The Brief

California’s Insurance Department has launched a formal investigation into State Farm over its handling of claims from the Los Angeles County fires.

The investigation, expected to take months, will allow for a more comprehensive regulatory review, the department said in a press release today. Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara said in the release that the review will help determine whether State Farm has complied with the state’s consumer-protection and claims-handling laws.

“No one should be left in uncertainty, forced to fight for what they are owed, or face endless delays that often lead consumers to give up," Lara said.

Survivors of the January fires and lawmakers who represent them had urged the commissioner to open the investigation into the state’s largest provider of property insurance.

Residents of Pasadena and Altadena have complained about delays in payments; being assigned multiple claims adjusters; having to fight to be reimbursed for smoke damage; and more. His staff will also investigate inconsistent management of similar claims and poor record-keeping, Lara said.

“I’m happy to hear the commissioner has chosen to look deeper,” said Andrew Wessels, whose Altadena home has smoke damage, high levels of lead and more. “But I’ll believe stuff when I see it on any of these things.”

Wessels, his wife and two children have lived in seven places since the Eaton Fire. He told CalMatters today that he is waiting on at least $25,000 in reimbursements from State Farm, and has not yet bothered to submit “a bunch” more requests for reimbursement because it seems futile at this moment. Last week, the insurer assigned him a new adjuster — the fourth so far.

State Farm said it is cooperating with the investigation.

“A fair review will find that thousands of State Farm customers are being helped by our teams on the ground in Los Angeles County and are very satisfied,” said Sevag Sarkissian, spokesperson for State Farm. He said the company has paid more than $3.96 billion on more than 12,000 claims by its California customers as of this week.

As part of the investigation, the insurance department is asking State Farm customers to continue to submit complaints. The department has so far received hundreds of claims related to the L.A.-area fires, a significant number of which are about State Farm, department spokesperson Gabriel Sanchez said today.

Formal investigations by the insurance department are known as market-conduct examinations. They have resulted in correcting insurance companies’ practices, said department spokesperson Michael Soller. After wildfires in 2015 and 2017, the department’s investigations of a handful of insurers including State Farm resulted in about $158 million more in claims recovered, Soller said.

State Farm received approval to raise the premiums of its California customers last month, and is seeking additional rate increases.

This article was originally published on CalMatters and was republished under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives license.

This story was originally published by The LA Local on Feb. 26, 2026.

The city’s police inspector general will begin monitoring LAPD encounters with federal immigration agents and report its findings to the Police Commission, the office confirmed to The LA Local.

“We’ll be working with the department to request notification of all future incidents of department personnel responding to calls for service at the scene of immigration enforcement action,” Inspector General Matthew Barragan introduced at the police commission meeting on Tuesday. “A police special investigator, a member of my team, will review all body worn video recordings and will report back to this full board at future meetings regarding compliance with the executive directive.”

The move follows Mayor Karen Bass’ Feb. 10 directive requiring the LAPD to turn on body cameras and ask federal immigration agents to identify themselves during operations.

LAPD Chief Jim McDonnell said the department would be in “full compliance with the directive.”

McDonnell recently faced backlash from residents, state senators, City Council members and immigration rights advocates after saying he would not enforce a new law that makes it a crime for agents to wear masks during immigration operations. He argued the law was bad policy and could threaten public safety if enforced.

Soon after those statements, a judge temporarily blocked the mask ban while considering a federal government lawsuit claiming the law improperly limits its work. Other provisions, including requirements that agents identify themselves, remain in effect.

While McDonnell did not explicitly retract his earlier statements on the mask ban during Tuesday’s meeting, he said the mayor’s order is now being followed.

Immigration agents have regularly worked while masked and at times refused to provide their names, agencies and badge numbers to the public, a departure from longstanding law enforcement practice and a violation of recently enacted California law.

Bass directed the police department to enforce the portions of the law not under litigation. The order also requires the department to retain footage for potential use in legal actions by county or state prosecutors.

One commissioner said each LAPD division is expected to designate at least two officers as immigration liaisons, responsible for communicating with department leadership about what’s happening on the ground.

