The Brief

California, listen up: Former President Barack Obama wants you to know that the whole nation is counting on you this November.

“Democracy is on the ballot,” the 44th president says straight to camera in the latest advertisement from Gov. Gavin Newsom's campaign for Proposition 50, the ballot question that asks voters to temporarily gerrymander California's congressional districts to favor Democrats.

"Republicans want to steal enough seats in Congress to rig the next election and wield unchecked power for two more years,” Obama continues in the seven-figure ad buy airing across California, referring to GOP-led redistricting efforts President Donald Trump has backed in other states like Texas. “With Prop. 50, you can stop Republicans in their tracks.”

As voters face a Nov. 4 deadline to turn in their ballots, California's redistricting fight has reached a pinnacle as both sides pour tens of millions of dollars on their final push to persuade and mobilize voters. The Yes side has largely outraised and outspent its opponents, pulling in nearly $97 million — more than double the No side’s haul of $42 million — and garnered far more big names to appear in its ads.

Still, recent polling shows the race remains close, and persuasion in the final weeks is critical for both sides. While opponents of Prop. 50 are going all-in on a good governance message and playing on most voters’ unease with politicians drawing their own districts, supporters of the measure are doubling down on anti-Trump rhetoric. And both campaigns are trying to turn out Latino voters, a key constituency that could swing the election.

A survey from the nonpartisan Cook Political Report earlier this month found that although 50% of registered voters said they would support Prop. 50 and 35% said they would oppose it, nearly half of those surveyed indicated they were undecided or only softly committed to their vote. The poll included 918 registered voters with a sampling error margin of plus or minus 3.6 percentage points.

There’s still plenty of time to sway voters, especially those who are just now tuning into the fact that an election is happening. If voters approve Prop. 50, California would temporarily adopt gerrymandered maps drawn by Democrats through 2030 and suspend the ones drawn by an independent citizens redistricting commission just four years ago. The ballot question informs voters that California’s redistricting is a direct response to Texas Republicans’ decision to redraw their district lines mid-decade.

A “No on Prop 50” sign at the Kern County Republican Party booth at the Kern County Fair in Bakersfield on Sept. 26, 2025.

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And when it comes to persuasion, money is critical.

More than 68,000 people have given money in support of the Yes on Prop. 50 campaign since July, according to campaign finance data analyzed by CalMatters, with the biggest contributions coming from the House Majority PAC controlled by congressional Democrats and the Fund for Policy Reform controlled by Democratic megadonor George Soros. That doesn’t include the nearly $13 million that billionaire investor Tom Steyer spent separately to run his own ads supporting the measure.

By contrast, only 200 contributors have given to the two separate No campaigns, including a massive $30 million from wealthy Republican physicist Charles Munger Jr., who funded the 2008 and 2010 efforts to establish the state’s independent redistricting commission.

“‘No’ has the steeper hill to climb, there's no doubt about that,” said Amy Walter, publisher and editor-in-chief of the Cook Political Report. She explained that opponents of Prop. 50 would not only need to solidify their tentative supporters and ensure they vote, but also persuade all undecided voters and also convert some of the tentative “yes” voters.

But working in the opposition’s favor is widespread unease with the idea of elected officials influencing the shape of their districts. About 56% of the Cook poll’s respondents who indicated they would probably vote “Yes” said they agreed that politicians shouldn’t draw their own district lines.

“If you're the ‘No’ campaign, it is the one place where you can see you can get some traction,” Walter said.

Opportunity for Prop. 50 opponents

Opponents of Prop. 50 are trying hard to capitalize on that discomfort in their recent advertising.

“Prop. 50 takes us backwards and rips power away from the people,” an unidentified woman tells viewers in a recent No on 50 advertisement. Then the declaration “Politicians Can Rig Elections” flashes across the screen in bold red and black text.

Jessica Millan Patterson, the former state GOP chairperson who is leading the No on 50 campaign backed by House Republicans, said she’s targeting independents and Democrats who are dissatisfied with the party. That means focusing on a limited, simple good-governance message to turn out undecided voters.

Millan Patterson isn’t concerned about mobilizing the Republican base, she said, adding that the Yes campaign is already doing that for her by demonizing Trump and deifying Newsom, whom conservatives despise. In a small nod to the party faithful, the campaign is running one advertisement criticizing the governor. It hammers him on affordability.

“We can’t win with just Republican votes, so we need to make sure that those persuadable voters … that the conversation is happening with them,” Millan Patterson said. “They know that giving this power to politicians, it will not serve anyone but those politicians, and they just need some permission to vote no on this.”

That mirrors the message of the other No campaign paid for by Munger.

