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California Policy and Politics Wednesday

Judge finds L.A.’s top federal prosecutor is unlawfully serving, bars him from two cases -- A federal judge on Tuesday ruled that Bill Essayli is unlawfully serving as Los Angeles’ top federal prosecutor and ordered him disqualified from overseeing two criminal cases, rejecting the Justice Department’s latest effort to preserve his authority. Brittny Mejia in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 10/28/26

Here Are the U.S. Attorneys Who Are Carrying Out Trump’s Grievance Agenda -- Together, they have pursued cases against the president’s enemies and protesters and amplified false claims of widespread election fraud, often citing thin evidence. Devlin Barrett in the New York Times$ -- 10/28/26

Anthropic to Newsom: Courts should have power to block risky AI -- Anthropic has planted a flag on AI regulation, saying that courts should have the authority to block AI programs that pose serious risks, and AI companies should develop kill switches for their technology and have outside safety auditors embedded alongside employees. Those policy stances were spelled out in a letter the company sent earlier this month to Gov. Gavin Newsom. Chase DiFeliciantonio Politico -- 10/28/26

Judge says Trump could disenfranchise voters in purge of noncitizens from election rolls -- Saying he had concerns it could disenfranchise voters during the midterm election, a federal judge on Tuesday seemed skeptical of the Trump administration’s demands that California election officials set aside 20,000 ballots that it claimed could have been mailed to noncitizens. Ryan Sabalow and Nigel Duara Calmatters Brittny Mejia and Kevin Rector in the Los Angeles Times$ Shawn Hubler in the New York Times$ -- 10/28/26

Special master could evaluate Justice Department’s claims of noncitizens on California voter rolls -- A federal judge on Tuesday said he was considering appointing a special master to evaluate claims by the Trump administration that California has some 20,000 noncitizens on its voter rolls and to determine whether counties would be able to separate any ballots belonging to ineligible voters. Safiyah Riddle Associated Press -- 10/28/26

What local election officials found in Trump’s new claims about California voters -- Denlay said he reviewed the list and found that 32 of the people were not on Butte County’s active voter rolls and were not sent ballots. Seven others “did not have sufficient information … to match to our voter list with confidence” since the list only contained partial names, partial addresses, no dates of birth, no drivers’ license numbers or Social Security numbers. Ryan Sabalow and Jeanne Kuang Calmatters -- 10/28/26

New poll shows billionaire tax falling behind as election nears -- With less than a week before Election Day, support for Proposition 40, a proposed billionaire tax, is now under water, according to the latest poll by Public Policy Institute of California. Published Tuesday, the survey found that 46% of 1,086 likely voters support the tax, while 52% don’t. Lynn La Calmatters -- 10/28/26

Billionaires shatter spending record to fight California wealth tax -- A record $612 million from more than 70 current and former California billionaires is flooding this year’s state elections, nearly half of it for groups working to defeat Proposition 40, the wealth tax initiative on Tuesday’s ballot, Politico found. Christine Mui and Sean McMinn Politico -- 10/28/26

Bass comes from behind, now in dead heat with Raman in mayor’s race, new poll shows -- Raman and Bass are tied with support from 40% of likely L.A. voters heading into the Nov. 3 election, according to the Berkeley IGS/L.A. Times poll. Most of Bass’ come-from-behind surge is the result of her winning over voters who cast their ballot for Spencer Pratt in the June primary, the poll showed. Noah Goldberg in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 10/28/26

Prop. 3 is being touted by unions as a school funding bill. That’s partly true -- In reality, the ballot initiative is another tax measure on high-income Californians, this one helping to pay for all state services supported by general fund dollars, including healthcare, courts and schools. Howard Blume in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 10/28/26

Allegations against Rep. Jimmy Gomez fuel momentum for DSA-backed challenger Gonzales-Torres -- Accusations of sexual misconduct have left Rep. Jimmy Gomez (D-L.A.) vulnerable to Angela Gonzales-Torres, an upstart challenger backed by the Democratic Socialists of America. Dakota Smith in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 10/28/26

Barabak: Your Nov. 3 election results right here. (Not really. But at least some perspective) -- Democrats appear a cinch to win control of the House, but the Senate remains a toss-up. Ignore the polls and don’t assume whoever has the most money wins. Today we discuss board games, snacks and boomerangs. Mark Z. Barabak in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 10/28/26

