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A Snapshot of California Public Policy and Politics
   
 
 
 

California Policy and Politics Thursday

New data shows Pacific Palisades, Altadena face heightened mudslide risk as storm pounds fire zones -- Southern California’s strongest atmospheric river storm of the winter has arrived and it’s expected to bring significant flooding on roads and a high risk of landslides. Here’s what you need to know. Rong-Gong Lin II, Hannah Fry and Clara Harter in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/13/25

Evacuation warnings issued in burn zones as major rainstorm slams into L.A. -- These evacuation warnings will be in effect from 7 a.m. Thursday to 2 p.m. Friday — when the heaviest rain is expected — in burned areas where the risk of mudslides and debris flows is likely to be the highest, according to the Los Angeles Fire Department. Rong-Gong Lin II, Hannah Fry, Grace Toohey and Clara Harter in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/13/25

Major storm is set to batter California. Here’s when impacts will be most intense -- A complex and powerful storm system will approach the California coast late on Wednesday evening and persist through Friday, bringing with it heavy rain, strong winds and feet of Sierra snow. Greg Porter in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 2/13/25

Authorities close more beaches, impose advisories on others -- Some Southern California beaches have lifted fire-debris- and sewage-related closures and advisories, while the arrival of a major storm is shutting down access to the water at other shorelines from Ventura to San Diego counties. Andrew J. Campa in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/13/25

Bay Area weather: California’s largest reservoir has risen 22 feet, as more rain drenches the state -- After an unusually dry January where most of Northern California went without rain for 27 days in a row, the storms have come fast and furious, dramatically improving the state’s water-supply outlook. Paul Rogers in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 2/13/25

Policy & Politics

Newsom stands by ‘sanctuary’ law but refuses to extend protections to inmates -- The move by the Democratic governor comes as Trump focuses on removing undocumented immigrants with criminal histories from the country. Christopher Cadelago Politico -- 2/13/25

How California’s senators have voted on Donald Trump’s most controversial nominees -- Among the dozens of nominees President Donald Trump has tapped for jobs in the federal government, California Sens. Alex Padilla and Adam Schiff appear to be most concerned about Kash Patel’s nomination to lead the FBI. Shira Stein in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 2/13/25

Trump ban puts Sacramento-area Afghan refugees in limbo. ‘This is an incredibly difficult time’ -- This newly arrived refugee, whose identity is withheld for fear of retribution from the Taliban, entered the U.S. less than one week before President Donald J. Trump signed an executive order suspending the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program. Jake Goodrick in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 2/13/25

World Cup

49ers’ pledge leads Santa Clara City Council to approve World Cup deal over mayor’s objections -- The Santa Clara City Council approved an agreement on the finances of hosting World Cup matches next year at Levi’s Stadium, despite vocal opposition raising concerns about millions of dollars in potential losses the city could incur. Lance Williams, Ron Kroichick in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 2/13/25

Wildfire

Behind the staggering economic toll of the L.A. wildfires -- The financial losses are staggering. Estimates of the toll in the Los Angeles region have swelled to more than $250 billion, making it one of the costliest natural disasters in U.S. history. Andrea Chang, Roger Vincent and Marisa Gerber in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/13/25

Californians are in for a ‘rude shock’ on fire -- The rising cost of fire insurance was a problem in California’s rural fire-prone areas. Then it was a problem for suburban and urban fire-prone areas. Now it’s a problem for everyone. Camille von Kaenel Politico -- 2/13/25

Edison knew before Eaton fire that cutting power risked igniting blaze, records show -- Southern California Edison was warned in 2022 that an emergency shutdown could overload power lines that run through Eaton Canyon, increasing the risk of a wildfire, according to public records reviewed by The Times. Planned fixes that experts said would have mitigated the risk were never completed. Connor Sheets in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/13/25

Cal Fire begins releasing new state-mandated maps showing highest fire hazard areas -- Cal Fire released updated fire hazard maps for dozens of cities and towns in inland Northern California. All but one saw an increase in the number of acres in zones with heightened fire safety regulations. Noah Haggerty and Sean Greene in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/13/25

Feds won’t test soil after L.A. wildfire cleanup, potentially leaving contamination behind -- The decision by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers breaks with a long-standing safeguard to ensure no lingering contamination is left behind after wildfires. Tony Briscoe in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/13/25

