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Updating . . .
California Policy and Politics Tuesday
Intel slashes 440 more California jobs as layoff wave intensifies -- Intel Corporation has laid off more than 400 workers in the Bay Area this week, expanding a wave of job cuts sweeping across its U.S. operations as part of a global cost-cutting initiative. Aidin Vaziri in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 07/15/25
‘I already want to cry.’ Undocumented parents prepare for the unthinkable: Giving up their kids -- The number of immigrant parents making emergency arrangements for their children’s care has skyrocketed. Parents are seeking help in filling out forms designating another adult to care for their children in case they are deported. Jenny Gold, Christina House in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 07/15/25
Can immigration agents stop anyone who looks Latino? Courts are stepping in to answer -- Can immigration agents stop and detain anyone with brown skin if they’re within a few hundred miles of the U.S.-Mexico border? Amid President Donald Trump’s push for mass deportations and massive influx of cash to seize immigrants, his “border czar” Tom Homan suggested as much last week, saying agents can question people “based on their physical appearance.” Bob Egelko in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 07/15/25
What happens after Bay Area immigrants are arrested by ICE? -- Immigrants arrested by ICE are held, usually for many months, in sites that are even less subject to outside inspection or regulation than jails or prisons. Bob Egelko, Ko Lyn Cheang in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 07/15/25
L.A.’s protest movement shifts tactics as ICE raids continue -- Volunteers are monitoring Home Depots and coordinating know-your-rights workshops as organizers prepare for a long-term battle. Angie Orellana Hernandez and Anumita Kaur in the Washington Post$ -- 07/15/25
ICE declares millions of undocumented immigrants ineligible for bond hearings -- A memo from the agency’s acting director instructs officers to hold immigrants who entered the country illegally “for the duration of their removal proceedings,” which can take months or years. Maria Sacchetti and Carol D. Leonnig in the Washington Post$ Michelle Hackman and Victoria Albert in the Wall Street Journal$ -- 07/15/25
New group of Camp Pendleton Marines tasked with southern border security in Arizona -- A new group of Camp Pendleton Marines are working alongside U.S. Customs and Border Protection and U.S. Border Patrol at the southern border. Erika I. Ritchie in the Orange County Register$ -- 07/15/25
Gavin Newsom teased a redistricting fight with Texas. Can he even do that? -- Gov. Gavin Newsom suggested he’s contemplating a response to Texas Gov. Greg Abbott’s efforts to redraw congressional maps to favor Republicans, but California’s laws will make any counter moves by Newsom difficult — if not impossible. Sophia Bollag in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 07/15/25
Environment
A new invader threatens California water supplies. Can the state stop its spread? -- Officials are shoring up water systems infiltrated by the golden mussel. Dogs and human inspectors are checking boats at some lakes, but a patchwork of oversight leaves many lakes unprotected. “There’s just too many boats and too many people out there,” one warden said. Rachel Becker Calmatters -- 07/15/25
Northern California county warns of ‘thick, poisonous smoke,’ declares emergency -- Siskiyou County officials are asking for state and federal help in addressing the illegal use of toxic pesticides at unlawful cannabis grow operations in the region. Jerry Wu in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 07/15/25
Wildfire
LADWP denies worker changed computer log to hide delay in responding to Palisades fire -- The utility said the computer log was changed not to conceal a delay, but to provide more information to give 'a clearer picture of what transpired' Tony Saavedra in the Orange County Register$ -- 07/15/25
Will personal firefighting devices help or hurt in future wildfires? -- Unlike similar tech, the system doesn’t rely on utility water and power, which are often strained during fires. There are little data on whether the tech is effective, but some experts say it’s needed to fully utilize pool water to fight wildfires. Noah Haggerty in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 07/15/25
Economy
San Jose-area office market improves; San Francisco, Oakland get worse -- Office vacancy levels improved in the San Jose area but worsened in both Oakland and San Francisco in the second quarter of 2025, new real estate reports show. The upswing in the South Bay office market arrives on the heels of big office leases in the region that have gobbled up some of the empty office space. George Avalos in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 07/15/25
