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California Policy and Politics Tuesday

‘I already want to cry.’ Undocumented parents prepare for the unthinkable: Giving up their kids -- The number of immigrant parents making emergency arrangements for their children’s care has skyrocketed. Parents are seeking help in filling out forms designating another adult to care for their children in case they are deported. Jenny Gold, Christina House in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 07/15/25

Can immigration agents stop anyone who looks Latino? Courts are stepping in to answer -- Can immigration agents stop and detain anyone with brown skin if they’re within a few hundred miles of the U.S.-Mexico border? Amid President Donald Trump’s push for mass deportations and massive influx of cash to seize immigrants, his “border czar” Tom Homan suggested as much last week, saying agents can question people “based on their physical appearance.” Bob Egelko in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 07/15/25

What happens after Bay Area immigrants are arrested by ICE? -- Immigrants arrested by ICE are held, usually for many months, in sites that are even less subject to outside inspection or regulation than jails or prisons. Bob Egelko, Ko Lyn Cheang in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 07/15/25

L.A.’s protest movement shifts tactics as ICE raids continue -- Volunteers are monitoring Home Depots and coordinating know-your-rights workshops as organizers prepare for a long-term battle. Angie Orellana Hernandez and Anumita Kaur in the Washington Post$ -- 07/15/25

ICE declares millions of undocumented immigrants ineligible for bond hearings -- A memo from the agency’s acting director instructs officers to hold immigrants who entered the country illegally “for the duration of their removal proceedings,” which can take months or years. Maria Sacchetti and Carol D. Leonnig in the Washington Post$ Michelle Hackman and Victoria Albert in the Wall Street Journal$ -- 07/15/25

New group of Camp Pendleton Marines tasked with southern border security in Arizona -- A new group of Camp Pendleton Marines are working alongside U.S. Customs and Border Protection and U.S. Border Patrol at the southern border. Erika I. Ritchie in the Orange County Register$ -- 07/15/25

Gavin Newsom teased a redistricting fight with Texas. Can he even do that? -- Gov. Gavin Newsom suggested he’s contemplating a response to Texas Gov. Greg Abbott’s efforts to redraw congressional maps to favor Republicans, but California’s laws will make any counter moves by Newsom difficult — if not impossible. Sophia Bollag in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 07/15/25

Environment

A new invader threatens California water supplies. Can the state stop its spread? -- Officials are shoring up water systems infiltrated by the golden mussel. Dogs and human inspectors are checking boats at some lakes, but a patchwork of oversight leaves many lakes unprotected. “There’s just too many boats and too many people out there,” one warden said. Rachel Becker Calmatters -- 07/15/25

Northern California county warns of ‘thick, poisonous smoke,’ declares emergency -- Siskiyou County officials are asking for state and federal help in addressing the illegal use of toxic pesticides at unlawful cannabis grow operations in the region. Jerry Wu in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 07/15/25

Wildfire

LADWP denies worker changed computer log to hide delay in responding to Palisades fire -- The utility said the computer log was changed not to conceal a delay, but to provide more information to give 'a clearer picture of what transpired' Tony Saavedra in the Orange County Register$ -- 07/15/25

Will personal firefighting devices help or hurt in future wildfires? -- Unlike similar tech, the system doesn’t rely on utility water and power, which are often strained during fires. There are little data on whether the tech is effective, but some experts say it’s needed to fully utilize pool water to fight wildfires. Noah Haggerty in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 07/15/25

Economy

San Jose-area office market improves; San Francisco, Oakland get worse -- Office vacancy levels improved in the San Jose area but worsened in both Oakland and San Francisco in the second quarter of 2025, new real estate reports show. The upswing in the South Bay office market arrives on the heels of big office leases in the region that have gobbled up some of the empty office space. George Avalos in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 07/15/25

From an L.A. parking lot to a $1 billion deal — the red-hot success story of Dave’s Hot Chicken -- How a group of longtime friends turned $900 into a $1-billion hot-chicken brand. Dave’s Hot Chicken’s rise to a global chain saw lines around the block, an investment from Drake and social media frenzy. Stephanie Breijo in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 07/15/25

Education

Republicans cap student loan debt. Why that’s bad news for California medical students -- Doctors regularly need to pay more than $300,000 for medical school, including tuition and housing. New regulations signed by President Donald Trump cap their federal borrowing at $200,000 for medical degrees. Mikhail Zinshteyn and Kristen Hwang Calmatters -- 07/15/25

USC signals layoffs as deficit surpasses $200 million amid ‘volatile external environment’ -- USC interim President Beong-Soo Kim says the university’s budget deficit surpasses $200 million. An undisclosed number of layoffs and other belt-tightening is ahead, he said. The university cites “significant shifts in federal support” for the difficult financial outlook. Daniel Miller in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 07/15/25

Jewish faculty voice support for UC Berkeley chancellor facing antisemitism hearing in D.C. -- UC Berkeley Chancellor Rich Lyons will speak Tuesday alongside CUNY and Georgetown University leaders at a congressional hearing on alleged campus antisemitism. Jaweed Kaleem in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 07/15/25

