California Policy and Politics Friday

Federal appellate court upholds ruling striking down Trump's tariffs -- The ruling could quickly upend the global trade order Trump has built, cutting off a major new source of cash for the government and raising huge questions about what businesses are supposed to do next. Ben Berkowitz Axios Doug Palmer, Kyle Cheney, Josh Gerstein and Daniel Desrochers Politico -- 08/29/25

San Bernardino man arrested after he protested immigration officer shooting at his truck -- Francisco Longoria’s lawyers say more than a dozen armed federal agents arrived at their client’s home early Thursday with an armored personnel carrier. Federal officials say Longoria injured immigration officers and tried to run some over with his truck on Aug. 16, a claim his lawyers reject. Melissa Gomez in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 08/29/25

Public defender’s office seeks removal of Trump’s top federal prosecutor in L.A. -- The federal public defender’s office in Los Angeles filed a motion Friday to disqualify acting U.S. Atty. Bill Essayli, arguing that the Trump administration’s pick to serve as the top federal prosecutor in Southern California is unlawfully occupying his post. Brittny Mejia and James Queally in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 08/29/25

CHP to protect ex-VP Kamala Harris after Trump pulls Secret Service detail, sources say -- Former Vice President Kamala Harris will receive protection from the California Highway Patrol after President Donald Trump revoked her Secret Service protection, law enforcement sources said Friday. Richard Winton in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 08/29/25

 

Uber and Lyft sign off on deal to let California ride-hail drivers unionize -- Ride-hail drivers in California will be able to unionize and collectively bargain for better pay and working conditions under a deal announced Friday by Gov. Gavin Newsom, leaders of the state Legislature, unions, Uber and Lyft. Sara Libby, J K Dineen in the San Francisco Chronicle$ Laura J. Nelson and Suhauna Hussain in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 08/29/25

 

Trump revokes Secret Service protection for former VP Harris, AP sources say -- A senior Trump administration official said an executive memorandum was issued Thursday to the Department of Homeland Security ending Harris’ security detail and security services. Those had been extended from six to 18 months by the Biden administration, so they would have ended in July 2026, but now they’ll be terminated Monday. Seung Min Kim, Adriana Gomez Licon Associated Press Tarini Parti in the Wall Street Journal$ Tyler Pager in the New York Times$ Patrick Svitek, Natalie Allison and Derek Hawkins in the Washington Post$ -- 08/29/25

Newsom sends state police to more California cities in attempt to draw contrast with Trump -- Newsom, a Democrat, said the deployments are happening in coordination with local officials. That would be in contrast to Trump’s deployment of active duty troops to Los Angeles, which occurred over the objection of Newsom and Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass. Sophia Bollag in the San Francisco Chronicle$ Julia Wick in the Los Angeles Times$ Blake Jones Politico Alexei Koseff Calmatters -- 08/29/25

Gov. Gavin Newsom estimates 4,000 stolen vehicles recovered ‘in Oakland alone’ by CHP officers -- Gov. Gavin Newsom said Thursday the deployment last year of California Highway Patrol officers to combat this city’s crime problem led to the recovery of over 4,000 stolen vehicles “in Oakland alone.” Shomik Mukherjee in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 08/29/25

Tom Homan: Newsom is an ‘embarrassment’ for saying ICE is Trump’s ‘private police force’ -- White House border czar Tom Homan bashed California Gov. Gavin Newsom on Thursday, after the high-profile Democrat said Immigration and Customs Enforcement acted as President Donald Trump’s “private police force.” Nicole Markus Politico -- 08/29/25

Newsom: Crime is a larger problem in GOP-led areas than Democratic-led ones -- “If the president is sincere about the issue of crime and violence, there’s no question in my mind that he’ll likely be sending the troops into Louisiana and Mississippi," the California governor said. Maegan Vazquez in the Washington Post$ -- 08/29/25

ICE will ‘ramp up’ immigration raids in Los Angeles, other ‘sanctuary cities,’ border advisor says -- President Trump’s border advisor told reporters Thursday that federal authorities planned to increase immigration raids in Los Angeles and other so-called “sanctuary cities,” with Chicago likely the next target. Andrew J. Campa in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 08/29/25

