California Policy and Politics Thursday

Gas prices, AI data centers and Trump’s long shadow: Top takeaways from the governor’s race debate -- The two candidates to become California’s next governor painted vastly different portraits of the state they want to lead during a televised CNN debate Wednesday night — though they both agreed the state faces tremendous challenges. Kevin Rector, Seema Mehta, Nicole Nixon and Dakota Smith in the Los Angeles Times$ Jeremy B. White and Blake Jones Politico Jeanne Kuang Calmatters Laurel Rosenhall and Soumya Karlamangla in the New York Times$ Michael R. Blood, Sophie Austin Associated Press -- 10/1/26

‘Blowout’: Here’s who won the Hilton-Becerra debate for California governor -- Arellano: ‘Hilton debated like someone already preparing to launch a podcast or beg for his old Fox News job back after he gets walloped.’ Chabria: ‘Please, for the love of God, Hilton, button that shirt. This is not a casino. ‘ Barabak: Becerra was ‘authoritative, crisp and kept on the offense most of the night, which raises the question of why his campaign handlers have been sheltering him up to now.’ Gustavo Arellano, Mark Z. Barabak and Anita Chabria in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 10/1/26

Walters: Hilton blames Democrats. Becerra blames Trump. Little was learned in governor’s race debate -- “All you say is Trump, Trump, Trump,” Hilton said when the issue was immigration. “Trump, Trump, Trump,” Becerra responded. So it went for an hour and a dozen issues. Dan Walters Calmatters -- 10/1/26

 

California restricts parole for sex offenders after near-release of 2 convicted of molestation -- People convicted of serious sex offenses must serve at least 25 years in prison and cannot receive parole until age 65 under a new California law. Previously, some could earn parole at 50. Nigel Duara Calmatters -- 10/1/26

Newsom signs bill to rein in sexual assault lawsuits poised to bankrupt local governments -- Gov. Gavin Newsom on Wednesday sought to rein in a wave of legal claims that have pushed some local governments and school districts to the brink of bankruptcy, after earlier laws made it much easier to sue over child sexual abuse. Sophia Bollag in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 10/1/26

$7.5-billion mini-NIH plan goes to California voters under bill signed by Newsom -- California voters will decide whether to establish a $7.5-billion state scientific research arm — similar to the National Institutes of Health — after Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a bill that will put the proposal on the March 2028 ballot. Andrew Khouri in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 10/1/26

Newsom signs bill stripping MAGA sheriff of his coroner title -- In what amounts to a laser-focused rebuke to a Republican sheriff who has dismissed concerns about deaths inside his jails, California’s Democratic leaders have stripped Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco of his duties as coroner. Raheem Hosseini in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 10/1/26

Newsom signs first-in-the-nation law to bolster struggling local news organizations -- Gov. Gavin Newsom approved a novel tax plan to keep California’s shrinking newsrooms afloat. It provides incentives for companies to hire journalists. Nadia Lathan Calmatters Sophia Bollag in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 10/1/26

California Gov. Gavin Newsom signs laws to protect workers from AI risks -- The laws ban employers from using the technology to predict a worker’s emotional state by using their biometric data, require employers to send written notices to workers if AI is responsible for mass layoffs and ban employers from relying on AI to decide to fire someone. Sophie Austin Associated Press -- 10/1/26

Newsom vetoes measure that would have penalized the use of smart glasses to secretly record people -- The legislation also would have required companies making smart glasses or other wearable devices, starting in 2028, to include a light or some other feature that indicates that the person is video or audio recording. Sophie Austin Associated Press -- 10/1/26

Newsom signs anti-monopoly bill after bruising legislative battle -- Gov. Gavin Newsom signed Assembly Bill 1776 on Wednesday, modernizing state antitrust legislation. However, former supporters argue the bill was defanged after a multimillion-dollar lobbying effort by business groups. Kate Wolffe Calmatters -- 10/1/26

California bans child marriage after 9-year fight to outlaw the practice -- Gov. Gavin Newsom signed into law a measure to ban anyone from marrying anyone under the age of 18, making California the 18th state to do so in a decade-long nationwide push to outlaw the practice. Lynn La and Nadia Lathan Calmatters Raheem Hosseini in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 10/1/26

 

Newsom on 2028 timeline: ‘There’s no such thing as a deadline’ -- Gavin Newsom says his children will have the final say on a 2028 presidential run — and that he’s leaving the timing to “fate.” “That moment will arrive when it arrives. You’ll know it,” the California governor told reporters on Wednesday. “There’s no such thing as a deadline.” Blake Jones Politico -- 10/1/26

