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California Policy and Politics Wednesday
Candidates for California governor tangle in testy debate with mail voting already underway -- Seven candidates who want to be California’s next governor traded sharp attacks Tuesday in a wide-ranging debate that touched on issues from gas prices to raising taxes to healthcare in a contest that has no clear leader. Michael R. Blood and Sophie Austin Associated Press Lauren Gambino in The Guardian -- 5/6/26
Who won the California governor debate on CNN? Here’s what our columnists say -- Columnists Gustavo Arellano, Mark Z. Barabak and Anita Chabria took in all 120 minutes, absorbed every zinger — scripted and otherwise — and dutifully observed each parry and thrust. Here’s what they took away: Gustavo Arellano, Mark Z. Barabak and Anita Chabria in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/6/26
Elections officials urge early mail-in voting, warn about “misinformation” -- The officials also cast skepticism about social media posts that urges Democrats to vote “late” and to rally around one candidate in order to ensure a Republican doesn’t win. The posts are similar in wording and have spread on Facebook in the last week. Dakota Smith in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/6/26
Willie Brown endorses Tom Steyer for California governor -- Former San Francisco Mayor Willie Brown has endorsed Tom Steyer for California governor, giving the billionaire climate activist a high-profile Bay Area boost as he tries to convert a massive self-funded campaign into votes in the state’s crowded June primary. Aidin Vaziri in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 5/6/26
A Climate Activist Wants to Run California. Coal Helped Fuel His Wealth -- Questions linger about the finances of Tom Steyer, who has emerged as a leading contender in the California governor’s race. He says he has asked that his money be separated from fossil fuel investments. Danny Hakim, Julie Tate and Laurel Rosenhall in the New York Times$ -- 5/6/26
Matsui secures $3.15M toward building 4-acre park over Interstate 5 -- The effort, known as the Sacramento Stitch Park Riverfront Project, is “a major planning effort to reconnect downtown Sacramento with the city’s riverfront,” according to a release provided by a spokesperson for Matsui. Graham Womack in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 5/6/26
Workplace
AI Is Forcing CEOs to Make a Stark Choice: Lay Off Workers or Make Them Do More -- Company bosses are splitting into two camps over what the technology’s best, immediate benefits are. Neither calls for more hiring anytime soon. Chip Cutter and Lindsay Ellis in the Wall Street Journal$ -- 5/6/26
Bay Area biotech giant Gilead to lay off 108 workers in Redwood City -- Gilead Sciences plans to lay off 108 workers in Redwood City, the latest job cuts by one of the Bay Area’s biggest biotech companies. Aidin Vaziri in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 5/6/26
After grenade kills 3 L.A. sheriff’s detectives, D.A. considers charges. Against whom isn’t clear -- Last summer, a grenade exploded at an L.A. County Sheriff’s Department training facility, killing three bomb squad detectives. Now, the L.A. County district attorney’s office is considering whether to file criminal charges in their deaths. Richard Winton in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/6/26
Housing
‘Baffling’: YIMBYs push back on Lurie’s plan for housing around transit hubs -- San Francisco is swapping a controversial state law that would allow taller housing along transit corridors for a similar but more tailored plan despite objections from some pro-housing groups. Alyce McFadden in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/6/26
Education
LAUSD investigated for allegedly reassigning, not removing, teachers accused of sex misconduct -- The U.S. Department of Education is investigating LAUSD for allegedly reassigning, rather than removing, teachers accused of sexual misconduct during investigations. Howard Blume in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/6/26
Replacing a broken water heater in the Bay Area is about to get vastly more expensive -- A broken water heater will soon become thousands of dollars more expensive to replace in the Bay Area, as regulators move to phase out gas-powered models. Brooke Park in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 5/6/26
Ban on new natural gas water heaters, set to take effect in seven months, may be relaxed -- But with polls showing Americans’ top concern is the rising cost of living — and residents facing a roughly $3,500 cost increase for new electric heat pump models once traditional tank water heaters are prohibited — a plan is afoot to turn down the temperature on the ban. Paul Rogers in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 5/6/26
