California Policy and Politics Monday

Bill Cosby loses civil sex assault lawsuit in Los Angeles County; faces $19-million judgment -- Bill Cosby drugged and sexually assaulted a waitress in 1972 after escorting her to one of his shows, a civil jury in California concluded Monday, awarding the woman $19.25 million in damages. Fedor Zarkhin in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/23/26

New details emerge on ICE incident at SFO captured in viral videos -- The Trump administration on Monday said a struggle between two immigration agents and a woman at San Francisco International Airport Sunday evening was unrelated to the Trump administration’s broader plan to send Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers to airports across the country to ease federal shutdown-related delays. Megan Cassidy in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 3/23/26

 

Trump targets airports for ICE, but SFO might be spared -- San Francisco International Airport is one of about 20 U.S. airports that use private contractors, rather than federal TSA employees, to staff security checkpoints under federal oversight. Because those screeners are privately employed and funded, they continue to be paid during the shutdown, helping SFO avoid the staffing shortages seen elsewhere. Aidin Vaziri in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 3/23/26

Trump border advisor says ICE to deploy to U.S. airports Monday -- White House border advisor Tom Homan said that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement plans to dispatch agents to airports as soon as Monday, and that he was working with other officials to determine where to send agents. Samantha Masunaga and Mark Olsen in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/23/26

The Supreme Court Could Make It Harder to Vote by Mail in the Midterms -- The Republican National Committee wants to toss ballots arriving after Election Day. Critics say thousands of votes — a majority cast by Democrats — are at stake. Nick Corasaniti in the New York Times$ -- 3/23/26

Prediction markets are seeing a political boom. Here’s what they might mean for California’s governor race -- As it ticks closer to Election Day, the prediction markets have gotten more confident in East Bay Rep. Eric Swalwell’s chances to be the next governor of California. It’s a stark contrast compared to recent polling that shows the race to succeed Gov. Gavin Newsom is still wide open as many voters remain undecided or disengaged. Grace Hase in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 3/23/26

Hawaii faces more than $1B in storm recovery. California is still clamoring for L.A. fire aid -- If California’s experience is a barometer, Hawaii may have a long and frustrating recovery road ahead. Raheem Hosseini, Anthony Edwards in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 3/23/26

Scott Wiener passed laws that made it easier to build in California. Can he do the same in Congress? -- Scott Wiener has a reputation for producing and passing a lot of legislation. Congress has a reputation for doing nothing. If elected, will Wiener get housing laws passed at a national level? Ben Christopher Calmatters -- 3/23/26

Skelton: Trump attacking Newsom’s dyslexia proves president’s incompetence -- President Trump claims Gov. Gavin Newsom is unfit to be president because he has a “learning disability.” It’s a classic case of the pot calling the kettle black. The centuries-old pot-kettle idiom points out hypocrisy — as when one person accuses another of a flaw that afflicts himself. George Skelton in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/23/26

The California reckoning after Cesar Chavez’s fall -- Cesar Chavez’s name and likeness are swiftly being stripped from public landmarks. But the labor rights leader’s now-disgraced legacy cannot so easily be excised from the California identity. Melanie Mason Politico -- 3/23/26

Garofoli: Cesar Chavez scandal drives home why BLM, Occupy and Indivisible don’t rely on icons -- One of many gut punches in the recent investigation detailing sexual assault allegations Cesar Chavez came from the young accuser who told her mom after she said the civil rights icon assaulted her: “Cesar Chavez is just a man.” Joe Garofoli in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 3/23/26

Chuck Norris Boulevard? San Francisco petition seeks to rename Cesar Chavez Street -- A San Francisco firefighter and former candidate for supervisor has launched an online petition calling for Cesar Chavez Street to be renamed after actor and martial artist Chuck Norris, as communities across California grapple with abuse allegations against the labor leader. Aidin Vaziri in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 3/23/26

Caltrain to dedicate electric train to Pelosi to mark decades of transit advocacy -- In San Francisco, you can find Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi’s name on the 18-story downtown federal building and on a road in Golden Gate Park. Soon it will travel along the Bay Area’s railroads. Mario Cortez in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 3/23/26

