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California Policy and Politics Thursday
Top candidates for California governor spar over wealth, experience and race in fiery debate -- With the California governor’s race quickly approaching, six candidates fiercely sparred over wealth, experience and race Wednesday evening in the first debate since former Rep. Eric Swalwell dropped out of the race amid sexual assault and misconduct allegations. Seema Mehta and Nicole Nixon in the Los Angeles Times$ Ben Paviour in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 4/23/26
9th Circuit blocks California limits on anonymous immigration agents -- The 9th Circuit Court of Appeals sided with the Trump administration in striking down a California requirement that immigration agents show visible identification while on duty. Nigel Duara Calmatters Sonja Sharp in the Los Angeles Times$ Bob Egelko in the San Francisco Chronicle$ Lindsey Holden Politico -- 4/23/26
California has a new way of getting gasoline, for the first time in modern memory -- Now, after the war in Iran sent gas prices soaring, the Trump administration has set the law aside — and the shift is opening new pathways for fuel to reach the Bay Area and elsewhere in California, including shipments from Gulf Coast refineries. Brooke Park in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 4/22/26
California woman registered her dog to vote, cast ballots in the pooch’s name, prosecutors say -- Costa Mesa resident Laura Lee Yourex, 63, who bragged on social media about registering her dog to vote and subsequently cast ballots in the animal’s name, pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor. She is set to be sentenced Oct. 16. Andrew J. Campa in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 4/23/26
Complicated Dem plan to fill Swalwell’s seat in special election risks confusing voters, expert warns -- Former state Sen. Bob Wieckowski, under direction from other Dems, could run as temporary 'caretaker' of Swalwell seat. Kyle Martin in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 4/23/26
New bill would stop DMV from making millions off auctioned cars without telling the owners -- The bill from Murrieta Republican Senator Kelly Seyarto directly follows CalMatters’ reporting, which revealed that the DMV collected more than $8 million from nearly 5,300 cars sold at auction from 2016 to late 2024, without having to notify the owners that their towed cars had been sold for a surplus. Byrhonda Lyons Calmatters -- 4/23/26
Workplace
Jury awards $2.25 million to Riverside County sergeant forced to resign after reporting harassment -- Sgt. Frank Lodes was forced to leave the job he loved in 2022 — penning a resignation letter in a Del Taco parking lot — while a high-ranking department official threatened him with mounting investigations, according to the complaint. Clara Harter and Seema Mehta in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 4/23/26
Telework remains energizing force for CA state workers as July deadline looms -- Two years and two weeks have passed since Gov. Gavin Newsom issued his first return-to-office order, which directed state employees to begin working from government offices two days a week. William Melhado in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 4/23/26
Wildfire
California could make homes in fire-risk areas pay up to $150 under bill advancing through Legislature -- A handful of California lawmakers are pushing to reinstate a controversial fee paid by rural residents for fire prevention, arguing that those who most need firefighting services should pay their share. Kurtis Alexander in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 4/23/26
Angry Altadena residents ask officials to halt Edison’s undergrounding work -- The residents cited the unexpected financial cost of the work to homeowners and possible harm to the town’s remaining trees. They also pointed out how the work will leave telecommunication wires above ground on poles. Melody Petersen in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 4/23/26
Breathe
44% of Americans breathe dangerously polluted air. In California, it’s 82% -- According to the 2026 State of the Air report, Los Angeles remains the most ozone-polluted metro area nationally for the 26th time in 27 years. Across California, 82% of residents live in counties affected by unhealthy air. Meg Tanaka in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 4/23/26
Kratom
This widely sold herbal product is now banned in San Mateo County -- San Mateo County on Tuesday banned the sale of kratom, citing concerns that the herbal substance marketed for its energy-boosting and pain relief properties can cause addiction, overdoses and other health harms. Catherine Ho in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 4/23/26
Education
