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California Policy and Politics Thursday

More and more wealthy Californians are seeking ‘golden visa’ residency outside the U.S. -- Wealthy Californians are pursuing residency outside the U.S. at historic rates, using “golden visa” programs to turn capital into second passports and a hedge against America’s political future. Citizenship-by-investment firms report Californians make up as many as one in five clients worldwide, many seeking an insurance policy should “the wheels fall off” America. Audrey McGlinchy in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 8/13/26

 

Becerra holds strong lead over Hilton in race for California governor, new poll shows -- Democrat Xavier Becerra holds a commanding 55% to 37% lead over Republican Steve Hilton in a new Berkeley IGS/Los Angeles Times poll ahead of November’s election to replace Gov. Gavin Newsom. Nicole Nixon in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 8/13/26

How San Francisco’s ridiculous housing prices are defining the race to replace Pelosi -- As San Francisco Supervisor Connie Chan and Sen. Scott Wiener fight to succeed former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, their track records on affordable housing could be decisive in the tight race for Congress. Maya C. Miller Calmatters -- 8/13/26

Mayor Lurie comes out against S.F. affordable housing measure: ‘Unaccountable slush fund’ -- Mayor Daniel Lurie is teaming up with the San Francisco police and firefighter unions to oppose a tax measure on the November ballot that seeks to steer more money to affordable housing. J.D. Morris in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 8/13/26

Pelosi says Biden’s inner circle should have acted: 4 takeaways from Sacramento summit -- Pelosi denied that she asked Biden to drop out of the race, despite reports from several national outlets that the former speaker played a major role in the pressure campaign for him to exit the race. Instead, she said she met with Biden to “question the polling” and raise concerns about how his campaign was being conducted. Grace Hase in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 8/13/26

As Americans bet on elections, L.A. officials weigh how to safeguard voters -- Los Angeles County election officials are examining steps ahead of the November midterms to respond to the rising popularity of election trading via prediction markets, including a possible ban on wagering for county election workers. Justine McDaniel in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 8/13/26

Wildfire

Relentless cycle of disaster has Big Sur in crisis again: ‘You really have to fight to be here’ -- Few places have been more thoroughly battered by the force of climate change and Mother Nature than Big Sur. Epic rains triggered landslides that closed Highway 1 into the famed coastal enclave for three years. Hannah Fry in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 8/13/26

ICE

ICE Plans to Give Officers Gloves That Can Deliver Electric Shocks -- The Department of Homeland Security described the gloves as a “de-escalation device,” but critics said they could encourage agents to use more force. Madeleine Ngo and Shaila Dewan in the New York Times$ -- 8/13/26

Flock

Police arsenal of Flock cameras in Fresno may soon expand to include private ones -- The use of Flock Safety and other cameras have been in recent months met with hostility as communities rethink their use, but the use of such surveillance could expand in the city of Fresno as a new voluntary community program is in the works. Thaddeus Miller in the Fresno Bee -- 8/13/26

Oil

California offshore fracking could resume after decade-long halt, with push from Trump -- A Southern California oil company is trying to launch the state’s first new offshore fracking project in over a decade, potentially paving the way for more of the controversial extraction work along the coast and setting the stage for a dust-up between California and the Trump administration. Kurtis Alexander in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 8/13/26

Meta

California and Meta are facing off in a blockbuster trial over kids’ social media addiction -- California and other states seeking more than $1 trillion in penalties and new constraints on the parent company of Facebook and Instagram went to court Wednesday over allegations the social media giant knowingly designed its sites to be addictive to minors. Sophia Bollag in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 8/13/26

Workplace

Hundreds of California stonecutters fall ill with deadly disease ‘for a product we do not need’ -- These workers are developing silicosis, a condition in which microscopic silica dust contained in the stone slabs they grind and polish is cutting up the inside of their lungs until the organs fail. Karen Garcia and Clara Harter in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 8/13/26

Inside North Korea’s Operation to Conquer the American Job Market -- Thousands of North Korean operatives are using fake and stolen identities to land remote jobs at U.S. companies—funneling hundreds of millions of dollars back to the regime. Emma Scott, Sam Kessler and Robert McMillan in the Wall Street Journal$ -- 8/13/26

