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California Policy and Politics Sunday
‘I waited for this moment for so long.’ Many U.S. Venezuelans praise Maduro capture -- The U.S. capture of Nicolás Maduro sparked celebrations among many Venezuelan Americans in South Florida and Los Angeles. Some protesters in Los Angeles opposed the military action. Andrea Castillo and Matthew Ormseth in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 01/04/26
On the ground in Venezuela: Shock, fear and defiance -- The scenes of revelry from a joyous Venezuelan diaspora celebrating from Miami to Madrid were not repeated here. Fear of the unknown kept most at home. Mery Mogollon and Patrick J. McDonnell in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 01/04/26
After Venezuela operation, Trump says the whole hemisphere is in play -- With brash threats aimed all around the region, the president and his team made it clear Venezuela might be just the beginning, sparking fear across the Western hemisphere. Eli Stokols and Daniella Cheslow Politico -- 01/04/26
Bay Area leaders decry Trump administration’s attack on Venezuela -- The attacks generated protests in San Francisco, including one outside the Powell Street BART Station that attracted hundreds of people. Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi, in a statement Saturday, decried the attack as a sign of Trump’s “flagrant disregard” for Article 1 of the Constitution, which grants Congress the power to declare war. Alyce McFadden, Bob Egelko in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 01/04/26
Protests in Southern California, elsewhere, take shape over U.S. attack on Venezuela -- Protests against the actions the United States took in Venezuela overnight were hastily planned Saturday across the nation and Southern California, including in downtown Los Angeles, Rancho Cucamonga and elsewhere. The item is in the LA Daily News -- 01/04/26
U.S. attacks on Venezuela prompt praise, anger -- and fear among world leaders -- Argentina’s president called it “excellent news for the free world.” Iran condemned it as a “blatant violation of national sovereignty.” Canada said little, except that it was “monitoring developments closely.” Kate Linthicum in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 01/04/26
Trump’s DOJ hires voting rights lawyer behind L.A. case cited by conspiracy theorists -- The Trump administration’s new top voting rights lawyer is Eric Neff, a former L.A. County prosecutor who led a failed case against a voting software company that was the subject of conspiracy theories about the 2020 election. James Queally in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 01/04/26
America’s toughest privacy protections have finally kicked in -- How to delete your data in one easy step — if, that is, you live in California. Shira Ovide in the Washington Post$ -- 01/04/26
Street
Homicides fell to record lows in S.F., Oakland in 2025 -- The number of killings in Oakland was the fewest since 1967, and San Francisco’s was the lowest since 1954. Danielle Echeverria in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 01/04/26
Also
Swimmer who vanished at Lovers Point was wearing a shark deterrent. What science says about what they do — and don’t do -- Studies question whether wearable shark deterrents effectively reduce risk. Ryan Macasero in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 01/04/26
Real big fish: Rose Parade float sets Guinness World Record -- A 34-foot mechanical seahorse float at the Rose Parade set a Guinness World Record for the world’s largest animatronic fish. Hundreds of volunteers decorated the float with corn husks, seeds and flowers, and mechanical baby sea creatures performed a synchronized swimming routine. Gavin J. Quinton in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 01/04/26
California Policy and Politics Saturday
California ban on open carry of firearms ruled unconstitutional by appeals court -- The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals determined that the ban, which applied to counties with populations greater than 200,000, violates residents’ 2nd Amendment right to keep and bear arms. Under those regulations, 95% of the state’s population was subject to the ban. Clara Harter in the Los Angeles Times$ Aidin Vaziri in the San Francisco Chronicle$ Lindsey Holden Politico Rosalio Ahumada in the Sacramento Bee$ Laurel Rosenhall in the New York Times$ -- 01/03/26
David Sacks opens Austin office as threat of California ‘billionaire tax’ looms -- San Francisco billionaire David Sacks announced publicly this week that his venture fund has opened an office in Austin, Texas, and that he personally has moved there as a proposed wealth tax looms over California’s richest residents. Aidin Vaziri in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 01/03/26
Saks to sell Neiman Marcus property in S.F.’s Union Square as bankruptcy fears mount -- Faced with bankruptcy as a result of its acquisition of Neiman Marcus, Saks Global is selling a major property in San Francisco’s Union Square that it acquired a year ago as part of the merger. Laura Waxmann in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 01/03/26
More than 100 detained in holiday immigration raids across Central Coast, sparking outrage -- A year-end wave of immigration raids in the Central Coast led to the apprehension of 147 people, sparking outrage from elected officials and immigrant-rights groups. Ruben Vives in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 01/03/26
As Mamdani rises in New York, San Francisco turns away from the left -- At a series of meetings organized by socialists and other progressive groups here in recent months, the contrast with New York hung over the gatherings, stirring a sense of envy and anger. Dustin Gardiner Politico -- 01/03/26
Marketplace
This Chinese automaker now sells more EVs than Tesla. Here’s why you can’t buy one in California -- China’s BYD has surpassed Tesla as the world’s best-selling electric carmaker. But not in America. BYD cars aren’t sold in the U.S. due to a 100% tariff on electric cars imposed in 2024 by the Biden administration. Roland Li, Danielle Echeverria in the San Francisco Chronicle$ Caroline Petrow-Cohen in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 01/03/26
Housing
Residents seek clarity as state law could fast-track a 20-acre project in Woodland Hills -- After four weeks of rapid organizing – petitions, packed meetings and appeals to city and state officials – opponents of a proposed housing development on a portion of the Woodland Hills Country Club say they’re still waiting for clarity about whether the project can be stopped, as city leaders point to state housing laws that may limit local control. Teresa Liu in the Los Angeles Daily News -- 01/03/26
Education
Some of the biggest changes coming to California classrooms in 2026 -- New state laws will bring more gender-neutral bathrooms, healthier food, increased protections from immigration raids and less smartphone use to California schools. Molly Gibbs in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 01/03/26
Federal judge rejects injunction to block new law on antisemitism in California -- A federal court judge in San Jose has denied a preliminary injunction that four teachers and others sought to stop a new state law intended to blunt rising antisemitism in California public schools. The teachers argued that the new law will chill their right to teach the Palestinian perspective of the conflict in Gaza and the Middle East. John Fensterwald EdSource -- 01/03/26
Also
Yosemite braces for one of the heaviest snowfalls of the season -- A powerful winter storm was expected to bury Yosemite National Park and large portions of the Sierra Nevada under several feet of snow this weekend, prompting federal forecasters to warn that travel could become dangerous or impossible through early next week. Aidin Vaziri in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 01/03/26
‘Chinese Peptides’ Are the Latest Biohacking Trend in the Tech World -- The gray-market drugs flooding Silicon Valley reveal a community that believes it can move faster than the F.D.A. Jasmine Sun in the New York Times$ -- 01/03/26
POTUS 47
As Signs of Aging Emerge, Trump Responds With Defiance -- President Trump is taking more aspirin than his doctors recommend. He briefly tried wearing compression socks for his swelling ankles, but stopped because he didn’t like them. And he regrets undergoing advanced imaging because it generated scrutiny of his health. Annie Linskey, Josh Dawsey and Meridith McGraw in the Wall Street Journal$ -- 01/03/26
A Diminished Congress Weighs Whether to Reassert Its Power -- Lawmakers head into President Trump’s second year facing questions about whether they can reclaim congressional clout in the face of his power grab. Carl Hulse in the New York Times$ -- 01/03/26