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From left, California State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond, former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and former California State Controller Betty Yee at the California gubernatorial candidate debate in San Francisco on Feb.
3, 2026.USC canceled a gubernatorial debate set to be held on March 24 after widespread claims that the debate purposefully left out candidates of color.The USC Dornsife Center for the Political Future was organizing the debate, with ABC/KABC Los Angeles and Univision set to co-host and televise in both English and Spanish. Many of the Democratic candidates, including those who were invited, have been calling for the inclusion of all candidates regardless of their positioning in USC’s debate criteria formula.The formula used to determine debate participants excluded candidates with “lower polling and fundraising scores.” In a statement issued late Monday night, USC defended"the independence, objectivity and integrity of USC Professor Christian Grose, whose data-driven candidate viability formula is based on extensive research and enjoys broad academic support."USC canceled a gubernatorial debate set to be held on March 24 after widespread claims that the debate purposefully left out candidates of color. The USC Dornsife Center for the Political Future was organizing the debate, with ABC/KABC Los Angeles and Univision set to co-host and televise in both English and Spanish. Many of the Democratic candidates, including those who were invited, have been"USC vigorously defends the independence, objectivity and integrity of USC Professor Christian Grose, whose data-driven candidate viability formula is based on extensive research and enjoys broad academic support,” said a USC statement sent to the media late Monday night. “At the same time, we recognize that concerns about the selection criteria for tomorrow’s gubernatorial debate have created a significant distraction from the issues that matter to voters. “Unfortunately, USC and KABC have not been able to reach an agreement on expanding the number of candidates at tomorrow’s debate. As a result, USC has made the difficult decision to cancel tomorrow’s debate and will look for other opportunities to educate voters on the candidates and issues." Controversy surrounding the debate began as early as March 16, when former Human and Health Services Secretary and candidate for governor Xavier Becerra sent letters to USC, ABC7 and Univision calling the debate criteria a “patently arbitrary, spontaneous qualification formula.” The former California Attorney General took issue with no candidates of color being invited to participate, while a white candidate, San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan, was invited despite polling lower than Becerra and others. The Democrats who were invited — Mahan, Rep. Eric Swalwell and former Rep. Katie Porter — all took to social media in the last week calling on USC to expand its debate to include all of the Democratic candidates. Also invited to the debate were political commentator Steve Hilton and Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco, both Republicans who are polling fairly high.“Thank you to everyone who stood up, raised hell and demanded justice,” reads the post. “Never give up when you’re fighting for fairness!”The Los Angeles Unified School District Board voted unanimously Tuesday to rename two campuses named after César Chávez by fall 2026 and to fund the removal of murals and any other commemorations of the disgraced labor leader at other schools.: Board Member Kelly Gonez introduced the resolution through tears. “These heartwrenching stories represent a betrayal for so many of us and yet they resonate with many survivors and many women who have experienced this as girls and in our adulthood including myself,” Gonez said. Board Vice President Rocío Rivas co-authored the resolution. “This is not an easy moment, but it’s a necessary one,” Rivas said.: The board committed to working with the communities surrounding César Chávez Learning Academies in San Fernando and César Chávez Elementary School in El Sereno to identify new names that “reflect the District’s values of equity, justice, and community leadership.” The district will also recognize March 31 as Farm Workers Day this year and in future calendars.The Los Angeles Unified School District Board voted unanimously Tuesday to rename two campuses named after César Chávez by fall 2026 and to fund the removal of murals and any other commemorations of the disgraced labor leader at other schools.: Board Member Kelly Gonez introduced the resolution. “These heart-wrenching stories represent a betrayal for so many of us and yet they resonate with many survivors and many women who have experienced this as girls and in our adulthood including myself,” Gonez said through tears.: The board committed to working with the communities surrounding César Chávez Learning Academies in San Fernando and César Chávez Elementary School in El Sereno to identify new names that “reflect the District’s values of equity, justice, and community leadership.”At the Supreme Court Monday, the conservative majority seemed ready to overturn laws in 29 states that allow mail-in votes to be counted after Election Day if they were postmarked by Election Day.The split was illustrated in Monday's case from Mississippi. In 2020, the state legislature, by a bipartisan and nearly unanimous vote, approved a five-day grace period for counting election ballots if they were postmarked by Election Day but arrived late. But in the Supreme Court Monday, the conservative justices seemed suspicious of extending a short grace period to count late-arriving ballots. Justices Neil Gorsuch and Amy Coney Barrett, for instance, fixated on what they deemed the possibility