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A Realtime Snapshot of California Public Policy and Politics		  
 
     
 
 
 
 

Updating . . .

California Policy and Politics Thursday

Austin Beutner ends his run for L.A. mayor, a month after his daughter’s death -- Beutner, one of several candidates seeking to oust Mayor Karen Bass in the June 2 primary, made his announcement a month after the death of Emily Beutner, the youngest of his four children. David Zahniser in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/5/26

Tech entrepreneur enters L.A. mayor’s race, becoming the latest to take on Karen Bass -- Adam Miller, co-founder of Better Angels, a nonprofit focused on preventing homelessness and building affordable housing, filed paperwork on Wednesday to run against Mayor Karen Bass in the June 2 primary election. David Zahniser and Doug Smith in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/5/26

‘Woke up the sleeping giant’: Tech goes hard on California politics -- Tech donors are spending unprecedented sums to win ballot measure fights, place allies in the state Legislature and ensure Gov. Gavin Newsom is succeeded by another industry ally. Jeremy B. White and Christine Mui Politico -- 2/5/26

People are panicking about California’s ‘gas mileage tax.’ We’re nowhere close -- California legislators sparked worry and confusion on social media this week over a “gas mileage tax” — but the bill now before the state Senate would only require a report. Ariane Lange in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 2/5/26

 

S.F. teachers to strike starting Monday, source says -- San Francisco teachers notified district officials they would strike for the first time in decades after nearly a year of bargaining ended in a stalemate, according to a source familiar with the matter. Jill Tucker in the San Francisco Chronicle$ Joe Fitzgerald Rodriguez San Francisco Standard -- 02/05/26

Union leaders have a message for Newsom: Regulate AI if you want to be president -- If Gov. Gavin Newsom wants to be president of the United States then he must address artificial intelligence’s impact on workers. That’s the message sent today in Sacramento by members of the AFL-CIO, a union with a combined 2.3 million members. Khari Johnson Calmatters Tyler Katzenberger and Brock Hrehor Politico Katie King in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/5/26

California job losses slow in January as cuts surge nationwide -- Job losses surged across the nation in January amid big layoff announcements by big employers such as Amazon, but the pace slowed in California after a rough 2025. Laurence Darmiento in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/5/26

Moreno Valley votes against warehouse moratorium, bucking local trend -- Proponents argue that warehouses bring jobs to a region that has become dependent on the industry. Melissa Gomez, Gina Ferazzi in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/5/26

 

Supreme Court, with no dissents, rejects GOP challenge to California’s new election map -- The Supreme Court ruled Wednesday that California this fall may use its new election map, which is expected to send five more Democrats to Congress. David G. Savage in the Los Angeles Times$ Abbie VanSickle in the New York Times Justin Jouvenal in the Washington Post$ -- 2/5/26

Gavin Newsom’s red-state reading tour -- The California governor's foray into the South could demonstrate his popularity outside the coastal blue states — if he can pull in sizable crowds. Melanie Mason Politico -- 2/5/26

Huntington Beach to appeal voter ID cases to United States Supreme Court -- “Polls show that over 80% of the country supports the common-sense idea of requiring voter ID to vote in elections,” Huntington Beach Mayor Casey McKeon said in a statement. Matt Szabo in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/5/26

Nancy Pelosi rips Washington Post layoffs, Don Lemon arrest -- Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi condemned massive Washington Post layoffs, the arrest of journalist Don Lemon and other recent actions she said are eroding fundamental press freedoms while speaking to a room of reporters Wednesday evening at the Washington Press Club Foundation’s congressional dinner. Sara DiNatale in the San Francisco Chronicle$ Chris Stein in the Guardian -- 2/5/26

Kamala Harris launches online organizing hub for young voters -- Former Vice President Kamala Harris is jumping back into political organizing as questions swirl about whether she will make another run at the White House in 2028. Alexei Koseff in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 2/5/26

