The Brief

Wendy Tang pauses while presenting in front of class. It’s not an easy feat for anyone to speak in front of nearly 20 peers, even harder for someone whose primary language isn’t English. She laughs from embarrassment and discloses that she’s nervous.

Inspired by the “cajita” project, students have filled “sacred boxes” with significant personal belongings and artifacts that honor family struggles and triumphs.

This is the end of the unit on identity for the lowest credit language class for English learners at Mt. San Antonio College (Mt. SAC). These kinds of classes are meaningful for the students enrolled in them. They’re also in decline, as transfer reforms and other factors shape community college course offerings.

Giving voice to past and present

Tang moved from China to the U.S. on her own. Sharing various items with the class, she points to a small glass bottle containing blades of grass that she’s chosen to represent herself.

“I feel grass is the strongest plant because it doesn’t matter where you put the seeds. It doesn’t matter if there’s a lot of rain,” Tang said. “You just give them a little bit of sunshine and they will grow everywhere. Like the grass, you put me here, I can grow. You put me in another place and I can grow too.”

Students chose items to represent their past cultures, their adjustment to the U.S., and their futures. This project modeled sentipensante — a sensing, thinking approach to learning, professor and chair of Mt. SAC’s American Language program Elizabeth Casian said.

Their boxes are also informed by a True Colors personality test, which Casian uses to help students find more congruence between their values and lives.

Coming to the U.S. from another country is a chance to redirect one’s course, Casian said; immigrants who may have come from more collectivist cultures may not have pursued their individual dreams before, a defining characteristic of American culture.

A former student from Hong Kong told Casian that taking the personality test changed her life when she realized she was in the wrong career — banking. After getting encouragement from Casian, the student embarked on a career change.

Moving between countries and cultures

Through thoughtfully chosen objects, students shared a longing for family and friends, challenges they’ve faced, and changes in perspective. One student shared a picture from his brother’s birthday of them eating hot pot together, a reminder of his Chinese culture. Deanna Contreras brought a baseball hat from the Carl’s Jr. fast food restaurant chain. It represented her growing pains upon coming to the United States from Mexico.

“It was my first job here in the U.S.,” Contreras said. “It was really difficult because I was still learning. I didn’t know any English and a lot of people were mean.”

Referring to a U.S. dollar bill, the student Tang said that money has represented both her Chinese and American cultures. Her relationship toward money has changed. Once seen as an end in itself, she now sees money as a means for having life experiences.

Nguyen Huynh, who goes by Tom, poses by his cajita – a box that includes significant personal belongings and family artifacts that would be transported across borders. It includes a bottle of Vietnamese Chin-Su hot sauce that he attests can be used in every meal and a printed image of the “lady justice” which represents his future in America, where he plans to improve public safety as a police officer.

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“After coming to America, I tried to find life’s meaning. What’s the meaning for my life? Making money to buy a house — is that happy? Or is it making money so that I can go travel? The world is so big,” Tang said.

Another student from China, Wayne Wang, had a different perspective on money.

“My favorite perfume — Chanel!” Wang said, presenting the bottled fragrance to his class. Unabashedly laughing, he said it represents luxury and his love of money and beauty.

Across California, advancing in English more quickly 

Changes to English-as-a-second-language (ESL) credit courses have been underway since the implementation of Assembly Bill 705, which nominally took effect in January 2018 and aimed to get community college students to higher levels of math and English more quickly. For example, English-learners who graduated from high school in the U.S. who may have otherwise placed in a lower level of English in the ESL program now start at a higher level of college composition.

“It's now that we have to meet students where they are, whereas before, if you don't have these skills, then you need to get these skills in these lower level classes,” Casian said. “The reason why they pushed AB 705 through in the first place was that the more levels a student has to take, the more chances we have of losing them from college.”

Findings from a 2022 report by the Public Policy Institute of California on the early effect of AB 705 on credit-level English Second Language showed that colleges have been shortening ESL course sequences. Prior to the law, some colleges offered course sequences with as many as six levels or more. According to PPIC, in 2021, over half of colleges offered sequences of four levels or less, compared to just one-third in 2016.

Another consequence of AB 705 includes a decline in student enrollment at Mt. SAC’s American Language Program, according to Casian, who suggested that students may bypass the program for the English department. Casian said the COVID-19 pandemic and travel restrictions also contributed to the decline. Based on data provided by Mt. SAC, student enrollment for credit-level courses in the American Language Program declined substantially, from nearly 1,400 in 2018-2019 to less than half (just over 600) in 2022-2023. (Students may be counted more than once if enrolled in more than one course.)

One concern of the effect of AB 705 is placing students in classes before they’re ready. While getting English learners to higher levels faster is beneficial, Casian said there is still value in offering lower-level credit ESL courses where students can build foundational skills.

A cajita project box.

