California Policy and Politics Saturday

What the Trump administration’s hepatitis B vaccine rollback means for California -- California officials have vowed to keep the state’s current guidelines in place, but the federal changes could threaten vaccine coverage by some insurers and public benefits programs, along with broader reverberations. Sonja Sharp in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 12/13/25

He was days from becoming a U.S. citizen. Then came the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown -- Eight days before he was scheduled to swear his oath of allegiance as a new U.S. citizen, a Bay Area immigrant from Myanmar received a letter saying it was canceled “due to unforeseen circumstances.” He couldn’t believe it. He read the notice again, and again, so overwhelmed he felt numb. Ko Lyn Cheang in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 12/13/25

California sues to block Trump’s $100K H-1B visa fee -- President Donald Trump’s massive fee increase for employers, in Silicon Valley and elsewhere, who use H1-B visas to hire skilled foreign workers was challenged in court Friday by California Attorney General Rob Bonta, who said the fees are illegal and economically destructive. Bob Egelko in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 12/13/25

Kristi Noem grilled over L.A. Purple Heart Army vet who self-deported -- The saga of a Los Angeles Army veteran who legally immigrated to the United States, was wounded in combat and self-deported to South Korea earlier this year, became a flashpoint during a testy congressional hearing about the Trump administration’s immigration policy. Seema Mehta in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 12/13/25

 

Democrats gather in California feeling sunny once again -- As Democratic Party leaders gathered in Los Angeles for their annual winter meetings this week, for the first time in a long time the mood was warm. Elena Schneider, Melanie Mason and Liam Dillon Politico -- 12/13/25

Kamala Harris delivers reality check to bullish Democrats -- Kamala Harris warned fellow Democrats on Friday that the American dream is dying and that her party shares the blame, a bracing reality check for the party following a string of Democratic victories. In her most expansive diagnosis yet of what she cast as the country’s broken political system, the former vice president told members of the Democratic National Committee here that repair would require more than moving past President Donald Trump. Melanie Mason Politico -- 12/13/25

California braces for disaster as Congress fails to come to a deal on health care plans -- Insurance premiums for nearly 2 million Californians who buy health plans through the Affordable Care Act exchange are almost certain to spike in a matter of weeks as a fractured Congress allows federal subsidies for those customers to expire. Alexei Koseff in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 12/13/25

California’s unemployment agency spent millions on unused cellphones, audit says -- California’s unemployment department bought more cellphones than it needed for remote work during the COVID pandemic and kept paying for thousands of unused lines. Adam Ashton Calmatters William Melhado in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 12/13/25

Leaders of secretive California religious group accused of murder after member and ex-member vanish -- Two leaders of a group described as “cult-like” by authorities in the Inland Empire have been arrested along with a prominent member on suspicion of murder amid multiple investigations into the disappearance of a member and a former member and the death of a 4-year-old boy many years ago. Richard Winton and Clara Harter in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 12/13/25

S.F. Mayor Daniel Lurie seeks $400 million in cuts as he confronts growing budget deficit -- Mayor Daniel Lurie gave new financial marching orders to San Francisco departments Friday as he ramps up his efforts to close a two-year city budget deficit that’s now expected to total $936 million. J.D. Morris in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 12/13/25

Workplace

As Netflix and Paramount circle Warner Bros. Discovery, Hollywood unions voice alarm -- Unions representing writers, directors, actors and crew workers have voiced growing concerns that further consolidation in the media industry will reduce competition, potentially causing studios to pay less for content, and make it more difficult for people to find work. Wendy Lee in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 12/13/25

Wells Fargo cuts 100+ Sacramento-area jobs as CEO says AI prompts ‘efficiency’ -- On the same day of the cuts, President and CEO Charlie Scharf signaled that Wells would trim more roles and take on the costs of the severances in the fourth quarter, which ends this month. Speaking at the Goldman Sachs Financial Services Conference in New York, Scharf said the bank expected headcount to continue declining as technology transforms operations. Daniel Hunt in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 12/13/25

Can unions get California to retire mandatory overtime for state nurses? -- SEIU Local 1000, the union that represents some of the state workers required to work overtime, has tried to eliminate the practice for decades. William Melhado in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 12/13/25

Wildfire

As California delays ‘zone zero’ wildfire protection rules, study finds clearing vegetation prevented home damage in LA fires -- The study found homes with less plant life within a 5-foot radius less more likely to be destroyed. Ethan Varian in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 12/13/25

Education

He toppled Stanford’s president as a freshman. Now he’s written a tell-all about the university -- It's a hard act to follow. But Theo Baker, who managed to oust the president of Stanford University while a freshman reporter on his student newspaper, is now poised to explain "How to Rule the World," the title of his forthcoming book about Stanford's role in cultivating billionaires and other potentates. Nanette Asimov in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 12/13/25

