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California Policy and Politics Thursday

Justice Dept. sues California, seeks to stop state from counting 20,000 ballots -- The lawsuit is highly unusual, particularly given that California voters have already begun voting in the Nov. 3 midterms via mail ballots, experts said. It’s also highly inappropriate and based on questionable federal data that have proved wildly inaccurate in other states, state officials said. Kevin Rector in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 10/15/26

In 100th lawsuit against Trump, California challenges immigration arrests near courthouses -- California sued the Trump administration for the 100th time in under two years Thursday, challenging the practice of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents arresting people for alleged civil immigration violations at or near state courthouses. Kevin Rector and Brittny Mejia in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 10/15/26

 

California’s ‘carpet-bombed’ wealth tax measure runs into a wall -- At a moment when populist candidates and anti-billionaire sentiment are surging nationally, a campaign to tax the assets of California’s billionaires is faltering. Jeremy B. White Politico -- 10/15/26

California’s Prop 45 aims to speed construction projects. Opponents say data centers will benefit -- When a county judge put the brakes on what would be the largest data center in California, ruling the whole project needed extensive environmental review, Kristian Salgado was relieved. Lila Seidman in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 10/15/26

Newsom decries ‘weaponization’ of environmental law, but stays silent on Prop. 45 -- At an economic forum Wednesday, Gov. Gavin Newsom touted changes to the California Environmental Quality Act that he strong-armed through the Legislature last year. But he said the law’s “weaponization” still delays much-needed building projects. Andrew Graham in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 10/15/26

A California proposition to fund medical research is creating strange alliances on both sides -- Proposition 38 would authorize the state to borrow $8.4 billion in general obligation bonds for immunology and immunotherapy research, presented as a way of backfilling some of the widespread cuts to federal research funding by President Donald Trump. Kathryn Palmer in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 10/15/26

Should California taxpayers chip in to fund political campaigns? Prop. 4 lets you decide -- Prop. 4 would lift a ban that prohibits state and most local candidates from using public funding for their political campaigns. Proponents argue the mechanism helps more candidates run for office, but opponents are skeptical. Yue Stella Yu Calmatters -- 10/15/26

Walters: California’s ballot propositions fuel its longstanding tax-and-spending war -- California voters will pass judgment on 14 statewide ballot measures this year and all but two of them relate, in some manner, to financing public services. Dan Walters Calmatters -- 10/15/26

Inside Gavin Newsom’s taxpayer-funded team that never stops posting -- Gavin Newsom is preparing to leave office as one of the Democrats’ most prolific communicators. He’s transformed the governor’s press shop into a content-generating media operation. Jeanne Kuang Calmatters -- 10/15/26

S.F. power grid takeover could cost city $20 billion, PG&E says -- San Francisco has tried for years to acquire PG&E’s local power infrastructure, an endeavor that gained renewed interest after a December fire at a SoMa substation plunged much of the city into darkness the weekend before Christmas. The city told state regulators in April that it valued the utility’s electric equipment at $3.4 billion. J.D. Morris in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 10/15/26

 

California’s ‘No Vigilantes Act’ requiring ID from immigration agents blocked by 9th Circuit -- The 9th Circuit Court of Appeals permanently barred California from enforcing a state law that required federal immigration agents to display identification while on duty. Sonja Sharp in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 10/15/26

ICE agent pleads not guilty to charge of assaulting homeowner in Fresno -- ICE agent David Gonzalez III appeared in a Fresno County courtroom Wednesday morning and pleaded not guilty to charges related to an alleged off-duty assault of a homeowner and his daughter in the Tower District. Nick Fenley in the Fresno Bee -- 10/15/26

 

White House Press Secretary Katie Zacharia Didn’t Pass Bar Exam -- Zacharia sat for the California bar exam after graduating from law school at Pepperdine University in 2011, according to a person with direct knowledge of the matter, but she didn’t pass. Philip Wegmann and Alexandra Bruell in the Wall Street Journal$ Shawn McCreesh in the New York Times$ -- 10/15/26

Lopez: Post-debate, lingering questions about who Raman is and how she would lead -- Raman’s best argument is that City Hall and the entrenched political establishment need a major shakeup. You can’t count Bass out just yet because she’s a fighter, and she’s better at campaigning than at being mayor. Steve Lopez in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 10/15/26

Homeless

L.A. city and county remain at odds over who will run key homeless systems -- The city and county of Los Angeles continue to spar over which will assume duties of the troubled Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority. The Trump administration suspended the LAHSA in June, citing reports of mismanagement and possible fraud. Doug Smith in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 10/15/26

