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California Policy and Politics Friday

What Gavin Newsom’s commutations mean for the death penalty in the U.S. -- The California Supreme Court must approve some of these commutations. If it does, Newsom’s action would be responsible for the largest mass commutation of death sentences in U.S. history. Maurice Chammah and Jill Castellano of the Marshall Project Calmatters -- 11/6/26

California’s contemplative governor-elect still mulling over how to lower prices, provide healthcare -- In his first news conference since being elected governor, Xavier Becerra remained noncommittal on taxes, energy and healthcare policy — even refusing to commit to reversing cuts to Medi-Cal coverage for undocumented immigrants, a campaign pledge. Nicole Nixon in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 11/6/26

How Mayor-elect Raman will remake L.A. City Hall -- Bike lanes. Housing vouchers. A new police chief and many more new apartments, even in single-family neighborhoods. And above all, data to find out if City Hall programs are working. Mayor-elect Nithya Raman won’t represent a radical ideological break from her opponent, one-term incumbent Mayor Karen Bass. David Zahniser, Colleen Shalby and Itzel Luna in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 11/6/26

These California lawmakers are positioned to reshape Washington’s climate agenda -- Reps. Zoe Lofgren (D-San José) and Jared Huffman (D-San Rafael) have served as the top Democrats on the House Committee on Science, Space and Technology and the House Natural Resources Committee, respectively, since Republicans took control of the chamber in January 2023. Hayley Smith in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 11/6/26

Midterm results could shape 2028 presidential dialogue -- Democrats are cautioning against overconfidence, and discussing how to translate their midterm success into more lasting power. For Republicans, the defeat set off something close to an existential crisis, and debate over how to regroup. Justine McDaniel, Ana Ceballos and Kevin Rector in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 11/6/26

Garofoli: Run Ro? After the blue wave, a Khanna candidacy might not be as farfetched as you think -- Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Santa Clara, is a House member with little national name recognition outside of political cable TV shows and progressive circles. His fundraising is untested nationally. And he would be the longest of longshots in a 2028 presidential field that could include two dozen Democrats, including his fellow Californians, Gov. Gavin Newsom and former Vice President Kamala Harris. Joe Garofoli in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 11/6/26

Chan campaigned as the progressive candidate. The S.F. residents who voted for her were not -- Even an endorsement from California’s most distinguished politician wasn’t enough to get Supervisor Connie Chan over the finish line as San Francisco’s newest member of the House. Aseem Shukla in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 11/6/26

Walters: California’s congressional gerrymander worked. What happens after the next census? -- Last year, after Texas Republicans reconfigured their congressional districts to grab five more seats, California’s Democratic governor, Gavin Newsom, and its Legislature countered with a gerrymander to shift five seats their way. Dan Walters Calmatters -- 11/6/26

How Big Tech Lost the Midterms -- The inside story of how AI went from a fantasy to a top issue for voters. Calder McHugh and Alec Hernandez Politico -- 11/6/26

 

San Francisco’s shuttered downtown mall could be torn down under new buyer’s plan -- New York investment firm Seven Equity Group, which has been selected to buy most of the San Francisco Centre, is considering demolishing and rebuilding the roughly six-acre property as one of several potential business plans, real estate insiders confirmed to the Chronicle. Aidin Vaziri, Laura Waxmann in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 11/6/26

Social media companies sue California over new law restricting use for children -- Technology companies Google, Meta and Tik Tok sued the state of California on Wednesday to block a new law that restricts companies from targeting children younger than 16 with “addictive” social media content that can keep them scrolling for hours. Dakota Smith in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 11/6/26

ICE

ICE investigated how dozens of detainees died. The findings are ‘damning’ -- The failures that preceded the deaths of these three immigrant detainees are described not in civil lawsuits but in scathing and blunt reports written by ICE’s internal investigators. St. John Barned-Smith, Ko Lyn Cheang in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 11/6/26

Climate

This is where a SoCal railway is about to fall into the sea. What is being done to save it -- A major sand replenishment is headed to the San Clemente beach along the long-imperiled railway line, part of a large shoreline work package aimed at fortifying the vulnerable railroad while also protecting the area’s shrinking beaches. Grace Toohey in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 11/6/26

Court rules against California’s first carbon capture project, a key piece of state climate plans -- A judge found the TerraVault project’s environmental review ignored industries that would supply its CO2. Carbon injections continue for now as the company vows to fight and a new review could take years. Emma Foehringer Merchant Calmatters -- 11/6/26

Workplace

Not Even Tech’s Safest Jobs Look So Safe Anymore -- As Microsoft pours billions into artificial intelligence, the company has offered buyouts to about 60,000 employees. The work force was already on edge. Emmy Martin in the New York Times$ -- 11/6/26

