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California Policy and Politics Thursday

‘The whole beach is gone’: Big waves, flooding bring destruction to SoCal coast. It’s a warning -- To begin to understand how a “super” El Niño winter could punish the Southern California coast, the historic wooden boardwalk on the Long Beach Peninsula may just offer a glimpse at what’s to come. Grace Toohey in the Los Angeles Times$ Brian Rokos in the Orange County Register$ -- 9/10/26

 

Becerra backers with business in Sacramento spend tens of millions boosting his gubernatorial bid -- Powerful corporations and interest groups with business in Sacramento are among the donors that have poured nearly $50 million boosting Democrat Xavier Becerra’s bid for California governor, far outpacing Republican rival Steve Hilton. Seema Mehta and Gabrielle LaMarr LeMee in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 9/10/26

California’s health care reckoning could soon become Becerra’s problem -- With Gavin Newsom is on his way out, advocates are hoping the former Biden Health secretary can rebuild California’s safety net despite fiscal pressures. Rachel Bluth Politico -- 9/10/26

Leaked emails reveal industry plan to kill California’s plastic and recycling laws -- Internal memos from a trade organization potentially impacted by California’s single use plastic law reveals a coordinated push to dismantle the landmark legislation by stoking anxiety over affordability and living costs. Susanne Rust in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 9/10/26

Few California Republicans flocked to Trump’s Texas convention. His speech drove home why -- With his approval rating down to 32%, gas prices soaring to $4.22 a gallon nationally and an Iran war that was supposed to be over in two weeks entering its sixth month, President Donald Trump summoned a first-ever midterm Republican National Committee convention to rally support in an effort to blunt a Republican bloodbath in the midterms. Joe Garofoli in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 9/10/26

California, other states warn Supreme Court of ‘chaos’ if it lets USPS mail ballot rules stand -- California and nearly two dozen other states warned the U.S. Supreme Court Wednesday that allowing the U.S. Postal Service to move forward with President Trump’s new rules for mail ballots in the November election would cause “chaos” and could disenfranchise millions of eligible voters. Kevin Rector in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 9/10/26

Here’s How the Postal Service Could Refuse to Deliver Your Mail Ballot -- The plan, which two dozen states have challenged as unconstitutional, puts in place new requirements about who can receive mail ballots. Eileen Sullivan, Adam Sella, Lily Boyce in the New York Times$ -- 9/10/26

Trump references dropped from GOP Rep. Young Kim’s reelection website -- Fighting for reelection, Orange County Rep. Young Kim has removed several references to President Trump from her campaign website as she tries to broaden her appeal to voters in a race against fellow Republican Rep. Ken Calvert. Nicole Nixon in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 9/10/26

‘For 2 years, we’ve held our tongues’: Democrats clap back at 1 of Silicon Valley’s biggest donors -- The crux of the fight is backward-looking: Who said what during a May 2024 White House meeting on AI policy? But it has big implications for this year’s midterms and the 2028 presidential race, including whether the tech billionaires dumping oceans of campaign cash have more to fear from pro-regulation Democrats or from President Donald Trump’s chaotic approach to AI. Brendan Bordelon Politico -- 9/10/26

Insurance

California sanctions insurer after it cut assisted living coverage to thousands -- More than 3,000 low-income seniors rely on Health Net to afford assisted living and caretaker services. State regulators say the insurer must transition these members to other services that meet their needs. Kristen Hwang Calmatters -- 9/10/26

What California’s insurance commissioner does — and how it affects your wallet -- Insurance commissioner may seem like an obscure regulatory position, but it’s a consequential one: It leads the Insurance Department, which regulates home, auto, life, health, workers’ comp and other insurance. The commissioner is tasked with making sure policies are available, premiums are affordable, and that insurance companies are delivering on their promises. Levi Sumagaysay Calmatters -- 9/10/26

Major changes to California home insurance could be coming under bills headed to Newsom’s desk -- California lawmakers passed several bills aimed at remedying problems in California’s home insurance market — even as they postponed resolving complex questions surrounding the balance between insurance companies’ and electric utilities’ payouts when the latter’s equipment sparks wildfires. Megan Fan Munce in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 9/10/26

Marketplace

The Chronicle 200 returns: Bay Area’s largest public companies, ranked -- The last time we published the Chronicle 200, Chevron was No. 1. Since then, the Bay Area’s business landscape has transformed. See which company leads — and which ones are gone. Roland Li in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 9/10/26

