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California Policy and Politics Monday

Newsom signs bills to regulate data center industry, criticizes Trump for inaction -- California’s growing data center industry will have more oversight after Gov. Gavin Newsom signed seven bills to regulate the industry’s electricity costs and track water consumption. Dakota Smith, Blanca Begert and Ian James in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 9/21/26

Helicopter crashes in Yosemite National Park while fighting wildfire, killing two -- Crash occurred while making water bucket drops on the Dome Fire, which has burned 3,047 acres. Paul Rogers in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 9/21/26

 

Paramount Settles States’ Antitrust Suit, Clearing Way for Warner Megadeal -- Paramount has reached a settlement with state attorneys general, clearing the way for its $81 billion merger with Warner Bros. Discovery. A dozen states led by California’s attorney general sued in July to block the deal, arguing it would create too much market concentration. Under the agreement, Paramount will avoid having to sell cable channels. Jessica Toonkel in the Wall Street Journal$ Benjamin Mullin, David McCabe, Shawn Hubler and Laurel Rosenhall in the New York Times$ -- 9/21/26

 

California declares statewide emergency ahead of epic El Niño storms -- Gov. Newsom has declared a statewide emergency for California in anticipation of this winter’s El Niño-fueled storms, a new sign of growing worry about costal flooding and high waves expected in the coming months. Joseph Serna in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 9/21/26

Despite court wins, California election war with Trump rages on -- Los Angeles County has received multiple subpoenas seeking voter information, which appear to be part of a nationwide effort by Homeland Security officials to identify noncitizens who have illegally voted. Kevin Rector in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 9/21/26

Skelton: Three ballot measures on housing, medical research but only one no-brainer -- One is a no-brainer “yes.” It would help middle-class Californians buy a new home by allowing them to borrow most of the down payment. And it wouldn’t cost taxpayers a dime. That’s Proposition 37. George Skelton in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 9/21/26

Workplace

Newsom cites pension crisis as he vetoes bill to enhance retirement for police and firefighters -- Gov. Gavin Newsom rejected a bill to lower the retirement age and sweeten pension perks for police and firefighters despite overwhelming support in the Legislature. Adam Ashton Calmatters -- 9/21/26

Campus jobs for undocumented students blocked by Newsom veto -- Advocates and student leaders had pushed for the bill, saying that campus jobs and internships are crucial for undocumented students’ futures. UC and CSU remained neutral on the bill. Jaweed Kaleem in the Los Angeles Times$ Mikhail Zinshteyn Calmatters -- 9/21/26

OpenAI’s San Francisco empire could grow with another major office deal in the works -- Even as OpenAI’s Sam Altman joins calls for guardrails on the pace of artificial intelligence development, the company’s appetite for physical expansion — and the real estate it needs to support its growth — shows no sign of slowing. Laura Waxmann in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 9/21/26

Jedi-themed protest outside Lucas Museum targets L.A. Olympics over worker rights -- The coalition of more than 80 unions and various community groups is pushing for living wage jobs, new housing units and protections for immigrant workers. Cerys Davies in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 9/21/26

AI

In the heart of tech country, voters turn on AI -- California voters overwhelmingly say advanced AI is likely a threat to humans, according to a new poll by Politico and its partners. Tyler Katzenberger Politico -- 9/21/26

U.S. proposes AI incident alert system in talks with China -- The United States and China are considering a “notification mechanism” to monitor national security incidents involving artificial intelligence, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said Sunday night. Riley Beggin in the Washington Post$ -- 9/21/26

This document helps courts decide who goes to prison. AI may soon help write it in San Diego -- The county wants to build an AI model to help write hundreds of reports every month for county probation officers, handing over to AI a role in the creation of a key document courts rely upon when they sentence defendants. Lucas Robinson in the San Diego Union Tribune -- 9/21/26

Why some musicians aren’t happy about labels signing AI deals with platforms -- The deals promise artists a choice and a cut, but payout terms are undisclosed and label contracts may limit that choice. Sony and Universal are still suing Suno, and musicians, session players and songwriter groups are challenging the deals. Cerys Davies in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 9/21/26

This A.I. House Can Provide You With Connections. It Also Has a Dark Side -- Group tech houses have proliferated across the San Francisco Bay Area in the artificial intelligence boom. One of the most prominent has also racked up an extensive police record. Kirsten Grind in the New York Times$ -- 9/21/26

