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California Policy and Politics Wednesday
Billionaire activist Tom Steyer joins race to succeed Newsom as California governor -- Liberal billionaire Tom Steyer raised his profile as a foe to President Donald Trump when he spent $13 million on ads touting Proposition 50. Now, Steyer is jumping in the 2026 California governor’s race. Maya C. Miller Calmatters Joe Garofoli in the San Francisco Chronicle$ Seema Mehta in the Los Angeles Times$ Nicole Nixon in the Sacramento Bee$ John Woolfolk in the San Jose Mercury$ Linh Tat in the Orange County Register$ Jeremy B. White Politico Laurel Rosenhall in the New York Times$ -- 11/19/25
Why a Bay Area congressman is expected to jump into the ‘wide open’ California governor’s race this week -- Political experts say Eric Swalwell will compete against fellow Democrats to be the “most anti-Trump candidate” in the race. Chase Hunter, Kyle Martin in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 11/19/25
FBI intercepted communications within Gavin Newsom’s office in probe of former aide -- The FBI has notified some current and former members of the Newsom administration that agents intercepted their communications as part of its investigation of the governor’s former chief of staff. Sophia Bollag in the San Francisco Chronicle$ Lia Russell in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 11/19/25
‘It raises all sorts of questions’: Becerra scorched by scandal in California governor’s race -- Becerra, the former Health secretary under President Joe Biden, is not accused of wrongdoing in the alleged scheme involving his closest aides siphoning money from one of his campaign accounts. But Becerra’s blindness to the years-long deception, detailed in last week’s federal indictment of Gov. Gavin Newsom’s former chief of staff, threatens to blow up his gubernatorial ambitions. Melanie Mason Politico -- 11/19/25
Newsom has a diagnosis for critics: ‘California derangement syndrome’ -- Gov. Gavin Newsom is known for his catchphrases. He likes to remind people that he’s “not ideological” but “open to argument, interested in evidence.” He frequently describes California as “America’s coming attraction.” “The future happens here first,” he says often. Sophia Bollag in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 11/19/25
ICE
Proposed California legislation would allow lawsuits if ICE agents violate constitutional rights -- State Sen. Scott Wiener proposed new legislation Tuesday that would give those who have had their Constitutional rights violated by immigration agents a new pathway to hold them accountable in court. Sara DiNatale, Bob Egelko in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 11/19/25
San Mateo County moves to tighten limits on cooperation with ICE -- Once formally approved, the changes will prevent federal immigration agents from using the county’s Coyote Point Park firing range without a judicial warrant and prohibit the use of any county property as a staging area for enforcement operations. Ryan Macasero in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 11/19/25
Border Patrol agent arrested in Long Beach was combative, asked police if they are ‘stupid’ -- A Border Patrol agent who pulled out a gun in a women’s restroom in July while allegedly intoxicated at the Yard House in Long Beach’s Shoreline Village fought with arriving officers and hurled expletives while proclaiming his status as an agent, video obtained by the Southern California News Group shows. Nathaniel Percy in the Orange County Register$ -- 11/19/25
Wildfire
New LAFD chief slams media ‘smear’ of firefighters who battled Palisades fire -- Moore’s comments Tuesday appeared to be in reference to a Times report that a battalion chief ordered firefighters to roll up their hoses and leave the burn area of the Jan. 1 Lachman fire, which days later reignited into the deadly Palisades fire, even though they had complained that the ground was still smoldering. Alene Tchekmedyian and Noah Goldberg in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 11/19/25
Campus
Cal State wants to offer bigger raises to campus presidents while cutting elsewhere -- California State University’s trustees will vote tomorrow on whether to increase how much the system’s 22 campus presidents and other senior executives earn, potentially paving the way for up to 15% in annual incentive-based raises paid for by philanthropic funds and base salaries that reflect how much presidents at similar universities earn. Mikhail Zinshteyn Calmatters -- 11/19/25
Housing
