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

California Policy and Politics Wednesday

Newsom proposes to freeze Medi-Cal enrollment for undocumented immigrants -- To save more than $5 billion, the California governor wants to shut down new enrollment for adults who lack legal status and charge premiums. The Legislature has resisted such changes. Kristen Hwang CalMatters Taryn Luna in the Los Angeles Times$ Sophia Bollag in the San Francisco Chronicle$ Rachel Bluth Politico Laurel Rosenhall in the New York Times$ -- 5/14/25

Newsom claims Trump’s tariffs will reduce California revenues by $16 billion -- Despite personal income tax and corporate tax receipts in the state coming in $6.8 billion above projections through April, the Newsom administration is predicting that overall revenue will be lower than it could have been from January 2025 through June 2026 because of the economic impact of Trump’s tariffs. Taryn Luna in the Los Angeles Times$ Lia Russell in the Sacramento Bee$ Blake Jones Politico Alexei Koseff CalMatters -- 5/14/25

California to ask federal judge for sweeping pause to Trump’s tariffs -- The California attorney general’s office said Tuesday it will seek a preliminary injunction in its case challenging President Trump’s tariff policy, a move that could result in a court order freezing sweeping import duties on worldwide products that have rocked the global economy and U.S. markets since last month. Michael Wilner in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/14/25

California, 19 states sue Trump administration over withheld funds -- The battle over immigration and federal power escalated Tuesday as California and 19 other states accused President Donald Trump of illegally withholding tens of billions of dollars in transportation and disaster-relief funds from states that refuse to cooperate with the administration’s policies. Bob Egelko in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 5/14/25

New proposals from Gov. Newsom seek to lower prescription drug prices and protect abortion access -- Newsom’s plan would tighten rules for pharmacy benefit managers and expand CalRx, his low-cost drug purchasing program, to include name-brand abortion drugs like mifepristone. Sophia Bollag in the San Francisco Chronicle$ Alexei Koseff and Kristen Hwang CalMatters -- 5/14/25

Newsom asks lawmakers to fast-track Delta tunnel project -- Gov. Gavin Newsom has said he wants the controversial $20 billion tunnel permitted by the end of his term. Camille von Kaenel Politico -- 5/14/25

LA Times owner maneuvers into Trump’s orbit with Middle East meeting -- -- Dr. Patrick Soon-Shiong, a biotech entrepreneur who acquired his city’s ailing broadsheet in 2018, was spotted in conversation Tuesday with Trump as the president held court with major U.S. business executives during a visit to Saudi Arabia. Will McCarthy Politico -- 5/14/25

17 members of a cartel kingpin’s family were escorted into California from Mexico. Why? -- Key pillars of the Trump administration’s policy toward Mexico involve large-scale deportations and a crackdown on cartels. But reports in the Mexican media suggest that U.S. authorities recently orchestrated the secret, cross-border move of at least 17 relatives of Mexico’s most notorious drug kingpin — Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán — to California. Patrick J. McDonnell in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/14/25

L.A. judge resentences Menendez brothers, giving them chance at freedom -- Erik and Lyle Menendez received a chance at freedom Tuesday after more than 35 years in prison, with an L.A. County judge granting a request to resentence them after hours of emotional testimony from family members who said the brothers had served enough prison time for the brutal 1989 killings of their parents. James Queally and Richard Winton in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/14/25

LAPD

Officers are winning massive payouts in ‘LAPD lottery’ lawsuits -- In the last five years, the city has shelled out nearly $70 million for jury verdicts or settlements from lawsuits involving officers who alleged whistleblower retaliation and other workplace injustices. Libor Jany in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/14/25

Workplace

At LAX Airport, Uber Drivers Wait. And Wait. And Wait -- One of the busiest airports in the world used to be a prime place for gig drivers to earn money. Now, it’s typical of their increasing desperation. Eli Tan, Kellen Browning, Mark Abramson in the New York Times$ -- 5/14/25

Breathe

This California county has the highest death rate for climate change-driven wildfire smoke -- Climate change fueled devastating California wildfires between 2006 and 2020, contributing more than 5,200 deaths statewide from harmful wildfire smoke particles, according to a new study. The tally is greater than any other state over the 15-year study period. A rural Northern California county — Trinity County — had the country’s highest rate of deaths from climate change-driven wildfires and microscopic smoke and soot particles, also known as PM2.5. Jack Lee in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 5/14/25

Street

Mayor Daniel Lurie has a new plan to boost S.F. police staffing -- Mayor Daniel Lurie hopes to improve San Francisco’s persistent law enforcement staffing shortage partly by making it more attractive for retired police officers to come back to work temporarily. J.D. Morris in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 5/14/25

