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California Policy and Politics Thursday

‘They will try anything’: China’s expanding spy network across California -- California has long been a pivotal espionage hub for China. Intelligence experts say that Nvidia Chief Executive Jensen Huang’s extramarital affair with a suspected Chinese spy shows that Beijing leaders are ramping up their network of spies and assets across the state. Richard Winton and Jenny Jarvie in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 11/12/26

Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang resigns after his affair raises national security concerns -- Huang faced growing calls to resign after his affair with a Chinese businesswoman who reportedly was also acting as a spy for Beijing. His troubles compounded late Wednesday after media reports said Huang had another extramarital affair with an Nvidia employee who reported to him. Kelvin Chan Associated Press Robbie Whelan, Josh Dawsey and Amrith Ramkumar in the Wall Street Journal$ Miriam Waldvogel, Nancy Cook and Ian Duncan in the Washington Post$ -- 11/12/26

 

Targeted by Trump, L.A. County took action to speed up counting votes. Officials say it worked -- One week after polls closed, L.A. County had processed about 99% of nearly 3.2 million ballots, outpacing itself in past elections and other large counties. Kevin Rector in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 11/12/26

These Californians missed an important vote on Pete Hegseth impeachment — here’s why -- Three California House members missed a procedural vote on a House resolution to impeach Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth over his military actions at the Pentagon, including Nancy Pelosi. Hannah Wiley in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 11/12/26

After historic losses, California GOP faces a fight over its future -- California Republican Party Chair Corrin Rankin says she will not seek reelection next year, days after sweeping GOP losses in the Nov. 3 midterm elections. The party is projected to lose at least eight Assembly seats and half its congressional delegation, leaving Republicans with their smallest state legislative presence since the 1870s. Seema Mehta and Dakota Smith in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 11/12/26

How a broad coalition outspent industry allies, defeated permitting measure Prop. 45 -- Going into the summer, it appeared the groups behind Proposition 45 were prepared to spend heavily to sell their message that affordability for Californians was best achieved through streamlining environmental permitting for a range of building projects. Andrew Graham in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 11/12/26

Trump’s interior secretary expected to attend Presidio board meeting in S.F. -- Interior Secretary Doug Burgum is expected to take a seat at the table as the Presidio Trust’s new, Trump-appointed board meets in person for the first time Thursday. Laura Waxmann in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 11/12/26

L.A. sales taxes will go up, but the time it takes firefighters to respond may go down -- Retail sales taxes in Los Angeles will rise to 10.75% early next year with voter approval of Measure FD on the Nov. 3 city ballot. Itzel Luna in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 11/12/26

Workplace

Cancer institute backed by Larry Ellison plans major layoffs in Los Angeles -- The Los Angeles-based research center, led by its founding chief executive and oncologist, David Agus, plans to permanently lay off 88 employees in January, according to a Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification filed Nov. 4. Ella Chakarian in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 11/12/26

AI

SMUD defers data center policy move after residents call for stronger deterrents -- The Sacramento Municipal Utility District’s policy committee on Wednesday deferred a vote on its strategy for responding to large data center proposals, after dozens of people called for stronger deterrents against such developments than the utility’s staff had proposed. Annika Merrilees in the Sacramento Bee$ Felicia Alvarez KVIE Abridged -- 11/12/26

Climate

California’s coast is eroding, but beachfront homes are still worth millions. Will El Niño change that? -- Coastal homeowners are facing soaring insurance costs and growing flood risks, but oceanfront properties still command huge prices. The hazards are sharpening a bigger debate: whether public resources should be used to protect private homes in fragile areas. Jack Flemming in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 11/12/26

Bay Area flood risk maps: See which areas face the greatest dangers -- Flooding can look very different depending on where you live in the Bay Area. In some spots, high tides submerge roadways and disrupt commutes. Elsewhere, heavy downpours overwhelm storm drains, sending water into streets and homes. Jack Lee in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 11/12/26

Education

California teachers urge 3-year pause on AI use in K-8 schools -- The California Federation of Teachers on Wednesday urged Gov. Gavin Newsom to order a three-year pause on artificial intelligence in K-8 public school classrooms, citing concerns that schools are adopting AI tools without adequate protections for students and educators. Chaewon Chung in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 11/12/26

Black teachers say students call them the N-word. LAUSD vows to teach them not to -- After Black teachers described repeated use of the N-word by students — and inadequate responses — the Los Angeles school board unanimously approved new measures to address hate speech. The plan calls for student counseling, staff training and improved incident reporting. Howard Blume in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 11/12/26

