The Brief

Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a plan to provide $2.5 billion in relief to communities damaged by the Los Angeles fires ahead of President Donald Trump’s Friday tour of the Pacific Palisades.

“This money will be made available immediately,” Newsom said Thursday. “We want to get these dollars out in real time so there’s no anxiety and stress associated with that.”

Newsom and fellow Democrats in California continue to search for the right balance between collaboration and confrontation with the new president, who has repeatedly threatened to condition federal reimbursement on major changes to the state’s water system.

After approving bipartisan fire relief funding, the state Senate passed a more controversial proposal to finance legal battles against the federal government, potentially including disputes over federal disaster aid.

“I’m here for the long haul, to support the president where we can, to defend our values where we must, to have the backs of diverse communities,” Newsom said. “At the same time, we work together on critical issues.”

Former President Joe Biden, in one of his final acts in office, pledged federal support for the next three months. But since the fires broke out earlier this month, Trump has repeatedly insulted Newsom and falsely blamed the fires on unrelated state water policy, including in a Wednesday interview with Fox News.

Though Newsom said he has not had any contact with Trump in advance of his visit, the governor expressed confidence that federal aid would not be delayed. As of Friday morning, it remained unclear whether he would invite Newsom. Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass and other elected officials will join Trump for a fire briefing after his Pacific Palisades tour this afternoon.

Trump’s threats to condition aid have already split Republicans, with some GOP House members from swing districts in California saying they oppose attaching strings when families are displaced and suffering.

The bills passed in Sacramento this week were part of a special session that Newsom initially called in the wake of the election to fund potential legal challenges against the Trump administration. In a special session, debate is limited to topics picked by the governor — and any bills signed can take effect more quickly. Newsom expanded the session last week to include proposals related to fire response.

The relief bills Newsom signed passed both the Assembly and Senate without opposition. The money can be spent in a variety of ways, including on hazardous waste removal, shelter for evacuees and preparation for compounding disasters such as mudslides.

“While we’ve made progress, there’s still a significant journey ahead as we transition from containment to recovery,” said state Sen. Sasha Renée Pérez, who represents Altadena, which was heavily damaged by the Eaton Fire. “As we begin that process, I’m also appreciative that this bill is supporting the cleanup efforts regarding air quality, water and other environmental testing.”

Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass joins Gov. Gavin Newsom, left, and State Sen. Alex Padilla while surveying damage during the Palisades Fire on Wednesday, Jan. 8, 2025, in Pacific Palisades, California.

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Jeff Gritchen

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MediaNews Group/Orange County Register via Getty Images

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But Trump — as well as House Speaker Mike Johnson and other Republicans in Congress — have repeatedly said that they want to condition federal help on changes to California policies. Politico reported there have been internal GOP discussions about linking fire aid to an increase in the national debt limit in order to garner Democratic support for a bill that will not pass with just Republicans. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries said Thursday that Democrats would not support that plan.

Beyond the debt limit, it’s not exactly clear what sort of conditions Republicans are considering. Trump has repeatedly made false claims that firefighters were unable to battle the Los Angeles blazes because Newsom declined to send more water south from the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta. Los Angeles is not currently facing a water shortage.

But that’s not what California Republican lawmakers have been pushing: Policy reforms introduced by state GOP legislators are more focused on increasing controlled burns and other wildfire prevention by suspending environmental laws. And some Republican Congressmembers who represent swing districts have flatly rejected any conditions on aid, including Orange County Republican Rep. Young Kim.

“When natural disaster hits your communities, it is not partisan, it is not a blue or red issue — we are talking about life and death,” Kim said in an interview on Fox 11 Los Angeles. “We are talking about communities that are hurting, so there shouldn’t be any conditions other than making sure we bring the resources and aid as soon as possible to our communities.”

California Democrats agree.

Rep. George Whitesides, who just flipped a Los Angeles swing district, called the idea of conditioning aid “absolutely unacceptable and really quite offensive.”

“To say to these people, because of politics, we need to slow down or reduce the aid of the type that we have given to North Carolina and Louisiana and Florida?” he said. “We need to get these people help in a huge amount as fast as we can.”

While Democrats are standing united on that issue, debate Thursday over the Trump-related legal aid was more contentious in the state Capitol. The plan consisted of two bills: one to set aside $25 million for the state Department of Justice, which filed its first suit this week against Trump’s bid to end birthright citizenship, and another to earmark $25 million for nonprofits to represent Californians facing detention or deportation.

“These are the people that take care of our kids, that work in the fields, that do the landscaping, that work in a number of different industries, whether it’s construction or hospitality,” said state Sen. Anna Caballero, D-Merced. “How are we going to get things done?”

Republicans were joined in their opposition to the first proposal by Sen. Melissa Hurtado, a Democrat whose Central Valley district voted for Trump by nine points in November.

