A dramatic stretch of desert is being proposed as California’s next national monument
Chronicle, KURTIS ALEXANDER: "The Amargosa River is a rare force of life in California’s Mojave Desert, nourishing a dramatic landscape of ancient lakebeds, lush canyons and warm springs in one of the hottest, driest places in North America.
Now, the river is at the center of a growing campaign to create a new national monument."
California was poised to make a historic governor pick in 2026. What happened?
LAT, JOE GAROFOLI: "A year ago, it seemed likely that California, the most diverse and progressive state in the nation, would elect someone other than a white male governor for the first time in 150 years.
But reaching that historic milestone appears less likely after this week, now that two white men — former hedge fund manager Tom Steyer and Rep. Eric Swalwell — entered the race. A third, Los Angeles developer Rick Caruso, is pondering a run."
Battle of the press releases: Newsom v. Trump by the numbers
Capitol Weekly, BRIAN JOSEPH: "While both Gov. Gavin Newsom and his political nemesis President Donald Trump heavily use social media and podcasts to speak directly to voters, their communications teams also produce an avalanche of traditional press releases, advisories and briefings for the news media, an average of nearly seven pieces of written material every day of the year through Nov. 15 from the pair, according to a Capitol Weekly analysis.
That steady stream of press fodder represents just a portion of the daily output of the dueling politicos, who after Proposition 50’s win this month are arguably now on equal footing as the standard bearers of the nation’s two major political parties. Nonetheless, the flow of the press releases and related materials perhaps provides a small window into the scope and pace of the news cycles these two command and choreograph."
After Prop. 50, San Diego may lose its only Republican in Congress as Democrats target Issa
CALMatters, DEBORAH BRENNAN: "Eleven Democrats are vying to unseat Rep. Darrell Issa, a San Diego Republican, after California’s redistricting measure turned his reliably red district into a slightly blue one that will be a key swing race in next year’s midterm elections.
Rep. Mike Levin, a San Clemente Democrat, can breathe easier, as Proposition 50 carves out new boundaries that make his swing district more safely Democratic."
California is aging – are candidates for governor paying attention? (OP-ED)
Capitol Weekly, SARITA A. MOHANTY/CHRISTINA MILLS: "On November 7, candidates vying to be California’s next governor took the stage in the Inland Empire for the Health Matters gubernatorial forum. They discussed a myriad of health care issues affecting Californians. One critical issue received less attention: how they will work to ensure that California truly supports its older adults.
Older adults are the fastest-growing demographic in the state, especially in rural areas, where one in 11 Californians are ages 65+. This rapid growth represents an opportunity to build a California where aging is not a challenge to solve, but an opportunity to ensure all Californians can age at home and in community. Most say that is what they want – with three out of four (77%) adults age 50+ and older wanting to age at home."
How fear of Trump’s immigration blitz is changing life in California farm towns
CALMatters, ANGEL DUARA: "Trailing in the shade of a tractor-pulled harvester, a small huddle of people in broad hats trawl the ochre rows of a green field. Every six or so feet, someone squats down and pulls into the morning sunlight a bright, spotted watermelon.
Walking a dozen yards behind this crew of pickers is their supervisor, Raul. He has done this for 21 years, since he was 18."
Trump can’t take away California’s World Cup games. So why does he keep talking about it?
Chronicle, ALEXEI KOSEFF: "As California gears up to host more than a dozen World Cup games next summer, the tournament risks becoming enmeshed in the state’s ongoing battle with President Donald Trump over control of the National Guard.
Meeting with international soccer officials last week in the Oval Office to promote preparations for next year’s World Cup, which will take place primarily in the United States, Trump mused at length about moving games out of Los Angeles and other host cities."
The Micheli Minute, November 24, 2025
Capitol Weekly, STAFF: "Lobbyist, author and McGeorge law professor Chris Micheli offers a quick look at what’s coming up this week under the Capitol Dome."
These are the most unsafe hospitals in CA, report says. Is yours on the list?
Sac Bee, ANGELA RODRIGUEZ: "Whether it’s a surgery, a routine checkup or an unexpected trip to the emergency room, patients in California trust that their medical providers will meet a safe, professional standard of care.
The Leapfrog Group, a nonprofit organization that studies patient safety and care, issues Hospital Safety Grade reports twice a year for nearly 3,000 general hospitals in the United States."