A Zoox and an e-bike collided in S.F. Here’s what it says about robotaxi safety -- But in a report filed to the Department of Motor Vehicles, Zoox gave a clinical description of the crash on April 4: A driverless taxi collided with a Bay Wheels e-bike whose rider had swerved into the car’s path. The Zoox sustained fender damage while the cyclist rode away. Nobody called police. Rachel Swan in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 5/14/25

Medicaid

At Folsom hospital, dozens rally against proposed Medicaid cuts -- Dozens of health care workers and advocates rallied at a Folsom hospital Tuesday, calling on lawmakers to oppose a slate of proposed changes to Medicaid, the federal safety net health insurance program that covers more than 14 million people in California. Annika Merrilees in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 5/14/25

State Farm

Insurance commissioner grants State Farm 17% emergency rate hike after L.A. fires -- Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara adopted an administrative law judge’s recommendation Tuesday and granted State Farm General, the state’s largest home insurer, a 17% emergency hike in its homeowners insurance rates. Laurence Darmiento in the Los Angeles Times$ Levi Sumagaysay CalMatters Megan Fan Munce in the San Francisco Chronicle$ Stephen Hobbs in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 5/14/25

Lopez: Four months into insurance claim delays and disputes, a new blow to fire victims: A rate hike -- For four months, the frustrations and indignities have continued for victims of the Palisades and Eaton fires, especially for those still battling their insurance companies. Steve Lopez in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/14/25

Climate

As climate hazards worsen, Trump moves to weaken FEMA and shift disaster response onto states -- FEMA is experiencing layoffs, budget cuts, grant cancellations and other challenges at the start of wildfire and hurricane season. President Trump wants to shift disaster response responsibilities away from the federal government and onto the states. Hayley Smith in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/14/25

This Southland boat company wants to electrify the Port of Los Angeles -- An electric boat company with roots in Torrance is taking steps to bring battery-powered workboats and charging infrastructure to the Port of Los Angeles, where diesel-burning vessels emit tons of carbon dioxide. Caroline Petrow-Cohen in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/14/25

Education

How a funding pause and renewed controversies could tank California’s ethnic studies mandate -- California became a national pioneer four years ago by passing a law to make ethnic studies a high school graduation requirement. But only months before the policy is to take effect, Gov. Gavin Newsom is withholding state funding — delaying the mandate as the course comes under renewed fire. Howard Blume in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/14/25

Can middle schoolers handle college? This San Jose school is finding out -- The San Jose Evergreen Community College District offers a course at a local middle school, and plans to offer more in the future. The college faculty union worries that the students are too young. Adam Echelman CalMatters -- 5/14/25

AI

Jamie Lee Curtis just wanted an AI ad removed, not to become the ‘poster child of internet fakery’-- The Oscar-winning actor recently called out Meta Chief Executive Mark Zuckerberg on social media, saying the company ignored her requests to take down a fake AI-generated advertisement on Instagram that had been on the platform for months. The ad, which used footage from an interview Curtis gave to MSNBC about January’s Los Angeles area wildfires, manipulated her voice to make it appear that she was endorsing a dental product, Curtis said. Wendy Lee in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/14/25

Also

A group claims it buried a $10K treasure chest in S.F. Here’s how to find it -- Buzz about the potential treasure began Tuesday, when a post on Reddit under the username “buriedtreasure2025” informed the public of the plunder. The group, which told the Chronicle it wishes to remain anonymous, said it had buried a 22-pound chest “somewhere” in the city five weeks ago. Jordan Parker in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 5/14/25

‘Freaky and disturbing’: No one knows why birds are dying in this Bay Area neighborhood -- On a recent evening, Mark Hoehner was walking his dogs in his neighborhood in the city of Richmond when he heard a loud pop like a firecracker. The 64-year-old marketing designer looked up and saw a dove perched on the power line suddenly fall to the ground. Five minutes later, he heard the popping sound again and a starling hit the pavement in front of him. Sarah Ravani in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 5/14/25

POTUS 47

Tiny Company With China Ties Announces Big Purchase of Trump Cryptocurrency -- A struggling technology company that has ties to China and relies on TikTok made an unusual announcement this week. It had secured funding to buy as much as $300 million of $TRUMP, the so-called memecoin marketed by President Trump. David Yaffe-Bellany and Eric Lipton in the New York Times$ -- 5/14/25

