| Carlsbad hub proposed for undersea data cable between U.S. and Australia |
| A group of technology companies has applied for permits to build a hub near the beach in Carlsbad that would connect the United States with New Zealand and Australia via fiber-optic cables stretching more than 7,000 miles under the sea.
Submarine cables carry huge streams of data such as video, telephone calls and virtually anything on the internet at close to the speed of light. They have many times the bandwidth of satellites, and carry more than 95% of all international communications.
The Carlsbad cables would come ashore underground and enter a 100-square-foot vault to be installed on land owned by the state Parks Department just east of Carlsbad Boulevard, north of Palomar Airport Road. From there, a trenched conduit would carry the cable to a connection about 3 miles inland, where the companies involved will occupy a now-vacant industrial building. [Article] |
| by , San Diego Union-Tribune. 2026-03-14 |
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| California, other states push to ban ICE at polls ahead of midterm elections |
| Several Democratic states are moving to bar federal immigration agents from being near polling places and other election sites, amid persistent worries that President Donald Trump will use federal law enforcement or the military to disrupt the midterm elections. [Article] |
| by , Times of San Diego. 2026-03-14 |
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| This rural San Diego County district just clinched $2M for its elementary schools. Now it just needs another $48M. – San Diego Union-Tribune |
| After years of struggles with crumbling school buildings, Mountain Empire Unified School District just secured $2.2 million in state money to begin design work to modernize its elementary schools.
But in order to actually perform the construction work, the district must get its voters to pass a school bond to unlock more state funding — something it has had trouble doing previously.
“I’m looking at this as, honestly, the moonshot to fix these buildings,” said Patrick Keeley, the district’s superintendent. “It would transform all of our school sites, and it’d be amazing for the entire community.”
The sprawling rural school district, which spans over 600 square miles in southeastern San Diego County, suffers from issues many rural school districts face: deferred maintenance of facilities, staffing struggles and long travel times.
For instance, Potrero Elementary has drainage issues, roof problems and major water intrusion under the building, and many of its trailers are well beyond their lifespan. [Article] |
| by , San Diego Union-Tribune. 2026-03-14 |
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| Why didn’t San Diego County make the Governor’s CARE Court list? – San Diego Union-Tribune |
| Gov. Gavin Newsom made a major CARE Court announcement last week, dubbing 10 California counties “underperforming” for their slow implementation of his administration’s effort to get more residents with severe mental illness into treatment. The governor also named 10 counties CARE Court “champions” for having among the highest petition rates in the state.
San Diego County did not make either list despite the fact that it was among seven counties statewide that implemented the law first, launching the program in October 2023.
During a news conference last week, Newsom said that the “benchmark” for the program is 6.2 cases per 100,000 residents for petitions filed in calendar 2025. San Diego County appeared to exceed that threshold, recording 216 CARE Court petitions in 2025 for a rate of 6.5. But that was not enough to be declared a champion, despite the fact that the local effort has received statewide coverage for being “among the most robust” in the state. [Article] |
| by , San Diego Union-Tribune. 2026-03-14 |
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| L.A.'s eviction defense program up in the air amid battle with city attorney - Los Angeles Times |
| The Legal Aid Foundation of Los Angeles routinely sues the city — and wins.
In the last two months, the nonprofit has notched victories in three lawsuits over the city’s handling of the homelessness crisis.
Legal Aid also defends tenants at risk of eviction as part of the city and Los Angeles County’s Stay Housed L.A. program.
Last Tuesday, the City Council was set to vote on a $177-million contract for Legal Aid to continue representing tenants for the next three years, with other groups providing related services.
But the night before the vote, City Atty. Hydee Feldstein Soto sent a confidential memo to council offices recommending that council members “reconsider the award of such a large contract to a frequent litigant against the city,” according to a portion of the memo obtained by The Times.
On the day of the scheduled vote, the council delayed it for a week, until Tuesday.
“[Legal Aid’s] mission includes improving the lives of our client communities through systemic change, which sometimes means filing litigation against government entities engaging in illegal conduct,” Barbara Schultz, director of housing justice for Legal Aid, said in an interview. [Article] |
| by , Los Angeles Times. 2026-03-09 |
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| LA County launches new Landscape Recovery Center at Eaton Canyon – Pasadena Star News |
| The County of Los Angeles Department of Parks and Recreation on Saturday launched its new Landscape Recovery Center at Eaton Canyon.
The center marks a step forward in the restoration of parks and natural habitats impacted by the Eaton fire in January of 2025.
It will serve as a dedicated nursery and restoration hub, focused on growing native plants and trees.
The goal is to support long-term habitat regeneration and urban forest recovery, county officials said. [Article] |
| by , Pasadena Star News. 2026-03-09 |
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| A Section 8 tenant is filing dozens of $100,000 lawsuits. Is it a discrimination fight or a shakedown? - Los Angeles Times |
| A gaggle of scorned landlords and real estate agents across L.A. have a message: If Alexys Watson messages you on Zillow asking if you accept Section 8 vouchers, choose your next words very, very carefully.
