| $1 billion raised by Measure ULA for homeless and housing efforts in LA – Daily News |
| Measure United to House Los Angeles has officially raised more than $1 billion to address the city’s housing and homelessness crisis, it was announced Thursday.
Measure ULA took effect in April 2023 and imposed a 4% tax on property sales above $5 million, later adjusted to $5.3 million, and a 5.5% tax on sales above $10 million. Housing advocates have hailed the measure, while property owners and other groups have criticized it as an overreach in taxation. [Article] |
| by , Los Angeles Daily News. 2026-01-08 |
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| UC San Diego enrollment boom helps University of California system avoid drop in students – San Diego Union-Tribune |
| UC San Diego’s enrollment hit a record 45,087 last fall and helped the 10-campus University of California system avoid a significant drop in students while it was struggling with the loss of state and federal money and Pell grants.
The La Jolla school added 831 students, second only to UC Riverside, which gained 1,249. That resulted in a net increase of 1,686 systemwide. [Article] |
| by , San Diego Union-Tribune. 2026-01-08 |
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| The loudest voice in Congress on the Palisades Fire is a Florida man |
| WASHINGTON — The story of the Palisades Fire may ultimately belong to the Florida man.
In the year since a massive inferno consumed the coastal Los Angeles community of Pacific Palisades, destroying thousands of homes and killing 12 people, it is residents of the Sunshine State who have repeatedly redefined the narrative of a disaster 2,500 miles away.
There was Palm Beach’s own President Donald Trump, who turned the tragedy into a referendum on California’s water management policies with frequent social media screeds. Then in October, federal authorities arrested 29-year-old Jonathan Rinderknecht of Melbourne, Fla., on charges of starting a small fire that smoldered for days until exploding last Jan. 7 into the blaze that destroyed much of the Palisades.
Now, as the disaster reaches its first anniversary and state officials renew their pleas for Washington to approve tens of billions of dollars in additional funding to support the community’s recovery, Florida Sen. Rick Scott is ramping up a congressional investigation with the potential to become the official word on what made the Palisades Fire one of the most destructive in California’s history. [Article] |
| by , San Francisco Chronicle. 2026-01-08 |
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| Giant Arizona farm agrees to use less water amid growing scarcity |
| One of the largest farming businesses in Arizona has agreed to use less water and pay $11 million in a deal that state officials say will help preserve disappearing groundwater and provide financial help for residents whose wells have run dry.
Arizona Atty. Gen. Kris Mayes announced the binding legal agreement with Minnesota-based dairy company Riverview LLP on Thursday, calling it the first of its kind in the nation.
“This settlement sets a new precedent in Arizona — one where businesses commit to being good neighbors to the communities they operate in and make meaningful efforts to reduce pumping of our most precious resource,” Mayes said. “Today’s announcement is an immediate and concrete action to address the increasingly dangerous depletion of groundwater in rural parts of our state.”
Groundwater levels have been dropping rapidly over the last decade in the Willcox area of southeastern Arizona’s Sulphur Springs Valley, where Riverview runs a giant dairy and farming operation.
The company started buying land in the area in 2014 and owns more than 37,000 acres. In 2019, an Arizona Republic investigation revealed the company had 420 wells, some drilled half a mile deep. Riverview has expanded its dairy operation while growing wheat, alfalfa and corn for its cattle.
As the water table has declined, some residents’ wells have run dry, forcing them to install tanks and pay for trucked-in water until they can have new wells drilled.
Under the agreement, Riverview will stop irrigating 2,000 acres of crops in phases within 12 years.
The company will contribute $11 million to defray costs for residents, schools and local water systems to haul water, install tanks or drill replacement wells. [Article] |
| by , Los Angeles Times. 2026-01-08 |
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| House committee report questions distribution of FireAid's $100 million for L.A. wildfire relief - Los Angeles Times |
| The House Judiciary Committee on Tuesday released a report after its own investigation into FireAid, the charity founded by Clippers executives that raised $100 million for wildfire relief efforts in Los Angeles last January.
The investigation — led by Rep. Kevin Kiley (R-Rocklin) under committee chair Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) — began in August when Kiley “sent a letter to FireAid requesting a detailed breakdown of all non-profits that received money from FireAid.” Kiley expressed concern that the money had gone toward local nonprofits rather than as more direct aid to affected residents.
