Updating . . .

California Policy and Politics Monday

California cancels mediation session for the Paramount-Warner Bros. Discovery deal -- California Atty. Gen. Rob Bonta abruptly pulled out of a planned mediation session Monday to seek a resolution to the antitrust lawsuit that has stalled Paramount’s blockbuster $111 billion merger with Warner Bros. Discovery. Bonta, in a statement, cited Paramount’s alleged leaking and misrepresenting information the two sides discussed during a preliminary session Friday. Meg James in the Los Angeles Times$ Joe Flint in the Wall Street Journal$ -- 8/24/26

Paramount accuses Mark Ruffalo of ‘antisemitic tropes’ on the eve of mediation talks in antitrust battle -- Leaders of prominent Jewish organizations, including the Simon Wiesenthal Center and the Anti-Defamation League, quickly came to Paramount’s defense, scolding the Emmy-winning actor best known for playing the Hulk and in numerous productions for HBO, the premium channel that Paramount is hoping to buy. Ruffalo is also known for being an outspoken political progressive. Meg James in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 8/23/26

 

‘Very hot or extremely hot’: Southern California faces hottest week of the year -- The National Weather Service is warning Angelenos about extreme highs later this week of 100 to 110 degrees in “all areas” five to 10 miles inland from the coast. Christopher Reynolds and Connor Sheets in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 8/23/26

Earth’s oceans just broke a heat record. The implications will be massive -- Earth’s oceans were warmer than any day in recorded history Friday due to a combination of long-term human-caused global warming and short-term effects of El Niño. Anthony Edwards in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 8/23/26

As 3 dangers converge, California’s coast faces rare winter of big waves, erosion, flooding -- A rare convergence of a powerful El Niño, super king tides and sea level rise spurred by climate change could menace California with record coastal flooding this winter. Rong-Gong Lin II in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 8/24/26

 

Was sheriff’s seizure of 650,000 ballots legal? California Supreme Court weighs case -- The legality of a Southern California sheriff’s seizure of about 650,000 ballots cast in last year’s redistricting election will be considered by the state Supreme Court on Monday, as oral arguments begin in two cases involving Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco. Sharon Bernstein in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 8/23/26

‘Longstanding, systemic failure’: San Diego County hit with new claims of child sex abuse in juvenile hall, foster care -- The latest lawsuits boost the number of plaintiffs accusing San Diego County of childhood sexual abuse past 300, years after state legislation gave alleged victims more time to sue. Jeff McDonald in the San Diego Union Tribune -- 8/23/26

Wildfire

Fight all fires or let some burn? Trump wildfire strategy ignites pushback -- Hotter, wilder and more destructive fires in America’s dry West are forcing a reckoning in how to manage the blazes, prompting a cascade of disagreements between the Trump administration and some states. Mikhail Zinshteyn Calmatters -- 8/24/26

Fast-moving wildfire amid shifting winds threatens Reno, Nevada, forcing thousands to evacuate -- A fast-moving wildfire that jumped over fire trucks and made it difficult for crews to reach hot spots destroyed homes in northwest Reno, Nevada, on Sunday. Shifting winds challenged firefighters trying to bring it under control, and authorities urged some 90,000 people to evacuate. John Raby, Jack Brook, John Seewer Associated Press Nicole Buss in the Sacramento Bee$ Alyssa Lukpat in the Wall Street Journal$ Christina Morales in the New York Times$ Aoife Walsh in the Washington Post$ -- 8/24/26

Map: Hawk Fire evacuation near Reno -- The summer’s fifth big wildfire is burning in the high desert near Reno, and its evacuation zone extends to the edge of the University of Nevada campus. The item is in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 8/24/26

Data Center

The high-stakes legal battle over one of California’s largest proposed data centers — and what it means -- The fight is centered in Imperial County, where Huntington Beach-based developer Sebastian Rucci has been pursuing a plan to build a data center half the size of Levi’s Stadium by square footage. Rucci said the county was initially receptive to his project and had moved his application along — but then sentiment started to shift. Megan Fan Munce in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 8/24/26