Garofoli: Why Bernie Sanders is California Democrats’ campaign closer -- Sen. Bernie Sanders represents a tiny state on the opposite coast, but continues to be one of the most powerful messengers in California politics. Joe Garofoli in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 10/1/26

Newsom, Eager for a Higher Perch, Climbs the Golden Gate Bridge -- Gavin Newsom does not do subtle. So when Mr. Newsom, the California governor, pondered where to sign one of his final bills, he apparently figured his desk in Sacramento simply would not do. Heather Knight in the New York Times$ -- 10/1/26

Education

Schools were confused about K-12 arts funding. A new law adds clarity -- Schools seeking to spend their windfall of Proposition 28 arts education money will have more clarity and guidelines under a law Gov. Gavin Newsom signed over the weekend. Carolyn Jones Calmatters -- 10/1/26

Workplace

Sen. Tim Scott touts federal film tax credit as a blue-collar jobs bill -- Touting his love for movies, Sen. Tim Scott (R-S.C.) said he decided to co-sponsor legislation to create a federal film and television tax credit because it would help boost U.S. blue-collar jobs and provide more diversity in how America is portrayed on screen. Samantha Masunaga in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 10/1/26

AI

Anthropic says its AI models could manipulate, blackmail and harm humans -- Anthropic disclosed that its advanced artificial intelligence technology poses “existential risks to humanity” in an initial public offering document. Nilesh Christopher in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 10/1/26

War of words: Newsom orders California to say AI after Trump’s ‘superintelligence’ decree -- Donald Trump’s quest to rebrand AI has a new opponent. California Gov. Gavin Newsom issued an executive order Wednesday requiring state agencies to refer to the technology only as “artificial intelligence” or AI. Tyler Katzenberger Politico -- 10/1/26

Street

DA says grandparents were ‘lying in wait’ to shoot N.Y. Times employee son-in-law at Dublin park -- Security cameras and multiple witnesses saw an East Bay couple in their late 70s shoot their son-in-law together Saturday afternoon in the crowded parking lot of a suburban park, police said. Anna Bauman, Brooke Park in the San Francisco Chronicle$ Nate Gartrell and Jakob Rodgers in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 10/1/26

Also

Newsom, Eager for a Higher Perch, Climbs the Golden Gate Bridge -- Gavin Newsom does not do subtle. So when Mr. Newsom, the California governor, pondered where to sign one of his final bills, he apparently figured his desk in Sacramento simply would not do. Heather Knight in the New York Times$ -- 10/1/26

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Trump’s Voluntary A.I. Policing Echoes What Biden Did. But Is It Enough Today? -- President Trump’s plan to let A.I. companies police themselves comes amid mounting examples that they are failing to put safeguards on the technology. David E. Sanger in the New York Times$ -- 10/1/26

Trump Sending $500 Checks With Letter Touting Healthcare Record -- President Trump began sending $500 checks to nearly one million people and enclosed a letter touting his record on cutting healthcare costs, just a month before voters go to the polls for the midterm elections. Natalie Andrews in the Wall Street Journal$ -- 10/1/26

 

California Policy and Politics Wednesday

Advocates sue OpenAI over Hugging Face hack under California anti-hacking law -- The complaint, filed Tuesday afternoon in San Francisco Superior Court, appears to be the first against OpenAI over the incident, which was disclosed in July as the earliest known example of artificial intelligence agents escaping human control to access the open internet, autonomously hack another company and scheme to cover their tracks. Christine Mui Politico -- 9/30/26

OpenAI Ignored Employees Who Warned It Wasn’t Doing Enough About Security -- Months before OpenAI’s artificial intelligence went rogue, two employees raised an alarm with top executives. They were ignored. In emails, the employees said they worried that OpenAI’s newest artificial intelligence models were not being appropriately monitored during testing to gauge the technology’s sophistication and to secure the models, according to messages viewed by The New York Times. Sheera Frenkel, Dustin Volz and Dylan Freedman in the New York Times$ -- 9/30/26

How Meta Uses A.I. Data Centers to Avoid Billions in Federal Taxes -- Meta is exploiting a lucrative tax break intended to support research and experimentation. Its own accountants say the gambit is risky. Kashmir Hill, Jesse Drucker, Eli Tan and Mike Isaac in the New York Times$ -- 9/30/26

 

