Capitol Basement

Marketing Makeover

2026-03-06T09:55:38Z

Newsom planning $19-million push to polish California’s national image

LAT, MELODY GUTIERREZ: "Gov. Gavin Newsom plans to spend $19 million promoting California and dispelling “myths driven by misinformation and political rhetoric” in a marketing campaign that would run through the final months of his administration as he weighs a potential run for president.

The new contract, which is in the bidding process, comes as Newsom’s political future and national standing are closely tied to how voters view California’s economy, crime and quality of life — issues that have become central to attacks from President Trump and conservative media outlets."

A podcaster gave Newsom a gun. Are California laws keeping him from taking it home?

CALMATTERS, RYAN SABALOW: "Gov. Gavin Newsom has signed some of the country’s toughest gun-control laws, but he had nothing but nice things to say to a conservative podcaster who gave him a new handgun as a gift last year.

“Brother, this is fabulous,” Newsom told the host, Shawn Ryan, last summer. “The last thing people would expect is that I respect this gift. … I’m not anti-gun at all,” Newsom said."

Would Sacramento voters send a Republican to Congress? Kevin Kiley is betting on it

CALMATTERS, MAYA C. MILLER: "After months of suspense, deliberation and a game-show-style process of elimination, Republican Rep. Kevin Kiley has finally chosen a district in which to seek reelection.

The two-term congressman from Roseville announced this week that he will file paperwork to run for the Sacramento-area 6th Congressional District after California’s Proposition 50 dramatically reshaped his current district into a solid pickup for Democrats."

California, 23 other states sue Trump over new tariffs

CALMATTERS, LEVI SUMAGAYSAY: "California and 23 other mostly Democratic states on Thursday sued the Trump administration over its new justification for the president’s wide-ranging tariffs.

State Attorney General Rob Bonta is co-leading the lawsuit with the attorneys general of Oregon, Arizona and New York. They say President Donald Trump’s use of Section 122 of the Trade Act of 1974 — which he invoked after the U.S. Supreme Court on Feb. 20 ruled that his use of the International Emergency Economic Powers Act was unconstitutional — is also illegal."

Senators demand return of deported California DACA recipient

LAT, ANDREA CASTILLO: "Sens. Alex Padilla (D-Calif.) and Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) called for the Department of Homeland Security to return a California woman with DACA who was recently deported a day after her green card interview.

DACA, or Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, is the Obama-era program that since 2012 has shielded certain immigrants brought to the U.S. as children from deportation and allowed them to work legally."

Napa man indicted for allegedly threatening to kill senior Trump official

CHRONICLE, ANNA BAUMAN: "A Napa man was indicted in February for allegedly threatening to kill a senior Trump official in dozens of emails sent to the official’s ex-wife last year, the Department of Justice said Thursday.

Prosecutors said Haddow Mills, 64, found a public email address for the official’s ex-wife and in May 2025 began sending a flurry of threatening and harassing emails, such as “I will hunt you down. I am not kidding. Watch your back bitch.”"

Billionaire Ron Burkle accuses his political power-broker protégé of multimillion-dollar fraud

LAT, CLARA HARTER: "Billionaire Ronald Burkle is suing political power-broker Darius Anderson, accusing his former protégé and friend of cheating him out of millions of dollars.

Burkle alleges that Anderson used the billionaire’s network and a seed investment to build a powerful lobbying firm — only to later divert Burkle’s share of the profits to himself. The legal feud marks a dramatic falling-out between Anderson and his longtime mentor Burkle, who was the best man at Anderson’s wedding."

2 men arrested after allegedly attacking S.F. Mayor Lurie’s bodyguards

CHRONICLE, ALDO TOLEDO: "Two men were arrested Thursday after they allegedly attacked San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie’s security detail near the Tenderloin.

Lurie was unharmed in what the head of San Francisco’s police union described as a “violent incident.” Mission Local reported that one of the mayor’s bodyguards was “left bleeding from the back of his head” after the incident, which the news outlet said happened after a group of people blocked the black sport utility vehicle that Lurie uses regularly."

L.A. feds ramp up use of ‘doxxing’ charges as anti-ICE protesters fear chilling effect

LAT, JAMES QUEALLY: "The masked protesters screaming at a federal agent outside his home was the type of scene Trump administration officials had long feared.

Cynthia Raygoza, Ashleigh Brown and Sandra Samane followed a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer from the downtown L.A. Metropolitan Detention Center to his Baldwin Park residence last August. The off-duty ICE agent’s unmasked face and the name of the street he lived on were broadcast to more than 50,000 followers on a livestream from the popular “ice_out_ofla” Instagram account."

The neuro disease rat lungworm has reached California

LAT, SUSANNE RUST: "A disease that can cause neurological illness and meningitis in people, rat lungworm, has been found in wild opposums, rats and a zoo animal in San Diego County, indicating its establishment in California for the first time.

Researchers reported their findings in the journal Emerging Infectious Diseases, published by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The authors, who include veterinarians, researchers and wildlife biologists, urged physicians and other healthcare workers in the region to consider lungworm infection when patients come in with nervous system disorders."

Was ‘The Pitt’ inspired by a Bay Area disaster? Latest plot twist has striking parallels

CHRONICLE, PETER HARTLAUB: "The HBO medical drama “The Pitt” ended on a cliffhanger tonight that might send a jolt of recognition through Bay Area television viewers.

The show’s ripped-from-the-headlines twist has striking similarities to a real-life tragedy that occurred in Concord three decades ago. This article will include spoilers for the end of Season 2, Episode 9, which aired Thursday, March 5."

California colleges spend millions on faulty AI systems: ‘The chatbot is outdated’

CALMATTERS, MARTIN ROMERO: "California community college districts are spending millions of dollars on artificial intelligence-powered chatbots intended to help students navigate admissions, financial aid and campus services.

However, they struggle to consistently provide clear and accurate answers, leaving students frustrated and seeking help from others on unofficial social media channels."

One Sacramento school district on strike, another could walk out next week

EDSOURCE, DIANA LAMBERT: "Two Sacramento school districts could have teachers on strike next week if they can’t come to terms with teachers over salary, benefits and classroom conditions.

Twin Rivers Unified School District teachers went on strike Thursday, and teachers in the adjacent Natomas Unified announced they will go on strike on Tuesday."

Why this college president came out of retirement to help East Los Angeles navigate the Trump era

EDSOURCE, MICHAEL BURKE: "After working more than 50 years in higher education, including stints as president of Los Angeles Mission College and Moreno Valley College, Monte Perez was enjoying retirement in 2024. That’s when he received a call from Francisco Rodriguez, then the chancellor of the Los Angeles Community College District.