Workplace

‘The worst it’s ever been’: California’s post-production workers push for new tax credit -- California’s share of U.S. post-production jobs has fallen sharply over the past decade as editing, sound and visual effects work moves to New York, Canada and the U.K. Cerys Davies in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 8/24/26

Homeless

This Bay Area encampment went viral for its size. Here’s why cleanup efforts dragged on -- A sprawling network of tents pitched along several blocks of Harrison Street in West Berkeley is one of the most entrenched homeless encampments in the Bay Area, known to many East Bay residents who pass through. Sarah Brager in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 8/23/26

Housing

Manufactured housing’s affordability problem -- Congress’s new, bipartisan housing law is expected to lower the price of units that are largely constructed off-site and sometimes sit on land that is rented rather than owned. But the law doesn’t fully address interest rates for the loans on those homes, which often reach near double digits. And that price could still lock out many prospective buyers. Cassandra Dumay Politico -- 8/23/26

Education

Silicon Valley parents are leading a backlash against tech in the classroom -- Palo Alto parent Tilli Bannett is a venture capitalist who invests in tech companies, but at a recent school board meeting, she challenged district leaders to remove most tech from classrooms. Delilah Brumer in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 8/24/26

Parents appeal to Catholic Church over Jesuit High School’s plan to admit girls -- A group of three Jesuit High School parents submitted a canonical petition to the Catholic Church earlier this month, the latest escalation in a fight over the private school’s plan to begin admitting girls. Alula Alderson in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 8/23/26

Street

California teen killed in shooting at high school football game; suspect in custody -- A Kern County high school football season opener turned deadly when 17-year-old Levi Brown was fatally shot inside the stadium during Friday night’s game. Police say the gang-related shooting followed an argument and was an isolated incident, as a 15-year-old suspect was arrested Saturday, intensifying fears about safety at school events. Jasmine Mendez in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 8/23/26

Also

French visitor dies in Death Valley after vehicle breaks down amid blistering heat -- Pierre Michel Formosa, 68, and another Frenchman were driving on Monday on rugged West Side Road in the isolated southern reaches of Death Valley National Park when their vehicle became stuck in mud near Queen of Sheba Mine Road. That afternoon, temperatures in the park peaked at 116 degrees. Connor Sheets in the Los Angeles Times$ Alexandra E. Petri in the New York Times$ -- 8/23/26

Universal’s New Coaster Is a Scream. That’s the Problem -- The Hollywood theme park built a “whisper quiet” ride to avoid angering nearby neighbors. They didn’t fully account for the enthusiasm of the riders. Brooks Barnes, Adam Amengual in the New York Times$ -- 8/23/26

POTUS 47

Secret White House bunker undercuts Trump’s ballroom lawsuit, ex-officials say -- President Donald Trump has claimed that the White House needs a massive new ballroom because it would provide him and future presidents with a secure, hardened facility. But former officials say the argument fails to acknowledge that the presidential complex already has one. Noah Robertson and Dan Diamond in the Washington Post$ -- 8/23/26

Doctors say Trump’s weight poses a significant health risk -- President Donald Trump has faced scrutiny for bruising on his hands, swelling in his ankles and apparent drowsiness, among other questions about his health. Some doctors say they’re worried about another risk: the 23 pounds that Trump may have gained since his last campaign for president. Dan Diamond in the Washington Post$ -- 8/23/26

Trump issues new threats to Canada over trade -- Trump threatened Monday to impose a 50% tariff on Canadian automobiles, car parts and steel starting next year as the trade rift with Ottawa deepens. Seung Min Kim Associated Press Jalen Beckford Politico Gavin Bade in the Wall Street Journal$ David J. Lynch in the Washington Post$ -- 8/24/26

 

A Drone Killed Three Ukrainians. It Was Guided Entirely by A.I. -- An attack by what Ukrainian officials said was a Russian drone with an Nvidia chip presages a dystopian future of weaponry untethered to humans. Andrew E. Kramer, Nicole Tung in the New York Times$ -- 8/24/26

