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California Policy and Politics Tuesday
Oil flows through Santa Barbara coastal pipeline for first time in decade amid Trump’s fight with California -- Following an executive order from President Trump last week, Sable Offshore Corp. announced Monday that it resumed oil flow through pipelines that run across Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo and Kern counties. The infrastructure is part of an offshore oil operation that the Houston-based company has been trying to restart for more than a year. Grace Toohey in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/17/26
Suspending gas tax, reducing refinery regulations pushed by two Democrats running for governor -- As gas prices surge in California and nationally due to the war in Iran, two Democrats running for California governor are calling for the state to temporarily suspend its fuel tax or ease refinery regulations in an effort to lower costs. Nicole Nixon in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/17/26
Eliminating a corporate tax break is pitched as a way to make up for federal healthcare cuts -- A corporate tax policy that costs California billions in lost tax revenue each year could be coming to an end as the state struggles to backfill federal cuts and resolve a looming budget deficit. Katie King in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/17/26
Another billionaire confirms California exit: Uber co-founder Kalanick -- Uber co-founder Travis Kalanick said he moved to Texas in December, adding to the list of billionaires who have left California ahead of a proposed wealth tax. Queenie Wong in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/17/26
Walters: Billionaires bolt from blue states amid tax fears, mirroring rebellion in ‘Atlas Shrugged’ novel -- Ayn Rand was a Russian-born writer who immigrated to the United States in 1926, worked as a screenwriter and playwright and wrote several novels expressing an individualistic philosophy she called “objectivism.” Dan Walters Calmatters -- 3/17/26
California, other states sue to block Trump effort to roll back fair housing protections -- California and a coalition of other states sued the Trump administration Monday over its efforts to roll back fair housing rules that bar certain types of discrimination by landlords, including against LGBTQ+ people. Kevin Rector in the Los Angeles Times$ Stephen Hobbs in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 3/17/26
S.F. could hit 90 degrees for first time ever in March -- Tuesday will likely be San Francisco’s hottest March day since modern weather measurements began 152 years ago. Anthony Edwards in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 3/17/26
‘Snow-eater heat wave’ is searing California. What does it mean for fire season? -- California’s summerlike heat, coming far earlier than normal, is rapidly melting the state’s snowpack and raising fears that the wildfire season will begin early. Anthony Edwards in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 3/17/26
Epic L.A. heat wave poses deadly health threat — and a test for California -- The unusual early heat wave set to hit Southern California this week is heightening concerns about public safety and will mark a test of the state’s efforts to combat heat-related deaths in a time of rising temperatures. Hannah Fry in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/17/26
Trump taps Vance to lead task force investigating fraud in California -- President Donald Trump said his administration will go after California for providing public benefits to people living in the country illegally during an Oval Office ceremony Monday where he launched a new anti-fraud task force and personally attacked Gov. Gavin Newsom for his dyslexia. Alexei Koseff in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 3/17/26
California trial attorneys push bills to rein in ‘bad actors’ in legal industry -- A group of California trial lawyers is backing a package of bills aimed at policing their industry by ramping up the penalties for attorneys who recruit clients illegally or prioritize the desires of hedge fund investors. Rebecca Ellis in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/17/26
San Francisco’s homelessness chief steps down, giving Lurie greater sway on key issue -- Shireen McSpadden, the head of San Francisco’s homelessness agency, will step down from her role this summer, the Chronicle has learned. The vacancy will present Mayor Daniel Lurie with an opportunity to make a crucial appointment and wield greater influence over the city’s approach to homelessness. J.D. Morris, Alyce McFadden in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 3/17/26
Workplace
