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California Policy and Politics Friday
Trump signs AI executive order to upend state laws. California has the most to lose -- It’s a direct rebuke to California and other states that have stepped into a void of federal action on the fast-developing technology with their own regulations, frustrating a powerful industry. And it promises to set off a new legal fight with state officials, who immediately condemned the order as an illegal infringement on California’s rights. Alexei Koseff, Sophia Bollag in the San Francisco Chronicle$ Gabby Miller Politico Alyssa Lukpat and Natalie Andrews in the Wall Street Journal$ Cecilia Kang in the New York Times$ Gabby Miller and Brendan Bordelon Politico Gerrit De Vynck in the Washington Post$ Khari Johnson Calmatters -- 12/12/25
California braces for disaster as Congress fails to come to a deal on health care plans -- nsurance premiums for nearly 2 million Californians who buy health plans through the Affordable Care Act exchange are almost certain to spike in a matter of weeks as a fractured Congress allows federal subsidies for those customers to expire. Alexei Koseff, Sophia Bollag in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 12/12/25
California sends rescue teams to Washington state due to severe floods -- Gov. Gavin Newsom has dispatched more than 100 California first responders to Washington state, where surging floodwaters have forced tens of thousands of residents to evacuate as back-to-back atmospheric river storms drenched the region. Brooke Park in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 12/12/25
Trump administration demands California drop proposal to ‘redistribute’ farmland to minorities -- The Trump administration is warning Gov. Gavin Newsom not to proceed with a proposal to help disadvantaged communities gain access to California’s farmlands, saying it violates federal and state laws that mandate equal treatment for Americans. Kurtis Alexander in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 12/12/25
Newsom’s troll energy takes over the DNC -- As the Democratic National Committee opened its winter meeting here, a throng of delegates jockeyed for selfies with the California governor for more than half an hour before his aides pulled him away for meetings — the crowds surrounding him growing so large at various points that Newsom resorted to group pictures. Melanie Mason and Liam Dillon Politico -- 12/12/25
Newsom expresses unease about his new, candid autobiography: ‘It’s all out there' -- “Just being honest — it comes with a cost,” said Newsom, who made the rounds at a Democratic National Committee meeting in Los Angeles on Thursday. Dakota Smith and Melody Gutierrez in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 12/12/25
Bay Area county OKs tax hike to fund hospitals after federal Medicaid cuts -- Santa Clara County has certified a voter-approved increase in sales tax to help fund local hospitals — one of the first counties to adopt such an approach to offset major cuts in federal health care spending. Catherine Ho in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 12/12/25
California Coastal Commission approves land deal to extend last nuclear plant through 2030 -- California environmental regulators on Thursday struck a landmark deal with Pacific Gas & Electric to extend the life of the state’s last remaining nuclear power plant in exchange for thousands of acres of new land conservation in San Luis Obispo County. Hayley Smith and Noah Haggerty in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 12/12/25
Alameda lined up $400 million in federal funds to build a veterans clinic. Then Trump stepped in -- Alameda amassed nearly $400 million to transform an ex-naval base into a veterans clinic. The Trump administration torpedoed the project, declaring it dead without telling the people in charge. Rachel Swan in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 12/12/25
Will California farmers get their fair share of federal bailout money? -- As the Trump administration rolls out a $12 billion aid package mostly for farmers in Midwestern states hurt by rising costs, trade disputes and weak prices, California farmers are hoping they won’t get left out in the cold, again. Robert Rodriguez in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 12/12/25
Workplace
California loses jobs for fourth straight month as tech layoffs continue -- The state lost a net 4,500 jobs and its unemployment rate rose to 5.6% from 5.5% in August. That’s the highest rate in the nation and above the national rate of 4.4%. Roland Li in the San Francisco Chronicle$ Laurence Darmiento in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 12/12/25
The world’s largest beer company is shuttering its last Bay Area facility -- “The impacts for us will be loss of local employment and impact to our water utility operations and revenue,” Moy wrote, calling the imminent closing “devastating.” The Fairfield plant is one of the city’s largest employers. A spokesperson for Anheuser-Busch did not confirm the number of employees at the plant. Mario Cortez in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 12/12/25
