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California Policy and Politics Saturday
San Francisco’s $17.8 billion plan to save its waterfront hits new hurdles -- San Francisco has a sprawling $17.8 billion plan to protect its waterfront against rising seas and earthquakes over the coming decades. But it will cost more and take longer than previously estimated, and it could be years before the megaproject gets federal approval. Anna Bauman in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 8/15/26
A crippling cyberattack hit a small California city, shuttering City Hall. Residents wonder: Why us? -- No one, it seems, knows why cyberattackers would target Suisun City, a sleepy, marsh-front suburb of 29,000 people on the northeast outskirts of the San Francisco Bay Area. But target it, they did, with crippling effects. Whoever they are. Hailey Branson-Potts, Sarahbeth Maney in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 8/15/26
Home insurance, AI and designer pets: What lived and died in Sacramento -- Classic-car smog exemptions and homeowner insurance protections advanced, while AI copyright transparency and mental health diversion limits fell short. John Woolfolk in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 8/15/26
After refinery explosions, California lawmakers move to preserve safety rules -- The union-backed proposal, Senate Bill 966, would enshrine existing worker protections into state law as California regulators move to revise them in response to a legal settlement with the state’s oil lobby. Alejandro Lazo Calmatters -- 8/15/26
A California official helped a company pitching data centers. His daughter works there -- With state fairgrounds in desperate need of funds for long-sought improvements, the California official who oversees them has become a prominent ally of an audacious plan to provide land to a new company seeking to capitalize on the artificial intelligence boom. Megan Fan Munce in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 8/15/26
Tom Steyer talks climate, billionaire tax and the progressive wave skipping California -- Billionaire investor and climate activist Tom Steyer came up short in his run for governor, placing third in the state’s June primary. Now he’s back — and going on the climate offensive. Alex Nieves Politico -- 8/15/26
Trump administration wins transgender medical records case -- In a case that could extend the Trump administration’s war against transgender care to states like California where the medical treatment is legal, a federal appeals court ruled Friday that the Justice Department can order a clinic to release records of doctors who provide gender-affirming care and patients who receive it. Bob Egelko in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 8/15/26
DACA
Court ruling narrows pathway to citizenship for DACA recipients -- The Trump administration has largely ended a pathway to citizenship for DACA recipients who marry U.S. citizens. Andrea Castillo in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 8/15/26
Workplace
California Uber and Lyft drivers’ union could be certified in less than 30 days -- Uber and Lyft drivers in California are a step closer to unionizing after state regulators confirmed the budding union had gained enough support to be certified. Rideshare drivers have been fighting for a union for more than a decade to have more say in their pay, working conditions and benefits. Caroline Petrow-Cohen in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 8/15/26
Waymo
Waymo wins approval for drastic expansion in Los Angeles, Bay Area regions -- The California Public Utilities Commission gave Waymo permission to operate in San Diego and Sacramento, as well as in communities in Marin, Napa, Orange and Riverside counties, among others. Caroline Petrow-Cohen in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 8/15/26
Workplace
FedEx and others announce layoffs in Southern California -- More than 500 people have lost their jobs in the latest round of layoffs in Southern California, from FedEx and others. The latest government filings show that Staples and LAZ Parking were also among the companies cutting positions. Annika Duneja in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 8/15/26
Boyle Heights
Boyle Heights reaching breaking point over rotten meat as warehouse cleanup deadline dissolves into fight -- The city says Lineage failed to meet the deadline Friday, while the company says it should have more time. Residents say the end can’t come soon enough and that the cold storage industry behemoth has already worn out its welcome. Salvador Hernandez in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 8/15/26
Wildfire
PG&E fined $22 million for 2022 Mosquito Fire in Placer and El Dorado counties -- PG&E will pay a penalty of $21 million in shareholder funds to California’s General Fund and $1 million for an independent expert third-party review of PG&E’s Transmission Centralized Inspection Review Team’s operations, CPUC officials said in a news release. Rosalio Ahumada in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 8/15/26
Feds revamp charges against Palisades arson suspect after mistrial -- Prosecutors unveiled a new indictment against Jonathan Rinderknecht, who is accused of starting a blaze that reignited to become the Palisades fire. Earlier this year, a trial against Rinderknecht ended with a deadlocked jury. Ten jurors were in favor of acquittal. Sonja Sharp in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 8/15/26
