California Today: In Huntington Beach, Politics on a Plaque

Today's top stories from California.

February 25, 2025, 9:31 a.m. Eastern time 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 evacuees, the stories of what they rescued and why it mattered. An acoustic bass guitar Adeline Quinn, 16 Altadena The power had been out for hours when Sang Yi noticed that the flames from the Eaton fire were suddenly very close. He lived with his family on a cul-de-sac and worried that if the neighbor's tree succumbed to the Santa Ana winds and fell across the road, they could be trapped. So he and his wife, Carrie Quinn, rushed around in the dark trying to wrangle their two children, two house cats and a few essentials into their Honda Accord. "We didn't pack a lot of clothes," Mr. Yi said. "At least in my mind, I thought we were coming back." Their 16-year-old daughter, Adeline, wasn't taking any risks. After putting her pet coral snake in a travel carrier and making sure she had her computer, phone, favorite stuffed dinosaur and a few necklaces, she asked her parents if there was room in the car for something else, something not exactly small — the acoustic bass guitar she had in her room that she'd been practicing on for months. The instrument wasn't hers — it had been lent to her by a music teacher at her high school in Pasadena — and she didn't feel right leaving it behind. "It's not mine," Adeline, who goes by Addie, said. "I would feel kind of bad if I left it in the fire." So they stuck the bass in the trunk with the random assortment of household items. As their terrified cats yowled, they sped away from the flames. Their house, they later learned, didn't survive. When Addie returned to school, she told her teacher she rescued the bass. "He said it's more important that I got out alive," she said. "But he's probably supposed to say that because he's a teacher." Recently, that music teacher gave his student a gift: an electric bass with an amp. — Ken Bensinger Painting supplies Nancy Spiller, 71 Pacific Palisades As she evacuated from her Palisades home, Nancy Spiller thought she would be back in a week when she grabbed clothes, medications and dog food. Ms. Spiller, a writer and artist, also tossed in her gouache paints and two jars of paintbrushes, just so she would have something to do while she and her husband waited out the fire in Oxnard, about 60 miles to the west. "I thought, I'll take this because that's something that I do," she said. "I will be painting while we wait out the end of all of this." The fire, it turned out, destroyed Ms. Spiller's home and the artwork she spent decades painting. For the past several weeks, she has struggled to paint again, grappling with the prospect of building up a new collection of work. Earlier this month, for the first time since she left home, Ms. Spiller picked up her brushes and painted. The finished work was Valentine's Day cards for her grandchildren. Despite her reluctance, she's already thinking of what she will focus on when she feels ready to create again: cut flowers. Blooms are vibrant and joyful, she said. But cut flowers also offer a lesson. "Cut flower bouquets represent the life cycle," she said. "They've been cut. They're in the vase. They're going to wilt. They're going to die. You want to capture them in that moment, in the time that they have to enhance your life and the world with their beauty." — Soumya Karlamangla Today's Top Story Jenna Schoenefeld for The New York Times In Huntington Beach, Politics on a Plaque MAGA references on a library plaque have divided the Southern California surf town and thrust it into the national spotlight. Read more More California News 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. 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. Jane Fonda Says 'Empathy Is Not Weak or Woke' at the SAG Awards While some stars have been less politically outspoken this awards season, she issued a call to action as she accepted a lifetime achievement award from the Screen Actors Guild. 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. 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. 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 Armando Rafael for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Brett Regot. Cashew Butter Chicken Korma By Zainab Shah 35 minutes Makes 4 servings Play a Game The Mini Crossword Solve this bite-sized puzzle in just a few minutes. Spelling Bee How many words can you make with 7 letters? Wordle Guess the 5-letter word with 6 chances. See all our games Sign up for Your Places: Extreme Weather. Get notified about extreme weather before it happens with custom alerts for places in the U.S. you choose. Get it in your inbox Need help? Review our newsletter help page or contact us for assistance. You received this email because you signed up for California Today from The New York Times. To stop receiving California Today, unsubscribe. 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