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California Policy and Politics Monday

California lawmakers vote to change childhood sex abuse law -- The California state Legislature voted Sunday to amend a 2019 law that extended the statute of limitations for childhood sexual abuse claims but was blamed for draining the coffers of municipalities and school districts. Dakota Smith in the Los Angeles Times$ Stephen Hobbs in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 8/31/26

Bid to limit Thurmond’s power falls short as rumors swirl about Sac City intervention -- A statewide county superintendents association’s attempt to amend California education law and limit the state superintendent’s power to intervene in local school district finances fell short after the Legislature declined to advance the proposal Friday. Chaewon Chung in the Sacramento Bee$ John Fensterwald EdSource -- 8/30/26

Republican-on-Republican battle for California’s 40th Congressional District may hinge on message -- In the race for the realigned California’s 40th Congressional District, the messaging coming out of each campaign — and their supporters — may make all the difference come November. Charlie Borla in the Orange County Register$ -- 8/31/26

Barabak: Don’t look now, but suddenly the U.S. Senate is in play -- The four-seat gain Democrats need to win control once seemed all but out of reach. Odds are looking up, though the party still faces a tough path, with toss-up races in a half dozen (mostly red) states. Mark Z. Barabak in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 8/31/26

 

‘Measured in weeks, not days’: Plaskett and Timber fires near Big Sur scorch 33,000 acres -- Crews on Sunday continued to battle two wildfires in Monterey County near Big Sur that have collectively burned more than 33,000 acres and forced more than 600 people to evacuate. Hayley Smith in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 8/31/26

 

A rare cancer stalks children in this wealthy O.C. suburb. Parents desperate to unlock mystery -- Seventeen-year-old Brody Matteson went through hell in the last year of his life. Feeding tubes, blood transfusions, ambulance rides, intense nausea and bone-deep pain. Clara Harter in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 8/31/26

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US strikes Iranian rocket launchers on the Strait of Hormuz in first military action in weeks -- U.S. forces struck Iranian rocket launchers on the Strait of Hormuz in their first military action in a month on Sunday, breaking a lull in fighting during an intermittent war that has lasted more than six months. Vowing to retaliate for what it called a deadly attack, Iran later said it had launched missiles at U.S. sites in Jordan. Konstantin Toropin, Cara Anna, Ben Finley Associated Press -- 8/31/26

A conservative California upbringing paved Natalie Harp’s way to Trump -- Harp and her brother were home-schooled in San Diego by their mother, who used educational materials written from a biblical worldview. In her mid-20s, Harp moved with her parents to Irvine to be closer to their father’s work at Biola University. Ana Ceballos and Hannah Fry in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 8/31/26

'Like something out of 'Saturday Night Live': Ontario premier laughs off ‘Lake America’ executive order -- In a wide-ranging interview with ABC’s “This Week,” Ford denounced Trump’s tariff plans; said many were feeling “bullied” by the president; and appeared to laugh off an executive order renaming Lake Ontario to Lake America. Cheyanne M. Daniels Politico -- 8/31/26

Pentagon secretly installs military influencers in civilian roles -- Conservative veterans with large social media followings have been hired by the Defense Department and are amplifying Pete Hegseth’s culture-war fights. Dan Lamothe and Tara Copp in the Washington Post$ -- 8/31/26

USDA cyclospora research projects shelved amid funding cuts and relocations -- The shuttering of three projects is expected to hinder vital research at a time when consumers are increasingly worried about the safety of the food supply. Marcia Brown and Rachel Shin Politico -- 8/31/26

Venezuela vowed not to ‘hand over’ its oil. Trump aims to grab a windfall. -- The deal cements the United States’ long-term dominance over Venezuela, which has become a neo-colony since the U.S. military’s capture of then-President Nicolás Maduro in January. Samantha Schmidt and Helena Carpio in the Washington Post$ -- 8/31/26

 

California Policy and Politics Sunday

New evacuation orders for Timber and Plaskett fires near Big Sur -- Two wildfires near the Big Sur coast continued to push north as warm and dry daytime conditions and afternoon winds elevated burning, fire officials said Saturday. The Timber Fire near Highway 1 reached 24,601 acres as of Saturday afternoon, and Cal Fire reported the Plaskett Fire grew to 5,924 acres after it was “very active” all day Friday. Sarah Brager in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 8/30/26

Garofoli: Here’s how California billionaire tax backers plan to compete against avalanche of cash -- The moment of truth has arrived for supporters of California’s proposed tax on billionaires: The billionaires have begun fighting back. Joe Garofoli in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 8/30/26

California lawmakers strike wildfire deal that leaves out most of Newsom’s big demands -- Gov. Gavin Newsom on Saturday backed off his proposal to reduce costs for electrical utilities after their equipment sparks wildfires, agreeing instead to a narrower deal after homeowners, insurers and fire survivors argued his original plan would have shifted those costs onto them. Jeanne Kuang and Levi Sumagaysay Calmatters Melody Petersen in the Los Angeles Times$ Stephen Hobbs in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 8/30/26

California lawmakers reach deal in high-stakes fight over regulating data centers -- Proposed legislation by Sen. Steve Padilla (D-Chula Vista) and Assemblymember Rick Chavez Zbur (D-Los Angeles), finalized Friday, would establish special rules for data centers’ electrical use. The legislation requires the California Public Utilities Commission to create special rates and updated rules for data centers’ use of electricity, including the costs for new power for infrastructure upgrades. Dakota Smith and Blanca Begert in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 8/30/26

