California Policy and Politics Friday

A ‘poison pill’ in California’s budget deal ties state spending to construction -- A state budget is headed to Gov. Gavin Newsom for his signature, but it won’t take effect unless the Legislature makes changes to housing and infrastructure development rules that he has demanded. Alexei Koseff Calmatters -- 06/27/25

California lawmakers approve expanded $750-million film tax credit program -- After weathering a pandemic, dual strikes and massive wildfires, Hollywood is finally getting a lifeline. Samantha Masunaga in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 06/27/25

Newsom sues Fox News for defamation over story about call with Trump -- California Gov. Gavin Newsom is suing Fox News for defamation, alleging that the news outlet intentionally manipulated a video to give the appearance that the governor lied about a phone call with President Donald Trump. Taryn Luna in the Los Angeles Times$ Laurel Rosenhall in the New York Times$ Tyler Katzenberger Politico Lia Russell in the Sacramento Bee$ Marina Dunbar The Guardian -- 06/27/25

California donors cool on Kamala Harris: ‘No one is incredibly pumped.’ -- Some party funders have privately shared their ambivalence as the former vice president ramps up her outreach ahead of a potential run for governor. Melanie Mason and Jeremy B. White Politico -- 06/27/25

California budget comes down to the wire as Newsom, lawmakers face off over housing -- California lawmakers are scheduled to pass a budget that rolls back health care benefits for undocumented immigrants and makes other cuts, even as they continue to negotiate with Gov. Gavin Newsom over housing policies that have so far prevented them from reaching a final deal. Sophia Bollag in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 06/27/25

California’s population shrank in Trump’s first immigration crackdown. It could happen again -- California could lose votes in the electoral college and suffer economic setbacks if President Trump’s immigration crackdown deters people from moving to the state. Mikhail Zinshteyn Calmatters -- 06/27/25

Supreme Court limits judges’ ability to block Trump’s birthright citizenship ban -- The Supreme Court has limited the power of federal district judges to hand down orders that apply nationwide. By 6-3 vote, the justices said Friday that judges may not issue orders that apply to people beyond those who sued. David G. Savage in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 06/27/25

 

Taken: What happens after an LA immigration raid -- CalMatters spoke with a number of migrants about their arrests and detentions after the first weekend of LA raids. Their accounts raise potential legal questions about the government’s operation. Sergio Olmos, Wendy Fry, Lauren Hepler and Anat Rubin Calmatters -- 06/27/25

‘You gonna let him die?’ Agents pile on protester, who convulses and struggles to breathe -- On a crowded downtown street, four masked, plainclothes agents push Luis Hipolito to the pavement, piling on top of him against a curb. One hinges his arm around the 23-year-old’s neck. Hipolito seems to struggle to breathe on his stomach as the agents attempt for more than two minutes to cuff him. “You gonna let him die?” one bystander screams as other agents pushed back the crowds. Brittny Mejia and Rachel Uranga in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 06/27/25

 

Asian American leaders urge their communities to stand by Latinos, denounce ICE raids -- Asian American leaders on Thursday rallied their communities to speak out against the federal immigration sweeps that have largely targeted Latino neighborhoods, warning that areas frequented by Asian immigrants could be next. 57 Melissa Gomez in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 06/27/25

Trump says he’s deporting ‘the worst of the worst.’ Here’s what California ICE data really shows -- A Chronicle analysis of ICE arrest data, released last week by the UC-affiliated Deportation Data Project, appears to contradict a persistent claim by the Trump administration that its efforts to deport undocumented immigrants targets “the worst of the worst.” Christian Leonard in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 06/27/25

US citizen arrested during ICE raid in what family describes as ‘kidnapping’ -- A US citizen was arrested during an immigration raid in downtown Los Angeles this week in what her family described as a “kidnapping” by federal immigration agents. Andrea Velez, 32, had just been dropped off at work by her mother and sister, the pair said, when they saw agents grab her. Dani Anguiano The Guardian -- 06/27/25

Federal Judge Orders Trump Officials to Be Deposed After National Troops Deployment -- The state of California will be allowed to depose key Trump administration officials and seek more details about how thousands of armed troops have been used since their deployment earlier this month to Los Angeles amidst immigration raids and resulting protests. Marisa Lagos KQED Sharon Bernstein in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 06/27/25

L.A. Chamber of Commerce leader says raids, protests and tariffs are bad for business -- As ICE agents raided L.A. workplaces, triggering violent protests in parts of downtown, Chamber of Commerce leader Maria S. Salinas chose to speak out. Md Fazlur Rahman in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 06/27/25

How to help kids cope with ongoing ICE raids, deportations | Quick Guide -- As schools close for the summer, families can prepare for what experts are calling a child welfare and human rights crisis. Vani Sanganeria EdSource -- 06/27/25