Trump accepting luxury jetliner from Qatar raises alarm on both sides of political aisle -- Experts and critics on both ends of the political spectrum have called the deal unconstitutional or worrisome from a security or geopolitical standpoint. Kevin Rector and James Rainey in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/14/25

GOP heavyweights join bipartisan bashing of Trump Qatar jet deal -- Senate Majority Leader John Thune and GOP firebrand senators are among those voicing discomfort with the deal. Eric Bazail-Eimil and Robbie Gramer Politico -- 5/14/25

As Trump Courts Gifts and Dangles Access, Congress Sits on the Sidelines -- Republicans on Capitol Hill seem unlikely to challenge President Trump as he pushes ethics guardrails around profiting from the presidency to the breaking point. Carl Hulse in the New York Times$ -- 5/14/25

Why these tech titans joined Trump in Saudi Arabia -- In perhaps the largest single assemblage of America’s tech leaders since they prominently graced the stage at President Donald Trump’s inauguration, Silicon Valley’s powerful decamped to the Saudi capital of Riyadh on Tuesday to join Trump and a coterie of top advisers to solicit investment from the oil-rich kingdom. Elizabeth Dwoskin and Gerrit De Vynck in the Washington Post$ -- 5/14/25

The World Is Wooing U.S. Researchers Shunned by Trump -- As President Trump guts American research institutions, world leaders see a “once-in-a-century brain gain opportunity.” Patricia Cohen in the New York Times$ -- 5/14/25

 

California Policy and Politics Tuesday

Insurance commissioner grants State Farm 17% emergency rate hike after L.A. fires -- Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara adopted an administrative law judge’s recommendation Tuesday and granted State Farm General, the state’s largest home insurer, a 17% emergency hike in its homeowners insurance rates. Laurence Darmiento in the Los Angeles Times$ Levi Sumagaysay CalMatters Megan Fan Munce in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 5/13/25

West Coast ports reel from Trump’s tariff swings -- President Donald Trump gave West Coast ports a brief reprieve Monday when he agreed to temporarily pull back from sky-high tariffs on imported goods from China — but the industry remains in choppy waters. Camille von Kaenel Politico -- 5/13/25

Trade Chaos Raises Big Question: Why Does China Eat So Many American Pistachios? -- China’s big appetite for the small, green ‘happy nuts’ drives nearly a third of the $3 billion U.S. crop, centered in California. Jim Carlton in the Wall Street Journal -- 5/13/25

Baja California governor responds to revocation of U.S. visa: ‘I am calm’ -- While Baja California Gov. Marina del Pilar Ávila says she still doesn’t know why the U.S. government revoked her non-immigrant visa, she is convinced the matter will be worked out. Alexandra Mendoza in the San Diego Union Tribune -- 5/13/25

Bay Area transit systems put up life-or-death ballot measures -- Voters across the San Francisco region are likely to vote next year on taxes that officials say are necessary to keep trains on the track. Will McCarthy Politico -- 5/13/25

Candidates for California governor square off for first time. Here’s how they fared -- The message former Vice President Kamala Harris should take from Monday’s first gathering of Democratic candidates for governor should be very clear: Relax and enjoy your time off. You can win this thing no matter when you decide to jump into the race. Joe Garofoli in the San Francisco Chronicle$ Dan Walters CalMatters Sandra McDonald and Seema Mehta in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/13/25

If Gov. Newsom doesn’t solve California homeless crisis, can he be president? -- Critics say his get-tough announcement Monday was a political stunt to “clean up his record” before a White House bid. Julia Prodis Sulek in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 5/13/25

Whooping cough cases are surging in California. Here’s how to protect yourself -- As of April 26, a total of 590 Californians had contracted the highly contagious disease in 2025, according to data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Hannah Poukish in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 5/13/25

San Francisco plans 3-day Grateful Dead anniversary concert with Dead & Company -- San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie wants to bring back the Dead. On Monday, May 12, Lurie announced plans for a three-day concert to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the legendary Bay Area jam band the Grateful Dead. Aidin Vaziri in the San Francisco Chronicle$ Jim Harrington in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 5/13/25

UC Berkeley wins chance to reclaim lucrative gene editing patent -- With potentially huge sums at stake, a federal court on Monday reinstated UC Berkeley’s legal claim seeking nationwide rights to develop and market gene editing, the transfer of genetic technology between living organisms with the capability of curing diseases. Bob Egelko in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 5/13/25

Wildfire

Palisades fire victims seek court order forcing FAIR Plan to turn over claims documents -- A couple whose home was damaged in the Palisades fire filed a lawsuit Monday against the California FAIR Plan, the state’s home insurer of last resort, seeking to force the insurer to turn over claims documents. Laurence Darmiento in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/13/25

