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California Policy and Politics Sunday
One of California’s original counties may hold clues as to where America is headed -- Three years after its MAGA takeover, Shasta County is a bellwether for Donald Trump’s America, say supporters and critics. Raheem Hosseini in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 1/19/25
Can Donald Trump follow through on deportation threats under California law? -- Law enforcement agencies pledge to follow state laws barring cooperation with federal authorities, but immigrant advocates say fear is already having chilling effect. Jakob Rodgers, Robert Salonga, Rick Hurd in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 1/19/25
When VP Kamala Harris comes home: Running for governor seems like a no-brainer, but does she want it? -- In some ways, running for governor of her home state of California seems like an obvious next act for Vice President Kamala Harris when she leaves office this week after narrowly losing a brutal presidential campaign to Donald Trump. Julia Prodis Sulek in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 1/19/25
Gov. Gavin Newsom faces complex politics, GOP criticism over L.A. fires -- The California Democrat has pressed moderate measures to aid victims and been a constant TV presence as he and the state battle online falsehoods. Maeve Reston in the Washington Post$ -- 1/19/25
Protesting Trump: S.F. march, rallies kick off weekend of resistance -- A weekend of protests ahead of President-elect Donald Trump’s inauguration kicked off Saturday with a march through San Francisco’s Mission District. Warren Pederson in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 1/18/25
Garofoli: GOP lawmakers waste little time trying to write Elon Musk’s priorities into law -- Several pieces of legislation are in the pipeline that appear to be written with the wealthiest man in the world in mind, from potential tax breaks that could stack millions more onto his estimated wealth of $426 billion to others that could benefit his electric car or rocket technology businesses. Joe Garofoli in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 1/19/25
Garofoli: People’s March on Washington: Trump resistance hasn’t just shrunk, it has shifted -- The anti-Trump energy is still there, demonstrators insisted, it is just tired. Saturday’s demonstration was intended to reinvigorate the core believers and inspire them to figure out how to best channel their opposition. Joe Garofoli in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 1/18/25
L.A. Fires
Amid dangerous winds in 2011, LAFD engines stood ready. That didn’t happen this time -- Thirteen years ago, Los Angeles Fire Department officials were bracing for the kind of dangerous winds that could drive flames across hillsides and canyons and tear through neighborhoods from Malibu to the Pacific Palisades to the San Fernando Valley. Alene Tchekmedyian and Paul Pringle in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 1/18/25
How L.A. Bureaucracy Made It Harder to Clear Flammable Brush -- A mishmash of government agencies failed to keep public lands safe from deadly wildfires, residents say. Jim Carlton, Mark Maremont and Dan Frosch in the Wall Street Journal$ -- 1/19/25
The L.A. Fires Expose a Web of Governments, Weak by Design -- Who’s in charge? The muddled jurisdiction of Los Angeles leaves a critical question in doubt. Adam Nagourney in the New York Times$ -- 1/19/25
The 24 Hours When L.A. Went Up in Flames -- Poor planning, delayed evacuations, strained resources and treacherous conditions allowed firestorms to overrun a region that thought it knew how to fight wildfires. Jonathan Wolfe, Emily Baumgaertner, Mike Baker, Marco Hernandez, K.K. Rebecca Lai, Blacki Migliozzi, Rachel Nostrant, Danny Hakim, Leanne Abraham, Joey K. Lee, Devon Lum, Arijeta Lajka, Ashley Wu and Nick Underwood in the New York Times$ -- 1/19/25
Costly wildfires imperil utilities accused of causing the spark -- Southern California Edison is the latest large power company destabilized by its alleged role in igniting fires. Evan Halper and Brianna Sacks in the Washington Post$ -- 1/19/25
Five major banks offering mortgage relief in fire-ravaged L.A. region areas, Newsom announces -- The participating banks are Bank of America, Citi, JPMorgan Chase, U.S. Bank and Wells Fargo. Many banks already have policies allowing up to three additional months of payment forbearance. Melody Gutierrez in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 1/19/25
