Rough & Tumble ®
A Snapshot of California Public Policy and Politics
 
   
 
 
 
 

California Policy and Politics Wedneday

California will try to extend cap-and-trade despite Trump’s threats -- Gov. Gavin Newsom and legislative leaders said Tuesday that they will try to extend cap-and-trade, California’s flagship environmental regulation program, a week after the White House said it would target state environmental regulations for “threatening national security.” Lia Russell in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 4/16/25

In cinema-style heist, tunneling thieves steal millions in gold, jewels from downtown L.A. -- Millions of dollars in gold and jewels were stolen from a downtown jeweler’s two enormous safes after burglars tunneled into the Broadway shop through multiple reinforced walls, police said. Richard Winton in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 4/16/25

Senators push back against Trump plan to close ‘critical’ S.F. office that polices Big Tech -- On Monday, the U.S. Department of Justice’s antitrust division secured a trial victory in a criminal labor collusion case, resulting in the conviction by a Las Vegas federal jury of a health care staffing executive accused of conspiring to decrease wages for local nurses. Laura Waxmann, Bob Egelko in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 4/16/25

'Five-alarm fire': Read the Trump proposal that could decimate climate research -- The Trump administration has proposed nearly $1.7 billion in cuts to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration that, if passed by Congress, could decimate funding to critical climate and extreme weather research and fundamentally change the structure of the agency. Anthony Edwards in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 4/16/25

Daniel Lurie is trying to be a ‘relentless’ S.F. mayor. His job will only get harder -- Two San Francisco labor leaders were standing on Van Ness Avenue a few weeks ago when they saw an SUV pull over nearby and drop off Mayor Daniel Lurie. . In his first-ever stint in public office, Lurie is trying to embody what he calls a “relentless” approach to his job. He has frequently visited neighborhoods dealing with some of the city’s most difficult challenges with drug dealing, homelessness and illegal vending. J.D. Morris in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 4/16/25

Here’s how much Bay Area tech billionaires lost as a result in recent tariff-induced market turmoil -- A Chronicle analysis of Forbes’ Real-Time Billionaires List revealed that the region’s tech titans lost a collective $44 billion between April 2 — the date which Trump labeled “Liberation Day,” announcing plans to impose tariffs on almost every country on earth — and April 14, with some notable exceptions. Aidin Vaziri in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 4/16/25

How Barbara Lee wins — or loses — the race for Oakland mayor -- At this tumultuous and unpredictable moment, victory will come down to a few variables: Can the pro-Lee labor machine successfully turn people out? Does a low-turnout special election electorate look more conservative and more stacked with pro-recall, pro-Taylor voters? And will ranked choice voting once again play a decisive role in the outcome? Jeremy B. White Politico -- 4/16/25

Earthquake

This little-known earthquake fault has been quiet. But it can unleash devastation across SoCal -- The large earthquake fault close to the one that moved Monday morning in the mountains of San Diego County, however, is comparatively obscure. But the Elsinore fault is part of a larger seismic zone that experts fear and believe more people should know about. Rong-Gong Lin II in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 4/16/25

Insurance

Consumer group sues insurance commissioner over Fair Plan assessments on state homeowners -- In a lawsuit filed in Los Angeles Superior Court on Monday, Consumer Watchdog alleges that Lara violated state law when he reached a deal last year with California’s property insurer of last resort that would allow its member insurance companies to charge their policyholders for some of the billions of dollars of Fair Plan losses. Laurence Darmiento in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 4/16/25

Workplace

A Kaiser strike by mental health workers drags on — setting a US record — as talks resume -- Almost half a year into the dispute, eight striking Kaiser mental health workers wrapped up a hunger strike as broken-off negotiations were set to resume. Joe Garcia CalMatters -- 4/16/25

Behind the landmark trial that could reshape Meta’s future with Instagram -- The landmark antitrust trial could reshape the future of social media, forcing Meta to break up with WhatsApp and Instagram. Queenie Wong in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 4/16/25

Wildfire

Holocaust survivor, ex-Navy pilot among seniors suing L.A. over Palisades fire damage -- A dozen Pacific Palisades and Malibu residents are suing the city of L.A., alleging the Department of Water and Power and others could have done more to prevent and contain the massive January wildfire that destroyed their homes. Connor Sheets in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 4/16/25

L.A. will set aside $3 million to help owners of fire-damaged homes test their soil for lead -- The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors will allocate $3 million to help homeowners near the Eaton burn area test for lead contamination, after preliminary tests found elevated levels of the heavy metal on homes standing after the fire. Corinne Purtill in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 4/16/25

Guns

A 10-year-old was killed by his father; proposed California law aims to close gun loophole -- Victor Gomes bought a Glock 17 semiautomatic pistol from a licensed gun store in the Central Valley city of Hanford in May 2017. He used that gun to shoot his 10-year-old son, Wyland, in the head. Then he killed himself. Hailey Branson-Potts in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 4/16/25