Justice Department seeks more information on $22-billion Roku deal after Trump blasts ouster of Fox News host -- Fox Corp.’s $22-billion acquisition of San José-based Roku, operator of streaming services and seller of hardware devices, seemed like a straightforward deal when it was announced in June: A growing media company was looking to bolster its presence in the fast-growing streaming industry. But, on Wednesday, the Trump administration weighed in. Wendy Lee in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 9/10/26

Workplace

More Money Than They Ever Imagined—and No Clue How to Spend It -- There’s more money floating around the Bay Area than people have ever seen. If only those making it knew how to spend it. People working for AI companies are so busy and unfocused on traditional markers of wealth, many have yet to fully embrace the fruits of that labor. Katherine Bindley in the Wall Street Journal$ -- 9/10/26

Hollywood fears an AI future. China is already living it -- Chen Yilong has racked up plenty of film and TV credits in his two decades as an actor, but with work getting scarcer he signed a contract in August to license the image of his face to a Chinese production studio. Ling Wei and Liza Lin in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 9/10/26

Housing

S.F.’s long-stalled Candlestick Point project finally breaks ground on 7,200 homes after 25 years -- Widening a road from two to four lanes. Installing dedicated lanes for bikes and buses. Building sidewalks with street lights and underground stormwater systems to manage heavy rain and chronic flooding. These improvements are not as glamorous as a new hotel or park or affordable housing complex. J.K. Dineen in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 9/10/26

ICE

Judge orders return of deported Oceanside resident and father of former U.S. Marine -- The San Diego federal judge ruled that the government violated the due process rights of Esteban Ríos, 57, who was deported to Mexico. Alexandra Mendoza in the San Diego Union Tribune -- 9/10/26

Education

UC Berkeley law school illegally weighed race in admissions, Justice Department alleges -- Federal civil rights officials allege UC Berkeley’s law school illegally favored Black applicants over white and Asian candidates. Campus leaders say Berkeley Law follows state and federal laws and admit students on merit. Jaweed Kaleem in the Los Angeles Times$ Nanette Asimov in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 9/10/26

Gas

Some San Diego drivers are literally counting pennies to cope with high gas prices -- With fuel prices rising at a relentless pace, some drivers around San Diego are coming up with unusual strategies to scrape their way from one trip to the pump to another. Managers of the Petromerica gas station on 16th Avenue and F Street say a few customers come to the counter with coins. No, not bitcoin — actual coins. Rob Nikolewski in the San Diego Union Tribune -- 9/10/26

Street

Justice Department launches investigation into conditions at L.A. County men’s jail, after years of complaints -- The government will look into whether Los Angeles County has provided “humane” conditions to individuals housed there, and notified Sheriff Robert Luna of the federal inquiry in a letter Wednesday, according to a Justice Department press release. Salvador Hernandez and James Queally in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 9/10/26

AI

Newsom signs AI safety bills backed by Anthropic, OpenAI -- California Gov. Gavin Newsom on Wednesday signed two bills regulating how outside groups evaluate AI programs for safety after warnings from a former Anthropic and OpenAI researcher stoked fears about existential threats posed by the technology. Christine Mui in the Los Angeles Times$ Lia Russell in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 9/10/26

How Would AI Actually Kill Us All? What to Know About the AI Doomsday Debate -- A growing chorus of AI researchers say the technology could wipe out humans—even if all the bots want to do is make paper clips. Sam Schechner in the Wall Street Journal$ Kate Conger in the New York Times$ Miriam Waldvogel and Ian Duncan in the Washington Post$ -- 9/10/26

Lawmakers are at a loss for how to regulate AI as insiders warn of impending doom -- Members of Congress are confronting a grim reality: They are ill-equipped to rein in advanced artificial intelligence that one expert warns could “kill us all” by the end of the decade. Riley Rogerson and Kelsey Brugger Politico -- 9/10/26

Also

‘Immaculate condition:’ Rare mastodon fossil found in San Mateo County creek -- Brigid Lynch was walking through a redwood forest in the San Mateo County hills when she noticed something unusual, half-submerged in the flowing water through a creek: a big smooth object that didn’t look like any of the other rocks. Paul Rogers in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 9/10/26

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Republican chief election officials say it is too late to implement Trump’s mail ballot order -- Seven Republican election officials urged the Supreme Court to not let the Trump administration’s controversial proposal go into effect for November. Elleiana Green Politico -- 9/10/26