Wildfire

After so many L.A. fire failures, this week’s Santa Ana winds test whether officials can do better -- Since the Eaton and Palisades fires, there has been report after report documenting how woefully unprepared city, county and fire officials were. This week’s upcoming Santa Ana winds will provide one of the first major tests of whether Los Angeles has applied those painful lessons. Clara Harter, Terry Castleman and Rong-Gong Lin II in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 10/15/26

Workplace

California looks to block state worker strike, asks labor agency to halt walkout -- Seeking to block the Oct. 21 one-day strike, the California Department of Human Resources has turned to the Public Employment Relations Board, the state’s public labor referee. Corey Schmidt in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 10/15/26

Hollister lays off city staff, including police employees, amid financial crisis -- As it faces a budget deficit of almost $7 million for fiscal year 2025-2026, the City of Hollister laid off employees across multiple departments, including the police department, on Wednesday, city officials said. Jason Green and Caelyn Pender in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 10/15/26

Climate

A little bipartisan bromance as Schwarzenegger, Newsom laud California’s climate-change wins -- Former Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, a Republican, celebrated the 20-year anniversary of landmark climate legislation he signed while in office alongside Democrats including Gov. Gavin Newsom on Wednesday. Seema Mehta and Hayley Smith in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 10/15/26

AI

AI robots are roaming L.A. grocery store aisles. Shoppers and workers are worried -- The bots help employees manage inventory, but grocery workers and unions worry automation could cut hours, threaten jobs and monitor staff. Some shoppers also worry the machines are another step toward fewer human interactions in stores. Ella Chakarian in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 10/15/26

AI Companies Play Cat-and-Mouse With Secret-Stealing Spies -- At a San Francisco playground, a stranger tried to befriend an OpenAI employee who was there with their child. The stranger also regularly showed up with a child, and, in the process of making small talk, asked the OpenAI employee questions about their work. It was no idle curiosity: The stranger was a spy. Georgia Wells, Erin Woo and Meghan Bobrowsky in the Wall Street Journal$ -- 10/15/26

What a Group of A.I. Agents Talked About as Their Humans Had a Dinner Party -- As artificial intelligence bots spread, we are increasingly glimpsing how these digital entities interact and what they talk about with one another. Erin Griffith in the New York Times$ -- 10/15/26

Education

New California test scores show most students don’t meet standards in math, English or science -- California students’ proficiency in math and English language arts follows the same trend in 2026 as the past few years: incremental improvement from the year prior, with the majority of students below grade-level standards. Zaidee Stavely, Lasherica Thornton, Yuxuan Xie EdSource Carolyn Jones Calmatters Howard Blume in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 10/15/26

Also

Veteran KQED politics reporter to retire after nearly three decades -- Scott Shafer, one of the Bay Area’s best-known political journalists and a fixture at KQED for nearly three decades plans to retire in mid-December after a career covering California politics, elections and some of the state’s most consequential legal and social debates. Aidin Vaziri in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 10/15/26

POTUS 47

Trump, after bipartisan backlash, says Pentagon won’t livestream execution of Fort Hood shooter -- President Donald Trump said Thursday that the Pentagon will no longer livestream the firing squad execution of Fort Hood shooter Nidal Malik Hasan, after the announcement faced bipartisan criticism and Vice President JD Vance said he wouldn’t watch it. Associated Press Jack Detsch and Gregory Svirnovskiy Politico -- 10/15/26

Secret documents reveal donors behind $330 million for Trump’s ballroom -- A list obtained by The Washington Post reveals all the major donors to President Donald Trump’s White House ballroom project, including previously undisclosed contributors who have benefited from regulatory decisions, government contracts and, in one case, a pardon for a family member. Jonathan O'Connell, Sarah Blaskey and Aaron Schaffer in the Washington Post$ -- 10/15/26

He Crafted a Crypto Law for Trump—as His Company Got Millions From a Crypto Giant -- Money from Tether flowed to Nxum while Bo Hines worked in the White House on landmark stablecoin legislation. Once the law passed, Tether hired him as its U.S. chief. Sam Kessler in the Wall Street Journal$ -- 10/15/26

Ukraine's Starlink restrictions raise suspicions of Musk, Trump retaliation -- The rupture between President Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky over last week's diesel deal deepened Wednesday after an Elon Musk-owned satellite system used by Ukraine unexpectedly restricted service — undercutting Ukraine's fight against Russia. Barak Ravid Axios -- 10/15/26

 

