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Updating . . .
California Policy and Politics Friday
100 days of 100-degree misery: A summer of relentless, oppressive heat across the West -- To get an idea of how the forces of climate change and extreme heat are transforming the West, consider the summer Phoenix has endured. Summer Lin and Ashley Ahn in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 9/6/24
These California cities are facing hottest days in years -- Temperatures over 110 degrees are possible in Ontario, Riverside, the San Fernando Valley, the Inland Empire and San Diego valleys Thursday through Saturday. Woodland Hills and other foothill neighborhoods near Calabasas could reach as high as 118 degrees Friday. Anthony Edwards in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 9/6/24
Cashing in? A California tribe bought campaign ads for lawmaker who cast key gambling vote -- Evan Low’s congressional campaign received $60,000 in digital radio ads from a casino-owning Southern California tribe after the Democratic Assemblymember voted for a controversial gambling bill. Ryan Sabalow CalMatters -- 9/6/24
In tight Inland Empire race, first transgender candidate could oust first Republican Latina -- Nearly an hour into a fundraiser in a tidy gated community just outside Palm Springs in late May, a soft-spoken Lisa Middleton — who could become California’s first out transgender state lawmaker if elected in November — acknowledged her historic run for office matter of factly and without fanfare. Mackenzie Mays in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 9/6/24
Gavin Newsom wants to regulate the state’s supply of gasoline, and pronto. Why? -- So concerned is he that gasoline prices will spike again that he recently called the state Legislature into a special session to craft legislation that would create what would amount to a California strategic gasoline reserve. Russ Mitchell in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 9/6/24
Crime, labor and reparations: What to know about the state bills awaiting their fate -- A few takeaways at the end of California’s 2024 legislative session. Ryan Fonseca in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 9/6/24
What California lawmakers did to regulate artificial intelligence -- The California Legislature passed more than a dozen bills to regulate artificial intelligence in recent days, though some ambitions fell short. Khari Johnson CalMatters -- 9/6/24
Newsom urges emergency rules to rein in sale of easily purchased hemp products with potent high -- Gov. Gavin Newsom proposed new regulations on Friday aimed at keeping children from consuming hemp products that contain intoxicating levels of THC. Connor Sheets in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 9/6/24
Skelton: State Senate rebellion against Newsom appears to subside -- Using a baseball tactic that former college ballplayer Gavin Newsom should understand, the Legislature has started throwing brushback pitches at the lame duck governor. George Skelton in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 9/6/24
Walters: Warehouse regulation bill attracts strange bedfellows in support and opposition -- Bills affecting specific economic sectors are, in some respects, the bread and butter of state legislative sessions, because they tend to have hefty financial consequences and when they pop up, the battle lines are generally quite predictable. Dan Walters CalMatters -- 9/6/24
L.A.’s ‘mansion tax’ has collected $375 million. Where is the money going? -- Measure ULA has faced numerous challenges since it was approved, and its fate is uncertain, but the city is moving forward to develop programs with the tax money. Paloma Esquivel in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 9/6/24
Workplace
Video game actors’ strike: SAG-AFTRA says 80 games have agreed to its AI terms -- The Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists announced Thursday that 80 video games have agreed to the union’s proposed AI terms as the video game performers’ strike rages on. Christi Carras in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 9/6/24
Border
Louis Vuitton clothes and Vegas hotels: Border agents spent big with money from Mexican cartels, prosecutors say -- It seemed like a harmless work assignment trade. Jesse Garcia, a U.S. border patrol officer, was monitoring the pedestrian lane at the border crossing in Tecate on Aug. 22, 2023, when he asked a fellow officer to switch assignments so that Garcia would work the primary vehicle lane. Noah Goldberg in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 9/6/24
Fentanyl
San Francisco is deporting migrants to fight fentanyl crisis -- San Francisco has long celebrated its progressive values and immigration sanctuary policies. A deadly fentanyl crisis is testing its commitment to those ideals. Eliyahu Kamisher | Bloomberg in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 9/6/24
Homeless
