California Policy and Politics Wednesday

Most California voters still disapprove of Trump’s immigration crackdown, poll shows -- The findings of the UC Berkeley Institute of Governmental Studies poll, released Wednesday, show that most Californians haven’t budged on their thoughts about the president’s approach to immigration since he returned to office. Andrea Castillo in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 4/1/26

Sacramento mother who was deported, then returned, will appeal green card denial -- Maria de Jesus Estrada Juarez, the Sacramento mother who returned to the U.S. Monday after a federal judge found her deportation unlawful, will continue her legal fight against the government. Mathew Miranda in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 4/1/26

 

Key nonprofit pitches tech giants to pay $100M each for AI safety effort -- California-based nonprofit Common Sense Media is asking top AI firms to help fund new safety assessments — and it’s offering companies input into the process, according to documents and people close to the effort. Christine Mui and Brendan Bordelon Politico -- 4/1/26

 

Donations to gubernatorial candidate could violate California campaign rules -- Riverside Sheriff Chad Bianco received maximum donations from two closely linked Corona companies that have been run by the same siblings, which could violate California campaign finance law. Sophia Bollag in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 4/1/26

Democrats risk a historic upset in California -- California Democrats say they’ll clean up this mess. But in a governor’s race that has all the makings of a debacle, they’re digging themselves deeper. Jeremy B. White Politico -- 4/1/26

Barabak: Is California really going to elect a Republican governor? Is there a Democratic Plan B? -- There’s no all-powerful being who can cull the Democratic field to avoid a shutout in the June primary. While the prospect of blue California going red in November is unlikely, it’s not impossible. Mark Z. Barabak in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 4/1/26

Differences that may decide race for Nancy Pelosi’s seat on display at debate -- The top three Democratic candidates vying to succeed Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi in Congress share broad agreement on most issues, but an hour-long debate Tuesday highlighted the differences that may decide the race. Joe Garofoli in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 4/1/26

 

Supreme Court ruling imperils California’s ban on conversion therapy -- The Supreme Court ruled Tuesday that a Colorado ban on conversion therapy violates the First Amendment, potentially invalidating other state laws like California’s that have long prohibited the practice as junk science. Lia Russell in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 4/1/26

Trump administration adopted rules that fail to protect endangered species, Bay Area judge rules -- In a lawsuit by the Center for Biological Diversity and other environmental groups, U.S. District Judge Jon Tigar said Monday that the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and other agencies in President Donald Trump’s administration had adopted rules that fail to adequately protect endangered or threatened species. Bob Egelko in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 4/1/26

Environmental group signs deal to buy Golden Gate Fields horse track with plans to create huge new East Bay waterfront park -- In a historic land conservation deal, a San Francisco environmental group has signed an agreement to purchase Golden Gate Fields, the site of a famous horse racing track from 1941 to 2024 along the eastern shores of San Francisco Bay, and preserve it as open space and a panoramic new waterfront park. Paul Rogers in the San Jose Mercury$ Sam Whiting in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 4/1/26

SFO

What you need to know about SFO delays expected under new FAA order -- San Francisco International Airport is expected to face major indefinite delays for arriving flights after a new Federal Aviation Administration order prohibited parallel landings. Roland Li in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 4/1/26

Workplace

Pfizer to shutter South S.F. research site, end Bay Area presence -- Pfizer will shutter its South San Francisco research site and office at the end of April, marking a significant retreat from the Bay Area’s flagship biotech hub and raising questions about the city’s post-pandemic life sciences economy. Laura Waxmann in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 4/1/26

Oracle lays off thousands in latest sign of tough times for tech industry -- On LinkedIn, Oracle employees, including software engineers, account executives and program managers, shared publicly that they were affected by a mass layoff at the company and were looking for new jobs. Oracle was founded in California, but moved its headquarters to Austin, Texas, in 2020. Queenie Wong in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 4/1/26

Trump’s MAGA allies have a new plan for mass deportations. It could splinter the coalition -- Surpassing 1 million deportations this year hinges on worksite enforcement — which would enrage farm and construction groups (and possibly voters). Samuel Benson Politico -- 4/1/26

Grenade deaths of L.A. County deputies involved ‘willful’ safety violations, state finds -- A state investigation into how three Los Angeles County sheriff’s bomb squad detectives were killed by a grenade in a department parking lot has found a series of “willful” safety violations, including failure to provide effective training and explosives that were left unattended leading up to the incident last year. Richard Winton and Salvador Hernandez in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 4/1/26

Water

April 1 is supposed to be peak snow in California. Forget that this year -- A month of record-shattering heat thawed the snow and sent runoff coursing into streams and rivers, leaving only minimal water in the mountains as the state heads into dry season. Ian James in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 4/1/26

Tijuana River

Feds visit Imperial Beach to assess economic toll of Tijuana River pollution crisis -- William Briggs, deputy administrator of the U.S. Small Business Administration, traveled to Imperial Beach on Tuesday to hear directly from small business owners about the economic impact of the ongoing Tijuana River pollution crisis, framing the visit as a fact-finding mission ahead of potential federal action. Walker Armstrong in the San Diego Union Tribune -- 4/1/26

Housing

California considering a first of its kind idea to boost factory-built housing -- To encourage housing developers to build more homes inside factories, which supporters say could result in more affordable housing, the state might get into the construction insurance business. Ben Christopher Calmatters -- 4/1/26

