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

California Policy and Politics Monday

Newsom appeals ‘irrational and malicious’ decision to cut USDA food assistance program -- Gov. Gavin Newsom sent an urgent appeal to the U.S. Department of Agriculture on Saturday, imploring the department to reverse the abrupt cancellation of a Biden-era program that feeds millions of California families and has served as a lifeline for hundreds of small farmers since its inception in 2021. Sonja Sharp in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 4/7/25

Barbara Lee was supposed to be a lock for Oakland mayor. Why is the race so close? -- Barbara Lee’s homecoming run for Oakland mayor had all the markings of a blowout: Political power players swiftly united behind Lee, a progressive icon in her staunchly blue town, as she pledged to move the city past rancorous recalls. But her dominant position is now being turned against her. Jeremy B. White Politico -- 4/7/25

Oakland mayor fires chief of staff amid backlash over note referring to Black people as ‘tokens’ -- Interim Oakland Mayor Kevin Jenkins fired Leigh Hanson, his chief of staff, on Sunday over a note she wrote last year that appeared to refer to Black people as “tokens.” Sarah Ravani in the San Francisco Chronicle$ Shomik Mukherjee in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 4/7/25

Low-income families are fleeing this Bay Area county more than any other -- Marin County’s high housing costs are contributing to its recent population losses, according to the report, which was produced by a coalition between the county government, local nonprofits, property owners and renters. Christian Leonard in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 4/7/25

Trump administration orders national parks to remain open amid staffing shortages -- The Trump administration has issued an order demanding that all national parks remain open amid severe staffing shortages — an action that one conservation group called “reckless and out of touch” as park personnel brace for millions of visitors this summer. Hannah Wiley in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 4/7/25

As the U.S.-Mexico land border tightens, focus turns to dangerous sea crossings -- Three recent interceptions near San Diego reveal the stakes for migrants, who paid smugglers up to $17,000. Alexandra Mendoza, Alex Riggins in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 4/7/25

With hopes for asylum in U.S. dashed, migrants in Tijuana ponder next moves -- Migrants who had hoped to apply for asylum, a legal process, now debate whether to attempt crossing illegally. Funding cuts to the U.S. Agency for International Development have brought some migrant shelters to the brink of closure. Andrea Castillo, Genaro Molina in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 4/7/25

Canadians pull back on travel to California because of Trump: ‘I will miss the desert’ -- Canada has been the No. 2 source of international travel to California, but there are already signs that point to a change. Levi Sumagaysay CalMatters -- 4/7/25

Skelton: Instead of bashing other Democrats, Newsom needs to look inward -- Gov. Gavin Newsom says he is inviting prominent followers of President Trump onto his podcasts to learn why Democrats “are getting our ass kicked.” He should look in the mirror. George Skelton in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 4/7/25

Transit

Caltrain ridership gets big uptick since electric trains introduced -- Bay Area passengers respond to convenience, reliability. Jovi Dai in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 4/7/25

Silicon Valley’s flying car ambitions take off, but can they solve Bay Area transit woes? -- Several greater Bay Area companies competing to bring flying vehicles to market. Ryan Macasero in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 4/7/25

Workplace

Stay in LA campaign holds rally to encourage local film production -- Stay in LA, the grassroots campaign aimed at boosting film and television production in Los Angeles, held a rally in Sun Valley on Sunday to draw attention to the struggling local entertainment industry. Stacy Perman in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 4/7/25

Sacramento interim city manager told employees to expect layoffs, union says -- Stationary Engineers Local 39, a union representing more than 1,700 city workers, alleged this and others claims in a March 20 letter sent to City Council members. City spokesperson Jennifer Singer said the Milstein’s comments were taken “widely out of context.” Mathew Miranda in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 4/7/25

Wildfire

After the L.A. Fires, These Schools Face Another Threat: Layoffs -- A dozen teachers in Pasadena, Calif., whose homes burned were told they’ll lose their jobs at the end of the school year, a crisis for educators and students alike. Jesus Jiménez in the New York Times$ -- 4/7/25

Education

Caught off-guard, California colleges scramble to determine scope of student visa cancellations -- Confusion and concern ratcheted up at California colleges over the weekend as campus officials indicated they were caught unaware by the Trump administration’s cancellation of dozens of international student visas. Jaweed Kaleem in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 4/7/25

When districts face the tough job of closing schools, Manny Barbara is the go-to guy -- Retired Superintendent Manny Barbara has patiently guided school closures in a half-dozen San Jose-area school districts. Alum Rock Union Elementary was the most ambitious involvement and, he promises, his last. John Fensterwald EdSource -- 4/7/25

