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California Policy and Politics Friday

Controversial billionaire tax will appear on November ballot -- A one-time 5% tax on California billionaires’ assets is headed to the November ballot, pitched as a way to backfill Trump-era healthcare cuts despite fierce opposition from powerful Sacramento interests. Seema Mehta in the Los Angeles Times$ Sophie Austin Associated Press Ben Paviour in the Sacramento Bee$ Kristen Hwang Calmatters Paul Kiernan and Laura J. Nelson in the Wall Street Journal$ Hannah Knowles in the Washington Post$ Laurel Rosenhall in the New York Times$ -- 6/26/26

Newsom pitches federal tax on ultra-wealthy while opposing a levy on California billionaires -- After facing criticism for opposing a California billionaire’s tax, Gov. Gavin Newsom is proposing a new federal tax on people making over $100 million, his first major national proposal as he gears up for a possible presidential run. Sophia Bollag in the San Francisco Chronicle$ Lia Russell in the Sacramento Bee$ Melanie Mason Politico Jonathan J. Cooper Associated Press -- 6/26/26

Newsom blesses Uber ballot measure truce — but fight over car crash lawsuits continues -- Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a bill Thursday that takes aim at inflated medical billing in personal injury cases. The legislation is a compromise between Uber and the Consumer Attorneys of California, a trade group for plaintiffs’ lawyers. Rebecca Ellis in the Los Angeles Times$ Tyler Katzenberger Politico Levi Sumagaysay Calmatters -- 6/26/26

In California governor’s race, voters face stark choice on immigrant healthcare -- California’s governor’s race has become a high-stakes referendum on taxpayer-funded healthcare for immigrants without legal status. Democrat Xavier Becerra vows to preserve and stabilize Medi-Cal coverage for roughly 1.4 million immigrants by raising revenue, while Republican Steve Hilton promises to end it and redirect savings to citizens. Christine Mai-Duc KFF Health News in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 6/26/26

Venezuela was hit by two huge earthquakes seconds apart. Could that happen in California? -- Yes, at least in theory — though if two megaquakes occurred on Bay Area faults, there would likely be a bit more time between them than in Venezuela. Greg Porter in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 6/26/26

Rotting meat, foul smell at site of Boyle Heights warehouse fire -- The fire may be out, but Boyle Heights is now dealing with massive amounts of rotting meat and a foul smell as the cleanup phase from a weeklong fire at a massive cold-storage warehouse begins. Alex Wigglesworth and Salvador Hernandez in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 6/26/26

In a no man’s land for law enforcement, hundreds of disabled veterans are moving in -- As the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs prepares to build housing for thousands of veterans its West Los Angeles campus, security has become a challenge for an unincorporated area that is miles from the nearest Sheriff’s station. Doug Smith in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 6/26/26

 

Jury appears deadlocked in Palisades fire arson trial, signaling possible mistrial -- After more than 13 hours of deliberations, a federal jury says it is at a standstill and cannot reach a unanimous verdict in the Palisades fire arson trial. Brittny Mejia in the Los Angeles Times$ Jaimie Ding Associated Press -- 6/26/26

Trump budget request omits funds for L.A. fire relief, prompting criticism from senators -- California’s two Democratic senators on Thursday criticized the Trump administration after it requested $87.6 billion from Congress to address some of the nation’s most “urgent needs” but omitted funding for victims of last year’s Los Angeles wildfires. Ana Ceballos in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 6/26/26

Water

‘This is terrifying’: The Colorado River, a lifeline for seven states, is drying up at its source -- The lack of water is hitting Colorado ranchers and farmers hard, and reservoir levels are dropping. Scientists say the entire Southwest needs to permanently adapt to having less water as the warming climate dries out the region. Ian James, Robert Gauthier in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 6/26/26

 

California Forever pushes Newsom to ease hurdles for proposed new city -- Backers of the plan to build a new city in Solano County say they are in talks with Gov. Gavin Newsom over legislation that would ease regulatory hurdles for the company’s planned development of a dense, walkable city and a shipbuilding facility along the county’s waterfront. Laura Waxmann, Sophia Bollag in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 6/26/26

Workplace

Gov. Gavin Newsom releases first-in-the-nation tool to track AI-related job losses -- As the artificial intelligence industry continues to grow, Gov. Gavin Newsom on Thursday announced a first-in-the-nation tracker to monitor AI-related job losses, with the initial released data showing no statewide surge in unemployment in at-risk fields. Grace Hase in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 6/26/26

Supreme Court ruling bars California law on guns in businesses -- Hawaii’s attempt to restrict firearms in stores, hotels and other business establishments in the state was struck down by the U.S. Supreme Court on Wednesday, a ruling that also applies to a similar law in California. Bob Egelko in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 6/26/26

