California Policy and Politics Monday

Under Trump, Bay Area immigration courts deny asylum claims at soaring rates -- Under the Trump administration, the Bay Area’s two immigration courts are rejecting asylum claims at double the rate as under the previous administration, as federal officials fire immigration judges, push to clear case backlogs and vow deeper vetting of asylum seekers. Ethan Varian in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 12/07/25

Trump Says Netflix-Warner Deal ‘Could be a Problem’ -- President Trump said Netflix’ $72 billion deal to acquire Warner Bros. “could be a problem” because it would result in a large market share for the streaming giant, signaling possible government resistance in his first public comments about the sale. Alex Leary and Joe Flint in the Wall Street Journal$ Scott Nover in the Washington Post$ -- 12/07/25

Online child safety advocates urge California lawmakers to increase protections -- While child safety advocates agree progress was made at the state capital this year to protect children online, they argue there’s still a long way to go and plan to fight for more protections when legislators reconvene in January. Katie King in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 12/07/25

‘Sort of blackmail’: Billions in rural health funding hinge on states passing Trump-backed policies -- The Trump administration offered states a deal: pledge to enact White House-favored policies for a chance to win a bigger share of the $50 billion aimed at transforming the nation’s struggling rural health care systems. Alice Miranda Ollstein, Ruth Reader and Liz Crampton Politico -- 12/07/25

Nearly a Year After Pacific Palisades Burned, There’s a New House -- The home comes with a catch: no one can buy it. But it suggests what’s possible as California tries to make rebuilding easier. Paul Kiernan in the Wall Street Journal$ -- 12/07/25

First-time marathon runner breaks a CIM record in Sacramento --Molly Born, a 26-year-old Oklahoma State alumna, crossed the finish line with a time of 2 hours, 24 minutes and 9 seconds in her marathon debut, giving her the 2025 USATF Marathon Championship title and setting a new course record for the women, according to marathon organizers. Don Sweeney and Hannah Ruhoff in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 12/07/25

Also

San Diego bids farewell to USS Nimitz as ‘coolest’ carrier in the Navy ends 50 years of service -- Like a lot of Navy lore, the details are in dispute. But Jere Cordell, of San Diego, swears the beastly carrier USS Nimitz won an impromptu drag race against slender cruisers a half-century ago off Norfolk, Va. Gary Robbins in the San Diego Union Tribune$ -- 12/07/25

Lifeguards save dog swept nearly a mile out to sea by rip current -- It was a sunny Sunday on San Diego’s Ocean Beach when lifeguards noticed surfers in a panic. They were waving their boards from a jetty, desperately trying to get the lifeguards’ attention. Maggie Penman in the Washington Post$ -- 12/07/25

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Why is FIFA President Gianni Infantino working so hard to court President Trump? -- FIFA created a never-before-seen peace prize and presented it to Trump on Friday, the latest move in Infantino’s aggressive courtship ahead of 2026. The FIFA president is cultivating Trump’s support to protect the 2026 World Cup from interference, an event projected to generate more than $9 billion. Kevin Baxter in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 12/07/25

Democrats Call for Releasing Classified Video of Deadly Boat Attacks -- Top Democratic lawmakers who have seen the footage said Sunday that making the video public would provide transparency around the strikes that killed two survivors on Sept. 2. Megan Mineiro in the New York Times$ -- 12/07/25