Education

More UC Davis students, graduates had their visas revoked, university says --The number of UC Davis students and recent graduates who have had their visas revoked has grown to 23 people, the university said Tuesday, marking an increased number of individuals who are ordered to leave the country amid the Trump administration’s crackdown on higher education. Ishani Desai in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 4/16/25

Judge blocks Sonoma State academic cuts; athletic programs in limbo -- Sonoma State University’s planned elimination of six academic departments and dismissals of their teachers and administrators in response to a multimillion-dollar deficit were halted Tuesday by a Sonoma County judge. Bob Egelko in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- Mikhail Zinshteyn CalMatters -- 4/16/25

Street

Amazon’s robotaxi effort will begin testing in Los Angeles -- The city will be the sixth testing location for the Bay Area-based venture, which does not yet offer rides to the public. Caroline Petrow-Cohen and Clara Harter in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 4/16/25

Also

The California grizzly bear, gone for 100 years, could thrive if brought back -- The last grizzly bear seen in California was 101 years ago. A new study found that reintroducing the mammal into the state’s mountainous wilderness is feasible. Lila Seidman in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 4/16/25

Underwater robots, great white sharks and glowing jellyfish: New $50 million high-tech ship arrives to unlock ocean mysteries -- The ‘David Packard’ is named for Silicon Valley pioneer who donated more than $1 billion to ocean research. Paul Rogers in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 4/16/25

POTUS 47

Justice Department must provide details of attempts to return illegally deported man, judge says -- The order that will require records and sworn answers from Trump administration officials furthers a legal standoff in the case of Kilmar Abrego García. Steve Thompson and Katie Mettler in the Washington Post$ -- 4/16/25

U.S. troops deployed for border mission killed in vehicle rollover -- The fatalities are the first since President Donald Trump ordered the domestic deployment of thousands of service members as part of his crackdown on illegal migration. Dan Lamothe in the Washington Post$ -- 4/16/25

Judge blocks most of Trump’s punishments for law firm Susman Godfrey -- A federal judge on Tuesday blocked most of President Donald Trump’s sanctions for the law firm Susman Godfrey, the latest courtroom defeat for his crackdown on prominent firms. Mark Berman in the Washington Post$ -- 4/16/25

Why Harvard Decided to Fight Trump -- Even for the world’s richest university, which has an endowment of about $53 billion, a lasting freeze would cut deeply into labs, departments and even classrooms. But officials at Harvard elected to prize its reputation, independence and legacy, wagering that the institution could outlast Mr. Trump’s crusade. Alan Blinder, Anemona Hartocollis,Vimal Patel and Stephanie Saul in the New York Times$ -- 4/16/25

What Harvard could lose in its battle with the Trump administration -- Trump on Tuesday threatened the school’s tax exempt status, and a $2.2 billion freeze on grants kicked in. Harvard borrowed money in anticipation of cuts. Danielle Douglas-Gabriel, Carolyn Y. Johnson and Ben Brasch in the Washington Post$ -- 4/16/25

The Tactics Elon Musk Uses to Manage His ‘Legion’ of Babies—and Their Mothers --The world’s richest man juggles more than a dozen children and ‘harem drama’ along with running his companies and advising Trump. He recently took a paternity test in a battle with one woman over money and privacy. Dana Mattioli in the Wall Street Journal$ -- 4/16/25

A Top Democratic Official Plots to Take Down Party Incumbents -- David Hogg, a young liberal activist and now a vice chair of the Democratic National Committee, is leading an effort to unseat the party’s older lawmakers in primaries. Shane Goldmacher in the New York Times$ -- 4/16/25

 

California Policy and Politics Tuesday

Bay Area billionaires take a hit amid market turmoil, but Musk surges ahead -- As tech stocks swung sharply this month in response to President Donald Trump’s ever-changing tariff plans, some of the Bay Area’s wealthiest residents saw billions of dollars wiped from their fortunes — while others, most notably Elon Musk, watched their net worths climb. Aidin Vaziri in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 4/15/25

Kamala Harris for governor? Poll shows how California voters feel about the idea -- Passions were higher — and more polarized — when it came to the survey of registered voters. Among the state’s Democrats, there was a warm response to a Harris run, with 33 percent saying they felt joyful about her possible candidacy and 41 percent feeling “mostly excited.” The negative emotions hovered in the single digits, while roughly a quarter of Democrats said they were indifferent. Melanie Mason Politico -- 4/15/25

Newsom launches tourism campaign to bring Canadians back to California -- “Sure, you-know-who is trying to stir things up back in D.C., but don’t let that ruin your beach plans,” Newsom says, as images of the Golden Gate Bridge and a woman flying a kite on a beach appeared on the video. Clara Harter in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 4/15/25

House Democrats demand briefing after immigration agents try to enter L.A. elementary schools -- DHS officials said agents were attempting to conduct welfare checks on children they said entered the country as unaccompanied minors. But school staff said the four students targeted at Russell Elementary “were not, in fact, unaccompanied minors.” Andrea Castillo in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 4/15/25

