California Policy and Politics Friday

Tax the rich? California voters are divided, according to new poll -- California voters narrowly support a proposed one-time tax on billionaires’ assets, while showing stronger support for extending a tax on high-income earners that funds schools and healthcare, a poll shows. Proposition 40 has lost support as opponents spend heavily on advertising, leaving 45% of likely voters in favor, 42% opposed and 13% undecided. Seema Mehta in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 9/25/26

Riverside sheriff had no right to seize 650K ballots, California Supreme Court rules -- Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco had no legal right to seize 650,000 ballots for his investigation into alleged fraud in last November’s election and must obey the orders of Attorney General Rob Bonta, California’s top law officer, to return them to the registrar, the state Supreme Court ruled unanimously Thursday. Bob Egelko in the San Francisco Chronicle$ Jeremy B. White Politico Jeff Horseman in the Orange County Register$ Ben Christopher and Nigel Duara Calmatters -- 9/25/26

Arellano: Heads up, Latino men: The future of democracy hangs on your vote -- Man, we Latino men have it rough. Americans have demonized us as criminals, buffoons, lechers, invaders, criminals and job stealers since the fall of the Alamo. Gustavo Arellano in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 9/25/26

Walters: Tilting California voters toward raising local taxes often involves tricks, manipulation -- California’s Nov. 3 ballot contains 14 statewide ballot measures and five of them pertain to taxes, including the much-debated Proposition 40, which would tax the wealth of the state’s billionaires. Dan Walters Calmatters -- 9/25/26

Lopez: All those undecided L.A. voters may actually know what they want — someone to win them over -- Political polls are like weather forecasts. They’re worth passing consideration, maybe, but you’d have to be a fool to bet your house on their accuracy. Steve Lopez in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 9/25/26

 

Hurricane Polo is coming. Here’s what it means for Southern California -- The hurricanes, Polo and Odalys, are not expected to make landfall in California. But forecasters said they could stir up rough seas and send swells toward the California coast, which already has been battered by big waves this summer. Alex Wigglesworth in the Los Angeles Times$ Laylan Connelly in the Orange County Register$ -- 9/25/26

Wildfire

He knows his community is going to burn again. Now he’s making sure they’re ready -- As the Lucas Fire tore through Mendocino and Lake Counties, two portable fire hydrants sprouted from Lake County’s Keeling Park, pumping water directly from Clear Lake. Rachel Becker Calmatters -- 9/25/26

Environment

California rules on air pollution from ships under challenge -- The U.S. House of Representatives narrowly voted to take away the ability of California to force large ships to run on electricity when they’re in port, instead of running on their giant diesel engines. A second vote also sought to end requirements for cleaner engines on some commercial boats. Tony Briscoe in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 9/25/26

How Airbnb is fighting for its place on California’s coast -- Residents of cities like Pacifica want to limit the presence of visitors and corporations. Companies like Airbnb want to keep their lucrative coastal listings. That tension has led to increased attempts to influence a small but powerful committee. Kathryn Wheeler Calmatters -- 9/25/26

Marketplace

Judge holds off on ruling in states’ antitrust settlement with Paramount -- A federal judge declined Thursday to rule immediately on a proposed settlement between Paramount Skydance and 12 state attorneys general, leaving the last major legal hurdle to the studio’s $111-billion acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery unresolved for now. Samantha Masunaga and Cerys Davies in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 9/25/26

Lawmakers unveil Hollywood tax incentive proposal -- Lawmakers introduced bipartisan legislation Thursday to create a federal tax incentive for film and television production, putting Donald Trump’s push to prop up Hollywood in front of Congress. Daniel Miller Politico Samantha Masunaga and Ana Ceballos in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 9/25/26

‘It’s a new world now’: Why more California winery bankruptcies and foreclosures are coming -- This past week, we saw two of the biggest stories yet in the wine industry’s ongoing crisis: Napa’s Signorello is facing foreclosure, something that rarely happens to wineries, and Gundlach Bundschu, one of California’s oldest wineries, has filed for bankruptcy. Jess Lander in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 9/25/26

Housing

Mortgage Rates Hit 7% as Iran War Fallout Crushes a Weak Housing Market -- Mortgage rates jumped to 7 percent this week for the first time since January 2025, squeezing housing affordability when many Americans are grappling with higher energy costs and economic uncertainty brought on by the war with Iran. Gregory Schmidt in the New York Times -- 9/25/26