From an L.A. parking lot to a $1 billion deal — the red-hot success story of Dave’s Hot Chicken -- How a group of longtime friends turned $900 into a $1-billion hot-chicken brand. Dave’s Hot Chicken’s rise to a global chain saw lines around the block, an investment from Drake and social media frenzy. Stephanie Breijo in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 07/15/25
Education
Republicans cap student loan debt. Why that’s bad news for California medical students -- Doctors regularly need to pay more than $300,000 for medical school, including tuition and housing. New regulations signed by President Donald Trump cap their federal borrowing at $200,000 for medical degrees. Mikhail Zinshteyn and Kristen Hwang Calmatters -- 07/15/25
USC signals layoffs as deficit surpasses $200 million amid ‘volatile external environment’ -- USC interim President Beong-Soo Kim says the university’s budget deficit surpasses $200 million. An undisclosed number of layoffs and other belt-tightening is ahead, he said. The university cites “significant shifts in federal support” for the difficult financial outlook. Daniel Miller in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 07/15/25
Jewish faculty voice support for UC Berkeley chancellor facing antisemitism hearing in D.C. -- UC Berkeley Chancellor Rich Lyons will speak Tuesday alongside CUNY and Georgetown University leaders at a congressional hearing on alleged campus antisemitism. Jaweed Kaleem in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 07/15/25
College is not for every student. How schools are steering them to high-demand jobs -- Los Angeles Unified’s “Earn & Learn” summer program pays students as they are introduced to vocational skills in high-demand jobs. Howard Blume in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 07/15/25
Migrant education helps farmworkers’ children catch up; Trump wants to end it -- In Monterey County, students brush up on English, math and science to fill gaps caused by moving schools. California is suing the Trump administration for withholding funds from the nearly 60-year-old program. Many current and former students call the program life-changing. Zaidee Stavely EdSource -- 07/15/25
CalPers
CalPERS recovers from tariff plunge and notches a big investment gain -- California’s biggest pension fund and markets around the world learned to live with President Trump’s tariff threats. CalPERS gained 11.6% on investments in 2024-25. Adam Ashton Calmatters -- 07/15/25
Street
Sheriff’s deputies lose assault rifle on the streets of Los Angeles — and actually get it back -- Los Angeles County sheriff’s deputies did something Sunday that some may have seen as fairly embarrassing: They misplaced a weapon. Amy Hubbard in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 07/15/25
California police are killing fewer people. The opposite is happening in red states -- California has been reducing violent encounters between residents and officers since before the racial justice protests sparked by George Floyd’s murder. It’s a trend with little fanfare. Raheem Hosseini in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 07/15/25
L.A. County sheriff’s deputies admit roles in crypto ‘Godfather’ operation -- Federal prosecutors said two deputies have admitted that they committed criminal acts in connection with their side hustles as private security for a Southern California cryptocurrency mogul who referred to himself as “the Godfather.” Connor Sheets in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 07/15/25
Also
Walters: LA Times valiantly explains how Los Angeles became the epicenter of homelessness -- At its best, journalism reveals the reality that is often obscured in the superficial political rhetoric about high-profile current events. Dan Walters Calmatters -- 07/15/25
Barabak: For California, a summer of discontent -- A recent batch of opinion surveys shows a grim mood among California residents. Voters have little faith in their governor, the tech industry or the three branches of the federal government. Mark Z. Barabak in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 07/15/25
Newsom talks AI, Epstein files and immigration in 4-hour podcast -- The California governor stopped in Nashville to record a podcast episode with Shawn Ryan, who hosts Spotify’s 9th most popular show in the U.S. Lia Russell in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 07/15/25
POTUS 47
