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California Policy and Politics Monday
Stockton mass shooting: New clues in killings at child’s birthday party -- Authorities investigating November’s mass shooting at a children’s birthday party in Stockton released new details Saturday, saying detectives have identified two vehicles believed to be involved and are asking the public for help as the case remains unsolved. Aidin Vaziri in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 01/19/26
How California governor candidates say they will tackle homelessness -- In fact, a recent Public Policy Institute survey found 8 in 10 Californians are at least somewhat concerned about homelessness in their area. Linh Tat and Kaitlyn Schallhorn in the Orange County Register$ -- 01/19/26
Deported to danger: Returning migrants discover a Mexico transformed by cartels -- Deported migrants returning to Mexico after decades away discover they must learn to navigate hometowns dominated by cartels. Returnees are easy targets for criminal groups: their American clothing, haircuts and Spanglish make them stand out as outsiders. Many returnees face kidnapping, extortion or violence, forcing them to flee their hometowns again in what experts call double displacement. Steve Fisher and Kate Linthicum in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 01/19/26
Santa Barbara County officials crack down on unsanctioned Deltopia spring break rager -- The future of Deltopia, an annual unsanctioned street party that draws thousands of college students and is often marked by chaos and arrests, is uncertain after Santa Barbara County supervisors approved a 72-hour ban on amplified music that would coincide with the event. Brittny Mejia in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 01/19/26
See You Later, Claude: San Francisco Mourns Its Beloved Alligator -- The 30-year-old albino resident of the California Academy of Sciences died last month. On Sunday, thousands paid tribute. Heather Knight, Poppy Lynch in the New York Times$ -- 01/19/26
The current US political climate is spurring a 'reclaim' and rallying on the MLK holiday -- As communities across the country on Monday host parades, panels and service projects for the 40th federal observation of Martin Luther King Jr. Day, the political climate for some is more fraught with tensions than festive with reflection on the slain Black American civil rights icon’s legacy. Terry Tang Associated Press -- 01/18/26
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Trump’s Greenland threats push Europe toward divorcing America -- With NATO thrown into question, some officials see the “coalition of the willing” as the basis for a new alliance without the U.S. Tim Ross Politico -- 01/19/26
European Union Officials Lean Toward Negotiating, Not Retaliating, Over Trump Tariff Threat -- European Union ambassadors held an emergency meeting on Sunday, and leaders from across the 27-nation bloc will meet in Brussels later this week. Jeanna Smialek and Anushka Patil in the New York Times$ -- 01/19/26
Noem Denies Use of Chemical Agents in Minnesota, Then Backtracks -- Kristi Noem, the homeland security secretary, said officers had not used pepper spray and similar measures limited by a judge’s order, then was confronted with a video that showed chemical agents deployed. Minho Kim in the New York Times$ -- 01/19/26
‘60 Minutes’ story held for lacking interview with Trump official airs without one -- After accusations of “corporate censorship,” CBS aired a postponed “60 Minutes” segment about the CECOT prison that was largely unchanged. Liam Scott and Scott Nover in the Washington Post$ -- 01/19/26
California Policy and Politics Sunday
ICE ‘wrongfully detained’ L.A. County D.A.’s office employee, Hochman says -- A Los Angeles County district attorney’s office employee was “wrongfully detained” by federal immigration agents on Friday, according to an internal e-mail obtained by The Times. L.A. County Dist. Atty. Nathan Hochman called the incident “unacceptable” in an office-wide memo sent out on Friday evening. James Queally in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 01/18/26
After ICE killing, Bay Area district attorneys question whether federal agents can be held to account -- In the eyes of Santa Clara County District Attorney Jeff Rosen, the reaction inside the White House to Renee Good’s death earlier this month — and the president’s quick exoneration of the immigration agent who shot her — served as a troubling harbinger for the Bay Area. Jakob Rodgers, Robert Salonga in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 01/18/26
Honduran father died in ICE custody in California. His family wants an investigation -- A 68-year-old Honduran man, Luis Beltrán Yanez-Cruz — who lived in the U.S. for 26 years — died in ICE custody in California this month. His family says he reported worsening health issues including chest pains and shortness of breath while detained for more than a month. Melissa Gomez in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 01/18/26
Fare thee well: Thousands give Bob Weir a stirring send-off at S.F. ‘homecoming’ -- Weir, who inspired generations of fans as singer-guitarist with the Grateful Dead, was memorialized by thousands of music lovers in the city where both he and his band were born. Fans came from across the country and as far away as London, Tokyo and Bangkok. J.K. Dineen in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 01/17/26
Amid rising costs, California and L.A. initiatives aim to tax the ultra-rich -- A proposed tax on billionaires has some of them threatening to flee California, along with their tax revenue and businesses. In L.A, a union-backed proposal would raise taxes on companies whose CEOs make at least 50 times more than their median-paid employee. Hailey Branson-Potts and Noah Goldberg in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 01/18/26
Joe Garofoli: Are the billionaires bluffing? Question looms over explosive tax debate -- As Democrats struggle to figure out how to regain power, many are seizing on populist positions — except when it comes to a proposed tax on California billionaires, which would affect about 200 people in a state of nearly 40 million. Joe Garofoli in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 01/18/26
31,000 healthcare workers give notice of strike at Kaiser on Jan. 26 -- First five-day strike ended in October without labor agreement, negotiations stalled a month ago. Pat Maio in the Orange County Register$ -- 01/18/26
The Grocery Store at the Center of San Francisco’s Latest Housing Battle -- A proposed apartment tower on top of an iconic Safeway highlights tensions between California’s state and local zoning laws. ‘Why does a large parking lot deserve a view of the water?’ Owen Tucker-Smith in the Wall Street Journal$ -- 01/18/26
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Trump announces he will sue JPMorgan ‘over the next two weeks’ for allegedly ‘DEBANKING’ him -- President Donald Trump announced Saturday that he will be suing the investment banking company JPMorgan Chase within “the next two weeks” for allegedly “DEBANKING” him after the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol insurrection. Ben Johansen Politico -- 01/18/26
In Trump’s Drive for Greenland, NATO Is the First Casualty -- The threat of a new trade war with Europe is pushing the trans-Atlantic alliance into its deepest crisis since World War II. Marcus Walker and Daniel Michaels in the Wall Street Journal$ -- 01/18/26
Trump announces new tariffs against Europe amid Greenland push -- President Donald Trump on Saturday said he is levying sanctions against eight of America’s closest European allies as he escalates his campaign to acquire Greenland from Denmark. Gregory Svirnovskiy Politico Kim Mackrael, Meridith McGraw and Gavin Bade in the Wall Street Journal$ Shawn McCreesh, Ana Swanson and Jeanna Smialek in the New York Times$ Michael Birnbaum and Brianna Tucker in the Washington Post$ -- 01/17/26
Pentagon readies 1,500 soldiers to possibly deploy to Minnesota, officials say -- Soldiers with the Army’s 11th Airborne Division in Alaska have been placed at the ready following Trump’s Insurrection Act threat, according to defense officials. Dan Lamothe in the Washington Post$ -- 01/18/26