The Brief

Republican State Assemblyman Carl DeMaio is seeking to distance the voter ID measure Californians will see on their November ballot from President Donald Trump’s efforts to restrict voting at the federal level. During a Monday night speech at the Orange County GOP Central Committee meeting, DeMaio said the ballot measure, Proposition 39, is “not the same” as the failed federal SAVE Act, which would have required proof of U.S. citizenship when registering to vote.

Speaking to dozens of O.C. Republican leaders, DeMaio acknowledged Californians’ overwhelming embrace of mail-in voting, calling Prop. 39 a “bipartisan solution that keeps mail ballots, so that voting is convenient, but improves trust and confidence by requiring an ID to vote.”

What would Prop. 39 do?

• Prop. 39 would change California’s constitution to require voters to provide a government-issued ID when they cast a ballot.
• Mail-in voters would have to include the last four digits of that ID on the ballot envelope.
• The measure would also require election officials to use “best efforts,” using government data, to verify that voters on registration rolls are U.S. citizens, and to report annually the percentage verified.

Reaction to the ballot initiative

Supporters note that nationwide polling has shown widespread support for voter ID across political parties. They also say using a voter’s signature on their mail-in ballot to verify identity, as California currently does, delays election results and causes some valid voters to have their ballots rejected.

Opponents of Prop. 39 say the initiative feeds into President Trump’s claims of widespread election fraud, which they say are false. Opponents also say the measure would make voting more burdensome and expensive, while opening up mail voters to potential identity theft.

How Prop. 39 is being pitched to voters

The latest polling on Prop. 39 suggests it could face an uphill battle in November.

Registered Republicans make up only about one-quarter of California’s electorate, which means Prop. 39 will need significant support from Democrats and independent voters to pass.

A recent poll from the Public Policy Institute of California found a sharp partisan divide in interest in Prop. 39, with a majority (52%) of Republican voters saying it was the ballot measure that most interested them compared to just 7% of Democrats and 23% of independent voters.

In an effort to appeal to the state’s liberal majority, DeMaio and his Reform California PAC recently launched an ad campaign aimed at persuading Trump foes that Prop 39 is unrelated to the president’s efforts to curb mail-in voting and implement stringent checks for U.S. citizenship.

“Can you dislike Trump and still vote ‘yes’ on Prop 39 for voter ID?” a voice in the ad asks. “Yes, you can.”

During his speech Monday, DeMaio said Prop. 39 would boost confidence in elections “whether you think voter fraud is a big problem or a small problem.”

In a subsequent interview with LAist, DeMaio said he thinks voter fraud is a problem. “ How much fraud is hard to prove because we're not looking for it; we don't have internal controls,” he said.

Trump has claimed that large numbers of noncitizens are voting. In California, a handful of recent cases have made headlines. But nationwide efforts to find and prosecute noncitizen voters have thus far turned up few culprits.

The Texas example

Julia Gomez, a senior staff attorney with the ACLU of Southern California, which opposes Prop. 39, blamed the decrease in voter confidence on the “chaos” sowed by people including Trump and DeMaio in questioning the integrity of elections with scant evidence of fraud.

“The way we build trust in elections is not by adding more hurdles to voting, which the data shows will disenfranchise voters every election, but by educating voters, by not lying to voters about what is and isn't a problem,” she said.

Gomez pointed to Texas as a cautionary tale about the potential consequences of adding an ID requirement to mail-in voting: After Texas passed a similar requirement in 2021, a large percentage (14%) of mail-in ballots were rejected, according to a study last year from the Brennan Center for Justice at New York University School of Law.

The study found that non-white voters were more likely to have their ballots rejected. Also, many of those voters stopped casting ballots in subsequent elections.

Gather the Rebel Alliance — the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art is officially open to the public in Exposition Park.

The 300,000-square-foot building, sitting on a 13-acre campus in the South L.A. neighborhood, is an ode to the universal tradition of visual storytelling, according to museum officials.

Co-founded by George Lucas and Mellody Hobson, the exhibitions highlight centuries of human culture — ancient sculptures, Renaissance paintings, myths of the American West, photography, fantasy and everyday life, to name a few. There are also plenty of cinema moments for Star Wars fans, of course.

Visitors burst through the doors Tuesday, spilling into the more than 30 galleries, pair of theatres, public park, library and the museum’s full-service restaurant, the Skywalker Grill.

Keenan Wayne Jones Jr., a director in career services at Otis College of Art and Design, was among the earliest guests in the galleries Tuesday. He told LAist that “emotionally invoking” was the first thought that came to mind in the museum, and that he’s already planning the next trip back.

“ There are students all around right now, and they are enthralled. Just seeing their faces light up and seeing that artistic expression being evoked to them is a really cool part of my job,” he said. “Words can't even encompass what it looks like; you have to see it in person.”