Why San Diegans aren’t jumping to buy homes, even with lower mortgage rates -- The high cost of a San Diego home, even with lower mortgage rates, has scared off many potential buyers and slowed the market to a level not seen in years. Phillip Molnar in the San Diego Union Tribune$ -- 11/19/25
8 in 10 Bay Area homes have lost value in the last year. Here’s why that might not help buyers -- More than 80% of homes in the San Francisco metropolitan area have lost value from last year. But most are still worth far more than they were purchased for. Christian Leonard in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 11/19/25
Havasu City
This Arizona town is an unexpected magnet for Californians: ‘We do it our way’ -- Lake Havasu City, Arizona, has become a magnet for Californians, starting with the COVID-19 pandemic but fueled primarily by lower taxes and housing costs. Many Californians owned second homes in Arizona but decided to relocate there full-time after the pandemic. Terry Castleman in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 11/19/25
Environment
These ‘forever chemicals’ pollute Fresno more than any other county in California -- Fresno is the top county in California for the use of pesticides containing PFAS, which can contaminate drinking water, soil and produce, linked to various health issues, according to a new Environmental Working Group analysis. Liliana Fannin in the Fresno Bee -- 11/19/25
Education
California officials condemn Trump’s plan to break up Education Department -- “This is an unnecessary, disruptive change that is going to harm students, especially the most vulnerable,” said California Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond. “It is clearly less efficient for state departments of education and local school districts to work with four different federal agencies instead of one.” Diana Lambert EdSource -- 11/19/25
Street
Civil liberties groups sue San Jose over warrantless access to license plate reader data -- A coalition of high-profile civil-liberties groups led by the Electronic Frontier Foundation and ACLU is suing San Jose over what it characterizes as millions of warrantless searches of automated license plate reader data, which it says has put the city in an unprecedented state of surveillance with no meaningful gatekeeping. Robert Salonga in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 11/19/25
Source: Slain Oakland coach John Beam taught his suspected killer at Laney College in 2022 -- The 27-year-old man charged with killing Laney College’s storied athletic director John Beam was enrolled as a student at Laney in 2022 and took at least one course under Beam, according to a source familiar with the matter. Megan Cassidy in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 11/19/25
Baltimore police investigated by SFPD Special Victims’ Unit, sources say -- Four Baltimore police officers who were stripped of their police powers due to a criminal probe emanating from San Francisco are being investigated by the San Francisco Police Department’s Special Victims’ Unit, according to four sources familiar with the matter. David Hernandez, Megan Cassidy in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 11/19/25
Polar Vortex
A rare stratospheric warming event is about to occur. Here’s what it means for California -- Something strange is taking shape high above the Arctic this month. The stratosphere, a cold, still layer of the atmosphere about 20 miles up, appears to be about to experience a dramatic warm up. It’s a rare change for November and one that could set the stage for sharp weather swings across the Northern Hemisphere in December. Greg Porter in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 11/19/25
Transit
Iowa City Made Its Buses Free. Traffic Cleared, and So Did the Air -- Ridership jumped, people cut back on driving and, over the summer, the city extended the program another year. Cara Buckley, Annick Sjobakken in the New York Times$ -- 11/19/25
Also
Walters: Who’s running for California governor? It keeps changing -- Getting elected governor of California is a difficult task, requiring the creation of a large apparatus to plan and execute a campaign strategy and raising tens of millions of dollars to pay for it. Dan Walters Calmatters -- 11/19/25
Massive white blimp floating over San Francisco has ties to Google -- It wasn’t a blimp ad or a movie stunt — it was Pathfinder 1, a 400-foot experimental zeppelin built by LTA Research, a Silicon Valley startup backed by Google co-founder Sergey Brin. The flight marked the latest step in Brin’s ambitious effort to reinvent lighter-than-air travel with modern materials and zero-emission technology. Aidin Vaziri in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 11/19/25