Also
California drivers could soon get Disneyland license plates -- State Treasurer Fiona Ma announced Tuesday that her office, Disneyland Resort and the California Children’s Hospital Association are moving forward with plans for a Disneyland-themed specialized license plate. Aidin Vaziri in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 5/6/26
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White House Insists Iran War Is Over, Even While Missiles Fly -- For the White House, the insistence that the war was over was the latest rhetorical leap in an effort to put a war that has created the greatest political crisis of Mr. Trump’s presidency in the rearview mirror. But the mere proclamation does not make it true. Missiles were still flying. Both sides insist they control traffic in the waterway. David E. Sanger in the New York Times$ -- 5/6/26
Trump Again Shifts U.S. Focus on Strait, Pausing Day-Old Escort Mission -- President Trump announced on Tuesday evening that he was pausing the day-old U.S. operation to escort commercial ships through the Strait of Hormuz “for a short period of time,” citing what he said was “great progress” toward an agreement with Iran. Erica L. Green, Megan Mineiro, Eric Schmitt and Greg Jaffe in the New York Times$ -- 5/6/26
Operation Epic Fury against Iran ‘is over,’ Rubio says -- President Trump said he was pausing ‘Project Freedom’ to allow more time for a deal with Iran. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth warns Iran of ‘devastating’ consequences if attacks on commercial vessels continue, while insisting ceasefire remains in effect. Ana Ceballos, Nabih Bulos and Michael Wilner in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/6/26
Republicans propose $1 billion in an immigration bill for Trump’s ballroom project -- Senate Republicans have inserted $1 billion for White House East Wing security enhancements in the immigration enforcement funding bill they hope to rush through Congress this month, setting up a political fight over a ballroom that President Trump has said would be financed with private money. Carl Hulse in the New York Times$ -- 5/6/26
California Policy and Politics Tuesday
Billionaires pour millions into ballot fight over California wealth tax -- Opponents of the proposed California Billionaire Tax Act ballot initiative say they have collected more than enough signatures to qualify two countermeasures that could weaken or block it, setting up a big-dollar November fight over further taxing the Golden State’s richest residents that has divided Silicon Valley and the state’s political class. Ethan Baron in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 5/5/26
The campaign against voter ID in California is off to a slow start -- California Democrats and their allies have yet to stand up a campaign against a Republican voter identification ballot measure. They insist it’s coming. Lindsey Holden Politico -- 5/5/26
In the six-way race to be California’s treasurer, it likely comes down to two Democrats -- California’s treasurer manages bonds, pensions, and billions in cash. These are the six people vying for the job. Ben Christopher Calmatters -- 5/5/26
Candidate interview: Villaraigosa wants California’s top job — for only one term -- Former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa has been a fixture in California politics for three decades, and is making one last push for the state’s top job. Sophia Bollag in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 5/5/26
Bonta’s battles with Trump define attorney general race as GOP challenger tries to break through -- Democratic state Attorney General Rob Bonta and Republican challenger Michael Gates are offering sharply different visions of the job: Bonta has made opposing federal overreach a central focus, while Gates argues the state’s top prosecutor should prioritize crime. Robert Salonga in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 5/5/26
Newsom calls on election officials to count votes faster. ‘We are being tested’ -- Gov. Gavin Newsom wants California elections officials to count ballots faster to head off any voter-related misinformation as the June 2 primary approaches. Lia Russell in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 5/5/26
What to Know About the California Primary Election -- Voters are starting to make decisions after receiving their primary ballots this week. The election includes a turbulent governor’s race and a competitive mayoral contest in Los Angeles. Jill Cowan in the New York Times$ -- 5/5/26
California’s population falls amid cut in legal immigration -- The decline was marginal — roughly 54,000 people from January 2025 to January 2026, putting the state population at just under 39.6 million — but still notable for a state whose population had only recently bounced back from the pandemic. Christian Leonard in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 5/5/26
