California Policy and Politics Thursday

Fearing Trump cuts, California Democrat proposes creating state’s own NIH -- An ambitious California Democrat wants the world’s fifth-largest economy to create its own National Institutes of Health and vaccine program, saying the state can’t rely on the Trump administration to support research and science. Rachel Bluth Politico -- 3/27/25

Trump targets California ban on ‘forced outing’ of students’ gender identity to parents -- California mandates student gender-identity privacy. Trump administration says schools must keep nothing from parents and opens probe. Billions of dollars could be at risk. Howard Blume in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/27/25

Bay Area organizers say Tesla protests are bigger than ever as Trump escalates threats -- The Trump administration’s escalating threats against demonstrators targeting Tesla dealerships don’t appear to have deterred Bay Area protesters. Some organizers told the Chronicle that attendance and interest have continued to grow despite — or perhaps because of — Trump’s rhetoric. Shira Stein, Maliya Ellis, Molly Burke in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 3/27/25

Trump cuts have hit government agencies investigating Elon Musk’s businesses. Here’s a breakdown -- Here is a select list of a dozen agencies and the high-level political appointees either fired or replaced by Trump since he took office Jan. 20, and their oversight of Musk’s various businesses. Laurence Darmiento in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/27/25

Federal government restores funding for fish that Trump loves to loathe -- The federal government has restored funding for a captive breeding program designed to ensure survival of California’s delta smelt, even as President Donald Trump has sharpened criticism of the endangered fish. Kurtis Alexander in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 3/27/25

The EPA plans to cut hundreds of environmental grants. Democrats say it’s illegal -- Internal EPA documents reveal a list of about 400 environmental grants targeted for elimination, including 62 in California. Hayley Smith in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/27/25

CDC halts federal funding in California for COVID response, state health officials say -- The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention will immediately end federal funding to California for COVID vaccination, surveillance and testing, California health officials said Wednesday. Catherine Ho in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 3/27/25

 

Major bridges across California need probes to determine risk of a catastrophic collapse, authorities say -- A year after the collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore, an independent government agency urged the owners of seven bridges in California — including the iconic Golden Gate Bridge — to urgently assess their risk of a catastrophic collapse. Jenny Jarvie in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/27/25

OC Register lawsuit v. OpenAI, Microsoft to proceed after judge turns back motions -- A Manhattan judge rejected a majority of motions by OpenAI and Microsoft to dismiss parts of a lawsuit accusing the tech companies of swiping stories from the Orange County Register, affiliated newspapers in MediaNews Group and Tribune Publishing, the New York Daily News, the New York Times and other newspapers to train their AI products. Josephine Stratman in the Orange County Register -- 3/27/25

LA Times owner defends remaking paper to Tucker Carlson -- Los Angeles Times owner Patrick Soon-Shiong defended his decision to pull back his editorial board’s planned endorsement of former Vice President Kamala Harris in an interview on far-right host Tucker Carlson’s podcast. Gregory Svirnovskiy Politico -- 3/27/25

California Democratic lawmaker exaggerated his record as a police officer -- For years, Democratic Assemblymember Mike Gipson has repeated a story about being partners with a fallen police officer. Records and interviews find that Gipson exaggerated their relationship and overstated what he did during his brief time as a reserve officer in Maywood. Ryan Sabalow CalMatters -- 3/27/25

How California’s excesses inspired the ‘abundance’ craze -- A high-speed rail project that goes nowhere with a price tag that has ballooned by around $80 billion. A worst-in-the-nation housing crisis in America’s wealthiest metropolis. A public toilet infamous for its $1.7 million estimated cost. Dustin Gardiner Politico -- 3/27/25

Workplace

San Jose: Judge orders VTA employees back to work -- A Santa Clara County judge ordered striking Valley Transportation Authority employees to return to work at a hearing Wednesday — bringing the strike to an end in its third week but leaving the issue of a new contract without an immediate resolution. Caelyn Pender in the San Jose Mercury$ Molly Burke in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 3/27/25

California in settlement negotiations with Uber, Lyft in massive wage-theft case -- Thousands of Uber and Lyft drivers seek back pay, damages in wage claims they filed with California before industry-backed gig worker law took effect. Levi Sumagaysay CalMatters -- 3/27/25

