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California Policy and Politics Tuesday
Record-setting outside money pouring into California governor’s race -- Outside groups have poured $79.6 million into the California governor’s race ahead of the June 2 primary, shattering past spending records. Billionaire Tom Steyer is the prime target, facing $32.3 million in attacks in the face of the $212 million he has donated to his campaign. Former Biden Cabinet member Xavier Becerra has seen growing outside support. Seema Mehta in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/26/26
PG&E goes after gubernatorial candidate Tom Steyer. He welcomes the fight -- PG&E is backing a committee that’s attacking Tom Steyer, while propping up Xavier Becerra. Steyer, a billionaire climate activist, frames the attacks as proof of his plans to reform the utilities. Dakota Smith in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/26/26
Why Silicon Valley’s big bet on Matt Mahan went bust -- But his underwhelming campaign has become a cautionary tale about an untested candidate and inexperienced donors chasing a vision that has failed to materialize with a week left — a humbling experience for some of Mahan’s backers in tech, many of them relative newcomers to state politics who are working to build enduring political power in California. Jeremy B. White and Christine Mui Politico -- 5/26/26
Raman says she’s running for mayor because L.A. is headed in wrong direction -- Raman’s mayoral campaign platform includes expanding new housing, cutting red tape for developers and introducing “gentle density” into single-family zoned neighborhoods. Noah Goldberg in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/26/26
California’s overseas voters face new barriers after Trump administration cut key program -- It’s never been easy to cast an absentee ballot from inside a military submarine. But now that the Trump administration has eliminated a crucial mechanism to return absentee ballots, overseas voting requires even more of a herculean effort. Sara DiNatale in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 5/26/26
No shame: A last-minute election guide for undecided CA voters -- With just a week until Election Day and only 8% of ballots returned so far, millions of California voters are still making up their minds about the election. But here at CalMatters, we listen, we don’t judge — so we have a last-minute voter guide to catch you up on what you need to know.. Lynn La Calmatters -- 5/26/26
The United Farm Workers built its political power around Chavez. Now it faces a reckoning -- Long before findings that Cesar Chavez sexually abused women and minors for years, the California-based labor union he co-founded had already endured a long and painful decline in its organizing power. Mathew Miranda in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 5/26/26
Tax to bail out struggling Bay Area transit agencies appears headed to voters -- Backers of a new sales tax measure to bail out the Bay Area’s struggling public transit systems say they have gathered enough signatures to place the proposal on the November ballot. Ethan Varian in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 5/26/26
O.C. communities hit by chemical crisis are safe for return, officials say -- The vast majority of the 50,000 people evacuated because of a damaged chemical tank officials feared would explode began returning home, and officials said conditions in the area is safe. Sandra McDonald in the Los Angeles Times$ Sean Emery, Rachel Fobar, Sydney Barragan, Todd Harmonson and Brian Rokos in the Orange County Register$ Reis Thebault, Heather Knight, Shawn Hubler and Christina Morales in the New York Times$ -- 5/26/26
Threat of massive explosion in Garden Grove ‘eliminated’ but danger remains, officials say -- The threat of a massive explosion from a ruptured tank in Garden Grove was eliminated Monday, but Orange County Fire Authority officials stopped short of allowing thousands of evacuated residents to return home due to lingering fears of a toxic chemical release. Meg James, Christopher Goffard and Eric Licas in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/26/26
Downtown L.A. businesses are in crisis. Owners want politicians to deal with it -- Downtown L.A. business owners say crime and neglect are driving away customers as the June mayoral primary looms — and they’re demanding that candidates prioritize the once-bustling region’s problems. Roger Vincent and Itzel Luna in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/26/26
