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Updating . . .
California Policy and Politics Tuesday
New accuser alleges Eric Swalwell drugged and raped her -- A Southern California woman said Tuesday that Rep. Eric Swalwell drugged and raped her in 2018, joining several other women who have come forward in recent days with allegations of sexual misconduct by the East Bay Democrat. Anna Bauman, Sophia Bollag in the San Francisco Chronicle$ Rebecca Ellis and Melody Gutierrez in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 4/14/26
LAUSD strike is off, schools to open Tuesday with tentative union deals in place -- The Los Angeles Unified School District strike has been called off after LAUSD reached a tentative agreement early Tuesday morning with Local 99 of Service Employees International Union. Schools will be open as usual on Tuesday. Howard Blume in the Los Angeles Times$ Teresa Liu in the LA Daily News Paul Kiernan and Roshan Fernandez in the Wall Street Journal$ -- 4/14/26
Here’s who Eric Swalwell’s supporters in the governor’s race are likely to back now -- Rep. Eric Swalwell’s departure from the California governor’s race — and his resignation Monday from Congress — has scattered donors, supporters and endorsers to his former opponents, triggering a new round of chaos in the volatile California governor race. Joe Garofoli in the San Francisco Chronicle$ Nicole Nixon, Dakota Smith, Melody Gutierrez and Seema Mehta in the Los Angeles Times$ Jeanne Kuang Calmatters Grace Hase in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 4/13/26
Nexstar’s California TV stations will carry gubernatorial debate -- “Debate Night in California: The Race for Governor,” will air April 22 starting at 7 p.m. Pacific, the company announced Monday. The event will originate from TV station KRON in San Francisco and be carried on KTLA in Los Angeles, KSWB in San Diego, KTXL in Sacramento, KGET in Bakersfield and KSEE in Fresno. Stephen Battaglio in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 4/13/26
Hilton and Steyer top Union-Tribune poll of San Diegans for wide-open governor race -- The poll was conducted largely before the gubernatorial race was scrambled by U.S. Rep. Eric Swalwell’s withdrawal. Lucas Robinson in the San Diego Union Tribune -- 4/14/26
Fraud allegations, fires, federal cuts: What’s in L.A. County’s $48.8-billion budget plan -- L.A. County officials said federal funding cuts will be a major factor in future spending. New spending will go to beef up the team investigating fraud in recent sex abuse litigation, among other programs. County officials say they’re staving off layoffs and program cuts. Rebecca Ellis in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 4/13/26
Workplace
Hollywood stars line up against Paramount’s Warner Bros. acquisition -- A constellation of stars are lining up against Paramount’s proposed takeover of Warner Bros. Discovery, expressing fears the blockbuster merger would devastate the industry and shrink production jobs. Meg James in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 4/13/26
California salmon fishing poised to finally reopen. Can the industry recover? -- The return comes with a catch: Regulators at the interstate Pacific Fishery Management Council will strictly constrain fishing dates and impose harvest limits for both commercial and recreational fishing to protect the threatened California Coastal Chinook. Rachel Becker Calmatters -- 4/13/26
San Diego city workers would get 10% raises but face furloughs in nod to budget crisis -- Tentative deal with white-collar employees comes just before mayor is scheduled to announce proposed budget including layoffs, variety of cuts. David Garrick in the San Diego Union Tribune -- 4/13/26
Salton Sea
California’s largest and most polluted lake gets a new conservancy -- California has launched the Salton Sea Conservancy, a new state agency to oversee restoration, manage habitat and improve air quality at the deteriorating inland lake. Deborah Brennan Calmatters -- 4/13/26
Also
How California bungled $1 million in a collaboration with Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library -- Lawmakers put millions toward a state library program aimed at bringing Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library to California children. Now the state library and a California nonprofit are under fire for how they spent some of the money. Adam Echelman Calmatters -- 4/14/26
Can medical malpractice lawsuits protect LGBTQ youth from conversion therapy? This California lawmaker thinks so -- The U.S. Supreme Court struck down Colorado’s conversion therapy ban, endangering California’s law. State lawmakers believe there is a “path forward” despite the court’s ruling. Kristen Hwang Calmatters -- 4/13/26
Lopez: Trump says his social media post depicted him as a doctor, not Jesus. A Catholic school alum weighs in -- The general consensus is that President Trump’s social media post of himself dressed in robes, after a busy weekend in which he blasted Pope Leo and attended a prizefight while an Iran peace plan fell apart, was an attempt to cast himself as a Jesus-like figure. But Trump says we have it wrong. Steve Lopez in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 4/13/26
