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California Policy and Politics Friday
L.A. firefighter testifies that Lachman fire was not fully put out when crews were ordered to leave -- A Los Angeles firefighter said in sworn testimony that he sounded the alarm about the inadequate mop-up of the Lachman fire — and was blown off by a captain — days before the embers reignited into the deadly Palisades fire. The firefighter, Scott Pike, testified last month in a lawsuit brought by Palisades fire victims against the city and the state. Alene Tchekmedyian in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/27/26
Sen. Alex Padilla slams DHS after agency admits deporting 86 DACA recipients -- The program, better known as DACA, began under President Barack Obama’s administration and has shielded some people from deportation if they arrived in the country before the age of 16. Mathew Miranda in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 2/27/26
California Democrats propose election laws to keep ICE away from polling places -- Weeks after President Donald Trump suggested on a conservative podcast that the Republican Party should “nationalize” voting in the United States, California lawmakers are floating proposals to limit federal presence in elections. Kate Wolffe in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 2/27/26
L.A. school board’s secret meeting ends with no decision on Supt. Carvalho’s future after FBI raid -- The Los Angeles Board of Education on Thursday met in secret for four hours but announced no decision about the future of Supt. Alberto Carvalho, whose home and office were raided by the FBI, a stunning action that could affect whether a nationally prominent education leader remains in his job. Howard Blume, Brittny Mejia and Richard Winton in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/27/26
Narco-terrorism charges unsealed in San Diego against alleged Tijuana cartel boss ‘The Frog’ -- Prosecutors charged René Arzate Garcia, known as "La Rana," with narco-terrorism and drug charges and announced $5 million DEA bounties for information about him and his brother. Alex Riggins in the San Diego Union Tribune Salvador Hernandez in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/27/26
CalOptima reports steep membership drop as providers brace for surge in uninsured patients -- In July, it was reported that the Trump administration gave U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents access to the personal data of 79 million people enrolled in Medicaid. Claire Wang in the Orange County Register$ -- 2/27/26
Netflix bows out of Warner Bros. auction, Paramount to claim the prize -- Netflix bowed out of the Warner Bros. Discovery sweepstakes Thursday, conceding the prize to Paramount Skydance, a dramatic capstone to one of Hollywood’s biggest auctions in years. The reversal came after Warner Bros. Discovery switched gears, announcing that Paramount‘s revised bid had topped the one on the table from Netflix. Meg James and Ana Ceballos in the Los Angeles Times$ Lauren Hirsch, Michael M. Grynbaum and Benjamin Mullin in the New York Times$ -- 2/27/26
Why Paramount was determined to buy Warner Bros. Discovery -- As Paramount Skydance’s bid for Warner Bros. Discovery stretched into the stratosphere, a painful truth emerged. Paramount’s core television business, which includes CBS, Comedy Central and MTV, is rapidly shrinking and its Melrose Avenue movie studio lost money. Meg James in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/27/26
Anthropic rebuffs Pentagon ultimatum, warns AI can ‘undermine’ democratic values -- In a lengthy statement posted as a Friday deadline loomed, Amodei said the San Francisco company “cannot in good conscience accede to their request,” referring to the Defense Department’s insistence that Anthropic permit its large language model, Claude, to be used for “all lawful purposes.” Aidin Vaziri in the San Francisco Chronicle$ Brendan Bordelon Politico Amrith Ramkumar in the Wall Street Journal$ Julian E. Barnes and Sheera Frenkel in the New York Times$ Tara Copp and Ian Duncan in the Washington Post$ -- 2/27/26
How antisemitic heckling and a tweet by S.F. Mayor Lurie turned into a firestorm -- “Tax the rich! Tax the rich!” chanted a small group of protesters opposed to the mayor’s proposal, which would cut the city’s real estate transfer tax in half in a bid to jumpstart housing construction. Then a woman — who protesters say was a passerby they did not know — began yelling antisemitic remarks, including “tax the Jews,” videos from the event show. J.D. Morris in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 2/27/26
Workplace
Jack Dorsey’s Block to lay off 40% of workers, citing AI efficiency --The tech company, which makes the Square payments product and Cash App, is downsizing due to artificial intelligence tools “enabling a new way of working which fundamentally changes what it means to build and run a company,” Dorsey said in a note to employees, which he shared on X. Roland Li in the San Francisco Chronicle$ Angel Au-Yeung in the Wall Street Journal$ Natallie Rocha in the New York Times$ -- 2/27/26