Minicomputers Made by Nvidia Are Powering Moscow’s A.I. Drones -- The tech giant says it does not sell the devices in Russia, but they are widely available on resale markets. When purchased that way, they are virtually impossible to track. Andrew E. Kramer in the New York Times$ -- 8/24/26

Anatomy of an Autonomous Attack: 5 Alarming A.I. Capabilities -- When OpenAI’s agents went rogue in July, they demonstrated ingenuity and drive beyond what many experts imagined — a dangerous harbinger of what such bots could do in the future. Dylan Freedman in the New York Times$ -- 8/24/26

 

California Policy and Politics Sunday

Newsom signs immigrant protection bill derided by GOP as the ‘Stop Nick Shirley Act’ -- Immigration nonprofit workers gained state protections from doxxing and targeted harassment after Gov. Gavin Newsom on Saturday signed a bill that expanded California’s Safe at Home program to include the providers. Sarah Brager in the San Francisco Chronicle$ Jaweed Kaleem in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 8/23/26

Paramount Prepares to Begin Early Settlement Talks With California Officials -- Paramount is preparing to meet Monday with California officials with the aim of starting talks to potentially resolve the antitrust lawsuit that stands in the way of the company’s $81 billion deal to acquire rival Warner Bros. Discovery according to people familiar with the matter. Joe Flint in the Wall Street Journal$ -- 8/23/26

Raman’s role in tackling homelessness comes under scrutiny in L.A. mayor’s race -- Mayoral candidates Nithya Raman and Karen Bass differ on how to address the homeless crisis, with Bass championing her “Inside Safe” program and Raman advocating for expanding a less expensive rental voucher program. Noah Goldberg in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 8/23/26

Barabak: Ripple or blue wave? This race will test Democratic strength in November -- The contest in Nevada’s 2nd Congressional District should be a shoo-in for Republicans. But a problematic candidate, inflation and Trump’s unpopularity give Democrats not-far-fetched hopes for a massive upset. Mark Z. Barabak in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 8/23/26

 

Why this U.S. state is trying to ban ‘addictive’ social media features to protect teens -- California lawmakers are poised to pass some of the country’s most significant restrictions on young people’s use of social media, advancing a growing movement to curb tech’s influence on adolescents. Hannah Knowles and Ian Duncan in the Washington Post$ -- 8/23/26

Hook, hold, harvest and hide: Meta’s alleged strategy laid out in first week of landmark trial -- Meta’s business can be boiled down to four words that begin with the letter H: hook, hold, harvest, hide, according to a lawyer who is prosecuting the world’s largest social media company. Dara Kerr in The Guardian -- 8/23/26

Hawk Fire

Fire Near Reno, Nev., Prompts Evacuations of Homes and Hospitals -- The Hawk fire has burned more than 10,000 acres and is encroaching on the northern part of the city, causing the governor to issue a state of emergency. Bernard Mokam in the New York Times$ -- 8/23/26

Immiration Court

‘It’s all very chaotic’: Inside the Bay Area’s mass immigration hearings -- The woman’s case is part of a surging docket now straining Concord’s immigration court, following the Trump administration’s firing of local immigration judges and its near-total closure this year of the Bay Area’s only other immigration court in San Francisco. The Concord court is now left with just 10 judges as it has begun taking on roughly 115,000 pending cases from San Francisco. Ethan Varian, Ray Chavez in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 8/23/26

Workplace

Apple cuts more than 200 jobs as it scales back work on its $3,499 Vision Pro headset -- Apple is scaling back work on its Vision Pro headset as it shifts resources toward artificial intelligence and smart glasses. Aidin Vaziri in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 8/23/26

Marketplace

The Tiny California Company Racing Into Venezuela Faster Than Big Oil -- Pacific Coast Energy is negotiating to operate Venezuelan oil fields that the prominent Cisneros family asserts it rightfully owns. Kejal Vyas and Collin Eaton in the Wall Street Journal$ -- 8/23/26

