California
What the death of local news actually means
Good morning. It’s Wednesday, July 24. I’m Gustavo Arellano, a metro columnist, which means I’m allowed to have opinions like:
Newspapers are cool.
But before I begin my rant, here’s what you need to know to start your day.
Whither the news industry in California?
Since I was a teen, I’ve lapped up newspapers.
I used to steal the sports section from the rolled-up newspapers on the driveways of homes on the way to Sycamore Junior High in Anaheim. When I realized there was more to life than just the Angels and Dodgers, I’d jump a fence every Sunday morning to buy copies of the Orange County Register and L.A. Times from news boxes in my neighboring apartment complex. Once I got a job my senior year of high school, I subscribed to those two papers along with the New York Times.
I went into journalism straight out of college despite earning a film studies degree — I’ve never regretted it. But as the years went on, I ended my print subscriptions because I could read for free on the internet most of what I used to pay for.
An empty news rack that used to sell the Spanish-language newspaper Excélsior still remains along Bristol Street in a small shopping area in Santa Ana.
(Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times)
It’s people like me who launched the proverbial Little Boy that destroyed too many journalism outlets to count.
But the Fat Man remains companies like Craigslist, Google and Facebook, which eradicated the traditional business model of news organizations — advertising. This one-two punch has led to mass layoffs, shutdowns and a society where misinformation reigns.
Two bills currently in the California Legislature, Assembly Bill 886 and Senate Bill 1327, seek to confront this digital dystopia.
The former would require social media giants such as Facebook and search engines like Google to pay news outlets for using their content; the latter would use the revenue gathered from a proposed tax on user data gathered by Big Tech to gift news groups a tax credit for every full-time journalist they employ. The California News Publisher Assn., of which The Times is a member, supports AB 886, arguing it could give the state’s dying news industry — and local news — a lifeline.
(Tech companies vehemently oppose the bills, arguing it’s unfair to target them when the news industry hasn’t kept up with modernity and readers have more options to get their news than ever before.)
These bills aren’t merely a desperate money grab by the lamestream press, folks.
A limping media ecosystem affects society in many ways — few of them good.
Times reporters investigated the decline of local news and what it actually means. Here’s what we found:
- More big businesses control the narrative. The largest news source in Richmond, Calif., is owned by the Bay Area town’s largest business: Chevron. That means in a city where pollution concerns are real from the company’s refinery, its digital rag doesn’t say a damn thing, Jessica Garrison reported.
- News that serves disenfranchised communities is ignored. Santa Ana is one of the most-Latino big cities in the United States. Twenty years ago, dozens of local semanarios (weekly papers) and all sorts of sports, entertainment and lifestyle magazines covered the goings-on of the city. Today, just two publications focused on entertainment fluff remain. I looked at how important issues affecting residents now get ignored.
- Tech companies are intent on winning. Australia and Canada passed bills similar to what California legislators have proposed. Some money went to publishers, but tech bros created chaos by blocking news from their platforms, national correspondent Jenny Jarvie reported.
- AI is only making things worse. AI chatbots might openly lift local journalists’ work and either pass it off as their own or mischaracterize it. “The average consumer that just wants to go check [out a restaurant], they’re probably not going to read [our article] anymore,” L.A. Taco editor Javier Cabral told Wendy Lee on AI’s effects on his scrappy indie site.
- Even news nonprofits — long seen as a foolproof solution — are having a rough time of it: The Long Beach Post had eclipsed the 127-year-old Press-Telegram in readership and gravitas but now finds itself in tatters after nearly three-quarters of its reporters resigned over editorial and business disputes with management. Those defectors now have their own publication, the Long Beach Watchdog, James Rainey reported.
- There are fewer reporters to hold power accountable. The people paid to objectively find out what people in power are trying to hide from you … we’re losing jobs like the Halos are losing fans, Ashley Ahn showed.
I thank you, gentle reader, for reading this newsletter, offer you a virtual high-five if you subscribe to Essential California, and gift you a digital gold star if you are a Times subscriber. And if you read this without paying us? We pardon you — and ask you to subscribe. Hey, $1 for four months is a deal anyone can afford, amirite?
Today’s top stories
Vice President Kamala Harris campaigns at West Allis Central High School in West Allis, Wis.
(Kayla Wolf / Associated Press)
Kamala Harris hits the trail
Coronavirus in California
How clean is your weed?
