Student researchers at a laboratory in Menlo Park, on Jan. 29, 2024.
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Beth LaBerge
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KQED
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Topline:
Democratic lawmakers on Wednesday announced an ambitious effort for California to make up for billions of dollars the Trump administration is seeking to cut from scientific and medical research, which critics say threatens American innovation and health.
More details: The proposal, SB 607, would ask state voters in November 2026 to authorize the issuance of bonds for $23 billion. That ballot measure would create and fund the California Foundation for Science and Health Research to continue developing cures for cancer, Alzheimer’s, diabetes and other diseases, as well as discoveries in climate science, wildfire prevention, pandemic preparedness and other fields.
Why it matters: The University of California estimates it could lose a significant portion of the roughly $5.7 billion in federal research and program support dollars it receives annually. The Trump administration has already taken steps to freeze about $584 million of that funding at UCLA, though a judge ordered the government last month to restore some of the grants.
Read on... for more information about the proposal.
Democratic lawmakers on Wednesday announced an ambitious effort for California to make up for billions of dollars the Trump administration is seeking to cut from scientific and medical research, which critics say threatens American innovation and health.
The proposal, SB 607, would ask state voters in November 2026 to authorize the issuance of bonds for $23 billion. That ballot measure would create and fund the California Foundation for Science and Health Research to continue developing cures for cancer, Alzheimer’s, diabetes and other diseases, as well as discoveries in climate science, wildfire prevention, pandemic preparedness and other fields.
The federal government has historically been one of the biggest funders of scientific research in California and other states.
But the Trump administration has proposed slashing more than $27 billion in funds to the National Institutes of Health, National Science Foundation, NASA and the Department of Energy’s Office of Science.
“What we’re seeing now at the federal level is nothing short of horrifying. …. Science has been one of the pillars of American prosperity,” said state Sen. Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco), who introduced SB 607 with Assemblymember José Luis Solache Jr. (D-Lynwood).
The UCLA campus in Los Angeles on Feb. 18, 2022.
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Raquel Natalicchio
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CalMatters
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“California needs to lead, and we are already a leader on science,” Wiener said. “We should double and triple down on that leadership and make California the absolute global epicenter of scientific research and discovery.”
The University of California estimates it could lose a significant portion of the roughly $5.7 billion in federal research and program support dollars it receives annually. The Trump administration has already taken steps to freeze about $584 million of that funding at UCLA, though a judge ordered the government last month to restore some of the grants.
The federal government has said that some of the research projects targeted for funding cuts are no longer priorities. At other times, the administration has used funding freezes to pressure universities to change their policies and practices on admissions, sports, transgender issues and other areas over allegations of antisemitism and civil rights violations — as in the case of UCLA.
Dr. David Shackelford, a professor at the UCLA School of Medicine, said the work he leads to find new treatments for lung cancer has been suspended since the federal government halted about $8 million for his laboratory.
“The impacts have been incredibly devastating, and this is really hurting patients ultimately,” said Shackelford, one of the scientists who spoke in support of SB 607 during a press conference. “This bill is a lifeline for us to continue this outstanding research that really California leads the way in.”
If voters approve the bond measure, the California Foundation for Science and Health Research would provide grants and loans to UC, CSU and other California universities as well as public and private institutions, giving priority to established research projects that the Trump administration defunded. Strict fiscal accountability standards would rule the foundation’s operations, including annual independent audits and public disclosure of all funding allocations, according to SB 607.
A previous bill introduced by Wiener, which would have funded scientific research with dollars from the state budget, died in the Legislature due to cost concerns.
Graduate student researcher Elaine Huang said nearly all the funding dried up for the laboratory where she searches for new Alzheimer’s therapeutics. The loss of funding could undo years of work, and many of her fellow scientists might lose their jobs, she said.
“I’m feeling really uncertain about my future as a scientist in this country. And I know many of my colleagues feel this sentiment as well,” Huang said. “If we can come together and pass [SB 607], we can really keep the light of progress from going dark.”
