Rough & Tumble

Updating . . .

California Policy and Politics Sunday

Person with measles rode Amtrak through six California counties, officials say -- Public health officials are sounding the alarm after an unvaccinated Amtrak passenger who traveled across the U.S., including a stop at Union Station last weekend, was hospitalized with measles. Iris Kwok in the Los Angeles Times$ St. John Barned-Smith in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 9/20/26

California Republicans walk a tightrope as Trump jumps into midterms campaigning -- The four California Republicans running in the state’s most competitive U.S. House races, plus a fifth opposing a fellow Republican in a close contest, are appearing to keep some distance from Trump as they campaign ahead of the Nov. 3 election. Ana Ceballos and Justine McDaniel in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 9/20/26

Newsom rejects effort to roll back CEQA exemptions for advanced manufacturing -- Senate Bill 954 would have rolled back parts of last year’s controversial overhaul of CEQA that allowed for advanced manufacturing facilities to be sited in communities without environmental review. Hayley Smith in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 9/20/26

Newsom signs bill barring other states from sending National Guard troops to California -- Senate Bill 1354, by Sen. Bob Archuleta, D-Pico Rivera (Los Angeles County), seeks to insulate California from possible National Guard deployments ordered by other states, including by governors friendly to the Trump administration. Kathryn Palmer in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 9/20/26

Newsom signs bills to shield California elections from Trump interference, increase transparency -- Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a sweeping package of election-security bills Saturday, vowing California will block any attempts by Donald Trump and law enforcement allies to meddle with November’s vote. Nicole Nixon in the Los Angeles Times$ Laurel Rosenhall in the New York Times$ -- 9/20/26

California Cracks Down on Influencers’ Undisclosed Political Ads -- Under a new law, creators could face fines of $5,000 per post if they don’t disclose that they were paid to make political content. Ken Bensinger in the New York Times$ -- 9/20/26

Seeking reelection, L.A. Mayor Bass calls herself ‘an activist fighting for change’ -- A former state Assembly speaker and member of Congress, Bass became the city’s first female mayor in 2022, when she defeated billionaire developer Rick Caruso. David Zahniser, Christina House in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 9/20/26

Raman says she’s running for L.A. mayor because the city is ‘really, really struggling’ -- Councilmember Nithya Raman, a tenants’-rights champion and homelessness advocate, touts sweeping renter protections and encampment reductions in Hollywood as she pivots from council shakeups to a high-stakes challenge to Mayor Karen Bass. Noah Goldberg, Christina House in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 9/20/26

Barabak: The worst, most vile candidate in Texas isn’t who you might think -- Bo French, a GOP candidate for Texas’ powerful Railroad Commission, is under fire for racist posts targeting Asian American students celebrating a dramatic football win. Mark Z. Barabak in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 9/20/26

Insurance

California’s property insurance deserts are spreading to low-risk fire areas -- California’s home insurance crisis is spilling from high-fire zones into new Inland Empire suburbs, where even low-risk buyers struggle to secure full coverage on newly built, “affordable” houses. Paige St. John, Robert Gauthier in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 9/20/26

From Watts to L.A. wildfires: The rise of California’s troubled FAIR Plan -- New research shows capped rates and political pressure skew costs, leaving low-risk communities like Coalinga subsidizing high-value, fire-prone enclaves from Pacific Palisades to luxury tracts outside Roseville. Paige St. John in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 9/20/26

California home insurance is about to see a major overhaul -- Two new laws signed by Gov. Gavin Newsom could make California the first state to regulate how contamination must be identified and removed from homes after wildfires, and when insurance companies must pay for it. Megan Fan Munce, Susie Neilson in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 9/20/26

HOA Fees

California is set to pass a law that could trigger massive wave of HOA fee hikes -- Assembly Bill 2050, which passed the state Legislature early this month, would require HOAs to keep a 30-year reserve fund. Starting in 2032, if an association’s reserves would run out of money at any point in that period, the HOA would have to put at least 15% of its annual budget toward the reserve until its projections are in the black. Christian Leonard in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 9/20/26