Walters: California’s once soaring population has hit a plateau. So will its national political clout -- The federal Census Bureau annually announces new population numbers for the country and its 50 states based on calculations of how births, deaths and migration have changed the numbers from July 1 to June 30 of the previous year. Dan Walters Calmatters -- 2/5/26

Newton: Los Angeles voters are moving ever leftward, shifting election politics in America’s second-largest city -- One trend is clear: Los Angeles leans ever further to the left, a phenomenon that has implications for this year’s elections, which include a mayor’s race along with campaigns for two other citywide offices and eight seats on the 15-member council that governs America’s second-largest city. Jim Newton Calmatters -- 2/5/26

 

Pro-ICE billboard removed from S.F.'s Fisherman's Wharf, officials say -- A billboard supporting Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents that appeared in San Francisco’s Fisherman’s Wharf ahead of the Superbowl was removed, according to the Fisherman’s Wharf Community Benefit District. Jessica Flores in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 2/5/26

The Long Goodbye: A California Couple Self-Deports to Mexico -- Enrique Castillejos and his wife, Maria Elena Hernandez, raised a family in California. But they were undocumented immigrants, and after President Trump’s crackdown began, they decided to return to Mexico. Orlando Mayorquín, Gabriela Bhaskar in the New York Times$ -- 2/5/26

L.A. archbishop holds ‘Mass for Peace’ as students protest Trump immigration policies -- Los Angeles Archbishop José H. Gomez celebrated what he called a “Mass for Peace” at Our Lady of the Angels on Wednesday, stopping just short of a direct appeal to the Trump administration to draw down its aggressive immigration enforcement efforts as protesters gathered blocks away. Sonja Sharp in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/5/26

From Boyle Heights to Koreatown, LAUSD students walk out to protest ICE raids -- Students at multiple Los Angeles Unified School District schools walked out on Wednesday to denounce federal immigration raids that continue to separate families and traumatize neighborhoods across LA. Alejandra Molina, Laura Anaya-Morga, Hanna Kang and Marina Peña LA Local -- 02/04/26

Lopez: How do you stand up to lies and brutality? Maybe you blow a whistle, for starters -- Actor Frank Clem says he has given away more than 1,500 whistles the last few weeks at anti-ICE rallies and demonstrations. If Trump were honest about rounding up violent criminals, we wouldn’t need this kind of resistance. Steve Lopez in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/5/26

UCLA fires a DEI leader over Charlie Kirk comments. Did his speech go too far? -- UCLA has fired a DEI director for comments he made after the fatal shooting of Charlie Kirk. First Amendment experts question whether such dismissals violate free speech protections for public employees’ off-duty commentary. Jaweed Kaleem in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/5/26

 

IOC continues to have ‘full trust’ in Casey Wasserman and L.A. Olympic committee -- The IOC expressed “full trust” in LA28 leadership despite controversy over LA28 chairman Casey Wasserman’s emails with Ghislaine Maxwell. Thuc Nhi Nguyen in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/5/26

California leaders decry Trump call to ‘nationalize’ election, say they’re ready to resist -- President Trump’s repeated calls to “nationalize” elections drew swift resistance from California officials this week, who said they are ready to fight should the federal government attempt to assert control over the state’s voting system. Ana Ceballos and Kevin Rector in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/5/26

Wildfire

In Palisades visit, Trump officials vow to speed up permits for fire rebuilding -- In a visit to Pacific Palisades on Wednesday, top White House officials vowed to take over and speed up building permitting, a core state and local function, for rebuilding after the Los Angeles wildfires. Hayley Smith in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/5/26

AI

Anthropic mocks ChatGPT ads in Super Bowl spot, vows Claude will stay ad-free -- Anthropic is using the 2026 Super Bowl spotlight to draw a sharp contrast with its biggest rival, OpenAI, vowing that its chatbot Claude will remain free of advertising even as ChatGPT prepares to test sponsored content. Aidin Vaziri in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 2/5/26

Water

Environmental, tribal groups slam Bay-Delta deal over weak flow rules -- Environmental groups and tribal communities submitted written comments to state water regulators this week reiterating that the proposed Bay-Delta water management plan weakens water protections and could open the door to ecosystem disaster. Chaewon Chung in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 2/5/26