of voters"recalling ballots," which they said could be theoretically done by the U.S. Postal Service or other common carriers like FedEx.A decision overturning Mississippi's law would have particularly profound implications for large rural areas, and members of the military abroad. The state most likely to suffer serious ramifications is Alaska, the nation's largest state by area, where 80% of the population lives off the road system, the weather is unpredictable, and some communities do not offer in-person voting. Indeed, in 2022, ballots from six rural villages were not counted because the U.S. Postal Service failed to deliver them in time.At the Supreme Court Monday, the conservative majority seemed ready to overturn laws in 29 states that allow mail-in votes to be counted after Election Day if they were postmarked by Election Day. President Donald Trump has long railed against mail-in voting, believing — incorrectly — that those late votes improperly cost him the 2020 election. But citizens and politicians alike have enthusiastically embraced voting by mail. The split was illustrated in Monday's case from Mississippi. In 2020, the state Legislature, by a bipartisan and nearly unanimous vote, approved a five-day grace period for counting election ballots if they were postmarked by Election Day but arrived late. But in the Supreme Court Monday, the conservative justices, like Trump, seemed suspicious of extending a short grace period to count late-arriving ballots. Justices Neil Gorsuch and Amy Coney Barrett, for instance, fixated on what they deemed the possibility of voters"recalling ballots," which they said could be theoretically done by the U.S. Postal Service or other common carriers like FedEx. Mississippi Solicitor General Scott Stewart tried repeatedly to assure the court that the state does not permit ballot recalls. But Gorsuch in particular seemed to view those assurances as unreliable.Similarly, Justice Brett Kavanaugh questioned whether a grace period to count legally cast ballots might undermine public confidence in the election process. And Justice Clarence Thomas wondered how early voting is legal. On that, however, even the Trump administration's solicitor general, D. John Sauer, conceded the validity of early voting. The larger question that seemed to divide the court's six conservatives from the three liberals was where the court should be in terms of assessing new election procedures. Why, asked Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson, should we look only at old procedures and not new ones that Congress has left undisturbed. And finally, Justice Sonia Sotomayor took aim at what she viewed as dishonesty in the Trump administration's brief. "I am a little upset — not a little, a lot upset — by many of the statements in your brief quoting historical sources out of context," she said. A decision overturning Mississippi's law would have particularly profound implications for large rural areas, and members of the military abroad. The state most likely to suffer serious ramifications is Alaska, the nation's largest state by area, where 80% of the population lives off the road system, the weather is unpredictable, and some communities do not offer in-person voting. Indeed, in 2022,If you're enjoying this article, you'll love our daily newsletter, The LA Report. Each weekday, catch up on the 5 most pressing stories to start your morning in 3 minutes or less.Immigration and Customs Enforcement deployments to American cities are a central part of President Trump's immigration crackdown. Yet, according to data analyzed by NPR — and interviews with law enforcement and city officials — these actions stretched local police departments thin, disrupted businesses and left city budgets struggling to absorb the fallout.What unifies these ICE actions is they were all sustained over several weeks, in communities where local law enforcement isn't authorized towith federal immigration efforts. Still, these deployments resulted in knock-on effects that required the use of local police to bring about or preserve order. Police overtime surged as departments were forced to deploy officers for demonstrations, extra patrols, security around federal facilities and emergency responses tied to the raids — often at overtime pay rates.in Southern California."The first three weeks of it, we were really balancing and teetering on martial law," LA councilwoman Eunisses Hernandez told NPR. She said the city didn't expect"such a heavy-handed and militarized and war-like response from the federal government to people expressing their First Amendment rights." The LAPD spent around $17 million between June 8 and 16 responding to the anti-ICE protests that broke out that month. Close to $12 million of that went to overtime costs,Immigration and Customs Enforcement deployments to American cities are a central part of President Donald Trump's immigration crackdown. Yet, according to data analyzed by NPR — and interviews with law enforcement and city officials — these actions stretched local police departments thin, disrupted businesses and left city budgets struggling to absorb the fallout.What unifies these ICE actions is they were all sustained over several weeks in communities where local law enforcement isn't authorized towith federal immigration efforts. Still, these deployments resulted in knock-on effects that required the use of local police to bring about or preserve order. Police overtime surged as departments were forced to deploy officers for demonstrations, extra patrols, security around federal facilities and emergency responses tied to the raids — often at overtime pay rates.spending climbed to $41 million in June 2025, when immigration raids sparked weeks of protests — well above the department's typical monthly range of $18 to $30 million,In Minneapolis, the Police Department reported