California Policy and Politics Saturday

Trump administration orders restart of oil drilling along California coast amid Iran war -- President Trump is asserting executive authority to demand the controversial resumption of offshore oil drilling along California’s coastline as gas prices soar amid the ongoing war with Iran. Clara Harter in the Los Angeles Times$ Noah Baustin Politico Alejandro Lazo Calmatters Aidin Vaziri in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 3/14/26

Oil prices are skyrocketing, but this is why companies won’t rush to drill in California -- California issued more drilling permits, but producers aren’t drilling despite oil prices over $100 per barrel, citing logistical and refinery capacity issues. A shuttered pipeline and refinery closures have created a stalemate: Producers lack outlets for crude, while refineries face dwindling supply. Blanca Begert in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/14/26

California asks International Trade Court to block Trump’s global tariffs -- Gov. Gavin Newsom and Attorney General Rob Bonta on Friday announced that California has joined 23 other states in filing a motion with the U.S. Court of International Trade, asking the court to block the Trump administration’s new global tariffs. Chaewon Chung in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 3/14/26

USC and ABC7 criticized for exclusion of all candidates of color in upcoming gubernatorial debate -- Former U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra, one of the top Democrats running for California governor, on Friday blasted USC and the ABC affiliate in Los Angeles for hosting a debate that he argues purposely excludes all candidates of color. Seema Mehta in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/14/26

Gavin Newsom clarifies need for Democrats to be ‘culturally normal’ -- Gov. Gavin Newsom pushed back Friday on concerns that he has softened or shifted away from his past support for the LGBTQ community and other minorities to win back the young men drifting away from the Democratic Party on the last leg of his book tour promoting his new memoir. Lia Russell in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 3/14/26

California’s Billionaire Tax Battle -- Wealthy residents of the state have put millions of dollars toward stopping a proposed 5 percent tax on their assets. Niko Gallogly in the New York Times$ -- 3/14/26

Oscars security tighter than ever: 1-mile police buffer amid Iran war -- It’s been more than two decades since the Oscars were celebrated as the United States was launching a war in the Middle East. Richard Winton and Hannah Fry in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/14/26

Fundraiser launched to help family of Sacramento-area soldier killed in Iran war -- TAn online fundraiser has been launched to help the family of the U.S. Army Reserve soldier with Sacramento-area ties who was one of six servicemembers killed this month in a drone strike in Kuwait. Madison Smalstig in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 3/14/26

Beale AFB tanker plane lands with damage, linked to deadly KC-135 crash in Iraq -- A KC-135 Stratotanker that made an emergency landing in Israel after a mission in Iraq — where another tanker crashed, killing six U.S. service members — appeared to be assigned to Beale Air Force Base near Marysville. Darrell Smith in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 3/14/26

Oil

Fuel, energy prices raise the pressure as California officials take next steps on climate -- As California regulators prepare for a massive update of the state’s signature climate program, they face mounting pushback from lawmakers and oil industry groups who warn it could drive up already-high energy costs. Hayley Smith in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/14/26

Workplace

‘They’re willing to fight.’ WGA leaders brace for tough negotiations --The Writers Guild is set to enter negotiations with the major studios, nearly three years after the historic strike that shut down Hollywood. The union’s leaders are clear that they aren’t shying away from their demands. Cerys Davies in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/14/26

Dublin teachers reach deal with East Bay school district to end strike -- According to the district, the agreement includes a 2.3% ongoing pay increase retroactive to July 1, 2025. It would also gradually raise the district’s contribution toward health care premiums for single Kaiser coverage, reaching 100% on Jan. 1, 2028. Aidin Vaziri in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 3/14/26

Wildfire

Turning the Altadena fire into a civil rights crusade: Was discrimination against Black residents at play? -- Ben Crump, who represented the families of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor and Trayvon Martin, said he is looking into a discrimination lawsuit against L.A. County over its response to the Eaton fire. Crump is teaming up with Carl Douglas, a civil rights attorney known for representing O. J. Simpson during his 1995 murder trial. Rebecca Ellis and Grace Toohey in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/14/26