State bonds, a way for California to borrow money from investors in exchange for repayment with interest, are typically used to pay for infrastructure projects such as bridges and roads. But California voters have approved the issuance of bonds for other uses, including a 2004 measure that funded a stem cell and gene therapy research agency, the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine.
Frank Stoltze
is a veteran reporter who covers local politics and examines how democracy is and, at times, is not working.
Published December 23, 2025 3:33 PM
Acting U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli (center) speaks at a press conference Oct. 8 in Los Angeles.
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Mario Tama
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Getty Images
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Topline:
A federal grand jury Tuesday returned a six-count indictment against four members of a group described as “far-left, anti-capitalist and anti-government” that allegedly plotted to set off bombs in Southern California on New Year’s Eve.
The details: According to the indictment, the defendants are part of the Turtle Island Liberation Front, or TILF.
In November, one of the members allegedly drafted an eight-page, handwritten document titled “Operation Midnight Sun” that described a bombing plot targeting technology and logistics companies across Southern California on New Year’s Eve, according to prosecutors.
Another group member is accused of sending two others a message that read: “death to israel death to the usa death to colonizers death to settler-coloniasm [sic].”
Other targets: The defendants also planned to target U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents and vehicles with firearms and pipe bombs to “take some of them out and scare the rest of them,” according to the indictment.
The defendants:
Audrey Illeene Carroll, 30, a.k.a. “Asiginaak,” and “Black Moon,” of South Los Angeles;
Zachary Aaron Page, 32, a.k.a. “AK,” “Ash Kerrigan,” and “Cthulu’s Daughter,” of Torrance;
Dante James Anthony-Gaffield, 24, a.k.a. “Nomad,” of South Los Angeles; and
Tina Lai, 41, a.k.a. “Kickwhere,” of Glendale.
All are being held in federal custody without bond. Each is charged with one count of providing and attempting to provide material support to terrorists and one count of possession of unregistered firearms.
If convicted, Carroll and Page could be sentenced to life in federal prison. Gaffield and Lai would face at least 25 years in federal prison.
Reached for comment, an attorney for Lai said only that she would plead not guilty to the charges early next month. Attorneys for Carroll and Gaffield did not immediately respond to emailed requests for comment.
LAist was not immediately able to identify an attorney for Page.
What’s next: Arraignment is set for Jan. 5 in U.S. District Court.
Destiny Torres
is LAist's general assignment and digital equity reporter.
Published December 23, 2025 3:09 PM
In June, the O.C. Board of Supervisors approved a 25% pay hike, increasing their salaries by about $49,000.
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Brian Feinzimer
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LAist
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Topline:
The Orange County Grand Jury released a scathing report Monday that accused the county supervisors of undermining the public’s trust when they granted themselves a 25% pay increase.
Background: The Orange County Board of Supervisors approved a 25% pay hike in June 2025, raising their salaries to a level higher than that of the California governor. Previously, supervisors were set to earn 80% of a Superior Court judge’s salary, but the board voted to change that to 100% match a judge’s salary. With the pay hike, they now make at least $244,000.
Why it matters: The pay hike came just after former Supervisor Andrew Do was sentenced to five years in federal prison. Do pleaded guilty to a felony bribery charge in October 2024 for accepting more than $550,000 in bribes. The county itself is also financially in hot water following the Airport Fire, which has racked up hundreds of millions of dollars in damage claims against the county.
Read on … for more on the Grand Jury’s findings.
The Orange County Board of Supervisors “undermined” the public’s trust when they granted themselves a 25% pay increase, according to the latest OC Grand Jury report released on Monday.
Since 2005, supervisors were set to make 80% of a Superior Court judge’s salary. That changed in June, when the board approved a 25% pay hike, increasing their salaries by about $49,000 to at least $244,000.
The pay increase raised eyebrows over the summer, sparking the Grand Jury investigation. A Grand Jury is a panel of citizens who investigate local government and public agencies. Members serve one year and look into several issues during that time.
