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California Policy and Politics Tuesday

It’s not just UCLA. UC president warns of Trump push into all campuses and hospitals -- The University of California’s top leader warned Monday that the federal government’s $1.2-billion fine and sweeping proposals to remake UCLA are “minor in comparison” to what could hit the entirety of the nation’s premier university system of campuses, hospitals and clinics. Jaweed Kaleem in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 09/16/25

Jewish professors urge UC regents not to negotiate with Trump -- Roughly 150 Jewish professors are urging the University of California’s governing Board of Regents not to negotiate with President Donald Trump, saying that he is spreading the false idea that “systematic antisemitism” exists across UC to exert political control over it and extort concessions. Nanette Asimov in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 09/16/25

As RFK pushes MAHA, federal cuts shut down California health and nutrition programs -- Whether federal cuts are legal is still undecided. But local health departments have closed clinics, stopped programs, cut immunization appointments, and laid off workers anyway. Kristen Hwang Calmatters -- 09/16/25

Trump is firing S.F. judges with highest rates of granting asylum, new analysis finds -- The fired San Francisco judges who have spoken publicly have said that their decisions from the bench were motivated by adherence to the law, not personal ideology. Christian Leonard in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 09/16/25

Sacramento’s Mexican Independence Day has smaller crowd amid immigration fears -- Though smaller in size, Sacramento’s decadeslong El Grito celebration at the state Capitol carried added significance for the region’s Mexican community as the federal administration continues its immigration crackdown. Mathew Miranda in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 09/16/25

Dems unleash House primary challenges in war on gerontocracy -- Long a haven for aging politicians, the state has suddenly become the tip of the spear for national Democrat-on-Democrat hostilities: Fully half of the state’s older House Democrats are set to face same-party challengers next year, with Rep. Mike Thompson the latest to draw an opponent. Jeremy B. White Politico -- 09/16/25

The big-money Democrats with a different Yes on 50 strategy -- While nearly every prominent Democrat in Sacramento and Washington has backed Gov. Gavin Newsom’s snap-gerrymander, one group seeded by wealthy foundations and progressive donors is staking out its own strategy. Jeremy B. White Politico -- 09/16/25

Here’s how Newsom’s maps are already changing California’s congressional races -- California congressional wannabes aren’t waiting for Prop. 50 to start campaigning in the newly drawn districts. Candidates are evaluating which seats they stand the greatest chance of winning in. For Republican challengers, the eight-week delay is far more consequential. Maya C. Miller Calmatters -- 09/16/25

Schwarzenegger decries polarization, criticizes Newsom’s gerrymandering effort -- “They are trying to fight for democracy by getting rid of the democratic principles of California,” Schwarzenegger told hundred of students at an event celebrating democracy at the University of Southern California. “It is insane to let that happen. Seema Mehta in the Los Angeles Times$ Melanie Mason Politico Laurel Rosenhall in the New York Times$ -- 09/16/25

Republicans could have an election edge even if California redraws House maps -- Republicans appear well-positioned to retain control of the House next year even if California voters redraw congressional maps that give Democrats a big advantage, new independent analyses find. David Lightman in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 09/16/25

California’s Environmental Past Confronts Economic Worries of the Present -- Gov. Gavin Newsom and Democratic state lawmakers have focused on pocketbook concerns this year, seeing their party’s national losses as a reckoning. Soumya Karlamangla in the New York Times$ -- 09/16/25

California’s High Gas Prices Could Climb Further as Refineries Close -- The state has led the country in adopting electric cars and reducing gas use, but it now faces much higher gas prices as oil companies plan to shut down refineries. Rebecca F. Elliott in the New York Times$ -- 09/16/25

Which of these 2025 bills will Gavin Newsom sign? -- The fate of hundreds of bills recently approved by the Legislature now rests with Gov. Gavin Newsom. He has one month to sign or veto any measures passed in the final days before the session ended Sept. 13. Calmatters -- 09/16/25

