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California Policy and Politics Tuesday
Justice Department sues to block laws restricting masked, unidentified law enforcement officers in California -- The laws, passed by the California Legislature and signed by Gov. Gavin Newsom, came in the wake of the Trump administration’s immigration raids in California, when masked, unidentified federal officers jumped out of vehicles this summer as part of the president’s mass deportation program. Katie King in the Los Angeles Times$ Bob Egelko in the San Francisco Chronicle$ Sharon Bernstein in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 11/18/25
Eric Swalwell’s campaign for California governor looks inevitable -- Eric Swalwell’s gubernatorial campaign appears imminent — and not just because a fundraising page for his campaign was posted on the Democratic platform ActBlue before being taken down Sunday. Blake Jones Politico -- 11/18/25
Newsom touts climate leadership while blocking data center impacts bill -- At the United Nations climate summit in Brazil, Gov. Gavin Newsom emphasized California’s role as the world’s fourth-largest economy and touted the state’s leadership in artificial intelligence, saying the state “dominates” in AI while stressing that he is “deeply mindful” of the energy and water implications of technological innovation and entrepreneurial growth. Chaewon Chung in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 11/18/25
CalPERS isn’t divesting from fossil fuels, but climate activists keep pushing -- Year after year, various groups have petitioned the state’s largest pension system to divest its billions of dollars from fossil fuel companies as the consequences of climate change continue to impact California. William Melhado in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 11/18/25
The Amazon oil that made California rethink its climate playbook -- For years, Democrats broadly dismissed as a Big Oil talking point the idea that California’s consumption of oil from the Amazon drives deforestation. At this year’s U.N. climate talks, that talking point is sticking. Camille von Kaenel Politico -- 11/18/25
She died in the Eaton fire. Her family says emergency alert software was to blame -- Attorneys representing the family of Stacey Darden, an Altadena resident who perished in the Eaton fire, filed a wrongful death lawsuit Monday alleging that the software that Los Angeles County uses for emergency alerts was defective and failed to alert her to leave in time. Jenny Jarvie and Terry Castleman in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 11/18/25
Supreme Court to hear San Diego case in which judges ruled U.S. unlawfully turned away asylum seekers -- The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday agreed to hear the Trump administration’s appeal of a San Diego case dealing with “metering,” or the practice of U.S. border officials turning away asylum-seeking hopefuls at the U.S.-Mexico border and forcing them to wait in Mexico if the officials determined a border crossing to be at capacity. Alex Riggins in the San Diego Union Tribune$ -- 11/18/25
After Gen Z march in Mexico, government and critics spar as Trump cites ‘big problems’ south of border -- A weekend protest march convened to highlight the concerns of Mexico’s Generation Z has instead dramatized deep political divisions extending well beyond the needs of young Mexicans. Patrick J. McDonnell and Kate Linthicum in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 11/18/25
Wildfire
Pack Fire near Mammoth Lakes leaves dozens of families homeless -- As firefighters gain the upper hand on the Pack Fire that tore through communities near the Mammoth Lakes, residents in California’s Eastern Sierra are beginning the long process of recovery — with neighbors, local businesses and strangers rallying to help those who lost everything. Aidin Vaziri in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 11/18/25
Housing
How Building Affordable Housing Became Hottest Game in L.A. -- Developers say building all-affordable housing complexes rarely makes financial sense. Now in Los Angeles, it is the hottest game in town. Rebecca Picciotto in the Wall Street Journal$ -- 11/18/25
More housing on the California coast? Changes at key agency signal a pro-building shift -- In a push to address the state’s gripping housing crisis, the California Coastal Commission last week approved a rule change to make it easier to build affordable housing in Monterey and elsewhere along the hundreds of miles of the Pacific coast. Nadia Lathan, CalMatters in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 11/18/25
Street
S.F. overdose deaths drop, but officials ‘not at all satisfied’ as fentanyl crisis continues -- San Francisco saw at least 36 people die of drug overdoses in October, marking the second consecutive month in which the city recorded one of its lowest totals since the medical examiner began releasing preliminary death figures in 2020. Maggie Angst in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 11/18/25
Also
San Francisco health officials confirm tuberculosis case linked to local high school -- Health officials said the person is in isolation and emphasized that the risk to the broader public remains low. They did not specify whether it was a student or a faculty member. Aidin Vaziri in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 11/18/25
‘He was watching over me’: John Beam honored by Bears’ Nahshon Wright before suspect charged -- “He was watching over me,” Wright, who played for Beam at Laney in 2018, said after the Bears’ 19-17 victory on Sunday . “It’s crazy. He called me the night before he passed and he told me that every game he watched, I just seemed to get a pick. So I just know he was behind me today.” Chuck Schilken in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 11/18/25
