Rough & Tumble ®
A Realtime Snapshot of California Public Policy and Politics		  
 
       
 
 
 
 

California Policy and Politics Sunday

‘We reject this’: Hundreds in S.F. march against U.S.-Israeli attacks on Iran -- Less than 24 hours after the United States and Israel launched a wave of missile strikes against Iran, hundreds of protesters blocked off a downtown San Francisco street Saturday to demonstrate against escalation abroad. Lucy Hodgman in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 3/1/26

For the Iranian diaspora in US, hope for a ‘Berlin Wall moment’ -- The Los Angeles area is home to more than one-third of the nearly 400,000 Iranian immigrants in the United States. And Tehrangeles, the nickname for the West LA neighborhood that is a hub of Iranian-American businesses and homes, erupted in noisy celebration on Saturday, with some supporters of Donald Trump claiming vindication. Melanie Mason Politico Corinne Purtill, Genaro Molina in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/1/26

Bay Area Iranian community divided after Supreme Leader Khamenei killed in U.S.-Israel strike -- Iranian-Americans across the Bay Area reacted with shock, fear and celebration Saturday after President Donald Trump announced that U.S. and Israeli forces had killed Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in a major military strike — a claim that was later confirmed by Iranian state media. Molly Gibbs, Caelyn Pender and Grant Stringer in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 3/1/26

Newsom blasts Trump over Iran strikes: ‘Weakness masquerading as strength’ -- The California governor, a likely 2028 Democratic presidential contender, said Trump is trying to distract voters from his failures “across the spectrum” and accused Trump of “doubling down on stupid” during his State of the Union speech earlier this week. Dustin Gardiner Politico -- 3/1/26

California leaders condemn Trump for deadly ‘war of choice’ against Iran -- Gov. Gavin Newsom, both U.S. senators and several other top officials who released statements on social media Saturday acknowledged what Newsom described as a “corrupt and repressive Iranian regime,” but said it didn’t justify the risks to American lives. Megan Cassidy in the San Francisco Chronicle$ Nicole Buss in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 3/1/26

 

Newsom defends Trump-like tactics to counter president at S.F. event -- Gov. Gavin Newsom has spent a lot of time criticizing President Donald Trump for breaking the law, but on Saturday, journalist Kara Swisher pointed out it was Newsom’s law-breaking by marrying gay couples as San Francisco mayor that put him on the political map. Sophia Bollag in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 3/1/26

Surveillance company Flock generates controversy — and a roster of L.A. clients -- Flock Safety has not only marketed its plate readers to law enforcement as a vital crime-fighting tool, but aggressively pitched its product to private citizens. Libor Jany in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/1/26

A powerful Wine Country family is trying to kill the SMART train with a book -- This book makes the case that taxpayer support should end for a 48-mile long passenger rail system connecting the Bay Area’s fifth largest city with small cities and towns across two counties. Julie Johnson in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 3/1/26

Dueling MAGA, Raza groups gather Saturday at Disneyland -- Amid the start of an apparent war between the United States and Iran, dueling political groups descended Saturday on the Happiest Place on Earth: Disneyland. Laurence Darmiento in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/1/26

California legislators, on both sides of the aisle, call for federal wildfire disaster aid for Southern California -- The California Assembly this week called on President Donald Trump and Congress to send $34 billion in supplemental disaster aid to help Southern California wildfire victims more than a year after the catastrophic Palisades and Eaton fires. Linh Tat in the Orange County Register$ -- 3/1/26

San Diego County hires D.C. lobbying firm to push federal action on Tijuana River sewage crisis -- The County of San Diego has hired a Washington, D.C.-based law firm to lobby federal officials on the Tijuana River sewage crisis, a contract worth up to $637,200 over five years, according to county records. Walker Armstrong in the San Diego Union Tribune -- 3/1/26

Workplace

AI could reshape 410,000 local jobs. Who benefits and who doesn’t? -- Nearly 410,000 jobs in the region include tasks artificial intelligence can perform, according to the latest Silicon Valley Index, the annual report produced by think tank Joint Venture Silicon Valley. While many of those roles are expected to evolve rather than disappear, others could shrink as companies deploy systems that write code, draft legal documents, design marketing campaigns and analyze data in minutes. Ethan Baron in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 3/1/26

The Week the Dreaded AI Jobs Wipeout Got Real -- The blowback was quick and severe. After Block CEO Jack Dorsey announced that his financial-technology firm was laying off 4,000 people, text threads between workers outside Block erupted, while executives began furiously dissecting the move. And then, they went public. “Square is just the beginning,” former Meta and Salesforce executive Clara Shih warned on X. Chip Cutter in the Wall Street Journal$ -- 3/1/26

