California Policy and Politics Thursday

California’s ‘jungle primary’ faces repeal push — and a rival plan to expand it -- Now critics of California’s top two primary system are advancing a ballot measure that would undo the “jungle” primary and revert to siloed, Democratic and Republican June elections. Backers of the current system are promising a lawsuit — and their own effort to expand it further, allowing as many as five candidates to advance to the November general election. Ben Paviour in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 7/16/26

California ballot measure to overhaul CEQA draws 73% support in new poll -- A ballot measure that would overhaul one of California’s most powerful and controversial environmental laws has a commanding lead less than three months before voters begin casting ballots in the statewide November election. Paul Rogers in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 7/16/26

Californians back Becerra and reject AI data centers by big margins, poll finds -- Democrat Xavier Becerra holds a commanding lead in the California governor’s race in a new poll, which also shows broad voter support for a ballot proposition to reform the state’s landmark environmental law to speed up housing and infrastructure. Nicole Nixon in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 7/16/26

Becerra, Hilton give preview for reshaped California governor’s race in dueling L.A. speeches -- Xavier Becerra, a Democrat, sought to tie Republican rival Steve Hilton to President Trump during his remarks Wednesday at the National Assn. of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials conference in downtown L.A. Hilton focused on his immigrant roots and how to help small businesses in California, and ignored Becerra’s attacks. Dakota Smith in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 7/16/26

Barabak: Too many congressional races are over before they start. Here’s a remedy -- The House Problem Solvers Caucus is pushing for national redistricting standards that could end the worst abuses. Odds are long, but the coast-to-coast gerrymandering fight could boost the push for reform. Mark Z. Barabak in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 7/16/26

ICE

ICE has detained more than 650 children in California under Trump’s deportation crackdown -- U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement has detained more than 650 children in California under President Donald Trump’s second term, an EdSource analysis of federal data has found. Most arrests happened in California communities, rather than at the border, and involved minors who resided and attended school in the state. Emma Gallegos Edsource -- 7/16/26

‘Wendy isn’t here.’ Bay Area third graders grieve a classmate’s deportation -- Wendy’s March 22 detainment and subsequent deportation triggered a wave of grief and anger among students at Downer Elementary School in San Pablo, where she attended second and third grade. Some told their teachers they were afraid to leave their homes. Others wanted to stage a protest to bring back their deported classmate. Zaidee Stavely EdSource -- 7/16/26

ICE will continue traffic stops despite recent fatal shootings -- President Trump’s call to resume vehicle stops came one day after administration officials said such stops would be paused to review past incidents and training. Andrea Castillo, Kevin Rector and Ana Ceballos in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 7/16/26

DMV

‘I didn’t cheat.’ California DMV’s test fraud claims spark frustration, anger -- California motorists were surprised enough when the Department of Motor Vehicles abruptly announced it was invalidating 11,000 knowledge tests. But that confusion turned to anger and frustration when the agency revealed it took the action because of evidence of suspected cheating on the written tests. Clara Harter in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 7/16/26

Workplace

California employer health premiums will cost as much as a new car in 2027 -- California employers face the steepest health premium jump in 16 years, pushing average family coverage above $30,000 in 2027. Rising costs are fueled by powerful hospital systems, expensive cancer and obesity drugs, and a new insurance tax to fund Medi-Cal, driving premiums faster than inflation for millions. Melody Petersen in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 7/16/26

UCSF doctors and nurses bring ER ‘boarding crisis’ protest to UC regents -- Doctors and nurses protested Wednesday morning outside the UC regents meeting, warning that crowded ER hallways and insufficient staffing at UCSF Parnassus are putting patients at risk. Catherine Ho in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 7/16/26

Fired federal workers face a second nightmare: Their appeals are stuck in a historic backlog -- Christopher Melton would like to return to the Food and Drug Administration, where he helped develop life-saving drugs like the ones he relies on to manage his multiple sclerosis. But more than a year after he lost his job, Melton and thousands of other federal workers have yet to receive a date for the first hearing in their cases appealing their terminations. Sara DiNatale in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 7/16/26

Marketplace

The AI Backlash Has Tech Executives Fearing for Their Lives -- Police in San Francisco have responded to several threats against employees of Anthropic and OpenAI, according to records viewed by the Journal. The Texas man who allegedly threw an incendiary at Altman’s house was charged with attempted murder and attempted arson. Officers found a manifesto advocating for the killing of AI CEOs and investors. He pleaded not guilty. Lindsay Ellis, Zusha Elinson and Tina Li in the Wall Street Journal$ -- 7/16/2

Housing

Nation’s largest landlord accused of Section 8 discrimination in California -- In a complaint filed to the California Civil Rights Department, the watchdog group Housing Rights Initiative identified 53 examples of Greystar offices and property managers in California saying they don’t accept the vouchers. Jack Flemming in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 7/16/26

Education

A new law holds colleges accountable if their grads don’t earn more than $36,000 a year -- A new law requires colleges to prove that their graduates earn more than someone with only a high school diploma or else students could lose access to federal loans. About 300 California programs may fail the test, including many cosmetology and some arts programs. Adam Echelman Calmatters -- 7/16/26