California’s insurer of last resort would face more scrutiny under bill heading to Newsom’s desk -- The FAIR Plan faces accusations of denying smoke-damage claims and more. Can California lawmakers keep the insurer of last resort accountable? Levi Sumagaysay and Nadia Lathan Calmatters -- 09/16/25

California’s largest ICE detention facility has 500 detainees. ‘It’s total chaos’ -- Immigration advocates and lawyers say Tennessee-based private prison operator CoreCivic flouted state laws and California City municipal code in its rapid pursuit to open the 70-acre detention center. Melissa Montalvo in the Fresno Bee -- 09/16/25

Garofoli: Charlie Kirk’s death has ushered in a brutal crackdown on speech -- Hours after Charlie Kirk was assassinated last week while speaking at a college campus in Utah, President Donald Trump urged “all Americans to commit themselves to the American values for which Charlie Kirk lived and died.” Free speech was chief among those values, Trump said. Joe Garofoli in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 09/16/25

UCLA race and equity official sounded off after Charlie Kirk’s slaying. Now he’s on leave -- Johnathan Perkins, the director of race and equity, appeared to have published the remarks on BlueSky. The posts express satisfaction with as well as indifference to the killing of Kirk, a popular right-wing commentator and activist. Ruben Vives in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 09/16/25

Fresno State lecturer on leave after caustic comments on Charlie Kirk shooting -- Fresno State has placed a lecturer on paid leave while it investigates comments allegedly made following the shooting of right-wing political activist Charlie Kirk. Robert Kuwada in the Fresno Bee -- 09/16/25

Workers Are Getting Fired Over Posts Mocking Charlie Kirk’s Death -- Workers across the country who’ve mocked Charlie Kirk’s death online have quickly learned their words can get them fired. Allison Pohle and Chip Cutter in the Wall Street Journal$ Taylor Telford and Faiz Siddiqui in the Washington Post$ -- 09/16/25

Arellano: Empathy is the only way forward after Charlie Kirk’s death -- “Are politics going to get worse now?” my father asked. It’s a question that friends and family have been asking me since Charlie Kirk’s assassination. Gustavo Arellano in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 09/16/25

Charlie Kirk railed against transgender rights. His killing has further fueled the fight -- Charlie Kirk’s fatal shooting has further stoked an anti-transgender movement that Kirk helped lead, as officials and conservative activists alike delve into the alleged shooter’s motivations and any potential links to the transgender community. Kevin Rector and Ana Ceballos in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 09/16/25

Minnesota suburb holds special election after killing of state legislator -- A Tuesday special election will decide who fills the seat once held by former state House Speaker Melissa Hortman (D), who was shot dead, along with her husband, at their home. Patrick Svitek in the Washington Post$ -- 09/16/25

AI

'We don't want California to set the rules for AI across the country,' Trump adviser says -- A top White House adviser said the Trump administration doesn’t want the future of artificial intelligence to be shaped by California — the powerful state whose AI laws could act as a brake to Washington’s plans to accelerate the technology. Anthony Adragna and Mohar Chatterjee Politico -- 09/16/25

Wildfire

Eaton fire contaminated Altadena with lead. It’s lingering even after cleanup, final county report finds -- 20% of properties were still contaminated with lead after debris clean-up, the County found. Noah Haggerty in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 09/16/25

Transit

Sales tax to help fund Bay Area transit appears to be headed for 2026 ballot -- The half-cent sales tax would help raise revenues for struggling transit systems that still haven’t recovered ridership since the pandemic. Kate Talerico in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 09/16/25

Education

Trump administration calls minority grant funding “racially discriminatory,” redirects money to charter schools -- The Trump administration announced Monday it would redirect funding for minority-serving institutions into U.S. charter schools to support school choice. Molly Gibbs in the San Jose Mercury$ Danielle Douglas-Gabriel in the Washington Post$ -- 09/16/25

