The Brief

Gov. Gavin Newsom vetoed a bill that would have tightened rules on how police in California use automated license plate readers, saying the regulations would impede criminal investigations.

The Legislature approved the proposal last month amid reports police were misusing the data, including a CalMatters story in June showing that officers on more than 100 occasions violated a state law against sharing the data with federal authorities and others outside the state.

The veto comes as new CalMatters reporting shows Riverside County Sheriff’s deputies appear to have violated internal policy by not documenting why they tracked certain license plates.

In his veto message this week, Newsom cited examples of how the proposed restrictions, which would have required police to better document their searches and delete some of their data within two months, could stymie police work.

“For example,” he wrote, “it may not be apparent, particularly with respect to cold cases, that license plate data is needed to solve a crime until after the 60-day retention period has elapsed.”

But evidence is growing that the technology is being misused. Records newly reviewed by CalMatters indicate that Riverside County Sheriff’s deputies are misusing “hotlists” that allow them to automatically monitor for certain cars.

The measure vetoed by the governor, Senate Bill 274, would have limited the kinds of license plate monitoring lists agencies can use to those related to missing persons or license plate lists maintained by the National Crime Information Center or California Department of Justice. It also would have required data security and privacy training for officers who use the tech and force them to document which specific case or task force work a search is related to.

The bill also would have required agencies to delete some collected data within 60 days and instructed the state Department of Justice to perform random audits of how license plate technology is used.

The proposal drew opposition from nearly 30 law enforcement agencies and associations, including the Riverside County Sheriff’s Office and the California Police Chiefs Association. The Riverside County Sheriff’s Office opposed the bill because a requirement to delete data after two months could ”mean the difference between solving a murder and letting a killer walk free,” according to a letter written by Sheriff Chad Bianco, a Republican candidate for governor.

Automated license plate readers can assist criminal investigations or help find stolen cars or missing people, but they can also make errors that lead to false arrests, or enable misuse for personal reasons.

A database of license plate lists from July to August reviewed by CalMatters shows that the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department, which has a network of more than 500 cameras, maintained hundreds of custom license plate lists from July to August, adding more than 700 plates to the lists in that time. Close to 100 of the plates tracked in lists were added using vague justifications, which makes it difficult to verify if deputies complied with laws and policies around use of the technology. Under department policy, tracking lists must include, among other things, “specific incident details.”

It’s not clear if deputies properly shared all hotlists with supervisors. Some have names that contain words like “personal” or “private.” A total of 32 of them have access permissions limiting alerts of a plate sighting to a single user. Riverside County Sheriff’s office automated license plate reader policy states that “no user shall create a custom hot list accessible only to themselves.”

A spokesperson for the Riverside County Sheriff’s Office wrote in an email that it is common practice for deputies to create personal hotlists tracking license plates and that all deputies are able to create such lists. Asked about vague justifications attached to some lists, they wrote, “These entries are related to criminal investigations.” The Riverside County Sheriff's Office did not respond to questions about whether some deputy hotlists violated policy.

The database shows that deputies have several practices that would have been outlawed had Newsom signed the bill to further regulate license plate readers.

In the Riverside license plate hotlist data examined by CalMatters, over 90% of the license plate entries added to tracking in July and August left the case field blank, which would have been prohibited under the bill.

Last month, Briana Ortega filed a lawsuit against the Riverside County Sheriff’s Office, Bianco and Deputy Eric Piscatella. Ortega alleges that after she met Piscatella at a festival in Coachella in September 2023, he stalked her in order to pursue a romantic relationship with her by illegally obtaining her phone number and address through a sheriff’s office database, then repeatedly running her license plate through Riverside County Sheriff’s Office and state database without legal cause. Piscatella pled guilty to seven counts of misusing sheriff’s department databases in July.

It’s unclear whether automated license plate readers played a role in Piscatella’s misconduct.

When asked if Piscatella used ALPR to track Ortega’s whereabouts before the misconduct came to light, a department spokesperson told CalMatters the "information is part of an ongoing investigation.”

Police in other states have misused license plate readers. Earlier this year in Florida, a police officer was accused by police investigators of using automated license plate readers to stalk his girlfriend for seven months. Last year, a Kansas police chief resigned after a state commission said he used the tech to track an ex-girlfriend. Another Kansas police officer was arrested for allegedly using license plate readers to stalk his estranged wife.

Police and sheriff’s departments have a history of violating other laws by using license plate readers. A CalMatters investigation in June found that roughly a dozen law enforcement agencies throughout Southern California shared data with federal immigration agencies like Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the Border Patrol, a violation of a California law that went into effect 10 years ago. That same log had tens of thousands of searches with no clear justification.

Records requests by groups including the American Civil Liberties Union and the Electronic Frontier Foundation in 2023 found that 71 law enforcement agencies violated the state law against sharing license plate reader data with out-of-state agencies and the federal government. In the wake of those findings, Attorney General Rob Bonta issued an advisory to police with specific guidance on how to comply with the law.