Can AI help solve homelessness? Gov. Newsom thinks so -- On Thursday, Newsom announced the state will seek proposals from AI developers, such as Bay Area tech giants Google and Open AI, to help officials connect homeless people with shelter or treatment and speed up the local permitting and approval process for affordable housing. Ethan Varian in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 9/6/24
Rancho Palos Verdes
Disaster spreading in Rancho Palos Verdes: Gas will be shut off to 54 more homes as land shifts -- The decision followed a sudden gas line break on Exultant Drive in Seaview on Aug. 30, as well as new geological hazard surveys, SoCalGas said in a statement. Karen Garcia in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 9/6/24
Education
Why the UC campus with a ‘safety school’ image has seen a jump in popularity -- Several students at the campus this fall said they chose Merced because they wanted a smaller school, with professors who know your name, where you aren’t a faceless undergrad in a lecture hall with 500 classmates, where recommendations for jobs or grad school are real reflections of who you are and where everyone looks out for each other. Jill Tucker in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 9/6/24
Should California community colleges offer bachelor’s degrees in nursing? Universities say no -- Lawmakers approved two bills to allow some community colleges to provide bachelor’s degrees in nursing. That’s setting up another conflict with the California State University, which already offers these bachelor’s degrees. Mikhail Zinshteyn CalMatters -- 9/6/24
Develop
This S.F. developer is ‘betting the house’ on the city’s recovery -- Oisin Heneghan has heard all the reasons why most developers won’t touch San Francisco with a 10-foot pole right now. J.K. Dineen in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 9/6/24
California cities, counties may need to consider wildlife connectivity in development plans -- Proposed legislation would direct local governments to consider the impact of development on wildlife movement and restrict use of certain rat poisons. Lila Seidman in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 9/6/24
Top of the Ticket
Trump offers confusing plan to pay for U.S. child care with foreign tariffs -- Former president Donald Trump gave a confusing answer Thursday when asked about making child care more affordable, suggesting the costs would be brought down by his proposed tariffs on foreign nations. Patrick Svitek in the Washington Post$ Jonathan Weisman in the New York Times$ -- 9/6/24
In speech, Trump repeatedly insults Jewish Americans who back Democrats -- Former president Donald Trump, in a speech Thursday to Jewish Republicans, repeatedly denigrated Jewish Americans who vote for Democrats and warned, without evidence, that Israel “will no longer exist” if Vice President Kamala Harris becomes president. Patrick Svitek in the Washington Post$ Mia McCarthy Politico Seema Mehta in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 9/6/24
Trump Proposal to Cut Tax Rate for U.S. Manufacturers Spurs Flurry of Questions -- Some predict a 15% tax cut will boost American jobs and wages, but others worry about administrative burdens and gamesmanship. Jeanne Whalen, Richard Rubin, Chip Cutter and Chao Deng in the Wall Street Journal$ -- 9/6/24
Trump tightens alliance with Musk, advocating broad role in U.S. policymaking -- The GOP presidential nominee endorsed a commission that could give Musk responsibilities for auditing federal spending and regulations, marking another area of collaboration in the run-up to November’s election. Marianne LeVine, Jeff Stein and Trisha Thadani in the Washington Post$ Philip Bump in the Washington Post$ -- 9/6/24
Musk Role in a Trump Presidency Raises Conflict-of-Interest Questions -- Leading a government efficiency commission would give Musk influence over the federal agencies that regulate his empire, including SpaceX and Tesla. Alexa Corse and Becky Peterson in the Wall Street Journal$ -- 9/6/24
Harris’s Huge Cash Edge Means Less Need for Her to Headline Fundraisers -- Vice president raised $361 million in August and ended month with more than $400 million in the bank, giving her an advantage over Trump. Ken Thomas in the Wall Street Journal$ -- 9/6/24
Kamala Harris ran her office like a prosecutor. Not everyone liked that -- People who have worked for Harris say her interactions with staff can resemble a prosecutor prying details from a witness, asking pointed questions about everything from her schedule to policy briefings. And her cautious approach to big decisions has frustrated deputies rather than inspire them. Dan Diamond and Cleve R. Wootson Jr. in the Washington Post$ -- 9/6/24
How the Fight to Define Kamala Harris Will Shape Next Week’s Debate -- The battle over who Ms. Harris is — and what she stands for — will take center stage on Tuesday when she and Donald Trump debate for the first time. Shane Goldmacher in the New York Times$ -- 9/6/24
Trump returning to California for big-dollar fundraisers next week -- Former President Trump is scheduled to return to California next week for a pair of high-dollar fundraisers, one notably hosted by relatives of the wife of Gov. Gavin Newsom, according to invitations obtained by The Times. Seema Mehta in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 9/6/24
