Topline:
Firefighters continue to make progress in containing the massive Hughes Fire that broke out Wednesday near Castaic Lake, growing to more than 10,396 acres and forcing mass evacuations.
What we know so far: The Hughes Fire broke out Wednesday off Lake Hughes Road near Castaic Lake. It was 56% contained by Friday.
Keep reading... for more on evacuations and weather conditions.
This is a developing story and will be updated. For the most up-to-date information about the fire you can check:
Firefighters continue to make progress in containing the massive Hughes Fire that broke out Wednesday near Castaic Lake, growing to more than 10,000 acres and forcing mass evacuations.
Around 38,000 people remain under evacuation warnings even as containment has reached 56%.
The Federal Aviation Administration has also issued a Temporary Flight Restriction in the airspace above the fire, meaning people cannot fly drones in the area.
The fire started shortly before 11 a.m. on Lake Hughes Road near Castaic Lake and burned through hundreds of acres within minutes. In the first three hours of the fire, 5,000 acres burned.
3 hour time-lapse of the #HughesFire that has grown from 500 to over 5,000 acres.pic.twitter.com/C63X5ICYmD
— Hexdline (@HexdlineNews) January 22, 2025
— L.A. County Fire Department (@LACoFDPIO) January 22, 2025
The National Weather Service extended a red flag warning in the area until 10 a.m. Friday — with a high wind advisory in place until 2 p.m. Thursday.
The smoke from the fire prompted alerts about poor air quality in Ventura County for Camarillo, Fillmore, Moorpark, Oxnard, Piru, Santa Paula, Simi Valley and Ventura. Parts of L.A., Riverside and San Bernardino counties also are under smoke and windblown dust and ash advisories.
Evacuation warnings have been issued for several areas in Los Angeles and Ventura counties.
Caltrans reopened both sides of the 5 Freeway Wednesday evening after closing lanes between Grapevine Road and State Route 126.
Area school districts will reopen most schools Friday after closing Wednesday and Thursday.
“After conferring with the fire department battalion chief and reviewing the latest air quality reports… we are happy to report that it is safe for our students and staff to return to school tomorrow morning,” the Castaic Union School District wrote in a statement.
Superintendent Bob Brauneisen previously said in a statement to families and staff that poor air quality and the need to assess facility safety extended the closures, which affected about 2,000 students.
William S. Hart Union High School District said in a statement that it will reopen all campuses except for Academy of the Canyons, which is on the campus of College of the Canyons and currently serving as a command center. The closures earlier in the week affected about 5,000 students.
The Saugus Union School District told LAist in an email that all campuses will be open. The district previously closed its offices and three schools in mandatory evacuation and evacuation warning zones, affecting nearly 2,500 students.
Los Angeles Unified schools in the San Fernando Valley limited outdoor activities such as recess, sports and lunch Thursday. Schools “particularly impacted by air quality” may release students early, the district wrote in a statement.
Los Angeles County Sheriff's officials moved 476 people from the Pitchess Detention Center, located in the evacuation zone.
Einer Rivera, a spokesperson for the department, said those jailed were taken to North County Correctional Facility.
That facility is also within the evacuation zones. Sheriff Robert Luna said the department is prepared to pivot to Plan B if needed.
"The Plan B that they would be being transported to other facilities around the county and they would be transported by any means possible," he said. "We do have buses that are on the way up there."
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Topline:
A high-profile fight between California Attorney General Rob Bonta and Paramount Skydance resolved Monday with a settlement that clears a path for the company to continue with its planned acquisition of another century-old studio, Warner Bros. Discovery. The fight was the latest chapter in the battle for Hollywood, which has been a priority for California lawmakers and the last three governors.
Other attempts to keep production in CA: This year, when the film and television production tax credit clashed with an initiative to cap corporate tax breaks, lawmakers carved independent film producers out of the groups subject to a new cap. In July, the “Select Committee on Growing and Retaining the Creative Economy in California” was created. On Saturday, Newsom signed Assembly Bill 2319 to create a new tax credit for post-production work, including editing and visual effects.