Over the last eight months, dozens of landlords and real estate agents have responded to Watson’s inquiries — and dozens have been sued for at least $100,000. The lawsuits allege discrimination for refusing a Section 8 applicant, regardless of whether they actually declined her application.
“I have to ask the owners and get back to you,” one agent wrote. $100,000 lawsuit.
“The house might be too old to meet the requirements,” another wrote. $100,000 lawsuit.
A review of hundreds of lawsuit exhibits show: One landlord accepted her application, but never got the house inspected by the city to qualify it for Section 8 tenancy. At least nine others never even put a decline into writing; the only exhibits in the lawsuits filed against them are screenshots of call logs (sans audio) and texts from Watson to each one claiming that they declined her over the phone.
Each time, a lawsuit.
More than 40 of them filed since summer.
Watson declined to speak for this article. Her lawyer, Alexander Robinson, claims the lawsuits are a result of rampant discrimination against a single mother genuinely looking to find housing for her and her children, but being turned away because she’s a Section 8 recipient. [Article] |
| by , Los Angeles Times. 2026-03-09 |
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| Petitioners push billionaire tax, other initiatives for California ballot - Daily Bruin |
| California advocates are trying to put a tax on billionaires on the November ballot.
Leaders from Service Employees International Union-United Healthcare Workers West and St. Johns Community Health in Los Angeles – a health care justice union and network of community health centers, respectively – filed a ballot initiative in October 2025 that would impose a 5% one-time tax on California billionaires’ total wealth. The money raised from the tax would fund California health care and education, according to a fact sheet sponsored by SEIU-UHW. [Article] |
| by , . 2026-03-09 |
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| She bought the Brady Bunch House — and helped make it an official LA historic landmark | LAist |
| When Tina Trahan first stepped into the Studio City house made famous by The Brady Bunch, she thought, “I have to have it.”
The art collector grew up watching the classic family sitcom and was struck by a rush of familiarity in the mid-century, split-level house used in the sitcom’s exterior shots. [Article] |
| by , . 2026-03-09 |
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| LAX proposes sharp fee increases for services that pick up, drop off passengers – Daily News |
| Los Angeles International Airport could soon double the fees customers pay when getting picked up or dropped off by ride-hailing services, taxis and limousines. [Article] |
| by , Los Angeles Daily News. 2026-03-09 |
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| CA Democrats ask Trump for $2B in transit funding |
| WASHINGTON — A group of congressional Democrats from California is asking the Trump administration to include $2 billion in the President’s 2027 proposed budget to improve public transit ahead for the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles, Spectrum News has learned. [Article] |
| by , . 2026-03-09 |
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| New aerospace facility touches down in Torrance – Press Telegram |
| A new company has joined Torrance’s already dense aerospace industry.
FlightWave, a facility specializing in the manufacturing of an unmanned drone, has migrated from its former location in Carson to a 51,000-square-foot manufacturing facility at 2660 Columbia St. [Article] |
| by , Long Beach Press Telegram. 2026-03-09 |
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| A 110-year-old LA County mental health complex is getting new life – Daily News |
| Six decaying, vacant buildings on the site of the 162-acre Metropolitan State Hospital grounds in Norwalk are being turned into a mental health treatment village with 162 beds for troubled youth and those experiencing homelessness.
The long-empty buildings, part of a 110-year-old state mental hospital complex, will not be demolished but instead are being remodeled as new housing that combines stable living with wrap-around services for treatment of residents with drug addiction and mental health illnesses, authorities announced at a groundbreaking ceremony Friday. [Article] |
| by , Los Angeles Daily News. 2026-03-09 |
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| Homeless mortality is down in L.A. County for the first time in a decade. - Los Angeles Times |
| For the first time in a decade, L.A. County homeless deaths declined, with a 10% drop in mortality rate driven by fewer overdoses.
Still, 2,208 deaths occurred in 2024 — more than six per day — and the homeless mortality rate remains more than four times higher than the general population.
Health officials warn that steep cuts to federal and state homeless services threaten to reverse the progress achieved over the last two years.
For the first time in the decade that homeless mortality has been tracked in Los Angeles County, fewer people have died on the streets and in shelters, the Department of Public Health reported Tuesday.
A sharp decrease in overdose deaths drove a decline of 10% in the rate of homeless deaths from all causes in 2024, the most recent year of data analyzed by the county.
But drug overdose remained the leading cause of death, followed by heart disease and vehicle accidents.
The annual analysis found 2,208 deaths in 2024. That was 300 fewer than in the previous year but still more than six deaths a day. The mortality rate of 2,163 per 100,000 was 4.2 times the rate of 509 for the county as a whole.
The decrease solidified an improving trend over the prior two years, which saw only slight increases.
Before that, the rate had increased 56% over two years.