Marketplace
Ford’s Car of the Future, Hatched in a Skunk Works Near Los Angeles -- Desperate to catch up with Chinese automakers, Ford is redesigning its fleet with a Silicon Valley-style team. Is it too late? Jack Ewing in the New York Times$ -- 12/12/25
On Your Left, Hollywood’s Fading Relevancy -- It’s hard to make a movie studio tour exciting when movies aren’t made there anymore. “A vibe of tiredness, like the end of something,” one guest said. Brooks Barnes, Ricardo Nagaoka in the New York Times$ -- 12/12/25
Behind the Deal That Took Disney From AI Skeptic to OpenAI Investor -- Disney’s deal with OpenAI will allow users to generate AI videos based on characters from Marvel, ‘Star Wars’ and other franchises. Keach Hagey and Ben Fritz in the Wall Street Journal$ -- 12/12/25
Diablo Canyon
California’s last nuclear power plant faces renewed scrutiny as it gains latest permit -- A state regulator is requiring California’s last nuclear power plant to conserve 4,000 acres of surrounding land to keep operating until 2030. Nadia Lathan Calmatters -- 12/12/25
Housing
State Supreme Court rejects California city’s long fight to avoid building housing -- In a long-running battle between the state and local governments over housing, the California Supreme Court required Huntington Beach on Wednesday to approve plans for residences that low-income people could afford in the Orange County community. Bob Egelko in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 12/12/25
This Bay Area county is experimenting with a first-in-the-state pilot program for faster housing construction. Can it help solve the affordability crisis? -- A new Alameda County pilot program called the Scalable Housing Investment Funding Toolkit, or SHIFT, seeks to make more housing for less money with a first-in-the-state approach to affordable housing. Chase Hunter in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 12/12/25
Rent payments will likely go up for thousands of low-income San Diegans -- The move affects approximately 14,500 households that rely on federally funded housing choice vouchers, which are often known as Section 8 vouchers. In certain cases, residents who’ve been directing 24% of their income toward rent will be required to contribute 40%. Blake Nelson in the San Diego Union Tribune$ -- 12/12/25
Homeless
20% of Sacramento shelter guests go on to permanent housing. Is there a better way? -- Sacramento city and county together earmarked $120 million in taxpayer money — from a mix of local, state and federal sources — on building and staffing eight homeless shelters with a total of about 950 beds since January 2020. Theresa Clift in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 12/12/25
Abalone
California bans harvest of ocean delicacy until 2036 -- The contentious vote is the most recent example of how this small mollusk has become a big political and cultural controversy. State managers and impassioned divers are still struggling to agree on how to manage the species moving forward, including when and how to open recreational abalone diving in the future. Claire Barber, Anna Hoch-Kenney in the San Francisco Chronicle$ Chaewon Chung in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 12/12/25
Environment
L.A. County sues oil companies over unplugged oil wells in Inglewood -- Unplugged wells can leak benzene, methane and other pollutants that can harm human health and the environment. The lawsuit seeks daily penalties of up to $2,500 per well to avoid taxpayers footing cleanup costs. Hayley Smith in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 12/12/25
Education
California schools that need foreign workers for teacher jobs can’t afford Trump’s new visa fee -- The Trump administration is now requiring new H-1B visa applicants to pay $100,000. School districts that depend on hiring foreign workers to fill teacher jobs, especially in special education and bilingual education, say they can’t afford the new fee. Sophie Sullivan and Alina Ta Calmatters -- 12/12/25
DACA was once a lifeline for undocumented youth. It’s leaving the next generation behind -- A promise of work authorization and deportation protection pulled a generation of undocumented youth out of the shadows when DACA first went into effect in 2012. Yet, hundreds of thousands of today’s students like Alex are largely left out because of the ongoing legal battle that has largely frozen applications since 2017. Itzel Luna in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 12/12/25
‘Hate breeds hate’: How should school respond after ‘human swastika’ incident? -- Cormac, an 18-year-old senior at Branham High School in San Jose, was on the way to his AP Government class on Oct. 4 when a fellow Jewish student showed him her phone. What he saw on it was shocking: a photo of a group of his classmates arranging their bodies into the shape of a swastika on the school’s football field. Caelyn Pender in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 12/12/25
Homeless