Also

Trump vows to fight on as clock ticks on permanent daylight saving time bill -- As the clock ticks down for the Senate to pass the so-called Sunshine Protection Act to mandate year-round daylight saving time in most of the United States, President Trump on Wednesday said he planned to “keep fighting” for the change. Iris Kwok in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 11/6/26

Nvidia shipment worth millions disappears on route from Oakland to Texas -- An $11.4 million shipment of Nvidia hardware was stolen after leaving Oakland, according to authorities, in a cargo theft that investigators are still trying to piece together. Aidin Vaziri in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 11/6/26

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Democrats Are Hatching a Plan to Reverse Trump’s Canada Tariffs -- Democrats are eyeing President Trump’s trade war with Canada as the first target in a campaign to roll back his administration’s tariff agenda, according to the party’s senior trade lawmaker in the Senate. Gavin Bade in the Wall Street Journal$ -- 11/6/26

The GOP needs to move on from Trump. That’s easier said than done -- The president has full control of the Republican Party with two years left in office, and he’s not letting go anytime soon. Peter Jamison in the Washington Post$ -- 11/6/26

Trump to keep fundraising, hoping to retain political muscle -- President Trump has told advisers that he plans to keep raising money for his political operation — a move aimed at salvaging his clout after the GOP's midterm debacle. Alex Isenstadt Axios -- 11/6/26

Trump makes the Oval Office a national monument. But future presidents can still redecorate -- President Donald Trump on Thursday signed a proclamation that he says will preserve the Oval Office and Cabinet Room as a national monument, his first official action after his party was swept aside in midterm elections on Tuesday. Collin Binkley, Darlene Superville Associated Press -- 11/6/26

Judge blocks Trump’s arch after panel approves construction -- The arch, which won approval earlier in the day from the National Capital Planning Association — a panel stocked with the president’s allies — has drawn fierce opposition from local officials, preservation organizations and a group of veterans who visit the cemetery to honor their fallen friends. Kyle Cheney and Heather Richards Politico -- 11/6/26

Why a Merciless Supreme Court Rebuke on Election Eve Matters -- On the day before the midterm elections that would transform American government, the Supreme Court also did something extraordinary. In the space of about seven hours on Monday, it evaluated and rejected an emergency request from the Trump administration to let it meddle in how ballots were counted in California. Adam Liptak in the New York Times$ -- 11/6/26

Corporate America courted Trump. Now a blitz of investigations is coming -- Democrats are laying the groundwork to investigate some of the country’s largest companies, setting off a scramble among executives who courted the president. Pranshu Verma in the Washington Post$ -- 11/6/26

 

California Policy and Politics Thursday

Gavin Newsom commutes all California death sentences -- Newsom in a letter to Californians Thursday said his decision — which will affect 548 people serving death sentences in state prisons — stems from a belief that “state-sanctioned killing is incompatible with California’s values, undermines that foundations of our legal system, and diminishes each of us.” Lindsey Holden Politico Laurel Rosenhall in the New York Times$ Sophie Austin, Jaimie Ding, Christopher Weber Associated Press -- 11/5/26

 

Nithya Raman wins LA mayoral race in victory for progressives -- In defeating Karen Bass, Raman became the first Los Angeles mayoral candidate to oust an incumbent in more than two decades. Liam Dillon Politico Noah Goldberg in the Los Angeles Times$ Michael R. Blood Associated Press -- 11/5/26

Newton: Mayor-elect Nithya Raman inherits a Los Angeles full of promise and burdened by challenges -- Los Angeles, once California’s most reliably Republican stronghold, now faces a future under the leadership of a democratic socialist. Incumbent Mayor Karen Bass has lost her reelection bid to a friend-turned-rival, Councilmember and Mayor-elect Nithya Raman. Jim Newton Calmatters -- 11/5/26

Lopez: She’s got political savvy, good timing, or both. And she’s about to become Mayor Raman -- Raman will take over despite every single one of her City Council colleagues having endorsed Bass. Among City Hall’s problems has been a mummified tolerance of arthritic leadership and the rusted machinery of basic services. Steve Lopez in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 11/5/26

Arellano: L.A. voters went bold by choosing Raman as mayor. Let’s hope she stays bold -- Bold. That’s what I initially thought when a political novice named Nithya Raman upset an incumbent in 2020 to become the first democratic socialist elected to the Los Angeles City Council. Gustavo Arellano in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 11/5/26

 

Sergey Brin’s big victory in California -- The California wealth tax’s likely defeat was a victory for Gavin Newsom and establishment Democrats who lined up against it. It was also a victory for billionaires — no one more so than Sergey Brin. Will McCarthy and Tyler Katzenberger Politico -- 11/5/26