College is not for every student. How schools are steering them to high-demand jobs -- Los Angeles Unified’s “Earn & Learn” summer program pays students as they are introduced to vocational skills in high-demand jobs. Howard Blume in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 07/15/25

Migrant education helps farmworkers’ children catch up; Trump wants to end it -- In Monterey County, students brush up on English, math and science to fill gaps caused by moving schools. California is suing the Trump administration for withholding funds from the nearly 60-year-old program. Many current and former students call the program life-changing. Zaidee Stavely EdSource -- 07/15/25

CalPers

CalPERS recovers from tariff plunge and notches a big investment gain -- California’s biggest pension fund and markets around the world learned to live with President Trump’s tariff threats. CalPERS gained 11.6% on investments in 2024-25. Adam Ashton Calmatters -- 07/15/25

Street

Sheriff’s deputies lose assault rifle on the streets of Los Angeles — and actually get it back -- Los Angeles County sheriff’s deputies did something Sunday that some may have seen as fairly embarrassing: They misplaced a weapon. Amy Hubbard in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 07/15/25

California police are killing fewer people. The opposite is happening in red states -- California has been reducing violent encounters between residents and officers since before the racial justice protests sparked by George Floyd’s murder. It’s a trend with little fanfare. Raheem Hosseini in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 07/15/25

L.A. County sheriff’s deputies admit roles in crypto ‘Godfather’ operation -- Federal prosecutors said two deputies have admitted that they committed criminal acts in connection with their side hustles as private security for a Southern California cryptocurrency mogul who referred to himself as “the Godfather.” Connor Sheets in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 07/15/25

Also

Walters: LA Times valiantly explains how Los Angeles became the epicenter of homelessness -- At its best, journalism reveals the reality that is often obscured in the superficial political rhetoric about high-profile current events. Dan Walters Calmatters -- 07/15/25

Barabak: For California, a summer of discontent -- A recent batch of opinion surveys shows a grim mood among California residents. Voters have little faith in their governor, the tech industry or the three branches of the federal government. Mark Z. Barabak in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 07/15/25

Newsom talks AI, Epstein files and immigration in 4-hour podcast -- The California governor stopped in Nashville to record a podcast episode with Shawn Ryan, who hosts Spotify’s 9th most popular show in the U.S. Lia Russell in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 07/15/25

POTUS 47

Trump tariffs push up inflation despite pressure on Fed to cut rates -- Inflation rose in June as President Donald Trump’s tariffs began to push up the prices of certain goods, undermining his attempts to pressure Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell to lower interest rates. Sam Sutton Politico Konrad Putzier and Nick Timiraos in the Wall Street Journal$ Colby Smith in the New York Times$ Lauren Aratani The Guardian Abha Bhattarai and Andrew Ackerman in the Washington Post$ Christopher Rugaber, Josh Boak Associated Press -- 07/15/25-- 07/15/25

Supreme Court allows mass layoffs at Education Department as Trump seeks to close the agency -- The justices, by an apparent 6-3 vote, lifted an injunction against the firings. Josh Gerstein, Juan Perez Jr. and Rebecca Carballo Politico Sareen Habeshian Axios Matt Barnum in the Wall Street Journal$ Abbie VanSickle in the New York Times$ -- 07/15/25

How Trump plans to dismantle the Education Department after Supreme Court ruling -- Trump and McMahon have acknowledged only Congress has authority to close the Education Department fully, but both have suggested its core functions could be parceled out to different federal agencies. Collin Binkley Associated Press -- 07/15/25

Behind Trump’s Tough Russia Talk, Doubts and Missing Details -- President Trump’s new plan to send weapons to Ukraine and his simultaneous threat of harsh penalties on Russia’s trading partners reflect a dramatic shift in his position on the war, but his proposals leave key details unclear. Michael Crowley, Eric Schmitt and Julian E. Barnes in the New York Times$ -- 07/15/25

EU to hit US aircraft, cars and food in latest retaliatory strike -- The European Commission proposes countermeasures after President Donald Trump threatens to hit Europe with a 30 percent tariff. Camille Gijs Politico -- 07/15/25

What a Smaller Education Department Is Doing Under Trump -- Cuts have hit most of the department’s main functions, which include investigating civil rights complaints, providing financial aid, researching what works in education, testing students and disbursing federal funding. Dana Goldstein and Michael C. Bender in the New York Times$ -- 07/15/25

Trump promised to lower energy costs – his tax bill will raise them for people in red states the most -- The cost of electricity is poised to surge across the US in the wake of Republican legislation that takes an axe to cheap renewable energy, with people in states who voted for Donald Trump last year to be hardest hit by the increase in bills. Oliver Milman The Guardian -- 07/15/25

The Epstein Saga Has Splintered Trump’s Movement Like Nothing Before -- It’s been a contentious time inside the MAGA coalition. In the last month alone, competing factions of President Donald Trump’s supporters have repeatedly squared off over the bombing of Iran’s nuclear facilities, the “big, beautiful” tax-and-spending bill and Trump’s immigration crackdown. Ian Ward Politico -- 07/15/25