Fentanyl
- The family of 3-year-old twins who died of a suspected fentanyl overdose is in shock. Relatives said they had no idea the boys’ mother used the opioid.
- Their mother has been charged with murder.
- Just last week, another toddler died of a fentanyl overdose. DCFS had trusted his mom’s friend to keep him safe
More big stories
Get unlimited access to the Los Angeles Times. Subscribe here.
Today’s great reads
A plate of tacos is displayed at the Industrial Downtown Night Market.
(Dania Maxwell / Los Angeles Times)
How L.A. reached peak taco. To understand how Los Angeles became the world’s most taco-diverse city, let’s start with the taco truck.
Other great reads
How can we make this newsletter more useful? Send comments to essentialcalifornia@latimes.com.
For your downtime
Tacos at Bandito Taqueria.
(Andrea D’Agosto / For The Times)
Going out
Staying in
And finally … from our archives
On this day in history, the Supreme Court voted 8 to 0 that President Nixon had to turn over transcripts of the Watergate tapes to Special Counsel Leon Jaworski.
Have a great day, from the Essential California team.
Ryan Fonseca, reporter
Defne Karabatur, fellow
Andrew Campa, Sunday reporter
Kevinisha Walker, multiplatform editor and Saturday reporter
Christian Orozco, assistant editor
Stephanie Chavez, deputy metro editor
Karim Doumar, head of newsletters
Check our top stories, topics and the latest articles on latimes.com.
California
Comedian accused of threatening California public official after clash during set
A comedy act has escalated into a full-blown criminal investigation in California’s Stanislaus County, where a comedian is accused of threatening a public official.
Court documents show the case allegedly stems from a comedy show at Che’root Lounge in Modesto, where surveillance video shows Anthony Krayenhagen performing and calling out a group of people that included Supervisor Channce Condit for being too loud during his set.
Surveillance video from a day later shows Condit back at Che’root, allegedly complaining about Krayenhagen’s behavior toward his group.
Court documents show that Condit alerted the Stanislaus County Sheriff’s Office about escalating exchanges with Krayenhagen. On November 12, Condit alleges he received a message on Facebook that said “wassup? Is there still an issue?”
Then, Condit claims he called Krayenhagen and that the comedian yelled obscenities over the phone, allegedly telling Condit he is “green lit,” a reference the court documents say is a go-ahead to execute a hit or action on a subject.
Court documents show a Stanislaus County detective assigned to the county’s threat assessment center wrote the affidavit for the comedian’s arrest warrant that says, “Due to the contemporary culture of mass casualty attacks …and political figure assassinations in the U.S…actions like Krayenhagen are treated as a serious threat and responded to directly.”
Jessica Graves is an attorney who is not connected to this case.
“It just seems completely blown out of proportion,” Graves said. “It’s like, the comment is being so dramatically inflated into something it never was.”
Krayenhagen has no criminal history in Stanislaus County, where he is from.
“I think what’s absolutely missing here is the immediacy. The threat has to be clear, immediate, and specific, and you just don’t have that here,” Graves said.
Condit has also asked for a criminal protective order against Krayenhagen.
Krayenhagen is being held in the Stanislaus County jail on $750,000 bail. The comedian is due back in court in December.
CBS News Sacramento reached out to Condit for his comments on this arrest. He has not immediately responded.
California
CAL FIRE company officer training reaches record 2025 total in California
Record year for CAL FIRE training
The office of Governor Gavin Newsom said CAL FIRE has trained more than 650 Company Officers in 2025, marking a record year for leadership development across California.
According to the governor’s office, four Company Officer academies have operated at full capacity during 2025.
The newest site, the Atwater Training Center in Merced County, opened in July 2025 to meet rising training demand.
Existing facilities in Ione, Redding and Riverside have supported the expanded training programme.
The office said this training year reflects a sustained focus on developing professional leaders for CAL FIRE operations across the state.
Gavin Newsom, Governor of California, said: “Rapidly expanding our world-class firefighting force is just one piece of California’s unprecedented investment in fire protection and readiness.
“From new training facilities to the Southern California Emergency Operations Center, we’re building the infrastructure and workforce our communities need to face the climate challenges ahead.
“While Donald Trump undercuts federal readiness for mega-fires that threaten communities across the west, California continues to dominate with key investments in fire readiness and response.”
