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California Policy and Politics Thursday

A California immigrant and a Nevada group, joined by top Democrats, sue over federal election probes -- Top Democrats in Congress have joined a California immigrant and the Nevada State Democratic Party in suing the Trump administration over its unprecedented voter fraud probes in both states and broader efforts to meddle in state-run elections nationwide — alleging they are a “pretext to seize control over elections.” Kevin Rector in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 10/22/26

Judge Restricts D.H.S. Field Operations Aimed at Unearthing Voter Fraud -- The ruling largely blocked homeland security agents from carrying out field interviews in nine states, including California, as part of a sprawling effort to find noncitizens registered to vote. Zach Montague and Shawn Hubler in the New York Times$ -- 10/22/26

A ‘coup’ in Congress? Democrats are gaming out a Jan. 3 nightmare -- Rep. Jared Huffman, D-San Rafael, said Democrats are closely monitoring Trump allies’ claims of voter fraud in California, including a lawsuit last week over alleged noncitizen voting, as a pretense to invalidate midterm election results in the new Congress. Hannah Wiley, Joe Garofoli in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 10/22/26

Prop 45 would make major changes to CEQA. But many CEQA reformers don’t support it -- Some California leaders who have spent years spearheading changes to California’s landmark environmental protection law either haven’t taken a position on or are opposing Proposition 45, which would take even bigger chunks out of the California Environmental Quality Act, known as CEQA. Joe Garofoli in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 10/22/26

Billionaire tax could cost California $39 billion, Stanford economists say -- Californians are already voting on a proposed billionaire wealth tax, but the debate over the policy among experts — including some Bay Area economists — is only ramping up. Christian Leonard in the San Francisco Chronicle$ Meghan Bobrowsky, Laura J. Nelson and Paul Kiernan in the Wall Street Journal$ -- 10/22/26

Walters: Why the fate of California’s wealth tax could be decided well after the election -- The passage of Proposition 13 in 1978 was arguably the most significant political event in California during the last half of the 20th century. Dan Walters Calmatters -- 10/22/26

Data Centers

California cities pull the plug on data centers after state regulations don’t scale up fast enough -- Despite seven new statewide laws regulating data centers, at least 26 resolutions, moratoriums, or bans on data centers have been passed or proposed in California since June. Katherine Ortiz Calmatters -- 10/22/26

To Make Way for Data Centers, Google Will Pay Others to Use Less Power -- The tech giant is funding one of the nation’s largest “virtual power plants,” which would pay homes and businesses to adjust their energy use when grids are strained. Brad Plumer in the New York Times$ -- 10/22/26

Meta

Zuckerberg considered leaving CA over wealth tax, Meta says -- The company said Zuckerberg had informed its special committee of the possibility, and it decided to give him a financial incentive to continue leading the company from California for the next eight years, despite the risk of a “significant, multi-billion dollar tax payment.” Christine Mui Politico Shira Ovide in the Washington Post$ Meghan Bobrowsky, Laura J. Nelson and Paul Kiernan in the Wall Street Journal$ Eli Tan and Theodore Schleifer in the New York Times$ -- 10/22/26

Meta hit with $25-billion penalty for misleading Facebook users about data privacy -- The penalty, one of the largest ever levied against Meta or any other company, is the latest legal hit to the social media giant, which has grappled with lawsuits over allegations of social media addiction and child safety. Queenie Wong in the Los Angeles Times$ Ian Duncan in the Washington Post$ Eli Tan and Cecilia Kang in the New York Times$ -- 10/22/26

Meta Q3 revenue tops estimates and Zuckerberg says Muse accounts have topped 10 million -- The parent company of Facebook and Instagram reported net income of $9.86 billion, or $3.83 per share, for the July-September period. That’s up from a profit of $2.71 billion, or $1.05 per share, in the same period a year earlier. Alex Veiga Associated Press Eli Tan and Cecilia Kang in the New York Times$ -- 10/22/26

How a Legal Backlash Against Big Tech Is Forcing Big Changes -- A series of lawsuits has created a new de facto regulatory regime as courts order companies like Meta and Google to change their business practices — and pay up. Cecilia Kang in the New York Times$ -- 10/22/26

Workplace

Thousands of California state workers walk off the job in contract dispute with Newsom -- Thousands of California state workers walked off the job for a one-day strike, the first in SEIU Local 1000’s 44-year history, rallying in Los Angeles, Sacramento and San Francisco. Representing about 100,000 employees, the union is seeking better raises, higher state health contributions and more flexibility to work from home. Lynn La and Kate Wolffe Calmatters -- 10/22/26

As companies leave California, is the state’s $4.25 trillion economy really in trouble? -- California continues to see companies large and small move to Texas and other states, citing taxes, high costs and regulations. Is the business environment really as bad as it seems? Laurence Darmiento in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 10/22/26

Film and TV shoots in L.A. continue to drop despite state tax credits -- Los Angeles is still struggling to bring filming back to the region, though projects that receive a state tax credit are making up a growing share of local shoot days, according to a new report. Samantha Masunaga in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 10/22/26

