California Policy and Politics Thursday

From decorated U.S. Marine to arrested at Trump golf course: What we know about Jeanine John Taele -- A Downey man was charged with a federal firearm-related offense after he was apprehended at the Trump National Golf Club with ammunition in his pocket and a loaded firearm in his pickup truck. Clara Harter, Richard Winton and Terry Castleman in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 8/6/26

California ballot campaigns have spent $213 million. The biggest fight is over billionaires -- Several campaigns opposing a November ballot measure that would place an additional tax on billionaire wealth have raised more than three-and-a-half times as much as the healthcare union backing it, setting up an expensive fight this fall over the initiative and the two countermeasures aimed at invalidating the tax. Grace Hase in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 8/6/26

Newsom heading to Michigan to boost Dems on heels of El-Sayed’s win -- The trip will also allow Newsom to build support in a critical swing state as he gears up for a possible presidential run in 2028. Sophia Bollag in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 8/6/26

ICE

Silicon Valley leaders seek to block ICE detention centers -- The push comes as ICE seeks to build a detention center on a 26-acre site it purchased near Gilroy, a Silicon Valley suburb. The Trump administration has paused the proposal as state and county officials challenge it in federal district court. Dustin Gardiner Politico -- 8/6/26

Workplace

Teamsters sue California over self-driving truck rules -- The California Teamsters union is suing several state agencies and their leaders, including the Department of Motor Vehicles, claiming Gov. Gavin Newsom’s administration improperly rolled out regulations that pave the way for self-driving trucks on state roads. Chase DiFeliciantonio Politico -- 8/6/26

Alameda County supes balk at putting $30-per-hour minimum wage on November ballot -- Despite collecting more than 50,000 signatures, a $30 minimum wage measure will not head to the ballot this year after the Alameda County Board of Supervisors voted to delay it, requiring further study before it goes to voters. Kate Talerico, Izzy Nunes in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 8/6/26

California state scientists picket for raises, end to Newsom’s RTO mandate -- California Association Professional Scientists, UAW Local 1115, organized the picket after the legislature did not include raises for the scientists in this year’s budget — something union president Jacqueline Tkac said is outlined in their contract. Corey Schmidt in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 8/6/26

Major international ad agency moves to El Segundo -- Ad agency Innocean USA, which creates advertising for Hyundai and others, has agreed to move its U.S. headquarters to El Segundo in one of the largest leases of the year in the South Bay. Roger Vincent in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 8/6/26

Marketplace

L.A. County weighs a grant fund to keep indie films from leaving -- L.A. County supervisors are developing an “Entertainment Evergreen Fund” aimed at independent productions under $1 million — films too small to qualify for California’s existing state tax credit. The proposal is a grant program, not a tax incentive. Backers argue direct grants reach micro-budget filmmakers faster than credits that have to be monetized. Cerys Davies, Ronaldo Bolaños in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 8/6/26

Water

Court rules Sonoma County must study water wells impact on fish, Russian River -- In a challenge by environmental groups to the pumping of groundwater from rivers to fill wells for farmers, homes and businesses in Sonoma County, a state appeals court says counties must consider the impact of their water wells on fish and the environment. Bob Egelko in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 8/6/26

Climate

Powerful El Niño puts California in the bull’s-eye for soaking winter, models show -- One of the world’s top climate models puts a bull’s-eye on the California coast as El Niño strengthens, with a greater than 90% chance of above-normal precipitation from December through February. There’s at least a 70% chance of well-above-normal precipitation. Anthony Edwards in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 8/6/26

AI

China’s A.I. Is Surging Across Africa. That Should Worry Silicon Valley -- In African tech hubs, developers are picking China’s cheap, freely available artificial intelligence models over more powerful U.S. ones. Paul Mozur, Adam Satariano and Aaron Krolik in the New York Times$ -- 8/6/26

