• On Feb. 28, U.S. Rep. Salud Carbajal (D-Santa Barbara) issued a statement in response to the Trump administration’s military strikes in Iran. “Congress was not given any information that would indicate there was an imminent threat coming from Iran. Without such credible evidence, there’s no justification in sending our servicemembers into this conflict,” stated Carbajal, who described the strikes as an example of the administration bypassing Congress to unilaterally launch an unprovoked military operation with no defined plan. “President Trump promised to put Americans first and end foreign wars, but his actions in Iran clearly break those promises,” Carbajal stated. “The American people want solutions to the issues close to home, such as addressing the cost-of-living crisis. They do not want to be dragged into another reckless and endless war in the Middle East that will result in countless casualties.” U.S. Sen. Alex Padilla (D-California) described Iran’s nuclear ambitions as posing “significant risks to the safety of Americans and regional stability” but condemned the Trump administration’s bypass of Congress. “Regardless of what the president may think or say, he does not enjoy a blank check to launch large-scale military operations without a clear strategy, without any transparency or public debate, and not without congressional approval,” Padilla said in a statement. “Donald Trump is now pushing the country toward a war that risks American lives without presenting a clear justification to the American people or any plan to prevent escalation and chaos in the region.”
•U.S. Sen. Adam Schiff (D-California) recently weighed in on Paramount Skydance Corporation’s proposed acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery, following Netflix’s official withdrawal from its bid to acquire Warner Bros. Discovery on Feb. 26. “What was true for Netflix is still true now for Paramount. The merger of two of Hollywood’s biggest studios must be subject to the highest levels of scrutiny,” Schiff stated, “free from White House political influence, to determine its impact on American jobs, freedom of speech, and the future of one of our nation’s greatest exports.” Earlier in February, Schiff sent a letter to Netflix Co-CEOs Ted Sarandos and Greg Peters, and Paramount Skydance Corporation CEO David Ellison, pressing for commitments to protect California jobs and American workers as both companies were at the time pursuing the acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery. “We need to bring moviemaking back to our shores, increase production, and invest in our workforce,” Schiff said in his Feb. 26 statement. “For the sake of America’s moviemaking workforce and movie lovers everywhere, I will continue to push all parties to do their part.”
• The California Department of Fish and Wildlife recently released its fiscal year 2024-25 report to the Legislature on its Cutting the Green Tape initiative, now in its fourth year. The report shows that, over the past four years, the program has helped restore nearly 300,000 acres of habitat, reconnect 5.5 million acres of land, and improve more than 700 miles of California streams, according to Gov. Gavin Newsom’s office. Newsom described the Cutting the Green Tape initiative as making the approval process for restoration projects easier to navigate. “Good environmental work shouldn’t get buried in paperwork, and we’ve proven it doesn’t have to,” Newsom said in a March 2 statement. “More than 500 restoration projects, nearly 300,000 acres of habitat returned to health, and permits approved in an average of 42 days. … California will keep restoring and protecting our environment for this generation and every generation that follows.”
This article appears in March 5 – March 12, 2026.