Rodriguez wanted to know if Perez, 78, was willing to step in as the interim president of East Los Angeles College, the district’s largest college."

Is California’s ski season deadlier than usual? Here’s why we don’t know

CALMATTERS, RACHEL BECKER: "It’s been a deadly winter on California’s slopes, but the state has no idea how bad it really is.

In February alone, a 21-year-old skier was found dead on a black diamond at Northstar California. Witnesses reported another skier trailed blood down a Mammoth Mountain run. A fatal collision at Northstar followed yet another death within less than two weeks — and that’s before a catastrophic avalanche killed nine backcountry skiers near Lake Tahoe."

San Francisco could hit 80 degrees this weekend in rare March warm spell

CHRONICLE, GREG PORTER: "Get ready for a taste of summer in March. A favorable offshore wind pattern will send temperatures soaring over the weekend, with downtown San Francisco having a shot at reaching 80 degrees on both Saturday and Sunday.

If an 80-degree day happens, it would be the earliest the city has reached that mark since 2004, when it hit 81 degrees on March 10. And if the city somehow reached 80 degrees on both days, it would mark an even rarer occurrence. The last time the city had two consecutive 80 degree days in March was in 2011."

Employers cut a surprising 92,000 jobs last month as the unemployment rate rose to 4.4%

LAT, PAUL WISEMAN: "American employers unexpectedly cut 92,000 jobs last month, a sign that the labor market remains under strain. The unemployment rate blipped up to 4.4%.

The Labor Department reported Friday that hiring deteriorated from January, when companies, nonprofits and government agencies added a healthy 126,000 jobs. Economists had expected 60,000 new jobs in February."

Hundreds of applications, no jobs and AI competition: California’s brutal tech work landscape

LAT, QUEENIE WONG: "Laid-off tech worker Joseph Tinner has spent almost a year hunting for a job. It has been a depressing crash course on the sea change in Silicon Valley.

The former product instructor from the San Francisco Bay Area has ridden the tech wave throughout his career, easily jumping from Verizon to Fitbit to Workday. Since losing his job early last year, the 59-year-old has hit a wall."

Jaylen Brown video sparks furor over how Beverly Hills police treat Black people

LAT, HANNAH FRY: "Boston Celtics star Jaylen Brown was in the middle of a brand event at a Beverly Hills mansion on Valentine’s Day when police showed up.

It was 7 p.m., and the music for the event — an invite-only gathering for his 741 Performance brand — had long been silent. Brown came down to talk to an officer, expressing confusion at why police had been called."

BART is turning parking lots into housing. Will 700 new units help its fiscal crisis?

CHRONICLE, J.K. DINEEN: "BART’s future may be up in the air amid a devastating budget outlook but one thing is certain: The next wave of housing development on the transit agency’s vast parking lots is coming down the track.

El Cerrito elected officials and BART leaders gathered Thursday to celebrate the start of construction on a mixed-income modular development that will eventually transform six-and-a-half acres of surface parking lots into 734 units, including about 290 affordable homes. Once built out, the project could add 1,500 new residents into a post-war bedroom community with a population of about 26,000."

Mismanaging Medicaid

2026-03-05T10:06:29Z

Trump’s Medicaid work mandate could kick thousands of homeless Californians off coverage

CALMATTERS, KRISTEN HWANG: "On a brisk January morning, physician assistant Brett Feldman searched the streets of Los Angeles for patients, knocking on car windows and peering into tents. It was the day after a winter storm had doused the city, and many of the unhoused people Feldman usually treats had moved to find somewhere dry.

Feldman leads the street medicine team at the USC Keck School of Medicine, providing primary care to thousands of L.A.’s homeless individuals. Many have chronic conditions, mental health disorders, wounds or other medical issues; they need health care desperately."

California’s next insurance commissioner will have ‘brutal’ balancing act

CALMATTERS, LEVI SUMAGAYSAY: "In November, Californians will vote for “the second-hardest job in the state behind the governor.”

That’s according to someone who has held the job twice: John Garamendi, who was the state’s first elected insurance commissioner in the 1990s and served again in the early 2000s. Garamendi, now a U.S. congressman, said the commissioner job is “complex, hard, detailed work.”"

Ticketmaster in the crosshairs again over California legislation

CAPITOL WEEKLY, BRIAN JOSEPH: "Ticketmaster and its parent company Live Nation are once again neck deep in state legislation they contend would protect consumers but which critics say is really aimed at furthering their monopoly over live event ticketing in California and the United States.

In late January, the Assembly passed AB 1349 by Assemblymember Isaac Bryan (D-Ladera Heights) to ban resellers from listing tickets they don’t actually have, a practice known as speculative ticketing. A week later, in early February, Assemblymember Matt Haney (D-San Francisco), introduced AB 1720, a spot bill intended to cap the resale price of concert tickets at no more than 10 percent above their face value, including fees."

Ranking California high schools: These public schools outperform on UC admissions

CHRONICLE, HANNA ZAKHARENKO: "One common yardstick for a California high school is how well it helps students gain admission to the most selective University of California campuses. But judging schools by raw admission rates alone can be misleading. Schools that enroll larger shares of students from high-income families and fewer students with disabilities, for example, tend to send more students to UC campuses regardless of school quality.

So the Chronicle’s new ranking asks a more nuanced question: How many more students receive UC admissions than would be expected given a school’s demographics?"

How college students can earn $10,000 for making a difference in CA communities

CALMATTERS, BRITTANY OCEGUERA: "For college students seeking a job that fits around their academic schedules, and the opportunity to do meaningful work in their communities, a popular state program offers both.

Since it launched in 2022, the state program known as College Corps has been paying college students for community service work. And it has become so popular that only 30% of students who apply get a position."

This hip L.A. neighborhood is installing emergency sirens to warn of ICE raids

LAT, SALVADOR HERNANDEZ: "Communities have used loud sirens to warn people about approaching storms, tsunamis and tornadoes, but now some activists in Los Angeles are using sirens to warn about immigration agents.

Since President Trump took office, Los Angeles communities have seen a stark increase in the number of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement operations, targeting business districts and neighborhoods, and some community groups have responded by looking for ways to alert residents."

Who pays for AI’s power? California watchdog urges new data center rules

CALMATTERS, ALEJANDRO LAZO: "If you’re worried about data centers and AI inflating your electricity bill, you’re not alone.