Latinos built a vibrant community on the sea in Oxnard. Trump raids are shattering it -- Constructed around the same agriculture fields where Cesar Chavez organized migrant laborers before establishing the United Farm Workers of America, Oxnard is a place where Latino influence is omnipresent — from music festivals to eateries. Ruben Vives in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 08/29/25

SFPD issues new guidelines for ICE arrests amid protests -- In a department-wide memo Wednesday, Interim Police Chief Paul Yep instructed his officers to neither help nor hinder U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents as they make immigration arrests, and to only take action when “necessary to safeguard life and property.” Megan Cassidy in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 08/29/25

Masked immigration agents shot at man during standoff in San Bernardino; weeks later, he is in custody -- Authorities arrested Francisco Longoria at his home around 4 a.m. with a warrant, claiming he had assaulted federal officers during the Aug. 16 altercation when masked agents smashed Longoria’s driver’s side window and shot at his car as he drove away, said Tamara Marquez, communications director with the Inland Coalition for Immigrant Justice. Andrea Klick in the Orange County Register$ -- 08/29/25

Proposition 50

Mailers flood Bay Area homes, kicking off California redistricting battles -- A constellation of interest groups will be campaigning fiercely to influence voters, and analysts expect money to pour in, with cost estimates between $100 million and $200 million. Grant Stringer in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 08/29/25

Voters

Orange County will fight Trump over sensitive voter information, despite pushback -- The fight marks a test for county leaders, who have been divided over whether to resist demands by the U.S. Justice Department for records related to alleged voting irregularities, an issue Trump has championed since losing the 2020 election. Hannah Fry in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 08/29/25

Deportation Machine

A deportee’s son, young parents, naturalized citizens: Here’s who came to Texas to join Trump’s deportation machine -- Hundreds of applicants turned out for a two-day hiring expo for Immigration and Customs Enforcement in Arlington, Texas, with many hoping to start a career as a deportation officer. Brittny Mejia in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 08/29/25

‘It’s happening everywhere’: 1 in 3 ICE detainees held in overcrowded facilities, data show -- As ICE detainees top 60,000, some detention centers stack mattresses on the floor. Andrea Castillo and Gabrielle LaMarr LeMee in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 08/29/25

Workplace

After Trump announcement, Intel among several companies to make Bay Area job cuts -- Just days after President Donald Trump announced the U.S. government had secured a 10% stake in Intel, the Santa Clara-based company revealed that it was cutting nearly 200 jobs in California, according to WARN letters filed on Aug. 25 with the state Employment Development Department. George Avalos in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 08/29/25

ChatGPT

ChatGPT pulled teen into a ‘dark and hopeless place’ before he took his life, lawsuit against OpenAI alleges -- But his conversations with a chatbot took a disturbing turn when the 16-year-old sought information from ChatGPT about ways to take his own life before he died by suicide in April. Queenie Wong in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 08/29/25

Wildfire

Smoldering ashes at Napa vineyard seen as possible cause of Pickett Fire -- Cal Fire investigators are looking into multiple potential causes for the Pickett Fire, including whether a contractor accidentally disposed of smoldering ashes at a Calistoga vineyard last week. Anna Bauman in the San Francisco Chronicle$ Grace Toohey in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 08/29/25

Insurance

Another major California insurer seeks to hike rates -- The insurer, which provides AAA-affiliated insurance in Northern and Central California, is asking regulators to approve a 6.9% increase for homeowners, it said in a statement Wednesday. The full details of the filing, including the proposed date it would go into effect, were not available as of Thursday morning. Megan Fan Munce in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 08/29/25

Rent

S.F. apartment rents surge again in August to highest level since April 2020 -- San Francisco’s median monthly apartment rent surged 11.5% to $3,040 in the past 12 months ending in August. It was once again the highest annual increase in the country — and more evidence the city’s economy is on the upswing. Roland Li in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 08/29/25

Why California backed down from forcing landlords to keep residents cool -- Lawmakers will again fail to set a safe indoor temperature standard for housing, as builders and tenant advocates battle over the cost of retrofits. Alejandra Reyes-Velarde Calmatters -- 08/29/25

