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

Updating . . .

California Policy and Politics Wednesday

Trump administration sees ‘no viable path’ forward to finish high-speed rail project, moves to pull federal funding -- $4 billion in federal funding could be pulled from California’s high-speed rail project within 37 days. Colleen Shalby in the Los Angeles Times -- 06/04/25

 

FBI arrests a man in New York linked to explosion at a California fertility clinic, officials say -- The FBI has arrested a man on charges linked to last month’s car bombing of a fertility clinic in Palm Springs, California, three law enforcement officials said Wednesday. The man, Daniel Park, a 32-year-old resident of Kent, Washington, was arrested Tuesday night at the John F. Kennedy Airport in New York, one of the officials said. Eric Tucker and Jake Offenhartz Associated Press -- 06/04/25

Strip gay-rights icon Harvey Milk’s name from a Navy ship? California leaders are furious -- The Pentagon would not confirm or deny the plans, but said Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is committed to having ship names reflect a ‘warrior ethos.’ California leaders said Milk is a hero who deserves the honor of having a naval ship named for him. Kevin Rector in the Los Angeles Times -- 06/04/25

Gavin Newsom, Elon Musk and Marjorie Taylor Greene agree on this one thing -- California Gov. Gavin Newsom and fellow Sacramento Democrats are finding themselves in an awkward yet convenient alliance with MAGA-world figures against President Donald Trump’s “big, beautiful bill.” Christine Mui Politico -- 06/04/25

Newsom takes the heat for an ‘unfair’ trans policy -- Gov. Gavin Newsom tried to take a stand on transgender kids competing in sports. Instead, he’s walked himself and the state into a national maelstrom. Jeremy B. White and Eric He Politico -- 06/04/25

Bay Area cities called out in ‘sanctuary’ list find themselves in crosshairs of immigration standoff -- The Bay Area’s largest cities are accustomed to finding themselves in President Donald Trump’s crosshairs, but even some smaller suburbs here wound up last week on a list of places accused of shielding immigrants from federal authorities. Shomik Mukherjee, Kyle Martin, Jason Green and Ryan Macasero in the San Jose Mercury -- 06/04/25

Hwy. 50 construction, already behind schedule, will last another year in Sacramento -- Caltrans expects to finish its “Fix 50” project by July 2026 — a year later than originally planned and almost $100 million over budget. Ariane Lange in the Sacramento Bee -- 06/04/25

California Senate passes bill that aims to make AI chatbots safer -- The Senate passed a bill that aims to make chatbots used for companionship safer after parents raised concerns that virtual characters harmed their childrens’ mental health. Queenie Wong in the Los Angeles Times -- 06/04/25

Feds put East Bay city council member on notice he’s under investigation for bribery -- The U.S. Attorney’s Office for California’s Northern District on May 12 sent Council Member Bryan Azevedo a letter advising him that he was the target of the corruption probe and urging him to contact prosecutors by this past Friday if he was “interested in resolving this matter short of an indictment.” Megan Cassidy, Sarah Ravani in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 06/04/25

LA28 adds Honda as founding level partner, bolstering push for more funding -- LA28 announced Honda as its automotive partner for the L.A. Olympics on Monday, securing a major founding-level partnership that will help the private organizing committee cover its estimated $7-billion budget. Thuc Nhi Nguyen in the Los Angeles Times -- 06/04/25

L.A. Mayor Karen Bass won’t be forced to testify about homeless programs -- Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass won’t be called as a witness in a multiday federal court hearing that could determine whether the city’s homelessness programs are placed in receivership. David Zahniser and Doug Smith in the Los Angeles Times -- 06/04/25

Republicans’ Spanish-language ad criticizes Democrat on tax vote. Is it fair? -- Republicans are running a Spanish-language ad in Rep. Adam Gray’s district, saying he voted for a tax increase. Gray last month voted against the “one big beautiful bill” that would keep federal income tax rates at current levels after 2025 and cut some other taxes. If the bill fails, tax rates would go up next year. David Lightman in the Fresno Bee -- 06/04/25

