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California Policy and Politics Thursday
FBI raids of LAUSD Supt. Alberto Carvalho’s home and office appear tied to AI chatbot probe -- Federal authorities raided the home and office of Los Angeles Unified School District Supt. Alberto Carvalho on Wednesday morning in what appears to be a probe related to a company that developed an AI chatbot for the nation’s second-largest school system. Brittny Mejia, Richard Winton, Ruben Vives and Howard Blume in the Los Angeles Times$ Thomas Peele, Betty Márquez Rosales, John Fensterwald EdSource Eric He Politico Shawn Hubler, Dana Goldstein and Sarah Mervosh in the New York Times$ -- 2/26/26
New poll: Five candidates for governor are in a “statistical dead heat” -- The Public Policy Institute of California released its latest statewide survey this week which found five candidates are essentially in a “statistical dead heat” among likely voters. Grace Hase in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 2/26/26
California must let immigrant truck drivers keep their licenses, judge rules -- Facing pressure from the Trump administration, California tried to revoke more than 20,000 trucking licenses from certain immigrants, including many asylum seekers. In a tentative ruling, a Bay Area judge said these drivers should be able to keep their licenses, at least temporarily. Adam Echelman Calmatters -- 2/26/26
Proposed ballot measure that would heavily tax thousands of second homes in San Diego clears critical hurdle -- A proposed ballot measure that would impose a hefty tax of as much as $15,000 a year on thousands of empty second homes in San Diego cleared a major hurdle Wednesday when elected leaders agreed to advance it to the full City Council next week. Lori Weisberg in the San Diego Union Tribune -- 2/26/26
Workplace
Bay Area EV maker cuts hundreds of jobs after hiring Timothée Chalamet -- Lucid Motors, the Bay Area electric vehicle maker that recently tapped actor Timothée Chalamet for a global brand campaign, is laying off hundreds of local employees as it battles mounting losses. Aidin Vaziri in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 2/26/26
Sacramento signals potential layoffs for union members. ‘Morally reprehensible’ -- The city of Sacramento this week notified a union — representing workers from nearly every department — that it may lay off some of its members amid an approximate $66 million budget deficit. Ishani Desai in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 2/26/26
Delivery robots have his old job — and now they’ve created a new one for him -- A hot new job has emerged in Los Angeles: robot wrangler to help delivery bots navigate the real world. The robots get stuck in potholes, can’t reach doorbells and are sometimes abused by humans. Nilesh Christopher in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/26/26
What to know if Oakland teachers go on strike -- Oakland teachers voted to authorize a strike last Friday. Pressure is rising for OUSD to come to an agreement with their union, the OEA, while facing a looming $100 million deficit. Ashley McBride Oaklandside -- 02/26/26
Alameda County Officials Look to Stave Off Mass Hospital Layoffs as Medicaid Cuts Loom -- The latest proposal from Alameda Health System would cut 187 positions, down from earlier plans for close to 300, as executives brace for major reductions in Medicaid revenue because of HR 1 — the so-called “Big Beautiful Bill” signed into law by President Donald Trump last year. Vanessa Rancaño KQED -- 2/26/26
Also
New illuminati list just dropped: A leaked roster of 2,200 Bohemian Grove members -- The full 2023 retreat member list was published by an independent journalist. Many, many Bay Area pooh-bahs are on it. Emily Dreyfuss, Rya Jetha, and Max Harrison-Caldwell San Francisco Standard -- 02/26/26
POTUS 47
Epstein Files Are Missing Records About Woman Who Made Claim Against Trump -- Documents released by the Justice Department briefly mention a woman’s unverified accusation that Donald J. Trump assaulted her in the 1980s, when she was a minor. But several memos related to her account are not in the files. Mike Baker and Michael Gold in the New York Times$ -- 2/26/26
White House officials believe ‘the politics are a lot better’ if Israel strikes Iran first -- These Trump administration officials are privately arguing that an Israeli attack would trigger Iran to retaliate, helping muster support from American voters for a U.S. strike. Dasha Burns and Nahal Toosi Politico -- 2/26/26
