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Los Angeles Times
22-07-2025
- Business
- Los Angeles Times
L.A. Times owner intends to take newspaper public in coming year
The owner of the Los Angeles Times said Monday he would 'take the paper public' in the next year. In an interview on 'The Daily Show With Jon Stewart,' Dr. Patrick Soon-Shiong said the move would allow The Times 'to be democratized and allow the public to have ownership of this paper.' He did not provide specifics about how the deal would work or whether it would involve an initial public offer to sell shares of the company or some other type of investment arrangement. 'Whether you're right, left, Democrat, Republican, you're an American. So the opportunity for us to provide a paper that is the voices of the people, truly the voices of the people' in important, Soon-Shiong told Stewart. 'We think over the next year we will. I'm working through [that] with an organization that's putting that together right now,' he added. Soon-Shiong built his fortune through pioneering pharmaceutical and biotech ventures, including cancer treatments. In 2018, he purchased the L.A. Times, the San Diego Union-Tribune and several community newspapers in a $500-million deal. The sale returned The Times to local control after a turbulent 18 years of ownership by Chicago-based Tronc. In 2023, he sold the San Diego Union-Tribune to MediaNews Group.
Politico
14-07-2025
- Politics
- Politico
Trouble for Trump's deportation machine
Presented by SPEED BUMP — President Donald Trump was plowing through California's resistance to his immigration agenda, ramping up raids, deploying National Guard troops and beating back Gov. Gavin Newsom's attempts to stop him in the courts. Suddenly, he has a problem. Clogged in court: On Friday, a federal judge blocked the Trump administration's 'roving' immigration arrests — ruling they relied on improper factors such as race. That came a day after another federal judge ruled that Los Angeles police couldn't fire less-lethal rounds at journalists covering immigration protests. RELATED: 'Trump administration allegedly deported previously separated families despite court order,' by the San Diego Union-Tribune's Alex Riggins Popularity deficit: Then there's the souring public opinion — a warning sign for Republicans regardless of what higher courts ultimately do. A newly released Gallup poll found voters have drastically swung toward record-high levels of support for immigration, and disapproval of Trump's immigration approach outweighs approval by 27 percentage points, POLITICO's Giselle Ruhiyyih Ewing reports. Fatal incident: The survey was conducted in June, before a farmworker died while fleeing immigration agents at a licensed cannabis nursery in California. Jaime Alanis, who fell from the top of a greenhouse, was the first known person to die during one of the Trump administration's immigration raids, according to the AP. His death came during one of two raids in the state Thursday that yielded more than 300 arrests and drew heated protests, but Alanis wasn't a target, authorities said. The big picture: Immigration has traditionally been a major point of strength for Trump. If the court decision blocking 'roving' arrests stands, it could make it harder to hit his administration's arrest quotas. And as resonant as the issue has become nationally, if public support for his immigration agenda fades, it could hamper battleground Republicans not just in California, but across the map. But, but, but … The Trump administration on Sunday appealed the ruling blocking its enforcement tactics. Border czar Tom Homan that morning on CNN's 'State of The Union' denied that immigration arrests are being made based on people's physical appearance alone and said he doesn't 'think any federal judge can dictate immigration policy.' He acknowledged documented people were sometimes being detained, but blamed so-called sanctuary policies for forcing the administration to arrest people in their communities and at their worksites. 'We do have collateral arrests in many areas because we're out looking for those public safety threats,' Homan said. 'But legal aliens and U.S. citizens should not be afraid they're going to be swept up in a raid.' RELATED: 'Trump Border Czar Tom Homan: 'There Will Be No Amnesty,' from POLITICO's Dasha Burns Carbajal in the crosshairs: After Democratic Rep. Salud Carbajal went to a protest of one of the raids, in Carpinteria, and was shown on video being denied entry to the cannabis farm where it was taking place, the X account belonging to Immigration and Customs Enforcement accused him of being 'part of a violent mob of protestors attempting to obstruct federal law enforcement,' and of doxing an ICE employee. Carbajal shot back, saying the 'claims of 'doxxing' and 'violent mobs' are familiar deflection tactics designed to distort public perception and to evade accountability for their aggressive actions in our community.' Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche said the administration was reviewing reports of the incident and threatened to 'pursue every appropriate legal avenue to protect our law enforcement officers.' Resistance on repeat: Democrats continue to hit the administration with data showing large shares of people being arrested in some actions have no criminal history, and with Homan's statement that physical appearance can be a factor — if not the sole one — federal agents use in choosing when to detain someone. 'If I was outside of Home Depot because I like to do some work around the house, not dressed in a suit, could I be a target of ice enforcement under Tom Homan?' Sen. Alex Padilla said on 'State of the Union.' 'Probably. And it's just wrong.' Padilla said he has been in touch with United Farm Workers President Teresa Romero over the raids and Alanis' death. Local officials in Southern California, meanwhile, have offered a mix of warnings and policy. Perris Mayor Michael Vargas warned constituents to 'stay home and do not open the door to strangers,' per the LA Times' Karen Garcia, while LA Mayor Karen Bass announced her city would provide cash payments to Angelenos affected by the raids, the Times' Noah Goldberg reported. Up next: CBP Commissioner Rodney Scott said Glass House Farms, the target of the Thursday raids, is under investigation for child labor law violations that he didn't specify. He said 10 teenagers were found during the enforcement action, the youngest of whom was 14 — legal age for California teens to work in agriculture. Glass House denied wrongdoing. GOOD MORNING. Happy Monday. Thanks for waking up with Playbook. Like what you're reading? Sign up to get California Playbook in your inbox, and forward it to a friend. You can also text us at 916-562-0685 — save it as 'CA Playbook' in your contacts. Or drop us a line at dgardiner@ and bjones@ or on X — @DustinGardiner and @jonesblakej. WHERE'S GAVIN? Nothing official announced. TRAVEL LOG JD DOES DISNEY — Vice President JD Vance is spending a lot of time in California for a state Republicans love to hate. Earlier this month it was a dinner fundraiser for the conservative Claremont Institute. Over the weekend, it was Disneyland. Democrats didn't miss the chance to taunt him for it. 'Hope you enjoy your family time, @JDVance. The families you're tearing apart certainly won't,' Gov. Gavin Newsom wrote on X. His press office chimed in: 'Tired: trashing California for political purposes … Wired: visiting & vacationing in California more than your home state this year.' Jane Kleeb, the Nebraska Democratic Party chair, was at Disneyland at the same time and posted video of Vance walking by … 'VP Vance is at Disneyland. I'm also here with my family,' Kleeb, president of the Association of State Democratic Committees, wrote on X. 'When I had a brief moment, I made it clear--we support immigrants, we support America. I asked the obvious question, 'I thought you hate California?' Since we've all seen and heard the hatred coming from Vance and Trump for California and Disney…' TMZ and MickeyVisit were all over the nuts and bolts of the vacation (Usha Vance, the second lady, grew up in the suburbs of San Diego), with video from, among other places, Tom Sawyer Island and Tiana's Bayou Adventure. The visit drew small crowds of protesters. The Orange County Register reported 'around 100 to 150 demonstrators gathered on Harbor Boulevard near the Disneyland entrance on Friday evening, and a crowd of protesters formed again on Saturday.' CASH DASH KIM DIGS IN — Battleground Rep. Young Kim raised over $2 million in the second quarter of 2025 and closed the quarter with nearly $4 million on hand. Her Democratic challenger Esther Kim Varet raised far less, over $600,000, over the same span. SILICON VALLEY SEEKING SHELTER — San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan is touting the results of his city's homeless point-in-time count as proof that his push to fund shelter over housing is working, even as the city's homeless population increases. Data from the count, which Mahan's office shared with Playbook, shows San Jose grew its population of those who are sheltered, meaning they don't have their own houses but aren't living on the street. More than 2,500 of the city's 6,503 homeless residents are sheltered, an uptick of more than 37 percent over the 2023 count and nearly 160 percent over the 2019 count. That said, there's one big, not-so-rosy data point … San Jose's total homeless population increased by nearly 4 percent from 2023 to 2025, and more than 60 percent of the city's unhoused people remain unsheltered. Mahan argues the steady growth of San Jose's sheltered population is a 'proof point' for building more shelters that favor individual spaces for residents over large rooms that everyone shares. Asked whether it's acceptable for cities to have homeless residents, as long as they're inside, Mahan said it's 'more humane.' 'We can't end sheltered homelessness until we fix the broader housing market and get private investment to flow in alongside public investment to build the housing supply we need, and we must solve that,' Mahan said. 'That is a different problem, in many ways, from ending unsheltered homelessness,' he added. 