L.A. is safer than it’s been in decades, but crime is an issue dominating the mayor’s race -- Homicides in Los Angeles are down to levels not seen since the 1960s. Neighborhoods once awash in gang violence now sometimes go weeks, even months, without a shooting. And the follow-home robberies and street takeovers that captured the public’s attention in recent years have largely subsided. Libor Jany in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/26/26
Housing
Plan to build more than 12,000 homes in this Bay Area community faces crucial vote -- After years of delays and failed attempts, Concord could finally move ahead with a plan to build one of the Bay Area’s biggest housing projects on a former naval station. Sarah Ravani in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 5/26/26
Hunger
Bay Area braces for Trump’s tougher CalFresh rules -- Tens of thousands of CalFresh recipients in the Bay Area — including veterans and homeless people — will soon have to comply with federal work requirements to keep their food assistance, as officials project 665,000 Californians will lose eligibility and food banks brace for longer lines. Grant Stringer in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 5/26/26
ICE
Those caught in Trump immigration dragnet seek millions for raids, shootings, trauma -- U.S. citizens and immigrants alleging brutal encounters with federal immigration agents are now demanding financial compensation. People across the country are seeking millions through federal tort claims, precursors to possible lawsuits. Andrea Castillo in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/26/26
ICE tried to separate a San Francisco mom from her baby. She fought back -- Yulisa Alvarado Ambrocio joined fellow asylum-seekers in blocking arrests at San Francisco’s immigration courthouses. They’re on the cusp of a bigger victory. Raheem Hosseini in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 5/26/26
Health Care
UCSF doctor has bold plan to achieve universal primary care in California -- An article published in JAMA last week, co–authored by a UCSF physician, proposes one way the state could move toward a single-payer system: Make primary care a public utility, like electricity or clean water, and create a “common fund” financed by public and private sources that would directly pay primary care doctors to treat patients. Catherine Ho in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 5/26/26
Education
California colleges are seeing a rise of conservative voices. Some classes are tense -- Charlie Kirk’s 2025 killing has galvanized conservative students, fueling an expansion of Turning Point USA chapters on California campuses. In classrooms, some professors report anxious, combative discussions while others deliberately stage structured debates to expose students to opposing viewpoints. Kahani Malhotra in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/26/26
Out-of-state students should pay more for UC Berkeley, UCLA, state analyst says -- If the University of California wants to raise some quick cash — say, $80 million over four years — it should consider charging non-Californians thousands of dollars more to attend its three most popular campuses, says a new report from the state’s Legislative Analyst’s office. Nanette Asimov in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 5/26/26
San Diego Islamic Center
Despite millions in spending, experts say zero-risk security at houses of worship not possible -- Experts say no level of spending can guarantee public safety. The very nature of shopping centers, schools, churches and other soft targets leaves them vulnerable to attacks from people committed to hate crimes and political violence. Jeff McDonald, Alex Riggins in the San Diego Union Tribune -- 5/26/26
AI
California judges are testing a new AI clerk, and you won’t know if it’s looking at your case -- Courts in Los Angeles and Riverside counties are testing an artificial intelligence tool and deciding whether it can be used in high-stakes criminal cases. Cayla Mihalovich and Khari Johnson Calmatters -- 5/26/26
Clean Energy
Clean energy boom spurs pushback. ‘Cumulative impacts are being ignored.’ -- As San Diego County races to meet green energy targets, sprawling developments are transforming backcountry communities — and residents of those areas want a voice in the process before their homes are reshaped by solar, wind and battery storage projects. Hannah Elsmore in the San Diego Union Tribune -- 5/26/26
Also
