A roundup of the top stories in California this week, plus links to some good reads for your weekend.
Hundreds arrested in Los Angeles human trafficking crackdown
The Los Angeles Regional Human Trafficking Task Force announced that a statewide crackdown on human trafficking conducted throughout the last week of January resulted in more than 600 arrests and the rescue of 170 people. Among those rescued were 14 children including victims as young as 13. “Operation Reclaim and Rebuild” was conducted by local, state and federal agencies and targeted both solicitors and providers.
(Source: ABC7 Eyewitness News)
Measles cases on the rise across California
California is seeing a rise in measles cases, including several possibly involving visits to Disneyland and LAX. The California Department of Public Health (CDPH) reports nine cases of measles for January. Among those, three cases were reported among people who visited Disneyland and one in a person who arrived through LAX’s Tom Bradley international terminal. The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health is investigating a confirmed case of measles in a resident who recently traveled internationally and visited at least one public location in LA County while infectious. Cases have been reported in Los Angeles, Napa, Orange, San Mateo and Shasta counties.
Measles is a highly contagious respiratory virus that can lead to serious complications. The measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine is effective; two doses provide 97% protection against measles.
(Sources: CDPH.ca.gov & ABC10)
Candidates for California Governor face off in first televised debate
On Tuesday evening, seven of the leading candidates for Governor of California participated in a debate in front of a live audience at the Ruth Williams Bay View Opera House in San Francisco. The debate was hosted by Bay Area TV station KTVU Fox 2, KTTV Fox 11 and the Black Action Alliance, an Oakland-based nonprofit.
Candidates participating in the debate were Democrats Matt Mahan, San Jose Mayor; investor Tom Steyer; former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa; former Attorney General Xavier Becerra; and former California State Controller Betty Yee; and Republicans Steve Hilton, a political advisor and commentator; and Tony Thurmond, California State Superintendent of Public Instruction. Leading candidates Eric Swalwell, Katie Porter, Chad Bianco and Ian Calderon did not participate in the debate.
(Source: KQED)
Assemblymember Mark González says GTFO: Get the Feds Out
Today, Assemblymember Mark González announced legislation that will be jointly introduced with Speaker Robert Rivas, aiming to prevent anyone who has been previously engaged in baseless, cruel immigration enforcement activity from attaining a public service job in California. He was joined at the Japanese American National Museum by Senator Maria Elena Durazo, Councilmember Ysabel Jurado, and Ann Burroughs, President and CEO of the Japanese American National Museum.
“Immigration enforcement agents, when they invade our communities, when they kidnap neighbors, when they choose VIOLENCE over PEACE, and when they shove the cold barrel of a gun into the back of a head and execute innocent people in the streets…” said Assemblymember Mark González, “That is not serving the public. I am proud to stand with the Speaker, announcing legislation that says enough of this sh*t. We are not going to abandon my community; not ever.”
Attorney General Bonta files landmark ghost gun lawsuit
California Attorney General Rob Bonta together with San Francisco City Attorney David Chiu today announced a lawsuit against Gatalog Foundation Inc. and CTRLPew LLC for unlawfully distributing computer code for 3D printing ghost guns, machine gun conversion devices including “Glock Switches,” illegal large-capacity magazines, and other firearm-related products and components to individuals who are not licensed to manufacture firearms in California. In addition, the defendants are being held accountable for promoting and facilitating the unlawful manufacture of 3D printed firearms and machine guns. The lawsuit was filed in the San Francisco County Superior Court.
“Gatalog is distributing blueprints for some of the world’s most dangerous and untraceable weapons,” said San Francisco City Attorney David Chiu. “Ghost guns bypass background checks and leave law enforcement no trail in violent crimes. Gatalog is illegally disseminating computer code that makes it quick, cheap, and easy for anyone, including teenagers, to 3D-print ghost guns and convert firearms into machine guns. They are making it easier to put guns in the hands of dangerous individuals, including those barred from owning a firearm. We’re asking the Court to stop Gatalog’s illegal distribution of ghost gun blueprints, which makes us all less safe.”
(Source: oag.ca.gov)
CDFW captures and collars 5 gray wolves in Northern California
The California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) recently completed helicopter capture operations resulting in the satellite collaring of five gray wolves in Northern California. The operations occurred in Lassen, Modoc, Shasta, Siskiyou and Tehama counties. Each wolf was fitted with a satellite/VHF collar and veterinary and biological staff also collected biological data. After collaring, each wolf was released on public land as close as practical to its capture location.
Satellite collaring is a critical management and research tool that helps CDFW monitor wolf populations, better understand landscape use and movement patterns and reduce the risk of wolf–livestock conflict. Over the past decade, CDFW has successfully captured 38 gray wolves statewide for the purpose of collaring. Presently, there are 13 wolves carrying active collars. Within days of capture, the approximate locations of the newly collared wolves began showing on CDFW’s Wolf Tracker mapping tool.
A few good reads for your weekend:
- ‘Melania’ is so, so, so bad (SFGATE): Columnist Drew Magary watched “Melania” so you don’t have to. A highlight: “These people are gross, and they deserve none of the shine they spend all day basking in. They deserve tribunals, and soon.”
- How to Run Across Death Valley in the Summer (Nautilus): Ultrarunners share how they prepare for the Badwater 135 Ultramarathon. Known as “the world’s toughest race,” the course runs 135 miles across Death Valley from Badwater to the base of Mount Whitney, and takes place during scorching-hot July.
- Remote cameras catch rare predator in Californian forest. There are only 500 left on the planet (Discover Wildlife): The coastal marten was once thought extinct, but a small population was discovered in coastal NorCal in the mid-1990s. Read about efforts to study and save these elusive little carnivores.
Related read: These Six Species Were Saved From Extinction in California
Cast your vote for Wildlife Photographer of the Year
You are invited to vote for your favorite image among 24 finalists for the Nuveen People’s Choice Award, part of the Wildlife Photographer of the Year at the Natural History Museum, London. The shortlisted photographs were chosen from 60,636 entries from 113 countries and territories, in addition to the 100 winning images announced in October 2025.
Online voting is open now through 14:00 GMT on March 18, 2026 for anyone, anywhere in the world!