Rough & Tumble ®
A Snapshot of California Public Policy and Politics
 
 
 
     
 
 
 
 
 

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California Policy and Politics Monday

As Trump’s immigration raids swept CA, private-sector jobs numbers dropped sharply -- Trump’s immigration enforcement actions coincided with a major drop in private-sector work in California earlier this year, according to a new analysis of census data by the University of California, Merced, Community and Labor Center. William Melhado, David Lightman and Kate Wolffe in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 08/15/25

 

Newsom calls for special November election to block Trump from ‘rigging’ 2026 midterms -- Gov. Gavin Newsom, Democratic lawmakers and their allies on Thursday launched a special election campaign urging California voters to approve new congressional districts to shrink the state’s Republican delegation, a move that could determine control of Congress next year and stymie President Trump’s agenda. Seema Mehta and Laura J. Nelson in the Los Angeles Times$ Linh Tat and Kaitlyn Schallhorn in the Orange County Register$ Lia Russell in the Sacramento Bee$ Alyssa Lukpat in the Wall Street Journal$ Laurel Rosenhall in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 08/15/25

Border Patrol chief crashes Newsom’s rollout of California redistricting campaign -- Leading the action was Gregory Bovino, head of the Border Patrol’s El Centro (Imperial County) sector, which has aggressively touted its anti-immigrant stance on social media and is under a court injunction blocking the agency from indiscriminately arresting people based on their appearance or location. Sophia Bollag in the San Francisco Chronicle$ Connor Sheets, Brittny Mejia and Julia Wick in the Los Angeles Times$ Ethan Baron in the San Jose Mercury$ Laurel Rosenhall, Jesus Jiménez and Hamed Aleaziz in the New York Times$ Reis Thebault, Angie Orellana Hernandez and Patrick Marley in the Washington Post$ -- 08/15/25

 

Leaked chart reveals winners and losers in California’s Democratic gerrymander -- The changes, which are not yet final, were detailed in a chart obtained by Politico and confirmed by multiple legislators and staffers. Melanie Mason and Jeremy B. White Politico -- 08/15/25

Can this man draw the Democrats a House majority? -- Sacramento’s most trusted supplier of voter data was once a cheerleader for nonpartisan redistricting. Now Paul Mitchell is setting the lines for Democrats’ mid-decade gerrymander of California's congressional map. Will McCarthy Politico -- 08/15/25

 

Man fleeing Home Depot immigration raid is struck, killed by car on the 210 Freeway -- A man was hit and killed on the 210 Freeway on Thursday as he tried to flee federal agents raiding a Home Depot in Monrovia. Jenny Jarvie, Karen Garcia and Jasmine Mendez in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 08/15/25

An L.A. high school senior was walking his dog. Then immigration agents grabbed him -- Benjamin Marcelo Guerrero-Cruz was walking his family’s dog in Van Nuys on a recent morning when he was taken into custody by federal immigration officials, according to authorities and published reports. Hannah Fry and Howard Blume in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 08/15/25

ICE walks back rapid deportation of longtime immigrant without court hearing -- The Department of Homeland Security has walked back what lawyers called an illegal attempt to fast-track the deportation of a woman who has lived in the U.S. for nearly 30 years and to expel her without an immigration court hearing, her attorneys said. Andrea Castillo in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 08/15/25

Inside the border command center tracking migrants with drones -- From an Army base in the Arizona desert, analysts used an MQ-9 Predator B drone with AI-powered radar to hunt migrants crossing the border. These types of drones, once used in wartime, have emerged as a key tool in the Trump administration’s crackdown on illegal immigration. Steve Fisher in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 08/15/25

 

‘We’re not going to back down’: Leaders condemn Trump’s attacks on Oakland -- A group of Oakland elected officials and community leaders rallied Thursday to condemn recent remarks made by President Donald Trump portraying the city as poorly run and crime-ridden, and to pledge a steadfast response to any effort to deploy federal troops there. Jessica Flores in the San Francisco Chronicle$ Shomik Mukherjee in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 08/15/25

Street

A judge restricted LAPD’s use of force. Then journalists were beaten with batons -- Among them was Sean Beckner-Carmitchel, an L.A. Press Club member, who experienced heavy bruising on his left ribs that doctors said indicated a probable fracture after he was repeatedly jabbed by a baton while documenting an Aug. 8 protest outside the Metropolitan Detention Center in downtown L.A. Clara Harter in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 08/15/25

$5 Tacos

$5 tacos? How inflation has hit Fresno taquerias and where to find good deals -- “Everything has gone up, but what’s affected us the most is the price of beef going up,” Arambula said. “Before, we would get a pound of beef for $2.50 in 2020, but now each pound is about $5.10 for us.” Marina Peña on the Fresno Bee -- 08/15/25

