California Policy and Politics 12/24 - 12/27

California abandons lawsuit over $4 billion in federal high-speed rail funds -- California dropped its lawsuit against the Trump administration that sought to reclaim roughly $4 billion in federal funding for the state’s beleaguered high-speed rail project, effectively conceding that Washington will play no role in delivering the rest of the system. Kate Talerico in the San Francisco Chronicle$ Chaewon Chung in the Sacramento Bee$ Francesca Regalado in the New York Times$ -- 12/27/25

Gavin Newsom’s big dilemma: Tax the rich or defy the left -- Gavin Newsom has spent his time in Sacramento slamming proposal after proposal to tax the rich. Pressure on him from the left to back down is about to hit a boiling point. Jeremy B. White Politico -- 12/26/25

A Wealth Tax Floated in California Has Billionaires Thinking of Leaving -- It’s uncertain whether the proposal will reach the statewide ballot in November, but some billionaires like Peter Thiel and Larry Page may be unwilling to take the risk. Ryan Mac, Theodore Schleifer and Heather Knight in the New York Times$ -- 12/26/25

The Unexpected Winner of Rising American Tariffs Is Mexico -- When President Trump began raising tariffs earlier this year, government officials and economists feared Mexico’s export-led economy would take a devastating hit. Instead, Mexican exports to the U.S. have grown. Santiago Pérez and Anthony Harrup in the Wall Street Journal$ -- 12/26/25

‘They treated us like animals’: ICE arrests at Bay Area courthouses left immigrants in fear, but judge’s order gives reprieve -- When federal agents arrested Jorge Willy Valera Chuquillanqui as he left his immigration court hearing in San Francisco this summer, they moved him to a 200-square-foot cell that held seven other detainees. For three days, Immigration and Customs Enforcement kept Valera in the metal-clad room on the sixth floor above the courtroom, according to a declaration he submitted to a judge. There were no beds, and the lights remained on at all hours. Detainees were forced to share a single toilet against the wall. Ethan Varian, Luis Melecio-Zambrano in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 12/26/25

Major cheese producer closes Fresno-area facility, cuts jobs as it opens Texas site -- According to records on file with the California Employment Development Department, 268 people will be laid off at the Leprino Foods Lemoore East plant on Jan. 9 due to the facility’s permanent closure. Another 100 employees are expected to lose their jobs by Dec. 30, 2026. Melissa Montalvo in the Fresno Bee -- 12/26/25

How the CHP is drawing a flood of new recruits when the LAPD, other agencies struggle to hire -- For all the talk of recruitment struggles at the Los Angeles Police Department and other law enforcement agencies nationwide, some local agencies are finding that hiring new officers has gotten easier. Libor Jany in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 12/27/25

Winter storm buries Wrightwood, drenches SoCal: ‘All it is is rock and mud,’ resident says -- When a powerful atmospheric river began drenching Southern California this week, they were forced to leave as the hills around them dissolved into a river of mud and debris, which by Friday was drying and hardening into a 3-foot wall blocking their doors and windows. Salvador Hernandez and Sandra McDonald in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 12/27/25

Lopez: After a year of insults, raids, arrests and exile, a celebration of the California immigrant -- Even in largely conservative regions of California, there is an understanding that immigrants with papers and without help drive the world’s fourth-largest economy. Steve Lopez in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 12/27/25

‘Nightmare of noise’: S.F. residents say a PG&E fix to restore power is driving them crazy -- Nearly a week after a massive power outage took out electricity to a third of San Francisco, residents of one neighborhood are still dealing with the aftermath: a pack of noisy generators some say are keeping them up at night. Megan Fan Munce, Michael Barba, Kate Talerico in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 12/26/25

SCOTUS ruling could bar Trump from deploying National Guard back to L.A. -- The Supreme Court’s decision to prevent President Donald Trump from deploying National Guard troops in Chicago may also derail Trump’s efforts to send federal forces back into the streets of Los Angeles. Bob Egelko in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 12/26/25

100,000-gallon sewage spill closes L.A. County beach -- A 100,000-gallon sewage spill has closed Cabrillo Beach in San Pedro, L.A. County officials said. Sandra McDonald in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 12/26/25

Federal cuts and reversals upend California health care in 2025 -- California health care was hit hard in 2025: more than three million may lose Medicaid, Covered California subsidies at risk, and the state froze enrollment for undocumented residents amid budget cuts. Ana B. Ibarra Calmatters -- 12/26/25

