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California Policy and Politics Monday

Bernie Sanders makes a late push for California billionaire tax -- Bernie Sanders calls the proposed tax on California billionaires the most important ballot measure in America. Now, with the initiative sliding in polls and vastly outspent by the opposition, the Vermont senator is trying to give it new life. Jeremy B. White Politico Sara DiNatale in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 10/5/26

‘Creepy, Weird’ Steve Hilton Ad Denounced by California Republicans -- It’s the stuff of bad romance novels, not a modern political ad. But the new digital spot from the California Republican gubernatorial candidate, Steve Hilton, is at least drawing attention — and condemnation, much of it from fellow Republicans. Anna Griffin in the New York Times$ -- 10/5/26

An election chief lost. Then he padlocked the ballots and called the FBI -- Shasta County, California, where election doubts run so deep that some don’t trust results even when their choice prevails, offers a glimpse of what happens when distrust in voting systems takes root. Patrick Marley in the Washington Post$ -- 10/5/26

ICE

Adelanto ICE medical staff repeatedly failed detainee who died, internal report says -- Medical staff at the Adelanto ICE Processing Center repeatedly failed 39-year-old Ismael Ayala-Uribe before he died in custody, according to a mortality review by investigators with ICE’s Health Services Corp. Ryanne Mena in the Orange County Register$ -- 10/5/26

Education

These 8 new California laws will have a big impact on schools and students -- Young children will now be assessed on their math skills. English learners will have an easier path toward reclassifying as fluent and proficient. Schools may feel more encouraged to spend billions in funds for arts education. And schools may deploy long-term emergency substitutes in classrooms for longer periods with fewer onboarding requirements. Zaidee Stavely EdSource -- 10/5/26

El Niño’s impact on aging California schools may be severe, experts warn -- A winter of potentially devastating weather driven by what scientists predict to be a massive El Niño event could strain many of California’s TK-12 public schools, experts say, likely damaging aging structures and forcing school closures. Thomas Peele EdSource -- 10/5/26

Transit

Sticker shock comes for Metrolink riders with new fare increase: ‘Everyone is struggling’ -- Metrolink is raising its fares Monday by as much as 27%. On Sunday at Union Station, several riders expressed disappointment with the news; many did not know about the change. Colleen Shalby in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 10/5/26

Street

As robotaxi accidents increase in L.A., the data reveal the safer driver -- The vehicles still had relatively few incidents, and most were fender benders, according to a Times review of autonomous vehicle crash data filed with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Caroline Petrow-Cohen in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 10/5/26

Marketplace

Why It’s Taking Nine Months to Get Back $164,000 in Tariff Refunds -- When the Supreme Court struck down some of President Trump’s tariffs in February, Asher Rapkin was so happy he jumped up and down in his kitchen with his kids. But the owner of a California watch retailer has spent a frustrating nine months trying to get his $164,000 back. He blames FedEx. Esther Fung in the Wall Street Journal$ -- 10/5/26

AI

Sam Altman to Decoded: ‘The world should accept some bad things happening’ for the benefits of AI -- OpenAI CEO Sam Altman said there remains a fundamental difference in worldview between his company and rival Anthropic on artificial intelligence regulation, arguing in an exclusive interview with Decoded by Politico that the technology’s benefits justify accepting some risks — and that AI should remain broadly accessible to the public. Christine Mui and Brendan Bordelon Politico -- 10/5/26

Also

Questions linger as San Diego’s battle-tested carrier USS Abraham Lincoln nears home -- A joyous homecoming awaits the carrier USS Abraham Lincoln, which is about to return to San Diego after one of the longest and most grueling deployments since naval guns fell quiet at the end of World War II. Gary Robbins in the San Diego Union Tribune -- 10/5/26

POTUS 47

Trump’s gains among Latino voters slip ahead of midterms -- New polls show Democrats ahead among Latino voters as Trump draws low marks on the economy and immigration enforcement. Jalen Beckford Politico -- 10/5/26

At Trump’s Rallies, a Familiar Mix of Rituals and a Plea to ‘Please Pretend’ -- President Trump is doggedly lending his support to Republican candidates facing a rough midterm season. He is the same campaigner he has always been, but his crowds have changed. Katie Rogers in the New York Times$ -- 10/5/26

 

