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California Policy and Politics Wednesday
Trump says he’s dropping push for National Guard in Chicago, LA and Portland, Oregon, for now -- President Donald Trump said he’s dropping — for now — his push to deploy National Guard troops in Chicago, Los Angeles and Portland, Oregon, a move that comes after legal roadblocks held up the effort. Michelle L. Price and Jaimie Ding Associated Press -- 12/31/25
Capitol riot ‘does not happen’ without Trump, Jack Smith told Congress -- The Republican-led House Judiciary Committee released on Wednesday a transcript and video of a closed-door interview Smith gave about two investigations of Trump. The document shows how Smith during the course of a daylong deposition repeatedly defended the basis for pursuing indictments against Trump and vigorously rejected Republican suggestions that his investigations were politically motivated. Eric Tucker Associated Press -- 12/31/25
Newsom mobilizes emergency crews as storm bears down on California -- Southern California is heading into the New Year with another round of rain, renewed flood risks and what forecasters say is a near-guarantee of a wet Rose Parade. Gavin J. Quinton in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 12/31/25
California’s budget outlook is grim. Here’s what you need to know -- How did we get here? Where do we go from here? Spend one minute to catch up on everything you need to know about California’s budget health this year. Yue Stella Yu Calmatters -- 12/31/25
Scared of artificial intelligence? New law forces makers to disclose disaster plans -- Big Tech companies will have to disclose how they plan to prevent and handle artificial intelligence disasters. Khari Johnson Calmatters -- 12/31/25
From IVF to AI: California ushers in a wave of far-reaching laws -- Some of the blue state’s new policies stem from long-running battles, while others are responses to Trump 2.0. Lindsey Holden Politico -- 12/31/25
A new California law requires a working fridge in all apartments. LA landlords fought it -- It marks the end of an unusual, decades-long phenomenon mostly in the Los Angeles area where some tenants have had to buy their own appliances after signing a lease. Nadia Lathan Calmatters -- 12/31/25
Wildfire
L.A. City ignored fire safety as it permitted development in high risk areas, lawsuit alleges -- L.A. City repeatedly approved development in fire-prone areas in violation of state standards for safe evacuation and firefighter access, the lawsuit alleges. The city has a long history of struggling to adopt and enforce wildfire safety regulations. Noah Haggerty in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 12/31/25
He Won the $2 Billion Powerball. Now He’s Buying Up Lots Burned in the L.A. Fires -- Edwin Castro is one of the biggest investors snapping up destroyed properties—and he wants to lead in rebuilding his hometown of Altadena. Rebecca Picciotto, Konrad Putzier, Stella Kalinina in the Wall Street Journal$ -- 12/31/25
Khanna swipes at Newsom in potential 2028 preview -- California Rep. Ro Khanna took another swipe at Gov. Gavin Newsom on Tuesday over California’s spending, drawing the Democratic governor into a spat that may offer a preview of the 2028 presidential primary. Jeremy B. White Politico -- 12/31/25
California delays cancellation of immigrant drivers’ commercial licenses -- Roughly 17,000 immigrant truck drivers, largely asylum-seekers, who were slated to soon lose their commercial licenses will retain them for at least two months longer, the California Department of Motor Vehicles said Tuesday. Sara DiNatale in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 12/31/25
Big Tech got regulated, but just barely: 2025 in review -- California showed it was serious about regulating Big Tech in 2025 — and Big Tech showed it was serious about coming to the statehouse and fighting back. The upshot was a barrage of laws designed to curb tech harms but often in watered down form. Ryan Tate Calmatters -- 12/31/25
2025 in review: Devastating fires, federal pushback, and contentious climate compromises -- Days after 2025 began, two fires scorched through Los Angeles neighborhoods, the most destructive in California’s history. The Eaton and Pacific Palisades fires also renewed attention to issues such as utility oversight, insurance coverage, and the broader challenges of wildfire planning in a changing climate. And their harms rippled outward, leaving thousands of low-income workers and immigrants without jobs. Alejandra Reyes-Velarde Calmatters -- 12/31/25
How CalMatters kept our government transparent and our leaders accountable in 2025 -- In 2025, CalMatters’ and The Markup’s reporting prompted lawmakers to introduce eight new bills, agencies to take action, companies to change their practices and constituents to contact their representatives. Sisi Wei Calmatters -- 12/31/25