It came just weeks after former Supervisor Andrew Do was sentenced to five years in federal prison for accepting more than $550,000 in bribes. The county itself is also financially in hot water following the Airport Fire, which has racked up hundreds of millions of dollars in damage claims against the county.
“The timing was especially troubling as the County of Orange (County) has been facing hiring freezes and budget constraints,” the Grand Jury reported. “This decision was not only tone-deaf — it reflected a deeper disconnect from the Board’s duty to serve the public with transparency and fiscal responsibility.”
What does the Grand Jury say?
The Grand Jury questioned how the item was presented to the public and whether it was purposefully buried within the county budget agenda item.
“The Board added their salary increase into the $10.8 billion 2025-2026 Orange County Annual Budget adoption process. This resulted in a minimal description in the agenda and minimal opportunity for citizen input,” the Grand Jury reported. “Therefore, the Grand Jury investigated: why did they want to conceal their salary increase, was it warranted at this time and who initiated it?”
The board’s vote, the Grand Jury stated, signifies that the board prioritizes personal gain over accountability and public trust.
“Elected officials are entrusted to serve, not to enrich themselves. When this happens, the foundation of representative democracy is undermined,” the Grand Jury said. “The people of Orange County deserve better, and the people must demand it.”
How are officials responding?
OC Supervisor Katrina Foley — the lone dissenting vote on the raises — said she was not surprised by the Grand Jury’s findings.
“I think most people felt that it was poor form for that to happen at that time, and given our current economic instability due to what's happening at the federal and the state level,” Foley told LAist.
Following the criticism, Supervisors Vicente Sarmiento and Doug Chaffee said they would donate their increased pay to charity.
“I am open to considering the recommendations in the report for changes to the pay ordinance and how future increases are approved, and I have been open to reconsidering the pay increase,” Sarmiento said in a statement.
A county spokesperson and Supervisor Don Wagner declined to comment. Supervisor Doug Chaffee and Janet Nguyen did not respond to LAist’s request for comment.
What’s next?
The report made a handful of recommendations, including that the board rescind the pay raise and salary changes by next March “to restore institutional trust and demonstrate a genuine commitment to transparency and accountability.”
It also recommends that the board adopt procedures for proposing, reviewing and approving future supervisor salary changes that include public hearings.
The county has 90 days from the release of the report to respond to the Grand Jury, according to a county spokesperson.
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Adolfo Guzman-Lopez
is an arts and general assignment reporter on LAist's Explore LA team.
Published December 23, 2025 3:00 PM
The Hire a Vendor program trains street vendors to become caterers. The program is led by Inclusive Action for the City.
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Courtesy Inclusive Action for the City
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Topline:
To protect street vendors from ICE, L.A. non profit Inclusive Action for the City ramped up caterer training in 2025 to help vendors move their businesses off the streets. The group says it led to nearly 400 catering jobs — and it now wants to double the program in 2026.
Why it matters: The increase of immigration sweeps has led many Southern California families to lose income. The training moves street vendors away from public settings to private events where there is little risk of being swept up in an ICE raid.
Why now: Inclusive Action of the City trained 34 street vendors in catering practices and wants to expand that in 2026 by adding another full-time worker to the program.
The backstory: The group’s effort is part of a number of actions taken by individuals and groups across the region to help people targeted for detention keep sources of income.
What's next: Federal immigration sweeps continue in Southern California, leading to uncertainty among many families with a member who does not have the authorization to be in the U.S.
The increase of federal immigration sweeps in Southern California this year made one thing clear to street vendors without authorization to be in the U.S. — running a business outside was risky.
In response, L.A. nonprofit Inclusive Action for the City ramped up an existing program that trains street vendors to work in private catering.
“One of the big successes of the year was the growth of our Hire a Vendor program, where our business coaches essentially became brokers for our street vendors and other entrepreneurs so they can get catering jobs,” said Rudy Espinoza, the group’s CEO.