They Wanted a Conservative State. They Might Get a Democratic Representative Instead -- The passage of Proposition 50, which redrew California’s congressional map, means that all of the state’s conservative north is likely to be represented by Democrats. Kellen Browning in the New York Times$ -- 12/26/25

Here’s what to watch as California lawmakers reconvene in 2026 -- California lawmakers enter 2026 in a precarious fiscal position. Despite a surge in AI-driven tax revenue, the state faces an $18 billion shortfall, and previous solutions of borrowing from rainy day funds and other reserves may be tapped out. Kate Wolffe in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 12/26/25

‘Innovative’ approach to sea level rise is first of its kind in San Francisco Bay -- Young native plants are taking root in the soil, which sits atop a layer of wood chips, a layer of sand and a layer of gravel. Treated water from a nearby wastewater plant will soon trickle through it all, irrigating the plants while getting extra filtering before going into the bay. Tara Duggan in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 12/26/25

Solar panels for renters? Californians test plug-in models already popular in Europe -- A Bay Area solar nonprofit estimates that a set of plug-in solar panels can save renters $500 annually on energy bills. Julie Johnson in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 12/26/25

How the Trump administration sold out public lands in 2025 -- Almost a year into the Trump presidency, it’s clear his administration has sided with the corporations seeking to mine and drill our nation’s public lands. Alex Wigglesworth in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 12/26/25

How justice changed in California in 2025: Prop. 36 toughened penalties, prisons kept shrinking -- Gov. Gavin Newsom in 2025 announced the closure of another prison, a shutdown that’s possible because the state is incarcerating far fewer people than it did just a decade ago. Nigel Duara Calmatters -- 12/26/25

New California laws rewrite car-buying rules with return policy and pricing reforms -- California lawmakers let automakers opt out of recent changes to the state’s lemon law and approved a law giving used car buyers three days to return a used vehicle. Ryan Sabalow Calmatters -- 12/26/25

A new California law requires tortillas to include an extra ingredient. Here’s why -- Starting Jan. 1, a new law will take effect requiring most tortillas and corn masa products sold in the state to contain folic acid, a vitamin that’s important to infant health. Ana B. Ibarra Calmatters -- 12/26/25

Federal judge blocks ICE from arresting immigrants who show up for court appointments in Northern California -- A federal judge in San Francisco on Wednesday barred Immigration and Customs Enforcement and its Justice Department counterpart from “sweeping” civil arrests at immigration courthouses across Northern California, teeing up an appellate challenge to one of the Trump administration’s most controversial deportation tactics. Sonja Sharp in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 12/25/25

Bill would keep border patrol agents close to the border, not in distant cities -- Sen. Adam Schiff and his allies want to keep border patrol agents near the border. So they’ve introduced legislation requiring agents to work within 25 land miles of the border, except in exceptional circumstances. David Lightman in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 12/26/25

ICE tore apart families. This immigrant-led group brought back some Christmas joy -- The steady drizzle tested the limits of the string of tarps stretched across the backyard of a Maywood home. Beneath them, dozens of boxes, overflowing with clothes, shoes and toys, lay scattered across the pavement. Each gift was destined for one of more than 50 Southern California homes whose families have been caught in the growing immigration enforcement crackdown. Itzel Luna in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 12/25/25

ICE documents reveal plan to hold 80,000 immigrants in warehouses -- The Trump administration is seeking contractors to help it overhaul the United States’ immigrant detention system in a plan that includes renovating industrial warehouses to hold more than 80,000 immigrant detainees at a time, according to a draft solicitation reviewed by The Washington Post. Douglas MacMillan and Jonathan O'Connell in the Washington Post$ -- 12/24/25

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Trump to POLITICO: Midterm elections will be about ‘pricing’ -- President Donald Trump says he believes the 2026 midterm elections will center on “pricing” as Republicans head into a critical period with control of Congress on the line. Sophia Cai Politico -- 12/27/25

Trump to POLITICO: Zelenskyy ‘doesn’t have anything until I approve it’ -- Trump’s comments come ahead of his Sunday meeting with Zelenskyy, who will bring with him a new 20-point plan to end the war. Sophia Cai Politico Anastasiia Malenko in the Wall Street Journal$ -- 12/27/25

Trump Promised Radical Change in His Second Term. Here’s What He’s Done So Far -- President Trump has driven illegal crossings at the border to record lows, helped bring about an uneasy cease-fire in Gaza and upended the global trading system. Charlie Savage and Zolan Kanno-Youngs in the New York Times$ -- 12/27/25

