Headlines From The Times

Cesar Chavez's name adorns city streets and university buildings, but later this month, Californians for the first time will celebrate Farmworkers Day after lawmakers voted on Thursday to change the name of the state holiday. This comes after a New York Times investigation came out Wednesday under the headline "Cesar Chavez, a Civil Rights Icon, Is Accused of Abusing Girls for Years." It was a watershed moment and a time of reckoning with Chavez's legacy. Meanwhile, the Trump administration is racing to contain a growing global energy crisis as the war with Iran pushes oil prices further. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent told Fox Business on Thursday that the U.S. government could lift sanctions on Iranian oil, freeing up more than 100 million barrels stranded in the Strait of Hormuz. In business, Josh D’Amaro has officially succeeded Bob Iger as CEO of Disney, and travelers face increasing ticket prices as jet fuel costs surge globally. Read more at https://LATimes.com.

As the Iran War rages on, it's continuing to cause ripples across the global economy, including an increase in the cost of jet fuel, meaning flights might get more expensive for consumers. Meanwhile, as controversial prediction markets take off, one of the biggest names in the industry, Kalshi, is being hit with criminal charges by the state of Arizona. And, just a year after the deadly 2025 Eaton fires, Edison International, the parent company of Southern California Edison, which claimed responsibility for the blaze, rewarded two of their top executives with massive paydays. In business, Amazon has launched a one-hour delivery service in Los Angeles and hundreds of other cities, and Grindr is introducing AI features for premium subscribers to improve user matching and conversation tracking. Read more at https://LATimes.com.

The SAVE America Act, a controversial election bill backed by President Trump, is headed for a Senate showdown. It would be one of the largest revisions to voting rights in U.S. history. Meanwhile, National Counterterrorism Center director Joe Kent is resigning, writing on X that he "cannot in good conscience support the ongoing war in Iran," which has left over 1,400 Iranians dead. And, Southern California is bracing for what climate scientist Daniel Swain is calling a "full on summer heat wave in March," with temperatures expected to peak Tuesday through Friday, reaching the 80s on the coast, and inland, possibly over 100 degrees. In business, Uber co-founder Travis Kalanick has confirmed his relocation to Texas, joining a growing list of billionaires leaving California ahead of a proposed 5% wealth tax, and Downtown Los Angeles advocates are pushing for the adoption of San Francisco’s "Vacant to Vibrant" program to fill retail vacancies. Read more at https://LATimes.com.

Federal Communications Commission Chair Brendan Carr is threatening to revoke the licenses of news outlets that fail to align their reporting with what his agency deems the public interest. Meanwhile, leaders of the country's top airlines are urging Congress to end the partial government shutdown, which has left tens of thousands of TSA agents working without pay. The CEOs of American, JetBlue, Delta, and Southwest sent an open letter to lawmakers Sunday, calling on them to restore funding for the Department of Homeland Security, which oversees the TSA. In business, El Pollo Loco plans to open 20 locations outside of California after reporting high sales numbers last year, and the luxury outdoor mall Victoria Gardens sold for $500 million dollars to a real estate venture group. Read more at https://LATimes.com.

The U.S. military announced the death of six service members, who lost their lives when a refueling aircraft crashed in western Iraq, bringing the total to at least 13 U.S. troops killed in the Iran War. At least 1,300 Iranian civilians have been killed. Meanwhile, the Senate on Thursday passed the most significant housing bill in about 35 years to address the nation's housing crisis. New data shows U.S. economic growth slowed at the end of 2025 after the record-long government shutdown. Hundreds of Los Angeles residents are wearing body cameras to record their daily chores, providing data to help train AI. And, California gas prices have reached an average of $5.20 per gallon, sparking renewed interest in electric vehicles, despite the elimination of federal tax credits and production cutbacks by major automakers. Read more at https://LATimes.com.