California Policy and Politics Saturday

Angst Turns to Anger in Hollywood as Netflix Hooks Warner Bros -- Much of the entertainment capital fears that Netflix’s deal will lead to more job losses and theater closings and fewer boundary-pushing movies. Brooks Barnes and Shawn Hubler in the New York Times$ -- 12/06/25

Will California ever get more federal aid for L.A. County fires? It’s up to Trump -- As the first anniversary of the Los Angeles County firestorms approaches, Gov. Gavin Newsom is back in the nation’s capital to renew his pleas for tens of billions of dollars in additional recovery assistance. That request has gone unanswered for more than nine months, even as early Republican hostilities to an aid package seem to have faded. Alexei Koseff in the San Francisco Chronicle$ Jeremy B. White and Liam Dillon Politico -- 12/06/25

‘Evidence!’ Judge demands as lawyers spar over Trump’s National Guard takeover -- Lawyers for the Trump administration and California Gov. Gavin Newsom returned to court Friday, arguing over whether the president had the authority to unilaterally extend his federalization of the state’s National Guard in a hearing that turned particularly contentious. Sharon Bernstein in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 12/06/25

Sen. Adam Schiff uses S.F. affordable project to launch housing act, despite long odds in Congress -- The raging debate in Washington D.C. over the rising cost of living was front and center at the Potrero Power Station on Friday as California U.S. Sen. Adam Schiff used an affordable housing complex there as the backdrop to announce legislation that he said would bring a housing construction boom similar to the one seen after World War II. J.K. Dineen in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 12/06/25

Gavin Newsom fires back after Halle Berry accuses him of ‘devaluing’ women -- California Gov. Gavin Newsom is seeking to ease tensions with Halle Berry after the Oscar-winning actor sharply criticized him this week over his repeated vetoes of a bill to expand menopause care. Aidin Vaziri, G. Allen Johnson in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 12/06/25

Tom Steyer’s climate pivot signals new playbook for Dems -- The billionaire environmental activist who built his political profile on climate change — and who wrote in his book last year that “climate is what matters most right now, and nothing else comes close” — didn’t mention the issue once in the video launching his campaign for California governor. That was no oversight. Noah Baustin Politico -- 12/06/25

Garofoli: Gavin Newsom wants Democrats to be ‘more culturally normal.’ Huh? -- Gov. Gavin Newsom again raised questions about his core beliefs when he told a national audience this week that Democrats have to be “more culturally normal.” Joe Garofoli in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 12/06/25

Garofoli: California’s candidates for governor share a common truth: They’re all kind of mid -- There’s a reason that 31% of Californians are undecided about whom to support for governor in 2026, and it’s the same reason political insiders keep buzzing about this person or that person thinking about getting into the race. None of the candidates is blowing away the field right now. They’re all kinda mid. Joe Garofoli in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 12/06/25

A fast-growing San Francisco AI startup is now in a major copyright fight -- The New York Times on Friday sued San Francisco–based AI startup Perplexity, accusing the fast-growing search company of illegally copying and repackaging its journalism. Aidin Vaziri in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 12/06/25

California urges newborn hepatitis B shots in defiance of federal shift -- Health officials for California and three other West Coast states on Friday said all infants should continue getting vaccinated against hepatitis B vaccine at birth — emphasizing that it is a longstanding and effective public health strategy — despite a decision by a federal vaccine advisory panel earlier that day to end the practice. Catherine Ho in the San Francisco Chronicle$ Grant Stringer in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 12/06/25

Water

New federal plan for Delta water pumping conflicts with California requirements -- The Bureau of Reclamation on Thursday updated the long-term operations plan for the Central Valley Project to allow increased exports from the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, a move that conflicts with California’s own requirements, potentially shifts more of the water burden onto the state and threatens the Delta’s ecosystem and water quality. Chaewon Chung in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 12/06/25

Workplace

H-1B: Federal government to check applicants’ social media, orders accounts set to ‘public’ -- Federal authorities will examine social media activity by all foreign citizens applying for the H-1B skilled-worker visa and the related H-4 spousal visa, and applicants must start keeping their social media accounts public, federal authorities announced this week. Ethan Baron in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 12/06/25

L.A. City Council president moves to delay full Olympic wage boost for tourism workers -- The fight over an effort to boost wages for Los Angeles tourism workers to coincide with the 2028 Olympics has taken a fresh twist, with the City Council president introducing a new motion that critics say would significantly water down the measure. Suhauna Hussain in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 12/06/25

AI Job Losses Are Coming, Tech Execs Say. The Question: Who’s Most at Risk? -- Analysts in law, banking and consulting look most endangered to Sam Englebardt, a media and technology investor who is a partner at Galaxy, the crypto-focused financial-services firm. “They’re toast,” he said. With some prompting, AI models can easily produce better work, faster, than those junior associates, Englebardt said. Chip Cutter in the Wall Street Journal$ -- 12/06/25

