California Policy and Politics Wedneday

Newsom to announce California lawsuit against Trump’s tariffs -- California is expected to announce a lawsuit contesting President Trump’s executive authority to enact international tariffs without congressional approval. The state stands to lose billions in revenue under Trump’s tariff policies. Taryn Luna in the Los Angeles Times$ Tyler Katzenberger Politico Maeve Reston in the Washington Post$ -- 4/16/25

Defying courts in deportation case, Trump risks a tipping point, experts say -- If Trump won’t listen to the Supreme Court, is the entire U.S. system of governance — the separation of powers, an independent judiciary, due process under the law — at risk of faltering? For some, the answer is an affirmative yes — the actions of the administration in the Abrego Garcia case a clear tipping point. Kevin Rector and Michael Wilner in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 4/16/25

California voters have Trump-resistance fatigue, poll finds -- California voters are less keen on fighting Donald Trump than their state’s political elite. In a dual survey of California voters and political professionals who are driving the state’s agenda, the electorate is strikingly more likely to want a detente with the White House. Jeremy B. White Politico -- 4/16/25

Bernie Sanders, AOC rally thousands at ‘Fight Oligarchy’ stop in Folsom -- Beneath a balmy, breezy spring sky, a crowd estimated by organizers at 26,000 people gathered on the track field at Folsom Lake College Tuesday to hear the progressive leaders speak. Throughout much of the event, a single-engine plane circled above trailing a banner that read “FOLSOM IS TRUMP COUNTRY!” Nicole Nixon in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 4/16/25

Activists warn Police Commission about ICE access to LAPD data on immigrants -- Activists rallied outside LAPD headquarters on Tuesday to denounce department policies that allow information sharing with federal agencies, a concern amid the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown. Libor Jany in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 4/16/25

Oakland mayor election: Loren Taylor takes narrow lead over Barbara Lee -- Former Oakland Council Member Loren Taylor took a slim lead early Tuesday night with just over 51% of the vote in a nail-biting mayor’s race. Taylor, who has called himself a “pragmatic progressive” but has leaned more moderate, took the lead against former Congresswoman Barbara Lee, a well known progressive. Lee had just under 49% of the vote. Sarah Ravani, Molly Burke, Maggie Angst in the San Francisco Chronicle$ Hannah Wiley in the Los Angeles Times$ Jeremy B. White Politico -- 4/15/25

How labor killed a bill to let California wildfire victims sue Big Oil for climate change -- Instead, Big Oil’s most influential allies in California’s Democratic-controlled Legislature – the unions that represent oil industry workers – led the opposition. They successfully persuaded a committee made up of pro-labor Democrats to kill the measure, which had support from nearly every California environmental organization. Ryan Sabalow CalMatters -- 4/16/25

Senators push back against Trump plan to close ‘critical’ S.F. office that polices Big Tech -- On Monday, the U.S. Department of Justice’s antitrust division secured a trial victory in a criminal labor collusion case, resulting in the conviction by a Las Vegas federal jury of a health care staffing executive accused of conspiring to decrease wages for local nurses. Laura Waxmann, Bob Egelko in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 4/16/25

'Five-alarm fire': Read the Trump proposal that could decimate climate research -- The Trump administration has proposed nearly $1.7 billion in cuts to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration that, if passed by Congress, could decimate funding to critical climate and extreme weather research and fundamentally change the structure of the agency. Anthony Edwards in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 4/16/25

California will try to extend cap-and-trade despite Trump’s threats -- Gov. Gavin Newsom and legislative leaders said Tuesday that they will try to extend cap-and-trade, California’s flagship environmental regulation program, a week after the White House said it would target state environmental regulations for “threatening national security.” Lia Russell in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 4/16/25

Daniel Lurie is trying to be a ‘relentless’ S.F. mayor. His job will only get harder -- Two San Francisco labor leaders were standing on Van Ness Avenue a few weeks ago when they saw an SUV pull over nearby and drop off Mayor Daniel Lurie. . In his first-ever stint in public office, Lurie is trying to embody what he calls a “relentless” approach to his job. He has frequently visited neighborhoods dealing with some of the city’s most difficult challenges with drug dealing, homelessness and illegal vending. J.D. Morris in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 4/16/25

Here’s how much Bay Area tech billionaires lost as a result in recent tariff-induced market turmoil -- A Chronicle analysis of Forbes’ Real-Time Billionaires List revealed that the region’s tech titans lost a collective $44 billion between April 2 — the date which Trump labeled “Liberation Day,” announcing plans to impose tariffs on almost every country on earth — and April 14, with some notable exceptions. Aidin Vaziri in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 4/16/25