A high-profile fight between California Attorney General Rob Bonta and Paramount Skydance resolved Monday with a settlement that clears a path for the company to continue with its planned acquisition of another century-old studio, Warner Bros. Discovery.
The deal comes after Paramount threatened to leave the state over an antitrust lawsuit led by Bonta and attorneys general from 11 other states that sought to block the $111 billion merger.
Paramount Chief Executive David Ellison reportedly told senior leaders of the company “clearly we’re not wanted here,” during a meeting in August. However, California has taken several steps since the 2000s to retain studios like Paramount.
The fight was the latest chapter in the battle for Hollywood, which has been a priority for California lawmakers and the last three governors.
Here are some ways the state has tried to keep its storied industry:
Assemblymember Rick Chavez Zbur, a Democrat representing Hollywood, said he was delighted a deal was reached to keep Paramount in California, but that the state needs to do more to retain the industry. Zbur is chair of the state’s new Assembly committee focused on keeping film production in California.
“Now that other states are realizing what important, family-sustaining jobs these are, they're competing very aggressively for these jobs,” he said.
Zbur said the committee will explore new state incentives during its first meeting, which he expects will take place in October in Los Angeles.
This article was originally published on CalMatters and was republished under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives license.
Topline:
Beginning Jan. 1, 2027, many Medi-Cal enrollees will face new work requirements and eligibility checks — the result of sweeping federal changes that could affect more than 1 million L.A. County residents, according to organizers of a new countywide outreach campaign.
New requirements: If you are a Medi-Cal enrollee between ages 19 and 64, you may soon need to show you're working, volunteering, going to school or in a job training program for at least 80 hours a month or otherwise earning income to keep your public health insurance coverage. Some recipients will also need to prove that they're eligible every six months instead of once a year. Parents of children 13 and younger, pregnant women, older adults and people with disabilities are largely exempt from the requirements.
How to prepare: Organizers of a new campaign called "Keep L.A. Covered" say people are more likely to lose coverage because a notice went to an old address or went unanswered than because they stopped qualifying for Medi-Cal. They encourage enrollees to update their address and phone number with a county Medi-Cal office, watch their mail, and respond promptly to Medi-Cal notices in yellow or white envelopes
How we got here: President Donald Trump signed the “One Big Beautiful Bill” — formally H.R. 1 — in July 2025, and it reduced federal Medicaid funding while adding a requirement that people who receive benefits work or show they are going to school, volunteering or seeking job training. The new requirements and six-month renewal rules apply to adults 19-64 covered through Medi-Cal’s Affordable Care Act expansion, according to county officials.
Support offered: The countywide campaign aims to train community leaders to warn Medi-Cal recipients about renewal notices. The first training is Oct. 27, hosted by Maternal Child Health Access. County officials say people and organizations can sign up at www.keeplacovered.org.
Beginning Jan. 1, 2027, many Medi-Cal enrollees will face new work requirements and eligibility checks — the result of sweeping federal changes that could affect more than 1 million L.A. County residents, according to organizers of a new countywide outreach campaign.
If you are a Medi-Cal enrollee between ages 19 and 64, you may soon need to show you're working, volunteering, going to school or in a job training program for at least 80 hours a month or otherwise earning income to keep your public health insurance coverage.
Some enrollees will also have to prove they’re eligible every six months instead of once a year.
Parents of children 13 and younger, pregnant women, older adults and people with disabilities are largely exempt from the requirements.
Nearly 4 million L.A. County residents, or 41% of the population, rely on Medi-Cal — California’s version of Medicaid, a joint federal and state insurance program providing free or low-cost coverage to low-income people.
President Donald Trump signed the “One Big Beautiful Bill” — formally H.R. 1 — in July 2025, and it reduced federal Medicaid funding while adding a requirement that people who receive benefits work or show they are going to school, volunteering or seeking job training.
The new requirements and six-month renewal rules apply to adults 19-64 covered through Medi-Cal’s Affordable Care Act expansion, according to county officials.
In June, the federal Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services issued the rule that implements the work requirement. CMS said in a news release that the framework is meant to promote economic stability and self-sufficiency.
“This rule helps Americans build skills and independence through work, education, job training, or community service, creating new opportunities for themselves and their families,” CMS Administrator Mehmet Oz said in a statement.