Thousands of Kaiser nurses to join Northern California strike this week over AI -- Thousands of Kaiser Permanente nurses plan to strike Wednesday at several locations across Northern California, including in the Bay Area, in solidarity with mental health workers who are slated to strike the same day. Catherine Ho in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 3/17/26
California school districts issue thousands of pink slips to close growing budget deficits -- Thousands of California school employees have received preliminary pink slips in recent weeks as districts scrabble to close budget gaps caused by falling enrollment and rising costs. Most went to school administrators and classified school staff, such as clerks, administrative assistants and paraeducators. Diana Lambert EdSource -- 3/17/26
One of S.F.’s biggest tech conferences saw attendance plunge 30% this year -- GDC Festival of Gaming, one of San Francisco’s biggest conferences, saw a 30% drop in attendance last week amid widespread tech layoffs and the Trump administration’s hostility towards foreign visitors. Roland Li in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 3/17/26
UC Jewish community paints disparate pictures of campus antisemitism -- Jewish faculty, students and others are calling on UC leaders to improve how they handle complaints of antisemitism — saying university response has been inadequate — but their viewpoints paint widely differing pictures of the campus climate for Jews. Jaweed Kaleem in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/17/26
‘Nobody told us it was dangerous’: Quartz countertop boom linked to incurable lung disease among Bay Area workers -- Until two years ago, Oakland father of five Jose Peña could tote a 60-pound slab of countertop with ease. Now, a walk down the block with his kids leaves him gasping for breath and reaching for his oxygen tank. Ethan Baron in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 3/17/26
Street
Teens walked out of school to protest ICE. Police are investigating the adults who helped them -- As Fresno Resistance co-founder Alfred Aldrete awoke from uneasy dreams one morning last month, he found himself the focus of community gossip and, he believes, a target of the local police department. Nigel Duara Calmatters -- 3/17/26
Also
San Jose’s Adobe, accused of dirty subscription tricks, agrees to pay $75 million fine, and give $75 million in free services to customers -- San Jose software giant Adobe has agreed in a legal settlement to pay a $75 million fine and provide an equal amount in free services to customers after federal authorities accused it of hiding a “hefty” early-cancellation fee from subscribers to its products like Acrobat and Photoshop — and thwarting customers’ efforts to cancel subscriptions. Ethan Baron in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 3/17/26
Trapped! Inside a Self-Driving Car During an Anti-Robot Attack -- In San Francisco, some passengers of autonomous taxis have experienced an unexpected hazard: being stuck in the vehicles when the cars are assaulted. Erin Griffith in the New York Times$ -- 3/17/26
Once given out at USC, this banned, opioid-like product is still cropping up in California -- A drinkable product called Feel Free was once marketed to USC students as a wellness tonic. It contains an addictive, opioid-like ingredient called kratom leaf, now banned for sale by the California Department of Public Health but still available in many stores. A new bill in the Legislature would make the ban permanent in California. Phoebe Huss Calmatters -- 3/17/26
Popular Bay Area oceanfront park to triple in size under proposed deal -- Scenic coastal bluffs that stretch for more than a mile near one of the Bay Area’s most dramatic coastal landmarks, Pigeon Point Lighthouse, would be added to California’s state parks system under a proposed deal unveiled Monday. Paul Rogers in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 3/17/26
POTUS 47
‘They hold the cards now’: Trump allies fear Iran is slipping beyond the president’s control -- Trump supporters who backed his promise to avoid new Middle East wars worry Iran’s attacks on shipping are pushing the U.S. toward escalation — and maybe even boots on the ground. Megan Messerly Politico Dustin Volz in the Wall Street Journal$ -- 3/17/26
Trump’s top counterterrorism aide resigns, citing Iran war -- Joe Kent, the head of the National Counterterrorism Center, said in a social media post Tuesday morning he “cannot in good conscience” support the administration’s war in Iran. John Sakellariadis Politico -- 3/17/26
‘This Is Not Our War’: Europe and U.K. Push Back Against Trump’s Demands -- As President Trump’s assault on Iran enters its third week, European leaders are largely resisting his bellicose demands for help in reopening the Strait of Hormuz. At the same time, they are trying to avoid irreparably damaging their relationship with the United States over their opposition to another war of America’s choosing. Michael D. Shear in the New York Times$ -- 3/17/26