Their meteoric rise reshaped the Bay Area and powered Silicon Valley. Is it at an end? -- Just a few decades ago, Fremont was as white as any other middle-class East Bay suburb. Today, 30% of residents are of Indian ancestry, the highest share of any city in the Bay Area. Silicon Valley’s hunger for talent, India’s deep bench of tech workers and the immigration liberalization of the 1990s reshaped Fremont — and much of the Bay Area with it. Ko Lyn Cheang, Sarah Ravani and Sriharsha Devulapalli in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 5/26/26
Inside U.S. soccer’s World Cup camp at Orange County Great Park -- The Orange County Soccer Club has moved out of its home stadium, allowing crews to renovate Orange County Great Park for U.S. soccer’s World Cup camp. Kevin Baxter in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/26/26
POTUS 47
Iran threatens retaliation after U.S. strikes in southern Iran -- The attacks prompted Tehran to warn that it would “leave no act of hostility unanswered,” complicating negotiations to end the war. Dan Lamothe and John Hudson in the Washington Post$ -- 5/26/26
U.S. Carries Out Renewed Strikes in Southern Iran -- American military forces conducted what U.S. Central Command said were “self-defense strikes” in southern Iran on Monday “to protect our troops from threats posed by Iranian forces.” Eric Schmitt in the New York Times$ -- 5/26/26
‘Rabbit holes all over the place’: How hard it would be for Trump to rebuild Cuba --Any effort to open Cuba comes with the heavy burden of history, ranging from an expatriate community looking to recoup seized property to layers of U.S. policy that would need to be unwound to promote business development. Daniel Desrochers and Nahal Toosi Politico -- 5/26/26
Heavy caseloads, regrets and surprises: 5 judges who embody the courts’ rebuke of Trump’s ICE detentions -- Hundreds of judges have rejected the Trump administration’s unprecedented expansion of ICE detentions, fueling nearly 10,800 rulings against the administration as of May 15. Kyle Cheney and Jessie Blaeser Politico -- 5/26/26
As Trump Politicizes Justice Dept., Prosecutors Struggle With Grand Juries -- Judges and grand juries have increasingly lost faith in the Justice Department as the president uses it to reward his friends and go after his opponents. Alan Feuer in the New York Times$ -- 5/26/26
California Policy and Politics Monday
Garden Grove chemical crisis: Threat of massive O.C. explosion ‘eliminated,’ officials say -- The threat of a massive chemical explosion has been “eliminated,” fire officials said Monday, marking a turning point in the five-day crisis over a ruptured tank at a Garden Grove aerospace facility. Evacuations, which cover more than 40,000 people and include six Orange County cities: Garden Grove, Cypress, Stanton, Anaheim, Buena Park and Westminster, remain in place as of Monday morning. The item is in the Los Angeles Times$ Leah Willingham Associated Press Sean Emery and Brian Rokos in the Orange County Register$ -- 5/25/26
Lawsuit against Garden Grove aerospace company alleges negligence in chemical storage -- A Garden Grove couple who evacuated their home because of the threat posed by a malfunctioning tank containing a toxic chemical filed a federal lawsuit against aerospace company GKN Aerospace on Saturday, May 23, alleging “negligent storage, containment, handling, monitoring, and release of methyl methacrylate and related hazardous chemical vapors.” Brian Rokos in the Orange County Register$ -- 5/25/26
Newsom requests federal aid to combat Orange County chemical emergency -- An overheated tank in Orange County containing thousands of gallons of highly flammable toxic liquid prompted Gov. Gavin Newsom to request federal emergency aid, his office announced Sunday. Sophia Bollag in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 5/25/26
Barabak: The ‘greatest threat’ to rule of law in decades. That’s how lawyers, judges see Trump -- A survey finds deep concern about presidential overreach, persecution of enemies and other unchecked abuses of power. The poll underscores the stakes in November when the integrity of the legal system will be on the line. Mark Z. Barabak in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/25/26
News Analysis: Uncertainty, frustration define messy midterm battles for mayor, governor and Congress -- With little more than a week left until primary voters winnow the candidates for Los Angeles mayor, California governor and Congress, there remains a palpable sense of political uncertainty among the electorate — attributable to a lack of clear front-runners, redrawn political maps, messy party infighting and competing voter frustration with both President Trump and the state’s Democratic establishment. Kevin Rector in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/25/26