A California watchdog released a report Tuesday urging policymakers to act fast on the state’s fast-growing data-center industry – before soaring electricity demand from artificial intelligence lands on the bills of ordinary households."

How our AI bots are ignoring their programming and giving hackers superpowers

LAT, NILESH CHRISTOPHER: "Welcome to the age of AI hacking, in which the right prompts make amateurs into master hackers.

A group of cybercriminals recently used off-the-shelf artificial intelligence chatbots to steal data on nearly 200 million taxpayers. The bots provided the code and ready-to-execute plans to bypass firewalls."

An inside-slider pattern is reshaping California weather. Here’s what to expect

CHRONICLE, GREG PORTER: "’Tis the season for inside sliders, and not just because the World Baseball Classic is upon us. A long-awaited weather change has finally come to California. An inconspicuous cold front swept through the Bay Area on Wednesday, ushering in sunshine, gusty winds and promises of a weekend warmup with temperatures easily rising into the 70s region-wide.

The atmospheric reconfiguration will also help to generate a low pressure system that is cut off from the normal jet stream flow, unofficially called an “inside slider,” so named for its trajectory which takes it down the spine of central California before moving west towards the coast."

California grocery store wine scheme: Executives at top distributor charged with bribery

CHRONICLE, ALDO TOLEDO: "Executives at the nation’s largest alcohol distributor, Southern Glazer’s, engineered a sprawling multiyear bribery scheme to control which wines were offered on the shelves of hundreds of supermarkets across California, according to a federal indictment made public Wednesday.

A federal grand jury this week in Oakland indicted five high-level Southern Glazer’s employees and one Napa-based wine supplier, alleging they participated in a bribery scheme over about eight years to secure product placement at Albertsons-owned stores and later falsified records to evade authorities."

Solar energy for renters has taken off in 10 states. Not in California

LAT, BLANCA BLEGERT: "The tiny town of West Goshen, Calif., was exactly the kind of place that community solar was designed for.

Near Visalia, most of its 500 residents live in mobile homes, where companies won’t install rooftop panels without a solid foundation. And until recently, they used propane for heating and cooking, with price fluctuations in the winter posing hardships for low-income families."

Why California cops and firefighters are pushing for a new perk on top of their pensions

CALMATTERS, ADAM ASHTON: "A full career as a California Highway Patrol officer or a Cal Fire firefighter often ends with a six-figure pension that provides a comfortable retirement after countless hours spent in harm’s way.

This year, the unions that represent CHP officers and state firefighters are seeking a different end-of-career incentive: The opportunity to accumulate one big check in addition to that annual pension."

A BART police officer made a bigoted AI deepfake about a Sikh colleague. What happens next?

CHRONICLE, SUSIE NEILSON/DEMIAN BULWA: "In a brief video that circulated over the holidays among officers of the BART police force, the department’s chief pins a badge on a beaming young officer wearing the turban of his Sikh faith. Ominous music plays in the background, and it soon becomes clear why: The chief removes the turban, turns it over and discovers a semiautomatic pistol inside. The newly hired officer is no longer smiling.

In those six seconds, it’s not immediately clear that the video — which depicts a real BART officer and the actual BART chief, Kevin Franklin — is a fake made with generative AI."

Lowering the voting age

2026-03-04T10:28:59Z

Kamala Harris advocates lowering the voting age to 16 at Oakland event

CHRONICLE, SARA DINATALE: "Former Vice President Kamala Harris urged voters to help Democrats take control of Congress in the midterm elections and warned that voting rights could be imperiled under President Donald Trump at a book tour stop in Oakland on Tuesday.

Harris said she is worried about voters’ rights and access to the ballot. She fears the Supreme Court will soon gut the Voting Rights Act and its protections against racial discrimination, and that a Trump-backed bill in Congress to sharply curtail access to voting will disenfranchise millions."

Sen. Padilla preps for Trump trying to seize control of elections via emergency order

CHRONICLE, KEVIN RECTOR: "Sen. Alex Padilla (D-Calif.) is preparing for President Trump to declare a national emergency in order to seize control of this year’s midterm elections from the states, including by bracing his Senate colleagues for a vote in which they would be forced to either co-sign on the power grab or resist it.

In the wake of reporting last week that conservative activists with connections to the White House were circulating such an order, Padilla sent a letter to his Senate colleagues Friday stating that any such order would be “wildly illegal and unconstitutional,” and would no doubt face “extremely strict scrutiny” in the courts."

Republicans blame Carl DeMaio for party division as his group rakes in millions

CALMATTERS, NADIA LATHAN: "It was the first meeting of the new year and local Republicans, from senior leaders to right-wing influencers, were gathered at a suburban San Diego church to discuss who the party should endorse in the June primary.

Insults and personal attacks flew between a local GOP activist and Assemblymember Carl DeMaio for more than an hour as party members argued over how to tally their votes. Then, finally, came the results: No one would receive an endorsement, not even a candidate for the seat currently held by the Republican leader of the state Senate."

Hegseth says U.S. is ‘accelerating’ war on Iran, but strike at Turkey won’t trigger NATO

LAT, KEVIN RECTOR: "The U.S. war effort against Iran was “accelerating” as American and Israeli forces fought for control of Iranian airspace and pressed farther inland to seek and destroy Iranian missile capabilities, top U.S. officials said Wednesday.

“Four days in, we have only just begun to fight,” said U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth."

How a last-minute deal doomed California’s ban on masked ICE agents

LAT, SONJA SHARP: "The judge was perplexed.

“Why were state law enforcement officers excluded?” U.S. District Judge Christina A. Snyder wanted to know."

What the Supreme Court ruling on gender identity means for students, parents, and schools

LAT, HOWARD BLUME: "The Supreme Court’s ruling Monday affirming the right of parents to know about their child’s gender identity at school has left California educators with complicated questions about how to protect the sometimes competing rights of students, school employees and family members.

The Supreme Court decision in Mirabelli v. Bonta, while falling short of explicitly deciding the case, will have a sweeping impact because the court majority strongly agreed with a lower court’s interpretation of parent rights that differs from common practice in California."

‘Shocking’: What Supreme Court ruling on transgender policy means for California students

CALMATTERS, CAROLYN JONES: "Advocates for transgender youth vowed to keep fighting Wednesday after the U.S. Supreme Court blocked — at least temporarily — a California policy protecting the privacy of transgender students in K-12 schools.

The court ruled in favor of a group of parents near San Diego who argued that the state’s policy violates their right to religious freedom and due process. The policy barred school districts from requiring teachers to “out” transgender students to their parents, unless the students gave permission."