Later that month, states including California sued to challenge the changes. In July, a federal judge denied their request to pause the rules while the lawsuit continues.
Last week, L.A. Care Health Plan, which administers Medi-Cal benefits for many county residents and other partners, launched “Keep L.A. Covered,” a public campaign to train community leaders, including pastors, teachers and health workers, to warn Medi-Cal recipients about renewal notices. The first training is Oct. 27, hosted by Maternal Child Health Access.
County officials say people and organizations that want to get involved can sign up at www.keeplacovered.org.
Campaign leaders say people are more likely to lose coverage because a notice went to an old address or went unanswered than because they stopped qualifying for Medi-Cal.
"One missed notice, one missed deadline, one moment of confusion can mean them losing their coverage, and it's not because they're no longer eligible," Martha Santana-Chin, CEO of L.A. Care, said at a campaign launch last week. "It's simply because they haven't been able to navigate the paperwork that's ahead of them.”
The state of California is already mailing letters about the changes, Santana-Chin said.
If the state can't verify compliance, it must send a noncompliance notice and give the enrollee 30 days to prove compliance or an exemption. Otherwise, the application may be denied, or the person disenrolled.
Advocates say the risk is greatest for people without a stable mailing address. Statewide, most people experiencing homelessness are eligible for or already enrolled in Medi-Cal, according to the California Health Care Foundation.
The 2026 Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority homeless count estimated more than 73,000 people were experiencing homelessness in L.A. County. Many would qualify for medical exemptions that would allow them to receive Medi-Cal benefits without proof of work or other requirements, but claiming an exemption requires clinical documentation and regular contact with the healthcare system, the foundation said. Federal guidance doesn't let states exempt people from the requirements solely for being unhoused.
Some details of the 80-hour monthly work requirement remain unsettled. The federal government is still writing the details on what counts as qualifying work, volunteering or education, Santana-Chin said.
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services projects the requirement will reduce Medicaid enrollment nationwide by more than 3 million people. The federal agency assumes about 15% of enrollees will lose coverage, about 9% because they don't meet the requirement and about 6% because of paperwork or other administrative barriers. The actual effect depends on how states carry out the rules, according to a recent report from the federal agency.
The Congressional Budget Office, which analyzed the law using different methods, estimated the requirement would leave 5.3 million more people uninsured in 2034.
Topline:
Gov. Gavin Newsom signed seven data center bills into law on Monday, signaling a tide change toward regulation of the industry.
Why it matters: Three of the new laws shift electric infrastructure costs away from residential customers and toward data center operators, three more mandate disclosures of water usage and other resources, and the last one makes data centers ineligible for environmental review exemptions.
The backstory: Newsom’s signature on the new laws represents a significant departure from his actions on data centers last year, when he vetoed a water disclosure bill over concerns that regulation could stifle AI growth and signed into law only a single stripped-down environmental study bill.
Facing growing public backlash and a pivot from his own past vetoes, Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a sweeping package of seven bills on Monday that aim to force the data center industry to pay its own way in California.
Three of the new laws shift electric infrastructure costs away from residential customers and toward data center operators, three more mandate disclosures of water usage and other resources, and the last one makes data centers ineligible for environmental review exemptions.
Newsom, in a written statement, contrasted the new regulations with President Donald Trump’s hands-off approach to data centers and artificial intelligence.
“We know that we don’t have to sell out Californians or sacrifice our well-being to innovate and succeed,” the statement read. “California has proven that time and time again. With these laws, we are ensuring that Californians remain in the driver’s seat — and that those profiting from data centers aren’t doing so at our expense.”
Trump has aggressively pushed to accelerate data center development nationwide, arguing that they represent a significant economic opportunity for states that embrace them. He said last week at the All-In Summit, an invite-only conference for business leaders, that the industry is the “oil of the next 20, 25 years.”
Newsom’s signature on the new laws represents a significant departure from his actions on data centers last year, when he vetoed a water disclosure bill over concerns that regulation could stifle AI growth and signed into law only a single stripped-down environmental study bill.