He Name-Drops Ocasio-Cortez in His Bid for Congress. She Doesn’t Talk About Him at All -- Saikat Chakrabarti, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s former chief of staff, is running in San Francisco to succeed Representative Nancy Pelosi, whom Mr. Chakrabarti irked with an incendiary tweet seven years ago. Kellen Browning in the New York Times$ -- 5/25/26
Khanna says Democrats should run against Supreme Court after voting rights ruling -- In the wake of the Supreme Court’s latest move to gut the Voting Rights Act, Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Santa Clara, says his party needs to run on reforming the court in upcoming elections. Sophia Bollag in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 5/25/26
Skelton: My pick for California governor is ... I’m still working on it -- Like millions of Californians, I haven’t voted yet in the primary election. That’s because I can’t decide who should be our governor. Here’s what I’m thinking: It’s an underwhelming field. But one of these Democratic contenders will very likely replace Gov. Gavin Newsom in January. George Skelton in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/25/26
Garofoli: Many Dems are stuck: Becerra, Steyer or someone else? Here’s what to know -- Across California, blank ballots are sitting on kitchen tables, staring back at Democratic voters undecided about whom to back for governor. Many voters remain stumped, days before the June 2 primary. Joe Garofoli in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 5/25/26
Lawmakers stripped the Board of Equalization of power. Now they’re fighting to join it -- California’s Board of Equalization has a quirky history dating back to the 19th Century. It’s a launching pad to statewide political office, too. Cayla Mihalovich and Adam Ashton Calmatters -- 5/25/26
State superintendent candidates slam Newsom proposal to strip position of its authority over schools -- California voters will soon choose the state’s next schools chief. But by the time the winner takes office, the job may no longer control the state Department of Education. Molly Gibbs in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 5/25/26
AI
Silicon Valley takes its AI pitch to the pope -- Silicon Valley has spent years trying to convince governments and the public that AI can be developed responsibly. Now, the industry has been making that case inside the Vatican. Océane Herrero Politico -- 5/25/26
Pope calls for robust regulation of AI in manifesto that ponders the future of humanity -- Pope Leo XIV called Monday for robust regulation of artificial intelligence and for its developers to work for the common good rather than profit, issuing a sweeping manifesto on safeguarding humankind as the technology impacts everything from work to war. Nicole Winfield, Kaitlyn Huamani, Paolo Santalucia Associated Press Margherita Stancati and Sam Schechner in the Wall Street Journal$ Motoko Rich, Elisabetta Povoledo and Elizabeth Dias in the New York Times$ -- 5/25/26
As A.I. Fever Rises in Silicon Valley, Pope Leo Has a Few Words -- The American pope wants to take artificial intelligence down a notch. Is he challenging the tech companies, or will tech take over the papacy? David Streitfeld in the New York Times$ -- 5/25/26
What to know about the AI models that are jolting Washington -- Politico spoke to nine of the nation’s top cyber researchers and tech leaders who have experimented with Mythos and GPT-5.5 in a controlled setting, and all of them came to the same startling conclusion: These tools are advancing much faster than anticipated — and will change the digital security landscape forever. Maggie Miller and Aaron Mak Politico -- 5/25/26
Inside the British Lab Hunting for Dangers Lurking in A.I. -- The government’s A.I. Security Institute, staffed by alumni from OpenAI and Google, is becoming a model for countries grappling with A.I.’s emerging risks. Adam Satariano and Paul Mozur in the New York Times$ -- 5/25/26
Meet Mark Zuckerberg’s Right-Hand Man Who’s Unleashing AI at Meta -- Technology chief Andrew Bosworth is leading Meta’s transformation into an AI-first company, which last week included a wave of layoffs. Meta is recording employee keystrokes and mouse clicks to train AI agents, a policy Bosworth defended amid privacy concerns. Bosworth, known for his blunt style, champions changes like large teams with few managers and believes AI will soon eliminate some human tasks. Meghan Bobrowsky in the Wall Street Journal$ -- 5/25/26
Water