Lowell High math teacher on leave after quizzes prompt allegations of fat-shaming, sexist content

CHRONICLE, JILL TUCKER: "A San Francisco math teacher was on indefinite leave Monday after administrators learned he required his students to solve quiz problems about a “fat kid” punted in the air and the monetary cost of dating girls based on their weight or “sexy points.”

Lowell High School Principal Jan Bautista notified families just after 5:30 p.m. that teacher Tom Chan “needed to go on leave” and there was no return date known, with coverage of his classes pending. She asked the community to respect his privacy at this time."

How one Cal State campus is trying to break out of a doom loop of declining enrollment

CALMATTERS, MIKHAIL ZINSHTEYN: "The first first day of fall semester for a university freshman is often stressful. Not for Vanessa Menera, an 18-year-old who’s the first in her family to attend college.

Last year, she arrived 15 minutes early to her first fall class with an internship and campus job already in tow, plus a mental map of Cal State University Dominguez Hills, a sprawling, nearly 350-acre institution in the Los Angeles area’s South Bay."

Pavement is undermining LA’s future

CAPITOL WEEKLY, DEBORAH BLOOME: "For much of the 20th century, Los Angeles—like many other American cities—measured progress in miles of pavement. Pavement had a starring role in the California dream, palm trees swaying above wide boulevards, and sun glinting off the open road. That seduction helped build a metropolis, but in sealing over the soil and shade, we buried the very resilience the city now needs. As Los Angeles endures intense rainstorms this week, overrunning neighborhoods and turning streets into rivers, the costs of that vision are impossible to ignore. Today, those same hard surfaces trap heat, worsen flooding, and strain our communities, which means we have to rethink what counts as progress. The goal isn’t to erase pavement; it’s to make our communities more livable.

Pavement created many problems for Los Angeles, damaging ecosystems and neighborhoods. But removing it where it no longer serves a purpose offers a rare chance to ease several pressures at once. By making pavement’s hidden costs visible, Los Angeles can begin to depave its way toward becoming a more sustainable, regenerative, and livable region."

A cold front is just the beginning of California’s windy stretch

CHRONICLE, ANTHONY EDWARDS: "Windy weather will pick up Wednesday and won’t let up for days across parts of California.

The breezes won’t be accompanied by lashing rain or heavy snow. Rather, they’ll be a much drier variety, stemming from a low-pressure system paralleling the eastern slopes of the Sierra Nevada. That system will eventually cut off from the guiding winds from the jet stream and spin off Point Conception this weekend."

California’s heralded wine industry is running dry — here’s why

LAT, IRIS KWOK: "Winery owner Stuart Spencer estimates that he left about 50 tons of grapes to rot on vines in Lodi, Calif., last fall, as harvesting and processing them would cost more than they were worth.

“We’re doing our best to keep our head above water,” said Spencer, the owner of St. Amant Winery and executive director of the Lodi Winegrape Commission."

L.A. cannabis businesses owe $400 million. The city may get only $30 million

LAT, SANDRA MCDONALD: "Los Angeles cannabis businesses that owe back taxes wouldn’t have to pay late fees and interest under an “amnesty” program proposed by the City Council.

To qualify, the businesses would have to pay their city taxes within three years."

After rash of overdose deaths, L.A. banned sales of kratom. Some say they lost lifeline for pain and opioid withdrawal

LAT, KAREN GARCIA: "Nearly four months ago, Los Angeles County banned the sale of kratom, as well as 7-OH, the synthetic version of the alkaloid that is its active ingredient. The idea was to put an end to what at the time seemed like a rash of overdose deaths related to the drug.

It’s too soon to tell whether kratom-related deaths have dissipated as a result — or, really, whether there was ever actually an epidemic to begin with. But many L.A. residents had become reliant on kratom as something of a panacea for debilitating pain and opioid withdrawal symptoms, and the new rules have made it harder for them to find what they say has been a lifesaving drug."

S.F.’s first sober homeless shelter is close to capacity. Could more follow?

CHRONICLE, LUCY HODGMAN: "Julian Elmore felt like a “lost soul” when he moved into San Francisco’s first sober homeless shelter last fall.

The 34-year-old moved to Marin County with his then-husband a decade ago, where he found a calling as a florist. But that life slipped away from Elmore after his marriage ended and his mother died, plunging him into long bouts of depression that he self-medicated with heavy drinking. In July, he found himself in a homeless shelter for the first time."

Warpath

2026-03-03T10:32:58Z

Iranian drones hit the U.S. Embassy in Saudi Arabia, while hundreds are reported dead in Iran

LAT, JON GAMBRELL/ELENA BECATOROS/SAMY MAGDY: "Iran expanded its targets Tuesday, striking the U.S. Embassy in Saudi Arabia as Washington began to pull many staff out of the Middle East. The U.S. and Israel battered Iran with airstrikes in what President Donald Trump suggested was just the start of a war that has severely disrupted the world’s supply of oil and gas, international shipping, and air travel.

The conflict escalated further on its fourth day, with Israel sending new ground troops into Lebanon and explosions ringing out in Iran’s capital. Hundreds of people have been killed, the vast majority in Iran."

California must let schools out transgender students to parents, U.S. Supreme Court rules

CHRONICLE, BOB EGELKO: "California must allow teachers in its public schools to notify parents that their child identifies as transgender, the Supreme Court ruled Monday, rejecting a state policy that a lower court had upheld.

“Those policies cut out the primary protectors of children’s best interests: their parents,” the court’s conservative majority wrote in a 6-3 ruling. A federal judge’s order requiring parental notification “promotes child safety by guaranteeing fit parents a role in some of the most consequential decisions in their children’s lives.”

Newsom threatens California counties for failing to use his new mental health court

CALMATTERS, MARISA KENDALL: ""Frustrated by the slow adoption of one of his signature efforts to get Californians with severe mental illness off the streets, Gov. Gavin Newsom on Monday threatened to take funding from counties he said aren’t doing enough.

Newsom called out 10 counties that he said are underperforming when it comes to CARE Court – a program he launched in 2023 that uses the courts to get people into mental health treatment. Counties that “haven’t gotten it done” in his view are: Los Angeles, Orange, San Francisco, Santa Clara, San Bernardino, Kern, Riverside, Yolo, Monterey and Fresno.

