North State Congressman Faces Jeers At Packed Town Hall

Here are the morning’s top stories on Tuesday, August 12, 2025…

• For the first time in eight years, Republican Congressman Doug LaMalfa held an in-person town hall for his constituents in Chico on Monday. And he was met by plenty of boos and jeering from the crowd.
• The second day of testimony begins Tuesday morning in California’s challenge to President Donald Trump’s deployment of thousands of National Guard troops and US Marines to Los Angeles earlier this summer
• As students and families in Los Angeles prepare to go back to school this week, local leaders are reaffirming their support for immigrant communities in light of ongoing concerns over ICE raids.
• A former Orange County supervisor has been ordered to pay the county back, for his role in illegally redirecting millions of dollars in contracts for bribes.

LaMalfa Faces Loud Crowd At First Chico Town Hall In 8 Years

U.S. Congressman Doug LaMalfa struggled to speak over a raucous crowd at Chico’s Elks Lodge on Monday. The meeting came amid Gov. Gavin Newsom’s push to potentially redraw California’s congressional districts — changes that could affect LaMalfa’s seat.

It was LaMalfa’s first in-person town hall in Chico since 2017. More than 500 people packed the banquet hall, often yelling over the Republican congressman’s remarks. Attendees waved red or green construction paper to signal disapproval or support and at times broke into chants.

Questions during the 90-minute meeting ranged from wildfire recovery and veterans’ healthcare to LaMalfa’s support for Israel amid the crisis in Gaza.

Healthcare drew some of the strongest pushback. Critics cited LaMalfa’s support for President Donald Trump’s “Big Beautiful Bill,” saying it would cut Medicaid funding and threaten rural hospitals. LaMalfa disagreed, pointing to a multi-billion-dollar rural hospital fund in the bill. He denied cuts to care and said “the focus has been on illegal immigrants on that program.” He said the bill attempts to serve “people that should be eligible.”

California Argues Trump’s Use Of Troops In LA Violated Federal Law

Attorneys for California began presenting their case on Monday, that President Donald Trump’s deployment of federalized California National Guard troops and U.S. Marines to Los Angeles earlier this summer violated federal law that prohibits the military from performing police functions on U.S. soil.

Trump called up the National Guard following civil unrest, as his administration began mass deportations and raids across Los Angeles and other cities.

Through Attorney General Rob Bonta, Gov. Gavin Newsom is suing Trump and the federal government, claiming the deployment violated the Posse Comitatus Act by having the U.S. military perform law enforcement duties.

How LAUSD Is Preparing For School Amid Increased Immigration Enforcement 

Ahead of the start of school on Thursday, Los Angeles Unified is working to reassure students and families concerned about potential immigration enforcement action that there are resources available to help them navigate the new school year.

“ It is virtually impossible, considering the size of our community, to ensure that we have one caring, compassionate individual in every street corner, in every street, but we are deploying resources at a level never before seen in our district,” said Superintendent Alberto Carvalho at a news conference Monday while flanked by school board members, labor leaders and local elected officials.

The district said that as of Monday they have made 10,000 phone calls and 800 home visits to vulnerable families to offer resources and support — for example, to English language learners, students at newcomer academies, and those who stopped coming to school toward the end of last school year as immigration enforcement actions ramped up.

The district already has protocols in place for how campus administrators respond if federal agents visit, as happened this spring. But the district announced additional steps this week, on the heels of protests by teachers and others calling for stronger protections:

• New bus routes to serve students whose families may feel uncomfortable walking or driving them to school.
• On the first day of school, the district will dispatch 1,000 staff members from its central office to provide more information and support to families at school sites in communities frequently targeted in immigration raids.
• Local law enforcement collaborations. For example, Vernon Mayor Leticia Lopez said the local police force would  respond to calls for service at the school on behalf of the Los Angeles School Police Department so those officers can focus on other campuses within the district.
• A “rapid communication task force” headed by a former L.A. school police chief to spread information between school sites and law enforcement agencies.
• The distribution of information packets to students in English and Spanish about how to interact with immigration agents, create a plan to care for their child in an emergency and get resources.

Ex-Orange County Supervisor Andrew Do Ordered To Pay Thousands In Restitution 

Former Orange County Supervisor Andrew Do was ordered Monday to pay $878,230.80 in restitution for his involvement in a bribery scheme that saw millions in taxpayer dollars diverted from feeding needy seniors, leading authorities to label him a “Robin Hood in reverse.”

Federal prosecutors had asked the judge to order Do to pay back the roughly $878,000 amount, while Orange County was seeking the return of millions more. Kevin Dunn, an attorney for Orange County, had asked the judge for the higher amount “to restore the full measure of the damage to the county.” The judge ultimately sided with prosecutors.

Do did not attend Monday’s hearing. His attorney told the court Do was preparing to turn himself in by Friday to begin serving a five-year federal prison term.