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Upadating . . .
California Policy and Politics Wednesday
Federal trade court blocks Trump from imposing sweeping tariffs under emergency powers law -- A federal trade court on Wednesday blocked President Donald Trump from imposing sweeping tariffs on imports under an emergency-powers law. The ruling from a three-judge panel at the New York-based Court of International Trade came after several lawsuits arguing Trump has exceeded his authority, left U.S. trade policy dependent on his whims and unleashed economic chaos. Lindsay Whitehurst Associated Press -- 05/28/25
Trump trade war has already had huge effect on CA ports -- California’s port traffic is beginning to look worse now, under the effects of President Donald Trump’s fickle tariff policy, than it did at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. Levi Sumagaysay Calmatters -- 05/28/25
Trump lawyer in Harvard battle says DOJ intends to sue UC over antisemitism allegations -- A Justice Department official leading President Trump’s battle against Harvard University — which has led to multiple lawsuits and the school losing billions in federal funding — says the administration intends to take the University of California to court over alleged antisemitism. Jaweed Kaleem in the Los Angeles Times -- 05/28/25
Eight candidates take run at longtime lawmaker in Inland Empire’s swing district -- Rep. Ken Calvert has represented the 41st Congressional District more than 30 years, but redistricting has made his seat competitive. Seven Democrats and a Republican are challenging him. Deborah Brennan Calmatters -- 05/28/25
L.A. Made Big Promises for the Olympics. Can It Deliver by 2028? -- From the Super Bowl to the Oscars, Los Angeles has plenty of experience with high-profile spectacles. But the 2028 Olympics will test the city in the aftermath of devastating wildfires. Adam Nagourney and Jesus Jiménez in the New York Times -- 05/28/25
State claims there’s zero high-risk AI in California government—despite ample evidence to the contrary -- California uses algorithms to predict whether incarcerated people will commit crimes again. It has used predictive technology to deny 600,000 people unemployment benefits. Nonetheless, state administrators have concluded that not a single agency uses high-risk forms of automated decisionmaking technology. Khari Johnson Calmatters -- 05/28/25
Garofoli: Kellyanne Conway defends Trump, draws mixed reaction at S.F. business event -- Longtime top Donald Trump adviser Kellyanne Conway was in San Francisco on Tuesday to share what her hosts, the Bay Area Council business group, billed as “a unique window in this administration’s thinking.” But can you really trust the insights of the person who coined the phrase “alternative facts”? Me, neither. Joe Garofoli in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 05/28/25
Walters: Why did the California Senate shunt a cost-cutting housing bill? -- Last month, RAND, a prominent think tank based in Santa Monica, published an exhaustive study on housing costs that devastatingly proves how California has been undermining its official goal of increasing production. Dan Walters Calmatters -- 05/28/25
‘Illegal and immoral’: Advocates decry ICE arrests at Bay Area immigration courts -- Immigrants who showed up to immigration court appointments in San Francisco and Concord on Tuesday were arrested by federal immigration officers, advocates said, criticizing the actions as “illegal and immoral.” Molly Burke in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 05/28/25
Three men arrested at Sacramento’s immigration court, following national trend -- Three people were handcuffed and taken into custody by federal authorities Tuesday at Sacramento Immigration Court downtown, according to a volunteer attorney who witnessed the arrests. Stephen Hobbs in the Sacramento Bee -- 05/28/25
Former Times reporter sues Villanueva, L.A County, alleging 1st Amendment violation -- The suit comes less than a year after a Times article revealed that Lau had been the target of an L.A. County Sheriff’s Department investigation that “was designed to intimidate and punish Lau for her reporting” about a leaked list of deputies with a history of misconduct, Lau’s attorneys alleged in an emailed statement. Connor Sheets in the Los Angeles Times -- 05/28/25
Donald Trump threatens California federal funding over trans athlete policy -- President Donald Trump once again threatened to withhold federal funding from California, this time targeting the Golden State over a decade-old anti-discrimination law protecting transgender athletes. Lia Russell in the Sacramento Bee Leqi Zhong and Nick Fenley in the Fresno Bee Julia Prodis Sulek, Laurence Miedema, Darren Sabedra in the San Jose Mercury Amanda Friedman Politico -- 05/28/25