Delta Tunnel

Walters: California Legislature’s final weeks could decide fate of Delta water tunnel -- Newsom’s administration believes it needs just one more thing to get the greenlight, legislation to exempt the project from the California Environmental Quality Act’s ponderous process, thereby denying critics the legal tools to delay the work. Dan Walters Calmatters -- 08/15/25

Insurance

A bad bill to rein in insurance adjusters? Proposed state law draws fire -- A bill intended to tighten regulations on public adjusters, who help fire victims file and collect on insurance claims, is drawing criticism from a top consumer advocate who claims it may make it less likely for policyholders to get help. Laurence Darmiento in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 08/15/25

Space X

Coastal Commission opposes SpaceX’s bid to nearly double Vandenberg launches -- The California Coastal Commission has unanimously voted against SpaceX’s plan for a dramatic expansion of rocket launches from Vandenberg Space Force Base, citing environmental and regulatory concerns. Piper Heath in the Los Angeles Times$ Alex Nieves Politico -- 08/15/25

Workplace

Oracle lays off 188 Bay Area workers in latest round of cuts -- Affected workers are mostly software developers and managers, as well as technical support analysts, product managers and a few executives, including one information technology director, one IT senior manager and one IT vice president. Roland Li in the San Francisco Chronicle$ George Avalos in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 08/15/25

Health Insurance

Millions of Californians could see higher health insurance premiums in 2026 -- Health insurance premiums for Californians buying coverage through Covered California will rise by an average of 10.3% in 2026, the state marketplace announced Thursday. Officials warned that costs could climb even higher if Congress allows enhanced federal subsidies to expire at the end of next year. Aidin Vaziri in the San Francisco Chronicle$ Kristen Hwang Calmatters -- 08/15/25

Safe at School

In L.A., Fear of ICE Raids Created a Tense First Day of School -- Officials and volunteers patrolled areas around schools, part of an effort to warn families about potential raids and reassure them that their children were safe at school. Jill Cowan and Orlando Mayorquín in the New York Times$ -- 08/15/25

Education

The key to schools’ success? California startup says ask the students -- As school districts across the Bay Area and California struggle with ballooning budget deficits, declining enrollment and lagging math and reading scores, one California startup says they have the key to success: student feedback. Molly Gibbs in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 08/15/25

Higher Ed

California invested millions pushing these careers for women. The results are disappointing -- Ten years ago, it seemed everyone was talking about women in science. Adam Echelman Calmatters -- 08/15/25

Valley Fever

California valley fever cases hit record highs again in 2025, state reports -- The latest California numbers suggest 2025 will be another record-smashing year for valley fever, the illness linked to drought and precipitation and spread by fungal spores. Susanne Rust in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 08/15/25

Also

La Niña is brewing. Here’s what it means for California weather -- The ocean waters affect atmospheric activity, tilting the odds toward drier than normal conditions in Southern California and wetter than average conditions to the far north, especially in the winter. Jack Lee in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 08/15/25

Kamala Harris Is Out. How About Pedro Pascal? -- It’s anyone’s race. Why not your dream candidate’s? Politico -- 08/15/25

Baseball’s $400 Million Superteam Is Sinking Fast -- In the wake of another offseason spending spree, the Los Angeles Dodgers were eyeing the MLB wins record. Now they might not even win their division. Jared Diamond in the Wall Street Journal$ -- 08/15/25

POTUS 47

Trump claims credit for fixing Social Security as it barrels to insolvency -- Many of the president’s claims were misleading and ignored months of turmoil at the embattled agency. Meryl Kornfield in the Washington Post$ -- 08/15/25

Trump, an active intervenor in tech, reported holdings in Nvidia, Apple -- The president’s latest financial disclosure lays out significant investments in a sector where he has exerted unprecedented influence. Eva Dou and Clara Ence Morse in the Washington Post$ -- 08/15/25

Trumpnomics

Nobody’s Buying Homes, Nobody’s Switching Jobs—and America’s Mobility Is Stalling -- People are moving to new homes and new cities at around the lowest rate on record. Companies have fewer roles for entry-level workers trying to launch their lives. Workers who do have jobs are hanging on to them. Economists worry the phenomenon is putting some of the country’s trademark dynamism at risk. Konrad Putzier and Rachel Louise Ensign in the Wall Street Journal$ -- 08/15/25

The U.S. Is Discussing Taking a Stake in Intel -- President Trump discussed the idea—which is still in early stages and could fall apart—during a meeting Monday at the White House with Intel CEO Lip-Bu Tan, according to some of the people. Robbie Whelan, Lauren Thomas and Amrith Ramkumar in the Wall Street Journal$ -- 08/15/25