Officials killed one of California’s few wolf packs to protect cattle. Now a new pack has been spotted nearby -- A new wolf pack has emerged in California’s northern Sierra, signaling continued growth of the state’s small and fragile wolf population — and raising fresh concerns for ranchers in an area where many cattle have already been lost to wolves. Kurtis Alexander in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 11/19/25
Parents of high school tennis star Braun Levi sue alleged drunk driver -- The woman who allegedly struck Braun Levi had a blood alcohol level of nearly twice the legal limit and was driving on a suspended license, according to court records. Clara Harter in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 11/19/25
Roblox to scan users’ faces to verify age amid persistent child safety concerns -- Roblox, a popular gaming platform that’s faced growing scrutiny over child safety concerns, said Tuesday it will require users to verify their age if they want to chat with other players. Queenie Wong in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 11/19/25
POTUS 47
Despite congressional action, quick release of Epstein files is in doubt -- The Justice Department has remained silent about its plans, and the new disclosure legislation contains major loopholes. Perry Stein, Jeremy Roebuck and Theodoric Meyer in the Washington Post$ -- 11/19/25
‘Utterly foolish’: Redistricting roadblocks leave Republicans wary of White House push -- President Donald Trump’s bad week got a lot worse on Tuesday when judges blocked his Texas gerrymander, leaving Republicans wondering whether the nationwide remapping effort was worth the political capital. Andrew Howard Politico -- 11/19/25
‘Played with fire, got burned’: GOP control of House at risk after court blocks Texas map -- Federal judges blocked Texas from using its newly redrawn congressional map for 2026, ruling the GOP-led redistricting showed “substantial evidence” of racial gerrymandering. The decision is a major blow to Trump and Republicans seeking five additional House seats; state pledges to appeal. Michael Wilner in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 11/19/25
Barabak: Justice has no expiration date. That’s why 2020 election fraud still matters -- In the days and weeks after the 2020 election, partisans across the country used lies and deceit to try to defraud the American people and steal the White House. Mark Z. Barabak in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 11/19/25
Trump administration accelerates its plan to shut down the Education Department -- Department of Labor assumes control of $18-billion Title I program for low-income schools, along with teacher training and college prep grants. Critics warn the overhaul could disrupt services for vulnerable students; officials argue it will boost efficiency and maintain current funding levels. Howard Blume and Collin Binkley in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 11/19/25
Trump Says Saudi Leader Knew Nothing of Journalist Murder, Rejecting CIA Assessment -- President Trump said Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman “knew nothing about” the 2018 murder of Washington Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi, though the CIA at the time assessed that the royal orchestrated the killing. Alexander Ward, Michael R. Gordon and Brian Schwartz in the Wall Street Journal$ -- 11/19/25
Sheinbaum cites Mexican-American War as she rejects Trump’s cartel strike threats -- It may be “OK” with President Trump, but Mexico rejects any U.S. strikes against cartels in its territory. That was the message reiterated Tuesday by Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum, who has repeatedly said that her nation would not accept U.S. attacks or troops on Mexican soil. Patrick J. McDonnell in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 11/19/25
Comey’s Lawyers Head to Court to Argue Vindictive Prosecution by Trump -- James B. Comey’s lawyers are expected to argue that the Justice Department effectively allowed itself to be taken captive by the president’s desire for political revenge. Alan Feuer in the New York Times$ -- 11/19/25
California Policy and Politics Tuesday
Justice Department sues to block laws restricting masked, unidentified law enforcement officers in California -- The laws, passed by the California Legislature and signed by Gov. Gavin Newsom, came in the wake of the Trump administration’s immigration raids in California, when masked, unidentified federal officers jumped out of vehicles this summer as part of the president’s mass deportation program. Katie King in the Los Angeles Times$ Bob Egelko in the San Francisco Chronicle$ Sharon Bernstein in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 11/18/25