Super Bowl LX

As NFL goes all in on sports gambling apps, Patriots player just says no after losing $90K -- The NFL is partnered up with sports gambling. But after experiences like that of New England Patriots WR Kayshon Boutte, that industry’s addictive apps are being decried for their impact on kids. Scott Ostler in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 2/5/26

The good, the bad and the $180 burger: What to eat (and avoid) at the Super Bowl -- The menu at Super Bowl LX will feature a giant sourdough cinnamon roll topped with spun sugar, Dungeness crab “potachos” and a $180 beef shank burger. Esther Mobley in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 2/5/26

Education

California wants colleges to count work experience for credit. How’s it going? -- California’s community colleges are now giving college credit for students’ previous work experiences. The state has a goal of rapidly expanding access to these credits, though tracking progress on that goal has been difficult so far. Adam Echelman Calmatters -- 2/5/26

What it means to be ‘ready’ for kindergarten in California -- About two-thirds of California’s 3- to 5-year-olds are on track to enter kindergarten, according to new federal data. But being ready for school involves a lot more than a child’s ability to count or recite their ABCs. Kate Sequeira and Makiya Seminera in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/5/26

Death Caps

‘No one warned us’: Toxic mushroom superbloom fuels California’s largest poisoning outbreak -- Death cap mushroom poisonings in California have reached record levels. Many of those poisoned are immigrants. Anna Bauman, Catherine Ho, David Hernandez in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 2/5/26

Street

Ten years of fentanyl: How the deadly drug still has San Francisco in its grip -- A decade after fentanyl first arrived, the city has made progress in preventing its worst impacts. Yet last year, more people died from the drug than the year before. David Sjostedt San Francisco Standard -- 02/05/26

Also

Graffiti towers agreement clears a path for clean up -- The skyscraper known as the Graffiti Towers — officially the Oceanwide Plaza development — has reached a bankruptcy exit agreement that paves the way for a potential sale, court records show. Iris Kwok in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/5/26

Dodgers plan to attend White House following latest World Series championship -- President Trump is planning to host the team but no date has been set for the ceremony, a White House official confirmed Thursday morning. Ana Ceballos and Ed Guzman in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/5/26

The latest plan for California high-speed rail: Connect it to Yosemite -- Political leaders in Merced are weighing a novel idea for high-speed rail: skip downtown, and link the train to Yosemite National Park. Rachel Swan in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 2/5/26

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Trump strips job protections for up to 50,000 federal workers -- The Trump administration finalized a new policy on Thursday that would strip job protections from up to 50,000 federal workers, a move that would make it easier for President Trump to remove or discipline them, in his latest effort to dismantle the federal work force. Eileen Sullivan in the New York Times$ Natalie Andrews in the Wall Street Journal$ -- 2/5/26

Amazon pulls ‘Melania’ after theater mocks film on marquee -- The controversy centered on marquee messages advertising the film’s opening, including “Does Melania wear Prada? Find out Friday” and a quote attributed to Sun Tzu: “To defeat your enemy, you must know them. Melania starts Friday.” Aidin Vaziri in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 2/5/26

Steve Bannon calls for Trump to deploy ICE and military troops to polling sites -- The Trump ally was one of few GOP voices to support the president’s push to nationalize voting. Jacob Wendler Politico -- 2/5/26

‘This job sucks’: Government lawyers, drowning in immigration cases, have had it -- Government lawyers say they’re overwhelmed and can’t get a response when they tell ICE to comply with judges’ orders. Kyle Cheney and Josh Gerstein Politico -- 2/5/26

Judge appears skeptical of Trump’s latest bid to nix his hush money conviction -- A federal judge appeared poised to again reject President Donald Trump’s bid to erase his hush money conviction, slamming his lawyers Wednesday for legal maneuvers he said amounted to taking “two bites at the apple.” Michael R. Sisak, Larry Neumeister Associated Press -- 2/5/26

