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California Policy and Politics Wednesday
Updating . . .
Trump tariffs, immigration policy drag down California economy -- California’s economic outlook continues to be sluggish, as UCLA forecasters predicted Wednesday the state’s unemployment rate will keep climbing as Trump administration tariff and immigration policies continue to have an impact. David Lightman in the Sacramento Bee$ Laurence Darmiento in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 12/03/25
California strongly objects to Trump’s plan to pump more delta water south -- State officials have objected to the plan, warning that it would threaten native fish and reduce water to millions of Southern Californians. Ian James in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 12/03/25
Pregnant immigrants held for months in detention despite rules against it -- Lorena Pineda was five months pregnant when masked agents picked her up on a street corner near a San Fernando Home Depot in June. Rachel Uranga in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 12/03/25
L.A. County pushes to unmask ICE agents, but may not have the holding power -- On Tuesday, L.A. County supervisors advanced an ordinance to ban ICE agents from wearing masks or shielding their identities. The ordinance would also require local, state and federal law enforcement officers to wear identification. June Hsu in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 12/03/25
‘Calling all billionaires’: OpenAI critics urge Musk, Zuckerberg to fund ballot effort -- Critics of OpenAI’s multibillion dollar corporate restructuring want to bring the matter to California voters, launching two different ballot initiatives as well as a campaign website that calls on billionaires like Elon Musk to pitch in on halting the business expansion. Christine Mui and Chase DiFeliciantonio Politico -- 12/03/25
San Francisco’s mayor faces test over his key allies: Business execs -- Riding a city comeback narrative and a wave of popularity, San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie is facing a test over one of his signature strategies: leveraging his close ties to wealthy tech and business leaders to revive his hometown. Chase DiFeliciantonio Politico -- 12/03/25
San Francisco sues major companies over ultra-processed foods -- Ultra-processed foods, such as breakfast cereals, candies, chips, sodas and energy drinks, are addictive products that are harming Americans’ health and shortening their lives, the city of San Francisco charged in a lawsuit Tuesday against major food and drink companies. Bob Egelko in the San Francisco Chronicle$ Karen Garcia and Hannah Fry in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 12/03/25
Newsom will stay in National Governors Association after threatening to leave -- After threatening to leave the National Governors Association over the organization’s silence on National Guard deployments, Gov. Gavin Newsom says he’ll stay in the group but has stopped paying dues. Sophia Bollag in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 12/03/25
Rob Bonta waves off speculation about California gubernatorial run -- Attorney General Rob Bonta waved away recent speculation that he is reconsidering a run for governor, saying he was “focused on my role as attorney general at the moment.” Lia Russell in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 12/03/25
Food Stamps
Agriculture Dept. Threatens to Withhold Food Stamps From Democratic States -- The Agriculture Department said on Tuesday that it would withhold federal funding for food stamps in more than 20 Democratic-led states that have so far refused to provide the Trump administration with sensitive personal data about recipients. Linda Qiu in the New York Times$ -- 12/03/25
Workplace
Paramount throws in more cash in bid for Warner; Comcast wants to combine assets with NBCUniversal -- Paramount is raising the stakes in its bid for Warner Bros. Discovery, upping its offer for the assets with backing from Middle Eastern sovereign wealth funds, including Saudi Arabia, while rival Comcast has proposed creating a new entertainment entity. Meg James in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 12/03/25
Saudi Arabia’s public investment fund to own almost all of EA under buyout plan, report says -- Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund could reportedly own nearly all of Electronic Arts Inc. under the buyout plan for the video game giant. Samantha Masunaga in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 12/03/25
Housing
S.F. ‘sleeping pods’ startup buys downtown building for 400-bed megadorm -- When Brownstone Shared Housing’s more than two dozen, $700-per-month sleeping pods in downtown San Francisco were slapped with an eviction notice this summer for over $150,000 in unpaid rent, most expected that might be the end of the co-living experiment. Laura Waxmann in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 12/03/25
Environment
New study: Moss Landing battery fire dumped 55,000 pounds of toxic metals into wildlife-rich marshes -- A major fire in January at one of the world’s largest battery storage plants in Moss Landing showered 55,000 pounds of toxic metals across the landscape within a mile of the plant, a new scientific study has found. Paul Rogers in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 12/03/25