Trump’s Top Advisers Confront Possibility That Iran War Lasts Through End of Term -- Top White House advisers have raised privately with President Trump the prospect that the Iran war could drag on through the remainder of his term, U.S. officials said, a message at odds with Trump’s public assurances of a swift victory. Alexander Ward, Shelby Holliday and Michael R. Gordon in the Wall Street Journal$ -- 9/10/26

60 Posts in 10 Hours: How Trump’s Social Media Reflects His Version of Reality -- With an assist from A.I., President Trump offers a window into how he wants to be seen — and, critics say, a barometer of his mental state. Peter Baker in the New York Times$ -- 9/10/26

Trump administration proposes changes to census that could exclude millions -- Millions of residents could be excluded from the U.S. census, congressional representation could be reshaped and federal funds could be reallocated across states under changes proposed by the Trump administration. Amy B Wang in the Washington Post$ Zolan Kanno-Youngs in the New York Times$ Michelle Hackman and Paul Overberg in the Wall Street Journal$ -- 9/10/26

Trump Wants to Give Out $5,000 Checks. It Would Cost More Than $1 Trillion -- The president’s pledge to hand every American adult a “dividend” if Republicans keep control of Congress in the midterm elections raises questions. John Yoon in the New York Times$ -- 9/10/26

 

California Policy and Politics Wednesday

California officials urge voters to circumvent USPS as Trump’s war on mail voting escalates -- As the Trump administration escalates its efforts to limit mail voting ahead of the midterm election, California officials are increasingly advising anxious voters to forgo returning their ballots via the U.S. Postal Service. Sara DiNatale in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 9/9/26

‘It’s triage’: California’s next governor will face destabilizing surge in uninsured -- By the time Democrat Xavier Becerra left Washington, D.C., more Americans than ever had health insurance, owing partly to his work over the years to pass, defend, and expand the Affordable Care Act. Christine Mai-Duc, KFF Health News in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 9/9/26

Hilton proposes eliminating DMV, slashing vehicle registration fee if elected governor -- Republican gubernatorial candidate Steve Hilton is vowing to abolish California’s DMV and cap annual vehicle registration at $73, framing the proposal as a strike against soaring living costs. Hilton says he can persuade Democratic supermajorities in the state Legislature to back the plan, even as party leaders line up behind Xavier Becerra in the governor’s race. Seema Mehta in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 9/9/26

Bass or Raman for mayor? In Pratt’s Pacific Palisades, some say that’s no choice at all -- If it were up to Pacific Palisades, Spencer Pratt would be mayor of Los Angeles. The affluent coastal community gave its native son 51% of the vote in the June 2 primary, which would have been enough to win the job outright. Noah Haggerty in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 9/9/26

Barabak: California’s recall system is a mess. Voters can do something about it -- Proposition 5 on the November ballot would prevent a governor’s replacement from taking office by winning just marginal support. It’s the first step toward a badly needed overhaul of California’s recall system. Mark Z. Barabak in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 9/9/26

Newsom’s defamation case against Fox News scheduled for trial in 2028 -- Governor Gavin Newsom’s $787-million defamation suit against Fox News is set for a March 6, 2028 trial, potentially colliding with a presidential run. The case centers on Fox hosts accusing Newsom of lying about a 2025 phone call with President Trump amid immigration raids and protests in downtown Los Angeles. Nicole Nixon in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 9/9/26

Gov. Gavin Newsom’s former chief of staff seeks to delay sentencing because of health issues -- Dana Williamson, California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s onetime chief of staff, is seeking to delay her criminal sentencing date for political corruption because of health issues, according to documents filed last week in federal court. Dakota Smith in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 9/9/26

Water

Trump administration tells California its key water plan is ‘unworkable’ -- The Trump administration is denouncing California’s plan for governing the pumping of water from its largest rivers, arguing it would jeopardize water for farms in the Central Valley. Westlands Water District, the largest agricultural supplier in the valley, is also calling for changes to the plan. Ian James in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 9/9/26

Workplace

What happens if thousands of California state workers strike? -- After California’s largest public employee union announced they’re holding a vote on whether to authorize a strike, the Sacramento region is confronting what life would look like if more than 100,000 state employees walked off the job. Aaron Leathley KVIE Abridged -- 09/09/26

