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California Policy and Politics Wednesday
Trump administration plans to require undocumented immigrants to join registry or face jail, fines -- The Trump administration on Tuesday announced it plans to launch a registry requiring immigrants in the country illegally, including children, to submit personal information and fingerprints. Those who are at least 14 years old and don’t comply could face fines or misdemeanor prosecution. Rachel Uranga and Andrea Castillo in the Los Angeles Times$ Michelle Hackman in the Wall Street Journal$ -- 2/26/25
Kern County immigration raid offers glimpse into new reality for California farmworkers -- Advocates on the scene said the Border Patrol raids in Kern County last month indiscriminately targeted Latino farmworkers commuting from the fields and day laborers soliciting work in the parking lots of big box stores. Rebecca Plevin, Andrea Castillo, Rachel Uranga and Brian van der Brug in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/26/25
‘Profoundly’ un-American: Bay Area acts axed from Trump-run Kennedy Center -- Trump replaced previous chair David M. Rubenstein on Feb. 12, citing the Kennedy Center needed to change its “woke” programming. The culling of the performance schedule shortly followed. Zara Irshad in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 2/26/25
San Francisco City Hall DOGE impersonators are social media pranksters -- The DOGE impersonators who asked for sensitive documents from City Hall and San Francisco Unified School District staff last week were conservative YouTube pranksters hoping to incite a “liberal meltdown.” Aldo Toledo in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 2/26/25
California senators demand answers from Donald Trump’s team. Is anyone listening? -- California Sens. Alex Padilla and Adam Schiff are demanding. And demanding and demanding. Since President Donald Trump took office Jan. 20, they have sent a blizzard of letters and issued statements aimed at administration officials in which the senators say they are “demanding” answers. David Lightman in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 2/26/25
State Farm says it will pay $7.6 billion for L.A. fires but reinsurance will slash losses -- State Farm General, California’s largest home insurer, estimated Tuesday that it will cost $7.6 billion to settle its Los Angeles-area fire claims, but it said reinsurance will lower its losses to about $612 million. Laurence Darmiento in the Los Angeles Times$ Megan Fan Munce in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 2/26/25
L.A. County supervisors vote 5 to 0 to let Calabasas landfill accept more fire debris -- County officials say they need to truck debris to the Calabasas, Sunshine Canyon and Lancaster landfills to clear potentially toxic-laden debris from properties destroyed in the Eaton and Palisades fires. Tony Briscoe in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/26/25
Scammers towed Eaton fire victims’ cars, held them hostage for cash, authorities say -- Scammers are suspected of preying upon vulnerable Eaton fire victims by fraudulently towing their cars during the initial days of the devastating blaze and then demanding excessive fees to retrieve them, authorities said. Clara Harter in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/26/25
Workplace
How imminent UCSF strikes will affect patients, appointments -- Two planned labor strikes at UCSF medical centers this week may cause some appointments to be rescheduled and other services to be delayed, according to the university. Catherine Ho in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 2/26/25
Mayor Daniel Lurie orders all S.F. city workers back to the office 4 days a week -- Lurie’s directive, laid out in a Tuesday memo obtained by the Chronicle, applies to more than 10,000 city staffers who are currently working hybrid schedules, with most of them coming into the office three days a week. J.D. Morris in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 2/26/25
Forever 21 is closing its headquarters, laying off employees ahead of rumored bankruptcy -- Fashion retailer Forever 21 is preparing to close at least 200 stores and lay off more than 350 employees in its corporate office as it struggles for viability. Caroline Petrow-Cohen in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/26/25
DEI
How California schools, colleges are responding to Trump’s DEI crackdown -- The U.S Department of Education has set a Friday deadline for K-12 schools, colleges and universities to eliminate race-specific programming or face potential federal funding cuts. Jaweed Kaleem and Howard Blume in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/26/25
Water
