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California Policy and Politics Wednesday
Opponents of proposed California wealth tax ramp up their campaign -- Opponents of California’s proposed wealth tax are turning to the same tool as its champion: the ballot initiative. Jeremy B. White in the Los Angeles Times$ Laura J. Nelson in the Wall Street Journal$ Laurel Rosenhall in the New York Times$ -- 2/18/26
How would the California ‘billionaire tax’ really work? We break it down -- The proposed wealth tax on California’s richest residents is stirring fierce debate. In the first installment of our three-part series, we examine how it would be structured and enforced. Christian Leonard in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 2/18/26
Why California could be the big winner as EPA abandons climate policy -- The federal government is walking away from its tailpipe emissions rules, sparking a legal debate over whether states can now write their own standards. Alex Nieves Politico -- 2/18/26
Nithya Raman stunned the L.A. political world in 2020. Now, she wants to do it again -- Raman stunned the Los Angeles political establishment with her defeat of City Councilmember David Ryu in 2020. But after six years at City Hall, Raman is no longer an outsider. She has her own record, which is in many ways intertwined with the mayor’s. Noah Goldberg in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/18/26
Jesse Jackson gave his most important speech in San Francisco. It still resonates today -- Walter Mondale walked away with the nomination at the Democratic National Convention in 1984. But for thousands of delegates and local citizens at the San Francisco gathering, the enduring memory was Jesse Jackson at the podium in Moscone Center, proffering one of the greatest speeches in American political history. Peter Hartlaub in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 2/18/26
ICE
LA revives zoning law that could ban some private detention centers from contracting with ICE -- The L.A. City Council has taken a step toward reactivating a zoning code that could prohibit the construction and operation of private detention centers for unaccompanied children. The ordinance is meant to prevent private facilities from contracting with federal law enforcement agencies like ICE, according to Councilmember Tim McOsker, who introduced the motion last Wednesday. LAist -- 02/18/26
Workplace
LAUSD board approves up to 657 layoffs. Budget at ‘breaking point,’ Supt. Carvalho says -- The Los Angeles school board — confronted with deficit spending and an internal forecast of insolvency in three years — narrowly voted to send out 3,200 notices of possible layoff, launching a process that is expected to result in as many as 650 layoffs, moves strongly opposed by labor groups as unnecessary and harmful to students. Howard Blume in the Los Angeles Times$ Teresa Liu in the LA Daily News -- 2/18/26
Second Female Prosecutor Wins Harassment Lawsuit Against County Over OC District Attorney Conduct -- A second female prosecutor won a multimillion dollar judgement today, after a jury found she faced retaliation from Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer and other top prosecutors when she reported sexual harassment within his own office. Noah Biesiada in the Voice of OC -- 2/18/26
Wildfire
Altadena asked Edison to bury power lines. Some fire victims say that could cost them $40,000 -- Connor Cipolla, an Eaton wildfire survivor, last year praised Southern California Edison’s plan of burying more than 60 miles of electric lines in Altadena as it rebuilds to reduce the risk of fire. Then he learned he would have to pay $20,000 to $40,000 to connect his home, which was damaged by smoke and ash, to Edison’s new underground line. Melody Petersen in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/18/26
Eaton and Palisades fire refugees moved near and far — and often -- Last year’s Palisades and Eaton fires sent thousands of families on a quest for shelter. Some stayed near and moved often. Others found stable lodging, some as far away as New York and Florida. Doug Smith, Lorena Iñiguez Elebee and Hailey Wang in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/18/26
Avalanche
10 skiers missing after avalanche near Lake Tahoe as rescuers race storm -- Search-and-rescue teams were racing against extreme weather Tuesday evening after an avalanche struck a guided group of skiers near Lake Tahoe in Northern California’s Sierra Nevada, leaving 10 people unaccounted for, authorities said. The slide occurred around 11:30 a.m. in the Castle Peak area near Truckee, north of Interstate 80, according to the Nevada County Sheriff’s Office. Aidin Vaziri, Gregory Thomas in the San Francisco Chronicle$ Michael McGough, Darrell Smith and Andrew Graham in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 2/18/26
Here’s how much snow the Sierra got this weekend — and how much is on the way -- A major storm blanketed Sierra peaks in feet of snow over Presidents Day weekend. And even more is on the way, with two to four more feet due by Wednesday morning, according to Chronicle meteorologists. Jack Lee in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 2/18/26
Tesla
Tesla will stop using the term ‘autopilot’ to avoid 30-day suspension in California -- The concession resolves a long-running battle between the automobile manufacturer and the state, over claims that Tesla oversold its cars’ capabilities and deceived consumers into thinking they would operate autonomously. Rachel Swan in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 2/18/26
Street
S.F. Mayor Lurie inherited a drug overdose epidemic. Here's how bad it's gotten -- Overdose deaths in San Francisco likely dipped in 2025 after seeing a major drop in 2024, according to preliminary numbers. But fatal overdoses are still much more common than they were before the pandemic. Christian Leonard and Yoohyun Jung in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 2/18/26
