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California Policy and Politics Tuesday

California fights Trump administration, again, over Santa Barbara oil pipeline: The coast is ‘not for sale’ -- California has filed another lawsuit against the Trump administration over the oil operation off the Santa Barbara County coastline, asserting in a petition Monday that the federal government — again — improperly permitted continued pipeline use. Grace Toohey in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 7/21/26

Bonta says Paramount litigation isn’t ‘anti-Trump’ -- California Attorney General Rob Bonta insisted Monday that his antitrust challenge to Paramount Skydance’s purchase of Warner Bros. Discovery is about competition, not politics, pushing back on conservatives who argue the lawsuit is motivated by opposition to Donald Trump. Daniel Miller Politico -- 7/21/26

Republicans can’t stop talking about a California dog who voted. Here’s what really happened -- It’s a tale Republicans cannot resist telling: California mailed a ballot to a dog in Orange County and the dog successfully voted in the 2021 statewide recall election. Sara Libby in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 7/21/26

 

13 carmakers sign up for California EV rebate initiative -- Thirteen automakers have agreed to participate in California’s new electric vehicle rebate program that will roll out later this summer, including Tesla, which manufactures the top-selling model in the Golden State. Rob Nikolewski in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 7/21/26

Medicaid funding is restored to Planned Parenthood, but the pause cost California clinics -- Planned Parenthood clinics can bill Medicaid this month after a yearlong ban on covering its services put in place by congressional Republicans and President Donald Trump expired — but not before the health provider permanently closed four centers in the Bay Area because of the policy, officials said. Grant Stringer in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 7/21/26

Workplace

Gavin Newsom’s return-to-office rules are stricter than many states, including Texas -- California state workers must report to the office four days a week under an executive order from Gov. Gavin Newsom. Other states allow more remote work. Lynn La Calmatters -- 7/21/26

Gov. Gavin Newsom orders state agencies to shore up anti-trafficking protections -- California state agencies will draft new solutions for identifying and connecting victims of human trafficking to resources within the next two months, according to an executive order Gov. Gavin Newsom signed Monday. Lia Russell in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 7/21/26

Senior Living Facility in Distress as Immigrant Caregivers Are Forced Out -- Channing House, a senior living community just a mile from Stanford University, is home to pioneering scientists, tech executives and inventors. But during a recent meeting, its residents confronted a problem they felt powerless to fix: the sudden loss of their caregivers to immigration policies. Miriam Jordan in the New York Times$ -- 7/21/26

Marketplace

Armed robots are on the horizon, as Silicon Valley pitches new military tech -- Looking for his next business, San Francisco entrepreneur Sankaet Pathak sought an idea that might change the future. He settled on building humanlike robots with weapons. Ian Duncan in the Washington Post$ -- 7/21/26

Bay Area city considers sweeping ban on new drive-throughs -- The Napa Planning Commission on Thursday directed staff to develop a sweeping ban on drive-throughs, targeting fast-food and food service businesses, but the proposal could also limit future car washes and dry cleaners. Brooke Park in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 7/21/26

Ben Affleck’s AI company is sold for more than $500 million -- Netflix has paid $587 million to acquire Ben Affleck’s AI film-tech startup InterPositive, a blockbuster bet on using generative tools to reshape how movies and series get made. Cerys Davies in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 7/21/26

Yosemite

Crushing crowds turn Yosemite into ‘Disneyland.’ Can visitors still have fun? -- Without a reservation system, thousands of people are flocking to Yosemite National Park each month. Visitors say if you want to avoid the crowds, either enter Yosemite early in the morning, later in the afternoon or wait until the peak season ends in October. Jaclyn Cosgrove in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 7/21/26

Cyclosporiasis

Cyclosporiasis cases climb; probe into Taylor Farms produce continues after false positive -- A recent sample of lettuce from Taylor Farms that detected the cyclosporiasis parasite was a false positive, federal officials say, but there is still “overwhelming” data to support the California-based company’s current recall of produce amid the outbreak. Karen Garcia in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 7/21/26

Water

Central Valley farmers reluctantly turn to solar as water supplies dry up -- Solar is exploding in the Central Valley as drought-stressed farmers look to alternatives. Blanca Begert and Ian James in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 7/21/26

Education

UC San Diego illegally uses race in admissions, Trump’s Justice Department alleges -- The Justice Department alleges the admissions process at UC San Diego’s medical school illegally favors Black and Latino applicants over white and Asian candidates. Federal civil rights officials say UCSD uses “hardship” questions as a proxy for race. Jaweed Kaleem in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 7/21/26

AI

Top American AI Execs Sound Alarm on Chinese Models -- Silicon Valley and Washington are debating a multibillion-dollar question: Should American companies be able to use Chinese artificial-intelligence models? Amrith Ramkumar and Tina Li in the Wall Street Journal$ -- 7/21/26