Tech company reportedly laying off nearly 1,000 workers, including 240 in California -- Block, the Jack Dorsey-led financial tech company, is laying off 931 workers, according to a memo reported by Techcrunch. The layoffs will affect 240 remote workers in California, according to a state filing viewed by the Chronicle. Affected workers include business analysts, data engineers, designers, lawyers and software engineers. Roland Li in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 3/27/25

Bay Area businesses join ‘anti-woke’ marketplace backed by Donald Trump Jr. -- Bay Area businesses are beginning to draw attention for their presence on PublicSquare, a fast-growing online marketplace that bills itself as the “anti-woke” Amazon. Elena Kadvany in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 3/27/25

Kohl’s to close five Bay Area stores, lay off hundreds statewide -- The affected Bay Area outlets include stores in Fremont, Mountain View, Napa, Pleasanton and San Rafael. The announcement follows closely one by Macy’s, which just revealed that it will close its stores in Newark and Corte Madera. The closures add to the growing list of store shutdowns in a region that has seen significant shifts in consumer shopping habits. Aidin Vaziri in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 3/27/25

Housing

Will this bill be the end of California’s housing vs environment wars? -- In the recurring legislative fight between YIMBY legislators and defenders of California’s signature environmental law, one bill could be a final legislative showdown. Ben Christopher CalMatters -- 3/27/25

Modular housing may finally have its day — as solution to wildfire rebuilding -- Modular homebuilders are pouring into Los Angeles after January’s wildfires. Fire survivors love the promised speed and simplicity. But modular’s big promises have failed before. Liam Dillon in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/27/25

Wildfire

Lawsuit alleges DWP power lines played role in Palisades fire -- Palisades fire victims are suing LADWP, claiming downed power lines caused a second ignition — and the utility tried to hide it. Clara Harter in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/27/25

Communities are rebuilding after L.A. fires despite lack of soil testing for toxic substances -- The Federal Emergency Management Agency’s controversial decision to forgo soil testing in communities burned in the Eaton and Palisades wildfires sparked pushback Wednesday as California lawmakers questioned whether the practice will prevent residents from knowing if there are toxic substances on the land before rebuilding begins. Tony Briscoe in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/27/25

Their homes survived the fire. Will a cleanup operation across the street pose new danger? -- Most homes surrounding the Altadena Golf Course are still standing. But residents wonder if it’s safe to return as a concrete recycling operation takes over the space. Colleen Shalby in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/27/25

Education

Sue or hold back? The University of California does both as it faces Trump’s wrath -- The University of California has been selective about which Trump policies it challenges in court. Some students want the UC to be more vocal about defending student diversity and protest rights. Mikhail Zinshteyn CalMatters -- 3/27/25

Walters: The real crisis in California schools is low achievement, not cultural conflicts -- When Gov. Gavin Newsom unexpectedly voiced opposition to allowing transgender women to compete in women’s sports, he was throwing gasoline on an issue that was already burning in state and national political arenas. Dan Walters CalMatters -- 3/27/25

Charge

California now has more EV charging ports than gas nozzles -- Electric vehicle charging ports now outnumber gas nozzles across the Golden State, a sign of the increasing number of zero-emission vehicles on the road. But the milestone arrives as the federal government has moved to deprioritize the shift away from gasoline-powered cars. Nathan Solis in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/27/25

Rivian spins out startup focused on small, lightweight electric vehicles -- Rivian, known for its large electric trucks, is setting its sights on small and lightweight vehicles. The Irvine-based automaker said Wednesday it’s spinning out its micromobility business into a new startup called Also Inc. Micromobility encompasses a variety of vehicles, including electric bikes, scooters and skateboards. Queenie Wong in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/27/25

Food Banks

California food banks brace for funding cuts, and not only from the Trump administration -- Five years since the COVID-19 pandemic upended the economy and made millions experience hunger for the first time, demand at the Sacramento Food Bank and Family Services is still higher than ever. Jeanne Kuang CalMatters -- 3/27/25

Street

State DOJ clears L.A. sheriff’s deputy who fatally shot unarmed man at Valencia mall -- State prosecutors found there wasn’t enough evidence to justify charging an L.A. County deputy for the 2023 killing of Christopher Mercurio, but offered a series of policy recommendations for the Sheriff’s Department to expand de-escalation policies and better identify people with mental health conditions. Keri Blakinger in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/27/25

LASD to retest 4,000 DNA samples after using faulty test kits for 8 months -- In August, a manufacturer of DNA testing kits sent a letter to the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department warning officials to stop using certain test kits that had proved prone to giving incomplete results. Keri Blakinger in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/27/25

