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California Policy and Politics Wednesday
Newsom Wows the Climate Conference That Trump Decided to Skip -- The California governor painted the president as a threat to American competitiveness by letting China dominate the renewable energy industry. Somini Sengupta in the New York Times$ -- 11/12/25
The climate president in waiting -- The world wants an American climate leader, and Gavin Newsom is happy to play the part — even if the country he represents isn’t quite ready to follow. Camille von Kaenel Politico -- 11/12/25
Newsom at UN talks: 'Donald Trump is temporary' -- The California governor told a global climate conference that the Trump administration was "doubling down on stupid." Camille von Kaenel Politico -- 11/12/25
Trump wants oil drilling off the coast of California. But does anyone else? -- The Trump administration reportedly has plans to open the waters off California’s coast to new oil and gas drilling for the first time in four decades, drawing swift condemnation from Gov. Gavin Newsom, lawmakers and environmental groups who say it would be disastrous for the state’s environment, economy and clean energy targets. Hayley Smith in the Los Angeles Times$ Chaewon Chung in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 11/12/25
Gavin Newsom: Democrats need to recast climate change as ‘affordability’ issue -- “It’s about economic power. I think we have to reframe it as a cost of living issue,” he said during a press conference, when asked about how to make climate mitigation policies resonate with voters. Lia Russell in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 11/12/25
Newsom adviser to nervous Dems: Lean in on immigration -- Juan Rodriguez wants Democrats across the country to take heed of how the California's redistricting campaign embraced the issue and won. Melanie Mason Politico -- 11/12/25
ICE
Immigrant detainees say they were harassed, sexually assaulted by guard who got promoted -- For more than a year, detainees at a California immigrant detention center said, they were summoned from their dorms to a lieutenant’s office late at night. Hours frequently passed, they said, before they were sent back to their dorms. Andrea Castillo in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 11/12/25
Workplace
Novartis opens new manufacturing plant in Carlsbad -- Swiss drugmaker Novartis opened a new 10,000-square-foot manufacturing facility in Carlsbad to make cancer drugs, as part of its promised $23 billion investment push to build out its domestic U.S. facilities over the next five years. Nilesh Christopher in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 11/12/25
Combate Global MMA franchise to move production to Burbank from Miami -- The franchise, which will air on Spanish-language network Estrella TV after a six-year run on Univision, will film 20 live events at Estrella’s new networks studio, starting in February. Samantha Masunaga in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 11/12/25
Water
No deal on the Colorado River despite Trump administration deadline -- The federal government has often set deadlines on the Colorado River, but in recent years has rarely enforced them. Negotiations among California and the six other basin states will now continue into next year, as Arizona ramps up its rhetoric and calls for a firmer hand from the Trump Administration in the talks. Rachel Becker Calmatters -- 11/12/25
Turning Point
Turning Point tour ends with fights and arrests at UC Berkeley. Our student reporters were there -- A few hundred feet apart, yet worlds away politically, furious students at UC Berkeley protested the final stop of the conservative organization Turning Point USA’s “American Comeback Tour,” hosted Monday night on what is known as the nation’s most liberal campus. Ella Carter-Klauschie and Chrissa Olson Calmatters -- 11/12/25
Charlie Kirk’s Turning Point closes tour at UC Berkeley, testing free speech roots -- The University of California, Berkeley added to its long history as a hotbed of free speech and liberal activism Monday, when Turning Point USA, the conservative student movement started by Charlie Kirk, ended its national tour with an event on the campus a few months after the assassination of the influential right wing figure. Eric He Politico -- 11/12/25
Justice Department to Investigate Protests at Turning Point Event at Berkeley -- Harmeet Dhillon, who leads the department’s civil rights division, wrote on X that the division would “investigate what happened here.” Ms. Dhillon, a conservative lawyer from California, described the protesters as members of Antifa, a label that the Trump administration has applied to broad groups of people protesting against the government. Tim Arango in the New York Times$ Alexei Koseff in the San Francisco Chronicle$ Jenny Jarvie in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 11/12/25