Water
Recent storms boosted California’s snowpack, but there’s still a long way to go -- Recent atmospheric river storms boosted California’s snowpack, but the state remains at 71% of average for this time of year. State water managers say the next three months are crucial, as their winter storms typically deliver the bulk of the season’s snowpack. Hayley Smith in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 12/31/25
Develop
Long-stalled S.F. tower with over 1,000 homes approved, could become city’s 3rd-tallest building -- Planning Department officials signed off on developer Crescent Heights’ revised plan with 1,019 apartments on Dec. 17. The 67-story project benefited from Senate Bill 423, which fast-tracks approval for projects near transit and with affordable housing, plus California’s density bonus law. Roland Li in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 12/31/25
Workplace
OpenAI Is Paying Employees More Than Any Major Tech Startup in History -- The company’s stock-based compensation is about $1.5 million per employee, on average, across its workforce of roughly 4,000. That is more than seven times higher than the stock-based pay Google disclosed in 2003, before it filed for an initial public offering in 2004. Berber Jin, Nate Rattner and Bradley Olson in the Wall Street Journal$ -- 12/31/25
PG&E
Lower PG&E bills expected for electric and gas customers -- After years of steep increases, PG&E customers are expected to see modestly lower electric and gas bills starting in January 2026, according to a new regulatory filing by the utility. George Avalos in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 12/31/25
Education
Harvard-Westlake blocks TikTok and Clash Royale on student phones. How’s that going down? -- At a time when school cellphone bans or limits are the law in California public schools and in at least 34 other states — a growing national movement to get distracted students off their devices and focused on learning — Harvard-Westlake has found a way to enforce their restrictions by turning to — what else? — a mobile app that partially locks down phones and flags the front office when students attempt to break the rules. Iris Kwok in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 12/31/25
Street
‘Surveillance dragnet’: Lawsuit challenges SFPD’s use of license plate readers -- A San Francisco resident sued the city and its police force over its network of license plate readers, claiming the technology amounts to unconstitutional mass surveillance and that the department let out-of-state agencies access the system’s data, including for tracking tied to federal immigration crackdowns. David Hernandez in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 12/31/25
Huntington Park officers who shot double amputee won’t face charges, D.A. says -- Citing insufficient evidence, the Los Angeles County district attorney’s office said it would not file charges against two Huntington Park police officers in the 2023 fatal shooting of Anthony Lowe, a double amputee who was trying to flee police while holding a long-bladed knife. Libor Jany in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 12/31/25
Flu
A ‘brutal’ flu season could be taking shape in California -- California’s flu season may still look quiet on the surface, but early warning signs suggest that could change quickly. Aidin Vaziri in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 12/31/25
Also
Barabak: Democrats are on a roll. So why not fight one another? -- Democrats are starting the new year on a high. A series of 2025 victories, in red and blue states alike, was marked by a striking improvement over the party’s 2024 showing. Mark Z. Barabak in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 12/31/25
There’s a new push to raise San Diego’s sales tax. Here’s why backers think this one can pass -- A local construction union is proposing a San Diego sales tax increase that could have a better shot at passing than a failed 2024 measure, because it would restrict uses of the additional revenue mostly to infrastructure projects. David Garrick in the San Diego Union Tribune$ -- 12/31/25
This Long Beach studio is designing America’s cheapest EV truck -- Slate Auto is designing America’s cheapest electric truck in a Long Beach studio for roughly $25,000, half the price of competitors. Buyers start with a bare-bones “blank slate” truck and pay extra for features such as power windows, paint, or bigger batteries. Caroline Petrow-Cohen in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 12/31/25
POTUS 47
The plot to redraw America -- How Donald Trump launched a redistricting caper he couldn’t pull off. Adam Wren and Andrew Howard Politico -- 12/31/25