Since 2024, Bonta’s office has sent letters to 18 law enforcement agencies across California for possible violations of state law, from sheriff’s offices in Contra Costa and Sacramento County in Northern California to the Riverside County Sheriff’s Office andthe El Cajon Police Department in San Diego County. Bonta filed a lawsuit against the city of El Cajon on Friday alleging that the El Cajon Police Department repeatedly shared license plate reader data with law enforcement agencies in 26 states.

“This technology is ungovernable, given the number of agencies, interests and impossibility of true compliance enforcement,” said UC San Diego associate professor Lilly Irani in response to the veto.

Irani is part of the steering committee for TRUST SD Coalition, a group of more than 30 organizations that’s pressuring the city of San Diego to end use of automated license plate readers.

The popularity of license plate readers among law enforcement agencies isn’t keeping up with the necessary civil liberty and privacy protections, said Pedro Rios, director of the American Friends Service Committee’s U.S.-Mexico Border Program, a group that opposes how surveillance tech impacts migrant communities in places like El Cajon. He thinks the governor missed an opportunity to have random audits of police departments to ensure compliance with existing law and protect against abuse of power.

“If there is any misuse, how can we be sure that that type of misuse or recent practices aren't repeated if the agencies that are using them aren't being held accountable?” he said.

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

TEL AVIV, Israel — Israel and the U.S. have launched what Israel describes as a preemptive military strike against Iran, amid weeks of escalating tensions and heightened U.S. military presence in the region.

A person briefed on the operation told NPR the strike is being conducted jointly with the U.S. There was no immediate U.S. comment about the strikes.

Iranian government media report rocket fire in parts of the capital, Tehran. State television has broadcast footage showing smoke rising after a blast in the city. The extent of the damage and potential casualties has not yet been confirmed.

Air raid sirens sounded across Israel at approximately 8:15 a.m. local time, warning civilians to prepare to enter bomb shelters.

In an official statement, Israel's Defense Minister Israel Katz described the operation as a preemptive action aimed at neutralizing threats against Israel.

"As a result, a missile and drone attack against the State of Israel and its civilian population is expected in the immediate future."

He stated that missile and drone attacks from Iran were expected imminently. A 48-hour state of emergency has been declared nationwide.

Israel has closed its airspace to all passenger flights, and civil defense protocols have been activated. Regional military forces remain on high alert.

The strike follows weeks of speculation about potential military action against Iran, particularly amid a significant U.S. military buildup in the Middle East.

This is a developing story and will be updated.

Copyright 2026 NPR

Facing a multi-million-dollar budget shortfall for the upcoming school year, Pasadena Unified's school board voted unanimously this week to finalize a plan to send layoff notices to more than 160 staff members as part of an effort to balance its budget that began last fall.

The district has maintained that the job reductions are necessary because of a $30 million budget deficit, part of a financial crisis made worse by the Eaton Fire.

California schools must notify employees about potential layoffs for the following school year by March 15. The number of current employees who will be out of a job next year is still unclear, in part, because people may be reassigned to vacant positions. In the past, PUSD has also rescinded some layoff notices before they took effect.

Parents, teachers and union leaders at the Thursday meeting criticized the district for targeting teachers and school staff for layoffs instead of administrative positions.

“ Teaching for PUSD means anxiety every March as it approaches, because we don't know if we're going to get to keep our job or not,” said Genevieve Miller, a PUSD teacher who said her children also graduated from the district. “ There's a different way forward.”

Board members acknowledged the decision they made was difficult.

“ I just want to be very clear that this is not the outcome that anybody prefers,” Board member Yarma Velázquez said. “Workforce reductions and the continuous, year after year position of being in this place where we have to reduce positions is draining and it is painful.

“I am very aware of what the implications are for all of the people that work here at PUSD.”

The board meeting

At the meeting, which started at 4 p.m. and nearly lasted until midnight, parents highlighted the potential of families and teachers choosing to leave the district because of the layoffs.

“ Right now, the [PUSD] community is in fight mode, as you can see from the turnout and other comments being made here tonight,” said parent Neil Tyler. “But if you approve these resolutions as proposed tonight, a large chunk of the community will quickly shift to flight mode and the death spiral of this district will begin.”

Jonathan Gardner, president of United Teachers of Pasadena, told the board that the cuts meant the district would lose dozens of middle and high school teachers and child development staff.

“ The best thing for kids and staff is always stability and making sure that we have full staff,” Gardner said. “The priorities should be working from the student experience out. Instead, what we see is millions and millions of dollars being spent on contracted services and millions and millions being spent on extra staffing at the central office.”

Speakers also noted that Pasadena Unified had endured years of budget cuts, which affected teachers, librarians and office staff.

Others said PUSD was failing to meet its requirement under California law to commit at least 55% of the district’s education expenses to teacher salaries.

LAist reached out to the district for comment on this but has not yet received a response.

Pasadena Unified board members said the cuts were necessary, especially after warnings from regulators that they could be out of compliance with requirements to balance the budget.