Wildfire
Residents were left behind at senior facilities as Eaton fire raged. State finds serious lapses -- In two reports published recently by the California Department of Social Services, investigators describe the harrowing circumstances of three women who were left behind in the assisted living facilities during the deadly Jan. 7 fire. Grace Toohey in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 11/12/25
‘Herd immunity’: A coastal community wants to become fireproof after the Palisades fire -- Some Palisades fire survivors in Sunset Mesa are rebuilding with fireproof materials, applying a “herd immunity” concept where protected homes shield vulnerable neighbors from fires. Insurance companies offer significant discounts for fireproof homes and communitywide coverage, making resilient rebuilding more financially feasible for disaster victims. Jack Flemming in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 11/12/25
Housing
Sausalito’s vote for more housing could create the unthinkable: Urban density in Marin County -- Marin County election officials may still be counting votes, but already the pieces of what could eventually become a new home for hundreds of Sausalito households are taking shape. J.K. Dineen in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 11/12/25
Grape Glut
Sonoma County winegrowers face grape glut as vines pulled statewide -- Jeff Bitter, a wine industry analyst and president of Allied Grape Growers in Healdsburg, predicts 2025 could be California’s smallest grape crush in 30 years. In response to the sluggish wine market, many wine producers are scaling back production, leaving countless growers stranded with unsold fruit. Sarah Doyle in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 11/12/25
Street
S.F. federal drug cases plummeted under Trump administration, data shows -- A Chronicle analysis of federal prosecution data, however, shows that since Trump took office, federal officials have significantly dialed back an initiative that targeted some of San Francisco’s most high-priority criminal offenders and fast-tracked the deportations of those convicted. Megan Cassidy in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 11/12/25
Also
Tense air traffic control audio captures jets’ near-miss during LAX takeoff -- A near-collision between two passenger planes departing from Los Angeles International Airport on Oct. 31 highlighted concerns about the safety of flying during an ongoing government shutdown. Terry Castleman in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 11/12/25
Fast-moving atmospheric river storm could bring four days of rain to California -- A fast-moving atmospheric river is heading toward California this week and could pack a punch, threatening periods of heavy rain and possible flooding and debris flows in recently burned areas. Rong-Gong Lin II and Summer Lin in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 11/12/25
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House Democrats release Epstein email that claimed Trump ‘spent hours’ with victim -- In the 2011 email, the disgraced financier wrote to Ghislaine Maxwell that Trump had “spent hours at my house” with one of Epstein’s victims and that encounter “has never once been mentioned” by police. Matthew Choi in the Washington Post$ Jenny Jarvie in the Los Angeles Times$ Hailey Fuchs Politico Khadeeja Safdar and Joe Palazzolo in the Wall Street Journal$ Michael Gold in the New York Times$ -- 11/12/25
Trump built a surprising voter coalition. One key piece just cracked -- Latino voters, who swung toward President Donald Trump in 2024, boomeranged back to Democrats last week, signaling the fraying of his coalition less than one year into his second term. Madison Fernandez, Jessica Piper and Melanie Mason Politico -- 11/12/25
Republicans need Trump for the debate on Obamacare credits -- With affordability top of mind for voters going into the midterms, too much is at stake for Trump to stay away again as the GOP grapples with whether to extend the ACA subsidies, allow premiums to spike or craft new health policy. Alex Gangitano and Eli Stokols Politico -- 11/12/25