Two stairways are required in L.A. apartments. What does that have to do with the housing crisis? -- The L.A. City Council voted last week to draft an ordinance that would allow buildings of up to six stories to have a single stairway. Noah Goldberg in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 08/29/25

Veteran Homeless

L.A. has enough rental subsidies to end veteran homelessness. Why aren’t they being used? -- Los Angeles housing authorities have more than enough federal rental subsidies to provide housing for all of the county’s estimated 3,400 homeless veterans. But more than 4,000 HUD-VASH vouchers remain stuck in a complicated bureaucracy while units built expressly for veterans can stay vacant for a year or more. Doug Smith in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 08/29/25

Tijuana River Hydrogen Sulfide

First peer-reviewed study of Tijuana River Valley sewage crisis finds link between water pollution and toxic gas in air -- At its peak concentration levels, the air wafting through the Tijuana River Valley contains thousands of times the typical rate of hydrogen sulfide found in an urban neighborhood, a new study in the journal Science has found. Jeff McDonald in the San Diego Union Tribune$ Ian James in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 08/29/25

Education

California Democrats and Republicans agree on one big thing: They support UC, poll shows -- Republican and Democratic voters share common ground when it comes to the University of California: Both sides express widespread support for UC, its research, medical centers and ability to elevate the lives of students, a statewide poll shows. Jaweed Kaleem in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 08/29/25

Beverly Hills superintendent overrules plan to display Israeli flag on campuses -- The superintendent of the Beverly Hills Unified School District overruled a plan approved by the Board of Education to display Israeli flags on all campuses during Jewish American Heritage Month, citing concerns about student safety. Clara Harter in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 08/29/25

Street

9th Circuit blocks release of sheriff’s internal jail-death reviews, denying Union-Tribune’s request -- The 9th Circuit Court of Appeals has rejected a request from The San Diego Union-Tribune and other news organizations to reconsider a ruling that blocked the release of internal Sheriff’s Office records tied to nearly a dozen people’s deaths in local county jails. Kelly Davis in the San Diego Union Tribune$ -- 08/29/25

California A.G., Torrance police reach reform agreement after racist text scandal -- The Torrance Police Department and the California attorney general’s office have entered into an “enforceable agreement” meant to reform the troubled agency following a scandal that led prosecutors to toss dozens of criminal cases linked to officers who sent racist text messages, officials said. James Queally in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 08/29/25

Video shows LAPD drone peer into vehicle of man shot while holding fake gun -- Video released Thursday by the LAPD shows police flying a drone to get a closer look at a man inside a van who had been shot by officers in Boyle Heights last month. Police said they shot the man after he ignored their commands to drop what appeared to be a rifle. The rifle, it turned out, was a battery-powered airsoft gun, which shoots plastic pellets. Libor Jany in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 08/29/25

Also

Do you live here? 41 states where you might outlive your retirement savings -- In California, the gap between projected income and expenses for retirees is far higher: $337,000. Roxana Popescu in the San Diego Union Tribune$ -- 08/29/25

Southwest changing its extra-seat policy for plus-size travelers: ‘Heartbreaking’ --A change in Southwest Airlines’ seating policy has many advocates for the plus-size community saying the shift will create financial burdens and other barriers for this segment of the traveling public. Karen Garcia in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 08/29/25

These California eggs are linked to a salmonella outbreak that’s infected nearly 100 people -- Country Eggs LLC of Lucerne Valley is being investigated by the Food and Drug Administration in collaboration with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention after its “sunshine/omega-3 golden yolk” eggs were found to be contaminated with salmonella. Karen Garcia in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 08/29/25

Delta dumped jet fuel on Cudahy schoolkids, agrees to $79-million settlement -- Delta Air Lines has agreed to pay $79 million for dumping 15,000 gallons of jet fuel onto a community in southeastern Los Angeles County five years ago, drenching children playing at a school, to settle a federal lawsuit by local residents. Andrew J. Campa in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 08/29/25

Duke Cunningham, war hero turned corrupt congressman, dies at 83 -- From ace fighter pilot to Vietnam War hero to member of Congress and finally federal prisoner, Randy “Duke” Cunningham lived an American dream before it crashed in scandal two decades ago. Jeff McDonald in the San Diego Union Tribune$ -- 08/29/25

