 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
California Policy and Politics Monday
Biden issues preemptive pardons for Fauci, Milley, Jan. 6 Committee and others -- President Joe Biden on Monday issued preemptive pardons to a slew of high-profile targets of President-elect Donald Trump — a striking last-minute effort to shield them from prosecution just hours before Trump, who has promised to punish his perceived enemies, is sworn in. Irie Sentner, Kyle Cheney and Nicholas Wu Politico Catherine Lucey and Ken Thomas in the Wall Street Journal$ Sabrina Rodriguez and Matt Viser in the Washington Post$ Peter Baker in the New York Times$ -- 1/20/25
Trump’s war with California is already raging. Here are the biggest battles coming -- Many have described the state and the Trump administration as being on a “collision course” — but they’ve already collided, repeatedly, including during the kind of massive disaster scenario that typically provokes restraint and camaraderie. Sara Libby in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 1/20/25
We tracked California’s lawsuits against Donald Trump. Here’s where the state won — and lost -- California sued Donald Trump 123 times during his first presidency. Trump lost about two-thirds of cases filed against his administration, but that doesn’t guarantee the same results this time around. Ana B. Ibarra and Ben Christopher CalMatters -- 1/20/25
Trump wants to deport immigrants accused of crimes. California sheriffs could make that easy -- President Donald Trump wants to deport undocumented immigrants arrested on suspicion of various crimes. That could put sheriffs overseeing California jails in conflict with the state’s sanctuary law. Nigel Duara and Tomas Apodaca CalMatters -- 1/20/25
Trump expected to survey Los Angeles-area wildfire damage this week -- “I will be, probably, at the end of the week. I was going to go, actually yesterday, but I thought it would be better if I went as president,” Trump told NBC’s Kristen Welker in a phone interview. “It’s a little bit more appropriate, I suspect.” Seema Mehta in the Los Angeles Times$ Myah Ward Politico -- 1/20/25
Trump wants to go for the gold. Does LA? -- Donald Trump’s longtime support for L.A.'s Olympics aspirations is throwing the city a possible lifeline as congressional Republicans demand conditions on disaster aid for California. Blanca Begert Politico -- 1/20/25
‘We Fight Back’: S.F. march blasts Trump and the ‘whole rotting system’ of capitalism -- The resistance started before the inauguration. One day ahead of a nationwide movement against the second Donald Trump administration scheduled to coalesce in 70 American cities, San Francisco became the first battle in what is hoped by its organizers will be a four-year war under the slogan “We Fight Back.” Sam Whiting in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 1/20/25
Smaller anti-Trump protests dot the Bay Area ahead of inauguration --Peaceful march Sunday in San Francisco was fiery but far smaller than events against the GOP president-elect in 2016. Grant Stringer in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 1/20/25
Protect Students
Bay Area universities double down on commitment to protect students regardless of immigration status, travel restrictions -- UC Berkeley law student Adel Asad was at home with his family in Pakistan during winter break when he received an email from the university encouraging students to return to campus before President-elect Donald Trump inauguration on Monday. Molly Gibbs and Sierra Lopez in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 1/20/25
L.A. Fire
In the calm before new fire warnings, SoCal emergency responders dig in for a ground war -- But just up Pacific Coast Highway in Pacific Palisades and eastern Malibu, authorities were preparing to wage a ground war on any conflagrations that might rise up as fast and excessively dry winds were expected to whip across the region in the coming days. Connor Sheets and Libor Jany in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 1/20/25
Their Homes Are Intact, but the Fire Damage Inside Is Unbearable -- Some evacuees from the Eaton fire have been allowed back into their homes, only to find that smoke and ash have made living there impossible for now. Jack Healy in the New York Times$ -- 1/20/25
Airborne Lead and Chlorine Levels Soared as L.A. Wildfires Raged -- The findings give new insight into the dangers of urban wildfires that burn plastics and other chemicals in homes and property. Hiroko Tabuchi in the New York Times$ -- 1/20/25
He pulled up to Palisades fire with a fire engine and an offer to help. It was fake, authorities say -- According to the law enforcement official, the man presented an Oregon driver’s license with the name of Dustin Nehl. A search of Nehl’s criminal history revealed he had served five years in prison for arson, the official said. Matthew Ormseth in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 1/20/25
For first responders, trauma could linger long after L.A. County wildfires are out -- Trauma specialists are working to help first responders cope with the mental health strain of battling wildfires that have devastated Los Angeles County. Kevin Baxter in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 1/20/25
L.A.’s fire chief generated controversy — and fierce loyalty — while the city burned -- The Palisades fire has spurred criticism of the LAFD’s first female and LGBTQ leader. After Crowley called out City Hall over a lack of funding, union leaders say they back her “110%” Sonja Sharp in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 1/20/25