'Which we could do inside of a decade if the state and counties and cities focused on it in the way that San Jose is.' — Lindsey Holden EDUCATION BUDGET ANGST — California's marquee public universities looked like clear-cut winners in the state's recent budget deal. But nerves are fraying as higher education leaders wait to see if leading Democrats will be good for their word, our Eric He reports. A total of $275 million previously pledged to the systems under prior agreements has been deferred to next year, and university leaders and advocates are openly questioning whether the money will ever come. 'Deferred funding is never a guarantee,' Meredith Turner, UC's senior vice president of external relations and communications, wrote on social media after the budget deal was announced. Turner added that the 'real test will come next year—when we'll look for them to make good on the promise to backfill what's been deferred.' CLIMATE AND ENERGY CALAMITY ON THE COLORADO — The West's most important river has shriveled over the past quarter century — and its leading climate scientist says things could get a lot worse. Read Friday's California Climate for why Brad Udall is worried about the situation along the Colorado River and federal cuts to science funding under Trump. Top Talkers CUP COUNSEL — Alan Rothenberg, an attorney at the center of the U.S.' breakthrough on soccer who helped organize the 1984 Olympics in LA, has some advice for Trump as the U.S. prepares to host its first World Cup. Our Sophia Cai talked with him about the effect Trump's travel restrictions might have, the differences between hosting the tournament and the Olympics and how Andrew Giuliani — the person running the FIFA World Cup 2026 Task Force — might support host cities. Read excerpts from their conversation here. NO SILVER BULLET — 'Democrats are banking on backlash to Republicans' Medicaid cuts to boost them in next year's midterms. There's just one problem: The cuts haven't happened yet,' our colleagues Nicholas Wu, Lisa Kashinsky and Madison Fernandez write. Republicans' megabill delayed work requirements until 2027 and financing changes until 2028, and it front-loaded tax breaks that voters are likely to see sooner. 'If we say 'they took it from you,' but it hasn't happened yet, it just complicates it,' said California-based Democratic strategist Doug Herman. 'MERE THEATER' — The California National Guard cut off soldiers' access to threat info and basic mission briefings after independent journalist Ken Klippenstein obtained and published records showing authorities' march through MacArthur Park was designed to be a show of force. 'That the LA deployment is mere theater was the most embarrassing disclosure in the leak, Klippenstein reports on his SubStack. AROUND THE STATE — The owner of an Esparto fireworks warehouse that exploded earlier this month received a state explosives license due to a legal 'loophole.' (Sacramento Bee) — Foreign nationals have used ambulances and posed as patients seeking emergency care to illegally enter California from Mexico, according to court documents. (San Diego Union Tribune) — Fresno County will increase oversight of departments' discretionary spending after the county public health department participated in a local Pride celebration, handing out condoms, lubricant and educational information. (Fresnoland) PLAYBOOKERS IN MEMORIAM — UC Berkeley business professor Przemysław Jeziorski was shot and killed while visiting his family in Greece this month. He was 43. PEOPLE MOVES — The University of California Office of the President appointed Christopher Witko as executive director of the University of California Center Sacramento. Witko, a political scientist who teaches at Penn State University, will also be joining the UC Davis political science department starting Sept. 1. FIRM MOVES — P. Anthony Thomas has launched The Thomas Advocacy Group, a consulting firm with business, labor and advocacy group clients. Thomas previously worked at Southern California Edison, lobbied for the League of California Cities, California Forestry Association, California Natural Gas Producers Association, California Independent Petroleum Association and the California Building Industry Association. BIRTHDAYS — Axial Media and Communications founder Brian Parvizshahi … Sacramento City Councilmember Caity Maple … Meta's Nkechi Nneji … Angie Georgoulias, partner at BB&G Political and Fundraising Strategy … Joel Silver … BELATED B-DAY WISHES — (was Sunday): Brian Grazer … Kate Frischmann of Microsoft … Mike Hais … Damon Conklin, legislative advocate, League of California Cities … Harrison Ford … Carolyn Strauss … (was Saturday): former FCC Chair Jessica Rosenworcel … Brendan Daly … CNN's Eden Getachew … Assemblymember Dawn Addis … Brandon Shaw … Rohini Kosoglu … Victor Ruiz-Cornejo, public engagement manager, west for DoorDash … Rachel Brosnahan … (was Friday): Max Levchin ... Richard V. Sandler SPOTTED: Democratic Assemblymembers Dawn Addis and Maggy Krell dining Sunday evening at Stepdad's restaurant in Sacramento's Land Park neighborhood. (h/t Rachel Bluth) WANT A SHOUT-OUT FEATURED? — Send us a birthday, career move or another special occasion to include in POLITICO's California Playbook. You can now submit a shout-out using this Google form.