San Francisco court clerks hit picket lines, citing staffing, training gaps -- About 200 San Francisco Superior Court clerks went on strike Thursday, picketing outside the Hall of Justice and calling attention to what they described as staffing shortages and inadequate training. The strike disrupted services and proceedings at the courthouse — and represented the latest crisis for a system already faced with a pileup of cases and delays. David Hernandez in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 2/27/26
BART
BART officials approve an alternate ‘doomsday’ plan that still includes closing stations next year -- BART officials on Thursday gave initial approval to an emergency “doomsday” plan that would significantly cut service on the regional rail system, including potentially shuttering 10 to 15 stations to save money — but not as early as they initially had projected. Aldo Toledo in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 2/27/26
Street
Police killed SoCal man with a ‘less-lethal’ round. Officer’s use of force is ruled justified -- One, two, three, then four shots of beanbag rounds were fired from a distance of around 30 feet, but the man did not comply with orders to get on the ground, according to a report released Thursday by the Orange County district attorney’s office. So, the officer fired a fifth shot. It pierced the man’s chest, and he fell to the ground bleeding profusely. Less than an hour later, he was pronounced dead. Clara Harter in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/27/26
Water
Sierra Nevada snowpack just 68% of normal after whiplash winter -- Dry spells and only a few big blizzards so far could mean increased summer fire risk. Paul Rogers in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 2/27/26
Also
Five potential buyers bid on Padres as club’s sale reaches next stage -- The team will likely change hands within the first month or so of the season, and it is conceivable a sale could be completed by the end of March, according to people familiar with the process. Opening day is March 26. “This process is moving very quickly,” one source said. Kevin Acee in the San Diego Union Tribune -- 2/27/26
How one Tahoe renter is adjusting to unusual roommates: Mama bear and 3 cubs -- When a renter moved into a Lake Tahoe cabin this winter, he expected to have the place to himself. But a well-known black bear in the area, known as Rose, had other plans for the home, having already settled into her new den in the home’s crawl space. Grace Toohey in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/27/26
POTUS
Epstein files contain explicit but unsubstantiated claim that Trump abused minor -- Three memos that describe four interviews conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation in 2019 contain explicit but unsubstantiated claims that Donald Trump sexually abused a woman when she was a minor in the early 1980s with the assistance of Jeffrey Epstein, according to a Guardian review of those documents. Jacqueline Sweet and Joseph Gedeon in The Guardian -- 2/27/26
Trump, seeking executive power over elections, is urged to declare emergency -- Activists who say they are in coordination with the White House are circulating a draft executive order that would unlock extraordinary presidential power over voting. Isaac Arnsdorf in the Washington Post$ -- 2/27/26
Judge Vows to End Trump Administration’s Noncompliance ‘One Way or Another’ -- The federal judge identified 210 orders issued in 143 cases in Minnesota in which he said Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials had not complied with court orders. Mitch Smith, Ernesto Londoño and Mattathias Schwartz in the New York Times$ -- 2/27/26
Trump’s State of the Union address draws 32.6 million viewers, marking smallest audience yet -- It’s both the smallest audience Trump has received for the annual speech to a joint session of Congress, and the longest State of the Union address in recent history. Stephen Battaglio and Cerys Davies in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 2/27/26
In Trump’s Case for War, a Series of False or Unproven Claims -- Key elements of the Trump administration’s arguments this week for another military campaign against Iran do not hold up. Mark Mazzetti, Edward Wong, David E. Sanger and Julian E. Barnes in the New York Times$ -- 2/27/26
‘It's clearly fake': Olympic hockey star disavows AI-generated White House video -- Brady Tkachuk, a bruising winger on the American Olympic men’s ice hockey team, was none too pleased with an AI-generated video the White House released on social media this weekend that appeared to show him criticizing Canada. Gregory Svirnovskiy Politico -- 2/27/26
California Policy and Politics Thursday