 

Russia and Ukraine Agree: A Trump Summit Is a Big Win for Putin -- The talks on Friday in Alaska pull the Russian leader out of diplomatic isolation from the West, and Ukrainian and European leaders fear it gives him an opening to sway the American president. Andrew Higgins and Nataliya Vasilyeva in the New York Times$ -- 08/15/25

Why Trump Wants to Meet Putin -- President Trump wants to be seen as a peacemaker, but the meeting comes with enormous stakes. Jess Bidgood and David E. Sanger in the New York Times$ -- 08/15/25

 

California Policy and Politics Thursday

Newsom calls for special November election to block Trump from ‘rigging’ 2026 midterms -- Gov. Gavin Newsom said California voters will be asked in a Nov. 4 special election to temporarily suspend the congressional maps drawn by the state’s independent redistricting commission. If the effort by Democrats is successful, it could blunt changes in GOP states to boost the number of Republicans in Congress. Seema Mehta and Laura J. Nelson in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 08/14/25

Border Patrol agents stage show of force at Newsom’s ‘big beautiful press conference’ -- Newsom was announcing California’s response to President Trump’s efforts to take control of the U.S. House of Representatives Mayor Karen Bass asks why border patrol ‘thumbed their nose’ at the governor’s event “WE WILL NOT BE INTIMIDATED,” Newsom’s office posts on X Connor Sheets, Brittny Mejia and Julia Wick in the Los Angeles Times$ Sophia Bollag in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 08/14/25

Homeless people in detention camps? Fears grow about Trump and the Olympics -- Local officials and advocates for the homeless are fearful that President Trump will take draconian action against homeless people, including pushing them into detention camps, when Los Angeles hosts the Olympic Games in 2028. Andrew Khouri in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 08/14/25

Poll: California voters back independent congressional maps, complicating Gavin Newsom's redistricting push -- California Gov. Gavin Newsom faces a major hurdle in his quest to revamp his state’s congressional lines, according to a new poll: Californians’ deep support for its current independent redistricting commission. Melanie Mason Politico -- 08/14/25

L.A. school year begins with lookouts for ICE — as well as normal thrills, jitters -- One teacher training explained how to recognize various federal officers who handle immigration arrests or “kidnappings,” as participants were told — and also how to distinguish between these officers and bounty hunters wearing cop gear purchased on Amazon. Howard Blume in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 08/14/25

Judge orders Trump administration to restore millions in withheld UCLA research grants -- A federal judge says the Trump administration is clearly violating her order to return millions of dollars in National Science Foundation research grants that it seized from UCLA, for alleged violations of the administration’s policies, and must restore the funds immediately. Nanette Asimov, Bob Egelko in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 08/14/25

Trial on National Guard deployment in LA ends. What lawyers for Newsom, Trump said -- President Donald Trump and his administration have illegally used soldiers in Los Angeles and must be reined in to prevent future abuses, an attorney representing Gov. Gavin Newsom, and the state of California, argued this week during a three-day trial. Stephen Hobbs in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 08/14/25

‘Help me, please!’: Video captures ICE arrest outside L.A. courthouse -- A man pleaded for help as federal agents carried him by his arms and legs away from Los Angeles’ largest criminal courthouse Wednesday morning, marking another instance of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement using a tactic that has been repeatedly condemned by the legal community. James Queally in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 08/14/25

California providers see ‘chilling effect’ if Trump ban on immigrant benefits is upheld -- If the Trump administration succeeds in barring undocumented immigrants from federally funded “public benefit” programs, vulnerable children and families across California would suffer greatly, losing access to emergency shelters, vital healthcare, early education and life-saving nutritional support, according to state and local officials who filed their opposition to the changes in federal court. Kevin Rector in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 08/14/25

Thousands of DACA recipients in California lose health coverage this month -- The policy change by the Trump Administration rolled back the Biden-era rule and affects more than 2,300 DACA recipients in the state who are currently enrolled in a health plan through Covered California. María G. Ortiz-Briones in the Fresno Bee -- 08/14/25

Cap and Trade

California’s signature climate effort is up for renewal — and it’s a fight -- For months, lawmakers, industry groups and environmental advocates have been mired in negotiations over whether and how to extend the cap-and-trade program, which limits planet-warming emissions, beyond its 2030 expiration date. Hayley Smith in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 08/14/25

Workplace

Over 160 Blizzard workers in Irvine join union as gaming-industry labor movement expands -- The workers, who produce in-house cinematics, animation, trailers, promotional videos and other narrative content, are just the latest batch in the video game industry to unionize, with more than 6,000 having organized across the U.S. and Canada. Suhauna Hussain in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 08/14/25

