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California Policy and Politics Saturday
California abortion pill suppliers ready with workaround in case of Supreme Court ban -- The Supreme Court has temporarily stayed a lower court’s ban on mail-order delivery of certain types of pills used to terminate pregnancies. Experts said that even if the high court allows the ban to stand, another type of abortion pill will still be available. Sonja Sharp in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/9/26
GM just paid a record penalty for breaking California privacy law -- General Motors agreed to pay $12.75 million in civil penalties for selling driving data of hundreds of thousands of California motorists to data brokers, allegedly without their consent. Khari Johnson Calmatters -- 5/9/26
Gov. Newsom shakes up high-speed rail board, appointing former S.F. leaders to steer the project -- Gov. Gavin Newsom has appointed two new board directors to oversee California’s high-speed rail project, both former top officials in San Francisco City Hall. Rachel Swan in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 5/9/26
‘Dark money’ casts a shadow over L.A. elections, with mystery group pumping out attack mail -- A group called Neighbors First is funding political mailers attacking left-wing City Council candidates. As a nonprofit, it doesn’t have to disclose its donors. One of the consultants for Neighbors First is Jennifer Rivera, who lobbied city officials last year on a proposed gondola linking Union Station with Dodger Stadium. David Zahniser in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/9/26
How MAGA Sheriff Chad Bianco is shaking up the 2026 California gubernatorial primary -- Chad Bianco’s campaign for California governor leans heavily on his years as Riverside County sheriff, a record that has drawn praise from voters yearning to return to a tough-on-crime era and harsh criticism from others who consider him a far-right affront to the rule of law. Kevin Rector and Hailey Wang in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/9/26
Spencer Pratt said ‘super meth’ is helping fuel L.A.’s homeless crisis. What is that? -- During a recent debate, Los Angeles mayoral candidate Spencer Pratt argued that drug abuse has been largely ignored as a factor when attempting to address the city’s homelessness crisis. Karen Garcia in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/9/26
Lopez: For all the chatter by mayoral candidates, can anyone fix L.A.’s enduring problems? -- By the end of the L.A. mayor debate I came away thinking there were no clear winners, and a definite loser: Voters. The format works against meaningful, substantive discussions, especially when moderators ask for one-word answers. Steve Lopez in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/9/26
Workplace
Bay Area anti-poverty nonprofit takes on AI-driven economy -- Tipping Point Community announced a new maneuver this week in its fight against Bay Area poverty: preparing human workers to survive in an economy powered by artificial intelligence. Lucy Hodgman in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 5/9/26
Disney’s ABC challenges FCC, escalating fight over free speech -- Walt Disney Co.’s ABC is forcefully resisting Federal Communications Commission efforts to soften the network’s programming, accusing the federal agency of an overreach that violates 1st Amendment freedoms. Meg James in the Los Angeles Times$ Joe Flint and Isabella Simonetti in the Wall Street Journal$ -- 5/9/26
Press freedom groups challenge Larry Ellison’s reported promise to fire CNN anchors -- Two press freedom groups that own shares in Paramount Skydance are demanding to see the company’s books and internal documents, citing allegations that the company’s leaders may have promised favors to the White House to win approval for Paramount’s deal to acquire Warner Bros. Discovery. Meg James and Ben Wieder in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/9/26
Meta’s Embrace of A.I. Is Making Its Employees Miserable -- As it adapts to the artificial intelligence era, the company is pushing many of its 78,000 workers to use the technology, and preparing to lay some of them off. Kalley Huang, Eli Tan and Kate Conger in the New York Times$ -- 5/9/26
Education
Tribes want Cal State to return Native remains and artifacts. Here’s why it’s not so easy -- Cal State campuses have mixed records in returning Native remains and artifacts to tribes. Campus officials say they are working diligently to follow legal mandates but the process can be arduous, especially for non-federally recognized tribes. Brittany Oceguera Calmatters -- 5/9/26
Transit
L.A.’s long-awaited subway under Wilshire Boulevard opens, linking Beverly Hills to downtown -- More than six decades ago, California leaders started working toward a rail line that would run below Wilshire, but the efforts struggled to gain momentum because of major funding shortfalls, political battles, neighborhood opposition and engineering concerns. Perhaps that’s why Friday felt so monumental. Cierra Morgan and Grace Toohey in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/9/26
Environment