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U.S. Is Negotiating an Iran Deal That Would Buy Time, Again -- The United States proposed a 20-year “suspension” of all nuclear activity, even as President Trump demands assurances that Iran can never build a nuclear weapon. David E. Sanger, Tyler Pager and Farnaz Fassihi in the New York Times$ -- 4/14/26
How an Image Depicting Trump as Christ Sparked a Backlash on the Religious Right -- President Trump’s decision to post an AI-generated image depicting himself as a Christ-like figure sparked outrage on the religious right, triggering the most significant pushback from his Catholic and evangelical Christian supporters since he returned to the White House. Philip Wegmann, Aaron Zitner and Marianne LeVine in the Wall Street Journal$ -- 4/13/26
Trump’s Erratic Behavior and Extreme Comments Revive Mental Health Debate -- As the president threatens to wipe out Iran and attacks the pope, even some former allies and advisers are questioning whether he has grown increasingly unbalanced, describing him as “lunatic” and “clearly insane.” Peter Baker in the New York Times$ -- 4/13/26
U.S. Oil Blockade Is Set to Boost American Exports—and Prices at the Pump -- President Trump is pitching a U.S. naval blockade of the Strait of Hormuz as an opportunity for American oil-and-gas exporters. The squeeze on supplies is a bad omen for prices at the pump. Collin Eaton and Benoît Morenne in the Wall Street Journal$ -- 4/13/26
Immigrants Are Scared to File Taxes. It Could Cost the U.S. Billions -- Fears that the I.R.S. could share their data with ICE have turned tax season into a gamble for people who are in the country illegally. Miriam Jordan and Andrew Duehren in the New York Times$ -- 4/14/26
AI Is Finding Bugs That Hackers Can Exploit. Get Ready for Bugmageddon -- White House and industry leaders race to fix vulnerabilities, which AI models can discover with frightening speed. Robert McMillan and Chip Cutter in the Wall Street Journal$ -- 4/13/26
California Policy and Politics Monday
Eric Swalwell resigns from Congress -- Rep. Eric Swalwell announced Monday that he would resign from Congress as he faces a mounting effort to expel him over allegations of sexual misconduct. Alexei Koseff in the San Francisco Chronicle$ Ana Ceballos and Ben Wieder in the Los Angeles Times Terell Wright and Olivia Beavers in the Wall Street Journal$ Kevin Freking, Lisa Mascaro, Joey Cappelletti Associated Press Jill Cowan in the New York Times$ Mariana Alfaro in the Washington Post$ -- 4/13/26
The whisper network that caught up to Eric Swalwell -- The 45-year-old cable news darling and Trump antagonist had developed a reputation for unsavory and sometimes unwanted behavior toward women. Those warnings were shared in whisper networks but rarely traveled outside the circle of political insiders. Melanie Mason and Jeremy B. White Politico -- 4/13/26
LAUSD strike still on for Tuesday despite tentative agreements with two of three unions -- Two of three LAUSD unions reached tentative deals Sunday, but one union continues to negotiate. The strike will go on Tuesday unless all three unions settle. Howard Blume and Hailey Branson-Potts in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 4/13/26
Feds file charges against Texas man suspected of firebombing OpenAI CEO Sam Altman’s S.F. home -- The charges came the same day the FBI raided Daniel Moreno-Gama’s home in Spring, Texas, about 40 miles north of Houston, the Houston Chronicle and Fox News reported. The FBI confirmed to the San Francisco Chronicle that agents were conducting a court-authorized search in Spring, but provided no further details. David Hernandez in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 4/13/26
Swalwell faces bipartisan push to expel him from Congress -- Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (R-Fla.) said her motion to expel Swalwell could come as early as Tuesday. Democrats also want to expel Texas Republican Rep. Tony Gonzalez, who admitted to a sexual relationship with a staffer who later died by suicide. Ana Ceballos and Ben Wieder in the Los Angeles Times$ Alexei Koseff in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 4/13/26
Swalwell ‘suspends’ campaign for governor amid allegations of sexual assault, nude photos -- His campaign to succeed Gov. Gavin Newsom has all but collapsed as key Democratic supporters, including Rep. Nancy Pelosi and Sen. Adam Schiff, abandon him. “To my family, staff, friends, and supporters, I am deeply sorry for mistakes in judgment I’ve made in my past,” Swalwell wrote on social media Sunday. Dakota Smith, Melody Gutierrez and Seema Mehta in the Los Angeles Times$ Jeremy B. White Politico Ben Finley Associated Press Sophia Bollag in the San Francisco Chronicle$ John Woolfolk in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 4/13/26
Homeland Security to review allegation that Swalwell employed undocumented nanny -- The U.S. Department of Homeland Security is investigating whether Democratic Rep. Eric Swalwell hired an undocumented immigrant as a nanny, the department announced on X. Noah Haggerty in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 4/13/26
How California Democrats Got Behind Swalwell — and Quickly Abandoned Him -- Representative Eric Swalwell, a Washington figure, was largely unknown in the California State Capitol. But influential groups began backing him for governor in the weeks before he was publicly accused of sexual assault. Laurel Rosenhall in the New York Times$ -- 4/13/26
