California Policy and Politics Wednesday

Trump Tells Inner Circle That Musk Will Leave Soon -- President Donald Trump has told his inner circle, including members of his Cabinet, that Elon Musk will be stepping back in the coming weeks from his current role as governing partner, ubiquitous cheerleader and Washington hatchet man. Rachael Bade Politico Chris Megerian Associated Press -- 4/2/25

Former California Attorney General Xavier Becerra announces run for governor -- Xavier Becerra, who served as Health and Human Services secretary under President Joe Biden, will run for California governor in 2026, he announced Wednesday. Shira Stein, Molly Burke in the San Francisco Chronicle$ Seema Mehta in the Los Angeles Times$ Melanie Mason Politico Scott Shafer KQED Alexei Koseff CalMatters -- 4/2/25

Former aide skewers California House Dem in primary launch -- Jake Rakov is running against his ex-boss, Rep. Brad Sherman, a 15-term incumbent representing Los Angeles’ fire-ravaged Pacific Palisades. Ally Mutnick Politico -- 4/2/25

California legislative committee rejects limits on trans athletes -- California lawmakers on Tuesday rejected Republican-sponsored bills to limit trans high school athletes participation in girls’ and women’s sports, the latest clash in a high-octane debate that continues to divide the nation. Jessica Garrison in the Los Angeles Times$ Lia Russell in the Sacramento Bee$ Diana Lambert EdSource Grant Stringer in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 4/2/25

Trump picks lightning-rod California legislator to be US attorney in Los Angeles -- President Donald Trump has chosen a California Republican state lawmaker who helped prosecute the 2015 San Bernardino terrorist attacks and elevated his profile antagonizing Democrats in the state Legislature to be the next U.S. attorney in Los Angeles. Blake Jones Politico Brittny Mejia, Kevin Rector and Seema Mehta in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 4/2/25

Trump’s axing of L.A. federal prosecutor part of broader war on perceived legal enemies -- The firing of a federal prosecutor in Los Angeles who was leading the case against a pro-Trump business executive has raised alarms among current and former Justice Department officials. Several lawyers said the firings are potentially illegal and risk crippling the independence of prosecutors throughout the department. Brittny Mejia and James Queally in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 4/2/25

California farmers fear tariff trade war losses in billions, uneven bailouts -- As a potential trade war looms, a coalition of California agricultural organizations is urging the state’s Congressional delegation to protect them from becoming another casualty in the battle over tariffs. Robert Rodriguez in the Fresno Bee$ -- 4/2/25

California just blew a deadline for voter-approved health care measure — losing millions of federal dollars -- California voters told lawmakers last fall that they wanted doctors to get paid more to see low-income patients. But officials for the Newsom administration blew past a federal deadline to make that happen through Medi-Cal Monday, effectively leaving millions of dollars unclaimed. Kristen Hwang CalMatters -- 4/2/25

Garofoli: Oakland can’t manage its budget, but it will ask for more tax dollars -- More than 86,000 Oakland voters signaled that they wanted change last November when they voted to recall Mayor Sheng Thao. But most of the candidates vying to replace Thao support a measure to raise sales taxes, perpetuating Oakland’s legacy of asking taxpayers for a bailout for its latest screw-up. Joe Garofoli in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 4/2/25

A judge said this California city’s elections diluted Latino votes. Six years later, nothing’s changed -- It’s been six years since a judge ruled that Santa Monica’s election system discriminates against Latino voters. In that time, there have been at least three more elections — but the city hasn’t had to change the way it runs them. Sameea Kamal CalMatters -- 4/2/25

California’s schools chief has a $200,000 salary and a side gig -- Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond has regularly worked side jobs at Bay Area nonprofits to earn extra income because he says the state pay is insufficient. Alexei Koseff CalMatters -- 4/2/25

Walters: In California’s Capitol, some political fights span decades -- Were we able to transport ourselves back in time 50 years and into California’s Capitol, we would find a governor seeking and enjoying massive attention by national political media as he eyes some greater office. We’d also find a Legislature dealing with conflicts among influential interests with heavy financial impacts. Dan Walters CalMatters -- 4/2/25

Planned Parenthood applies its abortion playbook to push for transgender rights in California -- The reproductive care group is facing funding threats from the Trump administration, but sees an opening to expand protections in the deep-blue state. Rachel Bluth Politico -- 4/2/25

A billionaire’s foundation made a roadmap to address S.F. homelessness. Will Mayor Lurie follow it? -- It turns out Mayor Daniel Lurie’s administration got something of a head start on one of its top policy priorities: devising ways to reduce San Francisco’s entrenched homelessness crisis. J.D. Morris in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 4/2/25

California, other states sue Trump administration over cuts to CDC infectious disease funding -- California joined 23 other states and the District of Columbia in suing the Trump administration over the cuts, which include nearly $1 billion in funding for California public health agencies. Kevin Rector and Susanne Rust in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 4/2/25

Abortion

California woman sues Catholic hospital chain over emergency abortion denial -- A Eureka woman who nearly bled to death while miscarrying twins last year is suing the Catholic hospital chain that she claims refused her life-saving abortion care. Sonja Sharp in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 4/2/25

Workplace

‘It’s very clear that we have been under attack’: S.F.’s HHS employees on being laid off by Trump -- Even after weeks of bracing for the chopping block, Health and Human Services Department employees in San Francisco said that they were in shock and disbelief over layoffs that impacted more than 300 people within their towering federal complex in Mid-Market, and believe the cuts will have far-reaching implications outside the city. Laura Waxmann, Megan Cassidy in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 4/2/25

