Burbank, California

Upper Arlington, Ohio residents will vote Nov. 3 on Issue 7, a combined property tax measure funding daily school operations and the second phase of the district's facilities plan. The measure pairs a 4.9-mill operating levy with a $273.5 million bond issue, which would raise property taxes by an estimated $1,250 annually on a $500,000 home.

The operating funds would sustain current programs, staffing and services, while bond proceeds would finance reconstruction of Hastings and Jones middle schools, Burbank Early Childhood School, and an addition at Upper Arlington High School. The district cites rising costs, limited revenue growth under Ohio's tax-reduction factor rules, and assessments showing it would cost nearly $125 million just to keep the three aging schools safe and functional, as justification for the combined request. Construction would begin around 2028, with projects completed between 2029 and early 2031.

If Issue 7 fails, the district says it would need to cut staffing and programming, and would have to fund necessary repairs out of its operating budget rather than through dedicated bond financing.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom has signed AB 2319, creating a standalone tax credit of 35% to 50% for post-production work—editing, color correction, scoring and sound mixing—done in the state, even if filming happened elsewhere. The law aims to curb the loss of TV and film work to other states and countries offering more generous incentives. Industry advocates, including the California Post Alliance and the Motion Picture Association, lobbied for the measure but note a key weakness: the funding pool was cut from a proposed $100 million to just $10 million, an amount expected to be exhausted quickly.

Meanwhile, a potentially bigger shift is moving through Congress: the Motion Picture, Television and Entertainment Revitalization Act, co-authored by Sens. Adam Schiff and Tim Scott and backed by President Trump, would offer a 20% federal, labor-based tax credit for productions shot mostly in the U.S., with added benefits for post-production and rural or disaster-affected areas. Supporters call it bipartisan because film and TV production now spans nearly every state, though the bill's cost to federal revenue has not been disclosed.

Gov. Gavin Newsom has signed Assembly Bill 1905, which restricts law enforcement from using "Perkins operations" against most people under age 26 who allegedly committed a crime at 17 or younger. These undercover stings place agents posing as incarcerated people in jail cells with suspects to elicit incriminating statements, a tactic the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in 1990 does not count as custodial interrogation, leaving it exempt from prior protections for minors. The new law, authored by Assemblymember Nick Schultz, closes that gap, with exceptions when someone's life may be at risk. It takes effect January 1.

A CalMatters investigation found the practice widespread across several California counties, often involving false evidence ploys, recording devices, and paid operatives who posed as violent gang members. Ten related cases challenging convictions are pending before the California Supreme Court. Defense attorneys and some lawmakers argue the tactic is coercive and risks false confessions, disproportionately affecting Black and Latino defendants, while law enforcement groups, including the California State Sheriffs' Association, opposed the bill as a loss of investigative tools. The measure passed largely along party lines.

A Pitchess motion dispute in Long Beach has revealed that former officer Erik Suarez pleaded guilty to misdemeanor aggravated battery in 2022 over a 2019 Waffle House beating in Cobb County, Georgia, a conviction that was not disclosed to defendant Lonnie Jacobs, whom Suarez arrested on a drug charge. Defense attorney Scott Sanders argues the Long Beach Police Department and district attorney's office had an obligation under Brady v. Maryland to disclose the conviction and is seeking Suarez's full personnel file, alleging a pattern of concealment. Records show Suarez also received department discipline in 2023 for unnecessary force after punching a handcuffed man, an incident the DA's office declined to prosecute without knowing of the Georgia conviction.

Suarez left the LBPD in June, shortly before a subpoena attempt, and was hired by the Burbank Police Department in July. Long Beach officials have resisted broader disclosure, calling Sanders' request overly broad. A judge continued the case to Nov. 12 to consider the renewed motion.

California Attorney General Rob Bonta reached a settlement allowing the $111 billion Paramount-Warner Bros. merger to proceed, ending a 12-state antitrust challenge, but the deal has drawn criticism from within the Democratic coalition itself. Sources say Gov. Gavin Newsom, LA Mayor Karen Bass and gubernatorial front-runner Xavier Becerra pressured Bonta to settle, while attorneys general in New York and Connecticut wanted stronger concessions before ultimately signing on. Paramount agreed to production commitments, spending on U.S. film production, preserving its California lots, and an oversight board meant to protect editorial independence at CNN and CBS News, both folded into the merger under CEO David Ellison.

Critics, including Sen. Cory Booker and the Writers Guild of America, argue the deal is too weak and that Ellison's threat to relocate Paramount out of California influenced the outcome. Some attorneys general called it only a partial win, while Bonta defended it as enforceable, with divestment penalties if Paramount fails to comply.

St. George, Louisiana, is moving to build a public indoor sports facility off Airline Highway, intended to host basketball and volleyball tournaments and other large-scale events drawing visitors from across the region. As a first step, city officials are proposing an Economic Development District (EDD) covering about 55 acres near Airline Highway and Antioch Road, close to the Long Farm Village Subdivision. The district would allow the city to levy new sales and hotel occupancy taxes, with revenue reinvested into the facility and surrounding development such as restaurants and hotels.

Mayor Dustin Yates said the city would own the facility, though other partners will be announced later, and no construction timeline has been set. The proposal will be introduced at Tuesday's City Council meeting, with public comment and a vote scheduled for Oct. 13. Officials cite the region's youth sports tourism, which generated an estimated $37 million in economic impact for Baton Rouge in 2024, as justification for the investment.