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

Updating . . .

California Policy and Politics Wednesday

San Francisco’s police chief is stepping down. Here’s what it means for the city -- San Francisco Police Chief Bill Scott is stepping down after more than eight years on the job, Mayor Daniel Lurie said Wednesday. Scott was San Francisco’s longest serving police chief in decades. J.D. Morris, Megan Cassidy, Michael Barba in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 5/7/25

Californians say Newsom is more focused on boosting presidential prospects than fixing state -- A survey by UC Berkeley’s Institute of Governmental Studies, co-sponsored by The Times, found that 54% of voters said Newsom is devoting more attention to things that could benefit himself as a future White House contender compared with 26% who said he’s paying more attention to governing the state and helping to solve its problems. Taryn Luna in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/7/25

California’s high-speed train to lose federal funding, Trump says -- Estimated costs have soared to as much as $128 billion from an estimated $33 billion in 2008. Maxwell Adler and Skylar Woodhouse Bloomberg in the San Jose Mercury$ Laurel Rosenhall in the New York Times$ -- 5/7/25

Trump rips California rail project, says it will be Newsom’s downfall -- The president said Gov. Gavin Newsom’s support for high-speed rail and his handling of the Los Angeles wildfires make him unelectable. Alex Nieves Politico -- 5/7/25

Why Democrats Joined Republicans to Block a California Climate Policy -- Some said they worried that California’s planned ban on gas-powered vehicles would raise the price of cars. Another cited “intense and misleading lobbying” by the oil industry. Lisa Friedman in the New York Times$ -- 5/7/25

Newsom wants a federal tax credit to save Hollywood. Why that’s a long shot -- Shortly after President Trump stunned Hollywood with his call for tariffs on films produced overseas, California Gov. Gavin Newsom waded into the debate with an unexpected offer. Samantha Masunaga and Meg James in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/7/25

California legislators are protesting Trump’s cuts to Head Start — even Republicans -- Two-thirds of California legislators signed a letter urging the state’s Congressional delegation to protect Head Start The legislators said they are “deeply alarmed” by a growing list of threats to the program by the Trump administration. Jenny Gold in the Los Angeles Times$ Grant Stringer in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 5/7/25

California Democratic lawmakers strike deal on solicitation of minors legislation -- Assembly Democrats walked back opposition to a controversial bill that would increase the penalty for soliciting a minor aged 16 or 17, a change that comes after they faced a barrage of criticism from Republicans and a rebuke from Gov. Gavin Newsom. Sandra McDonald in the San Francisco Chronicle$ Lindsey Holden Politico -- 5/7/25

United Airlines planes clip wings on the tarmac at SFO -- The two planes involved were both Boeing 777s. Flight UA877, bound for Hong Kong, had 306 passengers and 16 crew members aboard, while Flight UA863, scheduled to depart for Sydney, carried 202 passengers and 16 crew members. Aidin Vaziri in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 5/7/25

Native American veterans of Alcatraz occupation react to Trump’s island prison aspirations -- The jail cell was cold, damp and echoey. But sleeping in the old prison buildings of Alcatraz Island was the first time Robert Free Galvan had a sense of true liberty. Julie Johnson in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 5/7/25

California regulator weakens AI rules, giving Big Tech more leeway to track you -- California’s first-in-the-nation privacy agency is retreating from an attempt to regulate artificial intelligence and other forms of computer automation. Khari Johnson CalMatters -- 5/7/25

Garofoli: The $1,000-a-month worker targeted by DOGE -- The scattershot, shortsighted and poorly conceived cuts by the President Trump and the Elon Musk-directed Department of Government Efficiency aren’t just hitting the unelected government bureaucrats hated by MAGA world. They are also affecting people like Alfanzo Rodriguez, a $1,000-a-month worker who helps kids struggling to get by in East Oakland. Joe Garofoli in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 5/7/25

