What a week!

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California is shifting—literally and politically. A new NASA/NOAA study reveals our statewide topographical fluctuation. High-speed rail is once again in the crosshairs. L.A. grieves its lost landmarks. GOP Latino lawmakers chart their own course. And in a crushing indignity to all Californians, an Oregonian wins our state’s game bird stamp contest.

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Let’s get to it…

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CALIFORNIA SINKING — AND RISING

Anyone who has lived through an earthquake in California knows there’s a lot going on beneath our feet. In addition to the tectonic shifts, the coastline is facing rising seas. Oh, and large parts of the interior are sinking. A fascinating new NASA/NOAA study maps land motion from 2015 to 2023, revealing major cities like San Francisco, Los Angeles, and San Diego are subsiding due to erosion, soil compaction, and groundwater withdrawal. Not so in Long Beach, which is actually rising — along with a number of other spots around the state. Using satellite radar, researchers pinpointed hot spots where sinking land will worsen sea level rise, flooding, and saltwater intrusion. If climate change wasn’t enough, we’ve got foundation problems too! Great.

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🤫 Everything you should know

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🚄 🕵️ 💸  -  HIGH SPEED FAIL? — California’s high-speed rail—once a $33 billion promise to zip riders between LA and San Francisco by 2020—has ballooned into a $106 billion, decades-long saga. The Trump administration is now eyeing an investigation and potential $4 billion funding cut, kicked off by a raucous California press appearance by U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy. Republicans call it a disaster, advocates call it essential, and Californians are left with a Bakersfield-to-Merced consolation prize—maybe by 2033, if the money holds. As if on cue, the California state inspector general dropped a report just a day after Duffy’s event noting that the project is on track...to blow even more deadlines. Associated Press

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🏚️ 🔥 📝 - L.A. REMEMBERS — A month after the worst wildfires in LA history, the flames are out, but the grief burns on. To honor what was lost, Architectural Digest compiled the recollections of 77 Angelenos who waxed poetic about the buildings that shaped their lives — homes, diners, schools, even the local frozen yogurt spot. Grand or mundane, each place held a story, a ritual, a connection, many of which are brought to life in the piece by watercolor artist Samantha Hahn. The story is a tribute to the city’s heart: not just structures reduced to ash, but the memories that live on. Architectural Digest

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🟥 🪚 🟦  LATINO CAUCUS SCHISM — California’s Latino political landscape just got a bit more interesting. Shut out of the Democratic-led Latino Legislative Caucus, nine Republican lawmakers have formed their own Hispanic Legislative Caucus, arguing that Democrats focus too much on immigration and not enough on cost of living, education, and public safety. With Latino voters increasingly shifting right — especially men — GOP Latinos are staking their claim. LA Times

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🎧 🔊 🎧 ON THE POD: L.A. MEEKLY

L.A. Meekly is a monthly podcast diving into the weird, wild, and wonderful history of Los Angeles. Each month, Los Angeles-born comedians Greg Gonzalez and Daniel Zafran explore a new topic—bank robberies, haunted hotels, lost landmarks, pre-Dodger baseball, and more—piecing together the stories that made L.A. the city it is today. Expect deep dives, odd facts, and plenty of local lore. LA Meekly

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🐦 🎨 🏆  - CA UPLAND GAME BIRD STAMP CONTEST WON BY…OREGONIAN

If everything else in the news this week wasn’t discouraging enough, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife announced that the annual nationwide contest to determine the official design for this year’s California Upland Game Bird Stamp was won by an Oregonian. Kathy Holeman of The Dalles, Oregon, submitted the above painting of white-winged doves, crushing her California competition. Kudos Kathy. Kudos. CDFW

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