Mobile homes are some of California’s last affordable housing. Can they rebuild after LA fires? -- When the Palisades Fire tore through coastal Los Angeles last month, it obliterated not only the sprawling mansions of celebrities, but two seaside mobile home parks where hundreds of retirees and other long-time residents clung to a middle-class lifestyle in one of the area’s last bastions of affordability. Felicia Mello CalMatters -- 2/13/25

What Maui’s slow recovery means for L.A. — and the rest of the U.S. -- Only six homes have been fully rebuilt in the county after more than 2,000 structures burned in Maui’s wildfires. Rachel Siegel in the Washington Post$ -- 2/13/25

Immigration

Immigrant rights activists vow to disrupt ICE raids in California -- A band of largely left-leaning organizations has vowed to disrupt immigration enforcement operations in Southern California, as fear grows that officials will execute large-scale raids. Rachel Uranga in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/13/25

Trump administration may send immigrants to Bay Area ‘rape club’ prison, email shows -- The Trump administration appears to be considering a plan to send immigrants facing deportation to a recently shuttered federal prison so plagued by sexual abuse that it was known as the “rape club,” according to an email sent by federal prison union officials. Keri Blakinger in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/13/25

Walters: How a 1995 California court ruling that restored immigrant rights could backfire in 2025 -- California has the nation’s largest population of undocumented immigrants with roughly 1.8 million people. Over the last three decades, Californians’ attitudes about that fact have undergone an astonishing swing. Dan Walters CalMatters -- 2/13/25

Homeless

California city makes ‘aiding’ or ‘abetting’ a homeless camp illegal -- The Fremont City Council gave final approval this week to an ordinance that bans camping throughout the entire city, while also making anyone “aiding, abetting or concealing” a homeless encampment guilty of a misdemeanor. Marisa Kendall CalMatters -- 2/13/25

Workplace

Did confusing language doom California’s anti-slavery amendment? Lawmakers want to try again -- Californians rejected the anti-slavery ballot measure Proposition 6, which would have forbid forced prison labor. Reparations advocates want to try again in 2026. Joe Garcia CalMatters -- 2/13/25

S.F.-based Getaround to lay off nearly all U.S.-based employees -- San Francisco-based car sharing service Getaround has shut down U.S. operations with “substantially all” of the U.S.-based employees facing layoffs, according to filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Molly Burke in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 2/13/25

FCC launches effort to ‘root out’ DEI programs, beginning with Comcast -- The Federal Communications Commission has opened an inquiry into Comcast Corp.’s employee programs, stepping up efforts to “root out” diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives that it said may violate equal employment laws. Meg James in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/13/25

Inside Amazon’s Messy Push to Bring Everyone Back to the Office -- The five-day policy dials back flexibility that predated the pandemic; employees are returning to find they have no desks, not enough parking and still endless virtual meetings. Katherine Bindley and Preetika Rana in the Wall Street Journal$ -- 2/13/25

Education

Trump administration investigating California high school sports over transgender athletes -- The U.S. Department of Education will investigate the California Interscholastic Federation, the state’s governing body for high school sports, for continuing to allow transgender athletes to compete on female sports teams, the agency announced Wednesday. Molly Burke in the San Francisco Chronicle$ Christian Babcock in the San Jose Mercury$ Andrew Sheeler in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 2/13/25

Fewer California high school seniors are applying for financial aid. Some blame Trump’s immigration policies -- Applications are down 25% compared to this time last year. Although financial aid application information has not been shared with immigration or other agencies in the past, many fear that will change. Mikhail Zinshteyn CalMatters -- 2/13/25

UC Davis sees record number of applicants for fall semester for second consecutive year -- A record number of prospective students applied to UC Davis for the fall semester, though total applications decreased slightly across the University of California system, according to statistics released Wednesday by university officials. Ishani Desai in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 2/13/25

Walters: California schools still fall behind despite big increases in spending -- As academic researchers continue to explore what happened to public education during and after the COVID19 pandemic, they are confirming the harsh reality of decline in such basic skills as reading and mathematics. Dan Walters CalMatters -- 2/13/25