California and federal government set to increase water deliveries after storms -- Cities in Southern California and other agencies that depend on water delivered from Northern California via the State Water Project are projected to receive 35% of requested water supplies, up from an estimated 20% last month, the state Department of Water Resources said Tuesday. Ian James in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/26/25
Also
Moss Landing battery fire: Crews begin first step in clean-up of burned out facility -- Demolishing damaged building, removing thousands of batteries expected to take many months. Paul Rogers in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 2/26/25
Flu deaths in California surpass 900, making this season one of the deadliest in years -- Older adults have been most affected by the surge, with 700 deaths among those aged 65 and older. However, the flu has also claimed the lives of at least 15 children, according to state data, raising concerns among public health officials. Aidin Vaziri in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 2/26/25
Lake Tahoe’s Most Expensive Home for Sale is Asking $65 Million -- The waterfront property would become Nevada’s priciest home if it fetches its asking price. Libertina Brandt in the Wall Street Journal$ -- 2/26/25
POTUS 47
Trump floats ‘gold card’ to grant US residency to wealthy foreigners -- Trump and Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick told reporters Tuesday that the administration plans to offer a “gold card” that would confer legal residency to foreigners at a cost of about $5 million. They said it would replace an existing U.S. visa program for overseas investors that’s long been mired in controversy. Ali Bianco Politico Tarini Parti and Annie Linskey in the Wall Street Journal$ Shawn McCreesh in the New York Times$ -- 2/26/25
Judge orders Trump administration to pay millions in USAID funds -- Officials have one day to resume foreign aid payments after a contentious hearing in which a government lawyer couldn’t say if funds had been unfrozen. Annie Gowen in the Washington Post$ -- 2/26/25
Judge Overturns Trump Order Blocking Refugee Admissions -- A federal judge in Seattle ordered the Trump administration to restart the refugee-admissions program that legally resettles people from across the globe, which the president had ordered shut down on his first day in office. Mariah Timms and Michelle Hackman in the Wall Street Journal$ -- 2/26/25
21 Civil Servants Who Worked With Musk’s Government Reform Team Resign -- Twenty-one federal employees who had been working with Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency resigned, writing in a letter that they wouldn’t offer their expertise to overhaul the government if it meant undermining essential services. Ken Thomas and Natalie Andrews in the Wall Street Journal$ -- 2/26/25
Musk fights back as some Trump aides resist intensifying DOGE push -- The White House says federal agencies have discretion over key policy, as records show Elon Musk’s team pushing for still more enormous changes. Jeff Stein, Emily Davies, Hannah Natanson, Laura Meckler and Dan Diamond in the Washington Post$ -- 2/26/25
Apple shareholders reject proposed ban on DEI programs -- Investors had been widely expected to reject the proposal during the company’s annual shareholders meeting — in alignment with Apple’s recommendation — despite rising tensions around corporate diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) programs. The company did not disclose the vote tally. Taylor Telford in the Washington Post$ -- 2/26/25
What Can House Republicans Cut Instead of Medicaid? Not Much -- The math of the G.O.P.’s goals makes the move almost unavoidable. Margot Sanger-Katz and Alicia Parlapiano in the New York Times$ -- 2/26/25
How Each House Member Voted on the Budget Blueprint -- The House voted 217 to 215 to approve a budget resolution, a key step toward passing much of President Trump’s legislative agenda. All but one Republican voted “yes.” Martín González Gómez and Alicia Parlapiano in the New York Times$ -- 2/26/25
DOGE Quietly Deletes the 5 Biggest Spending Cuts It Celebrated Last Week -- The cuts, highlighted on an earlier version of the “wall of receipts” posted by Elon Musk’s team, contained mistakes that vastly inflated the amount of money saved. David A. Fahrenthold, Aatish Bhatia, Margot Sanger-Katz, Emily Badger, Ethan Singer and Josh Katz in the New York Times$ -- 2/26/25
California Policy and Politics Tuesday
California agrees to drop parts of social media law challenged by Elon Musk’s X -- California has agreed to drop portions of a law that requires large social media companies to disclose their policies for handling hate speech, disinformation, harassment and extremism following a legal challenge from Elon Musk’s X. Tyler Katzenberger Politico -- 2/25/25