Boyle Heights fire

State lawmakers seek tougher rules for industrial facilities after Boyle Heights fire -- Two state lawmakers from Los Angeles want tougher penalties for disasters caused by industrial companies after a massive fire in Boyle Heights left neighbors struggling with smoky air and the smell of rotting meat. Dakota Smith in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 8/13/26

LA28

L.A. reaches deal on cost recovery for 2028 Olympics, amid warnings about financial risk -- The L.A. City Council approved an agreement detailing the process for the city to seek reimbursement for the services it provides during the Summer Games. Some council members warned that L.A. could still shoulder massive costs, especially if the private organizing committee experiences serious losses. David Zahniser in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 8/13/26

Lakers

New Lakers co-owner Joshua Kushner is a lifelong Democrat with deep interest in sports -- New Lakers co-owner Joshua Kushner, a lifelong Democrat and venture capitalist, joined Bob Iger in reaching an agreement to buy the Lakers. Kushner has held stakes in NBA, WNBA, MLB and global soccer teams, while his company Thrive Capital also invested in OpenAI. The billionaire has worked to make a name for himself, but he remains shadowed by the Kushner family’s strong ties to the Trump administration. Laurence Darmiento in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 8/13/26

Kaiser

Ailing MLK Hospital to receive $25-million grant from Kaiser Permanente -- Kaiser Permanente will give Martin Luther King Jr. Community Hospital $25 million to expand its emergency department, which has been treating some patients in tents outside. The Willowbrook hospital has received millions of dollars in what amount to bailouts from the state and Los Angeles County as it has faced strong economic headwinds in recent years. Connor Sheets in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 8/13/26

Also

California tool to encourage low-income rentals may suppress new apartment construction -- The state’s chronic housing shortage has its greatest impact on the roughly 14 million Californians either mired in poverty or nearly so. Dan Walters Calmatters -- 8/13/26

Once overrun by all-night raves, famed singer’s former beach property opens as new park -- Huge bonfires. All-night raves. Piles of trash. Drunken parties. Graffiti. Ten years ago, a scenic mile-long beach on the rural San Mateo County coast was notorious for bad behavior. On Monday, the stunning property, once owned by rock singer Chris Isaak, will open to the public as a new oceanfront park. Paul Rogers in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 8/13/26

POTUS 47

Trump Says Hormuz Is Under U.S. Control. Few Ships Are Listening -- President Trump said Wednesday that the U.S. has total control of the Strait of Hormuz. The reality on the water tells a different story. Rebecca Feng and Georgi Kantchev in the Wall Street Journal$ -- 8/13/26

Trump administration set to spend at least $900 million on White House construction -- The price tag is much larger than what has been previously reported, according to a Post review of confidential contracts, and taxpayers would cover most of it. Jonathan O'Connell and Sarah Blaskey in the Washington Post$ -- 8/13/26

Close aides, but no Cabinet officials, joined Trump in airport catering truck -- As President Donald Trump secretly left an Air Force One jet on a catering truck last month in response to a potential Iranian assassination threat in Turkey, he was accompanied by some of his most loyal and longest-serving aides but no Cabinet officials. Dan Lamothe and Cat Zakrzewski in the Washington Post$ -- 8/13/26

Lawsuit seeks to ban Trump Media from charging for early access to president’s posts on US policy -- President Donald Trump was sued in federal court Wednesday to stop him from making money off a new, paid service at his Truth Social company offering early, exclusive access to his posts on U.S. policy. Bernard Condon Associated Press -- 8/13/26

 

California Policy and Politics Wednesday

Paramount’s threat to leave California ‘blackmail,’ says AG Bonta -- CEO David Ellison told executives that the move would involve HQ staff first and then a five-year plan to shift most of the film and TV studio’s jobs to a new home. Hannah Miller |Bloomberg in the LA Daily News Joe Flint in the Wall Street Journal$ Benjamin Mullin, Brooks Barnes and Lauren Hirsch in the New York Times$ Meg James in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 8/12/26

Newsom makes last-minute push to help California utilities facing wildfire bills -- In the final few weeks of his last legislative session as California governor, Gavin Newsom is asking lawmakers to help reduce how much profit-making utility companies must pay out after wildfires. Jeanne Kuang and Levi Sumagaysay in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 8/12/26