Campus

UCLA suspends Students for Justice in Palestine after protest at UC regent’s home -- UCLA administrators said Wednesday said they were indefinitely suspending two Students for Justice in Palestine organizations after masked pro-Palestinian campus activists protested outside the Brentwood home of University of California Regent Jay Sures last week, vandalizing his property and surrounding his wife while she was in her car. Jaweed Kaleem in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/13/25

Workplace

Chevron to lay off thousands after relocating headquarters from Bay Area -- Chevron plans to lay off 15% to 20% of its global workforce to cut $3 billion in costs by 2026, according to an internal memo released Wednesday. Aidin Vaziri in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 2/13/25

Amazon looks to hire 2,000 new workers in Inland Empire -- Amazon plans to hire more than 2,000 full-time and part-time workers to staff two new ‘inbound cross dock’ facilities in Fontana and Jurupa. Suhauna Hussain in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/13/25

CalMatters’ reporting helps inspire wage theft legislation -- After a 2022 CalMatters series documenting long waits and low payouts for workers who claim their employers have shorted them on wages, California lawmakers have now proposed bills to try to ease the backlogs. Jeanne Kuang CalMatters -- 2/13/25

Flu

‘Our hospital is full to the brim’: California overwhelmed by severe flu season -- The situation is particularly dire in the Bay Area, where Dr. Peter Chin-Hong, an infectious disease expert at UCSF, said flu activity has reached alarming levels. Aidin Vaziri in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 2/13/25

Also

California court rules against baker in revival of same-sex wedding cake disputes -- A California appeals court rules a baker can’t refuse to sell a generic cake to a lesbian couple. It’s part of a series of cases shaping the debate over free speech and anti-discrimination laws. Jeanne Kuang CalMatters -- 2/13/25

Ride-hail giant Lyft to enter the robotaxi market, launching first driverless cars this year -- Although Lyft has pledged to swiftly pervade autonomous vehicle markets in other cities, those plans do not yet include its hometown of San Francisco. Rachel Swan in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 2/13/25

The ‘51st state’? Canadians say no, thanks. They don’t want U.S. products either -- With support from Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and other leaders, the boycott is gaining ground. Shoppers around the country are forgoing California-grown fruits and veggies in favor of more local fare, and bar patrons are trading Kentucky bourbon for Canadian rye. Kate Linthicum and Denis Calnan in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/13/25

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Trump closes down federal worker buyout offer after judge lifts hold -- A judge on Wednesday lifted his pause on the federal government’s deferred resignation program, prompting the Trump administration to swiftly declare victory as it closed the offer to any more workers who might still have been mulling it. Olivia George, Steve Thompson and Emily Davies in the Washington Post$ -- 2/13/25

Musk team kicks off federal layoffs as White House eyes big cuts -- Billionaire Elon Musk’s team has initiated sweeping layoffs of federal employees, as the Trump administration races to shrink the government’s civilian workforce. Emily Davies, Jeff Stein, Hannah Natanson, Lisa Rein and Tony Romm in the Washington Post$ -- 2/13/25

‘Deregulation by Firings’: Breaking Down the Cuts to Financial Oversight -- The furious pace of deregulation is gutting agencies intended to protect ordinary Americans, consumer advocates say. But business groups have long favored regulatory relief. Matthew Goldstein and Jessica Silver-Greenberg in the New York Times$ -- 2/13/25

Trump and Musk Hunt for Corruption, Very Selectively -- Spending that the White House does not like is being labeled fraudulent. At the same time, President Trump is rolling back anticorruption efforts and ethical standards for himself and allies like Elon Musk. Peter Baker in the New York Times$ -- 2/13/25

Trump and Musk can’t seem to locate much evidence of fraud -- They keep justifying their bold moves as combating fraud, but they have been unable so far to point to much of anything specific that’s actually fraudulent. Aaron Blake in the Washington Post$ -- 2/13/25

Trump’s plan for Ukraine a great deal — ‘for the Kremlin,’ Kyiv’s backers say -- “Let’s not mince words about what this represents: a surrender of Ukraine’s interests and our own, even before negotiations begin,” says U.S. Senator Adam Schiff. Seb Starcevic and Giselle Ruhiyyih Ewing Politico -- 2/13/25

State Department Suspends Plan to Buy Armored Teslas -- The State Department said Thursday that it had put plans to buy armored electric vehicles on hold after reports that the $400 million order would go to Tesla, whose chief executive, Elon Musk, is one of President Trump’s most important advisers and supporters. Jack Ewing in the New York Times$ -- 2/13/25