Also
Did That Bald Head Get Your Attention? One Start-Up Hopes So -- Billboards that wouldn’t make sense to people outside the tech industry have become common in the Bay Area. One company took the microtargeting game to another level. Natallie Rocha, Minh Connors in the New York Times$ -- 2/18/26
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Colbert Slams FCC and CBS, Priming for Fight Over Equal-Time Rules -- In biting monologue on ‘The Late Show,’ comedian said his network was bowing to regulators prematurely. Isabella Simonetti and Joe Flint in the Wall Street Journal$ -- 2/18/26
Jimmy Kimmel to headline fundraiser for House Democrats in Los Angeles -- The fundraiser, which will also feature House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries and former Speaker Nancy Pelosi, is set for March 10 in Los Angeles, according to two people familiar with the fundraiser who were granted anonymity to discuss the details. Jacob Wendler and Andrew Howard Politico -- 2/18/26
Colbert says CBS spiked planned James Talarico interview amid FCC pressure -- “Let’s just call this what it is,” Colbert said. “Donald Trump’s administration wants to silence anyone who says anything bad about Trump on TV, because all Trump does is watch TV.” Gregory Svirnovskiy Politico John Koblin in the New York Times$ Scott Nover in the Washington Post$ -- 2/18/26
California Policy and Politicsm Tuesday
California highways, ski resorts close in Sierra amid worst snowstorm in years -- As a major winter storm pounded the Sierra Nevada with some of the worst conditions in years, key stretches of Interstate 80 and Highway 50 were closed across the Sierra, and some ski resorts closed. Anthony Edwards, Kate Galbraith in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 2/17/26
Trump derides Newsom and calls his UK deal 'inappropriate' -- President Donald Trump on Monday slammed a new clean energy agreement between California and the United Kingdom, deriding Gov. Gavin Newsom and warning British leaders against partnering with the Democratic governor. Sophia Cai Politico -- 2/17/26
Newsom signs California-UK clean energy pact -- In a new memorandum of understanding, California and the U.K. — which are both still pursuing net zero emissions goals — pledge to collaborate on clean energy technologies like offshore wind, at a time when Trump takes every chance to rail against windmills. Charlie Cooper Politico -- 2/17/26
How would the California ‘billionaire tax’ really work? We break it down -- By now, plenty of Californians have heard of it: A proposed “billionaire tax” that’s already prompted some uber-rich tycoons to hightail it from the Golden State — or at least threaten to do so. It all started because millions of low-income and disabled Californians are in danger of losing health thanks to cuts made by the Trump administration. Christian Leonard in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 2/17/26
L.A. Mayor Bass says LA28 head Wasserman should step down -- Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass said in an interview Monday that she does not want embattled mogul Casey Wasserman running the 2028 Summer Games. Dakota Smith in the Los Angeles Times$ Shawn Hubler in the New York Times$ -- 2/17/26
Voter trust in U.S. elections drops amid Trump critiques, redistricting, fear of ICE -- Voter trust in the upcoming midterm elections, meanwhile, has dropped off sharply, and across party lines, according to new research by the UC San Diego Center for Transparent and Trusted Elections. Out of 11,406 eligible voters surveyed between mid-December and mid-January, just 60% said they were confident that midterm votes will be counted fairly — down from 77% who held such confidence in vote counting shortly after the 2024 presidential election. Kevin Rector in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/17/26
Can a once-sleepy village off Highway 101 become the Bay Area’s next retail mecca? -- Just six years ago, cowboys drove a herd of 30 longhorn cattle past banks and breweries in downtown Santa Rosa to herald the start of the county fair. Wine Country’s biggest city has been “kind of an overgrown cow town,” Mayor Mark Stapp said. But Santa Rosa is fast changing. Julie Johnson in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 2/17/26
Workplace
Warner Bros. Discovery reopens bidding, gives Paramount seven days to make its case -- Warner Bros. Discovery is cracking open the door to allow spurned bidder, Paramount Skydance, to make its case — but Warner’s board still maintains its preference for Netflix’s competing proposal. Meg James in the Los Angeles Times$ Joe Flint in the Wall Street Journal$ -- 2/17/26
Tensions mount as LAUSD board to consider sending 3,200 notices of possible layoffs -- More than 3,200 Los Angeles Unified School District employees would receive a notice of a possible layoff under a proposal to be considered at Tuesday’s Board of Education meeting, while union leaders call to pause the decision until the state revenue forecast becomes clearer. Howard Blume in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/17/26
Santa Clara County eliminates 365 jobs amid Trump-induced budget challenges -- While the county routinely opens its budget mid-year to make revisions, it’s been years since the county made changes of this magnitude, with most of the eliminated positions coming from health care. Grace Hase in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 2/17/26
Hollywood groups condemn ByteDance’s AI video generator, claiming copyright infringement -- A new artificial intelligence video generator from Beijing-based ByteDance, the creator of TikTok, is drawing the ire of Hollywood organizations that say Seedance 2.0 “blatantly” violates copyright and uses the likeness of actors and others without permission. Barbara Ortutay Associated Press -- 2/17/26