ICE

California, Santa Clara County ask court to stop construction of ICE facility near Gilroy -- California and Santa Clara County asked the District court to stop construction of ICE facility as they sue the Trump administration. Luis Melecio-Zambrano in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 6/26/26

HSR

Data centers ‘will be a big issue’ for CA High-Speed Rail. Officials debating idea -- Some California High-Speed Rail Authority officials appear to be reading the room when it comes to data centers — though they haven’t said they outright oppose using them for the benefit of the train project. Erik Galicia in the Fresno Bee -- 6/26/26

Street

California library shooting suspect flashes apparent white power sign in court, held without bail -- Bradley Scott Sayer appeared in Butte County Superior Court in Oroville on two counts of murder in the shooting Monday at the Chico branch of the Butte County Library. Aidin Vaziri in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 6/26/26

Also

Walters: What the federal probe of Newsom and the first partner means for his presidential ambitions -- Gavin Newsom has rocketed to the top of the shadow campaign for president. A federal investigation into the Newsoms could either boost or torpedo his ambitions. Dan Walters Calmatters -- 6/26/26

Vice President JD Vance talks faith and politics in Orange County -- Vance also reminisced on the 2024 election, telling the crowd he figured out in the moment that the vice presidential debate between him and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz was a success because he saw his wife “with the biggest smile on her face,” while Walz’s wife looked like she had “just shown up at her dog’s funeral,” he said. Charlie Borla in the Orange County Register$ -- 6/26/26

Giant nude sculpture near San Francisco’s Ferry Building is up for sale -- A 45-foot nude sculpture that became one of San Francisco’s most debated public artworks is now available for sale or lease as its temporary run near the Ferry Building approaches its end. Aidin Vaziri in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 6/26/26

It’s now illegal in California, so why is this drug still available all over the Bay Area? -- California officials say the common gas station drug is illegal. That has done little to keep it off shelves at Bay Area convenience stores. Maggie Angst in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 6/26/26

Snap CEO Evan Spiegel and Miranda Kerr help erase $550 million in medical debt for Californians -- The couple donated millions of dollars to Undue Medical Debt, a national nonprofit that helps pay off medical bills. The gift will affect more than 261,000 Californians in medical debt. Queenie Wong in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 6/26/26

Snap sued by parents of girl who was raped by man she met on Snapchat -- The 111-page lawsuit, filed this week in a Missouri Circuit Court, alleges that Santa Monica-based Snap “enabled and facilitated the grooming, exploitation, and sexual abuse” of the minor who is referred to as “J.F.” Queenie Wong in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 6/26/26

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Iran Attacks Cargo Ship, Testing Trump’s Deal to Reopen Strait -- Attack takes place hours after Iranian warning to ships not to use routes that the regime hadn’t sanctioned. Shelby Holliday and Rebecca Feng in the Wall Street Journal$ Peter Eavis, Farnaz Fassihi, Jenny Gross and Euan Ward in the New York Times$ Todd C. Frankel and Tara Copp in the Washington Post$ -- 6/26/26

Oil Prices Make a Stunning Retreat to Prewar Levels. Where Do We Go From Here? -- While a surge of tankers have exited the Strait of Hormuz, the market is expected to tighten again. Collin Eaton and Benoît Morenne in the Wall Street Journal$ -- 6/26/26

Supreme Court’s ruling to end protections for Haitian, Syrian immigrants could have broader impact -- The reach of the Supreme Court’s decision allowing President Donald Trump’s administration to end temporary legal protections for Haitian and Syrian immigrants may extend to many other countries. Gisela Salomon Associated Press -- 6/26/26

 

California Policy and Politics Thursday

Venezuela earthquake: Staggering destruction signals urgent warning for California -- Scientists say Caracas’ seismic risk mirrors that of Los Angeles and San Francisco, where thousands of older non-ductile concrete, soft-story and brick buildings remain at risk despite decades of tougher codes and some retrofit mandates. Rong-Gong Lin II in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 6/25/26

 

Tech billionaires hire Democratic dealmakers in renewed push to build a Bay Area city -- Following years of local resistance, tech billionaires are turning to the state to fast track their plan to build a new city in the Bay Area. They are lobbying for legislation to expedite environmental review of their project, enlisting political heavyweights to make their case. Kate Wolffe and Yue Stella Yu Calmatters -- 6/25/26

Knockdown declared in Boyle Heights warehouse fire; health and economic uncertainty remain -- A weeklong fire at a Boyle Heights cold storage warehouse was finally extinguished Wednesday evening. Firefighters used powerful water cannons typically deployed for burning oil rigs. Salvador Hernandez, Ruben Vives and Alex Wigglesworth in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 6/25/26

What we know about the solar array at the center of Boyle Heights fire -- Lineage, the operator of the cold storage warehouse burning for days in Boyle Heights, is pointing the finger at another tenant, the massive solar array spread across the warehouse’s rooftop, as the responsible party for the destructive blaze. Jason Henry in the LA Daily News -- 6/25/26