‘We’re seeing the best of LA’: as ICE raids haunt the city, Angelenos show up for each other -- ‘We’re seeing the best of LA’: as Ice raids haunt the city, Angelenos show up for each other With the largest undocumented population of any US city, much of LA locks in with fundraisers, mutual aid networks and grocery deliveries. Lois Beckett, Maanvi Singh The Guardian -- 06/27/25

Mother of 6-year-old L.A. boy battling leukemia files lawsuit to stop immediate deportation -- A Central American asylum applicant arrested outside an L.A. immigration court is suing Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Homeland Security and the Trump administration for her immediate release and that of her two children, including her 6-year-old son stricken with cancer. Andrew J. Campa in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 06/27/25

 

UC sees the good in faculty diversity. Trump’s DOJ says it ‘may be’ illegal discrimination -- The investigation is based upon faculty diversity goals listed in a UC plan to increase enrollment by 2030. Jaweed Kaleem in the Los Angeles Times$ Bob Egelko in the San Francisco Chronicle$ Sharon Bernstein in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 06/27/25

 

How S.F. residents helped their families — and strangers — out of Iran amid conflict -- Since the shutdown, people have scrambled to leave by car, shuttle, bus and sometimes on foot in hopes of reaching airports in Turkey or Armenia. Some of those journeys have taken more than 20 hours — and for people scrambling to find a way out, including Mahsa, are fraught with concerns over border crossings, travel accommodations and safety. Gas shortages across Iran have only made it harder. Sarah Ravani in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 06/27/25

Workplace

‘Abundance’ movement hits a labor wall in California -- California’s Year of Abundance just crashed into political reality. Jeremy B. White Politico -- 06/27/25

Lights! Camera! But not enough action in a fading, worried Hollywood -- The world’s entertainment capital is facing an existential crisis as more movie producers flee to other states and countries seeking lower costs. Reis Thebault in the Washington Post$ -- 06/27/25

Marc Benioff says AI does 50% of Salesforce’s work, calls himself the ‘Taylor Swift of tech’ -- Artificial intelligence now performs up to half the internal work at Salesforce, according to founder and CEO Marc Benioff, who says his company is spearheading a “digital labor revolution” that will reshape the future of work. Aidin Vaziri in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 06/27/25

New audit flags more than $200,000 in spending by former LAFD union president -- The parent organization of the Los Angeles Fire Department’s labor union has doubled down on allegations that the union’s top official failed to properly document hundreds of thousands of dollars in credit card transactions. Alene Tchekmedyian in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 06/27/25

‘Reckless’ Blue Shield move threatens UC Health access, S.F. city attorney says -- San Francisco officials are urging Blue Shield of California to resolve its contract dispute with UC Health, warning that the breakdown threatens access to critical care for thousands of city workers and retirees. Aidin Vaziri, Catherine Ho in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 06/27/25

Walters: Five years later, the pandemic still weakens two California employee safety nets -- When the COVID-19 pandemic struck California five years ago, it massively impacted California families not only medically but economically. Dan Walters Calmatters -- 06/27/25

Homeless

Homeless-related arrests, citations soared in these California cities after Supreme Court case -- In major cities and more rural areas, arrests and citations rose in the months following last summer’s Supreme Court decision. In some places, officials insist the events are unrelated. Marisa Kendall Calmatters -- 06/27/25

They were repeatedly ticketed because of their homelessness. What did it change? -- In Los Angeles, Sacramento and San Diego, homeless Californians describe their experiences over the past year as camping ban enforcement has increased. Marisa Kendall, Aaron Schrank and Lisa Halverstadt Calmatters -- 06/27/25

Guns

DOGE enters ATF with mandate to slash gun regulations -- The agency is working with the ATF general counsel to cut upwards of 50 regulations as the administration drastically reduces the number of inspectors. Perry Stein in the Washington Post$ -- 06/27/25

Public Lands

Could GOP ‘Big, Beautiful Bill’ sell off Southern California public lands? -- Much of the land used by Southern Californians for hiking, camping and other outdoor recreation belongs to Uncle Sam. But environmentalists and outdoor enthusiasts fear the budget reconciliation bill — the “Big, Beautiful Bill,” as President Donald Trump calls it — being hashed out by congressional Republicans will put millions of those acres, set aside as pristine wilderness for future generations, on the auction block. Jeff Horseman in the Orange County Register$ -- 06/27/25

Water

For the Future of Water Conservation, Look to ... Los Angeles? -- Years of drought forced the city to rethink its water usage and, almost under the radar, to remake its identity. Michael Kimmelman, Adali Schell in the New York Times$ -- 06/27/25

