California Policy and Politics Sunday

L.A. declares state of emergency as Boyle Heights fire continues spewing smoke across region -- Los Angeles declared a state of emergency as a massive Boyle Heights warehouse fire keeps burning, sending smoke and haze across wide swaths of the region. Health officials warn residents — especially those with heart or lung conditions and children — to limit outdoor activity. Hayley Smith and Laurence Darmiento in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 6/21/26

Burning Boyle Heights warehouse is part of world’s largest cold-storage food company -- Lineage, formerly known as Lineage Logistics, employs 23,000 and has 22 facilities in Southern California — and 500 in 19 countries, including Canada and the Netherlands, according to the company website. Tony Saavedra in the Orange County Register$ -- 6/21/26

‘We woke up thinking that our house was on fire’: Boyle Heights residents seek refuge from facility blaze, smoke -- The flare-up of a fire at a cold-storage facility sent heavy plumes of dark smoke across the sky in Boyle Heights on Saturday morning. “We woke up thinking that our house was on fire,” Monica Medina said. Sierra van der Brug, Michael Hixon in the LA Daily News -- 6/21/26

A gentrification battle in Boyle Heights over a proposed tax to clean streets -- Property owners in Boyle Heights’ industrial corridor want a new tax-funded district to pay for private security, daily street cleaning and landscaping near the 6th Street Bridge. Supporters portray the Business Improvement District as a fix for years of neglect and crime, while opponents fear gentrification, over-policing and businesses gaining control over public space. Alejandra Molina in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 6/21/26

 

Want faster election results? California Democrats won’t clamp down on late voters -- Democratic leaders in California agree that speeding up the vote count would be nice. But they refuse to pursue any changes that would decrease voter access or despite voter frustration with the slow trickle of results. Maya C. Miller Calmatters -- 6/21/26

After nearly two decades, this massive New Mexico wind project is now powering California -- Spanning 916 turbines and a 550-mile high-voltage line, the project can power 1 million homes and already has helped drive record wind generation on California’s grid. The project arrives as the Trump administration doubles down on fossil fuel investments and works to slow the development of offshore wind. Hayley Smith in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 6/21/26

Ford sues L.A. lemon law firm alleging ‘utter fabrications’ inflated fees by 7,000% -- Ford Motor Co. is suing a prominent Los Angeles lemon law firm for allegedly inflating their fees by as much as 7,000%, the company’s latest attempt to crack down on California attorneys who it says are exploiting the state’s unique law to protect consumers from defective cars. Rebecca Ellis in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 6/21/26

Lopez: They found a new park hiding in plain sight in the middle of Los Angeles -- Just past noon, a young man appeared on the north side of San Vicente Boulevard, a block west of Hauser, and eyeballed the flow of westbound traffic. Steve Lopez in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 6/21/26

Also

Though World Cup opponent for USMNT is unknown, tickets for match at Levi’s being offered at Super Bowl prices -- The Chronicle reviewed ticket options via FIFA resale and several third-party ticketing sites. The cheapest single ticket available as of Saturday afternoon cost $3,312 on TickPick for a seat in Section 401 and Row 28, aka the very last row at the top level of the venue. Spare some change for good binoculars. Noah Furtado in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 6/21/26

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Vance Heads to Peace Talks, After Iran Says It Closed Strait of Hormuz -- Vice President JD Vance on Saturday headed to peace talks in Switzerland, signaling renewed efforts to keep an agreement signed earlier this week by President Trump on track after Iranian security officials said they had closed the strategic Strait of Hormuz. Andrew Dowell and Robbie Gramer in the Wall Street Journal$ -- 6/21/26

The U.S. Is Ramping Up Economic Warfare. Its Enemies Aren’t Blinking -- Iran, Russia and North Korea master the art of evading U.S. sanctions. Rory Jones, Patricia Kowsmann and Thomas Grove in the Wall Street Journal$ -- 6/21/26

Trump tries to blame Reflecting Pool woes on vandalism, without offering substantiation -- The $14-million makeover, intended to showcase a bright ‘American flag blue’ basin, instead produced algae-choked green water and flaking paint now exposing the rocky bottom. Associated Press -- 6/21/26

Trump’s DC makeover frenzy bewilders locals and visitors: ‘It’s like we’re under occupation’ -- From East Wing demolition and ‘restoration’ of reflecting pool to bridge and fountain renovations, US capital is ‘a different city right now’ Robert Tait in The Guardian -- 6/21/26

 

California Policy and Politics Saturday

L.A. faces state of emergency as Boyle Heights fire continues spewing smoke across region -- The 500,000-square-foot commercial building at 1400 S. Los Palos St. stores 85 million pounds of frozen food “like a giant cooler,” he said. The corrugated steel walls are filled with very dense foam that is burning slowly and emitting gases despite ongoing water drops from helicopters. Laurence Darmiento and Hayley Smith in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 6/20/26

 