These part-time California profs found a way to make $400K -- Thirty classes. Over 1,100 students. That’s the current workload of ethnic studies professor Thien Huong Ninh Villarreal, who holds full-time teaching jobs at both San Joaquin Delta College in Stockton and Cosumnes River College in Sacramento. Adam Echelman Calmatters -- 11/12/26

Street

This California county holds half the state’s violent sex offenders. Is there a better way to house them? -- As a San Diego judge weighs placing two sexually violent predators in a rural neighborhood, a county supervisor offers a new plan to better house these offenders. Deborah Brennan Calmatters -- 11/12/26

Also

What’s the deal with those massive, eerily lifelike sculptures of swimmers on Rodeo Drive? -- Ten monumental, hyperrealistic sculptures by 81-year-old artist Carole Feuerman now line Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills, bringing her first major outdoor exhibition on the West Coast to a world-famous shopping street. Laura Zornosa in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 11/12/26

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Huang’s Coziness With Trump Wasn’t Enough to Save Him From Spying Scandal -- For nearly two years, Jensen Huang enjoyed direct access to President Trump and vast influence over America’s AI policy. Even still, Huang has been unable to head off a deepening scandal involving an affair with a suspected Chinese intelligence source that has now prompted Nvidia’s board to make preparations for his ouster. Amrith Ramkumar, Brian Schwartz, Robbie Whelan and Alexander Ward in the Wall Street Journal$ -- 11/12/26

Trump Says He’s Pulling Vance Off Iran Talks to Focus on Fraud Campaign -- The announcement on social media deepened questions about what the president’s plan is to end the war. “We don’t need a deal with Iran,” he wrote. Luke Broadwater in the New York Times$ Michael Birnbaum in the Washington Post$ -- 11/12/26

White House warns of criminal inquiries into House Democrats who investigate Trump -- The White House’s top lawyer said House Democrats could be criminally investigated if they launch investigations without a ‘legitimate legislative purpose.’ Rep. Robert Garcia accused the White House of infringing on the panel’s constitutionally protected right to conduct congressional oversight. Ana Ceballos in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 11/12/26

 

California Policy and Politics Wednesday

California Supreme Court case could impact insurance rates for millions of residents -- In a case that could affect millions of Californians, the state Supreme Court agreed Tuesday to consider whether insurance companies can be sued for their rates under a nearly 40-year-old ballot measure. Bob Egelko in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 11/11/26

Fired judge’s lawsuit alleges California was illegally approving insurance rate hikes -- An administrative judge in California’s Insurance Department who was fired last year is suing Commissioner Ricardo Lara and his former special counsel, accusing them of illegally approving insurance rate increases and undermining the judicial branch of the department. Levi Sumagaysay Calmatters Laurence Darmiento in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 11/11/26

Walters: With California’s insurance crisis at an impasse, it might be time for a different approach -- Nobody really likes writing those premium checks to insurance companies that always seem to be increasing — until they need their insurance to cover losses from auto crashes, fires or other calamities. Dan Walters Calmatters -- 11/11/26

 

Newsom travels to Turkey for climate conference, blasts Trump as a ‘no-show’ -- Newsom framed his attendance as an opportunity to tell the world that California’s climate leadership is delivering results as he criticized President Trump as a “no-show” for declining to send a delegation on behalf of the United States. Taryn Luna in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 11/11/26

Progressives Lose California Wealth Tax Battle—but Aren’t Conceding the War -- Proponents in California have already floated putting another wealth tax on the ballot in 2028, saying they have learned important lessons from this year’s unsuccessful attempt to marshal voter support for a levy on billionaires. Paul Kiernan and Laura J. Nelson in the Wall Street Journal$ -- 11/11/26

Barabak: Millions of Californians have been cast adrift. For nothing -- Proposition 50, the Democratic gerrymandering initiative, has drawn California Republicans into near-extinction on Capitol Hill. That’s not a good or healthy thing, and the blue tsunami proved it was also unnecessary. Mark Z. Barabak in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 11/11/26

 

What Nithya Raman’s election means for the future of the LAPD -- Nithya Raman has repeatedly said she would replace Jim McDonnell as LAPD chief, but only the City Council and the Police Commission have the authority to oust him. Raman could push to overhaul LAPD policies on key issues, including limiting cooperation with federal immigration enforcement agencies. Libor Jany and Richard Winton in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 11/11/26