BART

BART is raising its fares for the new year. Here’s how much more it will cost to ride -- That translates into a 30 cent increase for the average ride, from $4.88 to $5.18, the agency wrote in a news release. Short trips, such as the three-station ride from downtown Berkeley to 19th Street in Uptown Oakland, will cost an additional 15 cents. Rachel Swan in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 12/13/25

Climate

The Bay Area neighborhood most vulnerable to sea level rise is also sinking: ‘A right now problem’ -- The area of San Rafael, called the Canal District, is the Bay Area’s densest neighborhood after Chinatown. It is also the most segregated: Predominantly Latino and working class, it is one of Marin’s few low-income areas. Tara Duggan in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 12/13/25

Street

After brutal S.F. courtroom assault, interpreters urge sheriff’s office to tighten safety measures -- A San Francisco courtroom interpreter was beaten and hospitalized after being attacked by an in-custody defendant last month, raising concerns about safety measures in another public space monitored by the Sheriff’s Office. Megan Cassidy in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 12/13/25

Also

Northern California gas station sells $15M Scratchers ticket as Powerball jackpot hits $1B -- A Northern California lottery player has scored one of the state’s biggest Scratchers prizes of the year — a $15 million win on a ticket bought at a Central Valley convenience store. Aidin Vaziri in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 12/13/25

Ancient lake from ice age comes back to life in Death Valley after record rainfall -- Between 128,000 and 186,000 years ago, when ice covered the Sierra Nevada, a lake 100 miles long and 600 feet deep sat in eastern California in what is now the Mojave Desert. Summer Lin in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 12/13/25

Inside the Invitation-Only Stock Market for the Wealthy -- This year’s largest stock sale wasn’t on the New York Stock Exchange or its uptown rival, the Nasdaq Stock Market. Instead, it was a $40 billion offering by OpenAI that was available to only the investors handpicked by the firm’s executive team, including Sam Altman himself. Fewer than 50 investors snagged shares. Corrie Driebusch in the Wall Street Journal$ -- 12/13/25

POTUS 47

3 Americans Killed in Attack in Syria -- The Pentagon said two soldiers and a civilian interpreter were killed while supporting counterterror operations. They are the first U.S. casualties in Syria since the fall of the dictator Bashar al-Assad. Abdi Latif Dahir, Christina Goldbaum and John Ismay in the New York Times$ Ben Johansen Politico Lara Seligman in the Wall Street Journal$ Kareem Fahim and Dan Lamothe in the Washington Post$ -- 12/13/25

What happens to CNN if President Trump gets his way? -- As details emerge in the battle between Netflix and Paramount over control of the historic movie studio and its streaming and TV assets, Trump has made it clear he wants new ownership and leadership at the network that has been the prime target in his attacks on the mainstream media over the last decade. Stephen Battaglio in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 12/13/25

Behind the Seized Venezuelan Tanker, Cuba’s Secret Lifeline -- The oil tanker seized by the United States off the coast of Venezuela this week was part of the Venezuelan government’s effort to support Cuba, according to documents and people inside the Venezuelan oil industry. Anatoly Kurmanaev, Nicholas Nehamas and Farnaz Fassihi in the New York Times$ -- 12/13/25

Republican lawmakers tell Trump something he’s not used to hearing: No -- In a pair of nearly simultaneous votes this week in the Indiana legislature and in Congress, GOP lawmakers issued unusual displays of defiance against Trump. Hannah Knowles and Patrick Marley in the Washington Post$ -- 12/13/25

Canadians Rush to Buy Stockpiles of Boycotted U.S. Liquor -- Four Canadian provinces are selling off the American liquor they pulled from shelves in protest over President Trump’s tariffs. Some bourbon drinkers are thrilled. Michael Levenson in the New York Times$ -- 12/13/25

Immigration Agents Are Using Air Passenger Data for Deportation Effort -- The Transportation Security Administration is providing passenger lists to Immigrations and Customs Enforcement to identify and detain travelers subject to deportation orders. Hamed Aleaziz in the New York Times$ -- 12/13/25

For Republicans, Trump’s Hands-Off Approach to Health Care Is a Problem -- The prospect of soaring health care costs could exacerbate Americans’ feelings about affordability, an issue that President Trump has tried to downplay. But Democrats plan to keep the issue front and center. Luke Broadwater in the New York Times$ -- 12/13/25

National Trust sues to stop Trump’s ballroom construction -- The organization, which is charged by Congress with historic preservation, has retained President Barack Obama’s former lawyer as it seeks to pause the project. Dan Diamond and Jonathan Edwards in the Washington Post$ -- 12/13/25

DOJ sues Georgia county as Trump pushes debunked 2020 election fraud claims -- President Donald Trump has increasingly pressured his administration to find widespread voter fraud in the 2020 election, despite those claims having been debunked and dismissed in dozens of cases by the courts. Amy B Wang in the Washington Post$ -- 12/13/25