Kennedy Center changed board rules months before vote to add Trump’s name -- The new rules say only trustees appointed by the president can vote, barring other members, including Democrats who hold seats, from decisions. The center said the change reflects “longstanding precedent.” Janay Kingsberry and Kelsey Ables in the Washington Post$ -- 12/31/25
New images offer closer look at demolition for the White House ballroom -- Treasury employees documented the work, photographing crews cutting down trees, clearing landscaping and preparing for major construction. Jonathan Edwards in the Washington Post$ -- 12/31/25
The Incident That Prompted Trump to Ban Epstein From Mar-a-Lago’s Spa -- Mar-a-Lago sent an 18-year-old spa worker on a house call to Jeffrey Epstein in 2003. She complained to her bosses that Epstein pressured her for sex. Joe Palazzolo, Rebecca Ballhaus and Khadeeja Safdar in the Wall Street Journal$ -- 12/31/25
Justice Dept. Now Said to Be Reviewing 5.2 Million Pages of Epstein Files -- The number represents a more precise, and potentially much larger, figure than earlier estimates. The department is seeking to enlist about 400 lawyers to help in the review. Devlin Barrett in the New York Times$ -- 12/31/25
Trump’s foreign policy hangover in 2026 -- President Donald Trump has spent much of his first year playing peacemaker. But many foreign policy quagmires will carry over into next year. Myah Ward, Diana Nerozzi and Nahal Toosi Politico -- 12/31/25
The Separation: Inside the Unraveling U.S.-Ukraine Partnership -- As President Trump sought a peace deal and Vladimir V. Putin sought victory, factions in the White House and Pentagon bled the Ukrainian war effort. Adam Entous in the New York Times$ -- 12/31/25
How Social Security has gotten worse under Trump -- Customer service deteriorated by key measures as the agency enacted sweeping cuts in Trump’s second term, internal data and interviews show. Lisa Rein, Meryl Kornfield and Hannah Natanson in the Washington Post$ -- 12/31/25
Trump Vetoes 2 Bills, Drawing Accusations of Retaliation -- The president said he blocked the bills to save taxpayers’ money. But he has grievances against a tribe in Florida and officials in Colorado. Tyler Pager in the New York Times$ -- 12/31/25
ICE plans $100 million ‘wartime recruitment’ push targeting gun shows, military fans for hires -- U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials are planning to spend $100 million over a one-year period to recruit gun-rights supporters and military enthusiasts through online influencers and a geo-targeted advertising campaign, part of what the agency called a “wartime recruitment” strategy it said was critical to hiring thousands of new deportation officers nationwide, according to an internal document reviewed by The Washington Post. Drew Harwell and Joyce Sohyun Lee in the Washington Post$ -- 12/31/25
California Policy and Politics Tuesday
California regulators order Edison to look for fire risks on its old transmission lines -- Edison also must tell regulators how its 355 miles of out-of-service transmission lines located in areas of high fire risk will be used in the future, according to a document issued by the Office of Energy Infrastructure Safety on Dec. 23. Melody Petersen in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 12/30/25
Proposed half-cent sales tax to fund LA Fire Department is cleared for signature gathering -- A proposal to raise Los Angeles’ sales tax by a half-cent to fund the Los Angeles Fire Department has cleared a required procedural step, allowing proponents to begin collecting signatures to place the measure on a future citywide ballot. Teresa Liu in the LA Daily News -- 12/30/25
Southern California’s unlikely AI mecca is this very industrial city -- Vernon, an industrial town with just a little more than 200 residents, has become Southern California’s unlikely AI data center hub, with facilities consuming power equivalent to more than 26,000 homes. Tech companies are drawn to Vernon’s cheap electricity from its public utility and lack of neighborhood opposition that has blocked data centers elsewhere. Nilesh Christopher in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 12/30/25
Californians may be asked to weigh in on AI rules at the ballot box in 2026 -- Proponents can now begin collecting signatures for a measure that would prohibit children from using smartphones in schools and clamp down on artificial intelligence products, like certain chatbots, that could harm kids. Kate Wolffe in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 12/30/25
Why California is ending coverage for weight-loss drugs despite TrumpRx price cuts -- California is joining several other states in restricting an option they say is no longer affordable as they confront soaring pharmaceutical costs and steep Medicaid cuts under the Trump administration, among other financial pressures. Don Thompson KFF Health News in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 12/30/25
