Rough & Tumble ®
A Realtime Snapshot of California Public Policy and Politics		  
 
     
 
 
 

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California Policy and Politics Tuesday

Rep. Eric Swalwell sends cease-and-desist letter to FBI director -- Attorneys for Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-California) demanded Monday in a letter to FBI Director Kash Patel that the bureau refrain from releasing decade-old investigative files involving the congressman’s purported ties to a suspected Chinese intelligence operative. Perry Stein and Jeremy Roebuck in the Washington Post$ -- 3/31/26

In L.A. mayor’s race, controversial poll shows Nithya Raman ahead of Karen Bass -- City Councilmember Nithya Raman had a commanding lead, with 33% of voters supporting her, while Bass trailed at 17%, according to the poll by the Loyola Marymount University Center for the Study of Los Angeles. Noah Goldberg in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/31/26

Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco halts election fraud probe as legal challenges mount -- Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco, who is a leading Republican candidate for governor, said Monday that he had paused his controversial investigation into unsubstantiated claims of election fraud, which was facing mounting legal challenges and ethical concerns. Grace Toohey in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/31/26

ICE

As fourth man dies at Adelanto ICE detention center, Mexican officials call for investigation -- U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement reported the death of Jose Guadalupe Ramos-Solano at the Adelanto ICE Processing Center in Southern California. His death brings the total at the Adelanto facility to four deaths, all involving Mexican nationals. The Mexican government has called for an investigation into the deaths. Brittny Mejia and Ruben Vives in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/31/26

Trump administration still giving private health data to ICE, California and other states argue -- The Trump administration has defied a federal judge’s order by sharing private information, including street addresses, of millions of low-income Americans with immigration officers who are conducting mass deportations, California and other states say in a court filing. The Trump administration doesn’t appear to be denying it. Bob Egelko in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 3/31/26

AI

States Plow Ahead With A.I. Regulation, Defying Trump -- States ranging from California to Utah are taking steps to place guardrails on the technology even after the president ordered them to stop. Cecilia Kang in the New York Times$ -- 3/31/26

What to Know About California’s Executive Order on A.I. -- California has been a leader in tech lawmaking, and was the first state to pass a law mandating safety and transparency from the biggest A.I. companies. Mr. Newsom, a Democrat, signed the order partly as a message to President Trump, who has been trying to bat down state attempts to regulate A.I. Cecilia Kang in the New York Times$ -- 3/31/26

Workplace

See How Hollywood’s Job Market Is Collapsing -- Studios are making fewer movies and shows than they did just a few years ago. The ones they do make are increasingly being shot outside the U.S. Nate Rattner and Ben Fritz in the Wall Street Journal$ -- 3/31/26

Mattel goes through another round of layoffs -- According to a notice sent to state and local officials, the company behind Barbie and Hot Wheels will lay off 65 employees from its El Segundo headquarters, effective on May 22 — about a year after it laid off 120 workers. Itzel Luna in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/31/26

Kaiser made $9.3 billion last year. Critics say it has strayed from its charitable mission -- The nonprofit’s charitable mission is under scrutiny as it earned $9.3 billion in profit last year while raising insurance premiums and facing staffing complaints. More than 30,000 Kaiser workers went on strike recently over staffing shortages and patient care delays, citing what they say is the company’s focus on profits over patient safety. Melody Petersen in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/31/26

Breathe

Anheuser-Busch owes $2.3 million in fines before leaving Bay Area -- As it leaves the Bay Area, Anheuser-Busch has agreed to pay a $2.3 million penalty as part of a settlement with the local air quality district for spewing toxic out gas and failing to install systems to properly monitor emissions at its Fairfield brewery. Aldo Toledo in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 3/31/26

ExCals

Life after California: People find dramatically lower costs, are more likely to buy homes, new data shows -- A new UC Berkeley study found that people of limited income who moved out of California dramatically improved their financial conditions. A surprising finding from the California Policy Lab: Those leaving the state are increasingly moving out of its wealthiest areas. Terry Castleman in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/31/26

Also

Walters: Santa Monica project points the way to easing California’s housing shortage -- A few days ago, Santa Monica’s city and civic figures ceremonially opened a 13-unit apartment complex called Berkeley Station for low-income families and young adults – exactly the sort of housing that California needs the most. Dan Walters Calmatters -- 3/31/26

Environmental group signs deal to buy Golden Gate Fields horse track with plans to create huge new East Bay waterfront park -- $175 million deal is “once in a lifetime opportunity” to transform track that operated from 1941 to 2024, supporters say. Paul Rogers in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 3/31/26

Candlelight vigil seeks safe return of missing Bay Area coffee shop owner -- About 100 friends and family members of a Bay Area coffee shop owner missing from Oakland since Wednesday gathered in solidarity Sunday evening as they held out hope for her safe return. Warren Pederson in the San Francisco Chronicle$ Harry Harris, John Metcalfe in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 3/31/26