After $55 billion Saudi takeover, Bay Area company lays off 400 -- Electronic Arts is laying off about 400 employees and shutting down BioWare, the longtime studio behind “Mass Effect” and “Dragon Age,” as the Redwood City video game giant restructures its business less than three months after completing its $55 billion sale to a consortium led by Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund. Aidin Vaziri in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 10/22/26

eBay to cut 9% of its workforce in latest Bay Area tech layoffs -- The cuts come just eight months after eBay eliminated about 800 jobs, or 6% of its workforce, in another restructuring. The company had 12,300 employees at the end of 2025, according to its annual filing. Aidin Vaziri in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 10/22/26

In San Francisco, a Family Earning $325,000 Qualifies for Government Aid -- With the A.I. boom driving up prices, the city is subsidizing child care for households with high incomes. Even with the help, families say they are struggling. Heather Knight in the New York Times$ -- 10/22/26

ICE

Police dispute ICE’s account of Woodland collision: ‘Inconsistent’ with video -- Woodland police said late Wednesday that an ICE agent’s SUV struck a man in a residential neighborhood and that the pedestrian did not jump onto or slide off the hood, directly contradicting the Department of Homeland Security’s account of the collision. The item is in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 10/22/26

Water

Vital Central Valley flood control levees are poorly maintained, state watchdog finds -- With California bracing for a wet winter, the state auditor warns that nearly a third of local agencies maintaining vital flood control levees in parts of the Central Valley have been performing “unacceptable routine maintenance” — some of them, for years. Rachel Becker Calmatters -- 10/22/26

Wildfire

Rain triggers flooding, erosion concerns across SoCal. Could it stomp out fire season? -- Rain falling this week will reduce the risk of large fires across Southern California. Some areas have received enough rain to quell the risk for the rest of the season, while others probably need another soaking. Alex Wigglesworth in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 10/22/26

Climate

California’s oceans have become shockingly warm. And strange things are happening -- The unusual heat is drawing tropical fish coastward, killing kelp forests, pushing tides to record high heights and providing extra fuel for storms. Anthony Edwards in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 10/22/26

Twenty years after California’s landmark climate law, the state is not on track to meet its targets -- California’s landmark 2006 climate law helped the state meet its first emissions target six years early, but upcoming goals are harder to reach. Hayley Smith in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 10/22/26

Housing

L.A. homes still cost far more than those in the suburbs. Why that’s so surprising -- Homes in Los Angeles County sold for 66.8% higher than in L.A.’s surrounding suburbs in June, according to the data. For this analysis, the suburbs were Riverside, San Bernardino and Ventura counties. Orange County, where average home prices are higher than Los Angeles County’s, boasts bustling job centers and was counted as its own urban area. Terry Castleman in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 10/22/26

Medi-Cal

Medi-Cal cuts could push seniors and people with disabilities off of coverage -- Next July, new Medi-Cal rules prohibit seniors and people with disabilities from saving more than $21,000. State leaders say they needed to make cuts to deliver a balanced budget. Senior and disability rights advocates argue the cuts unfairly target vulnerable groups. Kristen Hwang Calmatters -- 10/22/26

Education

Newsom’s dilemma: Join or spurn new federal school choice program -- Before he heads out the door, Gov. Gavin Newsom must decide whether California will join 31 states in a new multibillion-dollar school choice program, funded by private donations, that President Donald Trump included last year in his One Big Beautiful Bill. John Fensterwald EdSource -- 10/22/26

Street

S.F. Tesla motorist fatally strikes man crossing highway while car was in full-self-driving mode -- The crash occurred around 2:30 a.m. on Interstate 80 westbound at the Interstate 780 interchange, where the Tesla’s dash camera showed the 71-year-old Vallejo man entering the freeway from the right shoulder while the car was traveling at about 70 miles per hour, according to the California Highway Patrol. Brooke Park in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 10/22/26

S.F. sees first death from potent new powerful opioid found in smoke shops -- On Wednesday, city health officials issued a public warning about the drug, known as MGM-15, which is derived from kratom, a psychoactive plant extract that’s become increasingly popular in recent years. Ethan Varian in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 10/22/26

Also

The Palisades fire took his home but not his humor: Billy Crystal turns loss into Broadway magic -- Billy Crystal’s ‘860,’ directed by Scott Ellis at Broadway’s Imperial Theatre, recounts the destruction of his home in the Palisades fires in his moving new solo show that looks back at the memories accumulated over his long career. Charles McNulty in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 10/22/26

POTUS 47

Peter Thiel breaks with Trump over Iran war: ‘We should not have done it’ -- Billionaire technology investor Peter Thiel said he’s skeptical of the U.S. war with Iran and does not believe the United States should have launched it, putting the major Republican donor at odds with President Donald Trump over one of the administration’s defining foreign policy decisions. Calder McHugh Politico -- 10/22/26

U.S. and Israel Draw Up Plans for Renewed Strikes on Iran After Elections -- Renewed hostilities might not be any more successful than the war’s first phase, and President Trump has repeatedly canceled plans for a return to major combat. Julian E. Barnes, Eric Schmitt, Farnaz Fassihi, Natan Odenheimer and Ronen Bergman in the New York Times$ -- 10/22/26

Putin Nears a Prize: Restoring Ties With the U.S. While Giving Up Nothing -- Russia has sought to separate the war in Ukraine from potential business deals and diplomacy with the United States. Its efforts now appear to be working. Valerie Hopkins in the New York Times$ -- 10/22/26