California Policy and Politics Tuesday

Schiff, Padilla vow to block all Fed nominees until Trump backs off trying to prod them -- California Sens. Alex Padilla and Adam Schiff Monday condemned President Donald Trump’s choice of Kevin Warsh to head the Federal Reserve Board, and pledged to “oppose every one of his nominees” to the board until Trump assures the Fed will stay independent. David Lightman in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 2/3/26

Bass preaches ‘unity’ in L.A. ahead of 2028 Olympics during State of the City address -- Bass announced a new clean streets initiative to ‘accelerate beautification’ of major thoroughfares throughout the city. The mayor said 400 homes are under construction in Pacific Palisades and hundreds more are approved and ready to be built. Noah Goldberg in the Los Angeles Times$ Teresa Liu in the LA Daily News -- 2/3/26 -- 2/3/26

California's $200 million EV incentive program to require matching funds from automakers -- California's proposed $200 million electric vehicle incentive program will be limited to first-time buyers and require participating manufacturers to contribute matching incentives, the administration of California Governor Gavin Newsom said on Monday. David Shepardson Reuters -- 2/3/26

Why child care could be ‘at a standstill’ as California plans not to expand financial assistance -- Gov. Gavin Newsom’s proposed budget lacks funding for 44,000 promised subsidized child-care slots, stalling progress on getting thousands of families off waitlists. With median cost of infant care costing up to $1,818 monthly in L.A. and long waitlists for state subsidies, working families face severe affordability and access barriers. Kate Sequeira in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/3/26

New bill aims to make California FAIR Plan cover all insurance risks, not just fire -- New legislation announced Monday would require the California FAIR Plan to provide insurance for more than just fires — a potential major shift for the state’s insurer of last resort. Megan Fan Munce in the San Francisco Chronicle$ Stephen Hobbs in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 2/3/26

California has a dangerous driver problem. A bipartisan group of lawmakers wants to fix that -- The bills would: require first-time DUI offenders to install in-car breathalyzers, lengthen many license suspensions and revocations, increase DUI training for law enforcement and close a loophole that allows people who’ve killed with their car to avoid consequences through a diversion program. Robert Lewis and Lauren Hepler Calmatters -- 2/3/26

Mountain View police turn off license plate readers, allege unauthorized federal use -- One San Francisco resident sued the city for its use of the cameras, claiming that the tech amounts to “unconstitutional surveillance,” and Oakland officials have been criticized for renewing its contract with the vendor despite widely publicized concerns. Aldo Toledo in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 2/3/26

Right-wing influencers have descended on Somali day care centers in this California community -- Gov. Gavin Newsom said the Somali community in San Diego feels “under siege” with the arrival of right-wing provocateurs who, seeking to replicate their fraud allegations that kicked off unrest in Minnesota, have arrived at Somali-run day cares, alarming child care workers. Sara DiNatale in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 2/3/26

San Diego anti-child exploitation grant at risk due to Trump conditions, lawsuit says -- San Diego, San Jose allege Trump administration using Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force funding to coerce cooperation on immigration enforcement and anti-DEI programs. Alex Riggins in the San Diego Union Tribune -- 2/3/26

Workplace

California’s Teamsters call for Waymo ban, saying driverless cars threaten safety and jobs -- The union, which has 250,000 members across dozens of industries, called on the California Public Utilities Commission on Monday to indefinitely suspend the driverless car company’s license to operate. Caroline Petrow-Cohen in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/3/26

California faces teacher strikes across state for better pay and work conditions -- The strikes, which could begin as soon as next week, have been approved by thousands of educators – affecting schools in some of the state’s largest districts including San Francisco, San Diego and Los Angeles. Dani Anguiano in the Guardian -- 2/3/26

Amazon cutting 3,339 jobs at Southern California convenience stores -- Amazon says its Fresh and Go stores will close March 13 as the e-commerce giant ends its convenience push into physical retail. Pat Maio in the Orange County Register$ -- 2/3/26

Measles

Second Orange County measles case confirmed; traveler visited Disney California Adventure Park -- A second measles case was reported in an international traveler who arrived at LAX and then visited a Disneyland park. Earlier in the week, the Orange County Health Care Agency confirmed a measles case in a young person who recently traveled internationally. Summer Lin in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/3/26

Homeless

California police are far more likely to use force against homeless residents, new data shows -- When police in California stop a driver or pedestrian whom they believe to be homeless, they’re far more likely to search, handcuff, deploy force against and arrest that person than others they pull over, according to a new state report. Bob Egelko in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 2/3/26

Super Bowl LX

Super Bowl LX brings a surge of celebrities to the Bay Area. Here’s where to find them -- In the days leading up to the Sunday, Feb. 8 championship game at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, there’s long list of concerts, VIP parties, industry events and fan experiences expected to draw celebrities, athletes and power players into hotels, concert halls, warehouses and waterfront venues from San Francisco to San Jose. Aidin Vaziri in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 2/3/26