Southern California could get 85% of its water locally and avoid Delta tunnel, groups say -- A coalition of conservation groups wants Southern California to get 85% of its water locally, up from the 50% it gets now, by 2045, and says a new plan shows how. Ian James in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/25/26
ICE
After purge of judges forced San Francisco immigration court to shut, asylum cases in chaos -- The court, which had 21 judges when President Trump was sworn in last year, had only two left when it closed May 1. The rest had been fired, retired or resigned amid a White House purge of federal immigration judges. Olga R. Rodriguez in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/25/26
Homeless
In Homeless Crisis, California ‘Is Waging a War on R.V.s’ -- The R.V.s are seen as an eyesore — the most visible sign of the state’s homelessness crisis. Neighbors and politicians want them gone. The people who call them home feel under siege. Bradley Berman in the New York Times$ -- 5/25/26
Inflation
Grocery prices are still rising. Here’s what’s gone up the most -- Since around this time last year, ground beef is up 18.9%. A block of cheddar is up 5%. And if you want lettuce on there, that’s 7.5% more expensive. A tomato will set you back a full 50% more than it did a year ago. And if someone wants a cup of coffee, that’s going to cost 29% more. Jessica Roy in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 5/25/26
Rising diesel prices pinching profits for CA farmers, spiking costs for consumers -- As diesel prices already at record levels keep going up, San Joaquin Valley farmers are seeing their operating costs swell amid concerns that prices for consumers also will continue to rise. Diesel prices in California now average around $7.30 to $7.50 a gallon depending on location and are up by nearly $3 a gallon prior to the start of the war in Iran. Robert Rodriguez in the Fresno Bee -- 5/25/26
Also
Hundreds of volunteers place 23,000 rippling flags across Miramar National Cemetery -- Mike Fuqua came to the Miramar National Cemetery on Saturday to take part in a program that he described as “the least we can do” to honor those who gave the most. The retired U.S. Navy captain was one of an estimated 550 volunteers for Operation Flags for Vets, which placed 23,000 American flags at veteran headstones at the 313-acre site at the northwest corner of Marine Corps Air Station Miramar. Rob Nikolewski in the San Diego Union Tribune -- 5/25/26
Tahoe parking enforcement is getting brutal with $450 tickets -- Two Austrian women visiting Lake Tahoe for the first time were excited to get to Speedboat Beach, a tiny-but-gorgeous swim area tucked in a residential neighborhood on the north shore. But they didn’t dare drive there. Gregory Thomas in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 5/25/26
POTUS 47
Iran Talks Bog Down Over Nuclear Program and Sanctions Relief -- Both sides have incentives to reach an agreement but are digging in, with Trump saying he won’t do a bad deal. Benoit Faucon and Summer Said in the Wall Street Journal$ -- 5/25/26
Trump says not to rush as details emerge of a potential Iran deal -- The United States is close to reaching a deal with Iran that would end the war, reopen the Strait of Hormuz and see Iran give up its stockpile of highly enriched uranium, regional officials told The Associated Press on Sunday, though U.S. President Donald Trump said he told representatives “not to rush into a deal.” Samy Magdy, Darlene Superville and Melanie Lidman Associated Press Summer Said, Anat Peled and Alexander Ward in the Wall Street Journal$ -- 5/25/26
To Get the Strait Open, Trump Had to Leave the Hardest Issues for Later -- President Trump is hailing the agreement with Iran as groundbreaking, even as he admits it “isn’t even fully negotiated.” But the nuclear stockpile, enrichment and missiles have not been discussed. David E. Sanger and Tyler Pager in the New York Times$ -- 5/25/26
What to Know About the Citizenship Lists Trump Wants to Create -- President Trump is seeking to create state-by-state citizenship lists, saying they are necessary to block noncitizens from voting, a virtually nonexistent issue that the president has described as widespread despite his own administration’s inability to substantiate the claim. Adam Sella in the New York Times$ -- 5/25/26
Trump faces health questions ahead of another Walter Reed trip -- The president trumpets claims that he is in excellent health, but independent physicians say the White House hasn't answered key questions ahead of his third visit in 13 months. Dan Diamond in the Washington Post$ -- 5/25/26