Water

‘It’ll buy us time’: Feds to pay millions to prop up dwindling Lake Mead -- A major Southern California water agency has struck a deal with federal officials to boost water levels in Lake Mead, part of a broader effort to keep the country’s largest reservoir from reaching critically low levels — at least for a while longer. Lila Seidman in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 7/16/26

‘Fiscal cliff’ for drinking water fixes: Californians with bad tap water could have a longer wait -- The state program that helps bring solutions for Californians with contaminated drinking water is facing a major drop in funding. Ian James in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 7/16/26

Recycle

Key California law on ‘recyclable’ packaging symbols is blocked by federal judge -- A federal judge has blocked California’s “Truth in Recycling” law, which would restrict the familiar chasing-arrows symbol to packaging that is actually recycled at meaningful rates. Industry groups hail the ruling as a free-speech victory, while environmental advocates warn it undermines efforts to curb misleading marketing. Susanne Rust in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 7/16/26

Wildfire

After wildfires destroyed 95% of this California tribe’s forests, members uncovered 1,200 ancestral sites -- After devastating fires turned their forest into a moonscape, members of the Konkow Valley Band of Maidu found evidence of their vibrant tribal history everywhere. Noah Haggerty in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 7/16/26

Trump House

The Army Veteran Killed Outside His ‘Trump House’ -- Kerry Sheron could often be found waving and nodding to those who passed his home, which stood out in Escondido, Calif. Corina Knoll in the New York Times$ -- 7/16/26

Also

Memorial at sea turns deadly when boat sinks, submerging mourners in San Francisco Bay -- They set out to sea — passing under the Golden Gate Bridge and across the San Francisco Bay to Angel Island — for a memorial service to honor a loved one. Clara Harter and Jenny Jarvie in the Los Angeles Times$ Aidin Vaziri, St. John Barned-Smith, Anna Bauman, Kate Talerico in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 7/16/26

Could missing S.F. Bay boaters be in sunken vessel? Officials assess feasibility of raising it -- Could some or all of the three people missing after Tuesday’s San Francisco Bay boating tragedy be in the enclosed main or lower deck of the sunken vessel? Authorities believe it’s a possibility, and they are assessing the feasibility of raising the 49-foot Volare, an extremely challenging prospect as it sank in a particularly deep and difficult part of the bay. Brooke Park in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 7/16/26

The San Francisco Bay has a deadly maritime history. These are some of its worst disasters -- The sinking Tuesday of a recreational boat near Alcatraz Island became the latest deadly episode in the long maritime history of the San Francisco Bay. Aldo Toledo in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 7/16/26

POTUS 47

The Mystery Money Powering Trump’s Second Term -- Presidents have always raised money from private donors—to run for office, throw inaugural balls and build presidential libraries. But Donald Trump has turned his second term into an unprecedented fundraising blitz, raising well over half a billion dollars from wealthy donors and stashing it in a sprawling network of nonprofits, cultural institutions and committees that he and his allies control. Marianne LeVine,Maggie Severns, Kara Dapena in the Wall Street Journal$ -- 7/16/26

‘Scared s–tless’: Republicans brace for Trump’s primetime speech -- President Donald Trump is promising to reveal “really big news” on election security. Many Republicans wish he wouldn’t. Alex Gangitano, Megan Messerly and Myah Ward Politico -- 7/16/26

Hegseth Plans to Screen All Troops, Including Women, for Low Testosterone -- Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced on Wednesday a new mandatory screening program to test all service members age 30 and older, including women, for testosterone deficiency annually. Greg Jaffe and Azeen Ghorayshi in the New York Times$ Konstantin Toropin, Matthew Perrone Associated Press Alyssa Lukpat in the Wall Street Journal$ -- 7/16/26

U.S. Weighs Bond of $100,000 for Some Green-Card Applicants Abroad -- Move would be part of administration’s crackdown on legal immigration, especially on foreigners with limited means. Michelle Hackman, Robbie Gramer and Alexander Ward in the Wall Street Journal$ -- 7/16/26

The Hardest Question for Trump Nominees on Capitol Hill -- Jay Clayton, nominated by President Trump as the director of national intelligence, became the latest pick to face the simple but politically sensitive question in his hearing Wednesday in front of the Senate Intelligence Committee. For years, Trump has falsely claimed the 2020 election was stolen from him. Yoko Kubota, Maya Davis and Vera Bergengruen in the Wall Street Journal$ Noah Robertson in the Washington Post$ -- 7/16/26

Trump Endorses Mike Lindell, MyPillow Founder, for Minnesota Governor -- He is a close ally of President Trump and has been a leading proponent of the election denial movement, which falsely claims that voting machines are often rigged. Ernesto Londoño in the New York Times$ -- 7/16/26

Trump approval stuck in the 30s amid pessimism on Iran and economy, poll finds -- Americans give President Donald Trump broadly negative assessments, according to a Washington Post-Ipsos poll. Dan Balz and Scott Clement in the Washington Post$ -- 7/16/26