Data Center

Major S.F. waterfront site may become 160,000-square-foot data center -- A little-known real estate firm seeking to build data centers appears to have quietly eyed one of San Francisco’s largest remaining privately held industrial properties on the central waterfront. Laura Waxmann in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 9/21/26

Housing

Propositions 1 and 37 put $36 billion to housing effort -- One initiative funds new affordable homes while another will sell bonds to lend money to homebuyers. Ethan Varian in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 9/21/26

Education

California community colleges can offer up to 12 new bachelor’s degrees under laws Newsom signed -- A set of bills signed into law by Gov. Gavin Newsom Friday aims to rein in the topsy-turvy expansion of bachelor’s degrees at California community colleges. Mikhail Zinshteyn Calmatters -- 9/21/26

Street

Armed suspect killed in shootout with Placer deputies after all-night Iowa Hill manhunt -- In the darkness early Monday, tactical teams moved through the steep, heavily forested terrain of Placer County’s Sierra foothills toward an armed murder suspect accused of killing a woman, ramming a patrol car and firing on deputies during a sprawling manhunt that also kept firefighters from battling a nearby wildfire. Daniel Hunt and Nicole Buss in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 9/21/26

Also

Anti-abortion advocates say it’s possible to ‘reverse’ an abortion. California wants them to stop -- Anti-abortion advocates promote a disputed hormonal treatment as a way to reverse the effects of the abortion pill. State lawyers say there’s no credible evidence backing those claims and accuse advocates of false advertising. Kristen Hwang Calmatters -- 9/21/26

Aircraft makes first cross-country autonomous flight, from Bay Area to North Carolina -- A white utility aircraft swept past the Golden Gate Bridge this month, beginning a nearly 3,200-mile journey that its maker says became the first autonomous flight across the United States. The aircraft traveled from Concord to the Outer Banks of North Carolina without assistance from its onboard safety pilot, Santa Cruz-based transportation company Joby Aviation announced Friday. Brooke Park in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 9/21/26

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Trump heads into a week of diplomacy, hampered by a lack of allies -- At the United Nations on Tuesday and in meetings with China’s Xi Jinping on Thursday, the president will largely stand alone. Michael Birnbaum in the Washington Post$ -- 9/21/26

Wave of Setbacks Leaves Trump Frustrated and Looking for Credit -- But his frustrations reached a fever pitch on Friday, when one of his closest aides, Natalie Harp, showed him clips of anchors on the cable network MS NOW criticizing his administration, according to people familiar with the matter. Hours later, Trump banned the network and two other news organizations from the White House. Brian Schwartz, Meridith McGraw and Alexander Ward in the Wall Street Journal$ -- 9/21/26

CNN, MS NOW and Politico say they’re suing over denied White House access -- The three outlets made the announcement in a joint statement posted on X, two days after their reporters were blocked from the White House and prevented from doing their jobs. Jocelyn Noveck Associated Press Stephen Battaglio in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 9/21/26

Major TV networks decline White House pool duties -- The nation’s major television networks are declining to participate in White House pool duties moving forward in response to the Trump administration’s decision to bar CNN, MS NOW and POLITICO from the White House, Fox News Washington Bureau Chief Bryan Boughton wrote in an email to TV pool subscribers. Ben Johansen and Megan Messerly Politico Gareth Vipers and Isabella Simonetti in the Wall Street Journal$ Scott Nover in the Washington Post$ Erik Wemple in the New York Times$ -- 9/21/26

Trump Gets Caught in a Dilemma Over a Saudi Plea for Military Help -- The president vacillated but decided on Sunday not to join Saudi Arabia, for now, in joint strikes against the Houthis in Yemen. But he also needs the kingdom’s cooperation in his war against Iran. Helene Cooper, Eric Schmitt, Jonathan Swan and Maggie Haberman in the New York Times$ -- 9/21/26

Trump says his planned arch would become a ‘military complex’ able to host drones and snipers -- It is one more example of how Trump is insisting that his initiatives to beautify the White House and the city are also serving a defensive purpose. Trump has been calling the new White House ballroom a “military complex” and arguing it is necessary for national security purposes. Seung Min Kim Associated Press -- 9/20/26

 

California Policy and Politics Sunday

Person with measles rode Amtrak through six California counties, officials say -- Public health officials are sounding the alarm after an unvaccinated Amtrak passenger who traveled across the U.S., including a stop at Union Station last weekend, was hospitalized with measles. Iris Kwok in the Los Angeles Times$ St. John Barned-Smith in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 9/20/26

 