Salmon returning to Bay Area creek for first time in 70 years could be sign of environmental renewal to come -- The 20-year effort to bring the fish back to Alameda Creek has finally paid off. Chase Hunter in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 12/03/25
Education
CSU campuses show vastly different results on graduation after 10 years and $3 billion -- Campuses improved four-year rates for freshmen and two-year rates for transfer students. Several campuses regressed or experienced widening disparities across race and income. Amy DiPierro EdSource -- 12/03/25
Street
Oakland needs 200-plus police officers it can’t afford but pays millions to officers on leave -- Roughly 100 Oakland police officers off the job on extended leave — many of whom are awaiting the outcome of plodding misconduct-related investigations — are costing the city millions of dollars a year at a time when it faces both a budget deficit and an officer shortage, according to department data and reports reviewed by the Chronicle. David Hernandez in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 12/03/25
Gang-scarred Stockton fed up after mass killing at child’s birthday party: ‘No one will forget’ -- Though the city of Stockton has battled gangs and worked to quell violence in its streets before, a brazen and horrifying shooting at a toddler’s birthday party over the weekend that left four people dead, including three children, has left city leaders reeling like never before, officials say. Salvador Hernandez in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 12/03/25
San Francisco school shooting: Student hospitalized and juvenile suspect in custody, police say -- The San Francisco Police Department said officers responded to the scene around 12:15 p.m. where they found a juvenile male, apparently a student, suffering from a gunshot wound and were told the shooter had fled. Dominic Fracassa, Brooke Park, St. John Barned-Smith in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 12/03/25
L.A. County supervisors vote to ban ICE agents from wearing masks -- L.A. County supervisors advanced a proposed ban on masks for law enforcement officers working in unincorporated parts of the county. The county’s lawyers say the ban will likely be challenged by the Trump administration, which will argue federal law takes precedence. Rebecca Ellis in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 12/03/25
L.A. City Council votes against proposal to ban police use of ‘less-lethal’ launchers -- A proposed ordinance that would have restricted the LAPD from using weapons that launch hard foam projectiles was defeated 8 to 4 on Tuesday, with three council members absent. Sandra McDonald and Libor Jany in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 12/03/25
Climate
Top Journal Retracts Study Predicting Catastrophic Climate Toll -- In April 2024, the prestigious journal Nature released a study finding that climate change would cause far more economic damage by the end of the century than previous estimates had suggested. Lydia DePillis in the New York Times$ -- 12/03/25
Also
San Francisco sues Coca-Cola, Kellogg over ultra-processed foods. What that means -- In a historic action, San Francisco on Tuesday became the first government to file a lawsuit against food manufacturers over ultra-processed snacks and drinks that officials argue are wreaking havoc on Americans’ health. Karen Garcia and Hannah Fry in the Los Angeles Times$ Allyson Chiu and Rachel Roubein in the New York Times$ -- 12/03/25
Waymo’s Self-Driving Cars Are Suddenly Behaving Like New York Cabbies -- For years while training on the streets of San Francisco and eventually transporting passengers, Waymos were the most polite drivers on the road. Katherine Bindley in the Wall Street Journal$ -- 12/03/25
Native American tribe reclaims land at the edge of Yosemite National Park -- The tribal nation that calls Yosemite National Park its ancestral home has reclaimed a stunning piece of its historical territory with the acquisition of nearly 900 acres along the western edge of the park. Kurtis Alexander in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 12/03/25
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Private Hiring Sank in November, ADP Says -- Private employers shed 32,000 jobs in November, ADP estimated, a swing from the 47,000 private-sector jobs that ADP estimated were added in October. Analysts surveyed by The Wall Street Journal were expecting to see 40,000 new private-sector jobs. Matt Grossman and Chao Deng in the Wall Street Journal$ Ben Casselman in the New York Times$ -- 12/03/25
Trump Appears to Fight Sleep During Cabinet Meeting -- President Trump began the meeting by criticizing media coverage about him showing signs of fatigue. Last month, he appeared to doze off during a meeting in the Oval Office. Zolan Kanno-Youngs in the New York Times$ -- 12/03/25
Hegseth Says He Did Not See Survivors of Boat Attack Clinging to Wreckage -- Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said on Tuesday that he had not noticed survivors in the water during U.S. military strikes that killed 11 people in the Caribbean in September. Helene Cooper in the New York Times$ Tara Copp and Alex Horton in the Washington Post$ -- 12/03/25