Job losses hammer Bay Area tech industry in brutal beginning for 2025 -- During the first two months of 2025, tech companies in the region slashed a net total of 8,700 positions, according to a Beacon Economics estimate that it derived from state labor agency estimates. Employers chopped 6,900 tech jobs in January and another 1,800 in February. George Avalos in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 4/2/25

Federal investigation finds East Bay medical centers paid female employees less than man with no prior experience -- A nonprofit medical center with 15 health clinics in Alameda County has agreed to a financial settlement with three female employees after a federal investigation found that it paid them less than a male colleague. Nora Mishanec in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 4/2/25

Water

Sierra Nevada snowpack sees most bountiful three years in a row in 25 years -- In a much-needed break after multiple years of severe droughts over the past two decades, California’s statewide Sierra Nevada snowpack, which provides nearly one-third of the state’s water supply, was at 96% of its historical average on Tuesday, up from 83% a month before. Paul Rogers in the San Jose Mercury$ Ian James in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 4/2/25

Insurance

A broken system is keeping California homes underinsured. Millions have no idea they’re at risk -- Using faulty algorithms and flawed processes, the state’s biggest insurance companies routinely underestimate what their clients will need to rebuild. For wildfire survivors, it's a gut punch at the worst possible time. Susie Neilson and Megan Fan Munce in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 4/2/25

Wildfire

Caruso’s Palisades Village mall, saved by private firefighters, eyes early 2026 reopening -- The 25,000-square-foot shopping center and its 42 businesses — which include a Chanel, Saint Laurent and Bottega Veneta — remained largely unscathed in the fire, suffering mostly from smoke damage. Many of the structures around it, meanwhile, were razed. Clara Harter in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 4/2/25

Homeless

A federal judge is demanding a fix for L.A.’s broken homelessness system. Is receivership his next step? -- With the top city and county elected officials sitting in his jury box, the judge lectured for more than an hour, excoriating what he called the Rocky Horror Picture Show of homeless services in Los Angeles. Doug Smith in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 4/2/25

County supervisors create new homeless agency, despite warnings from L.A. mayor --The plan would move more than $300 million and hundreds of workers out of the Los Angeles Homeless Service Authority and into a new county department. David Zahniser and Rebecca Ellis in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 4/2/25

Housing

California lawmakers make first moves to improve housing affordability -- They include measures to allow homeowners and developers to bypass their local building department, require state permitting departments to move faster and freeze current building standards to block more restrictive ones in the future. Kate Wolffe in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 4/2/25

Wildfire

As investigators close in on cause of Eaton fire, activity swirls around Edison lines -- Southern California Edison has been inspecting electrical equipment in Altadena as part of the ongoing investigation into what sparked the deadly Eaton fire. Salvador Hernandez in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 4/2/25

Street

Amid jail deaths spike, groups call for splitting coroner from Riverside Sheriff’s Office -- A coalition of civil rights groups says the offices of sheriff and coroner should be separate, so there is impartiality when investigating in-custody or jail deaths. Deborah Brennan CalMatters -- 4/2/25

POTUS 47

Trump announces 10 percent tariffs on all imports, additional taxes for some 60 countries -- The president’s latest trade initiative represents a breathtaking political gamble. After returning to the White House on a wave of public anger over inflation, Trump is now asking voters to put up with a renewed period of rising prices in return for the distant promise of rebuilding domestic manufacturing. David J. Lynch and Jeff Stein in the Washington Post$ -- 4/2/25

‘In the long run, we’re all dead’: Trump allies struggle with trade uncertainty -- Many of the president’s allies and critics are united by a fear the new levies will plunge weary consumers into a new wellspring of economic uncertainty. Megan Messerly, Daniel Desrochers and Victoria Guida Politico -- 4/2/25

Liberal Wins Wisconsin Supreme Court Race in Rebuke of Trump, Musk -- Elon Musk’s massive investment in a Wisconsin Supreme Court election didn’t pay off after a liberal judge secured a victory that could tarnish the billionaire’s political clout and trigger worry for some Republicans about how voters are processing the opening months of President Trump’s new administration. John McCormick and Anthony DeBarros in the Wall Street Journal$ Patrick Marley in the Washington Post$ Reid J. Epstein in the New York Times$ Scott Bauer Associated Press -- 4/2/25

U.S. Says Deportation of Maryland Man Was an ‘Administrative Error’ -- Kilmar Armando Abrego Garcia, who was in the U.S. legally, is now in prison in El Salvador, and federal courts have no jurisdiction to order his release, the Trump administration said in a court filing. Ali Watkins and Alan Feuer in the New York Times$ Maria Sacchetti and María Luisa Paúl in the Washington Post$ -- 4/2/25

Waltz and staff used Gmail for government communications, officials say -- Members of President Donald Trump’s National Security Council, including White House national security adviser Michael Waltz, have conducted government business over personal Gmail accounts, according to documents reviewed by The Washington Post and interviews with three U.S. officials. John Hudson in the Washington Post$ -- 4/2/25

White House studying cost of Greenland takeover, long in Trump’s sights -- It’s the most concrete effort yet to turn President Donald Trump’s desire to acquire the Danish territory into actionable policy, despite widespread international outrage. Lisa Rein, Michael Birnbaum, Natalie Allison and Jeff Stein in the Washington Post$ -- 4/2/25