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California Policy and Politics Monday
Kamala Harris bought a Malibu home. Her neighbors think that means something -- Amid all the speculation about whether Harris will again run for president, her move is regarded here — in her new celebrity-laden enclave — not as a launching pad, but as a sign of retreat. Daniel Miller Politico -- 5/4/26
Trump assassination suspect Cole Allen’s attorney calls suicide precautions unjustified -- Cole Allen, the Torrance man accused of attempting to assassinate President Trump, remains confined to a padded cell despite assessments showing no suicide risk. Doug Smith in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/4/26
Barabak: Not too early, not too late. Here’s the sweet spot for voting in California -- Mail ballots will soon arrive in homes all over California. Many may choose to wait a little while before voting, as contests continue to unfold. But voters shouldn’t wait too long to make sure their ballot is processed in time to count. Mark Z. Barabak in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/4/26
Workplace
SAG-AFTRA reaches a tentative deal with the studios -- The actors union’s new agreement with the trade group that negotiates with Hollywood unions on behalf of the major studios will reportedly improve AI protections and boost the guild’s pension fund. Cerys Davies in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/4/26
Housing
Bay Area condo values are still falling — except in these San Francisco neighborhoods -- The condominium, long considered a relatively affordable entry point into homeownership, is no longer an option for many buyers. Christian Leonard in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 5/4/26
Beach homes under $400,000: This is the last affordable city on California’s coast -- About 6½ hours north of San Francisco, the road careens across a treacherous stretch of Highway 101 ominously called Last Chance Grade. From there, the highway dips down past a 2-mile beach and a scattering of hotels, a weathered aquarium, low-slung commercial strips and mostly empty parking lots. Julie Johnson in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 5/4/26
Environment
Record ocean heat off California coast echoes ‘The Blob,’ killing seabirds and reshaping weather outlook -- Over the past several months, an intense marine heat wave has developed in the Pacific from Washington to Baja Mexico, with a particularly extreme hot spot between the Bay Area and San Diego. Ocean temperatures have spiked to as much as 7 degrees hotter than average, with many places breaking records for this time of year. Paul Rogers in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 5/4/26
Also
Bay Area’s mosquito season is starting early. An invasive species could make it a lot worse -- The Bay Area could be in for an earlier and longer mosquito season this spring and summer — even as officials race to contain the potential explosion of a new invasive mosquito species that is already spreading in parts of the East and South Bay. Catherine Ho in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 5/4/26
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Trump says the US will ‘guide’ stranded ships from the Strait of Hormuz, starting on Monday -- The United States will launch an effort on Monday to “guide” stranded ships from the Iran-gripped Strait of Hormuz, President Donald Trump said, giving few details about what could be a sweeping attempt to help hundreds of vessels and some 20,000 seafarers. Iran quickly denounced it as a ceasefire violation. Adam Schreck, Melanie Lidman, Cara Anna Associated Press Zolan Kanno-Youngs, David E. Sanger and Neil MacFarquhar in the New York Times$ Dan Diamond and Karen DeYoung in the Washington Post$ -- 5/4/26
California Policy and Politics Sunday
California braces for uncertainty as last shipment of Persian Gulf oil arrives in Long Beach -- The last California-bound oil tanker to pass through the Strait of Hormuz since war erupted is at the Port of Long Beach offloading its valuable cargo — 2 million barrels of crude destined to be transformed into gasoline, jet fuel and diesel. Blanca Begert Calmatters -- 5/3/26
Taxes, program cuts and Newsom’s legacy on the line in budget negotiations -- After years of spending more money than the state brings in, it’s Newsom’s last opportunity to fix a chronic deficit or dump the problem on the next governor. Taryn Luna in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/3/26
Cole Allen’s journey from young athlete and Caltech grad to accused gunman in D.C. attack -- A quiet, respected tutor and engineer from Southern California with a “godly” upbringing allegedly attempted to assassinate President Trump at the White House correspondents’ dinner, shocking those who knew him. Connor Sheets, Paige St. John, Alene Tchekmedyian, Ruben Vives and James Queally in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/3/26
Will California ever build the Delta tunnel? Major battles ahead as Newsom era nears end -- The Delta Stewardship Council voted 6-to-1last week to advance Gov. Gavin Newsom’s $20-billion tunnel, but major obstacles remain: court rulings on financing, pending water diversion decisions and uncommitted water agencies. Rachel Becker in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/3/26
Will CA high-speed rail cost $126B or $231B? Read how two estimates can be so far apart -- High-speed rail officials have said costs will depend on whether the Legislature allows them to alter the system’s previous designs and delivery strategies to cut costs and accelerate construction timelines. Erik Galicia in the Fresno Bee -- 5/3/26