Bay Area churches help Christian migrants amid Trump's push for mass deportations -- Every Sunday, D.N., an asylum seeker from Uganda, drives her two children an hour from their East Bay city home to the San Francisco church where they worship. Even after she’s worked nearly all night driving for Uber, she never misses church the next morning. Her faith has kept her hopeful, she said, as she fears deportation. Ko Lyn Cheang in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 4/15/25

Republicans call Central Valley congressman ‘terrorist sympathizer.’ Is it true? -- Adam Gray is a “Hamas terrorist sympathizer,” according to the Republicans’ congressional campaign arm. He’s not. David Lightman in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 4/15/25

Newsom signs $180 million more for fire prevention, plus slew of Democratic priorities -- The California governor signed the early-session budget bill Monday. The GOP opposed it over health care for illegal immigrants. Grant Stringer in the San Jose Mercury$ Alejandro Lazo CalMatters -- 4/15/25

‘That was awesome!’ California’s earthquake early warning system let many know about Monday’s temblor -- Monday’s magnitude 5.2 temblor marked another success for California’s earthquake early warning system, with users in some areas saying they received alerts on their phones before they felt shaking. Rong-Gong Lin II in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 4/15/25

Confusion grips Big Tech over exemptions from Trump tariffs -- An industry that plans product launches and manufacturing years in advance faced four days of vacillation from the White House. The president said he had agreed to give assistance to Apple after speaking with its chief executive, Tim Cook. Michael Wilner in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 4/15/25

Appraiser who undervalued a Black and Latino couple’s Oakland home must pay them $75K -- A Black and Latino couple in Oakland will receive $75,000 to compensate them for a property appraisal that undervalued their home by more than $250,000, which prevented them from getting a new loan and eventually led them to move out, state civil rights officials said Monday. Bob Egelko in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 4/15/25

A $16 billion question: How did San Francisco’s budget get so huge? -- At about $16 billion, the current budget is 67% larger — adjusted for inflation — than it was during the first year of Ed Lee’s mayorship in 2011, a Chronicle analysis found. J.D. Morris, Nami Sumida in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 4/15/25

Workplace

Los Angeles continues to see decline in film and TV production, report says -- Production of television shows, feature films and commercials all declined in the Los Angeles area during the first three months of the year, according to a new report. Samantha Masunaga in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 4/15/25

Homeless

Illegal camping arrests are soaring in S.F. What does it mean for the homeless crisis? -- But that changed last summer when the U.S. Supreme Court gave cities broad powers to punish unhoused people for sleeping outside — regardless of whether they had a shelter bed to offer them. Maggie Angst in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 4/15/25

Homeless man wins $1 million jackpot on California Lottery scratcher -- A man apparently living on the streets of San Luis Obispo recently won a $1 million jackpot on a California Lottery scratcher bought at a local liquor store. The win was confirmed Monday by Wilson Samaan, manager of Sandy’s Deli-Liquor, who called the unidentified man a “loyal customer.” Aidin Vaziri in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 4/15/25

Wildfire

L.A. County faces $2 billion in fire recovery costs, straining budget -- Saddled with about $2 billion in fire recovery costs and the largest sex abuse case settlement in U.S. history, the Los Angeles County government is facing about $89 million in budget cuts. Rebecca Ellis in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 4/15/25

BART

They’re ‘a symbol of the new BART.’ Do new fare gates make riders feel safer? -- Frequent BART riders may have noticed a strange phenomenon in recent months: The sudden rise of a carefree commuter who boards the train, whips out a laptop and proceeds to work. Rachel Swan in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 4/15/25

Street

L.A. County Sheriff’s Department spent $458 million in overtime last fiscal year. Here’s why -- The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department spent $458 million on overtime during the last fiscal year, a ballooning figure that department officials say is driven by rising vacancy rates, increasing labor costs and expanding responsibilities. Keri Blakinger in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 4/15/25

Also

Oakland’s government ‘ghosted’ a volunteer cleanup crew. So they cleared 23 tons of trash themselves -- For eight hours on Saturday, dozens of volunteers cleared mountains of trash dumped on East 12th Street in Oakland, filling, by day’s end, two dump trailers with discarded refrigerators, mattresses, couches and even a dead chicken in a cage. Nora Mishanec in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 4/15/25

Barry Manilow’s final tour to end with 3 shows in Northern California -- The tour will make stops in cities such as Seattle, Salt Lake City and Portland before wrapping up with three Northern California dates: Oakland Arena on July 18, Golden 1 Center in Sacramento on July 19, and SAP Center in San Jose on July 20. Aidin Vaziri in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 4/15/25

Elephants form ‘alert circle’ to protect their young as quake shakes San Diego Zoo Safari Park -- As Ndlula, Umngani and Khosi felt the ground rattle beneath them, the mighty African elephants sprung into action — forming a tight circle around their youngsters in a moving display of protective instinct in the face of Monday’s earthquake. Clara Harter in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 4/15/25