 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
California Policy and Politics Friday
Elon Musk’s X sues to block California law that aims to combat election deepfakes -- X, the social media app owned by Elon Musk, has sued California in an attempt to block a new law requiring large online platforms to remove or label deceptive election content. Queenie Wong in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 11/15/24
California to rename 43 places with ‘squaw’ in the name --The California Natural Resources Agency said it would remove the word from dozens of streets, bridges, buildings and cemeteries around the state and replace it with names that prioritize Indigenous cultures and languages. Camille Von Kaenel Politico -- 11/15/24
Trump’s defense secretary pick, Pete Hegseth, was named in Monterey sex assault probe -- Seven years ago, Monterey police officers investigated an alleged sexual assault involving Pete Hegseth, President-elect Donald Trump’s nominee for secretary of defense, at a hotel in the seaside city, but the inquiry did not lead to any criminal charges. Matthias Gafni in the San Francisco Chronicle$ Joseph Serna in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 11/15/24
Garofoli: Forget Joe Rogan. The bro-iest podcast belongs to Gavin Newsom -- Anybody who’s listened to at least 30 seconds of Gov. Gavin Newsom’s podcast, “Politickin’,” with NFL great and Oakland native Marshawn Lynch and their mutual friend, Lynch’s agent Doug Hendrickson, must be asking: “Why the hell is Newsom doing this?” Joe Garofoli in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 11/15/24
These prisoners from Southern California could be freed under Trump’s promised Jan. 6 pardons -- Southern California-based defendants who took part in the attack on the U.S. Capitol following Donald Trump’s 2020 electoral loss could be among the winners of Trump’s imminent return to the White House if the president-elect follows through on promises of clemency related to the Jan. 6 riot. Sean Emery in the Orange County Register -- 11/15/24
‘A pivotal moment?’ Why many Latino voters in California chose Trump -- In part due to economic and border security concerns, Latinos in California appear to have moved toward Donald Trump. But that doesn’t necessarily mean they’re abandoning the Democratic Party. Yue Stella Yu CalMatters -- 11/15/24
Who is S.F. tech exec Jeff Lawson, owner of the Onion and, maybe, Infowars? -- While many of San Francisco’s tech leaders have fled the city in recent years or criticized its troubling street conditions, Lawson has been a notable exception. St. John Barned-Smith in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 11/15/24
‘He should leave’: Garamendi says Lara fails to take on insurance firms amid crisis -- U.S. Rep. John Garamendi said in an interview with a Bay Area TV station that state Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara should step down if he’s unwilling to take on insurance companies, becoming the latest outspoken critic of Lara during the state’s ongoing insurance crisis. Jordan Parker in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 11/14/24
California lawmaker countersues former staffer, rebutting claims of forced sex acts -- State Sen. Marie Alvarado-Gil, a Central Valley Republican, says her former chief of staff, Chad Condit, threatened her by saying he knows “how to make people disappear,” in court papers filed Tuesday in Sacramento Superior Court. She also alleges that Condit, who was later fired, stole $50,000 from her campaign. Dustin Gardiner Politico -- 11/15/24
Walters: Los Angeles County approves historic governance reform. San Francisco backs a study -- It got lost in the massive attention paid — with good reason — to Donald Trump’s triumphant return to the presidency, but a quiet revolution occurred in Los Angeles County. Dan Walters CalMatters -- 11/15/24
UCLA protest
UCLA slammed for ‘chaotic’ response to protest melee in UC independent review -- UCLA failed to stem a violent protest melee last spring, as a “highly chaotic” decision-making process, lack of communication between administrators and police and a shortage of campus safety personnel led to institutional paralysis, according to a University of California independent review. Teresa Watanabe and Jaweed Kaleem in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 11/15/24
Ocean Beach
