Good morning. It’s Monday, Jan. 27.
- Trump seeks more control over California water.
- Palisades disaster was years in the making.
- And Truckee becomes the coolest place to ski.
Statewide
1.
President Trump issued an executive order on Sunday directing the federal government to override California water practices that he has claimed hampered Los Angeles in its wildfire fight. Among its prescriptions: larger water deliveries through the Central Valley Project, a series of dams and canals that primarily serves farmland in the state’s interior. Democrats and environmentalists called the order a ruse. “This is a manufactured crisis and water grab for the agricultural sector,” said Regina Chichizola, of Save California Salmon, a tribally led nonprofit. CalMatters | N.Y. Times
2.
California’s secessionist movement is giving it another go. The state has cleared Cal Exit Now to gather signatures for a proposed ballot initiative that would gauge voter support for secession. Marcus Evans, the group’s leader, said the long-shot quest stands a better chance now than it did in 2017, because this time Trump won the popular vote. “Now they’re having to realize we’re tied to a country that actually likes this guy,” he said. Many Californians appear to be with Evans, at least in spirit: a January poll found that 61% think the state would be better off on its own. Sacramento Bee | S.F. Chronicle
3.
Wildsam, the field guide magazine, named the best road trips for seeing America’s darkest skies. It included Death Valley, located 100 miles from the nearest big city, where the beauty of the starry skies rivals that of the daytime landscape:
“At night, the stars shimmer over Death Valley from horizon to horizon … The quality of the darkness here also means that you’ll be able to see thousands more stars than you would from a suburban area — objects like the normally invisible Andromeda Galaxy and Orion Nebula are suddenly on display, even to the naked eye.”
Northern California
4.
San Francisco’s school district helped spread a wave of needless panic on Thursday when it emailed families to tell them a middle school student reported having been interrogated by an immigration agent on a city bus. Parent groups lit up online and posts ricocheted across social media about a possible immigration crackdown. But the incident on the bus never happened. The district spread the rumor based solely on the claim of one student. Mission Local
- While false rumors about raids have shaken California’s immigrant communities, Immigration and Customs Enforcement confirmed that 956 arrests were made on Sunday. Operations were reported in Los Angeles and San Jose. KRON | KCAL
5.
When President Trump abandoned the Paris climate agreement in 2017, Silicon Valley roared in disapproval. Elon Musk said it was “not good for America or the world” and cut ties with White House advisory groups. Mark Zuckerberg said the withdrawal “puts our children’s future at risk.” Sundar Pichai and Marc Benioff pronounced themselves “disappointed.” When Trump did the same thing this month? Crickets. Minutes after Trump ordered the exit, Zuckerberg posted a picture of him and his wife preparing to co-host an inaugural ball for Trump. “Optimistic and celebrating,” he wrote. Politico
6.
The San Jose metro area has had the country’s most expensive homes for years. Now it is pulling even further away after the city’s typical home values grew at the fastest rate — 8% — among the 50 largest U.S. metros between December 2023 and December 2024. The area’s typical home hit $1.59 million last month. The surging stock market played a role, juicing the wealth of workers at local companies like Nvidia. But so has optimism about Trump. “There are people who are far more excited about the next four years … so they’re out there and buying,” said Sandy Jamison, a broker. S.F. Chronicle
7.
Truckee, a picturesque old rail town about 15 miles from Lake Tahoe, was once known for loggers and cowboys. But over the past two decades, it’s undergone a commercial transformation and population boomlet. There are two-story bookstores, boutiques that sell artisanal soaps, and scores of hip restaurants. Zack Duksta, a seafood market owner, said you have to change with the times. “If you told me when I moved here 11 years ago that there’d be a raw bar in Truckee, I would’ve laughed at you,” he said. “And I own the raw bar? The times have absolutely changed.” Wall Street Journal
Southern California
8.
Since the devastating Palisades fire, Los Angeles officials have struggled to explain why some hydrants went dry and why a reservoir had been left unfilled for nearly a year. But a review of government records revealed that the disaster was years in the making. The L.A. Times reported:
“Red tape, budget shortfalls and government inaction repeatedly stymied plans for water system improvements … Many projects on a list of about three dozen ‘highest priority’ upgrades compiled by county officials in 2013 have yet to break ground in communities devastated by the fires.”
9.
Southern California Edison has said it has no record of an electrical failure on its lines in the vicinity of the Eaton fire on Jan. 7, when the blaze ignited in howling winds. But video recorded by a security camera at an Arco gas station in Altadena has provided a new clue, wrote the New York Times:
“Supporting what the residents saw, it shows flashes of light at 6:11 p.m. in the vicinity of three high-voltage electrical towers in Eaton Canyon, and then flames moments later.”
10.
Brian McShea and Stephanie Raynor recently returned to the rubble of their burned Altadena home to see what was salvageable, if anything. But McShea harbored a secret hope: to find an engagement ring he bought just before the wildfire. He picked up several ring-looking objects that turned out to be washers. Then something glittered. He found it. Already on his knee, McShea proposed on the spot. Raynor fell to tears (and said yes). The couple recounted the story for KABC.
11.
Other wildfire developments:
- Rainfall helped firefighters battling blazes across Southern California on Sunday, while raising the threat of mudslides. The forecast called for significant precipitation through Monday. L.A. Times | KABC
- “If the winds turn, this fire could go anywhere.” The Los Angeles Times published a riveting hour-by-hour account of how the Palisades and Eaton fires unfolded on Jan. 7.
- The FAIR Plan, California’s insurer of last resort, is notoriously unresponsive. “You almost have to quit everything else you’re doing just to get a response,” said Jennifer McKim-Hibbard, who lost her home in a 2021. Now it faces thousands of new claims. S.F. Chronicle
12.
Many Jan. 6 rioters reacted triumphantly after President Trump delivered a blanket clemency to more than 1,500 convicted in the Capitol assault. In Temecula, a Christian church joined in the celebration. On Sunday, the pastor of 412 Church Temecula Valley brought onto the stage Derek Kinnison, who was convicted of felonies after going to the Capitol as part of an armed “California Patriots” brigade. Addressing the congregation, Kinnison likened his pardon to the Lord’s injunction in Exodus: “Let my people go.” The congregation roared in approval. Press-Enterprise
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The California Sun is written by Mike McPhate, a former California correspondent for the New York Times.
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