Fearing GOP win, California’s Democratic leader urges unviable party candidates for governor to drop out

LAT, SEEMA MEHTA: "Fearing the prospect of a Republican winning California’s gubernatorial race, state Democratic Party Chair Rusty Hicks on Tuesday urged his party’s candidates who lack a viable path to victory to drop out.

“It is imperative that every candidate honestly assess the viability of their candidacy and campaign,” Hicks wrote in an open letter to the politicians vying to replace termed-out Gov. Gavin Newsom. “I recognize my suggestions are hard for many to contemplate and may be even viewed as overly harsh by some.”"

Vulnerable Republicans in California’s redrawn congressional districts back war in Iran

LAT, KEVIN RECTOR: "California Republicans facing tough reelection fights in this year’s midterm elections have lined up in support of President Trump’s war on Iran, which polling suggests is not popular.

They include Republicans whose chances of reelection were already diminished by the passage by voters in November of Proposition 50, which gave Democrats in Sacramento the authority to redraw the state’s congressional districts in favor of Democratic candidates."

Exclusive: Tech entrepreneur challenges Ro Khanna as billionaire tax fight heats up

CHRONICLE, ALEXEI KOSEFF: "The brewing political battle over a proposed billionaire tax in California has opened a front in a Bay Area House race, where Rep. Ro Khanna has drawn an intraparty challenger hoping to ride Silicon Valley’s anger with the progressive Santa Clara Democrat.

Ethan Agarwal, a 40-year-old former tech entrepreneur and Democrat, on Tuesday launched a bid to oust Khanna from his South Bay seat after five terms. In an exclusive interview with the Chronicle, Agarwal said Khanna has become too focused on a national agenda and lost touch with the values of his community, the home of tech giants including Apple and the wealthiest congressional district in the country."

Special Episode: A conversation on housing with Asm. Buffy Wicks

CAPITOL WEEKLY, STAFF: "CAPITOL WEEKLY PODCAST: This Special Episode of the Capitol Weekly Podcast was recorded live at A Conference on Housing, which was held in Sacramento on Tuesday, February 24, 2026."

Meet the insurance commissioner candidates: Stacy Korsgaden

CAPITOL WEEKLY, STAFF: "Capitol Weekly recently asked a half dozen insurance commissioner candidates to answer a set of identical questions regarding how they would approach this incredibly important and challenging job. The candidates – Sen. Ben Allen, former Sen. Steven Bradford, California Working Families Party executive director Jane Kim, Insurance agent Stacy Korsgaden, Los Angeles school teacher Lalo Vargas and financial analyst Patrick Wolff – all submitted their answers, which we will be presenting individually in alphabetical order by last name. In recent weeks we have featured answers from Sen. Ben Allen, former Sen. Steven Bradford and California Working Families Party executive director Jane Kim. This week we bring you the answers provided to us by insurance agent Stacy Korsgaden."

These public documents are hidden from view. Two California lawmakers want to change that

CALMATTERS, RYAN SABALOW: "Two California lawmakers are trying to open up legislative documents that are technically public records, but difficult for even the most seasoned Capitol insiders to access.

The documents are letters registered lobbyists and advocacy groups send the Legislature to support or oppose bills. CalMatters has been seeking greater access to them for more than a year."

She directed $2.7 million from her elderly clients to her husband’s company. The judge approved every penny

CALMATTERS, BYRHONDA LYONS: "It was a successful year for Angelique Friend. The entrepreneur was at the pinnacle of her profession in Ventura County. State records show she was overseeing $20 million of her clients’ assets and directing a sizable chunk of that money back into her own household.

As the 2022 holiday season approached, Friend celebrated in style and shared the snapshots on her company’s Facebook page."

Firefighters oppose single-staircase, multi-level dwellings

CAPITOL WEEKLY, CHRIS RAMIREZ: "Numerous fire departments expressed opposition to relaxing building codes in the Office of State Fire Marshal’s report, published Monday, that examines the safety of apartment buildings three or more stories tall. They argue that eliminating an exit way could pose a risk to both residents and first responders in the event of an emergency.

The findings of the report, published two months past its deadline, deliver a blow to lawmakers, who sought to reduce housing construction costs and maximize the number of units in future developments — when they’re next able to. Legislators and local lawmakers cannot revise building codes for the next five years, as part of a statewide effort to expedite housing development."

READ MORE -- California’s fire safety regulators are finally out with a ‘single stair’ report. They don’t love the idea -- CALMATTERS, BEN CHRISTOPHER

FBI scrutiny of Carvalho, LAUSD began with tip from N.Y. prosecutors examining fraud at AI firm

LAT, RICHARD WINTON/HOWARD BLUME: "The investigation that led to last week’s FBI raid at the home and office of schools Supt. Alberto Carvalho stemmed from a referral more than a year ago from New York prosecutors working a criminal fraud case involving a technology company with a Los Angeles Unified School District contract that went bust, according to sources familiar with the inquiry.

It was not until last week that the extent of the inquiry became public. The sources said grand jury subpoenas have been issued to individuals in Miami-Dade County Public Schools, where Carvalho served as superintendent before coming to L.A. in 2022. The subpoenas seek records from the district’s inspector general and the former Foundation for New Education Initiatives, according to a source familiar with the case."

LAUSD is now accountable for high-dosage tutoring as settlement is approved

EDSOURCE, MALLIKA SESHADRI: "The Los Angeles Unified School District is officially on the hook for providing high-dosage tutoring to students after a judge approved a settlement reached last fall.

After being accused of denying students their right to equitable education during pandemic shutdowns, the district must now provide 100,000 students — more than a quarter of the district’s TK-12 students — with three years of high-dosage tutoring under a court-approved settlement, amounting to more than 10 million hours. District staff and outside vendors will provide students with a mix of virtual and in-person sessions."

Bay Area in for weather whiplash as dry winds wipe away humidity

CHRONICLE, ANTHONY EDWARDS: ""Humid, foggy and, at times, rainy weather that dominated the Bay Area for the past week is about to undergo a major change — but not before two more days of damp conditions.

Widespread fog is expected Tuesday morning, and it will be slow to clear along the coast, if it does at all. Inland areas should see some sun by late morning before a mainly clear afternoon.

California national park is seeing best flowers since 2016 superbloom

CHRONICLE, JACK LEE: "Death Valley National Park is experiencing its best wildflower bloom since the famed 2016 superbloom that brought carpets of color to the valley. Already the park is a riot of yellows and purples — and more is to come.

“Low-elevation flowers are blooming throughout the park and will likely persist until mid-late March, depending on the weather,” the park wrote on its website. “Higher elevations will have blooms April-June.”"