Education

California middle schools are ground zero for testing AI in classrooms -- In Gregory Dharman’s eighth grade math class at South Lake Middle School in Irvine, the exit ticket his students turn in every month doesn’t go to the teacher — they go to Snorkl, an artificial intelligence software program capable of grading quizzes, exams and homework. Amelia Angeles EdSource -- 4/1/26

CSU made a $17-million AI bet. A year later, students and faculty give it a mixed grade -- Faculty remain deeply divided on AI’s educational value, while staff and students are more enthusiastic. Jaweed Kaleem in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 4/1/26

Street

‘Please help me’ were his last words, uttered in a jail cell and ignored by a deputy. He died hours later -- In the last hours of his life, Bobby Ray Patton Jr. was moaning loudly from inside his cell at the Vista Detention Facility. He had been diagnosed with the flu days earlier and was also being treated for suspected pneumonia. A deputy had escorted him to the jail’s medical clinic less than eight hours earlier. Jeff McDonald, Kelly Davis in the San Diego Union Tribune -- 4/1/26

Silicon Valley city to give residents free doorbell cameras to deter crime -- Milpitas, the Bay Area city that calls itself the “Crossroads of Silicon Valley,” plans to give residents free wireless doorbell cameras under a new program aimed at deterring crime and helping police gather video evidence. Aidin Vaziri in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 4/1/26

Also

Gas just hit $6 in Los Angeles. Here’s where you can still find it for $5 -- Gas prices in Los Angeles hit $6 per gallon Tuesday, marking a troubling milestone driven by supply disruptions during the Iran war. Some local gas stations still offer fuel near $5 a gallon or less, including locations in Long Beach, East Hollywood, San Gabriel and Monrovia. Clara Harter in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 4/1/26

The Artemis II moon mission starts in Mountain View — before it ever leaves Earth -- As NASA counts down to its first crewed moon mission in more than 50 years, work in Silicon Valley will help ensure the rocket lifts off smoothly and its astronauts return safely home. Ethan Varian in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 4/1/26

POTUS 47

Trump Berates Allies While Offering Conflicting Signals About the War -- President Trump said that he was considering leaving NATO over allies’ failure to support his Iran offensive. After suggesting that the U.S. war would end in weeks, he threatened Iran with more attacks. He was scheduled to deliver an address on the war at 9 p.m. Eastern. Abdi Latif Dahir, Megan Specia,Erika Solomon and Zolan Kanno-Youngs in the New York Times$ -- 4/1/26

Trump says he halted nuclear threat from Iran, despite evidence to the contrary -- President Trump declared on Tuesday that he had already achieved one of the primary objectives of his attack on Iran, the elimination of its ability to build a nuclear weapon. But there is no evidence that the United States or Israel has removed or destroyed the country’s stockpile of near-bomb-grade fuel. David E. Sanger in the New York Times$ -- 4/1/26

With gas prices on the rise, Trump officials discuss feared $150 oil -- White House senior staff and administration officials are discussing the possibility that oil prices climb to a record $150 or more per barrel as the Iran war drags into its second month, according to a person familiar with the conversations and two people close to the White House. Scott Waldman, Eli Stokols and Dasha Burns Politico -- 4/1/26

U.A.E. Wants to Force Hormuz Open and Is Willing to Join the Fight -- The United Arab Emirates is preparing to help the U.S. and other allies open the Strait of Hormuz by force, Arab officials said, a move that would make it the first Persian Gulf country to become a combatant, after being hit by Iranian attacks. Summer Said, David S. Cloud and Michael Amon in the Wall Street Journal$ -- 4/1/26

 

Judge Halts Construction of Trump’s White House Ballroom -- Decision says construction on the estimated $400 million project can’t proceed until Congress authorizes it. Lydia Wheeler in the Wall Street Journal$ Michael Kunzelman, Will Weissert Associated Press Zach Montague in the New York Times$ Dan Diamond and Jonathan Edwards in the Washington Post$ -- 4/1/26

Trump Orders Federal Government to Create Eligible-Voter List -- The order requires the Homeland Security secretary to oversee an effort to draw up lists of voters who are U.S. citizens, over 18 and maintain a residence in a particular state. Louise Radnofsky and Alyssa Lukpat in the Wall Street Journal$ -- 4/1/26

Judge deals Trump setback in civil suits over Capitol riot -- U.S. District Judge Amit Mehta ruled that evidence produced so far in the litigation brought by police officers and Democratic lawmakers indicated that Trump’s speech at the Ellipse that day was political in nature and not subject to the immunity the Supreme Court has found for a president’s official acts. Josh Gerstein and Kyle Cheney Politico -- 4/1/26

Trump Administration Acted Illegally With Homeless Grants Program, Judge Rules -- A federal judge on Tuesday ruled that the Trump administration had illegally demanded that groups seeking homelessness grants comply with its agenda on immigration enforcement, transgender rights and other unrelated issues. Jason DeParle in the New York Times$ -- 4/1/26

Trump’s Executive Order on NPR and PBS Is Unconstitutional, Judge Rules -- The ruling will have minimal effect on the federal money going to public media because Congress voted to claw back funding. But it could have implications for any future funding. Benjamin Mullin in the New York Times$ -- 4/1/26

 

Fired FBI agents sue Patel, Bondi for ‘retribution campaign’ -- The lawsuit is among a growing list of court challenges facing the FBI and Justice Department for its personnel purge since Donald Trump retook office. Cheyanne M. Daniels Politico -- 4/1/26