| California delayed cancellation of immigrant truckers' licenses. So feds will withhold $160 million - Los Angeles Times |
| After California paused a plan to cancel the licenses of thousands of immigrant truckers, federal officials announced Wednesday they would withhold $160 million in transportation funds from the state.
The state was set to revoke 17,000 commercial driver’s licenses for immigrants by Jan. 5 but instead extended the deadline amid the threat of a civil class-action lawsuit by immigrant rights groups.
Then the U.S. Department of Transportation took action, exacerbating the ongoing conflict between California and Washington.
“It’s reckoning day for Gavin Newsom and California. Our demands were simple: follow the rules, revoke the unlawfully-issued licenses to dangerous foreign drivers, and fix the system so this never happens again,” Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said in a statement. “Gavin Newsom has failed to do so — putting the needs of illegal immigrants over the safety of the American people.”
Gov. Newsom’s office referred a request for comment to state transportation officials.
The California Department of Motor Vehicles said in a statement that it did not approve of Wednesday’s action and that it had been compliant with state and federal regulations.
“We strongly disagree with the federal government’s decision to withhold vital transportation funding from California — their action jeopardizes public safety because these funds are critical for maintaining and improving the roadways we all rely on every day,” the statement read.
The $160 million in funding being withheld is in addition to the $40 million that Duffy pulled from the state last year. He claims the state is not enforcing English proficiency requirements for truckers, but state officials say they have been in compliance.
The standoff between Newsom and Duffy began in June when Duffy carried out a nationwide audit of state programs that issued commercial driver’s licenses to immigrants who were authorized to work in the country.
The audit was prompted by a fatal accident in Florida, where a Punjabi truck driver, who was living in the country illegally, killed three people. [Article] |
| by , Los Angeles Times. 2026-01-07 |
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| LA changed this to speed up rebuild from Palisades, Eaton fires- CalMatters |
| In the days immediately after last January’s Los Angeles firestorm, state lawmakers and civic leaders promised to turbocharge the rebuilding effort. For California, where the permitting and construction of homes is infamously slow and costly, the scale of destruction stood as a singular challenge. [Article] |
| by , CalMatters. 2026-01-07 |
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| Mayor Karen Bass speaks with Larry Mantle on the anniversary of the LA fires | LAist |
| One year ago today, two fires sprang up on opposite sides of Los Angeles County, forever changing the social, economic, personal, and literal landscape of Southern California. The Eaton fire in Altadena and the Palisades fire in Pacific Palisades collectively led to the loss of about 14,000 structures across the two communities, and left an incalculable toll on the thousands of people impacted. In the year since, we’ve seen and heard stories of resilience in the face of loss, struggles to rebuild, and tough decisions with no great answers. [Article] |
| by , . 2026-01-07 |
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| Affordable housing rising at 343 Avenue 20 in Lincoln Heights | Urbanize LA |
| Affordable housing is taking shape on a freeway-adjacent site in Lincoln Heights.
At 343 S. Avenue 20, wood framing is complete for a five-story building that is slated to feature 46 studio, one-, and two-bedroom apartments without on-site parking. [Article] |
| by , . 2026-01-07 |
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| Survivors mark one-year anniversary of Eaton and Palisades fires with memorials and demands | LAist |
| In the Pacific Palisades and Altadena today, families of fire victims, survivors, elected officials and others gathered to mark the one-year anniversary of the fires that killed 31 people and reduced L.A. neighborhoods to ash and rubble. [Article] |
| by , . 2026-01-07 |
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| A year after Eaton and Palisades fires, fewer than a dozen homes have been rebuilt – Daily News |
| On the first anniversary of the most destructive wildfires in the L.A. area, the scant home construction projects stand out among the still mostly flattened landscapes. [Article] |
| by , Los Angeles Daily News. 2026-01-07 |
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| Affordable housing underway at 10912 Huston St. in North Hollywood | Urbanize LA |
| Work is in progress for a new affordable housing complex just off of Vineland Avenue in North Hollywood, according to permit records from the Los Angeles Department of Building and Safety.
The project from Angeleno Investments, located on a previously empty lot at 10912 W. Huston Street, calls for the construction of a four-story building featuring 38 one- and two-bedroom apartments without on-site parking.
Project approvals include density bonus incentives to permit waivers from certain zoning rules, with streamlining through Executive Directive 1. All of the homes would be set aside for rent by low- and moderate-income households. [Article] |
| by , . 2026-01-07 |
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| ‘This is a horrific fire’: Arcata fire ratified as a local emergency by Humboldt County supervisors |
| At a special session on Tuesday afternoon, the Humboldt County Board of Supervisors affirmed and ratified a state of emergency proclaimed by the county’s Sheriff’s Office and Office of Emergency Services following last week’s disastrous fire in Arcata.
Supervisors unanimously ratified the proclamation, authorizing Interim Emergency Services Program Manager Patric Esh to represent the city “for the purpose of receipt, processing, and coordination of all inquiries and requirements necessary to obtain available State or Federal assistance” and forwarding a copy of the county’s resolution to the director of the California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services (Cal OES) and the governor.