Class action lawsuit says Fresno discriminates against the homeless with arrests -- A civil rights attorney filed a class action lawsuit against the city of Fresno alleging the homeless community has been criminalized and unduly prosecuted after the city adopted its anti-camping ordinance. Thaddeus Miller in the Fresno Bee -- 12/12/25
Street
Crime in San Francisco is declining even faster than other cities -- Crime decreases this year have beaten even last year’s historic lows. This data shows how much it’s fallen — and where it hasn't. Danielle Echeverria in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 12/12/25
Medical Cannabis
Review of Medical Cannabis Use Finds Little Evidence of Benefit -- Researchers found a chasm between the health reasons for which the public seeks out cannabis and what gold-standard science actually shows about its effectiveness. Jan Hoffman in the New York Times$ -- 12/12/25
Also
L.A. traffic is actually getting better. That’s not entirely a good thing -- Los Angeles was the 10th-most congested city in the world in 2025, according to the Global Traffic Scorecard from INRIX, a transportation analytics firm. That’s not exactly something to brag about, but L.A. was the eighth-most-congested in 2024. Terry Castleman in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 12/12/25
Walters: Some Newsom detractors make up stuff, though there’s fodder for legitimate criticism -- As Gavin Newsom ramps up his almost certain campaign for president, and polls put him in contention for the Democratic Party’s nomination in 2028, he has become a favorite target of right-leaning commentators on network television and in YouTube videos and social media. Dan Walters Calmatters -- 12/12/25
POTUS 47
This holiday season isn’t very merry for consumers, an AP-NORC poll finds -- Roughly half of Americans say it’s harder than usual to afford the things they want to give as holiday gifts, and similar numbers are delaying big purchases or cutting back on nonessential purchases more than they would normally. Josh Boak and Amelia Thomson-Deveaux Associated Press -- 12/12/25
Indiana GOP rejects Trump’s map in major blow to his gerrymandering push -- The GOP-controlled state Senate voted down a bill that would have wiped out Indiana’s two Democratic-held seats in the House. Adam Wren Politico Joseph De Avila and Alyssa Lukpat in the Wall Street Journal$ Mitch Smith in the New York Times$ Patrick Marley in the Washington Post$ -- 12/12/25
6 Takeaways From Indiana’s Defiance of Trump -- President Trump’s failure to ram through a Republican-friendly House map was a new sign that his iron grip on the party has slipped, and was likely to reverberate nationally. Nick Corasaniti and Mitch Smith in the New York Times$ -- 12/12/25
House Republicans weigh vote on Obamacare extension -- Moderate House Republicans are talking with GOP leaders about possibly setting up an amendment vote that could add an extension of expiring Obamacare subsidies to a health care package expected to move across the floor next week, according to four people granted anonymity to describe internal conversations. Meredith Lee Hill Politico -- 12/12/25
A Grand Jury Again Declines to Reindict Letitia James -- A federal grand jury in Alexandria, Va., declined on Thursday to indict Letitia James, the New York attorney general, the second time in a week that jurors had rejected the effort — a rebuke of President Trump’s bid to order up prosecutions against his political enemies. Jonah E. Bromwich, Devlin Barrett and Glenn Thrush in the New York Times$ -- 12/12/25
Trump seeks to cut restrictions on marijuana through planned order -- The president is expected to direct agencies to reclassify marijuana as a Schedule III drug, similar to some common prescription painkillers. Jacob Bogage, Dan Diamond and David Ovalle in the Washington Post$ -- 12/12/25
Federal Judge Blocks FEMA From Canceling Climate Resiliency Grants -- A federal judge in Massachusetts ruled Thursday that the Trump administration could not unilaterally cancel a Federal Emergency Management Agency grant program that states used for disaster preparation, imposing a potential hurdle in the administration’s efforts to tighten FEMA’s purse strings. Scott Dance in the New York Times$ -- 12/12/25
From Chips to Security, China Is Getting Much of What It Wants From the U.S. -- For China, President Trump’s moves to loosen chip controls, soften U.S. rhetoric and stay silent on tensions with Japan amount to a rare string of strategic gains. Lily Kuo in the New York Times$ -- 12/12/25
Meet the Trump administration’s 12 billionaires -- At a net worth of $390 billion, it’s the wealthiest White House in modern history. Aaron Schaffer and Clara Ence Morse in the Washington Post$ -- 12/12/25
National Trust sues to stop Trump’s ballroom construction -- The organization, which is charged by Congress with historic preservation, has retained President Barack Obama’s former lawyer as it seeks to pause the project. Dan Diamond and Jonathan Edwards in the Washington Post$ -- 12/12/25
California Policy and Politics Thursday