Obamacare could collapse under Trump’s new plan, policy experts say -- With direct cash payments from the federal government into special accounts, “healthy people could get much cheaper insurance that has medical underwriting and doesn’t cover preexisting conditions, but that would leave much sicker people in the ACA pool, and likely send it into a death spiral,” said Larry Levitt, executive vice president for health policy at KFF, a nonpartisan research organization. Kelly Hooper and Robert King Politico -- 11/12/25
Kash Patel’s ‘Effin Wild’ Ride as FBI Director -- In just one week in October, he ticked off his bosses with premature comments about a terror investigation and squeezed in a trip to the ‘Boondoggle Ranch’ on the bureau jet. Sadie Gurman, Aruna Viswanatha, Josh Dawsey and Jack Gillum in the Wall Street Journal$ -- 11/12/25
What if Democrats’ Big Shutdown Loss Turns Out to Be a Win? -- They assert that in hammering away at the extension of health care subsidies that are slated to expire at the end of next month, they managed to thrust Mr. Trump and Republicans onto the defensive, elevating a political issue that has long been a major weakness for them. Annie Karni in the New York Times$ -- 11/12/25
Who Didn’t Suffer During the Shutdown? People Flying Private -- Since the federal government shut down on Oct. 1, people who fly on commercial airlines have faced disruptions, delays and deepening flight cuts at 40 busy airports. At the same time, the private aviation industry had its best month in nearly 20 years, according to industry numbers. Christine Chung in the New York Times$ -- 11/12/25
Trump’s affordability push is speaking louder than his words -- President Donald Trump insists Republicans have already won the affordability battle. His actions tell another story. Megan Messerly and Myah Ward Politico -- 11/12/25
California Policy and Politics Tuesday
DOJ says it’s investigating protests outside Turning Point USA event at UC Berkeley -- The U.S. Department of Justice will investigate the security provided for a Turning Point USA event at UC Berkeley after tense protests of the conservative political group led to a handful of arrests on Monday night. Alexei Koseff in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 11/11/25
Trump plan would open California to offshore oil drilling -- Trump officials are planning to propose oil drilling off the California coast for the first time in decades, according to a draft map reviewed by The Washington Post, a move sure to antagonize Gov. Gavin Newsom and other Democrats in California. Jake Spring and Evan Halper in the Washington Post$ -- 11/11/25
Senate Passes Bill to Reopen Government Amid Democratic Rift -- The Senate passed legislation on Monday night to end the nation’s longest government shutdown, after a critical splinter group of Democrats joined with Republicans and backed a spending package that omitted the chief concession their party had spent weeks demanding. Catie Edmondson in the New York Times$ Bridget Brown, Michael Warren, Luena Rodriguez-Feo Vileira, Nell Clark and Kiana Doyle Associated Press Jordain Carney Politico Riley Beggin and Theodoric Meyer in the Washington Post$ Ana Ceballos and Michael Wilner in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 11/11/25
Newsom: Senate Democrats risk squandering Election Day momentum in shutdown deal -- The Democratic Party “rolled over” in Sunday’s deliberations to reopen the federal government, less than a week after claiming landslide victories on Election Day, according to Gov. Gavin Newsom. Lia Russell in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 11/11/25
The hottest ticket in Brazil just might be a meeting with Gavin Newsom -- California Gov. Gavin Newsom isn’t even at the United Nations climate talks yet — but he’s already getting bombarded with meeting requests. Camille von Kaenel Politico -- 11/11/25
‘China gets it. America is toast,’ Newsom warns, blasting US climate drift -- Gov. Gavin Newsom criticized the Trump administration Monday for “doing everything to put America in reverse” and trying “to vandalize California’s leadership” on climate, warning that the country risks losing its competitive edge in the clean energy economy. Chaewon Chung in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 11/11/25
Newsom brings California to the heart of the Amazon — and the U.N. climate conference -- The visit highlights California’s role as a climate leader and supports its environmental policies, especially since the U.S. has no official federal delegation. Alejandra Reyes-Velarde and Alejandro Lazo Calmatters -- 11/11/25
The Democratic Party’s unlikely new power couple -- Gavin Newsom and Zohran Mamdani are energizing Democrats in distinct ways. Jeremy B. White, Nick Reisman and Camille von Kaenel Politico -- 11/11/25