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Bonnie Ho

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“I think that's a testament to what is still needed,” said Casian, who pointed out that while recent legislation asserts all students have a right to take transfer-level courses, not everyone should start there.

Referring to her class, she said, “If you can imagine these students in English 1A [a freshman composition transfer-level class] with the skills that they have, that's not equitable. So that's why we're still here. We're here to provide equity. We're here to provide that support to get students from where they are, to that next level where they need to.”

Second chances and wanting to connect

Damayanthi Jesudason moved to the U.S. in 1996 in response to the Sri Lankan civil war. Over the years, Jesudason said she has not passed a number of English learner classes due to difficulty writing essays and understanding grammar. She said she was also identified as having a learning disability.

Her English language level has affected her regular interactions with others.

“Even when I say ‘vaccine’ at the pharmacy, they don't understand,” she said. “So it was really frustrating me, making me sad because the other person cannot understand my pronunciation. So I thought of coming to class. In that way, I can learn.”

Taking this class has been a way to improve and get closer to her goal of working with animals as a pet groomer. Jesudason recites the maxim “practice makes perfect.”

Another student who goes by the name Ryder Freeman has found it to be a safe haven, a place to make friends. Freeman moved to the U.S. in 2022 and said he is a political refugee from China.

Before taking this class, Freeman stayed home and didn’t know that many people.

“After I took this class, I met my classmates and made friends with them,” he said. “That's a big change to my life.”

This on-and-off rain is looking like good news ... for wildflower lovers.

We talked to Katie Tilford, our go-to wildflowers expert at the Theodore Payne Foundation here in L.A., which is dedicated to native plants and wildflowers in Southern California.

And she is holding out hope the rains this week and next will be just what we need to see California poppies and more bloom big in the upcoming weeks.

"A little more rain would be nice," she said, "Then I think we’ll have a really good bloom this year. Either way, I think there’s going to be some flowers for sure … but a little more rain would really just kick things up a notch.”

And as for the question we always ask this time of year … will it be a superbloom kind of year?

Only Mother Nature knows for sure. We plant nerds also know that that the term superbloom gets thrown around with regularity during wildflower season, even though it refers to very specific conditions created by a potent cocktail of early rains, cool temps, hot temps, and late rains. So, we repeat: Stay tuned.

But Tilford says she’s already seeing signs there will be plenty of wildflowers to enjoy in the coming weeks, so you might want to make a plan to get out there.

One surefire spot: the Antelope Valley California Poppy Reserve, when the poppies hit full bloom. There is a live cam to help you time your trip for the best blooms.

Another great resource is also the wildflower hotline hosted by Theodore Payne. Starting in March, it will be updated each Friday with the latest wildflower news and tips on where to see it all. Call: 818 768-1802, Ext. 7. 

An annual meeting of the nation's governors that has long served as a rare bipartisan gathering is unraveling after President Donald Trump excluded Democratic governors from White House events.

The National Governors Association said it will no longer hold a formal meeting with Trump when governors are scheduled to convene in Washington later this month, after the White House planned to invite only Republican governors. On Tuesday, 18 Democratic governors also announced they would boycott a traditional dinner at the White House.

"If the reports are true that not all governors are invited to these events, which have historically been productive and bipartisan opportunities for collaboration, we will not be attending the White House dinner this year," the Democrats wrote. "Democratic governors remain united and will never stop fighting to protect and make life better for people in our states."

Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt, a Republican who chairs the NGA, told fellow governors in a letter on Monday that the White House intended to limit invitations to the association's annual business meeting, scheduled for Feb. 20, to Republican governors only.

"Because NGA's mission is to represent all 55 governors, the Association is no longer serving as the facilitator for that event, and it is no longer included in our official program," Stitt wrote in the letter, which was obtained by The Associated Press.

The governors' group, which is scheduled to meet from Feb. 19-21, is one of the few remaining venues where political leaders from both major parties gather to discuss the top issues facing their communities. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said on Tuesday that Trump has "discretion to invite anyone he wants to the White House."

"It's the people's house," she said. "It's also the president's home, so he can invite whomever he wants to dinners and events here at the White House."

Representatives for Sitt and the NGA didn't comment on the letter. Brandon Tatum, the NGA's CEO, said in a statement last week that the White House meeting is an "important tradition" and said the organization was "disappointed in the administration's decision to make it a partisan occasion this year."

In his letter to other governors, Stitt encouraged the group to unite around common goals.

"We cannot allow one divisive action to achieve its goal of dividing us," he wrote. "The solution is not to respond in kind, but to rise above and to remain focused on our shared duty to the people we serve. America's governors have always been models of pragmatic leadership, and that example is most important when Washington grows distracted by politics."

Signs of partisan tensions emerged at the White House meeting last year, when Trump and Maine's Gov. Janet Mills traded barbs.