Measles

Measles-infected Universal Studios visitor spent whole day at the park -- Public health officials are investigating after a person spent 11 hours at Universal Studios Hollywood while infected with the measles, possibly exposing other parkgoers. Karen Garcia in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 8/6/26

POTUS 47

Negotiators Close In on Deal With Iran to Open Hormuz -- Iran and Oman were finalizing a draft agreement Wednesday to reopen the Strait of Hormuz that would give Tehran oversight of ships entering the Persian Gulf but wouldn’t let it levy tolls or service fees, people familiar with the matter said. Summer Said and Benoit Faucon in the Wall Street Journal$ Yeganeh Torbati and Sanam Mahoozi in the New York Times$ -- 8/6/26

Trump, Hegseth clashed at Camp David over Iran missile depletion concerns -- President Donald Trump’s frustration over the Iran war boiled over at Camp David last week, where he demanded answers from Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on why he had apparently been misled on extreme munitions shortages that now threaten to limit military options with Iran, two people familiar with the exchange told The Washington Post. Tara Copp, Natalie Allison and Noah Robertson in the Washington Post$ -- 8/6/26

 

California Policy and Politics Wednesday

Lineage says it will spend up to $100 million on Boyle Heights cleanup as air regulators demand action -- As air quality regulators press for legal action against the operator of a cold storage warehouse that burned in Boyle Heights, Lineage officials say they expect to spend $80 million to $100 million to clean up the site, which contains millions of pounds of rotting meat and has generated thousands of odor complaints. Tony Briscoe and Alex Wigglesworth in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 8/5/26

 

Armed man arrested at Trump golf club wore earpiece, photographed Secret Service agents, feds say -- A man arrested in advance of President Trump’s trip to the Trump National Golf Club had visited the facility twice in three days, wore a radio ear piece and took photographs of Secret Service agents at the Palos Verdes Peninsula facility, authorities allege. Clara Harter in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 8/5/26

Edison tower caused deadly Eaton fire that devastated Altadena, long-awaited investigation finds -- Investigators found that “two electrical arcing events” caused burning material to fall from a SoCal Edison transmission tower onto thick brush, which quickly ignited. That fire quickly grew out of control amid extreme Santa Ana winds. Grace Toohey in the Los Angeles Times$ Livia Albeck-Ripka, Ivan Penn and Shawn Hubler in the New York Times$ -- 8/5/2

Utilities threaten action if lawmakers fail to cut their wildfire liability risk -- Poppe did not specify what her company would do, but made it clear any action would protect shareholders’ money. Previously, she told Wall Street analysts that if lawmakers failed to pass legislation to protect the utilities, PG&E would use its cash to buy back the company’s shares, according to a report by the bank Jeffries. Melody Petersen in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 8/5/26

Energy company profits are soaring with the Iran war. Here’s what California officials want to do -- Sky-high earnings for oil companies and California refiners in the second quarter are renewing calls from state legislators to crack down on industry profits. Blanca Begert Calmatters -- 8/5/26

 

Powerful California Labor Fed endorses billionaire tax, deepening Democrats’ split -- A proposed one-time tax on California’s billionaires got a huge boost Tuesday when the California Labor Federation, which represents 2.3 million union members and 1,300 private and public sector unions, endorsed the measure. Joe Garofoli in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 8/5/26

Arellano: What gets me so angry about California’s proposed billionaire tax -- The more I think about Proposition 40, the billionaire tax that will go before California voters in November, the angrier I get. Gustavo Arellano Calmatters -- 8/5/26

 

California Republicans tried to cut him off. Then he beat them from the right -- Candidates backed by right-wing group Reform California defeated establishment picks in June. Now, party leaders are choosing to adapt to its tactics. Nadia Lathan Calmatters -- 8/5/26

They Were Voted Out. They Refuse to Leave. Now What? -- Earlier this year, the voters of Avenal, a community in California’s rural Central Valley, ousted their mayor and all but one member of their City Council. Livia Albeck-Ripka, Philip Cheung in the New York Times$ -- 8/5/26