Raman’s colleagues all opposed her run for mayor. Now some promise ‘full support -- A pie sat waiting as the Los Angeles City Council returned to work last week following Councilmember Nithya Raman’s election as mayor, an outcome all 14 of her council colleagues opposed. Noah Goldberg in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 11/11/26

In a first, L.A.’s three citywide elected offices will all be held by Asian Americans -- Last week’s midterm elections made history across the country, and Los Angeles was no exception: Asian Americans will now hold all three citywide elective offices — mayor, city attorney and controller — for the first time. Melissa Gomez in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 11/11/26

Arellano: Raman’s victory was a resounding rebuke to L.A.’s Latino political establishment -- Here in the country’s Latino capital, the metropolis that delivered California its first Latino U.S. senator and pioneered the type of winning political machine that Latinos across the country replicated for decades, almost all the city’s Latino power brokers — politicians, nonprofit leaders, union activists, celebrities — bet big on longtime ally Bass, only to now find themselves on the outside looking in. Gustavo Arellano in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 11/11/26

Garofoli: Democrats won in a wave 20 years ago promising to end a war. Here’s what’s different this time -- Two decades ago, Democrats retook the House, flipping 31 seats by riding a wave election driven by voter anger over an unpopular president and war, and installed a ceiling-shattering legislator — Nancy Pelosi — as speaker. Joe Garofoli in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 11/11/26

 

Sacramento Rep. Doris Matsui wins reelection, defeating progressive challenger -- Matsui, 82, was first elected to the House of Representatives in 2005, succeeding her late husband, Robert Matsui, who had served in Congress since 1979. She ran on her congressional experience and record of delivering federal funding for projects in the district. She lent her campaign more than $5 million this cycle. Karen Garcia and Nicole Nixon in the Los Angeles Times$ Mathew Miranda in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 11/11/26

Gov.-elect Xavier Becerra names transition team -- Longtime Becerra aide Liz Saldivar will lead the transition. Salvidar advised Becerra’s campaign and worked for him during his time in Congress and as state attorney general. Nicole Nixon in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 11/11/26

New governor begins the ‘Becerra era’ by making nice with Capitol Democrats -- Welcome to the “Becerra era,” where the incoming governor doesn’t share specific policy ideas, but really wants you to know that he’ll play nicely with Democratic leaders in the Legislature. Maya C. Miller and Jeanne Kuang Calmatters -- 11/11/26

Fighting City Hall will get a lot more expensive under plan backed by L.A. Council -- Without discussion the L.A. City Council voted 13-0 to have the City Attorney to draft an ordinance to drastically raise fees people pay to appeal zoning and land-use decisions. The proposal raises the fee from $229 to $1,145 for people who live near the contested project or property, and to $2,289 for others. Itzel Luna in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 11/11/26

Marketplace

Anthropic commits $50 million to Bay Area philanthropy as it seeks $1.4 trillion valuation -- Anthropic will donate $50 million to support Bay Area philanthropy through the end of 2027, its largest hometown commitment to date. The artificial intelligence giant is partnering with the San Francisco Foundation and forming a donor-advised fund. Roland Li in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 11/11/26

Housing

Voters rejected Prop. 45. The battle over California’s housing crisis continues -- Proposition 45 promised to make it easier to build housing in California by overhauling CEQA, but it divided advocates. Why did voters reject it, and what happens next? Lila Seidman in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 11/11/26

AI

Hollywood warned young screenwriters about AI. Now it may be their ticket in -- Generative AI is spreading through Hollywood, unsettling writers worried about losing jobs and creative control even as studios and film schools fold it into production and training. Some L.A. educators see AI as a way for emerging screenwriters to develop pitches, visuals and projects — and reach industry contacts once reserved for insiders. Ada Tseng in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 11/11/26

S.F. report says data centers could gobble up severely limited city electricity -- A new report released Tuesday on the potential impacts of data centers on San Francisco is likely to guide imminent decisions faced by city leaders on whether to embrace a permanent ban of the controversial facilities. Laura Waxmann in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 11/11/26

Sacramento pitched as ‘premier destination’ for data centers as 300-megawatt plans emerge -- A former military depot in southeast Sacramento is being considered for a 300-megawatt data center, newly acquired records show. When the Sacramento Municipal Utility District pitched the federal government for funding earlier this year, the utility described Sacramento as a “premier destination” for data centers. Opposition is mounting from members of the Sacramento City Council and locals concerned about environmental ramifications. Felicia Alvarez KVIE Abridged -- 11/11/26