California Policy and Politics Wednesday

Justice Dept. demands California prove citizenship for lists of voters or withhold ballots -- The U.S. Department of Justice has ratcheted up its pressure campaign on California election officials to ferret out alleged voter fraud ahead of the Nov. 3 midterm election, demanding that officials statewide prove the U.S. citizenship of voters flagged by the federal government as potential noncitizens, or withhold or set aside their ballots. Kevin Rector in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 10/14/26

‘Very few people out in the streets’: ICE surge rattles California’s Central Valley -- Across California’s Central Valley, a reported surge in Immigration and Customs Enforcement operations that began last week has disrupted agricultural communities, sparked confrontations and left families scrambling to locate detained relatives. Brittny Mejia and Ruben Vives in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 10/14/26

Newsom heads to New Hampshire to stump for Democrats, raise political profile -- The trip follows voyages to other early primary voting states, including South Carolina in September and Nevada in July, that could be critical to his campaign if he officially joins the race. Taryn Luna in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 10/14/26

New W.H. press secretary held many legal roles but is not licensed to practice law in the U.S. -- Both President Donald Trump and his new press secretary, Katie Zacharia, describe her as an attorney who has practiced law, even though she is not listed as a member of the State Bar of California, where she lives and went to law school. That’s not just a misstatement — under state law, it could also be a crime. Bob Egelko, Sara DiNatale in the San Francisco Chronicle$ Michael Birnbaum in the Washington Post$ -- 10/14/26

He’s Played It Safe. But He Could Make California History as Governor -- Xavier Becerra is a heavy favorite to become California’s first Latino governor in the modern era, though he does not talk much about the milestone. Laurel Rosenhall, Jennifer Medina and Orlando Mayorquín in the New York Times$ -- 10/14/26

Bass and Raman trade blows over police chief in final debate of L.A. mayor’s race -- Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass and Councilmember Nithya Raman traded verbal blows on Tuesday, scrapping over public safety, the Palisades fire and the fate of Police Chief Jim McDonnell in the only televised head-to-head debate of the Nov. 3 runoff election. Noah Goldberg and David Zahniser in the Los Angeles Times$ Shawn Hubler in the New York Times$ -- 10/14/26

Bass vs. Raman: Here’s who won the L.A. mayoral debate -- Times columnists Lorraine Ali, Gustavo Arellano and Steve Lopez weigh in on the highlights and lowlights. Gustavo Arellano, Steve Lopez and Lorraine Ali in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 10/13/26

How California’s Ultrarich Are Trying to Stop the World’s First Billionaire Tax -- Control of Congress is the biggest issue at stake in November’s elections. A close second might be the fight over a ballot initiative in California, Proposition 40, that seeks to impose a wealth tax on the state’s roughly 250 billionaires. If approved, it will be the world’s first billionaire tax. Michael Steinberger in the New York Times$ -- 10/14/26

The Steep Rise and Spectacular Fall of Kimberly Guilfoyle -- President Trump cut her loose after damaging news reports about her tenure as ambassador to Greece. Once a prominent Trump insider, she suggested she will now fight to defend her reputation. Elisabeth Bumiller in the New York Times$ -- 10/13/26

Inside Kimberly Guilfoyle’s Final Days as Ambassador to Greece -- Kimberly Guilfoyle was scrambling to save her job. As damaging revelations piled up, President Trump’s ambassador to Greece started dialing up administration officials and people close to the president, playing down Wall Street Journal reporting that suggested she was using her position for personal gain. Dana Mattioli, Josh Dawsey, Joe Parkinson, Drew Hinshaw and Vera Bergengruen in the Wall Street Journal$ -- 10/13/26

Maxine Waters’ grip on top House committee faces new challenge -- Rep. Sean Casten, 54, told Rep. Maxine Waters, 88, on Tuesday that he plans to run against her for the top Democratic spot on the powerful House Financial Services Committee, according to two people with knowledge of the matter who were granted anonymity to discuss private discussions. Jasper Goodman, Katherine Hapgood and Riley Rogerson Politico -- 10/13/26

Barabak: How the Golden State lost its gleam. And what that means for 2028 -- The California of Nixon and Reagan was a springboard for their presidential ambitions. Now it’s an anchor on the aspirations of Gavin Newsom, Kamala Harris and others. Mark Z. Barabak in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 10/14/26

 

Walters: Prop 38 asks: Should California take on more debt to fund a single field of medical research? -- Three decades ago, as the 20th century was winding down, a culture war erupted over the use of human embryos in researching stem cell cures for dreaded diseases. Dan Walters Calmatters -- 10/14/26