Garofoli: Here’s the real reason Trump wants to crack down on California’s elections -- There’s been no shortage of musings over the past several weeks about how California conducts its elections. But now that the dust has settled, an important fact has emerged that people seem far less interested in: California had the second-highest voter turnout (40%) of any state that has held a primary so far this year. The state with the highest turnout: Oregon (41%), which, like California, mails a ballot to every voter. Joe Garofoli in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 6/20/26

A cheaper gas blend is legal in California. Here’s why you still can’t buy it -- But no station is selling E15 because the equipment needed to dispense it still hasn’t cleared California’s required and lengthy certification process. Brooke Park in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 6/20/26

San Francisco police cut off Flock access after improper searches for federal, out-of-state agencies -- San Francisco police said that their license plate reader data was improperly searched nearly 300 times on behalf of federal and out-of-state law enforcement agencies, a disclosure likely to renew scrutiny of a surveillance tool that has expanded rapidly across California and the nation. Aidin Vaziri, Michael Barba in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 6/20/26

Lurie seeing red, white and blue -- San Francisco mayor’s heart set on the U.S. team playing at Levi’s Stadium. Adam Wren Politico -- 6/20/26

Californians Get Stingier at the Ballot Box as Costs Rise -- Voters rejected more local taxes than usual in the June election, a sign that they are feeling the pinch from rising costs. Soumya Karlamangla in the New York Times$ -- 6/20/26

How the plan to expand the L.A. City Council got shelved once again -- It’s long been the Holy Grail for the reform crowd that tracks L.A. city government: expanding the size of the City Council. David Zahniser and Noah Goldberg in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 6/20/26

Business group backs Becerra, sparking GOP anger as progressives preach caution -- The California Chamber of Commerce bucked precedent when it endorsed a Democrat — Xavier Becerra — for governor last week. Ben Paviour in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 6/20/26

 

One Family Defies the Odds to Come Home After the California Fires -- The Figueroa family moved into their rebuilt Altadena, Calif., home 16 months after the Eaton Fire destroyed 6,000 local homes. Only about 65 other homes have been completed in Altadena since the January 2025 fire, leaving the neighborhood “wildly quiet.” The family covered the $1.1 million new-home cost with insurance money, savings, a loan and charitable help. Paul Kiernan, Alisha Jucevic in the Wall Street Journal$ -- 6/20/26

Workplace

South Bay job growth drives state employment gains in May -- Adjusted for seasonal volatility, the South Bay gained 2,400 jobs last month, outpacing Los Angeles, San Diego, Fresno and Orange counties, according to the EDD. The San Francisco-San Mateo region added 600 jobs, while the East Bay lost 2,200. George Avalos in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 6/20/26

America’s Economic Anxiety Is Rising Up the Income Ladder -- A new Wall Street Journal poll finds that even those who consider themselves among the wealthiest classes in America carry high levels of concern about their current finances, the years ahead and the prospects for their children. Aaron Zitner in the Wall Street Journal$ -- 6/20/26

SF Giants’ players react to Department of Justice investigation over Pride Night hat warning -- The Giants’ Pride Night controversy took another turn this week when the United States Department of Justice launched a civil rights investigation into whether Major League Baseball violated the religious rights of the three players who wrote Bible verses on their caps last Friday. Justice Delos Santos in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 6/20/26

Also

California’s next great trail system is taking shape — and it could transform these forgotten towns -- A giant proposal calls for building hiking and biking trails connecting 15 Sierra mountain towns between Truckee and Lassen Volcanic National Park. Gregory Thomas in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 6/20/26

 

A solution to data center backlash? Put them in oil fields -- A new project in California’s oil country could dodge national controversies over energy and water usage. Jake Bittle Grist -- 6/20/26

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Iran announces plans to close the Strait of Hormuz, alleging ‘violations of the ceasefire’ -- Iran is again planning to close the Strait of Hormuz, according to an Iranian consulate and reports from Iranian state-owned media on Saturday, throwing yet another wrench into President Donald Trump’s plans to sell his peace agreement with Tehran to a skeptical electorate. Gregory Svirnovskiy and Ben Johansen Politico Andrew Dowell in the Wall Street Journal$ Maegan Vazquez and Michael Birnbaum in the Washington Post$ -- 6/20/26

U.S. intelligence warns Israel is likely to undermine Iran peace deal, officials say -- Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu faces pressure to continue a military campaign in Lebanon, current and former U.S. officials said. Ellen Nakashima, John Hudson, Gerry Shih and Warren P. Strobel in the Washington Post$ -- 6/20/26

A New Air Force One, via Qatar, Nears Its First Presidential Flight -- President Trump showed off the new red, white and blue Boeing 747, a gift from Qatar that prompted a storm of criticism from lawmakers, before a flyover on July 4. Zolan Kanno-Youngs in the New York Times$ -- 6/20/26

‘A Literal Coverup’: What Is the Kennedy Center Hiding Behind Those Tarps? --The arts center says it pulled President Trump’s name from the building front. But the result remains hidden by tarps, prompting questions and speculation. Elizabeth Williamson in the New York Times$ -- 6/20/26

The Most Surprising Miscalculation of Trump’s Second Term -- He has underestimated the power of patriotic sentiment in countries besides the United States. Alexander Burns Politico -- 6/20/26