‘This business killed my son’: A California hospital empire rises as patients suffer -- California is sending more people in mental health crises to locked facilities run by for-profit companies. The largest operator is Signature Healthcare Services. Cynthia Dizikes and Joaquin Palomino in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 12/30/25
Talk of California’s ‘billionaire tax’ sparks social media class war, threats of tech exodus -- Taxing the rich to fund social services is not a new idea. But an attempt to do it in California has met an unusually potent backlash. That’s because the proposed 2026 Billionaire Tax Act has split two of the most powerful forces in California politics: unions and Silicon Valley. Rachel Swan in the San Francisco Chronicle$ Nicole Nixon in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 12/30/25
Who would a California wealth tax impact? Here’s a list of the state’s billionaires -- Peter Thiel, Jensen Huang and Mark Zuckerberg would each have to shell out billions of dollars under a proposed California wealth tax that is causing a stir among the Bay Area’s tech tycoons — and the state’s own Democrats. Christian Leonard, Hanna Zakharenko in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 12/30/25
Trump admin can share immigrants’ Medicaid data with ICE, judge rules -- A federal judge ruled Monday that the Trump administration can resume sharing location data about undocumented immigrants receiving public health insurance benefits with Immigration and Customs Enforcement, starting next month. Tyler Katzenberger Politico -- 12/30/25
Speed limits, e-bikes and fines: What’s changing for California drivers in 2026 -- California drivers and residents will see a wide-ranging set of new traffic, safety and consumer protection laws take effect in 2026, affecting everything from school zone speed limits and electric bikes to autonomous vehicles and license plates. Aidin Vaziri in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 12/30/25
Cats, guns and ICE: 7 new California laws in 2026 -- From bans on declawing cats and plastic grocery bags to new anti-discrimination protections for students and cheaper insulin, a raft of new California laws takes effect Jan. 1, with others rolling out through 2026. Grant Stringer in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 12/30/25
Here are five climate issues facing California in the new year -- As climate change continues to threaten California in 2025 — from devastating wildfires, declining kelp forests and struggling salmon runs to shrinking snowpack in the Sierra Nevada — the state has rolled out a range of measures to confront the crisis. Chaewon Chung in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 12/30/25
Delete Act: How you can request your personal information be purged by data brokers in the New Year -- Use a loyalty card at a drug store, browse the web, post on social media, get married or do anything else most people do, and chances are companies called data brokers know about it — along with your email address, your phone number, where you live and virtually everywhere you go. Ethan Baron in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 12/30/25
The top 10 Bay Area stories of 2025 — and what they mean for 2026 -- AI booms, Newsom rises, driverless cars take to the freeways, and the Golden State Valkyries begin with flair. Paul Rogers in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 12/29/25
New California laws rewrite car-buying rules with return policy, pricing reforms -- California lawmakers made major changes to the state’s car-buying rules this year, including a controversial rewrite of the state law that allows buyers to get their money back if they are sold a defective vehicle and a right to return a used vehicle within three days. Ryan Sabalow CalMatters in the Orange County Register$ -- 12/30/25
Year in review: Trump drives uncertain economy -- Immigration raids and the threat of them negatively affected the state’s residents, communities and labor markets in different industries. Farmworkers and farmers are anxious about the future. Citizens and noncitizens of Los Angeles and surrounding areas lost work after the raids, according to one study. Levi Sumagaysay Calmatters -- 12/30/25
Judge blocks release of Rob Reiner and Michele Singer Reiner autopsy findings -- In a prepared statement, the Los Angeles County medical examiner’s office said that it received a court order last week initiated by the Los Angeles Police Department to place a security hold on the cases. Richard Winton and Hannah Fry in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 12/30/25