“If you look at all the polling since the beginning, voters don’t like gerrymandering, full stop,” said Amy Thoma Tan, spokesperson for that campaign. “So we’re just reminding people that this is gerrymandering.”

California unions settle on Trump message

By contrast, their opponents on the Yes side are investing heavily in an anti-Trump message, a move that Walter said was smart given that the president is “the special catalyst” that helps the Yes side overcome California voters’ traditional preference for rejecting ballot measures.

In digital ads, the powerful California Labor Federation is reminding its 2 million members that Trump has terminated federal workers’ contracts and cut infrastructure spending, which paid for many trades workers’ projects.

Fliers supporting Prop. 50 at the Kern County Democratic Party booth during the Kern County Fair in Bakersfield on Sept. 26, 2025.

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But in phone-banking operations, its president Lorena Gonzalez said the catch-all framing of Prop. 50 as a way to “fight back against Trump” works best to motivate voters, who all “know what they’re not happy about.”

“Do we want to talk about ICE? Do we want to talk about LGBTQ (issues)? Do we want to say, ‘fight fascism?’” Gonzalez said of discussion among labor organizers working to turn out students on University of California campuses.

The Service Employees International Union of California is taking an all-of-the-above approach, said Tia Orr, the union’s executive director. A digital advertisement urges viewers to fight back against the Trump administration’s “inhumane immigration policies” by supporting Prop. 50. And a recent mailer sent to SEIU’s 800,000 California members, many of whom work in health care, reminded them that the Republican-controlled Congress approved Trump’s megabill that would take health insurance coverage from an estimated 10 million Americans.

“I urge all registered nurses to volunteer, vote, and share the message with your friends and family,” reads the mailer, written in the first person and signed by Monique Hernandez, vice president of an SEIU local that represents nurses.

In Asian American immigrant communities, pro-Prop. 50 organizers are emphasizing cuts to health care programs and how Trump policies destabilize local economies — a nod to tariffs. For Latino voters, the Yes campaign is airing ads in English and Spanish featuring New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio Cortez and Democratic Sen. Alex Padilla of California, who was forced to the ground by federal agents in Los Angeles this summer during the height of the immigration raids that jolted the city.

Latino voters "the most undecided"

Latino voters, the state’s largest racial group and about 30% of likely voters, are a key constituency that could swing the election.

Affordability remains a top priority for Latino voters, a survey by the Latino Community Foundation of 1,200 Latino registered voters in California in September shows. But they also disapproved of the president by wide margins, and felt pessimistic about their personal economic prospects in higher shares than ever, vice president of policy Christian Arana said. By a three-to-one margin they said they felt Trump had betrayed them on immigration.

“There’s a lot of people that say if you really want to talk to Latino voters, you only have to talk about the economy,” said Yes on 50 consultant Juan Rodriguez. “It’s a false choice. You can’t just talk about kitchen-table issues when they’re burning down your house.”

The campaign has spent more than $10 million specifically on Latino outreach, Rodriguez said, including broadcast, digital, print and radio ads in Spanish and English, and phone banking operations with Latino community groups.

Still, Arana called Latinos “the most undecided voter.” Latino approval for Prop. 50 is just under 50% in the Inland Empire and Central Valley, according to the group’s survey, which has a sampling error margin of plus or minus 2.8 percentage points.

Arana is most concerned that fears of immigration or other federal agents showing up to polling places could depress turnout, particularly as immigration raids in California and elsewhere have ensnared U.S. citizens. The survey showed two-thirds of Latino voters statewide are concerned about immigration enforcement this election.

Democratic organizers emphasized in a recent Zoom call for volunteers that they were pushing for early voting by mail instead.

CalMatters’ Jeremia Kimelman contributed reporting.

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

Some government funding streams for L.A. County’s public health system are drying up, and officials are turning to private philanthropy to fill the gap.

A new privately funded foundation launched Thursday to strengthen public health services after $50 million in federal, state and local funding cuts to the county’s Department of Public Health since early last year.

“It is really a hard day for our community when we have to ask for private donations to fund a public good, but unfortunately, we've lost too much money to not take this important step,” said Public Health Director Barbara Ferrer.

In February, the county’s Public Health Department closed seven clinics, with six remaining open. About half of the patients seen in those clinics are uninsured, according to county officials. The department also cut hundreds of staff positions.

Ferrer is on the board of the new foundation, The Fund for Advancing Public Health LA, which held its first meeting Thursday.

She said the fund will help the county maintain its basic public health infrastructure, including disease prevention, health promotion, environmental health, and emergency response efforts.

Other board members include several health insurance executives, as well as actors Sean Penn and Danny Trejo. Board member Saree Kayne of the R&S Kayne Foundation pledged $150,000 to the fund Thursday. Kayne said she hopes the donation encourages others to give.