Raise prices? Remove dishes? Tariffs rattle Bay Area Chinese restaurants -- Bay Area food businesses that rely on imported goods from China, from tea and Sichuan peppercorns to takeout containers, are bracing for the impact of the new tariffs. Elena Kadvany in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 4/16/25

Earthquake

This little-known earthquake fault has been quiet. But it can unleash devastation across SoCal -- The large earthquake fault close to the one that moved Monday morning in the mountains of San Diego County, however, is comparatively obscure. But the Elsinore fault is part of a larger seismic zone that experts fear and believe more people should know about. Rong-Gong Lin II in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 4/16/25

Wildfire

A ‘calamity waiting to unfold’: Altadena residents with standing homes fear long-term health effects -- Two groups independently found lead levels far exceeding 100 times the EPA limit within standing homes in the Eaton burn area. Noah Haggerty in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 4/16/25

Consumer group sues insurance commissioner over Fair Plan assessments on state homeowners -- In a lawsuit filed in Los Angeles Superior Court on Monday, Consumer Watchdog alleges that Lara violated state law when he reached a deal last year with California’s property insurer of last resort that would allow its member insurance companies to charge their policyholders for some of the billions of dollars of Fair Plan losses. Laurence Darmiento in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 4/16/25

Mayor Karen Bass’ unfavorable ratings spiked following fires, survey shows --Mayor Karen Bass is significantly less popular than she was a year ago, likely because of her handling of January’s devastating fires, according to a new survey of Los Angeles residents. Noah Goldberg in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 4/16/25

911 logs show more than a dozen calls from burning west Altadena before evacuations ordered -- Long before the evacuation order came, law enforcement officers knew fire was spreading in west Altadena. Rebecca Ellis, Vanessa Martínez, Koko Nakajima and Sean Greene in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 4/16/25

Holocaust survivor, ex-Navy pilot among seniors suing L.A. over Palisades fire damage -- A dozen Pacific Palisades and Malibu residents are suing the city of L.A., alleging the Department of Water and Power and others could have done more to prevent and contain the massive January wildfire that destroyed their homes. Connor Sheets in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 4/16/25

L.A. will set aside $3 million to help owners of fire-damaged homes test their soil for lead -- The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors will allocate $3 million to help homeowners near the Eaton burn area test for lead contamination, after preliminary tests found elevated levels of the heavy metal on homes standing after the fire. Corinne Purtill in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 4/16/25

Workplace

A Kaiser strike by mental health workers drags on — setting a US record — as talks resume -- Almost half a year into the dispute, eight striking Kaiser mental health workers wrapped up a hunger strike as broken-off negotiations were set to resume. Joe Garcia CalMatters -- 4/16/25

Behind the landmark trial that could reshape Meta’s future with Instagram -- The landmark antitrust trial could reshape the future of social media, forcing Meta to break up with WhatsApp and Instagram. Queenie Wong in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 4/16/25

Here’s how bad S.F.’s return-to-office is compared to the rest of the U.S. -- Despite high profile return-to-office mandates, San Francisco workers are still behind the rest of the country when it comes to return-to-office, according to two companies who track return-to-office data. Danielle Echeverria in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 4/16/25

Homeless

California homeless man wins $2.4-million wrongful termination lawsuit but he’s nowhere to be found -- Daniel Ridge worked as a morgue attendant for a hospital in Oakland until he was dismissed when returning from a leave period. An Alameda County Superior Court jury awarded him $2.4 million in a wrongful termination lawsuit against his former employer, Alameda Health System. Ridge’s lawyers can’t find him, saying he is probably among the many homeless people in Oakland. Ruben Vives in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 4/16/25

Guns

A 10-year-old was killed by his father; proposed California law aims to close gun loophole -- Victor Gomes bought a Glock 17 semiautomatic pistol from a licensed gun store in the Central Valley city of Hanford in May 2017. He used that gun to shoot his 10-year-old son, Wyland, in the head. Then he killed himself. Hailey Branson-Potts in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 4/16/25

Education

More UC Davis students, graduates had their visas revoked, university says --The number of UC Davis students and recent graduates who have had their visas revoked has grown to 23 people, the university said Tuesday, marking an increased number of individuals who are ordered to leave the country amid the Trump administration’s crackdown on higher education. Ishani Desai in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 4/16/25

Judge blocks Sonoma State academic cuts; athletic programs in limbo -- Sonoma State University’s planned elimination of six academic departments and dismissals of their teachers and administrators in response to a multimillion-dollar deficit were halted Tuesday by a Sonoma County judge. Bob Egelko in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- Mikhail Zinshteyn CalMatters -- 4/16/25