Millions will lose health care if GOP budget cuts pass, Sacramento’s Rep. Doris Matsui warns -- To fund tax cuts for the nation’s richest citizens, U.S. Rep. Doris Matsui said Friday, House Republicans have proposed cuts that would strip Denise Stephenson, Joseph Wilson and roughly 320,000 other residents in her district of some or all federal health benefits. Cathie Anderson in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 2/25/25
How an S.F. Pilates instructor became the face of the city’s anti-Trump, anti-Musk protests -- Two weeks ago, Patty Moddelmog was sick in bed, scrolling through headlines about the Trump administration’s executive actions and Elon Musk’s federal budget cuts which made her think, “I’m freaking terrified and everything is horrible.” Maliya Ellis in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 2/25/25
In Huntington Beach, Politics on a Plaque -- MAGA references on a library plaque have divided the Southern California surf town and thrust it into the national spotlight. Orlando Mayorquín in the New York Times$ -- 2/25/25
Walters: Trump, Newsom play high-stakes game over billions in federal wildfire aid -- After voters shunned Kamala Harris and sent Donald Trump back to the White House, California Gov. Gavin Newsom immediately positioned himself as the leader of the opposition. Dan Walters CalMatters -- 2/25/25
Sacramento Sikhs, Bay Area Baptists win protection from Trump immigration raids -- A coalition of Sikh, Quaker and Baptist groups were granted a preliminary injunction against the Trump administration conducting immigration raids in their houses of worship. Ko Lyn Cheang in the San Francisco Chronicle$ Stephen Hobbs in the Sacramento Bee$ Anumita Kaur in the Washington Post$ -- 2/25/25
Invasive frisks, suicide attempts: Three migrants describe Guantánamo detention -- The men said they were denied calls to loved ones, subjected to humiliating searches and left in isolation for prolonged periods. Silvia Foster-Frau and Ana Vanessa Herrero in the Washington Post$ -- 2/25/25
How California schools, colleges are responding to Trump’s DEI crackdown -- Amid President Trump’s attack on DEI, California schools and colleges aim to keep diversity efforts intact while skirting clashes with the administration. Jaweed Kaleem and Howard Blume in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/25/25
Apple shareholders not expected to scrap diversity programs despite broader backlash -- Apple shareholders are expected to reject an attempt to pressure the technology trendsetter into scrapping corporate programs designed to diversify its workforce. Michael Liedtke Associated Press -- 2/25/25
Arellano: 100 years ago, Anaheim recalled its KKK city council. Why don’t we remember? -- Every time I visit my dad in Anaheim, I drive up Harbor Boulevard past Pearson Park. The crown jewel of the city’s public spaces holds many memories for me, good and bad. Gustavo Arellano in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/25/25
Homeless
‘A volunteer jail:’ Inside the scandals and abuse pushing California’s homeless out of shelters -- Emergency shelters are supposed to be safe havens. But a CalMatters investigation finds they are more deadly than jails – and the vast majority of residents remain homeless. Lauren Hepler CalMatters -- 2/25/25
7 takeaways from our investigation into California homeless shelters -- Shelters are usually off-limits to anyone but staff and residents. To understand what’s happening inside, we obtained previously unreleased state performance data, reviewed thousands of police calls and incident reports and interviewed more than 80 shelter residents and personnel. Lauren Hepler CalMatters -- 2/25/25
Newsom again threatens to withhold homelessness money from cities failing to move people off street -- In a virtual news conference on Monday, Newsom announced that cities and counties that do not meet certain benchmarks — such as closing more encampments and finalizing plans to build more housing — could lose out on their share of hundreds of millions of dollars in future homelessness grants. Ethan Varian in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 2/25/25
They were arrested for sleeping outside while homeless. Now, these Californians are headed to trial -- Wickey Twohands woke up early on the day he was scheduled to go on trial for sleeping outside. Marisa Kendall CalMatters -- 2/25/25
Gov. Newsom announces new funds to combat homelessness with accountability measures -- Gov. Gavin Newsom on Monday announced $920 million in newly available funding to help local communities clean up encampments and fight homelessness, as well as new measures he said were meant to ensure state homeless dollars are spent wisely. Andrew Khouri in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/25/25