 

Karen Bass taps Biden-Harris campaign vet for reelection fight -- Julie Chávez Rodríguez, who managed campaigns for former President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris, will lead Bass' reelection campaign against progressive challenger Nithya Raman. Melanie Mason Politico David Zahniser in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 6/25/26

Newton: LA’s political coalitions have been shifting. Nithya Raman will shuffle them even more -- Los Angeles, with its extraordinary diversity, is a national case study in coalition politics — the cobbling together of constituencies to create a political and governing majority. Jim Newton Calmatters -- 6/25/26

California’s ‘first partner’ targeted by Trump, Newsom says. Here is what we know about her career, finances -- Jennifer Siebel Newsom has spent more than a decade cultivating an identity distinct from her husband, Gov. Gavin Newsom, as an active documentary filmmaker and gender equity activist with her own organizations, staff and salary. Nicole Nixon and Ana Ceballos in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 6/25/26

California’s Plastic Law Goes to Court: Is It Too Strict or Too Lax? -- The sweeping legislation, fully enacted last month, has been challenged by Republican-led states. Environmental groups have their own complaints. Soumya Karlamangla in the New York Times$ -- 6/25/26

Inglewood wins a legal victory under World Cup spotlight -- The World Cup was supposed to be a moment of unalloyed triumph for the city of Inglewood and the owner of SoFi Stadium, its signature sports venue. But the estranged partners have been embroiled in a long-simmering legal dispute, and now the city has emerged with a victory in court. Daniel Miller Politico -- 6/25/26

Workplace

$500 million AI jobs push launches with bipartisan backing -- A new bipartisan group will work with corporate donors like Anthropic, OpenAI, Amazon, Microsoft and Bank of America to retrain workers displaced by the AI boom. Christine Mui Politico Lydia DePillis in the New York Times$ Shira Ovide in the Washington Post$ -- 6/25/26

A $28 minimum wage for California construction workers is dead — killed by construction workers -- A plan to set a $28 minimum wage for certain California homebuilders died when the influential trades union protested that it could undermine prevailing wage pay rates. Ben Christopher Calmatters -- 6/24/26

Tech companies launch Bay Area job cuts in fresh staffing reductions -- Walmart, Uber Technologies, Lucid, Lumileds, and Keywords Studios have all disclosed decisions to cut staffing levels in the Bay Area, separate WARN notices with the Employment Development Department show. George Avalos in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 6/25/26

As L.A. battles production exodus and job losses, ‘The Pitt’ offers hope for a cure -- Filmed almost entirely on the Warner Bros. lot, the show has pumped tens of millions into California’s economy, sustaining hundreds of local businesses and nearly 1,000 jobs. Reviving an old-school broadcast playbook, “The Pitt” is emerging as a model for rebuilding L.A.-based production in the streaming era. Meg James in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 6/25/26

Guns

Gun owners may carry a weapon into stores, Supreme Court rules, rejecting a California law -- Licensed gun owners have a right to carry a concealed firearm into stores and other private places unless the owner objects, the Supreme Court ruled Thursday. The 6-3 decision extends gun rights and strikes down laws in Hawaii, California, New York, New Jersey and Maryland. David G. Savage in the Los Angeles Times$ Josh Gerstein Politico Abbie VanSickle in the New York Times$ -- 6/25/26

Immigration

Supreme Court allows immigration officials to turn away asylum seekers at the border -- The justices greenlit a “metering” policy devised under the Obama administration and expanded during Trump’s first term. Josh Gerstein Politico Ann E. Marimow in the New York Times$ -- 6/25/26

Supreme Court Lets Trump Strip Humanitarian Protections from Many Immigrants -- The Supreme Court on Thursday allowed President Trump to take away legal protections from hundreds of thousands of immigrants who until now had been permitted to stay in the U.S. for humanitarian reasons. James Romoser in the Wall Street Journal$ Ann E. Marimow in the New York Times$ -- 6/25/26

Housing

‘Very poor track record’: How S.F. planning failures keep causing rent spikes -- Rents in San Francisco are increasing at double-digit rates for the second time in a decade. Experts say the city’s own policies are partly to blame. Christian Leonard in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 6/25/26

Homeless

‘Not a picture of success’: Report finds San Francisco homelessness department is failing to measure its own performance -- The San Francisco civil grand jury has found the city’s homelessness department has failed to adequately monitor nonprofits that receive $500 million annually. Susie Neilson and Matthew Mitchell in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 6/25/26

What is the California Legislature doing about homelessness this year? These are the bills to watch -- Bills moving through the Legislature this year address state-funded sober housing, RVs parked on city streets and homelessness prevention. Marisa Kendall Calmatters -- 6/25/26

