Wildfires Spread Across SoCal

Multiple wildfires burned across Southern California through Wednesday as the Sandy Fire in Simi Valley entered its third day with more than 43,000 residents under evacuation orders.

The Sandy Fire has grown to 1,698 acres at 15% containment, and Simi Valley Unified canceled classes at all campuses Wednesday as crews worked to hold lines through shifting overnight winds into Wednesday morning. 

In Riverside County, the Bain Fire near Jurupa Valley burned roughly 1,375 acres, while the Verona Fire near Homeland prompted fresh evacuation orders overnight. The Tusil Fire in San Diego County, the Burro Fire in Los Angeles County, and the Foothill Fire in Santa Barbara County also remained active.

The Santa Rosa Island Fire, believed by officials to have been sparked by distress flares fired by a shipwrecked sailor, remained California’s largest active wildfire at roughly 17,000 acres and 26% containment.

$111M Bill for LA Guard Deployment

Federal records released Tuesday put the cost of last summer’s National Guard deployment to Los Angeles at $111.2 million, the first federal-records figure made public for the operation.

The deployment ran from June 2025 into January 2026. The figure covers National Guard pay and operations across fiscal years 2025 and 2026 and excludes demobilization and overtime costs still outstanding.

Gov. Gavin Newsom obtained the records through a public-records request and called the deployment “illegal” and a “political stunt.” The Trump administration cited Title 10 of the federal code in its deployment memo, calling the National Guard’s role necessary to protect ICE personnel, federal property, and other government functions amid the LA protests.

California sued over the deployment last year, and the case remains pending. The Congressional Budget Office estimated federal troop deployments to U.S. cities cost $496 million in 2025 and would cost about $93 million per month if current activity continues.

LA Rent-Gouging Ban Expires May 28

Los Angeles County’s wildfire-related ban on rent price gouging will expire May 28 after the Board of Supervisors failed Tuesday to extend it.

Supervisors Lindsey Horvath and Hilda Solis voted to extend the rules. Supervisors Kathryn Barger, Janice Hahn, and Holly Mitchell abstained, killing the motion.

The rules, triggered by the emergency following the January 2025 Palisades and Eaton fires, capped rent hikes at more than 10% above pre-fire levels and barred excessive increases on building materials and other essential goods. Horvath said many fire survivors remain financially vulnerable as rebuilding continues.

Landlord groups had pushed for the rules to expire, with a California Apartment Association representative telling supervisors the circumstances that justified the protections “no longer exist.” The Long Beach Chamber of Commerce wrote to the board that the emergency rules “were never intended to function as economic controls in perpetuity.”

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➤ Humboldt County: TikTok influencer Gabbie Gonzalez, 24, was arrested last week in Northern California and arraigned Tuesday in Los Angeles on attempted-murder and conspiracy charges in an alleged murder-for-hire plot targeting her ex, singer Jack Avery. Bail is set at $2 million. (More)

➤ San Francisco: The Board of Supervisors approved an $8.5 million loan Tuesday to keep the nearly 100-year-old San Francisco Zoo operating, with $6.5 million guaranteed and $2 million tied to performance milestones. (More)

➤ Berkeley: The city became the first in the U.S. to require sellers of single-family homes and duplexes to complete heat pump or other low-carbon upgrades, or help fund them for buyers, before closing under a climate ordinance that took effect Jan. 1. (See Details)

➤ Oakland: Text messages released by the city of Oakland show Gov. Gavin Newsom’s office pressed city officials in 2024 to address a homeless encampment outside Marshawn Lynch’s family home, after neighbors filed hundreds of 311 complaints over several months. (See Details)

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➤ Sanger: A Fresno County jury Tuesday convicted Gina Abercrombie and her fiancé, Justin Teel, of financial elder abuse and identity theft for stealing more than $800,000 from Abercrombie’s late stepfather, Randy Hansen, owner of Sherwood Forest Golf Club. Both face up to 5 years and 4 months in prison. (More)