3 Californians sue ICE officers hours after Newsom signs bill greenlighting lawsuits -- Three U.S. citizens arrested and detained by immigration agents are the first Californians to sue federal officers under the No Kings Act hours after it was signed by Gov. Gavin Newsom on Tuesday. Sara DiNatale in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 9/30/26

Newsom signs new laws to rein in immigration agents as Trump’s deportation campaign escalates -- Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a package of laws that aim to check federal agents during the Trump administration’s deportation program and improve conditions in detention centers. Several likely will be challenged in court. Nigel Duara Calmatters Nicole Nixon in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 9/30/26

Data from 911 calls at ICE detention centers must be disclosed under new California law -- Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a law compelling the release of information about 911 calls from immigrant detention centers. It followed CalMatters’ reporting about alleged rapes at one site. Wendy Fry Calmatters -- 9/30/26

 

Fewer California Republicans approve of Trump, poll says. That could hurt GOP midterm chances -- With gas prices topping $6 a gallon and an unpopular war continuing in Iran, President Trump’s approval has slipped with California Republicans — a falloff that could diminish the party’s chances in the state’s few competitive congressional races. Ben Wieder in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 9/30/26

Barabak: Will or won’t they? Newsom and Harris weigh 2028 contest — and possible collision -- The two San Francisco Democrats have spent decades in tacit competition, avoiding direct conflict. Newsom said he would defer to Harris in the presidential race. Did he just give her the upper hand? Mark Z. Barabak in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 9/30/26

House Speaker Mike Johnson stumping and fundraising for California GOP congressional candidates -- House Speaker Mike Johnson is heading to California’s Central Valley and Inland Empire to campaign and raise money for Republicans in midterm contests. Seema Mehta in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 9/30/26

How the battle for Pelosi’s seat ignited a bitter San Francisco Democratic showdown -- After being securely held for nearly four decades by one of the most preeminent politicians in California history, the House seat to represent bright blue San Francisco in Congress is up for grabs in November — and dividing the Democratic Party. Kevin Rector in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 9/30/26

Bass and Raman split on Gaza and the term genocide during Jewish Federation forum -- The candidates for Los Angeles mayor gave opposing takes on the war in Gaza on Tuesday night, with Councilmember Nithya Raman saying Israel has committed genocide and Mayor Karen Bass asserting the term is inappropriate. David Zahniser and Noah Goldberg in the Los Angeles Times$ Shawn Hubler in the New York Times$ -- 9/30/26

 

Why California’s poverty rate is second only to Louisiana -- The rent, as we all know, is too damn high. So is California’s poverty rate. The two things are related. Ben Christopher Calmatters -- 9/30/26

As S.F. sticks with Flock cameras, mayor to put ‘tighter’ limits on license plate scans -- San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie is responding to the rising backlash against Flock license plate readers that have agitated everyone from Tucker Carlson to the masked activists who recently crashed a board meeting of the local Democratic Party. Michael Barba in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 9/30/26

Walters: California’s hallmark economic sectors are confronting threats to their survival -- California’s economy is not only one of the world’s largest at more than $4 trillion but one of its most diverse. No single industry dominates. Rather, there are three hallmarks with global reach — film and TV production, technology and large-scale agriculture — and a variety of less famous sectors. Dan Walters Calmatters -- 9/30/26

Insurance

New California law will change how you sign up for home insurance -- In almost all cases, home insurance policies — including those marketed as replacement cost coverage — will only replace a policyholder’s home and belongings up to a set coverage limit. Extended replacement cost coverage allows a policyholder to go beyond that limit if they need to. And oftentimes, they need to. Megan Fan Munce, Susie Neilson in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 9/30/26

HSR

California high-speed rail fails to accomplish most of its legislative goals for 2026 -- California’s high-speed rail authority wanted state lawmakers to cut red tape and raise more revenue to keep the train project on track. Only one of the policies it advocated became law this year. Yue Stella Yu Calmatters -- 9/30/26

Develop

A $450-million Hollywood studio stacks soundstages, parking and bungalows in the sky -- A $450-million studio rising on the site of a former Sears store will pack five soundstages and production facilities onto a 5-acre Hollywood site, topped by landscaped bungalows with sweeping views. The project arrives amid a sharp downturn in local production. Roger Vincent in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 9/30/26

Education

Abortion pills to be offered at California community college health centers under new law -- Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a law Sunday requiring California community colleges with health centers to provide access to abortion medication starting in 2029. A previous law already requires public universities in California to offer abortion pills. Noelle Doblado and Skylar Stock Calmatters -- 9/30/26