New California rule for trans athletes faces criticism from all sides -- At the state high school track and field championships, cisgender girls who did not qualify for the meet because a transgender athlete placed ahead of them will be allowed to compete. Sophia Bollag in the San Francisco Chronicle Lia Russell in the Sacramento Bee Eric He Politico -- 05/28/25
PG&E sees “huge” data center demand in San Jose area as tech expands -- PG&E is being flooded with requests for new data centers as big tech’s hunger for energy intensifies amid the artificial intelligence boom, a surge that could ease the jumps in monthly customer bills. George Avalos in the San Jose Mercury -- 05/28/25
Will California’s high gas prices go even higher? -- Two big refineries plan to close, with analysts saying the shutdowns will lead to tighter supplies in the long run. Rob Nikolewski in the San Jose Mercury -- 05/28/25
Rep. Judy Chu and advocates push FEMA for more housing assistance for Eaton fire survivors -- FEMA is ignoring needs on the ground by not authorizing a commonly used program to directly rent apartment buildings and provide them to fire survivors, Rep. Judy Chu (D-Monterey Park) and advocates said. Liam Dillon in the Los Angeles Times -- 05/28/25
Funding for L.A.’s emergency management unit, vital to Palisades recovery, remains static -- Facing a nearly $1-billion shortfall, L.A.’s City Council voted last week to pass a budget that rejected funding increases for emergency management. Matt Hamilton in the Los Angeles Times -- 05/28/25
A program paying California jurors $100 a day would end abruptly due to Newsom’s new budget -- In his attempts to solve a multibillion-dollar state deficit, Gov. Gavin Newsom’s new budget plan would terminate a legislative experiment that increased pay for juries in an effort to make them more fairly represent the communities they serve. Joe Garcia Calmatters -- 05/28/25
Workplace
Hollywood isn’t ready for AI. These people are diving in anyway -- Google’s push to court creative types coincides with a separate initiative to help AI technology overcome its massive public relations problem. Ryan Faughnder in the Los Angeles Times -- 05/28/25
Wildfire
Under Fire Act, inmate firefighters could have a new pipeline to employment -- When Andony Corleto first joined California’s Conservation Fire Camp Program as a prison inmate, he knew his criminal history barred him from working for any city, county or state fire department upon release. Cerys Davies in the Los Angeles Times -- 05/28/25
Many fire victims are owed a tax refund. L.A. County can’t find some of them -- Roughly 9,700 checks have been sent to residents whose properties were reassessed because of wildfire damage. But in about 330 cases, postal workers tried unsuccessfully to deliver the checks to vacant or destroyed homes. Rebecca Ellis in the Los Angeles Times -- 05/28/25
Water
The Colorado River is running low. The picture looks even worse underground, study says -- The researchers say a major reason for the declines is overpumping for agriculture. The majority of the groundwater declines that the study identified were in the Lower Colorado River Basin — Arizona, California and Nevada. Joshua Partlow in the Washington Post -- 05/28/25
Homeless
18 people went to jail in Sacramento County for being homeless, records show -- Using the average daily cost of housing a person in one of Sacramento County’s jails — the Main Jail downtown and the Rio Cosumnes Correctional Center near Elk Grove — jailing those 20 people for camping cost taxpayers about $3,100. Ariane Lange in the Sacramento Bee -- 05/28/25
Education
Federal grant cuts hit California universities hard, putting research in limbo -- San Diego State University and campuses nationwide face a dilemma: what to do when Washington pulls funding. Amy DiPierro EdSource -- 05/28/25
Street
‘My head was spinning’: Former San Diego deputy who fatally shot fleeing, unarmed man testifies -- Aaron Richard Russell, who did not take stand in state manslaughter case, testified in federal civil rights trial Tuesday that he believed Nicholas Bils was armed with gun. Alex Riggins in the San Diego Union Tribune -- 05/28/25
Federal judge reduces charge against L.A. deputy convicted of excessive force to misdemeanor -- In issuing his decision Tuesday, U.S. District Judge Stephen V. Wilson stymied a highly unusual legal maneuver pushed last month by Bill Essayli, the newly appointed U.S. attorney in Los Angeles. Brittny Mejia and James Queally in the Los Angeles Times -- 05/28/25
Also
This California Highway Is Now a Park. The Cars Are Gone, but Not the Anger -- The transformation of a two-mile stretch of San Francisco’s Great Highway into a pedestrian promenade has set off a clash over the city’s anti-car culture. Heather Knight in the New York Times -- 05/28/25
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Trump Loses Another Battle in His War Against Elite Law Firms -- A judge struck down an executive order targeting WilmerHale, in the latest victory for the handful of firms that have fought back against a Trump administration crackdown. Zach Montague in the New York Times C. Ryan Barber in the Wall Street Journal Mark Berman in the Washington Post -- 05/28/25