Here’s how California elections officials are addressing concerns about ICE and voting -- Nearly a year after the Trump administration’s mass-scale immigration crackdown first took hold in Los Angeles, the thought of encountering an immigration agent remains a concern for some — including voters who wonder if it would be safe to cast ballots in person during California’s upcoming primary election. Linh Tat in the LA Daily News -- 5/5/26
Bay Area’s largest immigration court closes, worsening the nation’s asylum case backlog -- The Trump administration shuttered the Bay Area’s largest immigration court Friday, a move that’s almost certain to worsen the nationwide backlog of asylum cases. The San Francisco immigration court at 100 Montgomery St, one of two in the city, had more than 120,000 pending cases. Ko Lyn Cheang in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 5/5/26
Trump’s plan to reshape immigration courts: Can the DOJ fire its way to faster deportations? -- The apparent targeting and firing of immigration court judges nationwide, seemingly over rulings that go against the administration’s deportation priorities, have drawn widespread news coverage in recent days and shined an intense spotlight on the role of the immigration courts. Sean Emery in the Orange County Register$ -- 5/5/26
Walters: Gavin Newsom slow-rolled single-payer healthcare, leaving it to a successor -- Universal healthcare provided by government is the holy grail for those on the political left, so its advocates in California cheered — or at least most did — when Gov. Gavin Newsom signed Senate Bill 770 three years ago. Dan Walters Calmatters -- 5/5/26
Trump slashed scientific research funds. A massive California bond could offset the cuts -- Scientists, doctors, students and patients from across California rallied in Sacramento Monday, calling on state lawmakers to support a $23 billion bond — the largest ever of its kind — to fund life-saving research facing insurmountable instability during the Trump administration. Sara DiNatale in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 5/5/26
They answer the call for Californians in mental distress. The money is running out -- California's mobile crisis teams have surged in popularity as an alternative to police response, but a proposed state budget change could force counties to foot a $150–200M annual bill. Ana B. Ibarra Calmatters -- 5/5/26
San Francisco Chronicle wins Pulitzer Prize for home insurance investigation -- The Chronicle was honored for revealing how companies drastically underpay wildfire survivors. Photographer Gabrielle Lurie and an investigation of for-profit psychiatric hospitals were also named finalists. Sarah Feldberg in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 5/5/26
Workplace
Paramount’s Ellison underscores his pledge to make 30 films a year when his company buys Warner Bros. -- During a Monday call with analysts to discuss Paramount’s first-quarter earnings, the tech scion said the target was achievable because his management team would maintain current levels of production. Meg James in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/5/26
L.A. neighborhoods see influx of 500 delivery bots -- Serve Robotics has deployed more than 500 sidewalk delivery robots across 40 Los Angeles neighborhoods, up from just two neighborhoods in 2023, as the California company races to prove that autonomous machines can replace human couriers. Nilesh Christopher in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/5/26
Working-class Californians are fleeing the Bay Area. This is where they’re going -- Of the estimated 56,000 households that moved to Stanislaus County between 2015 and 2024, about 1 in 3 came from the Bay Area. As a new home for Bay Area movers, Stanislaus County stood out: It saw among the highest share of migrants without college degrees, even while Santa Cruz and San Joaquin counties remained more popular destinations overall. Lucy Hodgman, Christian Leonard in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 5/5/26
Wildfire
Suspected arsonist behind Palisades fire looked up to Luigi Mangione as hero, prosecutors say -- The man accused of starting the Palisades fire, one of the costliest disasters in U.S. history, was motivated by a resentment for the rich and viewed Luigi Mangione, the suspect in the killing of UnitedHealthcare’s chief executive, as a Robin Hood-like figure, according to court documents detailing evidence gathered by federal prosecutors. Richard Winton in the Los Angeles Times$ Soumya Karlamangla in the New York Times$ -- 5/5/26
State Farm
