California Policy and Politics Friday

Winter storm could make travel ‘impossible’ in Yosemite and Lake Tahoe this weekend -- The National Weather Service issued a series of winter weather advisories Friday, forecasting significant snow accumulation, gusty winds and slippery roads from approximately 10 p.m. Saturday through 4 p.m. Monday. Aidin Vaziri in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 2/28/25

S.F. federal judge blocks mass government firings, will order OPM director to court -- The Trump administration must halt its firings of thousands of government employees who have been hired in the last two years, dismissals that had no legal justification, a federal judge in San Francisco ruled Thursday. Bob Egelko in the San Francisco Chronicle$ Josh Gerstein and Kyle Cheney Politico Salvador Rizzo in the Washington Post$ Zach Montague in the New York Times$ -- 2/28/25

California has a lot to lose if Trump slashes Medicaid. Seniors, kids and more could face coverage cuts -- Almost 15 million Californians have health care coverage through Medi-Cal, a program that stands to lose billions of dollars if Republicans follow through on proposed cuts. Ana B. Ibarra in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/28/25

‘We the people are the economy’: 24-hour boycott seeks to take back power -- Consumers in the Bay Area and across the country have committed to boycotting major store chains and avoiding unnecessary purchases for 24 hours Friday, aiming to show large corporations “who really holds the power.” Caelyn Pender in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 2/28/25

 

‘A powder keg’: Lawsuit claims Texas company knowingly built dangerous battery plant at Moss Landing, leading to major toxic fire -- The Texas company that built a huge battery storage plant at Moss Landing that burned in a major fire last month, causing the evacuation of 1,200 people and the closure of Highway 1 for three days, rushed to build the plant and cut corners resulting in unsafe conditions, a lawsuit filed Thursday alleges. Paul Rogers in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 2/28/25

‘Utterly botched’: Glitchy rollout of new California bar exam prompts lawsuit -- Test takers seeking to practice law in California experienced chaos this week as the State Bar of California fumbled the rollout of its new attorney licensing test, leaving many unable to complete their bar exams and some filing a proposed federal class action lawsuit. Jenny Jarvie in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/28/25

 

They patrol L.A.’s streets in search of ICE, Trump immigration raids -- Members of the Community Self-Defense Coalition patrol neighborhood streets in an effort to alert people about ICE operations and inform them of their rights. Ruben Vives in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/28/25

ICE agents are setting their sights on L.A. What employers need to know -- Given the Trump administration’s stated desire to ratchet up immigration enforcement and deportations, officials say it’s vital for business owners to prepare and know their rights. Karen Garcia in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/28/25

California sheriff vows to work with ICE in certain cases ‘even if I’m not supposed to’ -- Amador County Sheriff Gary Redman knows he could be on some “shaky ground” legally. But if certain undocumented immigrants are set to be released from his jail, he will consider picking up the phone and calling federal immigration authorities. Stephen Hobbs in the Sacramento Bee$ Nigel Duara CalMatters -- 2/28/25

Trump appears open to using private forces to help deport millions of undocumented immigrants -- President Donald Trump said Thursday he had not read former Blackwater CEO Erik Prince’s mass deportations proposal, but he “wouldn’t be opposed” to using private forces to help carry out his vow to remove millions of undocumented immigrants. Myah Ward Politico -- 2/28/25

Fake ICE agents terrorized California businesses for social media stardom, police say -- Two Fresno men are of accused of carrying out a social media stunt where they posed as U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents and filmed themselves harassing local businesses, weeks after actual ICE raids in the Central Valley put the region’s undocumented community on edge. Clara Harter in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/28/25

 

Tesla seeks to rival Uber and Waymo with ride-hailing service in California -- Elon Musk’s Tesla took another step toward launching a ride-hailing service in California, putting it on track to compete with major players like Uber, Lyft and Waymo. Aidin Vaziri in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 2/28/25

Insurance

State Farm’s CEO just met with California’s top insurance official. Here’s exactly what they said -- State Farm has given Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara a stark choice: approve a rate increase consumer advocates say amount to $600 per household, or run the risk that California’s largest insurer may drop even more policies across the state. Megan Fan Munce in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 2/28/25