Investors keep buying up burned lots in Altadena, Pacific Palisades. Could Congress limit such sales?

LAT, GRACE TOOHEY: "On top of devastating losses and rebuilding and insurance claim headaches, survivors of the 2025 Los Angeles County firestorms have faced an increasingly existential threat to their communities: large investment firms buying up burned lots, which many worry will forever change the fabric of their treasured neighborhoods.

Many worry that new corporate owners will rebuild in ways that will price out locals, especially in Altadena’s historically Black community, favor short-term rental properties instead of permanent residents and abandon the character that has long defined locally owned homes."

California Dems getting nervous

2026-03-02T09:55:41Z

Scary time for California Democrats (OPINION)

LOS ANGELES TIMES, GEORGE SKELTON: "The race for California governor couldn’t be much closer. And that’s scary for Democrats. Only the top two vote-getters in the June 2 primary — regardless of their party — will advance to the November election. And although still unlikely, it’s increasingly conceivable that both could be Republicans.

“Scare tactics,” claim naysaying Democrats of such speculation. But Democrats should have heeded scary rumblings 10 years ago when long shot Donald Trump was first running for president — and not buried their heads in the sand again two years ago when Joe Biden was feebly seeking reelection."

Measles is back in California. Health departments are fighting it with less

CalMATTERS, KRISTEN HWANG: "When a possible measles case is identified in California, a phone rings at the local health department and the clock starts ticking.

Laboratory workers need to process samples as soon as possible to confirm the case. And a public health nurse must call the patient to find out where they’ve been and who they’ve been in contact with recently."

Voter ID appears headed for California’s November ballot. What you should know

LOS ANGELES TIMES, PHIL WILLON: "A proposed initiative to require Californians to show identification every time they vote, and election officials to verify registered voters are U.S. citizens, appears to have enough support to qualify for the November ballot.

Proponents say they have collected more than 1.3 million voter signatures on petitions supporting the ballot measure, far more than required under California law, and plan to submit them to county elections officials Monday for verification."

‘We reject this’: Hundreds in S.F. march against U.S.-Israeli attacks on Iran

CHRONICLE, LUCY HODGMAN: "Less than 24 hours after the United States and Israel launched a wave of missile strikes against Iran, hundreds of protesters blocked off a downtown San Francisco street Saturday to demonstrate against escalation abroad.

Tensions between the U.S. and Iran have risen sharply in recent weeks, culminating in President Donald Trump’s Saturday announcement that the latest attacks had killed Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Democratic Party leaders, while also sharply critical of Khamenei’s regime, were quick to condemn the intervention as an illegal overstep."

The Push for 875,000 People to Help Get California Billionaire Tax on the Ballot

WALL STREET JOURNAL, PAUL KIERNAN: "Inside an art deco theater on the edge of Koreatown, Rage Against the Machine guitarist Tom Morello took the stage to cheers from a packed house. He wasn’t the main act. That was Sen. Bernie Sanders, who was there to rage against California’s billionaires.

“You know what the most significant addiction crisis in America is today? It is the greed of the billionaire class,” the Vermont independent said."

Thousands rally in Westwood as U.S.-Iran war escalates, calling for a ‘free Iran’

LOS ANGELES TIMES, MATTHEW ORMSETH: Thousands from L.A.’s massive Persian diaspora rallied in Westwood celebrating Iran’s supreme leader’s death as U.S.-Israel military operations intensified.

Demonstrators, draped in traditional Iranian flags, called for a “free Iran” and expressed hope that regime change could bring increased freedom to their homeland.

The widening conflict has killed at least three U.S. service members and hundreds in Iran, including civilians, as attacks intensify across the Middle East. Thousands gathered outside the Westwood Federal Building on Sunday afternoon celebrating the fall of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and dreaming of a “free Iran” as war continued to escalate between Iran and a united U.S. and Israel."

How long can you drive with expired registration in California? Here’s what the law says

CHRONICLE, AIDIN VAZIRI: "If your California vehicle registration has expired, you may have a short window before police can pull you over for that reason alone — but you do not have extra time to pay.

A state law that took effect July 1, 2024, limits when officers can stop a vehicle solely for expired registration tags. It does not waive late fees, and drivers can still be cited in many situations."

One early risk of Trump's Iran strategy is already emerging

POLITICO, BEN LEVEBVRE and JAMES BIKALES: "Oil prices jumped more than 10 percent Sunday night, underscoring the political risks of President Donald Trump’s military strikes against Iran.

The main U.S. crude oil market opened at $75 per barrel in the first trading activity since the United States and Israel attacked Iran on Saturday, killing Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and triggering retaliatory attacks on several oil tankers traversing the Strait of Hormuz, through which more than 20 percent of the world’s waterborne crude oil passes."

California GOP lawmakers are incensed over a gas tax study bill. Rural groups say they need it

CalMATTERS, YUE STELLA YU: "For more than a month, Republican lawmakers in California have blasted a legislative proposal to study alternatives to the state’s gas tax, declaring it a dishonest ploy by Democrats to hike taxes on drivers — a claim that’s gone viral on social media and is frequently repeated by conservatives nationally.

Ironically, though, several of California’s biggest conservative interest groups and rural Republican officials support the legislation, some from the very districts those critical GOP lawmakers represent."

UC president defends diplomacy, calling it the ‘better course’ amid Trump attacks

LOS ANGELES TIMES, JAWEED KALEEM: "University of California President James B. Milliken, in his first extensive interview since taking the helm of the nation’s premier public higher education system, defended UC’s diplomatic approach to President Trump’s fusillade of actions against the institution — contrasting it with the more aggressive fight Harvard is waging with the government.

UC has not repeatedly sued the federal government or publicly criticized Trump, while Harvard battles the administration in and outside court amid billions in White House funding freezes."

Californians are staying insured — but settling for health coverage they may not use

CalMATTERS, ANA B. IBARRA: "Despite the loss of federal subsidies that lowered costs for millions, California’s private health insurance marketplace held nearly steady this enrollment season. In all, 1.9 million Californians renewed their plan or selected one for the first time — a 2.7% drop compared to last year.

A closer look, however, shows that Californians are making concessions to afford staying insured."

San Francisco Ballet cancels Kennedy Center performances

CHRONICLE, AIDIN VAZIRI: "The San Francisco Ballet has canceled its planned performances at the Kennedy Center this spring.

“SF Ballet’s Board of Trustees has made the decision that the company’s performances that were scheduled at the Trump Kennedy Center May 27-31 will no longer take place,” a company representative said in a statement. “SF Ballet looks forward to performing for Washington, D.C. audiences in the future.”