 

California Policy and Politics Wednesday

California homeowners will have to fund half of high-risk insurer’s $1 billion ‘bailout’ -- After saying it would run out of funds by March, California’s last-resort fire insurance provider will impose a special charge of $1 billion on insurance companies — which will in turn pass the costs along to homeowners — the first such move in more than three decades. Levi Sumagaysay CalMatters Laurence Darmiento in the Los Angeles Times$ Megan Fan Munce in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 2/12/25

‘High risk of flooding, debris flow’ on Thursday as powerful rainstorm hits Southern California -- The first wave of the strongest storm of the winter began hitting Southern California on Wednesday, but the most damaging rains are expected Thursday. Rong-Gong Lin II and Hannah Fry in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/12/25

Smoke from East Bay refinery fire contained cancer-causing chemicals, report says -- An explosive fire that ignited at a Martinez oil refinery and triggered shelter-in-place warnings spewed cancer-causing chemicals and other harmful products into the air, according to new details Contra Costa County health officials reported Tuesday. Julie Johnson in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 2/12/25

California high speed rail has $4.3B in unspent federal grants. Could Trump take it away? -- The threat by a president who has been critical of the state’s high-speed rail project was already apparent to former California High-Speed Rail Authority CEO Brian Kelly as he ended his six-year tenure at the agency last summer. Not only would finishing Merced-Bakersfield be at risk, he suggested, but so could any hope of future extensions beyond the Valley to San Jose, San Francisco and Los Angeles. Tim Sheehan in the Fresno Bee$ -- 2/12/25

Pro-Trump sheriff to run for governor in deep blue California -- Southern California Sheriff Chad Bianco, a Republican supporter of Donald Trump and fierce critic of Gavin Newsom, will run for California governor in 2026, two people familiar with his plans tell Politico. Christopher Cadelago Politico -- 2/12/25

Barabak: Gavin Newsom, Donald Trump and the art of the deal -- Rather than confronting Trump, California’s governor is showing restraint and using flattery to ensure the state gets the federal disaster relief it needs and deserves. That’s a smart strategy. Mark Z. Barabak in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/12/25

Judge sides with UC students, blocks DOGE from Education Department loan data -- Lawyers representing the Trump administration agreed Tuesday to temporarily stop the Elon Musk-led Department of Government Efficiency from accessing student loan and financial aid information after a University of California group filed a federal lawsuit seeking a halt to the actions. Jaweed Kaleem in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/12/25

Here’s one clear way Trump’s deportation agenda could worsen California’s housing crisis -- As day laborers go into hiding, labor experts say the workforce withdrawal could exacerbate the labor shortage and worsen the housing crisis. Jessica Flores in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 2/12/25

Is the US in a constitutional crisis? California’s attorney general says not yet -- California Attorney General Rob Bonta sees a constitutional crisis looming as lawsuits play out over the Trump administration’s boundary-testing executive orders, but the Democrat so far believes the country has not passed that threshold. Ana B. Ibarra CalMatters -- 2/12/25

Wildfire

Court filing accuses Southern California Edison of tampering with possible Eaton fire evidence -- Attorneys representing several Altadena residents who lost homes in the Eaton fire are asking a judge to sanction Southern California Edison, alleging that, by secretly re-energizing transmission lines, the utility may have altered key evidence showing how the deadly fire started. Salvador Hernandez in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/12/25

U.S. Army Corps begins clearing tons of fire debris in Altadena and Pacific Palisades -- The cleanup marks the start of a years-long rebuilding process for thousands of Californians who lost homes and businesses in the Eaton and Palisades fires. More than 9,400 structures were destroyed in Altadena, and more than 6,800 in Pacific Palisades. Laura J. Nelson and Julia Wick in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/12/25

Lopez: In aftermath of fires, consultants might help, but L.A. needs someone to lead -- Two horrific wildfires, four rebuilding committees and three or four consultants (so far) into 2025, Southern California got word that an atmospheric river was headed our way. Steve Lopez in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/12/25

A ‘brush with catastrophe’: Close call with Hughes fire stirs concerns about jail safety -- Flames from the Hughes fire came within a mile of the Castaic jails before firefighters pushed them back. Inmate advocates are still haunted by the what-ifs. Keri Blakinger in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/12/25