Classroom

S.F. school district to teachers: Your political opinions don’t belong in the classroom -- The guidance follows a divisive battle last school year over accusations of political activism among educators in city schools, particularly in ethnic studies courses. Jill Tucker in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 08/14/25

As lawsuit costs spiral, California schools are forced to seek insurance overseas -- A state law that made it easier to sue over child sexual assault is driving up litigation costs so dramatically that schools and local governments have been forced to seek insurance coverage overseas. Sophia Bollag in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 08/14/25

Stanford

Stanford preserves legacy admissions by pulling out of Cal Grant aid program -- By declining Cal Grants, Stanford can continue giving admissions preference to hundreds of students who are related to alumni or whose relatives have given money to the university. Nanette Asimov in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 08/14/25

Sinking Central Valley

Central Valley homeowners are watching property values sink with the land -- Chronic groundwater depletion has caused the land to sink in parts of California’s Central Valley. New research shows home values are also declining in areas where it’s a known problem. Ian James and Grace Toohey in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 08/14/25

Swans

California’s newest invaders are beautiful swans. Should hunters kill them? -- California has tried to eradicate ugly South American swamp rodents called nutria. Shooting destructive nonnative mute swans might be a tougher sell. Ryan Sabalow Calmatters -- 08/14/25

Street

Gangsters trafficked runaways and foster kids for sex in South L.A., feds charge -- Six reputed members and associates of the Hoover Criminal Gang were arrested Wednesday in what authorities called the first major takedown of a sex trafficking operation in the Figueroa Corridor of South Los Angeles. Brittny Mejia in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 08/14/25

After fire

A high school football showdown fit for Paradise -- Nearly seven years after the Camp fire incinerated most of Paradise, Calif., and the surrounding area, the community has devised a new way of remembering: by playing football. Even better, by playing football with another community that insists it also mustn’t be forgotten — Lahaina, Hawaii, a town leveled by its own blaze just two years ago. James Rainey in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 08/14/25

Also

Walters: Newsom, lawmakers short on options to reduce California’s soaring electricity costs -- If and when Gavin Newsom launches a campaign for president, economic and social conditions in the California he’s governed for two terms will be in the spotlight. Dan Walters Calmatters -- 08/14/25

Arellano: Can homegrown teens replace immigrant farm labor? In 1965, the U.S. tried -- Teens quit or went on strike across the country to protest abysmal work conditions. A-TEAM was such a disaster that the federal government never tried it again. Gustavo Arellano in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 08/14/25

They led police on a wild L.A. car chase, then managed to get away. Who helped them escape? -- They may end up being the ones who got away. Richard Winton and Hannah Fry in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 08/14/25

POTUS 47

Allies, in jab at Trump, threaten not to buy F-35s -- Allies fed up with Donald Trump’s latest round of punishing tariffs and spending demands are hitting the president where it hurts — his favorite fighter jet. Joe Gould, Jacopo Barigazzi and Chris Lunday Politico -- 08/14/25

Appeals court says Trump officials can withhold billions in foreign aid -- The ruling is a significant — if possibly temporary — victory in Trump’s push for greater authority over spending mandated by Congress. Justin Jouvenal in the Washington Post$ -- 08/14/25

Democrats Try to Halt Silicon Valley’s Swing to the Right -- Tech executives have been a reliable fundraising source for Democrats. Trump is complicating that. Amrith Ramkumar and Eliza Collins in the Wall Street Journal$ -- 08/14/25

The midterm map fight favors the GOP — and could help them stay in power -- Republicans are eyeing ways to add a dozen or more red House districts across Texas, Florida, Missouri, Ohio and Indiana, despite some legal hurdles and reservations from local Republicans. Hannah Knowles in the Washington Post$ -- 08/14/25

As Trump Pushes International Students Away, Asian Schools Scoop Them Up -- The president’s hostility toward foreign students has made American higher education a riskier proposition for them. Other countries are eager to capitalize. Lydia DePillis and Jin Yu Young in the New York Times$ -- 08/14/25

The U.S. Alcohol Industry Is Reeling From Canada’s Booze Boycott -- Trade fight prompts pullback in purchases by the biggest export market for U.S.-made wines, costing American brands tens of millions in sales. Laura Cooper and Vipal Monga in the Wall Street Journal$ -- 08/14/25

Democrats demand answers on cuts to firefighters during critical fire season -- As federal firefighters grapple with strained resources in an intense year of fire activity, Democratic lawmakers are demanding answers from the Trump administration about how severe cuts to staffing and budgets at the US Forest Service may have hamstrung wildfire preparation and response. Gabrielle Canon The Guardian -- 08/14/25