Family of Colombian man killed in U.S. boat strikes files formal complaint -- The family of a Colombian man killed in a U.S. strike on a boat in the Caribbean filed a complaint Tuesday with the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR), alleging the United States committed human rights violations in an “extra-judicial killing.” Frances Vinall in the Washington Post$ -- 12/03/25
Immigration Officials Target Afghans for Deportation in Wake of D.C. Shooting -- The stepped-up enforcement comes as the Trump administration has also moved to reassess the vetting of Afghans who came to the country under the Biden administration. Hamed Aleaziz and Nicholas Nehamas in the New York Times$ -- 12/03/25
Trump rails against Somali migrants: ‘I don’t want them in our country’ --President Donald Trump ended a Cabinet meeting Tuesday with a rant against Somali migrants, accusing them of having “ripped off” Minnesota and using dehumanizing language to attack a group he has increasingly targeted in recent weeks. Amy B Wang and Caroline O'Donovan in the Washington Post$ -- 12/03/25
GOP frets ‘dangerous’ result in Tennessee --“Tonight is a sign that 2026 is going to be a bitch of an election cycle,” said one House Republican, granted anonymity to speak candidly. “Republicans can survive if we play team and the Trump administration officials play smart. Neither is certain.” Aaron Pellish and Meredith Lee Hill Politico -- 12/03/25
Trump Calls Affordability a ‘Con Job’ as His Edge on the Economy Slips -- President Trump on Tuesday downplayed the cost-of-living pains being felt by Americans, declaring that affordability “doesn’t mean anything to anybody” as his political edge on the economy continues to dissipate. Erica L. Green in the New York Times$ -- 12/03/25
Regime change is back. MAGA is getting comfortable with it -- Trump on Tuesday teased an imminent land strike against Venezuela and suggested he might attack other countries as well. Megan Messerly, Eric Bazail-Eimil and Diana Nerozzi Politico -- 12/03/25
California Policy and Politics Tuesday
Report calls for overhauling how California runs its schools -- Weaknesses and flaws in the system undermine student progress under local control, the authors state. The state needs an expert manager, not an elected superintendent, to run the Education Department, according to the PACE report. John Fensterwald EdSource -- 12/02/25
Inside the Stockton banquet hall where kids were slaughtered, parents return to a scene of horror -- The sun was beginning to set Sunday when members of a Stockton family pulled open the metal door of a banquet hall that a day earlier had been the venue for a 2-year-old’s birthday party — a joyful affair that ended in violence and heartbreak. Inside, the family confronted a scene of horror. Jessica Garrison and Hannah Fry in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 12/02/25
Gavin Newsom orders Capitol flags at half-staff following Stockton mass shooting -- Flags at the California state Capitol in Sacramento will fly at half-staff, Gov. Gavin Newsom tweeted Monday afternoon. His proclamation came two days after a mass shooting at a child’s birthday party in Stockton that killed at least four people, including three children, and wounded 11 other people. Graham Womack in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 12/02/25
San Bernardino: The mass shooting that helped Trump redefine America’s immigration debate -- Ten years ago, a husband and wife opened fire at a San Bernardino Christmas party, killing 14 in what became one of the deadliest U.S. terror attacks since 9/11. Jack Dolan, Hailey Branson-Potts and Richard Winton in the Los Angeles Times$ Beau Yarbrough inthe LA Daily News -- 12/02/25
Is Latino support for Trump waning in California? What Prop. 50 results tell us -- Latino voters were one of the biggest swing voting blocs in last month’s Prop. 50 special election, which some political observers say represents a bellwether for President Trump’s waning support among California’s largest demographic group. Marina Peña in the Fresno Bee -- 12/02/25
OpenAI Completed Its Conversion. A New Ballot Initiative Seeks to Reverse It -- A coalition that tried and failed to block OpenAI’s conversion earlier this year is back with a new tactic: a California ballot initiative aimed at reining in the startup’s power. Keach Hagey in the Wall Street Journal$ -- 12/02/25
Who’s running for California governor? Here’s a look at the current field of candidates -- A few moments of controversy have touched an otherwise sleepy, wide open race to be California’s next governor. Jeanne Kuang Calmatters -- 12/02/25
San Francisco Will Sue Ultraprocessed Food Companies -- The San Francisco city attorney will file on Tuesday the nation’s first government lawsuit against food manufacturers over ultraprocessed fare, arguing that cities and counties have been burdened with the costs of treating diseases that stem from the companies’ products. Heather Knight in the New York Times$ -- 12/02/25
California’s environmental board approved hazardous waste plan that critics say could weaken protections -- A California environmental oversight board approved a state plan outlining strategies to safely reduce hazardous waste — despite sharp criticism from environmental groups who say several aspects of the plan could invite deregulation. Tony Briscoe in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 12/02/25
Guns
