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California Policy and Politics Thursday

Chevron lays off 600 workers at its former Northern California headquarters -- The layoffs come on the heels of Chevron’s decision to relocate its headquarters from San Ramon to Houston earlier this year, ending its 145-year presence in the Bay Area. Aidin Vaziri in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 4/3/25

Schools have 10 days to comply with Trump anti-DEI policy or face losing federal funds -- The Trump administration has increased the pressure on K-12 schools in California and across the nation to eliminate diversity, equity and inclusion practices by giving districts and states a deadline of 10 days to certify their compliance or risk losing all federal funding. Howard Blume in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 4/3/25

Here’s what could get more expensive in California under Trump’s sweeping tariffs -- President Donald Trump’s widespread tariffs could upend California agriculture and will likely lead to increased prices on cars, prescription drugs and even toilet paper, economists and industry experts said. Shira Stein, Rachel Swan, Mario Cortez, Esther Mobley in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 4/3/25

Car buyers in Southern California scramble to beat 25% auto tariffs -- Tariff-related price hike estimates vary depending on the vehicle, but most industry experts predict new cars will cost several thousand more. Erin Keating, an executive analyst at Cox Automotive, expects new vehicle prices to go up by 15% to 20%. Andrea Chang and Caroline Petrow-Cohen in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 4/3/25

‘Liberation Day’ comes for California almonds -- President Donald Trump’s trade wars are putting California farmers and ranchers, happy with his promises to deliver more water, back into financial — and political — limbo. Camille von Kaenel Politico -- 4/3/25

Rural California, reliant on the Trump administration for jobs, braces for cuts -- Far from the halls of power in Washington, the forested hamlet of Mount Shasta has long tied its economic fate to a functioning federal government. Jeanne Kuang CalMatters -- 4/3/25

‘A gut punch’: Trump order threatens funding for San Diego museums, libraries and zoo -- Grants to local organizations are in limbo after president orders elimination of the Institute of Museum and Library Services. Kelly Davis in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 4/3/25

Even in O.C. Trump country, some worry about how tariffs will hit their pocketbooks -- In Huntington Beach — where a small, white bust of President Trump occupies the City Council chambers and “Make America Great Again” banners fly proudly outside homes and aboard boats bobbing in the harbor — support for the White House is a matter of civic pride. Hannah Fry in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 4/3/25

Trump’s HHS layoffs in S.F. could be a ‘catastrophe’ for fight against AIDS, experts say -- The job cuts began Tuesday, after the Trump administration announced plans last week to slash 10,000 positions across Health and Human Services; the San Francisco office employed 318 people. Erin Allday in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 4/3/25

Trump seeks weak spots in sanctuary laws to break down California’s defenses -- President Donald Trump’s IRS deal could neutralize California’s sanctuary protections even as he seeks to penalize the state and others like it. Raheem Hosseini in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 4/3/25

DOGE has hit Social Security. These are the problems people are facing — and tips to cope -- Technical difficulties. Hours on hold. Long drives to field offices. Those are among the frustrating, time-consuming, anxiety-inducing problems Social Security recipients recently reported to the Chronicle after we wrote about changes in the program’s identity verification requirements under the Trump administration. Jessica Roy in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 4/3/25

Thousands of Oakland docs seized by feds reveal inner workings of ex-Mayor Sheng Thao’s orbit -- Newly released records shed light on events leading to bombshell corruption scandal. Shomik Mukherjee and Jakob Rodgers in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 4/3/25

Walters: As Democratic candidates for governor increase, they wait for Harris to decide -- Irish playwright Samuel Beckett’s tragicomedy “Waiting for Godot” centers on two men, Vladimir and Estragon, who hope, in vain, that the arrival of a mysterious man named Godot will bring meaning to their otherwise miserable lives. Dan Walters CalMatters -- 4/3/25

Insurance

A broken system is keeping California homes underinsured. Millions have no idea they’re at risk -- Using faulty algorithms and flawed processes, the state’s biggest insurance companies routinely underestimate what their clients will need to rebuild. For wildfire survivors, it's a gut punch at the worst possible time. Susie Neilson and Megan Fan Munce in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 4/3/25

