Rough & Tumble ®
A Snapshot of California Public Policy and Politics
 
 
     
 
 

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California Policy and Politics Thursday

Intel slashes 584 California jobs as CEO says company no longer a top chipmaker -- Intel Corporation has notified state officials that it will lay off 584 employees in Northern California this month, part of a sweeping global restructuring effort by the embattled Silicon Valley semiconductor giant. Aidin Vaziri in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 07/10/25

 

As L.A. reels, White House sees ‘grand success’ in novel crackdown tactics -- National Guard troops and immigration agents on horseback, clad in green uniforms and tactical gear, trotted into MacArthur Park on Monday, surrounding the iconic square with armored vehicles in a show of force widely denounced as gratuitous. The enforcement operation produced few tangible results that day. But the purpose of the display was unmistakable. Michael Wilner in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 07/10/25

Trump Fuels Fear, Rage and Hope in California’s Central Valley -- The farmers in California’s Central Valley like to say they feed the world, and it is not hyperbole. Elisabeth Bumiller, Zaydee Sanchez in the New York Times$ -- 07/10/25

Newton: ‘I’m in one of his TV shows’: The federal government is staging political theater in Los Angeles --Welcome to unrest in Los Angeles, the television show. Jim Newton Calmatters -- 07/10/25

New poll finds most Californians believe American democracy is in peril -- An overwhelming number of California voters think American democracy is being threatened or, at the very least, tested, according to a new poll released Thursday by the UC Berkeley Institute of Governmental Studies. Phil Willon in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 07/10/25

California awaits disaster relief as GOP offers full support of Texas -- The contrast underscores the extent to which the Trump administration treats blue and red states differently, whether in disaster response or in targeting liberal areas for aggressive immigration enforcement. Cleve R. Wootson Jr., Maeve Reston and Marianna Sotomayor in the Washington Post$ -- 07/10/25

Gavin Newsom confronts his California problem -- The California governor concluded a two-day swing through the early primary state ahead of a likely presidential campaign in 2028. Tyler Katzenberger Politico Maeve Reston in the New York Times$ -- 07/10/25

Valadao

Republicans in Washington are nervous about Medicaid. Not in Valadao’s California district -- Valadao's allies are projecting confidence, even as Democratic broadsides roll in. Blake Jones and Rachel Bluth Politico -- 07/10/25

Wildfire

L.A. has never experienced loss on this scale. Measuring progress six months after the fires is hard and painful -- The feelings of loss — 30 deaths, thousands of homes gone, long-term plans derailed, battles with insurance companies, mental anguish — are still too raw. And evidence of progress still feels too fleeting to take much comfort in, especially for the thousands of victims. Hannah Fry, Tony Briscoe and Richard Winton in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 07/10/25

Six months after fires, more than 800 homeowners in Palisades, Altadena have sought permits to rebuild -- Several architects and contractors say the permitting process is the quickest they’ve seen, while some fire survivors say they remain frustrated with red tape. Liam Dillon and Sandhya Kambhampati in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 07/10/25

 

Trump’s DOJ blames egg prices on California in new lawsuit -- President Donald Trump’s administration sued California over egg prices on Wednesday, claiming the state’s voter-approved law protecting hens and pigs from being kept in small cages has driven costs skyward and violates U.S. farming laws and regulations. The suit did not mention that the California law, Proposition 12, has been upheld by the Supreme Court. Bob Egelko in the San Francisco Chronicle$ Juliann Ventura Politico -- 07/10/25

California has an idea to counter Trump’s megabill: Roll back environmental laws -- California lawmakers reeling from President Donald Trump’s assault on clean energy are considering a controversial strategy to keep projects on track — slashing environmental permitting further. Alex Nieves Politico -- 07/10/25

Did Gov. Gavin Newsom go too far with CEQA reform? -- San Diego environmentalists are upset with Newsom’s changes to the California Environmental Quality Act. Phillip Molnar in the San Diego Union Tribune$ -- 07/10/25

