Arcadia Mayor Wang Resigns After Fed Charge of Acting as Chinese Government Agent
City of Arcadia Mayor Eileen Wang resigned from office last night after federal prosecutors announced she had been charged with acting as an illegal agent of the People’s Republic of China — and had agreed to plead guilty to the felony count, which carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in federal prison.
Wang, 58, was elected to the Arcadia City Council in November 2022 and became mayor through the body’s rotating leadership system. According to her plea agreement, from late 2020 through 2022 — before she took office — Wang and co-conspirator Yaoning “Mike” Sun of Chino Hills worked at the direction of Chinese government officials to promote pro-PRC propaganda in the United States, operating a website called U.S. News Center that purported to be a news source for the local Chinese American community.
“Individuals in our country who covertly do the bidding of foreign governments undermine our democracy,” said First Assistant United States Attorney Bill Essayli. “This plea agreement is the latest success in our determination to defend the homeland against China’s efforts to corrupt our institutions.”
Among the specific conduct described in court documents: in August 2021, Wang shared a pro-PRC article at a government official’s request, made edits to the piece, then sent the official a screenshot showing it had been viewed 15,128 times. The official replied “Great!” and Wang responded “Thank you leader.” Sun, Wang’s co-conspirator, is already serving a four-year federal prison sentence after pleading guilty in October 2025 to the same charge.
Wang’s attorney released a statement saying events in her personal life — including “her trust and love for apparently the wrong person who ultimately led her astray” — required her to step away from public service, and that she apologizes for the mistakes she made.
Arcadia City Manager Dominic Lazzaretto said in a statement that the charges concern individual conduct that ceased after Wang was sworn into office, that no city finances, staff or decision-making processes were involved, and that city operations continue without interruption.
The City Council will select a new mayor and mayor pro tem at its next meeting and will begin discussions on how to fill Wang’s vacated seat ahead of the November 2026 election cycle.
Whitesides Introduces Legislation to Protect Santa Clarita Valley From Mining Impacts
U.S. Rep. George Whitesides (D – Santa Clarita, Palmdale, Lancaster) yesterday introduced the Containing Effects of Mining Extraction (CEMEx) Act to establish new federal standards for mining projects near populated areas.
The legislation directly targets a planned mine by Cemex, a Mexico-based building materials company that purchased mining rights in Santa Clarita in 1990. The proposed operation in Soledad Canyon has long alarmed residents and local officials who say construction and operation of the mine would generate significant noise, air and water pollution, strain local roads and draw heavily on water resources in a drought-affected and growing community.
Whitesides’ bill would require a series of assessments, management and conservation plans before any such project could win federal approval, ensuring that impacted residents have a voice in the process.
“We expect a level of transparency when it comes to major developments and construction projects that will impact the surrounding community, and Santa Clarita residents deserve to know how their lives will be affected by Cemex’s proposed mining operation,” said Whitesides. “My bill will ensure that their plan — and any other future developments — will not disrupt local roads and pollute essential waterways that communities depend on.”
Santa Clarita Mayor Laurene Weste, whose city has fought the proposed mine for over 30 years, welcomed the legislation.
“The City of Santa Clarita has advocated for over three decades to protect Soledad Canyon from a proposed large-scale mining project,” said Weste. “The Containing Effects of Mineral Extraction Act of 2026 is a critical piece of legislation to that effort, establishing a set of new federal requirements for mining contractors that have projects within close proximity to cities or areas of critical environmental concern.”
Among its key provisions, the CEMEx Act would require companies to work with state and local agencies on a haul route impact assessment and trip management plan.
The measure also orders the creation of a water-use and conservation plan that ensures net-zero water impact on the local community and requires applicants to demonstrate good-faith coordination with local governments before receiving approval.
Solis Supports Río Hondo College Students Facing Housing and Food Insecurity
Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors Chair Supervisor Hilda L. Solis (D-Central and Eastern Los Angeles, including Downtown LA, East LA, Pico-Union, Boyle Heights, El Monte, West Covina, Baldwin Park, Pomona) yesterday presented Río Hondo College with a $500,000 check to expand housing stability and basic needs services for students experiencing housing insecurity and food instability.
The funding will strengthen the college’s student support infrastructure and provide direct assistance to vulnerable students so they can remain enrolled, persist in their studies, and complete their educational goals.
“No student should be forced to sleep in their car, skip meals, or risk dropping out because they cannot afford basic necessities,” said Solis. “Access to dignity, stability, and support should be a given, not a barrier to education. That is why I am proud to make this investment. It will provide critical housing and food support so students can remain enrolled, complete their education, and achieve what they set out to accomplish.”
The grant will fund a range of housing and food security initiatives, including emergency rental assistance for students facing eviction or rental arrears; move-in kits containing bedding, hygiene supplies and furnishings; and to support the RíoSource Room and Basic Needs Center food pantry, which serves thousands of students annually.
Río Hondo College leaders said the funding from Solis will strengthen the college’s ability to respond quickly and effectively to growing student demand for emergency assistance and supportive services.
Irwin Bill Breaks Legal Logjam Blocking Palisades Condo Community From Rebuilding
Assemblymember Jacqui Irwin (D – Agoura Hills, Calabasas, Hidden Hills, Malibu, Pacific Palisades, Topanga, Westlake Village) is moving to break a legal logjam that has left more than 50 families in a Pacific Palisades condominium community unable to rebuild their homes, more than a year after the devastating Palisades Fire.
Irwin introduced Assembly Bill 2692 to address a gap in state law that has left residents of the Via de la Paz condo community in limbo. More than half of the development’s 107 units burned when the Palisades Fire swept through the neighborhood last January, but when survivors turned to begin rebuilding, they discovered their governing documents — the Covenants, Conditions and Restrictions (CC&Rs), that legally bind the community — had expired shortly before the fire broke out.
Current state law provides no guidance on how a community can manage its affairs when governing documents lapse immediately before a catastrophic emergency, leaving Via de la Paz legally paralyzed.
“This community has faced unimaginable levels of grief and frustration from not only losing their homes, but also from this terrible situation, which has left them paralyzed from moving forward with their lives,” Irwin said. “AB 2692 is a common-sense measure that will bridge this legal ambiguity.”
AB 2692 would give Via de la Paz residents the opportunity to vote to reinstate their CC&Rs, providing the legal foundation the community needs to move forward with reconstruction. The bill passed the Assembly without opposition last week and now heads to the Senate.
AB 2692 now moves to the state Senate, where advocates are pushing for swift action before funding deadlines begin to close.