Arellano: Trump is wrong. My dad was a trucker, and he didn’t need much English to do his job -- When Donald Trump signed an executive order last week cracking down on truckers who don’t speak the best English, there was one industry expert I needed to call: my dad. Gustavo Arellano in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/7/25

Walters: State Bar’s botched exam for new lawyers is California’s latest entry to the hall of shame -- Is there something in California’s water that induces the state’s bureaucrats to make boneheaded errors of judgment? It would seem so, given the sorry history of monumental screwups. Dan Walters CalMatters -- 5/7/25

Workplace

Businesses struggle to navigate as Trump’s tariff fallout hits West Coast ports -- California businesses are operating in the dark as they brace for the economic fallout from President Donald Trump’s trade war — and the layoffs are already beginning. Alex Nieves, Blanca Begert and Camille von Kaenel Politico -- 5/7/25

Amid Trump trade war, L.A. urged to hold off on wage hikes for tourism workers -- With the first of several wage hikes for airport and hotel workers scheduled to go into effect on July 1, a coalition of L.A. business leaders has urged the City Council to hold off on the increases. David Zahniser and Suhauna Hussain in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/7/25

Kaiser Permanente, mental health workers reach tentative agreement -- After striking for nearly half a year, the union representing Kaiser Permanente mental health workers in Southern California said earlier this week that it has reached a tentative agreement with the company, and expects to vote on the new labor contract Thursday. Lynn La CalMatters -- 5/7/25

Inmate firefighters battled LA’s wildfire. Now a lawmaker wants to help launch their careers -- As the Los Angeles fires raged in January, about 1,000 inmate firefighters labored on hand crews alongside professional firefighters battling the blazes. Deborah Brennan CalMatters -- 5/7/25

23andMe to close San Francisco office, warns 250 employees of possible layoffs -- 23andMe, the embattled Bay Area genetic testing company, permanently closed its San Francisco office and warned 250 employees of possible layoffs as part of ongoing restructuring efforts following its Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing this year. Aidin Vaziri in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 5/7/25

Water

Groups call on Trump administration to curb wasteful use of Colorado River water -- In a petition submitted Tuesday, the Natural Resources Defense Council and nine other groups called for the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation to enforce a provision of federal regulations stating that water deliveries in California, Arizona and Nevada “will not exceed those reasonably required for beneficial use.” Ian James in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/7/25

Environment

California wine country traffic jam fuels fight over endangered mice, marsh birds -- A bill by Assemblymember Lori Wilson could help finally break the Highway 37 gridlock despite worries about harming endangered species. Ryan Sabalow CalMatters -- 5/7/25

Wildfire

Civic and business leaders call for new local authority to oversee post-fire rebuilding -- A 19-member commission of community and business group leaders, along with urban planning experts, is calling for creating new local government authorities to oversee and coordinate rebuilding after the L.A. wildfires. Ian James in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/7/25

Education

Wellness coaches take on youth mental health problem in rural California -- Certified professionals tackle high levels of emotional distress and substance use among young people in far-flung communities. Vani Sanganeria EdSource -- 5/7/25

Street

Cop fatally hit pedestrian and drove away. Victim’s family says Downey police covered it up -- The family of a man killed by a Downey police officer in a car-on-pedestrian crash in October is suing the city of Downey and alleging that officials attempted to cover up a fatal hit-and-run. Clara Harter in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/7/25

POTUS 47

Trump Administration Plans to Send Migrants to Libya on a Military Flight -- The Trump administration is planning to transport a group of immigrants to Libya on a U.S. military plane, according to U.S. officials, another sharp escalation in a deportation program that has sparked widespread legal challenges and intense political debate. Eric Schmitt, Hamed Aleaziz, Maggie Haberman and Michael Crowley in the New York Times$ -- 5/7/25

N.Y. judge finds Alien Enemies Act use illegal, blocks removals to ‘evil’ jail -- A federal judge in New York ruled that the Trump administration does not have legal justification to deport Venezuelan immigrants under the Alien Enemies Act. Shayna Jacobs and Maria Sacchetti in the Washington Post$ -- 5/7/25

