Good morning. It’s Monday, Jan. 5.
- Mixed reactions to American attack on Venezuela.
- Kimberly Guilfoyle becomes the talk of Athens.
- And anguish over paid parking at San Diego’s Balboa Park.
Statewide
1.
“I waited for this moment for so long.”
“I got so happy that I couldn’t sleep the whole night.”
“We felt that at last that dream became a reality, our prayers were answered.”
While California Democrats expressed outrage over the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro by U.S. forces over the weekend, many Venezuelan immigrants celebrated. They poured into Venezuelan restaurants around the state, hugging one another, cheering, and crying tears of joy. O.C. Register | L.A. Times | S.F. Chronicle
- Hundreds of protesters braved the rain Saturday to denounce the military action, waving “No blood for oil” signs on the streets of Los Angeles and San Francisco. Mission Local | CBS LA
- While many lawmakers issued strongly worded statements, two California Democrats ignored requests for comment. They appear to believe silence is the safest political course, the Chronicle reported.
2.
Heavy rain and record high tides swamped low-lying areas along the California coast over the weekend, flooding roads, businesses, and homes. In San Diego, hundreds of people had to flee a homeless shelter after floodwaters rushed through the front door. In Santa Barbara, a man died after being swept into a raging creek, officials said. And in Marin County, kayakers paddled down a submerged bike path, pictured above. S.D. Union-Tribune | Noozhawk | S.F. Chronicle
- Forecasters said more rain would fall across much of the state on Monday before beginning to taper off on Tuesday. Accuweather
3.
Californians can now demand that more than 500 data brokers delete their personal data with a single request — for free. In 2023, state lawmakers passed the Delete Act, which directed a state agency to create a simple way for consumers to have their records erased from hundreds of businesses that help fuel an ecosystem of unwanted emails, texts, and scams. The Delete Requests and Opt-Out Platform, or DROP, debuted on Thursday. TechCrunch | KCRA
4.
With an eye toward the newly opened and refreshed, the San Francisco Chronicle listed the 10 best places to visit in California in 2026. It includes the Mojave Desert city of Twentynine Palms, which has attracted new hotels and restaurants, the increasingly lively beach town of Carpinteria, and the southern section of Northern California’s famed Lost Coast Trail, pictured above, now repaired after being buried by downed trees and land slides.
- See gorgeous views along the southern part of the Lost Coast Trail.
Northern California
5.
Nestled along the Eel River in Humboldt County, Scotia was one of America’s last company towns, founded in 1863 to house the workers who harvested the area’s redwood forests. After the 2008 bankruptcy of Pacific Lumber, the town might have just faded away. But an effort was mounted to lure homebuyers to reinvent Scotia as a regular town. It’s been a grind; just 170 of 270 houses have been sold. Even so, some newcomers are thrilled. “It’s beautiful,” said Morgan Dodson, who relocated to Scotia in 2018. “I call it my little Mayberry. It’s like going back in time.” L.A. Times
6.
Tommy Lee Jones petitioned to have his daughter, Victoria Jones, placed under conservatorship two years before she was found dead of a suspected drug overdose at a San Francisco hotel on New Year’s Day, court records showed. Jones told the court that his daughter was in danger of “life-threatening conduct” and in need of drug rehabilitation. Victoria Jones, 34, a resident of the city’s North Beach neighborhood, had become known to law enforcement over the years after multiple incidents thought to involve substance abuse. S.F. Chronicle
7.
American tech companies are striking deals around the world to deploy artificial intelligence systems in schools, saying they can be a boon for learning. But a recent study from Microsoft and Carnegie Mellon University found that popular AI chatbots may diminish critical thinking. The AI push, critics say, recalls Silicon Valley’s earlier “One Laptop per Child” campaign, which sought to expand computer access around the world. Research showed that the program did not improve academic outcomes. N.Y. Times
8.
Kimberly Guilfoyle, the new United States ambassador to Greece, has become the talk of Athens, followed by paparazzi and featured in glossy magazines. Guilfoyle, 56, who was married to Gavin Newsom before becoming a Fox News host and a prominent MAGA figure, is a sharp departure from the traditional foreign service officers who previously held the office. “Everybody wants to meet her,” said Adonis Georgiadis, Greece’s health minister. “When she came here, all my friends called me to ask me how she was in real life.” N.Y. Times
Southern California
9.
As the first anniversary of the Los Angeles wildfires nears, the L.A. Times said the city’s fire department has yet to own up to its missteps. Why wasn’t the blaze that reignited into the Palisades inferno fully extinguished? Why weren’t extra engines pre-deployed to the Pacific Palisades? Why was an after-action report watered down? Rather than answers, the paper wrote, disaster victims have faced “an ongoing campaign of secrecy and deflection by the department — all designed to avoid taking full responsibility for what went wrong.”
10.
As ICE agents conducted raids across Southern California this year, a Mexican couple in San Bernardino made plans to self-deport — and leave their children behind. Rosalinda and Manuel Garcia spent most of their lives in the U.S. and had three American children. But they were never able to gain legal status. Their fear of ICE became so overwhelming it was all the family could talk about. “The thing is that we were brought here very young ourselves — it wasn’t our decision,” Rosalinda said. “I didn’t ask for this.” New Yorker
11.
After an emotional debate, San Diego planned to introduce paid parking on Monday at Balboa Park, one of the country’s finest urban parks and the city’s crown jewel. Some of the parking meters were already vandalized. Devin Christiansen, a city resident, told a news broadcaster he was so angered by the new fees that he was questioning his future in San Diego, one of the country’s most unaffordable places. “I’m actually debating it, to the point where I’m even seriously considering, is it time I left San Diego?” he said. ABC 10News | FOX 5
12.
Greg and Sara Cebulski liked living in Los Angeles. But when it came time find a bigger home for their family, they couldn’t afford one. So they packed up and moved to Wisconsin. The couple just closed on a 2,400-square-foot house for $360,000 — almost twice the size of the home they sold in the San Fernando Valley for more than twice that price. The Midwest, home to the lowest median sales price for existing homes in the country, has become a popular destination for Americans seeking affordability, the Wall Street Journal reported.
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