Oil
An oil company wants to restart fracking off the California coast. The state’s top coastal officials say no way -- Just days after the Trump administration launched proceedings that could limit California’s ability to protect its iconic shoreline, the state’s top coastal officials reasserted their authority by voting unanimously against an oil company’s controversial bid to restart underwater fracking operations. Rosanna Xia in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 8/15/26
Environment
Where did the birds go? Once-abundant wetlands are drying up after federal staff cutbacks -- The seasonal wetlands, which are part of a larger pit stop for migratory birds on the Pacific Flyway, were nearly bone dry — and not because of a drought. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service simply didn’t have enough employees dedicated to opening the levees that flood the wetlands. Lynn La Calmatters -- 8/15/26
California lawmakers kill grizzly bear reintroduction bill -- For now, the only place you’ll find grizzlies in California are in zoos or on the state flag. Ryan Sabalow Calmatters -- 8/15/26
Could this be the strongest El Niño since the French Revolution? -- This year’s El Niño, a periodic warming of tropical Pacific waters that shifts weather patterns worldwide, could become the strongest in roughly 250 years, reaching an intensity not seen since the late 18th century. Greg Porter in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 8/15/26
Street
‘Unacceptable’: La Jolla man who admitted kicking a sea lion faces a year in jail and $100,000 fine -- Tyler Muehl, from La Jolla, was captured in a video that went viral showing him kicking the sea lion in the head and body even as it tried to escape the attack. Fedor Zarkhin in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 8/15/26
Also
Arellano: Shock gloves on immigrants? Trump gifts his deportation goons a cowardly new tool -- It’s come to this: pain gloves. Gustavo Arellano in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 8/15/26
POTUS 47
Trump says USS Abraham Lincoln deployment ‘not nearly long enough’ amid outcry from families -- Democratic lawmakers and military families are pressing the Pentagon for answers after reports emerged that thousands of sailors aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln have endured food shortages, plumbing failures and severe fatigue during deployment that has stretched more than 260 days. Christopher Buchanan and Ana Ceballos in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 8/15/26
Navy Carrier’s Problems Are Tied to Attacks on U.S. Base Early in War -- The aircraft carrier U.S.S. Abraham Lincoln’s supply problems began soon after the first day of the war, as Iranian missiles and attack drones fell on a Navy base in Bahrain. The Iranian attack, retaliation for the U.S.-Israeli assault on Tehran, destroyed much of the base. And as it went up in smoke, so did a major logistics hub that the Navy has relied on for decades. John Ismay in the New York Times$ -- 8/15/26
Trump Dismisses Reports About Dire Conditions Aboard U.S. Aircraft Carrier -- Asked whether the deployment of the Abraham Lincoln had gone on too long, the president said its deployment had lasted “not nearly long enough.” Erica L. Green and Maggie Haberman in the New York Times$ -- 8/15/26
California Policy and Politics Friday
Californians split on proposed tax on billionaires, sour on voter ID requirement, poll shows -- California voters are sharply divided over a ballot measure to impose a one-time tax on billionaires to help fund healthcare programs, a proposal already triggering a fierce and expensive political fight as the November election approaches, according to a poll released Friday. Seema Mehta in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 8/14/26
The left’s California problem -- Even national progressive leaders have yet to fully embrace a ballot measure to tax billionaires. Dustin Gardiner and Jeremy B. White Politico -- 8/14/26
‘Unconscionable’: DOJ says California prisons failed to stop systemic sexual abuse of female prisoners -- California prisons repeatedly and knowingly violated female prisoners’ civil rights by failing to prevent systemic sexual abuse, a two-year federal investigation revealed. Fedor Zarkhin in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 8/14/26
Federal judge poised to restrict immigration arrest tactics in Los Angeles raids -- A judge on Thursday indicated that she’s inclined to order federal immigration agents to stop arresting people without warrants in Los Angeles if they haven’t assessed their flight risk. Wendy Fry and Sergio Olmos Calmatters -- 8/14/26
AI
California fair official has key link to firm trying to put data centers on fairgrounds -- With state fairgrounds in desperate need of funds for long-sought improvements, the California official who oversees them has become a prominent ally of an audacious plan to provide land to a new company seeking to capitalize on the artificial intelligence boom. Megan Fan Munce in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 8/14/26