Trump Pledged ‘No Tax on Social Security.’ The Tax Bill Says Otherwise -- House bill’s proposed $4,000 senior deduction falls short of eliminating taxes on Social Security benefits altogether. Ashlea Ebeling and Richard Rubin in the Wall Street Journal -- 05/28/25
Exempting tips from taxes could hurt employees, critics say -- Worker advocates and some labor law experts call it a gimmick that could incentivize employers to keep base pay low and reclassify some salaries as tips. Shannon Najmabadi in the Washington Post -- 05/28/25
Trump Asks Supreme Court to Let Him Send Migrants to South Sudan -- Government lawyers said a federal judge in Boston had overstepped his authority by requiring hearings before deportations to countries other than the migrants’ own. Adam Liptak in the New York Times Mariah Timms in the Wall Street Journal Perry Stein and Ann E. Marimow in the Washington Post -- 05/28/25
Trump to pardon a reality TV couple convicted in $36M fraud -- The pending pardons of Todd and Julie Chrisley, whose extravagant lifestyle was chronicled in a show that ran for 10 seasons on the USA Network, were announced Tuesday in a video released by the White House of Trump calling their daughter, a conservative influencer, to give them the news. Gregory Svirnovskiy Politico Ben Shpigel in the New York Times -- 05/28/25
Musk says he’s ‘disappointed’ with Trump-backed megabill -- “I was disappointed to see the massive spending bill, frankly, which increases the deficit, not just decreases it, and undermines the work that the DOGE team is doing,” the billionaire Tesla CEO said in an interview with CBS scheduled to run in full on Sunday. Gregory Svirnovskiy Politico Christian Davenport in the Washington Post Tim Hanrahan in the Washington Post -- 05/28/25
Trade Crime Is Soaring, U.S. Firms Say, as Trump’s Tariffs Incentivize Fraud -- President Trump’s steep global tariffs have supercharged efforts to evade them. Some U.S. companies say the government is ill equipped to keep up. Ana Swanson and Lazaro Gamio in the New York Times -- 05/28/25
Trump Administration Seeks to Fully End Harvard’s Federal Contracts -- The Trump administration is seeking to end the remaining federal contracts with Harvard University, according to a letter being sent to federal agencies Tuesday, in the latest escalation of the president’s battle with one of America’s most prestigious schools. Nicholas Hatcher in the Wall Street Journal -- 05/28/25
California Policy and Politics Tuesday
Trump threatens to strip federal funds to California over transgender youth athletes -- Trump blasted Gov. Gavin Newsom in an early morning post on Truth Social saying the state under his leadership “continues to ILLEGALLY allow MEN TO PLAY IN WOMEN’S SPORTS.” Hannah Fry, Howard Blume and Taryn Luna in the Los Angeles Times -- 05/27/25
This Ethiopian Woman Was Tortured by Her Government. The US is Sending Her Home Anyway -- The Trump Administration has turned the remaining sliver of hope for people fleeing torture into what experts fear is a fast track to deportation. And it’s trying to keep it a secret. Mike Kessler KQED -- 05/27/25
4-year-old Bakersfield girl facing deportation could die within days of losing medical care -- In 2023, a Mexican girl with a life-threatening medical condition was allowed to enter the U.S. legally on humanitarian grounds. The Trump administration has now ordered the girl and her parents to leave the country. One of the girl’s physicians says that if her treatment is interrupted, “this could be fatal within a matter of days.” Andrea Castillo, Myung J. Chun in the Los Angeles Times -- 05/27/25
Stanford scientists detect new COVID variant in California as U.S. moves to tighten vaccine access -- A new, highly transmissible variant of the coronavirus, known as NB.1.8.1, was detected in California and several other U.S. states, prompting concern among public health experts as the federal government moves to restrict access to updated COVID-19 vaccines. Aidin Vaziri in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 05/27/25
Republican Vote Against E.V. Mandate Felt Like an Attack on California, Democrats Say -- For decades, California has been able to adopt its own emissions regulations, effectively setting the bar for carmakers nationally. And for just as long, Republicans have resented the state’s outsize influence. Soumya Karlamangla in the New York Times -- 05/27/25
Barabak: A celebration — and wake — for a political time gone by -- A memorial service for Stuart Spencer drew Democrats, Republicans and even the odd political columnist. The bipartisan gathering and mutual admiration showed how political times have changed. Mark Z. Barabak in the Los Angeles Times -- 05/27/25
