Category: California

Over 100 Juvey Detainees Moved to Los Padrinos Hall in Downey

LOS ANGELES—More than 100 juvenile detainees were successfully transferred out of the troubled Barry J. Nidorf Juvenile Hall in Sylmar to the renovated Los Padrinos Juvenile Hall in Downey, completing a state-mandated transfer of all Los Angeles County pre-disposition detainees out of two facilities deemed unsuitable for housing, county officials said July 19. The move…


‘Baseball Dream’ Awaits SoCal Teens in New Mexico

A collection of 24 teenagers, most of them from Orange County, California, are about to live out a baseball dream in Farmington, New Mexico. The Southern California Renegades are set to open play in the Connie Mack World Series at 1:30 p.m. July 21. The 12-team tournament, held in Farmington since 1965, guarantees each entrant…


Newsom’s Plan to Fine School District $1.5 Million Over Blocked Textbook Lacks Legal Grounds

There are currently no legal grounds for California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s decision to fine a local school district $1.5 million for rejecting what the school board says is an “inappropriate” social studies textbook, the state’s top education official confirmed July 20. The governor announced the fine in a July 19 statement, adding that the state…


Newsom’s $1.5 Million Fine to School District Over Textbook Rejection May Be Illegal

California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s decision to fine a local school district $1.5 million for rejecting what the school board says is an “inappropriate” social studies textbook could be illegal, according to several education leaders and lawmakers. The governor announced the fine in a July 19 statement, adding that the state is securing the textbook in question for all 1–5 grade…


Anaheim Hires New Chief of Police

Deputy Chief Rick Armendariz—who has served the Anaheim Police Department since 2019—will be sworn in on August 18 as the city’s new chief of police. The Anaheim City Council approved the contract with Mr. Armendariz—an Anaheim resident—on July 18. He will be the 37th chief in the 153-year history of the police department, according to…


Anaheim to Release Investigation Into Angel Stadium Sale to FBI, California AG

The Anaheim City Council has approved releasing details of its independent investigation into corruption allegations surrounding the sale of Anaheim Stadium to state Attorney General Rob Bonta and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). Councilors voted unanimously July 18 to waive attorney-client privilege relating to a 200-page report by the JL Group, a Laguna Niguel-based…


How Does Your Southern California City Rank on Fiscal Health?

Commentary Keeping track of your personal finances is important. But, we should also pay attention to the financial well-being of our local cities, as it can impact the community. Until now, we’ve looked at Southern California cities in six counties: Orange, Los Angeles, Riverside, San Bernardino, San Diego, and Imperial. As the city of Huntington…


Extradited Chinese Billionaire Appears in US Court, Admits to Bribing San Francisco Official

SAN FRANCISCO—Chinese billionaire Zhang Li, who was extradited from London, appeared in the U.S. District Court on the night of July 18 and faces charges of bribing a top San Francisco public official, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Northern District of California. According to an information filed on July 18, Mr. Zhang, 70, was…


Stanford University President Resigns After Failing to Correct Flaws in Academic Papers He Authored

Following months of investigation into allegations of research misconduct, Marc Tessier-Lavigne, president of Stanford University, announced his resignation July 19 after a report (pdf) released July 17 uncovered research manipulation in several labs he oversaw while publishing scientific articles and concluded he failed to correct mistakes, even after substantiated peer-reviewed criticisms were made. Twelve articles…


Long Beach Man Guilty of Fatal Aliso Viejo Spa Bombing

LOS ANGELES—A Long Beach man was found guilty on July 19 of killing his ex-girlfriend and injuring two other people by bombing an Aliso Viejo day spa in 2018. Stephen Beal, 64, was convicted at retrial of four felony counts: use of a weapon of mass destruction resulting in death, malicious destruction of a building…