California is leading national preschool expansion, but quality lags, report says -- California’s preschool expansion has lead to surging enrollment and ranks high nationally in the amount of money spent on its youngest students, but needs to focus on improving the quality of its early education programs, researchers said. Moriah Balingit and Kate Sequeira in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 4/23/26
World Cup
Levi’s Stadium is 2nd cheapest World Cup ticket on average. It’s still $2,300 -- World Cup tickets prices are exorbitant. According to a study commissioned by LiveFootballTickets, which collected information during March-April from secondary ticket marketplaces for all 104 matches, the average ticket price to attend a match at Levi’s Stadium costs $2,364.76. Noah Furtado in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 4/23/26
Street
How did thousands of sensitive LAPD files get leaked? City officials seek explanation -- Officials are demanding answers from the L.A. city attorney’s office about how a massive cache of confidential LAPD files got dumped online. The Times has found the compromised material includes raw body cam footage, medical records and other sensitive police records. Libor Jany in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 4/23/26
Also
California adds three new state parks, expands others -- Three new properties, including two along major rivers in the Central Valley and the former migrant farmworker camp near Bakersfield that was the inspiration for John Steinbeck’s classic novel “The Grapes of Wrath,” will become new California state parks, Gov. Gavin Newsom announced Wednesday. Paul Rogers in the San Jose Mercury$ Hayley Smith in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 4/23/26
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Air War in Iran Gives Way to Crippling Stalemate in Hormuz -- The conflict with Iran has entered a damaging new phase—a crippling limbo between war and peace that leaves the Strait of Hormuz closed and the prospect of escalation looming. Georgi Kantchev, Jared Malsin and Summer Said in the Wall Street Journal$ -- 4/23/26
UK divers prepare for mine-clearing operations in Strait of Hormuz -- British military divers are preparing to conduct mine-clearing operations in case they are needed in the Strait of Hormuz, according to the Ministry of Defence. The Royal Navy experts, trained in mine neutralization and clearance, are being readied to provide additional options alongside uncrewed systems. Esther Webber Politico -- 4/23/26
Clearing Strait of Hormuz of mines could take 6 months, Pentagon tells Congress -- The Pentagon assessment, shared in a classified briefing for lawmakers, suggests gasoline and oil prices could remain elevated through the midterm elections. Dan Lamothe, Noah Robertson and Ellen Nakashima in the Washington Post$ -- 4/23/26
Trump team backs away from gasoline price promises -- That much was clear Wednesday when administration officials facing lawmakers declined to put a timetable when the war in Iran would end and the ensuing rise in energy prices would ease, instead offering vague assurances of their track record in lowering prices. James Bikales, Kelsey Tamborrino and Aiden Reiter Politico -- 4/23/26
F.B.I. Said to Have Investigated Times Reporter After Article on Patel’s Girlfriend -- The bureau said it is not pursuing a case, but the scrutiny is an example of the Trump administration weighing whether to criminalize routine news gathering. Michael S. Schmidt in the New York Times$ -- 4/23/26
California Policy and Politics Wednesday
Becerra sees momentum, money and movement in the polls in governor’s race -- Xavier Becerra, a former Cabinet secretary in President Biden’s administration, appears to be surging in the wildly unsettled California governor’s race. Seema Mehta in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 4/22/26
Garofoli: Porter, Becerra seek breakthrough at debate but will voters finally tune in? -- One campaign is struggling, the other is surging in wake of Swalwell departure in hotly contested race for California governor. Joe Garofoli in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 4/22/26
In Britain, Steve Hilton was inspired by California. Now, he calls it the worst-run state -- Steve Hilton is a former Fox News host who has unexpectedly emerged as a leading candidate in the race for governor with a message that California is a failed state in need of radical reform. Jenny Jarvie in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 4/22/26
‘This is huge’: Proposed overhaul of San Diego County government heads to November ballot -- County supervisors voted 3-2 on partisan lines Tuesday to place a measure on the November ballot that would, if passed, overhaul the structure of county government and consolidate more power with supervisors. Lucas Robinson in the San Diego Union Tribune -- 4/22/26