Lawmakers pass sweeping charter school anti-fraud bill -- At midnight Friday — the final day of the legislative session — California lawmakers hadn’t acted on either of two competing bills to curb charter school fraud, which has cost taxpayers hundreds of millions of dollars over the past decade. Kathryn Baron EdSource -- 09/16/25

Math crisis began a decade ago and has only worsened, report says -- American students are experiencing a math crisis marked by a decline in scores that began over a decade ago and rapidly accelerated in the wake of the pandemic. Emma Gallegos EdSource -- 09/16/25

More California high school seniors applied for college financial aid this year than last -- Nearly three-quarters of California public high school seniors applied for federal financial aid this year, soaring past last year’s figures by 11 percent and giving further indication that California’s efforts to get more students to apply for federal grants are paying off. Mikhail Zinshteyn Calmatters -- 09/16/25

These L.A.-area community colleges are the best return on investment, study shows -- A new study ranks California community and career colleges based on their return on investment, and a handful of local institutions cracked the top 25, among them Cerritos College. Daniel Miller in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 09/16/25

Former students abused by longtime Rolling Hills High teacher awarded more than $13 million -- Garry Poe’s former students alleged that he had cultivated relationships of trust and mentoring with them, only to then sexually assault them, particularly on a European tour he chaperoned after graduation. Matt Hamilton in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 09/16/25

Housing

California Legislature took aim at speeding up home building. Some wanted more -- By the time California legislators finished their work for the year on Saturday, they had provided a clear statement for how they want to reduce the explosive costs to buy or rent a home in the state and the staggering number of people living on the streets. Stephen Hobbs in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 09/16/25

A dire housing shortage crushed People’s Park, and the ideals it represented -- People’s Park in Berkeley is now buried under the concrete frame of a massive student dormitory. After more than half a century, a hub for impromptu concerts, volleyball, political hangouts, drug use and crime is gone. James Rainey in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 09/16/25

Street

Menendez brothers won’t get new trial; judge rejects petition over sexual abuse claims -- A judge has rejected Erik and Lyle Menendez’s petition for a new trial, ruling that additional evidence that they suffered sexual abuse at their father’s hands would not have changed the outcome of the trial that has put them in prison for more than 35 years for gunning down their parents. Richard Winton and James Queally in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 09/16/25

San Diego deputies left ‘transient’ woman lying in a ditch, report says. She ended up dying -- In late July, Richard Quinones saw a woman lying in a ditch near trolley tracks in Lemon Grove. He called the San Diego County Sheriff’s Office, who arrived but then drove off without checking on the woman. She died days later. Summer Lin in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 09/16/25

Federal judge declines to dismiss latest jail-death case against San Diego County -- A federal judge in San Diego has refused to dismiss a lawsuit against the county, its sheriff and a host of jail medical providers who were involved in the 2022 death of a man who died in custody. Jeff McDonald in the San Diego Union Tribune$ -- 09/16/25

9th Circuit ruling puts excessive force suit against racist text cop in La Victoria shooting back on track -- An excessive force lawsuit against a former San Jose cop disgraced by a racist texting scandal is set to resume, after a federal court ruling last week affirmed the ex-officer is not shielded from litigation in his controversial 2022 shooting of an aspiring college football player. Robert Salonga in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 09/16/25

Also

Robert Redford, Oscar-winning actor, director and indie patriarch, dies at 89 -- Robert Redford has died at 89. The Hollywood golden boy who became an Oscar-winning director, liberal activist and godfather for independent cinema died in Utah on Tuesday. Bob Thomas Associated Press -- 09/16/25

Walters: California’s sky-high living costs afford it the nation’s highest poverty label — again -- Last year’s presidential election underscored, particularly to Democrats, that the costs of living were a major factor in the outcome. Dan Walters Calmatters -- 09/16/25

Santa Monica’s waves have turned a bright pink. How can the dye job improve water quality? -- Monday’s pink, fluorescent dye drop in Santa Monica Bay is part of a project to study how water circulation could be driving poor water quality. Grace Toohey in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 09/16/25