Housing

Bureaucratic feud over hefty fee could stymie housing projects in San Diego -- Efforts to boost housing construction in San Diego have hit a potential setback: the San Diego Housing Commission refuses to stop charging a hefty fee that discourages developers by making projects more expensive. David Garrick in the San Diego Union Tribune -- 9/20/26

Marketplace

How California tech turned thrifted clothes into fashion’s hottest status symbol -- California resale platforms from San Francisco to Oakland have turned thrifted clothing into a high-fashion, high-tech industry, helping drive a $240-billion secondhand market that’s growing far faster than retail. Annika Duneja in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 9/20/26

The fall of once-mighty McClatchy newspapers underscores California’s news crisis -- The union that represents McClatchy journalists said that more than 90 unionized journalists and media workers across 17 publications had been laid off. Suhauna Hussain in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 9/20/26

Walters: Sacramento Bee slashes staff as Gov. Gavin Newsom weighs state aid for news outlets -- When I and this column moved from the Sacramento Union to the Sacramento Bee 42 years ago, it was something of a culture shock. The two newspapers had been cross-town rivals ever since both were founded, just a few years after the discovery of gold and California’s admission as a state. Dan Walters Calmatters -- 9/20/26

Workplace

Newsom signs California’s first standalone post-production tax credit -- In another push to revitalize California’s film and TV industry, Gov. Gavin Newsom on Saturday signed the state’s first standalone post-production tax incentive. Cerys Davies in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 9/20/26

Transit

The Bay Area faces a transit reckoning. Will voters pay to keep it running? -- The fate of the Bay Area’s struggling public transit system could rest on a decision before voters in November: whether to approve a sales tax rate increase to fund transportation agencies that have warned of significant service cuts and station closures without a new revenue stream. Grace Hase in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 9/20/26

Education

Community colleges will be able to grant more bachelor’s degrees under law signed by Newsom -- California community colleges will be able to offer bachelor’s degrees that duplicate programs at California State University and University of California schools, clearing the way for the biggest change in decades to degree-granting authority at the state’s public university systems, under legislation approved Friday by Gov. Gavin Newsom. Jaweed Kaleem in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 9/20/26

UC temporarily blocked from enforcing transgender name and pronoun rules -- In a conservative win, campus members of an education advocacy organization may refer to transgender people using names and pronouns that are not consistent with that individual’s gender identity, according to a federal court ruling that restricts University of California anti-harassment policies. Jaweed Kaleem in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 9/20/26

Climate

Fight intensifies over the fate of homes falling into the sea -- California homeowners are building a costly rock wall to hold back the ocean, escalating a battle over private property and what to do about years-long beach erosion amid storm damage and higher tides. Hannah Knowles in the Washington Post$ -- 9/20/26

Lopez: We don’t need AI to threaten the future of humanity. We’ve got Trump’s climate policies -- Trump has gutted environmental protections and scientific research, and dismantled clean energy initiatives. Activists of all ages are organizing events to promote sustainability, biodiversity and other environmental causes. Steve Lopez in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 9/20/26

Street

Sikh trucker from Sacramento released from Wyoming hospital after unprovoked stabbing -- Gurvinder Singh, 28, was in the bathroom of a rest stop near Rock Springs last Sunday when the assailant approached him from behind with a knife, officials said. A suspect, identified as Andrew Kris Bzdak, was arrested shortly afterward and has been charged with attempted first-degree murder, police said. Megan Cassidy in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 9/20/26

POTUS 47

How President Trump Broke the Kennedy Center -- Internal emails and documents demonstrate the political capture of the institution, including how officials once pursued a plan to unload much of the art collection. Elizabeth Williamson and Julia Jacobs in the New York Times$ -- 9/20/26

Tech industry scratches its head over Trump 'AI Force' proposal -- The tech industry is struggling to make sense of President Donald Trump’s surprise announcement that he is creating an artificial intelligence task force and appointing a czar to oversee the administration’s approach to the technology. Owen Dahlkamp and Brendan Bordelon Politico -- 9/20/26

