California Policy and Politics Thursday

Immigration raids pick up in L.A. as federal tactics shift. Arrests happen in ‘as fast as 30 seconds’ -- “In as fast as 30 seconds” a target can be “literally taken off the streets” by federal agents, leaving no time for a rapid response volunteer to relay “know your rights” information or get the detainee’s name, said Maribel, who is not providing her full name to protect her safety. Immigrant rights advocates say one thing that has not changed is federal officials continue to detain immigrants with no criminal history. Ruben Vives, Karen Garcia and Hailey Wang in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 1/29/26

San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan enters crowded race for California governor -- Matt Mahan, a moderate Democrat and mayor of Silicon Valley’s largest city, will enter the crowded race for California governor, accusing rival Democrats of fixating on their opposition to President Donald Trump instead of in-state problems. Dustin Gardiner Politico Grace Hase in the San Jose Mercury$ Kevin Rector and Seema Mehta in the Los Angeles Times$ Sophia Bollag in the San Francisco Chronicle$ Andrew Graham in the Sacramento Bee$ Laurel Rosenhall in the New York Times$ Guy Marzorati KQED -- 1/29/26

Climate change, electric vehicles and Delta tunnel among the focuses of gubernatorial candidate forum -- The schism between Democratic environmental ideals and California voters’ anxiety about affordability, notably gas prices, were on full display during an environmental policy forum among some of the state’s top Democratic candidates for governor on Wednesday. Seema Mehta and Nicole Nixon in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 1/29/26

Heated debate over California water plan as environmentalists warn of ‘ecosystem collapse’ -- The question of how to protect fish and the ecological health of rivers that feed California’s largest estuary is generating heated debate in a series of hearings in Sacramento, as state officials try to gain support for a plan that has been years in the making. Ian James in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 1/29/26

Tom Steyer vows to cut electricity bills by 25%, but experts say the details fall short -- California has the second-highest electricity bills in the nation, and no candidate for governor has honed in as much as climate investor Tom Steyer. But is his promise to cut bills 25% realistic? Jeanne Kuang Calmatters -- 1/29/26

Sergey Brin Backs New California Political Effort as Threat of Wealth Tax Looms -- Google co-founder joins other wealthy individuals in backing a new nonpartisan, nonprofit organization aimed at tackling housing affordability. Laura J. Nelson in the Wall Street Journal$ Laurel Rosenhall and Theodore Schleifer in the New York Times$ -- 1/29/26

Trump, GOP leaders ramp up attacks over Palisades Fire as California wildfire aid sits in limbo -- The bitter partisan feud over the Los Angeles fires continues to intensify more than a year after the deadly disaster, with President Donald Trump and congressional Republicans ramping up their attacks on the state and local response this week as they ignore calls to provide more financial assistance for the recovery. Alexei Koseff in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 1/29/26

Newsom bets big on Trump’s goodwill to shrink California’s budget hole -- Gavin Newsom is making a billion-dollar gamble in his latest budget plan, banking on money from a tax on health insurance carriers to help close a projected deficit. Rachel Bluth Politico -- 1/29/26

Expiration of federal health insurance subsidies: What to know in California -- Despite fears that more people would go without coverage with the end of the extra benefits, the number enrolling in Covered California has held steady so far, according to state data. But that may change. Melody Petersen in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 1/29/26

California Supreme Court strikes down Huntington Beach voter ID law -- The California Supreme Court refused Wednesday to allow a city to require voters to show photo identification at the polls, striking down a law that had taken effect after the city’s voters approved it nearly two years ago. But the issue may soon be before voters statewide. Bob Egelko in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 1/29/26

Corruption case against L.A. Councilmember Curren Price can move to trial, judge rules -- Price is accused of embezzlement, perjury and having a conflict of interest in City Council votes that stood to benefit his wife and her consulting company. James Queally in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 1/29/26

After Minneapolis shootings, California advances a bill allowing lawsuits against federal agents -- Senate Bill 747 by Sen. Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco) creates a pathway for residents to take legal action against federal agents for excessive use of force, unlawful home searches, interfering with a right to protest and other violations. Dakota Smith in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 1/29/26

DHS confirms Super Bowl security role amid fears of ICE enforcement — but details remain unclear -- With Super Bowl LX less than two weeks away, federal officials have confirmed that the Department of Homeland Security will be involved in security for the Bay Area’s biggest event in years — a routine role the department plays at major sporting events — even as viral reports and heightened national tensions have fueled fears that immigration enforcement could be tied to the game. Grace Hase in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 1/29/26

Workplace

California state employees alarmed by demand to prove their citizenship -- Close to four thousand employees of the California Department of Public Health were told they must use the federal E-Verify system to keep federal funding. Unions are pushing back. Khari Johnson Calmatters -- 1/29/26