A Trump ‘Blockade’ Is Stalling Hundreds of Wind and Solar Projects Nationwide -- Federal agencies are delaying approvals for renewable energy projects on both federal land and private property at a time when electricity demand is going up. Brad Plumer and Rebecca F. Elliott in the New York Times$ -- 2/5/26

This Supreme Court decision could upend millions in political spending ahead of the midterms. Here’s how the parties are preparing -- Democrats and Republicans are laying the groundwork to prepare for a Supreme Court ruling that could overhaul political fundraising forever. Elena Schneider and Andrew Howard Politico -- 2/5/26

 

California Policy and Politics Wednesday

Supreme Court, with no dissents, rejects GOP challenge to California’s new election map -- With no dissents, the justices rejected emergency appeals from California Republicans and President Trump’s lawyers, who claimed the map was a racial gerrymander to benefit Latinos, not a partisan effort to bolster Democrats. David G. Savage in the Los Angeles Times$ Bob Egelko in the San Francisco Chronicle$ Sharon Bernstein in the Sacramento Bee$ Lindsey Holden and Josh Gerstein Politico Mark Sherman Associated Press Abbie VanSickle in the New York Times$ Justin Jouvenal in the Washington Post$ -- 2/4/26

Bass directed watering down of Palisades fire after-action report, sources say -- Sources told The Times that Mayor Karen Bass was concerned about legal liabilities for failures in combating the Palisades fire. Bass wanted key findings about the Los Angeles Fire Department’s shortcomings removed or softened, the sources said. Paul Pringle and Alene Tchekmedyian in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/4/26

California leaders decry Trump call to ‘nationalize’ election, say they’re ready to resist -- “We would go into court and we would get a restraining order within hours, because the U.S. Constitution says that states predominantly determine the time, place and manner of elections, not the president.” Ana Ceballos and Kevin Rector in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/4/26

 

Billionaire Tom Steyer is vastly outspending his gubernatorial rivals so far -- Tom Steyer, the billionaire running for governor on an affordability platform, is vastly outspending his rivals in the race, but it has yet to denote him as a clear frontrunner. Andrew Graham in the in the Sacramento Bee$ Ethan Varian in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 2/4/26

Tax billionaires, cut rents and other takeaways from California’s first gubernatorial debate -- Six Democrats and one Republican on the stage in Newsom’s hometown of San Francisco took direct aim at the governor’s record on homelessness, efforts to ban the sale of new gas-powered cars and opposition to an anti-crime ballot measure that Californians overwhelmingly passed two years ago. Seema Mehta and Nicole Nixon in the Los Angeles Times$ Andrew Graham in the Sacramento Bee$ Grace Hase in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 2/4/26

Gavin Newsom sat by his mother during her assisted suicide, and came to terms with anger and grief -- The governor and potential presidential candidate spoke about his mother’s controversial decision to end her life and the impact it had on his political beliefs. Maeve Reston in the Washington Post$ -- 2/4/26

Daniel Lurie is still tapping into his personal wealth as S.F. mayor -- A new disclosure from Lurie shows he contributed about $430,000 of his personal funds into his mayoral campaign committee during the second half of last year. He spent the bulk of that money on a group of outside consultants he’s enlisted to help boost his profile and promote the narrative that San Francisco is on the upswing again. J.D. Morris in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 2/4/26

Candles and Driveways: San Francisco’s Mayor Focuses on the Little Things -- For a city known for its anything-goes ethos, for its embrace of letting your freak flag fly, the list of activities one could not legally do in San Francisco was remarkable. Heather Knight, Cayce Clifford in the New York Times$ -- 2/4/26

Garofoli: In his radically redrawn new district, a Marin congressman gets thrown to the wolves -- The Supreme Court has not yet signed off on California’s Proposition 50, which redrew the state’s congressional boundaries in order to boost the number of Democrats in Congress. But Rep. Jared Huffman is not waiting. Joe Garofoli in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 2/4/26