Trump tariffs push up inflation despite pressure on Fed to cut rates -- Inflation rose in June as President Donald Trump’s tariffs began to push up the prices of certain goods, undermining his attempts to pressure Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell to lower interest rates. Sam Sutton Politico Konrad Putzier and Nick Timiraos in the Wall Street Journal$ Colby Smith in the New York Times$ Lauren Aratani The Guardian Abha Bhattarai and Andrew Ackerman in the Washington Post$ Christopher Rugaber, Josh Boak Associated Press -- 07/15/25-- 07/15/25
Supreme Court allows mass layoffs at Education Department as Trump seeks to close the agency -- The justices, by an apparent 6-3 vote, lifted an injunction against the firings. Josh Gerstein, Juan Perez Jr. and Rebecca Carballo Politico Sareen Habeshian Axios Matt Barnum in the Wall Street Journal$ Abbie VanSickle in the New York Times$ -- 07/15/25
How Trump plans to dismantle the Education Department after Supreme Court ruling -- Trump and McMahon have acknowledged only Congress has authority to close the Education Department fully, but both have suggested its core functions could be parceled out to different federal agencies. Collin Binkley Associated Press -- 07/15/25
Behind Trump’s Tough Russia Talk, Doubts and Missing Details -- President Trump’s new plan to send weapons to Ukraine and his simultaneous threat of harsh penalties on Russia’s trading partners reflect a dramatic shift in his position on the war, but his proposals leave key details unclear. Michael Crowley, Eric Schmitt and Julian E. Barnes in the New York Times$ -- 07/15/25
EU to hit US aircraft, cars and food in latest retaliatory strike -- The European Commission proposes countermeasures after President Donald Trump threatens to hit Europe with a 30 percent tariff. Camille Gijs Politico -- 07/15/25
What a Smaller Education Department Is Doing Under Trump -- Cuts have hit most of the department’s main functions, which include investigating civil rights complaints, providing financial aid, researching what works in education, testing students and disbursing federal funding. Dana Goldstein and Michael C. Bender in the New York Times$ -- 07/15/25
Trump promised to lower energy costs – his tax bill will raise them for people in red states the most -- The cost of electricity is poised to surge across the US in the wake of Republican legislation that takes an axe to cheap renewable energy, with people in states who voted for Donald Trump last year to be hardest hit by the increase in bills. Oliver Milman The Guardian -- 07/15/25
The Epstein Saga Has Splintered Trump’s Movement Like Nothing Before -- It’s been a contentious time inside the MAGA coalition. In the last month alone, competing factions of President Donald Trump’s supporters have repeatedly squared off over the bombing of Iran’s nuclear facilities, the “big, beautiful” tax-and-spending bill and Trump’s immigration crackdown. Ian Ward Politico -- 07/15/25
California Policy and Politics Monday
California Lottery confirms $1 million winner was homeless man -- The California Lottery has identified a homeless man who once lived in the Bay Area as the winner of a $1 million prize from a scratcher purchased in San Luis Obispo earlier this year. The winner, Armando Vidal, said he bought two $10 Triple Red 777 Scratchers in April at Sandy’s Deli & Liquor, where he is a regular customer. Aidin Vaziri in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 07/14/25
California, other states sue Trump for withholding $6.8 billion in critical education funds -- California officials on Monday announced that the state is suing the Trump administration for holding back an estimated $939 million in education funds from the state — and about $6.8 billion nationwide — that school districts had expected to begin receiving on July 1, calling the action “unconstitutional, unlawful and arbitrary.” Howard Blume in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 07/14/25
ICE arrested her selling tamales at Lowes. Then she suffered a heart attack. ‘I told them: I can’t breathe’ -- An immigration sweep on June 19, in which a woman had a heart attack, is one of many that have taken place in Southern California and encapsulates the chaotic methods employed to detain people over the last month. Ruben Vives in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 07/14/25
Details emerge about pot-farm immigration raid as worker dies -- Trump administration officials defended the aggressive campaign to find and deport unauthorized immigrants even as a cannabis farmworker was taken off life support two days after he plunged from a roof amid the mayhem of a Ventura County raid. Dakota Smith, Christopher Goffard and Jeanette Marantos in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 07/13/25
Local police, increasingly present at ICE raids, walk tightrope to stay out of immigration enforcement -- Distaste for the federal arrests rubs off on local officers called on to keep the peace. Alexandra Mendoza, Teri Figueroa in the San Diego Union Tribune$ -- 07/13/25