Walters: California’s economy is just limping along. Why is Newsom always boasting? -- Gavin Newsom loves to boast about the state he governs, claiming that California is No.1 in some category or that the state is leading in some economic or cultural activity. Dan Walters Calmatters -- 06/04/25

Workplace

Labor groups, officials push for a minimum wage of at least $25 an hour in L.A. County -- On Monday, about 150 workers, labor leaders, Democratic party officials and loyal donors gathered at private tables reserved in the back of Wally’s Wine & Spirits in Santa Monica to launch a new effort to raise the minimum hourly wage in L.A. County to $25 — or higher. Suhauna Hussain in the Los Angeles Times -- 06/04/25

Walmart lays off 106 tech workers in Silicon Valley -- As part of its plan to lay off approximately 1,500 corporate employees nationwide, Walmart confirmed this week that cuts will affect its technology offices in Silicon Valley. Aidin Vaziri in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 06/04/25

Bay Area tech workers endure grim 2025 as big companies reveal layoffs -- The Bay Area has lost more than 11,000 tech jobs so far in 2025, a slump in hiring punctuated by disclosures of fresh layoffs in the region by some big players such as Google, Walmart and Microsoft. George Avalos in the San Jose Mercury -- 06/04/25

Oil

Investigation into East Bay refinery fire highlights role of contract workforce -- Scant supervision, inexperienced workers and even hard-to-read instructions contributed to a major fire that broke out at Martinez Refining Co., spewed cancer-causing chemicals into the air and forced nearby residents to hide in their homes, according to a new report released Tuesday. Julie Johnson in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 06/04/25

Environment

California freshwater fish found to be teeming with parasites. How to keep from getting sick -- More than 90% of popular freshwater fish in Southern California are carrying human-infecting parasites, researchers say. This poses a significant danger for those who like to eat freshly caught freshwater fish. But there are ways to protect yourself. Karen Garcia in the Los Angeles Times -- 06/04/25

Regulators seek to phase out gas-powered appliances in Southern California -- If adopted, the rules would phase out the sale of gas-powered furnaces and water heaters in the region. Officials say the plan is crucial for reducing air pollution and improving public health, while opponents fear higher consumer costs. Hayley Smith in the Los Angeles Times -- 06/04/25

‘Putting profit over people’: big gas is waging war on a California clean air rule -- Coalition that includes SoCalGas, country’s largest gas utility, has launched fierce campaign against transition away from gas-fired appliances. Hilary Beaumont The Guardian -- 06/04/25

Homeless

Elected leaders implore San Jose to invest in homelessness prevention as more families become unhoused -- District 2 Councilmember Pamela Campos said 30% of people living along city waterways were single mothers with children. Devan Patel in the San Jose Mercury -- 06/04/25

Sacramento County will now use drones to find homeless encampments -- The goal of the drones is to access areas vehicles can’t, such as remote parts of the American River Parkway. Emma Hall in the Sacramento Bee -- 06/04/25

Street

DA to seek death penalty against Half Moon Bay mass shooting suspect -- Chunli Zhao is accused of killing seven people in a January 2023 rampage at two Half Moon Bay mushroom farms. Jakob Rodgers in the San Jose Mercury -- 06/04/25

Education

It’s expensive to become a teacher in California. This bill would pay those who try -- To earn a teaching credential, students are required to complete a one-year program combining coursework and 600 hours of classroom experience. A new bill would provide money to pay them for that work. Carolyn Jones Calmatters -- 06/04/25

Also

Elderly man builds tree house to protest eviction from state-owned home -- Benito Flores, a 70-year-old man who illegally seized a state-owned home more than five years ago in El Sereno, is protesting his eviction and holing up in a tree house he built in the backyard. Liam Dillon, Myung J. Chun in the Los Angeles Times -- 06/04/25