Eater
26-06-2025
- Business
- Eater
The Saddest Restaurant Closures to Know in San Diego, June 2025
In today's dining landscape, San Diego restaurants face challenges like the rising cost of goods , labor shortages , and evolving customer expectations. Everything from longtime city institutions to newer spots unable to find their footing can succumb to a combination of obstacles, although San Diego restaurateurs and chefs remain resilient — just check out Eater's hot new restaurants map for proof. This column keeps track of all the closings you may have missed. East Village - Located next to Petco Park, the popular taqueria City Tacos will close its doors on June 30. The San Diego Padres bought the lease rights for the building that houses the downtown street taco spot, according to a press release; the San Diego Union-Tribune reports that the Padres plan to use the East Village space for offices. Next year, the street taco specialists may open inside the ballpark. Meanwhile, there are six other City Tacos locations throughout San Diego County. Clairemont Mesa - The food hall outpost of Shan Xi Magic Kitchen, located adjacent to the 99 Ranch Market on Balboa Avenue, has shuttered to focus on its Convoy District location. The owners' daughter, who prefers not to be named, tells Eater that her parents wanted to ensure the food quality remains excellent at their main restaurant. San Marcos - One of the pioneers in creating a fish market and restaurant in North County, Fish House Vera Cruz, has closed its doors. Anchoring Old California Restaurant Row in San Marcos, the restaurant announced its closure on Instagram after operating for nearly half a century and employing more than 3,700 workers since 1979, according to the San Diego Union-Tribune . Kearney Mesa - Sizzling Pot King, which served mala dry pot dishes cooked at the table, closed its doors in April. Taking over the space is Zhang Liang Malatang, a DIY hot pot restaurant and the first San Diego outpost of a massive Chinese restaurant chain. A second location has already been planned for National City. The menu features classic, dry pot, tomato, and mala stir-fry dishes, as well as soups. See More: San Diego Restaurant Closings
American Military News
13-06-2025
- Entertainment
- American Military News
Appreciation: Brian Wilson, dead at 82. ‘I never knew what 'genius' meant,' he told us
The term 'tortured genius' has been too liberally applied to a number of great and not-so-great artists over the years, but Brian Wilson is one of the few who truly qualified for both designations. The announcement of his death Wednesday at the age of 82 silences one of the most transcendent musical voices of his generation — a deeply troubled man-child whose best music exuded joy and beauty with a unique combination of sophistication and wide-eyed youthful wonder. 'I never knew what 'genius' meant. I think it means 'clever.' I don't know,' Wilson said in 2016 during my sixth and most recent San Diego Union-Tribune interview with him. Both as the mastermind of the Beach Boys and in his best work as a solo artist, Wilson demonstrated a singular degree of melodic ingenuity, emotional depth and meticulous craftsmanship. He was able to create gorgeous sonic soundscapes despite — and, perhaps, in response to — the physical and mental travails he underwent for much of his life. Wilson's father, Murry, battered Brian psychologically and physically, including hitting his then-teenaged son in the head so hard with a two-by-four piece of wood that the younger Wilson lost his hearing in one ear. Later in his life, he was diagnosed with schizoaffective disorder and manic depression. Years of drug abuse also left their mark on Wilson. So did the weighty expectations placed on him as a result of the Beach Boys' multimillion-selling records and the lavish critical praise he received. 'Yeah, the success I achieved was expensive for a couple of reasons,' Wilson said in a 1991 Union-Tribune interview. 'One, it made it difficult for me to live up to what I had achieved. … It's like when you plant seeds earlier in your life: 'I'm going to be successful in the recording industry; I'm gonna be a good singer,' and you achieve that. 