Huge volunteer force mobilizes in L.A. to provide for wildfire victims -- All over the Los Angeles County area, scenes of vast, organic volunteerism have been taking place for more than a week. Though the region has a Hollywood-perpetuated reputation as self-involved and materialistic, that disappeared quickly after the first wildfires ignited on Jan. 7. Molly Hennessy-Fiske in the Washington Post$ -- 1/20/25
The Battle for Recovery Supplies Is On in a Disaster-Strewn America -- Rarely have so many cities ruined by natural disasters attempted to rebuild around the same time. Hurricane reconstruction efforts are under way in North Carolina, Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, Virginia and Tennessee. Soon, Los Angeles County will be starting to rebuild. Rebecca Picciotto in the Wall Street Journal$ -- 1/20/25
Insurance
California’s insurance woes have triggered a cash-only crisis at this upscale community -- With home insurance hard or even impossible to come by, the fear is that potential buyers may be unable to get mortgages, which could put downward pressure on home sales and prices. Michael Cabanatuan in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 1/20/25
Santa Anas
More than 83,000 customers warned they could lose power when wild Santa Anas hit San Diego Monday -- third windstorm of January appears to pose more risk to the region than earlier events. Gary Robbins in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 1/20/25
POTUS 47
Trump Moves to End Birthright Citizenship, Send Troops to Border in Immigration Executive Orders -- President-elect Donald Trump will sign 10 immigration-related executive orders soon after he is sworn in that would end recognition of automatic birthright citizenship, send troops to the border, declare a national emergency at the border and attempt to end asylum at the border through an immediate removal process, according to incoming White House officials. Tarini Parti in the Wall Street Journal$ -- 1/20/25
Trump to try to remove ‘nonbinary’ and ‘other’ genders -- The White House will instruct the State Department and Department of Homeland Security, as well as other agencies to remove “nonbinary” or “other” options from federal documents, including passports and visas, according to an incoming administration official. Ben Johansen Politico -- 1/20/25
Joe Biden pardons several family members -- As one of his final acts in office, President Joe Biden has pardoned several members of his family. Biden announced the pardons in a last batch of clemency decisions just before President-elect Donald Trump took the oath of office, saying they were intended to prevent “baseless and politically motivated investigations” against his family. Kyle Cheney Politico -- 1/20/25
Elon Musk’s DOGE to be sued within minutes of Trump inauguration -- The legal status of Musk’s government waste panel will be challenged in federal court almost as soon as the president-elect is sworn in. Jeff Stein in the Washington Post$ -- 1/20/25
Trump Promises Far-Reaching Change in Second Term at Rollicking Rally -- President-elect Donald Trump pledged during a rollicking rally in the nation’s capital to enact far-reaching change in his second term, promising to oversee mass deportations, challenge progressive culture and slash government spending. Natalie Andrews in the Wall Street Journal$ -- 1/20/25
Fact-checking Trump’s rally the eve before his inauguration -- President-elect Donald J. Trump on Sunday celebrated his return to the nation’s capital with a rally, reveling in his electoral victory in November even as he exaggerated the margin of his win on the eve of his inauguration. He also repeated a number of campaign talking points. Linda Qiu in the New York Times$ -- 1/20/25
Trump’s Return Nudges Economists’ Inflation Outlook Higher -- Economists are starting to model the effects of President-elect Donald Trump’s plans to raise tariffs, cut taxes and restrict immigration. The upshot: Inflation and interest rates are likely to be higher for at least the next two years than forecasters anticipated before the election. Paul Kiernan and Anthony DeBarros in the Wall Street Journal$ -- 1/20/25
Scores of career State Dept. diplomats resign before Trump’s inauguration -- Trump’s team requested the high-level resignations as the president-elect prepares a sharp break with the Biden administration. John Hudson in the Washington Post$ -- 1/20/25
Trump Faithful Descended on D.C., but Not Everyone Made It Onto a Yacht -- On the streets of the nation’s capital, some of the most passionate members of Mr. Trump’s populist base were feeling a bit frustrated about all the canceled plans while tribes of Trump-loving elites partied wildly all around them but just out of reach. Shawn McCreesh in the New York Times$ -- 1/20/25
How MAGA Is Taking Back the Culture -- Across many facets of society—in sports, entertainment, the classroom and the workplace—there are signs that MAGA isn’t just retaking the White House. It is gaining a firmer foothold in the broader culture. Aaron Zitner and Meridith McGraw in the Wall Street Journal$ -- 1/20/25
Also
Skelton: RIP Stu Spencer, California’s preeminent political consultant, advisor to presidents -- Stu Spencer had certain guideposts he followed as California’s premier political consultant for several decades. George Skelton in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 1/20/25
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