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California Policy and Politics Monday

Inside the secret AI war between Silicon Valley and China -- In March, artificial intelligence company Anthropic quietly deployed software to spy on China-based customers of its popular coding chatbot Claude Code. The apparent goal: unmasking the Chinese rivals the company suspected of hijacking its technology to make their own AI tools smarter. Cate Cadell, Gerrit De Vynck and Nitasha Tiku in the Washington Post$ -- 7/6/26

14 propositions that could remake California taxes, housing, healthcare and elections -- California voters will decide 14 statewide propositions in the Nov. 3 election, measures placed on the ballot mostly by either powerful interest groups or lawmakers that will affect the lives of millions of Californians. Iris Kwok and Nicole Nixon in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 7/6/26

Judge rejects California tribes’ latest attempt to kill blackjack at cardrooms -- California’s tribal casinos found an ally in Attorney General Rob Bonta who sought to ban blackjack at private cardrooms, but a judge ruled Bonta overstepped his authority. Ryan Sabalow Calmatters Ethan Varian in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 7/6/26

Skelton: The Founding Fathers pledged their fortunes to the cause of liberty. Trump enriches himself -- Could the Declaration of Independence be signed today by this crop of political leaders, particularly the one who occupies and defaces the White House? Not just sign, but sincerely mean it. George Skelton in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 7/6/26

The Pacific Ocean is running a fever. Why that’s an ominous sign -- A marine heat wave covering an area eight times the size of the United States could soon fuel serious storms and extreme heat. Ben Noll in the Washington Post$ Rong-Gong Lin II in the Los Angeles Times$ Greg Porter in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 7/6/26

Workplace

Big Tech Has Suddenly Flipped on the AI Jobs Wipeout Scenario -- Business leaders have shifted their public stance on AI’s impact, now emphasizing job creation and productivity boosts over job elimination. Katherine Bindley in the Wall Street Journal$ -- 7/6/26

Wildfire

New FireSat satellites promise faster wildfire detection over California and beyond -- The launch from Vandenberg Space Force Base is the first phase in a constellation called FireSat that will eventually cover the globe with 50 satellites collecting high-resolution imagery of fires and conditions on the ground every 20 minutes. Eric Niiler in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 7/6/26

The troubling new trend that’s making California’s forest fires more dangerous -- Not only have the number and size of fires grown in recent decades, but fires are burning hotter and more intensely now, and causing more lasting damage to forests. Paul Rogers in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 7/6/26

Education

Short thousands of bilingual teachers, California schools turn to high school students -- California’s audacious goal of having half of all K-12 students enrolled in bilingual education programs by 2030 has encountered one big stumbling block — there aren’t enough qualified bilingual teachers. Zaidee Stavely EdSource -- 7/6/26

Housing

These Bay Area suburbs are the furthest behind on their housing goals -- Walnut Creek has reached just 4% of its state-mandated housing target for 2031, the lowest share of any Bay Area city with a goal of more than 5,000 homes. Some smaller cities in the region are even further behind their own targets. Olivia Borgula in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 7/6/26

For some families, the answer to the housing crisis is in the backyard -- California has led the charge on legalizing ADUs, passing a string of laws over the past decade. Several surveys in the state consistently show that about 3 in 10 ADU owners have a family member living in the unit, while about 4 in 10 rent them to strangers. Julie Z. Weil in the Washington Post$ -- 7/6/26

Did the milk expire? California bans 'sell by' food labels to cut food waste -- In Kimberley Kausen’s home, a passed “sell by” date on a jug of milk means different things to different family members. For her daughter, it means the jug belongs in the trash. For her husband, it means the milk is still good for a few more days. Olga R. Rodriguez Associated Press -- 7/6/26

Yosemite Offers Many Wonders. Crushing Crowds Are Now One of Them -- Visitors are enduring especially long waits at the popular national park after the Trump administration eliminated a summer reservation system. Soumya Karlamangla in the New York Times$ -- 7/6/26

On the California Coast, a Picture-Perfect City Falls on Hard Times -- Santa Monica is in recovery mode after a string of problems, including financial woes and vacant storefronts. Paul Kiernan in the Wall Street Journal$ -- 7/6/26

New federal caps on graduate school loans send students and colleges scrambling -- New federal rules sharply cap how much graduate students can borrow, forcing an immediate sea change in how students evaluate attaining an advanced degree, with some scrambling to pay tuition — and for colleges, prompting concerns about future access to their programs. Andrew Khouri in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 7/6/26

Also

Some beachgoers are creating living rooms with a view on the sand. Cities are cracking down -- Newport Beach, Laguna Beach and other Orange County towns are cracking down on elaborate shade coverings, citing safety issues. Hannah Fry in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 7/6/26

An outdoor paradise in California has a high suicide rate. Locals are determined to turn it around -- Since 2022, there have been nearly 40 confirmed suicide deaths in Truckee, South Lake Tahoe and four lakeside counties, an area with a combined population of about 73,000, according to an analysis by the Tahoe Daily Tribune. Nearly one-quarter of these involved firearms. Eli Victoria Ramos in The Guardian -- 7/6/26

Californians can protect their personal data with one click. Help us test if it works -- If you haven’t heard yet, the state is offering a new way for Californians to protect their data — and we want your help tracking its rollout and effectiveness. Colin Lecher and Mohamed Al Elew Calmatters -- 7/6/26

A tiny eye implant invented by a Stanford scientist is helping blind people read again -- A chip the size of a pencil point inserted into the eye has helped a few dozen blind adults in Europe regain some vision — they’ve been able to paint, to recognize faces and to read to their grandchildren again. Erin Allday in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 7/6/26

Waymo vehicle catches fire during chaotic San Francisco Fourth of July -- An unoccupied Waymo vehicle caught fire in San Francisco after driving over a firework Saturday night, adding another complication to a chaotic Fourth of July marked by fog, gridlock, transit delays and illegal fireworks across the city. Aidin Vaziri in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 7/6/26

POTUS 47

Trump Confirms He Asked FIFA President to Review U.S. Player’s Suspension -- Decision to let striker Folarin Balogun play in World Cup match versus Belgium has caused an uproar among fans around the world. Marianne LeVine and Andrew Beaton in the Wall Street Journal$ Erica L. Green in the New York Times$ Rick Maese and Dan Diamond in the Washington Post$ -- 7/6/26

Inside the White House Campaign to Overturn a World Cup Red Card -- The decision by FIFA to rescind U.S. striker Folarin Balogun’s one-game suspension followed a rapid response from the Trump administration—and a personal call from the president. Brian Schwartz, Natalie Andrews and Joshua Robinson in the Wall Street Journal$ -- 7/6/26

How Trump Put Himself in the Middle of America’s 250th -- The president placed his image and initiatives front and center, blurring the line, critics said, between loyalty to nation and loyalty to him. Erica L. Green in the New York Times$ -- 7/6/26

Supreme Court’s dramatic moves will reshape elections — and give the GOP a midterm boost -- The timing and speed of the justices’ moves are all but unprecedented in recent years, legal experts said. Republicans are expected to reap the most rewards. Justin Jouvenal and Patrick Marley in the Washington Post$ -- 7/6/26