Troops, terror and tears in Los Angeles as Ice raids show no sign of slowing -- Raids have left residents of LA’s MacArthur Park scared to go to trusted local businesses – and outside in general. Helen Li and Maanvi Singh The Guardian -- 07/13/25
‘What if we stay in Mexico?’ With chances in the U.S. dashed, migrants make new lives south of border -- The plan wasn't to stay in Mexico, but many asylum seekers have decided to make a go of it as legal avenues to immigrating to the U.S. have been closed by the Trump administration. Alexandra Mendoza in the San Diego Union Tribune$ -- 07/14/25
Living ‘A Day Without a Mexican’ in L.A., 21 Years Later -- The 2004 indie film imagined an absurd, Latino-less California. As fears of immigration raids empty out parts of Los Angeles, the film’s premise feels all too real, its creators say. Matt Stevens in the New York Times$ -- 07/14/25
Climate
California reaches new record clean energy milestone -- California has hit a new record for clean energy. Solar, wind, hydropower and other carbon-free sources made up 67% of the state’s retail electricity supply in 2023, the most recent year that data is available, according to new statistics released Monday by the California Energy Commission. Paul Rogers in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 07/14/25
California’s wind and solar projects face new federal hurdles -- Clean-energy projects have new deadlines for federal tax credits and limits on foreign parts, taking aim at California’s climate agenda. Eleven major solar projects and one onshore wind project now face potential delays or cancellation. Alejandro Lazo Calmatters -- 07/14/25
Savings
Trump’s tariff threats are back. What should you do about your 401(k) and investments? -- Wall Street seems to be shrugging off President Donald Trump’s latest round of tariff threats. Should you? Jessica Roy in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 07/13/25
Reparations
Reparations bill, amid headwinds, could skirt California’s affirmative action ban -- With diversity programs under full assault by the Trump administration, California lawmakers are considering a measure that would allow state colleges to consider whether applicants are descendants of African Americans who were enslaved in the United States. Sandra McDonald in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 07/14/25
Housing
Developer building ‘micro-studios,’ and yes, people are renting them -- The size of a typical studio apartment is 500 to 600 square feet. The studios that Riaz Capital is building around the Bay Area measure on average 300 square feet — which is on the small side, even for a standard hotel room. But the Oakland-based developer sees micro-studios as a way to provide “affordability by design” in a state where the cost of housing is a major financial burden for many residents. Kate Talerico in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 07/14/25
Homeless
San Jose has just as many homeless people as it did two years ago, despite sheltering many of them -- Two years into an aggressive push to address homelessness, San Jose has managed to bring more people indoors — but the total number of unhoused residents remains stubbornly unchanged. Kate Talerico in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 07/14/25
Demographics
The Bay Area is getting old — fast. It will change everything -- Combined with rising housing costs and growing hostility toward immigration, the graying of cities and towns means the region’s continued prosperity is in doubt. Dan Kopf, Roland Li and Nami Sumida in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 07/14/25
Education
UC Berkeley chancellor heads to D.C. for congressional grilling on campus antisemitism -- UC Berkeley’s top leader on Tuesday will face an influential congressional committee that is aligned with President Trump’s political goal of reshaping higher education by punishing campuses he sees both as bastions of leftist ideologies and as institutions that have tolerated anti-Jewish hate. Jaweed Kaleem in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 07/14/25
The Federal Government Is Retreating From Student Lending -- New tax-and-spending law could push as many as half of graduate student borrowers into private loans. Dalvin Brown and Oyin Adedoyin in the Wall Street Journal$ -- 07/14/25
Buffeted by change, California charter schools continue to grow amid scrutiny -- State lawmakers are pushing for stricter financial oversight following high-profile fraud cases. Kathryn Baron Edsource -- 07/14/25
Street
Deputies beat her son bloody. Why is L.A. County keeping parts of the case secret? -- Five years after her son was beaten so badly by Los Angeles County sheriff’s deputies that he needed more than 30 stitches and staples to his face and head, Vanessa Perez is still looking for answers. So are county officials tasked with holding the department accountable for misconduct. Connor Sheets in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 07/14/25