California regulators approve huge Ocean Beach seawall to avert prospect of ‘major emergency’ for S.F. -- On Thursday, California’s main coastal protection agency approved a $175 million climate-related project that will transform the southern portion of San Francisco’s Ocean Beach despite fierce opposition from some members of the public. A sticking point is a massive seawall that some surfers fear could make the beach disappear. Tara Duggan in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 11/15/24
Water
Expansion of San Luis Reservoir set to boost California’s water-storing capacity -- The federal government and California water agencies announced an agreement to raise a dam and expand San Luis Reservoir, increasing its water-storing capacity. Ian James in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 11/15/24
Workplace
This Central Valley program helps Californians get six-figure jobs -- ValleyBuild is a workforce development program that helps applicants into apprenticeships for construction trades. Fiona Kelliher CalMatters -- 11/15/24
Housing
Will Trump evict mixed-status families? -- One in five California children comes from a mixed-status family, in which at least one member is undocumented, according to the California Immigrant Data Portal. Concern is growing among housing advocates that those families risk losing access to federal housing assistance once President-elect Donald Trump takes office. Felicia Mello CalMatters -- 11/15/24
Education
Fewer kids are going to California public schools. Is there a right way to close campuses? -- Declining enrollment, the end of pandemic relief funding and uncertain state funding are forcing school districts to make some difficult decisions. Carolyn Jones CalMatters -- 11/15/24
Higher monthly payments loom for many student loan borrowers -- President-elect Donald Trump’s victory last week should bring some clarity to Americans with student loans, but probably not in the way they’d hoped. Jon Healey in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 11/15/24
Street
New LAPD chief says people aren’t calling the police enough — and that needs to change -- Crime is trending down in Los Angeles, with homicides alone on track to fall 15% compared to last year, but newly sworn-in LAPD Chief Jim McDonnell is concerned that statistics aren’t telling the full story. Richard Winton in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 11/15/24
A sheriff is mired in scandal, sending shock waves across California. She refuses to step down -- When San Mateo County Sheriff Christina Corpus ran for office two years ago, she promised to clean up the scandal-plagued department, dubbing her campaign “Team Revolution.” Rachel Swan in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 11/15/24
POTUS 47
Gaetz Nomination Seen as Doomed by Some Senate Republicans -- GOP lawmakers say Trump’s attorney general pick will face scrutiny over sexual-misconduct allegations. Lindsay Wise, Xavier Martinez and Siobhan Hughes in the Wall Street Journal$ -- 11/15/24
Gaetz nomination brings new focus on underage sex allegations -- The DOJ, which Gaetz seeks to lead, dropped an investigation last year, but House Ethics Committee was set to release report Friday. Michael Kranish, Perry Stein and Ann E. Marimow in the Washington Post$ -- 11/15/24
How Trump Picked Gaetz -- President-elect Donald J. Trump still hadn’t settled on his pick for attorney general when he boarded his plane in Washington on Wednesday afternoon, bound for West Palm Beach, after spending a triumphal day in the capital meeting with President Biden at the White House and with Republicans on Capitol Hill. Maggie Haberman and Jonathan Swan in the New York Times$ -- 11/15/24
Scientists fear what’s next for public health if RFK Jr. is able to ‘go wild’ -- Many scientists at the federal health agencies await the second Donald Trump administration with dread as well as uncertainty over how the president-elect will reconcile starkly different philosophies among the leaders of his team. Arthur Allen KFF Health News -- 11/15/24
10 RFK Jr. conspiracy theories and false claims, in his own words -- The ascension of Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a longtime anti-vaccine activist, to the nation’s top health post has alarmed medical experts, who point to his history of trafficking in conspiracy theories as disqualifying to lead the Department of Health and Human Services. Lauren Weber, Lena H. Sun and David Ovalle in the Washington Post$ -- 11/15/24
Tulsi Gabbard Questioned U.S. Intelligence. Now She Is Trump’s Pick for Top Intelligence Role -- From blaming NATO for Ukraine war to echoing Russian propaganda, the former congresswoman has ruffled feathers inside the spy agencies she could soon lead. Warren P. Strobel in the Wall Street Journal$ -- 11/15/24
