Santa Clarita Weekly

Governor Gavin Newsom took the stage at the Association of California Water Agencies Conference on May 7, 2026, and he had some things to say about valves, wildfires, and a couple of DOGE staffers who flew to California to fix the water crisis themselves. We break down the real story behind Trump's "magic valve" claims during the LA wildfires, what actually happened with the Army Corps of Engineers' reservoir releases, and why California's water system is nothing like a kitchen faucet. Plus: meet Bryton Shang and Tyler Hassen, the recent college grads Elon Musk sent to manually restart federal water infrastructure — while DOGE was simultaneously firing the engineers who actually knew how it worked. We also explain what the shrinking Salton Sea tells us about California's water future. It's politics, infrastructure, and pure absurdity — all flowing downhill.

This week on Santa Clarita Weekly, we bring you a lineup of local leaders, candidates, and elected officials speaking directly to the community. Hear remarks from Congressman George Whitesides, followed by speeches from Valerie Bradford, Lynne Plambeck, David Ross, and Paul Thompson. From city politics to water policy and judicial races, the episode captures a wide-ranging snapshot of the issues shaping Santa Clarita’s future. We close the show with Assemblywoman Pilar Schiavo speaking at a press conference promoting the passage of AB 2488, legislation aimed at building California’s climate workforce and preparing the next generation for clean energy and infrastructure jobs. It’s an episode packed with policy, local voices, and the political currents moving through the Santa Clarita Valley like a convoy rolling through dry canyon wind.

Election season is officially here. We discuss the June primary ballots that just hit mailboxes—which feature the highly anticipated 2026 California Governor's race at the bottom of the ticket. We also head to Sacramento to share audio from Assemblywoman Pilar Schiavo’s recent press conference, where she joined advocates to urge Governor Newsom to protect critical victims' services funding in the state budget. Then, we pivot to the sports desk to cover a wild week for LA teams. We break down Santa Clarita native Tyler Glasnow's early exit from the Dodgers game due to lower back pain, while celebrating his massive milestone of hitting 1,000 career strikeouts. Finally, we look at the ice as the LA Kings make a major mid-season change, firing head coach Jim Hiller and tapping D.J. Smith to turn the season around.

In this episode, we listen to a debate between candidates for Governor of California.

This week on Santa Clarita Weekly, we are breaking down the latest political shockwaves hitting California. We dive into the upcoming Governor's race and what President Donald Trump’s recent endorsement of Republican Steve Hilton means for the ballot. Then, we shift gears to examine the new allegations surrounding Democratic Representative Eric Swalwell, followed by a look into his recent town hall event to hear what he had to say to constituents this week. Tune in for all the details!

This week on Santa Clarita Weekly, we cover a packed news cycle from the SCV to Washington. We recap the No Kings Rally, where roughly 1,000 locals joined more than 8 million Americans nationwide in protest — with speeches from Assemblywoman Pilar Schiavo on Trump's funding cuts to California and the Democrats' shot at flipping the Santa Clarita City Council, and Julee Brooks, who is challenging Bob Jensen for the Hart School Board in Trustee Area 2. Special thanks to Rise Up SCV for the rally audio. We then turn to the War in Iran, now over a month in with 15 American service members killed and no exit strategy in sight — Senator Adam Schiff breaks down the human and financial cost hitting families right here at home. Finally, we cover the double assault on your right to vote: Trump's executive order signed today directing the Postal Service to restrict mail-in ballots to a federally approved list — already headed to court — and the SAVE America Act moving through the Senate, which California's own Senator Alex Padilla has been fighting tooth and nail on the floor all week.

This week, hosts Sage and Renee take you inside the Santa Clarita Valley's political scene and beyond. First, we crash the Liberty Gala — the 40th Assembly District GOP's annual fundraiser — where Congressman Kevin Kiley showed up to raise money for the Republican Party while running away from the Republican label in his new district. Also in attendance: former LA County Sheriff Alex Villanueva, freshly re-registered as a Republican after years of hiding his MAGA politics behind a Democratic ballot line; perennial political chameleon Jonathan Hatami; the viral "MAGA dentist" Harleen Grewal; Santa Clarita City Councilmember Jason Gibbs, who is mounting a longshot congressional run against George Whitesides; and 40th Assembly District candidate Elizabeth Ahlers. Oh — and the venue looked like a dungeon. We're not kidding. Then, Senator Suzette Valladares wants to blame California Democrats for rising gas prices — but we explain why the real culprit is the U.S.-Iran war and Iran's chokehold on the Strait of Hormuz, the waterway that carries one-fifth of the world's oil supply. We also play highlights from last week's press conference with Governor Newsom and Attorney General Rob Bonta, who announced they are fighting the Trump administration's rollback of the EPA's Endangerment Finding in court. And we wrap up with big news for Rams fans — LA is headed to Melbourne, Australia to open the 2026 NFL season against the San Francisco 49ers. Santa Clarita Weekly — local voices, state politics, and the stories that matter to the Santa Clarita Valley.