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Trump Won’t Rule Out Sending Troops to Venezuela -- President Trump said that he was open to talking with President Nicolás Maduro but that the United States has “to take care of Venezuela” as the U.S. builds a military force in the Caribbean. Tyler Pager in the New York Times$ Kelly Kasulis Cho, Leo Sands and Alec Dent in the Washington Post$ -- 11/18/25
Trump says Americans are ‘damn lucky’ he’s in office in first affordability pitch -- President Donald Trump said Americans are lucky he’s in office as he sought Monday to refocus his administration on concerns about the rising cost of living that have gripped much of the country. Alex Gangitano Politico -- 11/18/25
Trump Has the Power to Release the Epstein Files, With or Without Congress -- The president has reversed himself and encouraged lawmakers to vote for compelling the Justice Department to turn over investigation documents, but he never really needed their approval. Luke Broadwater in the New York Times$ -- 11/18/25
Congress is expected to release all Epstein files. Trump worries that won’t be enough -- White House officials are concerned that even with Congress voting to release the entirety of the Epstein files, the controversy around the late convicted sex offender will continue to swirl. Dasha Burns Politico -- 11/18/25
Trump’s Grip on Republicans Shows First Signs of Slipping -- When White House officials summoned Rep. Lauren Boebert to the White House situation room on Wednesday, they hoped that FBI Director Kash Patel and Attorney General Pam Bondi could persuade her not to defy President Trump. Aaron Zitner, Josh Dawsey and Alex Leary in the Wall Street Journal$ Annie Karni and Tyler Pager in the New York Times$ -- 11/18/25
Judge Says Justice Dept. May Have Committed Misconduct in Comey Case -- A federal magistrate judge said on Monday that the criminal case against James B. Comey, the former F.B.I. director, could be in trouble because of a series of apparent errors committed in front of the grand jury by Lindsey Halligan, the inexperienced prosecutor picked by President Trump to oversee the matter. Alan Feuer in the New York Times$ -- 11/18/25
California Policy and Politics Monday
Justice Department sues to block California laws requiring ICE officers to show their faces, badges -- New California laws prohibiting federal as well as local officers from wearing masks and requiring them to display their name or badge number were challenged in court Monday by the Trump administration, which said the state has no power to regulate U.S. law enforcement officers. Bob Egelko in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 11/17/25
Trump does Epstein U-turn as House Republicans prepare to spurn him -- Before the reversal, even some House GOP leaders were mulling whether to support the effort to release DOJ files dealing with the late sex offender. Meredith Lee Hill and Mia McCarthy Politico Alex Leary, Scott Patterson and Siobhan Hughes in the Wall Street Journal$ Mariana Alfaro in the Washington Post$ Ashley Ahn in the New York Times$ -- 11/17/25
Feds: Ex-Newsom aide used job to pressure CA into settling suit with former client -- Federal officials said Dana Williamson, the Sacramento political power broker who was indicted last week, used her position while she was Gov. Gavin Newsom’s chief of staff to pressure state attorneys to settle a sexual harassment lawsuit with one of her former clients, gaming company Activision Blizzard. Lia Russell in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 11/17/25
Garofoli: Crypto bros spent millions attacking Katie Porter. Now she’s winning some over -- San Francisco cryptocurrency billionaire Chris Larsen has donated the maximum amount permissible — $39,200 — to Katie Porter’s campaign for governor. So has his wife, Lyna Lam. Joe Garofoli in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 11/17/25
Skelton: Sacramento scandal a wild card for Xavier Becerra and the governor’s race -- So far, gubernatorial candidate Xavier Becerra has escaped the bright spotlight focused on Gov. Gavin Newsom in the money pilfering scandal involving their former top aides. But that could change. George Skelton in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 11/17/25
California Republicans are divided on Trump’s immigration enforcement policies, poll finds -- Republicans in California have diverging opinions on President Trump’s immigration enforcement policies, according to a study published by the UCLA Latino Policy and Politics Institute on Monday. Itzel Luna in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 11/17/25
An Amazon climate summit built on contradiction, creating unease for California delegates -- Thousands of delegates at the climate conference stayed on diesel-powered cruise ships, embodying a key contradiction at this year’s global event in the Amazon. Melody Gutierrez in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 11/17/25
‘Shameful. It’s a disgrace.’ O.C. Vietnam vets memorial overshadowed by corruption, shoddy work -- It was announced with great fanfare and hope: a memorial in the center of Orange County to honor veterans of the Vietnam War. But two years and more than $1 million later, the memorial stands as an unlikely symbol of corruption and broken promises. Salvador Hernandez in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 11/17/25
Chabria and Barabak: Front-runner or flash in the pan? Sizing up Newsom, 2028 -- The 2028 presidential election is more than 1,000 days away, but you’d hardly know it from all the speculation and anticipation that’s swirling from Sacramento to the Washington Beltway. Anita Chabria and Mark Z. Barabak in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 11/17/25