Wildfire

Edison CEO: It’s ‘certainly possible’ utility sparked Eaton fire. But climate change made it worse -- “We still don’t know whether Edison equipment caused the Eaton fire. It’s certainly possible it did,” Pedro Pizarro says. Sammy Roth in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 4/3/25

Workplace

VTA union files appeal of judge’s decision mandating end of strike -- The union of Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority workers petitioned an appellate court Tuesday to stay a superior court ruling that ordered them to end their strike and return to work last week while it seeks to overturn the ruling. Caelyn Pender in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 4/3/25

A ‘missed opportunity’: Does Newsom’s plan to get Californians into better jobs do enough? -- Gov. Gavin Newsom released the Master Plan for Career Education, which aims to get Californians into better jobs. Some legislators say it doesn’t go far enough and experts criticize many of its proposals. Adam Echelman CalMatters -- 4/3/25

Campus

UC Davis law students protest suspension of group supporting Palestine -- In March, the law school suspended the student government group after they approved a resolution boycotting monetary and academic associations to Israel. The group stated they implemented the boycott in opposition to the “ongoing genocide and occupation in Palestine,” according to past Sacramento Bee reporting. Emma Hall in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 4/3/25

Education

How Trump’s fight with California could harm poor students who rely on school meals -- Federal aid to feed poor children at school could be joining the long list of funding at risk if California officials don’t abide by Trump administration policies and edicts. California receives more than $3 billion annually in federal aid to feed children in school. Howard Blume in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 4/3/25

Stanford University to host town halls amid funding uncertainties, federal scrutiny -- In February, Stanford administrators announced a hiring freeze in an open letter to students, faculty, and staff, citing potential funding cuts and tax changes. In its latest letter, sent on the first day of spring quarter, the university has pledged to address those concerns in a series of town halls. Ryan Macasero in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 4/3/25

UCSD braces for possible $500M in annual cuts, shelves some building plans -- Reductions on that scale would seriously hurt research and threaten jobs at the region’s second-largest employer. Gary Robbins in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 4/3/25

Trump administration to audit California sex education curriculum for ‘medical accuracy’ -- The Trump administration is reviewing the curriculum of a sex education program in California for medical accuracy and age appropriateness, a move that has sparked backlash from LGBTQ+ advocates worried about queer and transgender sexual health information being censored. Clara Harter in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 4/3/25

Housing

L.A. housing authority turning luxury Woodland Hills apartments into affordable housing -- Built in 2020, the Clarendon Apartments in Woodland Hills feature poolside cabanas, a fire pit terrace and 24-hour community room with a kitchen and a billiard table. The apartments themselves are spacious — on average two-bedroom units top 1,000 square feet and go for more than $3,000 a month. Andrew Khouri, Christina House in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 4/3/25

Measles

Immune amnesia: Why even mild measles infections can lead to serious disease later -- Even a mild case of measles destroys the memory cells that confer resistance on bugs the patient has previously fought, in what doctors call “immune amnesia.” A measles outbreak has infected nearly 500 people in 19 states, including California. Vaccinations prevent both the measles and the subsequent loss of immune protections. Corinne Purtill in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 4/3/25

Street

Mayor Lurie is planning a major shift in S.F. drug policy -- Beginning April 30, city-funded nonprofits that provide drug users with safe consumption supplies, including clean needles, foil and pipes, will be required to first offer counseling and connections to treatment. Maggie Angst in the San Francisco Chronicle$ Hannah Wiley in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 4/3/25

POTUS 47

U.S. Markets Plunge From Shock of Trump’s New Tariffs -- Stocks tumbled in the U.S., Asia and Europe. Allies and adversaries alike were weighing their responses. Ana Swanson, Alan Rappeport, Tony Romm and Matthew Mpoke Bigg in the New York Times$ -- 4/3/25

Dow Industrials Fall 1500 Points, Dollar Sinks on Trump Tariff Plans -- Major stock indexes dropped as much as 5.3% and more than a dozen household-name stocks posted double-digit declines, including HP, Williams Sonoma, Ralph Lauren and Target. The Dow industrials dropped 1510 points, or 3.6%. The tech-heavy Nasdaq, which powered the market higher for years, slid 5.7%, led by big declines in Nvidia, Apple and Amazon.com. The item is in the Wall Street Journal$ -- 4/3/25