Prop 40 is on its death bed despite huge wins for progressives. Here’s what went wrong -- The looming defeat of Proposition 40 showed that in one way, Texas is far more progressive than California. Or at least better organized on the left. Joe Garofoli in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 11/5/26

Why California’s billionaire tax was a harder sell than expected -- Despite a nationwide blue wave in the midterm election, California’s much-debated billionaire tax didn’t get the support many expected in one of the country’s most liberal states. Queenie Wong and Seema Mehta in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 11/5/26

California billionaires faced down a tax and won new protections for their wealth -- California billionaires put Prop. 42 on the ballot to counter a proposed wealth tax. It passed, creating a new obstacle to future wealth taxes. Yue Stella Yu, Kristen Hwang and Jeanne Kuang Calmatters -- 11/5/26

 

Becerra prepares to take helm as governor with few political debts. But there’s questions about his agenda -- “Here’s the good news,” Becerra, a Democrat, told the packed and cheering crowd. “Californians don’t expect a miracle from government; they just want government that works. A government that can build things. A government that keeps our streets clean and schools safe. Basic services delivered on time and on budget.” Easier said than done. Nicole Nixon in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 11/5/26

 

Connie Chan concedes to Scott Wiener in race to replace Nancy Pelosi -- San Francisco Supervisor Connie Chan conceded Wednesday to state Sen. Scott Wiener in the race to succeed Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi in Congress, saying “we do not have a clear path to victory,” though the race has not officially been called for Wiener. Wiener had 55.46% of the vote Wednesday, to Chan’s 44.54%. Joe Garofoli in the San Francisco Chronicle$ Kevin Rector in the Los Angeles Times$ Jeremy B. White Politico -- 11/5/26

Garofoli: Nancy Pelosi went all in to anoint Connie Chan as her successor. It didn’t work -- Pelosi hosted fundraisers for Chan to help her close her money gap with state Sen. Scott Wiener, rallied endorsers, appeared with her at campaign stops around town and popped up in social media videos. The result: Wiener won. Joe Garofoli in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 11/5/26

 

Democrats sweep California’s down-ballot races but one remains too close to call -- California Democrats extended a run of dominance that has kept Republicans from winning a statewide office since 2006. The insurance commissioner contest remained too close to call, with Jane Kim leading state Sen. Ben Allen as ballots were counted. Alex Wigglesworth in the Los Angeles Times$ Maya C. Miller and Nadia Lathan Calmatters -- 11/5/26

Democrat Marni von Wilpert wins redrawn Southern California district -- Von Wilpert defeated Republican Jim Desmond, who was endorsed by President Donald Trump for the seat currently held by GOP Rep. Darrell Issa. He opted to retire after his deeply red district was redrawn when California voters passed Proposition 50 last year. Ben Fox Politico -- 11/5/26

Republican Tom McClintock wins reelection to California’s 5th Congressional District -- Rep. Tom McClintock won another term representing California’s 5th Congressional District despite a Democratic-backed redistricting effort that reshaped his sprawling Sierra Nevada and Central Valley seat, the Associated Press projected Thursday. Daniel Hunt in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 11/5/26

 

Multiple California ballot measures remain undecided as vote tally continues -- The fate of multiple high-stakes California ballot propositions remained undecided Wednesday, as poll workers continued to tally votes from across the state. Hayley Smith in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 11/5/26

California has one ballot-counting trouble spot. It’s the one run by an election denier -- In the end, it wasn’t shady bogeymen stuffing ballot boxes or federal agents who caused disruptions on election night in the rural Northern California Republican stronghold of Shasta County. It was the seeming incompetence of Clint Curtis, the county’s election-denying elections chief who’s soon to be unemployed. Ryan Sabalow Calmatters -- 11/5/26

One impact of the blue tsunami in Congress: ‘The war on California stops’ -- While Democrats in deep red states like Texas and South Carolina clinched historic election victories on Tuesday, a Democratic-controlled Congress could usher in a new era of substantial political power for the Golden State, elevating its lawmakers to influential committee posts and reshaping the state’s battles with Trump. Hannah Wiley in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 11/5/26

 

Ro Khanna’s allies launch 2028 draft committee -- That didn’t take long. Just 48 hours after the midterm elections, former Rep. Jamaal Bowman (D-N.Y.) and progressive activist Nomiki Konst are launching a committee urging Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.) to run for president. Aaron Pellish, Andrew Howard and Lisa Kashinsky Politico -- 11/5/26

What the Democratic landslide means for GOP booster Elon Musk and his businesses -- The historic landslide victory for Democrats in the midterm elections deeply bruised the Republican Party and President Trump, but there’s one man who may have been hurt equally as bad: Elon Musk, the world’s richest person and the party’s biggest donor. Laurence Darmiento, Nilesh Christopher and Caroline Petrow-Cohen in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 11/5/26