Iran strikes threaten to deplete US weapons supplies — and put American troops at risk -- Pentagon officials and Hill lawmakers are increasingly warning that prolonged Iran strikes could stress U.S. military stockpiles to the brink and make the country more vulnerable. Jack Detsch and Joe Gould Politico -- 2/26/26
White House Says Iran Is Close to Weapons-Grade Nuclear Material. Experts Say No -- Iran’s atomic program hasn’t advanced significantly since the U.S. and Israel struck its three main nuclear sites last June, according to experts and diplomats, despite Washington’s top negotiator saying Tehran could make fissile material for a bomb within days. Michael R. Gordon and Laurence Norman in the Wall Street Journal$ -- 2/26/26
Trump’s Push for Election Power Raises Fears He Will ‘Subvert’ Midterms -- As the political environment darkens for his party, Mr. Trump is again warning Republicans that Democrats are going to rig the results. At the same time, he is taking actions that make Democrats fear that Republicans are actually going to subvert the election. Shane Goldmacher and Nick Corasaniti in the New York Times$ -- 2/26/26
Wall Street Traders Are Pouncing on the Tariff Refund Chaos -- Investment firms—anticipating that the court wouldn’t side in Trump’s favor—had already been buying up rights to tariff refunds from businesses in recent months. Prices were around 20 cents on the dollar before the ruling, then jumped to about 40 cents afterward, according to brokers involved in the trades. Caitlin McCabe, Ben Glickman and Sarah Nassauer in the Wall Street Journal$ -- 2/26/26
DOJ to Review Whether Epstein Files About Trump Were Improperly Withheld -- The Justice Department said it is reviewing whether it improperly withheld some Epstein files, including Federal Bureau of Investigation notes that detail unverified allegations made by a woman against President Trump. Sadie Gurman in the Wall Street Journal$ -- 2/26/26
California Policy and Politics Wednesday
FBI raids LAUSD Supt. Alberto Carvalho’s home and office -- Law enforcement sources, who requested anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly, told The Times that the federal investigation specifically involves Carvalho. However, the precise motivation for the searches at his San Pedro home and LAUSD headquarters was not immediately clear. Brittny Mejia, Richard Winton and Ruben Vives in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/25/26
Trump announces ‘war on fraud’ to target California in defiant State of the Union speech -- The speech included few details on what this effort would entail. Trump said it would be led by Vice President J.D. Vance and he suggested that it could uncover enough fraud in public programs to balance the national budget. Alexei Koseff in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 2/25/26
Justice Department lawsuit says UCLA failed to protect Jewish employees from hostility -- The lawsuit, filed Tuesday in California, is the latest escalation in the Trump administration’s campaign to punish top universities that it says have been soft on antisemitism. Collin Binkley, Jocelyn Gecker Associated Press Jaweed Kaleem in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/25/26
Trump bestows Medal of Honor on Escondido’s Royce Williams during State of Union addresss -- President Donald Trump bestowed the Medal of Honor on Escondido war hero Royce Williams during Tuesday night’s State of the Union address in Washington, triggering a standing ovation that lasted more than two minutes and left the 100-year-old retired Navy fighter pilot humbled and smiling. Gary Robbins in the San Diego Union Tribune Seema Mehta in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/25/26
Swalwell ally blocked from prediction market in California governor’s race -- Major Democratic donor and former candidate Stephen Cloobeck has been blocked by the prediction market Kalshi from trading on the California governor’s race. Christine Mui Politico -- 2/25/26
California seeks injunction to stop Amazon's alleged stifling of price competition -- California asked a state judge on Tuesday to stop from inflating prices for consumers through an alleged campaign to bully merchants not to sell goods more cheaply elsewhere. Jonathan Stempel Reuters -- 2/25/26
Newsom's spokesperson becomes the story -- Izzy Gardon isn’t just Gavin Newsom’s chief defender on social media. Increasingly, he is becoming the headline himself. Dustin Gardiner and Melanie Mason Politico -- 2/25/26
Barabak: Gavin Newsom and Kamala Harris have traveled parallel paths. Will they collide in 2028? -- Gavin Newsom and Kamala Harris have long circled one another. The two moved in the same political slipstream, wooed the same set of Democratic donors and, for a time, even shared the same group of campaign advisors. Mark Z. Barabak in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/25/26
