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California Policy and Politics Tuesday

Edison tower caused deadly Eaton fire that devastated Altadena, long-awaited investigation finds -- Investigators found that “two electrical arcing events” caused burning material to fall from a SoCal Edison transmission tower onto thick brush, which quickly ignited. That fire quickly grew out of control amid extreme Santa Ana winds. Grace Toohey in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 8/4/26

 

California sues Trump to block latest tariffs, sharing of needy families’ data with ICE -- California filed two lawsuits against the Trump administration Monday — one to block President Trump’s latest round of tariffs on international trading partners, the other to block his administration from sharing needy families’ personal data with immigration officials. Kevin Rector in the Los Angeles Times$ Ari Hawkins Politico -- 8/4/26

Democratic states urge Supreme Court to block Trump’s new limits on mail ballots -- California and the other states said it is too late in the election year to impose a new set of regulations for mail ballots. Trump’s lawyer argued that judges should stand back for now, even though the midterm elections are only three months away. David G. Savage in the Los Angeles Times$ Sara DiNatale in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 8/4/26

Trump set to visit L.A. for fundraiser. Attacking Newsom is on the agenda -- President Trump will travel to Los Angeles on Tuesday and Las Vegas on Wednesday as part of a two-day West Coast trip aimed at highlighting his administration’s economic record ahead of the midterm elections, a White House official confirmed. Ana Ceballos in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 8/4/26

Walters: Which version of Gavin Newsom will voters see if he runs for president? -- All politicians are, to some extent, chameleons who align their personas with the prevailing moods of the voting public. Dan Walters Calmatters -- 8/4/26

 

How wealth tax backers won over California Democrats -- Months of behind-the-scenes organizing — capped by an appearance from Rep. Maxine Waters — helped supporters secure the state party’s endorsement. Blake Jones and Jeremy B. White Politico -- 8/4/26

California Democrats Want to Tax Billionaires. They Can’t Agree on How -- Leaders of the state Democratic Party endorsed the ballot measure slated for November, but the party remains far from united on the issue as Democrats nationwide grapple with a growing wealth gap. Laurel Rosenhall and Soumya Karlamangla in the New York Times$ -- 8/4/26

 

California Assembly GOP ousts embattled leader Heath Flora as Legislature returns -- A Sacramento Bee investigation from last year found that Flora was not living in the Central Valley home that is registered as his “legal domicile,” regularly spent campaign funds at Sacramento restaurants and bars for “district meetings,” even though it was outside of the area he represented. Stephen Hobbs in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 8/4/26

Workplace

Report says bill allowing state workers to telework could save California millions -- A new analysis from the Senate Committee on Appropriations shows a bill supporting telework for state workers could save California hundreds of millions of dollars, even after accounting for its implementation costs. Corey Schmidt in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 8/4/26

Healthcare

California nearly achieved universal healthcare. Now, millions are losing coverage -- California’s uninsured rate could nearly double by 2030, with the sharpest losses hitting Black, Asian, and Latino residents in Southern California. A new documentary reveals the human toll behind the numbers, including families navigating Medi-Cal amid immigration raids and looming benefit cuts. Kristen Hwang Calmatters -- 8/4/26

Medi-Cal is changing. Here’s what to do if you’re worried about coverage -- It’s a tumultuous time for healthcare. Federal and state budget cuts are changing the rules for public benefits. Most people with Medi-Cal won’t be affected, but it may be confusing to figure out whether your benefits will change. Kristen Hwang and Ana B. Ibarra Calmatters -- 8/4/26

Struggling to survive, South L.A.’s MLK hospital seeks greater share of county funds -- The potential closure of the community hospital serving South Los Angeles would be ‘devastating,’ said L.A. County’s Dr. Naman Shah. ‘We would have untold misery from lack of access to care.’ Connor Sheets in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 8/4/26

Head Start

Proposed Trump overhaul of Head Start raises anxiety for California providers and families -- The Trump administration is planning to overhaul Head Start by turning over most of its quality standards to state control and tightening requirements for parents who are homeless or unemployed, two people familiar with the deliberations said. Moriah Balingit and Kate Sequeira in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 8/4/26

 