Dow drops 1,500 as US stock market leads a worldwide sell-off following Trump’s tariff shock -- Everything from crude oil to Big Tech stocks to the value of the U.S. dollar against other currencies fell. Even gold, which has hit records recently as investors sought something safer to own, pulled lower. Stan Choe Associated Press -- 4/3/25

Stocks fall and businesses recoil after across-the-board tariffs -- Other countries vowed to respond after President Donald Trump imposed higher tariffs on imports from much of the world, including many U.S. allies. Abha Bhattarai, Shannon Najmabadi, Michelle Ye Hee Lee, Christian Shepherd and Steve Hendrix in the Washington Post$ -- 4/3/25

‘It’s a Disaster’: Global Markets Slide After Trump Unveils Tariffs -- Markets around the world shuddered on Thursday after President Trump announced across-the-board 10 percent tariffs on all U.S. trading partners except Canada and Mexico, as well as even higher tariffs on dozens of America’s other main trading partners. Joe Rennison, Danielle Kaye and River Akira Davis in the New York Times$ David J. Lynch and Jeff Stein in the Washington Post$ -- 4/3/25

Wall Street Facing Toughest Test in Years -- Stocks, oil and the dollar tumbled on Thursday as Wall Street opened for its most eventful day in years, after the aggressive U.S. tariff plan rattled the outlook for global growth, corporate profits and the flow of funds around the globe. Gunjan Banerji in the Wall Street Journal$ -- 4/3/25

Senate Votes to Rescind Some Trump Tariffs, With G.O.P. Support -- A measure to cancel some Canadian tariffs is all but certain to stall in the House. But with a handful of Republicans in favor, the vote sent a signal of opposition to the levies. Robert Jimison in the Washington Post$ -- 4/3/25

Trump and GOP Confront Elon Musk Quandary After Wisconsin Defeat -- After a costly Wisconsin loss, President Trump and Republicans have a big decision to make about Elon Musk: continue to leverage his fame and fortune on the national stage or politely ask him to stay backstage. John McCormick, Anthony DeBarros and Lindsay Wise in the Wall Street Journal$ -- 4/3/25

Musk to keep spending on politics despite Wisconsin loss, GOP doubts -- The billionaire, whose network poured more than $20 million into the contest, will remain heavily involved, said people familiar with the plans. Hannah Knowles, Liz Goodwin and Trisha Thadani in the Washington Post$ -- 4/3/25

In Oval Office Meeting, Far-Right Activist Pushes Trump to Fire National Security Staff -- Laura Loomer, the far-right activist and promoter of conspiracy theories, met on Wednesday with President Trump in the Oval Office, where she pressed for him to fire National Security Council staff members whom she deemed disloyal to him, according to seven people with knowledge of the events. Maggie Haberman, Jonathan Swan and Ken Bensinger in the New York Times$ -- 4/3/25

Appeals court: Trump pardon ‘plainly’ did not cover Jan. 6 defendants’ unrelated crimes -- A federal appeals court has rejected the Justice Department’s claim that President Donald Trump’s pardon of crimes related to the Jan. 6, 2021 riot at the Capitol is so broad that it sweeps in convictions for illegal possession of weapons five months later. Josh Gerstein and Kyle Cheney Politico -- 4/3/25

Also

Ticket scams, treacherous cliffs: Officials warn of danger at ‘Deltopia’ spring break rager -- As the end of spring break nears, officials brace for the return of Deltopia — Santa Barbara County’s massive unsanctioned street party, where thousands of college students flood Isla Vista for a raucous weekend of revelry that typically culminates in chaos and arrests. Clara Harter in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 4/3/25

No more calling ‘shotgun?’ California could ban teens from riding in the front seat -- A new bill would require teens up to 16 years old to ride in the back seat if they’re not tall enough. Middle schoolers up to age 13 would need to use booster seats if they’re tiny. Ryan Sabalow CalMatters -- 4/3/25

Newton: Los Angeles leaders want to restore MacArthur Park. The challenge is making it last -- The park had become synonymous with homeless encampments, drug use and predatory vendors working in lockstep with area gangs. Conditions had slipped from scruffy to downright dangerous. Jim Newton CalMatters -- 4/3/25