Don’t ‘blackmail’ us: Europe rejects Trump’s demand to help clean up Hormuz mess -- “This is not Europe’s war,” the EU tells Washington in a bruising rebuke on Iran even as oil prices rise. Sebastian Starcevic and Victor Jack Politico -- 3/17/26
Trump is losing one battle after another. Cue the posts -- President Donald Trump is increasingly at the mercy of forces he unleashed but can’t control — so he’s taking aim at the umpires. Kyle Cheney Politico -- 3/17/26
Trump says he’ll have the ‘honor’ of ‘taking’ Cuba: ‘I can do anything’ -- With the Trump administration’s oil blockade cutting off fuel to Cuba, the country’s electrical grid collapsed Monday, causing an island-wide blackout. President Donald Trump, meanwhile, threatened again to topple the country’s communist government. Samantha Schmidt and Anthony Faiola in the Washington Post$ Aaron Pellish Politico Annie Correal, Jack Nicas and Frances Robles in the New York Times$ -- 3/17/26
FCC chair threatens to pull TV licenses over Iran news coverage. Why that’s highly unlikely -- FCC Chair Brendan Carr threatens to revoke broadcast licenses for TV stations’ Iran coverage that displeases President Trump, marking an extraordinary escalation in conflicts with the news media. Constitutional experts say revocation is nearly impossible; no broadcast licenses are up for renewal until 2028, and the process takes multiple years with steep legal burdens. Stephen Battaglio in the Los Angeles Times$ Michael M. Grynbaum in the New York Times$ -- 3/17/26
How Canada's embrace of Chinese EVs could scramble the American market -- Canada's import plans reverse years of North American policy that treated the cheap, high-tech Chinese cars as an economic threat. David Ferris Politico -- 3/17/26
Israel urges Iranians to revolt but privately assesses they’ll be ‘slaughtered’ -- Israeli officials told U.S. counterparts they hope for an uprising even though it would lead to a massacre, according to a State Department cable reviewed by The Post. John Hudson in the Washington Post$ -- 3/17/26
California Policy and Politics Monday
California’s snowpack was already meager. Now comes an extraordinary heat wave -- An extremely warm winter has left California’s Sierra Nevada with far less snow than average. The snowpack has been shrinking for weeks and is expected to melt rapidly with a heat wave this week. Ian James in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/16/26
S.F. Bay Area heat wave will be a ‘marathon,’ weather service warns. Here are the details -- Record-shattering March heat is forecast across the Bay Area this week as temperatures are anticipated to surge into the 90s, as much as 30 degrees above normal for this time of year. It won’t be a short-lived spike in temperatures: “It is going to be a marathon,” the National Weather Service said. Anthony Edwards in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 3/16/26
Villaraigosa’s dreams for a political comeback meet reality — again -- As L.A. mayor, Antonio Villaraigosa cut crime 50% and expanded transit, yet he’s polling at the bottom of the 2026 governor’s race. His 13-year absence from elected office and weaker fundraising puts him at a significant disadvantage against better-funded rivals. Dakota Smith in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/16/26
Trump is waging a holy war in Iran. A Marin congressman is fighting one at home -- Since coming out eight years ago as the only openly nonbelieving member of Congress, the San Rafael Democrat has embarked on a crusade to uphold the constitutional separation of church and state. Alexei Koseff in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 3/16/26
Southern states target Bay Area doctor in legal battles over abortion -- Remy Coeytaux, a licensed doctor in Healdsburg, was indicted in Louisiana in January for “providing a pregnant woman with an abortion-inducing drug,” a criminal offense punishable there by up to fifty years in state prison. Grant Stringer in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 3/16/26
Workplace
Former Newsom advisor received $50,000 payout after leaving state job amid federal probe -- Gov. Gavin Newsom’s former chief of staff Dana Williamson received $50,000 in unused vacation pay after leaving the job amid a federal corruption investigation. California’s generous vacation accrual policies have led to a $5.6-billion unfunded liability, with 80 workers leaving their jobs last year with more than $250,000 each in stockpiled time off. Melody Gutierrez in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/16/26