Stonestown Galleria adds hours as downtown San Francisco Centre sits empty -- Stonestown Galleria is opening an hour earlier on Fridays and Saturdays, a modest schedule change that highlights the sharply different fortunes of San Francisco’s two major shopping centers. Aidin Vaziri in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 8/23/26

Housing

Mountain lions stall plan to build 400 residences on Woodland Hills golf course -- The mountain lions have won the day in Woodland Hills, as opposition to building nearly 400 residences on a local golf course stalled a real estate developer’s plan to turn the private club into a residential community. Roger Vincent in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 8/23/26

El Niño

New California maps show the likelihood of a wet El Niño winter -- The El Niño building this winter is expected to be historically strong. And the rain forecast for California just jumped. Greg Porter in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 8/23/26

Quake Risk

Map: 10 California faults that could produce major earthquakes -- California is marked by thousands of faults, places where pieces of the Earth’s crust move against each other. And earthquakes are inevitable, occurring when rocks along these boundaries suddenly slip. Jack Lee and Jenny Kwon in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 8/23/26

Education

Degrees of difference: The fight over diplomas roiling California’s public colleges -- For decades, the University of California and California State University have enjoyed the right to award bachelor’s degrees, while the state’s expansive network of community colleges has been all but shut out of the action. Eric He Politico -- 8/23/26

Also

A novel challenge to California’s death penalty could resonate in other states -- California’s defense attorneys for years saw their Black and Latino clients sent to death row at a rate much higher than other defendants accused of the same crimes. Katie Mettler in the Washington Post$ -- 8/23/26

Highway 1 in Big Sur fully reopens as Timber fire continues to burn -- A visually stunning stretch of Highway 1 in Big Sur has reopened to travelers after a 12-day closure, even as firefighters continue to battle the persistent Timber fire. Roger Vincent in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 8/23/26

POTUS 47

‘The writing on the wall’: Trump’s staff departs ahead of possible turmoil -- President Donald Trump heads into the second half of his term with key vacancies among his senior White House staff. That means whoever comes off the bench must contend with the possibility of a Democratic-controlled Congress, a slew of subpoenas, a lingering war in the Middle East and an open Republican presidential primary. Alex Gangitano, Megan Messerly and Myah Ward Politico -- 8/23/26

Inside the 72 hours that cratered the US-Canada trade deal -- Trump announced a “DEAL” on Tuesday night. Then things went south. Now the $1 trillion trade relationship is unraveling. Daniel Desrochers, Megan Messerly, Nick Taylor-Vaisey, Ari Hawkins and Oliver Ward Politico Amanda Coletta and Gavin Bade in the Wall Street Journal$ -- 8/23/26

U.S. Economy Could Feel the Sting From Trade War With Canada -- A tit-for-tat trade fight between the two allies could create new headaches for consumers and businesses already stung by high prices. Tony Romm in the New York Times$ -- 8/23/26

What to know about Trump’s 50% tariffs on Canadian goods that just went into effect -- The new levies are expected to affect about 5% of Canada’s annual exports to the U.S., roughly $20 billion in goods ranging from hockey sticks to agricultural products. Canada’s Prime Minister Mark Carney quickly promised Saturday that his government would roll out “dollar for dollar” retaliatory measures starting Sept. 8. Wyatte Grantham-Philips Associated Press Amy B Wang and Rachel Lerman in the Washington Post$ -- 8/23/26

Trump Discloses 1,000 Stock Trades in June -- President Trump’s investment accounts continued to actively trade individual stocks in June, revealing they made more than 1,000 transactions, according to his latest government disclosure. Deborah Acosta in the Wall Street Journal$ -- 8/23/26

Will Trump interfere in the midterms? Democrats and their allies are preparing -- Democratic leaders, election officials and civic groups are preparing responses to potential Trump efforts to intimidate voters, seize ballots or deny the outcome of November’s midterms. Much of the work is being done quietly to avoid revealing too much of the strategy to the Trump administration or stoking unnecessary fear among voters. Kevin Rector and Justine McDaniel in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 8/23/26