$207 billion saved for California from 82 lawsuits against Trump administration, Bonta says -- California Atty. Gen. Rob Bonta says suing the Trump administration 82 times has protected an estimated $207 billion in federal funding. It’s also defended birthright citizenship, ended National Guard deployments and blocked federal interference in California elections. Kevin Rector in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 8/5/26

Paramount’s David Ellison says critics don’t get his politics -- Paramount Chairman David Ellison believes the tug-of-war over his proposed $111-billion purchase of Warner Bros. Discovery comes down to a single question: Can he be trusted to control CNN? Meg James in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 8/5/26

Paramount quarterly profit falls amid bruising merger battle -- Paramount Skydance must wait until March to defend its proposed $111-billion acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery — a blockbuster deal that would reshape Hollywood by uniting two storied studios. On Tuesday, U.S. District Judge Araceli Martínez-Olguín scheduled a March 2 trial to decide the merits of an antitrust challenge brought by 12 state attorneys general, led by California Atty. Gen. Rob Bonta. Meg James in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 8/5/26

ICE

Federal judge holds government in civil contempt for not imaging immigration agents’ personal phones-- A California federal judge held the government in civil contempt for defying an order to forensically image agents’ personal phones from Los Angeles immigration operations. The contempt finding stems from a class-action lawsuit alleging unlawful stops, arrests and racial profiling in federal immigration raids. Brittny Mejia in the Los Angeles Times$ Wendy Fry and Sergio Olmos Calmatters -- 8/5/26

Workplace

New California filings show hundreds in Bay Area to lose jobs at Visa -- Visa plans to permanently lay off 320 employees at its Foster City campus, according to state regulatory filings. The layoffs are scheduled to take effect Oct. 1, according to a notice filed last week with California’s Employment Development Department. Aidin Vaziri in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 8/5/26

Marketplace

Controversial battery storage project in San Jose’s Coyote Valley is withdrawn -- Environmentalists, political leaders, parents at nearby school opposed plan on San Jose’s rural southern edges. Paul Rogers in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 8/5/26

AI

AI users can shop directly on Amazon without Amazon’s permission, judges rule -- Amazon was not entitled to block an artificial intelligence browser from accessing its website and enabling users to find and purchase products, a federal appeals court ruled Tuesday, overturning a judge’s decision in favor of the world’s richest company. Bob Egelko in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 8/5/26

Anthropic and OpenAI models tried to trick humans into poisoning code during safety testing -- Leading artificial intelligence models from Anthropic and OpenAI created fake online personas and tried to deceive human coders into abetting a cyberattack during a recent safety evaluation, the U.K.’s AI Safety and Security Institute disclosed Tuesday. John Sakellariadis Politico Robert McMillan in the Wall Street Journal$ -- 8/5/26

Water

Band-Aid, not a cure: federal Colorado River plan leaves states guessing every two years -- States failed to reach a Colorado River deal, so the feds are likely to impose a stopgap plan cutting California’s supply 10% through 2028. Worse than the cuts, though, is the uncertainty. Rachel Becker Calmatters -- 8/5/26

Environment

Navy contractor doesn’t have to pay Hunters Point residents in toxic cleanup suit, judge rules -- Despite years of allegations that fraudulent radiation cleanup work left hundreds of Hunters Point Shipyard residents with devalued properties, Tetra Tech EC will pay the homeowners nothing after a judge ruled that the former Navy contractor is shielded by a federal law. Laura Waxmann, Bob Egelko in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 8/5/26

Head Start

Trump administration threatens to gut Head Start rules, affecting 70,000 kids in California -- The federal Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs posted a notice that it intends to “significantly reduce regulatory requirements” for Head Start, effectively stripping the program of the unique features that have defined it since its creation in the mid 1960s. Carolyn Jones Calmatters -- 8/5/26