Judge declares Rubio’s speech-based student deportations violate the Constitution -- Northern District of California Judge Noël Wise, an appointee of former President Joe Biden, sided with the Stanford Daily, which sued Secretary of State Marco Rubio, arguing that his use of the Immigration and Nationality Act to deport noncitizen students had foreign students refraining from writing opinion pieces critical of the administration. Gregory Svirnovskiy and Ben Johansen Politico Grace Hase in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 8/30/26

A MAGA Uproar Ensued After a Bill Was Given a Nick Shirley Nickname -- A privacy measure for immigration aid workers became a free speech cause for backers of Mr. Shirley, a right-wing YouTube star. Democrats say the furor is fueled by misinformation. Laurel Rosenhall in the New York Times$ -- 8/30/26

There’s a powerful third wheel in S.F.’s heated House race: Nancy Pelosi -- State Sen. Scott Wiener and Supervisor Connie Chan are the two official candidates running in the Nov. 3 election to represent San Francisco in the House of Representatives, but the heated race has increasingly revolved around a third shadow opponent: Nancy Pelosi. Hannah Wiley in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 8/30/26

TPS

Ukrainians with TPS face uncertainty, felt especially in Sacramento -- Yaroslav Perepadya has built a life in Davis since fleeing Ukraine with his teenage son after Russia invaded their country in 2022. He has a job with the state, pays taxes and has watched his son begin college. Now, that life is hanging in uncertainty as the federal government weighs the future of protections that allow thousands of Ukrainians to remain and work in the United States. Alula Alderson in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 8/30/26

Lineage Logistics

Millions of pounds of rotting food have finally been removed from burned warehouse in Boyle Heights -- After grappling with rancid odors and missed deadlines, Boyle Heights residents may finally get some relief, with air quality regulators confirming Saturday that millions of pounds of decaying food have been cleared from the burned Lineage Logistics facility. Suhauna Hussain in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 8/30/26

Education

Trump cuts to these college outreach programs are hurting rural California students -- Campus tours, help with college applications and academic counseling. These are just a few forms of college outreach and assistance lost to California students when the U.S. Department of Education canceled over $40 million in funding across the country for more than 100 TRIO programs. The cuts hit rural students the hardest. Kahani Malhotra Calmatters -- 8/30/26

Lakers

Avoiding the family drama: How Josh Kushner built a $16-billion legacy and became the newest owner of the Lakers -- When news broke that Mark Walter’s insurance businesses were under federal investigation and that the Lakers and Dodgers owner might be in financial trouble, Josh Kushner sensed a business opportunity. Laurence Darmiento in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 8/30/26

AI

California lawmakers crack down on AI used in public comment -- California lawmakers have passed legislation that will make it easier for government agencies to protect themselves from the rising use of artificial intelligence for public comment, records requests and other forms of civic engagement. Hayley Smith in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 8/30/26

The 5 craziest discoveries from OpenAI's HuggingFace investigation -- Two new investigations into OpenAI's Hugging Face breach expose details so strange — and so unsettling — that the episode already ranks among the most consequential shocks in the history of AI. Zachary Basu Axios -- 8/30/26

U.N. warns of ‘moral red line’ on killer robots; experts say it’s already been crossed -- Experts, including California scholars, say that line was crossed when an AI-guided Russian drone and earlier Ukrainian tests killed humans without human control, signaling a new era of automated war. Corinne Purtill in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 8/30/26

Also

Lopez: Gov. Newsom backs off from shameful gambit, and it’s a victory for California coast -- Gov. Gavin Newsom quietly backed a last-minute bill to exempt a waterfront project from the Coastal Act, a carve-out tailored to benefit longtime campaign donor Jeff Worthe. Steve Lopez in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 8/30/26

Waiting for Jon Voight, Hollywood’s would-be savior -- I tried to find Trump’s Hollywood ambassador at his regular deli. The actor never showed — but his federal rescue mission may be gaining momentum. Daniel Miller Politico -- 8/30/26

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Trump says he will use Venezuelan oil to refill U.S. stockpiles, but it’s not so simple. -- In a social media post on Sunday, President Trump said he would use the oil from his deal in Venezuela to refill the United States’ stockpile of oil, but that’s something of a pipe dream — at least in the short term. Rebecca F. Elliott in the New York Times$ -- 8/30/26

Postal Service Rule Could Bar Millions From Voting by Mail -- A judge temporarily blocked the agency from implementing a strict new rule governing mail voting. The policy could disproportionately affect Democrats and many battleground elections. Reid J. Epstein in the New York Times$ -- 8/30/26

Why the United States Can’t Quit Its Wars -- The country’s longest war came to an end exactly five years ago. Today it offers lessons for policymakers seeking to avoid an endless war in Iran. Greg Jaffe in the New York Times$ -- 8/30/26

Military leaders warn Hegseth against extending Iran war operations -- Several U.S. military leaders have advised Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth that prolonging large-scale operations against Iran is unsustainable and risks weakening their ability to confront threats elsewhere, including the U.S. homeland, according to people familiar with a recent assessment prepared for the Pentagon chief. Alex Horton and Tara Copp in the Washington Post$ -- 8/30/26