Eric Swalwell’s campaign for California governor looks inevitable -- Eric Swalwell’s gubernatorial campaign appears imminent — and not just because a fundraising page for his campaign was posted on the Democratic platform ActBlue before being taken down Sunday. Blake Jones Politico -- 11/18/25
Newsom touts climate leadership while blocking data center impacts bill -- At the United Nations climate summit in Brazil, Gov. Gavin Newsom emphasized California’s role as the world’s fourth-largest economy and touted the state’s leadership in artificial intelligence, saying the state “dominates” in AI while stressing that he is “deeply mindful” of the energy and water implications of technological innovation and entrepreneurial growth. Chaewon Chung in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 11/18/25
Why this California Democrat broke with his party to end the government shutdown -- Gray, who represents the 13th District in the Central Valley, is facing a tough race ahead of the midterm elections. The 13th District is known for flip-flops. Gray’s Republican predecessor served a single two-year term before Gray ousted him last fall by fewer than 200 votes. Ana Ceballos in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 11/18/25
‘Why don't you know?’ Scandal singes Becerra in California governor’s race -- The bombshell investigation, in which Becerra was not accused of any wrongdoing, came as Becerra was trying to jumpstart his campaign for governor. Melanie Mason in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 11/18/25
CalPERS isn’t divesting from fossil fuels, but climate activists keep pushing -- Year after year, various groups have petitioned the state’s largest pension system to divest its billions of dollars from fossil fuel companies as the consequences of climate change continue to impact California. William Melhado in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 11/18/25
The Amazon oil that made California rethink its climate playbook -- For years, Democrats broadly dismissed as a Big Oil talking point the idea that California’s consumption of oil from the Amazon drives deforestation. At this year’s U.N. climate talks, that talking point is sticking. Camille von Kaenel Politico -- 11/18/25
Supreme Court to hear San Diego case in which judges ruled U.S. unlawfully turned away asylum seekers -- The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday agreed to hear the Trump administration’s appeal of a San Diego case dealing with “metering,” or the practice of U.S. border officials turning away asylum-seeking hopefuls at the U.S.-Mexico border and forcing them to wait in Mexico if the officials determined a border crossing to be at capacity. Alex Riggins in the San Diego Union Tribune$ -- 11/18/25
California lawmakers take stock of damage caused by the Big Beautiful Bill -- As state officials were crafting the budget in the spring, Congress’ House Resolution 1, otherwise known as the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, was a boogeyman invoked often, but the ramifications were still unknown. With hearings held last week and Monday, the reality is coming into focus. Kate Wolffe in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 11/18/25
After Gen Z march in Mexico, government and critics spar as Trump cites ‘big problems’ south of border -- A weekend protest march convened to highlight the concerns of Mexico’s Generation Z has instead dramatized deep political divisions extending well beyond the needs of young Mexicans. Patrick J. McDonnell and Kate Linthicum in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 11/18/25
Workplace
Why one of the nation’s most prosperous industries is shedding jobs -- Tech companies from Meta to Microsoft, Amazon and Alphabet continue to trim workers despite soaring revenue and billions of investments into artificial intelligence. Danielle Abril and Federica Cocco in the Washington Post$ -- 11/18/25
Wildfire
Pack Fire near Mammoth Lakes leaves dozens of families homeless -- As firefighters gain the upper hand on the Pack Fire that tore through communities near the Mammoth Lakes, residents in California’s Eastern Sierra are beginning the long process of recovery — with neighbors, local businesses and strangers rallying to help those who lost everything. Aidin Vaziri in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 11/18/25
She died in the Eaton fire. Her family says emergency alert software was to blame -- Attorneys representing the family of Stacey Darden, an Altadena resident who perished in the Eaton fire, filed a wrongful death lawsuit Monday alleging that the software that Los Angeles County uses for emergency alerts was defective and failed to alert her to leave in time. Jenny Jarvie and Terry Castleman in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 11/18/25