The state found red flags in nursing homes but licensed them anyway. 4 things to know
CALMatters, JOCELYN WIENER: "The chain of California nursing homes owned by Shlomo Rechnitz and his companies has faced state scrutiny for years. Now, a series of recent lawsuits is bringing renewed attention to his companies.
Elder care advocates say Rechnitz’ companies are Exhibit A in how regulators at the Department of Public Health are failing some of California’s most vulnerable citizens."
CA spent over $450 million on a new 911 system. It’s now scrapping the flawed design
Sac Bee, WILLIAM MELHADO: "In 2018, as California was laying the groundwork to build a new 911 system for the state, a massive fire ripped through Butte County, decimating several Northern California communities and killing over 80 people.
The devastating Camp Fire, which wiped out cell towers and hampered emergency communication during critical hours, was on everyone’s minds as the California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services worked to design the state’s future emergency communication system."
To help their kids ‘climb the ivy,’ Chinese mothers uproot their families for Silicon Valley schools
Chronicle, KO LYN CHEANG: "When Joanna Gao and her husband decided to immigrate with their two middle school sons from Shanghai to Palo Alto in 2018, they hoped the move would increase their sons’ chances of getting into a good college.
China had less than half the number of bachelor degree-granting universities as did the United States, despite having more than four times the population."
LAT, NOAH HAGGERTY: "Dozens of Topanga residents gathered in the town’s Community House to hear Assistant Fire Chief Drew Smith discuss how the Los Angeles County Fire Department plans to keep Topangans alive in a fierce firestorm.
In the red-brick atrium, adorned with exposed wood and a gothic chandelier, Smith explained that if a fire explodes next to the town and flames will reach homes within minutes, orchestrating a multi-hour evacuation through winding mountain roads for Topanga’s more than 8,000 residents will just not be a viable option. In such cases, Smith told attendees at the town’s Oct. 4 ReadyFest wildfire preparedness event, the department now plans to order residents to shelter in their homes."
READ MORE -- This disabled mom survived the Eaton fire. Now, the recovery is killing her -- LAT, SONJA SHARP
Best time to travel for Thanksgiving in California? Here’s when to fly and drive
Sac Bee, ANGELA RODRIGUEZ: "Thanksgiving is days away.
Whether you’re roasting a turkey, watching football or gathering with family, be ready for record-breaking traffic and big crowds in California."
Why an unproven air taxi company is spending $126 million to take over an L.A. airport
LAT, CAROLINE PETROW-COHEN: "Hollywood movies have featured flying taxis for decades, but it wasn’t until this month that a Silicon Valley company invested in a real-world hub for futuristic flying machines in Los Angeles.
Archer Aviation is building electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft, or eVTOL, to shuttle small groups over dense urban areas. The company is buying control of the Hawthorne Municipal Airport for more than $125 million. That’s more than four times the budget of the original “Blade Runner.”"
Trucks could return to this Bay Area highway after a 74-year ban. People aren’t happy
Chronicle, RACHEL SWAN: "State transportation officials are weighing a controversial idea to allow large trucks on Interstate 580 in Oakland. Many people are not happy about it.
That much was clear when Caltrans held a virtual town hall earlier this month, to discuss the agency’s ongoing study on what could happen if the 74-year truck ban were reversed."
Giant landlord settles with California for colluding on rents in L.A. and elsewhere
LAT, ROGER VINCENT: "Greystar, which manages dozens of apartment complexes in Southern California, has settled a lawsuit that alleges the property giant and other landlords colluded to keep rents artificially high.
The national apartment landlord and manager was a defendant in an ongoing suit filed last year by the U.S. Department of Justice that focuses on software from RealPage that is used by many apartment operators to set rent prices for vacant units and renewal rates for existing tenants."
San Francisco’s most educated residents live in these ZIP codes
Chronicle, HANNAH ZAKHARENKO/DANIELLE ECHEVERRIA: "Home to a booming tech industry and close to several prestigious universities, San Francisco is one of the most highly educated cities in the country. Nationwide, 14% of people over 25 have a post-graduate degree of some kind. In San Francisco, 26% do.
But within the city, where do those highly educated people live?"
Superman No. 1 comic — found in Northern California attic — sells for $9 million
Sac Bee, DON SWEENEY: "Three brothers inspecting the attic of their late mother’s Northern California home discovered a treasure trove of forgotten comic books.
The comics, hidden beneath faded newspapers and cobwebs, included a copy of the first issue of Superman from 1939, Heritage Auctions said in an Oct. 31 news release."