Dozens of California dams need repair as El Niño winter draws closer -- An audit found 57 California dams in poor or unsatisfactory condition, and the 40 riskiest sit near big coastal cities. The state has had the power to penalize negligent owners since 2017 but has never done so, and repairs could cost $28 billion. Rachel Becker Calmatters -- 10/14/26

ICE

ICE agent threw California homeowner, 72, into side of a car, attacked his daughter, D.A. says -- The Fresno County district attorney’s office announced Tuesday that David Gonzalez III was being charged with assault by means likely to produce great bodily injury, elder abuse, vandalism and battery. Brittny Mejia and Iris Kwok in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 10/13/26

Marketplace

The World Cup was bad for some businesses in Los Angeles -- A hotel-association study finds the tournament delivered the weakest boost of any recent mega-event, with workers’ hours cut and short-term rentals pulling ahead. Ella Chakarian in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 10/13/26

As beloved craft breweries close around the state, beer lovers wonder what’s next -- Changing consumer tastes, market saturation and rising costs from tariffs has forced the closure of some of the most beloved craft breweries in California. Deborah Brennan Calmatters -- 10/14/26

Workplace

S.F. software company was sold for $1.3 billion. Now it’s cutting ‘large portion’ of its workers -- Alessandro Savarese, who joined Airtable in September to lead product development following the acquisition, said Monday that many of the affected employees will leave by the end of the week. Airtable did not disclose how many jobs are being eliminated. It had roughly 800 workers before the acquisition. Aidin Vaziri in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 10/13/26

Housing

Mayor Daniel Lurie touted a key housing reform. Critics say it changes almost nothing -- Days after Mayor Daniel Lurie announced changes to San Francisco’s building code that he said would facilitate more residential development, housing advocates are pushing back. They say the pending revisions are more public relations than meaningful policy and would do little or nothing to spur construction of new homes. J.K. Dineen in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 10/13/26

AI

Disney strikes $20-million deal for Character.ai’s assets as AI startup files for bankruptcy -- Character.ai, a California startup that has faced lawsuits over allegations that chatbots created on its platform harmed the mental health of teens and led to copyright issues, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. Queenie Wong in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 10/13/26

OpenAI engineer arrested over alleged bugging of executive conference room -- Federal prosecutors say Abdulrahman Alfozan, a Saudi national, hid an encrypted recording device at the company's San Francisco headquarters. Aidin Vaziri in the San Francisco Chronicle$ Maxwell Zeff in the Wall Street Journal$ -- 10/13/26

‘Phantom’ Data Centers Are Demanding More From the Power Grid Than They Need -- Data-center developers are turning to utilities and grid operators for unprecedented amounts of electricity. The power industry is countering with a perhaps surprising question of its own: Are you for real? Jennifer Hiller in the Wall Street Journal$ -- 10/13/26

Also

A major North Bay highway is set to shut down to prepare for El Niño -- Highway 37, the scenic and notoriously dysfunctional commuter route from Interstate 80 in Vallejo to the Highway 101 junction in Novato, is the only Bay Area infrastructure on Gov. Gavin Newsom’s list of 21 El Niño emergency projects. Rachel Swan in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 10/14/26

POTUS 47

Trump Adds Another Giveaway to His Midterm Pitch: Pardons -- The president has stepped up his offers of financial rewards to voters with just weeks until the midterms. On Tuesday at a rally in Alaska, he announced pardons. Tyler Pager in the New York Times$ -- 10/13/26

Rising Costs Push Necessities Out of Reach for Nearly Half of Americans -- Close to half of Americans are having trouble paying for basic needs, according to a study by the Pew Research Center, as the rising cost of living continues to exact its toll. Sydney Ember in the New York Times$ -- 10/14/26

Trump Can’t Reinstate White House Ban on CNN, Politico and MS NOW, Judge Rules -- The Trump administration must maintain White House access for reporters from CNN, MS NOW and Politico while a legal challenge plays out over President Trump’s attempt to ban the news outlets, a federal judge ruled on Tuesday. Lydia Wheeler and Alexandra Bruell in the Wall Street Journal$ Josh Gerstein and Kyle Cheney Politico Erik Wemple in the New York Times$ Hallie Golden, Michael Kunzelman Associated Press -- 10/13/26

BBC asks judge to force Trump to sit for deposition as part of his $10bn lawsuit -- BBC asks US federal judge to compel Trump’s lawyers to schedule deposition after his team canceled initial session. Jeremy Barr in The Guardian -- 10/13/26