Moscow gloats over potential oil price spike from Iran war

POLITICO, EVA HARTOG: "Russian President Vladimir Putin may have lost another close ally after the death of Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, but an oil shock from conflict in Middle East spells potential good news for his war chest.

The U.S.-Israeli war against Iran has closed the Strait of Hormuz, the narrow waterway giving access to the Persian Gulf and one of the world's key chokepoints for tankers carrying oil and liquefied natural gas. That is firing speculation that global crude prices could spike dramatically, boosting Russian revenues."

‘No breaks anywhere’ for San Diego-area restaurateurs — so many are opting to close up shop

TIMES of SAN DIEGO, FRANK SABATINI Jr: "First, the COVID-19 pandemic shut many restaurants down. Then came persistent supply shortages after kitchens reopened.

Fast forward to 2026, and mix in minimum-wage hikes, escalating rents and soaring food costs, spurred by tariffs and inflation.

It all adds up to this: Restaurateurs are battling their toughest survival challenge since the Great Depression."

Here’s how economists say California could tax billionaires — without losing them to Texas

CHRONICLE, CHRISTIAN LEONARD: "The proposed California wealth tax on billionaires is supposed to be about backfilling lost health care funding. But it taps into a long history of federal and state attempts to solve a persistent problem: How should the government collect taxes from a tiny handful of super-rich families — some of whom pay a lower effective tax rate than many ordinary professionals?

Sometimes, that history looks like a trillion-dollar game of cat-and-mouse."

Freezing out the Feds

2026-02-27T10:09:29Z

California Democrats propose election laws to keep ICE away from polling places

SACBEE, KATE WOLFFE: "Weeks after President Donald Trump suggested on a conservative podcast that the Republican Party should “nationalize” voting in the United States, California lawmakers are floating proposals to limit federal presence in elections.

“Kristi Noem has said, ‘We’re going to make sure that the right people vote for the right leaders,’ and that’s a concern,” said state Sen. Thomas Umberg, D-Santa Ana, speaking with reporters in his office Thursday. “That’s why we’ve introduced legislation to protect our polling places here in California.”"

Sen. Alex Padilla slams DHS after agency admits deporting 86 DACA recipients

SACBEE, MATHEW MIRANDA: "The Department of Homeland Security acknowledged it has deported dozens of undocumented immigrants who arrived in the U.S. as children and have removal protections, prompting outrage from Democrats like California Sen. Alex Padilla.

In a letter earlier this month, DHS Secretary Kristi Noem said that Immigration and Customs Enforcement had deported 86 recipients of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals from Jan. 1 to Nov. 19, 2025. The program, better known as DACA, began under President Barack Obama’s administration and has shielded some people from deportation if they arrived in the country before the age of 16."

Meet the insurance commissioner candidates: Jane Kim

CAPITOL WEEKLY, STAFF: "Capitol Weekly recently asked a half dozen insurance commissioner candidates to answer a set of identical questions regarding how they would approach this incredibly important and challenging job. The candidates – Sen. Ben Allen, former Sen. Steven Bradford, California Working Families Party executive director Jane Kim, Insurance agent Stacy Korsgaden, Los Angeles school teacher Lalo Vargas and financial analyst Patrick Wolff – all submitted their answers, which we will be presenting individually in alphabetical order by last name. In recent weeks we have featured answers from Sen. Ben Allen and former Sen. Steven Bradford. This week we bring you answers from California Working Families Party executive director Jane Kim."

How antisemitic heckling and a tweet by S.F. Mayor Lurie turned into a firestorm

CHRONICLE, J.D. MORRIS: "The shouting began minutes into a Wednesday news conference that Mayor Daniel Lurie and other San Francisco leaders hosted to discuss a new tax proposal.

“Tax the rich! Tax the rich!” chanted a small group of protesters opposed to the mayor’s proposal, which would cut the city’s real estate transfer tax in half in a bid to jump-start housing construction."

Exclusive: S.F.’s new drug sobering center will get paid based on results. Will it work?

CHRONICLE, LUCY HODGMAN: "A planned drug sobering center is set to serve as a testing ground for a new way of funding the fight against San Francisco’s drug crisis.

The Board of Supervisors this month approved a 26-month contract for the Arizona-based Connections Health Solutions to operate the RESET Center, a 25-bed site where police can drop off intoxicated people they’ve arrested as an alternative to county jail."

Gender could play decisive role in landmark L.A. social media addiction suit

LAT, SONJA SHARP/SANDRA MCDONALD: "Ladies of the jury dabbed their eyes, sniffling as the 20-year-old on the witness stand described the hours she’d spent trying to fix her face before appearing in court that morning — her view of herself irreparably warped by what she characterized as a decade of addiction to YouTube and Instagram.

“Whenever I got a bunch of likes I was really happy, and it made me feel really good about myself,” said the woman, known in court as Kaley G.M. “If I didn’t, I would feel insecure, like I looked ugly.”"

California is sued by Jewish advocacy groups seeking to stop antisemitism in schools

LAT, CHRISTOPHER BUCHANAN: "The state of California, its Department of Education and officials were sued Thursday by two Jewish advocacy groups that alleged the state allowed antisemitic harassment of Jewish and Israeli students to go unchecked on campuses.

The suit by Louis D. Brandeis Center for Human Rights and StandWithUs — nonprofits focused on Jewish civil rights — was filed on behalf of at least 12 Jewish parents and students who say they have faced “pervasive anti-Semitism in their California public schools,” court documents said."

READ MORE -- Frustrated families sue the state to stop antisemitism in California schools -- EDSOURCE, JOHN FENSTERWALD

Are California students ready for UC admissions? Here’s how every public high school scores

CHRONICLE, DANIELLE ECHEVERRIA: "Bay Area high schoolers are more likely than students from other states to have completed the requirements to get into a California public university, according to a Chronicle analysis of state education data.

Students in Marin and San Francisco counties have the highest completion rates of the set of 15 high school courses that they must take and pass in order to be considered for admission into the California State University or University of California systems. The data only includes students who graduated from public high schools."

They picketed a UC chancellor’s inauguration. Why were union staffers arrested?

SACBEE, WILLIAM MELHADO: "In an attempt to pressure University of California administrators to agree to raises for some of the lowest-paid employees, AFSCME Local 3299 decided to hold a small but loud picket earlier this month outside the inauguration of UC Riverside’s new chancellor.