A bombshell, a war, a whistleblower, and your Rams. This week's Santa Clarita Weekly has it all. We open with the story everyone is talking about: civil rights icon Dolores Huerta has broken a 60-year silence, publicly accusing United Farm Workers co-founder Cesar Chavez of sexual assault and revealing two secret pregnancies. We walk through her full statement and what it means for Chavez's legacy — and the farmworker movement he helped build. Then we bring it home to the 40th Assembly District, where GOP challenger Elizabeth Wong Ahlers spent her Sunday at a Moms for Liberty film screening — the same organization the Southern Poverty Law Center has designated an extremist group. We break down who Moms for Liberty really is, why Ahlers' ties to communities outside the district raise serious questions, and what it all means for voters heading into November. Next, we go deep on Trump's war in Iran. Nineteen days in, California gas prices are above five dollars a gallon, the Strait of Hormuz is paralyzed, and there is still no exit strategy in sight. Congressman George Whitesides has been sounding the alarm — we break down the human cost, the economic fallout, and the international chaos this administration has unleashed. We also feature a powerful clip from the California Democratic Convention, where Secretary of State Shirley Weber rallied Democrats around voting rights — and called out the Trump administration for targeting her personally. Assemblywoman Pilar Schiavo joined us to talk about her landmark new bill, AB 2021 — the Whistleblower Protection and Privacy Act — which would create first-in-the-nation protections and financial incentives for insiders who expose corporations illegally collecting, selling, or failing to delete the private data of Californians, especially children. And we close things out with your Los Angeles Rams, who are going all in for 2026 with a blockbuster offseason that has Super Bowl written all over it. Santa Clarita Weekly — your progressive voice in the Santa Clarita Valley. New episodes every week. Topics covered: Dolores Huerta | Cesar Chavez | Elizabeth Wong Ahlers | Moms for Liberty | 40th Assembly District | Iran War | Gas Prices | Strait of Hormuz | George Whitesides | Shirley Weber | Voting Rights | Pilar Schiavo | AB 2021 | Data Privacy | Los Angeles Rams | NFL Offseason

This week on Santa Clarita Weekly, we're covering a packed week in politics at every level — from the Supreme Court to Sacramento to right here in the Santa Clarita Valley. First, the Supreme Court has overturned President Trump's tariffs, ruling that his sweeping trade actions were unconstitutional. We break down what that decision means, how it happened, and what comes next for a White House that has built much of its economic agenda around tariff power. Closer to home, we have a new name in the race for the William S. Hart Union High School District Board of Trustees, Area 2. Julee Brooks has entered the race, and we discuss what her candidacy means for the contest and for the community she's looking to represent. We also bring you our firsthand account of the California Democratic Convention, held last weekend at the Moscone Center in San Francisco. With nine candidates vying to replace Governor Gavin Newsom, the convention ended without a party endorsement — no candidate came close to the 60% threshold required. We talk about the surprising delegate results, the very real fear of two Republicans locking Democrats out of the November general election under California's top-two primary system, and what the delegate vote tells us about the difference between poll popularity and political trust. And finally, we share a speech from U.S. Senator Adam Schiff, delivered at the convention — a reminder of what's at stake in California and nationally as we head toward a pivotal election year. All that and more, this week on Santa Clarita Weekly.

In this episode of Santa Clarita Weekly, Renee McKellar and Sage Rafferty dig into two urgent, intertwined stories about power, policing, and accountability. First, they examine the controversial killing of Keith Porter Jr. in Northridge by an off-duty ICE agent on New Year’s Eve, unpacking conflicting accounts of what happened, the lack of transparency from federal authorities, and why the case has sparked outrage from family, attorneys, and community leaders. They connect Porter’s death to recent ICE-related killings in Minnesota, highlighting a broader pattern of disputed narratives and aggressive tactics. In the second half, the conversation widens to explore how far-right, white supremacist militia movements—particularly Patriot Front—are shaping modern GOP enforcement strategies. Sage previews his investigative documentary, “Valley of the Shadow,” tracing how extremist street tactics appear to be filtering into federal operations, from masked agents to mass deportation raids. The episode closes with a stark question: what happens when the levers of government begin to mirror the movements that once stood outside them?

In this episode of Santa Clarita Weekly, we examine the fault lines in American democracy — from Trump’s tariffs and their impact on jobs, to his call to “nationalize” elections, to a looming partial shutdown of the Department of Homeland Security. We connect these national fights to Santa Clarita, including controversial positions taken by local City Council candidate Denise Lite, and what they reveal about voting rights and civil liberties. We close by reflecting on what this moment means for democracy and how we move forward together