Free speech debate, protests flare at Turning Point event at UC Berkeley -- Attendees of a Turning Point USA event at UC Berkeley and protesters against the conservative organization debated whether free speech has at all eroded on the storied liberal campus – but not with each other. Nicole Nixon in the Sacramento Bee$ Sierra Lopez, Jason Green in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 11/11/25
Garofoli: Turning Points USA’s UC Berkeley stop is marked by brief violence, D-list letdowns -- The event was one big exercise in cultural dissonance, with the presenters casting themselves as free speech champions while vilifying those who disagree with them — including protestors demonstrating outside — as fascists. Joe Garofoli in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 11/11/25
Christine Pelosi announces she’s running for office — but not for Nancy Pelosi’s House seat -- Christine Pelosi, the daughter of Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi, will run for the state Senate, she announced Monday. Pelosi had long been a rumored contender to replace her mother in the House when she retired. Joe Garofoli in the San Francisco Chronicle$ Lia Russell in the Sacramento Bee$ Dustin Gardiner Politico -- 11/11/25
Prop 50 did better than Kamala Harris in certain California counties. One demographic may be why -- No demographic factor better correlated with the difference in support between Prop 50 and Harris than the Latino share of a county’s population. That is, the more Latino a county, the more it appears to have swung in favor of Prop 50. The less Latino — and the whiter — a county, the likelier it was to have supported Prop 50 by less than it did Harris. Aseem Shukla in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 11/11/25
California Supreme Court strikes down warning on LAPD citizen complaint forms -- California adopted criminal penalties for filing false claims against police officers 30 years ago. The state Supreme Court held that the LAPD went too far in advising people about those penalties when they file citizen complaints. Nigel Duara Calmatters -- 11/11/25
Scientists and state Democrats seek $23 billion bond to backstop Trump research cuts -- A coalition of California scientists, university employees and Democratic lawmakers wants to establish a massive health and science fund — worth $23 billion — to counteract efforts by President Donald Trump to cripple research funding in the state and thwart universities working to advance medical treatments. Nanette Asimov in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 11/11/25
Leases for VA land are millions of dollars under market value, Trump administration says -- UCLA, the private Brentwood School and a parking company are collectively paying only about $2.3 million annually to lease land with a market value of more than $48 million on the Department of Veterans Affairs West Los Angeles campus, the Trump administration concluded in a new report. Doug Smith in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 11/11/25
Water
Colorado River talks hit crunch time as deadline from Trump administration looms -- Western states in the Colorado River basin are racing a federal deadline to hash out the beginnings of an agreement governing the overtapped river. As the clock ticks down, two questions loom large: Just how real is this deadline, and what does it mean for California? Rachel Becker Calmatters -- 11/10/2
Workplace - AI
Holes Grow in Hollywood’s Safety Net When It Is Needed Most -- Production in the third quarter of this year was 18 percent lower than last year, and 40 percent lower than the five-year average, according to a new report from FilmLA, the local government organization that tracks production in the area. Nicole Sperling in the New York Times$ -- 11/11/25
The AI Cold War That Will Redefine Everything -- The contest is already helping underpin a worldwide surge in tech spending that has juiced the U.S. and Chinese stock markets and unlocked new sources of economic growth, even as it fuels fears of a global AI bubble. Josh Chin and Raffaele Huang in the Wall Street Journal$ -- 11/11/25
Housing
Massive housing plan would bring 1,800 units to site of abandoned S.F. Safeway -- A new proposal to redevelop an abandoned Safeway in San Francisco’s Western Addition would triple the amount of housing built in the area in the past 20 years, offering a fresh wave of investment for a district where change has long been complicated by its past. Laura Waxmann in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 11/11/25
Wildfire