Housing

In California, About the Only Way to Get a House Is to Inherit One -- Inheritance is one of the last reliable ways for younger Californians to own their first home. About 18% of all property transfers in the state last year, representing nearly 60,000 homes, were made through inheritance, according to a recent analysis by real-estate data firm Cotality. Nicole Friedman and Veronica Dagher in the Wall Street Journal$ -- 3/1/26

Develop

Proposed waterfront tower could test California’s power to override S.F. height restrictions -- In 2014 San Francisco voters delivered a strong message at the ballot box: No tall buildings on the waterfront without our approval. J.K. Dineen in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 3/1/26

Also

A new delivery bot is coming to L.A., built stronger to survive in these streets -- The rolling robots that deliver groceries and hot meals across Los Angeles are getting an upgrade. Coco Robotics, a UCLA-born startup that’s deployed more than 1,000 bots across the country, unveiled its next-generation machines on Thursday. Caroline Petrow-Cohen in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/1/26

POTUS 47

3 U.S. service members killed in Iran operation, military says; Tehran vows to avenge Khamenei -- Three U.S. service members were killed in action and five were seriously wounded, Central Command said Sunday morning, the first reported U.S. casualties in the joint attack with Israel on Iran. The item is in the Washington Post$ Aaron Boxerman, Farnaz Fassihi, Zolan Kanno-Youngs and Ronen Bergman in the New York Times$ -- 3/1/26

Trump Stays Out of Public View After U.S. Launches Military Assault on Iran -- Mr. Trump did not scramble back to the White House from Mar-a-Lago, his private club and residence in Palm Beach, Fla., to oversee the U.S. and Israeli strikes. He did not deliver a televised address informing the public of the killing of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who was the nation’s supreme leader for nearly four decades. Instead, the president was set to cap an extraordinary day of U.S. aggression abroad by attending a glitzy fund-raising dinner at his club. Zolan Kanno-Youngs in the New York Times$ -- 3/1/26

Barabak: With midterm vote starting, here’s where things stand in national redistricting fight -- President Trump set off a partisan battle that spread to more than a dozen states, including California. Republican control of the House — and Trump’s largely unfettered power — is dangling by a thread. Mark Z. Barabak in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/1/26

San Francisco Ballet Pulls Out of Kennedy Center Performances -- The ballet company, one of the country’s most prestigious, had been under pressure to cancel its shows amid President Trump’s takeover of the performing arts center. Julia Jacobs in the New York Times$ Aidin Vaziri in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 3/1/26

Trump’s Iran strikes risk hitting American pocketbooks if they last -- Oil prices are the immediate concern. Brent crude, the global benchmark, rose more than 12 percent to $73 per barrel in the past month as traders priced in the risk of Saturday’s U.S.-led assault. Even a short war would likely drive oil to $80 and send U.S. gasoline prices higher, analysts said. David J. Lynch in the Washington Post$ -- 3/1/26

 

California Policy and Politics Saturday

Democrats, and a few Republicans, push for war powers vote over U.S. attack on Iran -- Democrats are pushing for a vote next week on a resolution to curtail President Trump’s authority to conduct strikes in Iran, a move that would reassert Congress’ role in approving the use of military might. Eric Wasson Bloomberg in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/28/26

San Diego-based carrier USS Abraham Lincoln a key player in U.S., Israel attack on Iran -- The United States’ joint attack with Israel against Iran deeply involves San Diego’s USS Abraham Lincoln, one of the most distinguished and technologically advanced nuclear-powered aircraft carriers in the world and a veteran of major wars in the Middle East. Gary Robbins in the San Diego Union Tribune -- 2/28/26

Feds kick off analysis of expanding offshore drilling in California -- Another step has been taken in the Trump administration’s efforts to expand offshore drilling in California — but the process is still in its early stages, and it’s not clear if oil companies are interested in building new platforms off the coast of the Golden State. Rob Nikolewski in the San Diego Union Tribune -- 2/28/26

L.A. City Council should expand to 25 members, charter reform commission says -- On a 9-2 vote, the commission backed the council expansion, with supporters saying that smaller ethnic groups, including Black and Asian American and Pacific Islander residents, would be better represented. Melissa Gomez in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/28/26

Water

Little snow in California and the West as a warm winter nears end -- February storms brought fresh snow to the Sierra Nevada, but California’s snowpack remains far smaller than average during a winter that has brought record warmth across much of the West. California water officials said Friday that the Sierra snowpack is at 66% of average for this time of year. Ian James in the Los Angeles Times$ Chaewon Chung in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 2/28/26