FireAid promptly released a comprehensive document detailing its fundraising and grant disbursals. After reaching out to every named nonprofit in the document, The Times reported that the groups who successfully applied for grants were quickly given money to spend in their areas of expertise, as outlined in FireAid’s public mission statements. A review conducted by an outside law firm confirmed the same. [Article] |
| by , Los Angeles Times. 2026-01-08 |
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| Humboldt County supervisors ease cannabis regulation |
| The Humboldt County Board of Supervisors rolled back two regulations on cannabis farms Tuesday, and pondered opening up restricted watershed for cultivation and hemp growing in the future.
Monofilament netting will now be technically allowed, and indoor cultivation can take place in buildings constructed after 2016.
The regulations were put in effect during the early days of commercial cannabis legalization in Humboldt County, but were rolled back Tuesday in a unanimous vote. The supervisors, planning and building staff and cannabis farmers were in alignment — the regulations weren’t working, or were no longer necessary.
The permit restriction on netting was put in place after a recommendation from the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, as wildlife can become entangled in the material, according to a staff report. The netting is used to support plants.
“It is not the monofilament netting in particular that is a problem, but rather how it is handled and disposed,” a county staff report said. The netting is commonly left behind in abandoned grow sites.
According to a staff report, the sole violation for most legal cannabis permit holders surrounds the netting, but staff don’t move forward with permit suspensions or revocations if netting is the only violation. [Article] |
| by , Eureka Times-Standard. 2026-01-08 |
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| Court ruling could complicate plans for California water tunnel |
| In a decision that could complicate Gov. Gavin Newsom’s push to build a giant water tunnel and remake California’s water system, a state appeals court has rejected the state’s plan for financing the project.
The 3rd District Court of Appeal ruled against the state Department of Water Resources’ plan to issue billions of dollars in bonds to build the 45-mile tunnel beneath the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta.
The decision is a win for California ratepayers and taxpayers, said Roger Moore, a lawyer representing six counties in Northern California and two water agencies in the Delta region.
He said it underlines that state agencies “have to take real steps to make sure that there is transparency and accountability.”
Upholding a 2024 decision by a Sacramento County Superior Court judge, the court ruled the water agency does not have the authority under a 1959 law to issue bonds for a new “unit” of the State Water Project, which delivers water from the Delta to farms and cities, and “exceeded its delegated authority” in planning to finance the tunnel through bonds.
Kirsten Macintyre, a spokesperson for the department, said the court didn’t say the Department of Water Resources lacks the authority to build the project or borrow funds to pay for it, but rather that the description the state presented in the case was “overly broad.”
“While DWR respectfully disagrees with that conclusion, we have taken additional steps to resolve the issue,” she said in an email.
Last year, the agency opened a second court case in an effort to confirm its bond-issuing authority, a step that Macintyre said was taken to “address the court’s concerns.”
If the appeals court decision stands and the ongoing case doesn’t bring a different conclusion, it might lead the Newsom administration to revise its plan for financing the project. Officials could also petition for the California Supreme Court to hear the case. [Article] |
| by , Los Angeles Times. 2026-01-08 |
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| LA wildfire rebuilding effort draws billions in aid, grants – Daily News |
| Billions of dollars have flowed into the Los Angeles area since the January 2025 wildfires exploded across the region.
The precise figure is difficult to quantify, but the money has come from nonprofits, federal agencies and local governments and higher insurance premiums sought by providers to cover losses and pay out claims to rebuild from the firestorms. [Article] |
| by , Los Angeles Daily News. 2026-01-08 |
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| County Supervisors approve $1,000 donation to Spartan cheer team | News | ivpressonline.com |
| EL CENTRO — The Imperial County Board of Supervisors approved to support the Central Union High School Competition Cheer Team with $1,000 on Tuesday, January 6. [Article] |
| by , Imperial Valley Press. 2026-01-08 |
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| Public can comment now on plans for high speed rail segment from Los Angeles to Anaheim – Daily News |
| The California High-Speed Rail Authority is looking for public feedback on a draft environmental document for the 30-mile segment connecting Los Angeles and Anaheim.