Wildfire

The California climate export catching fire in Trump’s DC -- Fire season is fueling momentum in D.C. for drones, AI, and forest-mapping tech. California companies are leading the charge. Camille von Kaenel Politico -- 06/27/25

Palisades reservoir that was empty ‘on the one day in history it was needed most’ is back online -- Santa Ynez Reservoir in Pacific Palisades, which was empty and undergoing repairs at the time of the January firestorm, is finally back online, the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power announced Thursday. Ian James in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 06/27/25

CA 37

Controversial project to widen one of Bay Area’s most congested highways is a step closer to reality -- Caltrans got one step closer to its controversial $500 million project to widen Highway 37, a notoriously trafficky corridor, with an infusion of funding Thursday. But critics said the money could be wasted as rising tides are expected to flood the low–lying highway within decades. Tara Duggan in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 06/27/25

Tahoe

Lake Tahoe boat accident: Life jackets saved mother and daughter -- “The two passengers who were wearing Personal Flotation Devices were rescued by responding emergency personnel and transported to the hospital,” the Washoe County Sheriff's Hasty Team wrote in an update. “Sadly, the remaining eight passengers drown.” Aidin Vaziri, Jessica Flores, Anna Bauman in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 06/27/25

Big Sur

Big Sur’s Remoteness Is a Selling Point. Now It’s Driving Longtime Owners Away -- The threat of natural disasters like floods, fires and landslides along with the prolonged closure of some of Highway 1 has contributed to a bump in ‘legacy properties’ hitting the market. Nancy Keates, Winni Wintermeyer in the Wall Street Journal$ -- 06/27/25

Street

Two more officers charged in Bay Area prison sexual abuse scandal -- Two former correctional officers were charged with sexually abusing prisoners at a women’s prison in Dublin as part of an ongoing federal investigation into a long troubled facility that is now permanently closed, according to the U.S. Department of Justice. Anna Bauman in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 06/27/25

Accused Palm Springs bomb accomplice jumped to his death from prison balcony, sources say -- A Washington state man facing terrorism charges related to the bombing of a fertility clinic in Palm Springs died after jumping off a balcony inside a federal detention facility in Los Angeles, according to sources familiar with the incident. Richard Winton in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 06/27/25

At $93 million, largest COVID-19 scheme ever included 2 LA residents, feds say -- Four people — two from Los Angeles, one from Compton and another from Victorville — were arrested Thursday, June 26, on suspicion of running a $93 million or more COVID-19 tax fraud, officials said. Two face additional charges for allegedly shooting the scheme’s leader to try to stop him from talking to law enforcement. Andrea Klick in the Orange County Register$ -- 06/27/25

Also

Lieu: AI isn’t just standing by. It’s doing things — without guardrails -- Just two and a half years after OpenAI stunned the world with ChatGPT, AI is no longer only answering questions — it is taking actions. Ted Lieu in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 06/27/25

Harvey Milk’s Name Is Stripped From U.S. Navy Vessel -- Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said the decision to rename the replenishment vessel was “taking the politics out of ship naming.” Christine Hauser in the New York Times$ Nicole Markus Politico -- 06/27/25

Bill Moyers, Presidential Aide and Veteran of Public TV, Dies at 91 -- Before becoming known as an unusual breed of television correspondent and commentator, he had a long association with President Lyndon B. Johnson. Janny Scott in the New York Times$ Fred A. Bernstein in the Washington Post$ -- 06/27/25

After their teens died, this couple made a phone booth for anyone coping with loss -- Colin Campbell was driving with his wife, Gail Lerner, and their two teens along Highway 62 near Morongo Valley, California, when a drunk driver going 90 miles an hour struck their car. Sydney Page in the Washington Post$ -- 06/27/25

POTUS 47

In Birthright Citizenship Case, Supreme Court Limits Power of Judges to Block Trump Policies -- The ruling clears a major hurdle to President Trump’s agenda and could reshape American citizenship, at least temporarily, as lower court challenges proceed. Abbie VanSickle in the New York Times$ Mariah Timms and Jess Bravin in the Wall Street Journal$ Ann E. Marimow in the Washington Post$ -- 06/27/25

Justice Department Says the Trump Administration Plans to Re-Deport Abrego Garcia -- The assertion raised questions about how seriously the administration takes the criminal charges filed against the migrant. A White House official reiterated support for prosecuting him in America. Alan Feuer in the New York Times$ -- 06/27/25

Trump Threatens to Sue The Times and CNN Over Iran Reporting -- The president has criticized media coverage of a preliminary classified report that ran counter to his assertion that U.S. strikes had “obliterated” Iran’s nuclear program. Michael M. Grynbaum in the New York Times$ -- 06/27/25