McDonnell said a department administrator would provide a more detailed update on the LAPD’s knowledge of immigration operations across the city at the next commission meeting. He also said the department plans additional public outreach to help communities better understand its role.

“We’re there not to enforce civil immigration law, but to be able to keep the peace at the scenes where this is occurring and to be able to be the police department for everybody,” McDonnell said. “Trust is our currency and we have some work to do to be able to build that up after the incidents we’ve seen since June. So that’s some work in progress, but we are including all of our community members.”

The priority deadline for California students to apply for federal and state-based financial aid is March 2. And as students hustle to meet this deadline, the state is also encouraging them to claim their CalKIDS scholarship—up to $1,500 that can be used to pay for college or a career training program.

Typically, scholarship applications involve writing essays, meeting GPA requirements and maybe even securing letters of recommendation in a competition for limited funds.

But the CalKIDS scholarship requires none of that, said Noah Lightman, assistant deputy director at ScholarShare Investment Board, which oversees the program.

About 60% of California’s public school students are eligible for the scholarship, and it’s non-competitive. Students are entitled to the money by state law, Lightman said — they just have to claim it.

CalKIDS launched in 2022. To date, about 850,000 California students have claimed their scholarships.

Lightman pointed to research showing that children with even a modest amount of money set aside for higher education are three times more likely to attend college—and four times more likely to graduate college than children who don’t have any savings.

He knows from personal experience, having juggled coursework, extracurriculars, standardized tests and college applications while figuring out how he’d pay for college. Knowing there’s easy-to-access money “can be life-changing,” he added.

How are the CalKIDS scholarship amounts determined? And how do I claim it?

Students in second grade and up who are eligible for a CalKIDS scholarship will get at least $500.

The state determines eligibility based on a variety of factors, including family income and whether the student is learning English as a second language. If a student is unhoused or fostered, they will receive an additional $500. Eligible students who are unhoused and fostered will receive $1,500.

Lightman encourages everyone to check, though.

To claim their scholarships, Lightman said, students just need their 10-digit Statewide Student Identifier, which is assigned to them at school. (If you don’t know what yours is, ask your teacher or counselor.) Once they have their SSID, students or their parents can go to the CalKIDS website, plug in that number, along with their birthdate and county where they attend school, and readily find out if they are eligible and, if so, for what amount.

Students do not need a Social Security number to access these funds.

The process takes about five minutes or less, said Julio Hernandez, a college and career administrative coordinator for Los Angeles Unified School District. Counseling teams across the district have been instructed to tell students about CalKIDS, Hernandez added. He’s also used the website to secure a $500 scholarship for his son. Once he graduates, Hernandez’s son will be able to use that money to help cover tuition or other higher ed expenses.

According to CalKIDS, students have used their scholarships to pay for everything from books to housing bills.

Students can start using their CalKIDS funds as young as 17, and they don’t have to spend it while they’re undergraduates. If they would like to hold on to that money till grad school, they may, Lightman said—but the money must be spent by the time they turn 26. Currently, he added, nearly 150,000 students are using CalKIDS to help pay for college.

What might keep students from claiming their scholarship?

At Long Beach Unified, counselors help students and parents navigate the claim process.

Counselors at the district also describe the process as quick and straightforward. But, Candyce Simpson, a counselor at Jordan High School, noted in an emailed statement to LAist that students and their parents are often “bombarded with emails about college and the cost of college.”

“There are predatory programs that spam our kids about scholarships, if you pay a fee,” she added. “As counselors, we constantly remind our students and families that if they ask for a credit card, they should delete the email immediately. These programs are very savvy, and they look very legitimate.”

Messages from CalKIDS may get “buried,” Simpson said. “Students know FAFSA and Studentaid.gov; we need to add CalKIDS to our narratives more intentionally.”

Hey, new parents! There is also a CalKIDS scholarship for babies 

Every baby born in California on or after July 1, 2022 is also eligible for a separate CalKIDS scholarship—regardless of their family income.