‘Money in the pockets of administrators’: Charter network steers millions in taxpayer money to opaque firm tied to execs -- Elite charter schools' close relationship with a third-party provider raises questions about transparency and potential conflicts of interest. Kristen Taketa in the San Diego Union Tribune -- 05/27/25
FAA didn't issue key notice about malfunctioning airport weather observation system before deadly San Diego crash -- Leading up to the fatal plane crash near Montgomery Field Airport early Thursday morning, the Federal Aviation Administration didn't issue a notification to pilots that a key weather observation system at the airport was malfunctioning, according to a review of agency notification records. Scott Rodd KPBS -- 05/27/25
California’s flying e-taxi startups face daunting hurdles ahead of LA28 Olympics launch -- If electric air-taxi creators have their way, the Summer Olympics in Los Angeles will be the ‘world stage’ for society’s leap into the Jetson’s era. Pat Maio in the Orange County Register -- 05/27/25
Water
Groundwater is rapidly declining in the Colorado River Basin, satellite data show -- Scientists say overpumping is leading to alarmingly rapid declines in groundwater at a time when climate change is putting growing strains on the Southwest’s water supplies. Ian James, Sean Greene in the Los Angeles Times -- 05/27/25
Housing
Anaheim to decide how first $15 million from Disney for affordable housing should be used -- The plan before the City Council calls for assisting in three areas: Money for helping build affordable units, providing loan assistance to homebuyers in the city and funding for low-income families at risk of eviction. Michael Slaten in the Orange County Register -- 05/27/25
Education
California schools see 9% surge in homeless students as funds decrease -- Improved identification and worsening family finances contribute to the increase, liaisons say. Betty Márquez Rosales EdSource -- 05/27/25
Street
A daughter finds her mother dead in an L.A. homeless encampment. Was it an overdose or homicide? -- A U.S. Army veteran was among two bodies found inside a tent at a homeless encampment. Relatives say the LAPD mishandled the case of their mother’s death. Ruben Vives in the Los Angeles Times -- 05/27/25
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Trump’s FCC delays multilingual emergency alerts for natural disasters, sparking concern in L.A. -- California Rep. Nanette Diaz Barragán urged the Federal Communications Commission on Monday to follow through on plans to modernize the federal emergency alert system and provide multilingual alerts in natural disasters for residents who speak a language other than English at home. Jenny Jarvie in the Los Angeles Times -- 05/27/25
Trump Intends to Cancel All Federal Funds Directed at Harvard -- A letter to federal agencies will instruct them to end contracts, totaling about $100 million. It is meant to sever the government’s remaining ties with Harvard. Stephanie Saul in the New York Times Nicholas Hatcher in the Wall Street Journal Darlene Superville and Collin Binkley Associated Press -- 05/27/25
NPR Sues Trump Over Order to Cut Funding -- The lawsuit, filed in federal court in Washington by NPR and other public radio organizations, said President Trump’s executive order violated the Constitution and the First Amendment. Benjamin Mullin in the New York Times Joe Flint in the Wall Street Journal -- 05/27/25
Trump’s border czar earned consulting fees from immigrant detention firm -- A leader of the Trump administration’s effort to detain and deport millions of immigrants recently earned consulting fees from a detention center company that is expected to benefit financially from the crackdown, according to a federal ethics filing. Douglas MacMillan and Aaron Schaffer in the Washington Post -- 05/27/25
Trump pardons former Virginia sheriff convicted of bribery, fraud -- President Donald Trump announced on Monday his pardon of former Culpeper County, Virginia, sheriff Scott Jenkins, who was convicted of federal bribery and fraud charges in December. Sabrina Malhi in the Washington Post -- 05/27/25
Trump’s Tariffs and Tax Bill May Derail U.S. Battery Industry -- Domestic factories that make batteries to store power to meet America’s rising energy demand depend on Chinese components and federal subsidies. Rebecca F. Elliott in the New York Times -- 05/27/25
Trump peppers Memorial Day speech with personal boasting and partisan attacks -- President paid tribute to fallen soldiers at Arlington cemetery, and also veered off into rally-style remarks. Edward Helmore and Léonie Chao-Fong The Guardian -- 05/27/25
Military Parade Concerns Dissolve With a More Acquiescent Pentagon -- There will be 28 Abrams tanks, 6,700 soldiers, 50 helicopters, 34 horses, two mules and a dog, according to the Army’s plans for the June 14 event. Helene Cooper in the New York Times -- 05/27/25
Tourists from countries badly hit by Trump tariffs are staying away from US --Data from hotel site Trivago shows fewer US bookings by holidaymakers from Canada, Japan, Mexico and Germany. Mark Sweney The Guardian -- 05/27/25