Ro Khanna faces tech-backed challenger as Silicon Valley support fractures -- The battle over a proposed wealth tax has triggered what could be the first competitive race in a decade for a Silicon Valley congressional district, as a coalition of tech leaders has anointed a challenger to unseat Democratic Rep. Ro Khanna. Grace Hase in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 4/13/26
California Republicans rejoice over Swalwell scandal, but split on best GOP candidate for governor -- The party did not endorse a candidate for governor on Sunday because neither of the top Republicans — Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco and former Fox News host Steve Hilton — received the support of 60% of delegates. Bianco won 49% while Hilton had 44%; 7% of delegates voted not to endorse in the race. Nicole Nixon and Seema Mehta in the Los Angeles Times$ Blake Jones Politico Teri Figueroa in the San Diego Union Tribune -- 4/13/26
Republicans acknowledge dimming midterm prospects at California GOP Convention -- Even as loyalty to President Donald Trump remains strong among California Republicans, there is a growing acknowledgement in the party that he has complicated their midterm prospects. Mathew Miranda in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 4/13/26
Wildfire
California leaders promised fire recovery in record time. Los Angeles isn’t seeing it -- Despite early predictions of a rapid recovery, the rate of rebuilding in Los Angeles 15 months after the blazes has fallen behind other recent California wildfires, a new Politico analysis finds. Liam Dillon and Sean McMinn Politico -- 4/13/26
Wildfires killed nearly 20% of the world’s giant sequoias. How crews are racing to save the rest -- Growing campaign of controlled burns, thinning and replanting seedlings aims to limit fire risk this summer and beyond. Paul Rogers in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 4/13/26
San Diego County supervisors used obscure events fund to solicit over $100K from influential donors since 2024 -- The practice raises concerns about transparency and the potential for untoward political influence, according to political scientists, government accountability advocates and former state regulators who spoke to KPBS. Scott Rodd, Carolyne Corelis KPBS -- 4/13/26
‘San Francisco treasure’: City, state leaders blast Trump for firing Presidio board -- Local and state leaders blasted President Donald Trump’s decision to fire all six board members of the Presidio Trust, the federal agency that runs the historic Presidio national park in San Francisco. Catherine Ho in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 4/13/26
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U.S. Blockade of Strait of Hormuz Appears to Take Effect -- The U.S. military blockade appeared to have started at 10 a.m. ET on Monday, according to a U.K. notice to mariners, after President Trump vowed to block ships entering or existing Iranian ports following failed peace talks. The item is in the Wall Street Journal$ -- 4/13/26
U.S. Threat to Blockade Hormuz Sets Up Risky New Showdown -- Move sets off a high-stakes war of attrition that will test who has the higher threshold for pain—Tehran or global markets. Vera Bergengruen, Shelby Holliday and Georgi Kantchev in the Wall Street Journal$ -- 4/12/26
US military says it will blockade Iranian ports after ceasefire talks ended without agreement -- U.S. Central Command announced the blockade would involve all Iranian ports, beginning on Monday at 10 a.m. EDT, or 5:30 p.m. in Iran, to be “enforced impartially against vessels of all nations.” Munir Ahmed, Josh Boak, Sam Metz Associated Press -- 4/13/26
Trump Weighs Limited Strikes Against Iran After Peace Talks Collapse -- The White House is considering a menu of options in addition to blockading the Strait of Hormuz. Robbie Gramer and Alex Leary in the Wall Street Journal$ -- 4/13/26
News Analysis: Trump’s Strait of Hormuz blockade risks clash with China -- In recent days, Beijing has warned that access to its shipping lanes ‘must be guaranteed.’ A full blockade of the Strait of Hormuz could force China to become more directly involved in a conflict that is already heightening tensions with Washington. Michael Wilner in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 4/13/26
The War With Iran Offers a Snapshot of Trump World. It’s Not a Pretty Picture -- The conflict has proved messier and more complex than Trump expected. The resulting energy shocks have damaged the domestic economy and alienated allies. The already-limited political support for the war at home has rapidly eroded, even among some of Trump’s erstwhile supporters. Ian Ward Politico -- 4/13/26
Trump Says Gas Prices Might Not Drop By Midterms, Underscoring G.O.P. Peril -- The president has sent mixed messages on how long he expects costs to be high. Some in his party voiced fresh concern after his comments on Sunday. Tim Balk in the New York Times$ -- 4/13/26
China, Iran weaponized the global economy to beat the U.S. at its own game -- Twice in one year, the United States has been humbled by an adversary’s ability to weaponize its control over one of the global economy’s main arteries. David J. Lynch in the Washington Post$ -- 4/13/26