California Policy and Politics Friday

White House cracks down on student visas at Stanford and Caltech, as well as tech work visas -- The White House’s concern is that schools and companies are too quick to bring in people from outside the U.S. The moves rattled Silicon Valley executives and California educators who see easy access to the smartest, hardest-working people in the world as one of America’s greatest competitive advantages. Nilesh Christopher, Jaweed Kaleem and Ana Ceballos in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 10/9/26

Prop 45 explained: CEQA overhaul could shift who holds power over building -- Prop 45 would set deadlines on environmental reviews and lawsuits for projects like housing, roads and water systems. It would shift power toward the people proposing those projects. That includes public agencies building their own. Alejandra Reyes-Velarde Calmatters -- 10/9/26

Prop. 43 would make special taxes harder to pass. That’s the point, say anti-tax advocates -- The measure would require two-thirds of voters to approve any local special taxes, instead of the simple majority for citizen-led initiatives. Anti-tax advocates say it should be that hard for governments to tax Californians, but local officials say it could constrain funding for essential services. Yue Stella Yu Calmatters -- 10/9/26

Wildfire

L.A. County investigates FAIR Plan’s claims practices after widespread complaints -- After widespread complaints over how the California FAIR Plan has handled January 2025 wildfire claims, Los Angeles County has opened a civil probe into the state’s home insurer of last resort to determine whether it has violated consumer protection laws. Laurence Darmiento in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 10/9/26

How California insurance commissioner candidates Jane Kim and Ben Allen measure up -- Two Democrats with differing approaches vie to regulate one of the biggest insurance markets in the world. Levi Sumagaysay Calmatters -- 10/9/26

Workplace

California state workers were teleworking from Idaho, Tennessee and Alabama, audit finds -- The State Controller’s Office violated teleworking and salary overpayment laws, according to a new audit, providing fresh fodder for critics of Controller Malia Cohen, who is running for a second term in the Nov. 3 election. Two employees at the controller’s office teleworked from Idaho, Tennessee and Alabama in violation of state law, the audit found. Suhauna Hussain and Dakota Smith in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 10/9/26

Marketplace

Skydance’s David Ellison conquered Hollywood, but now the work begins -- Ellison and his team must braid together two huge film studios (housing nine film labels), four streaming services, three TV production studios, three animation units and more than 50 television networks, including two prominent news organizations. Meg James in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 10/9/26

This Year’s Bad Harvest Is Good News for California Winemakers -- The number of wine grapes harvested in California could fall by as much as half this year. “It is a godsend,” said Michael Honig, president of Honig Vineyard & Winery in Napa Valley. “The short crop is helping us survive right now.” Laura Cooper, Justin T. Gellerson in the Wall Street Journal$ -- 10/9/26

ICE

Over 70 ICE arrests this week in Fresno area as laborers are profiled, watch groups say -- The surge that started four days ago, they say, has not focused on warranted arrests. Instead, they report agents have patrolled places where immigrant workers are likely to be found, such as near agricultural fields and at gas stations in the morning. Erik Galicia in the Fresno Bee -- 10/9/26

Education

Community college students were struggling to transfer. Now, they have a pathway to Arizona State -- California Community Colleges announced an agreement Thursday with Arizona State University that creates a guaranteed transfer pathway for students. Yusra Farzan LAist -- 10/09/26

The UC got rid of the SAT in admissions. It may be on its way back -- After the UC stopped requiring the SAT, some professors say students are coming in with weak math and writing skills. Mikhail Zinshteyn Calmatters -- 10/9/26

Environment

World’s largest wildlife crossing is on track to open this winter — unless El Niño intervenes -- The world’s largest wildlife crossing over the 101 Freeway in Agoura Hills is barreling toward a Dec. 2 completion date. Perhaps the only thing that could stop it is a fierce winter storm. Lila Seidman in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 10/9/26

Climate

El Niño: New forecasts show high chance for California rainfall at 150%-200% of normal this winter -- Like a pot of water on a slow boil, El Niño conditions in the Pacific Ocean are continuing to intensify, scientists said Thursday, setting up a winter that could bring drenching rain to some parts of California — at amounts potentially double the historical average, particularly in January and February. Paul Rogers in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 10/9/26