 

‘California’s coast is not for sale.’ State battles Trump plan to limit coastal oversight -- In a striking demonstration of support, hundreds of fired-up Californians rallied in Santa Monica to speak out against the Trump administration’s attempt to wrest local control over the state’s treasured coastline. Rosanna Xia in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 8/12/26

RFK Jr. and HUD secretary rip L.A. homeless agencies and endorse faith-based alternatives -- Two Trump cabinet secretaries visiting L.A. blast LAHSA, accusing it of mismanagement and corruption, and vow to withhold HUD dollars without accountability as a federal judge weighs suspending the regional homeless agency. Doug Smith in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 8/12/26

ICE

ICE to outfit officers with gloves that can deliver electric shocks -- Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers may soon be outfitted with gloves that can deliver painful electric shocks intended to gain compliance from combative individuals. Ryan J. Foley Associated Press -- 8/12/26

Federal officer pulls gun in clash with protesters in downtown L.A. -- Authorities said they are investigating after two federal officers were assaulted in a clash with protesters outside a downtown L.A. federal building. One of the federal officers, identified as an employee of the Bureau of Prisons, was captured on video brandishing a gun during the incident. Brittny Mejia and Libor Jany in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 8/12/26

Meta

California and Meta are facing off in a blockbuster trial over kids’ social media addiction -- California and other states seeking more than $1 trillion in penalties and new constraints on the parent company of Facebook and Instagram will go to court Wednesday over allegations the social media giant knowingly designed its sites to be addictive to minors. Sophia Bollag in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 8/12/26

Lakers

Bob Iger, Joshua Kushner to buy Lakers from Mark Walter’s ownership group for $12 billion -- Less than a year after Dodgers owner Mark Walter bought the Lakers for a record-breaking sum, L.A.’s iconic NBA franchise is now being sold to Joshua Kushner and Bob Iger for at least $12 billion, sources familiar with the matter but not authorized to speak publicly confirmed to The Times, $2 billion more than the reported number when Walter bought the team in October from the Buss family. Thuc Nhi Nguyen in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 8/12/26

Oil

California energy regulator says he’s open to working with Trump on oil refineries -- The chair of the California Energy Commission acknowledged some “common cause” with the federal government on gas prices while calling its coastal energy policy “reckless.” Camille von Kaenel Politico -- 8/12/26

‘We are going to court’: California threatens legal action on Trump offshore wind cuts -- California is launching a probe into the Trump administration’s most recent move to scuttle the state’s nascent offshore wind industry. Noah Baustin Politico -- 8/12/26

 

Pelosi says Democrats can win 30 House seats, retake majority in November -- Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi said Tuesday her goal is to flip 30 U.S. House seats in the November midterms as part of an ambitious plan for Democrats to regain control of Congress and fight President Donald Trump in his last two years in office. Hannah Wiley in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 8/12/26

Steve Hilton slams AI leaders in their home state as he runs to lead it -- Steve Hilton says artificial intelligence founders have only themselves to blame for tanking public confidence in their industry, a striking indictment from the Republican running for California’s top office. Blake Jones Politico -- 8/12/26

Becerra, Hilton offer promises on AI, gas prices, healthcare — and starkly contrasting views -- Democrat Xavier Becerra and Republican Steve Hilton clashed in Sacramento, offering sweeping but thinly detailed agendas on healthcare, artificial intelligence, gas prices and taxes in California’s closely watched governor’s race. Seema Mehta and Nicole Nixon in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 8/12/26

Xavier Becerra wants to give Californians a free electricity ‘power hour’ -- The front-runner to become California’s next governor said he wants to give free electricity for part of the day to families struggling to cover their costs. Noah Baustin Politico -- 8/12/26

Xavier Becerra says California can still meet 2035 gas car sales goal -- California gubernatorial front-runner Xavier Becerra said Tuesday that he still believes the state can meet its goal of banning new gas car sales by 2035, after raising doubts about the climate target during his primary campaign. Alex Nieves Politico -- 8/12/26