FBI raids of LAUSD Supt. Alberto Carvalho’s home and office appear tied to AI chatbot probe -- Federal authorities raided the home and office of Los Angeles Unified School District Supt. Alberto Carvalho on Wednesday morning in what appears to be a probe related to a company that developed an AI chatbot for the nation’s second-largest school system. Brittny Mejia, Richard Winton, Ruben Vives and Howard Blume in the Los Angeles Times$ Thomas Peele, Betty Márquez Rosales, John Fensterwald EdSource Eric He Politico Shawn Hubler, Dana Goldstein and Sarah Mervosh in the New York Times$ -- 2/26/26
Frustrated families sue the state to stop antisemitism in California schools -- Disappointed that lawsuits and complaints against school districts haven’t forced change, a national Jewish nonprofit law organization is suing the California Department of Education and state officials for their failure to stem antisemitism in California schools. John Fensterwald EdSource -- 2/26/26
Outside group spends $4.8 million on TV ads backing San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan for governor -- The ads highlight Mahan’s working-class upbringing and record as mayor, including making San Jose the safest big city in the nation and reducing street homelessness. The outside spending boost comes as Mahan has raised nearly $9.2 million in the four weeks since he launched his campaign. Seema Mehta in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/26/26
New poll: Five candidates for governor are in a “statistical dead heat” -- The Public Policy Institute of California released its latest statewide survey this week which found five candidates are essentially in a “statistical dead heat” among likely voters. Grace Hase in the San Jose Mercury$ Seema Mehta in the Los Angeles Times$ Jeremy B. White Politico -- 2/26/26
He saw an abandoned trailer. Then, he uncovered a surveillance network on California’s border -- Southern California residents are noticing new license plate readers that appear to be operated by the Border Patrol. Some have had confusing encounters with agents. Wendy Fry and Khari Johnson Calmatters -- 2/26/26
California must let immigrant truck drivers keep their licenses, judge rules -- Facing pressure from the Trump administration, California tried to revoke more than 20,000 trucking licenses from certain immigrants, including many asylum seekers. In a tentative ruling, a Bay Area judge said these drivers should be able to keep their licenses, at least temporarily. Adam Echelman Calmatters -- 2/26/26
Proposed ballot measure that would heavily tax thousands of second homes in San Diego clears critical hurdle -- A proposed ballot measure that would impose a hefty tax of as much as $15,000 a year on thousands of empty second homes in San Diego cleared a major hurdle Wednesday when elected leaders agreed to advance it to the full City Council next week. Lori Weisberg in the San Diego Union Tribune -- 2/26/26
Workplace
LAPD officer accused of skydiving while on disability leave in high-flying fraud case -- A Los Angeles police officer who said he was too injured to complete any work was not too injured to jump out of airplanes, prosecutors allege. Clara Harter in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/26/26
Bay Area EV maker cuts hundreds of jobs after hiring Timothée Chalamet -- Lucid Motors, the Bay Area electric vehicle maker that recently tapped actor Timothée Chalamet for a global brand campaign, is laying off hundreds of local employees as it battles mounting losses. Aidin Vaziri in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 2/26/26
Sacramento signals potential layoffs for union members. ‘Morally reprehensible’ -- The city of Sacramento this week notified a union — representing workers from nearly every department — that it may lay off some of its members amid an approximate $66 million budget deficit. Ishani Desai in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 2/26/26
Delivery robots have his old job — and now they’ve created a new one for him -- A hot new job has emerged in Los Angeles: robot wrangler to help delivery bots navigate the real world. The robots get stuck in potholes, can’t reach doorbells and are sometimes abused by humans. Nilesh Christopher in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/26/26
What to know if Oakland teachers go on strike -- Oakland teachers voted to authorize a strike last Friday. Pressure is rising for OUSD to come to an agreement with their union, the OEA, while facing a looming $100 million deficit. Ashley McBride Oaklandside -- 02/26/26
Multiple Sacramento districts are on the verge of teacher strikes, part of statewide tensions -- Educators in Twin Rivers and Natomas could take to picket lines as early as next week. West Sacramento is not far behind. Savannah Kuchar KVIE Abridged -- 02/26/26
Alameda County Officials Look to Stave Off Mass Hospital Layoffs as Medicaid Cuts Loom -- The latest proposal from Alameda Health System would cut 187 positions, down from earlier plans for close to 300, as executives brace for major reductions in Medicaid revenue because of HR 1 — the so-called “Big Beautiful Bill” signed into law by President Donald Trump last year. Vanessa Rancaño KQED -- 2/26/26