Oil

American Oil Refiners Are Printing Money as Wars Shrink Global Energy Supplies -- The earnings of America’s largest oil refiners are set to go gangbusters in the third quarter, spurred on by the conflicts in the Middle East and the war in Ukraine that have sent the world scrambling for fuel. Collin Eaton and Benoît Morenne in the Wall Street Journal$ -- 10/9/26

Street

Deadly e-bike crashes shaped 3 new California safety laws. Here’s what they do -- Gov. Newsom signed a law allowing San Mateo County to restrict teens’ access to e-bikes. It was inspired by fatal accidents in the Bay Area community. Lynn La Calmatters -- 10/9/26

Speed camera shocker: 100,000 violators seen in nine days on Pacific Coast Highway in Malibu -- Pacific Coast Highway in Malibu is one of Southern California’s most breathtaking drives — but also one of its deadliest. Karen Garcia in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 10/9/26

San Francisco keeps cracking down on open-air drug markets. Why don’t they disappear? -- Police officials said much of the challenge comes down to a shortage of officers on the street. As the crackdowns have pushed drug markets to other neighborhoods and later into the night, officers have not been able to keep pace, even as the department saw an increase in staffing in 2025 for the first time in years. Ethan Varian in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 10/9/26

Police lawsuits have cost L.A. nearly half a billion dollars since 2019, new data show -- The city of Los Angeles has shelled out nearly $480 million over the last five and a half years to end legal disputes involving the LAPD, according to a Times analysis. Critics say the soaring costs are depriving the city of money for pressing needs such as fixing roads and sidewalks. Libor Jany and Sean Greene in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 10/9/26

Also

Emotion spills over as USS Abraham Lincoln returns home after grueling 321-day deployment -- The USS Abraham Lincoln docked in San Diego on Thursday, bringing dances of joy from the homebound sailors, praise for the crew’s extended service and questions about the poor conditions they endured during the record length of time the ship was away from port supporting the Iran war. Clara Harter in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 10/9/26

NASA’s SpaceX Crew-12 splashes down off L.A. coast after 100-million-mile orbital journey -- The four members of NASA’s SpaceX Crew-12 spent time aboard the International Space Station conducting spacewalks and advancing research that will benefit future space exploration. The space station traveled more than 100 million miles, completing 3,792 orbits around Earth. Ruben Vives in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 10/9/26

POTUS 47

How Trump’s Revenge Campaign Descended Into Turmoil -- The president’s allies have sought to prove a “grand conspiracy” through a sprawling Justice Department inquiry. It has buckled under staffing shake-ups, internal disputes and trouble finding evidence. Alan Feuer and Glenn Thrush in the New York Times$ -- 10/9/26

Pentagon says the firing squad execution of Fort Hood shooter Nidal Malik Hasan will be livestreamed -- The Pentagon says it will livestream the Dec. 3 firing squad execution of Nidal Malik Hasan at Fort Hood, after Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth promised the punishment would be public. Hasan, an Army psychiatrist, was convicted of killing 13 people and wounding 32 in a 2009 shooting at the Texas military base. Konstantin Toropin in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 10/9/26

Trump’s $90 Medicare rebate rolls out, but millions aren’t eligible. Critics see a political stunt -- President Trump says his administration will make one-time payments of $90 per person to help more than 20 million Medicare enrollees pay for their Part B premiums. It will cost about $2 billion. Less than one-third of all Medicare recipients are eligible for the payments, which are expected to be sent out this week. Fatima Hussein in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 10/9/26

Pentagon Draws Up New Iran Strike Plans as Trump Hesitates -- The U.S. military has drafted options for three days of strikes, but in recent months the president has repeatedly vetoed plans to restart the war. Julian E. Barnes and Eric Schmitt in the New York Times$ -- 10/9/26

Trump bought over $1 million in SpaceX debt days before unveiling space policy -- President Donald Trump bought between $1 million and $5 million in debt issued by SpaceX just days before the White House announced a new space-travel policy, the president’s latest financial disclosure form shows. Cat Zakrzewski in the Washington Post$ -- 10/9/26