Bed bugs in Ventura hotel lead to $2-million jury ruling for bitten guests -- A bed bug-ridden stay at a Ventura hotel turned into a multimillion-dollar jury payout for two guests who were “massacre[d] from bed bug bites” during their visit, according to court records. Salvador Hernandez in the Los Angeles Times -- 06/04/25

5 AI bots took our tough reading test. One was smartest — and it wasn’t ChatGPT -- We challenged AI helpers to decode legal contracts, simplify medical research, speed-read a novel and make sense of Trump speeches. Some of the AI analysis was impressive — and some was downright dumb. Geoffrey A. Fowler in the New York Times -- 06/04/25

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Trump Administration Live Updates: President’s Policy Bill Could Add $2.4 Trillion to Debt, Analysis Shows -- The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office said Wednesday that the broad Republican bill to cut taxes and slash some federal programs would add $2.4 trillion to the existing debt over the next decade, in an analysis that was all but certain to inflame concerns that President Trump’s domestic agenda would lead to excessive government borrowing. Andrew Duehren in the New York Times -- 06/04/25

Electricity Prices Are Surging. The G.O.P. Megabill Could Push Them Higher -- The combination of a data center boom, rising gas exports and cuts to clean energy tax breaks could spike American energy bills, analysts say. Brad Plumer and Rebecca F. Elliott in the New York Times -- 06/04/25

After Muscling Their Bill Through the House, Some Republicans Have Regrets -- The sprawling legislation carrying President Trump’s domestic agenda squeaked through the House with one vote to spare, but some Republicans now say they didn’t realize what they voted for. Michael Gold in the New York Times -- 06/04/25

‘Abomination’: Musk targets Trump’s massive spending bill, as it faces hurdles in Senate -- It was Musk’s latest, sharpest critique of the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act” making its way through Congress. The bill would also cut clean energy tax credits passed during the Biden administration, which have benefited Musk’s electric vehicle company, Tesla. Michael Wilner in the Los Angeles Times Jacob Bogage and Theodoric Meyer in the Washington Post Siobhan Hughes and Jasmine Li in the Wall Street Journal -- 06/04/25

Some of Trump’s Biggest Inaugural Donors Benefit From Early Government Actions -- The biggest contributor to President Trump’s inauguration was chicken processor Pilgrim’s Pride, which gave $5 million. In April, its Brazilian parent company, JBS, received government approval for a U.S. stock listing that it had long sought. The second largest donor was the cryptocurrency company Ripple, which gave about $4.9 million. In May it reached a settlement with the Securities and Exchange Commission to resolve a long-running lawsuit, sending its coin soaring. Josh Dawsey and Patrick Thomas in the Wall Street Journal -- 06/04/25

Higher Tariffs on Steel and Aluminum Imports Go Into Effect -- U.S. tariffs on steel and aluminum imports doubled on Wednesday, as President Trump continued to ratchet up levies on foreign metals that he claims will help revitalize American steel mills and aluminum smelters. Ana Swanson and Ian Austen in the New York Times -- 06/04/25

U.S. to Have Slower Growth, Higher Inflation Due to Tariffs, OECD Says -- President Trump’s tariff regime threatens to significantly crimp U.S. economic growth this year while boosting inflation, the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development said in a new forecast that sharply cut its outlook. Harriet Torry and Joshua Kirby in the Wall Street Journal Mikhail Klimentov in the Washington Post -- 06/04/25

Trump administration lays groundwork to make CEO perks easier to hide -- The focus of a Securities and Exchange Commission roundtable set for later this month — invitees still TBD — is changing rules on what companies have to tell shareholders about CEO perks, people briefed on its agenda said. The SEC declined to comment. Liz Hoffman Semafor -- 06/04/25

Judges in Deportation Cases Face Evasion and Delay From Trump Administration -- Administration officials have either violated orders or used an array of obfuscations and delays to prevent federal judges from deciding whether violations took place. Alan Feuer and Glenn Thrush in the New York Times -- 06/04/25