California cities pay a lot for water; some agricultural districts get it for free -- Even among experts the cost of water supplies is hard to pin down. A new study reveals huge differences in what water suppliers for cities and farms pay for water from rivers and reservoirs in California, Arizona and Nevada. Rachel Becker and Natasha Uzcátegui-Liggett Calmatters -- 12/11/25
Trump administration adds militarized zone in California along southern US border -- The Trump administration is adding another militarized zone to the southern U.S. border to support border security operations — this time in California. Associated Press -- 12/11/25
Justice Department drafting a list of ‘domestic terrorists’ -- Justice Department leadership has directed the FBI to “compile a list of groups or entities engaged in acts that may constitute domestic terrorism” by the start of next year, and to establish a “cash reward system” that incentivizes individuals to report on their fellow Americans, according to a memo reviewed by The Times. Michael Wilner and Ana Ceballos in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 12/11/25
Wildfire
With Altadena burning, L.A. County lacked satellite mapping tool used by other agencies -- During the Eaton fire, when aircraft were grounded, officials couldn’t see the fire’s westward advance — relying instead on ground observations in heavy smoke. FireGuard data showed fire advancing toward west Altadena hours before evacuation alerts were issued, where nearly all 19 Eaton fire deaths occurred. Grace Toohey in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 12/11/25
California delays wildfire rules that would force homeowners to clear vegetation -- California officials are again delaying the finalization of rules that could require nearly 2 million homeowners to remove plants and other combustible materials within 5 feet of their homes — a move that has attracted controversy but that experts say could provide a property-saving buffer against fires. Brooke Park in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 12/11/25
Sen. Adam Schiff: I’m not fond of Trump but am ‘willing to work with anyone’ -- Sen. Adam Schiff gave his first major speech in the Senate on Wednesday and recalled how he has had to endure bitter criticism from President Donald Trump and his allies, but remains hopeful about the country’s future. David Lightman in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 12/11/25
Barabak: The U.S. Senate is a mess. He wants to fix it, from the inside -- Oregon Sen. Jeff Merkley has devoted years to overhauling the filibuster. He wouldn’t ban the move, but make senators work so they’d maybe think twice. Mark Z. Barabak in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 12/11/25
Kamala Harris quells new speculation about CA governor run in 2026 -- Two sources close to Harris who were unauthorized to speak publicly confirmed Wednesday that she plans to stay out of the race. Nicole Nixon and Lia Russell in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 12/11/25
Sacramento-area Jan. 6 rioter pardoned by Trump sentenced in child porn case -- Kyle Travis Colton, 38, was found guilty in July of receiving sexually explicit materials involving a minor and, on Monday, was sentenced in Sacramento federal court to 80 months in federal prison. The Citrus Heights man was immediately remanded to the prison system by U.S. District Judge Dale Drozd, court records show. Sharon Bernstein in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 12/11/25
County Fairs
How California’s county fairs have become cotton candy for fraud, theft and mismanagement -- Like many of California’s fairs, the one in Humboldt County is a cherished local institution, beloved for its junk food, adorable baby animals and exhibits of local arts and crafts. Rock star chef Guy Fieri, who grew up in town, even turns up to host the chili cook-off. Jessica Garrison in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 12/11/25
Marketplace
Fed lowered interest rates Wednesday. Will California consumers notice? -- The Federal Reserve cut its key interest rates by a quarter-point Wednesday, but whether it will help the slow-moving California economy and give consumers a meaningful boost is questionable. David Lightman in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 12/11/25
Housing
Pro-housing group sues Newsom over duplex ban in wildfire zones -- It’s the latest chapter in the fight over how much density should be allowed in the rebuilding of fire-stricken communities such as Altadena and Pacific Palisades. Jack Flemming in the Los Angeles Times$ Liam Dillon Politico -- 12/11/25
AI
AI Hackers Are Coming Dangerously Close to Beating Humans -- After years of misfires, artificial-intelligence hacking tools have become dangerously good. So good that they are even surpassing some human hackers, according to a novel experiment conducted recently at Stanford University. Robert McMillan in the Wall Street Journal$ -- 12/11/25
California lawmakers discuss protecting actors, creators from AI exploitation -- At issue was copyright law and how it intersects with artificial intelligence, an issue that’s been gaining prominence since Scarlett Johansen called out OpenAI in May 2024 for giving ChatGPT a voice that sounded remarkably like hers. Kate Wolffe in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 12/11/25