In era of nasty judge elections, California race devolves into something else entirely -- Election challenges to judges seeking new terms in California are typically bare-knuckles brawls between an incumbent backed by the legal community and outside forces accusing the judge of being soft on crime or corrupt. Which makes the only challenge to a sitting Bay Area judge in the June 2 primary election pretty much of a head-scratcher. Bob Egelko in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 4/22/26
Walters: What’s worse for a governor running for president, raising taxes or leaving a deficit? -- Gov. Gavin Newsom’s eighth and final state budget could be his most difficult, as he attempts to close a whopping deficit, offset reductions in federal funds and appease demands for more spending and new taxes. Dan Walters Calmatters -- 4/22/26
Former Republican Rep. Devin Nunes out as Trump Media CEO -- Trump Media & Technology Group, the Truth Social parent company whose largest shareholder is Trump, said in a statement Tuesday that Nunes would be succeeded by Kevin McGurn, an adviser to the company, who will take over as interim CEO effective immediately. It did not offer a reason for Nunes’ unexpected departure. Declan Harty Politico Matthew Goldstein in the New York Times$ -- 4/22/26
California Is Rife With Hospice Fraud. But Whose Fault Is It? -- The Trump administration and Democratic state leaders are blaming each other for what everyone agrees is a big problem. The president has targeted California and Gov. Gavin Newsom in particular. Soumya Karlamangla in the New York Times$ -- 4/22/26
FBI probes cases of missing or dead scientists, including four from the L.A. area -- Amid growing national security concerns, the FBI said Tuesday that it has launched a broad investigation in the deaths or disappearances of at least 10 scientists and staff connected to highly sensitive research, including four from the Los Angeles area. Ben Wieder in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 4/22/26
Trump ally Roger Stone hired to lobby for Bay Area tribe seeking control of Presidio -- Self-described “dirty trickster” and longtime Donald Trump ally Roger Stone has been hired to lobby for the Muwekma Ohlone Tribe of the San Francisco Bay Area, a controversial group that last year petitioned the White House to take over management of the Presidio. J.K. Dineen in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 4/22/26
SpaceX settles lawsuit with state Coastal Commission over Vandenberg flights -- The settlement was reached last week by the two sides, but the details won’t be made public until it is approved by Los Angeles U.S. District Court Judge Stanley Blumenfeld Jr. Laurence Darmiento in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 4/22/26
Trump administration offers plan to stop dam removal on California river -- The Trump administration injected a surprising twist into the fight over Northern California’s Eel River on Tuesday, offering up a potential plan to stop the removal of two dams in the basin — though how serious the plan is remains to be seen. Kurtis Alexander in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 4/22/26
Netflix plans to buy historic Radford Studio Center -- Netflix plans to purchase the the Los Angeles lot that has been home to generations of landmark television shows including “Gunsmoke” and “Seinfeld,” according to two people with knowledge of the pending deal who were not authorized to speak about it publicly. Roger Vincent in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 4/22/26
After Epstein scandal, Hollywood bidders race for Wasserman’s $3-billion agency -- Several private equity firms and Hollywood power players, including United Talent Agency and longtime agent Patrick Whitesell, have expressed interest in buying parts of Casey Wasserman’s music and sports management firm after it abruptly went up for sale. Meg James in the Los Angeles Times$ Jessica Toonkel and Lauren Thomas in the Wall Street Journal$ -- 4/22/26
Workplace
As production dwindles, L.A. to offer cheaper film permits for ‘low-impact’ shoots -- Los Angeles will soon offer reduced-cost filming permits for shoots that demonstrate a “low impact” to the surrounding community, a move that comes as the city tries to lure more production. Samantha Masunaga in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 4/22/26
Labor and lawmakers at odds over guardrails for agencies’ AI decision-making systems -- California lawmakers hope to establish guardrails around how state agencies can use artificial intelligence and other technologies to speed up the delivery of public services, such as the approval of Medi-Cal applications and certifying nurse and teacher licenses. William Melhado in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 4/22/26
Embattled L.A. homeless services agency to lay off 284 workers -- The Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority will lay off 284 workers as the county withdraws funding to establish its own homeless services department starting July 1. The county says it is committed to hiring LAHSA workers now funded through the county, but it’s unclear how many of the 284 departing workers fit that definition. Andrew Khouri in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 4/22/26
