California Policy and Politics Saturday

Admit It. Gavin Newsom Is the 2028 Front-runner -- For years, Democrats and pundits have rolled their eyes at Gavin Newsom. But he’s positioned better than anyone else for the future of politics. Jonathan Martin Politico -- 11/15/25

‘Unlawful coercion’: Trump can’t withhold funds or demand payment from UC, federal judge rules -- The judge has previously sided with UC scholars several times since June in halting Trump’s termination of science and health research funding. The latest ruling is arguably the most sweeping yet. Mikhail Zinshteyn Calmatters Sudhin Thanawala Associated Press Jaweed Kaleem in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 11/15/25

California secures $200 million in threatened pandemic recovery education funds -- The recovery funds had been previously approved and awarded to the states from the department and were supposed to be available until March 2026, but the Department of Education abruptly changed course, a lawsuit from the 17 impacted states alleged. Molly Gibbs in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 11/15/25

‘A flood on steroids’: What to know as storm, debris flows threaten LA -- An unusually strong storm system has reached Southern California, raising fears that the rain could unleash a threat that has been lingering in the burn scars of wildfires that ravaged Los Angeles communities in recent years. Rachel Becker Calmatters -- 11/15/25

Foul-mouthed, brash and savvy: What to know about ex-Newsom aide tangled in a corruption probe -- Dana Williamson, Newsom’s former chief of staff, made friends and enemies in Sacramento with her abrasive style and passion for policy. Dakota Smith and Katie King in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 11/15/25

How California’s ultimate power broker went down -- Gavin Newsom's former chief of staff scaled the heights of California politics with a take-no-prisoners style. This week, it came crashing down. Jeremy B. White and Melanie Mason Politico -- 11/15/25

The seven-day supervisor: Why S.F. Mayor Daniel Lurie’s first big fumble is a crucial one -- From the moment San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie announced that he’d picked an untested political novice to represent the Sunset District on the Board of Supervisors, City Hall insiders and neighborhood activists were taken aback. J.D. Morris in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 11/15/25

LAX approved $1.5 billion to relieve traffic. Opponents say it won’t work -- The countdown to the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games has sent Los Angeles International Airport into a $1.5-billion sprint to rebuild its roads, drawing ire from critics who argue the plan leaves the airport’s most infamous bottleneck — the “horseshoe” — largely untouched. Gavin J. Quinton in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 11/15/25

Homeless

The mayor lifted a homeless emergency declaration. South L.A. merchants and residents aren’t so sure -- Despite more than 20 city cleanups this year, encampments persist or relocate to residential streets, leaving residents frustrated with the repeated cycle. Jasmine Mendez in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 11/15/25

Truckers

California to revoke 17,000 commercial driver’s licenses issued to immigrants -- California will cancel 17,000 commercial driver’s licenses that had been issued to immigrants after officials said they extended beyond the date the drivers were allowed to work in the country — a violation of state law. 1/15/25

CA 101

A major California highway is sliding toward the sea. There is no quick fix -- In California’s far north, an audacious feat of highway engineering is crumbling toward the ocean. The fix is expected to cost upward of $3 billion. Julie Johnson in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 11/15/25

Wildfire

In Altadena, a woman is racing to buy land for her business that burned, before developers get it -- Altadena business owner Shelene Hearring has until Nov. 25 to raise $600,000 via GoFundMe to buy property where her martial arts studio stood prior to the Eaton Fire. Private equity firms are aggressively buying Altadena properties, prompting protests from residents, including one group called “Altadena Not for Sale.” Melissa Gomez in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 11/15/25

John Beam

John Beam gave Oakland hope. The ‘Last Chance U’ coach’s death is a ‘gut punch’ to the city -- John Beam’s death Friday after an on-campus shooting at Laney College left an unmistakable void in Oakland. For the first time in 43 years, a generation of the city’s young athletes couldn’t seek out the legendary coach’s advice. But if you called his cell phone and waited for his voicemail greeting, you could still hear his raspy voice deliver one of his signature credos: “Remember that I believe in you, so that you can believe in yourself.” Connor Letourneau, Mitch Stephens in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 11/15/25

Street

Officials question sheriff’s report of no ‘substantiated’ sex abuse by L.A. jail staff -- But a broad array of local oversight officials and advocacy groups are raising eyebrows over the claim, and bringing new scrutiny to how the Sheriff’s Department investigates allegations of sexual abuse made by inmates against their jailers. Connor Sheets in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 11/15/25

Also

Waymo Was Thriving in San Francisco. Then One of Its Driverless Cars Killed a Cat -- At Delirium, a dive bar in San Francisco’s Mission District, the décor is dark, the drinks are strong, and the emotions are raw. The punk rockers and old-school city natives here look tough, but they are in mourning. Heather Knight in the New York Times$ -- 11/15/25

POTUS 47

Trump weighs Venezuela strikes as U.S. forces prepare for attack order -- President Donald Trump said Friday night that he has “sort of made up my mind” about how he will proceed with the possibility of military action in Venezuela, following a second consecutive day of deliberations at the White House that included top national security advisers. Dan Lamothe, Tara Copp, Michael Birnbaum and Noah Robertson in the Washington Post$ -- 11/15/25

Secret U.S. Memo Authorizing Drug-Boat Strikes Cites Chemical Weapon Threat -- A classified Justice Department brief authorizing strikes on drug-smuggling boats describes fentanyl as a potential chemical weapons threat, according to a House member and another person familiar with the memo. Alexander Ward, Lara Seligman and Michael R. Gordon in the Wall Street Journal$ -- 11/15/25

Justice Department to Investigate Epstein Ties, but Not to Trump -- When a trove of Jeffrey Epstein’s emails were made public this week, Donald J. Trump’s name was all over them. But on Friday, when Mr. Trump demanded that the Justice Department investigate a list of powerful men mentioned in the emails, his own name was nowhere to be seen — he had singled out only Democrats. Erica L. Green, Glenn Thrush and Alan Feuer in the New York Times$ -- 11/15/25

U.S. Attorney Under Pressure After Order to Investigate Democrats -- Jay Clayton, who heads the Southern District of New York, has so far managed to keep clear of President Trump’s most politically charged directives. Now, come the hard choices. Jonah E. Bromwich, Benjamin Weiser and William K. Rashbaum in the New York Times$ -- 11/15/25

Trump scraps tariffs on beef, coffee and tropical fruit in a push to lower grocery store prices -- President Donald Trump announced Friday that he was scrapping U.S. tariffs on beef, coffee, tropical fruits and a broad swath of other commodities — a dramatic move that comes amid mounting pressure on his administration to better combat high consumer prices. Will Weissert Associated Press Alec Dent and David J. Lynch in the Washington Post$ -- 11/15/25

Trump administration will require SNAP participants to reapply for benefits -- Food aid recipients are already required to recertify their information regularly. But the move is part of USDA chief Brooke Rollins’ effort to overhaul the program. Grace Yarrow Politico -- 11/15/25

The cheap health insurance promoted by Trump officials has this catch -- Unlike most insurance, these plans are not required to cover preexisting conditions or even basic needs such as maternity care and mental health. Their coverage is so full of holes that five states have banned their sale, according to KFF, a nonpartisan health policy research group. Peter Whoriskey in the Washington Post$ -- 11/15/25

Fired Scholars and Big Grants to Favored Projects: Inside Trump’s N.E.H. -- Some Democrats and supporters of the National Endowment for the Humanities are questioning what they see as gutted procedures and a tilt toward handpicked projects. Jennifer Schuessler in the New York Times$ -- 11/15/25