Encampment stood for 5 years. He added windows and a garden to his home. Now it’s gone -- After sunrise, the city went to work clearing an encampment along the parkway between the 110 Freeway and the flood channel that’s existed there since the beginning of the pandemic. Nathan Solis in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/25/25
Cal Fire's new fire risk maps mean big changes for California homeowners -- Cal Fire on Monday published updated fire maps for 125 cities from the Bay Area north to the Oregon border. Julie Johnson and Harsha Devulapalli in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 2/25/25
Karen Bass makes a politically incendiary move: Sacking her fire chief -- The Los Angeles mayor, who has struggled to regain footing since fires swept her city, is now facing furious pushback from the firefighters’ union. Melanie Mason Politico -- 2/25/25
Wildfire recovery costs raise questions about L.A.’s 2028 Olympics priorities -- City officials call the Games 'no-build' — using existing venues. But wildfire recovery costs raise more questions Teresa Liu in the Orange County Register -- 2/25/25
L.A. recovery czar vents at Harvard-Westlake over working for free: ‘I was lied to’ -- Mayor Karen Bass’ chief recovery officer, Steve Soboroff, vented his frustrations at a private event at the tony Harvard-Westlake School, saying he was lied to. He later walked back the comments. While he didn’t deny saying them, they were not what he meant, he said. Julia Wick and David Zahniser in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/25/25
Water
Even in wet years, wells are still dry. Why replenishing California’s groundwater is painfully slow -- The governor vowed to clear the way for more groundwater recharge. Has it worked? “We’re still tinkering around with small numbers,” one expert says. Alastair Bland CalMatters -- 2/25/25
Street
Can one man help wipe out S.F.’s drug markets? City officials want to find out -- David Kennedy has devoted his life to developing new approaches to curb gun violence and dismantle open drug markets. Maggie Angst in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 2/25/25
Menendez brothers’ alleged history of ‘lies and deceptions’ slows their freedom bid -- In opposing a new trial for the Menendez brothers in their parents’ killing, L.A. County Dist. Atty. Nathan Hochman cited an issue that has dogged the defendants. Richard Winton, Salvador Hernandez and Hannah Fry in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/25/25
POTUS 47
Trump allies circulate mass deportation plan calling for ‘processing camps’ and a private citizen ‘army’ -- A group of prominent military contractors, including former Blackwater CEO Erik Prince, has pitched the Trump White House on a proposal to carry out mass deportations through a network of “processing camps” on military bases, a private fleet of 100 planes, and a “small army” of private citizens empowered to make arrests. Dasha Burns and Myah Ward Politico -- 2/25/25
Musk renews his ‘5 things’ demand with Trump’s apparent support -- Musk made his renewed demand in a social media post Monday after President Donald Trump seemed to contradict other senior administration officials and approve the directive that the billionaire initially sent out to workers over the weekend. Seb Starcevic Politico -- 2/25/25
The Trump administration, in a break with Musk, tells agencies that his directive to employees is ‘voluntary.’ -- Elon Musk’s monthlong rampage through the federal bureaucracy appears to have met its first real test, as some of President Trump’s top loyalists flatly reject the billionaire’s demand that their employees justify their jobs or be summarily fired. Michael D. Shear and Kate Conger in the New York Times$ -- 2/25/25
Bosses Don’t Need a ‘What Did You Do’ Email. They’re Already Tracking You -- Elon Musk’s email to federal employees prompted angst, but lots of employers use technology for continuous feedback on worker performance. Natasha Khan and Ray A. Smith in the Wall Street Journal$ -- 2/25/25
Nearly 40% of contracts canceled by Musk’s DOGE are expected to produce no savings -- Nearly 40% of the federal contracts that President Donald Trump’s administration claims to have canceled as part of its signature cost-cutting program aren’t expected to save the government any money, the administration’s own data shows. Ryan J. Foley Associated Press -- 2/25/25
DOGE’s grab of personal data stokes privacy and security fears -- Deputies of Elon Musk have sought access to massive amounts of information across the federal government, much of it personal and highly revelatory in its insights into the lives of everyday Americans. Faiz Siddiqui, Joseph Menn and Jacob Bogage in the Washington Post$ -- 2/25/25
Recipient isn’t giving in as Trump’s EPA tries to revoke climate grants -- A coalition of nonprofits under fire from President Donald Trump’s appointees says it will begin doling out money from a $2 billion climate grant it received during the Biden era — despite the Environmental Protection Agency’s attempts to claw back the funds. Zack Colman Politico -- 2/25/25