These scholarships start at $100. To access them, parents need their child’s 13-digit local registration number, which can be found on their birth certificate. If families choose to link this money with the state's official college savings program, ScholarShare 529, CalKIDS will add another $50 to their account.

The scholarship, though small in comparison to escalating college costs, “serves as a conversation starter,” Lightman said, “helping families look at college savings in general.”

Community members have organized an event called “Disneyland Raza Invasion” outside the theme parks to take place the same day as the planned "MAGA Takeover" at Disneyland in Anaheim tomorrow. Here’s what to know about the dueling events.

Disney is not involved in the events. The two are solely organized by outside groups with no direct affiliation with the amusement park, such as “Dapper Dan Day” and “Bats Day.”

Park officials declined to respond to LAist’s requests for comment.

Organizers with 805 Patriots say “Patriots in the Park” is a “peaceful” event for “family-oriented” conservatives to enjoy a day at the park. They’re encouraging attendees to show support for the president by wearing attire permitted by Disneyland, such as red hats, shirts and accessories.

Organizers say the “MAGA Takeover” meet-up is strictly recreational and participants should enjoy the park as regular visitors, without seeking attention or creating disruptions.

“It is NOT a march, protest, demonstration or political action. Attendees will enter the park as everyday guests and are expected to follow all Disneyland guidelines,” according to a statement from 805 Patriots.

Signs, flags or any form of disruptive conduct are prohibited, according to Disneyland’s rules of entry.

The Brown Berets of California, a Chicano community organization, is also planning a “Disneyland Raza Invasion” outside of the main park entrance on Saturday from 7 to 11 a.m.

Organizers on social media said the “peaceful, united presence” is to “stand against hate and intimidation.” The group speaks out against the Trump administration’s policies, including immigration raids.

Every year, a South Bay ice cream gives kids the opportunity to turn their ideas into sweet, sweet frozen reality.

Over the years Kansha Creamery’s kids’ flavor contest has yielded all kinds of creations, some featuring hibiscus, others with strawberry lemonade or kinako (roasted soybean powder) — and 2026 marks the competition's 10th anniversary.

The shop is in a strip mall off Western Avenue on the border of Gardena and Torrance, and owned and operated by siblings James Marumoto and Elaine Marumoto-Perez. Their neighbors include a yakitori spot, a ramen shop and a dentist.

The kids flavor contest is a reflection of the owners’ vision for their shop, a space shaped by the people in their neighborhood.

“We were kind of just open to just trying anything,” Elaine said of their first contest in 2015. “We really wanted to just kind of be a part of the community. So it was a good way to do that.”

Putting the community into ice cream

As kids, James and Elaine said they entered Mitsuwa — then Yaohan— grocery store’s annual Mother and Father’s Day drawing contests.

They looked forward to seeing their art displayed in-store and their parents were excited about the free gift card.

Kansha’s contest invites kids 12 and under to submit a drawing of their flavors. James and Elaine weigh the entries’ art, story and likelihood the idea will yield tasty ice cream.

One of the winners in 2023 was Wafu-Wahoo Japanese Memory by Kairi Kitagawa. The flavor is so popular, Kansha’s made it on-demand for wedding orders. “ It's like super cool, the fact that they're like making my ice cream [at] special events,” Kairi said. “I feel, like, really happy about that.”

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Kairi, now 15 (back left) said he was inspired by a summer trip to Japan where he toured a mochi factory. His sister Sayana, pictured here with his mom, won the kid’s flavor contest in 2018 with Love Love Strawberry Heart.

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Korra entered the contest several times before winning with Winter Chip in 2024. “I really [like] mint chip and I thought about winter,” she said. “I thought of snow.. and the marshmallows were like the same colors.”

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Korra's mom, Winnie, estimated she bought more than 30 pints of the flavor to share with family and friends.

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Elaine remembered a submission from a few years ago that proposed an ice cream flavored like rain on pavement.

“That is so beautiful and so artistic, but we cannot make that flavor,” she said.

Other times, the contest doesn’t align with the right season for a particular ingredient.

