Merced Police Seize Guns and Grenade in Child Pornography Probe

The developer of two hotels planned at the Dana Point Harbor announced Wednesday that the project will not move forward after the Orange County Board of Supervisors postponed a vote on a new 66-year ground lease until next month at the earliest. The two proposed hotels, a luxury hotel and a surf lodge, had already received approval from the city of Dana Point and the California Coastal Commission.

On Tuesday, the developers sought county approval for new ground leases, which they said were essential to secure financing and begin construction in time for the 2028 Olympics, where surfing competitions are planned at nearby Lower Trestles. The request also included a separate ground lease for the hotels and extended both leases by 10 years.

Some supervisors were receptive but requested more time to consider the implications, deferring the decision to a future meeting.

Bob Olson, the partner responsible for designing and planning the hotels, stated, "As it stands today, the hotels will not get built. The demands that were brought to the board kill any hope of going forward.

We have stopped all work: architects, engineers and designers." Olson emphasized that the delay prevents him from obtaining a loan for the hotels because the current financing for the harbor project does not include them. He expressed surprise at the requests made by Supervisor Katrina Foley, which included a requirement for a labor peace agreement for future hotel operators and a transition plan for employees affected by the pending closure of the Marina Inn.

Foley argued that her proposals were meant to ensure the deal benefits the community for the next 66 years and that Olson was being "overly dramatic." She noted that Olson has a contractual obligation to build the hotels and can continue negotiations with county staff before the supervisors make their final decision.

Joe Ueberroth, who is leading the marina portion of the renovation, said board approval would allow the partners to preserve agreements with Pacific Life, their current lender, and move forward. However, Olson countered that no lender would finance the hotels with such restrictions, particularly the labor peace agreement, which he claimed would essentially require a union-run hotel.

He also dismissed the need to retrain Marina Inn employees, stating that there are ample hospitality jobs in the area. Foley responded that she did not ask for anything that would cause additional costs to the hotel and that the delay was not the end of the world.

She suggested that county staff work with the developer to refine the terms over the summer.

The developers had planned to complete the renovation in time for the Los Angeles Olympics, but the delay has halted all progress. Olson said they would be forced to remodel the Marina Inn to comply with their lease.

The dispute highlights the tension between development timelines and community oversight, with the future of the Dana Point Harbor renovation now uncertain.

California has unveiled a new public dashboard designed to track job losses potentially linked to artificial intelligence, a tool that Governor Gavin Newsom's office says is the first of its kind in the United States. The California AI-Unemployment Tracker, developed in collaboration with the California Policy Lab at UCLA and the Employment Development Department, aims to monitor unemployment claims for patterns among workers in occupations considered highly exposed to AI disruption.

The tracker utilizes unemployment data to identify trends, although it does not prove that AI directly caused specific layoffs. Instead, it provides insight into whether unemployment claims are rising among workers in jobs more susceptible to AI influence.

Governor Newsom emphasized the proactive approach, stating that the state is not merely observing AI advancements but is actively preparing through robust governance and innovative policy.

Initial findings from the tracker have shown no evidence of a statewide spike in unemployment claims from workers in high-AI-exposure occupations. Dr.

Ben Hyman, senior researcher at the California Policy Lab, noted that currently, there is no indication of large-scale AI-related layoffs in California's labor market. However, researchers have identified more targeted patterns, including an increase in claims from college-educated workers in high-AI-exposure roles and a sustained rise in the San Francisco Bay Area for those in such occupations.

Till von Wachter, a UCLA economics professor and faculty director of the California Policy Lab at UCLA, highlighted that the tracker replaces speculation with evidence, offering a clearer understanding of labor market changes and how to best support affected workers. The dashboard, which will be updated monthly, can help the state identify where job search support, retraining, upskilling, health coverage guidance, and other resources may be needed.

This initiative is part of broader workforce-tracking efforts mandated by an executive order, underscoring California's commitment to addressing the impact of AI on employment.

A coalition of 17 states, led by Nebraska Attorney General Mike Hilgers, has filed a federal lawsuit against California seeking to block enforcement of its new single-use plastics law. The law, which took effect last month, requires packaging and plastic companies to reduce their use of single-use plastics and mandates that all packaging be recyclable by 2032.

The lawsuit was filed Monday in the U.S. District Court of Eastern California in Sacramento.

Attorneys general from West Virginia, Alabama, Idaho, Georgia, Texas, South Dakota, North Dakota, Louisiana, Missouri, Florida, Indiana, Iowa, Montana, Oklahoma, and South Carolina joined Nebraska in the legal action.

Hilgers argued that California's policy unfairly burdens consumers across the country. "Once again, California is trying to enact a policy that negatively impacts the rest of the country," he said in a news release.

"If California goes unchecked, consumers will be forced to pay more for basic necessities."

The law, known as the Plastic Pollution Prevention and Packaging Producer Responsibility Act, was signed by Governor Gavin Newsom in 2022. It aims to curb plastic waste by holding producers accountable for the lifecycle of their packaging.

Environmental groups have also sued California over the same law, contending that it contains loopholes that could weaken its effectiveness. According to the Los Angeles Times, these groups argue that exclusions for large categories of plastic packaging may allow the law to be gutted.

The legal challenges come amid growing national debate over state-level environmental regulations and their impact on interstate commerce. The outcome of the lawsuit could have significant implications for California's environmental policies and for similar efforts in other states.

Merced Police Department detectives arrested a 48-year-old man on June 23, 2026, following an investigation into the possession and distribution of child pornography. The arrest occurred at a residence on 9th Street in Merced, where detectives served a search warrant after identifying Rene Cuevas as the only adult male living at the home.

During the search, detectives seized multiple electronic devices believed to contain evidence of child pornography. Additionally, they discovered 11 firearms, including an assault weapon, and a grenade.

The Merced County Bomb Squad was called to the scene and determined that the grenade was safe.

Cuevas was taken into custody without incident and booked into the Merced County Jail on charges of obstruction, possession of an assault weapon, and possession of unregistered firearms. The investigation remains ongoing as detectives conduct forensic examinations of the seized devices.

The case originated from an Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) tip received by the department.

Investigators from the California Highway Patrol's Border Division Cargo Theft Interdiction Program and Organized Retail Crime units executed a search warrant at a warehouse in Anaheim on Thursday, June 18th. The operation led to the recovery of stolen merchandise valued at over $2.2 million.

During the search, authorities discovered a wide range of items, including TaylorMade golf balls, Meta server switches, Tamiya hobby products, and other stolen goods. The investigation remains ongoing as officials work to identify the origins of the stolen property and any potential suspects.

The CHP emphasized the importance of such operations in combating cargo theft and organized retail crime, which impact businesses and consumers across the region. This seizure highlights the collaborative efforts of law enforcement to dismantle criminal networks and recover stolen assets.