ICE
In the Midnight Hour, the San Fernando record shop at the center of the Valley’s ICE resistance -- The San Fernando Valley is on the brink of losing a record store that has been central to the region’s fight against immigration enforcement. Rising inflation coupled with a sinking economy might force store owners to shutter their doors come early next year. Itzel Luna and Brenda Elizondo in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/25/26
Workplace
Ousted L.A. fire chief accuses Mayor Bass of retaliation in Palisades fire whistleblower lawsuit -- Former Fire Chief Kristin Crowley sues Mayor Karen Bass, alleging she orchestrated a campaign of retaliation to shift blame for Los Angeles’ catastrophic Palisades fire. Richard Winton in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/25/26
LAFD chief will make $473,600 a year to run an embattled department -- Jaime Moore’s pay is $18,000 more than that of his predecessor, Kristin Crowley, who was ousted by Mayor Karen Bass in February 2025 for her handling of the Palisades fire. Noah Goldberg and Sandra McDonald in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/25/26
Public Storage is the latest company to leave California for Texas -- Company leadership framed the move as a logistical decision rather than a full-on California exodus. The move to Texas, part of a wider overhaul of the company, will help it benefit from the “depth of talent and innovation in that market,” according to a statement. Iris Kwok in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/25/26
A fourth major California wine company announces layoffs this year -- Jackson Family Wines, the sixth-largest U.S. wine company, permanently shuttered its Carneros Hill Winery, located in Sonoma’s Carneros wine region, according to a Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notice filed with California authorities on February 12. The closure resulted in 13 layoffs. Jess Lander in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 2/25/26
San Diego teachers cancel strike after district agrees to address special education needs -- San Diego teachers have canceled a districtwide, one-day strike that was set for Thursday after reaching a new contract agreement that includes district investment in special education staffing and services. Deborah Brennan CalMatters in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/25/26
Tech Firms Aren’t Just Encouraging Their Workers to Use AI. They’re Enforcing It -- From startups to giants including Meta and Google, companies are factoring AI use into performance reviews and trying to track productivity gains. Katherine Bindley and Katherine Blunt in the Wall Street Journal$ -- 2/25/26
Develop
Transamerica Pyramid sale could be turning point for S.F. real estate -- And now, the iconic tower is poised for another first: A sale to a Cyprus firm that is largely unknown to the local market, marking the investor’s entry into the U.S. in a deal that could be a sign of renewed international investor appetite in the city. Laura Waxmann, Roland Li in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 2/25/26
Wildfire
What a $3 Million Fire-Resistant Home Looks Like -- After losing his house to the L.A. wildfires, a developer built a new one designed to resist an active fire for around six hours. Katherine Clarke in the Wall Street Journal$ -- 2/25/26
PG&E
San Francisco lawmakers announce plan to ‘break up’ with PG&E -- City leaders argue that public ownership would lower costs, but PG&E disputes the plan, claiming a takeover would increase rates. Hayley Smith in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/25/26
Education
California schools with low vaccination rates lose millions of dollars -- California schools lost $2.2 million in state funding over two years due to unvaccinated students. Diana Lambert EdSource -- 2/25/26
LAUSD shows big improvement in Advanced Placement class enrollment, passing scores -- L.A. Unified high school students enrollment in Advanced Placement courses and passing scores have showed marked improvements. The district lags behind statewide passing scores. Christopher Buchanan in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/25/26
What California’s planned power outages are costing schools: darkness, disruption and debt -- California schools faced repeated planned power outages in 2024-2025 as Edison cut electricity to prevent wildfires, forcing closures and costly backup power solutions. Alejandra Reyes-Velarde Calmatters -- 2/25/26