Trump Pentagon pick dismissed military diversity drive, demonized Islam -- A Washington Post review of Pete Hegseth’s writing shows he rejected steps to integrate women and transgender troops across the military, and called for a ‘crusade’ to protect ‘Judeo-Christian’ values. Missy Ryan and Evan Hill in the Washington Post$ -- 11/15/24
Trump Says He Will Nominate North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum as Interior Secretary -- Former rival for GOP nomination endorsed president-elect’s campaign. Vivian Salama and Alex Leary in the Wall Street Journal$ -- 11/15/24
What to know about Elon Musk’s contracts with the federal government -- Elon Musk’s ties to the Trump administration pose potential conflicts of interest for his various businesses that have extensive contracts with the federal government. Laurence Darmiento and Queenie Wong in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 11/15/24
Tech Elite Push Tech Elite to Elon Musk for Cabinet Positions -- Tech leaders are recommending their own brethren to Mr. Musk and others, as they aim to leave a Silicon Valley imprint on Donald Trump’s new administration. Theodore Schleifer and Mike Isaac in the New York Times$ -- 11/15/24
Inside the Republican false-flag effort to turn off Kamala Harris voters -- A multipronged dark money effort by advisers to Elon Musk targeted liberals, Jews, Muslims and Black voters with ads that were not quite what they seemed. Michael Scherer and Josh Dawsey in the Washington Post$ -- 11/15/24
The New Driving Force of Identity Politics Is Class, Not Race -- The nation is increasingly voting along class lines, not racial ones. That could upend how we have thought about politics for decades. Jeanne Whalen, Valerie Bauerlein and Arian Campo-Flores in the Wall Street Journal$ -- 11/15/24
The Biden economy is about to get a new salesman: Donald Trump -- Trump hammered the administration for creating an “economic catastrophe,” but some of his favorite gauges for assessing economic performance have been humming. Sam Sutton Politico -- 11/15/24
Also
A 150-million-year journey from the Jurassic to Exposition Park -- She’s big, she’s green, and she’s L.A.’s newest icon. Meet Gnatalie the dinosaur. Corinne Purtill in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 11/15/24
California Policy and Politics Thursday
Trump expected to select Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to lead HHS -- The choice will roil many public health experts after his years of touting debunked claims that vaccines cause autism. Meridith McGraw and Chelsea Cirruzzo Politico -- 11/14/24
Palm Springs strikes tentative $27M deal on landmark reparations settlement -- The Southern California resort town of Palm Springs is set to approve a $27 million reparations agreement with Black and Latino families who were forced out of their homes in the 1960s, making it one of the first cities in the country to do so. Eric He Politico Audra D. S. Burch in the New York Times$ -- 11/14/24
This climate sector’s seeing a silver lining in Trump -- There’s one part of climate world that’s not panicking about President-elect Donald Trump. California’s tech bros who’ve taken on one of the state’s most intractable and dramatic problems — its catastrophic wildfires — see a possible in with a Trump 2.0 even as their climate-focused allies languish. Camille von Kaenel Politico -- 11/14/24
Newton: New LA police chief’s resistance to Trump deportation plans has little to do with liberal politics -- Ballots in Los Angeles were still being counted last week when the resistance to President-elect Donald Trump began to take shape. By Friday, the city’s incoming police chief, Jim McDonnell, was promising the Los Angeles Police Department would refuse support for Trump’s much-ballyhooed deportation schemes. Jim Newton CalMatters -- 11/14/24
Democrats wrestle with transgender rights as election hand-wringing continues -- The day after the national election, a prominent Texas Democrat, speaking to local media, blamed his party’s resounding losses in his home state and beyond largely on two issues: immigration, and Democrats’ commitment to transgender rights. Erin Allday in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 11/14/24
S.F. Muni faces ‘terrifying’ cuts, possible cable car closures due to deficit -- The agency’s fiscal outlook darkened in the past week with the failure of Proposition L, which would have taxed ride-hailing services to generate an estimated $25 million annually for transit. Roland Li in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 11/14/24