No compromise on literacy bill as hearing deadline looms -- Last April, Assembly Speaker Robert Rivas pulled a bill on early literacy instruction and asked proponents and adversaries to reach a compromise on legislation for improving the reading skills of California students, which overall are dismal. That hasn’t happened. John Fensterwald EdSource -- 4/16/25

More high schoolers are taking college classes — but no surprise which students benefit most -- Dual enrollment courses are growing on high school and college campuses but access gaps linger, particularly for students in rural areas of California as well as for Black and Hispanic male students. Delilah Brumer CalMatters -- 4/16/25

Street

In cinema-style heist, tunneling thieves steal millions in gold, jewels from downtown L.A. -- Millions of dollars in gold and jewels were stolen from a downtown jeweler’s two enormous safes after burglars tunneled into the Broadway shop through multiple reinforced walls, police said. Richard Winton in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 4/16/25

Amazon’s robotaxi effort will begin testing in Los Angeles -- The city will be the sixth testing location for the Bay Area-based venture, which does not yet offer rides to the public. Caroline Petrow-Cohen and Clara Harter in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 4/16/25

Also

U.S. panel calls for suspending commercial salmon fishing in California for third year -- Fishery regulators have voted to ban commercial fishing for Chinook salmon along the California coast for an unprecedented third consecutive year because of low population numbers. Ian James in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 4/16/25

The California grizzly bear, gone for 100 years, could thrive if brought back -- The last grizzly bear seen in California was 101 years ago. A new study found that reintroducing the mammal into the state’s mountainous wilderness is feasible. Lila Seidman in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 4/16/25

Underwater robots, great white sharks and glowing jellyfish: New $50 million high-tech ship arrives to unlock ocean mysteries -- The ‘David Packard’ is named for Silicon Valley pioneer who donated more than $1 billion to ocean research. Paul Rogers in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 4/16/25

POTUS 47

Justice Department must provide details of attempts to return illegally deported man, judge says -- The order that will require records and sworn answers from Trump administration officials furthers a legal standoff in the case of Kilmar Abrego García. Steve Thompson and Katie Mettler in the Washington Post$ Jacob Gershman, C. Ryan Barber and Victoria Albert in the Wall Street Journal Alan Feuer in the New York Times$ Michael Kunzelman and Ben Finley Associated Press -- 4/15/25

U.S. troops deployed for border mission killed in vehicle rollover -- The fatalities are the first since President Donald Trump ordered the domestic deployment of thousands of service members as part of his crackdown on illegal migration. Dan Lamothe in the Washington Post$ -- 4/16/25

Judge blocks most of Trump’s punishments for law firm Susman Godfrey -- A federal judge on Tuesday blocked most of President Donald Trump’s sanctions for the law firm Susman Godfrey, the latest courtroom defeat for his crackdown on prominent firms. Mark Berman in the Washington Post$ -- 4/16/25

Why Harvard Decided to Fight Trump -- Even for the world’s richest university, which has an endowment of about $53 billion, a lasting freeze would cut deeply into labs, departments and even classrooms. But officials at Harvard elected to prize its reputation, independence and legacy, wagering that the institution could outlast Mr. Trump’s crusade. Alan Blinder, Anemona Hartocollis,Vimal Patel and Stephanie Saul in the New York Times$ -- 4/16/25

What Harvard could lose in its battle with the Trump administration -- Trump on Tuesday threatened the school’s tax exempt status, and a $2.2 billion freeze on grants kicked in. Harvard borrowed money in anticipation of cuts. Danielle Douglas-Gabriel, Carolyn Y. Johnson and Ben Brasch in the Washington Post$ -- 4/16/25

The Tactics Elon Musk Uses to Manage His ‘Legion’ of Babies—and Their Mothers --The world’s richest man juggles more than a dozen children and ‘harem drama’ along with running his companies and advising Trump. He recently took a paternity test in a battle with one woman over money and privacy. Dana Mattioli in the Wall Street Journal$ -- 4/16/25

A Top Democratic Official Plots to Take Down Party Incumbents -- David Hogg, a young liberal activist and now a vice chair of the Democratic National Committee, is leading an effort to unseat the party’s older lawmakers in primaries. Shane Goldmacher in the New York Times$ -- 4/16/25

How Trump and His ‘Gold Guy’ Are Redecorating the White House -- The president is making the world’s most famous residence more like Mar-a-Lago, his gilded Florida club. Meridith McGraw, Josh Dawsey and Julie Wernau in the Wall Street Journal$ -- 4/16/25