SFUSD superintendent explains district’s ‘many missteps’ with special education students -- With two months left before summer break, San Francisco schools’ superintendent disclosed what led to the special education fiasco at the start of the school year, which left nearly 200 vulnerable students without their legally mandated teachers and other support staff. Jill Tucker in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 4/7/25

Also

Joe Harris, oldest WWII paratrooper who paved way for Black soldiers, dies at 108 -- Sgt. Joe Harris lived a beautiful life. He sailed to earth on numerous missions as a member of the U.S. Army’s first all-Black paratrooper battalion during World War II, the 555th, aptly nicknamed the “Triple Nickles.” Nathan Solis, David Butow in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 4/7/25

‘Wonderful tribute’: Giants fans get bricks back at Oracle Park after 5-season hiatus -- Two hours before game time Sunday, Tim Jacques was out on the far side of McCovey Cove with his head hung low looking for his commemorative brick on the Bay Trail. It is inscribed to his late mother, Jubie Jacques. Sam Whiting in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 4/7/25

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Wall Street titans push back on Trump’s trade war -- Wall Street’s rule of thumb for President Donald Trump had been that he would curb his aggressive trade policies if markets tanked or the economy began to falter. No more. Sam Sutton Politico Michael J. de la Merced in the New York Times$ -- 4/7/25

Markets Swing Wildly After Trump Sticks With Tariff Plan -- S&P 500 briefly hits bear-market territory and oil falls; President Trump stands firm despite alarm on Wall Street. The item is in the Wall Street Journal$ -- 4/7/25

What Is a Bear Market? Are We in One? -- A bear market occurs when stocks fall 20 percent from a recent peak. As global markets continue their meltdown, here’s what it means for your money and the economy. Jenny Gross in the New York Times$ -- 4/7/25

Trump Says Tariffs Are Reciprocal. They Aren’t -- The president’s new levies mean that in many cases, the U.S. will be charging other countries more than what they charge America. David Luhnow and Kim Mackrael in the Wall Street Journal$ -- 4/7/25

Trump Golfs, Fires Off Social Media Posts as Markets Convulse -- After announcing sweeping tariffs and triggering worldwide economic jitters, the president left Washington for a long weekend at his Florida clubs. Natalie Andrews in the Wall Street Journal$ -- 4/7/25

NIH scientists have a cancer breakthrough. Layoffs are delaying it -- Scientists at the National Institutes of Health demonstrated a promising step toward using a person’s own immune cells to fight gastrointestinal cancers in a paper in Nature Medicine on Tuesday, the same day the agency was hit with devastating layoffs that left many NIH personnel in tears. Carolyn Y. Johnson in the Washington Post$ -- 4/7/25

As Kennedy Champions Chronic Disease Prevention, Key Research Is Cut -- Two significant programs that invested in research on diabetes, dementia, obesity and kidney disease have ended since the start of the Trump administration. Gina Kolata in the New York Times$ -- 4/7/25

Trump’s Trade War Raises Bar for Fed Rate Cuts -- Tariffs set to take effect this week risk stoking even higher inflation and slower growth than expected, complicating the central bank’s decisions on monetary policy. Colby Smith in the New York Times$ -- 4/7/25

On Foreign Policy, Party Divisions Become a Chasm, WSJ Poll Finds -- New survey also finds little support for President Trump’s territorial expansion to include Canada, Greenland. Alexander Ward and Aaron Zitner in the Wall Street Journal$ -- 4/7/25

Washington worries Trump could bail out Zuckerberg -- Less than two weeks before the start of a landmark antitrust trial against tech giant Meta, the growing relationship between President Donald Trump and Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg is stoking fears in Washington that the White House could pull the plug on the whole case. Brendan Bordelon Politico -- 4/7/25

Social Security website keeps crashing, as DOGE demands cuts to IT staff -- The worsening problems come as Elon Musk’s DOGE team pushes for more cuts at the agency, including in the department that oversees the website. Lisa Rein, Hannah Natanson and Elizabeth Dwoskin in the Washington Post$ -- 4/7/25

HUD cuts might hamper government efforts to stop housing discrimination -- The Trump administration’s cuts to fair housing funding have prompted concerns about the ability to enforce civil rights laws and help people find affordable housing. Rachel Siegel in the Washington Post$ -- 4/7/25

Judge slams U.S. contentions in case of wrongly deported Salvadoran man -- In a decision released Sunday, a federal judge takes the Trump administration to task, saying it has “no evidence” the wrongly deported man from Maryland is a gang member. Maria Sacchetti in the Washington Post$ -- 4/7/25