“For the sake of the district's solvency, I feel like it would be irresponsible if I took an action that put this district in jeopardy,” board member Michelle Bailey said Thursday night. “I can't in good conscience take that kind of action.”

About the budget issues

Concerns over declining enrollment numbers, which are tied to funding, have been growing since the Eaton Fire.

A report commissioned by a state agency recommended that the state increase its funding for the school system to help with fire recovery.

Some observers said Pasadena Unified’s budget issues date back much longer than that.

“Over the past 30 years, Pasadena Unified has faced a mounting fiscal calamity, one that you can no longer ignore or postpone,” Octavio Castelo, director of business advisory services for the Los Angeles County Office of Education, told Pasadena Unified’s board in November. “Despite your best efforts and intentions, the district has not been able to live within its means."

Cutting staff will likely mean losing some school programs, including language and music.

“ You have Mary Jackson [Elementary in Altadena] — it's a science magnet school, and they're cutting the science teacher,” Gardner, the teacher’s union president, told LAist. “That's the heart of the school.”

What happens next

The layoff notices are expected to be sent to affected staff members by mid-March.

The district will have until summer to finalize the list.

K-12 education reporter Mariana Dale contributed reporting.

The Los Angeles Unified School Board voted unanimously Friday to place Superintendent Alberto Carvalho on paid administrative leave pending the outcome of an investigation.

The FBI searched Carvalho’s home and district offices Wednesday. A DOJ spokesperson said the agency had a court-authorized warrant but declined to provide additional details. The FBI told LAist media partner CBS LA that the underlying affidavit remained under court-ordered seal.

The board also appointed current Chief of School Operations Andres Chait as acting superintendent after the seven-hour closed meeting Thursday and Friday.

“I know that this is a very challenging time,” said Board President Scott Schmerelson in a brief public statement after the decision was announced. “I want you to know that the board believes in you, supports you and knows that you will continue to do your very best to support the students and families of the district.”

Schmerelson clarified in an email to LAist that he was referring to Chait. The seven-member board exited the meeting room without taking questions. Carvalho was not present and has not made a public statement since the searches Wednesday.

The district posted a statement online later in which Schmerelson wrote that “today’s action is aimed at fulfilling our promise to students and families to provide an excellent public education without distraction.”

The board’s decision provided clarity about district leadership but did not shed light on the reason for the searches, which have been the subject of widespread speculation.

“While we understand the need for information, we cannot discuss the specifics of this matter pending investigation,” read the district’s statement.

Who is the acting superintendent?

Chait has worked for the district for nearly three decades. The chief of school operations’ responsibilities are varied and include athletics, the district’s office of emergency management and staff investigations. Chait has presented to the board on everything from school safety to the cell phone ban and the district’s calendar.

Chief of School Operations Andres Chait has worked for LAUSD for nearly three decades.

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Courtesy of Los Angeles Unified School District

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“I am humbled by the board’s confidence in appointing me to serve as acting superintendent during this critical time," Chait said in the district’s statement. "Our focus remains clear: to ensure stability, continuity and strong leadership for our students, families and employees."

What we know about AllHere, LAUSD’s AI tool

A spokesperson for the FBI in Miami confirmed Wednesday’s L.A. searches are linked to a search of a South Florida home the same day. That property, identified by local media outlets, belongs to Debra Kerr, who was associated with the company LAUSD contracted to create a short-lived AI tool called AllHere.

Federal authorities have not connected AllHere to this week’s investigation.

Los Angeles Unified approved a $6.2 million contract with AllHere in June 2023 to develop a tool that would create an “individual acceleration plan,” using district data and featuring an artificial intelligence chatbot.

LAUSD debuted “Ed” the following March as a "personal assistant" to students that would point them toward mental health resources and nudge students who were falling behind.

Within three months of its debut, the company behind Ed, AllHere, furloughed the bulk of its staff; its CEO was later charged with fraud. The district defended the process it used to debut that chatbot, which cost $3 million.

Parents and educators demanded transparency after the district shut down the chatbot.

Many questions remain

The federal investigation comes at a time when LAUSD is financially strained, cutting hundreds of jobs and facing pressure from the district’s largest labor unions to settle new contracts.

SEIU Local 99, which represents school support staff and United Teachers Los Angeles (UTLA) have issued statements calling on the district to clearly communicate about the status of the superintendent and the investigation.

"UTLA educators and our school communities have long raised concerns about LAUSD rapidly increasing spending on education tech and outside contractors, while investment in classrooms and educators has declined,” UTLA wrote in a statement provided to LAist.

Carvalho has been superintendent of LAUSD since 2022, and the board unanimously renewed his contract in 2025. Prior to coming to L.A., Carvalho had worked for the Miami-Dade County school district for decades, 30 years as a teacher and the last 14 years as the district's supervisor.

Carvalho's time at LAUSD has included a number of wins for the district, including gains in test scores and participation in AP classes.