Mattel considers price hikes in response to tariffs after Trump says kids don’t need a lot of dolls -- Barbie girls could be living in a more expensive world. Queenie Wong in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/7/25

As U.S. Turns Its Back on Free Trade, Other Countries Double Down -- Faced with U.S. barriers, countries like the U.K. and India move to ease trade among themselves. Max Colchester and Kim Mackrael in the Wall Street Journal -- 5/7/25

Shake-up at EPA threatens Energy Star, climate offices -- A proposal by the Trump administration to reorganize the Environmental Protection Agency targets divisions that house its climate change offices as well as Energy Star, a widely popular program designed to help lower energy costs for American households. Michael Wilner in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/7/25

DOGE aims to pool federal data, putting personal information at risk -- The goal — a centralized system with unprecedented access to data about Social Security, taxes, medical diagnoses and other private information — would create a multitude of vulnerabilities, experts say. Hannah Natanson, Joseph Menn, Lisa Rein and Rachel Siegel in the Washington Post$ -- 5/7/25

Trump’s tariffs hit baby industry hard, threatening parents with price hikes, shortages -- More than 70 percent of U.S. baby gear is made in China, and that isn’t likely to change any time soon. Abha Bhattarai and Federica Cocco in the Washington Post$ -- 5/7/25


California Policy and Politics Tuesday

Supreme Court allows Trump ban on transgender members of the military to take effect, for now -- The court acted in the dispute over a policy that presumptively disqualifies transgender people from military service and could lead to the expulsion of experienced, decorated officers. The court’s three liberal justices said they would have kept the policy on hold. Mark Sherman Associated Press David G. Savage in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/6/25

US stocks sink again as more companies detail damage they’re taking because of Trump’s trade war -- U.S. stocks are sinking Tuesday as AI mania on Wall Street loses more steam and as more companies scrub their forecasts for upcoming profits because of uncertainty created by President Donald Trump’s tariffs. Stan Choe and Alex Veiga Associated Press -- 5/6/25

Trump rips California rail project, says it will be Newsom’s downfall -- The president said Gov. Gavin Newsom’s support for high-speed rail and his handling of the Los Angeles wildfires make him unelectable. Alex Nieves Politico -- 5/6/25

 

Hollywood’s reaction to Trump’s movie tariffs idea: Confusion, dread and a little hope -- Hollywood executives scrambled Monday to interpret President Trump’s call for stiff tariffs on movies produced outside the U.S. — a bombshell proposal that would upend how movies have been made for years. Meg James and Samantha Masunaga in the Los Angeles Times$ Jeremy B. White and Melanie Mason Politico Ben Fritz, Brian Schwartz and Erich Schwartzel in the Wall Street Journal Herb Scribner, Shannon Najmabadi and David J. Lynch in the Washington Post$ -- 5/6/25

Newsom Asks Trump to Work With Him on $7.5 Billion Tax Credit for Hollywood -- The proposal for a federal program came after the president called for tariffs on movies filmed overseas, causing confusion and concern across the industry. Shawn Hubler, Matt Stevens and Nicole Sperling in the New York Times$ -- 5/6/25

Trump’s call to reopen Alcatraz falls flat with tourists, who ask: Why and how? -- A day after President Trump said he wants to reopen the nearly century-old prison as a symbol of law and order, tourists roaming the decayed historic grounds struggled to grasp the logic. Jessica Garrison and Connor Sheets in the Los Angeles Times$ Jill Tucker, Jessica Flores in the San Francisco Chronicle$ Will McCarthy Politico Jim Carlton and Sara Randazzo in the Wall Street Journal -- 5/6/25

Here’s why Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy ordered Alcatraz to close in 1962 -- The answer amounts to three big factors: The prison was much more expensive to operate than facilities elsewhere in the country; it housed a startlingly small number of prisoners; and finally — this seems important — it was deemed vulnerable to future escape attempts. Peter Hartlaub in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 5/6/25