California lawmaker scrambles to calm tech titans over revamped bill -- State Sen. Scott Wiener wants AI companies on his side this time, after a bruising showdown over AI rules last year. Chase DiFeliciantonio Politico -- 07/10/25

McMorris: How could ranked-choice voting reshape California politics? -- Last month, New York City’s mayoral race drew national attention when Democratic Socialist Zohran Mamdani secured a stunning victory over former governor and political veteran Andrew Cuomo in the Democratic primary, thanks to the relatively new system of ranked-choice voting. Less noticed were the 28 contested New York City Council races on the same ballot, 10 of which also had no candidate receiving more than 50% of the vote. Sean McMorris in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 07/10/25

The Raids

A Pattern of Violence Documenting ICE Agents’ Brutal Use of Force in LA Immigration Raids -- Agents have aimed firearms and sprayed chemical irritants at onlookers and protesters. They have launched tear gas and flash bang grenades into crowds. They have beaten the people they detain, struck them with batons, and restrained them face down in a prone position, pressing them into the pavement and restricting their abilities to breathe. Jonah Valdez The Intercept -- 07/10/25

Los Angeles joins federal immigration case against Trump administration -- Los Angeles and seven nearby cities will join a federal class-action lawsuit against the Trump administration that alleges the federal government is using illegal tactics while conducting sweeping immigration raids across the county. Nicole Norman Politico -- 07/10/25

Amid ICE raids, bishop tells SoCal worshippers they can stay home on Sundays -- A Southern California Roman Catholic bishop told his diocese of roughly one million parishioners this week that they can stay home on Sundays to avoid Mass while concerns about federal immigration sweeps still loom over the region. Andrew J. Campa in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 07/10/25

Tensions Escalate in San Francisco Over Immigration Enforcement -- Tensions over immigration enforcement in San Francisco escalated this week when federal agents clashed with activists who tried to block an arrest outside a courthouse, with the agents at one point driving away in a van with protesters hanging from the hood of the vehicle. Francesca Regalado and Soumya Karlamangla in the New York Times$ -- 07/10/25

Lawmakers in Liberal States Want ICE Agents to Show Their Faces -- Elected officials in New York and California are trying to upend President Trump’s deportation campaign by banning law enforcement officers from wearing masks in public. Ana Ley in the New York Times$ -- 07/10/25

Workplace

31 workers scramble to safety after L.A. tunnel collapse: ‘A very scary evening’ -- The frightening partial collapse of an L.A. County sanitation tunnel under construction left 31 workers scrambling to make their way to safety on Wednesday evening. Clara Harter in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 07/10/25

Why one California union sided with YIMBYs and developers on housing -- Housing bills in California often face fierce opposition from construction unions. The carpenters’ union went their own way, becoming a “game-changing” force in the debate. Jeanne Kuang and Ben Christopher Calmatters -- 07/10/25

Federal workers fear Trump will fire them after court ruling: ‘We are toast’ -- After the Supreme Court allowed President Donald Trump on Tuesday to resume firing government workers, federal employees rushed to Signal group chats and anxious phone calls, trying to figure out what it meant for them. Hannah Natanson and Meryl Kornfield in the Washington Post$ Erin Schumaker Politico -- 07/10/25

Wildfire

Los Angeles fire survivor is told State Farm’s $900K check on hold due to insufficient funds -- A check from California’s largest property insurer, which says it has paid billions of dollars in claims from the LA-area fires, has taken more than a week to clear so far. Levi Sumagaysay Calmatters -- 07/10/25

Earthquake

A Bay Area fault that could produce a major earthquake is not where scientists thought it was -- The fault runs for about 20 miles through Walnut Creek and Concord, from North Gate Road near Mount Diablo north to Suisun Bay. A previously unknown 4.4 mile stretch, or strand, of the fault is actively moving about a tenth of an inch per year as it runs beneath residential neighborhoods in the Ygnacio Valley. Jack Lee in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 07/10/25

Homeless

L.A. vowed to remove 9,800 encampments. But are homeless people getting housed? -- Faced with a June 2026 deadline, city officials have been counting tents that are tossed during cleanups, even when the occupants did not get housing. David Zahniser in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 07/10/25