Data center might get tucked away inside downtown Oakland office site -- A data center and artificial intelligence complex might appear on one of the floors of a downtown Oakland office building under a plan that seeks to launch the tech hub without gaining a key city permit. George Avalos and Kyle Martin in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 8/14/26
Inside Meta’s push to put open superintelligent AI on your devices -- In a sweeping 6,500-word manifesto published Monday, Zuckerberg declared that the biggest risk for AI is that one government or a few companies have too much control of the technology. Nilesh Christopher in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 8/14/26
AI giants stay quiet on climate as California prepares to force disclosure -- California’s law SB253 begins to go into effect in November, requiring companies with more than $1 billion in revenue doing business in the state to report their Scope 1 and 2 greenhouse gas emissions. These measures account for the planet-warming pollution caused by a company’s operations and energy usage — and California’s regulations apply to activity outside the state. Olivia Raimonde and Summer Maxwell Bloomberg in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 8/14/26
The unexpected issue dividing parties and midterms candidates -- Across the United States, political candidates are grappling with an issue that has never before featured widely in American political life: artificial intelligence. You can see it in candidates of both major parties trying to one-up each other with crackdowns on data centers. Shira Ovide, Clara Ence Morse and Kevin Schaul in the Washington Post$ -- 8/14/26
Trump’s top California prosecutor promised election fraud charges. Two months later, there are none -- Assistant U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli said his office would charge people after California’s June primary. He has yet to file any cases and won’t say why. Raheem Hosseini in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 8/14/26
Trump wants fewer childhood vaccines. California says ‘nothing is changing’ here -- California is not changing its childhood vaccination recommendations, or its requirement to have health insurers cover the inoculations, after President Donald Trump’s executive order that calls for reducing the number of vaccines U.S. children receive, state health officials say. Catherine Ho in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 8/14/26
El Niño continues to strengthen. What does that mean for flood risk this winter -- But while El Niño increases the odds of wet winters in California, it doesn’t mean what many people assume: That flooding is imminent later in the year for residents who live along rivers and creeks. Paul Rogers in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 8/14/26
Giants’ Oracle Park to host 2028 All-Star Game as Mayor Lurie makes an assist -- Major League Baseball has decided to award the 2028 All-Star Game to San Francisco — without waiting to determine whether big-league players will participate in the Olympics in Los Angeles. Susan Slusser, J.D. Morris in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 8/14/26
California’s bid to outlaw “glow-in-the-dark rabbits” and “unicorn horses” fails -- Proposed legislation to protect animals from “Frankenstein”-like medical experimentation died in the state Senate on Thursday, and supporters blame election year politics for its demise. Dakota Smith in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 8/14/26
Flock
Flock puts new ‘guardrails’ on license-plate cameras after breaches in S.F. and other cities. Critics are skeptical -- Facing a torrent of criticism and decisions by a growing number of California cities to drop their surveillance technology, Flock Safety on Thursday announced new “guardrails” the CEO said would better secure the system’s 120,000 cameras from misuse by law enforcement. Abigail Vân Neely in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 8/14/26
Workplace
Hollywood unions split: DGA, IATSE seek settlement while WGA fights to block Paramount-Warner merger -- Citing Hollywood’s already struggling production economy, two influential industry unions have jointly called on Paramount Skydance Chairman David Ellison and California Atty. Gen. Rob Bonta to settle their antitrust fight. Meg James in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 8/14/26
Twist cap maker announces layoffs as California’s wine industry struggles -- Modesto-based packaging firm G3 Enterprises will lay off 66 workers at its wine closure plant this fall, the latest manufacturing hit as California’s wine sector struggles. Iris Kwok in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 8/14/26
Oakland affordable housing nonprofit lays off 81 workers across 24 properties -- An Oakland affordable housing and community development nonprofit will lay off its entire property management team and transition to an outside contractor due to rising costs, according to a state filing. Roland Li in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 8/14/26
Marketplace
California regulators approve $34.5-billion Charter-Cox merger -- The deal will make Charter’s Spectrum the dominant broadband internet and cable television service in Southern California, with millions of customers scattered throughout Santa Barbara, Bakersfield, Los Angeles, Palos Verdes Estates, Newport Beach, Irvine, Riverside and San Diego. Meg James in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 8/14/26