Californian chocolate recalled for being spiked with Viagra ingredients -- The two recalled products are Gold Lion Aphrodisiac Chocolate Male Enhancement Sachet and Ilum Sex Chocolate Male Sexual Enhancement Booster. The FDA initially issued a warning in February advising consumers not to purchase the second item after confirming the product contained tadalafil. Itzel Luna in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/31/26

POTUS 47

Trump Tells Aides He’s Willing to End War Without Reopening Hormuz -- President Trump told aides he’s willing to end the U.S. military campaign against Iran even if the Strait of Hormuz remains largely closed, administration officials said, likely extending Tehran’s firm grip on the waterway and leaving a complex operation to reopen it for a later date. Alexander Ward and Meridith McGraw in the Wall Street Journal$ -- 3/31/26

The man behind Donald Trump’s push to end birthright citizenship -- Long before John Eastman helped devise Donald Trump’s bid to overturn the 2020 election, he had another pet cause: ending birthright citizenship. Josh Gerstein Politico -- 3/31/26

Iran War Chokes Off Helium Supply Critical for AI -- The Iran war isn’t just affecting energy supplies. It is also cutting deeply into supplies of the invisible gas that is essential for cooling artificial-intelligence chip-making tools and keeping MRI scanners humming. Georgi Kantchev in the Wall Street Journal$ -- 3/31/26

California Policy and Politics Monday

Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco halts election fraud probe as legal challenges mount -- Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco, who is a leading Republican candidate for governor, said Monday that he had paused his controversial investigation into unsubstantiated claims of election fraud, which was facing mounting legal challenges and ethical concerns. Grace Toohey in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/30/26

Swalwell accuses Trump of trying to influence California governor’s race with old FBI files -- FBI Director Kash Patel is pushing to release files on a decade-old investigation into Rep. Swalwell’s ties to a Chinese spy. No charges resulted. Swalwell, now running for California governor, accuses the White House of targeting political opponents. Brittny Mejia and Seema Mehta in the Los Angeles Times$ Don Sweeney in the Sacramento Bee$ Melanie Mason Politico -- 3/30/26

California’s governor’s race has no frontrunner — but plenty of cash. See who has the most -- For the first time in decades, Californians are facing a governor’s race without a clear frontrunner, a situation that makes for a unique fundraising landscape. Christian Leonard and Sophia Bollag in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 3/30/26

Skelton: The time has come to discard California’s top-two open primary -- It’s probably time for California to reform the outdated “reform” that could be leading us into an absurd November election with no Democratic candidate for governor allowed on the ballot. George Skelton in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/30/26

San Francisco’s Mayor Funds Turnaround With Help From Old-Money Friends -- Democrat Daniel Lurie, a Levi Strauss heir, is tapping his Rolodex to raise private donations to fix homelessness, clean streets, fill vacant storefronts and more. Owen Tucker-Smith in the Wall Street Journal$ -- 3/30/26

Tech giants are spending more than ever to shape California politics -- Tech giants involved in AI and cryptocurrency spent $39 million last year to influence lawmakers and policy. It’s the start of what could be a spending blitz in the upcoming election. Jeremia Kimelman Calmatters -- 3/30/26

San Francisco comedian Rob Schneider urges U.S. to reinstate military draft -- Rob Schneider, the San Francisco-born comedian and actor known for his outspoken political views, is urging the United States to reinstate compulsory military service as the country remains engaged in a conflict in the Middle East. Aidin Vaziri in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 3/30/26

‘The Cult of Cesar’: Inside the Mountain Compound Led by Cesar Chavez -- In his remote headquarters, the United Farm Workers leader began to see himself as not just a union leader, but a visionary healer. Shawn Hubler, Sarah Hurtes and Manny Fernandez in the New York Times$ -- 3/30/26

No Kings may have broken national record, but Bay Area numbers appear to lag from earlier protests -- Locally, some 125,000 protesters joined 8 million nationwide, marking the largest single-day nationwide protest in modern American history. Caelyn Pender in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 3/30/26

From Pomona to the moon: Victor Glover pilots Artemis II -- No kid from Pomona has ever gone so far. “Pushing ourselves to explore is just core to who we are,” Victor Glover said in an April 2023 NASA video. “It’s part of being a human. We want to know what’s out there, just beyond the horizon.” Beau Yarbrough in the LA Daily News -- 3/30/26

Marketplace

Big change for California small businesses: No more SBA loans for non-citizens -- Green-card holders no longer qualify for loans from the Small Business Administration, eliminating a longtime source of financing for immigrants that advocates say will discourage job creation and harm the economy. Levi Sumagaysay Calmatters -- 3/30/26

Apple at 50: How a garage startup became a $3.5-trillion titan -- Celebrating its 50th anniversary this week, Apple has transformed from a 1976 project in a garage into a more than $3.5-trillion powerhouse with 2.5 billion active devices. The secret to Apple’s dominance: an almost cultish obsession with design, privacy and excellence that created fierce loyalty among customers. Queenie Wong in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/30/26

Rare Earth

Next to Joshua Tree National Park, a mining company is staking its claim for rare earth minerals -- Australian mining company Dateline Resources Ltd. has announced a rare earths project steps from Joshua Tree National Park. The project sits in desert tortoise critical habitat, prompting concern from conservationists. Alex Wigglesworth in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/30/26