The U.S. sank the alleged narco-terrorists’ boat — and let them go -- In blowing up the vessel, destroying evidence and repatriating the survivors, the U.S. cut short a process that’s helped bring down traffickers. Arturo Torres, Samantha Schmidt and Alex Horton in the Washington Post$ -- 12/27/25

Bankruptcies soar as companies grapple with inflation, tariffs -- Corporate bankruptcies surged in 2025, rivaling levels not seen since the immediate aftermath of the Great Recession, as import-dependent businesses absorbed the highest tariffs in decades. Aaron Gregg and Jaclyn Peiser in the Washington Post$ -- 12/27/25

 

Sacramento lawmaker headlines new group of California Senate leaders -- Sacramento Democratic state Sen. Angelique Ashby will be the upper house’s Majority Leader, part of a leadership shuffle announced by the new President pro Tempore Monique Limón, D-Goleta, Tuesday night. Kate Wolffe in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 12/25/25

3 policy heavyweights endangered by redistricting -- They include Rep. Rob Wittman (R-Va.), who aims to be the next chair of the Armed Services Committee, and Rep. Ken Calvert (R-Calif.), an appropriations “cardinal” who oversees funds for the military and defense agencies. Benjamin Guggenheim Politico -- 12/24/25

Sikh truck drivers sue California over mass commercial license cancellations -- Immigrant drivers of trucks and other commercial vehicles in California sued the state on Tuesday for canceling about 20,000 licenses, saying officials bowed to pressure from the Trump administration and violated state laws allowing renewal of the licenses. Bob Egelko in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 12/24/25

Stop cutting national park staff, Republicans, Democrats urge Trump officials -- California Democratic and Republican members of Congress have come together to strongly urge the Trump administration to stop cutting jobs at national parks, saying the reductions have hurt emergency response efforts and park upkeep. David Lightman in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 12/24/25

Former employees describe unchecked ‘abuse’ at Sacramento ICE facility -- Two former employees of a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement contractor are alleging a toxic environment at the Sacramento ICE facility where the former employees say, some case specialists routinely abused and sexually harassed fellow employees and undocumented immigrants. Marcos Breton in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 12/24/25

In an era of ICE raids, a Latino Christmas tradition proceeds with caution -- On Friday night, organizers of a community holiday festival in San Marcos were busy planning a neighborhood procession and readying trays of tamales for guests. At the same time, they were preparing security to watch for ICE activity in the largely low-income, Latino area of North County San Diego. Deborah Brennan Calmatters -- 12/24/25

What ‘60 Minutes’ didn’t air: UC Berkeley research on alleged abuse at El Salvador mega-prison -- CBS’ decision to pull a “60 Minutes” segment on alleged torture and inhumane conditions inside a notorious El Salvador prison just hours before it aired stunned the UC Berkeley students whose research helped underpin the report. Ethan Varian in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 12/24/25

Esparto victims’ families file $35M claim. Yolo, fire officials, fireworks firms named -- The families of seven people killed in the July 1 fireworks explosion in Esparto have filed a $35 million claim against Yolo County, state fireworks regulators and several public officials, alleging widespread negligence that allowed an illegal and unsafe fireworks operation to continue. Daniel Lempres in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 12/24/25

Millions of Californians gain access to in vitro fertilization under new law -- In vitro fertilization costs thousands of dollars and is often too expensive for many people struggling to conceive. A new law aims to help change that. Kristen Hwang Calmatters -- 12/24/25

Develop

Controversial S.F. Safeway housing project one step closer to approval as key labor unions sign on -- The developer behind the controversial Marina Safeway redevelopment plan has locked in a key partnership with San Francisco construction unions, a crucial step in advancing its plan for a 25-story building with close to 800 new homes amid fierce neighborhood and City Hall pushback. Laura Waxmann in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 12/24/25

Wildfire

State launches catch-all website linking to fire recovery rebuilding resources -- The state launched a website to help Eaton and Palisades fire victims access vetted builders and contractors to accelerate rebuilding efforts. The tool offers four homebuilding pathways including modular, pre-designed, semi-custom and custom homes, featuring over 15 builders and vendors to speed reconstruction. Colleen Shalby in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 12/24/25

H-1B

Trump administration moves to overhaul how H-1B visas are granted, ending lottery system -- The Department of Homeland Security said Tuesday it was replacing its longstanding lottery system for H-1B work visas with a new approach that prioritizes skilled, higher-paid foreign workers. Joey Cappelletti Associated Press -- 12/24/25

Education

California K-12 schools brace for another year of uncertainty: 2025 in review -- California schools are likely to face continuing threats of funding cuts and more uncertainty. Carolyn Jones Calmatters -- 12/26/25

