California Policy and Politics Saturday

A rising San Diego politician abruptly quit, citing ‘personal safety.’ It raises a lot of questions -- The uncertainty comes as San Diego County has gained national attention after its board of supervisors passed a policy that would restrict jail staff from working with federal immigration officials, a move that could potentially hinder the Trump administration’s promise of mass deportations. Even more bewildering was the reason Vargas said she would step down. Salvador Hernandez and Ruben Vives in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/1/25

Water

California snowpack is below average, but winter storms could change that -- After an extremely dry January, California’s snowpack in the Sierra Nevada now measures just 65% of the average for this time of year, but state water officials said two winter storms are expected to bring more snow and rain that will add to the state’s water supplies. Ian James in the Los Angeles Times$ Paul Rogers in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 2/1/25

Avalanche warning for high elevations at Lake Tahoe, central Sierra backcountry -- The U.S. Forest Service issued an avalanche warning Saturday for the central Sierra throughout the Tahoe and El Dorado National Forests through Sunday morning. Ski areas and highways were exempt “where avalanche mitigation programs exist,” according to the Sierra Avalanche Center. Julie Johnson in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 2/1/25

Three atmospheric river storms are headed for California. Will one be enough to end SoCal’s devastating fire season? -- After an extraordinarily dry start to the year, three atmospheric river storms are expected to hit California over the next week — with one of them potentially bringing much-needed moisture to the still-withered Southland while packing a more powerful and prolonged punch up north. Rong-Gong Lin II and Grace Toohey in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/1/25

 

Acting on Trump’s order, federal officials opened up two California dams -- Vink agreed, saying that given how dry it has been in the region this winter, there was no need to make such a release. In fact, he said, farmers were counting on that water to be available for summer irrigation. “This is going to hurt farmers,” Vink said. “This takes water out of their summer irrigation portfolio.” Ian James and Jessica Garrison in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/1/25

Trump says he opened California’s water. Local officials say he nearly flooded them -- President Donald Trump declared victory on Friday in his long-running water war with California, boasting he sent billions of gallons south — but local officials say they narrowly prevented him from possibly flooding farms. Camille von Kaenel and Annie Snider Politico -- 2/1/25

 

Newsom issues order to ‘maximize’ water capture during storms. Critics say it sounds just like Trump -- Environmental and fishing groups said the approach threatens to harm vulnerable fish species and the deteriorating ecosystem of the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta. Ian James in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/1/25

U.S. Sen. Padilla demands answers about Trump’s ‘troubling’ water release orders -- U.S. Sen. Alex Padilla on Friday wrote to newly confirmed Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth to demand answers regarding a Trump administration order to release water from two dams in the Central Valley — a move the California senator said could “endanger” local communities. Jordan Parker in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 2/1/25

Wildfire

Federal firefighters fought L.A.’s blazes. Then came resignation offers -- “Getting that letter just took the morale out of the workforce,” said Matt Brossard, a representative of the National Federation of Federal Employees, a union that says it has more than 100,000 blue- and white-collar government workers as members. “The guys are already an underappreciated group of firefighters, and getting that email just took the rest of the wind out of their sales.” Daniel Wu in the Washington Post$ -- 2/1/25

PCH and Pacific Palisades are reopening to the public. Some say it’s too soon -- Pacific Palisades is reopening to the public this weekend, a move hailed by proponents as an important development in the recovery process, but condemned by some local residents and officials who fear it’s still too soon to allow wide access into the fire-ravaged area. Clara Harter, Julia Wick and Dakota Smith in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/1/25

As Altadena waited hours for evacuation orders, fire commanders faced utter chaos -- With thousands of lives at risk, a mobile command post tasked with issuing evacuation orders struggled to keep pace with the Eaton fire’s rapid progress. Terry Castleman and Grace Toohey in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/1/25

Lopez: Chickens, cats, dogs, goldfish: From the front lines of the fires, stories of survival -- After weeks of grim news about heartbreak and loss, the stories of pets -- cats, dogs, chickens, goldfish -- that survived the fires is like a brief vacation from despair. Steve Lopez in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/1/25