Sam Altman says he can’t imagine raising a newborn without ChatGPT— and the internet is disappointed -- Sam Altman has revealed that he relies on artificial intelligence to teach him to take care of his child, launching the internet into a heated debate about the repercussions of such technology on social development. Zara Irshad in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 12/11/25
Disney invests $1 billion in OpenAI, licenses Mickey Mouse to Sora AI platform -- As part of the three-year licensing pact, Sora will be able to generate short, user-prompted social videos that can be viewed and shared by fans, drawing from a library of more than 200 animated and creature characters from Disney, Marvel, Pixar and Star Wars, according to a statement from Disney on Thursday. The deal doesn’t cover any talent likenesses or voices. Molly Schuetz Bloomberg in the Los Angeles Times$ Ben Fritz and Joseph De Avila in the Wall Street Journal$ Brooks Barnes in the New York Times$ -- 12/11/25
Environment
Southern California mountain lions recommended for threatened status -- The California Department of Fish and Wildlife has recommended granting threatened species status to roughly 1,400 mountain lions roaming the Central Coast and Southern California, pointing to grave threats posed by freeways, rat poison and fierce wildfires. Lila Seidman in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 12/11/25
‘Pretty amazing’: Salmon seen in upper reaches of Russian River for first time in decades -- Coho salmon have pushed more than 90 miles up California’s Russian River, reaching the watershed’s upper basin for the first time in more than three decades — the latest of many recent milestones for the endangered fish. Kurtis Alexander in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 12/11/25
Education
UC Berkeley agrees to rehire and pay $60K to Israeli professor -- UC Berkeley has agreed to pay $60,000 to a former professor and dance researcher and rehire her to settle a lawsuit that said she was denied a new teaching position because she is from Israel. Bob Egelko in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 12/11/25
Rural California gets a lifeline in school funding as Congress restores money it cut -- The Secure Rural Schools Act, which Congress passed overwhelmingly this week, is headed to President Donald Trump for final approval. It would bring $471 million for schools, roads, fire prevention, public safety and other critical needs. In California, 39 counties would share more than $40 million. Carolyn Jones Calmatters -- 12/11/25
Student loans crisis looms as Biden-era payment pause nears end, UC report warns -- A new analysis from the University of California’s nonpartisan California Policy Lab shows the majority of student loans in the U.S. are not actively being repaid, and one in four loans that are being paid are in delinquency. Kate Wolffe in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 12/11/25
Street
40,000 people died on California roads. State leaders looked away -- Over the past decade, nearly 40,000 people have died and more than 2 million have been injured on California roads. As an ongoing CalMatters investigation has shown this year, time and again those crashes were caused by repeat drunk drivers, chronic speeders and motorists with well-documented histories of recklessness behind the wheel. Robert Lewis and Lauren Hepler Calmatters -- 12/11/25
Newton: Crime is down and kids are back, but drugs still plague Los Angeles’ MacArthur Park -- A walk through the park Monday morning found evidence of progress: most spaces were relatively clean and a couple young boys scurried around on the playground equipment, their watchful dads nearby. But there were also painful reminders of how far this area has to go. Jim Newton Calmatters -- 12/11/25
Roblox sued by Southern California families alleging children met predators on its platform -- Video gaming platform Roblox is facing more lawsuits from parents who allege the San Mateo, Calif., company isn’t doing enough to safeguard children from sexual predators. Queenie Wong in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 12/11/25
As California prisons face ‘wave’ of sex assault lawsuits, new audit highlights slow discipline -- A new report on discipline in California prisons highlights slow handling of several sex assault cases filed against officers. In lawsuits, women have accused 83 officers of sexual misconduct. Nigel Duara Calmatters -- 12/11/25
Also
Arellano: In Trump’s regime, Catholics are among the most powerful — and deported -- Tomorrow, it will be the feast day of Our Lady of Guadalupe, and She couldn’t come soon enough. 2025 will go down as one of the best and worst years ever to be a Catholic in the United States. Gustavo Arellano in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 12/11/25
Walters: Trump sides with agriculture again in California’s neverending water wars -- From the onset of his foray into presidential politics a decade ago, Donald Trump has been obsessed with managing California’s water, often interjecting himself into decades-long conflicts over how the precious commodity should be divvied up. Dan Walters Calmatters -- 12/11/25