Prop 50 Maps

California Democrats crush GOP opponents in first test of new district maps -- The election marked the first test of California’s new congressional district lines approved under Proposition 50 in 2025, a counterpunch to President Trump’s push to get Republican-led states to redraw their electoral maps to keep Democrats from gaining control of the U.S. House of Representatives — a GOP effort that flopped in spectacular fashion Tuesday. Dakota Smith and Seema Mehta in the Los Angeles Times$ Maya C. Miller and Nadia Lathan Calmatters -- 11/5/26

Workplace

As local post-production dwindles, Burbank studio plans to lay off 81 -- Burbank-based post-production studio Roundabout Entertainment plans to lay off 81 employees, the latest sign of contraction in L.A.’s struggling film and TV industry. Cerys Davies in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 11/5/26

Oakland Coliseum operator will lay off 1,600 employees. A new owner says they’ll be hired back -- Legends Global, the group that has operated the Oakland Coliseum and Oakland Arena since 2012, is laying off all of its employees at the two venues, affecting 1,600 workers, according to a notice filed Tuesday. Kate Talerico in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 11/5/26

SoCal Berry Growers to close six farm locations, lay off hundreds of workers -- In a letter to the city of Oxnard published by the Ventura County Star, the company said it plans to close its locations in Oxnard and Ventura between Jan. 11 and Jan. 25. The letter indicated that 572 employees will be terminated, including 459 harvesters. Ella Chakarian in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 11/5/26

Water

California’s largest reservoir in 50 years gets final approval, could break ground in June -- Construction of California’s largest reservoir in half a century could begin next summer after state water regulators gave the project the go-ahead Wednesday, a rare breakthrough for big water infrastructure. Kurtis Alexander in the San Francisco Chronicle$ Ian James in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 11/5/26

Food

1,307 Sacramento County residents lose food aid under new Trump administration policy -- California residents are beginning to lose their Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, benefits as a result of the state’s new federally mandated work requirements. Lizzie Kane in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 11/5/26

Plastic

California’s plastic law will cut far less single-use plastic than expected -- CalRecycle has picked the number that decides how much plastic California has to cut under the state’s 2022 landmark plastic law, and it is low. It’s just one-third of what the state estimated in a 2024 report, and 20% lower than an initial number the industry announced in June. Susanne Rust in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 11/5/26

Environment

This iconic L.A. mammal is the first to venture onto the wildlife crossing over the 101 Freeway -- On a brisk October morning, a coyote ventured onto a mound of dirt in Agoura Hills and inadvertently became a pioneer. Lila Seidman in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 11/5/26

‘Moment in history’: Bay Area officials move ahead with natural gas water heater ban, with a few changes -- The Bay Area Air District board voted on Wednesday to delay the start of the natural gas water heater ban to January 2028 and approved several exemptions. Brooke Park in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 11/5/26

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After Two Years of Unchecked Power, Trump Faces a Tough New Reality -- Even before it was clear just how brutal the election results would be, the recriminations rolled across the nation’s capital—starting at the White House. Annie Linskey, Josh Dawsey, Meridith McGraw and Eliza Collin in the Wall Street Journal$ -- 11/5/26

How Trump Lost the Midterms --The Iran war, gas prices and Trump’s miscalculations led to one of the most decisive repudiations of an American president. Josh Dawsey, Alex Leary, and Lindsay Wise in the Wall Street Journal$ Shane Goldmacher, Jonathan Swan and Maggie Haberman in the New York Times$ -- 11/5/26

There’s No Modern Precedent for This Democratic Tsunami -- It was hard to imagine that an electoral wave this big was still possible. But there have been extraordinary changes just beneath the surface. Nate Cohn in the New York Times$ -- 11/5/26

How Democrats Coalesced Around the Economy to Pull Off a Stunning Victory -- Democrats won control of both chambers of Congress, a majority of governorships and more in a massive midterm rebuke of President Trump. In doing so, they pulled off a feat that has bedeviled them for years: uniting around a message—affordability. John McCormick, Sabrina Rodriguez and Ken Thomas in the Wall Street Journal$ -- 11/5/26

As GOP points fingers over stunning midterm losses, Trump admires his ballroom -- In the midst of the GOP reckoning with massive losses in the midterms, President Donald Trump on Wednesday hastily called the press in to cover his first public remarks from the White House since the Democrats overwhelmingly wrestled control of both the House and Senate. Cheyenne Haslett Politico -- 11/5/26

Triumphal Arch Set to Win Final Approval Despite Court Challenges -- President Trump’s 250-foot arch project is expected to win approval on Thursday from a federal planning board. Court action and Democrats’ upcoming control of Congress could halt the plans. Luke Broadwater and Emily Badger in the New York Times$ -- 11/5/26