Education

Andrés Chait selected to lead LAUSD three days after Carvalho’s resignation -- In a rapid turnaround, the L.A. school board tapped longtime insider Andrés Chait as superintendent. A former kindergarten teacher, principal and regional superintendent, Chait has quietly risen through L.A. Unified’s ranks. Howard Blume in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 6/25/26

San José State professor fired over Gaza protest controversy must be reinstated, arbitrator rules -- An arbitrator ruled for reinstatement of Sang Hea Kil, a tenured professor of justice studies at San José State University. The ruling supports a November 2025 decision by the university’s Faculty Hearing Committee, which also concluded that dismissal was not warranted. Ruben Vives in the Los Angeles Times$ Molly Gibbs in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 6/25/26

Walters: Academic turf war between California colleges underscores need for new higher education plan -- When the Legislature passed the Master Plan for Higher Education in 1960, it envisioned a seamless, three-level system that would provide high-quality and low-cost instruction benefiting both those seeking careers and society as a whole. Dan Walters Calmatters -- 6/25/26

Street

Drug overdoses in L.A County drop for third straight year -- Los Angeles County is following a national trend of decreases in accidental drug overdose deaths, largely driven by a reduction in fentanyl-related deaths. Public health officials attribute the decline to ongoing investments in prevention and harm reduction resources countywide. Karen Garcia in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 6/25/26

Family of NFL star Doug Martin sues Oakland, ambulance company over his death -- Oakland attorney John Burris told the Chronicle an independent pathologist concluded Martin likely died from “restrained asphyxia” after officers allegedly pushed his face into the floor and pressed on his back, after which he became unresponsive. Martin later died at a hospital, at age 36. Annie Vainshtein, Bob Egelko in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 6/25/26

Vallejo kept a police badge-bending investigation secret for years. Now, it’s finally out -- For years, Vallejo officials tried to hide the findings of an investigation into a disturbing practice among its officers: bending the tips of their badges after shooting someone. Aldo Toledo in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 6/25/26

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Iran Plans to Make Billions in Fees From Reopening the Strait of Hormuz -- Deal to unblock global energy funnel gives Iran a say in its future management, and a route to riches. Benoit Faucon, Summer Said, Costas Paris and Robbie Gramer in the Wall Street Journal$ -- 6/25/26

 

Federal court blocks Trump’s executive order limiting mail ballots -- A federal judge Thursday blocked key portions of an executive order from President Donald Trump that sought to limit who can receive mail ballots, delivering a setback to the president as he tries to rewrite voting rules in a difficult political environment. Patrick Marley in the Washington Post$ -- 6/25/26

Federal Appeals Panel Rejects Trump’s Effort to Gather Voting Data From States -- The ruling of a three-judge appeals panel in Michigan was the most significant rebuke yet to the Department of Justice’s effort to find ineligible voters in state voter rolls. Nick Corasaniti in the New York Times$ -- 6/25/26

Federal judge bars Trump from implementing proof of citizenship requirement to vote -- A federal judge in Boston permanently blocks most of President Trump’s first election order, including a proof-of-citizenship voter registration rule, finding it violates constitutional limits on presidential power. Julie Carr Smyth and Michael Casey Associated PressHaley Parsley in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 6/25/26

Trump refuses to sign landmark housing bill, demanding Congress pass voter ID law -- President Trump canceled his planned signing Wednesday of the landmark housing bill Congress passed this week, in a striking decision to jeopardize a rare bipartisan success in order to demand that lawmakers pass voter ID legislation. Justine McDaniel and Ana Ceballos in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 6/25/26

 

Inflation Accelerated in May as Iran War Pushed Up Prices -- The war with Iran didn’t just push up energy prices. It made the whole U.S. inflation problem worse. Ben Casselman in the New York Times$ -- 6/25/26

Trump Stuns Republicans With Whirlwind Day of Frustration and Finger-Pointing -- President cancels a signing ceremony for a bipartisan housing bill, berates GOP lawmakers and criticizes European allies. Philip Wegmann, Marianne LeVine and Lindsay Wise in the Wall Street Journal$ -- 6/25/26

Trump turns America 250 kickoff into a campaign-style rally on the National Mall -- President Donald Trump formally kicked off celebrations for America’s 250th anniversary on Wednesday night by working to get the country excited again — about himself. Collin Binkley, Thomas Beaumont, Josh Boak Associated Press -- 6/25/26

Who’s Paying for Trump’s $1 Billion Construction Spree? Secret Donors and Taxpayers -- Yet a New York Times analysis shows there will be significant taxpayer expense associated with all of Mr. Trump’s building and renovation initiatives. The 18 major construction projects Mr. Trump has undertaken during his second term come with a potential cost of more than $1 billion. Luke Broadwater, Marco Hernandez, Junho Lee, Elena Shao, Jared Soares in the New York Times$ -- 6/25/26