A timeline of homelessness in Los Angeles -- The timeline of key events and policies that have made Los Angeles the homeless capital of the United States. You can read more about police, mental health and housing, which have all contributed to increasing the population of unhoused Angelenos. Kelvin Kuo in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 07/10/25

Housing

Walters: Holdouts in Marin County resist California rules speeding up multifamily housing -- Although California’s local governments have had state-designated targets for housing construction for decades, they have been enforced only in recent years. Dan Walters Calmatters -- 07/10/25

Ocean Environment

Silicon Valley venture capitalist helps lead controversial race to start mining ocean floor -- More than 2 miles deep in the Pacific Ocean and hundreds of miles off the coast between Mexico and Hawaii, trillions of lumpy, potato-sized, metal-rich nuggets lie scattered across the seafloor, a treasure hoard so valuable to clean-energy goals that the world’s powers are jostling to be first to mine it. Ethan Baron in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 07/10/25

Also

Poisoned pelicans fly again after the worst algal bloom in a decade -- A flock of brown pelicans was released back into the wild near the Huntington Beach Pier. They had been nursed back to health after being sickened by a toxic algal bloom. Annie Goodykoontz in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 07/10/25

Mattel’s newest Barbie has diabetes -- The toy giant expands its Fashionistas line with a new inclusive doll featuring medical accessories like an insulin pump and a glucose monitor. Piper Heath in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 07/10/25

POTUS 47

New Hampshire judge pauses Trump’s birthright citizenship order -- A federal judge in New Hampshire said Thursday he will certify a class action lawsuit including all children who will be affected by President Donald Trump’s executive order ending birthright citizenship and issue a preliminary injunction blocking it. Curtis Yee And Bernard Mcghee Associated Press David Nakamura in the New York Times$ -- 07/10/25

Trump announces 50 percent tariff on Brazil, citing Bolsonaro trial -- If carried out, the tariff would severely affect the Brazilian economy, whose second-largest trading partner is the United States, behind China. In 2024, Brazil sold $40 billion worth of goods — primarily oil, coffee and steel — to the United States. Terrence McCoy and Marina Dias in the Washington Post$ Callum Jones The Guardian -- 07/10/25

Trump affirms 50% tariff on copper imports will start Aug. 1 -- The president was following through on an earlier statement that he would target a key metal used for semiconductors, lithium-ion batteries and more. Kelly Kasulis Cho in the Washington Post$ -- 07/10/25

Fact-checking Trump and Democratic claims about tax and spending bill -- As is his practice, Trump keeps making false or misleading claims about the law. Democrats, too, exaggerated the impact. Below is a quick roundup. Glenn Kessler in the Washington Post$ -- 07/10/25

Administration Takes Steps to Target 2 Officials Who Investigated Trump -- The Trump administration appears to be targeting officials who oversaw the investigation into the 2016 Trump campaign’s connections to Russia, examining the actions of the former F.B.I. director James B. Comey and the former C.I.A. director John O. Brennan, according to people familiar with the situation. Glenn Thrush and Julian E. Barnes in the New York Times$ -- 07/10/25

Flood predictions could worsen when Trump’s cuts take hold -- Forecasts and warnings largely worked during the Texas catastrophe. Those systems are expected to degrade as President Donald Trump’s agenda is set in place. Scott Waldman and Chelsea Harvey Politico -- 07/10/25

Why 1 key Musk rival won’t challenge him in Silicon Valley -- Elon Musk’s break with Donald Trump is fueling backlash within the MAGA movement against other tech world figures, even as many continue to profess loyalty to the president, who hasn’t cast them aside either. Christine Mui Politico -- 07/10/25

 

California Policy and Politics Wednesday

Industrial tunnel collapses in Wilmington; trapped workers being rescued -- As many as 15 workers may have been trapped underground following reports of an industrial tunnel collapse in Wilmington. As of 9 p.m. Wednesday, the workers were being hoisted out of the tunnel and appeared not to have been injured, according to local TV news footage. It’s unclear how long the rescue operation will last. Clara Harter in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 07/09/25