ICE

A Beloved Nurse Was Arrested, Shackled and Hidden in ICE’s System -- Ann Lawani, a highly regarded nurse and professor, was still in her pajamas when federal agents detained her at her home in Lodi, Calif., on Sept. 16. Miriam Jordan in the New York Times$ -- 11/11/26

Bay Area officials created ‘ICE-free’ zones. ICE officers keep defying them -- A surge of immigration arrests across California is putting the state’s “ICE-free” zones to the test, as immigration agents defy state and local directives to avoid making arrests in sensitive locations like jails and hospitals. Sara DiNatale in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 11/11/26

Education

Bad news for California school repairs: nearly half of bond measures on track to fail -- Last week’s election was full of surprises, especially for California school districts seeking to fix leaking roofs and broken air conditioners. Although election officials are still counting votes in many parts of the state, the preliminary results show that nearly half the school bonds on California ballots are failing. Carolyn Jones in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 11/11/26

Street

L.A. County restraining order system to undergo sweeping reforms -- The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors unanimously approved a motion Tuesday aimed at improving the county’s restraining order system in order to better support and protect victims of domestic violence and stalking. Connor Sheets and Gabrielle LaMarr LeMee in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 11/11/26

L.A. County supervisors approve sweeping motion to expose scope and influence of sheriff’s deputy gangs -- The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors unanimously approved a sweeping motion on Tuesday aimed at exposing the scope and influence of so-called deputy gangs within the Sheriff’s Department. Connor Sheets in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 11/11/26

This law was supposed to force more Californians into mental health treatment. What happened? -- A new law was supposed to keep severely mentally ill Californians from falling through the cracks. So far, it’s resulted in few people getting long-term care. Marisa Kendall and Jocelyn Wiener Calmatters -- 11/11/26

Guns

How a Misquote by a Supreme Court Justice Imperils Gun Restrictions -- A Supreme Court decision in 2008 case incorrectly quoted a centuries-old legal treatise, with profound implications for today’s gun-control laws. Mike McIntire and Eli Murray in the New York Times$ -- 11/11/26

Also

China’s spies have long been rampant in Silicon Valley -- Nvidia’s Jensen Huang had an affair with a suspected Chinese intelligence agent. But the tech mecca’s espionage problem has deep roots. Zach Dorfman and Cate Cadell in the Washington Post$ -- 11/11/26

Forget Market Street. This is San Francisco’s new main drag -- Besides demonstrating how sports and politics can collide in pure purple joy, the exultant congestion of last week’s Golden State Valkyries parade showcased an aspect of the city we tend to overlook — that the Embarcadero, not Market Street, has become the defining thoroughfare of today’s San Francisco. John King in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 11/11/26

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For Families of Those Who Died in the Iran War, a Veterans Day of Profound Loss -- But for those who have lost loved ones overseas in the Iran war, which has been waged since Feb. 28, this Veterans Day comes with a heaviness that only military families can fathom, and that will grow only more difficult as they face their first holiday season without their sons and daughters, siblings and spouses. Christina Morales in the New York Times$ -- 11/11/26

White House readies aggressive fight against planned investigations by Congress -- The counsel’s office is beefing up staffing and warning Democrats against “capricious threats,” but private firms may be wary of aiding the pushback. Katherine Doyle in the Washington Post$ -- 11/11/26

Trump’s Plan to Import Russian Diesel Stalls on the High Seas -- President Trump’s efforts to supply the U.S. with Russian diesel have yet to result in any new imports into the country, as several fuel tankers bound for America shifted course following difficulties finding buyers willing to accept the controversial cargoes. Alexander Osipovich, Rebecca Feng and Collin Eaton in the Wall Street Journal$ -- 11/11/26

Kennedy Family Joins Effort to Block Construction of Trump’s Arch -- The project would ‘permanently cast shadows’ over the graves of Kennedy family members, court filing says -- Jennifer Calfas in the Wall Street Journal$ Luke Broadwater in the New York Times$ Dan Diamond in the Washington Post$ -- 11/11/26

Trump Trots Out His Chaotic Greatest Hits to a Weary Public -- The last week has seen the president renew false claims about rigged elections, float a mixed martial arts executive as his new press secretary, muse about the beams in the White House ballroom, oust his chief of staff and call unannounced into C-SPAN. Katie Rogers in the New York Times$ -- 11/11/26