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