California Policy and Politics Sunday

Provocative, sexually suggestive ad by Hilton campaign condemned by political allies on the right -- A provocative, sexually suggestive ad by GOP gubernatorial candidate Steve Hilton is drawing heat from his fellow Republicans while drawing millions of viewers online. Two young women sit on a bed, with an LGBTQ+ flag in the background, with one urging the other to try a new experience. Seema Mehta in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 10/4/26

ICE releases San Francisco lawmaker’s staffer after weeks in immigration detention -- Ho Yin Mo, the Assembly staffer whose detention by federal immigration authorities prompted appeals from San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie and local elected officials, has been released from custody after spending more than two weeks in a Nevada immigration detention center. Aidin Vaziri in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 10/4/26

‘Ballots Over Billionaires’: Bernie Sanders in S.F. to lend star power to wealth tax -- Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders took center stage in downtown San Francisco on Saturday, his latest appearance in the Golden State as he lends his star power to the effort to pass Proposition 40, a proposed one-time tax on billionaires. Sara DiNatale in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 10/4/26

SV Poll: Bay Area residents feel they belong — but nearly half say they’re likely to leave -- Housing costs and political disillusionment are testing residents’ attachment to a region that three-quarters still consider home. Julia Prodis Sulek in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 10/4/26

Election 2026: Is Proposition 45 a housing solution or developer loophole? -- The governor’s race and billionaire’s tax may have gotten more attention. But California voters — who have already begun receiving ballots in the mail for the Nov. 3 election — also will decide whether to keep in place or make changes to one of California’s most influential and contentious environmental laws. Paul Rogers in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 10/4/26

What California’s new laws mean for your bills, job and family -- California’s newest laws could change how your utility spends your money, whether an employer can rely on AI to fire you and what your children encounter on social media. Bryce Martin in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 10/4/26

Culver City protesters demand Sony, Amazon, other studios defend democracy -- Braving 100-degree heat, protesters marched through Culver City demanding local media corporations do their part to defend democracy. The “Business for Democracy Pledge” was sent to the CEOs of Sony Pictures, Apple, Pinterest and Amazon. So far none have responded. Mark Olsen in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 10/4/26

Supreme Court to weigh whether oil companies can be forced to pay for climate damage -- The outcome of the Colorado case could affect California’s 2023 lawsuit against the five largest oil companies and other similar litigation. David G. Savage in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 10/4/26

Fact check: Did Newsom’s mental health court hit his goal for helping Californians? -- Gov. Gavin Newsom this week claimed a major victory for CARE Court, his program to provide mental health treatment to Californians with serious conditions. Did it really help 10,000 people?” Jocelyn Wiener and Marisa Kendall Calmatters -- 10/4/26

Wildfire

Bouquet fire grows in Angeles National Forest near Santa Clarita as heatwave grips SoCal -- The Bouquet fire in Angeles National Forest grew overnight to 1,048 acres and is now 40% contained. Cal Fire issued evacuation orders for the remote mountainous area northeast of Santa Clarita Saturday afternoon. Christopher Goffard and Susanne Rust in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 10/4/26

 

Arellano: Claim that Anaheim mayor called staffer ‘dirty Mexican’ is old hat in O.C. politics -- Every fall, I teach a Latino History of Orange County course at Chapman University — from the Portola expedition all the way to Huntington Beach’s MAGA Latina councilmember, Gracey Van Der Mark. The lecture last week focused on how anti-Mexican politics have always worked in Orange County and usually go on to be copied nationwide. Gustavo Arellano in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 10/4/26

Barabak: What’s going to happen in the midterm election? Find out here. (Maybe) -- There are few people, if any, who’ve tracked U.S. elections for longer or in greater depth than Charlie Cook. Mark Z. Barabak in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 10/4/26

Also

Should California hotels be sued for using fragrances in their lobbies? -- A California law firm is suing some major hotel chains, alleging that their use of synthetic fragrances is unfair to people with sensitivities. Christopher Reynolds in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 10/4/26

POTUS

Trump Announces Another Payment to Voters Ahead of Midterms -- The president says he’ll send $90 to Medicare recipients to offset premiums, the latest financial pledge as Republicans trail in key contests. Marianne LeVine in the Wall Street Journal$ Dan Diamond in the Washington Post$ -- 10/4/26

With Elon Musk’s Return to Washington, Possible Conflicts of Interest Resurface -- The founder of SpaceX, with billions of dollars in military contracts, joins several other defense industry executives on a Pentagon advisory board. Kate Kelly in the New York Times$ -- 10/4/26