Trump Faced Loss After Loss. He Then Turned to a Familiar Target: The Press -- President Trump’s grabs for power kept falling short, and he appeared ready to turn to a familiar target. Zolan Kanno-Youngs in the New York Times$ -- 9/20/26

Inside the White House media ban -- Many senior staff were surprised by the directive, which happened while chief of staff Susie Wiles was out of town, and weren’t aware it was coming until they saw the post, according to three people close to the White House with knowledge of conversations in the West Wing. Dasha Burns, Will Steakin and Adam Wren Politico -- 9/20/26

Behind Trump’s public confidence, his private view of midterms is sobering -- In private, the president has been hearing blunt news from advisers about the GOP’s poor chances in the midterms and has accepted that some of the problem is of his making. Natalie Allison and Isaac Arnsdorf in the Washington Post$ -- 9/20/26

Trump Says Proposed Arch Will Double as ‘Military Complex’ -- President Trump said on Sunday that his proposed 250-foot triumphal arch in Washington will double as a “military complex” housing drones and sniper ammunition, providing new justification for the planned arch amid ongoing litigation. Lara Seligman in the Wall Street Journal$ Zolan Kanno-Youngs in the New York Times$ -- 9/20/26

California Policy and Politics Saturday

Soaring diesel prices are hammering California farmers at exactly the wrong time -- Now the fourth generation of his family to manage the farm, Chinchiolo said the cost of diesel is a bite into his budget that keeps on growing. Saul Pink in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 9/19/26

Newsom vetoes bill to loosen work-from-home rules for state workers --Many California public employees want more flexibility to work from home than Gov. Gavin Newsom’s return-to-office policy allows. He vetoed a bill that would have encouraged departments to set their own policies. Lynn La Calmatters -- 9/19/26

Morrison: News helicopters are very L.A. It’s a dangerous job -- Where, literally, would Angelenos be without the flying eyes that guide us to our destinations through our traffic mangles and bring us close to mayhem, riot and fire? Patt Morrison in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 9/19/26

Neither Becerra nor Hilton will commit to AI safety guidelines Newsom laid out Friday -- As governments and political leaders increasingly push for regulations to rein in artificial intelligence, neither candidate for California governor has committed to firm policies on AI safety, including two requirements Gov. Gavin Newsom called for Friday. Jeanne Kuang Calmatters -- 9/19/26

Gemini Hacked Three Companies in First Known Breakout by Google’s AI -- Google’s Gemini model accessed the internet and hacked other companies during a test of its cybersecurity capabilities, the first known example of the company’s artificial-intelligence systems autonomously committing such an act. Erin Woo and Robert McMillan in the Wall Street Journal$ Kate Conger in the New York Times$ Gerrit De Vynck in the Washington Post$ -- 9/19/26

Trump Calls A.I. Fears a Hoax. Inside the White House, the Debate Is More Complex -- People who have discussed the subject with Mr. Trump in private say his outbursts are rooted in worries that if the artificial intelligence boom fueling the American economy slows down, the market could crash and recession could quickly follow. David E. Sanger, Jonathan Swan, Cecilia Kang and Dustin Volz in the New York Times$ -- 9/19/26

Newsom signs bill to help prepare Hollywood workers for AI -- The legislation is modest — establishing a $15 million pilot program for training at community colleges. But it is also one of California’s first laws squarely focused on Hollywood and AI. Daniel Miller Politico -- 9/19/26

Paramount, California settlement talks accelerate, potentially moving Warner Bros. merger closer -- After a bitter standoff, Paramount Skydance and California Atty. Gen. Rob Bonta have made progress in settlement talks that could push Hollywood’s massive merger over the finish line, people familiar with the matter said Friday. Meg James in the Los Angeles Times$ Jessica Toonkel in the Wall Street Journal$ -- 9/19/26