California invested billions into a new grade for 4-year-olds — without a plan to evaluate it -- In 2021, Gov. Gavin Newsom and state lawmakers set out a plan to create the largest universal preschool program in the country for 4-year-olds, through a massive ramp-up of an elementary grade known as transitional kindergarten, or TK. Elly Yu LAist -- 02/25/26
Walters: California’s reading reforms drive push for better math skills in early grades -- Last year, after decades of often bitter debate, California took an important step toward raising the abysmal levels of reading ability among many of its public school students. Dan Walters Calmatters -- 2/25/26
POTUS 47
Justice Department withheld and removed some Epstein files related to Trump -- The Justice Department has withheld some Epstein files related to allegations that President Trump sexually abused a minor, an NPR investigation finds. It also removed some documents from the public database where accusations against Jeffrey Epstein also mention Trump. Stephen Fowler NPR -- 2/25/26
Trump’s State of the Union: Rosy Predictions and Angry Attacks -- President Trump, aiming to reverse sliding approval ratings and increasing discontent with his economic and immigration policies, projected in his State of the Union address on Tuesday a version of the United States that is growing, safe and “winning.” Luke Broadwater, Carl Hulse, Shawn McCreesh and Katie Rogers in the New York Times$ -- 2/25/26
Trump Hails an Economic Turnaround Many Voters Don’t See -- President Trump told a national audience on Tuesday that he had unleashed a new age of economic prosperity. One thing he didn’t say: I feel your pain. Alex Leary and Aaron Zitner in the Wall Street Journal$ -- 2/25/26
Pugnacious Trump sticks to the script -- Republicans needed the president to sell their message to kick off the midterms. They're breathing a sigh of relief -- President Donald Trump’s Republican allies and people close to the administration were relieved at the version of the president that showed up to address the nation tonight, but expressed some concern that he didn’t lay out a significant policy agenda for the remainder of the year. Dasha Burns and Diana Nerozzi Politico -- 2/25/26
Trump projects power but heads weakened into a season of tough political challenges -- Democrats are predicting big wins in the November midterms, though supporters of Trump say the president remains strong. Experts said Trump is clearly weakened politically, and big Republican losses in November would make him more vulnerable. Kevin Rector in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/25/26
Fact-Checking Trump’s State of the Union Speech -- President Trump claimed in his State of the Union address on Tuesday night to have ushered in a “turnaround for the ages” by citing a list of familiar falsehoods and inaccurate claims. The list is in the New York Times$ -- 2/24/26
After State of the Union, Democrats say Trump did ‘what he does best: lie’ -- Sen. Alex Padilla delivered a fiery Democratic rebuttal to Trump’s State of the Union address, calling his claims about economic strength false. The California Democrat condemned ICE enforcement operations in Los Angeles and beyond that have resulted in the deaths of citizens. Kate Linthicum in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/25/26
Trump Administration Considers Requiring Banks to Collect Citizenship Information -- The Trump administration is weighing a possible executive order or other action that would require banks to collect citizenship information from customers, a new front in the administration’s crackdown on immigrants living in the U.S. illegally, according to people familiar with the matter. Dylan Tokar and Natalie Andrews in the Wall Street Journal$ -- 2/25/26
Trump defends immigration crackdown at State of Union as approval ratings plummet -- Democrats noted that Trump failed to mention Renee Good and Alex Pretti, who were shot and killed in Minnesota by immigration agents. Public approval of Trump’s immigration enforcement policies has plummeted, according to some polls, with one poll finding that just 38% of respondents supported his approach. Andrea Castillo in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/25/26
We asked 2,300 Americans about the best and worst things Trump has done. Here’s what they said -- President Donald Trump has taken a torrent of actions in his second term, including issuing more than 220 executive orders, imposing sweeping tariffs, pushing a massive tax and spending bill, and stepping up an immigration crackdown in major cities. Scott Clement, Eric Lau and Isabelle Gibson in the Washington Post$ -- 2/25/26