Litman: Will Trump ever be tried for Jan. 6? Here’s the answer that emerged from the latest hearing -- Much remained uncertain after Thursday’s hearing on how to proceed with the federal Jan. 6 case against Donald Trump following the Supreme Court’s immunity ruling. But one point seemed clear: It’s not going to trial anytime soon. Harry Litman in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 9/6/24
‘It’s disastrous’: White evangelicals waver after Trump’s shifts on abortion -- Trump can’t win without overwhelming evangelical support. His recent comments on abortion have some of his allies on the religious right worried. Megan Messerly and Adam Wren Politico -- 9/6/24
Walz’s Pennsylvania Campaign Swing Underscores Challenges in the Battleground -- With his daughter, Hope, in tow, Gov. Tim Walz made stops in red-leaning parts of a state that both parties see as critical to victory, but his events featured limited interactions with voters. Jazmine Ulloa in the New York Times$ -- 9/6/24
Tim Walz’s Balancing Act: Folksy Everyman vs. Attack Dog -- Democratic vice presidential nominee has better favorability ratings than JD Vance, his Republican counterpart. John McCormick in the Wall Street Journal$ -- 9/6/24
Vance Calls School Shootings a Grim ‘Fact of Life’ as He Backs Increased Security -- Democrats seized on his comments, arguing that JD Vance was resigned to the reality of school shootings. Simon J. Levien in the New York Times$ -- 9/6/24
Vance Declines to Denounce Carlson After Interview With Holocaust Revisionist -- JD Vance’s campaign said he “doesn’t believe in guilt-by-association cancel culture” but doesn’t share the views of Tucker Carlson’s guest, who claimed the Holocaust was not premeditated genocide. Jonathan Weisman in the New York Times$ -- 9/6/24
Democrats Hope Abortion Will Save the Senate, but It Might Not Be Enough -- The party’s candidates are likely to benefit from running alongside ballot measures to protect abortion rights. But the deeply conservative nature of many of these states poses a serious challenge. Jonathan Weisman in the New York Times$ -- 9/6/24
Also
Worker buried in trench in Los Feliz is freed after a sweltering, six-hour rescue effort -- Paramedics transported the man, who was in serious condition, to a regional trauma center. Two rescuers were treated for heat exhaustion, with one hospitalized, according to the Los Angeles Fire Department. Ashley Ahn in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 9/6/24
California Policy and Politics Thursday
More extreme heat + more people = danger in these California cities. ‘Will it get as hot as Death Valley?’ -- Inland communities with big population booms will experience the most extreme heat days under climate change projections. The combination puts more people at risk — and many cities are unprepared. Alejandra Reyes-Velarde and Arfa Momin CalMatters -- 9/5/24.
Newsom lifts drought declaration for most Californians, yet measures remain in some areas -- At the same time, Newsom decided to keep the drought state of emergency in effect in 39 counties where state officials say significant effects of the severe 2020-22 drought have persisted, including depleted groundwater supplies and threats to native fish. Ian James in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 9/5/24
One person stands between Silicon Valley and a banner year in Sacramento -- All eyes turn to Gov. Gavin Newsom in a final battle with Big Tech in California Democrats’ backyard. Jeremy B. White Politico -- 9/5/24
California lawmakers got tougher on crime this year. What will Newsom decide? -- In response to growing worries about crime in California, the Democratic-controlled Legislature has passed a set of stringent crime bills, marking a significant change in its approach to criminal justice reform compared with previous years. Anabel Sosa in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 9/5/24
Don’t know what to do with your old clothes? California may require the fashion industry to take them back from you — for free -- First-in-the-nation rules head to Newsom, as millions of tons are dumped in developing countries or end up in landfills. Paul Rogers in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 9/4/24
Barabak: Kamala Harris embraces Oakland — and this time the feeling is mutual -- The first time she ran for president, Kamala Harris launched her candidacy with a splashy rally that filled downtown Oakland with more than 20,000 cheering supporters. It was a wholehearted embrace of her birthplace and a nod to the city’s aspirational history. Mark Z. Barabak in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 9/5/24
Newton: Will the 2028 Olympics create lasting benefits for Los Angeles? -- One important place to look is transportation. Planners have boasted about creating a “car-free” Olympics in 2028, which sounds like a tall order for a city notoriously dependent on its freeways. Jim Newton CalMatters -- 9/5/24
