The Brief

An unusually aggressive sea otter that made quite the splash last summer is back hanging out off the coast of Santa Cruz.

The fearless 6-year-old female, known as southern sea otter 841, earned infamy for stalking surfers and biting boards. Wildlife officials believed her bullying was from surging pregnancy hormones, but now that her pup is grown up, she could be resuming her reign of terror for people in the Pacific Ocean.

Vanessa E. Morales, a communications specialist with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Ventura office, said in a statement that they’ve been responding to reports of the otter approaching surfers and kayakers in the area, and people are being warned to steer clear.

The furry fugitive returns

Sea otter 841, who was born in an animal care facility but raised with minimal human contact, was spotted by Mark Woodward, a photographer that goes by Native Santa Cruz, over the weekend after not being seen for some time.

Woodward snapped several photos of the otter enjoying the water, breaking open a snack, and being admired by onlookers onshore.

She had given birth to, and successfully raised, a pup over the last few months and mostly avoided humans while she was caring for the baby, according to the Fish and Wildlife Service.

But now that sea otter 841 is back, so are some of her similarly unusual behaviors. Wildlife officials are responding to reports of her approaching people in Santa Cruz again, Morales said in a statement.

While there are no immediate plans to capture her, or at least attempt to again, people are being encouraged to keep their distance.

Woodward didn’t immediately respond to LAist’s request for comment.

What to do if you’re approached by an otter

Sea otters should naturally avoid interacting with people, so if one does get a little too close for comfort, that’s considered abnormal behavior.

“It is your responsibility to avoid and discourage these interactions,” the Fish and Wildlife Service said in a statement.

The first step is to be aware of your surroundings and the wildlife you’re sharing the water with.

If a sea otter seems to be making eye contact, that means you’re too close and should move back. A good rule of thumb is to keep your kayaks and surfboards at least 60 feet away and pass by them moving slowly in a parallel direction.

Never try to pet or feed a sea otter, they could become aggressive and end up being removed from the wild.

If one starts coming closer or following you, you’ll want to be as large and loud as possible. Wildlife officials recommend waving your arms, slapping your paddle, and even splashing water toward the animal.

If all else fails and a sea otter is about to climb on board, use a paddle or another object to give them a gentle push back into the water.

“Federal laws protect sea otters, and harassing or injuring a sea otter is illegal,” the Fish and Wildlife Service said in a statement. “However, a gentle nudge with your paddle is acceptable if needed to protect yourself and the sea otter from harm.”

You can also rock the platform to make it unstable, but you should never try to move the otter with your hands. And as soon as it’s safely back where it should be, you need to leave the area immediately.

These tips apply for your furry family members too — sea otters can easily injure or even kill a dog.

You can find more information on how to be a good sea otter steward here.

The Trump administration has started the process of dramatically easing fuel economy requirements for new vehicles, part of the administration's broader pivot away from cleaner cars.

At the White House on Wednesday, surrounded by the executives from several major car companies, President Donald Trump said the move would save consumers money by making cars cheaper.

"We're officially terminating Joe Biden's ridiculously burdensome — horrible, actually — CAFE standards that impose expensive restrictions," Trump said, referring to the federal Corporate Average Fuel Economy rules, often called CAFE standards. "And all sorts of problems, all sorts of problems for automakers."

Previous research from Consumer Reports has challenged the argument that regulations make cars more expensive. Stringent fuel economy standards also carry an economic benefit in the form of lower fuel costs over time.

CAFE standards require that the entire fleet of vehicles sold by a given automaker, on average, get more fuel-efficient over time. Automakers who fall short have previously needed to either pay hefty fines, or buy credits from a company that over-performs on efficiency, like Tesla and other all-electric automakers.

The Trump administration has already defanged the existing CAFE standards by eliminating the fines associated with them, as part of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. Under Former President Joe Biden, the rules called for vehicles to get 2% more efficient every year; the Trump administration is now proposing to revert to the 2022 baseline and increase by .5% annually.

The proposed change now enters a period of public comment; the Department of Transportation will collect input from companies and citizens before finalizing the rule.

The administration has already been working to roll back tailpipe standards set by the Environmental Protection Agency, which are designed to cut pollution from vehicles. The two sets of rules have overlapping effects, with both of them pushing automakers toward cleaner vehicles.