The Inland Empire was once a bargain. Now, rising home prices, coastal invasion bring anxiety -- Pandemic-era migration from coastal counties has helped push up prices in communities once considered affordable, leaving longtime residents with fewer options beyond absorbing higher costs. Jack Flemming in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 9/25/26

Homeless

Appeals court orders Trump administration to distribute homeless funds -- A federal appeals court rejected the Trump administration’s effort to revamp how homeless service organizations in Los Angeles apply for federal housing funds. Doug Smith in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 9/25/26

Transit

Waymo offers new incentives for commuters on public transit -- Waymo customers in San Francisco will soon be able to earn credit toward future rides when they use one of the robotaxis to connect to public transit. Caroline Petrow-Cohen in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 9/25/26

AI

OpenAI’s agents breached Australian government data. Its human response may do more damage -- What happens in the aftermath of its agents breaching Australian government data will set the tone — and potentially provide a legal framework — for jurisdictions around the world as they determine what human guardrails are needed for increasingly powerful and autonomous AI. Ryan Heath Politico -- 9/25/26

Also

The California District Attorney Cracking Down on the Scourge of E-Bikes -- Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer organized what is believed to be the first e-bike buyback event, which drew over 1,000 surrendered bikes. Spitzer has filed child endangerment charges against at least three parents and is investigating 47 more. Jim Carlton in the Wall Street Journal$ -- 9/25/26

Northern California couple badly injured in bear attack, dog dies trying to protect them -- A Northern California couple was seriously injured in a bear attack outside their home in rural Trinity County early Saturday, according to friends, and their French bulldog died after attempting to intervene. Aidin Vaziri in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 9/25/26

‘Be your own mayor’: For $4.75 million, you could buy a California town -- After nearly four decades, the 87-year-old owner of this tiny enclave along the Pacific Crest Trail is ready to hand over the keys. Hannah Knowles in the Washington Post$ -- 9/25/26

POTUS 47

Supreme Court lets Trump administration use revamped federal voter eligibility database for now -- The Supreme Court on Friday lifted restrictions on a controversial federal voter database before November’s elections, granting President Donald Trump a temporary win in his aggressive campaign against noncitizen voting. Bridget Brown and Bernard McGhee Associated Press -- 9/25/26

US government foots bill for television advertisement featuring Trump’s midterm messaging -- At first glance, it looks like a typical Republican campaign advertisement. As images of President Donald Trump flash across the screen, the 30-second spot says “America will never be a communist country” and boasts about the “largest tax cuts in history.” But there’s something different near the end — a bit of text at the bottom that says “paid for by the U.S. government.” Mike Catalini Associated Press -- 9/25/26

Five Takeaways From Trump’s Washington Summit With Xi -- President Trump hosted Chinese leader Xi Jinping for a summit heavy on ceremony and light on outcomes, concealing major disagreements between the two superpower nations on trade, technology and Beijing’s support for Iran. Alex Leary, Alexander Ward and Lingling Wei in the Wall Street Journal$ -- 9/25/26

Trump Administration Asks Supreme Court to Allow Deportations to Third Countries -- Administration lawyers filed an emergency application to the justices after a lower federal court on Wednesday upheld a block on the government’s program, finding that people could not be deported without being given a chance to contest their cases. Abbie VanSickle in the New York Times$ -- 9/25/26

Unused Tents and Uneaten Food: Watchdog Finds ‘Waste’ in Immigration Crackdown -- In a report Thursday, the Government Accountability Office said the Trump administration squandered millions of dollars to expand detention. Eileen Sullivan in the New York Times$ -- 9/25/26

Federal Council Terminates Review of Arch’s Effects on Historic Sites -- Trump’s allies end a legally required step, one of the final hurdles for the project to advance. Emily Badger in the New York Times$ -- 9/25/26

Trump ad airing with government funding despite law against ‘propaganda’ -- A television ad promoting President Donald Trump began airing on cable Wednesday saying it was paid for by the U.S. government, despite a federal prohibition on using taxpayer dollars for “publicity or propaganda.” Isaac Arnsdorf in the Washington Post$ -- 9/25/26