Walters: California has spent billions on homelessness but lacks hard data on outcomes -- California has allocated more than $20 billion to alleviate the state’s homelessness crisis since Gavin Newsom became governor in 2019, but there’s precious little data on how the money was spent and what effect it’s had, other than the number of unhoused people has continued to climb. Dan Walters CalMatters -- 9/5/24
Workplace
Oakland sues Southwest Airlines over employees’ right to take sick leave -- Oakland says Southwest Airlines continues to violate its employees’ right to take paid sick leave in order to care for themselves or family members, despite a settlement the airline reached with the city in 2020. Bob Egelko in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 9/5/24
California lawmakers want to ban anti-union meetings at work, but will Newsom go along? -- A bill passed by the Legislature on its last day is a top priority for California labor unions, who say “captive audience” sessions intimidate workers. Business groups say the bill violates employers’ free speech rights. Jeanne Kuang CalMatters -- 9/5/24
Intel announces first round of layoffs. Here’s how many Bay Area employees were affected -- Intel has announced the first round of layoffs, affecting dozens of workers in the Bay Area, as part of its plan to reduce its global workforce by 15%. Aidin Vaziri in the San Francisco Chronicle$ George Avalos in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 9/4/24
The Hot Labor Market Has Melted Away. Just Ask New College Grads -- Unemployment is still low, but job seekers are competing for fewer openings, and hiring is sluggish. That’s a big turnaround from recent years. Talmon Joseph Smith in the New York Times$ -- 9/5/24
Downtown San Diego
San Diego’s largest office landlord sells Symphony Towers for cheap -- The biggest office landlord in the region has offloaded one of downtown San Diego’s most recognizable buildings at a bargain-basement price in a transaction that will have a ripple effect on property values around town. Jennifer Van Grove in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 9/5/24
PG&E
Another PG&E rate hike is in the works for Californians -- Pacific Gas and Electric Co. bills could jump another $6 per month before the end of the year if California regulators vote next week to allow the company to recoup electricity expenses paid during a series of bad storms that brought widespread power outages. Julie Johnson in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 9/5/24
Dream Keeper
Audit requested for $45 million Breed program focused on S.F.’s Black community -- The top city official overseeing Mayor London Breed’s Dream Keeper Initiative has asked the Controller’s Office for a full audit of the program, which has pumped tens of millions of dollars toward addressing systemic racism against the city’s Black population. St. John Barned-Smith, Michael Barba in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 9/5/24
Housing
California settles affordable housing lawsuit with Elk Grove -- As a part of the settlement, Elk Grove agreed to pay $150,000 to the state, identify an additional site for low-income housing and provide a copy of all the city’s future housing development applications that include affordable or supportive housing to the Department of Housing and Community Development. Marcus D. Smith in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 9/5/24
Sutter
Northern California health care giant charged 30% more than other hospitals, study finds -- New research from University of Southern California health economists has found evidence that Sutter Health began implementing allegedly anticompetitive contracting practices in the early 2000s that resulted in prices 30% higher than at comparable hospitals. Catherine Ho in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 9/5/24
Education
Where major California education bills stand after deadline for approval passes -- Several dozen TK-12 and higher education proposals were among the blitz of bills that the California Legislature approved by the Aug. 31 deadline. John Fensterwald, Diana Lambert, Zaidee Stavely, Betty Márquez Rosales, Michael Burke, Amy Dipierro, Emma Gallegos, and Thomas Peele EdSource -- 9/5/24
California schools release a blizzard of data, and that’s why parents can’t make sense of it -- Information about how the state’s K-12 students are performing is located on several sites and is difficult to understand, a new report finds. Carolyn Jones CalMatters John Fensterwald EdSource -- 9/5/24
Street
Sheriff’s deputy facing federal charge over violent incident outside Lancaster WinCo -- More than a year after he was caught on camera throwing a woman to the ground during a violent incident in a WinCo parking lot in Lancaster, a Los Angeles County sheriff’s deputy has been charged with using excessive force. Keri Blakinger in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 9/5/24
Judge signals that federal oversight of Oakland police won’t end soon -- A federal judge on Wednesday indicated that the Oakland Police Department requires further oversight to ensure leaders hold officers accountable for misconduct. David Hernandez in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 9/5/24