Inside the grand opening

At a packed press event ahead of the opening, Hobson said the museum is our building — all the staff who work there, all the construction workers who built it and the entire community across the city.

“It is our gift to you because it belongs to all of us,” she said. “And so we say welcome home.”

Founders Mellody Hobson and George Lucas greet guests on opening day. Hobson was wearing a jacket with "Lucas 26" on the back.

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George Lucas and Mellody Hobson, co-founders of the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art, speaking to a packed press event on Tuesday, Sept. 22.

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Founders Mellody Hobson and George Lucas speak onstage during the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art's opening day Tuesday.

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In the Norman "Rockwell" exhibition, named for the famous artist whose work the museum includes, L.A. artist Shiloh Williams said he was “incredibly impressed” by the breadth of the collection.

“There's also other artists' work who were inspired by Norman Rockwell in here too, which I thought was really nice,” Williams said. “They have them right next to his stuff, so it's kinda like you can see the inspiration through each generation and subsequent generation which … I would love to have in my own work.”

Keenan Wayne Jones Jr. and Shiloh Williams in the "rockwell" exhibition.

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The Lucas Museum features more than 30 exhibitions across several floors.

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Film students from Lucas' alma mater, USC, were also filtering the space, including Kc Donaldson-Werblin and Nathan Phillips. Donaldson-Werblin said it was cool to see the evolution of the concept art in the cinema exhibition, which includes Star Wars.

“ There's stories in all this art, but there's also a story in the process from concept to finalized thing,” Donaldson-Werblin said. “We're starting where [George Lucas] started from, basically. And it's just very cool to see we have so much time.”

Phillips said they were the first people out of the elevator, but the exhibitions still felt full.

“There's so much art here and so much to appreciate,” Phillips said. “I already know I'm gonna be back here a couple more times 'cause, like, there's no way to intake all of this at one time.”

USC film students were among the first guests filtering through the museum Tuesday, including Nathan Phillips and Kc Donaldson-Werblin.

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The "murals" exhibition on the fifth floor features large-scale public works of art.

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Ryan Linkof,  senior curator and head of film programs, told LAist museums only make sense when people are in them. He described the opening as an exhilarating moment that’s been years in the making.

“ I think as an Angeleno … to see something of this scale and to see the amount of investment that was made in this city is just really, really special,” he said. “I feel like it's deserved as well because Los Angeles is, in so many ways, a cultural capital, and this is the spiritual home for narrative art.”

How we got here

It’s a big year for Exposition Park with the Lucas Museum’s grand opening and the California Science Center’s major expansion not far behind this fall.

But why South L.A.?

The museum offers several places to sit and take in the surroundings.

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The curved building, designed by Ma Yansong of MAD with Stantec, offers views of the downtown Los Angeles skyline and neighboring Exposition Park museums.

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The site was selected in 2017 because of its location — there are hundreds of schools in the area and more than half a million people living within a three-mile radius of the park, according to museum officials. They said Exposition Park is also among the top tourist destinations in Southern California between its museums, the L.A. Memorial Coliseum, BMO Stadium and EXPO Center.

“ It really is an asset for this community, but also for Los Angeles, and then really for the world,” Linkof said. “ So to bring all these eyes on Expo Park in South L.A. is really part of the mission of the project in many ways.”

But the Lucas Museum wasn’t originally destined for California — it was supposed to be built in Chicago.

That was scrapped in 2015 due to a “disagreement” over the site, according to museum officials. A parks preservation group filed a lawsuit, which effectively pushed the project out of the Windy City, as reported by WTTW.

However, Hobson said at a media preview earlier this month that they believe Exposition Park is where “we were always meant to be.”

Guests were greeted by a familiar character Tuesday: R2-D2 of Star Wars with a Lucas Museum staff lanyard.

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How to see it for yourself

• Where: One Lucas Plaza, Exposition Park, Los Angeles
• When: 
  
  • 10 a.m. - 5 p.m. on Mondays, Wednesdays and Thursdays
  • 10 a.m. - 9 p.m. on Fridays
  • 9 a.m. - 9 p.m. on Saturdays
  • 9 a.m. - 5 p.m. on Sundays
  • Closed Tuesdays
• Tickets: All tickets are timed entry. Tickets are $25 for adults and $21 for those 65 and older. Children 17 and under, members and active-duty military have free entry. Museum neighbors in the LM37 program also have free entry.
• Park and Gardens: Free and open to the public
• Skywalker Grill: You can make a reservation here (no museum ticket required)

California Attorney General Rob Bonta defended his settlement of an antitrust challenge to Paramount's $111 billion takeover of Warner Bros. Discovery on Tuesday, denying that pressure to keep the company in Hollywood drove the timing of the agreement.

Paramount had reportedly considered moving operations out of California as the legal battle continued. Asked on Morning Edition how much that possibility factored into the timing, Bonta said, "Not at all. We focused on our antitrust concerns in this case."