Palisades and Eaton fires now 100% contained. But a long road to recovery looms -- The devastating firestorm that rained embers and terror across Los Angeles County has officially come to an end, with fire crews reaching 100% containment on the Palisades and Eaton fires Friday evening. Clara Harter in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/1/25

Nearly 300 trout rescued from Palisades fire burn scar. Their watershed could take a decade to heal -- They only had one shot to save the fish. Ash from the Palisades fire had blown into a stream housing the last population of steelhead trout in the Santa Monica Mountains, degrading the water quality. Lila Seidman in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/1/25

525-pound bear rescued from underneath evacuated Altadena home -- The homeowner had evacuated during the fire and once they returned, the electric company informed the resident that the home’s power could not be turned back on until the bear was removed from the crawl space, where its repair crew needed to work, according to the post. Summer Lin in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/1/25

Wildfires took everything but their food trucks. So they fed their community -- When Lauren and Nelson Saravia heard first responders and others were hungry, they knew what they had to do, even though they were hurting, too. Tim Carman in the Washington Post$ -- 2/1/25

Deportation

Hundreds protest Trump’s mass deportation plans in San Diego County -- Several hundred protesters, many holding up signs and cheering, crowded along all four corners of one of Vista’s busiest intersections during the evening rush hour. “It’s not even politics — it’s human decency,” read one handmade sign. Many drivers at Vista Village Drive and South Santa Fe Avenue laid on their horns in support of the crowd. Teri Figueroa in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 2/1/25

Trump administration sued for halting legal aid for detained immigrants -- The $28-million legal service programs provide a help desk in busy immigration courtrooms including in Los Angeles, San Francisco and San Diego, basic legal information for individuals and families in detention facilities in 12 states called a “legal orientation program” and lawyers for minors, some who may be separated from their families. Rachel Uranga in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/1/25

‘Fear has been sown.’ Street vendors and other workers in L.A.’s massive informal economy react to Trump -- If Trump does carry out large-scale deportations, Pastor said, it would drastically rewire the social fabric of a region where nearly 1 in 5 people is either undocumented or living with a family member who is. It would also create significant disruptions in industries such as construction and food preparation and service, he said, and ultimately lead to higher costs for consumers. Marisa Gerber and Melissa Gomez in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/1/25

San Jose officials commit to being a ‘welcoming city’ to support immigrant community -- Despite continuing threats from the Trump administration and federal immigration enforcement officials, city leaders are committed to keeping San Jose’s status as a “welcoming city” while avoiding the politically charged “sanctuary” moniker. Devan Patel in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 2/1/25

Construction resumes on U.S.-Mexico border wall in San Diego -- Crews were closing off the remaining 100-foot gap of the border wall replacement project near Friendship Park. Alexandra Mendoza in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 2/1/25

How Migrant Groups Are Thwarting ICE -- President Trump’s aggressive deportation agenda descended upon Chicago’s “Mexico of the Midwest” precisely one week after his inauguration. But Little Village—a predominantly Hispanic enclave of around 70,000 on the city’s southwest side—stood ready to thwart the government. Joe Barrett and Elizabeth Findell in the Wall Street Journal$ -- 2/1/25

Insurance

78,000 California condo owners to see major insurance rate hike -- Starting in April, Allstate will raise its average rates for condo insurance by 30%, according to a filing with the California Department of Insurance. Megan Fan Munce in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 2/1/25

Hoeven: The last thing California needs is an ethics scandal surrounding its insurance policies. But here we are -- California’s insurance market was already fragile before wildfires devastated the Los Angeles area, stoking fears that the FAIR Plan, the state’s privately run insurer of last resort, could run out of funds to pay claims. Emily Hoeven in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 2/1/25

Education Layoffs

Nearly 300 Santa Ana Unified teachers, counselors and other employees to be laid off -- SAUSD’s board made the decision in a 4-1 vote late Friday night, citing declining enrollment and a loss of pandemic relief funds for the district’s budget woes. Alexcia Negrete in the Orange County Register -- 2/1/25