California attorney general says bidding wars aren’t exempt from price-gouging rules -- California Atty. Gen. Rob Bonta on Saturday warned landlords that price-gouging rules in effect because of the Los Angeles County fires apply even in cases where bidding wars break out over their property. Andrew Khouri in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 1/18/25
L.A. renters are some of the most cost-burdened in the U.S. The fires could make things worse -- More renters in the Los Angeles area were already experiencing financial strain from housing costs than in most other large U.S. metro areas. But the record destruction caused by the Southern California fires has made its housing supply even tighter, potentially driving up prices for tenants. Christian Leonard in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 1/19/25
They lost their homes in L.A. County fires. Now they face a grueling decision -- Ask Ing Jones whether she plans to rebuild her Los Angeles home burned down in the Eaton Fire, and the 70-year-old will give a resounding “yes.” But pose the same question to her husband, Robert, and he’ll reply: “What for?” Maggie Angst in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 1/19/25
L.A. fires: Will Trump immigration crackdown slow rebuilding? -- L.A.’s wildfire recovery may be on a collision course with Trump’s immigration policy. Southern California’s construction industry is heavily reliant on immigrant labor. Rachel Uranga, Ruben Vives and Liam Dillon in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 1/19/25
They live in L.A. County’s riskiest areas. Should they rebuild on their burned out lots? -- They were drawn to the Altadena foothills for the hummingbirds and the bats and the peacocks. It was the view of the canyon, downtown skyscrapers, and Santa Catalina Island, somehow all in one frame. Rebecca Ellis in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 1/18/25
Southern California in ‘uncharted territory’ as extreme fire weather returns next week -- “The bottom line is: we’re in uncharted territories this deep into the winter, or rainy season,” in having barely any rain, said Alex Tardy, a National Weather Service meteorologist in San Diego. Rong-Gong Lin II and Melody Gutierrez in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 1/18/25
California insurance commissioner discusses statewide impact of L.A. fires -- The Los Angeles fires have cast uncertainty over when the insurance crisis buffeting the entire state will ease, California Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara told the Chronicle during an interview Saturday in Santa Monica, where he was attending a workshop for wildfire survivors. Susie Neilson, Maliya Ellis in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 1/18/25
NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory unscathed by Eaton fire, but not its workforce -- About 210 JPL employees lost their homes in the fire and another 100 will likely be displaced long-term by the extent of the damage to their house or neighborhood. Corinne Purtill in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 1/19/25
Workplace
Hollywood Was Already in Trouble. Then Disaster Struck L.A. -- For months, rank-and-file TV and film workers relied on a mantra to get themselves through a dark time in the industry: “Survive till ’25.” The slogan came after a stint that included the pandemic, strikes by actors and writers, the long and costly pivot to streaming and the continued migration of industry jobs out of Los Angeles. Ellen Gamerman in the Wall Street Journal$ -- 1/19/25
Homeless
After SCOTUS ruling, Bay Area big cities vowed to close more homeless camps. But have they ramped up sweeps? -- San Jose and Oakland appear to be making good on that promise by escalating encampment enforcement in recent months, according to a Bay Area News Group review of camp closures reported by city officials. But San Francisco — where recently ousted Mayor London Breed had touted a “very aggressive” crackdown on homeless camps — reported no increase in sweeps. Ethan Varian, Grant Stringer in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 1/19/25
POTUS 47
Trump expected to survey Los Angeles-area wildfire damage next week -- President-elect Donald Trump will likely visit the Los Angeles area next week to view the wildfire damage, he said on Saturday. The trip is expected to be his first outside the nation’s capital after being inaugurated Monday. Seema Mehta in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 1/18/25