JPMorgan chief Jamie Dimon says S.F. is back on track. His bank is betting on it -- JPMorgan Chase & Co., the nation’s largest bank, is ramping up its Bay Area presence and designated the region as a new corporate center Monday amid a new round of local investments. Roland Li in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 8/4/26

JPMorgan makes $200 million bet that San Francisco’s housing freeze is thawing -- Four years after rising interest rates all but froze apartment development across San Francisco, one of Wall Street’s biggest banks is making a bet few large financial institutions have been willing to wager: that it’s time to build housing again. Laura Waxmann in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 8/4/26

Housing

In Menlo Park housing fight, Bonta sends a potential warning to California cities -- After nearly two years of legal conflict over one of Menlo Park’s largest proposed developments on the former Sunset Magazine headquarters site, California Attorney General Rob Bonta has sided with the developer, saying the city violated state housing law in its effort to stop the project. Laura Waxmann in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 8/4/26

Wildfire

Devastation in Spokane bears tragic parallels to Palisades, Eaton fires -- The destruction is familiar to those in the L.A. region because, in 2025, residents lived it. The ongoing Spokane fires, like the Palisades and Eaton blazes, exploded near residential areas, during extreme fire weather on the heels of extremely dry winters. Clara Harter in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 8/4/26

A Mall in the Palisades, Protected From Wildfire, Prepares to Reopen -- About 300 construction workers last month milled around Palisades Village, an outdoor shopping mall in Los Angeles, one of the few structures that didn’t completely burn down during the wildfire last year. Kim Bhasin and Shawn Hubler in the New York Times$ -- 8/4/26

Child Care

Desperate for day care: How empty TK-12 classrooms can help fix California’s child-care crisis -- Declining enrollment in California public schools is spawning a new and growing partnership that is helping to keep child-care centers in business — vacant classrooms are being filled with toddlers and babies. Kate Sequeira in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 8/4/26

Education

Teachers have some big wins in this year’s California budget. Here are their victories -- The funding for teacher recruitment and retention builds on the more than $1 billion California has spent since 2018 to end a persistent school staffing shortage that has left many classrooms without a fully credentialed teacher. Diana Lambert EdSource -- 8/4/26

The ‘Fraud Squad’ at Caltech Will Catch You if You Lie on Your Application -- College investigators vet every admitted student’s application as schools nationwide battle AI-fueled cheating. Roshan Fernandez, Adam Amengual in the Wall Street Journal$ -- 8/4/26

AI

California AI transparency law’s first phase cracks down on deepfakes, scams -- The first set of regulations mandated by California’s AI Transparency Act went into effect Sunday. Now, AI giants like Google and Anthropic will have to make their technologies comply with the state’s fight against pornography deepfakes and AI scams. Evelyn Ronan in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 8/4/26

White House Whipsaws Silicon Valley (and Itself) Over A.I. Rules -- The Trump administration has struggled over how to approach “open source” models, which are freely available to download and favored by Chinese companies. David McCabe, Mike Isaac, Ana Swanson and Kate Conger in the New York Times$ -- 8/4/26

These Employees Like Their A.I. Boss. Its Shop Is Kind of a Disaster. -- A new study of a bot running a first-of-its-kind San Francisco store finds it is really friendly, but not very smart. Heather Knight in the New York Times$ -- 8/4/26

Also

Northern California woman identified as In-N-Out worker killed in mass shooting -- Ashley Garibay, 23, had traveled from Stockton to train workers at the burger chain’s newly opened Twin Falls restaurant. Aidin Vaziri in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 8/4/26

Contraband fuel: Smuggling gasoline into Mexico earns cartels millions -- To avoid taxes and high import fees, gasoline and diesel legally purchased in the United States is being smuggled into Mexico. The scheme, known as huachicol fiscal, is the second-largest source of revenue for cartels, after drug trafficking. An astounding one-third to one-quarter of all fuel sold in Mexico may be illicit. Patrick J. McDonnell in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 8/4/26

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An Emerging Deal Could Cement Iran’s Control of Strait of Hormuz -- Iran and Oman are closing in on an agreement to reopen shipping traffic in the Strait of Hormuz, according to Iranian and American officials, but if the accord goes into effect it could come at a high price — ratifying Tehran’s control over what, before the war, was an open, international waterway. David E. Sanger, Farnaz Fassihi and Eric Schmitt in the New York Times$ -- 8/4/26

