California Policy and Politics Monday

Voter ID appears headed for California’s November ballot. What you should know -- California’s voter identification initiative has collected 1.3 million signatures, surpassing the 874,641 needed to qualify for the November 2026 ballot, but those signatures still await verification by election officials. Phil Willon in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/2/26

Car insurance rates are skyrocketing in California -- Heavier cars, pricier parts, electric vehicles, inflation and tariffs compound costs; relief appears unlikely despite insurers’ recent profits. Laurence Darmiento in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/2/26

Here’s how economists say California could tax billionaires — without losing them to Texas -- The debate over the proposed “billionaire tax” has renewed discussion over how California can reform the tax system to address wealth inequality. Christian Leonard in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 3/2/26

What’s considered a living wage in California? How much you need to make in 2026 -- The MIT Living Wage Calculator estimates that a single adult with no children would need to earn about $30.48 an hour to afford necessities in California. That is nearly double the statewide minimum wage. Angela Rodriguez in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 3/2/26

As oil industry in California wanes, what will become of shuttered refineries? -- The Phillips 66 Los Angeles Refinery could be a test case for how the state and local governments should handle refinery closures, experts say Madeline Armstrong in the Orange County Register$ -- 3/2/26

UC president defends diplomacy, calling it the ‘better course’ amid Trump attacks -- University of California President James B. Milliken, in his first extensive interview since taking the helm of the nation’s premier public higher education system, defended UC’s diplomatic approach to President Trump’s fusillade of actions against the institution — contrasting it with the more aggressive fight Harvard is waging with the government. Jaweed Kaleem in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/2/26

 

Flights from LAX to Middle East canceled amid Iran conflict -- Planes scheduled to depart for Dubai, Doha and Tel Aviv were grounded, according to the flight tracking website FlightAware. Matthew Ormseth in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/2/26

Thousands rally in Westwood as U.S.-Iran war escalates, calling for a ‘free Iran’ -- Thousands from L.A.’s massive Persian diaspora rallied in Westwood celebrating Iran’s supreme leader’s death as U.S.-Israel military operations intensified. Matthew Ormseth in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/2/26

‘We reject this’: Hundreds in S.F. march against U.S.-Israeli attacks on Iran -- Less than 24 hours after the United States and Israel launched a wave of missile strikes against Iran, hundreds of protesters blocked off a downtown San Francisco street Saturday to demonstrate against escalation abroad. Lucy Hodgman in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 3/2/26

U.S. Central Command denies San Diego’s USS Abraham Lincoln struck by ballistic missiles -- “The Lincoln was not hit,” CENTCOM said in a statement. “The missiles launched didn’t even come close. The Lincoln continues to launch aircraft in support of CENTCOM’s relentless campaign to defend the American people by eliminating threats from the Iranian regime.” Gary Robbins in the San Diego Union Tribune -- 3/2/26

Defense Department tells San Diego military bases to remain on alert for attacks -- The advisory was issued in connection with the joint U.S.-Israel attacks on Iran which are being led, in part, by the San Diego aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln. Gary Robbins in the San Diego Union Tribune -- 3/2/26

 

The Push for 875,000 People to Help Get California Billionaire Tax on the Ballot -- Inside an art deco theater on the edge of Koreatown, Rage Against the Machine guitarist Tom Morello took the stage to cheers from a packed house. He wasn’t the main act. That was Sen. Bernie Sanders, who was there to rage against California’s billionaires. Paul Kiernan in the Wall Street Journal$ -- 3/2/26

Skelton: Scary time for California Democrats -- The race for California governor couldn’t be much closer. And that’s scary for Democrats. Only the top two vote-getters in the June 2 primary — regardless of their party — will advance to the November election. And although still unlikely, it’s increasingly conceivable that both could be Republicans. George Skelton in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/2/26

Californians are staying insured — but settling for health coverage they may not use -- More enrollees are opting for “bronze-level” plans. These plans have lower monthly premium costs but higher deductibles and copays; they cover 60% of medical expenses — leaving enrollees to pay the rest. Ana B. Ibarra Calmatters -- 3/2/26

Fear that herbicides are poisoning Orange County creeks blows up on social media -- Residents concerned about the possible poisoning of Orange County waterways with herbicides have been making their voices heard on Instagram and pressured the county into holding a meeting on the issue Monday night. Ian James, Sandy Huffaker in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/2/26

Thousands brace for fallout from unreported LA County criminal convictions -- Nearly 330,000 people whose convictions in Los Angeles County went unreported for decades will soon have their rap sheets updated and, potentially, their employers notified for the first time. Some could lose their jobs if the conviction would have disqualified them from the position they have, while others may have professional licenses revoked or firearms confiscated, experts say. Jason Henry in the LA Daily News -- 3/2/26

