California Policy and Politics Tuesday

LAUSD poised to declare immigrant sanctuary, affirm LGBTQ+ rights as it braces for Trump -- LAUSD board members will consider resolutions on immigration sanctuary, LGBTQ+ protection and accelerating the teaching of current events at Tuesday’s meeting. Howard Blume in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 11/19/24

Gavin Newsom’s weird year at the California ballot -- The governor started 2024 by seeking ballot-measure conflict and ended by avoiding it. But he may have singlehandedly killed one initiative by diving into the fray. Will McCarthy Politico -- 11/19/24

Lawsuits charge antisemitism, civil rights violations at California charter school and high school district -- Jewish families say administrators turned a blind eye to students' bullying and teachers' biases. John Fensterwald EdSource -- 11/19/24

Sam Altman among notable names on S.F. Mayor-elect Daniel Lurie’s transition team -- San Francisco Mayor-elect Daniel Lurie is tapping a group of 10 high-powered leaders with extensive experience in business and politics to help him transition to City Hall and staff his incoming administration as he prepares to take office in January. J.D. Morris in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 11/19/24

Alameda County District Attorney Pamela Price concedes after historic recall -- Alameda County District Attorney Pamela Price conceded Monday that she was unable to defeat a historic recall that targeted her reforms of the criminal justice system, and she said she will step down next month. David Hernandez in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 11/19/24

A California Republican won a seat he didn’t want. Now taxpayers are paying for a new election -- Kern and Tulare county taxpayers are on the hook for a special election after Republican Vince Fong won his Congressional seat along with an Assembly seat he no longer wanted. Ryan Sabalow CalMatters -- 11/19/24

Meet S.F. mayor-elect Daniel Lurie’s secret weapon: His wife, Becca Prowda -- Daniel Lurie won the San Francisco mayor’s race after pitching himself as an outsider promising to shake up City Hall. But his wife, Becca Prowda, is a consummate political insider whose considerable government savvy is poised to make her a powerful force in her husband’s administration. Nora Mishanec, Sophia Bollag in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 11/19/24

News Analysis: If Democrats want to win back the American people, does California need to stand down? -- As the tip of the spear for Democrats nationally, California pushes the party to the left. President-elect Donald Trump’s victory in the 2024 presidential election suggests the party — and California leaders — may be too out of touch with the American people. Taryn Luna and Seema Mehta in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 11/19/24

Barabak: She’s won twice in Trump country. What can this Democrat teach her party? -- Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez says there’s no universal blueprint to win rural and working-class support but Democrats can do better. Mark Z. Barabak in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 11/19/24

In Thousand Oaks, Charlie Kirk’s pastor sees God’s hand in Trump’s win -- On election night, a Southern California pastor in a red MAGA hat filmed a message for his Instagram followers, cheering President-elect Donald Trump’s victory. Rob McCoy thanked God — and Charlie Kirk, one of the Republican Party’s most influential power brokers. Hailey Branson-Potts in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 11/19/24

Newsom Will Delay His Decision on Clemency for the Menendez Brothers -- Gov. Gavin Newsom of California said he would hold off deciding whether to grant clemency to Lyle and Erik Menendez until after the incoming Los Angeles County district attorney reviewed the case. Tim Arango in the New York Times$ -- 11/19/24

Lobbying activity this past summer cost a record-breaking $168 million. Here’s what we know -- Between the summer session of the California Legislature featuring hot topics like AI regulation and money for journalism, and a special one focusing on gas prices, powerful corporations poured in record-setting money to influence lawmakers. Jeremia Kimelman CalMatters -- 11/19/24

Native Americans press Biden to designate three new national monuments in California -- Some are looking to Biden to make the designations before the arrival of an administration that has advocated for opening public lands to oil drilling and other development. Lila Seidman in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 11/19/24

Walters: How three Trump policy decrees could affect California’s agricultural industry -- Voters in California’s farm belt, stretching more than 400 miles from Kern County on the south to Tehama County on the north, delivered solid majorities for Donald Trump in this month’s presidential election. Dan Walters CalMatters -- 11/19/24

Atmospheric River

California’s about to get its first big atmospheric river of the season. Here’s where it’s going -- The strongest atmospheric river to hit California in months is expected to dump rain and snow across the northern half of the state this week — also bringing high winds and possible flooding — before eventually making its way south, forecasters say. Grace Toohey in the Los Angeles Times$ Anthony Edwards in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 11/19/24

Tahoe ski resorts are opening just as atmospheric river slams California. Here’s the snow outlook -- A major storm system due to slam Northern California this week will hit the Sierra just in time for the start of ski season – but skiers might have to wait for the weekend for a real burst of snow. Gregory Thomas in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 11/19/24

Workplace

Foes of raising California’s minimum wage declare victory -- Two weeks after Election Day, the results on two of the 10 statewide propositions remain undecided. But opponents and supporters aren’t waiting around. Lynn La CalMatters -- 11/19/24

Housing

How the second Trump administration could impact the housing market -- President-elect Donald Trump has proposed a variety of policies that experts say could both worsen and improve the housing crisis. What actually happens depends on which ideas become reality. Andrew Khouri in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 11/19/24

Sudden Oak Death

Potent tree-killing disease reemerges in the Bay Area -- The tree disease that exploded in Bay Area forests three decades ago, stunning residents with vast die-offs in parks and neighborhoods before slowing, has opened a new front with a second, potentially more potent microbe now on the attack. Kurtis Alexander in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 11/19/24