Invasive species discovered at drinking water treatment plants in San Jose -- Fast-spreading hardy mussels from China, already in Delta and spreading across California, could cost millions to control. Paul Rogers in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 5/9/26
This California frog vanished from Yosemite. Now it’s back — and thriving -- Wildlife officials declared this week that the park’s once-vanished population of red-legged frogs is now self-sustaining, cementing the success of the experimental reintroduction program. Kurtis Alexander in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 5/9/26
Canvas cyberattack
‘Timing couldn’t have been worse’: California students scramble amid Canvas cyberattack -- As the global cyberattack on the Canvas learning management system entered its second day Friday, thousands of students across California found themselves locked out of the online lectures they needed to study for finals. Many could not take exams given on the platform. Others could not submit assignments to professors or teachers. Nanette Asimov in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 5/9/26
PG&E
City officials slam PG&E as new report reveals cause of S.F. substation fire that led to blackouts -- But the report, a 70-page technical document about the precise cause of the fire, does not spell out whether PG&E could or should have done anything differently to prevent the blaze. J.D. Morris in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 5/9/26
Street
Family sues Riverside County after sheriff’s deputy runs red light, killing a man and injuring his fiancée -- Gavin Hinkley and his fiancée were running errands in September for their wedding, which was weeks away, when a Riverside County sheriff’s patrol vehicle barreled toward them at 100 mph, running through a red light and colliding with the driver’s side of their car. Suhauna Hussain in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/9/26
Also
Amazon MGM Studios executive solicited kickbacks for postproduction contracts, lawsuit alleges -- An Amazon MGM Studios executive allegedly solicited kickbacks from an aspiring vendor in exchange for post-production contract awards on shows, according to a recently filed lawsuit. Samantha Masunaga in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/9/26
‘Speed running’ trend spreads despite Scientology and social media sites trying to stop it -- Since the first incidents in Los Angeles in late March, large groups of people — some in costumes — have tried to race through buildings belonging to the church in New York, San Diego, San Francisco and countries outside the U.S., even as Scientology’s lawyers, law enforcement agencies and social media platforms have sought to halt the viral movement. James Queally in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/9/26
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Democrats just lost the redistricting war -- Republicans just won the redistricting war — and boosted their slim hopes for holding the House. Andrew Howard Politico -- 5/9/26
Republicans Are Building an Advantage in Redistricting. How Much? -- It’s not a stalemate anymore. Over just the last two weeks, new court rulings and new congressional maps have put Republicans on track to add more than a dozen districts that voted for President Trump. Nate Cohn in the New York Times$ -- 5/9/26
‘Mild panic will set in soon’: GOP donors left to wonder about Trump’s $300 million war chest -- Republican donors have given massive sums of money to Trump’s operation. But they are in the dark about how he’s going to spend it in the midterms. Alex Gangitano and Megan Messerly Politico -- 5/9/26
Poll: Republicans and Democrats agree on one big election issue -- New results from The Politico Poll are stark: 72 percent of Americans say there is too much money in politics, with just 5 percent disagreeing. Across parties, majorities say billionaires wield outsized influence over U.S. politics and that special interest spending is a type of corruption that should be restricted, rather than protected as free speech. Anna Wiederkehr Politico -- 5/9/26
The No-Bid Contract That Is Turning Washington’s Reflecting Pool Blue --To give out that $6.9 million no-bid contract, Mr. Trump’s administration invoked an exemption meant for urgent situations, The New York Times found. The exemption was supposed to be used only to prevent “serious injury, financial or other, to the government.” Administration officials made no public claim that such injury was likely; rather, officials said, Mr. Trump wanted it changed for the country’s birthday party on July 4. David A. Fahrenthold and Luke Broadwater in the New York Times$ -- 5/9/26
California Policy and Politics Friday
Canvas cyberattack disrupts universities and schools worldwide, including UC and CSU -- A massive cyberattack has shut down the Canvas learning management system used by millions of students and educators at colleges, universities and K-12 schools worldwide, causing widespread disruption Thursday including at University of California, California State University campuses and the state’s 116 community colleges. Nanette Asimov in the San Francisco Chronicle$ Jaweed Kaleem in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/8/26
Tom Steyer’s anti-tech crusade has a potential hiccup: his brother -- The Steyer brothers could be a powerhouse check on tech in California, but then there’s the connections to industry. Chase DiFeliciantonio and Tyler Katzenberger Politico -- 5/8/26