A year of cuts and court orders for California’s colleges and universities: 2025 in review -- In their approach to higher education, Trump and Newsom shared one thing in common this year: reducing funding for colleges and universities. The federal government pulled back research funds while the state, facing a deficit, imposed austerity measures on the UC and Cal State University systems. Adam Echelman Calmatters -- 12/26/25

Even more Cal State campuses will automatically admit eligible students under a new state law -- California State University last year launched a pilot program to attract more students to the university system and to steer some to campuses that have been struggling with enrollment declines. Mikhail Zinshteyn Calmatters -- 12/24/25

Federal judge says California schools must allow teachers to out transgender students to parents -- A federal judge said California schools cannot prevent educators from disclosing their child’s gender identity to parents, and ordered that schools limit the ways in which they affirm a student’s gender identity. Bob Egelko in the San Francisco Chronicle$ Jason Green in the Wall Street Journal$ -- 12/24/25

California schools will have to do more to prevent sex abuse under new law -- The law creates an array of measures to educate school staff, beef up reporting requirements and stop teachers credibly accused of abuse from getting jobs at other districts. Carolyn Jones Calmatters -- 12/24/25

Flu

Flu is hitting California early. Why doctors worry this year will be especially hard on kids -- Concentrations of flu detected in wastewater have surged in the San Francisco Bay Area, and the test positivity rate is rising in Los Angeles County and Orange County, according to state and county data. Hospitalizations and emergency room visits for flu are also rising in L.A. and Orange counties. Rong-Gong Lin II in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 12/24/25

Street

Newton: Mayor Bass got some of LA’s homeless people indoors. Will it matter to voters? -- Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass staked her political future on a promise: As a candidate in 2022, she vowed to make homelessness her top priority and to make dramatic reductions in the city’s population of unhoused people. Jim Newton in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 12/24/25

She goes to police calls in a Prius. It’s part of new approach to mental health emergencies -- San Mateo adopted a new approach to mental health 911 calls by pairing police with mental health clinicians. Researchers found that it reduced the number of future mental health emergency calls and involuntary psychiatric holds by roughly 17%. Cayla Mihalovich Calmatters -- 12/24/25

Suspected drunk driver charged with murder in death of high school tennis star -- Jenia Resha Belt, 33, of Los Angeles also faces charges of gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated and driving with a suspended license, said Pamela Johnson, a spokesperson for the L.A. County district attorney’s office. Terry Castleman in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 12/24/25

An Orange County mega-church comes to LA’s skid row -- For the last several Sundays, a busload of congregants from Mariners Church have driven to Union Rescue Mission to offer love, prayers (and the occasional hygiene kit) to people used to being ignored. James Rainey in the New York Times$ -- 12/24/25

Also

A trap was set for a bear living under an Altadena home for a month. It caught the wrong bear -- After weeks of unsuccessfully setting out caramel- and cherry-flavored bait and noisemakers in the hopes of flushing the bear out, it seemed like all of the efforts had paid off last week. Johnson heard the rattling of the metal cage from inside his home Dec. 16, but realized quickly it wasn’t the right bear. Sandra McDonald in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 12/26/25

California’s plastic bag phaseout nears, but leftover bags remain unregulated -- At the Target store on Riverside Boulevard on Friday, stacks of plastic bags sat prominently at checkout counters — the only visible option available for shoppers at both self-checkout kiosks and traditional lanes. Under Senate Bill 1053 that passed in 2024, those plastic bags are set to disappear from checkout counters by the end of 2025. Chaewon Chung in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 12/24/25

Snow in San Francisco? City fire stations transform into winter wonderlands for holiday contest -- San Francisco Fire Department Captain Patricia Yuen runs a fire station that currently looks like a movie set for the next Hallmark Channel holiday classic. Peter Hartlaub in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 12/24/25

CalMatters’ 2025 special election Voter Guide reached more voters, thanks to partnerships across the state -- CalMatters produced a nonpartisan voter guide for the Prop. 50 special election, and brought it to more readers across the state thanks to newsroom partners. Sonya Quick Calmatters -- 12/24/25

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Claims about Trump in Epstein files are ‘untrue,’ the Justice Department says -- The documents include a limousine driver reportedly overhearing Trump discussing a man named Jeffrey “abusing” a girl, and an alleged victim accusing Trump and Epstein of rape. It is unclear whether the FBI followed up on the tips. The alleged rape victim died from a gunshot wound to the head after reporting the incident. Michael Wilner in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 12/26/25