Trump said ‘nobody’s ever escaped from Alcatraz.’ Oh really? -- Theodore Cole. Ralph Roe. Frank Lee Morris. John and Clarence Anglin. Each were convicts who got off the island. As far as federal officials are concerned, all are presumed to have drowned. But no one can say for sure. Annie Vainshtein in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 5/6/25

California is No. 1 state for tourism, but may be hit by ‘Trump Slump,’ Newsom says -- California hit a new tourism record in 2024, Gov. Gavin Newsom announced Monday, but the high isn’t expected to last, thanks to President Trump’s tariffs. Sandra McDonald in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/6/25

California joins 19 states in trying to stop Kennedy -- As President Donald Trump’s secretary of health and human services, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. promised to “make America healthy again.” But his massive budget cuts, staff reductions and termination of vital programs is doing just the opposite, California and 19 other states said in a lawsuit Monday. Bob Egelko in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 5/6/25

 

San Francisco’s downtown malls are empty. Bu-t there’s one thing keeping them alive -- It’s lunch hour in downtown San Francisco. The food court at the troubled San Francisco Centre mall is nearly deserted. Slices of pizza wilt under heat lamps, and some restaurants have their shades rolled down. Rachel Swan, Mario Cortez, Sriharsha Devulapalli in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 5/6/25

Property tax hike proposed by Oakland’s interim mayor to patch budget gap -- Oakland would ask voters to approve a new property tax — on top of a sales tax increase approved by voters last month — to help the city balance its budget under a proposal the interim mayor announced Monday. Sarah Ravani in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 5/6/25

An overdose killed her son. Then, California lawmakers asked her to help save others -- Ryan Matlock died of a fentanyl overdose after seeking addiction treatment. Today, his mother is urging lawmakers to get tougher on health insurance plans. Jocelyn Wiener CalMatters -- 5/6/25

Indigenous tribes pitted against each other over a state bill to redefine land protection in California -- Indigenous tribes without federal recognition fiercely opposed a bill that would treat tribes with and without federal recognition differently during land development disputes, prompting the author to pull it. Noah Haggerty in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/6/25

Walters: Clash over teen sex solicitation reveals the rift within the California Democratic Party -- A reliable political axiom — at least in California — is that when one party achieves dominance in some arena, it fragments into factions defined by ideology, gender, economics, ethnicity, geography or even personality. Dan Walters CalMatters -- 5/6/25

Workplace

An L.A. County firefighter assaulted his neighbor. But his bosses couldn’t fire him -- In the last four years, the L.A. County Civil Service Commission has forced department heads to take back dozens of workers they had tried to fire — including sheriff’s deputies, probation staffers and social workers. Rebecca Ellis in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/6/25

Hepatitis

Hepatitis A outbreak declared in L.A. County. ‘We really have to get ahead of this’ -- Although cases of hepatitis A are nothing new in the region, health officials are now expressing alarm both at the prevalence of the disease and who is becoming infected. Rong-Gong Lin II in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/6/25

Housing

San Francisco warns 2,000 people could be evicted if Trump yanks housing funds -- In a lawsuit, a coalition of local government officials say the Trump administration unlawfully imposed unprecedented new conditions related to immigration, gender ideology and abortion on homelessness grant programs. Lindsey Holden and Nicole Norman Politico -- 5/6/25

Study says you need to earn $258K a year to buy a San Diego home -- San Diego is the fourth-most expensive market in the nation, Realtor.com study says. Phillip Molnar in the San Diego Union Tribune -- 5/6/25

This small city is the fastest-growing in California -- The secret to the city's growth is new housing and booming industry. Danielle Echeverria in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 5/6/25

Education

Trump’s budget would abolish funding for English learners, adult ed, teacher recruitment -- President Donald Trump would maintain funding levels for students with disabilities and for Title I aid for low-income students while wiping out long-standing programs serving migrant children, teachers in training, college-bound students, English learners and adult learners in the education budget for fiscal 2026. John Fensterwald, Diana Lambert, Emma Gallegos, and Zaidee Stavely EdSource -- 5/6/25