The foundation aims to raise $2 million this year.

More cuts expected

L.A. County Supervisor Holly Mitchell said it’s crucial to have an alternative funding stream to protect services for the county's most vulnerable residents.

“We are saving public health,” Mitchell said. “This fund represents a new approach, one that brings together government philanthropy in the private sector to invest in community-based solutions, protect vulnerable populations, and strengthen our public health infrastructure.”

Officials say more public health cuts are coming, through the federal budget law known as the "Big Beautiful Bill," which slashes funding for Medi-Cal.

The county Department of Public Health anticipates losing up to $300 million in revenue over the next three years because of the federal budget bill and other potential funding freezes. Federal funding accounts for almost 50% of the public health budget, according to county officials.

Mitchell also led an effort to put a half-percent county sales tax increase to fund public health on the June ballot.

If approved by voters, that proposal, known as Measure ER, is expected to raise about $1 billion a year for county safety net health services, including about $100 million for the public health department.

Board members

The Fund for Advancing Public Health LA announced its founding board of directors, which includes:

• Dr. Barbara Ferrer, LA County Department of Public Health director
• Debbie I. Chang, Blue Shield of California Foundation CEO
• Sean Penn, actor and co-founder of Community Organized Relief Effort (CORE)
• Martha Santana-Chin, LA Care Health Plan CEO
• Saree Kayne, R&S Kayne Foundation CEO
• Danny Trejo, actor and restaurateur
• Jarrett Barrios, an executive at the American Red Cross
• Dr. Deborah Prothrow-Stith, Charles R. Drew University College of Medicine Dean
• Kristin McCowan, an executive at the Los Angeles Dodgers

The Rose Bowl in Pasadena may be a centenarian, but it’s holding up pretty well as it continues to host events on its way to a starring role in the LA28 Olympics.

But before it can host the soccer final, it needs fixes, especially to the infrastructure serving the bathrooms and drinking fountains. Fears of a toilet backup while in the world’s spotlight led Rep. Laura Friedman to seek federal funds for upgrades. On Thursday she announced she secured just over $1 million.

“Two years from now, athletes around the world are going to compete for gold right where we are standing. This is not the time to find out whether or not these pipes are up to the task,” Friedman said.

The planned work, she added, will lead to improved water flow capacity and water drainage, eliminating the risk of backups and emergency maintenance.

The funds came from the House of Representatives Interior and Environment subcommittee. The fixes, an official said, will be completed by the LA28 Olympics.

The funds, however, are a drop in the bucket when it comes to what’s needed to make needed improvements to the Pasadena venue.

Officials, including (left to right) Rose Bowl Legacy Foundation President Dedan Brozino, Deputy Fire Chief of the City of Pasadena Tim Sell, Congresswoman Laura Friedman, and Rose Bowl Stadium CEO Jens Weiden announced infrastructure funding for the 103-year old Rose Bowl.

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“Over the  next 20 years there's about $200 million that we need to put in and that's everything from updating light fixtures to updating gas, water, wastewater lines, etc.,” said Dedan Brozino,  president of the Rose Bowl Legacy Foundation, the nonprofit that supports the Rose Bowl stadium's preservation and enhancement.

Getting venues ready will be expensive

The money is a much-needed win at a time when elected officials in city, county, state and federal offices have been struggling to find the funds to get L.A.-area venues ready for the global Olympic stage in two years.

The entrance to a men's bathroom at the Rose Bowl.

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A $360 million proposal to spruce up asphalt in parking lots around Exposition Park won’t be done in time for the Olympics, as originally planned. Meanwhile, just up the street, there’s concern that a $2.6 billion expansion of the L.A. Convention Center, which is hosting Olympic wrestling, fencing and judo in 2028 won’t be ready for the Olympics.

Additionally, to save money, LA28 organizers moved Olympic diving to the Rose Bowl complex last year because it has two Olympic-sized pools, while the Exposition Park complex doesn't and would need expensive upgrades.

Topline:

About the chick: The chick hatched March 14. The zoo opened its Cape vulture enclosure in February 2025 after years of planning to encourage the birds to roost and nest, welcoming a new breeding pair that year. When it grows to be an adult, it’ll have a wingspan of 8 1/2 feet.

About the enclosure: The L.A. Zoo said it spent years developing the vulture habitat, which was designed to mimic the vultures’ natural environment in South Africa and nearby countries. Dominick Dorsa II, the zoo’s director of animal care, said in a statement the successful hatching is “a testament to the design and construction” of the habitat.

How to see the chick: You can’t for the time being. Zoo officials are keeping it away from visitors until the chick matures, though you can still see adult Cape vultures at the zoo’s enclosure.