 

California Policy and Politics Sunday

Under Trump, Texas firm pushes to restart Santa Barbara oil drilling. Is it skirting California laws? -- More than 50 years ago, a catastrophic oil spill along Santa Barbara’s coastline served to galvanize the modern environmental movement and also helped to usher in one of the state’s strongest conservation laws: the California Coastal Act. Grace Toohey in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 4/6/25

Newsom in fight to advance plans for $20-billion water tunnel in the Sacramento Delta -- State officials and Southern California water agencies are backing the tunnel plan as a way to improve reliability of the water supply in the face of climate change. Opponents, including Northern California agencies and environmental groups, say building the tunnel would harm the Delta region and the environment. Ian James in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 4/6/25

Can Adam Schiff protect California farms, workers from Trump tariffs? That’s his plan -- Sen. Adam Schiff, one of President Donald Trump’s toughest political opponents, is gearing up for another battle in Washington D.C. — this time in support of California farmers. Robert Rodriguez in the Fresno Bee -- 4/6/25

She’s the first Black woman to lead California’s GOP and a Silicon Valley native. Can she give Republicans a boost? -- Corrin Rankin, a veteran of Donald Trump’s campaigns for president, is light on details as she seeks more power for her party. Grant Stringer in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 4/6/25

 

Feds revoke dozens of Stanford, UC students’ visas as Trump crackdown widens -- At Stanford University, six current and former students’ visas have been revoked, school officials announced Friday. Visas of numerous students at University of California schools have also been revoked, including four at UC Berkeley, six at UC San Diego and eight at UCLA. St. John Barned-Smith in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 4/6/25

 

Anti-Trump, Musk protests draw big crowds in L.A. and around the nation -- They took to the streets in New York, Washington, Boston, Atlanta, San Francisco and dozens of other cities from coast to coast. Demonstrators in Sonoma County wine country sang along to Woody Guthrie folk songs. Drumbeating activists in the conservative heart of Orange County drowned out the shouts of a smattering of Trump supporters who waded into a Huntington Beach rally. Summer Lin, Howard Blume, Faith E. Pinho, Terry Castleman and Jeanette Marantos in the Los Angeles Times$ Michael Slaten, Sydney Barragan, Anissa Rivera, Jordan B. Darling, Christina Merino and Teresa Liu in the Orange County Register -- 4/6/25

Thousands in S.F., Oakland protest Trump on biggest day of demonstrations yet -- Thousands of demonstrators rallied across the Bay Area and around the country Saturday as part of “Hands Off,” the biggest day of protests so far against President Donald Trump and Elon Musk’s efforts to cut federal funding and restrict protections for marginalized groups. Molly Burke, Danielle Echeverria in the San Francisco Chronicle$ Jakob Rodgers, Stephanie Lam and Martha Ross in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 4/6/25

Nearly 12,000 ‘Hands Off!’ protesters jam downtown San Diego, marching against Trump and Musk -- Thousands of opponents of President Donald Trump and Elon Musk clogged the streets of downtown San Diego on Saturday, marching, chanting and waving signs protesting the administration’s actions on a host of issues that included government downsizing efforts, immigration policy and LGBTQ+ issues. Rob Nikolewski in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 4/6/25

‘Oh, s—’: Trump tariffs slam Bay Area tech companies, stocks and restaurants -- Restoration Hardware CEO Gary Friedman was talking to analysts Wednesday when he looked at his company’s stock price. Roland Li, Nora Mishanec, Mario Cortez in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 4/6/25

Workplace

H-1B visa: Fears rise for foreign tech workers in Silicon Valley over travel -- Silicon Valley technology firms employing foreign workers are scrambling to allay visa holders’ fears that if they travel outside the country they might not get back in. Ethan Baron in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 4/6/25

Education

This S.F. college is rolling out the nation’s first undergrad degree in psychedelics -- The 1960s counterculture is synonymous with San Francisco, a city where hippies roamed the Haight, tripped on acid and fled the law. Nanette Asimov in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 4/6/25

Professor Pete Carroll finds captive USC audience for his ‘Win Forever’ philosophy -- Pete Carroll continues to teach a class at USC after being hired as the new head coach of the Las Vegas Raiders in January. Steve Kerr, Deepak Chopra, Jason Sudeikis and Rainn Wilson are among the notable individuals who have spoken to Carroll’s “The Game of Life” class at USC. Carroll’s students at USC like his teaching style and some say the class has made a big change in their lives. Sam Farmer and Gary Klein in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 4/6/25