California’s biggest reservoir project in decades clears major obstacle -- The developers of a new, massive Northern California reservoir say they’ll have enough water to pursue their $6 billion venture, laying to rest their previous concerns that the project 70 miles northwest of Sacramento might not be viable. Kurtis Alexander in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 9/19/26

Allegations against billionaire tax architect force reckoning at crucial moment for labor -- The leader of the healthcare union behind California’s controversial billionaire tax initiative faced at least 15 years of misconduct allegations before bombshell reports last week substantiated allegations of physical intimidation, extortion and assault against him. Hannah Wiley in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 9/19/26

California is poised to get $1.4 billion for broadband. But there’s a huge catch -- California’s bid for $1.4 billion in broadband funding has been five years in the making. Now the Trump administration says it must give up net neutrality and other state internet rules. Khari Johnson Calmatters -- 9/19/26

LA County issues temporary ban on mega data centers, with ordinance in the works -- Los Angeles County is moving forward with an ordinance that would permanently ban AI hyperscale data centers in unincorporated areas, according to county officials on Friday. Steve Scauzillo in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 9/19/26

Workplace

S.F. security guards strike at multiple major downtown skyscrapers -- Service Employees International Union-United Service Workers West, which represents 14,000 security guards in Los Angeles and the Bay Area, including 3,700 in San Francisco, voted Tuesday to authorize workers to walk off the job sites in these markets. Laura Waxmann, St. John Barned-Smith in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 9/19/26

Climate

Here’s when and where California could get the most rain this winter as powerful El Niño builds -- Along parts of the California coast, federal forecasters now put the odds of a top-third precipitation season as high as 50% to 60%. One of Europe’s leading seasonal models goes considerably further, projecting January rainfall around 4 inches above normal in San Francisco and more than 6 inches above in Santa Rosa. Greg Porter in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 9/19/26

Wildfire

Yosemite’s Dome Fire now spans nearly 2,000 acres -- Watch Duty, a wildfire information service, reported Friday that the Dome Fire covers 1,977 acres and is 10% contained, based on a perimeter uploaded to the National Interagency Fire Center. Aidin Vaziri in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 9/19/26

Also

San Francisco mountain lion captured in Sunset, released back into wild -- A young mountain lion that prompted a major police and wildlife response in San Francisco’s Sunset District on Friday was safely tranquilized and captured before being released back into the wild, authorities said. Aidin Vaziri, St. John Barned-Smith in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 9/19/26

POTUS 47

More U.S. troops have died amid Iran war than Pentagon has disclosed publicly -- More American service members have died in the Middle East during the ongoing Iran war than the Pentagon has disclosed publicly, according to six U.S. officials familiar with the Defense Department’s internal casualty accounting data. Five of the officials said there have been at least 22 military fatalities — four more than what appears in the Pentagon’s public database, known as the Defense Casualty Analysis System, or DCAS. Noah Robertson, Tara Copp, Warren P. Strobel and Alex Horton in the Washington Post$ -- 9/19/26

Trump Bans CNN, MS NOW and Politico From the White House -- The president made the announcement in an insult-laden social media post. It was unclear how such a ban would be enforced or defended in court. Michael M. Grynbaum and Benjamin Mullin in the New York Times$ Jocelyn Noveck Associated Press -- 9/19/26

Hundreds rally outside shuttered Kennedy Center, chanting ‘Hands off!’ -- Hundreds of supporters of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts gathered Friday as the sun set over the Potomac, surrounded as much of the building as they could, linked arms and chanted, “Hands off! Hands off!” Sophia Solano and Jade Tran in the Washington Post$ Chris Cameron in the New York Times$ Gary Fields Associated Press -- 9/19/26

Russia Aims to Inject Chaos Into Elections, U.S. Intelligence Finds -- Classified U.S. intelligence assessments from recent months have determined that the Kremlin has again authorized a digital influence campaign to peddle content across social media in hopes of seeding or amplifying domestic divisions around the election season, the officials said. Dustin Volz, Julian E. Barnes and Steven Lee Myers in the New York Times$ -- 9/19/26