Workplace

Costco workers at 27 Southern California stores ready to strike as deadline looms -- Thousands of Costco workers are preparing to strike with a midnight deadline drawing closer Friday while the workers’ union and the company continued to negotiate. The Teamsters union represents 18,000 Costco workers in six states: California, Washington, Maryland, Virginia, New Jersey and New York. The item is in the Orange County Register -- 2/1/25

Clean battery company, consumer electronics maker trim Bay Area jobs -- Two tech companies have chopped a combined 100-plus jobs in the Bay Area, a reminder that layoffs continue to jolt one of the primary engines of the region’s economy. George Avalos in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 2/1/25

LAPD captain claims she saw cops slamming teen into concrete — then faced union’s wrath -- Capt. Silvia Sanchez claims her decision to review the arrest of a 16-year-old girl put her on a collision course with the union for more than 8,000 rank-and-file Los Angeles police officers. Libor Jany in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/1/25

Street

California saw the nation’s biggest drop in death row inmates — without any executions -- California’s death row population decreased by 63 in 2024 — without any executions, according to a new report. That means the state saw the largest death row population decline of any U.S. death penalty jurisdiction, even as some states continue executing inmates. Bob Egelko in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 2/1/2

POTUS 47

Trump Threatens Widening Trade War as First Tariffs Loom Saturday -- On eve of expected Mexico-Canada-China duties, president says he will impose sector-based levies on chips, pharmaceuticals and more. Gavin Bade, Natalie Andrews, Vipal Monga and Santiago Pérez in the Wall Street Journal$ Ana Swanson, Alan Rappeport and Colby Smith in the New York Times$ -- 2/1/25

Tariffs Are Nearly Here. The Price Hikes Coming for These Items May Surprise You -- Now might be a good time to buy a car. You might grab some tomatoes, toy trucks or tequila along the way. Jeanne Whalen in the Wall Street Journal$ -- 2/1/25

How Could Trump’s Tariffs Affect the U.S., Canada and Mexico? -- While much about the threatened tariffs is still unclear, experts predict they would be bad news for all three economies, with few winners. Matina Stevis-Gridneff, Ana Swanson and Simon Romero in the New York Times$ -- 2/1/25

Justice Department orders FBI purge, review of staff who touched Trump cases -- A top Justice Department official on Friday ordered the firing of at least eight senior FBI executives and a sweeping examination of the work of thousands of other bureau employees, including all those who worked on investigations tied to the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol, according to a memo obtained by The Washington Post. Jeremy Roebuck, Perry Stein, Salvador Rizzo and Carol D. Leonnig in the Washington Post$ Adam Goldman, Devlin Barrett and Glenn Thrush in the New York Times$ -- 2/1/25

Universities Close Offices, Halt Research in Response to Trump’s Ban on DEI -- Universities are suspending research projects, canceling conferences and closing offices in response to a volley of orders from President Trump banning “diversity, equity and inclusion” across the U.S. government. The directives threaten vital federal funding and have thrown university leaders into disarray. Nidhi Subbaraman and Douglas Belkin in the Wall Street Journal$ -- 2/1/25

CDC removes gender, equity references in public health material -- Whole pages about HIV testing for transgender people, guidelines for use of HIV medication and information on supporting LGBTQ+ youth health were no longer available late Friday. The page that lists vaccines recommended by the CDC’s vaccine advisory committee was also no longer available. Lena H. Sun, Dan Keating and Fenit Nirappil in the Washington Post$ Corinne Purtill and Karen Kaplan in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/1/25

How federal agencies have already changed their websites under Trump -- “Diversity” has been deleted. “Climate resilience” is now a popular substitute for “climate change.” And “pregnant people” has been replaced by “pregnant women.” Jeremy B. Merrill, Azi Paybarah and Eric Lau in the Washington Post$ -- 2/1/25

Ethics Pledges by Trump Cabinet Draw Questions and Skepticism -- Publicly released agreements show the vast wealth of President Trump’s cabinet picks and the uncharacteristically large list of potential conflicts of interest with which they enter office. Eric Lipton in the New York Times$ -- 2/1/25