Homeless
Amid fire danger, Malibu declares emergency to clear homeless encampments — fast -- Citing dangerously dry brush conditions, the City Council approved the declaration this week to reduce the risk of fires associated with homeless individuals cooking outdoors or using fire to keep warm at night. Clara Harter in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 8/14/26
Lakers
The Lakers’ Owner Needed Cash. Then Came a $12.5 Billion Offer to Buy the Team -- With his business empire under scrutiny from federal investigators, Mark Walter was on the hunt for cash when, out of nowhere, he was about to be offered an enormous pile of money. The chief executive of Guggenheim Partners needed liquidity to keep his insurance companies afloat, people familiar with the matter said. Andrew Beaton, Margot Patrick and Kate Clark in the Wall Street Journal$ -- 8/14/26
COVID
COVID is surging in California. Should you get vaccinated now or wait until fall? -- Californians who didn’t get their COVID-19 vaccine last fall should get it now and not wait for the updated vaccine later this year, state health officials said, because COVID-19 is surging now but is expected to circulate at lower levels this winter. Catherine Ho in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 8/14/26
HSR
CA High-Speed Rail adds delay — and is criticized in review for obscuring new timeline -- The California High-Speed Rail Authority added another year to its overall Central Valley timeline but obscured the schedule change in its latest planning document, according to a recent report by the agency’s own independent review office. Erik Galicia in the Fresno Bee -- 8/14/26
Education
California schools are putting students’ phones out of reach. Even teens see an upside -- As California students head back to school this month, new policies will strip many of them of their cell phones, with the devices off and out of reach for most or all of their time on campus. Jill Tucker, Delilah Brumer in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 8/14/26
Street
DHS blames California for a brutal Martinez murder. The truth is more complicated -- President Donald Trump’s administration blamed Gov. Gavin Newsom this week for the brutal Aug. 6 killing of a Martinez man during an attempted home burglary, claiming the state’s sanctuary law shielded the alleged murderer from federal immigration officials. The truth, as always, is more complicated. Hannah Wiley in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 8/14/26
Also
Who Is a Jew? California Considers a Small Box With Big Implications -- A bill would allow Jews to identify themselves as an ethnic group on state forms. Supporters argue it’s a step toward acknowledging the complex nature of Jewish identity. Yair Rosenberg in the New York Times$ -- 8/14/26
Silicon Valley Loves Jargon—and ‘Hill-Climbing’ Is Its Favorite New Phrase -- A term that describes a computer-science algorithm is the metaphor du jour among AI types—and coming soon to a boardroom near you. Tina Li in the Wall Street Journal$ -- 8/14/26
California lawmakers kill grizzly bear reintroduction bill -- For now, the only place you’ll find grizzlies in California are in zoos or on the state flag. Ryan Sabalow Calmatters -- 8/14/26
It could soon be harder to see the full price of a plane ticket. Here’s why -- Travelers are accustomed to seeing an all-inclusive price for airfare when browsing flights online, but they may soon need to read the fine print before purchasing as Washington is trying to change disclosure requirements. Caroline Petrow-Cohen in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 8/14/26
Walters: Interested in how California pays for state government? Here’s where to find the data -- While the budget itself is an imprecise source of financial information, its addenda provide troves of useful data for those savvy enough to find them. Dan Walters Calmatters -- 8/14/26
POTUS 47
Trump officials ask Supreme Court to let ballroom construction continue -- The Trump administration asked the Supreme Court on Friday to clear the way for it to complete the White House ballroom, escalating the months-long legal fight over the president’s controversial project. Jonathan Edwards, Justin Jouvenal and Dan Diamond in the Washington Post$ -- 8/14/26
Trump-aligned board votes to put his name on the Kennedy Center — again -- The board — which is mostly Trump loyalists after the president dismissed Democratic-appointed members on the historically bipartisan body — voted to “honor the President’s contribution with an inscribed recognition on the building,” with the new signage reading: “The John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts, Restored and Renovated by President Donald J. Trump.” Gregory Svirnovskiy Politico Victoria Albert in the Wall Street Journal$ -- 8/14/26
Judge Dismisses Federal Government’s Antisemitism Case Against Harvard -- Judge Richard G. Stearns of the U.S. District Court in Massachusetts granted Harvard’s motion to throw out the case, saying that the antisemitic incidents cited in the administration’s March lawsuit were “too isolated and episodic” to show that Harvard is breaking the law. Mark Arsenault in the New York Times$ -- 8/14/26