State investigation alleges State Farm’s wildfire response broke law 400 times -- The California Department of Insurance launched its investigation last summer in response to complaints from Eaton and Palisades wildfire survivors who said State Farm’s adjusters made inconsistent decisions on similar claims and refused to communicate, among other issues. Megan Fan Munce, Susie Neilson, Sara DiNatale in the San Francisco Chronicle$ Kate Wolffe in the Sacramento Bee$ Amancai Biraben in the LA Daily News Jean Eaglesham and Laura J. Nelson in the Wall Street Journal$ Rukmini Callimachi and Blacki Migliozzi in the New York Times$ -- 5/5/26
Tijuana wastwater
One of California’s Ritziest Beach Towns Has a Problem: A Tsunami of Raw Sewage -- Coronado, Calif., beaches are increasingly fouled by as much as 30 million gallons daily of sewage-tainted wastewater from Tijuana, Mexico. The pollution has led to beach closures, unsafe fecal-bacteria levels, a stench and significant revenue losses for local businesses. The U.S. and Mexico are accelerating projects to upgrade treatment facilities. Jim Carlton, John Francis Peters in the Wall Street Journal$ -- 5/5/26
Housing
How Southern California churches are turning unused land into affordable housing -- When Pastor Adiel DePano arrived at his latest clerical appointment at the Santa Ana United Methodist Church in 2017, its secondary worship site 5 miles away was a “biohazard,” with frequent fires at neglected buildings and syringes littering the grounds. Amancai Biraben in the Orange County Register$ -- 5/5/26
Homeless
Bay Area cities crack down on RV living, pushing homeless residents across borders -- Homelessness is fluid in the Bay Area, and one city’s crackdown may push residents across borders. Officials worried that Oakland had become a "destination" for displaced residents fleeing tougher rules elsewhere. Grant Stringer in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 5/5/26
Education
‘I have an A because I use Chat’: What UC students say about using AI — and whether it’s cheating -- AI tools like ChatGPT are everywhere on campus. Students at UC Berkeley and SFSU explain how they use them — and why some don’t see it as cheating. Nanette Asimov in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 5/5/26
California’s education funding level rises compared to other states -- It may come as a surprise to Californians who know the state has consistently ranked low in how much it spends on students compared to other states: California’s ranking has soared to the 13th-highest in the nation for how much it funds education per student. John Fensterwald, Justin Allen EdSource -- 5/5/26
Street
Shot in the head and face at L.A. ‘No Kings’ protest, two young men are now seeking justice -- One man lost hearing in one ear and another lost sight in one eye after being shot with less-lethal projectiles by authorities during “No Kings” protests in Los Angeles. Micah Moore, 25, and Tucker Collins, 18, both said they were innocent protesters who did nothing to provoke law enforcement before being shot. Summer Lin in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/5/26
The LAPD once stopped American migration at the California border — to keep out the poor -- In 1936, Los Angeles Police Chief James E. Davis deployed officers to remote California border towns to stop poor Americans fleeing the Dust Bowl from entering the state. Hailey Branson-Potts in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/5/26
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U.S. and Iran Both Claim Control Over Strait of Hormuz -- The United States and Iran made competing claims over which side controlled the Strait of Hormuz on Tuesday, adding pressure to their shaky cease-fire after the U.S. Navy launched an effort to escort vessels through the vital oil shipping route. Eric Schmitt, Greg Jaffe and Leo Sands in the New York Times$ -- 5/5/26
Attacks in Strait of Hormuz, Gulf region imperil fragile U.S.-Iran ceasefire -- Two U.S. destroyers and two merchant vessels came under fire during successful transits of the strait, while UAE and Oman reported attacks. Susannah George and Tara Copp in the Washington Post$ Alexander Ward in the Wall Street Journal$ -- 5/5/26
Trump Tries to Downplay Economic Effects of the Iran War -- At a White House event for Small Business Week, he described the economy as “roaring” and predicted that gas prices would go down soon. Erica L. Green and Zolan Kanno-Youngs in the New York Times$ -- 5/5/26
Soil at D.C. Golf Course Where East Wing Debris Was Dumped Contains Toxic Metals -- Soil at a public golf course in Washington where the Trump administration dumped debris from the demolition of the White House East Wing has tested positive for lead, chromium and other toxic metals, according to data released by the National Park Service. Maxine Joselow in the New York Times$ -- 5/5/26