As Blanche's path to confirmation is cleared, Trump's tax audit immunity remains in place -- In a document Blanche sent to the lawmakers Sunday, he said the audit immunity, struck as part of a deal to resolve the president’s $10 billion lawsuit against the IRS, would not protect the president from the examination of future tax filings. Instead, he noted, it “applies by its terms only retroactively” to claims open at the time of the lawsuit’s settlement. Fatima Hussein Associated Press -- 8/4/26

Republicans Let Trump Keep Unparalleled Benefit: I.R.S. Immunity -- The rebellion against Todd Blanche’s nomination to be attorney general, now seemingly contained, at no point fundamentally questioned President Trump’s new protections from the I.R.S. Andrew Duehren in the New York Times$ -- 8/4/26

Completely hollow’: critics denounce Blanche deal to halt Trump slush fund -- A compromise between Todd Blanche and two Republican senators that potentially cleared the way for Blanche’s confirmation as attorney general is weak, Democrats and several experts said, as it makes promises Donald Trump can easily reverse. Sam Levine and Chris Stein in The Guardian -- 8/4/26

Trump keeps making threats. The world has stopped flinching -- The president’s bombast has ceased to rattle world leaders, who have seen him fenced in by courts, rebuffed by Congress and strung along by Iran. Steve Hendrix and Anthony Faiola in the Washington Post$ -- 8/4/26

 

California Policy and Politics Monday

California Democratic Party endorses billionaire tax measure -- Proposition 40, which is set to go before voters in November, would impose a one-time 5% tax on the assets of California’s roughly 200 billionaires. Delilah Brumer in the San Francisco Chronicle$ Nicole Nixon in the Los Angeles Times$ Ben Paviour in the Sacramento Bee$ Blake Jones Politico Paul Kiernan in the Wall Street Journal$ -- 8/3/26

Keep an eye on these 5 deals as California lawmakers close out the legislative sessionn -- Lawmakers could tackle climate money, wildfires and California Forever before they adjourn for the year and hit the campaign trail. Yue Stella Yu and Maya C. Miller Calmatters -- 8/3/26

Kamala Harris keeps Democrats guessing about 2028 -- For now, her focus is on voting rights and the midterms. But her eye toward artificial intelligence and women’s issues could inform her next steps. Melanie Mason Politico -- 8/3/26

Garofoli: 2028 will be the AI election. Newsom and Trump agree on one plan to address it -- President Donald Trump and Gov. Gavin Newsom are in broad agreement on at least one thing: how to help Americans survive being financially crushed by the AI revolution. They want Americans to own a piece of the action. Joe Garofoli in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 8/3/26

Will California voters ‘orphaned’ in top-two primary be strategic in November House races? -- California’s top-two primary has left many voters ‘orphaned’ this fall, or without a candidate from their own party to vote for in some races. Kevin Rector in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 8/3/26

Is this proposition a $4 billion giveaway to a billionaire-backed LA research center? -- Proposition 38 is written in a way that very likely excludes all but one institute in the entire state: the California Institute for Immunology and Immunotherapy, whose prominent donor and co-founder is the chief backer of the proposition. Mikhail Zinshteyn Calmatters -- 8/3/26

 

California could require voter ID. Both sides say voters are being misled -- A fight is heating up over a California ballot initiative to implement voter ID as it heads to the courts, pitting advocates who say it will ensure election integrity in the vote-by-mail era against critics who say it would impose needless burdens that could disenfranchise voters. Grace Hase in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 8/3/26

Chabria: Prop. 39 would turn Trump conspiracy into California law. It has a chance of passing -- Today we’re talking about California’s Proposition 39, a bid to turn Trump’s election conspiracy fantasies into California law, and a proposal so disingenuous it’s caused Democratic legislators to sue the Democratic secretary of state in an attempt to stop the misinformation surrounding it. Anita Chabria in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 8/3/26

 

California families won’t owe taxes on money in Trump Accounts, thanks to law change -- California families can now take full advantage of the program after state lawmakers aligned California’s tax code with the new federal program. Until recently, the state planned to tax contributions to Trump Accounts, diminishing one of the program’s key financial benefits. Lasherica Thornton EdSource -- 8/3/26