S.F. Mayor Lurie agrees to give 12% raises and prevent layoffs for huge share of city workers -- Lurie’s administration and labor leaders on Tuesday agreed to extend contracts for about 25,000 city workers, setting up a surprisingly early resolution to what could have become a major political conflict in the months ahead. The unions’ current contracts don’t expire until June 30. J.D. Morris in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 9/9/26

Council backs L.A. fast-food worker scheduling protections as businesses complain of tight margins -- The Los Angeles City Council on Tuesday approved scheduling protections and in-person labor rights training for fast-food workers, despite business owners’ objections that the new rules would burden local franchisees who already operate on thin profit margins. Suhauna Hussain in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 9/9/26

Walters: Will Gavin Newsom raise public safety pensions? It may hinge on his presidential hopes -- The California Legislature has a bad habit of enacting high-profile measures in the moment, responding to trendy issues or demands from powerful interests, without considering potentially adverse consequences. Dan Walters Calmatters -- 9/9/26

Marketplace

Why Amazon is buying $60 billion of Qualcomm chips — and a stake in the San Diego company -- Qualcomm on Tuesday struck a $60 billion deal with Amazon for the San Diego company’s AI data center chips, with Amazon also picking up the right to buy $4 billion of its stock. Noelle Harff in the San Diego Union Tribune -- 9/9/26

A $4.76-billion summer put movie theaters back on track. Now comes the hard part -- Summer theatrical revenue in the U.S. and Canada is expected to hit $4.76 billion, the highest total on record and a nearly 30% jump over 2025. Samantha Masunaga in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 9/9/26

El Segundo: SpaceX and the triumphant takeoff of ‘The Gundo’ -- Once dismissed as “Smell Segundo,” the refinery town tucked beside LAX has reinvented itself as a dense high-tech hub, anchored by SpaceX spinoffs, Mattel, white-collar firms and pro sports facilities. Roger Vincent in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 9/9/26

New California law could be lifeline for wineries in crisis — but is hitting local roadblocks -- Assembly Bill 720 finally legalized tasting events in California vineyards. Growers eager to embrace a new business model say county authorities are slowing them down. Lucy Hodgman in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 9/9/26

Climate

How California is winning the EV war against Trump’s rollbacks -- Despite national sales dropping sharply after Trump ended the $7,500 federal rebate in September 2025, California has held its ground. In the second quarter of this year, about 19% of new car sales in the state were zero-emission vehicles. That’s almost three times higher than the nation as a whole. Kevinisha Walker in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 9/9/26

ICE

Advocates, community push for Newsom signature on pair of detention centers bills -- Over boxes of donuts and steaming coffee cups, faith leaders, immigrant rights advocates and community members gathered at the Capitol Tuesday morning to rally behind legislation that would impose financial penalties on private detention centers. Sofia Williams in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 9/9/26

Federal judge postpones ruling on halting ICE facility construction near Gilroy -- A federal judge appeared skeptical Tuesday of the government’s argument that an Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility proposed near Gilroy would not significantly change the property’s use, but postponed until next week a ruling on whether to halt construction. Ethan Baron, Luis Melecio-Zambrano in the San Jose Mercury$ Sharon Bernstein in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 9/9/26

Insurance

Major changes to California home insurance could be coming under bills headed to Newsom’s desk -- The slate of legislation touches everything from increasing fines when insurers break the law to giving policyholders more notice before they lose coverage. Many of the bills were helmed by Southern California legislators who represent communities that have burned in wildfires. Megan Fan Munce in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 9/9/26

Education

UC is rethinking the high school courses required for admission --Faculty leaders are taking a deep dive into whether those high school courses, known to all as the “A to G requirements,” are enough to prepare students for the rigors of a UC education — or if they fall short. Their recommendations are due in May. Nanette Asimov in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 9/9/26

California’s later school start times boost grades and mental health, study shows -- California’s mandate requiring later start times for middle and high schools is yielding results, with students sleeping more, reporting better mental health and scoring higher math and English scores, according to a new study. Vani Sanganeria EdSource in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 9/9/26

Teachers union reaches AI privacy deal with Microsoft -- The American Federation of Teachers and Microsoft have reached an agreement establishing privacy and safety protections for the use of artificial intelligence in schools. Madina Touré Politico -- 9/9/26

‘I’m listening hard’: Teens increasingly turn to AI chatbots for mental health support -- Teenagers rely more on AI chatbots for mental health support, often without adult knowledge. AI could make mental health care more accessible amid mental health and counseling staffing shortages. Mallika Seshadri EdSource -- 9/9/26