Are the debates swaying undecided voters in the unsettled California governor’s race? -- With a good chunk of the California electorate still undecided on who they want to succeed Gov. Gavin Newsom, this week’s debates presented the seven leading candidates with a chance to make their case as ballots arrived in mailboxes. But like other recent debates, political experts are dubious as to whether anyone was swayed. Grace Hase in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 5/8/26
Two viral clips have dogged Katie Porter. Her rivals have dodged similar scrutiny -- Former Rep. Katie Porter has been dogged by questions about her temperament in the wake of viral videos of her being testy with a reporter and yelling at a staffer, even as her male challengers have avoided the same type of scrutiny for their own televised outbursts and tangling with reporters. Sophia Bollag in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 5/8/26
Gerrymandering Pits G.O.P. House Members Against Each Other in California -- Forced to fight for political survival because of redistricting, Ken Calvert and Young Kim, both Republicans, are accusing each other of being insufficiently MAGA. Kellen Browning in the New York Times$ -- 5/8/26
A look at the top candidates vying to be California’s controller -- Republican Herb Morgan is challenging Democratic incumbent Malia Cohen for oversight of California’s spending. Marisa Kendall Calmatters -- 5/8/26
Wiener leads S.F. congressional race, with Chakrabarti and Chan tied for distant second, Chronicle polls finds -- A new San Francisco Chronicle poll found that likely primary voters across almost every demographic group prefer state Sen. Scott Wiener in the race to replace Rep. Nancy Pelosi, while the other two leading candidates, Supervisor Connie Chan and wealthy former software engineer Saikat Chakrabarti, are neck and neck for a distant second place. Danielle Echeverria in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 5/8/26
The ‘revolution is here’: Progressive Democrats’ ‘Change the party’ message hits home at packed S.F. rally -- Hundreds of progressive Bay Area voters crammed into a San Francisco night club Thursday for a campaign rally held by congressional candidate Saikat Chakrabarti that featured the hyper-popular, and controversial, political commentator Hasan Piker. Alyce McFadden in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 5/8/26
Water
Newsom pledges to move forward with Delta water tunnel in California -- The project faces intense opposition from Delta residents and environmental groups who warn it would devastate ecosystems, while supporters argue it would bolster the state’s water system against severe droughts and worsening weather extremes. Taryn Luna and Ian James in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/8/26
Workplace
California tech company Cloudflare to lay off more than 1,000 workers, cites AI -- It is the latest tech company this week to announce massive layoffs as tech workers embrace the use of AI agents to perform tasks such as generating code more quickly. Queenie Wong in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/8/26
Pressure grows on California attorney general to try to block Paramount’s deal for Warner Bros. -- California Democrats in Congress are raising concerns about Paramount Skydance’s proposed takeover of Warner Bros. Discovery — a $111-billion deal that would dramatically reshape Hollywood by consolidating two historic film studios. Meg James in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/8/26
Oil
Ships at L.A.’s ports face a fuel shock that’s shaking the economy -- The price of fuel for cargo ships has nearly doubled in L.A. in the last two months, putting pressure on shipping companies and forcing them to impose fuel surcharges. Caroline Petrow-Cohen in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/8/26
Wildfire
These blue states aren’t getting fire prevention money from Trump -- FEMA slowed grants intended to help states such as California and Colorado prepare for and prevent wildfires, a Washington Post analysis shows. Brianna Sacks and Kevin Crowe in the Washington Post$ -- 5/8/26
Tijuana River
Physicians, politicians, activists call for emergency declaration on the Tijuana River -- The heinously polluted Tijuana River, which has sickened residents and even researchers with its hydrogen sulfide fumes, is gaining attention, and now a coalition of politicians, activists, physicians and economists are pushing California Gov. Gavin Newsom to declare the fetid and toxic river valley a public health emergency. Susanne Rust in the Los Angeles Times$ Deborah Brennan Calmatters -- 5/8/26
Breathe
Bay Area air regulators could push back controversial gas water heater ban -- Bay Area Air District staff urged regulators to push back a planned natural gas-powered water heater sales ban by nine months to allow more time for public outreach on the landmark rule, which will require many property owners to replace broken water heaters with cleaner but more expensive electric versions. Brooke Park in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 5/8/26
Housing