Environmental advocates and the lawmakers behind this year’s bills previously told CalMatters that intensifying public backlash to data center construction propelled the legislation this year, despite a flood of lobbying funds from Big Tech and other business interests that aimed to soften the proposals.
“When you’re looking down the barrel of public outcry that says we don’t want [data centers] at all, and you’ve got localities that are saying they’re going to ban them, then you know the atmosphere has changed,” Assemblymember Diane Papan, a San Mateo Democrat who authored two of the bills which were signed into law on Monday, previously told CalMatters.
Other state legislatures as well as Congress are also advancing new measures to regulate the industry. In May, a Gallup poll found seven in 10 Americans oppose data center construction in their communities, while a July Public Policy Institute of California poll found similar opposition statewide. Hundreds of cities nationwide — including Monterey Park and Bay Area cities like Pittsburg — have either passed data center bans or walked back approvals following public outcry.
Arnab Pal, the executive director of Deploy Action, a nonprofit that promotes clean energy, told CalMatters the new laws are a good step toward preventing data centers from harming consumers through utility rate increases or environmental damage. Still, Pal said, more can be done to ensure such projects actually benefit everyday people through advancements to the electrical grid and the acceleration of clean energy infrastructure.
“I don't think these bills are the end of this fight; I think we're gonna have to do a lot of implementation on the back end and, as other states roll out their policies next year, I think California is going to look back and be like, ‘maybe we should have done more,’” Pal said. “I'm interested to see what we do next year on this.”
Business interests that oppose the measures, like the Data Center Coalition — which counts companies like Google, Microsoft and OpenAI among its members — warn that further regulation could push the data center industry out of California. According to the latest figures from the Data Center Coalition, the industry contributed 665,500 jobs, more than $159 billion in economic activity, and $14.1 billion in federal, state, and local taxes in California in 2024.
Khara Boender, the director of government affairs west for the Data Center Coalition, told CalMatters that “the data center industry shares the goal of ensuring growth of this critical infrastructure is responsible and well managed,” but more work needs to be done “to promote responsible data center growth while maintaining California as a key, competitive market in the global economy.”
Newsom signed the following bills:
This article was originally published on CalMatters and was republished under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives license.
Topline:
Gov. Gavin Newsom has signed a pair of bills that will create a new system for approving community college bachelor’s degrees.
Why it matters: The bills take effect Jan. 1, 2028, and will create a five-tiered system determining how many bachelor’s degrees each district can offer. Districts will be placed into tiers based on the percentage of students who complete a degree or certificate or transfer to a four-year university. Districts with higher graduation and transfer rates will be allowed to create more bachelor’s degrees — up to the maximum of 12.
What's next: The legislation does make at least one significant change supported by the community colleges: It only prohibits degrees that duplicate CSU programs offered in the same local service area as the community college proposing the degree.
Gov. Gavin Newsom has signed a pair of bills that will create a new system for approving community college bachelor’s degrees.
Senate Bill 960 and Assembly Bill 2694, which were sent to Newsom as a two-bill package, will let community college districts create between two and 12 new bachelor’s degrees to fill local workforce needs.
The bills take effect Jan. 1, 2028, and will create a five-tiered system determining how many bachelor’s degrees each district can offer. Districts will be placed into tiers based on the percentage of students who complete a degree or certificate or transfer to a four-year university. Districts with higher graduation and transfer rates will be allowed to create more bachelor’s degrees — up to the maximum of 12.
The tiered system, which was among several last-minute amendments to the legislation, has drawn backlash from community college presidents and chancellors, who say the system will pit colleges against one another.
However, the legislation does make at least one significant change supported by the community colleges: It only prohibits degrees that duplicate CSU programs offered in the same local service area as the community college proposing the degree. In the past, duplication wasn’t tied to location, and community colleges sometimes faced duplication objections from CSU campuses located in different regions of the state.
The legislation also allows for certain circumstances when community colleges can create bachelor’s degrees even if a nearby CSU campus has a similar program. That will be permitted if the CSU program has had a transfer acceptance rate of less than 75% for three consecutive years.
EdSource is an independent nonprofit organization that provides analysis on key education issues facing California and the nation. LAist republishes articles from EdSource with permission.
