California Policy and Politics Monday

Ninth Circuit allows Trump to send troops to Portland -- President Donald Trump can send Oregon National Guard troops to Portland to protect government property, a federal appeals court ruled Monday, setting aside a ruling by a federal judge appointed by Trump. Bob Egelko in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 10/20/25

L.A. to host congressional hearing on arrests of U.S. citizens in immigration raids -- Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass and congressional Democrats have announced a sweeping investigation into potential misconduct in the Trump administration’s aggressive immigration crackdown that has ensnared citizens, made use of racial profiling and terrified communities for months. Noah Goldberg and Rachel Uranga in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 10/20/25

Salmon reach headwaters for first time in a century after California dam removal -- Salmon on the Klamath River have notched their biggest success yet a year after four dams were removed along the California-Oregon border, with the fish reaching the river’s headwaters for the first time in more than a century. Kurtis Alexander in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 10/20/25

 

Trump again suggests sending troops to San Francisco. Local officials call Trump ‘chaos’ unnecessary -- President Donald Trump over the weekend continued to paint San Francisco as a hotbed of crime, and suggested in a Fox News interview, once again, that he planned to send federal troops to the city by the bay. Salvador Hernandez in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 10/20/25

San Francisco Emerges From the Shadow of a Doom Loop -- San Francisco is rebounding. Its crime rates have dropped, with burglaries down 28% this year, and the number of homeless encampments has fallen. Katherine Bindley, Laura Morton in the Wall Street Journal$ -- 10/20/25

 

How military’s ‘safe’ plan to fire munitions over Interstate 5 went off the rails with CHP cruiser hit -- It was supposed to be a boisterous event at Camp Pendleton celebrating 250 years of the U.S. Marine Corps that included a live simulation of a beach assault by sea and air. Rong-Gong Lin II and Melody Gutierrez in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 10/20/25

Top House Democrat campaigns for Proposition 50 at L.A.’s Black churches -- House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries returned to California and stopped at three L.A. Black churches on Sunday. The top House Democrat campaigned for the state’s redistricting measure Proposition 50. Noah Haggerty in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 10/20/25

Trump claims ‘unquestioned power’ to deploy troops to San Francisco under Insurrection Act -- In an interview that aired Sunday on Fox News’ “Sunday Morning Futures,” Trump floated invoking the Insurrection Act — a centuries-old law that allows presidents to deploy troops on U.S. soil. Aidin Vaziri in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 10/20/25

Ro Khanna: ‘I agree with Marjorie Taylor Greene’ on health care -- Rep. Ro Khanna surprised Fox News host Shannon Bream on Sunday when he said he agrees with Republican Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (Ga.) on health care. Cheyanne M. Daniels Politico -- 10/20/25

‘It’s effectively a bailout’: Edison benefits from fine print in Newsom’s last-minute utility legislation -- Fine print in Gov. Gavin Newsom’s last-minute utility legislation could shift billions of dollars of Eaton fire costs to Edison customers The provisions also add to the liability protections from wildfire costs that the state’s three largest utilities gained in 2019 from legislation championed by Newsom. Melody Petersen in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 10/20/25

This city banned the Pride flag. Newsom’s maps would give them a progressive, gay congressman -- Huntington Beach and its all-Republican city council have proudly led California’s conservative resistance. Now, if California voters approve Gov. Gavin Newsom’s plan to temporarily redraw the state’s congressional maps, the city would be represented by Rep. Robert Garcia, a gay progressive who leads Democrats on the House Oversight Committee. Maya C. Miller Calmatters -- 10/20/25

Skelton: A gutsy move to increase housing and oil drilling. But not on high-speed rail -- Some witty person long ago gave us this immortal line: “No man’s life, liberty or property are safe while the legislature is in session.” George Skelton in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 10/20/25

California U.S. Senators build war chests despite no upcoming election -- California’s two U.S. senators don’t have to run again for at least four more years, but they’ve got millions of dollars on hand to use in their next campaigns, new Federal Election Commission reports show. Kate Wolffe in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 10/20/25

Workplace

Kaiser Permanente health care workers back on job after five-day strike -- Tens of thousands of health care workers are back at work after their union and Kaiser Permanente officials agreed to resume bargaining, ending a five-day strike at hundreds of hospitals across California, Oregon and Hawaii. St. John Barned-Smith in the San Francisco Chronicle$ Salvador Hernandez in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 10/20/25

Why these companies insist on a 72-hour work week -- As the race to lead in artificial intelligence intensifies, Silicon Valley startups are promoting hardcore cultures like “996” Danielle Abril in the Washington Post$ -- 10/20/25

