California Policy and Politics Thursday

Murder and burglary charges filed in fatal shooting of ‘American Idol’ executive and husband -- A 22-year-old man was charged Thursday with killing an “American Idol” music supervisor and her musician husband who walked into their Encino home during a burglary. Richard Winton in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 07/17/25

 

Bondi, other officials tour S.F.’s Alcatraz as part of Trump’s pledge to reopen prison -- Beating the usual rush of tourists, the U.S. attorney general and interior secretary traveled early Thursday to Alcatraz, where they were expected to announce a highly improbable plan to reopen the prison on the San Francisco Bay island, in what appeared to be a publicity stunt designed to portray President Donald Trump as tough on crime while antagonizing a famously liberal city. Anna Bauman, Jessica Flores, Joe Garofoli in the San Francisco Chronicle$ Salvador Hernandez in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 07/17/25

Newsom slams Trump’s $4B cut to California bullet train as ‘illegal’ -- Gov. Gavin Newsom on Wednesday condemned the Trump administration’s decision to rescind $4 billion in federal funding for California’s high-speed rail project, calling the move “illegal” and vowing to fight back. “Trump wants to hand China the future and abandon the Central Valley. We won’t let him,” Newsom said in a statement. Aidin Vaziri in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 07/17/25

Trump administration pulls billions in funding for high-speed rail project -- The Trump administration has canceled billions of dollars in funding for California’s high-speed rail project after the state agency rejected the federal government’s assessment of the project’s failings. Colleen Shalby in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 07/17/25

Pelosi slams imminent Trump plan to announce Alcatraz reopening: ‘Stupidest initiative yet’ -- The Trump administration appears to be gearing up to announce it will reopen Alcatraz as a federal prison, an idea it has teased for months. Joe Garofoli in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 07/17/25

Citing security threats, California lawmakers want to shield their addresses from public -- California lawmakers are advancing a measure that would curb journalists’ access to their home addresses and contact information through their voter registration records, an attempt watchdog groups say hinders the public’s ability to hold politicians accountable. Yue Stella Yu Calmatters -- 07/17/25

 

Behind the masks: Who are the people rounding up immigrants in California? -- Many of them belong to the Border Patrol, the agency that traditionally has policed the nation’s border with Mexico. But the Trump administration sent officers from other agencies to Los Angeles, too, including the FBI and special tactical teams from the Department of Homeland Security not widely seen until now. Michael Lozano Calmatters -- 07/17/25

National Guard came to L.A. to fight unrest. Troops ended up fighting boredom -- They were deployed by the Trump administration to combat “violent, insurrectionist mobs” in and around Los Angeles, but in recent days the only thing many U.S. Marines and California National Guard troops seemed to be fighting was tedium. Jenny Jarvie, Grace Toohey and Christopher Buchanan in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 07/17/25

Gov. Newsom criticizes Trump’s use of National Guard after removal of some troops -- A day after the Pentagon ordered the withdrawal of half of the National Guard troops deployed in Los Angeles, Gov. Gavin Newsom criticized President Trump for wasting hundreds of millions of dollars to appear “tough” by punishing immigrants. Noah Goldberg and Taryn Luna in the Los Angeles Times$ Teresa Liu in the Orange County Register$ -- 07/17/25

Trump’s National Guard Troops Are Questioning Their Mission in L.A. -- Thousands of National Guard members have served in the L.A. region since last month. Six soldiers spoke in interviews about low morale over the deployment. Shawn Hubler in the New York Times$ -- 07/17/25

Army vet calls for investigation after being detained for three days in ICE raid -- A U.S. Army veteran who was detained during the massive immigration raid in Ventura County last week said Wednesday that he wants “a full investigation” into how he could have been held behind bars for three days despite being an American citizen. Jessica Garrison in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 07/17/25

Lawsuit targets ICE arrests at immigration courthouses -- Immigration courthouses, once considered safe places for migrants seeking the right to remain in the United States, have become sites of massive arrests and deportation orders under a Trump administration policy that was challenged in a nationwide lawsuit Wednesday. Bob Egelko in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 07/17/25

California’s marijuana industry was already in crisis. Then the ICE raids started -- Recent immigration raids on Southern California cannabis facilities have shaken California’s already beleaguered marijuana industry as leaders worry about a renewed federal assault on farms and dispensaries that could scare workers into staying home and further cripple the state’s multibillion-dollar industry. Joe Garofoli in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 07/17/25

Donald Trump’s immigration agenda is largely avoiding a vital California region -- Those interviewed said the influence of powerful agriculture businesses, Trump’s focus on creating a political spectacle in Southern California and a court ruling that has restricted some enforcement in the Central Valley could be protecting the industry. Stephen Hobbs and Mathew Miranda in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 07/17/25

 