Wildfire

California tribe enters first-of-its-kind agreement with the state to practice cultural burns -- Northern California’s Karuk Tribe has for more than a century faced significant restrictions on cultural burning — the setting of intentional fires for both ceremonial and practical purposes, such as reducing brush to limit the risk of wildfires. Noah Haggerty in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/28/25

Want to fireproof your house? Here’s where to start -- During wind-driven wildfire storms, the embers and small flames from the fire can cause a home to ignite, according to the National Fire Protection Assn. Karen Garcia in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/28/25

Californians approved $1.5 billion for wildfire prevention. How will the state spend it? -- The governor has proposed spending climate bond money dedicated to wildfire mitigation in various ways. Some lawmakers think a focused strategy would be more effective. Sameea Kamal CalMatters -- 2/28/25

Walters: Erratic wildfire performance puts LA Mayor Karen Bass in a political hole -- We may be seeing the meltdown of one of California’s highest ranking public officials, Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass. Dan Walters CalMatters -- 2/28/25

Workplace

VFX giant Technicolor lays off more than 200 workers in Culver City -- Technicolor Group, the storied visual effects, motion graphics and animation company behind some of Hollywood’s most memorable films, is shuttering operations, including in California. Queenie Wong in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/28/25

San Francisco tech giant Autodesk cuts 1,350 jobs as part of move toward AI -- The San Francisco software company, known for its AutoCAD platform, said the decision is part of a larger restructuring plan aimed at improving the company’s efficiency and focusing on key growth areas like artificial intelligence and platform development. Aidin Vaziri in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 2/28/25

Tech, life science companies slash hundreds more Bay Area workers -- Tech and life sciences companies have slashed hundreds more Bay Area jobs, affecting workers in the South Bay, East Bay and San Francisco, marking a fresh round of employment setbacks for the vital sectors. George Avalos in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 2/28/25

Changing tastes, cheap imports and a looming Canadian boycott. A ‘perfect storm’ for California’s wine industry -- After nearly three decades of annual growth, U.S. wine sales and shipments have fallen into a prolonged slump. Don Lee in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/28/25

Few have heard of this Napa winery. But it’s selling a $25,000 Cabernet -- Todd Anderson wants to be known as the guy who makes the most expensive wine in the world. Esther Mobley in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 2/28/25

Forget the celebrities. Meet L.A.’s small businesses that depend on the Oscars -- For more than 20 years, Sherman Oaks florist Mark’s Garden has designed the towering greenery and blooming displays seen at the Oscars. Samantha Masunaga and Sandra McDonald in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/28/25

Proposal to create $25 minimum wage for San Diego’s tourism workers is moving forward -- A City Council committee agrees that an ordinance codifying the wage boost should be drafted for its review in June, before moving on to the full council. Lori Weisberg in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 2/28/25

Homeless

Large majority of homeless people in California are not illicit drug users, study finds -- But drug use is still deeply intertwined with homelessness, both as a risk factor and an effect of losing housing, the researchers wrote. Doug Smith in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/28/25

Water

It’s been a warm winter, and California’s snowpack shows it -- California’s snowpack is now 85% of average, with more snow in the northern Sierra and less in the south. Amid warming winters, the state is seeing less snow at lower elevations. Ian James in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/28/25

Education

USC scrubs DEI from some webpages as Trump cracks down on campus diversity programs -- USC says it is “reviewing” its DEI-related programs and practices in response to Trump administration guidance. Jaweed Kaleem in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/28/25

Group targeting ‘woke culture’ sues Fresno Unified over programs helping Black students -- A group targeting “woke culture” and diversity, equity and inclusion programs in public education is suing Fresno Unified over its programs that aim to close its yawning African American student achievement gap. Leqi Zhong in the Fresno Bee$ -- 2/28/25

West Contra Costa compromises on staff cuts, but may have to cut student services instead -- In a move consistent with dozens of California school districts, West Contra Costa Unified board members have had to choose between eliminating staff and services for students or exploding its budget deficit. Monica Velez EdSource -- 2/28/25