TED Talks to be based in San Diego, bringing jobs and new venues -- Seeking to redefine its place in a changing media landscape, TED — the New York-based nonprofit behind the globally recognized TED Talks — is moving its flagship event to San Diego, potentially creating dozens of new jobs. Noelle Harff in the San Diego Union Tribune$ -- 12/11/25
POTUS 47
How a U.S. admiral decided to kill two boat strike survivors -- Ahead of the Sept. 2 mission, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth had given an order to U.S. forces to kill the passengers, sink the boat and destroy the drugs, three people familiar with the operation said. It appeared to Bradley that none of those objectives had been achieved, the admiral would later recount for lawmakers. Noah Robertson, Alex Horton and Ellen Nakashima in the Washington Post$ -- 12/11/25
Judge orders Kilmar Abrego Garcia to be immediately released from immigration detention -- A federal judge in Maryland ordered Kilmar Abrego Garcia freed from immigration detention on Thursday while his legal challenge against his deportation moves forward. Associated Press -- 12/11/25
Fed Chair Jerome Powell Says U.S. May Be Drastically Overstating Jobs Numbers -- The country could be losing 20,000 jobs a month, Powell said, a concern that was part of the decision to cut interest rates. Matt Grossman and Harriet Torry in the Wall Street Journal$ -- 12/11/25
Trump’s handling of the economy is at its lowest point in AP-NORC polling -- President Donald Trump’s approval on the economy and immigration have fallen substantially since March, according to a new AP-NORC poll, the latest indication that two signature issues that got him elected barely a year ago could be turning into liabilities as his party begins to gear up for the 2026 midterms. Linley Sanders and Will Weissert Associated Press -- 12/11/25
Trump’s ‘chilling’ social media snooping rule imperils World Cup, critics warn -- U.S. President Donald Trump’s plan to require tourists to hand over their social media data ahead of next year’s World Cup generated outrage on Wednesday. Seb Starcevic and Ali Walker Politico Joseph De Avila and Michelle Hackman in the Wall Street Journal$ -- 12/11/25
U.S. Blueprint to Rewire Economies of Russia, Ukraine Sets Off Clash With Europe --U.S. peace proposals envision U.S. companies tapping a roughly $200 billion pool of frozen Russian assets for Ukraine’s reconstruction. Joe Parkinson, Benoit Faucon and Drew Hinshaw in the Wall Street Journal$ -- 12/11/25
House passes defense bill, forcing Pentagon's hand on boat strike videos -- The agreement would withhold a quarter of Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s travel budget until the Pentagon provides Congress with unedited videos of airstrikes against alleged drug smuggling boats. It also goes after Trump’s push away from European allies and demands a rationale when the Defense Department fires officials. Connor O'Brien Politico Noah Robertson in the Washington Post$ -- 12/11/25
Remember the Torture Memos? The Boat Strike Memos May Be Worse -- The Trump administration needs to release the legal analysis underpinning its controversial military campaign. Ankush Khardori Politico -- 12/11/25
US seizes Cuba-bound Venezuelan oil tanker, ramping up pressure on Maduro -- President Donald Trump said Wednesday that U.S. officials have seized a “very large” oil tanker off the coast of Venezuela, a major escalation of the administration’s months of efforts to punish the South American petrostate. Eric Bazail-Eimil and James Bikales Politico Shelby Holliday, Costas Paris and Collin Eaton in the Wall Street Journal$ Tyler Pager, Eric Schmitt and Nicholas Nehamas in the New York Times$ Samantha Schmidt, Matt Viser and Karen DeYoung in the Washington Post$ -- 12/11/25
Trump Administration Opens Applications for Million-Dollar Visas -- The Trump administration debuted a website on Wednesday that opens up applications for a “gold card,” an expedited visa that the federal government plans to provide to people who pay at least $1 million. Madeleine Ngo in the New York Times$ -- 12/11/25
Tariffs have cost U.S. households $1,200 each since Trump returned to the White House, Democrats say -- Using Treasury Department numbers on revenue from tariffs and Goldman Sachs estimates of who ends up paying for them, the Democrats’ report Thursday found that American consumers’ share of the bill came to nearly $159 billion — or $1,198 per household — from February through November. Paul Wiseman Associated Press -- 12/11/25
Trump still hasn’t endorsed a plan to avoid impending Obamacare hikes for millions -- The Senate will vote Thursday on a key Republican health care plan, but its fate is uncertain, and Trump still hasn't endorsed any specific proposals. Cheyenne Haslett and Alex Gangitano Politico -- 12/11/25
How voters really feel about affordability -- Trump brushes it off, but the evidence is piling up that Americans are unhappy with their economic situations. Amber Phillips in the Washington Post$ -- 12/11/25