 

Trump administration sues California over transgender athlete policies -- The move escalates an ongoing battle between the Republican administration in Washington and Democratic-led California over trans athletes competing in girls and women’s sports. Associated Press -- 07/09/25

 

Ag secretary says able-bodied Medicaid recipients should replace immigrant farm workforce -- Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins said millions of adult Medicaid participants who will face stricter work requirements under the GOP megabill should replace foreign farm workers deported under the Trump administration’s immigration policies. Marcia Brown Politico -- 07/09/25

California farmers say Medicaid recipients, automation can’t replace their immigrant workers -- After Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins said Tuesday that immigrant farmworkers could be replaced with automation and “able-bodied” U.S. citizens “on Medicaid,” groups representing farmers and workers in California said that’s not realistic. Andrea Castillo, Suhauna Hussain and Jessica Garrison in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 07/09/25

‘Essential isn’t a strong enough word’: Loss of foreign workers begins to bite US economy -- From small farms in California, to meat packing facilities in Nebraska to corporate giants like Disney, businesses are scrambling to replace workers after recent administration actions have taken immigrants, both legal and illegal, out of the labor force, including several hundred thousand people who had been given temporary work permits under President Joe Biden. Aaron Pellish Politico -- 07/09/25

 

L.A., other local governments seek to join lawsuit to stop ‘unconstitutional’ immigration raids -- On Tuesday, the governments filed a motion to intervene in a lawsuit brought by the American Civil Liberties Union of Southern California, Public Counsel and immigrant rights groups against the Trump administration last week. Noah Goldberg in the Los Angeles Times$ Nicole Norman Politico -- 07/09/25

Hochman restored ‘normalcy’ as L.A.’s top prosecutor. Can it last under Trump? -- A former Republican who rebranded as an independent, Nathan Hochman promised to ‘get politics out’ of the D.A.’s office, but his neutrality has raised eyebrows amid the immigration raids. James Queally in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 07/09/25

Federal arrests in L.A. approach 2,800 since raids began, DHS says -- No details were provided on the breakdown of the arrested individuals, including how many had been deported, held or released. Michael Wilner and Rachel Uranga in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 07/09/25

Video: Protesters cling to departing ICE van after arrest at S.F. immigration court -- San Francisco Immigration Court was again the scene of chaos and clashes between authorities and protesters Tuesday as federal agents detained at least one person and faced a swarm of activists trying to prevent the arrest, including several who clung to a black van as it drove away. Tom Li, Ko Lyn Cheang in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 07/09/25

Masked, armed and forceful: Finding patterns in California immigration raids -- CalMatters has partnered with Evident Media and Bellingcat to map and analyze videos of the immigration raids across Los Angeles in a new short documentary: Sergio Olmos Calmatters -- 07/09/25

Stephen Miller finally gets his revenge on L.A. -- In the long shadow of his policies, renewed attention is being paid to Miller’s upbringing in the famously liberal enclave once dubbed “the People’s Republic of Santa Monica.” Julia Wick in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 07/09/25

 

Garofoli: The IRS says churches can now endorse candidates. In California, some already do -- The impact of a new Internal Revenue Service rule that enables churches to endorse candidates from the pulpit without endangering their tax-exempt status will likely be felt most in California’s more conservative regions, where evangelical pastors have outsize political influence. And it will likely mean more intense campaigning in churches. Joe Garofoli in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 07/09/25

Walters: Newsom’s South Carolina visit should remove any doubts about his political goals -- If anyone still harbors doubts that Gavin Newsom is contemplating a run for the White House in 2028, this week’s sojourn into South Carolina for some schmoozing with local politicians and photo ops with common folk should dispel them. Dan Walters Calmatters -- 07/09/25

Clyburn praises Newsom as he hits the trail in South Carolina: ‘I feel good about his chances’ -- Then, Clyburn made a prediction sure to echo across political corridors from Philadelphia to Springfield, and from Frankfort to Denver, where eyes are already transfixed on even the most incremental 2028 developments. “I feel good about his chances.” Tyler Katzenberger Politico -- 07/09/25

