California Today: For Fearful Immigrants, It’s the Card They All Want Right Now

Today's top stories from California.

February 24, 2025, 9:31 a.m. Eastern time By Isabelle Taft The New York Times asked those who lost their homes in the Palisades and Eaton fires to tell us about what they took — what objects or pets they grabbed as they evacuated. More than a month after the fires, those things that survived now hold a new meaning. Here are two young people, the stories of what they rescued and why it mattered. A jar of peanut butter Alissa McFeat, 12 Altadena The power had already gone out when Alissa McFeat, 12, rushed around her home in Altadena, trying to pack what she could. Eating and cooking had always been important to her family, so after she grabbed her piggy bank, shoes, and school backpack, it felt natural to hurry to the kitchen. She used a flashlight to scour the pantry and grabbed a can of artichokes, a can of heart of palms, a loaf of sourdough bread, dark chocolate, and a jar of peanut butter. She tossed them into a tote bag and fled with her parents and younger sister. "I was just thinking about food options, because even if our home did survive, we'd need food for the next few days," she said. Her father, Ian McFeat, said he and his wife had been baffled when Alissa, their oldest daughter, rushed to save what they could buy at any grocery store. Now, he sees it differently. "We're going to laugh about this for the rest of our lives," Mr. McFeat said. "Or we'll find joy in it. Maybe we won't laugh." And Alissa had been right: No matter what, her family had to eat. A few days after the fire destroyed their home, she ate the artichokes right out of the can with her mom and eight-year-old sister. "I felt like I was eating it like I used to in my kitchen," she said. Now, the jar of peanut butter is tucked away in the refrigerator at Alissa's uncle's house, where they're staying. Alissa recently ate some of it on her oatmeal for breakfast. She and her family have talked about preserving some of what she saved. They're still trying to figure out how to turn peanut butter into a keepsake. A Hello Kitty doll Anniah Baynes, 18 Altadena Anniah Baynes, 18, didn't set out to amass a collection of more than 90 stuffed animals. But after her mom bought her a stuffed llama a few years ago, they just kept coming — from her mom, from her friends, from her boyfriend. She bought a few herself. "They were just cute," Ms. Baynes said. "I really liked having just a collection of something." On Jan. 7, as the Eaton fire roared closer to her family's house in Altadena, she surveyed her collection, which she kept on the floor between her bed and dresser. She thought about putting them all into big trash bags, but that would have taken a long time. She realized she was going to have to leave them behind. Before leaving the house, she took one last photo of her collection. Mario and Princess Peach lay next to a tiny mouse with big ears, not far from a pineapple and a blue elephant. Ms. Baynes grabbed just one stuffed animal to take with her: A plush Hello Kitty doll with the body of a monkey, wearing a pink bow. Her boyfriend had given it to her for Christmas. By the next day, her grandmother's house — where she had lived since she was a baby — had been destroyed in the fire. Almost everything was gone — except the Hello Kitty doll. It was the newest addition to her collection. Now, it's all that remains of her collection. The dolls now sits on her bed at her mother's apartment, where she's staying. After the fire, the church her boyfriend and his sisters attend helped her with food, clothes and prayers. That support is what she thinks about when she looks at the doll. "There was somebody who cared, somebody who was there for me, when the fire happened," Ms. Baynes said. Today's Top Story For Fearful Immigrants, It's the Card They All Want Right Now Distributed by a legal aid group, the "red card" lays out key rights and protections. Demand for them has surged since President Trump returned to office. Read more More California News How Can I Lower My Climate Risk When Buying a House? The danger from extreme weather is growing, and so are insurance costs. Here's what to know. What They Took They rushed to flee the fires in Southern California, grabbing their belongings and their pets. They took the precious and the mundane, each with its own story to tell. Investigations Into 6 Killings Look to a Fringe Group Known as the Zizians The violent deaths, including of a Border Patrol agent in Vermont, a landlord in California, and a couple in Pennsylvania, have led law enforcement to a group with obscure ideas. Medicaid Cuts Pose Budget Conundrum for Valadao and Republicans Nationwide For Representative David Valadao of California and other Republicans whose constituents depend on Medicaid, a vote for their party's budget could be politically fatal. President Trump's agenda hangs in the balance. Universal's Theme Parks, Long in Disney's Shadow, Expand at Dizzying Pace Universal is going after Disney, the industry leader, with new parks in Florida and Texas: "We want people to think of us first." Making Dancers Fly, Hooked to a Tree or Soaring Off a Cliff For the Oakland dance troupe Bandaloop every surface is a stage. Now its vertical choreography and environmental ethos have come to Broadway in "Redwood." SAG Awards 2025: 'Conclave' Comes on Strong The thriller about choosing a new pope took home the top film prize, while Demi Moore and Timothée Chalamet won individual honors. 2025 Film Independent Spirit Awards: Complete Winners List Here's who went home a winner at the Indy Spirit Awards, held on the beach in Santa Monica, Calif., on Saturday. Local Conditions Look up the heat index in your area using The Times's heat tracker. See active fires using The Times's wildfire tracker. Today's Recipe Kelly Marshall for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Samantha Seneviratne. 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