Trump singled out the Democratic governor over his push to bar transgender athletes from competing in girls' and women's sports, threatening to withhold federal funding from the state if she did not comply. Mills responded, "We'll see you in court."

Trump then predicted that Mills' political career would be over for opposing the order. She is now running for U.S. Senate.

The back-and-forth had a lasting impact on last year's conference and some Democratic governors did not renew their dues last year to the bipartisan group.
Copyright 2026 NPR

A booming industry that charges veterans for help in obtaining the benefits they earned through military service must shut down or dramatically change its business model in California by the end of the year under a new law Gov. Gavin Newsom signed Tuesday.

The law prohibits unaccredited private companies from billing former military service members for help with their Department of Veterans Affairs claims.

Technically, it was already illegal under federal law to charge veterans for that work, but Congress 20 years ago removed criminal penalties for violations, and scores of private companies emerged, offering to speed up and maximize benefit claims.

“We owe our veteran community a debt of gratitude — for their years of service and sacrifice," Newsom said in a written statement. "By signing this bill into law, we are ensuring veterans and service members get to keep more money in their pockets, and not line the coffers of predatory actors. We are closing this federal fraud loophole for good.”

Critics call the private companies “claim sharks” because their fees are often five times the monthly benefit increase veterans obtain after using their services. CalMatters in September, for instance, interviewed a Vietnam-era veteran who was billed $5,500 after receiving benefits that would pay him $1,100 a month.

Depending on a disability rating, a claim consulting fee under that model could easily hit $10,000 or more.

“We owe it to our veterans to stand with them and to protect them from being taken advantage of while navigating the benefits they've earned,” said Sen. Bob Archuleta, a Democrat representing Norwalk. Archuleta, a former Army officer, carried the legislation. “This is not about politics; it's about doing what's right. Making millions of dollars on the back of our veterans is wrong. They've earned their benefits. They deserve their benefits.”

California’s new law is part of a tug-of-war over how to regulate claims consulting companies. Congress for several years has been at a stalemate on whether to ban them outright, allow them to operate as they are or regulate them in some other way.

California is among 11 states that have moved to put the companies out of business, while another group of mostly Republican-led states has legalized them, according to reporting by the veteran news organization The War Horse.

That split in some ways reflects the different ways veterans themselves view the companies. The bill had overwhelming support from organizations that help veterans file benefits claims at no cost, such as the American Legion and Veterans of Foreign Wars, as well as from Democratic Party leaders, including former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi of San Francisco.

But the VA’s claims process can take months and sow uncertainty among applicants. Several of the claims consulting companies say they have helped tens of thousands of veterans across the country, and that they have hundreds of employees.

Those trends led some lawmakers to vote against the measure, including Democrats with military backgrounds.

“We're going to say to you, ‘Veteran, you know what, I don't know if you are too stupid or too vulnerable or your judgment is so poor you can't choose yourself,'” said Sen. Tom Umberg, a Democrat and former Army colonel, during a debate over the measure last month.

The new law was such a close call for lawmakers that nine of 40 senators did not vote on it when it passed that chamber last month, which counts the same as a “no” vote but avoids offending a constituency that the lawmaker wants to keep.

It was also one of the 10 most-debated measures to go before the Legislature last year, according to the CalMatters Digital Democracy database. Lawmakers spent 4 hours and 39 minutes on the bill at public hearings in 2025 and heard testimony from 99 speakers.

Two claims consulting companies spent significant sums hiring lobbyists as they fought the bill, according to state records. They were Veterans Guardian, a North Carolina-based company that spent $150,000 on California lobbyists over the past two years; and Veterans Benefit Guide, a Nevada-based company that spent $371,821 lobbying on Archuleta’s bill and a similar measure that failed in 2024.

Those companies view laws like California’s as an existential threat. Both have founders with military backgrounds. Veterans Benefit Guide sued to block New Jersey’s law prohibiting fees for veterans claim consulting, and a federal appeals court sided with the company last year.

"This was the hardest bill I’ve had to work on since I’ve been in the Legislature," said Assemblymember Pilar Schiavo, a Santa Clarita Democrat who supported the law. "We know why that is, because there was so much money on the other side."

Charlotte Autolino, who organizes job fairs for former military service members as the chairperson of the Veterans Employment Committee of San Diego, criticized Newsom’s decision to sign the law. She spoke to CalMatters on behalf of Veterans Benefit Guide.

“The veterans lose,” she said. They lose the option. You’re taking an option away from them and you’re putting all of the veterans into one box, and that to me is wrong.”

But David West, a Marine veteran who is Nevada County’s veterans service officer, commended Newsom. West was one of the main advocates for the new law.

“The veterans of California are going to know that when (Newsom) says he’s taking care of everybody, he’s including us; that he values those 18- and 19-year-olds who are raising their hands, writing a blank check in the form of their lives; to then ensure that they aren’t writing checks to access their benefits,” West said.

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