Transgender

How California keeps transgender student athletes on the court as bans unfold across the country -- California is becoming increasingly tangled in the nationwide fight over whether transgender college athletes should be allowed to compete on teams of their gender identity. Just how much can state laws and policies protect its players? Desmond Meagley and Amy Elisabeth Moore CalMatters -- 11/19/24

Citing ‘God’s Word,’ Christian high school refuses to play team with transgender athlete -- A Merced high school forfeited a girls volleyball game because the opponent included a trans athlete. A school official said the school believes gender is not changeable. Clara Harter in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 11/19/24

Education

How a second Trump presidency could impact San Diego County schools -- Federal funding and oversight could be slashed, by executive action and by a Republican-led Congress. Kristen Taketa in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 11/19/24

Street

Southern California kids execute sting operation to catch a suspected predator -- Move over, Chris Hansen — 20 southern California juveniles just executed a string operation that netted a suspected child predator. Sandra McDonald in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 11/19/24

An actor, her boyfriend and a multimillion-dollar fraud that ended in prison and death -- The judge called her a “predator,” scolded her for her spinelessness and sentenced an actor Monday to 90 months in prison — more than twice what prosecutors had requested — for her role in a multimillion-dollar fraud against a mentally ill doctor who wound up dead. Brittny Mejia in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 11/19/24

Woman sends cryptic message, misses flight from LAX then disappears, family says -- A Hawaii woman traveling to New York has disappeared after missing a connecting flight at Los Angeles International Airport, according to her family and police. Summer Lin in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 11/19/24

POTUS 47

Trump confirms deportation strategy will include national emergency declaration and military -- President-elect Donald Trump said his plan to execute mass deportations of immigrants in the U.S. illegally will involve a national emergency declaration and the military. Andrea Castillo in the Los Angeles Times$ Charlie Savage and Michael Gold in the New York Times$ -- 11/19/24

Hacker Is Said to Have Gained Access to File With Damaging Testimony About Gaetz -- The computer file is said to contain testimony from the woman who said she had sex with Matt Gaetz, President-elect Donald Trump’s choice to be attorney general, when she was 17. Robert Draper in the New York Times$ -- 11/19/24

Gaetz May Not Be Confirmed, Trump Admits. He’s Pushing Him and Others Anyway -- In his private conversations over the past few days, President-elect Donald J. Trump has admitted that his besieged choice for attorney general, Matt Gaetz, has less than even odds of being confirmed by the Senate. But Mr. Trump has shown no sign of withdrawing the nomination, which speaks volumes about his mind-set as he staffs his second administration. Maggie Haberman and Jonathan Swan in the New York Times$ -- 11/18/24

Attorney says his clients testified that Gaetz paid for sex -- An attorney representing two women connected to the sexual misconduct probe into attorney general hopeful Matt Gaetz is revealing new allegations, including that his clients testified that the Florida lawmaker paid women for sex. Brittany Gibson and Andrew Howard Politico Khadeeja Safdar and Sadie Gurman in the Wall Street Journal$ Jacqueline Alemany, Liz Goodwin and Perry Stein in the Washington Post$ Maggie Haberman in the New York Times$ -- 11/19/24

Negative signs for Gaetz as senators brush off questions amid Trump pressure -- A negative sign looms for Matt Gaetz: Nearly a dozen GOP senators won’t commit to confirming him for attorney general, saying they want to let the process play out. And many, even if they aren’t insisting on seeing the potentially damaging House Ethics report on the recently resigned lawmaker, assume the information will have to come out. Anthony Adragna and Ursula Perano Politico -- 11/19/24

Trump taps former lawmaker and reality TV star for Transportation -- President-elect Donald Trump plans to nominate former lawmaker and Fox News contributor Sean Duffy, who also had a turn on MTV’s “Real World,” to be the next secretary of Transportation. Chris Marquette, Sam Ogozalek, Oriana Pawlyk and Cassandra Dumay Politico Ian Duncan in the Washington Post$ Mark Walker in the New York Times$ -- 11/19/24

How Tulsi Gabbard Became a Favorite of Russia’s State Media -- Her selection to be the director of national intelligence has raised alarms among national security officials, not only because of her lack of experience in intelligence but also because she has embraced a worldview that mirrors disinformation straight out of the Kremlin’s playbook. Steven Lee Myers, Jim Rutenberg and Julian E. Barnes in the New York Times$ -- 11/19/24

Trump allies eye overhauling Medicaid, food stamps in tax legislation -- Among the options under discussion by GOP lawmakers and aides are new work requirements and spending caps for the programs, according to seven people familiar with the talks, many of whom spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly. Jacob Bogage, Jeff Stein and Dan Diamond in the Washington Post$ -- 11/19/24

Millions may not have health coverage if subsidies return to pre-Biden level -- Patients, medical providers and insurers fear a shake-up in the Affordable Care Act marketplace unless Republicans extend the subsidy expansion slated to expire next year. Julie Zauzmer Weil in the Washington Post$ -- 11/19/24

Wealthy? Want to join the Trump administration? There’s a tax break for you -- Democrats’ dreams of imposing stiff tax increases on the rich have gone poof, and now some super-wealthy people who campaigned for Donald Trump could get a sweet tax break just for serving in his administration. Brian Faler Politico -- 11/19/24