➤ Porterville: The Kern County Sheriff’s Office released video from last month’s standoff in which Tulare County Detective Randy Hoppert was killed. The 59-year-old suspect, David Morales, was killed by a SWAT BearCat after firing on deputies and refusing to surrender. (Watch)

➤ Arroyo Grande: The San Luis Obispo County Sheriff’s Office said this week investigators recovered evidence, but no human remains, during a recent search of Susan Flores’ property tied to the Kristin Smart case. Soil scientists identified an area producing results “consistent with the possible presence of human remains.” (See Details)

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➤ San Diego: Police identified the three men killed Monday at the Islamic Center of San Diego as security guard Amin Abdullah, mosque caretaker Mansour Kaziha, and neighbor Nadir Awad. Chief Scott Wahl said Abdullah triggered the lockdown and engaged the shooters, sparing 140 children in classrooms 15 feet away. (More)

➤ LA County: Authorities Wednesday announced seven arrests tied to a South American theft group accused of targeting homes near golf courses and parks, including in Santa Clarita. District Attorney Nathan Hochman and Sheriff Robert Luna said crews use Wi-Fi jammers and hidden cameras, and often check social media for travel posts. (More)

➤ Santa Monica: The beach at Santa Monica Pier ranked No. 2 on Heal the Bay’s annual Beach Bummer list, a spot it has earned year after year. Playa Blanca near Tijuana topped the list. (See List)

➤ Anaheim: A Riverside County woman filed a $5 million federal class-action lawsuit against Disneyland and Disney California Adventure on May 15, alleging the parks scan visitors’ faces at entrances without adequate disclosure. Disney introduced the facial-recognition system in April to prevent ticket fraud. (Read Story)

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➤ San Jose was awarded a Professional Women’s Hockey League expansion franchise, the league’s 12th team and the fourth added for the 2026-27 season. The team will play at SAP Center alongside the Sharks. (More)

➤ The Trump administration has sued California over its policy allowing transgender athletes to compete in girls’ school sports, escalating a federal fight over Title IX protections for female students. (More)

➤ Fresno State and San Diego State’s move to the Pac-12 is part of a legal dispute now paused while the Pac-12 and Mountain West work toward a settlement over exit fees tied to the switch. The Mountain West had sought roughly $55 million in combined penalties. (More)

➤ Yesterday’s Results: NBA | NHL | MLB | NCAAB | Soccer | WNBA

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➤ High-end grocer Erewhon has signed a lease for its first Orange County location in Costa Mesa. The Los Angeles-based wellness chain, known for celebrity smoothies and organic products, is slated to open in September 2027. (More)

➤ Fashion Nova, the Beverly Hills-based fast-fashion retailer, faces a proposed class-action lawsuit filed in Northern California by a woman from the San Francisco Bay Area who says it sent her eight marketing texts during the federal “quiet hours” of 9 p.m. to 8 a.m. Damages run $500 to $1,500 per text. (More)

➤ Dutch Bros opened its newest Central Valley location in Sanger on Wednesday, with customers camping out overnight to be among the first in line. The Oregon-based drive-thru coffee chain continues its steady expansion across California. (More)

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➤ Disneyland Resort will scrap its long-standing 11 a.m. park-hopping restriction starting June 9, allowing Park Hopper ticket holders and Magic Key passholders to move between Disneyland Park and Disney California Adventure at any time of day. (More)

➤ California State Parks will offer free day-use admission to veterans and active or reserve military members at 145 participating parks on Memorial Day, Monday, May 25. A valid military ID or proof of honorable discharge is required. (See List)

➤ St. Anne’s Catholic Church in Lodi has recovered its 1874 bell, which had been stolen from a frame outside the parish where it had hung for years. Church leaders said the bell was a little banged up from its adventure and may date back to the parish’s original 1876 building. (More)

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Yesterday’s Results:

The 1995 O.J. Simpson murder trial dominated American television for more than eight months. Do you remember watching it?

1. I followed it casually: 36%
2. Yes, I was glued to it: 23%
3. Not really: 15%
4. I was too young: 13%
5. I don’t remember: 13%

What is the oldest state park in California?

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