Trump Told Advisers He Wants to Visit China as President -- The possibility of a visit to China comes as Trump has threatened to impose stiff tariffs on Chinese imports. Alex Leary, Alexander Ward and Lingling Wei in the Wall Street Journal$ -- 1/18/25
A List of Those Who Could Be in Line for Trump’s ‘Retribution’ -- President-elect Donald J. Trump believes he has been wronged by current and former officials, members of the media and more. Michael S. Schmidt and Matthew Cullen in the New York Times$ -- 1/18/25
Trump Launches Meme Coin Ahead of White House Return -- President-elect Donald Trump promised a crypto-friendly administration. Days before taking office a second time, he began selling a new cryptocurrency. Vicky Ge Huang in the Wall Street Journal$ -- 1/18/25
California Policy and Politics Saturday
The Bay Area’s Pacific Palisades: This is one of the cities most at risk of urban firestorm -- Orinda and Moraga have strong winds and fire-prone ecology. Roughly 36,000 people live in the two towns, where many homes are built on narrow roads that snake through the hills. Sophia Bollag in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 1/18/25
‘Money buys everything’: Here’s how the feds say the Sheng Thao bribery scheme went down -- It was about 10 days after the November 2022 election, and two influential Oakland businessmen were elated. Megan Cassidy, Rachel Swan, Sarah Ravani, Demian Bulwa in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 1/18/25
Bribery charges against Oakland recycling kingpins put Bay Area contracts in question -- Three decades after David Duong won his first recycling collection contract in Oakland, the trash tycoon appeared in federal court, charged along with his son with giving former Mayor Sheng Thao and her boyfriend kickbacks in exchange for support in obtaining lucrative contracts. St. John Barned-Smith in the San Francisco Chronicle$ Nate Gartrell, Jakob Rodgers, Shomik Mukherjee and Chase Hunter in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 1/18/25
California immigration advocates brace for Trump’s inauguration, promise to fight back -- Immigrant rights advocates and their allies, including California Attorney General Rob Bonta, were feverishly reviewing their strategy for the incoming Trump administration Friday in San Francisco, a week after federal immigration raids sent shock waves through the Central Valley’s farmworker community. Jessica Flores, Ko Lyn Cheang in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 1/18/25
‘Students are scared’: Border Patrol raids fuel fear in schools among immigrant families -- Advocates have called upon school leaders to take action to protect immigrants in the wake of an extensive operation by the U.S. Customs and Border Patrol in Kern County last week. Emma Gallegos EdSource in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 1/18/25
Moss Landing battery fire: A ‘Three Mile Island’ for key renewable energy industry? -- A massive fire that destroyed much of a huge battery storage facility in Moss Landing raised questions, and possible new hurdles, Friday for California’s efforts to shift most of its electricity generation to renewable energy such as solar and wind. Paul Rogers, Molly Gibbs in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 1/18/25
Experts warn of a ‘quad-demic’ as flu, RSV, COVID-19 and norovirus converge in California -- The term refers to the simultaneous spread of four major viruses: COVID-19, influenza, respiratory syncytial virus and norovirus. While each virus has distinct effects, their combined impact could overwhelm health care systems and disrupt daily life. Aidin Vaziri in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 1/18/25
Workplace
Retailers, tech, biotech firms slash Bay Area jobs; gourmet grocer will close -- Staffing reductions in the Bay Area are poised to eliminate about 600 jobs in the retail, grocery, tech, biotech, and food manufacturing industries, official state labor notices show. George Avalos in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 1/18/25
L.A. Fires
Southern California in ‘uncharted territory’ as fire weather returns all next week -- After mostly calm winds over the weekend, fire weather is expected to return Monday, with the peak threat arriving on Tuesday but could persist through Thursday, forecasters said. Rong-Gong Lin II in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 1/18/25
