60 Ralphs and Food 4 Less stores are closing

Good morning. Here’s what you need to know to start your Monday.

• California could see fewer Ralphs and Food 4 Less stores.
• A plan to sell off public land in the West was nixed from the “Big Beautiful Bill.”
• Planning a trip to the L.A. Zoo? It will now cost you a few dollars more.
• And here’s today’s e-newspaper.

Under a Kroger plan, California grocery shoppers will have dozens fewer Ralphs and Food 4 Less stores to choose from.

Kroger, the parent company of the California-based grocers, announced its plan to permanently shutter 60 stores in an earnings report for last quarter.

Will it be a location near you? There’s no news yet on which stores would be affected.

But under the plan, some Californians will be dealing with the loss of their neighborhood market. The reason for the closings is the year-over-year loss of millions in earnings. The grocery giant reported net earnings of $866 million for the first quarter of 2025, down from $947 million during the same period last year.

The closures represent a $100-million loss for the company but will lead to a “modest financial benefit,” the company said.

It also said employees working at the affected stores would be offered jobs at other locations.

Combined, there are 272 Ralphs and Food 4 Less locations across the state.

Period of turmoil

The planned closures come amid a tumultuous period for Kroger. Rodney McMullen, the company’s former chairman and chief executive, abruptly stepped down in March following a probe by the company’s board into his personal conduct. The company was mum on details but said this alleged conduct did not involve Kroger workers.

Earlier this month, about 45,000 employees at Kroger and Albertsons authorized a strike to protest what they call unfair labor practices. They haven’t walked off the job yet. But if they do, it would cause major disruption for two of the nation’s largest grocery chains.

Blocked mergers and settlements

The company was also involved in a failed $25-billion merger with rival Albertsons late last year after a judge halted the deal. It would’ve been the largest supermarket merger in U.S. history.

As my colleague Queenie Wong reported in December, the Federal Trade Commission, California and several other states sued to stop the deal, arguing the merger would decimate competition in many parts of the country and leave customers at the mercy of a newly formed behemoth that could drive up prices.

Also last year, Kroger finalized a $122-million settlement with California to resolve lawsuits over the company’s alleged role in the opioid crisis and how its pharmacies dispensed prescription painkillers to customers.

The payment finalized a deal Kroger struck in 2023 to settle nearly all the opioid-related claims filed against it. Although the company didn’t admit to any wrongdoing or liability in the settlement, it did agree to pay nearly $1.4 billion over 11 years to California and other plaintiffs.

Blazes in San Bernardino and Riverside counties among wildfires burning in SoCal

• The Lake fire had blackened more than 485 acres and was 25% contained as of this morning. Officials said that crews were making progress.
• Multiple blazes erupted in Riverside County on Sunday, with the largest fire rapidly growing to more than 1,100 acres. It was 0% contained as of Monday morning.
• The Mindy wildfire broke out near Aguanga and has burned more than 100 acres. It was about 50% contained as of Monday morning.
• A vegetation fire was also burning in the city of Riverside and had consumed more than 80 acres by Monday morning, temporarily spurring evacuations, officials said.
• The Mandalay fire caused heavy, drifting smoke, which prompted 911 calls from concerned residents, the Riverside Fire Department said on Facebook. Forward progress on the fire had been stopped, according to Watch Duty.

A plan to sell off public land in the West has been nixed from GOP bill

• A controversial plan to sell hundreds of thousands of acres of public land across Western states — including California — was axed from the Republican tax and spending bill.
• Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah), who spearheaded the proposal, said the land sale was intended to ease the financial burden of housing, pointing to a lack of affordability afflicting families in many communities.
• The death of the provision was celebrated by conservationists as well as recreation advocates, including hunters and anglers, even as they prepared themselves for an ongoing fight over federal lands.

ICE goes after Iranians living in the U.S.

• Iranians are being arrested by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers after decades in the country. U.S. military strikes on Iran have fueled fears that there are more arrests to come.
• The U.S. Department of Homeland Security announced the arrests of at least 11 Iranians on immigration violations during the weekend of the U.S. missile strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities.
• U.S. Customs and Border Protection said the agency arrested seven Iranians at a Los Angeles-area address that had been “repeatedly used to harbor illegal entrants linked to terrorism.”

• L.A. County leaders want to explore legal action following violent ICE arrests.
• Insurer Blue Shield of California’s new parent company alarms consumer advocates.
• LeBron James exercised his player option for $52.6-million and will make history as the first to play 23 NBA seasons.
• Trump says he’s not planning to extend a pause on global tariffs beyond July 9.
• A new L.A. Trader Joe’s opened across the street from ... another Trader Joe’s.
• Brad Pitt and “F1: The Movie” zoomed to $55.6 million in Apple’s biggest box office debut.
• Eleven burglars repeatedly ransacked a California woman’s home. Then the bears came.
• A baby tiger was reported on the side of a California highway. Not by a long shot, according to the California Highway Patrol.
• Trump calls for a ceasefire deal on the war in Gaza as signs of progress emerge.

Commentary and opinions

• The Lake Tahoe tragedy provides a life-or-death lesson, argues columnist George Skelton.
• RFK Jr. is dismantling trust in vaccines, the crown jewel of American public health, argues columnist Robin Abcarian.
• Rob Pelinka and JJ Redick should be safe under the Dodgers regime … for now, columnist Bill Plaschke writes.
• By stooping to conquer, Sacramento Democrats show their pettiness and arrogance, argues columnist Mark Z. Barabak.

Other must reads

• At 100 years old, Lee Calvert lost her home in the Palisades fire. Now, she’s trying to adapt to a new life.
• AI is controversial in Hollywood. For China’s film business, it’s no holds barred.
• As Gen Z and millennial women look to get money-smart, Dow Janes is trending upward.
• The legend of ‘Snuffy’: A reputed Mexican Mafia figure has been charged in a plot to kill a rapper.

Going out

• Restaurants: Food columnist Jenn Harris taste-tested the viral cakes that look like fruit and nuts. Here are some L.A. bakeries that make the best ones.
• Decor: The bathroom is arguably more in need of decor than other parts of a home. Here are tips and inspiration to decorate bathrooms well.
• Greenways and gardens: This tax-funded native habitat is finally opening to the public after a five-year wait.
• Parks and recreation: Planning a trip to the L.A. Zoo? It will now cost you a few dollars more.

Staying in

• Books: Here’s a glimpse at the nine LGBTQ+ children’s books targeted in a high court ruling that is upending education policy.
• Television: The “Squid Game” finale lays bare a reality: The wealthy win, and nice guys finish last.
• Recipes: Here’s a recipe for summer squash chowder.
• ✏️ Get our free daily crossword puzzle, sudoku, word search and arcade games.

Today’s great photo is from Times photographer Christina House at the Getty Villa, which reopened Friday for the first time since January’s devastating Palisades fire.

Have a great day, from the Essential California team

Kevinisha Walker, multiplatform editor
Andrew Campa, Sunday writer
Karim Doumar, head of newsletters

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