more than $6 million in overtime and standby pay in less than a month, from Jan. 7 to Feb. 8, according to the city's police chief. That's The full financial picture is still not fully known. City leaders are reviewing their budgets and expect costs to continue to go up. In response to NPR's questions about how the immigration crackdown has affected city budgets, Abigail Jackson, a White House spokeswoman, provided a statement and included source links:"Illegal aliens cost American taxpayers"The first three weeks of it, we were really balancing and teetering on martial law," LA Councilwoman Eunisses Hernandez told NPR. She said the city didn't expect"such a heavy-handed and militarized and war-like response from the federal government to people expressing their First Amendment rights." The LAPD spent around $17 million between June 8 and June 16 responding to the anti-ICE protests that broke out that month. Close to $12 million of that went to overtime costs, These figures do not include the costs of potential lawsuits or liability claims from residents and protesters injured during the demonstrations, and from aggressive policing by the LAPD that the city expects to face, Hernandez said.In response to questions from NPR, the LAPD did not provide any information about what types of activities officers were engaged in when they incurred the overtime hours. The City Controller's Office pointed NPR to the public database of city funding for more information. But the data lacked specifics. Overtime costs for the LAPD for the entire month of June 2025 ballooned to more than $40 million. Overtime hovered between $22 million to a little over $33 million from January 2025 through May 2025. The LAPD, the country's third-largest police department, has struggled with short staffing — contributing to the need to spend millions on overtime in prior years,L.A. Mayor Karen Bass did not answer questions about the financial repercussions on the city from the police response to the raids or on local businesses. U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents stand off against demonstrators as tear gas fills the air outside the federal ICE building during a protest in Portland, Ore., last June.Not long after the unrest in Los Angeles, Portland Police Bureau Chief Robert Day said protesters and federal agents began to converge on the city's ICE facility in June. "The bulk of our overtime investment, and demands on our time have been at the facility," Day told NPR. From June until November 2025, Portland police officers were staffed at the ICE facility nearly every day, according to the city data provided to NPR. There were other times when officers were actively monitoring but weren't at the facility. In 2025, the Portland Police Bureau recorded 38,213 overtime hours categorized as"event response," according to data provided to NPR. For context, Portland police racked up 19,166 overtime hours for event response for all of 2024. The overtime hours accrued in 2025 are nearly half of what was accrued when police responded to major protests in 2020 and 2021 following the death of George Floyd. Police worked between 70,000 to more than 80,000 hours of overtime to respond to those events, according to the data. Local law enforcement's role at the ICE facility this summer and fall was to maintain order. Protests got out of hand at times."The facility was badly damaged. It was heavily attacked. Windows broken and graffiti," Day said. During now-outgoing DHS Secretary Kristi Noem's October visit, Portland police were tasked with providing even more security to the center — 456 officers, resulting in close to 3,000 hours of overtime hours worked, according to data provided to NPR, and equating to"a few hundred thousand bucks," according to Day. "Cops were working long days, long weeks, over an extended period of time," Day said."We are understaffed, under-resourced, and the rest of the city suffers because of that." In the summer and fall, that meant calls for service took much longer, according to Day."Our average response time to priority calls has grown to 17,18 minutes … and it should be more like six to eight," he confirmed.At the peak of the immigration enforcement surge, there were around 3,000 ICE and Customs and Border Protection agents in the Minneapolis area. There are only around 600 cops in the Minneapolis Police Department, and statewide, there are around 10,000 law enforcement officers. "I cannot imagine any other city going through the intensity and the sheer amount of chaos that happened here. It was terrible," Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O'Hara told NPR."Minneapolis is a small city. This is not Chicago. It's not LA, I don't think it would be possible for them to overwhelm those cities in the way that this city was really overwhelmed by that surge." Early on, O'Hara made big changes to respond to the deployments of federal agents to Minneapolis. He changed operational procedures and created a full-time position for a lieutenant to be available to monitor ICE-related calls. He also staffed the department's operation center with civilian community service officers to help monitor social media and the city's camera feed to see action in the streets in real time, he explained. By early January, O'Hara was instructing all sworn officers to be in uniform at all times while on duty. "I was afraid there was going to be a need for an emergency situation that would require a massive deployment. And the next day is when Renee Good was killed," he told NPR."From that moment, until about a day or two after the third shooting that we had when Mr. Pretti died, I would say it just continued to escalate." When the police were responding to and protecting active crime scenes in the aftermath of the shootings, ICE agents continued with immigration stops and arrests. In response, demonstrations