'Then what happens? You're going, 'Hey, what's wrong here?' Then one day it occurs to you that the seeds you planted were a little too big, that you're not going to be able to get the goal that you set for yourself, because you set it too high. That happens to a lot of people. And your encore is more of the same, and pretty soon you go crazy and you say, 'I can't do this. What am I? I can't do this'.' Classic songs What Wilson did do, both during and — at times — after his 1960s heyday, will continue to stand the test of time. The list of classic songs he wrote or co-wrote includes 'Surfin' U.S.A.,' 'California Girls,' 'In My Room,' 'Good Vibrations,' 'God Only Knows,' 'Don't Worry Baby,' 'I Get Around,' 'The Warmth of the Sun,' 'Surfs Up,' 'Sail On, Sailor,' 'Fantasy Is Reality/Bells of Madness,' 'I Just Wasn't Made For These Times' and a good number more. Also on that list is the gorgeous, deeply melancholic 'Summer's Gone,' a standout number from the Beach Boys' final album with Wilson, 2012's 'That's Why God Made the Radio.' And, of course, the entire 'Pet Sounds' album, the landmark 1966 opus that has been ranked ever since as one of the greatest recordings of the 20th century. Wilson had mixed emotions when he reflected on the making of 'Pet Sounds' in our 1991 interview. 'I use(d) drugs to create 'Pet Sounds,' and they do help me and it was an experience for me. Although, at the same time, I was very dismayed at the fact that not too long afterwards, I was smoking (marijuana), I was using drugs much more profusely than I did with 'Pet Sounds.' 'And I began to grow up, because I said, 'If I can create 'Pet Sounds' on drugs, I can create something greater on drugs.' So I made 'Good Vibrations' on drugs; I used drugs to make that. I was on drugs. I learned how to function behind drugs and it improved my brain, it improved the way I was, it made me more rooted in my sanity. 'The only thing is a couple of side effects, like paranoia and b.s. like that,' he continued. 'But you can get over that, you know, simply by not overdoing it. If you do it in moderation, you see, I took drugs in moderation (and) I was able to create, I could create. It gave me the ability — carte blanche — to create something, you know what I mean? 'And that's where it's at; drugs aren't where it's at. But, for me, that's where it was at in 1966. And I got off the stuff. I said, 'Hey, I don't need this anymore'.' San Diego Zoo visit The cover photo for 'Pet Sounds' was taken at the San Diego Zoo. 'I can't remember who came up with the idea. I think I did,' said Wilson in 2016, while acknowledging his zoo visit was a one-off. 'Have I ever been back? No. Never again.' Wilson's influence on several generations of musicians and fans is a matter of record. His admirers include Paul McCartney, Elton John, Weezer, Ireland's Prefab Sprout, Fontaines D.C. and such San Diego artists as Cindy Lee Berryhill and Blink-182. Another San Diego-bred band, Nickel Creek, drew great inspiration from Wilson's legendary 1966 and 1967 recording sessions for his wildly experimental album 'SMilE.' 'There is such freedom, such curiosity and wonder permeating every single track on 'SMiLE',' said Nickel Creek's Chris Thile in a 2023 Union-Tribune interview about 'Celebrants,' his band's then-new album. 'Because (Wilson) didn't ever finish 'SMiLE,' it's such a springboard to one's own musical imagination and possibilities. The greatest pieces of art are empowering in that way. They kind of rocket you into creativity. I think any number of brilliant pieces of art feel gloriously unfinished in that way. So, we sat up late at the beginning of the writing process for 'Celebrants' and used 'SMiLE' as a springboard…' Wilson was a Kennedy Center honoree and a Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductee. His life was chronicled in the 2015 biopic, 'Love & Mercy,' in which two actors — Paul Dano and John Cusack — portrayed him. Wilson was pleased with the casting, he told me, but not with the depictions of some of his drug use. 'The actors were cast very well,' Wilson said. 'They hung out with me to get to know me. I can't wait to see how the movie does (with audiences). I didn't give (the actors) any advice, (but) John Cusack did (get) my sense of humor pretty good. It's a fun movie. I had a really good time watching it. 'The dark parts, where I took drugs, that was hard to watch.' 