Though visitors will have to wait until the chick matures to see it in the enclosure, you can still take in the impressive eight and a half foot wingspan of the adult Cape vultures.

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What zoo officials are saying: “Welcoming a Cape vulture chick is a thrilling moment for our team and a beacon of hope for African vultures,” the L.A. Zoo’s curator of birds Rose Legato said in a statement. “Vultures are one of nature's most misunderstood marvels, and I cannot wait for our guests to eventually watch this chick grow and learn just how vital they are to our ecosystems.”

About the species: Cape vultures are listed as a vulnerable species due to human activities and encroachment. According to the L.A. Zoo, African vultures are more closely related to eagles and hawks than vultures native to the Americas, like the zoo's California condors that hatched last year.

This story first appeared on The LA Local.

What should have been a celebration for formerly incarcerated youth completing a reentry program at the Boyle Heights Arts Conservatory (BHAC) last week instead ended with seven students and two staff members detained by the Los Angeles Police Department, according to witnesses. 

Now, nearly a week later, BHAC staff and city officials are demanding answers from the LAPD, with some accusing officers of racial profiling. 

According to the LAPD, officers observed a large group gathered on the corner of Cesar E. Chavez Avenue and Mott Street around 4:16 p.m. on March 26. Authorities then requested backup for what they described as “a large group surrounding officers,” LAPD Public Information Officer Tony Im said. 

The group, classified by police as an “aggressive gang group,” consisted of seven 18-year-old students from the BHAC’s Bridge Academy Movement (BAM) program and two BHAC staff members.

The BAM program pays formerly incarcerated youth to complete 200-250 hours in media and visual arts training to prepare them for creative careers. That day, students were set to showcase their work at the BAM program graduation for families and community members. 

Rene Weber, a teaching artist at the BHAC, had been with the students setting up for the ceremony minutes before the incident occurred. 

According to Weber, the students had gone to coffee across the street at Milpa Kitchen as they often did, when staff were alerted that they were being detained. 

Weber said he arrived to find students and a staff member pressed against the wall in handcuffs. 

Video from the scene, taken by a staff member at the BHAC, shows multiple officers surrounding the group. At one point, an officer orders a person to “get on the wall” and displays a stun gun.  

“No, none of that, these are kids right here,” the staff member replies.

Another staff member, Teotl Veliz, recorded a large police response.  

“I counted 12 cop cars, that’s at least 25 cops, and they had a helicopter,” Veliz said. “It was just so comedic, tragically comedic, that it was on their graduation day too.”

Officers established a perimeter with yellow tape along the side of Ashley’s Beauty Salon as local business owners and witnesses gathered around the students. 

“I was just incredibly disappointed in LAPD… because it became so apparent to everybody, all at the same time, that it was racial profiling and nothing else,” Veliz said.

Weber said officers gave shifting explanations for the stop at the scene, including blocking the sidewalk and possible underage vaping. After Weber told the officers that all of the students were 18, they said they would investigate whether the group had any gang affiliation. 

Police have not responded to questions about what led officers to believe that the group was gang-affiliated. 

Weber recalled pleading with the officers to let the group go and explaining to them that they worked across the street. Community members and local business owners also stepped in to vouch for the students. 

“Our job is to help them gain a new perspective on life,” Weber said. “They’re coming out of juvenile detention and they’re turning their lives around. We can do our part in keeping them off the streets and keeping them doing better but what does it mean if they’re going to be profiled and treated exactly the same way?” 

In total, seven 18-year-old students and two staff members were detained. BHAC staff said one student and one staff member were taken to Hollenbeck Community Police Station and released less than two hours later after advocacy from community members and Councilmember Ysabel Jurado.

The incident ultimately resulted in an infraction for smoking a cannabis e-vape on a public sidewalk, according to a photo of the infraction shared with the Beat. LAPD did not provide details about the people taken to Hollenbeck Station or the infraction. 

The graduation ceremony was cancelled that night and is expected to be rescheduled in April. 

“Graduation should be a moment of pride and possibility — not fear,” Jurado said in a statement. “I’m seeking answers about what occurred, and this underscores the need for stronger relationships between law enforcement and community organizations so moments like these are protected, not disrupted.”

Carmelita Ramirez‑Sanchez, the conservatory’s executive director, said she was grateful to the community and Jurado for advocating for the students’ release. Jurado met her at Hollenbeck Station within 20 minutes of being alerted to the incident, she said. 

“They had store owners, señoras, barbers, that ran out and were trying to explain to the police who our kids were,” Ramirez‑Sanchez said. 

Still, she said the incident tarnished what should have been a joyous celebration.

“I imagine that what this does is derail this entire idea that you can be an active participant in your own restorative growth,” she said.