of thousands in opposition to the raids continued.O'Hara compared that chaos to the unrest after the 2020 killing of Floyd by a Minneapolis police officer, which led to major protests and riots.As a result, overtime costs skyrocketed. O'Hara said the department spent about $6.4 million on overtime costs from Jan. 7 through Feb. 8. "It was, honestly, an overwhelming situation that for most of it, it felt like there was just no end in sight," he said.By the third week of January, O'Hara said he received reports that officers were experiencing symptoms of PTSD,"which scared me," he said. The 2020 Floyd protests had a huge impact on the department — so much so it led to a mass exodus of officers reporting symptoms of PTSD. "As emotionally charged as things were on the street, it was difficult for them," O'Hara said."It took them back to the feelings and things that they had experienced in 2020. That was really tough for a lot of the cops." O'Hara continued, talking about staffing concerns:"It was my fear that we were going to wind up having this cycle again and just wind up losing more people. Unlike in 2020…there's absolutely no buffer. We're at bare bones here." With police pulled to respond to keep public order, officers were being pulled off of active investigations. Crimes weren't being solved or investigated as quickly as they could have, he added.on Feb. 13 that estimated the total economic fallout in one month during these operations was more than $203 million. The report lists a host of consequences from the raids, including residents detained, job losses and business closures. "The impact was both extraordinary and it was devastating for those months, while this invasion was taking place," Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey told NPR."People were afraid to go out. Afraid to go to the grocery store. Terrified that their families were going to get ripped apart."Jackson, the White House spokeswoman, said in her statement:"When will NPR ask sanctuary cities if they will reimburse the American people for expenses incurred by illegal aliens? Or if they will apologize to the victims of violent criminal illegal aliens?" O'Hara said the problem was not that immigration enforcement was happening. The problem is the"unsafe and questionable methods" of the federal agents and"questionable leadership."St. Paul, the capital of Minnesota and close neighbor to Minneapolis, loaned some officers to Minneapolis to deal with the crush of Operation Metro Surge, according to Rebecca Noecker, the president of St. Paul's City Council. "This was a problem that we did not make and it's a problem we don't have the resources to solve," said Noecker. Following the shooting of Renee Macklin Good in Minneapolis, St. Paul police spent $46,000 in overtime in just one day to assist the neighboring police department, Noecker said. From Jan. 7 to Feb. 5 St. Paul police shared with NPR that 4,679.75 employee overtime hours were worked in response to Operation Metro Surge. That cost $372,341.38. They didn't tell NPR how many officers worked the additional hours or provide additional data beyond early 2026. "The line between physically intervening with ICE to keep protesters safe and physically intervening with ICE in a way that prevents a lawful enforcement action is a really fine one," Noecker said."What I heard mostly from our police was: 'We're really in an impossible situation.'" Community members and neighbors of people detained by ICE gather in protest at a Target store on Jan. 19 in St. Paul.Noecker says the numbers her city is seeing now are not the end of the story. She expects these bills to go up. In nearby Bloomington, Minn., 10 minutes south of Minneapolis, the city's police Chief Booker Hodges told NPR protests against ICE spilled into his community. He said, for example, demonstrations broke out in front of hotels where it was rumored that ICE agents were staying. In January, when the White House deployed federal law enforcement to Minneapolis"all hell broke loose," Hodges said. Border Patrol and other federal agents were seen following residents to nearby schools, which triggered emergency calls to the department. There were also racial profiling incidents targeting the city's large Latino and Somali population, Hodges told NPR.Hodges said his officers were exhausted, but that his department is fully staffed so didn't require as much overtime as other agencies. His department spent more than $32,000 in overtime costs in response to immigration protests and activities, he told NPR. That covered 60 police officers and totaled 415.5 hours. The work for these officers involved extra patrols in retail and at the city's more than four dozen hotels. It also required the deployment of the department's Public Order Group . It was deployed once all of last year. This year, as of mid February, the group was deployed four times. He would like to see reimbursement from the federal government, but said,"it's pointless to even ask them for it." He says time would be better spent pushing for comprehensive immigration reform:"Because even though the surge has ended here, the laws that allowed it to take place are still in place."It won't be as hot as last week, but we're in for another warm week here in SoCal where temperatures are going to be more than 10 degrees above normal.It won't be as hot as last week, but we're in for another warm week here in SoCal where temperatures are going to be more than 10 degrees above normal. Low clouds and even patchy fog are in store this morning for the coasts, downtown L.A. into the San Gabriel Valley. Otherwise, expect a mostly sunny afternoon. High temperatures along the beaches will be in the mid to upper 70s. For the valleys, we're looking at highs between 83 to 91, and up to 93 degrees in the Inland Empire.
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