'A little intimidating' The Beach Boys' first headlining concert in San Diego was in 1964 at Russ Auditorium. Wilson's most recent area show with the band was at Cricket Wireless Amphitheatre in Chula Vista for the group's short-lived 50th anniversary tour in 2012. As a solo artist, he performed here at an array of venues, including Humphreys, the San Diego County Fair Grandstand Stage and the Rady Shell, where his final San Diego show took place Aug. 31, 2021. Wilson looked frail and often sounded ragged at his Shell concert which saw him in the motorized wheelchair he had started using a few years earlier. His final concert was in 2022. Last year, following the death of his wife, Melinda, he was placed into a conservatorship. Between 1991 and 2016, I was fortunate to do six interviews with Wilson, three in person and three by phone. As the years progressed, he went from being open and talkative — if sometimes paranoid and unsure of himself — to being terse and withdrawn. His eyes still sparkled at times, even as his inner light seemed to be fading. But he would suddenly come alive when he connected with a question, just as he still could briefly come alive on stage when he connected with one of his timeless songs. Our first interview, 34 years ago, took place at Wilson's Malibu home and in a limousine taking him to the UCLA campus. Our most recent interview was on the ninth floor of the Capitol Records Tower in Hollywood. It was the same Capitol Tower that the Beach Boys first visited in 1962 to sign their contract with Capitol Records. When I asked Wilson to recall his first time at there, he replied: 'It was a little intimidating. All my heroes had recorded here, Nat 'King' Cole, the Four Freshmen …' Wilson was just 20 at the time. His goals, beyond making records, were undefined. 'I didn't have any notion. I had no idea,' he admitted. 'The goal was to take it one year at a time. (After 1963) I wanted to do rock 'n' roll music. … I didn't take my fame very seriously, you know. But (success) did put pressure on me to record good music. And, yeah, it became difficult. After 'Pet Sounds,' I wanted to try and do something that would be just as good, or better. 'I want to do the best I can.' Happily, when he was at the peak of his powers, Wilson's best was often better than nearly anyone else's. His earthly travails were soul-sapping and then some. But, like millions of listeners, Wilson found salvation in his music and he shared it with the world. Or, as he told me in 1991: 'Music does wash away the dust of everyday life; it cleanses the soul, too. It also does subliminal things to people.' ___ © 2025 The San Diego Union-Tribune. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
Filipino Times
11-05-2025
- Filipino Times
Former ‘Teacher of the Year' sentenced to 30 years in prison for sexually abusing students
Former San Diego County 'Teacher of the Year' Jacqueline Ma has been sentenced to 30 years in prison for sexually abusing two elementary school students. Ma, 36, admitted to two counts of forcible lewd acts with a child under 14 and one count of possessing explicit material involving a minor. Both victims were students at Lincoln Acres Elementary School, where Ma had been teaching fifth and sixth grades since 2013. She was recognized as the Teacher of the Year in August 2022 but was arrested in March 2023 after the mother of a 12-year-old boy reported finding suggestive messages from Ma to her child using video game chat rooms. According to the District Attorney's Office, Ma groomed the boys by giving them gifts, food, special attention, and even completed homework for the children, the San Diego Union-Tribune reported. During the trial, Ma expressed remorse, saying she 'disgraced the teaching profession,' and apologized for 'ripping away their childhood.' Authorities also claimed that years earlier, Ma had groomed another boy who was 11 at the time. Neither of the victims nor their parents attended Friday's sentencing. Ma concluded her statement by saying, 'I just pray for extra protection and strength for all those affected.' Ma will be required to serve the full 30-year sentence before becoming eligible for parole. In addition to prison time, she must pay fines and register as a sex offender.