Kid Rock to headline Turning Point USA’s alternative Super Bowl halftime show -- Dubbed the “All-American Halftime Show,” the conservative nonprofit organization announced Monday, Feb. 2, that country musicians Kid Rock, Brantley Gilbert, Lee Brice and Gabby Barrett will headline. Zara Irshad in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 2/3/26

‘We’re ready’: Community members, NFL players decry potential ICE enforcement during Super Bowl -- “Our immigrant community is valued here in the city of San Jose. They make our city run, and it’s time that we hold our elected officials accountable for standing up to them,” said San Jose City Councilmember Peter Ortiz Caelyn Pender in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 2/3/26

49ers

NFL commissioner Roger Goodell addresses 49ers’ international future -- There is a strong chance the 49ers play two international games next season, opening in Australia and then hosting a game in Mexico. Cam Inman in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 2/3/26

ICE Walk Out

Fresno high school students walk out of campuses in second day of protests -- More than 1,000 Fresno high-school students walked out of their campuses on Monday to protest ICE and President Trump’s deportation crackdown. Leqi Zhong and Anthony Galaviz in the Fresno Bee -- 2/3/26

Also

‘Melania’ director Brett Ratner turns up in Epstein files, again -- Brett Ratner, director of the newly released “Melania” documentary, appears in recently unsealed Epstein files showing him with the disgraced financier and unidentified women. The photos surface as the filmmaker attempts a Hollywood comeback after a 2017 sexual misconduct scandal that largely exiled him from the industry. Stacy Perman in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/3/26

POTUS 47

Trump says federal government should ‘take over’ state elections -- Trump called on Republicans to ‘nationalize’ elections in several states to counter what he says is widespread fraud. The proposal would clash with the Constitution, under which the states administer elections. Ana Ceballos in the Los Angeles Times$ Jacob Wendler Politico Reid J. Epstein and Nick Corasaniti in the New York Times$ -- 2/3/26

Trump Had Unusual Call With F.B.I. Agents After Election Center Search -- Tulsi Gabbard, the director of national intelligence, brokered the call and President Trump directly questioned frontline agents on the inquiry, The Times has learned. William K. Rashbaum, Devlin Barrett and Julian E. Barnes in the New York Times$ -- 2/3/26

U.S. Manufacturing Is in Retreat and Trump’s Tariffs Aren’t Helping -- The manufacturing boom President Trump promised would usher in a golden age for America is going in reverse. David Uberti in the Wall Street Journal$ -- 2/3/26

ICE and CBP officers in Minneapolis will wear body cameras, Noem announces -- The announcement is a concession to critics who said immigration officers were acting with impunity in Minneapolis and other cities. Eric Bazail-Eimil Politico Victoria Albert in the Wall Street Journal$ -- 2/3/26

Judge says Trump administration must let lawmakers make unannounced visits to ICE detention facilities -- A federal judge ruled Monday that the Department of Homeland Security likely broke the law when it barred members of Congress from visiting immigrant detention facilities without a week’s notice. Kyle Cheney and Josh Gerstein Politico -- 2/3/26

U.S. Failed to Alert Judge to Press Law in Application to Search Reporter’s Home --The Justice Department failed to tell a magistrate judge about a 1980 law protecting journalists in its application materials for a warrant to search a Washington Post reporter’s home last month as part of a leak investigation, an unsealed court filing shows. Charlie Savage in the New York Times$ -- 2/3/26

Classified Whistleblower Complaint About Tulsi Gabbard Stalls Within Her Agency -- A U.S. intelligence official has alleged wrongdoing by Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard in a whistleblower complaint that is so highly classified it has sparked months of wrangling over how to share it with Congress, according to U.S. officials and others familiar with the matter. Dustin Volz and C. Ryan Barber in the Wall Street Journal$ -- 2/3/26

Measles Hits ICE Family Detention Center in Texas -- U.S. immigration officials have imposed quarantines and stopped all movement inside a family detention facility in Texas after two measles cases were confirmed among detainees there, a Department of Homeland Security official said on Monday. Pooja Salhotra in the New York Times$ -- 2/3/26

‘Crisis’: The fallout from Trump’s surprise plan to close Kennedy Center -- President Donald Trump’s surprise Sunday announcement that he planned to close the Kennedy Center for two years sent shock waves through the center, Washington and the broader arts world. Travis M. Andrews, Janay Kingsberry, Kelsey Ables, Naveen Kumar and Geoff Edgers in the Washington Post$ Jessica Gelt in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/3/26

Trump threatens to sue Trevor Noah over Epstein joke at Grammys: ‘Going to have some fun with you!’ -- According to President Trump, the 68th Grammy Awards on Sunday were “virtually unwatchable.” Still, he watched enough to take issue with comedian Trevor Noah’s latest turn as the ceremony’s host. Alexandra Del Rosario in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/3/26