Weather Service cuts are harming agriculture, worsening wildfire danger, California senators say -- California lawmakers are growing increasingly concerned about federal staffing cuts at the National Weather Service, which they say are harming the state’s agriculture industry and putting critical fire operations in jeopardy. Hayley Smith in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 07/17/25

California to provide LGBTQ suicide prevention hotline after Trump administration axes it -- The move comes weeks after the Trump administration announced it would no longer provide specialized support for LGBTQ+ youth on the national suicide prevention hotline. Molly Gibbs in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 07/17/25

How Republicans Supersized Silicon Valley’s Favorite Tax Break -- Tucked into the huge set of tax cuts that Republicans passed into law this month was the expansion of an unusually valuable tax break for start-up investors. Andrew Duehren in the New York Times$ -- 07/17/25

The mother of an L.A. teen who took his own life is fighting for a new mental health tool for LGBTQ+ youth -- Bridget McCarthy believes that if her son Riley Chart had quick and easy access to a suicide prevention hotline designed for queer young people, he might be alive today. Tyrone Beason in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 07/17/25

Workplace

Intel eyes hundreds more Bay Area job cuts as tech layoffs worsen -- Intel has decided to slash well over 700 Bay Area jobs in July as the longtime chipmaker embarks on a restructuring it hopes will create a more nimble company. George Avalos in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 07/17/25

Hollywood’s being reshaped by generative AI. What does that mean for screenwriters? -- Since its launch in November 2022, hundreds of millions of people have used ChatGPT to write wedding toasts, college essays, apology texts, bad jokes and even worse poetry. Billy Ray — Oscar-nominated screenwriter and unapologetic human being — is not one of them. Josh Rottenberg in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 07/17/25

San Francisco SPCA announces layoffs of animal hospital and shelter staff -- San Francisco’s largest animal shelter and veterinary hospital, the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, announced layoffs of 32 people or 11% of its staff on Wednesday. Tara Duggan in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 07/17/25

Wildfire Recovery

Conspiracy theories thwart rebuilding plan after L.A. County wildfires -- After a social media firestorm based on misinformation, a proposal to create a new housing authority to help rebuild after January’s wildfires fails to pass in the state Legislature. Liam Dillon in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 07/17/25

Six months after the fire, has Mayor Karen Bass done enough for the Palisades? -- Mayor Karen Bass’ political image was badly bruised in the wake of the fires, but she has compensated amid a string of historically good headlines. Julia Wick and Matt Hamilton in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 07/17/25

Water

Cost to build largest new reservoir in California in 50 years increases by $2 billion to at least $6.2 billion -- Construction costs to build the largest new reservoir in California in 50 years, a vast 13-mile-long off-stream lake that would provide water to 500,000 acres of Central Valley farmlands and 24 million people, including residents of Santa Clara County, parts of the East Bay and Los Angeles, have risen sharply. Paul Rogers in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 07/17/25

Education

UC to consider increasing tuition and cutting how much of it goes to financial aid -- University of California regents — confronted with an uncertain financial outlook amid Trump administration cuts, state budget tightening and inflation — are considering whether to increase tuition and set aside less of that revenue for financial aid. Jaweed Kaleem in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 07/17/25

Orange Unified is weighing school consolidations amid enrollment declines -- Faced with falling enrollment, the Orange Unified School District is exploring a proposal to consolidate schools, with four campus pairings currently under consideration. Hanna Kang in the Orange County Register$ -- 07/17/25

Students with discrimination complaints left in limbo, months after California civil rights office closed -- The U.S. Supreme Court's decision to allow mass layoffs in the Department of Education stalls pending cases. Emma Gallegos EdSource -- 07/17/25

Anonymous benefactor helps SFUSD open new Mandarin immersion school -- An anonymous benefactor will help spur San Francisco public schools to expand Chinese language programs in the district, including the opening of a new Mandarin immersion school for students in the fall of 2027, district officials announced Wednesday. Jill Tucker, Ko Lyn Cheang in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 07/17/25

Street

Menendez brothers’ freedom: What would the governor consider? -- A judge’s decision to make the Menendez brothers’ eligible for parole by reducing their sentences to 50 years to life set up a high-stakes parole board hearing scheduled for August. Should the parole board back their release, Newsom would have 90 days to decide whether to reject parole. Sean Emery in the Orange County Register$ -- 07/17/25

Sacramento County man in Jan. 6 riot pardoned by Trump convicted for child porn -- After a one‑day trial, a jury in federal court found Kyle Travis Colton, 37, of Citrus Heights, guilty of one count of receiving child pornography, the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Sacramento announced in a news release. Rosalio Ahumada in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 07/17/25

Tom Girardi, 86-year-old disbarred lawyer, begins prison sentence as dementia worsens -- The 86-year-old disbarred lawyer, once the most prominent trial attorney in California, will likely spend the rest of his life behind bars after being convicted of wire fraud last year. Harriet Ryan and Matt Hamilton in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 07/17/25