California Life Span

Life Expectancy in California Has Not Rebounded After Covid -- The state’s life expectancy was lower in 2024 than in 2019, according to an analysis, but primarily as a result of causes of death other than Covid. Emily Baumgaertner Nunn in the New York Times$ -- 07/09/25

Wildfire

Cal Fire rolled out an AI chatbot. Don’t ask it about evacuation orders -- The bot fails at some basic questions about fires. Cal Fire says it is working on fixes. Malena Carollo Calmatters -- 07/09/25

Tariffs

L.A. business leaders express tariff frustration to Atty. Gen. Rob Bonta, say trade policy effects are ‘frightening’ -- One of those to voice frustration was Jason Hodge, commissioner of the Port of Hueneme, who said the ripple effects of the Trump administration’s trade policy are “frightening.” “Uncertainty is what’s killing all of us more than anything else,” Hodge said. Kaitlyn Huamani in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 07/09/25

Workplace

Why Newsom backtracked on ordering state workers back to the office -- Gov. Gavin Newsom delayed his mandate that most state employees return to the office four days a week in a deal with unions. Labor leaders say his claim of “operational necessity” now rings hollow. Maya C. Miller Calmatters -- 07/09/25

Cruise lays off 101 Bay Area employees as GM winds down robotaxi program -- Cruise, the embattled self-driving car subsidiary of General Motors, has laid off 101 more employees across the Bay Area, marking the latest round of job cuts as the company scales back its once ambitious robotaxi efforts. Aidin Vaziri in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 07/09/25

Economy

Big Oakland hotel is seized by lender as Bay Area lodging market fades -- A lender has taken ownership of Oakland’s biggest hotel through a foreclosure that underscores the ailments and price nosedives that plague the Bay Area’s sickly lodging market. George Avalos in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 07/09/25

Nvidia Becomes World's First $4 Trillion Company -- Wednesday's milestone comes barely two years after the Santa Clara, Calif.-based company, led by Chief Executive Jensen Huang, notched a $1 trillion closing valuation for the first time. The item is in the Wall Street Journal$ -- 07/09/25

Climate

California weather forecasts could soon become less accurate when this data source goes offline -- Storm and surf forecasts in California will become less accurate this year when federal funding for a network of ocean buoys disappears in September. Jack Lee in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 07/09/25

L.A. firestorms, Texas floods share grim connection: Officials ill-prepared for climate disasters -- During landslides that ravaged Santa Barbara County and fires that burned though wine country and Paradise, residents complained about not getting alerts to impending danger. Rong-Gong Lin II in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 07/09/25

Trump administration may revoke designation for new Chuckwalla National Monument -- The Trump administration may look to reverse the monument designation for the Chuckwalla Monument after the Department of Justice cleared the way changes to 625,000 acres in Riverside County. Deborah Brennan Calmatters -- 07/09/25

Develop

‘Awesome sense of place’: Settlement ends long-running Lake Tahoe development battle -- Palisades Tahoe ski resort plans new hotels, condos, recreation facilities — but kills water park idea. Paul Rogers in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 07/09/25

Education

UCs could get even more expensive as regents review tuition hike scenarios -- The University of California regents will hear options next week for raising tuition over the next several years and using a smaller share of the proceeds for financial aid — scenarios that are raising concerns among student leaders. Nanette Asimov in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 07/09/25

Trump’s law reshapes federal loans and Pell Grants, impacting California students -- The law sunsets a loan program for graduate students and makes short-term workforce training eligible for Pell Grants. Amy DiPierro and Michael Burke EdSource -- 07/09/25

Street

Why is the Los Angeles Innocence Project trying to free Scott Peterson? -- For the true-crime-loving public, the Innocence Project and Scott Peterson occupy opposite ends of the moral spectrum. Harriet Ryan in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 07/09/25

Deadly fireworks explosion: Officers raid San Francisco home linked to owner of company -- Police on Tuesday raided a San Francisco home linked to the owner of the fireworks company whose property exploded last week in the Yolo County farm town of Esparto, killing seven people. Anna Bauman, Maliya Ellis in the San Francisco Chronicle$ Daniel Lempres in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 07/09/25