Workplace

SFPD sees biggest hiring surge in years after recruitment slump -- While the department remains hundreds of officers short of recommended staffing levels, aggressive recruitment efforts — financed in part by private donations — appear to be yielding results, driven by an advertising blitz, the allure of regular pay increases, a streamlined application process and a political climate shift that experts say has made law enforcement careers more appealing. David Hernandez in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 3/23/26

What Young Workers Are Doing to AI-Proof Themselves -- Jackson Curtis planned to spend his career in insurance, where he’s worked the last 3½ years. Instead, the 28-year-old is now pursuing an abrupt shift: becoming a full-time firefighter. Rachel Wolfe and Te-Ping Chen in the Wall Street Journal$ -- 3/23/26

Mark Zuckerberg Is Building an AI Agent to Help Him Be CEO -- Meta Platforms chief uses the tool to get information faster as the company seeks to embrace artificial intelligence in all it does. Meghan Bobrowsky in the Wall Street Journal$ -- 3/23/26

$5 Diesel is Crushing Truckers. It Will Soon Be Felt Across the Economy -- Truck drivers in the U.S. are feeling some of the first economic effects of the rapid surge in the cost of diesel. Broader economic impact could hit soon. Jared Mitovich and Jeanne Whalen in the Wall Street Journal$ -- 3/23/26

Where does California state workers’ next potential boss stand on telework? -- Candidates in the crowded 2026 governor’s race have been debating a wide range of issues facing California: homelessness, environmental concerns and the state’s high cost of living. For one group of voters, there’s a niche issue that’s top of mind: Will their next boss support telework? William Melhado in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 3/23/26

Data Centers

Data centers under scrutiny by California lawmakers as fears rise about health and energy impacts -- A proposed data center in Imperial County has triggered fierce community opposition, with residents fearing impacts on air quality and rising utility bills. The facility received an exemption from environmental review, leaving residents without answers about health hazards as California lawmakers debate regulating AI data centers. Katie King, Gina Ferazzi in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/23/26

Education

Lesson plans go ‘out the window’ as educators pivot on César Chávez amid abuse allegations -- Educators are scrambling to revise lesson plans after sexual abuse allegations surfaced against César Chávez. Teachers face a complex challenge in addressing Chávez’s legacy with age-appropriate discussions. Jaweed Kaleem, Howard Blume and Kate Sequeira in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/23/26

POTUS 47

Trump says U.S. is postponing some strikes as it negotiates end to war with Iran -- The president’s announcement sent markets soaring and energy prices diving, as investors bet Iran’s blockade of a key shipping chokepoint could soon end. Michael Birnbaum in the Washington Post$ Bridget Brown, Lorian Belanger, Patrick Quinn, Hrvoje Hranjski Associated Press Alex Leary in the Wall Street Journal$ Luke Broadwater in the New York Times$ -- 3/23/26

War’s Attacks on Energy Could Turn Economic Shock Into Long-Term Damage -- A new phase targeting oil and gas infrastructure in the Persian Gulf threatens to hurt businesses and customers around the world for months or even years. Patricia Cohen in the New York Times$ -- 3/23/26

Jeffries tells Trump to ‘keep his reckless mouth shut’ -- House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries said President Donald Trump could get “somebody killed” after the president accused Democrats of being the country’s “greatest enemy” after Iran. Cheyanne M. Daniels Politico -- 3/23/26

Israel Thought It Could Spur Rebellion Inside Iran. That Hasn’t Happened -- President Trump’s hopes that an Israeli plan to ignite an internal uprising against Iran’s theocratic government could bring the war to a swift end have so far been dashed. Mark Mazzetti, Julian E. Barnes, Edward Wong and Ronen Bergman in the New York Times$ -- 3/23/26

Trump Asks ICE Agents Not to Wear Masks as They Deploy to Airports -- The agents have been sent to help manage security bottlenecks that have sprung up amid a funding lapse for the Department of Homeland Security. Mariah Timms in the Wall Street Journal$ -- 3/23/26