California Policy and Politics Sunday

‘Ballots Over Billionaires’: Bernie Sanders in S.F. to lend star power to wealth tax -- Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders took center stage in downtown San Francisco on Saturday, his latest appearance in the Golden State as he lends his star power to the effort to pass Proposition 40, a proposed one-time tax on billionaires. Sara DiNatale in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 10/4/26

What California’s new laws mean for your bills, job and family -- California’s newest laws could change how your utility spends your money, whether an employer can rely on AI to fire you and what your children encounter on social media. Bryce Martin in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 10/4/26

Culver City protesters demand Sony, Amazon, other studios defend democracy -- Braving 100-degree heat, protesters marched through Culver City demanding local media corporations do their part to defend democracy. The “Business for Democracy Pledge” was sent to the CEOs of Sony Pictures, Apple, Pinterest and Amazon. So far none have responded. Mark Olsen in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 10/4/26

Fact check: Did Newsom’s mental health court hit his goal for helping Californians? -- Gov. Gavin Newsom this week claimed a major victory for CARE Court, his program to provide mental health treatment to Californians with serious conditions. Did it really help 10,000 people?” Jocelyn Wiener and Marisa Kendall Calmatters -- 10/4/26

Should California hotels be sued for using fragrances in their lobbies? -- A California law firm is suing some major hotel chains, alleging that their use of synthetic fragrances is unfair to people with sensitivities. Christopher Reynolds in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 10/4/26

POTUS

Trump Announces Another Payment to Voters Ahead of Midterms -- The president says he’ll send $90 to Medicare recipients to offset premiums, the latest financial pledge as Republicans trail in key contests. Marianne LeVine in the Wall Street Journal$ Dan Diamond in the Washington Post$ -- 10/4/26

With Elon Musk’s Return to Washington, Possible Conflicts of Interest Resurface -- The founder of SpaceX, with billions of dollars in military contracts, joins several other defense industry executives on a Pentagon advisory board. Kate Kelly in the New York Times$ -- 10/4/26

 

California Policy and Politics Saturday

California AG Bonta seeking ‘all material information’ about OpenAI hacks -- The deepening probe comes as awareness and fears have exploded in recent months about the potential for runaway AI programs to undermine or topple infrastructure and global markets. Chase DiFeliciantonio Politico -- 10/3/26

The Loneliest Man in American Politics Has an Army -- Shunned by both parties, a furious blue-state outsider offers a glimpse of MAGA without Trump. Will McCarthy Politico -- 10/3/26

Bass and Raman campaigns trade charges over Hasan Piker and Jewish heritage event -- Bass’ campaign accused Raman her of skipping a Jewish Heritage Month event to appear on Hasan Piker’s livestream; Raman’s camp says the Bass campaign is spreading misinformation. Noah Goldberg, James Rainey and David Zahniser in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 10/3/26

Latino voters have shifted away from Karen Bass in L.A. mayor’s race, according to new poll -- Among Latino voters, Raman leads Bass, 45% to 21%, with 34% undecided, the latest Berkeley IGS/L.A. Times poll shows. The poll’s findings contrast with the results of the June 2 primary, where Bass carried 35 Latino majority neighborhoods compared with seven for Raman, according to a Times analysis of election data. Noah Goldberg and Itzel Luna in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 10/3/26

A wealthy Marin town took down campaign signs. Now it’s engulfed in ‘signgate’ -- A bitter feud has divided a typically quiet Bay Area town where the rich avoid the spotlight. Connor Letourneau in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 10/3/26

Disney cuts 300 workers, offers executives early retirement -- Walt Disney Co. laid off nearly 300 workers this week, the latest wave in an industrywide consolidation that continues to reverberate throughout Southern California. Meg James in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 10/3/26

Amazon delivery contractors among companies to close in Los Angeles -- Two Amazon delivery contractors in Los Angeles are among several companies that recently announced permanent closures and layoffs, according to government filings. Ella Chakarian in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 10/3/26

Housing

Developer sues Menlo Park, setting up high-stakes showdown over California housing law -- The developer of a major high-rise plan that has stirred controversy in Menlo Park has sued the Silicon Valley city, asking a judge to force the project’s approval in a test of how much California housing laws truly limit local government’s power to block new development. Laura Waxmann in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 10/3/26

Wildfire

Powerful Wildfires Require a New Approach, California Report Finds -- A report on the fires that devastated the Los Angeles area in early 2025 recommended that local governments take a broader approach to preparedness and emergency response. Shawn Hubler in the New York Times$ -- 10/3/26

Oil

L.A. considers the rare closure of an active oil site in Jefferson Park -- In a city that was built on oil and remains home to over 2,000 active wells, zoning officials are considering a first: shutting down an oil production site. Blanca Begert, Genaro Molina in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 10/3/26

POTUS 47

U.S.-Russia Talks on Ukraine Now Involve an Oil Deal Tied to Trump Allies -- President Vladimir V. Putin brought up a sale of Russian energy assets with President Trump’s envoys, Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff, pushing a deal that raises new questions about conflicts of interest. Anton Troianovski and Eric Lipton in the New York Times$ -- 10/3/26

Trump, Putin, Ukraine and an Oil Deal: 5 Takeaways -- A proposal to bolster relations with the Kremlin through the purchase of Russian energy assets is striking even for an administration that regularly mixes personal business interests with foreign policy. Eric Lipton and Anton Troianovski in the New York Times$ -- 10/3/26

Musk-led war commission triggers alarms in Pentagon -- Pentagon officials warn that Pete Hegseth’s plan for a pair of billionaire defense contractors to help steer the military’s future will produce conflicts of interest that threaten the long-term integrity of the department. Jack Detsch, Audrey Decker and Mark Satter Politico -- 10/3/26

Trump Directed Use of Taxpayer Money for Ads Praising His Presidency -- President Trump personally instructed his budget director to use taxpayer money for TV ads praising him and his presidency, setting in motion a $20 million contract that used funds from the Department of Homeland Security, according to people familiar with the matter. Maggie Haberman, Hamed Aleaziz, Shane Goldmacher and Jonathan Swan in the New York Times$ -- 10/3/26