Bonta had sounded more ambivalent a day earlier, stressing that the settlement was "not a vote of support for this merger" even as he called it the "best course of action." On Tuesday, he was less equivocal: "We were making demands, and we were requiring that there be certain conditions and commitments," he said.

The settlement, which still needs a judge's approval, would resolve a lawsuit filed by 12 states to block the merger, a major legal obstacle to the deal. It also creates an editorial board intended to protect the independence of CNN and CBS News. It's one of the more closely watched provisions in the agreement.

"The state of California will have no input in it. No government entity will have any input into it," Bonta said. "It will consist of seasoned, experienced, hopefully trusted journalists who know the craft and know the need for independence and objectivity and fairness."

Bonta said the standards that would determine whether the people selected to the board meet the settlement requirements were negotiated as part of the settlement and were designed to keep the board independent. He also said an auditor would monitor compliance and that the states could return to court if Paramount failed to follow the consent decree.

The agreement has not quieted its critics. Connecticut Attorney General William Tong said his state had pushed for the full divestiture of CNN and CBS News and was "deeply disappointed" the settlement did not go further. Others say it does too little to address media consolidation, potential job losses and whether the new editorial safeguards will hold.

Listen to the full interview by clicking the blue button above.

The digital story was edited by Suzanne Nuyen, with contributions from David Folkenflik.
Copyright 2026 NPR

As a potentially historic El Niño continues to build, Gov. Gavin Newsom proclaimed a state of emergency on Monday ahead of winter storms and high tides that could wreak havoc on the state.

Forecasters predict that much of California could have above-average precipitation and temperatures this winter. The potential storms could pile on top of El Niño-induced higher sea levels and record-high king tides.

As a result, Newsom is directing state agencies to begin preparing vulnerable communities and roads, stage emergency supplies and work in at-risk areas to reduce flooding potential. He has also directed state agencies to fast-track permitting and cut red tape to ready the state for El Niño effects.

Cars drive on Highway 101 flooded by the “King Tides” on Saturday, Jan. 3, 2026, near Corte Madera in Marin County, California.

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“We are preparing for this El Niño early because every Californian deserves to be safe in their home, connected to their community, and protected when severe weather comes,” Newsom said in a statement.

El Niño forms when tropical trade winds weaken or reverse, allowing warm ocean water near Asia to slosh toward the Pacific Coast. That warming can reshape the jet stream and bring stormier weather across California while disrupting the ocean’s nutrient-rich upwelling, heating coastal waters, raising sea levels and stressing marine life.

National forecasters with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration report that the natural climate phenomenon is strengthening, with a greater than 90% chance of a very strong event and a 75% chance of a historic event this fall and winter.

Exactly what the weather will look like this fall and winter is — quite literally — still up in the air. But similar events in past El Niño years have brought torrential downpours, coastal flooding, mudslides, power outages and giant waves.

“Climate-driven El Niño conditions could mean months of dangerous weather, heavy rain, strong winds, deep mountain snow, flooding, and Californians should understand this clearly,” said Caroline Thomas Jacobs, director of the California Office of Emergency Services. “Storms are among the deadliest disasters we face here in California, and one of the greatest dangers is still people underestimating the power of water.”

To prepare for what might happen, the emergency proclamation mobilizes resources in support of the state’s flood-risk-reduction efforts. The California Department of Water Resources has staged 4.4 million sandbags, 400,000 tons of rock, 68 stockpile locations, eight warehouses and 211 flood material containers across the state. State leaders have not yet put a price tag on the flood work.

Laura Hollender, deputy director of the Department of Water Resources, stressed that Bay Area counties, like Marin, that deal with flooding issues should alert the public as soon as possible about the risk because “even without storms” coastal areas may see flooding this winter.

“I think early messaging and early preparation for those communities is going to be really important this year,” Hollender said.

Caltrans will also place traffic-control, road-closure and snow-removal equipment along the highways most at risk. The California National Guard will also be ready for things like flood response and search-and-rescue operations.

Plastic sheeting and sandbags are placed outside a home along Golden Hind Passage, as residents prepare for potential king tide flooding, in Corte Madera, on June 15, 2026.

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State agencies are also preparing for the adverse effects of too much precipitation, flooding, landslides and debris flows by fast-tracking permitting and identifying other ways to cut red tape.

“The emergency order is very clear that we are to exercise whatever emergency authorities we have and our entities within our agencies have to enable this work to happen quickly and efficiently to be in place for when this fall weather could come this winter,” said Wade Crowfoot, California Secretary of Natural Resources.

Newsom’s order also directs the Governor’s Office of Emergency Services to expand multilingual messaging about preparedness, power outages, extreme weather, evacuation and alerts.

State leaders are also prepared to ask the federal government for assistance if needed.

“We remain hopeful that they will be responsive when we do have the need, if we were to get an incident that rose to the level of needing a federal declaration,” Thomas Jacobs said.