Xavier Becerra: ‘We hardly have any’ AI regulations in California -- Xavier Becerra suggested Tuesday that California isn’t doing enough to regulate artificial intelligence and that he would aim to further rein in the technology if elected governor in November. Tyler Katzenberger Politico -- 8/12/26

Becerra vows to avoid ‘inflated’ campaign promises, but teases policy ideas -- Democrat Xavier Becerra won the June primary for governor vowing to fight for working families, but he offered relatively few specifics about how he’d govern. Ben Paviour in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 8/12/26

 

California billionaire tax’s chief backer: ‘This is now a national campaign’ -- “I think this is now a national campaign,” Dave Regan, the president of the powerful health care labor union SEIU-UHW, said at Politico's The California Agenda: Sacramento Summit. “We knew this was provocative, we knew it would touch a nerve, but we completely underestimated how much interest and attention it would generate.” Will McCarthy Politico -- 8/12/26

Google co-founder Sergey Brin spending more than $100 million fighting California wealth tax -- Google co-founder Sergey Brin has poured $102 million this year into Building a Better California, a group that’s funding two ballot measures that could block a billionaire tax, data from the California Secretary of State show. Queenie Wong in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 8/12/26

 

California US senator pushes for nationwide legal representation for immigrants -- Last week, U.S. Sen. Adam Schiff re-introduced federal legislation that would guarantee the right to legal representation for all people in deportation or legal immigration proceedings if they are unable to afford it. Mathew Miranda in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 8/12/26

Walters: How California’s primary election reflects the perils facing the national Democratic Party -- The state’s June primary election results reveal a corrosive factor is undermining the party’s future, according to the man who wrote the autopsy on Democratic losses in 2024, veteran political strategist Paul Rivera. Dan Walters Calmatters -- 8/12/26

 

California to phase out paraquat, a powerful weedkiller associated with serious health issues -- California will begin phasing out paraquat, a powerful weedkiller associated with birth defects, thyroid issues and other serious health problems. The California Department of Pesticide Regulation said this week all manufacturers of pesticide products containing the active ingredient have voluntarily agreed to withdraw the product from the market. Hayley Smith in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 8/12/26

Taylor Farms recall expands as company pulls jalapeños from Trader Joe’s, Target, among others -- Taylor Farms has become the latest distributor to recall food products that contain jalapeños that are potentially contaminated with salmonella and linked to a larger multi-state bacterial outbreak that includes California. Karen Garcia in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 8/12/26

Wildfire

Big Sur was finally booming again. Then the Timber Fire shut Highway 1 -- Ignoring “NO PARKING” signs recently installed to curb a glut of tourists, visitors climbed out of their cars near Bixby Bridge on Tuesday morning to snap photos of a large plume of smoke settling over rolling green hills. Connor Letourneau in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 8/12/26

Timber Fire strands endangered condors as Big Sur evacuations expand -- Two endangered California condors recovering from lead poisoning were stranded Tuesday after the Timber Fire engulfed the only road to their remote sanctuary near Big Sur, preventing staff members from replenishing their food and water. Chris Hamilton and Caelyn Pender in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 8/12/26

Street

Three minors as young as 12 used semiautomatic guns to kill 53-year-old SoCal man, officials say -- Three teenagers have been charged in connection with shooting and killing 53-year-old man and injuring his father last month in East Bakersfield, according to authorities. Summer Lin in the New York Times$ -- 8/12/26

Also

A California Home that Rotates 320 Degrees Takes a Spin on the Market -- The circular house overlooking Highway 101 is one of seven homes on the site, which is listed for $3.3 million. Fred A. Bernstein in the Wall Street Journal$ -- 8/12/26

POTUS 47

Mike Lindell’s defeat is also Trump’s -- The former MyPillow CEO’s defeat in Minnesota’s GOP gubernatorial contest is the third loss by a Trump endorsee in the last two weeks. Andrew Howard Politico -- 8/12/26

Benign Inflation Data Offers Reprieve to Fed as It Weighs Rate Increase -- The latest Consumer Price Index report helped to reinforce the patient approach adopted by many officials at the Federal Reserve about raising rates, but it has not resolved the debate altogether. Colby Smith in the New York Times$ -- 8/12/26