Maps and videos reveal how deadly California fireworks explosion unfolded -- The property is zoned for agriculture. Yolo County officials said they were surprised to learn that two fireworks companies held thousands of pounds of explosives at the site. Matthias Gafni in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 07/09/25

They crashed. They killed. They’re driving again in the North Bay — and it’s perfectly legal -- Despite felony convictions in fatal crashes, several local drivers have regained licenses under a system that operates with no public tracking, few safeguards and rising calls for reform. This story is the result of a monthslong investigation by The Press Democrat in partnership with CalMatters. Colin Atagi, The Press Democrat -- 07/09/25

L.A. on pace to see lowest homicide total in nearly 60 years as killings plummet -- Although violent crime persists in parts of the city, homicides overall in L.A. have dropped to 116 through June 28, the most recent date for which reliable data were available, compared to 152 in the same period last year. Libor Jany in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 07/09/25

Also

Three Californians, family of former Giants pitcher, missing in Texas flash floods -- Hundreds gathered for a vigil Sunday in Marin County for Mark Walker, Sara Walker and their 14-year-old son, Johnny. The Kentfield family was visiting their vacation home in Hunt in central Texas when the disaster struck. Summer Lin in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 07/09/25

POTUS 47

Trump Treats Tariffs More as a Form of Power Than as a Trade Tool -- Instead of viewing tariffs as part of a broader trade policy, President Trump sees them as a valuable weapon he can wield on the world stage. Maggie Haberman in the New York Times$ -- 07/09/25

Supreme Court green-lights Trump’s order for mass firings across federal government -- The justices granted the administration's emergency appeal seeking permission to enforce a Feb. 11 executive order that instructed agencies to carry out dramatic “reductions in force.” Josh Gerstein and Hassan Ali Kanu Politico Abbie VanSickle in the New York Times$ Ann E. Marimow in the Washington Post$ David Smith The Guardian -- 07/09/25

’Shock. Frustration. Anger.’ Trump’s tariff letters roil Asian allies -- America’s Asian trading partners are reacting to President Donald Trump’s latest threats of tariffs with frustration and disbelief, after months of what they believed were good-faith efforts to make a deal. Ari Hawkins, Phelim Kine and Daniel Desrochers Politico -- 07/09/25

Trump Delayed Reciprocal Tariffs After Bessent Wanted More Time on Deals -- President Trump decided to delay the implementation of his so-called reciprocal tariffs to Aug. 1 after advisers including Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent told him he could get trade deals with more time, according to people familiar with the matter. Brian Schwartz and Gavin Bade in the Wall Street Journal$ -- 07/09/25

Trump’s Tariffs Send Copper to Record, Dow Industrials Slip -- Copper prices surged and the Dow industrials slipped on Tuesday after President Trump announced a surprisingly large tariff on imports of the metal, and declared that he would hold firm on his latest deadline for trade deals with foreign countries. Alexander Osipovich in the Wall Street Journal$ -- 07/09/25

The problem with Elon Musk's techie dream of rebooting politics -- Elon Musk might be one of the most unconventional figures to hit politics in years — but now, with his new party, he’s become just another in a long line of wealthy techies convinced they can do politics better than the professionals. Aaron Mak Politico -- 07/09/25

How Elon Musk’s Third Party Gamble Could Succeed -- Musk’s plan can only work if he learns from the most successful political disruptors, including Donald Trump on the right and Bernie Sanders on the left. Alexander Burns Politico -- 07/09/25

Elon Musk’s Grok Chatbot Shares Antisemitic Posts on X -- The artificial intelligence chatbot, which has a dedicated account on X, praised Hitler after fielding a query about a user’s comments on the Texas flood. Kate Conger in the New York Times$ -- 07/09/25

Trump Hires Scientists Who Doubt the Consensus on Climate Change -- The three scientists joined the administration after it dismissed hundreds of experts who were assessing how global warming is affecting the country. Maxine Joselow in the New York Times$ -- 07/09/25