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The Pentagon, sinking billions into Iran war, is quickly running short on cash -- With some funds set to dry up within weeks, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is set to press lawmakers Tuesday to address the increasingly urgent shortfall. Noah Robertson, Riley Beggin and Jarrell Dillard in the Washington Post$ -- 7/21/26

 

The Man Who Runs the IRS Spied on Colleagues When He Worked at JPMorgan -- Frank Bisignano, head of the IRS and Social Security Administration, allegedly spied on fellow executives while co-COO of JPMorgan. Bisignano’s lawyer denied the allegations, stating he never directed anyone to engage in surveillance or look through employee communications. Alexander Saeedy in the Wall Street Journal$ -- 7/21/26

Trump to Impose 50% Tariff on Many Canadian Goods -- The administration will use an untested legal provision to put significant duties on Canadian exports, reigniting a clash with one of America’s biggest trading partners. Ana Swanson and Ian Austen in the New York Times$ David J. Lynch in the Washington Post$ -- 7/21/26

Nearly 100 U.S. troops injured in last two weeks of Iran war, Pentagon says -- The disclosure came as the U.S. military identified two U.S. soldiers who died following an attack in Jordan on Friday. Dan Lamothe, Joshua Yang and Mary Ilyushina in the Washington Post$ -- 7/21/26

18 U.S. service members have been killed during Iran war. Here’s where -- At least 18 U.S. service members have been killed supporting the United States during the now months-long war in Iran, including three killed since combat resumed a week ago. Sammy Westfall and Dylan Moriarty in the Washington Post$ -- 7/21/26

 

California Policy and Politics Monday

Judge temporarily pauses Paramount’s Warner Bros. takeover -- A federal judge has temporarily blocked Paramount Skydance’s efforts to complete its purchase of Warner Bros. Discovery, ruling that the proposed merger “raises serious questions” about whether the blockbuster $111-billion deal violates U.S. antitrust law. Meg James in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 7/20/26

Clint Reilly, political strategist and San Francisco Examiner owner, dies at 79 -- Clint Reilly, a combative political strategist who helped shape major California campaigns before building a San Francisco real estate and media empire that included the newspaper he once fought in court, has died. He was 79. Aidin Vaziri in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 7/20/26

 

FDA Walks Back Finding of Cyclospora Parasite -- Taylor Farms said that the Food and Drug Administration has apologized after the agency walked back an earlier statement that the parasite had been detected on a sample of its lettuce. The FDA on Sunday said it has yet to identify the presence of cyclospora on samples of lettuce from the company despite recent tests. Bowdeya Tweh in the Wall Street Journal$ Lena H. Sun in the Washington Post$ -- 7/20/26

 

California is in a population slump. These 7 cities are booming anyway -- California’s stagnant population has been one of the state’s most dramatic and discussed post-pandemic developments. But a handful of cities have defied the trend, steadily expanding instead. J.K. Dineen, Roland Li, Christian Leonard, Danielle Echeverria, Sarah Ravani and Julie Johnson in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 7/20/26

Nearly 300,000 of California’s youngest eligible voters haven’t registered -- In California, while around 517,000 18-year-olds are eligible to vote every year, about 43% are registered to do so, according to data from Brill’s organization, The Civics Center. That’s higher than much of the United States. Haley Parsley in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 7/20/26

Most California lawmakers never buck their party. These few do -- In California’s Legislature, voting against your party is exceedingly rare, but there are a few mavericks who do it anyway. Ryan Sabalow Calmatters -- 7/20/26

More water pipes burst in Venice, Hollywood as Sunset Strip repairs enter Day 4 -- A section of Sunset Boulevard remained closed on Sunday because of last week’s destructive water main break, with officials saying they didn’t know when repairs to the 110-year-old pipe would be completed or the street reopened. Melody Petersen in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 7/20/26

The Supreme Court has clawed back concealed-carry laws. Could switchblades be next? -- Now that the Supreme Court has overturned most state restrictions on carrying concealed firearms in public, the next target could be California’s ban on carrying switchblade knives, which open at the flick of a switch or the push of a button. Bob Egelko in the San Francisco Chronicle$ Lily Wright in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 7/20/26

Super El Niño charging ‘full steam ahead,’ potentially drenching California like never before -- This oceanic pattern, which typically alters global weather, has in the past been associated with intense California flooding, increased wildfire risk and generally reshaped seasons across the American West. For a state coming off its warmest winter on record, the stakes are enormous. Sean Macaday in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 7/20/26

Oregon’s wildfire outbreak exploded over the weekend. Could California see the same? -- A swarm of lightning-sparked wildfires across Oregon exploded in size over the weekend, turning dozens of new ignitions into one of the most significant fire outbreaks in the West this summer. Greg Porter in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 7/20/26

 

Skelton: Californians sour on Newsom’s push to ban gas-powered cars -- Gov. Gavin Newsom will soon leave office without gaining the support of fellow Californians for his most ambitious climate project: the banning of new gas-burning car sales by 2035. George Skelton in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 7/20/26