Housing
How Building Affordable Housing Became Hottest Game in L.A. -- Developers say building all-affordable housing complexes rarely makes financial sense. Now in Los Angeles, it is the hottest game in town. Rebecca Picciotto in the Wall Street Journal$ -- 11/18/25
More housing on the California coast? Changes at key agency signal a pro-building shift -- In a push to address the state’s gripping housing crisis, the California Coastal Commission last week approved a rule change to make it easier to build affordable housing in Monterey and elsewhere along the hundreds of miles of the Pacific coast. Nadia Lathan, CalMatters in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 11/18/25
Trump administration to divert billions of dollars from homeless housing programs -- The Trump administration is moving forward with plans to divert billions of dollars in homelessness funding earmarked for permanent housing, a decision state and local officials warn could push thousands of formerly homeless Californians back to the street. Ethan Varian in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 11/18/25
Campus
Students oppose UC tuition hikes. Leaders say campuses need money in the Trump era -- UC regents vote this week on tuition increases amid state budget cuts and federal uncertainty, facing strong student opposition. Jaweed Kaleem in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 11/18/25
Medicaid LA
When the G.O.P. Medicaid Cuts Arrive, These Hospitals Will Be Hit Hardest -- In a typical year, more than 100,000 Medicaid patients depend on the emergency department at Martin Luther King Jr. Community Hospital in South Los Angeles, in a predominantly Hispanic and Black community where residents have high rates of diabetes, heart failure and pneumonia. Emily Badger, Alicia Parlapiano and Margot Sanger-Katz in the New York Times$ -- 11/18/25
Suisun City
A City Is Broke. Can Billionaires’ Urbanist Dream Offer It a Last Chance? -- Suisun City has tried to revive its fortunes for years. The latest idea: Annex land owned by California Forever, a tech-billionaire-funded plan for a new city north of San Francisco. Conor Dougherty in the New York Times$ -- 11/18/25
Four Seasons SF
Blackstone Near a $130 Million Deal for San Francisco Four Seasons Hotel -- Firm’s first San Francisco hotel acquisition in a decade would be a vote of confidence for city’s budding recovery and the luxury-hotel segment. Craig Karmin in the Wall Street Journal$ -- 11/18/25
Street
Sources: John Beam’s alleged killer said he believed Laney coach had used witchcraft on him -- The man accused of shooting and killing legendary Oakland football coach and Laney College Athletic Director John Beam last week told investigators he thought Beam had been using witchcraft on him and others, according to sources familiar with the investigation. Megan Cassidy, Rachel Swan in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 11/18/25
S.F. overdose deaths drop, but officials ‘not at all satisfied’ as fentanyl crisis continues -- San Francisco saw at least 36 people die of drug overdoses in October, marking the second consecutive month in which the city recorded one of its lowest totals since the medical examiner began releasing preliminary death figures in 2020. Maggie Angst in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 11/18/25
After three decades, O.J. Simpson’s estate agrees to pay millions to Goldman family -- O.J. Simpson’s estate has accepted a multimillion claim from Ron Goldman’s father stemming from a wrongful death suit the family won against Simpson in 1997. It’s not clear how much money the family will recover after accounting for Simpson’s debts on his estate. Richard Winton and Hannah Fry in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 11/18/25
Amazon’s Zoox offers free robotaxi rides in San Francisco -- Zoox competes with Waymo and others in a heated robotaxi race, though people have raised concerns about self-driving vehicles. Queenie Wong in the Los Angeles Times$ Brian X. Chen, Cade Metz, Balazs Gardi in the New York Times$ -- 11/18/25
Also
San Francisco health officials confirm tuberculosis case linked to local high school -- Health officials said the person is in isolation and emphasized that the risk to the broader public remains low. They did not specify whether it was a student or a faculty member. Aidin Vaziri in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 11/18/25
Walters: Dana Williamson’s indictment reveals a hidden world of political operatives -- Most Californians probably see the Capitol as a place where governors, legislators and other state officials gather to do the public’s business. That’s true, at least superficially. Dan Walters Calmatters -- 11/18/25