Sacramento water agencies get full initial Central Valley Project supply -- Urban water agencies that get Central Valley Project supplies from the Sacramento and American rivers are set to receive 100% of their contracted water. Irrigation water service contractors — or agricultural water users — on the Sacramento River are also getting their full contracted amounts. Chaewon Chung in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 2/28/26

Workplace

Abrupt Change for Warner Bros. Prompts Many Grim Faces -- Employees at the company had started to warm to the idea of Netflix as its corporate owner. Now they face the prospect of major cuts under Paramount. Brooks Barnes and John Koblin in the New York Times$ -- 2/28/26

Power, politics and a $2.8-billion exit: How Paramount topped Netflix to win Warner Bros. -- The morning after Netflix clinched its deal to buy Warner Bros., Paramount Skydance Chairman David Ellison assembled a war room of trusted advisors, including his billionaire father, Larry Ellison. Meg James in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/28/26

More than $100 million for transportation projects in jeopardy amid L.A. budget woes -- Four years ago, Boyle Heights and Skid Row had something to celebrate: state grants to build new sidewalks and protected bike lanes. But now, more than $100 million from the state for the transportation projects in some of the neediest parts of Los Angeles is in jeopardy because city officials say they don’t have enough staff to complete the projects. Melissa Gomez in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/28/26

 

Two women convicted of stalking ICE agent during Los Angeles immigration protests -- Two Los Angeles protesters were convicted late Friday of stalking a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent after they followed him to his Baldwin Park home. James Queally and Brittny Mejia in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/28/26

Following CalMatters investigation, Congress finds data brokers cost consumers tens of billions of dollars -- Breaches at data brokers have cost American consumers more than $20 billion, Congress’s Joint Economic Committee revealed Friday as part of an investigation triggered by CalMatters and The Markup. The estimated losses stem from identity theft linked to just four recent data breaches involving major brokers, the committee said in a report. Colin Lecher Calmatters -- 2/28/26

Education

From S.F. to L.A., California schools lose millions in attendance funds tied to vaccination rates -- California schools lost more than $2.2 million in state funding over two years because some students did not have all the vaccinations required by state law, according to data obtained by EdSource from the California State Controller’s Office. Diana Lambert EdSource in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 2/28/26

Avalanche

‘Avalanche!’: Survivors Recount the Tragedy at Perry’s Peak -- The blizzard blew so fierce that the skier at the head of the line kept disappearing into a whiteout. The winds were gusting over 50 miles per hour. Almost four feet of fresh powder had piled up and more was falling every minute. Dave Philipps, Bora Erden, Marco Hernandez and Amy Graff in the New York Times$ -- 2/28/26

POTUS 47

For Trump, the Iran Attack Is the Ultimate War of Choice -- There was no immediate threat from Iran. But the president saw a chance to push a weakened government over the edge, and is betting he can spark a popular uprising. David E. Sanger in the New York Times$ -- 2/28/26

In Trump’s Case for War, a Series of False or Unproven Claims -- As they made their public case this week for another American military campaign against Iran, President Trump and his aides asserted that Iran has restarted its nuclear program, has enough available nuclear material to build a bomb within days, and is developing long-range missiles that will soon be capable of hitting the United States. All three of these claims are either false or unproven. Mark Mazzetti, Edward Wong, David E. Sanger and Julian E. Barnes in the New York Times$ -- 2/28/26

Trump’s unprovoked attack on Iran has no mandate – or legal basis -- The first war of Donald Trump’s Board of Peace era has begun – an unprovoked attempt at regime change in collaboration with Israel, with no legal foundation, launched in the midst of diplomatic efforts to avert conflict, and with minimal consultation with Congress or the American public. Julian Borger in The Guardian -- 2/28/26

Trump orders federal agencies to stop using Anthropic’s AI after clash with Pentagon -- President Trump on Friday directed federal agencies to stop using technology from San Francisco artificial intelligence company Anthropic, escalating a high-profile clash between the AI startup and the Pentagon over safety. Queenie Wong in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/28/26

‘Attempted corporate murder’: Trump’s threats against Anthropic chill AI industry -- The high-stakes standoff between the Trump administration and artificial intelligence startup Anthropic is sparking fears in Silicon Valley, on Capitol Hill and across K Street of a fundamental shift in the balance of power between Washington and the AI industry. Brendan Bordelon Politico -- 2/28/26

The hypothetical nuclear attack that escalated the Pentagon’s showdown with Anthropic -- Start-up Anthropic and the U.S. military are careening toward a clash over government use of artificial intelligence — and whether it should be allowed to kill. Ian Duncan, Elizabeth Dwoskin and Tara Copp in the Washington Post$ -- 2/28/26