State finds Oakland Unified created ‘discriminatory environment’ for Jewish students -- In three separate rulings, the California Department of Education has determined that the Oakland Unified School District created a “discriminatory environment” against Jewish students and staff, contradicting the district’s findings. John Fensterwald EdSource in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 11/17/25
Fewer new international students enroll at U.S. colleges amid Trump restrictions -- The fall data was not broken down by state, so the scale of decline in California is unclear. At USC, which enrolls more international students than any other California college, overall enrollment of international students is down 3% this fall, according to a campus spokesperson. Michael Burke EdSource -- 11/17/25
Killion: What John Beam gave his players was bigger than football wins or losses -- His name was on my list of contacts to call for a project. A community resource who had devoted his life to helping kids and who could speak to the seismic changes in high school and college sports. John Beam. Ann Killion in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 11/17/25
Housing
After nearly three years, these Bay Area cities still lack a state-approved housing plan -- Nearly three years after the state’s deadline, a Bay Area county and three cities across the region still haven’t finalized their state-mandated housing plans, leaving them vulnerable to fines, loss of grant funding and the dreaded “builder’s remedy,” which can cost them control over land use decisions. Ethan Varian in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 11/17/25
One California city’s idea to tackle the housing crisis: Take the stairs -- For YIMBYs and other champions of more housing development, ditching the extra staircase has become a surprisingly buzzy cause. In Culver City, they have a test case. Ben Christopher Calmatters -- 11/17/25
Homeless
Shelter requests surged after San Diego began clearing freeway camps. Almost all failed -- Requests for shelter have risen significantly in the city of San Diego since local officials got permission to clear encampments on state land. Yet a lack of spots in the region’s overwhelmed shelter system means almost all of those pleas — about 93% — recently failed. Blake Nelson in the San Diego Union Tribune$ -- 11/17/25
Workplace
UC nurses cancel planned strike after reaching tentative deal with university -- A planned labor strike by University of California nurses has been called off after the university system and the nurses’ union reached a tentative deal on pay and benefits, both groups announced Sunday. Kevin Rector in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 11/17/25
Marketplace
As Berkeley weighs a big rezoning, small businesses worry they’ll pay the price -- Nine years ago, when Fern Solomon and her daughter Lia Rose decided to open a second location of their Long Beach gift and craft store Fern’s Garden, Berkeley’s Solano Avenue felt like the perfect fit. Kate Talerico in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 11/17/25
Street
Lawsuits launched in six California counties challenge widespread racial sentencing disparities -- Judges throughout California are violating the state’s Racial Justice Act by sentencing minority defendants to much longer terms than whites for crimes such as robbery and burglary, according to advocates for inmates in multiple legal actions to be filed Monday. Bob Egelko in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 11/17/25
Riverside County family says off-duty immigration agent held teenage son at gunpoint -- A law enforcement officer, Gerardo Rodriguez, who neighbors in Temecula know as an agent for ICE or the Border Patrol, was arrested on Nov. 11 after pulling a firearm on a 17-year-old. The teenager had just dropped off a friend at a nearby house and was driving through the neighborhood when he was stopped by Rodriguez. Itzel Luna in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 11/17/25
Wrongfully convicted man to get $19-million settlement from Baldwin Park -- Daniel Saldana, 56, was released from prison after more than 30 years behind bars after a judge found him factually innocent. The city of Baldwin Park agreed to pay him $19.1 million to settle a lawsuit accusing a city detective of misconduct in Saldana’s conviction. Salvador Hernandez in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 11/17/25
Also
L.A. Residents Are Obsessed With Their New B-List Neighbors: Bears -- The creatures have dipped into swimming pools, raided koi ponds and taken up residence behind a mansion while the owners were at the country club. Jim Carlton, Angela Owens in the Wall Street Journal$ -- 11/17/25
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Trump Tariffs Push Japan’s Economy Into Contraction -- The Japanese economy shrank by 1.8 percent compared to the same quarter last year, as U.S. tariffs dampened automobile exports and prompted a bleak outlook for growth. River Akira Davis in the New York Times$ -- 11/17/25
Here’s what’s going on with Trump’s tariffs, prices and the Supreme Court -- There are the drug-trafficking tariffs. Tariffs to fix trade balances, some pulled back. China tariffs — raised, raised again, lowered some, lowered again. Tariffs on imported cars, but not on all car parts, and less on Bentleys. Tariffs on Brazil over the prosecution of former president Jair Bolsonaro for his role in an attempted coup. Rachel Lerman in the Washington Post$ -- 11/17/25
GOP plans to replace Obamacare have failed. Here’s what lawmakers propose now -- Lawmakers are racing toward a mid-December deadline, with Republicans hoping to present side-by-side legislation with Democrats’ plan to extend ACA subsidies. Dan Diamond and Paige Winfield Cunningham in the Washington Post$ -- 11/17/25