The stretch between L.A.’s Union Station and Anaheim’s ARTIC station would be the southernmost link of the first phase of the statewide high-speed rail project that California voters approved $10 billion in funding for in 2008. [Article] |
| by , Los Angeles Daily News. 2026-01-08 |
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| California sues Trump admin over $10-billion freeze in child-care funds - Los Angeles Times |
| California is suing the Trump administration over its “baseless and cruel” decision to freeze $10 billion in federal funding for child care and family assistance allocated to California and four other Democratic-led states, Atty. Gen. Rob Bonta announced Thursday.
The lawsuit was filed jointly by the five states targeted by the freeze — California, New York, Minnesota, Illinois and Colorado — over the Trump administration’s allegations of widespread fraud within their welfare systems. California alone is facing a loss of about $5 billion in funding, including $1.4 billion for child-care programs.
The lawsuit alleges that the freeze is based on unfounded claims of fraud and infringes on Congress’ spending power as enshrined in the U.S. Constitution. The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
“This is just the latest example of Trump’s willingness to throw vulnerable children, vulnerable families and seniors under the bus if he thinks it will advance his vendetta against California and Democratic-led states,” Bonta said at a Thursday evening news conference. [Article] |
| by , Los Angeles Times. 2026-01-08 |
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| California’s exodus isn’t just billionaires — it’s regular people renting U-Hauls, too - Los Angeles Times |
| It isn’t just billionaires leaving California.
Anecdotal data suggest there is also an exodus of regular people who load their belongings into rental trucks and lug them to another state.
U-Haul’s survey of the more than 2.5 million one-way trips using its vehicles in the U.S. last year showed that the gap between the number of people leaving and the number arriving was higher in California than in any other state.
While the Golden State also attracts a large number of newcomers, it has had the biggest net outflow for six years in a row.
Generally, the defectors don’t go far. The top five destinations for the diaspora using U-Haul’s trucks, trailers and boxes last year were Arizona, Nevada, Oregon, Washington and Texas.
U-Haul data showed a pretty even split between arrivals and departures. While the company declined to share absolute numbers, it said that 50.6% of its one-way customers in California were leaving, while 49.4% were arriving.
Massachusetts, New York, New Jersey and Illinois also ranked among the five states with the biggest net losses. [Article] |
| by , Los Angeles Times. 2026-01-08 |
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| Affordable housing to rise on old state land in Fontana, San Bernardino – San Bernardino Sun |
| More affordable housing is coming to San Bernardino County in the next five years, thanks to a program to reuse surplus state land.
Fontana and San Bernardino will be homes to two new affordable apartment complexes, housing officials said in a news release. [Article] |
| by , San Bernardino County Sun. 2026-01-08 |
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| North County San Diego housing, homelessness issues to watch in 2026 |
| Expect California’s clashes over housing to continue in 2026, at the State House in Sacramento and in courthouses and City Halls around the state.
Many will materialize in North County. [Article] |
| by , iNewSource. 2026-01-08 |
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| 'Save the whales' worked for decades, but now some are starving - Los Angeles Times |
| Recently, while sailing with friends on San Francisco Bay, I enjoyed the sight of harbor porpoises, cormorants, pelicans, seals and sea lions — and then the spouting plume and glistening back of a gray whale that gave me pause. Too many have been seen inside the bay recently.
California’s gray whales have been considered an environmental success story since the passage of the 1972 Marine Mammal Protection Act and 1986’s global ban on commercial whaling. They’re also a major tourist attraction during their annual 12,000-mile round-trip migration between the Arctic and their breeding lagoons in Baja California. In late winter and early spring — when they head back north and are closest to the shoreline, with the moms protecting the calves — they can be viewed not only from whale-watching boats but also from promontories along the California coast including Point Loma in San Diego, Point Lobos in Monterey and Bodega Head and Shelter Cove in Northern California.
In 1972, there were some 10,000 gray whales in the population on the eastern side of the Pacific. Generations of whaling all but eliminated the western population — leaving only about 150 alive today off of East Asia and Russia. Over the four decades following passage of the Marine Mammal Protection Act, the eastern whale numbers grew steadily to 27,000 by 2016, a hopeful story of protection leading to restoration. Then, unexpectedly over the last nine years, the eastern gray whale population has crashed, plummeting by more than half to 12,950, according to a recent report by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the lowest numbers since the 1970s.