California Republicans walk a tightrope as Trump jumps into midterms campaigning -- The four California Republicans running in the state’s most competitive U.S. House races, plus a fifth opposing a fellow Republican in a close contest, are appearing to keep some distance from Trump as they campaign ahead of the Nov. 3 election. Ana Ceballos and Justine McDaniel in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 9/20/26

Newsom rejects effort to roll back CEQA exemptions for advanced manufacturing -- Senate Bill 954 would have rolled back parts of last year’s controversial overhaul of CEQA that allowed for advanced manufacturing facilities to be sited in communities without environmental review. Hayley Smith in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 9/20/26

Newsom signs bill barring other states from sending National Guard troops to California -- Senate Bill 1354, by Sen. Bob Archuleta, D-Pico Rivera (Los Angeles County), seeks to insulate California from possible National Guard deployments ordered by other states, including by governors friendly to the Trump administration. Kathryn Palmer in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 9/20/26

Newsom signs bills to shield California elections from Trump interference, increase transparency -- Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a sweeping package of election-security bills Saturday, vowing California will block any attempts by Donald Trump and law enforcement allies to meddle with November’s vote. Nicole Nixon in the Los Angeles Times$ Laurel Rosenhall in the New York Times$ -- 9/20/26

California Cracks Down on Influencers’ Undisclosed Political Ads -- Under a new law, creators could face fines of $5,000 per post if they don’t disclose that they were paid to make political content. Ken Bensinger in the New York Times$ -- 9/20/26

 

Seeking reelection, L.A. Mayor Bass calls herself ‘an activist fighting for change’ -- A former state Assembly speaker and member of Congress, Bass became the city’s first female mayor in 2022, when she defeated billionaire developer Rick Caruso. David Zahniser, Christina House in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 9/20/26

Raman says she’s running for L.A. mayor because the city is ‘really, really struggling’ -- Councilmember Nithya Raman, a tenants’-rights champion and homelessness advocate, touts sweeping renter protections and encampment reductions in Hollywood as she pivots from council shakeups to a high-stakes challenge to Mayor Karen Bass. Noah Goldberg, Christina House in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 9/20/26

 

Barabak: The worst, most vile candidate in Texas isn’t who you might think -- Bo French, a GOP candidate for Texas’ powerful Railroad Commission, is under fire for racist posts targeting Asian American students celebrating a dramatic football win. Mark Z. Barabak in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 9/20/26

Insurance

California’s property insurance deserts are spreading to low-risk fire areas -- California’s home insurance crisis is spilling from high-fire zones into new Inland Empire suburbs, where even low-risk buyers struggle to secure full coverage on newly built, “affordable” houses. Paige St. John, Robert Gauthier in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 9/20/26

From Watts to L.A. wildfires: The rise of California’s troubled FAIR Plan -- New research shows capped rates and political pressure skew costs, leaving low-risk communities like Coalinga subsidizing high-value, fire-prone enclaves from Pacific Palisades to luxury tracts outside Roseville. Paige St. John in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 9/20/26

California home insurance is about to see a major overhaul -- Two new laws signed by Gov. Gavin Newsom could make California the first state to regulate how contamination must be identified and removed from homes after wildfires, and when insurance companies must pay for it. Megan Fan Munce, Susie Neilson in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 9/20/26

HOA Fees

California is set to pass a law that could trigger massive wave of HOA fee hikes -- Assembly Bill 2050, which passed the state Legislature early this month, would require HOAs to keep a 30-year reserve fund. Starting in 2032, if an association’s reserves would run out of money at any point in that period, the HOA would have to put at least 15% of its annual budget toward the reserve until its projections are in the black. Christian Leonard in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 9/20/26

Housing

Bureaucratic feud over hefty fee could stymie housing projects in San Diego -- Efforts to boost housing construction in San Diego have hit a potential setback: the San Diego Housing Commission refuses to stop charging a hefty fee that discourages developers by making projects more expensive. David Garrick in the San Diego Union Tribune -- 9/20/26

Marketplace

How California tech turned thrifted clothes into fashion’s hottest status symbol -- California resale platforms from San Francisco to Oakland have turned thrifted clothing into a high-fashion, high-tech industry, helping drive a $240-billion secondhand market that’s growing far faster than retail. Annika Duneja in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 9/20/26

The fall of once-mighty McClatchy newspapers underscores California’s news crisis -- The union that represents McClatchy journalists said that more than 90 unionized journalists and media workers across 17 publications had been laid off. Suhauna Hussain in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 9/20/26