The union planned to peacefully protest the ceremony by chanting and using a bullhorn outside the auditorium where the new UC president was in attendance."

Carvalho’s big bet on AI imploded at L.A. schools. Now, it’s the center of FBI raids

LAT, RICHARD WINTON/HOWARD BLUME/BRITTNY MEJIA: "Los Angeles Unified schools Supt. Alberto Carvalho introduced “Ed” the AI chatbot amid fanfare in March 2024, touting a revolutionary tool that would put the district at the leading edge of school technology.

But the multimillion-dollar project failed within months and never fully launched."

Los Angeles Unified school board delays decision on Superintendent Carvalho after FBI raids

EDSOURCE, MALLIKA SESHADRI/BETTY MARQUEZ ROSALES: "After a four-hour closed session on Thursday, the Los Angeles Unified School District board recessed without announcing a decision on whether Superintendent Alberto Carvalho will be placed on leave a day after the FBI raided his residence and the district’s downtown Los Angeles headquarters.

The session will continue on Friday at 12:30 p.m."

Wave of California teacher strikes ‘is no coincidence’

CALMATTERS, CAROLYN JONES: "If your child’s teacher hasn’t threatened to go on strike recently, they probably will soon.

Thousands of California K-12 teachers have walked off their jobs or voted to strike in the past few months, as part of a strategic, statewide effort by the California Teachers Association to boost salaries and benefits — and get the public’s attention."

Oakland teacher strike averted after union, school district reach tentative deal

CHRONICLE, JILL TUCKER: "Oakland teachers and district officials reached a tentative contract agreement early Friday morning, averting an imminent strike.

Union leaders declared in a in a social media post that they had “won” after reaching a deal at 3 a.m after 18 hours of bargaining. Details on the agreement were not immediately available."

Supporting the next generation of Black excellence in STEM (OP-ED)

CAPITOL WEEKLY, AKILAH WEBER PIERSON: "As we close out Black History Month, we celebrate the extraordinary contributions of Black Americans to science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. We remember Katherine Johnson, the NASA mathematician whose calculations sent astronauts safely into orbit and back home again in 1962. Her brilliance helped shape the space age—yet for decades, the world did not even know her name.

That is the nature of hidden genius. It does not disappear. It simply goes unrecognized. Today, too many of California’s hidden geniuses are sitting in our classrooms, falling through the cracks."

Bay Area temperatures surge into the 70s again — here’s how long it will last

CHRONICLE, GREG PORTER: "After a month of major weather swings, the Bay Area is closing February with a brief surge of spring warmth. Temperatures will climb into the 60s and 70s on Friday and Saturday before easing back closer to normal on Sunday.

It’s a fitting end to a helter-skelter stretch of weather. February opened dry and mild, flipped wet and stormy, and will now end with some of the warmest readings of the month."

Santa Barbara judge rules against company that turned to Trump for help restarting pipeline

CALMATTERS, ALEJANDRO LAZO: "A Santa Barbara judge intends to rule against Sable Offshore Corp.’s bid to restart a pipeline that spilled thousands of barrels of crude into the Pacific 11 years ago – dealing a significant blow to the company’s attempt to use the Trump Administration to get around California regulators in its path.

In a tentative ruling, Santa Barbara County Superior Court Judge Donna D. Geck said the Trump administration’s intervention was not enough to undo her earlier order keeping the pipeline shut down. The ruling — a preliminary decision signalling how the judge intends to rule unless persuaded otherwise — comes ahead of a Friday hearing."

Netflix walks away from Warner Bros deal, clearing the path for Paramount

AP, WYATTE GRANTHAM-PHILIPS: "Netflix is walking away from its offer to buy Warner Bros. Discovery’s studio and streaming business, in a stunning move that effectively puts Paramount in a position to take over its storied Hollywood rival.

On Thursday, Warner’s board announced that Skydance-owned Paramount’s latest offer to buy the entire company for $31 per share was superior to the agreement it had previously struck with Netflix. Warner gave Netflix four business days to come up with a counteroffer — but Netflix instead responded less than two hours later, declining to raise its proposal. It said the new price it would have to pay made the deal “no longer financially attractive.”"

OpenAI gets $110 billon in funding from a trio of tech powerhouses, led by Amazon

AP, MICHELLE CHAPMAN: "ChatGPT maker OpenAI has received $110 billion in funding from Amazon, SoftBank and Nvidia, putting the technology company's pre-money valuation at $730 billion.

Amazon is leading the trio of tech heavyweights in commitments, putting up $50 billion, followed by $30 billion each from Nvidia and SoftBank, said OpenAI co-founder and CEO Sam Altman on Friday. Other investors are anticipated to join as the funding round progresses."

READ MORE -- OpenAI enters Silicon Valley with massive lease in Google’s backyard -- CHRONICLE, ROLAND LI

4 California cities rank among ‘highly competitive’ rental markets. Here’s where

SACBEE, ANGELA RODRIGUEZ: "Renting can mean high prices and limited options — especially in California.

According to Apartments.com, one of the nation’s largest online rental marketplaces, four California cities rank among the most competitive rental markets in the country for 2025."

L.A. firefighter testifies that Lachman fire was not fully put out when crews were ordered to leave

LAT, ALENE TCHEKMEDYIAN: "A Los Angeles firefighter said in sworn testimony that he sounded the alarm about the inadequate mop-up of the Lachman fire — and was blown off by a captain — days before the embers reignited into the deadly Palisades fire.

The firefighter, Scott Pike, testified last month in a lawsuit brought by Palisades fire victims against the city and the state."

More than $100 million for transportation projects in jeopardy amid L.A. budget woes

LAT, MELISSA GOMEZ: "Four years ago, Boyle Heights and Skid Row had something to celebrate: state grants to build new sidewalks and protected bike lanes.

But now, more than $100 million from the state for the transportation projects in some of the neediest parts of Los Angeles is in jeopardy because city officials say they don’t have enough staff to complete the projects."

BART officials approve an alternate ‘doomsday’ plan that still includes closing stations next year

CHRONICLE, ALDO TOLEDO: "BART officials on Thursday gave initial approval to an emergency “doomsday” plan that would significantly cut service on the regional rail system, including potentially shuttering 10 to 15 stations to save money — but not as early as they initially had projected.

The BART board of directors voted 8 to 1 on Thursday — with director Liz Ames dissenting — to approve an alternative service plan that would see immediate cost reductions starting in January 2027 to cover the system’s massive operating deficit, if a November ballot measure doesn’t provide relief for the ailing transit agency."