Reputed Mexican Mafia ‘shot caller’ wins California Supreme Court fight over fines and fees -- California civil liberties groups cheered a decision by the state Supreme Court that wipes out hundreds of dollars in fines for a reputed Mexican Mafia member — a move advocates say strengthens protections for indigent defendants in other cases. Sonja Sharp in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 12/30/25
States step into the breach as Obamacare subsidies lapse -- The efforts, which include actions taken by state leaders in California, Colorado and Maryland, in nearly every case come with a major caveat: They will only be able to help a portion of the people whose health insurance will be too expensive without the enhanced subsidies that Congress opted not to renew before leaving Washington for the year. Alice Miranda Ollstein and Natalie Fertig Politico -- 12/30/25
Rent
Los Angeles Tightens Rent Controls for First Time in Four Decades -- Starting in early February, landlords on most multifamily apartments there can only raise rents 1% to 4% a year, depending on the local inflation rate. That is down from a 3%-8% limit dating back 40 years. Paul Kiernan and Rebecca Picciotto in the Wall Street Journal$ -- 12/30/25
Education
11 new laws that will impact California schools in 2026 -- California students are likely to see fewer cell phones and more gender-neutral bathrooms next year as new state education laws go into effect. Protecting students from immigration raids was a priority for state legislators this year, resulting in several new laws, including one prohibiting school staff from allowing immigration officers to enter campuses or providing student or family information. Diana Lambert EdSource -- 12/30/25
Street
Fines, fees banned for low income defendants after convictions, state Supreme Court rules -- Low-income defendants who are convicted of crimes can’t be assessed fines and fees they can’t afford in order to pay for programs such as electronic monitoring, drug laboratories and court construction, the California Supreme Court ruled Monday. Bob Egelko in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 12/30/25
California health officials unveil draft staffing rules for psychiatric hospitals in response to Chronicle investigation -- Gov. Gavin Newsom’s administration has unveiled proposed staffing requirements for psychiatric hospitals, spurred by a Chronicle investigation that exposed systemic abuse, dysfunction and understaffing in the locked facilities. Cynthia Dizikes, Joaquin Palomino in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 12/30/25
POTUS 47
C.I.A. Conducted Drone Strike on Port in Venezuela -- The attack last week, on a dock purportedly used for shipping narcotics, did not kill anyone, people briefed on the operation said. But it was the first known U.S. operation inside Venezuela. Julian E. Barnes and Tyler Pager in the New York Times$ -- 12/30/25
Grim Evidence of Trump’s Airstrikes Washes Ashore on a Colombian Peninsula -- First came the scorched boat. Then the mangled bodies. Then the packets with traces of marijuana. Now, fishermen fear the ocean that feeds them. Max Bearak, Simón Posada, Christiaan Triebert, Federico Rios in the New York Times$ -- 12/30/25
Trump admin doles out billions for rural health -- Montana and California will receive near equal amounts in 2026, despite their massive size disparity. Alice Miranda Ollstein and Ruth Reader Politico Sabrina Siddiqui in the Wall Street Journal$ -- 12/30/25
Ukraine Seeks Decadeslong Security Guarantee as Trump Offers 15 Years -- Ukraine said President Trump had offered to provide it with security guarantees for 15 years after the end of the war, a duration that Kyiv wants at least doubled to deter Russia from future aggression. Anastasiia Malenko and Georgi Kantchev in the Wall Street Journal$ David E. Sanger in the New York Times$ -- 12/30/25
New Year’s Eve Concerts at Kennedy Center Are Canceled -- A veteran jazz ensemble and a New York dance company have canceled events at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, intensifying the fallout at one of the nation’s pre-eminent arts centers after it was renamed to include President Trump. Adam Nagourney and Neil Vigdor in the New York Times$ -- 12/30/25
‘I Was Just So Naïve’: Inside Marjorie Taylor Greene’s Break With Trump -- How the Georgia congresswoman went from the president’s loudest cheerleader to his loudest Republican critic. Robert Draper in the New York Times$ -- 12/30/25
The Trump administration's plan to close a 'huge loophole' in legal immigration -- The Trump administration has long seen asylum requests as “a huge loophole” in its effort to close the border. Over the last two months, it’s become apparent how it intends to close it. Myah Ward and Eric Bazail-Eimil Politico -- 12/30/25