Walters: Sacramento Bee slashes staff as Gov. Gavin Newsom weighs state aid for news outlets -- When I and this column moved from the Sacramento Union to the Sacramento Bee 42 years ago, it was something of a culture shock. The two newspapers had been cross-town rivals ever since both were founded, just a few years after the discovery of gold and California’s admission as a state. Dan Walters Calmatters -- 9/20/26

Workplace

Newsom signs California’s first standalone post-production tax credit -- In another push to revitalize California’s film and TV industry, Gov. Gavin Newsom on Saturday signed the state’s first standalone post-production tax incentive. Cerys Davies in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 9/20/26

Transit

The Bay Area faces a transit reckoning. Will voters pay to keep it running? -- The fate of the Bay Area’s struggling public transit system could rest on a decision before voters in November: whether to approve a sales tax rate increase to fund transportation agencies that have warned of significant service cuts and station closures without a new revenue stream. Grace Hase in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 9/20/26

Education

Community colleges will be able to grant more bachelor’s degrees under law signed by Newsom -- California community colleges will be able to offer bachelor’s degrees that duplicate programs at California State University and University of California schools, clearing the way for the biggest change in decades to degree-granting authority at the state’s public university systems, under legislation approved Friday by Gov. Gavin Newsom. Jaweed Kaleem in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 9/20/26

UC temporarily blocked from enforcing transgender name and pronoun rules -- In a conservative win, campus members of an education advocacy organization may refer to transgender people using names and pronouns that are not consistent with that individual’s gender identity, according to a federal court ruling that restricts University of California anti-harassment policies. Jaweed Kaleem in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 9/20/26

Climate

Fight intensifies over the fate of homes falling into the sea -- California homeowners are building a costly rock wall to hold back the ocean, escalating a battle over private property and what to do about years-long beach erosion amid storm damage and higher tides. Hannah Knowles in the Washington Post$ -- 9/20/26

Lopez: We don’t need AI to threaten the future of humanity. We’ve got Trump’s climate policies -- Trump has gutted environmental protections and scientific research, and dismantled clean energy initiatives. Activists of all ages are organizing events to promote sustainability, biodiversity and other environmental causes. Steve Lopez in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 9/20/26

Street

Sikh trucker from Sacramento released from Wyoming hospital after unprovoked stabbing -- Gurvinder Singh, 28, was in the bathroom of a rest stop near Rock Springs last Sunday when the assailant approached him from behind with a knife, officials said. A suspect, identified as Andrew Kris Bzdak, was arrested shortly afterward and has been charged with attempted first-degree murder, police said. Megan Cassidy in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 9/20/26

POTUS 47

How President Trump Broke the Kennedy Center -- Internal emails and documents demonstrate the political capture of the institution, including how officials once pursued a plan to unload much of the art collection. Elizabeth Williamson and Julia Jacobs in the New York Times$ -- 9/20/26

Tech industry scratches its head over Trump 'AI Force' proposal -- The tech industry is struggling to make sense of President Donald Trump’s surprise announcement that he is creating an artificial intelligence task force and appointing a czar to oversee the administration’s approach to the technology. Owen Dahlkamp and Brendan Bordelon Politico -- 9/20/26

Trump Faced Loss After Loss. He Then Turned to a Familiar Target: The Press -- President Trump’s grabs for power kept falling short, and he appeared ready to turn to a familiar target. Zolan Kanno-Youngs in the New York Times$ -- 9/20/26

Inside the White House media ban -- Many senior staff were surprised by the directive, which happened while chief of staff Susie Wiles was out of town, and weren’t aware it was coming until they saw the post, according to three people close to the White House with knowledge of conversations in the West Wing. Dasha Burns, Will Steakin and Adam Wren Politico -- 9/20/26

Behind Trump’s public confidence, his private view of midterms is sobering -- In private, the president has been hearing blunt news from advisers about the GOP’s poor chances in the midterms and has accepted that some of the problem is of his making. Natalie Allison and Isaac Arnsdorf in the Washington Post$ -- 9/20/26

Trump Says Proposed Arch Will Double as ‘Military Complex’ -- President Trump said on Sunday that his proposed 250-foot triumphal arch in Washington will double as a “military complex” housing drones and sniper ammunition, providing new justification for the planned arch amid ongoing litigation. Lara Seligman in the Wall Street Journal$ Zolan Kanno-Youngs in the New York Times$ Dan Diamond and Aoife Walsh in the Washington Post$ -- 9/20/26