“I feel, personally, that ‘Trump-proofing’ is a missed opportunity to urge the president for meaningful change,” Hurtado said. “We should be working with the president to ensure that public safety deportations are targeted, protecting communities from genuine threats, while safeguarding the dignity and rights of hardworking immigrants.”

Echoing arguments made by Trump’s top immigration officials, Hurtado and Republicans in the state Senate criticized California’s sanctuary policy, arguing it endangers immigrant communities.

The state’s sanctuary law restricts local and state law enforcement from using their resources to enforce immigration law, though it doesn’t entirely bar state cooperation with immigration officials, particularly if an immigrant has a criminal conviction. For example, state prison officials have turned thousands of immigrants over to federal immigration authorities in recent years after they completed a state prison sentence.

Still, sanctuary opponents argue that if state and local police aren’t allowed to work more closely with immigration agents, raids will be pushed into the broader community and result in more people who do not have criminal records being deported.

Trump has made clear he opposes sanctuary policies and wants to punish cities and states that have them.

“We’re trying to get rid of them, and we’re trying to end them,” he said on Fox News this week.

Asked if he’d cut off federal funds to sanctuary jurisdictions entirely, the president responded, “I might have to do that.”

This story first appeared on The LA Local.

Since 1977, Richard Santillan has been to every Opening Day game at Dodger Stadium. 

“The tradition goes from my father, to me, to my children and grandchildren. Some of my best memories are with my father and children here at Dodger Stadium,” Santillan told The LA Local, smiling under the shade of palm trees near the entrance to the ballpark Wednesday morning. He was there to protest the team less than 24 hours before Opening Day.

Santillan, like countless other loyal Dodgers fans, is grappling with his fan identity over the team’s decision to accept an invitation to the White House and owner Mark Walter’s ties to ICE detention facilities.

More than 30 people joined Santillan on Wednesday morning for a press conference held near 1000 Vin Scully Drive to convey a message directly to the team. 

“We are demanding the Dodgers stop participating in funding of inhumane treatment of families and do not go to the White House to celebrate with the criminal in chief,” Evelyn Escatiola told the crowd. “Together, we have the power to make a change.”

Escatiola, a former dean of East Los Angeles College and longtime community organizer, urged fans to flex their economic power by “letting the Dodgers know that we do not support repression.”

Jorge “Coqui” Rodriguez, a lifelong Dodgers fan, spoke to the crowd and called on Dodgers ownership to divest from immigration detention centers owned and operated by GEO Group and CoreCivic.

Jorge Coqui H Rodriguez speaks at a press conference outside Dodger Stadium on March 25, 2026, to demand the Dodgers not to visit the White House following their 2025 World Series win.

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J.W. Hendricks

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In a phone interview a day before the protest, Rodriguez told The LA Local he did not want the Dodgers using his “cheve” or beer money to fund detention centers. 

“They can’t take our parking money, our cacahuate money, our cheve money, our Dodger Dog money and invest those funds into corporations that are imprisoning people. It’s wrong,” Rodriguez said. 

Rodriguez considers the Dodgers one of the most racially diverse teams and said the players need to support fans at a time when heightened immigration enforcement has become more common across L.A.

The team’s 2025’s visit to the White House drew ire from the largely Latino fan base, citing the Trump administration’s ongoing attacks on immigrants. 

In June, the team came under further scrutiny when rumors swirled online that federal immigration agents were using the stadium’s parking, which immigration authorities later denied in statements posted on social media accounts.

The team again came under fire after not releasing a statement on the impacts of ICE raids on its mostly Latino fan base at the height of immigration enforcement last summer. The team later agreed to invest $1 million to support families affected by immigration enforcement.

When he learned the Dodgers were pledging only $1 million to families in need, Rodriguez called the amount a  “slap in the face.” 

“These guys just bought the Lakers for billions of dollars and they give a million dollars to fight for legal services? That’s a joke,” Rodriguez said. “They need to have a moral backbone and not be investing in those companies.”

According to reporting from the Los Angeles Times, former Dodgers pitcher Clayton Kershawsaid last week that he is looking forward to the trip.

“I went when President [Joe] Biden was in office. I’m going to go when President [Donald] Trump is in office,” Kershaw said. “To me, it’s just about getting to go to the White House. You don’t get that opportunity every day, so I’m excited to go.”

The Dodgers have yet to announce when their planned visit will take place. 

Santillan sometimes laments his decision to give up his season tickets in protest of the team. His connection to the stadium and the memories he has made there with family and friends will last a lifetime, he said. On Thursday, he will uphold his tradition and be there for the first pitch of the season, but with a heavy heart.

“It’s a family tradition, but the Dodgers have a lot of work to do,” he said.

A local favorite mom-and-pop bookshop in Eagle Rock is facing displacement due to a steep rent hike. The owners say theirs is just one of several small businesses along Eagle Rock Boulevard struggling to keep up with lease increases.