Today’s changing ocean and Arctic ice conditions linked to fossil-fuel-fired climate change are putting this species again at risk of extinction. [Article] |
| by , Los Angeles Times. 2026-01-08 |
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| Locals wanted to rebuild Pacific Palisades, Altadena. Then the big investors moved in - Los Angeles Times |
| Last spring, Realtor Teresa Fuller saw signs that the epic task of rebuilding Altadena could be a local affair, with potential buyers wanting to place a bet on the community’s future.
“Early on, the market was very active. A lot of Altadenans, a lot of La Cañadans, a lot of people wanted to be involved in the rebuild,” said Fuller, a real estate agent in Altadena.
But as more and more lots hit the market, buyers and sellers both had to adjust their expectations. By mid-summer 2025, inventory had reached its high point, with around 160 active lot listings in Altadena, according to Fuller. That number dropped to 75 by the end of the year as prices fell.
Now, there are growing signs that outside investors have moved in and dominated the market, with profound implications for the future.
A new report from Redfin shows that at least 40% of lot sales in the fire-damaged areas in both Altadena and Pacific Palisades went to investors in the third quarter of 2025. This raises the likelihood, some experts say, that outsiders may hold off on rebuilding to maximize their investment.
The finding comes amid worries from fire survivors in Altadena, Pacific Palisades and Malibu that their communities will be rebuilt by investors. [Article] |
| by , Los Angeles Times. 2026-01-08 |
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| Daxon: Helping prevent human trafficking, a problem even in Orange County – Orange County Register |
| Many people still think human trafficking only happens somewhere else, like foreign countries. Certainly not in Orange County.
Sorry. Orange County is a hotbed for human trafficking. That is why we have an Orange County Human Trafficking Task Force, started in 2004 with Waymakers, a nonprofit organization. [Article] |
| by , Orange County Register. 2026-01-08 |
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| Candidate comment: After disasters, California should ensure people recover, not be forced out - CalMatters |
| The messages started flowing in: A fast-moving fire was tearing through the Palisades. Families I grew up with and had represented in the State Senate for more than a decade were told to evacuate with just minutes’ notice. We had just started the new legislative session up in Sacramento, but I knew I needed to get back home. [Article] |
| by , CalMatters. 2026-01-08 |
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| Trump withdraws U.S. from 66 international organizations and treaties, including major climate groups - Los Angeles Times |
| President Trump on Wednesday withdrew the United States from 66 international organizations and treaties, including the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.
In a presidential memorandum, Trump said it is “contrary to the interests of the United States to remain a member of, participate in, or otherwise provide support to” the organizations, which also include groups geared toward education, economic development, cybersecurity and human rights issues, among others. He directed all executive departments and agencies to take steps to “effectuate the withdrawal” of the U.S. from the organizations as soon as possible.
While the president has already announced a withdrawal from the Paris climate agreement — an international treaty to limit global warming to under 2 degrees Celsius in order to prevent the worst effects of climate change — the latest move will further isolate the nation at a critical moment, experts said.
The U.N. Framework Convention on Climate Change is a global treaty created in 1992 and signed by nearly 200 countries with the aim of addressing climate change through coordinated international action, including limiting planet-warming greenhouse gases. Trump already raised eyebrows last year by refusing to attend or send any high-level delegates to the annual U.N. Conferences of the Parties meeting in Brazil, where California Gov. Gavin Newsom instead took on a starring role.
Simon Stiell, executive secretary of the U.N. Framework Convention, said the U.S. was instrumental in creating the organization and the Paris Agreement because “they are both entirely in its national interests.”
“While all other nations are stepping forward together, this latest step back from global leadership, climate cooperation and science can only harm the U.S. economy, jobs and living standards, as wildfires, floods, mega-storms and droughts get rapidly worse,” Stiell said in a statement early Thursday. “It is a colossal own goal which will leave the U.S. less secure and less prosperous.” [Article] |
| by , Los Angeles Times. 2026-01-08 |
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| Opinion | LA politicians aren’t to blame for fires but are for recovery |
| As Los Angeles marks the one-year anniversary of fires that destroyed large chunks of the Pacific Palisades and Altadena, it’s an opportune moment to ask about the state of the recovery and to consider the political implications of that work.
In short, is Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass doing enough to rebuild from the blazes? [Article] |
| by , CalMatters. 2026-01-08 |
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