A California Dream? Some Democrats Fear Harris Picked the Wrong Race -- Some wish Kamala Harris had decided to run for governor in California, where Democrats are struggling to break through, rather than weigh another White House run. Jennifer Medina in the New York Times$ -- 5/3/26
Palisades fire suspect was angry about romantic relationship, researched Luigi Mangione, prosecutors say -- Federal prosecutors say the man suspected of starting the blaze that would eventually become the deadly Palisades fire was distraught over his relationship with a former co-worker, angry about not having plans on New Year’s Eve and “pissed off about the world,” according to new court filings. Sierra van der Brug in the LA Daily News -- 5/3/26
Court’s mifepristone ruling threatens abortion access for rural Californians -- A federal appeals court has blocked mail distribution of mifepristone, requiring the abortion pill be obtained in person at clinics only — dealing a major blow to abortion access nationwide. Blanca Begert in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/3/26
Yosemite warns visitors to avoid the valley as parking lots fill and waits build -- Yosemite Valley ran out of parking before 11 a.m. Saturday, forcing Yosemite National Park to warn visitors to stay away from its busiest area, weeks before the summer rush typically brings the park’s heaviest crowds. Aidin Vaziri in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 5/3/26
ICE raids still cast shadow of fear over L.A.’s Latino shopping centers -- Close to a year after chilling immigration raids started across Los Angeles, the specter of ICE continues to depress business at many Southland shopping centers even when no immigration officers are in sight. Roger Vincent and Itzel Luna in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/3/26
Workplace
Multiyear agreement makes a repeat of the 2023 Hollywood labor strikes unlikely -- The union representing actors has reached a tentative multiyear deal with the major studios and streamers on a new contract, making unlikely a repeat of the 2023 strikes that crippled Hollywood for several months. Joe Flint in the Wall Street Journal$ -- 5/3/26
Marketplace
Robotics startup plans to build 10,000 home robots in California in the coming year -- 1X Technologies AS, the Norway-founded robotics startup backed by OpenAI, has opened a new 58,000-square-foot factory in Hayward, Calif., where it aims to be among the first to build humanoids for consumers at scale. Samantha Kelly in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/3/26
AI
ChatGPT Wrestles With Its Most Chilling Conversation: How Do I Plan an Attack? -- Then Ikner uploaded an image of a Glock handgun and ammunition and asked the chatbot how to use it. Was there a safety to switch off? ChatGPT told him there wasn’t: “If there’s a round in the chamber and you pull the trigger? It will fire.” Ikner logged off. Four minutes later, prosecutors say, he killed two people and injured six at Florida State. Ikner faces charges of murder and attempted murder. He has pleaded not guilty. Georgia Wells in the Wall Street Journal$ -- 5/3/26
Also
Nancy Pelosi urges Bay Area graduates to be ‘patriots of our time’ -- As she surveyed members of the graduating class of Notre Dame de Namur University, Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi told them they are entering a world “calling for their leadership” at a time when American democracy is enduring attacks on the rule of law, free and fair elections, and judicial independence. St. John Barned-Smith in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 5/3/26
The Race Is On to Find the Treasure Buried in San Francisco -- Somewhere in San Francisco, buried one foot underground, rests a treasure chest filled with $1 coins — 10,000 of them, so many that the booty weighs 150 pounds. Heather Knight in the New York Times$ -- 5/3/26
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Trump Faces the Complicated Reality of a Costly, Unpopular War in Iran -- President Trump’s predictions of a relatively short-term conflict with minimal economic consequences appear to be crumbling. Zolan Kanno-Youngs in the New York Times$ -- 5/3/26
The U.S. Wants to Break China’s Drone Dominance. Here’s Where It Will Struggle -- With drones revolutionizing the battlefield in Ukraine, Iran and beyond, the U.S. is striving to dominate this latest evolution in military technology the way it has with previous wartime innovations. There is just one problem: China got there first. Josh Chin, Merrill Sherman, Jason French and Ievgeniia Sivorka in the Wall Street Journal$ -- 5/3/26
Trump disapproval reaches new high, Post-ABC-Ipsos poll finds -- Six months ahead of the November midterm elections, the Republican Party faces a deteriorating political climate, with Americans broadly dissatisfied with President Donald Trump’s leadership on the Iran war and other key issues and an electorate in which Democrats are significantly more motivated to vote, according to a Washington Post-ABC News-Ipsos poll. Scott Clement and Dan Balz in the Washington Post$ -- 5/3/26
Poll: Job losses, China threats split GOP on Trump’s AI agenda -- President Donald Trump is pushing to deregulate the artificial intelligence industry and make it easier for the technology to develop rapidly. His voters are not fully on board. Katherine Long Politico -- 5/3/26
After Months of Debating Rate Cuts, Fed Shifts Toward Mapping Out Hikes -- The Federal Reserve’s internal debate over interest rates has turned a corner. Officials are no longer arguing about when to resume cutting. Instead, they are starting to talk about the conditions that would warrant a hike. Nick Timiraos in the Wall Street Journal$ -- 5/3/26