Walters: Nine years later, California court saga over $23,420 housing fee remains unsettled -- Nine years ago, in preparation for his retirement, engineer George Sheetz bought a plot of rural land in El Dorado County and applied for a county permit to place a manufactured home on his parcel. Dan Walters Calmatters -- 08/29/25

Arellano: Slain L.A. Times columnist Ruben Salazar matters more than ever, 55 years later -- Fifty-five years ago, Salazar was killed in an East Los Angeles bar after a tear gas canister launched by an L.A. County sheriff’s deputy tore through his head. Gustavo Arellano in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 08/29/25

POTUS 47

Higher Prices Are Coming for Household Staples -- Companies from Hormel to Ace Hardware forecast prices rising as the costs of Trump’s tariffs are passed on to consumers. Patrick Thomas and Sarah Nassauer in the Wall Street Journal$ -- 08/29/25

A Guide to Shopping Online After De Minimis Tariff Rule Ends -- Tariffs will now be applied to all e-commerce packages entering the U.S.; expect to see prices go up—or your options shrink. Esther Fung in the Wall Street Journal$ Peter Eavis in the New York Times$ Jaclyn Peiser, Victoria Bisset and Grace Moon in the Washington Post$ Caroline Petrow-Cohen in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 08/29/25

Senate Democrats Warn Trump IPO Plan for Fannie, Freddie Could Push Up Mortgage Rates -- High mortgage rates are already keeping aspiring homeowners on the sidelines. Now some Democrats fear the Trump administration is about to drive them higher. Corrie Driebusch in the Wall Street Journal$ -- 08/29/25

Inside the Trump Administration’s Vaccine Politics -- Trump embraced the MAHA movement’s antivaccine supporters; now a crisis is unfolding at the CDC under RFK Jr.’s leadership. Jennifer Calfas, Josh Dawsey and Sabrina Siddiqui in the Wall Street Journal$ -- 08/29/25

Trump Targets Agencies Long Seen as Above Politics. Critics See Big Risks -- Trump officials say the president is within his rights to fire officials who do not share his agenda. Luke Broadwater in the New York Times$ -- 08/29/25

Trump Leans on National Security to Justify Next Wave of Tariffs -- Expanded steel and aluminum tariffs are just the start; new levies seen as likely for semiconductors, heavy trucks, commercial aircraft and more. Gavin Bade and Bob Tita in the Wall Street Journal$ -- 08/29/25

Trump tries to wrest spending power from Congress as government shutdown looms -- The administration says it can cancel nearly $5 billion in international aid with or without approval from lawmakers under a little-tested theory called a “pocket rescission.” Jacob Bogage in the Washington Post$ Jennifer Scholtes and Megan Messerly Politico -- 08/29/25

When Mailing a Letter to the U.S. Becomes a Global Headache -- A driver’s license renewal, a box of specialty candy, even early Christmas presents — all are caught up in the confusion caused by a new Trump administration customs rule. Francesca Regalado and Jenny Gross in the New York Times$ -- 08/29/25

CVS Holds Off on Offering Covid Vaccines in 16 States -- The country’s largest pharmacy chain said it needed a C.D.C. panel to recommend the shots before it could offer them nationwide. Maggie Astor and Dani Blum in the New York Times$ -- 08/29/25

Kilmar Abrego Garcia asks for gag order against Bondi, Noem -- It is the third time defense attorneys have complained that public statements from government officials are threatening Abrego’s right to a fair trial. Kyle Cheney and Josh Gerstein Politico -- 08/29/25

New Trump rule to ban VA abortions for veterans even in cases of rape and incest -- Trump administration to end nearly all abortions even though third of female veterans are sexual assault survivors. Aaron Glantz The Guardian -- 08/29/25

Ashli Babbitt, Jan. 6 rioter killed in Capitol, offered military funeral honors -- The Biden administration previously denied the honors for Babbitt, who was shot by a U.S. Capitol Police officer while attempting to enter the Speaker’s Lobby, a restricted area adjacent to the House chamber, while lawmakers were evacuating the Capitol. A Capitol Police investigation cleared the officer of any wrongdoing, saying his conduct was “lawful.” Jacob Wendler Politico -- 08/29/25