Education

Letters reveal the internal threats that ended Carvalho’s LAUSD tenure -- The district’s letter details accusations of undisclosed gifts, outside consulting income, donor-funded travel and misuse of district resources, including those that emerged after an FBI raid of Carvalho’s home and office. Howard Blume in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 8/5/26

Walters: California school districts in LA, Sacramento copy the Capitol’s budget deficit dance -- Last week, Sacramento County’s Office of Education rejected a revised labor agreement that the Sacramento City Unified School District had claimed would stave off its insolvency. Dan Walters Calmatters -- 8/5/26

Street

Ex-LAPD officer gets life sentence for home invasion robbery of teen’s crypto fortune -- A former Los Angeles Police Department officer was sentenced Tuesday to life plus 15 years in state prison for his role in a 2024 home invasion robbery in Koreatown in which he and a group of co-conspirators stole $350,000 worth of cryptocurrency from a teenager. Libor Jany and Matthew Ormseth in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 8/5/26

Top commander of elite L.A. County sheriff’s unit leaves job amid dishonesty probe -- A commander of an elite Los Angeles County sheriff’s unit ignored evidence that cleared a subordinate of wrongdoing and went after him anyway — and then provided “false or misleading” statements about it under oath, an internal investigation found. Alene Tchekmedyian in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 8/5/26

Also

Why related-party loans at issue in the Mark Walter probe are considered risky -- The federal law enforcement probe into the financial affairs of the Dodgers’ controlling owner, Mark Walter, seems to focus on what looks like an obscure financial maneuver: related-party transactions. Laurence Darmiento in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 8/5/26

L.A. city and county officials move to bolster recovery from Boyle Heights warehouse fire -- Weeks after a warehouse fire blanketed Boyle Heights with smoke, ash and swarms of flies, Los Angeles city and county officials unveiled a slate of measures aimed at speeding recovery, increasing corporate accountability and expanding financial assistance for residents and businesses affected by the disaster. Gavin J. Quinton and Connor Sheets in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 8/5/26

Paso Robles man arrested after allegedly crushing car with a tractor during an argument -- When a Paso Robles man couldn’t settle an argument with words, he allegedly used every tool at his disposal. Summer Lin in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 8/5/26

POTUS 47

Armed suspect arrested at Trump’s Rancho Palos Verdes golf course in advance of president’s visit -- Hours before President Trump was scheduled to headline a Tuesday evening fundraiser at his Rancho Palos Verdes golf course, authorities announced that they had arrested a heavily armed individual seen wandering the grounds Sunday. Clara Harter in the Los Angeles Times$ Nicole Norman Politico -- 8/5/26

Trump keeps making threats. The world has stopped flinching -- The president’s bombast has ceased to rattle world leaders, who have seen him fenced in by courts, rebuffed by Congress and strung along by Iran. Steve Hendrix and Anthony Faiola in the Washington Post$ -- 8/5/26

Trump administration claims Hormuz deal is close as Iran denies negotiations -- Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said Tuesday that a deal could be reached with Iran “today or tomorrow” to open the Strait of Hormuz to “freedom of movement.” Karen DeYoung in the Washington Post$ -- 8/5/26

Trump Seeks a Boost for Hemp That Would Benefit a Top Aide’s Family -- At the White House’s request, senators tucked a change sought by the hemp industry into a crucial spending bill. It would benefit the son-in-law of Susie Wiles, the president’s chief of staff. Kenneth P. Vogel, Christina Jewett and Olivia Diaz in the New York Times$ -- 8/5/26

After Trump’s Board of Peace Made a Plan for Gaza, the Bombings Grew Worse -- President Trump announced a proposal aimed at achieving the disarmament of Hamas and an Israeli withdrawal. Israel ramped up attacks on the Palestinian enclave. Isabel Kershner and Adam Rasgon in the New York Times$ -- 8/5/26