Zuckerberg-backed Bay Area school to lay off 147 as it shuts down -- A tuition-free school founded by Mark Zuckerberg and Dr. Priscilla Chan in the East Bay will lay off nearly 150 employees as it prepares to shut down this summer, according to a state filing. Aidin Vaziri in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 4/22/26
They Chose Careers in the Trades and Still Wound Up With Debt -- As community colleges and union apprenticeships fill up, more students are turning to pricier training options for blue-collar careers. Te-Ping Chen, Lauren Weber, Jeremy M. Lange in the Wall Street Journal$ -- 4/22/26
Housing
A plan to cut a California tax is going to voters. Why LA’s ‘mansion tax’ is at the center of it -- A measure to roll back two kinds of taxes is slated to go before voters in November. The measure would affect cities and taxpayers across the state, but Los Angeles and its controversial “mansion tax” is the prime target. Ben Christopher Calmatters -- 4/22/26
Trump’s big promise for veteran housing is AWOL in VA budget proposal, mystifying vets -- President Trump promised housing for 6,000 veterans at the West L.A. VA campus, but the VA’s budget proposal requests no funding for a single new bed, disappointing advocates. Doug Smith in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 4/22/26
Wildfire
Palisades reservoir that was empty during fire is dry again. Residents aren’t happy about it -- A $19.5-million project to replace the floating cover is needed to ensure the quality of the drinking water, but will keep the reservoir out of service till fall. Sandra McDonald in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 4/22/26
Street
Is 50 old enough for elderly parole? California lawmakers rush to change rules for sex offenders -- The potential release of two men who were convicted of molesting children in the Sacramento region has California lawmakers racing to revise elderly parole rules. Joe Garcia Calmatters -- 4/22/26
Also
Bonta, San Pasqual tribe sue Poway over handling of Kumeyaay remains found at construction site -- Two new lawsuits by the state and a Kumeyaay tribe accuse Poway of violating environmental law in letting construction proceed on a housing development where Native American remains and artifacts have been found. Lucas Robinson, Teri Figueroa in the San Diego Union Tribune -- 4/22/26
Video shows black bear charging at a hiker on Mount Wilson -- The video, which was posted on Instagram Monday by Eric Chiu, shows a hiker walking toward a black bear (that appears brown) and making noise with bells to try to get the bear to go away. Summer Lin in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 4/22/26
Barabak: He honked to support a ‘No Kings’ rally. A cop busted him -- A retired potato farmer in St. George Utah, wanted to show his solidarity with anti-Trump demonstrators deep in pro-Trump country. He’s fighting the ticket he got for honking at a ‘No Kings’ rally, seeing politics at play in his citation. Mark Z. Barabak in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 4/22/26
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Trust Trump? Iran’s Doubts Shadow Peace Talks -- Iranian leaders fear being burned again by President Trump, who tore up a nuclear agreement reached during the Obama administration after lengthy negotiations. Michael Crowley in the New York Times$ -- 4/22/26
Iran attacks 3 ships in the Strait of Hormuz as Trump indefinitely extends ceasefire -- Iran’s Revolutionary Guard fired on three ships in the Strait of Hormuz on Wednesday, throwing efforts to end the war further into question. Lorian Belanger, Laurie Kellman, Bernard Mcghee, Luena Rodriguez-Feo Vileira Associated Press Adam Rasgon, Luke Broadwater, Jonathan Swan and Francesca Regalado in the New York Times$ -- 4/22/26
To Iran, Trump Blinked First by Extending the Cease-Fire -- Iran’s leaders believe that they can withstand an enduring standoff longer than President Trump. The strategy could be economically devastating for average Iranians. Erika Solomon in the New York Times$ -- 4/22/26
Trump’s approval on economy falls in AP-NORC poll, showing new warning signs for president -- Trump’s approval rating on the economy dropped to 30% in April from 38% in a March AP-NORC poll. A similarly low share of U.S. adults, 32%, approve of the president’s leadership on Iran, which is unchanged since last month. Josh Boak, Jesse Bedayn, Linley Sanders Associated Press -- 4/22/26
Judge Halts Trump Actions Aimed at Throttling Renewable Energy -- A federal judge on Tuesday blocked the Trump administration from enforcing a series of decisions that wind and solar developers say have throttled hundreds of renewable energy projects across the country. Brad Plumer in the New York Times$ -- 4/22/26