Dust

California dust storms are expected to become more common. Some are ‘as big as a city’ -- In November 2024, powerful gusts whipped across parts of the Central Valley. The winds not only knocked out power, but they also kicked up soil particles, producing a massive dust storm. The extreme weather event dropped visibility to near zero, grinding highway traffic to a halt. Jack Lee in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 5/6/25

Homeless

Santa Clara County, SF join lawsuit against Trump’s ‘unlawful’ conditions on homelessness funds -- Trump wants to end grants that promote diversity, equity and inclusion, “gender ideology,” abortion or “sanctuary city” policies. Grace Hase in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 5/6/25

Street

Top LAFD union officers suspended after audit flags $800,000 in credit card spending -- The president and two other top officers of the Los Angeles Fire Department’s labor union were suspended from their posts Monday after an investigation by the union’s parent organization found $800,000 in credit card purchases that were not properly documented. Alene Tchekmedyian in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/6/25

Also

Gary Hall Jr. receives new Olympic medals to replace the 10 he lost in Palisades fire -- Gary Hall Jr. won 10 Olympic medals with the U.S. swimming team from 1996-2004, then lost them all in January when the house he was renting in the Pacific Palisades went up in flames. Chuck Schilken in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/6/25

An $8.5 Million California Home With a Backyard Railroad Hits the Market -- A Disney Imagineer helped the owners bring the rusted train tracks back to life. Katherine Clarke in the Wall Street Journal -- 5/6/25

POTUS 47

Trump’s popularity in a slump in California amid abuse-of-power concerns -- President Trump remains deeply unpopular in California after his first 100 days in office, with conservatives and liberals alike expressing concern that U.S. courts can effectively serve as a check on his power, according to a new UC Berkeley Institute of Governmental Studies poll co-sponsored by The Times. Michael Wilner in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/6/25

Trump administration offers unauthorized immigrants $1,000 to leave the country -- The Department of Homeland Security called the plan a “historic opportunity for illegal aliens,” noting in a news release that it would also pay for travel assistance. Jenny Jarvie in the Los Angeles Times$ Michelle Hackman in the Wall Street Journal -- 5/6/25

‘We definitely are collateral damage’: Tourism industry roiled by Trump’s new world order -- American tourism officials expected a banner year from international travelers in 2025. What they didn’t account for was Donald Trump. Gregory Svirnovskiy Politico -- 5/6/25

Judge strikes down Trump executive order punishing prominent law firm -- President Donald Trump’s executive order that sought to punish the law firm Perkins Coie for working with Hillary Clinton and other Democrats is unconstitutional, “motivated by retaliation” and cannot be enforced, a federal judge ruled late Friday. Daniel Barnes Politico -- 5/6/25

Hegseth Used Multiple Signal Chats for Official Pentagon Business -- Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth used Signal more extensively for official Pentagon business than previously disclosed, engaging in at least a dozen separate chats, people familiar with his management practices said. Alexander Ward and Nancy A. Youssef in the Wall Street Journal -- 5/6/25

Trump Administration Asks Court to Dismiss Abortion Pill Case -- The Trump administration asked a federal judge on Monday to dismiss a lawsuit that seeks to sharply restrict access to the abortion pill mifepristone — taking the same position as the Biden administration in a closely watched case that has major implications for abortion access. Pam Belluck in the New York Times$ -- 5/6/25

Spy Agencies Do Not Think Venezuela Directs Gang, Declassified Memo Shows -- The release of the memo further undercuts the Trump administration’s rationale for using the Alien Enemies Act to deport scores of Venezuelans to a prison in El Salvador. Charlie Savage and Julian E. Barnes in the New York Times$ -- 5/6/25

Trump defends viral image of himself as Pope: ‘Catholics loved it’ -- President Donald Trump dismissed concerns that an AI-generated image of himself as the Pope was offensive to Catholics and accused the media of drumming up anger. Gregory Svirnovskiy Politico -- 5/6/25