Layoffs hit Zuckerberg and Chan’s philanthropy in Silicon Valley -- The Chan Zuckerberg Initiative is laying off about 70 employees in Redwood City as the philanthropy founded by Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg and Dr. Priscilla Chan restructures to focus more narrowly on artificial intelligence–driven biomedical research. Aidin Vaziri in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 1/29/26

Pinterest to cut up to 15% of its workforce as focus on AI intensifies -- Pinterest said Tuesday it’s planning to slash up to 15% of its workforce. The San Francisco-based image-sharing platform used for inspiration for home decor, fashion and other interests is laying off workers as part of a restructuring plan. Queenie Wong in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 1/29/26

U.S. Companies Are Still Slashing Jobs to Reverse Pandemic Hiring Boom -- Many corporations binged on labor during the pandemic. Now, facing economic uncertainty and threats from AI, they are slimming down. Konrad Putzier and Chip Cutter in the Wall Street Journal$ -- 1/29/26

Water

Trump is winning his water tug-of-war with Newsom -- President Donald Trump and Gov. Gavin Newsom are in a race to capture as much water as possible in California — possibly even at each other’s expense. Camille von Kaenel Politico -- 1/29/26

Wildfire

Pasadena Jewish Temple sues Edison for igniting Eaton fire -- The Pasadena Jewish Temple sued Southern California Edison, claiming the utility’s negligence and aging transmission lines sparked the Eaton Fire that destroyed the congregation’s sanctuary and preschool. Melody Petersen in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 1/29/26

A push to end a fractured approach to post-fire contamination removal -- Conflicting guidance from scientists, insurers and governments on how to clean up contamination from the Eaton and Palisades fires has left homeowners unsure when it is safe to return. Noah Haggerty and Tony Briscoe in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 1/29/26

Housing

Housing Tracker: Southern California home values drop in December -- High mortgage rates, rising inventory and economic uncertainty from tariffs have slowed the market, while existing homeowners cling to pandemic-era rates below 3%. Jack Flemming and Hailey Wang in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 1/29/26

Education

Trump administration finds California’s ban on ‘forced outing’ of students violates federal law -- Federal officials threatened to pull education funding unless the state takes steps to amend its rules. Eric He Politico -- 1/29/26

Department of Education finds San Jose State violated Title IX regarding transgender volleyball player -- The U.S. Department of Education has given San José State 10 days to comply with a list of demands after finding that the university violated Title IX concerning a transgender volleyball player in 2024. Steve Henson in the Los Angeles Times$ Bob Egelko in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 1/29/26

UCLA medical school uses a ‘systemically racist approach’ to admissions, DOJ alleges -- The Trump administration on Wednesday sought to join a lawsuit filed in federal court alleging UCLA’s David Geffen School of Medicine illegally considers race inits admission process. Jaweed Kaleem in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 1/29/26

Also

Howard Chan earned $340K from Sacramento taxpayers his last year. Emails show he worked very little -- The former city manager's contract left him on staff for a year after his dismissal. Felicia Alvarez KVIE Abridged -- 01/29/26

Tesla to kill off Model S and X vehicles, convert Fremont factory to build robots -- Speaking on Tesla’s fourth-quarter earnings call, Musk said the company will convert production lines at its Fremont factory to manufacture Optimus humanoid robots, a move he said will involve adding workers at the plant and ramping up production overall. Aidin Vaziri in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 1/29/26

Why California’s fight over ticket fraud has become a proxy war against Ticketmaster and Live Nation -- California’s AB 1349 would ban speculative ticketing — offering tickets that sellers don’t yet possess — to help protect consumers. The bill passed the state assembly and heads to the Senate, requiring sellers to possess tickets before listing them and raising maximum penalties to $10,000. Cerys Davies in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 1/29/26

POTUS 47

Top Trump officials’ reversal on Minneapolis shooting: Policy change or damage control? -- Despite softened rhetoric from White House officials, federal immigration enforcement continues unabated in the city with no sign of fundamental policy change. Jenny Jarvie and Andrea Castillo in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 1/29/26

Democrats Demand Unmasked Agents, New Limits to Fund D.H.S. -- Senate Democrats on Wednesday demanded that federal agents carrying out President Trump’s immigration crackdown take off their masks and stop warrantless searches and arrests, laying out a list of conditions they said must be attached to a funding bill for the Department of Homeland Security ahead of a Friday shutdown deadline. Carl Hulse and Catie Edmondson in the New York Times$ Riley Beggin and Theodoric Meyer in the Washington Post$ -- 1/29/26

Immigration agents, leaders defy best practices honed by U.S. police for half a century -- Experts say federal agents have breached policing standards without any apparent concern or investigative oversight from the administration. Kevin Rector in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 1/29/26