Farmers sue USDA after agency deletes climate change data -- The lawsuit says the Agriculture Department is hindering farmers from using the data to make “agricultural decisions” while they also face a recent funding freeze. Annabelle Timsit in the Washington Post$ -- 2/25/25
At National, flights are now disrupted when Trump boards Marine One -- Airline passengers have experienced serious disruptions at Washington’s Reagan National Airport because of new rules that trigger runway closures when President Donald Trump flies to and from the White House aboard his helicopter, according to people aware of the restrictions, flight tracking data and federal records. Ian Duncan and Lori Aratani in the Washington Post$ -- 2/25/25
Judge Questions Constitutionality of Musk’s Cost-Cutting Operation -- The judge expressed concern over the unresolved issues about who is in charge of Elon Musk’s so-called Department of Government Efficiency, if it is not Mr. Musk, as the White House has claimed. Alan Feuer in the New York Times$ -- 2/25/25
What the choice of Dan Bongino could mean for Kash Patel’s FBI vision -- The FBI’s new deputy director is a bombastic podcast host who has never worked at the bureau and has pushed conspiracy theories about it for years. Perry Stein, Jeremy Roebuck, Jonathan Baran and Clara Ence Morse in the Washington Post$ -- 2/25/25
Also
California vaccine management system’s funding is running out. ‘Incredibly concerning’ -- Without myCAvax, one small county health department has to manage their vaccine ordering and distribution on a spreadsheet so large it takes 17 minutes to open. Kate Wolffe in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 2/25/25
Teens are spilling dark thoughts to AI chatbots. Who’s to blame when something goes wrong? -- A growing number of teens are turning to AI chatbots for advice and emotional support. Character.AI, an AI startup, is among tech companies grappling with legal and ethical issues after parents alleged the platform’s chatbots harmed their children. Queenie Wong in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/25/25
This Bay Area city was once the egg capital of the world. Farmers are now taking desperate measures to try to keep the legacy alive -- The small Sonoma County city of Petaluma once sold eggs across the United States, but today only two retail egg producers are left. Chase Hunter in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 2/25/25
Keeping Lakeside egg ranch flu-free takes constant vigilance. Would a vaccine help? -- Rancher has kept H5N1 at bay with a few relatively simple steps. Experts say avian influenza vaccine, long forbidden by trade policy, may finally be in the offing. Paul Sisson in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 2/25/25
California officials push to cut energy credits to households with rooftop solar panels -- Financial credits to owners of rooftop solar panels that generate more power than the home needs can greatly lower electric bills. But as more people have been motivated to install the panels, it has cut into utility sales of electricity. Melody Petersen in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/25/25
Bay Area FasTrak scams are surging — again: ‘It’s been nonstop’ -- Road toll scams that besieged the Bay Area and and other parts of the country last year have ramped up again, with insistent text messages that demand payment — and sometimes threaten penalties. Rachel Swan in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 2/25/25
For more than an hour, he called for help as he was tortured to death in jail. ‘No one came,’ his family says -- The man who killed Brandon Yates was known to be violent, and was already classified as “keep separate” — not to be placed in a cell with another person. Jeff McDonald, Kelly Davis in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 2/25/25
Two unions at UCSD set to strike Wednesday -- Thousands of UC San Diego workers in health care and beyond plan to strike for better wages and benefits Wednesday, participating in overlapping statewide pickets at University of California campuses statewide. Paul Sisson in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 2/25/25
British musicians release a silent album to protest plans to let AI use their work -- A new album called “Is This What We Want?” features a stellar list of more than 1,000 musicians — and the sound of silence. Jill Lawless Associated Press -- 2/25/25
The trans Americans turning to guns for protection -- “Trans people have every reason to be afraid,” said one trans woman who went out and bought a gun after President Trump was elected. Hallie Lieberman in the Washington Post$ -- 2/25/25