Housing

Newsom issues ‘final warning’ to cities over housing law violations — only one is in the Bay Area -- Of the 15 cities Gov. Gavin Newsom threatened Wednesday with legal action over housing law violations, only one is in the Bay Area: Half Moon Bay. Ryan Macasero in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 3/30/26

Hunger

Changes in the world of free food could boost hunger in Orange County -- Rules from last year's One Big Beautiful Bill Act are about to shrink federal help. And AI is making less edible food waste. The result could be a squeeze for people in need. Andre Mouchard in the Orange County Register$ -- 3/30/26

‘We don’t have enough food’: Providers brace for thousands of San Diegans to lose SNAP benefits -- Starting April 1, new federal rules will bar many immigrants from getting CalFresh, the program also known as SNAP or food stamps. Maura Fox in the San Diego Union Tribune -- 3/30/26

Education

Its schools are falling apart, and voters won’t pass a bond. Could a little-used tactic help this district? -- The East County district is considering slicing itself up into smaller chunks and asking voters in each for money just for that area. Jemma Stephenson in the San Diego Union Tribune -- 3/30/26

Street

75 arrested in downtown LA at ‘No Kings’ protest; federal officers injured, authorities say -- Police on Sunday said 74 people were arrested for allegedly failing to disperse after Saturday’s “No Kings” demonstration in downtown Los Angeles turned violent, with some protesters throwing chunks of concrete at federal officers and one spray-painting a death threat near the Metropolitan Detention Center. The item is in the LA Daily News -- 3/30/26

Also

Speeders beware: 125 traffic cameras are coming to L.A., along with hefty fines. What you need to know -- The fines will range from $50 to $500 depend on how much motorists exceed the posted speed limit. Karen Garcia in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/30/26

CHP, SFPD thwart attempt by 85 bicyclists to enter Bay Bridge against traffic -- San Francisco police and California Highway Patrol officers thwarted a group of bicyclists who tried to take over the Bay Bridge on Saturday afternoon, confiscating 85 bicycles and issuing as many citations, authorities said. David Hernandez in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 3/30/26

POTUS 47

Trump Claims Progress in Talks to End War, Then Again Threatens Intense Attacks -- President Trump zigzagged from claims of diplomatic progress to renewed threats of destruction on Monday as he sought to pressure Iran to make a deal to end the monthlong war. The item is in the New York Times$ -- 3/30/26

Trump Weighs Military Operation to Extract Iran’s Uranium -- President Trump is weighing a military operation to extract nearly 1,000 pounds of uranium from Iran, according to U.S. officials, a complex and risky mission that would likely put American forces inside the country for days or longer. Alexander Ward, Lara Seligman, Annie Linskey and Michael R. Gordon in the Wall Street Journal$ -- 3/30/26

Trump Says That Iran Will Have to Give Up Uranium -- President Trump said Sunday night that Iran must give up its highly enriched uranium, emphasizing that it’s a key requirement for ending the war. Annie Linskey in the Wall Street Journal$ -- 3/30/26

A month into Iran, the GOP’s political reality sinks in -- In Nevada, a gallon of gas is approaching $5. In Pennsylvania, farmers are fretting about the prices of fertilizer. And in Michigan, supply chain woes are throwing a wrench into the manufacturing and auto industry operations. Samuel Benson and Liz Crampton Politico -- 3/30/26

U.S. Special Operations Forces Sent to Mideast as Trump Weighs Next Move -- But as specialized ground troops, they could be deployed to help safeguard the Strait of Hormuz, which Iran has effectively closed. Or they could be deployed as part of a mission to try to seize Kharg Island, Iran’s oil hub in the northern Persian Gulf. Alternatively, they could be used in a mission aimed at Iran’s highly enriched uranium at the Isfahan nuclear site. Eric Schmitt and Helene Cooper in the New York Times$ -- 3/30/26

Israel targets Iran’s leaders with lethal expertise using new AI platform -- The division of responsibility has left Israel to hunt and kill Iranian leaders ruthlessly, using an intelligence apparatus built up to assassinate with lethal proficiency. Greg Miller in the Washington Post$ -- 3/30/26

U.S. Allows Russian Oil Tanker to Reach Cuba, Despite Blockade -- The tanker full of crude oil could reach its expected destination by Monday, providing a lifeline to the island amid intense U.S. pressure. Jack Nicas and Eric Schmitt in the New York Times$ -- 3/30/26

They’ve Been Accused of Running a ‘Covert’ Operation in Greenland. It’s No Secret -- Members of President Trump’s circle, working in plain sight, have caught the eye of Denmark’s intelligence services for trying to make friends and cut deals on the Danish territory. Jeffrey Gettleman and Maya Tekeli in the New York Times$ -- 3/30/26

Trump officials cite white supremacists in bid to end birthright citizenship -- An argument heading to the Supreme Court is built in part on a post-Civil War campaign that scholars say was steeped in anti-Black and anti-Chinese racism. Justin Jouvenal in the Washington Post$ -- 3/30/26