‘Don’t Flock me’: California, U.S. lawmakers debate license plate reader technology -- They’re all over our roads and really good at helping police solve crimes, but do California’s automated license plate readers need limits? Ryan Sabalow Calmatters -- 8/3/26

Wildfire

The percentage of homes surviving California wildfires is dropping, despite efforts to harden them -- At the turn of the century, wildfires destroyed only about 3% of the California homes they came into contact with. By 2020, the rate had risen to 18%, according to a new study from UC Merced. It’s an indication that decades of efforts to clear flammable plants around homes and fortify their exteriors against flames, heat and embers are being outpaced by increasingly extreme wildfire behavior and construction in fire-prone areas. Noah Haggerty in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 8/3/26

California crews dispatched to battle fast-moving wildfires in Washington state -- The multiagency California Team 7, comprising local, state and federal responders, announced it was reassigned from the Fox Fire in Oregon to the Spokane Complex wildfires and assumed command around 9 a.m. Sunday. Catherine Ho, Anthony Edwards in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 8/3/26

California relies on goats to combat fires. A wage change threatens the industry -- Goats have become a familiar sight on California hillsides, munching through weeds and brush before they can become fuel for wildfires. But the companies that put those herds to work said a change in state labor rules have made goat grazing too expensive to continue. Velvet Wu in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 8/3/26

Workplace

Trump Administration Is Undoing Plans to Boost Workplace Heat Protections -- Republicans in Washington are taking steps to roll back federal workplace heat protections as summer temperatures surge. Scott Dance in the New York Times$ -- 8/3/26

California counties monitoring for measles in farmworkers from Arizona -- A group of 140 workers in Fresno, Madera and Merced counties who relocated from Arizona is being actively monitored for symptoms. No cases of measles have been confirmed in any of the workers at this time. Caroline Petrow-Cohen in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 8/3/26

Workplace AI surveillance limits considered by lawmakers. What would the bill do? -- Proponents of the legislation say the surveillance violates workers’ right to privacy and can be discriminatory. Opponents say the tools that would be banned by the measure are part of important workplace safety mechanisms. Sofia Williams in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 8/3/26

Housing

Developer proposes 30-unit housing project in wealthy Atherton -- In the latest flash point in the push to erect more housing near public transit, a Bay Area developer submitted an application July 9 to put 30 units spread over five, three-story buildings on a one-acre lot. Six of the proposed townhouse units would be designated as affordable and, if approved, built where a single-family home has existed. Delilah Brumer in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 8/3/26

All-cash home sales used to be relatively uncommon in San Francisco. Not anymore -- Historically, San Francisco’s high home prices have kept all-cash purchases uncommon, at least compared with the rest of the U.S. After all, very few buyers have enough money to buy a $1.8 million house outright. Christian Leonard in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 8/3/26

A San Francisco Apartment Tower Ignites a Generational Fight Over Housing -- Plan to build 800 apartments in upscale district turns into debate over whether longtime residents will make room for newcomers. Owen Tucker-Smith in the Wall Street Journal$ -- 8/3/26

Climate

High surf and severe erosion trigger Point Dume closures and Long Beach surge warnings -- In a social media post Saturday, the department said the overnight erosion had left the bluff edge unstable, with “drop-offs of up to 8 feet” in some areas. In response, the county closed Westward Beach Road past the pay gate and the 373-spot parking lot for the beach. Noah Haggerty and Caroline Petrow-Cohen in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 8/3/26

Fierce floods or wild waves? How San Diego is preparing for a winter of extreme weather under El Niño -- When the super El Niño arrives this winter, San Diego could be in for raging floods that gush through canyons and hillsides. Or it could face sparse rainfall and heightened fire risk. It could also see monster waves carve away beaches and pummel piers. Deborah Brennan Calmatters -- 8/3/26

Border

A California university is cutting ties with the Border Patrol after student outcry -- Following a CalMatters investigation, students and faculty at UC San Diego protested against campus police for collaborating with Border Patrol through a federal grant program. The university will stop participating in the program and aiding patrols, sources and internal documents confirm. Phoebe Huss Calmatters -- 8/3/26