Street

After 9th Circuit win, San Diego County seeks to withhold more sheriff’s records -- In at least four cases, county lawyers are trying to prevent plaintiffs from accessing findings by the panel that considers policy changes after someone dies in custody. Jeff McDonald, Kelly Davis in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 4/6/25

Wildfire

A disaster reporter saw her dad’s home burning. Here’s what she did next -- In the era of climate change, contending with loss has become inevitable. Brianna Sacks in the Washington Post$ -- 4/6/25

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Trump administration argues judge cannot order return of man mistakenly deported to El Salvador -- A federal judge did not have the authority to order the Trump administration to broker the return of a Maryland man who was mistakenly deported from the U.S. to a notorious El Salvador prison, government attorneys argued Saturday as they urged an appeals court to suspend the ruling. Michael Kunzelman in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 4/6/25

China Wanted to Negotiate With Trump. Now It’s Arming for Another Trade War -- Communication between Washington and Beijing is at a standstill, raising the prospects of a long cycle of tariff retaliation. ‘Trump and Xi are locked in a paradox of pressure and pride.’ Lingling Wei in the Wall Street Journal$ -- 4/6/25

As Trump tariffs sink in, conservatives challenge whether they’re legal -- A growing number of conservatives are challenging President Donald Trump’s wide-reaching tariffs on allies and adversaries alike, with some questioning whether he has the authority to implement them. Maegan Vazquez in the Washington Post$ -- 4/6/25

 

‘Nowhere to hide.’ How Apple and others in Silicon Valley are bracing for Trump tariffs -- In all, the tech giant says it relies on more than 50 countries and regions to put AirPods, iPads and MacBooks in the hands of consumers. Now, that global supply chain is under siege. Queenie Wong and Wendy Lee in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 4/6/25

Here’s the iPhone. Here’s the iPhone With Tariffs -- This is what Apple pays for components inside its bestselling phone, and how Trump’s China tariffs could raise the bill. Joanna Stern, Adrienne Tong and Nicole Nguyen in the Wall Street Journal$ -- 4/6/25

Surging Costs Complicate Plans for New U.S. Factories -- New tariffs mean higher material and equipment costs for manufacturers seeking to expand. John Keilman and Owen Tucker-Smith in the Wall Street Journal$ -- 4/6/25

 

Worries grow over risks to Americans as Trump cuts health, safety agencies -- The chorus of experts issuing warnings include Republican lawmakers, former Trump officials and civil servants who worked under GOP and Democratic presidents. Dan Diamond and Hannah Natanson in the Washington Post$ -- 4/6/25

States caught unprepared for Trump’s threats to FEMA -- FEMA is canceling plans to award states grants to help prepare against future disasters. Federal funds given to states after disasters strike could also be in jeopardy. Anna Phillips, Jake Spring, Kevin Crowe and Dan Diamond in the Washington Post$ -- 4/6/25

Trump Weakens U.S. Cyberdefenses at a Moment of Rising Danger -- The firing of the head of the National Security Agency was only the latest move that has eroded the country’s fortifications against cyberattacks, especially those targeting elections. David E. Sanger and Nick Corasaniti in the New York Times$ -- 4/6/25

Trump is gutting the nation’s environmental programs. Here’s what it will cost Americans -- The Trump administration’s slash-and-burn approach to federal programs has delivered a considerable hit to the nation’s environment, but experts say its plans to repeal hard-won protections for clean air and water will also directly jeopardize Americans’ health — and their wallets. Hayley Smith in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 4/6/25

Hours in Line, Cut-Off Calls: Accessing Social Security in the Era of DOGE -- Advocates say cutbacks hurt already depleted field offices: ‘It’s like a house of cards.’ Ken Thomas, Jovelle Tamayo in the Wall Street Journal$ -- 4/6/25

 

Trump Family’s Cash Registers Ring as Financial Meltdown Plays Out -- The financial market meltdown was underway when President Trump boarded Air Force One on his way to Florida on Thursday for a doubleheader of sorts: a Saudi-backed golf tournament at his family’s Miami resort and a weekend of fund-raisers attracting hundreds of donors to his Palm Beach club. Eric Lipton, Theodore Schleifer and Zolan Kanno-Youngs in the New York Times$ -- 4/6/25

All the president’s salesmen: Senior Trump officials hawk MAGA-friendly products -- Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has promoted a fast food chain’s fries. And then there’s Tesla. Giselle Ruhiyyih Ewing Politico -- 4/6/25