Jensen: $23 Billion Scientific Research Program Proposed in California -- California would see the creation of a $23 billion state research agency under legislation proposed late last week, a new enterprise that could threaten the existence of the state’s 20-year-old stem cell and gene therapy program. David Jensen Capitol Weekly -- 09/16/25

California may add new state holiday. What is Diwali and who celebrates it? -- Last week the California Legislature passed Assembly Bill 268, which would add Diwali, also known as Deepavali and the Hindu “Festival of Lights,” to the state’s official holiday list. Karen Garcia in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 09/15/25

POTUS 47

Trump Files $15 Billion Lawsuit Against New York Times -- The suit, which names the Times alongside four of its reporters and book publisher Penguin Random House, accuses the paper of interference in the 2024 presidential election and of “spreading false and defamatory content” about Trump. Gareth Vipers in the Wall Street Journal$ Daisuke Wakabayashi in the New York Times$ Niha Masih and Leo Sands in the Washington Post$ -- 09/16/25

How China Is Weathering the Trade War With Trump -- Tariffs triggered a plunge in China’s exports to the United States, but its global trade surplus is larger because sales to other regions are surging. Daisuke Wakabayashi and Keith Bradsher in the New York Times$ -- 09/16/25

Appeals court denies Trump bid to remove Federal Reserve board member Lisa Cook -- The Trump administration is likely to race to the Supreme Court before Tuesday’s Fed meeting. Josh Gerstein and Kyle Cheney Politico Lydia Wheeler and Nick Timiraos in the Wall Street Journal$ Tony Romm, Colby Smith and Ben Casselman in the New York Times$ Justin Jouvenal in the Washington Post$ -- 09/16/25

Trump Advisers Prepare to Target Left-Leaning Groups After Kirk Shooting -- GOP looks to harness outrage, draw younger voters ahead of midterm elections. Alex Leary, Aaron Zitner and Siobhan Hughes in the Wall Street Journal$ Katie Rogers and Zolan Kanno-Youngs in the New York Times$ Cat Zakrzewski, Michael Birnbaum and Yvonne Wingett Sanchez in the Washington Post$ Rachel Leingang The Guardian -- 09/16/25

The New Pitfall of Online Shopping: A Surprise Tariff Bill -- Bruce Prangley ordered a $77 shirt in August from a Swedish sports brand. He paid $30 for shipping. Then, two weeks after the package was delivered, he received an unexpected bill from FedEx for $42.35. The surprise bill was a tariff charge. Esther Fung in the Wall Street Journal$ -- 09/16/25

Anatomy of Two Giant Deals: The U.A.E. Got Chips. The Trump Team Got Crypto Riches -- A lucrative transaction involving the Trump family’s cryptocurrency firm and an agreement giving the Emiratis access to A.I. chips were connected in ways that have not been previously reported. Eric Lipton, David Yaffe-Bellany, Bradley Hope, Tripp Mickle and Paul Mozur in the New York Times$ -- 09/16/25

5 Takeaways From The Times’s Investigation Into 2 Giant Deals Involving Trump -- Two blockbuster agreements illustrate how profitable the extreme deal-making of the Trump era has become for the president and people in his inner circle. Eric Lipton, David Yaffe-Bellany, Bradley Hope, Tripp Mickle and Paul Mozur in the New York Times$ -- 09/16/25

National park to remove photo of enslaved man’s scars -- The Trump administration is ordering the removal of information on slavery at multiple national parks in an effort to scrub them of “corrosive ideology.” Jake Spring and Hannah Natanson in the Washington Post$ -- 09/16/25

Upgrades Begin on Plane Donated by Qatar to Serve as Air Force One -- Congressional budget analysts suspect that a mysterious $934 million transfer earlier this year from one of the Pentagon’s most over-budget, out-of-control projects — the modernization of America’s aging, ground-based nuclear missiles — is paying for much of the new, gold-adorned Air Force One that Mr. Trump desperately wants in the air before his term is over. Eric Schmitt in the New York Times$ -- 09/16/25