A key ‘weakness’ in L.A.’s wildfire strategy went unaddressed for years, Post probe shows -- In a memo that has not been previously reported, chief told city fire commissioners that L.A. relied almost entirely on overburdened “hand crews” from other jurisdictions to handle its brush fire emergencies. Aaron C. Davis, Shawn Boburg, Brianna Sacks, Molly Hennessy-Fiske and Joyce Sohyun Lee in the Washington Post$ -- 1/18/25
California’s FAIR Plan, the home insurer of last resort, may need a bailout after the L.A. fires -- To remain solvent, California’s Fair Plan may turn to its member insurers for financial help and prompt them to levy surcharges on policyholders. Laurence Darmiento in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 1/18/25
Teams being deployed to prevent, prosecute insurance fraud after fires -- State insurance regulators and county prosecutors are deploying teams to areas affected by the disastrous fires in Los Angeles County to prevent — and prosecute — insurance fraudsters targeting wildfire survivors. Salvador Hernandez in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 1/18/25
Free camps are offering a safe space for kids as L.A. fires cause child-care upheaval -- Organizations across Los Angeles are offering free child care to help families affected by the fires. Kate Sequeira and Jaweed Kaleem in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 1/18/25
Lopez: The nightmare of evacuations for the elderly and disabled in the path of the fires -- Fires ambushed the back of the building, and savage winds battered the windows while staffers at the Two Palms Nursing Center in Altadena raced to evacuate roughly four dozen elderly and disabled residents. Steve Lopez in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 1/18/25
California warns more than 200 hotels and landlords of price gouging complaints in wake of fires -- Online listings have shown landlords jacking up prices 50% or more above what advertised rents were prior to last week’s fires, far in excess of the 10% increases allowed under the law. Activist groups have cobbled together spreadsheets of alleged violators and pressed authorities to take action. Liam Dillon and Andrew Khouri in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 1/18/25
‘This has been really devastating’: Inside the lives of incarcerated firefighters battling the L.A. wildfires -- Every other day, Joseph McKinney, Joseph Sevilla and Sal Almanza wake up around 4 a.m. and eat breakfast at their base camp at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena before heading up the San Gabriel Mountains to do battle with one of the most destructive fires in Los Angeles County history. Summer Lin in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 1/18/25
Firefighter union rallies behind LAFD chief, denounces unsigned attack on her performance -- The union that represents more than 3,000 Los Angeles city firefighters renewed its support for Fire Chief Kristin Crowley on Friday, denouncing an anonymous letter that accused her of mishandling the response to the massively destructive Palisades fire. David Zahniser and Dakota Smith in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 1/18/25
L.A. D.A. charges six in arsons that followed eruption of devastating firestorm -- Los Angeles County Dist. Atty. Nathan Hochman announced arson charges Friday against six men who set fires around L.A. County in the wake of the devastating Palisades and Eaton fires. James Queally in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 1/18/25
The Terrifying Ride of Copter 17 -- A former Army pilot. An aging helicopter. Furious winds. The race to put out the Eaton fire tested Los Angeles County’s night-flying firefighters like never before. Thomas Fuller in the New York Times$ -- 1/18/25
How Wildfires Came for City Streets -- Many Californians thought wildfires couldn’t reach deep into their cities. But the Los Angeles fires showed how older homes became fuel that fed the fires. Soumya Karlamangla, James Glanz and Robert Gebeloff in the New York Times$ -- 1/18/25
Recovery
Civic leader Steve Soboroff to head L.A.’s wildfire rebuilding and recovery efforts -- Former police commission President Steve Soboroff will lead the first phase of the city’s wildfire rebuilding effort, Mayor Karen Bass said Friday. Soboroff, a real estate developer and longtime civic leader, will serve as chief recovery officer for the city. Julia Wick in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 1/18/25