Widespread sexual abuse of women in two California prisons draws federal investigation -- The Department of Justice is investigating allegations of rape, groping and sexual harrassment by correctional officials in California women’s prisons. Richard Winton in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 9/5/24
‘Pillowcase Rapist’ to be released, could be making his home in L.A. County again -- A proposal to house a violent sexual predator known as the “Pillowcase Rapist” in the Antelope Valley has officials urging residents to voice their concerns. Doug Smith in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 9/5/24
Unsanitary, unethical, unprofessional’: San Diego sheriff’s oversight board dismisses complaints due to lack of jurisdiction -- The jails are filthy, often strewn with trash, and people in sheriff’s custody get sick from cleaning up human waste that regularly overflows from aging toilets, complaints filed against the San Diego Sheriff’s Office say. Jeff McDonald in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 9/5/24
ICE
Study: ICE fails to provide detainees with language interpretation required by its own rules -- A Spanish-speaking detainee at California’s McFarland immigrant detention facility was struggling in May 2023 to tell a doctor, in broken English, that he sometimes bled from his rectum. Andrea Castillo in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 9/5/24
Border
Suspected migrant-smuggling boat lands at famous Laguna Beach locale -- On Monday, though, lifeguards found something they don’t usually see on the sand: an abandoned, broken-down Panga-style vessel stocked with life jackets and fuel cans. Authorities believe the boat was used to smuggle migrants across the border. Terry Castleman in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 9/5/24
Landslide
Landslides bring uncertainty, fear to Rancho Palos Verdes. How much worse will it get? -- With less than 24 hours’ notice, Nikki Noushkam learned Sunday that Southern California Edison was shutting off power to her home indefinitely. Karen Garcia in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 9/5/24
Top of the Ticket
Trump’s 2020 Election Case Is Back in Court -- Lawyers for the special counsel and the former president are offering their views on how Judge Tanya Chutkan should determine which accusations in the indictment stay and which fall to the Supreme Court’s immunity ruling. Alan Feuer in the New York Times$ -- 9/5/24
Harris pulls ahead of Trump in battlegrounds, poll finds -- Harris is polling ahead of Trump in Georgia, Michigan, Nevada and Wisconsin — but her slight lead is either within or just barely outside the margin of error. Irie Sentner Politico -- 9/5/24
The fear factor is now hurting Trump -- Significantly more swing-state voters view Trump as a “threat to the country” than Harris. It wasn’t always thus. Aaron Blake in the Washington Post$ -- 9/5/24
Trump Questions Fairness of Next Week’s Debate at a Town Hall -- Former President Donald J. Trump, at a Fox News event, insisted without evidence that Vice President Kamala Harris was “going to get the questions in advance.” Michael Gold in the New York Times$ -- 9/5/24
New Hampshire is the latest sign of Donald Trump’s shrinking map -- Donald Trump hasn’t set foot in New Hampshire since he won the state’s GOP primary in January. His campaign hasn’t sent a high-profile surrogate here since the spring. Lisa Kashinsky Politico -- 9/5/24
‘Defund police’ or reimagine safety? Kamala Harris’ record on a historic American issue -- Does Vice President Kamala Harris support “defunding” police? A cluster of interviews from 2020 provides a unique window into her worldview. Kevin Rector in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 9/5/24
Trump to Adopt Elon Musk’s Proposal for Government Efficiency Commission -- Former president also to reiterate calls for lower corporate tax rate and steep regulation cuts. Alex Leary and Richard Rubin in the Wall Street Journal$ -- 9/5/24
Republicans Seize on False Theories About Immigrant Voting -- Activists, party lawyers and state officials are mobilizing behind a crackdown on a supposed scourge of noncitizens’ casting ballots. Voting rights advocates say the effort is spreading misinformation. Alexandra Berzon in the New York Times$ -- 9/5/24
Inflation has been higher in metros with greater 2020 Trump support -- Metros that had more votes for Trump in 2020 have experienced higher inflation since then. Here’s why and what that means for this election. Alyssa Fowers in the Washington Post$ -- 9/5/24
Liz Cheney says she’s voting for Harris because of the ‘danger’ Trump poses -- The former member of Congress’ announcement comes after she flirted briefly with mounting her own third-party bid. Megan Messerly Politico -- 9/5/24
Harris and Trump Campaigns Agree to Debate’s Microphone Rules -- The microphones at the candidates’ debate next Tuesday will be muted when it’s not their turn to speak. Reid J. Epstein in the New York Times$ Eli Stokols Politico -- 9/5/24
Also
Sulzberger: How the quiet war against press freedom could come to America -- Some foreign leaders have ruthlessly curtailed journalism. U.S. politicians could draw from their playbook. A.G. Sulzberger in the Washington Post$ -- 9/5/24