ICE’s interest in high-tech gear raises new questions: ‘What is it for?’ -- The immigration agency’s surveillance tools and increased access to government databases draws privacy concerns. Alfred Ng Politico -- 12/26/25

These were the most explosive moments so far in California’s war with Trump -- Threatening to withhold money for public schools and disaster aid. Focusing his mass deportation push in the nation’s second-largest city. Nearly flooding acres of Central Valley farmland. Sophia Bollag in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 12/26/25

Kennedy Center’s Christmas Eve Jazz Show Canceled After Trump Name Added to Building -- Chuck Redd, a musician who has hosted the show for nearly two decades, said that he decided last Friday to call off the performance after learning that the name was being changed on the building in Washington. Francesca Regalado in the New York Times$ -- 12/25/25

U.S. Strikes ISIS in Nigeria After Trump Warned of Attacks on Christians -- The attack comes after President Trump ordered the Defense Department last month to prepare to intervene militarily in Nigeria to protect Christians from Islamic militants. Helene Cooper, Saikou Jammeh and Eric Schmitt in the New York Times$ Isaac Arnsdorf, Tara Copp and Rachel Chason in the Washington Post$ -- 12/25/25

Trump’s Enforcer Is Little-Known White House Aide With Enormous Influence -- Blair, a bald 36-year-old Florida operative who colleagues describe as intense and fiery, has become a critical figure in Trump’s second term—cajoling lawmakers, enforcing loyalty to Trump, shaping the president’s messaging on healthcare and the economy, and orchestrating the White House’s strategy for next year’s midterm elections. Josh Dawsey in the Wall Street Journal$ -- 12/25/25

Federal judge says Trump administration must restore disaster money to Democratic states -- A federal judge has blocked the Trump administration’s attempt to reallocate federal Homeland Security funding away from states that refuse to cooperate with certain federal immigration enforcement. Kimberlee Kruesi Associated Press -- 12/24/25

Supreme Court blocks Trump effort to deploy National Guard troops to Illinois -- In their ruling Tuesday, the justices noted that federal law generally bars use of the military for law enforcement, and they declared that the law Trump used to activate the Guard is likely to apply only when regular armed forces — the Army, Navy, Air Force and Marines — are insufficient to maintain order. Josh Gerstein and Kyle Cheney Politico James Romoser in the Wall Street Journal$ Ann E. Marimow in the New York Times$ Mark Berman and Julian Mark in the Washington Post$ -- 12/24/25

The U.S. Economy Keeps Powering Ahead, Defying Dire Predictions -- One big reason: Americans continue to spend, despite their pessimistic outlook on the economy, their lingering anger about high prices and even a slowdown in the job market. Enormous business investment in the data centers and other scaffolding needed for the artificial intelligence race also helps explain the economy’s growth. Jeanne Whalen and Rachel Wolfe in the Wall Street Journal$ -- 12/24/25

Trump's 'Golden Age' has arrived for the top 10% -- The robust GDP numbers reported this week mask the extent to which wealthy Americans are driving growth. Sam Sutton Politico -- 12/24/25

Trump’s Tanker Crackdown Paralyzes Venezuelan Oil Exports -- Oil exports, the country’s financial lifeblood, have plummeted after the United States took action against three ships that have been used to carry its crude. Anatoly Kurmanaev and Rebecca F. Elliott in the New York Times$ -- 12/24/25

Lawmaker Sues to Remove Trump’s Name From the Kennedy Center -- Representative Joyce Beatty, Democrat of Ohio, argues that only Congress is authorized to rename the D.C. performing arts institution. Shawn McCreesh in the New York Times$ -- 12/24/25

How Did DOGE Disrupt So Much While Saving So Little? -- The group’s biggest claims were largely incorrect, a New York Times analysis found. And its many smaller cuts added up to few savings. Emily Badger, David A. Fahrenthold, Alicia Parlapiano and Margot Sanger-Katz in the New York Times$ -- 12/24/25

‘He’s a Maximalist’: Inside Trump’s Gilded Oval Office -- The New York Times recreated the president’s office in 3-D, using hundreds of photos taken in October. Ashley Wu, Doug Mills, Junho Lee, Marco Hernandez, Katie Rogers and Mika Gröndahl in the New York Times$ -- 12/24/25

Also

When robot taxis get stuck, a secret army of humans comes to the rescue -- Don Adkins was walking along the Sunset Strip in Los Angeles late one night this month when he heard a plea for help. Lisa Bonos in the Washington Post$ -- 12/25/25