As the smoke clears, L.A. residents face a complicated and uncertain recovery -- Many displaced by the L.A. fires are living in a perpetual state of limbo, stuck between a crisis that is vast and ongoing, and a recovery that has yet to truly begin. Joshua Partlow, Caroline O'Donovan, Brady Dennis and Ruby Mellen in the Washington Post$ -- 1/18/25
Now that you can return home after the fires, how do you clean up safely? -- Health experts suggest you wait before returning to an evacuation zone to check on your fire-damaged home. If you plan to visit a burn zone, take precautions such as wearing gloves, an N95 mask, a long-sleeved shirt and sturdy shoes. Karen Garcia and Tony Briscoe in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 1/18/25
Sheriff’s Dept. closes Altadena station after OSHA complaint about Eaton fire contaminants -- Citing airborne contaminants and a lack of running water, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department shut down the Altadena sheriff’s station Thursday in the aftermath of the Eaton fire. Keri Blakinger in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 1/18/25
His Malibu House Burned Down Six Years Ago. He’s Finally Done Rebuilding -- A surfer’s experience is a grim preview of what likely lies ahead for Southern Californians after wildfires wiped out entire neighborhoods. Ryan Dezember in the Wall Street Journal$ -- 1/18/25
Street
Snitch scandal agreement reached between Orange County Sheriff’s Department, D.A. and feds -- The Orange County Sheriff’s Department, the Orange County district attorney’s office and the feds reached an agreement on the use of informants in jail. The agreement comes in response to a years-long scandal that may have affected up to 50 felony trials. Salvador Hernandez in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 1/18/25
POTUS 47
Trump Set to Start Slashing Regulations Across Government in Bonfire of Red Tape -- President-elect Donald Trump has said he plans to embark next week on one of the most sweeping deregulatory drives in U.S. history, slashing at rules emanating from every channel of executive authority. Scott Patterson and Ken Thomas in the Wall Street Journal$ -- 1/18/25
How resistance to Trump may look different in his second administration -- Inauguration protests are expected to draw fewer people than in 2017, but activists say they are gearing up to oppose the new president with a movement that goes beyond marches. Ellie Silverman and Tim Craig in the Washington Post$ -- 1/18/25
Voters Want MAGA Lite From Trump, WSJ Poll Finds -- That is the central message voters are sending in a new Wall Street Journal poll, which finds that most want a tempered, less assertive set of policies than Trump promised in the most unbridled moments of his campaign. The appetite is for MAGA lite, rather than extra-strength MAGA. Aaron Zitner and Xavier Martinez in the Wall Street Journal$ -- 1/18/25
Support for Trump’s Policies Exceeds Support for Trump -- Many Americans who otherwise dislike President-elect Donald J. Trump share his bleak assessment of the country’s problems and support some of his most contentious prescriptions to fix them, according to a new poll from The New York Times and Ipsos. Jeremy W. Peters and Ruth Igielnik in the New York Times$ -- 1/18/25
Musk and MAGA Make For An Uncomfortable Fit -- Musk’s survival—so far—shows that Trump 2.0 is shaping up to have some echoes of the first administration, with Trump welcoming a team of rivals into his inner circle. Annie Linskey, Brian Schwartz and Dana Mattioli in the Wall Street Journal$ -- 1/18/25
Bill Gates ‘Impressed’ With Trump’s Interest in Global Health During Three-Hour Dinner -- Add Bill Gates to growing the list of billionaires dining with President-elect Donald Trump before he returns to the White House. The Microsoft co-founder said he recently spent more than three hours with Trump and spoke to him about global health challenges. Alexa Corse in the Wall Street Journal$ -- 1/18/25
Here’s who is skipping Donald Trump’s inauguration on Monday -- When officials gather in Washington on Monday for the inauguration of President-elect Donald Trump amid dangerously cold weather and wintry conditions, more than a dozen high-profile faces will be missing from the sea of spectators huddled in the U.S. Capitol Rotunda. Tobi Raji in the Washington Post$ -- 1/18/25
The Art of the Image: Trump as His Own Executive Producer -- Imagery — and Mr. Trump’s mastery of it — played a vital role in powering his return to the White House. In many ways, Mr. Trump was not just a candidate navigating the 2024 race but the executive producer of his own political comeback. Shane Goldmacher in the New York Times$ -- 1/18/25