Workplace

4,500 Google Employees Demand Job Security Amid Big Tech Layoffs -- Google workers signed, sealed and delivered a petition to Google and Alphabet Inc. CEO Sundar Pichai on Thursday, asking for more protections against layoffs. Ella Jackson KQED -- 7/20/26

Bay Area and California both lost jobs in June, new report show -- For the second straight month, both the Bay Area and California lost thousands of jobs, according to June figures from the state Employment Development Department reported Friday. George Avalos in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 7/20/26

Amazon delivery contractors to close Bay Area operations, cut 176 jobs -- Two companies that deliver Amazon packages plan to close Bay Area operations in September, eliminating a combined 176 jobs, according to notices filed with California officials this month. Aidin Vaziri in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 7/20/26

These AI-Native Companies Have Tiny Staffs and Fewer Bosses -- A new working paper found that AI-powered startups have about 25% fewer employees than comparable companies not built around AI capabilities. The study showed that AI startups had about 15% fewer entry-level workers, 15% fewer managers, and fewer rungs in the corporate ladder. Lindsay Ellis in the Wall Street Journal$ -- 7/20/26

Marketplace

‘The Odyssey’ is Christopher Nolan’s biggest-ever global opening with $264.1-million debut -- The Universal Pictures film’s haul outperformed studio expectations of a $117-million domestic opening and set a record for the highest-grossing opening weekend for a live-action or R-rated film so far this year. Samantha Masunaga in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 7/20/26

 

China’s Top AI Event Delivers Message to the U.S.: We’re Coming for You -- Alibaba, Moonshot release new models seen as competitive with America’s best. Katrina Northrop and Raffaele Huang in the Wall Street Journal$ -- 7/20/26

Why Silicon Valley Can’t Stop Looking Over Its Shoulder at China -- Chinese companies are offering artificial intelligence that is nearly as good as the leading U.S. technologies, but it’s still America’s race to lose. Cade Metz in the New York Times$ -- 7/20/26

Kaiser

Unhappy with Kaiser’s medical dispute process, some patients push for state reform -- Decades after a scathing 1997 court ruling, Kaiser Permanente’s private arbitration system is once again facing questions over whether its arbitration system is stacked against the interests of its members. Melody Petersen in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 7/20/26

Tijuana River

Hydrogen sulfide readings in Tijuana River Valley show worsening trend. State bill targets outdated standard -- Hydrogen sulfide readings in the South Bay have exceeded the county’s safety threshold with growing frequency in 2026, signaling a worsening trend in the presence of the toxic gas despite ongoing efforts to address the Tijuana River sewage and pollution crisis at the U.S.-Mexico border. Walker Armstrong in the San Diego Union Tribune -- 7/20/26

Education

Could a lawsuit stop Gov. Newsom and lawmakers from stripping the state superintendent’s power? Probably not -- State Superintendent of Public Instruction candidate Sonja Shaw calls shifting the control of the California Department of Education to a new education director named by the governor “a direct assault on the state constitution and the will of voters.” If she does follow through with her threat of a lawsuit, she’ll have to contend with a court of appeal precedent 33 years ago that could be tough to overcome. John Fensterwald EdSource -- 7/20/26

Oakland school closure raises statewide questions over charter renewals -- A state decision that will force an Oakland charter school to shutter has raised questions about vague standards and left charter advocates concerned that it could have far-reaching implications. Molly Gibbs in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 7/20/26

California reading scores are up, thanks to literacy investments. Can the state do more? -- It’s not quite the “Mississippi Miracle,” but California’s reading scores have been inching upwards since the state poured billions into changing the way students learn to read. Carolyn Jones Calmatters -- 7/20/26

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U.S. teeters on return to all-out war with Iran after more troops killed -- The military announced Sunday that a service member was killed in action in Iraq and another set of unidentified remains was found at the site of an Iranian missile attack in Jordan, U.S. Central Command said. Karen DeYoung, Tara Copp and Dan Lamothe in the Washington Post$ Erika Solomon in the New York Times$ -- 7/20/26

Pentagon Withheld Dozens of U.S. Military Injuries in Iran War -- The episode is the latest example during the Iran conflict of the tension between what the Pentagon says is the need for operational security and the government’s obligation to inform the public about the conduct of the war. Eric Schmitt in the New York Times$ -- 7/20/26

Jordan Becomes New Flashpoint in U.S.-Iran War as Troop Deaths Rise -- Iran has been stepping up its missile and drone attacks on U.S. forces in Jordan as it seeks to produce American casualties and deter Washington from escalating its test of wills with Tehran, current and former officials say. Michael R. Gordon in the Wall Street Journal$ -- 7/20/26

Trump loomed over the World Cup, up until the awkward trophy ceremony -- The president was loudly booed as he entered the field after Spain's win, waving to people as he made his way to the stage. Dan Merica, Rick Maese and Cat Zakrzewski in the Washington Post$ -- 7/20/26