Republicans fend off Democratic challengers in three key Inland Empire races -- Republican candidates in three high-profile Inland Empire races for Congress and the state Legislature were either leading or able to fend off Democratic challengers as officials keep counting votes. Deborah Brennan CalMatters -- 11/14/24
How does Rep. David Valadao keep winning? -- The House GOP incumbent’s successful record in his purple California district is, to quote one former Democratic pollster, “ridiculous.” Melanie Mason Politico -- 11/14/24
Trump’s ‘border czar’ pick makes clear: Project 2025 is happening -- Former acting ICE director Thomas Homan is a contributor to the far-right agenda and a fellow with the conservative think tank that engineered it. Ko Lyn Cheang, Raheem Hosseini in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 11/14/24
Walters: Let the games begin: 2026 campaign for California governor now looms -- California has a lengthy — very lengthy — list of critical economic, social and policy issues that are very likely to remain unresolved when Gavin Newsom vacates the governorship 26 months hence. Dan Walters CalMatters -- 11/14/24
Workplace
Top execs get $1 million paydays at California public pension funds -- It’s bonus season for California’s public pension funds, and a few years of strong investment returns contributed to lucrative payouts for top executives. Adam Ashton CalMatters -- 11/14/24
Silicon Valley eyes a windfall from Trump’s plans to gut regulation -- Some tech start-ups and investors anticipate a golden era when Donald Trump returns to office, thanks to government contracts and deregulation. Gerrit De Vynck and Nitasha Tiku in the Washington Post$ -- 11/14/24
Wildfire
‘Truly random’ or sealed fate? Why some homes survived the Mountain fire while others burned -- Experts still disagree over whether homes can be completely fireproofed in a wind-driven ember fire. Noah Haggerty in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 11/14/24
Offshore wind
Trump promised to ‘end’ offshore wind. What will that mean for California’s big bet? -- Trump’s promise to block the offshore wind industry could threaten CA’s renewable energy goals, potentially cutting off federal funding. Julie Cart CalMatters -- 11/14/24
Water
Los Angeles set to build facility to transform wastewater into clean drinking water -- Los Angeles is set to build a facility in the San Fernando Valley that will transform wastewater into enough pure drinking water for about 250,000 people. Ian James in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 11/14/24
Housing
How a Trump administration could affect California’s housing crisis -- President-elect Donald Trump’s housing policy for his second term is vague at best. But based on available information, many California housing experts are not optimistic about what it could mean for the state’s crisis. Felicia Mello CalMatters -- 11/14/24
Could L.A.’s rezoning plan to boost housing supply cause more tenant displacement? -- The city of Los Angeles is proposing to supercharge its housing development incentive plan to meet state mandates. Some advocates worry the proposal will lead to too much displacement as older apartments are redeveloped. Andrew Khouri in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 11/14/24
Education
UC faces half-billion-dollar budget shortfall and eyes tuition increase for new nonresident students -- The University of California anticipates more than a $500 million budget gap next summer, so It’s considering a $3,402 jump in tuition for new nonresident students next fall. Meanwhile, the system is planning billions in construction projects. Mikhail Zinshteyn CalMatters -- 11/14/24
UC wants to enroll 3,600 more Californians next year, but funding shortfalls threaten plan -- UC officials told regents Wednesday that the 10-campus university system could face a $504.7-million financial shortfall in 2025-26 if the state makes good on warnings earlier this year to reduce higher education funding as it grapples with a budget deficit. Teresa Watanabe in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 11/14/24
California schools brace for Trump’s attacks on immigrants, trans students and ‘woke’ curriculum -- More than 115,000 children in California were undocumented in the most recent census count, and it’s estimated almost half of California children have at least one immigrant parent. Carolyn Jones CalMatters -- 11/14/24
Street
LAPD ‘SWAT mafia’ trial set to begin; elite unit’s leaders said to ‘glamorize’ killings -- A former LAPD sergeant has sued the city of Los Angeles, alleging he faced retaliation after calling out senior members of the department’s SWAT unit over a culture of violence, secrecy and cover-ups. Libor Jany in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 11/14/24