Why more students are taking the SAT, even as UC and CSU campuses remain test-free -- California high school students are increasingly taking the SAT, as more universities are again requiring standardized tests for admission and as the University of California is debating whether to reinstate its test requirement amid concerns over academic preparedness. Andrew Khouri in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 9/30/26

Environment

A Kelvin Wave Is Heading Toward the California Coast, Bringing Trouble -- In the coming days, sea levels off Southern California are expected to begin rising by half a foot or more and then stay elevated for months, as an enormous pulse of wave energy generated by El Niño travels up the coast, lifting the water as it goes. Raymond Zhong in the New York Times$ -- 9/30/26

Free state parks admission, new hurdles for offshore oil drilling among environmental bills Newsom signs -- With less than 100 days left in his final term as governor, Gavin Newsom on Tuesday signed environmental bills that make it more difficult for President Donald Trump to open California’s coast to new offshore oil drilling, expand “non-lethal strategies” for wolves and ranchers to co-exist, and make a program permanent that provides free admission to state parks by allowing people to check out parks passes from public libraries. Paul Rogers in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 9/30/26

California on track to conserve 30% of its land, but is lagging on coastal waters -- The state added more than 1 million acres this last year toward its goal of conserving 30% of it land by 2030. It made no progress toward conserving 30% of its coastal waters in the same time frame. Noah Haggerty in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 9/30/26

Oil

Can California stop Trump from drilling off its coast? A new law tries -- The new state law, Assembly Bill 1448 from Assemblymember Gregg Hart (D-Santa Barbara), will make it illegal for oil producers to use oil rigs, pipelines and other equipment currently in state waters to support any new federal offshore oil leases. Hayley Smith in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 9/30/26

How the U.S. got oil shipments moving and what it would take to bring prices down -- But the forces driving high fuel prices are not receding along with the development. That will require a lot more than the costly military campaign that is clearing the way for passage of one product at one particular moment in the war. Evan Halper in the Washington Post$ -- 9/30/26

Coal

Trump-backed Oakland coal terminal would be far bigger and dirtier than promised, report says -- A report commissioned by potential investors says a Trump-backed Oakland coal terminal could ship more than 13 million tons annually — three times the amount in an earlier environmental review. The report says coal would sit in open-air bunkers, contradicting assurances of an enclosed facility. Hayley Smith in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 9/30/26

Homeless

New California law frees up funds for sober homeless housing -- Gov. Gavin Newsom has signed a bill intended to free up state funds for homeless housing that requires sobriety after vetoing a similar effort last year. Marisa Kendall Calmatters -- 9/30/26

Street

LAPD is no longer majority white — but a recent scandal shows racism remains an issue -- A scandal involving LAPD recruitment officers who were secretly recorded making racist comments has once again forced the department to reckon with evidence of entrenched prejudice in the ranks. Libor Jany in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 9/30/26

Also

Why Aaron Sorkin left Trump out of ‘The Social Reckoning’ -- Aaron Sorkin says “The Social Reckoning” “shouldn’t” be a political film. But he acknowledges that it is one, probing Facebook’s role in the rise of extremism and division ahead of the 2020 presidential election and the subsequent Jan. 6 riot at the Capitol. Daniel Miller Politico -- 9/30/26

A new California law will prohibit sales of disposable vapes -- Gov. Newsom signed a law prohibiting the sale of disposable vapes, a measure meant to prevent lithium battery fires at landfills and recycling centers. Lynn La Calmatters -- 9/30/26

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Homeland Security taps $20 million in taxpayer funds for pro-Trump ads -- The Department of Homeland Security has tapped $20 million to pay for the campaign-style ads glorifying President Trump that have drawn widespread criticism from Republicans and Democrats as a blatant misuse of taxpayer dollars that probably runs afoul of anti-propaganda law. Lisa Mascaro and Ali Swenson in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 9/30/26

How Trump’s sweeping changes are remaking Washington -- No modern president has done more to personally reshape the nation’s capital. It’s an effort that Trump’s deputies and allies credit as a major achievement. Many others just want him to stop. Aaron Steckelberg, Leslie Shapiro and Dan Diamond in the Washington Post$ -- 9/29/26

Can Trump Legally Demolish the Kennedy Center? Experts Say Not Easily -- After a federal judge was alerted to the ominous photos of the president on Air Force One, he ordered the administration to announce any demolition plans more than 30 days in advance so that legal objections could be heard. Beyond that court-imposed buffer, experts say there are layers of legal protections that insulate the Kennedy Center from the wrecking ball. Julia Jacobs in the New York Times$ -- 9/30/26