AI

Anthropic insiders warn AI could kill all humans -- Three Anthropic researchers went public last night with chilling concerns about out-of-control AI, warning it could destroy humans this decade. Jim VandeHei, Mike Allen AxiosAmrith Ramkumar in the Wall Street Journal$ -- 9/9/26

OpenAI Says It Has Cracked One of Math’s ‘Millennium Problems’ -- OpenAI said on Tuesday that its newest artificial intelligence technology had solved one of the “Millennium Problems,” a collection of important unanswered math questions meant to push the world’s leading mathematicians to new heights. Cade Metz in the New York Times$ -- 9/9/26

Also

Erik and Lyle Menendez eligible to face parole board again in spring 2027 -- Erik and Lyle Menendez are eligible to go before a parole board again next March, about 17 months earlier than expected. The brothers were originally sentenced in 1996 to life in prison for the 1989 fatal shootings of their father, Jose Menendez, and mother, Kitty Menendez, in their Beverly Hills mansion. Olga R. Rodriguez Associated Press -- 9/9/26

Former Lakers coach Phil Jackson will get statue outside of Crypto.com Arena in 2027 -- Jackson guided the Lakers to five championships over two stints as coach and owns an NBA-record 11 titles overall, cementing his reputation as the league’s defining modern strategist. Chuck Schilken in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 9/9/26

Nicolas Cage’s Malibu home is damaged as massive sinkhole opens up from coastal erosion -- The Los Angeles County Fire and Sheriff’s departments responded to the home on the 31600 block of Sea Level Drive around 5:45 a.m. following reports of a suspected gas main break, according to the city of Malibu. The home’s driveway had collapsed into a 30-by-30-foot sinkhole caused by coastal erosion, according to KTLA. No injuries were reported. Summer Lin and Richard Winton in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 9/9/26

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Oil Hits $100 a Barrel as Turmoil Intensifies in Middle East -- The cost of crude has risen 40 percent since the start of the war in Iran, pushing up the price of gasoline, diesel and other refined fuels. Aruni Soni in the New York Times$ -- 9/9/26

Trump hits back at Canadian tariffs with import bans, tariff hikes -- President Donald Trump responded to new tariffs on U.S. exports Tuesday by announcing bans on U.S. imports of Canadian motorcycles, dairy products and alcohol, and directed officials to restrict Canadian access to U.S. procurement programs. Oliver Ward, Ari Hawkins and Zi-Ann Lum Politico Rob Gillies, Paul Wiseman Associated Press Gavin Bade in the Wall Street Journal$ Tony Romm in the New York Times$ -- 9/9/26

Trump Administration Asks Supreme Court to Allow Voter-Screening Tool -- Voting rights organizations had challenged a Trump administration overhaul of a government database, arguing it could be used to disenfranchise eligible voters. Abbie VanSickle in the New York Times$ -- 9/9/26

At 9/11 Tribute, Trump Adds New Claim to His Disputed Role After Attack -- At an event honoring those who died on Sept. 11, 2001, President Trump on Tuesday claimed that two firefighters lifted him up and carried him away from a seemingly unstable building when he visited the area shortly after the terrorist attacks. This was the latest in Mr. Trump’s evolving — and often disputed — account of his actions on Sept. 11 and in its aftermath, when he was working as a real estate developer in New York City. Katie Rogers in the New York Times$ -- 9/9/26

‘South Park’ is now ‘South America’ in move to mock Trump following Lake America name change -- The satirical series’ name change follows President Trump’s renaming of Lake Ontario to Lake America amid the escalating U.S.-Canada trade war. Last week, tech behemoths Apple and Google honored Trump’s executive order and renamed the Great Lake on their maps for U.S. users. Emily St. Martin in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 9/9/26

‘Our border is closed’: Inside Trump’s push for zero migrants — and the tunnels defying it -- As razor wire, drones and new barriers tighten the border, Mexican cartels increasingly reroute migrants through underground tunnels and city drainage systems. Steve Fisher in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 9/9/26

Behind the Curtain: Trump, alone -- For nearly a decade, Republicans acquiesced to nearly every Trump demand and idea — and rationalized it by saying his instincts proved smarter than theirs. Now, many no longer trust those instincts. But they find it just as futile to push back against virtually anything he wants. Jim VandeHei, Mike Allen Axios -- 9/9/26