How CA state worker unions have fared since landmark SCOTUS decision reshaped membership -- In the years since a 2018 U.S. Supreme Court allowed public-sector workers to opt out of paying for labor representation, the percentage of California’s rank-and-file government employees who are paying dues has fallen by 8%. William Melhado in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 3/16/26
California bets on an obscure tool to replace clean air authority Trump revoked -- When a package arrives at your door, it has likely traveled through a chain of ports, railyards and warehouses throughout the state. All those ships, trains and trucks leave behind a trail of diesel exhaust as they go, driving some of the highest asthma rates in communities. Alejandra Reyes-Velarde Calmatters -- 3/16/26
Navy delays decommissioning of the former San Diego-based aircraft carrier USS Nimitz -- The 50-year-old Nimitz, which visited San Diego on Tuesday, had been scheduled to be decommissioned in Virginia in May. The situation began to publicly shift last week when the Navy announced that its oldest flattop would first go on deployment to the Southern Command, which includes Central America, South America and the Caribbean. Gary Robbins in the San Diego Union Tribune -- 3/16/26
More Mexicans were deported annually under Biden than by Trump -- Deportations of Mexicans dropped to 144,000 in 2025, roughly half the annual figure under President Biden, according to data analyzed by a Mexican investigative outlet. Though migration is often driven by economic issues, the analysis found that many of the deported Mexicans came from states engulfed in cartel violence. Steve Fisher in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/16/26
California Congress members demand answers on deportation of 6-year-old deaf child, family -- In a letter sent Monday, the congress members demanded that the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and the Department of State work with the family’s legal representatives to return them back to the United States through humanitarian parole so the deaf child can access their assisted hearing devices and receive medical support. Jessica Flores in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 3/16/26
Housing
Plan for 900 homes could bring transformative change to this Bay Area city -- Developers Eddie Haddad and Georges Maalouf want to build 940 homes — 403 townhomes, 409 detached homes, 56 accessory dwelling units and 72 affordable homes — on the 59-acre site at 3295 Haleakala St. in Concord, just two miles from the North Concord BART station. Sarah Ravani in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 3/16/26
Homebuyers are rushing back to San Francisco. Where are the sellers? -- Last spring, San Francisco home sellers had a problem: They were putting their homes on the market, but buyers weren’t interested. Less than a year later, the tables have turned. Christian Leonard in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 3/16/26
A Section 8 tenant is filing dozens of $100,000 lawsuits. Is it a discrimination fight or a shakedown? -- A gaggle of scorned landlords and real estate agents across L.A. have a message: If Alexys Watson messages you on Zillow asking if you accept Section 8 vouchers, choose your next words very, very carefully. Jack Flemming in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/16/26
Downtown
Downtown L.A. needs retail resuscitation. San Francisco’s subsidized shops offer a solution -- San Francisco’s Vacant to Vibrant program has helped revitalize downtown by offering free rent, grants and mentoring to small businesses opening pop-up shops. Downtown L.A. advocates want to adopt a similar program to subsidize retailers, fill vacant storefronts and revitalize the neighborhood’s walkability as well as its restaurant scene. Roger Vincent in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/16/26
Education
Lawmakers tried to kill California’s online community college. Now it’s growing rapidly -- Calbright College, the state’s free online community college, is growing rapidly, despite concerns about its effectiveness. Gov. Gavin Newsom proposes tripling its annual budget. Adam Echelman Calmatters -- 3/16/26
Also
Oakland’s Ryan Coogler leads ‘Sinners’ to 4 Oscars in big night for Bay Area talent -- Even if it didn’t take home the ultimate prize, “Sinners” — and the East Bay — were big winners at the 98th Academy Awards. G. Allen Johnson in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 3/16/26
California lawyers must soon take a yearly civility oath, prompting free speech concerns -- Starting next month, each of California’s 286,000 attorneys will have to swear each year to “strive to conduct myself at all times with dignity, courtesy and integrity” or risk losing their license to practice law. Unless, that is, the oath is found to unduly restrict freedom of speech, an argument that may find some support in the state Supreme Court, which would have the last word. Bob Egelko in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 3/16/26
