The fatal shootings of Alex Pretti and Renee Good in Minneapolis caused 50 of California's Democratic state representatives to call for either the blocking of a federal funding package or the resignation of Rep. Chuck Schumer (D-NY) as house minority leader.

Across 40 minutes, 11 speakers called for either Schumer's resignation or the involvement of Republican lawmakers. 

"We need you to speak out. You cannot watch these videos coming out of Minneapolis, Minn. and think that this is acceptable," said Assembly Speaker Robert Rivas. "We need your voice, we need your solidarity, and standing up for American values."

Read Maya C. Miller's reporting here: California Democrats urge government shutdown after federal agents kill Minnesota nurse.

In two separate incidents, four men in the Inland Empire were shot at by federal agents last year. Two of them were prosecuted on allegations of assault against a federal officer. 

An agent fired bullets at Francisco Longoria's truck while he was driving his two sons on Aug. 16. No bullets hit them. Two days later, the US Attorneys' Office for the Central District of California filed a complaint against him on charges of assault of a federal officer. The complaint alleged he hit two officers, but a federal attorney said at an Aug. 28 initial appearance that no officers were injured.

At the hearing, Federal Public Defender Luisa Tamez said that Longoria has had no criminal history, owns his home, and works three jobs: at a warehouse, a restaurant and delivering party equipment.

"Based on the complaint, and I have the information you have, I don't see an allegation that there was a lawful basis to stop the vehicle," United States Magistrate Judge A. Joel Richlin said at the hearing.

Assistant United States Attorney Cory Burleson agreed. The US Attorney's Office dropped the case Sept. 17.

Also on Aug. 28, the same day as the initial hearing, Longoria was detained by ICE agents and held at Adelanto ICE Detention Center. He filed a petition to be released on Nov. 18, and was released by judicial order Nov. 25.

Longoria's son declined to comment on the case on behalf of the family when contacted by CalMatters. Greg Jackson, who represents Longoria, told the Washington Post that he plans to file a civil lawsuit. Jackson did not respond to immediate requests to comment from CalMatters. 

An ICE agent also shot Carlos Jimenez in the shoulder in Ontario on Oct. 30. The next day, federal prosecutors charged Jimenez with assault on a federal officer. The indictment claims Jimenez was attempting to run over the officer who shot at him. The complaint does not allege a federal agent was injured. Jimenez pleaded not guilty and is represented by public defenders. Trial is set for April 13.

On Jan. 27, the Riverside County Board of Supervisors voted unanimously to provide a $1 million loan to Palo Verde Hospital in Blythe and manage the hospital's emergency department for 180 days.

The hospital filed for Chapter 9 bankruptcy on Oct. 8, The Riverside Record reported. The hospital has closed down, with the exception of its emergency department. The town on the border with Nevada is an hour and a half away from the closest in-state emergency rooms in Indio and Brawley.

The Riverside University Health System will manage the emergency department.

"This is an independent healthcare district with a board that is independently elected by the residents of the Palo Verde community. But the county also recognized that in many ways, we provide the safety net services for all of our residents across the county, especially when we're talking about health and human services," Van Wagenen said.

Joanna Gonzalez, clerk of the board of directors of the Palo Verde Healthcare District, thanked supervisors, county staff and local and state representatives.

"This loan does not solve every challenge that the hospital faces, but it does provide breathing room. It gives more time for the district, the county and other partners to continue exploring sustainable, long term solutions. The time matters greatly to our patients, our employees and our residents we serve," Gonzalez said.

Two weeks ago, the Department of Health Care Services denied the hospital Medi-Cal funding, resulting in a potential loss of $9.9 million.

Blythe had already provided a one-time loan of $330,000, to provide funding for an additional week.

The loan matures Oct. 1, 2031, with a 3% interest rate. It requires monthly review by the district's financial manager, working capital of at least $500,000, and patient volume of at least 80%.

The Inland Empire has been getting safer, but so has the rest of the state. Nigel Duara reported on California's declining homicide rate, and how nobody knows the reason for the trend.

Across Riverside and San Bernardino Counties, homicide rates have dropped to four homicides per 100,000 people after a spike during the pandemic, the same as the state's rate, according to data in the state's OpenJustice database. Compare that to 1985, where we saw 12 homicides per 100,000, or 1994, where we saw 16.

The rate of violent crime in our counties has also been cut in half since 1994: 1,139 violent crimes per 100,000 have dropped to 402. Property crime rates in the Inland Empire have dropped by a third since 2015, and by three fourths since 1985.

"A long-range look at crime statistics, particularly homicide data, shows that the 2020-21 crime rate nationally and in California was still a fraction of its highs in the early 1990s. Simply counting the year-over-year changes belies a larger truth: Crime throughout the 2020s has been down significantly compared to the rate 20 or 30 years ago," Duara reports.

Read it here: California cities just saw their lowest homicide rates in decades. It's not clear why.

Three Inland Empire state senators told legislative staff their budget priorities and issues in a Jan. 21 meeting of the Senate Standing Committee on Budget and Fiscal Review. 

Sen. Eloise Gomez Reyes (D-Colton) called for more incentives towards medium and heavy duty zero emission vehicles. Newsom's budget proposal suggested $200 million in one time special funds to establish light duty incentive programs. Reyes said medium and heavy duty vehicles have an outsized impact on air quality. 

The state senator also called for full funding of the Community Air Protection Program (CARB).

"There is significant risk that the program will not receive full funding. AB617 was a promise made to the pollution burdened communities throughout California nearly a decade ago that has yet to be fully realized. While there has been significant investment by the state, we have not seen a proportional reduction in emissions," Gomes Reyes said.

She questioned how the legislature should prioritize investments in Medi-Cal programs, considering the closure of California hospitals. 

Sen. Rosilicie Ochoa Bogh (R-Yucaipa) called for more court funding to be allocated to the Inland Empire.

"My question is the Inland Empire. Nowhere has it been mentioned here and it is the fastest growing region in the state of California. It is completely underfunded when it comes to the courthouses, accessibility to the criminal justice system," she said.

Sen. Kelly Seyarto (R-Murrieta) said he wanted more oversight on school funding, so that the state would pay for school supplies instead of teachers. He was also concerned about the increasing expenses of the state budget, and said he wanted to make sure wildfire mitigation efforts and courts are fully funded.

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