Company Officer Academy Class 25-14 graduation
The office confirmed that 38 CAL FIRE Company Officers have graduated from Company Officer Academy Class 25-14 at the Ione Training Center.
This cohort is described as the final class in the 2025 training cycle.
The graduates have completed an intensive syllabus and will move into leadership roles across the department.
CAL FIRE Director and Fire Chief Joe Tyler administered the oath to the new Company Officers.
Tyler’s keynote address highlighted the workload involved in delivering this year’s instruction.
CAL FIRE Director and Fire Chief Joe Tyler said: “This milestone year of training represents our commitment to the future of CAL FIRE and the safety of California.
“We recognize the achievement of these 38 students, as well as the dedication of our training staff who maintained exceptionally high standards while sustaining this record-setting pace.”
State investment in wildfire readiness and prevention
The governor’s office linked the graduation to wider state investment in wildfire response and prevention capabilities.
According to the office, California has doubled its spending on wildfire prevention and resilience efforts since 2020.
State figures report more than $2.5 billion allocated to wildfire resilience programmes.
An additional $1.5 billion is due to come from the 2024 Climate Bond.
California has also invested $173 million in community-based wildfire projects aimed at helping local areas protect themselves from wildfires.
The office described the firefighters graduating at the new training facility as an example of this funding in practice.
The governor’s office added that California has joined the Northwest Wildland Fire Fighting Compact.
This agreement expands mutual aid partnerships for major wildfire incidents to additional agencies across the US and Canada.
How expanded CAL FIRE capacity relates to sector priorities
The expansion of CAL FIRE Company Officer training and the opening of the Atwater Training Center in Merced County provide practical information for fire and rescue chiefs and senior officers tracking workforce development in US wildland agencies.
A record total of more than 650 Company Officers trained in 2025 indicates the scale of leadership capacity being built within CAL FIRE.
Training officers and instructors may note that four academies operated at full capacity, with a new site added to handle increased demand.
Emergency and disaster response managers can draw on the detailed figures on state investment, including more than $2.5 billion for wildfire resilience, $1.5 billion from the 2024 Climate Bond and $173 million for community-based projects.
Government departments and mutual aid coordinators will be directly affected by California’s decision to join the Northwest Wildland Fire Fighting Compact, which broadens access to partner resources during major wildfire incidents.
California
All lanes reopen on 5 Freeway in Oceanside after officer-involved shooting forces closure
OCEANSIDE, Calif. (KABC) — Hours after an officer-involved shooting prompted the full closure of the 5 Freeway in Oceanside, all lanes were reopened Saturday afternoon as the investigation continues.
“The 5 is closed in both directions between Oceanside and the Orange County border while police investigate a shooting,” Caltrans said in a social media post at 9:39 a.m., adding that drivers should use the 15 Freeway as an alternative route.
The Buena Park Police Department said its officers attempted to pull over a car for vehicle code violations just before 1 p.m. in the area of La Palma Avenue and San Marino Drive, but the car failed to stop and a pursuit ensued.
“At 1:05 a.m. we asked CHP to take over the pursuit. They did but requested our K-9 unit stay in the pursuit,” Buena Park police said in a statement.
Police said that at 2:10 a.m., the suspect vehicle was brought to a stop and then an officer-involved shooting occurred. It was not immediately known what led to the shooting.
A SigAlert was issued shortly after 2:30 a.m. between Harbor Drive in Oceanside and Christianitos Road in San Clemente, according to the California Highway Patrol.
As several lanes were reopened hours later, the Highway Patrol urged motorists to continue to use caution and watch for personnel in the area.
The investigation is ongoing.
Copyright © 2025 KABC Television, LLC. All rights reserved.
-
Business1 week ago
Fire survivors can use this new portal to rebuild faster and save money
-
World7 days agoFrance and Germany support simplification push for digital rules
-
News1 week agoCourt documents shed light on Indiana shooting that sparked stand-your-ground debate
-
World1 week agoSinclair Snaps Up 8% Stake in Scripps in Advance of Potential Merger
-
Science3 days agoWashington state resident dies of new H5N5 form of bird flu
-
World1 week agoCalls for answers grow over Canada’s interrogation of Israel critic
-
Politics1 week agoDuckworth fires staffer who claimed to be attorney for detained illegal immigrant with criminal history
-
World1 week ago2% of Russian global oil supply affected following Ukrainian attack