Insurance

Despite rate hikes, study finds California home insurance costs are middle of the pack nationwide -- Even as devastating wildfires drive up home insurance costs across California, premiums overall remain relatively low compared to many other states, a new UC Berkeley report finds. But that could change as state regulators phase in new reforms allowing insurers to set rates based on the growing threat of climate change. Ethan Varian in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 12/06/25

Education

SFUSD escapes worst fiscal rating, but looming cuts and a strike threat cloud recovery -- After spending several years on the brink of fiscal insolvency, the San Francisco school district has scooted onto slightly more solid ground, its financial bottom line showing the first real signs of progress since 2021. Jill Tucker in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 12/06/25

California’s ‘Teacher Village’ Model Spreads as Housing Costs Soar -- More schools are offering company housing to prevent educators from fleeing to cheaper locales. ‘They go to Idaho, they go to Texas.’ Scott Calvert, Colby Tarsitano in the Wall Street Journal$ -- 12/06/25

After months in a converted former Santa Monica Sears, Pali High is gearing up to return home -- After the fires forced students and staff into a temporary Sears building in Santa Monica, Principal Pam Magee said the upcoming return represents “a moment of healing, rebuilding and reconnecting,” its principal said. Michelle Edgar in the LA Daily News -- 12/06/25

Vincent Thomas Bridge

Plans to raise Vincent Thomas Bridge rejected -- Raising the bridge would allow larger, more efficient ships to travel underneath carrying cargo. About 40% of the port’s cargo capacity is beyond the bridge, which sits at 185 feet high. Caroline Petrow-Cohen in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 12/06/25

Street

San Diego poised to pay $30M settlement to family of teen fatally shot by police -- San Diego is poised to pay $30 million to the family of a teenager who was fatally shot by a San Diego police officer in a split-second encounter outside Santa Fe Depot earlier this year. Teri Figueroa in the San Diego Union Tribune$ -- 12/06/25

CA prison staff didn’t stop murder, posted grisly footage online, lawsuit claims -- California correctional officers failed to stop the brutal killing of a 36-year-old man in prison and later shared video footage of the man being stabbed to death online, a wrongful-death lawsuit filed against the state by the victim’s family this week alleges. William Melhado in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 12/06/25

POTUS 47

Trump’s Security Strategy Focuses on Profit, Not Spreading Democracy -- President Trump’s new National Security Strategy describes a country that is focused on doing business and reducing migration while avoiding passing judgment on authoritarians. Anton Troianovski in the New York Times$ -- 12/06/25

‘Blatant lawlessness’: Judge decries another ‘unlawful’ deportation -- It happened again. A federal judge has ordered the Trump administration to quickly seek the return of a man it deported to Guatemala in violation of an immigration court’s finding that he was likely to face torture there. Kyle Cheney Politico -- 12/06/25

Noem, in a defiant court filing, offers few details on migrant flights to El Salvador -- Judge James E. Boasberg of the District of Columbia is looking into whether a criminal contempt referral is warranted after the Trump administration in March continued to fly two planeloads of mostly Venezuelan migrants to El Salvador. Steve Thompson in the Washington Post$ -- 12/06/25

‘They’re firing everyone’: purge of immigration judges fuels courthouse chaos -- A massive purge of judges has left the federal government’s web of immigration courts decimated and in disarray. Ousted jurists believe that’s by design. Emily Ngo Politico -- 12/06/25

Here’s How Trump Has Made It Harder for Migrants Seeking Asylum and Citizenship -- In the wake of the National Guard shooting, the Trump administration has temporarily frozen major pathways for many migrants to obtain legal status in the United States. Madeleine Ngo in the New York Times$ -- 12/06/25

The Supreme Court, Once Wary of Partisan Gerrymandering, Goes All In -- The court’s conservative majority said that Texas’ asserted political motives justified letting the state use voting maps meant to disadvantage Democrats in the midterms. Adam Liptak in the New York Times$ -- 12/06/25

A Round of Golf Changed Trump’s Tone on the Concert Industry -- Trump decided on the pardon after Republican former Rep. Trey Gowdy raised the case with him following a round of golf, according to people familiar with the matter. Leiweke had faced charges of rigging the bid for a $375 million basketball arena that was later built for the University of Texas. He had pleaded not guilty. Dave Michaels and Katherine Sayre in the Wall Street Journal$ -- 12/06/25

Companies seek refunds from tariffs as Supreme Court decision looms -- The justices could rule as soon as this month on the validity of Trump’s emergency tariffs, which could lead to big refunds for companies like Busy Baby and Costco. David J. Lynch in the Washington Post$ -- 12/06/25