Rural Hospitals

As Washington cuts back, California’s rural hospitals worry about their future -- “There are a lot of unknowns right now, so we’re obviously looking at things we can do to tighten our belts ahead of the potential changes,” said Siri Nelson, president and CEO of Marshall Medical, a nonprofit health system in El Dorado County. Nicole Nixon and David Lightman in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 10/20/25

Wildfire

One simple thing most of us fail to do to protect homes against wildfires -- Landscaping, roofing, vents all matter, expert says — but it’s basic debris removal that often gets neglected. Paul Rogers in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 10/20/25

L.A. declares uncleared properties a ‘public nuisance,’ including a mansion from HBO’s ‘Succession’ -- Eight Pacific Palisades properties, including a mansion featured in the HBO show “Succession,” were declared public nuisances for failing to clear toxic fire debris by Oct. 2. All of the owners either opted out of the federal cleanup programs, or were deemed ineligible. Tony Briscoe in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 10/20/25

Housing

Home prices in these California cities just hit record highs — even amid a cooling market -- What do laid-back San Luis Obispo and agricultural Madera have in common? They’re the only two kinds of cities whose homes are reaching record prices. Christian Leonard in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 10/20/25

Insurance

State Farm change: Some California policyholders can keep coverage after moving -- For the first time in more than two years, State Farm General has taken a small step toward reopening business in California. Megan Fan Munce in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 10/20/25

Condors

For a century, they were gone. But California Condors are making a comeback in these parts of the Bay Area -- ‘Just the mere fact that we’re talking about the possibility of seeing condors in the East Bay is pretty miraculous,’ one biologist said. Kyle Martin in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 10/20/25

Education

Expect more phonics lessons in California schools under law Newsom signed -- The law comes on the heels of a host of other literacy initiatives, including mandatory dyslexia screening and universal transitional kindergarten. Carolyn Jones Calmatters -- 10/20/25

Street

It’s available in California stores and surging in use — yet this dangerous drug is ruining lives -- The September 2024 crash, described in a California Highway Patrol report and by Kalie’s family, left Kalie, then 21, with a severe traumatic brain injury, unable to walk or talk. And it prompted her family to call on legislators to ban nitrous oxide from store shelves, where despite its well-known dangers it remains widely available and surging in popularity. Brooke Park in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 10/20/25

Man reports $600,000 watch stolen in Irvine robbery, says attacker’s gun jammed -- During the attack, the assailants were shouting, “Shoot him!” the victim said. He added that the armed suspect tried to fire, but the gun jammed. Sydney Barragan in the Orange County Register$ -- 10/20/25

ICE

To Fight ICE, Portland’s Leaders Turn to What They Know Best: Zoning -- But in the city’s fight against the Trump administration, those land-use rules may prove to be a not-so-secret weapon, in large part because the Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility in Portland may be uniquely vulnerable to the codes. Anna Griffin in the New York Times$ -- 10/20/25

Also

Sea Otters Are Stealing Surfboards in California. Again. -- Two years after Otter 841 menaced wave riders near Santa Cruz, there have been new encounters between the furry marine mammals and surfers. Annie Roth in the New York Times$ Sam Whiting in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 10/20/25

POTUS 47

Trump says inflation is dead. Most data says: Not quite. -- The White House points to a seven-month snapshot showing low inflation, but economists say prices are closer to 3 percent. The shutdown delays fresh data. Andrew Ackerman and Alyssa Fowers in the Washington Post$ -- 10/20/25

Trump struggles to crack tariff piggy bank -- The president and top White House officials have floated using tariff revenue to pay the military and support farmers. It's not that simple. Daniel Desrochers and Jennifer Scholtes Politico -- 10/20/25

Why protesters against Trump are wearing frog, chicken and T. rex costumes -- A frog wearing a crown stood next to a unicorn, a rooster and two chickens in Washington. Two sharks ran across a bridge as they headed toward a crowd in Portland, Oregon. A lobster wore a sign that declared “No shellfish kings” in Boston. Marianne LeVine and Daniel Wu in the Washington Post$ -- 10/20/25

Shutdown Fight Reopens Debate in G.O.P. Over Health Care -- The spending showdown has highlighted Republicans’ failure to produce an alternative to Obamacare, which many of them assail but concede is too politically risky to undo. Annie Karni in the New York Times$ -- 10/20/25

Officials, locals undercut Trump claims about Venezuela drug boats -- Trump says the U.S. is blowing up boats carrying deadly fentanyl to the United States. U.S. and other officials say the route under attack carries cocaine and marijuana to Europe and Africa. Terrence McCoy, Ana Vanessa Herrero and Samantha Schmidt in the Washington Post$ -- 10/20/25

Here’s who pays when undocumented immigrants get health care in America --Republicans have attacked Democratic health care demands in shutdown debate as funding medical care for undocumented immigrants. The reality is more complicated. David Ovalle in the Washington Post$ -- 10/20/25