Meanwhile, during the second Trump presidency Congress has also eliminated the consumer tax credit for purchasing electric vehicles, decided to end a tax credit for installing an EV charger in June 2026, earlier than planned, and voted to strike down federal waivers that let California require automakers to build zero-emission vehicles. The Trump administration also temporarily delayed a program to use federal money to build a high-speed EV charger network.

The policy shift was no surprise. Trump campaigned against what he called the "electric vehicle mandate," and promised to rescind policies — including fuel economy standards — that encouraged or incentivized EVs.

Trump has framed the policy rollback as a gift to the auto industry. And that's partially true: Large trucks and SUVs may be inefficient, but they're popular and profitable, and selling more of them without any penalty is a financial boon to automakers. In earnings calls this fall, multiple executives noted that the regulatory rollback will boost earnings and help offset the cost of tariffs.

Electric vehicle adoption in the U.S. has moved slower than automakers had expected. Some automakers have said made some of the Biden-era policies not just challenging but unworkable.

In a statement provided by the White House, Ford CEO Jim Farley praised "President Trump's leadership in aligning fuel economy standards with market realities."

But automakers are also navigating a changing global market, with many countries continuing to prioritize climate action. The popularity of high-quality, affordable Chinese EVs has raised questions about whether legacy automakers can compete. So Farley's statement also promised that "We can make real progress on carbon emissions and energy efficiency while still giving customers choice and affordability."

For companies, which need to plan their future vehicle lineups years in advance, it's challenging when rules whipsaw back and forth with each change in administration. That's been the reality for years now: The Obama administration set ambitious fuel economy rules, which Trump 1.0 reversed, Biden reinstated, and now Trump 2.0 is seeking to "reset."

Farley obliquely noted that risk in a conversation with investors in October. He explained why Ford was continuing to move ahead with plans for an affordable electric pickup, despite regulations shifting to no longer support EVs. "We expect adoption will increase over time and the market continue to evolve," Farley said. "And maybe the regulations evolve."

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Community groups and local unions are asking the organizers of the L.A. Olympics to take a stand against ICE and keep federal immigration enforcement activities out of the 2028 Games.

The federal government is leading security for the Olympics and has allocated $1 billion to security spending for the mega-event, which will span the region and bring all levels of law enforcement to the streets of Los Angeles.

Critics are worried about what that might look like and how it will impact a city already reeling from ICE raids and the deployment of National Guard troops on the city's streets this summer.

Dozens gathered outside the offices of Los Angeles Olympics organizing committee LA28 in downtown Wednesday morning to ask organizers to take a stand against ICE. They also called on LA28 chair Casey Wasserman to resign, citing the recent addition of several allies of President Donald Trump to the Olympics board of directors.

"It's sad that they haven't taken a stance in defense of this community," said Jose Madera, director of the Pasadena Community Job Center. "That's a huge shame. So that's why we're asking LA28 to get ICE and any other immigration enforcement agencies out of the Games."

LA28 has not publicly weighed in on the immigration raids that have swept the city since summer, sparking protests and a climate of fear across the region.

A spokesperson for the organization did not respond to a request for comment on the concerns of community organizations about immigration enforcement at the Games or to the demand that Wasserman step down.

"LA28 is committed to working with all stakeholders to welcome athletes and visitors from around the world and deliver the safest and greatest Games for Angelenos and beyond," Jacie Prieto Lopez, LA28's vice president of communications and public affairs, said in a statement.

The federal government has stepped up its involvement in the Olympics in recent months. Over the summer, Trump formed a federal task force on Olympics security and named himself the chair.

Last month, LA28 added several Trump allies to its board of directors, including former House Speaker and California Republican Kevin McCarthy and Reince Priebus, who served as chief of staff during part of Trump's first term.

Billionaire Trump donor Diane Hendricks, Trump's former banker Ken Moelis and Patrick Dumont, son-in-law of Trump donor Miriam Adelson, also were added to the list.

Those names elicited boos at the press conference outside of LA28 on Wednesday.

" You have claimed that this will be an Olympics that will celebrate the rich culture that defines our city," said Eddie Anderson, a pastor at McCarty Memorial Church in West Adams. "And we wanna ask you: Which culture are you talking about?"