases that start in July or mid-June, instead of the Davis standard of Sept. 1.