The program was created in 2024 but the group expanded it this year after the increase of immigration sweeps. The group said in its annual report that 34 small businesses were trained for catering this year and more than 350 catering jobs came to those trainees this year.
The training program includes menu design and pricing, electronic sales systems and marketing
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Courtesy Inclusive Action for the City
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“Everywhere from the mayor's house to a small backyard party,” Espinoza said.
The group’s effort is part of actions taken by individuals and groups across the region to help people targeted for detention keep sources of income.
That help has included buyouts of daily inventory of fruit and flowers, as well as the awarding of grants to street vendors who lost income because they stayed home.
The program is just an example of how some entrepreneurs really dedicated themselves to build out a different line of business.
— Rudy Espinoza, CEO of Inclusive Action for the City
Advocates said the loss of income through detentions — many carried out through violent means — often affected family members who were U.S. citizens and has created a humanitarian crisis as families have lost the means to pay bills and buy food.
Street vendors in a Hire a Vendor session organized by Inclusive Action for the City.
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Courtesy Inclusive Action for the City
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The vendor training program sought to alleviate that.
“Sometimes, challenges force us to think, be creative and think about how to adapt,” Espinoza said. “The Hire a Vendor program is just an example of how some entrepreneurs really dedicated themselves to build out a different line of business for themselves.”
How it works
The Hire a Vendor program is free to people who seek and receive micro-loans from Inclusive Action for the City.
Four of the program’s nine sessions are "office hours" in which a business coach works one-on-one with the business owner.
The trainings cover:
Catering basics such as delivery, set-up and presentation
Invoicing and electronic sale systems
Menu design and pricing
Marketing through social media
The trained vendors are free to pursue their own catering jobs but also get catering work through a portal created by Inclusive Action for the City.
Espinoza said one full-time employee oversaw the program this year, and he’d like to add another full-time worker to expand the trainings in 2026.
The Trump administration will resume garnishing wages from student loan borrowers in default in early 2026, the U.S. Education Department confirmed to NPR.
The context: "We expect the first notices to be sent to approximately 1,000 defaulted borrowers the week of Jan. 7," a department spokesperson told NPR. The spokesperson said wage-garnishment notices are expected to increase on a monthly basis throughout the year.
The background: The move comes after a years-long pause in wage garnishment due to the pandemic.
Who is affected? A borrower is in default when they have not made loan payments in more than 270 days. Once that happens, the federal government can try to collect on the debt by seizing tax refunds and Social Security benefits and also by ordering an employer to withhold up to 15% of a borrower's pay. Borrowers should receive a 30-day notice from the Education Department before this wage garnishment begins.
Read on ... for more on the coming changes.
The Trump administration will resume garnishing wages from student loan borrowers in default in early 2026, the U.S. Education Department confirmed to NPR.
The move comes after a years-long pause in wage garnishment due to the pandemic.
"We expect the first notices to be sent to approximately 1,000 defaulted borrowers the week of Jan. 7," a department spokesperson told NPR. The spokesperson said wage-garnishment notices are expected to increase on a monthly basis throughout the year.
A borrower is in default when they have not made loan payments in more than 270 days. Once that happens, the federal government can try to collect on the debt by seizing tax refunds and Social Security benefits and also by ordering an employer to withhold up to 15% of a borrower's pay. Borrowers should receive a 30-day notice from the Education Department before this wage garnishment begins.
Betsy Mayotte, the president and founder of The Institute of Student Loan Advisors, says even though borrowers have expected this, the timing is unfortunate.
"It will coincide with the increase in health care costs for many of these defaulted borrowers," she said, referring to the premium increases for Affordable Care Act health insurance that kick in in 2026. "The two will almost certainly put significant economic strain on low- and middle-income borrowers."
Another 3.7 million are more than 270 days late on their payments and 2.7 million are in the early stages of delinquency.
"We've got about 12 million borrowers right now who are either delinquent on their loans or in default," Preston Cooper, who studies student loan policy at AEI, told NPR.
That's more than 1 in 4 federal student loan borrowers.