Santa Clara County eliminates 365 jobs amid Trump-induced budget challenges -- Severe cuts to critical federal revenues continue to wreak havoc on Santa Clara County’s finances, forcing county officials to slash 365 positions from the budget halfway through the fiscal year. Grace Hase in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 2/17/26
ICE
This California bill would stop local law enforcement from helping ICE carry out its agenda -- State Sen. Sasha Renée Pérez’s bill would prohibit state and local police from being “commandeered” into assisting federal immigration authorities. Linh Tat in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 2/17/26
BART
Bay Area home prices soar near BART. What happens if stations close? -- The homes in San Francisco’s Glen Park neighborhood have many hot amenities, from tiled fireplaces to spacious backyards. But some residents cite one feature, above all else, that drew them to the area: They wanted to live near BART. Rachel Swan in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 2/17/26
Wildfire
Altadena asked Edison to bury power lines. Some fire victims say that could cost them $40,000 -- Some Altadena residents learned they must pay $20,000 or more to connect to Edison’s buried lines. Melody Petersen in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/17/26
Education
Student anti-ICE walkouts: Some officials praise activism, others dole out detention -- After some 150 students walked out of Redlands schools early this month in support of immigrants they were dealt an unexpected consequence: a temporary suspension of school privileges as administrators enforced rules that forbid them from leaving a classroom without permission. Howard Blume and Christopher Buchanan in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/17/26
California schools face a new budget hit: Soaring insurance costs after sex abuse lawsuits -- A recent state law lifted the statute of limitations on sex abuse lawsuits, driving a huge increase in payouts by school districts and government agencies. It has also increased insurance premiums for all agencies. Carolyn Jones Calmatters -- 2/17/26
Newsom expanded free preschool. Now private daycares can’t afford to stay open --There were once so many children at Frisha Moore’s Elk Grove preschool that families filled up the waitlist. Now, one of her playgrounds and two classrooms sit empty because one key group of kids has stopped coming. Jeanne Kuang Calmatters -- 2/17/26
Nudification
Grok and other ‘nudification’ apps offered by Google and Apple put Silicon Valley at center of global outrage -- Cutting-edge AI technology allowing boys and men to digitally undress girls and women without consent has put male-dominated Silicon Valley, long criticized as inhospitable to women, in a harsh new spotlight, after xAI’s Grok chatbot sparked worldwide outrage, and Google and Apple allowed dozens of “nudification” apps in their app stores. Ethan Baron in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 2/17/26
Environment
Southern California air board rejected pollution rules after AI-generated flood of comments -- An AI-powered platform generated at least 20,000 emails that helped defeat a proposal to phase out gas-powered appliances in Southern California, records show. Experts said the use of AI for civic engagement is growing and could make it harder for elected officials to engage in earnest with the public. Hayley Smith in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/17/26
New cleanup proposed for old San Jose Superfund site near San Jose State -- But the 5-acre, asphalt-covered lot is home to one of Silicon Valley’s longest-running environmental cleanups — a former business where workers scrubbed and recycled more than 2 million industrial steel drums between 1947 and 1987, often dumping pesticides, solvents, acids and other chemicals into the ground and storm drains. Paul Rogers in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 2/17/26
Jesse Jackson
The Rev. Jesse Jackson, who led the Civil Rights Movement for decades after King, has died at 84 -- The Rev. Jesse L. Jackson, a protege of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. and two-time presidential candidate who led the Civil Rights Movement for decades after the revered leader’s assassination, died Tuesday. He was 84. Sophia Tareen Associated Press -- 2/17/26
Also
One of Big Sur’s most spectacular trails has finally reopened after years of repairs -- One of Big Sur’s most spectacular trails, impassable for most of the past decade, has finally reopened, reconnecting hikers and backpackers to peaks, waterfalls and swimming holes in the heart of the region’s rugged mountains. Gregory Thomas in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 2/17/26
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Vaccine Makers Curtail Research and Cut Jobs -- Federal policies under Robert F. Kennedy Jr. that are hostile to vaccines have “sent a chill through the entire industry,” one scientist said. Rebecca Robbins in the New York Times$ -- 2/17/26
Judge orders slavery exhibit to be restored after Trump administration removal -- In a 40-page opinion, U.S. District Judge Cynthia M. Rufe of the Eastern District of Pennsylvania compared the displays’ removal last month to the government mind-control employed in George Orwell’s famous novel “1984.” Gregory S. Schneider in the Washington Post$ -- 2/17/26
Trump's second year: Whiplash -- President Donald Trump’s first year back in office was defined by sweeping upheaval that was largely plotted out during his four-year Florida exile. But the president has somehow intensified the volatility in year two with a succession of whiplash-inducing policy swings, several of which have almost immediately withered in the face of Republican opposition and public outcry. Eli Stokols, Aiden Reiter and Sophie Gardner Politico -- 2/17/26