Is California Back to Tough-on-Crime Policies? Not Necessarily -- Supporters of criminal justice reform in California suffered major losses in last week’s election. Yet, even those who pushed to rein in the state’s progressive movement warn against seeing the election as a repudiation of those reforms entirely. Marisa Lagos KQED -- 11/14/24
POTUS 47
Trump Plans to Install His Book Publisher as Head of Personnel -- Sergio Gor, who has helped run the publishing company that produces the president-elect’s books, has been tapped to run the presidential personnel office, people briefed on the matter said. Maggie Haberman and Jonathan Swan in the New York Times$ -- 11/14/24
Senate Republicans Alarmed by Gaetz Pick as Attorney General Nominee -- Many Republican senators were stunned that Representative Matt Gaetz, Republican of Florida, had been chosen as the nominee, and expressed skepticism that he could secure enough votes for confirmation. Karoun Demirjian in the New York Times$ -- 11/14/24
Gaetz resigned days before ethics investigation report expected -- The House Ethics Committee was set to vote this week on releasing a report about Matt Gaetz (R-Florida), who resigned from Congress on Wednesday after being picked as President-elect Donald Trump’s attorney general, according to four people familiar with the matter. Marianna Sotomayor, Jacqueline Alemany and Marianne LeVine in the Washington Post$ Robert Draper, Luke Broadwater and Maya C. Miller in the New York Times$ Olivia Beavers and Jordain Carney Politico -- 11/14/24
You thought DOJ staffers were in full-blown freakout before … -- Donald Trump’s decision to nominate Rep. Matt Gaetz for attorney general has Justice Department veterans petrified and warning of a crisis in the department marked by chaos and revenge. Kyle Cheney, Josh Gerstein, Erica Orden and Betsy Woodruff Swan Politico -- 11/14/24
Pete Hegseth has said exactly how he will shake up the Pentagon -- Trump’s nominee for defense secretary has called for a war on what he calls the “woke” military, including potentially firing top brass. Missy Ryan, Dan Lamothe, John Hudson and Alex Horton CalMatters -- 11/14/24
‘Left turn and off the bridge’: Trump’s spy pick stuns intel world -- Donald Trump was expected to pick an outsider to lead the U.S. intelligence community. He exceeded expectations by choosing Tulsi Gabbard. John Sakellariadis Politico -- 11/14/24
At Mar-a-Lago, ‘Uncle’ Elon Musk Puts His Imprint on the Trump Transition -- He’s on the patio. He’s on the golf course. Everywhere Donald Trump looks, there is the world’s richest man. Theodore Schleifer in the New York Times$ Brian Schwartz, Dana Mattioli, Rebecca Ballhaus and Emily Glazer in the Wall Street Journal$ -- 11/14/24
Trump aides explore plans to boost Musk effort by wresting control from Congress -- The White House could challenge or seek to change a 1974 law that blocks presidents from choosing which programs to fund. Jeff Stein, Elizabeth Dwoskin, Cat Zakrzewski and Jacob Bogage in the Washington Post$ -- 11/14/24
Trump pledged to gut Biden’s AI rules, as OpenAI eyes landmark infusion -- A policy proposal presented by the AI start-up warns that if the United States doesn’t invest in the technology it will lose its technological edge to China. Pranshu Verma and Gerrit De Vynck in the Washington Post$ -- 11/14/24
Elon Musk’s ties to Trump pose potential conflicts for his businesses. Here’s a look at his federal contracts -- Elon Musk is easily the world’s wealthiest man, with a net worth topping $300 billion. But even he stands to make more money from his association with the federal government after placing a winning bet on Donald Trump’s election to the presidency. Laurence Darmiento and Queenie Wong in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 11/14/24
Senate Republicans squirm over Trump's tariff plans -- Lawmakers who represent top agriculture-producing states are more hesitant to support any sweeping tariffs that could hurt farmers. Ari Hawkins and Gavin Bade Politico -- 11/14/24
Go bags, passports, foreign assets: Preparing to be a target of Trump’s revenge -- Some prominent critics of Donald Trump, and those he has vilified as “deep state” saboteurs, are taking seriously his vow of retribution. Isaac Stanley-Becker and Ellen Nakashima in the Washington Post$ -- 11/14/24
Also
Want to Network in Silicon Valley? Bring a Bathing Suit -- Instead of bars and restaurants, saunas are the new place for investors and founders to socialize and raise money. Angel Au-Yeung in the Wall Street Journal$ -- 11/14/24