Federal agents are in S.F. during Super Bowl week. Here’s what they’re doing -- San Francisco officials on Tuesday provided some specifics about the role of federal agents during Super Bowl-related events, stressing that the agents will help local police with event security and public safety — and will not carry out immigration enforcement. David Hernandez in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 2/4/26

Bay Area counties trade immigrants’ personal data for millions of dollars -- A little-known Department of Justice program compensates California for incarcerating undocumented people. Critics say it violates state law. Jesse Alejandro Cottrell San Francisco Standard -- 02/04/26

‘Defensive player of the year: ICE.’ Billboard sparks outrage in S.F. ahead of Super Bowl-- A pro-ICE billboard appeared in a heavily trafficked part of San Francisco this week ahead of the Super Bowl, prompting an outcry from immigrant rights advocates in the city. Jessica Flores in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 2/4/26

California doctor sent abortion pills to Texas woman. Under a new law, her boyfriend is suing -- A California doctor this week became the first physician to be sued under a new Texas law that allows private citizens to pursue civil legal action against anyone who provides abortion medication in Texas. Hannah Fry in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/4/26

Workplace

SFUSD prepares for teacher strike, which could start next week with school closures possible -- After nearly a year of unsuccessful negotiations, San Francisco teachers are ready to strike, with district officials and labor leaders anticipating educators to be on picket lines instead of in classrooms starting Monday. Jill Tucker in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 2/4/26

Amazon to lay off nearly 800 workers across the Bay Area -- Notices filed with the California Employment Development Department showed that 769 employees in San Francisco and Silicon Valley are scheduled to be laid off effective April 28, marking one of the company’s largest local reductions in months. Aidin Vaziri in the San Francisco Chronicle$ George Avalos in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 2/4/26

Walters: Union leaders warn Newsom their campaign support hinges on his AI stance -- National labor union leaders, and those from California and early presidential primary states, are gathering in Sacramento this week to bluntly warn Gavin Newsom that union support for his 2028 presidential campaign hinges on protecting jobs from artificial intelligence. Dan Walters Calmatters -- 2/4/26

Water

A long-awaited California water policy promises balance. Opponents call it an ‘extinction plan’ -- California is on the cusp of adopting a sweeping plan to manage the ecologically stressed Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta, a move that Gov. Gavin Newsom deems “critical” to protecting state water supplies but critics are calling a major environmental setback. Kurtis Alexander in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 2/4/26

Epstein

Here’s where Jeffrey Epstein dined out — or tried to — in the Bay Area -- In the summer of 2015, the two-Michelin-star Baumé in Palo Alto closed for an exclusive dinner — whose planned attendees included Jeffrey Epstein, Elon Musk, Mark Zuckerberg, Peter Thiel and other prominent diners. Elena Kadvany in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 2/4/26

L.A. politicians call on Casey Wasserman to resign from Olympics committee -- LA28 Olympics committee Chair Casey Wasserman faced calls from L.A. officials Tuesday to resign following revelations about racy emails he exchanged with convicted sex offender Ghislaine Maxwell. Dakota Smith in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/4/26

Super Bowl LX

Super Bowl security ramps up as ICE fears shadow the festivities -- When the Seattle Seahawks and the New England Patriots kick off Super Bowl LX on Sunday, tens of thousands of spectators at Levi’s Stadium, and hundreds of millions more around the world, will be watching intently. Robert Salonga and Caelyn Pender in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 2/4/26

HSR

Some California high-speed rail records could remain secret under proposed law -- California created an inspector general to monitor its long-delayed high-speed rail project. Now, one lawmaker wants to allow that office to withhold some investigative records from the public. Yue Stella Yu Calmatters -- 2/4/26

Wildfire

Palisades fire victims will see building permit fee relief during recovery -- The Los Angeles City Council on Tuesday signed off on a plan to give financial relief to Palisades fire victims who are seeking to rebuild, endorsing it nearly 10 months after Mayor Karen Bass first announced it. David Zahniser in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/4/26