'Buckshot’ or moonshot? Dem candidates to replace Newsom offer grand plans for more housing -- When it comes to fixing California’s housing problems, Democratic gubernatorial candidates can’t resist a big, round number. And that could be a problem. Liam Dillon Politico -- 5/8/26
Education
What’s holding back California students? A new report urges stronger state oversight -- The state’s shift to a funding system that gave school districts control has left big gaps in student performance and questions over who’s accountable for what, according to a new report. Carolyn Jones Calmatters -- 5/8/26
Sacramento school board resists state agency’s urging to surrender to insolvency -- The mood in the Serna Center was decidedly grim Thursday night as the leader of a state financial agency told the Sacramento City Unified School District board that a state takeover is inevitable. Jennah Pendleton in the Sacramento Bee$ Savannah Kuchar KVIE Abridged -- 05/08/26
Sacramento City Unified may lay off 800 employees amid impending insolvency -- In September, former Chief Business Officer Janea Marking described Sacramento City Unified School District’s financial crisis as an impending tsunami. The wave is now crashing down. Jennah Pendleton in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 5/8/26
Walters: California schools scored big increases in funding but not in academic performance -- Over the last several decades there’s been a recurring debate in political, academic and media circles over the relatively poor levels of academic achievement among California’s public school students. Dan Walters Calmatters -- 5/8/26
Street
‘Ghost stops’ with no body cam footage land LAPD gang unit members under investigation -- At least eight members of an LAPD anti-gang unit are under internal investigation for failing to activate their body-worn cameras and pulling people over without documenting the traffic stops, according to four sources with knowledge of the case. Libor Jany in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/8/26
Jury sides with LAPD in lawsuit over shooting that killed girl at Burlington coat store -- A Los Angeles police officer was not liable for the 2021 death of 14-year-old Valentina Orellana-Peralta when a bullet he fired while rushing to confront a suspect went through the wall of a North Hollywood store changing room where she was hiding, a jury decided Thursday. Libor Jany in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/8/26
Guns
Mail-a-handgun: Trump administration pushes to allow firearms to be delivered by USPS -- California Atty. Gen. Rob Bonta is calling the proposed mail-a-handgun policy a “dangerous loophole” that threatens to undermine state gun control laws and enable weapons trafficking. Clara Harter in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/8/26
Also
After years of disaster-level landslides, Rancho Palos Verdes will finally get some federal aid. Is it enough? -- Congress has allocated $2.3 million for Rancho Palos Verdes’ ongoing landslide emergency. But that amount won’t come close to addressing the area’s needs. Grace Toohey in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/8/26
‘That’s not Chonkers’: Where did S.F.’s viral sea lion go — and who is this impostor? -- Missing: one 2,000-pound sea lion. Last seen at Pier 39. A jumbo-size San Francisco pinniped who rose to stardom with the nickname Chonkers hasn’t been spotted in days, officials said, disappointing tourists, locals and Chronicle staff photographers who have been on the lookout for him. Last week he even stood up the mayor. Caleb Pershan in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 5/8/26
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U.S. Adds 115,000 Jobs With Solid Hiring Across Sectors -- The U.S. job market blew past expectations again in April, buoyed by gains across industries including retail, transportation and warehousing, and healthcare. The results were a sign that the labor market remained resilient so far in the face of the Iran war. Chao Deng and Harriet Torry in the Wall Street Journal$ -- 5/8/26
In Huge Blow to Democrats, Virginia Court Strikes Down House Map -- The decision is a major victory for Republicans, wiping away a measure approved by voters to allow Democrats to gain as many as four House seats in the midterms. Campbell Robertson, Nick Corasaniti and Reid J. Epstein in the New York Times$ Gregory S. Schneider in the Washington Post$ David A. Lieb Associated Press -- 5/8/26
Trade Court Rules Against Trump’s New Global Tariffs -- A federal trade court invalidated President Trump’s new 10% global tariffs, ruling he lacked authority under Section 122 of the Trade Act. Lydia Wheeler, Gavin Bade and Louise Radnofsky in the Wall Street Journal$ Tony Romm and Ana Swanson in the New York Times$ -- 5/8/26
Shell Reports Nearly $7 Billion Profit Amid ‘Unprecedented Disruption’ -- The British energy giant Shell reported robust profits following the surge in oil prices prompted by the U.S.-Israeli war with Iran. Gregory Schmidt and Rebecca F. Elliott in the New York Times$ -- 5/8/26
As U.S. Debt Hits a Worrying Milestone, Washington Barely Notices -- The U.S. government learned last week that it may have reached an unfortunate milestone: The size of its debt surpassed the nation’s total economic output. Tony Romm in the New York Times$ -- 5/8/26