Southern California trash pileup spreads as workers stand with East Coast strikers -- In one corner is Republic Services, the nation’s second-largest trash and recycling company. In the other stands the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, the large and tenacious labor union that represents thousands of Republic employees. Matt Hamilton in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 07/14/25
Public asked to help after deputies lose assault rifle. It may have fallen out of squad car -- The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department is investigating how an assault rifle went missing from — and potentially fell out of — the trunk of a squad car in South L.A. Matt Hamilton in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 07/13/25
Steffes
Straight-shooting advisor George Steffes always had Reagan’s ear -- If there were more people like George Steffes in politics, the public wouldn’t hold the institution in such low esteem. There’d be a lot less bull and much more thoughtful debate. Paralytic polarization would give way to problem solving. George Skelton in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 07/14/25
POTUS 47
Trump threatens Russia with tariffs if war on Ukraine isn’t resolved -- President Donald Trump said Monday he would punish Russia with tariffs if there isn’t a deal to end the war in Ukraine within 50 days, the latest example of his growing anger with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Trump made the announcement during an Oval Office meeting with NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte. Michael Warren and Curtis Yee Associated Press -- 07/14/25
Patriot System Will Be Sent to Ukraine, Trump Says -- President Trump said Sunday the U.S. will send Patriot air-defense systems to Ukraine that will be paid for by the European Union, and he again criticized Russian leader Vladimir Putin. Tarini Parti and Brett Forrest in the Wall Street Journal$ -- 07/14/25
Trump to announce "aggressive" Ukraine weapons plan -- President Trump will announce a new plan to arm Ukraine on Monday that is expected to include offensive weapons, two sources with knowledge of the plans tell Axios. Sending offensive weapons would be a major shift for Trump, who had until recently been at pains to say he would provide only defensive weapons to avoid escalating the conflict. Barak Ravid, Marc Caputo Axios -- 07/14/25
It’s No Bluff: The Tariff Rate Is Soaring Under Trump -- The president has earned a reputation for bluffing on tariffs. But he has steadily and dramatically raised U.S. tariffs, transforming global trade. Ana Swanson in the New York Times$ -- 07/14/25
The megabill’s Medicaid cuts shocked hospitals, but they may never happen -- The most painful health care provisions in the new Republican law don’t take effect for years, giving lobbyists plenty of time to undo them. Robert King, Amanda Chu and David Lim Politico -- 07/14/25
Trump gets mixed reception at soccer final, a test run for the World Cup -- In one indication of the mixed relationship the “America First” president has with the global game, some on Sunday cheered his attendance, chanted “USA! USA!” and turned to take photos. But when he appeared on the jumbo screen during the national anthem, boos rose up before the camera quickly turned elsewhere. Matt Viser in the Washington Post$ -- 07/14/25
How the Trump shooting supercharged beliefs in a divine right of MAGA -- On the road from Pittsburgh to Butler, past the cornfields and farm stands, before the fairgrounds where a shooter nearly killed Donald Trump a year ago Sunday, billboards quote 1 Corinthians and Psalm 27. Another sign advertises a local church with a photo of an American flag twisted into the shape of a Y. Isaac Arnsdorf in the Washington Post$ -- 07/13/25
Under Trump, the government mobilizes in response to fringe theories -- Trump officials have assigned government workers and spent taxpayer dollars to address conspiracy theories and easily disproven assertions. Naftali Bendavid in the Washington Post$ -- 07/14/25
Biden Says He Made the Clemency Decisions That Were Recorded With Autopen -- Donald J. Trump and his allies have begun investigations to support their claims that Joseph R. Biden Jr. was incapacitated and his staff conspired to take presidential actions in his name. Charlie Savage and Tyler Pager in the New York Times$ -- 07/13/25s
Balz: Musk says he wants a new political party, and many agree. Can he pull it off? -- Would-be independent candidates have been searching for what they say is a sensible center of the electorate for a long time. No one has found it. Dan Balz in the Washington Post$ -- 07/13/25