Environment

All of Catalina’s deer will be killed to restore the island’s ecosystem -- California wildlife officials have approved a plan to eradicate Catalina’s entire deer population as part of a broader effort to restore the island ecosystem, sparking fierce opposition from an unusual coalition of hunters and animal welfare advocates. Lila Seidman in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/4/26

Homeless

L.A. County cuts nearly $200 million in homeless services to close budget gap -- Though county voters in 2024 approved a sales tax increase to combat the homelessness crisis, county officials said they faced a more than $270 million budget gap to maintain current homeless service operations. Andrew Khouri in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/4/26

Housing

New transit housing bill revives California’s Democratic divisions over local control -- A bill to close a loophole in a landmark housing law to make it clear which cities are affected has Democratic lawmakers divided again about the state’s role in telling cities where to build. Nadia Lathan Calmatters -- 2/4/26

Education

Sacramento area schools preparing for ‘worst-case scenario’ of ICE on campus -- Parents and educators say they are braced for conflict. Staff at school districts across California are prohibited from assisting immigration enforcement, except in specified circumstances, based on multiple state laws. Savannah Kuchar KVIE Abridged -- 02/04/26

Street

Statewide human trafficking crackdown led to hundreds of arrests, L.A. authorities say -- Authorities in Los Angeles on Tuesday touted the results of a statewide crackdown on human trafficking, announcing the arrests of more than 600 suspects and saying more than 170 victims were rescued as part of the operation. Salvador Hernandez in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/4/26

Defending Sheriff’s Department against lawsuits cost L.A. County more than $100 million -- The county spent $229 million on legal payouts and lawyer bills last fiscal year. Nearly half of that money — $112 million — went to defend the Sheriff’s Department against lawsuits, a 12% uptick from the year before. Rebecca Ellis in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/4/26

Also

L.A. stopped a couple from demolishing Marilyn Monroe’s home. Now, they’re suing -- The city designated the 1920s mansion a historic cultural monument in 2024 after Monroe fans and historians urged its preservation as a cultural landmark. Jack Flemming in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/4/26

Washington Post Begins Laying Off More Than 300 Journalists -- The layoffs will cut into The Post’s local, international and sports coverage, and reduce the number of all its employees by about 30 percent. Benjamin Mullin, Katie Robertson and Erik Wemple in the New York Times$ -- 2/4/26

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Homeland Security is targeting Americans with this secretive legal weapon -- IHomeland Security had come after him with what’s known as an administrative subpoena, a powerful legal tool that, unlike the ones people are most familiar with, federal agencies can issue without an order from a judge or grand jury. John Woodrow Cox in the Washington Post$ -- 2/4/26

With just 10 days to negotiate, a DHS shutdown appears inevitable -- Congress has 10 days to prevent another shutdown — this one exclusively affecting the Department of Homeland Security. There’s not much optimism about a deal. Jordain Carney, Meredith Lee Hill and Mia McCarthy Politico -- 2/4/26

How Stephen Miller Stokes Trump’s Boundary-Pushing Impulses -- The White House aide has been an architect of aggressive immigration sweeps in U.S. cities and deadly boat strikes in the Caribbean. Josh Dawsey and Tarini Parti in the Wall Street Journal$ -- 2/4/26

U.S. citizens shot at, dragged by immigration agents, testify before congressional Democrats -- One of the brothers of Renee Good, the 37-year-old mother of three who was shot and killed by an immigration agent in Minneapolis, told congressional Democrats on Tuesday that he needed their help. Andrea Castillo in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/4/26

Trump Doubles Down on Calls for Republicans to Nationalize Elections -- President says federal government agents should be involved in counting votes, a role the Constitution explicitly grants to states. Ken Thomas in the Wall Street Journal$ Erica L. Green, Michael Gold and Robert Jimison in the New York Times$ -- 2/4/26

Trump Says He Seeks $1 Billion ‘in Damages’ From Harvard -- President Trump said he is seeking $1 billion in damages from Harvard University, the latest escalation in his administration’s fight with the institution over alleged antisemitism. Gareth Vipers in the Wall Street Journal$ -- 2/4/26