At the Oceano Dunes, animals like the endangered Western Snowy Plover make the sand their home. They’re not the only ones who enjoy this area, a judge ruled in favor of the birds after a legal battle.

A U.S. judge rejected on Wednesday a bid by President Donald Trump's administration to throw out a lawsuit filed by a California agency to challenge the cancellation of more than $4 billion in federal grants for the state's high-speed rail project linking Los Angeles and San Francisco.

What happened: U.S. District Judge Dale Drozd, in a decision published Wednesday, pushed back on the administration’s argument that the fight over Obama- and Biden-era grants that the Federal Railroad Administration nixed in July is a contract dispute that is under federal claims court jurisdiction.

Judge’s order could make thousands eligible for bond hearings; courts are split and a Jan. 16, 2026 status hearing is set.