30 tons of steel: Inside a $3.5M Palisades fire-resistant house -- Ultra-luxury architect and developer Ardie Tavangarian has built a home in Pacific Palisades designed to withstand wildfires for up to six hours. Sandra Barrera in the LA Daily News -- 3/16/26
With California’s cuts to pedestrian, bike funding, who lost out? A lot of kids -- Freeport Boulevard is the site of one of the highest-profile pedestrian crashes in Sacramento history, which maimed a 6-year-old boy and left his grandmother dead. The road — and the people who use it — are also casualties of California’s meager investments in infrastructure for people walking or biking. Ariane Lange in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 3/16/26
Long COVID leaves thousands of L.A. County residents sick, broke and ignored -- As others move on from the pandemic, thousands of people with long COVID remain chronically ill and disabled. Patients say they’ve been denied disability benefits, dismissed or misdiagnosed by doctors, and left to navigate profound limits on work, housing and daily life with little support. Corinne Purtill in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/16/26
The Bay Area’s ‘city of trees’ is cutting down hundreds of historic eucalyptuses -- For as long as anyone in Burlingame has been alive, the town’s main thoroughfare has been lined with eucalyptus trees. They form a silvery canopy above 2.2 miles of El Camino Real, earning the stretch a spot on the National Register of Historic Places. Lucy Hodgman in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 3/16/26
Chavez: As an immigrant, I’m safer in San Quentin than if paroled -- Three decades ago, I was sentenced to life with the possibility of parole in California. A lost, scared teenager, I found myself in a maximum-security prison: Pelican Bay Security Housing Unit. Edwin E. Chavez in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/16/26
POTUS 47
Europe and the U.K. push back against Trump’s demands -- Several leaders reacted with alarm and apprehension on Monday to Mr. Trump’s criticism of their lack of action, with some explicitly rejecting his call to send their navies into harm’s way even as the U.S. and Israeli-led war continues to drive up the price of global energy. Michael D. Shear in the New York Times$ -- 3/16/26
Entering War’s Third Week, Trump Faces Stark Choices -- As the conflict with Iran expands and intensifies, President Trump’s options — to fight on, or to move toward declaring victory and pulling back — both carry deeply problematic consequences. David E. Sanger, Eric Schmitt, Tyler Pager, Ronen Bergman and Julian E. Barnes in the New York Times$ -- 3/16/26
Trump is eager to declare victory, but a battered Iran still has cards to play -- The U.S. and Israel crippled Iranian forces in two weeks of war, but Tehran’s ability to disrupt oil flows and its uranium stockpile complicate the push to end it. Michael Birnbaum in the Washington Post$ -- 3/16/26
Oil Industry Warns Trump Administration That Fuel Crunch Will Likely Worsen -- American oil executives delivered a bleak message to Trump officials in recent days: The energy crisis the Iran war has unleashed is likely to get worse. Collin Eaton and Benoît Morenne in the Wall Street Journal$ -- 3/16/26
White House Tries to Build Coalition on Iran to Address Energy Crisis -- President Trump and top aides spent the weekend framing their Iran operation as a resounding military success while imploring other countries to join their effort to resolve a worsening energy crisis related to the Strait of Hormuz. Alexander Ward, Lindsay Ellis and Robbie Gramer in the Wall Street Journal$ Sam Metz, Will Weissert, Julia Frankel, Cara Anna Associated Press Edward Wong in the New York Times$ -- 3/16/26
Nations Respond With Caution to Trump’s Call to Send Warships to Strait of Hormuz -- President Trump has urged China, Britain, France, Japan and South Korea to send warships to help reopen the waterway, even though they were not involved in the U.S.-Israeli attack on Iran. Ravi Mattu in the New York Times$ -- 3/16/26
It's not just oil. Here comes Hormuz inflation -- The war with Iran is driving up more than gasoline prices. It is beginning to hit semiconductors, medical imaging, backyard gardens and even children’s party balloons. Scott Waldman Politico -- 3/16/26
Hack on U.S. Medical Company Shows Reach of Iran’s Cyber Capabilities -- Iran pulled off likely the most significant wartime cyberattack against the U.S. in history, leveraging its hacking powers to cause major disruptions at a global medical-equipment firm that struggled to bring itself back online in recent days. Dustin Volz and Peter Loftus in the Wall Street Journal$ -- 3/16/26