POTUS 47

Trump Announces 25% Tariffs on Imported Cars and Car Parts -- Nearly half of all vehicles sold in the United States are imported, as well as nearly 60 percent of the parts in vehicles assembled in the United States. That means the tariffs could push up car prices significantly when inflation has already made cars and trucks more expensive for American consumers. Ana Swanson, Jack Ewing and Tony Romm in the New York Times$ Doug Palmer and Daniel Desrochers Politico Gavin Bade and Christopher Otts in the Wall Street Journal$ David J. Lynch in the Washington Post$ -- 3/27/25

How tariffs could upend the auto industry and add thousands to car prices -- From raw metal to engines, components travel all over North America before they’re put into cars. What happens if they’re taxed at every stop? Bonnie Berkowitz, Dylan Moriarty and Luis Melgar in the Washington Post$ -- 3/27/25

Tariffs Could Give Tesla and Musk a Leg Up on Rivals -- The company led by President Trump’s confidant Elon Musk builds all the cars it sells in the United States domestically and will be exempt from tariffs on finished vehicles. Jack Ewing in the New York Times$ -- 3/27/25

 

‘A lot of people’s BS meters are going to go off’: GOP deals with Signalgate -- While Trump rarely admits mistakes, many of his allies said Wednesday that’s exactly what the White House needed to do. Dasha Burns, Megan Messerly and Jack Detsch Politico -- 3/27/25

Pro-Trump media figures criticize White House’s handling of Signalgate -- British broadcaster Piers Morgan, conservative commentator Tomi Lahren, controversial MAGA ally Laura Loomer and Barstool Sports Founder Dave Portnoy all separately criticized the Trump administration’s response after the Atlantic’s Jeffrey Goldberg revealed that he was inadvertently added to a Signal group chat with top officials who discussed a military operation against Houthis in Yemen. Giselle Ruhiyyih Ewing and Ali Bianco Politico -- 3/27/25

Hegseth Comes Under Scrutiny for Texting Strike Details as Fallout Grows -- Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth came under increasing scrutiny after more details emerged Wednesday showing that he posted plans of an imminent military strike against Houthi militants, including the timing and weapon systems, on an unclassified group chat used by senior administration officials. Michael R. Gordon, Nancy A. Youssef and Lindsay Wise in the Wall Street Journal$ -- 3/27/25

 

Trump Administration Loses Bid to Restart Deportation Flights -- An appeals court upheld an order that blocked the Trump administration from using a wartime law to deport alleged Venezuelan gang members, on the same day Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem visited the prison in El Salvador where the migrants are being detained. Jan Wolfe, Michelle Hackman, Victoria Albert in the Wall Street Journal$ Jeremy Roebuck and Marianne LeVine in the Washington Post$ Alan Feuer and Charlie Savage in the New York Times$ -- 3/27/25

Noem threatens to send more immigrants to El Salvador prison -- The migrants, accused of belonging to the Tren de Aragua gang, are being held at CECOT without access to either the Salvadoran or American justice systems. Mary Beth Sheridan and Maria Sacchetti in the Washington Post$ -- 3/27/25

 

Taxpayers Spent Billions Covering the Same Medicaid Patients Twice -- When recipients signed up in two states at once, insurers often got paid by both; ‘it definitely is wasteful’ Christopher Weaver, Anna Wilde Mathews, Tom McGinty, Andrew Mollica in the Wall Street Journal$ -- 3/27/25

Social Security backs off plan to cut phone services for disabled people -- But millions applying for retirement or survivor benefits will no longer be allowed to verify their identity by phone and will need to do so online or in person. Lisa Rein and Hannah Natanson in the Washington Post$ -- 3/27/25

Kennedy plans to lay off 10,000 workers at Health and Human Services -- The Trump administration on Thursday announced a layoff of 10,000 employees at the Health and Human Services Department, as part of a broad reorganization designed to bring communications and other functions directly under the purview of Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Sheryl Gay Stolberg and Christina Jewett in the New York Times$ Lauren Weber, Lena H. Sun, Joel Achenbach and Rachel Roubein in the Washington Post$ -- 3/27/25

How Trump’s policies have helped Russia and furthered Putin’s goals -- Months into the new administration, a slew of policy changes have helped Russia, including defunding U.S. soft power, standing down cyber efforts and splitting with NATO allies. Robyn Dixon in the Washington Post$ -- 3/27/25