Once they select the winners, James is responsible for making them a reality.

“It's more stressful than like a regular day,” James said. “Because I don't want to let the kid down. I also don't wanna let the parents down.”

Opening a South Bay ice cream shop 

Before James and Elaine opened Kansha in 2015 they rotated between part-time jobs. Elaine nannied and taught piano. Both worked at local restaurants.

They donated part of what they made to charity, but wanted to do more.

“Kansha means gratitude in Japanese,” Elaine said. “We kind of wanted to embody that in our business practices.”

James and Elaine way back when.

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They chose an ice cream shop, in part, because they wouldn’t need additional employees and they said there were few options for frozen treats in the South Bay at the time.

James taught himself to make ice cream from books and emails with other makers. Early flavor experiments included mustard and straw.

The organic ice cream base for every flavor is from Northern California’s Straus Family Creamery. Some of the store's best-known flavors, including matcha, draw on their Japanese heritage and the area’s Asian diaspora.

The flavors rotate frequently, but the Mr. Universal — vanilla ice cream with caramel and oatmeal cookies — is always on the menu.

The flavors rotate frequently, but the Mr. Universal— vanilla ice cream with caramel and oatmeal cookies— is always on the menu.

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It represents “the humble and the rich,” James said. “Anyone can enjoy it.”

The business survived the pandemic by switching from in-store scoops to pints-to-go.

“It's kind of a miracle,” Elaine said. “We believe in God and so we're like, ‘this is God's story and he's been taking care of us this whole time.’”

On a recent afternoon, the shop’s customers included friends catching up over cones, a grandmother and granddaughter, and school age kids doing homework and playing Jenga.

After more than a decade in business, Elaine and James are still the primary employees. Their cousin helps out on the weekends.

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“They want you to stay,” said Winnie Laurel, a regular who lives nearby. “It's not a turn and burn, you know, type of place.”

Elaine greeted many people personally — asking about their kids or a recent concert they’d attended.

She said the siblings have grown more confident and more connected to the community over the years.

“The job before was, kind of like, to give the product to the person,” Elaine said. “But now… I feel more like a host of this place and make people feel comfortable.”

They also give back: Within six months of opening, Kansha had donated more than $10,000 to feed children in need. The shop now reports their lifetime giving tops more than $550,000.

The 2026 kids’ flavor contest winners 

About two dozen kids entered the contest this year.

Charlotte's reaction to her first bit of Ooey Gooey Greatness? "Oh, that's good!"

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The hue of 8-year-old Charlotte Hosmer’s painting of a gold-brown scoop of Oooey Gooey Greatness caught James’ eye.

“ It's hard to capture the color of salted caramel, and that was like the perfect color of salted caramel,” James said.

Hosmer envisioned the flavor as a combination of hot fudge, caramel (the Ooey Gooey) and chocolate chips.

“The greatness came from 'cause I thought I was gonna be great,” Charlotte said.

After more than a decade of making ice cream, James can reference the shop's encyclopedia of past flavors for techniques to create the kids’ ideas.

Amaya Ingram's initial reaction to tasting Golden Zoeycolada for the first time?  "I think it's really good!"

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Take the second winner, Golden Zoeycolada— piña colada with pineapple chunks and shortbread cookie— which borrows techniques from a previous Taiwanese pineapple cake ice cream.

Creator Amaya Ingram, 6, was inspired by her favorite fruit and the breakout song from “KPOP Demon Hunters.”

Zoey, the rhyme-spitting star from Burbank, is Amaya’s favorite of the trio and what she dressed up as for Halloween last year —  “She looks a lot like me. Like she has bangs. I have bangs.”

“ I worked so hard on this flavor,” Amaya said. “ I did drawing and thinking and writing and typing.”

How did winning feel?

“Amazing."

Elaine said she hopes the kids who participate feel like their voice matters.

“ Even if you don't win, it's like you made something that you're excited for,” James said. “And you have a chance of something good happening.”

Afterall, everyone who entered gets a free scoop at the shop this week.

Thanks to Cindy Ujiiye for translation help