A ‘silent threat’: California officials announce hearing into wildfire victim underinsurance following Chronicle investigation -- California officials plan to hold a hearing later this month to discuss solutions to widespread underinsurance among wildfire survivors, following a Chronicle investigation that exposed the severity of the issue and tied it to insurance companies’ use of flawed algorithms to write homeowner policies. Susie Neilson, Megan Fan Munce in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 5/13/25

Workplace

Faced with a $30 minimum wage, hotel investors start looking outside L.A. -- Hotel industry leaders say a law boosting the pay of tourism workers, billed as the highest minimum wage in the nation, will cost jobs and drive businesses from L.A. David Zahniser and Suhauna Hussain in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/13/25

Drivers or partners? An LAFD role could be nixed amid budget woes -- Emergency incident technicians are firefighters who play a key role in coordinating the response to fires, and losing them would put lives at risk, according to LAFD Chief Ronnie Villanueva. Noah Goldberg in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/13/25

Jon Voight, Sylvester Stallone and entertainment groups lobby Trump for tax provisions -- A coalition of entertainment unions, guilds and groups have sent a letter to President Trump, asking him to support tax provisions that would help Hollywood. Samantha Masunaga in the Los Angeles Times$ Bethany Irvine Politico -- 5/13/25

Google to pay $50 million to settle lawsuit claiming it paid Black workers less -- April Curley, a Black woman who worked at the Mountain View digital-advertising giant from 2014 to 2022, claimed in her 2022 lawsuit that she was hired to recruit more Black workers but fired for pushing back against the firm’s “racially biased corporate culture.” Ethan Baron in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 5/13/25

Insurance

Insurers seek to surcharge California homeowners for L.A. County fire costs -- Insurers are seeking to charge California homeowners across the state for the costs of the catastrophic Los Angeles County fires they were burdened with when the state’s insurer of last resort needed a bailout. Laurence Darmiento in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/13/25

Head Start

California child care workers demand more funding amid Trump threats to Head Start -- Day care providers, parents and advocates from across the Bay Area rallied Monday as part of a statewide push for affordable child care amid concerns of additional cuts from the Trump administration to a struggling system still reeling from the pandemic. Molly Gibbs in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 5/13/25

Homeless

Caltrans’ response to homeless encampments is lagging, cities complain -- Gov. Gavin Newsom ordered state agencies to clear homeless encampments from their properties last summer, holding up the California Department of Transportation as an example of how it should be done. Marisa Kendall CalMatters -- 5/13/25

Homeless advocates protest San Jose proposal to arrest unhoused who repeatedly refuse available shelter -- As the city makes significant investments in expanding its shelter capacity, Mayor Matt Mahan has said unhoused residents need to be held accountable for coming indoors. Devan Patel in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 5/13/25

A new push to bring recovery homes into state’s ‘housing first’ homeless model -- The California Legislature is considering a bill that would end a nearly decade-old law denying state funding to abstinence-based housing. The law was meant to eliminate housing barriers to drug and alcohol users but, critics say, created barriers to those seeking sobriety. Doug Smith in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/13/25

Street

California released 15,000 prisoners early during COVID. New data reveals what happened to many of them -- Nearly one-third of California prisoners released early during the pandemic by Gov. Gavin Newsom’s administration ended up back in prison, according to California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation data. Byrhonda Lyons CalMatters -- 5/13/25

California ‘teacher of the year’ sexually assaulted elementary school boys. She gets 30-year term -- Jaqueline Ma, a San Diego County educator, is sentenced for grooming and sexually assaulting two boys in her elementary school classroom. Clara Harter in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/13/25

Big Bear eaglets Sunny and Gizmo get ready to test their wings -- Fans of Big Bear’s bald eagle family — stars of their own webcam reality show — watched over the winter as parents Jackie and Shadow finally welcomed offspring to the nest after several previous attempts led to heartbreak. Now, in just 2½ months, their eaglets have sprouted up. Amy Hubbard in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/13/25

Also

Barabak: Is there a middle ground on immigration? This Republican thinks so -- A former state senator who helped moderate Arizona’s immigration policy said President Trump, having secured the border, should now address a worker shortage. Mark Z. Barabak in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/13/25

Kim Kardashian is finally going to testify about being robbed in Paris. How did we get here? -- It has been almost 3,150 days — more than 8½ years — since Kim Kardashian was robbed at gunpoint in Paris. On Tuesday, she finally gets to testify against the suspects. Christie D’Zurilla in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/13/25