“We all saw this play out on social media. We’ve all probably seen it in person. This is a horrific fire,” Sheriff William Honsal told the board. “My compliments to Arcata Fire and all the fire suppression efforts. Just talking to Chief Emmons this morning, over 2 million gallons of water … was spent on this fire to make sure that it was only contained to that one block. … Based upon wind and the fuels, this could have been a catastrophic event for the city, … so we’re thankful that it was just contained to one block.” [Article] |
| by , Eureka Times-Standard. 2026-01-07 |
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| California’s congressional delegation renews call for federal aid on anniversary of wildfires – Daily News |
| On the one-year anniversary of the Southern California wildfires, elected officials from Los Angeles County and across the state renewed their calls for additional federal disaster aid to help communities impacted by the Palisades and Eaton fires continue to recover. [Article] |
| by , Los Angeles Daily News. 2026-01-07 |
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| Trump freezes child-care funds, jolting providers and working families - Los Angeles Times |
| SACRAMENTO — The federal government has launched a broad attack on social services in California, raising the specter of fraud and threatening to withhold billions of dollars of funding in areas including child care, a jolt to tens of thousands of working families.
In a trio of Jan. 6 letters addressed to Gov. Gavin Newsom, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services said it was concerned there had been “potential for extensive and systemic fraud” in child care and other social services programs that rely on federal funding, and had “reason to believe” that the state was “illicitly providing illegal aliens” with benefits.
The letters did not detail evidence to support the claims. State officials immediately said the suggestions of fraud are unsubstantiated.
Health and Human Services said it would review how the funding had been used by the state, and was restricting access — at least temporarily — to additional money amid its inquiries. The federal government requested large volumes of administrative data and other files, including attendance documentation for child care. It also demanded beefed-up fiscal accountability requirements.
The Trump administration announced on Tuesday plans to freeze $10 billion in federal funds for similar programs in five Democrat-controlled states, including California. The others are Colorado, Illinois, Minnesota and New York. [Article] |
| by , Los Angeles Times. 2026-01-07 |
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| Co-living apartments unwrapped at 2344 Bundy Drive in Sawtelle | Urbanize LA |
| In Sawtelle, the wrappign is off at a small infill apartment complex just south of Metro's Expo/Bundy Station.
Located at 2344 Bundy Drive, the project site is a corner lot at the Bundy's intersection with Tennessee Place. The five-story duplex would also include ground-floor commercial space, a recreation room, and parking, according to building permits issued by the City of Los Angeles. [Article] |
| by , . 2026-01-07 |
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| LA County increases support for program that helps youth through ‘wolf therapy’ | LAist |
| The L.A. County Board of Supervisors voted Tuesday to increase its support for a Palmdale nonprofit that helps the mental well-being of at-risk youth through what it calls "wolf-based therapy." [Article] |
| by , . 2026-01-07 |
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| ‘Recovery is failing survivors’: Fire survivors say billions still needed to come home, one year later – Press Telegram |
| Citing lengthy delays and underpayments from insurance companies, thousands of survivors of the Eaton and Palisades fires that devastated several coastal communities and Altadena exactly one year ago are unable to rebuild and remain displaced, while many face becoming homeless.
The dire assessment comes from the Eaton Fire Survivors Network (EFSN) as well as state legislators who spoke in front of several hundred fire survivors and media representatives in a resource center space for fire victims in Altadena on Wednesday, Jan. 7.
“Families are not failing at recovery. Recovery is failing survivors,” said Joy Chen, EFSN executive director. [Article] |
| by , Long Beach Press Telegram. 2026-01-07 |
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| Opinion | How California leaders failed LA wildfire survivors |
| Last January, immediately after the fires, there was a moment of optimism for the future of Los Angeles. Fire survivors, policymakers, philanthropists, CEOs and regular Angelenos came together to plan Los Angeles’ recovery.
But today, 12 months later, the failed leadership of California politicians has set back recovery efforts. [Article] |
| by , CalMatters. 2026-01-07 |
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| After LA fires, false narratives on social media had an impact : NPR |
| When Chad Comey's five-story condo building burned down in the Palisades Fire early last year, all that was left was the parking garage, a brick and stucco wall, and a few charred trees. Comey's street is now full of empty lots stretching up into the green hills. [Article] |
| by , . 2026-01-07 |
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| West LA coalition challenges city's rollout of new RV law | LAist |
| A coalition of housed and unhoused residents in West L.A. is asking a court to stop the city of Los Angeles from moving ahead with a pilot program that allows local officials to remove and dismantle more recreational vehicles the city deems a nuisance. [Article] |
| by , . 2026-01-07 |
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| One year later: The Palisades and Eaton fires | LAist |
| In a matter of days in January 2025, L.A. was changed forever. Thirty-one people were killed. Two communities were devastated. Thousands of lives were thrown into upheaval and uncertainty. [Article] |
| by , . 2026-01-07 |
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| Thousands of LA renters in danger of losing housing vouchers, city says | LAist |
| Housing officials in the city of Los Angeles say a pandemic-era voucher program is set to run out of money later this year, putting thousands of renters at risk of homelessness. [Article] |
| by , . 2026-01-07 |
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| Lancaster earns California Prohousing designation for Leadership in Housing Innovation - PublicCEO |
| The City of Lancaster has been awarded California’s Prohousing Designation by the California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD), recognizing the City’s leadership in advancing bold, locally driven housing policies that accelerate production, reduce costs, and expand access to affordable housing. [Article] |
| by , Public CEO. 2026-01-07 |
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| Why Trump’s plan to ban investor home-buying might not help California affordability | LAist |
| Homeownership has become increasingly out of reach for many young families, especially in pricey California. On Wednesday, President Donald Trump said he plans to make housing affordable again by cutting deep-pocketed investors out of the single-family home market. [Article] |
| by , . 2026-01-07 |
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