Del Monte collapse leaves California peach growers stranded. ‘No place else to go’ -- Peach growers throughout the Yuba-Sutter area and Central Valley are reckoning with the fallout from Del Monte’s bankruptcy, which stranded many growers with 20-year contracts for peaches totaling more than $550 million. Jake Goodrick in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 2/26/26
How to understand the surge of California winery closures -- The California wine shakeout is upon us. In the month of February, celebrated boutique wineries such as Ernest and Margins announced they’d be going out of business, while wine giants, including Gallo, Foley Family and Jackson Family, shut down production facilities and laid off workers. Esther Mobley in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 2/26/26
Education
Fresno Unified closes 19 preschool classes, citing insufficient enrollment -- Ninteen preschool teachers, 21 resource counselors, along with preschool program managers, paraeducators, are among the certified and classified employees whose positions will be cut at the end of this school year, according to the layoff proposal district staff presented to the governing board Wednesday night. Leqi Zhong in the Fresno Bee -- 2/26/26
AI images scandalized a California elementary school. Now the state is pushing new safeguards -- Adobe’s artificial intelligence generated sexualized images in response to prompts for a 4th grade book project. The incident coincided with th Calmatters -- 2/26/26e release of new state guidelines to prevent harmful AI in schools. Khari Johnson Calmatters -- 2/26/26
Also
New illuminati list just dropped: A leaked roster of 2,200 Bohemian Grove members -- The full 2023 retreat member list was published by an independent journalist. Many, many Bay Area pooh-bahs are on it. Emily Dreyfuss, Rya Jetha, and Max Harrison-Caldwell San Francisco Standard -- 02/26/26
POTUS 47
Americans Are Leaving the U.S. in Record Numbers -- Yet data on residence permits, foreign home purchases, student enrollments and other metrics from more than 50 countries show that Americans are voting with their feet to an unprecedented degree. A millions-strong diaspora is studying, telecommuting and retiring overseas. The new American dream, for some of its citizens, is to no longer live there. Drew Hinshaw and Joe Parkinson in the Wall Street Journal$ -- 2/26/26
Epstein Files Are Missing Records About Woman Who Made Claim Against Trump -- Documents released by the Justice Department briefly mention a woman’s unverified accusation that Donald J. Trump assaulted her in the 1980s, when she was a minor. But several memos related to her account are not in the files. Mike Baker and Michael Gold in the New York Times$ -- 2/26/26
White House officials believe ‘the politics are a lot better’ if Israel strikes Iran first -- These Trump administration officials are privately arguing that an Israeli attack would trigger Iran to retaliate, helping muster support from American voters for a U.S. strike. Dasha Burns and Nahal Toosi Politico -- 2/26/26
Iran strikes threaten to deplete US weapons supplies — and put American troops at risk -- Pentagon officials and Hill lawmakers are increasingly warning that prolonged Iran strikes could stress U.S. military stockpiles to the brink and make the country more vulnerable. Jack Detsch and Joe Gould Politico -- 2/26/26
White House Says Iran Is Close to Weapons-Grade Nuclear Material. Experts Say No -- Iran’s atomic program hasn’t advanced significantly since the U.S. and Israel struck its three main nuclear sites last June, according to experts and diplomats, despite Washington’s top negotiator saying Tehran could make fissile material for a bomb within days. Michael R. Gordon and Laurence Norman in the Wall Street Journal$ -- 2/26/26
Trump’s Push for Election Power Raises Fears He Will ‘Subvert’ Midterms -- As the political environment darkens for his party, Mr. Trump is again warning Republicans that Democrats are going to rig the results. At the same time, he is taking actions that make Democrats fear that Republicans are actually going to subvert the election. Shane Goldmacher and Nick Corasaniti in the New York Times$ -- 2/26/26
Wall Street Traders Are Pouncing on the Tariff Refund Chaos -- Investment firms—anticipating that the court wouldn’t side in Trump’s favor—had already been buying up rights to tariff refunds from businesses in recent months. Prices were around 20 cents on the dollar before the ruling, then jumped to about 40 cents afterward, according to brokers involved in the trades. Caitlin McCabe, Ben Glickman and Sarah Nassauer in the Wall Street Journal$ -- 2/26/26
DOJ to Review Whether Epstein Files About Trump Were Improperly Withheld -- The Justice Department said it is reviewing whether it improperly withheld some Epstein files, including Federal Bureau of Investigation notes that detail unverified allegations made by a woman against President Trump. Sadie Gurman in the Wall Street Journal$ -- 2/26/26