Workplace

WGA cancels Los Angeles awards show amid labor strike -- The Writers Guild of America West has canceled its awards ceremony scheduled to take place March 8 as its staff union members continue to strike, demanding higher pay and protections against artificial intelligence. Stacy Perman in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/2/26

Wildfire

Who made the call to leave the Lachman fire? In sworn testimony, LAFD officials pass the buck -- LAFD Capt. Michael McIndoe testified that he told his battalion chief, Mario Garcia, that he didn’t think it was a good idea to pick up hoses from the Lachman fire. Alene Tchekmedyian in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/2/26

Water

Sacramento-area rivers and reservoirs run high as the Sierra Nevada struggles for snow -- Water levels at most reservoirs that serve the Sacramento region are at more than 100% their historic averages. Local rivers are also running high. At the same time, Friday’s survey of conditions in the Sierra Nevada revealed that the snowpack is below average for March. Felicia Alvarez KVIE Abridged -- 03/02/26

Also

Measles is back in California. Health departments are fighting it with less -- When a possible measles case is identified in California, a phone rings at the local health department and the clock starts ticking. Kristen Hwang KPBS -- 3/2/26

POTUS 47

Pentagon offers no evidence to support claim it attacked Iran in defense -- The Trump administration is making the case that it ordered expansive, deadly strikes to stop an imminent threat from Tehran, but is providing no evidence Iran had such plans. Jack Detsch, Joe Gould, Eli Stokols and John Sakellariadis Politico -- 3/2/26

Hegseth doesn't rule out U.S. troops in Iran -- Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth declined to rule out deploying American ground forces in Iran during his first public comments on the joint American and Israeli military operation. Paul McLeary Politico -- 3/2/26

U.S. Sending More Forces as Mideast Conflict Widens -- U.S. military officials said on Monday that their operation against Iran was in its early stages, with more forces headed to the Middle East, as widening attacks claimed more lives, rattled global markets and risked spiraling into a full-blown regional war. Aaron Boxerman, Christina Goldbaum and Eric Schmitt in the New York Times$ -- 3/2/26

3 U.S. Planes Are Shot Down in ‘Friendly Fire’ in Kuwait, U.S. Military Says -- Separately, a drone attack hit the U.S. Embassy compound in the Persian Gulf state, as Iran continues to target American assets across the Middle East. Aaron Boxerman, Natan Odenheimer, Adam Rasgon, Malachy Browne and Amelia Nierenberg in the New York Times$ -- 3/2/26

Trump Says War Could Last Weeks and Offers Contradictory Visions of New Regime -- In a brief interview, he said the country’s hardened military should simply surrender their weapons to the Iranian public. Zolan Kanno-Youngs, David E. Sanger and Tyler Pager in the New York Times$ -- 3/2/26

Trump on US troop casualties: ‘There will likely be more’ -- President Donald Trump in a Sunday video posted to social media warned there will likely be more U.S. troops killed and wounded as part of the continued operation against Iran after three servicemembers were killed in the massive initial strikes. Alex Gangitano Politico -- 3/2/26

One early risk of Trump's Iran strategy is already emerging -- President Donald Trump’s decision to topple the Iranian regime is threatening to torch an oil market his administration has been at pains to keep cool since he returned to office. Ben Lefebvre and James Bikales Politico -- 3/2/26

Trump Spent Years Denouncing U.S. Intervention. Now He’s Toppling Foreign Leaders -- The operation in Iran marked a sharp reversal for a president whose political rise was fueled in part by American fatigue with regime change Vera Bergengruen and Meridith McGraw in the Wall Street Journal$ -- 3/2/26

U.S. Races to Accomplish Iran Mission Before Munitions Run Out -- The precise size of the U.S. stock of air-defense interceptors—what the Pentagon calls magazine depth—is classified. But repeated conflicts with Iran and its proxies in the Middle East have been eating into the supply of air defenses in the region. Michael R. Gordon and Shelby Holliday in the Wall Street Journal$ -- 3/2/26

Moscow gloats over potential oil price spike from Iran war -- Russian President Vladimir Putin may have lost another close ally after the death of Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, but an oil shock from conflict in Middle East spells potential good news for his war chest. Eva Hartog Politico -- 3/2/26

DOJ Examined Men in Epstein’s Orbit Accused of Sex Crimes. None Were Charged -- The files show that shortly after Epstein’s 2019 death, prosecutors talked to victims of his who said they would be willing to participate in an investigation into potential co-conspirators. The Justice Department didn’t pursue charges against any of the men those victims named. Jaclyn Jeffrey-Wilensky and Khadeeja Safdar in the Wall Street Journal$ -- 3/2/26