Street

San Francisco drug markets: More than 80 people arrested in large-scale overnight raid -- Dozens of San Francisco police officers, sheriff’s deputies and staff from other city agencies swarmed Jefferson Square Park late Wednesday night, citing and arresting more than 80 people involved in the drug market there and boarding some of them on a bus for detention, according to nearby residents and city officials. Maggie Angst in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 2/28/25

POTUS 47

More Than 70 Million Americans Are on Medicaid. This Is Where They Live -- And in California’s Central Valley, Republicans control a district where two-thirds of the population is on Medicaid, one of the highest rates in the nation, according to an analysis of federal enrollment data by the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, a liberal think tank. Sarah Kliff and Martín González Gómez in the New York Times$ -- 2/28/25

Trump’s Tariff Onslaught Is Coming Faster Than His Team Can Carry Out -- The Trump administration is moving at warp speed to announce new tariffs. Implementing them is another story. Gavin Bade in the Wall Street Journal$ -- 2/28/25

When It Comes to Tariffs, Trump Can’t Have It All -- The president has promised big results, from raising revenue to reviving domestic manufacturing. But many of his goals undermine one another. Ana Swanson, Andrew Duehren and Colby Smith in the New York Times$ -- 2/28/25

Oil Companies Wanted Trump to Lower Costs. Tariffs Are Raising Them -- The cost of steel pipe used to line oil and gas wells rose after President Trump said he would impose tariffs on steel and aluminum imports. Rebecca F. Elliott in the New York Times$ -- 2/28/25

Harsh findings on Trump’s aid freeze kept secret by USAID watchdog -- Two reports showing dire impacts on Africa and Gaza have not been released in fear of Trump’s wrath, official says. Lisa Rein and John Hudson in the Washington Post$ -- 2/28/25

Behind the scenes, GOP senators challenge legality of Trump’s aid cuts -- A handful of Republican senators have joined their Democratic colleagues in expressing alarm over the Trump administration’s foreign aid freeze and gutting of USAID, writing to Marco Rubio that they believe the State Department is not operating in accordance with the law by neglecting to notify and consult with Congress during the process, according to correspondence obtained by The Washington Post. Liz Goodwin in the Washington Post$ -- 2/28/25

How Elon Musk Executed His Takeover of the Federal Bureaucracy -- The operation was driven with a frenetic focus by the billionaire, who channeled his resentment of regulatory oversight into a drastic overhaul of government agencies. Jonathan Swan, Theodore Schleifer, Maggie Haberman, Ryan Mac, Kate Conger, Nicholas Nehamas and Madeleine Ngo in the New York Times$ -- 2/28/25

Some Republicans fear Medicaid cuts could cost them their jobs -- Possible changes have become a headache for the most vulnerable Republicans in Congress and have handed Democrats a potent issue. Hannah Knowles and Marianna Sotomayor in the Washington Post$ -- 2/28/25

Feds to start getting weekly emails asking what they did. Bosses will see if it fits Trump goals -- The new strategy is in part meant to allow supervisors and agency heads to check whether employees’ work fits into the Trump administration’s goals and priorities, according to people familiar with it and records obtained by The Post. Emily Davies, Carol D. Leonnig and Hannah Natanson in the Washington Post$ -- 2/28/25

Mass firings across NOAA and National Weather Service ignite fury from scientists worldwide -- As federal job eliminations struck the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the National Weather Service on Thursday, scientists and environmental advocates denounced the cuts, saying they could cause real harm to Americans. Grace Toohey in the Los Angeles Times$ Scott Dance in the Washington Post$ -- 2/28/25

Also

‘No Amazon, No Walmart.’ Protest calling for ‘economic blackout’ has some celebrity support -- A grassroots group is calling for a 24-hour “economic blackout,” and urging people not to shop at major retailers Friday as a form of protest against corporations, politicians and banks — and the social media-driven campaign has gained traction among several celebrities. Salvador Hernandez in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/28/25

Park rangers battle Australians seeking rare earth minerals in old Mojave gold mine -- The company and several politicians, however, claim the operations, which include rare earth mineral exploration, are permitted under approvals received decades ago. Alex Wigglesworth in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/28/25

Could putting swamp rat on your dinner plate help save California marshland? -- The invasive marshland rodent is wreaking havoc but California residents can do their part by catching and eating them, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service says. Terry Castleman in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/28/25