LAFD knew of firefighter complaints about Lachman mop-up and said nothing -- For months, as victims pleaded for information, the Los Angeles Fire Department kept secret that its firefighters were ordered to stop mop-up operations on a small brushfire that continued to smolder and reignited days later into the massive Palisades fire. Paul Pringle and Alene Tchekmedyian in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 11/11/25
Education
As tuition keeps increasing, UC students want a bigger say on the Board of Regents -- Of the 26 UC Regents, one student position has voting power. A second student seat is a non-voting “designate.” To increase student representation, UC student leaders are pushing for the second seat to also have voting power. Khadeejah Khan and Phoebe Huss Calmatters -- 11/11/25
Street
Jane Dorotik settles lawsuit that accused San Diego County of wrongly imprisoning her for 20 years -- Jane Dorotik, who spent nearly two decades in prison after being convicted of killing her husband in 2000 near their Valley Center home, has settled a federal lawsuit she filed against San Diego County that alleged she was wrongly convicted because of a sloppy investigation and misconduct by law enforcement and prosecutors. Alex Riggins in the San Diego Union Tribune$ -- 11/11/25
Also
Italian Pasta Is Poised to Disappear From American Grocery Shelves -- Italy’s biggest pasta exporters say import and antidumping duties totaling 107% on their pasta brands will make doing business in America too costly and are preparing to pull out of U.S. stores as soon as January. Margherita Stancati, Gavin Bade, Alessio Paduano in the Wall Street Journal$ -- 11/11/25
Also
Arellano: A front-row seat to Trump’s deportation machine in Chicago -- Trump sent out the message as his scorched-earth immigration enforcement campaign descended on the Windy City after doing its cruelty calisthenics in Southern California over the summer. Two months later, the campaign — nicknamed “Operation Midway Blitz” — shows no sign of slowing down. Gustavo Arellano in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 11/11/25
Walters: Newsom plays climate warrior, compromiser and coy candidate -- Gov. Gavin Newsom still insists he hasn’t decided to run for president in 2028. But after persuading California’s voters to gerrymander the state’s congressional districts to grab more Democratic seats, he embarked on a flurry of appearances that had the distinct aroma of a political campaign. Dan Walters Calmatters -- 11/11/25
Hollywood Bowl names stage for John Williams, honoring a decades-long partnership -- The 93-year-old composer, whose music for “Star Wars,” “E.T.” and “Indiana Jones” helped define modern moviegoing, was celebrated Sunday at a private ceremony. Josh Rottenberg in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 11/11/25
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Trump’s pardon for allies who tried to subvert 2020 election is a permission slip to do it again, critics warn -- President Donald Trump’s adversaries say his sweeping pardon for dozens of alleged co-conspirators in the plot to subvert the 2020 election sent an unmistakable signal: If you do it again, I’ll protect you. Kyle Cheney and Josh Gerstein Politico -- 11/11/25
Trump’s affordability push is speaking louder than his words -- President Donald Trump insists Republicans have already won the affordability battle. His actions tell another story. Megan Messerly and Myah Ward Politico -- 11/11/25
‘Complete betrayal’: 2026 Democrats slam shutdown deal -- Senate Democrats’ embrace of a shutdown deal that doesn’t guarantee extended health care subsidies is already an electoral issue. Lisa Kashinsky Politico -- 11/11/25
‘Band-aid,’ ‘distraction’: Experts slam Pulte, Trump 50-year mortgage idea -- The proposal comes after Trump directed Pulte to leverage Fannie and Freddie to ramp up the country’s stalled housing production. Aiden Reiter and Cassandra Dumay Politico -- 11/11/25
Trump Pardons the Husband of a Republican Congressional Ally -- Robert Harshbarger Jr. pleaded guilty in 2013 to health care fraud and distributing a misbranded drug. His wife, Diana Harshbarger, is a member of Congress. Kenneth P. Vogel in the New York Times$ -- 11/11/25
Trump Asks Supreme Court to Overturn Verdict in E. Jean Carroll Case -- The president said the assertions behind a judgment that he sexually abused and defamed the writer were “implausible” and “unsubstantiated.” Abbie VanSickle in the New York Times$ -- 11/11/25
Justice Department struggles as thousands exit — and few are replaced -- The Justice Department has lost thousands of experienced attorneys and backfilled a fraction of the open jobs, in part because of a lack of qualified candidates. Perry Stein in the Washington Post$ -- 11/11/25