Also

Walters: New California budget papers over $20 billion deficit, ignores day of reckoning -- When Gov. Gavin Newsom and legislative leaders were drafting a more-or-less final 2025-26 state budget last month, they were closing what they described as a $12 billion deficit, a number that the state’s media repeatedly cited. Dan Walters Calmatters -- 07/17/25

Barack and Michelle Obama address divorce rumors in podcast episode -- “There hasn’t been one moment in our marriage where I’ve thought about quitting on my man,” Michelle Obama said on the podcast she hosts with her brother. Brianna Tucker and Niha Masih in the Washington Post$ -- 07/17/25

Connie Francis, legendary singer of ‘Who’s Sorry Now?’ and ‘Where the Boys Are,’ dies at 87 -- Connie Francis, the angelic-voiced singer who was one of the biggest recording stars of the late 1950s and early 1960s, has died. She was 87. Stephen Thomas Erlewine in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 07/17/25

Mother lost with son in dense California forest uses trail of notes to point rescuers their way -- A missing mother and her child were found in deep California forestland recently by rescuers who located them after following a trail of notes the woman had left behind, authorities said. In another unmodern twist in this rescue tale, searchers also got help from ham radio. Christopher Buchanan in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 07/17/25

Berkeley professor’s ex-wife arrested in his slaying in Greece -- Greek authorities arrested the ex-wife of a UC Berkeley professor in connection with his slaying in Athens earlier this month. Nathan Solis in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 07/17/25

‘Kaz’ Kajimura, Bay Area Jazz-Club Impresario, Dies at 81 -- His club became the go-to spot for generations of musicians touring the West Coast, and a place for local students to play alongside legends. Charley Locke in the Wall Street Journal$ -- 07/17/25

POTUS

Jeffrey Epstein’s Friends Sent Him Bawdy Letters for a 50th Birthday Album. One Was From Donald Trump -- It was Jeffrey Epstein’s 50th birthday, and Ghislaine Maxwell was preparing a special gift to mark the occasion. She turned to Epstein’s family and friends. One of them was Donald Trump. Khadeeja Safdar and Joe Palazzolo in the Wall Street Journal$ -- 07/17/25

Trump Wants Lower Rates. Firing Powell Could Push Them Higher -- Investors, not the Fed, control the interest rates that matter most to businesses and consumers. They might demand higher returns if the central bank’s independence comes into question. Ben Casselman in the New York Times$ -- 07/17/25

The Trump officials and nominees who could benefit from the administration’s approach to crypto -- Nearly 70 Trump administration officials and nominees held cryptocurrency or investments in blockchain or digital-asset companies at the time of their selection, with stakes ranging from small to more than $120 million, a Washington Post examination found. Arfa Momin, Clara Ence Morse and Cat Zakrzewski in the Washington Post$ -- 07/17/25

Manhattan Prosecutor Who Handled Epstein Cases Is Fired -- Maurene Comey, a Manhattan federal prosecutor who worked on the criminal cases against Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell, was abruptly fired on Wednesday by the Trump administration, according to six people with knowledge of the matter. Jonah E. Bromwich, William K. Rashbaum, Michael S. Schmidt, Santul Nerkar and Maggie Haberman in the New York Times$ -- 07/17/25

Trump lashes out at Republicans questioning his handling of Jeffrey Epstein case -- The president has spent recent days trying to quiet some of his supporters’ criticisms about how his administration has dealt with the case of the deceased sex offender. Patrick Svitek in the Washington Post$ -- 07/17/25

After CBS and ABC’s Trump settlements, Democrats want to curb presidential library gifts -- President Trump’s future presidential library has a growing list of corporate sponsors, and Democratic lawmakers are sounding alarms. Meg James in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 07/17/25

20 States Sue Trump Administration Over Ending FEMA Funding for Disaster Mitigation -- FEMA announced in April that it was ending the funding to eliminate “waste, fraud and abuse.” The program saved taxpayers more than $150 billion over 20 years, the plaintiffs said. Maxine Joselow in the New York Times$ -- 07/17/25

Inside ‘Alligator Alcatraz,’ detainees report relentless mosquitoes, limited water -- Former guards at the facility cited limited fresh water and clogged toilets among the problems at the remote detention center. Lori Rozsa, David Ovalle and Rachel Hatzipanagos in the Washington Post$ -- 07/17/25

African Nation Says It Will Repatriate Migrants Deported by U.S. -- The Trump administration sent five deportees to Eswatini, an African kingdom, saying that their own countries would not take them. But Eswatini says it will send them home. John Eligon and Hamed Aleaziz in the New York Times$ -- 07/17/25

Democrats, playing defense on immigration, see a flicker of hope in new polls -- In Washington, efforts to corral Democratic lawmakers behind a unified message on immigration have been futile for months. Top Democratic operatives are testing new talking points, hoping to press their potential advantage. Michael Wilner in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 07/17/25