Proposition 45 would sideline dozens of tribes from input on major California projects -- Proposition 45 would streamline California’s environmental review for “essential” development plans, including most housing, clean energy and transportation projects. That streamlined process would bar dozens of tribes who don’t have federal recognition from participating in consultation. Noah Haggerty in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 10/28/26

Why are pro-housing groups split on Proposition 45? -- Proposition 45 is intended to make it easier to build. But some pro-housing groups worry it will only lead to more sprawl. Ben Christopher Calmatters -- 10/28/26

ICE

As Election Nears, Reports of an Increase in ICE Arrests Across California -- From Sacramento to San Diego, evidence of an increase in immigration enforcement has mounted across California this month. Unmarked vehicles idled outside an election office in Northern California. Arrests emptied fields of workers in the state’s agricultural heartland. Reports of immigrants being stopped and pulled from their cars by agents came in from all corners of the state. Miriam Jordan and Orlando Mayorquín in the New York Times$ -- 10/28/26

The dizzying speed of Trump’s deportation machine: Fresno man lands in Mexico 16 days after arrest -- Luis Arreguin, a father of four, lived for 49 years in the United States. It took just 16 days for ICE to send him to Mexico after detaining him in Fresno. Wendy Fry Calmatters -- 10/28/26

ICE releases some detainees in Fresno far from home under ‘cruel’ tactic, officials say -- ICE has been releasing people detained outside of California at processing centers in downtown Fresno and Bakersfield, leaving some of them stranded hundreds of miles from home without money or their belongings, elected officials and immigrant rights advocates say. Erik Galicia in the Fresno Bee -- 10/28/26

Wildfire

For LA fire survivors awaiting federal disaster aid, the midterms could be key -- Long-term disaster recovery for the Los Angeles fires depends on federal funding. FEMA has indicated less support for states, but California lawmakers think Democratic wins in November could change things. Levi Sumagaysay Calmatters -- 10/28/26

Climate

El Niño flooding grips Newport Beach in a vise. ‘Mother Nature comes to collect some tax’ -- A mix of astronomical and tidal events are converging with unusually warm waters off Southern California’s coast to push the tides higher than ever before, sending surges of water into beach cities like Newport Beach and Redondo Beach. Fedor Zarkhin, Hannah Fry and Rong-Gong Lin II in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 10/28/26

El Niño could bring record flooding to S.F. These areas are most at risk -- San Francisco could see unprecedented flooding this winter, with some of the highest tides in history submerging parts of the waterfront and rain overwhelming drainage systems inland. Saul Pink in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 10/28/26

Workplace

Strike Vote by 250 Watchmen Puts Nation’s Busiest Port Complex at Risk -- The Pacific Maritime Association said Tuesday that a union local that represents 250 watchmen across the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach voted to authorize a strike. The walkout could begin at 5 p.m. PT Sunday if a deal isn’t reached. Paul Berger in the Wall Street Journal$ -- 10/28/26

As filming lags, L.A. City Council offers $1 a day parking fees and free permits for micro-shoots -- The City Council passed two film-friendly measures, one that creates free permits for so-called micro-shoot productions and another that limits parking fees on city-owned lots, yards and civic properties and staging areas to $1 a day, regardless of the size of the project. Cerys Davies in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 10/28/26

Also

Pro-Palestinian license plate sparks First Amendment battle with California DMV -- An East Bay woman whose pro-Palestinian personalized license plate “RVRTSEA” was recalled by the California DMV last year has filed a First Amendment lawsuit against the agency, alleging officials violated her rights to political expression. Megan Cassidy in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 10/28/26

Balcony solar is coming to California. Can renters actually use it? -- Under the California law that goes into effect in January, residents can buy certified panels under 1200 watts and set them up without getting utility approval, which can be onerous. But renters may have to navigate another layer of permissions: landlords. Currently it’s unclear whether tenants have the right to set up the panels if property owners don’t want them. Blanca Begert in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 10/28/26

POTUS 47

Trump debuts oil rule rollback as Texas wobbles toward blue -- President Donald Trump couldn’t give Ken Paxton lower gas prices — but he did give him a roll back of the methane pollution rule that Paxton has led the legal charge against. Jean Chemnick Politico Matthew Brown, Mead Gruver Associated Press Benoît Morenne in the Wall Street Journal$ -- 10/28/26