Education

California schools are facing a declining enrollment timebomb that could mean more layoffs, school closures -- Lowered birth rates and affordability issues have affected enrollment, and school district operations, across the state. Charlie Borl, Jordan B. Darling, Bella Kim, Teresa Liu and David Wilson in the LA Daily News -- 8/3/26

LAUSD could face layoffs, furloughs and school consolidation amid projected $231M shortfall -- Los Angeles Unified School District leaders say they are confident they can persuade county officials that the district can avoid a projected cash shortfall and remain under local control, and are preparing for budget cuts, possible furloughs and school consolidation. Mallika Seshadri EdSource -- 8/3/26

Moving Back Home After College? All Your Friends Are Doing It -- When he hadn’t landed a job a few months after graduating from the University of California, Santa Cruz, two years ago, Tommy Balmat moved back to his childhood home in the San Francisco Bay Area. Noam Scheiber in the New York Times$ -- 8/3/26

Also

We toured Hollywood Burbank Airport’s newest terminal. Here’s what you can expect -- The scene inside Hollywood Burbank Airport’s new terminal this week was a mix of power tools and work benches, plastic-wrapped TSA security devices and a glimpse into efforts to make the airport faster and safer once it opens in October. Andrew J. Campa in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 8/3/26

S.F.’s Bridge to Nowhere demolished, daylighting a busy block shrouded for decades -- The 300-foot bridge, used most consistently by skateboarders thrashing up its benches, had to come down as part of a redesign of Portsmouth Square, which is now underway after more than a decade of planning. Sam Whiting in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 8/3/26

Lopez: Dodger Stadium gondola plan about to hit heavy turbulence as state park defenders play hardball -- Mounting opposition now includes seven former state park officials and four former members of the state Park and Recreation Commission. A hearing on the matter is expected in the fall, and it’s sure to be a cage fight. Steve Lopez in the Los Angeles Times$ Chris Marquette Politico -- 8/3/26

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As Blanche’s path to confirmation is cleared, Trump’s tax audit immunity remains in place -- But a sweeping audit immunity plan conferred on the president, his sons and the Trump Organization remains in place — given new parameters to appease the senators but still with the potential to wipe away millions of dollars of Trump’s back taxes. Fatima Hussein Associated Press -- 8/3/26

 

Iran Says No Talks With the U.S. on Hormuz Strait -- Iran said there weren’t any talks with the U.S. that were are under way or planned, after President Trump said he called off a major military strike. Iran is continuing talks with Oman on a proposal to manage shipping traffic through the strategic Strait of Hormuz. Summer Said and Benoit Faucon in the Wall Street Journal$ -- 8/3/26

GOP holdouts say they will back Blanche’s attorney general nomination after striking deal over fund -- The statement from Republican Sens. John Cornyn and Thom Tillis came after Blanche issued an order late Sunday formally rescinding the $1.8 billion “Anti-Weaponization Fund” to compensate people who believe they were unfairly prosecuted by the Justice Department. Mary Clare Jalonick, Alanna Durkin Richer Associated Press Chris Marquette Politico Sadie Gurman, Richard Rubin and Lindsay Wise in the Wall Street Journal$ Michael Gold, Andrew Duehren and Hari Raj in the New York Times$ Jeremy Roebuck and Perry Stein in the Washington Post$ -- 8/3/26

Trump Pivots Back to Diplomacy as Iran Victory Eludes Him -- After days of threats to launch a new offensive against Iran, President Trump is once again trying to achieve through diplomacy what he has yet to accomplish through war. Michael R. Gordon, Alexander Ward and Philip Wegmann in the Wall Street Journal$ -- 8/3/26

New Round of Trump Threats and Pullbacks Raises Uncertainty in Mideast -- Analysts and lawmakers are trying to divine whether Mr. Trump’s latest announcement means negotiations with Iran will truly get underway Monday or if the president is just working through unappealing options. Katie Rogers in the New York Times$ -- 8/3/26

Iran rejects Trump’s claim that talks will restart, adding to weekend of whiplash -- The U.S. president said late Sunday that he had called off “the biggest attack since WWII” so that talks could resume. Iran said Monday that no talks were planned. Mohamad El Chamaa, Sammy Westfall, Dan Diamond, Rachel Chason and Lior Soroka in the Washington Post$ -- 8/3/26