Over the past 19 years, many in the neighborhood have come to love READ Books for its eclectic collection of used titles and shop dog Florence.

Co-owner Jeremy Kaplan said it’s been a delight to grow with the community over the years.

“Like seeing kids come back in, who were in grade school and now they’re in college,” Kaplan said.

But the building where Kaplan and wife Debbie rent was recently sold, and the rent increased by more than 130% to $2,805 a month, Kaplan said. He told LAist it was an increase his small business simply could not absorb.

Kaplan said he originally was given 30 days notice of the rent increase. After some research, assistance from Councilmember Ysabel Jurado’s office and some pro-bono legal help, Kaplan said he pushed back and got the 90-day notice he’s afforded by state law.

California Senate Bill 1103 requires landlords to give businesses with five or less employees 90 days’ notice for rent increases exceeding 10%, among other protections.

Systems Real Estate, the property management company, did not immediately respond to LAist’s request for comment.

What can small businesses do? 

Nadia Segura, directing attorney of the Small Business Program at pro bono legal aid non-profit Bet Tzedek said California law does not currently allow for rent control for commercial tenancies.

Outside of the protections under SB 1103, Segura said small businesses like READ Books don’t have much other recourse. And even then, commercial landlords are not required to inform their tenants of their protections under the law.

“There’s still a lot of people that don’t know about SB 1103. And then it’s very sad that they tell them they have these rent increases and within a month they have to leave,” Segura said.

She said her group is seeing steep rent hikes like this for commercial tenants across the city.

“We are seeing this even more with the World Cup coming up, the Olympics coming up. And I will say it was very sad to see that also after the wildfires,” Segura said.

Part of Bet Tzedek’s ongoing work is to advocate for small businesses, working with landlords who are increasing rents to see if they are willing to give business owners longer leases that lock in rents.

What’s next 

After READ Books posted about their situation on social media, commenters chimed in to express their outrage and love for the little shop.

While he looks for a new spot, Kaplan says he’s forming a coalition of local businesses and activist groups to see what can be done to help other small businesses facing similar displacement. He wants to address the displacement issue for businesses like his, which have made Eagle Rock the distinctive neighborhood that it is today.

Owl Talk, a longtime Eagle Rock staple selling clothing and accessories in a unit in the same building as READ Books, is facing a “more than double” rent increase, according to a post on their Instagram account.

Kaplan said he’s been in touch with the office of state Assemblywoman Jessica Caloza and wants to explore the possibility of introducing legislation to set up protections for small businesses like his, including rent-control measures or a vacancy tax for landlords. Kaplan said he also reached out to the office of state Sen. Maria Durazo.

By his count, Kaplan said there are about a dozen businesses within surrounding blocks that are at risk of closing their doors or have shuttered due to rent increases or other struggles.

When READ Books was founded during the Great Recession, Kaplan said he knew it was a longshot to open a bookstore at the same time so many were struggling to stay in business.

“It was kind of interesting to be doing something that neighborhoods needed. That was important to me growing up, that was important to my children, that was important to my wife growing up,” Kaplan said.

“And then somebody comes in and says, ‘We’re gonna over double your rent.”

Topline:

Frozen budget: Most of the city’s Bureau of Street Lighting budget comes from an assessment that people who own property illuminated by lights pay on their county property tax bill. The amount people pay depends on the kind of property they own and how much they benefit from lighting. A typical single-family home currently pays $53 annually, and in total, the assessments bring in about $45 million annually for the city to repair and maintain streetlights. Changing the amount the Bureau of Street Lighting gets from the assessment requires a vote among property owners who benefit from the lights.

Ballots: L.A. City Council’s vote gives city staff the green light to prepare and send out those ballots. Miguel Sangalang, who oversees the bureau, said at a committee meeting earlier this month that he expects to send out ballots by April 17. Notices about the ballots will be sent out prior to the ballots themselves.

Near unanimous vote: L.A. City Councilmember Monica Rodriguez was the only “No” vote Tuesday, saying she wanted to see a more current strategic plan for the bureau. Sangalang said the bureau developed a plan in 2022 that lays out how money will be spent. Councilmember Imelda Padilla was absent for the vote.

Vote count: Votes will be weighted according to the assessment amount. Basically, the more you’re asked to pay yearly to maintain streetlights, the more your vote will count. Ballots received before June 2 will be tabulated by the L.A. City Clerk.

How much more money: According to a report, the amount needed in assessments from property owners to meet the repair and maintenance needs of the city’s streetlighting in the next fiscal year is nearly $112 million.

Use of the money: Sangalang said at a March 11 committee meeting that the extra funds would be used to double the number of staff to handle repairs and procure solar streetlights, which don’t face the threat of copper wire theft. That would all potentially reduce the time it takes to repair simple fixes down to a week. Currently, city residents wait for months to see broken streetlights repaired. The assessment would come with a three-year auditing mechanism.