9th Circuit revives California law requiring background checks for ammo purchases -- California’s requirement of background checks for buyers of firearms ammunition was revived Monday, at least for now, when a federal appeals court blocked an earlier ruling that the 2019 law was unconstitutional. Bob Egelko in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 12/02/25
Oil
The Texas Oil Mogul at War With California Over an Offshore Bounty -- James Flores, chief of Sable Offshore, stands to make millions if he can reboot oil platforms off the coast of Santa Barbara. Benoît Morenne in the Wall Street Journal$ -- 12/02/25
Wildfire
‘A personal embarrassment’: Why fire agencies keep failing to put out blazes that later turn disastrous -- Firefighters knew the charred skeleton of a tractor was still smoking when they left the valley floor in Ventura County last year, but didn’t think it posed any danger. Richard Winton and Hannah Fry in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 12/02/25
Workplace
Instagram chief tells employees to return to office five days a week for ‘tough’ 2026 -- Adam Mosseri, head of the social media app Instagram, told employees to return to the office for five days a week starting in February, citing the creativity and efficiency benefits of working together in person. Roland Li in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 12/02/25
With new bids, Warner Bros. Discovery looks to narrow the auction field -- Monday marks the deadline for a second round of proposals, which Warner’s board members anticipate will bring sweetened bids from the three rivals vying for the prize. Comcast, Paramount and Netflix each submitted initial nonbinding offers last month, forming the auction’s floor. Meg James in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 12/02/25
Netflix Makes Majority Cash Bid for Warner Discovery -- Netflix has sweetened its offer for Warner Bros. Discovery in a second round of bids as it tries to outdo rival Paramount. Joe Flint, Lauren Thomas and Dave Michaels in the Wall Street Journal$ -- 12/02/25
Four Seasons San Francisco sold to Blackstone in $130 million deal -- A major real estate player is doubling down on San Francisco, marking another sign of momentum in the city’s uneven but accelerating hospitality rebound. Aidin Vaziri in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 12/02/25
Autonomous electric tractor company chops more than 100 East Bay jobs -- Zimeno Inc., which operates as Monarch Tractor, has laid off 102 workers at two locations in Livermore, according to official WARN notices sent to the state Employment Development Department. George Avalos in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 12/02/25
Silicon Valley Builds Amazon and Gmail Copycats to Train A.I. Agents -- Several new start-ups are building replicas of sites so A.I. can learn to use the internet and maybe replace white-collar workers. Cade Metz in the New York Times$ -- 12/02/25
Marketplace
L.A. County offering cash back for shopping local through new gift card program -- Los Angeles County is giving consumers a way to get more bang for their buck this holiday season by offering extra cash with a new digital gift card to shop locally. Sandra McDonald in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 12/02/25
Housing
State lawmakers targeted a Santa Barbara development. Then came the fallout -- State lawmakers inserted language into a budget bill to require environmental review of a controversial eight-story Santa Barbara housing project near the Old Mission. The developers sued, arguing the provision is illegal ‘special legislation’ targeting their project and violates a federal law banning laws that target specific properties. Dakota Smith and Jack Flemming in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 12/02/25
‘Affordability is the biggest constraint’: San Diego home prices fall for 4th month -- San Diego was among more than half of U.S. cities with falling home prices in September. Phillip Molnar in the San Diego Union Tribune$ -- 12/02/25
Mayor Lurie’s ‘Family Zoning’ housing plan is one step closer to being approved -- Mayor Daniel Lurie’s sweeping “Family Zoning” plan to allow taller and denser buildings across much of San Francisco’s western and northern neighborhoods is headed to a final vote on Tuesday after the Board of Supervisors Land Use and Transportation Committee approved it Monday afternoon. J.K. Dineen in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 12/02/25
Water
California announces 10% water supply to start the new water year -- The initial number is based on current weather and water conditions, how much water is stored in reservoirs and the assumption that the rest of the year could be drier than normal, the state agency said. Chaewon Chung in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 12/02/25
HIV
‘Is this my last pill ever?’ UCSF therapy offers patients a hint at a cure for HIV -- Seven people with HIV were able to control the virus without medication for several months — and in one case for more than a year — after undergoing complex immune therapy at UCSF, results that scientists say could be a critical step in eradicating an infection that’s killed tens of millions globally. Erin Allday in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 12/02/25
Education