Health officials attributed the improvement to overdose prevention and mental health and substance use treatment, but warned that the trend could be disrupted by expected cuts to those services.
“At a time of major reductions in federal and state funding for homeless services and supports, we are at risk of losing precious ground and seeing an increase in the number of vulnerable people losing their lives,” Public Health Director Barbara Ferrer said in a statement released with the report.
Overdoses accounted for 40% of all homeless deaths, down from 45% the prior year. That was followed by heart disease, 14%; traffic accidents 11%; homicide, 5%; and suicide, 4%. The remaining 27% was a combination of other natural causes, accidents and unknown causes, said Will Nicholas, director of the health department’s Center for Health Impact Evaluation.
Though a small percentage of all homeless deaths, suicide was 13 times more prevalent than among the general population. [Article] |
| by , Los Angeles Times. 2026-03-09 |
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| LA County Sues Roblox: Allegations claim platform doesn’t protect young users | News | ladowntownnews.com |
| The County of Los Angeles has filed a lawsuit against Roblox, a popular social media gaming platform that has faced criticism over alleged inadequacies in protecting young users. [Article] |
| by , . 2026-03-09 |
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| How ICE Raids Are Affecting California’s Older Adults, Especially Those Who Need Caregivers – California Health Report |
| For the past five years, Mida has provided in-home care for a Los Angeles woman, who’s now 89.
Mida, whose last name is being withheld because of her concerns about her safety, grew up in Mexico and has lived in Los Angeles for 27 years. Now 56, she is a naturalized citizen, which legally means she has the same rights and protections as someone born in the United States. [Article] |
| by , . 2026-03-09 |
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| Plan to kill all the deer on Catalina Island challenged by LA County Counsel, Supervisor Hahn – Daily News |
| A plan to shoot and kill all the deer on Catalina Island is being challenged by the Los Angeles County’s Office of County Counsel, who wrote the island’s conservancy a stern letter asking for a stay of the eradication plan, calling it “reckless” and “inhumane.”
The letter from Dawyn Harrison, county counsel, dated Feb. 27, was sent to the Catalina Island Conservancy (CIC) which manages 88% of the island located off the coast of Long Beach, and Charlton H. Bonham, director California Department of Fish and Wildlife, which granted the permit in January. [Article] |
| by , Los Angeles Daily News. 2026-03-09 |
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| Reimagining Parking Lots into Senior-Friendly Parks in Los Angeles |
| In Los Angeles, expansive asphalt parking lots often dominate urban landscapes, creating hazards and barriers for seniors. Interim dean and urban planning professor at UCLA Luskin Anastasia Loukaitou-Sideris has spearheaded research to reimagine these spaces as safe, accessible and welcoming environments for older adults. Her team’s study emphasizes that walkability, clear pathways, rest points, shaded areas and human assistance at gates or pay stations are critical to creating senior-friendly parking environments. [Article] |
| by , . 2026-03-09 |
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| How Alberto Carvalho Became L.A.U.S.D. Superintendent Despite Scandals - The New York Times |
| The Los Angeles school district thought it had found the ideal leader.
During Alberto M. Carvalho’s 14-year tenure as superintendent in Miami, he boosted student test scores and built a reputation for tech innovation and lifting poor students. He wore impeccable suits and spoke fluent Spanish. His polished public appearances seemed tailor-made for the high-wattage limelight of Los Angeles.
But some red flags — tech meltdowns, romantic scandals — were set aside when Mr. Carvalho was hired to lead the Los Angeles Unified School District in 2021, as the district emerged from the pandemic.
Now, Mr. Carvalho’s past troubles are under intense scrutiny, a week after the F.B.I. raided his Los Angeles home and his office at district headquarters. The federal government has not said exactly who or what is under investigation. So far, Mr. Carvalho, who was placed on paid leave, has not commented.
The inquiry appears to stem from a prior investigation into an education technology start-up that won a contract from Los Angeles Unified under Mr. Carvalho. The company, AllHere, tried to build an A.I. chatbot for students, but quickly collapsed into bankruptcy. Its founder was charged with fraud. The deal between the school district and AllHere had been brokered with Mr. Carvalho by a longtime associate and friend from his years in Miami.
The investigation has upended Los Angeles Unified, the nation’s second-largest school district, and raised fresh questions about the tech world’s pursuit of public education dollars and about how well school districts vet their leaders. Some in Los Angeles wonder if it’s also about politics. [Article] |
| by , . 2026-03-09 |
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| Uber, Lyft rideshare fees at LAX could jump significantly when Automated People Mover opens | LAist |
| LAX officials are considering a proposal Tuesday to increase the fees rideshare companies are charged to access the airport.
Currently, rideshare companies like Uber and Lyft generally pass a $4 to $5 airport fee along to their customers. You might see this listed as a line item on your receipt as an “LAX Airport Surcharge.” [Article] |
| by , . 2026-03-09 |
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