POTUS 47

Monthly Inflation Ticked Up in Early Hints of Tariff Effects -- Monthly inflation picked up slightly in April, a month when businesses were yanked back and forth as they tried to adjust to President Trump’s unpredictable trade policies. Chao Deng and Nick Timiraos in the Wall Street Journal -- 5/13/25

 

Trump, Pressed on Qatari Jet, Says Only ‘Stupid’ People Reject Gifts -- President Trump angrily brushed off ethical concerns about accepting a $400 million luxury jet from Qatar to be used as a new Air Force One, saying only someone “stupid” would turn down such an offer. Maggie Haberman in the New York Times$ -- 5/13/25

Trump’s free plane is not so free -- The Boeing aircraft that Qatar may give the president would require a pricy and complicated overhaul to serve as Air Force One. Joe Gould and Connor O'Brien Politico -- 5/13/25

Qatari Jet Highlights Corruption Concerns in Trump’s 2nd Term -- The plan to accept a plane from Qatar’s royal family is the latest example of how President Trump’s administration mixes public office and personal benefits. Charlie Savage in the New York Times$ -- 5/13/25

Auction to Dine With Trump Creates Foreign Influence Opportunity -- The sale of face-to-face access to President Trump using the Trump family’s own cryptocurrency has done more than benefit him financially, though it has certainly done that. Eric Lipton and David Yaffe-Bellany in the New York Times$ -- 5/13/25

Trump’s Middle East trip marked by potential private business conflicts -- The Trump Organization has entered into real estate deals in all three countries the president plans to visit this week. Cleve R. Wootson Jr., Susannah George, Emily Davies and Todd C. Frankel in the Washington Post$ -- 5/13/25

 

Trade truce with China is hailed, but it may not be enough to stop shortages -- The temporary truce will see the United States lower tariffs on Chinese imports to 30% and China reduce its import duties on U.S. goods to 10%, starting Wednesday. Supply shortages and price increases on Chinese products may still hit American consumers in the coming weeks, experts said. Michael Wilner in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/13/25

What the U.S.-China Tariff Rollback Means for the American Economy -- The reset steers the U.S. economy back on a more familiar path as the major consumer of goods, and lowers the risk of recession, economists say. The new agreement also temporarily abandons an attempt to use tariff shock therapy to restore America’s status as a manufacturing powerhouse. Harriet Torry and Justin Lahart in the Wall Street Journal -- 5/13/25

Tariffs Drive Honda to Move S.U.V. Production From Canada to U.S. -- In the face of U.S. tariffs, Honda said on Monday that it would shift production of one of its popular vehicles from Ontario to a U.S. factory and postpone an $11 billion plan to make electric vehicles and batteries in Canada. Ian Austen in the New York Times$ -- 5/13/25

Tariff Truce With China Demonstrates the Limits of Trump’s Aggression -- President Trump’s triple-digit tariffs on Chinese products disrupted global trade — but haven’t appeared to result in major concessions from Beijing. Ana Swanson and Alan Rappeport in the New York Times$ -- 5/13/25

How Trump’s trade war could end by June -- The challengers say the president is violating the Constitution and hope the Court of International Trade will grant their request for a preliminary injunction before the end of the month. Doug Palmer Politico -- 5/13/25

‘That Should Cause People to Pause’: Why Trump Might Lose the Legal Fight on Tariffs -- Oregon’s attorney general is suing to block Trump’s tariffs — and he might win. Joseph J. Schatz Politico -- 5/13/25

Trump Signs Executive Order Aimed at Lowering Drug Prices -- The executive order seeks to institute a policy known as “Most Favored Nation,” whereby the U.S. government pays prices for drugs that are tied to the prices paid by other countries. Many other countries pay lower prices for medications because their single-payer healthcare systems negotiate for deals. Liz Essley Whyte and Natalie Andrews in the Wall Street Journal David Lim Politico -- 5/13/25

Trump’s plan to lower U.S. drug prices contains threats but few teeth -- The president rolled out a plan that was less aggressive than his first-term effort in 2020, surprising analysts who were bracing for something tougher. Daniel Gilbert in the Washington Post$ -- 5/13/25

Rule of law is ‘endangered,’ chief justice says -- Chief Justice John Roberts described the rule of law as “endangered” and warned against “trashing the justices,” but speaking in Washington Monday he didn’t point fingers directly at President Donald Trump or his allies for publicly excoriating judges who’ve ruled against aspects of Trump’s agenda. Josh Gerstein Politico -- 5/13/25