Environment

Federal EPA moves to roll back recent limits on ethyene oxide, a carcinogen -- The Trump administration on Friday moved to roll back Biden-era limits on emissions of ethylene oxide, a cancer-causing chemical often used in the sterilization of medical devices. Hayley Smith in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/14/26

Street

New push for LAPD oversight — and firing problem cops — moves toward November ballot -- A series of proposed changes to the city’s charter — essentially its constitution — could give elected leaders in Los Angeles more oversight of the Police Department and enable the chief to fire problematic officers, reforms long sought by advocates that are likely to once again face fierce opposition. Libor Jany in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/14/26

Also

After a 1,000-foot fall on Mount Shasta, two friends fought to survive the night -- Standing atop Mount Shasta last Sunday afternoon under an endless blue sky, two young men from the Bay Area celebrated their climb to the highest point in Northern California. Both were Nepali Americans with aspirations to one day ascend Everest, and Shasta, standing at 14,179 feet, was their first big winter summit. Gregory Thomas in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 3/14/26

‘Access Hollywood’ is canceled as NBCUniversal exits first-run syndication business -- NBCUniversal is cutting “Access Hollywood” and several other of its daytime talk shows, effectively ending its first run syndication business as daytime television atrophies. Cerys Davies and Stephen Battaglio in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/14/26

Lopez: My promise to you: AI didn’t write this column, and if it’s after my job, it’ll be over my dead body -- There’s no denying that AI can be helpful in thousands of ways. But we have to be careful with it. Steve Lopez in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/14/26

POTUS 47

Trump Knew the Risk of Iran Blocking the Strait of Hormuz. He Still Went to War -- Trump acknowledged the risk, these people said, but moved forward with the most consequential foreign-policy decision of his two presidencies. He told his team that Tehran would likely capitulate before closing the strait—and even if Iran tried, the U.S. military could handle it. Alexander Ward, Lara Seligman, Alex Leary and Vera Bergengruen in the Wall Street Journal$ -- 3/14/26

Trump says U.S. bombed Kharg Island, striking core of Iran’s oil economy -- President Donald Trump on Friday night announced that the United States had bombed Kharg Island, targeting Iran’s most critical oil terminal in an attack that Tehran has warned would mark an escalation of the conflict. Cat Zakrzewski and Dan Lamothe in the Washington Post$ -- 3/14/26

Why Trump’s Move to Lower Oil Prices Fell Flat -- If the White House hoped tapping 40% of the U.S. Strategic Petroleum Reserve would quickly push down oil prices, it hasn’t worked. Carol Ryan in the Wall Street Journal$ -- 3/14/26

The Oil Tankers Trump Seized Are Costing the U.S. Millions of Dollars -- Although President Trump said seizing tankers would be a financial boon, the cost of maintaining just one aging ship has already reached $47 million. Luke Broadwater and Nicholas Nehamas in the New York Times$ -- 3/14/26

Cascade of A.I. Fakes About War With Iran Causes Chaos Online -- The videos — showing huge explosions that never happened, decimated city streets that were never attacked or troops protesting the war who do not exist — have added a chaotic and confusing layer to the conflict online. Stuart A. Thompson and Alexander Cardia in the New York Times$ -- 3/14/26

China’s Edge in an Oil Shock: Electric Cars and Renewables -- As the price of oil soars to $100 a barrel and countries scramble to limit the fallout of the sudden loss of Middle East fuel, China has two significant advantages over its geopolitical rivals. Many of its new cars run on electricity. And that electricity is mostly powered by sources at home. Alexandra Stevenson and Murphy Zhao in the New York Times$ -- 3/14/26

TikTok Investors Set to Pay $10 Billion Fee to Trump Administration -- Investors in a deal to create a U.S.-controlled TikTok are set to pay $10 billion to the U.S. Treasury, the latest example of the Trump administration’s inserting the federal government into corporate deal making in unusual ways. Lauren Hirsch and Andrew Duehren in the New York Times$ -- 3/14/26