Local Politics · Los Angeles County
The U.S. Department of Justice sent letters Tuesday to California Secretary of State Shirley Weber and Los Angeles County Registrar Dean Logan, threatening emergency legal action if the state did not address a list of allegedly ineligible voters by noon Eastern time on Oct. 15. Acting-U.S. Deputy Attorney General Trent McCotter directed that unverified voters' mail ballots be segregated rather than canceled pending citizenship checks. Weber said her office never received the referenced list, though LA County's registrar confirmed receiving a password-protected thumb drive. Weber and Attorney General Rob Bonta stated they are prepared to defend California's voting system, noting courts have previously blocked similar federal demands and that federal law restricts systematic voter-roll removals within 90 days of an election.
Housing & Development · Los Angeles, CA
ShadeLA, a UCLA- and USC-led collaboration partnering with the City and County of Los Angeles, conducted a one-day pilot installing five cloth shade sails between streetlights at Exposition Park during Saturday's USC Homecoming game in 103-degree heat. The group is pushing policy changes to streamline permitting for built shade structures citywide ahead of the 2028 Olympics, noting that average noon shade coverage in L.A. stands at only 24%. Prior efforts include a temporary shade structure outside the Downtown Inglewood Metro station and a pop-up tent at Harvard Park in South L.A., with ShadeLA now seeking to create a lending library of such tents.
Community News · Sacramento County
Californians from across the state are gathering this week in Sacramento for a summit celebrating and discussing the future of California's Farm to School Program, which was officially recognized and protected by law this year. The event is hosted at Rancho Cordova-based Soil Born Farms, with up to 900 attendees expected—about three times the size of the 2023 conference. The program, launched in 2021 with CDFA and championed by First Partner Jennifer Siebel Newsom, has received approximately $126 million in grants through 2027, supporting hundreds of school districts and farms statewide. LAUSD received a $1 million grant for the 2024 cycle to expand farm-to-school operations and food education. The article notes uncertainty about whether the next governor will maintain the same level of support as the Newsom administration.