‘He was watching over me’: John Beam honored by Bears’ Nahshon Wright before suspect charged -- “He was watching over me,” Wright, who played for Beam at Laney in 2018, said after the Bears’ 19-17 victory on Sunday . “It’s crazy. He called me the night before he passed and he told me that every game he watched, I just seemed to get a pick. So I just know he was behind me today.” Chuck Schilken in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 11/18/25
Arellano: Car wash workers already had it tough. Then immigration raids slammed them to the ground -- Car washes are ideal targets: wide-open facilities with no hiding spots where middle-aged workers cannot escape if immigration agents arrive. A nonprofit supporting L.A. County’s 10,000 car wash workers is overwhelmed providing legal aid and raising funds as traditional funders scale back donations. Gustavo Arellano in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 11/18/25
POTUS 47
Could Trump destroy the Epstein files? -- Trump’s purported willingness to conceal evidence from law enforcement as a private citizen is now fueling concern on Capitol Hill that his efforts to thwart the release of Justice Department files in the Jeffrey Epstein investigation could lead to similar obstructive efforts — this time wielding the powers of the presidency. Michael Wilner in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 11/18/25
Trump Won’t Rule Out Sending Troops to Venezuela -- President Trump said that he was open to talking with President Nicolás Maduro but that the United States has “to take care of Venezuela” as the U.S. builds a military force in the Caribbean. Tyler Pager in the New York Times$ Kelly Kasulis Cho, Leo Sands and Alec Dent in the Washington Post$ -- 11/18/25
Trump administration to announce dismantling of much of Education Dept. -- President Donald Trump signed an executive order in March seeking to close the department, but only Congress has the power to do that. Laura Meckler and Danielle Douglas-Gabriel in the Washington Post$ -- 11/18/25
Trump says Americans are ‘damn lucky’ he’s in office in first affordability pitch -- President Donald Trump said Americans are lucky he’s in office as he sought Monday to refocus his administration on concerns about the rising cost of living that have gripped much of the country. Alex Gangitano Politico -- 11/18/25
Trump Bows to Reality in Epstein Reversal, Beating a Rare Retreat -- Faced with a mass defection on a bill to demand the release of the Epstein files, the president rushed to avoid an embarrassing loss, suggesting a slip in his iron grip on the G.O.P. Annie Karni and Tyler Pager in the New York Times$ -- 11/18/25
7 signs Trump is losing his groove -- The president has faced a series of brush-offs and brushbacks that threaten his aura of invincibility. Kyle Cheney Politico -- 11/18/25
Trump faces a splintering GOP — and rare dissent from his party -- The president finds himself in a weakened position, and the situation has raised alarms among some Republican operatives about the party’s strength moving into the midterms. Natalie Allison in the Washington Post$ -- 11/18/25
Trump Has the Power to Release the Epstein Files, With or Without Congress -- The president has reversed himself and encouraged lawmakers to vote for compelling the Justice Department to turn over investigation documents, but he never really needed their approval. Luke Broadwater in the New York Times$ -- 11/18/25
Congress is expected to release all Epstein files. Trump worries that won’t be enough -- White House officials are concerned that even with Congress voting to release the entirety of the Epstein files, the controversy around the late convicted sex offender will continue to swirl. Dasha Burns Politico -- 11/18/25
Trump’s Grip on Republicans Shows First Signs of Slipping -- When White House officials summoned Rep. Lauren Boebert to the White House situation room on Wednesday, they hoped that FBI Director Kash Patel and Attorney General Pam Bondi could persuade her not to defy President Trump. Aaron Zitner, Josh Dawsey and Alex Leary in the Wall Street Journal$ Annie Karni and Tyler Pager in the New York Times$ -- 11/18/25
Judge Says Justice Dept. May Have Committed Misconduct in Comey Case -- A federal magistrate judge said on Monday that the criminal case against James B. Comey, the former F.B.I. director, could be in trouble because of a series of apparent errors committed in front of the grand jury by Lindsey Halligan, the inexperienced prosecutor picked by President Trump to oversee the matter. Alan Feuer in the New York Times$ -- 11/18/25