His students suddenly started getting A’s. Did a Google AI tool go too far? -- Google’s Lens tool on Chromebooks can mean it easier for students to cheat with one click, prompting teachers to question how they can maintain academic integrity. Carolyn Jones CalMatters in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 12/02/25
Also
San Francisco’s Buzziest Social-Media Star: Its Mayor -- Mayor Daniel Lurie strode into Alushe Coffee Bar and asked the surprised couple behind the counter for two things: a cup of joe and if they could say a few words into his iPhone. Jim Carlton in the in the Wall Street Journal$ -- 12/02/25
Arellano: Trump’s message to ‘nice’ Americans: You’re all illegal now -- On Thanksgiving evening, as Americans offered grace for their blessings and feasted with loved ones, President Trump’s contribution to the country’s dinner table was the digital equivalent of a flaming turd pie. Gustavo Arellano in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 12/02/25
Walters: Newsom’s 911 debacle is California’s latest failed tech adoption -- Since 2019 the state has spent $450 million on a new system, but this year Newsom’s administration threw in the towel, abandoning what had already been built and declaring it unworkable and that the process must start all over again. Dan Walters Calmatters -- 12/02/25
Before-and-after images from space: Tule fog smothers a huge swath of California -- California’s Central Valley has been enshrouded in mist for more than a week thanks to the area’s infamous tule fog. Terry Castleman in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 12/02/25
Flying without a Real ID or passport? It’ll cost you $45 soon -- Airline travelers who attempt to pass through security checkpoints without a Real ID will be subject to the Transportation Security Administration’s new security screening program and pay a new fee of $45. Karen Garcia in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 12/02/25
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Hegseth, with White House help, tries to distance himself from boat strike fallout -- Officials in Congress and the Pentagon said Monday they are increasingly concerned that the Trump administration intends to scapegoat the military officer who directed U.S. forces to kill two survivors of a targeted strike on suspected drug smugglers in Latin America, as lawmakers made initial moves to investigate whether the attack constituted a war crime. Noah Robertson and Tara Copp in the Washington Post$ -- 12/02/25
Hegseth Ordered a Lethal Attack but Not the Killing of Survivors, Officials Say -- The Trump administration on Monday defended the legality of a Sept. 2 attack on a boat in the Caribbean Sea as calls grew in Congress to examine whether a follow-up missile strike that killed survivors amounted to a crime. Charlie Savage, Julian E. Barnes, Eric Schmitt and John Ismay in the New York Times$ -- 12/02/25
Hegseth, with White House help, tries to distance himself from boat strike fallout -- As Congress vows accountability, the Trump administration emphasized it was a top military commander — not the defense secretary — who directed the engagement. Noah Robertson and Tara Copp in the Washington Post$ -- 12/02/25
For Trump, Hegseth’s Take-No-Prisoners Approach Is a Growing Liability -- Investigations are mounting into the legality of strikes that have killed scores of people in the waters off Venezuela. David E. Sanger and Helene Cooper in the New York Times$ -- 12/02/25
Trump weighs options on Venezuela strikes amid congressional alarm -- The Trump administration is facing sharp scrutiny this week over its approach to Venezuela after turning its focus to the beleaguered nation, weighing U.S. military strikes against a Latin American state for the first time in more than 35 years. Michael Wilner, Ana Ceballos, Kate Linthicum and Patrick J. McDonnell in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 12/02/25
Trump’s Crackdown in Wake of Shooting Blocks Legal Pathways for Migrants -- The new measures represent some of the most significant changes to immigration policy since President Trump returned to the White House. Hamed Aleaziz, Jazmine Ulloa and Allison McCann in the New York Times$ -- 12/02/25
As Trump Deepens Immigration Crackdown, Even Long-Held Exceptions Disappear -- President Trump’s latest changes to the immigration system affect communities that traditionally have been considered special cases. Zolan Kanno-Youngs and Hamed Aleaziz in the New York Times$ -- 12/02/25
A Surprise When Your Package Arrives: You Have to Pay the Tariff -- Kim Batten, a physical therapist from Oakland, Calif., bought a trench coat earlier this year from a Dutch retailer for $456, a price that was a little above her budget. Peter Eavis in the New York Times$ -- 12/02/25
Senate barrels toward failure on health care -- Senators have about a week before they’re set to vote on soon-to-expire Affordable Care Act subsidies. Most of them already believe the chances for a bipartisan breakthrough by then are roughly zero. Jordain Carney, Calen Razor and Meredith Lee Hill Politico -- 12/02/25
A pared-back White House Christmas — with a Trump Lego portrait -- If the call across the land is for a more maximalist Christmas, first lady Melania Trump did not heed it. In her first holiday back in charge of White House decor, she presented a straightforward, even understated — at least by White House standards — look on a tour that has been halved in size. Rachel Kurzius in the Washington Post$ -- 12/02/25