The New NIMBY Battle Over the Waste From the L.A. Fires -- Federal and state officials say the temporary sites for processing hazardous waste pose no threat, but residents are worried about their air and water. Kate Selig, Jesus Jiménez and Mimi Dwyer in the New York Times$ -- 2/12/25

Crushed by boulders, drowned in mud: How debris flows endanger LA’s fire-ravaged communities -- San Gabriel Valley areas scarred by the Eaton Fire are at “high to very high risk” of debris flows this week. How do they happen? What is being done to prepare? And what do survivors of a catastrophic one that killed 23 people remember about the day that the hills came down? Julie Cart and Alastair Bland CalMatters -- 2/12/25

A former firefighter in the Legislature has ideas. Will Democrats listen? -- Sen. Kelly Seyarto is the only former career firefighter currently serving in the Legislature. But as a Republican in a Democratic supermajority, he says it can be challenging to make progress on wildfire policy. Sameea Kamal CalMatters -- 2/12/25

Workplace

Fewer diners, tense workers at L.A. restaurants amid Trump’s immigration crackdown -- The day after President Trump announced a series of immigration actions to fulfill a campaign promise of mass deportations, Teddy Vazquez, owner of Teddy’s Red Tacos, noticed a steep drop in sales at all of his 10 locations in Los Angeles and Orange County. Two weeks later, sales had dropped by half of what he’d normally make in January. Cindy Carcamo in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/12/25

Disney softens DEI efforts with Trump back in office -- The Burbank media and entertainment giant will replace the “diversity and inclusion” performance factor for executive compensation planning with a “talent strategies” standard, according to a memo sent Tuesday to executive leaders by Chief Human Resources Officer Sonia Coleman and obtained by The Times. Samantha Masunaga in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/12/25

Tesla fined for ‘serious’ heat violation at California plant -- Although the $13,500 penalty is a pittance for the electric car maker, which boasts a market capitalization of more than $1 trillion, state regulators categorized the company’s violation as “serious,” meaning it could result in injury, illness or death. Suhauna Hussain in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/12/25

All-Star SF

Hundreds of thousands of people are about to descend on S.F. at once. How is the city preparing? -- San Francisco is preparing to host not one but two major events this weekend: the NBA All-Star Game and the Chinese New Year Parade. Michael Barba, Maggie Angst in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 2/12/25

Flu

Worst flu season in years swamps California: ‘Particularly long and difficult’ -- The worst flu season in years is swamping California, prompting a renewed surge in hospitalizations as officials warn the disease could continue circulating at high levels for weeks to come. Rong-Gong Lin II in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/12/25

Education

US Department of Education implores athletic officials to nullify transgender athletes’ records, awards -- The U.S. Department of Education is urging governing bodies for collegiate and high school athletics to change records, championships, awards and honors that it claims have been “misappropriated by biological males competing in female categories.” Joseph Dycus and Christian Babcock in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 2/12/25

NIH funding cuts could threaten valuable research, Southern California institutions say -- Southern California institutions are involved in over 4,600 NIH-funded projects worth more than $2.5 billion. Hanna Kang, Jordan B. Darling and Linh Tat in the Orange County Register -- 2/12/25

LAUSD misused millions in taxpayer-approved money meant for arts education, suit alleges -- Los Angeles Unified officials repeatedly violated Proposition 28 — a state law requiring the hiring of arts teachers — misusing millions in state funds and denying promised arts instruction to students across the school system, according to allegations in a lawsuit filed Monday. Howard Blume in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/12/25

Street

S.F. drug crisis: Here’s the first project Mayor Daniel Lurie plans to speed up with his new powers -- San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie plans to use his newly expanded powers to expedite a lease on a new behavioral health facility designed to get more people struggling with mental illness and addiction off the streets. Maggie Angst in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 2/12/25

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US inflation worsened last month with prices for groceries and gasoline heading higher -- U.S. inflation accelerated last month as the cost of groceries, gasoline and rents rose, a disappointment for families and businesses struggling with higher costs and likely underscoring the Federal Reserve’s resolve to delay further interest rate cuts. Christopher Rugaber Associated Press -- 2/12/25

These are the Californians Trump has tapped to carry out his agenda -- Although Donald Trump has long waged war against California, several officials key to implementing his administration’s priorities — particularly when it comes to rolling back civil rights protections — are from the state. Shira Stein in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 2/12/25

Stanford grad leading Musk’s ‘DOGE’ assault on federal agencies: Who is Steve Davis? -- The Stanford University graduate helping lead Elon Musk’s incursions into federal agencies is, like his billionaire boss, no stranger to pushing the legal and regulatory envelope, a lawsuit brought by Bay Area employees of the company formerly known as Twitter asserts. Ethan Baron in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 2/12/25

 

Treasury officials: Musk ally ‘mistakenly’ had power to alter payments system -- Treasury Department officials said Tuesday that the agency last week “mistakenly” and “briefly” gave a member of Elon Musk’s team the power to alter a sensitive federal payments database, prompting an internal forensic investigation that remains ongoing. Michael Stratford and Kyle Cheney Politico -- 2/12/25

Musk appears at White House defending DOGE’s work but acknowledging mistakes -- President Donald Trump’s most powerful adviser, Elon Musk, made a rare public appearance at the White House on Tuesday to defend the swift and extensive cuts he’s pushing across the federal government while acknowledging there have been mistakes and will be more. Chris Megerian and Michelle L. Price Associated Press -- 2/12/25

Enjoying the Pinnacle of Power, Musk Holds Court on Trump’s Stage -- Dressed all in black, with a dark MAGA hat on his head and his young son fidgeting by his side or on his shoulders, Mr. Musk, seeming quite jolly about finding himself at the very pinnacle of power, sought on Tuesday to justify pushing tens of thousands of federal employees out the door by casting them as a collection of unelected and unaccountable managers of a wasteful and corrupt bureaucracy. Shawn McCreesh in the New York Times$ -- 2/12/25

 

Trump Orders Plans for ‘Large Scale’ Work Force Cuts and Expands Musk’s Power -- President Trump signed an executive order on Tuesday directing agency officials to draw up plans for “large scale” cuts to the federal work force and further empowered the billionaire Elon Musk and his team to approve which career officials are hired in the future. Theodore Schleifer and Madeleine Ngo in the New York Times$ Dan Diamond and Emily Davies in the Washington Post$ -- 2/12/25

Inspectors General Sue Trump Administration After Being Fired by President -- Eight inspectors general fired by President Trump in late January filed a lawsuit against the administration Wednesday alleging their termination violated the law, adding to dozens of other legal challenges facing the president at the start of his new term. Scott Patterson in the Wall Street Journal$ -- 2/12/25

The Trump Tracker: 33 Significant Moves in 23 Days -- President Trump started his second term by rapidly deploying executive orders, memos and presidential actions to deliver on campaign promises and reverse policies from previous administrations. The Wall Street Journal is tracking his biggest moves to reshape the federal government. Xavier Martinez and Andrew Levinson in the Wall Street Journal$ -- 2/12/25

Associated Press blocked from Oval Office for not using ‘Gulf of America’ -- The White House blocked an Associated Press reporter from attending President Donald Trump’s executive order signing Tuesday afternoon, the news organization said, after it continued to refer to the “Gulf of Mexico” instead of adjusting to reflect the administration’s stance that the body of water should now be called the “Gulf of America.” Ben Johansen Politico Jeremy Barr in the Washington Post$ -- 2/12/25

Trump fires USAID’s inspector general after report critical of funding freeze -- Paul Martin is the latest of some 20 inspectors general that President Donald Trump has ousted, despite objections from lawmakers and the watchdogs themselves that his methods of removing them violate statutes. Nahal Toosi Politico David Nakamura, Lisa Rein and John Hudson in the Washington Post$ -- 2/12/25

Trump Curtails Anti-Corruption Efforts, Suggesting Charging Bribery Is Unfair -- The Trump administration is telling prosecutors and agents to care less on efforts to investigate foreign corruption, including a case against New York’s mayor. Devlin Barrett in the New York Times$ -- 2/12/25

Trump greets Marc Fogel at the White House -- An emotional Marc Fogel, the American teacher held captive in Russia for more than three years, told President Trump on Tuesday night that he was forever indebted to him for securing his release as he was greeted at the White House. Maggie Haberman in the New York Times$ -- 2/12/25