Millions of legal immigrants’ lives upended after social security freeze -- Millions of legal immigrants may be left unable to work after the US Social Security Administration quietly instituted a rule change to stop automatically issuing them social security numbers. Michael Sainato The Guardian -- 06/04/25

The White House Gutted Science Funding. Now It Wants to ‘Correct’ Research -- Thousands of scientists, academics, physicians and researchers have responded to the administration’s executive order about “restoring a gold standard for science.” Somini Sengupta in the New York Times -- 06/04/25

Trump Asks Congress to Claw Back $9 Billion for Foreign Aid, NPR and PBS -- The White House formally asked Congress on Tuesday to claw back more than $9 billion in federal funds that lawmakers had already approved for foreign aid and public broadcasting, seeking to codify spending cuts put forward by Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency. Catie Edmondson and Benjamin Mullin in the New York Times -- 06/04/25

 

California Policy and Politics Tuesday

Bakersfield girl who faced deportation and loss of lifesaving medical care is allowed to stay in U.S. -- U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services granted a Bakersfield family’s application for humanitarian parole, allowing the Mexican girl to remain in the U.S. where she receives lifesaving treatment for short bowel syndrome. Andrea Castillo in the Los Angeles Times -- 06/03/25

Murder charges filed in triple shooting that left Baldwin Park police officer dead -- Eduardo Medina-Berumen was charged with two counts of murder with special circumstances, two counts of attempted murder and possession of an assault pistol in connection with the bursts of gunfire that killed Baldwin Park Police Officer Samuel Riveros and Darius Wong. If convicted as charged, he faces life without the possibility of parole. James Queally and Richard Winton in the Los Angeles Times Andrea Klick and Ruby Gonzales in the Orange County Register -- 06/03/25

Tom Girardi – disgraced legal titan, former ‘Real Housewives’ husband – sentenced to 7 years in prison -- A judge sentenced disgraced legal titan Tom Girardi, once among the nation’s most formidable trial attorneys, to seven years in prison Tuesday for stealing millions of dollars from clients. Harriet Ryan in the Los Angeles Times -- 06/03/25

Musk blasts Trump's signature bill as "disgusting abomination" -- Elon Musk unloaded on President Trump's signature tax-and-spending bill Tuesday, declaring that he could no longer stay silent on what he called a "disgusting abomination." "Shame on those who voted for it: you know you did wrong. You know it," Musk wrote on X. Zachary Basu Axios Kate Conger and Michael Gold in the New York Times -- 06/03/25

Judge dismisses Gavin Newsom’s lawsuit challenging Trump tariffs — for now -- U.S. District Court Judge Jacqueline Scott Corley ruled on Monday that Newsom and Attorney General Rob Bonta did not have jurisdiction to sue Trump in the Northern District of California. In doing so, she partially sided with the U.S. Department of Justice’s assertion that the case belonged in the New York-based Court of International Trade. Lia Russell in the Sacramento Bee Dustin Gardiner Politico -- 06/03/25

A Trump Official Threatens to Sue California Schools Over Trans Athletes -- A letter from the assistant attorney general for civil rights, Harmeet K. Dhillon, said that allowing trans athletes to compete in high school sports was unconstitutional. Juliet Macur in the New York Times Kevin Rector and Howard Blume in the Los Angeles Times -- 06/03/25

ICE agents with assault rifles toss flash-bangs in serene SoCal neighborhood. City officials outraged -- Tensions remain high in San Diego after last week’s Immigration and Customs Enforcement work raids at two Italian restaurants that ended with federal agents using flash-bang grenades against residents protesting the operations. Ruben Vives in the Los Angeles Times -- 06/03/25

Arellano: Homeland Security’s ‘sanctuary city’ list is riddled with errors. The sloppiness is the point -- The Department of Homeland Security’s “sanctuary jurisdiction list” has more holes than the plot for the latest “Mission Impossible” film. All you need to know about its accuracy is how my native Orange County fared. Gustavo Arellano in the Los Angeles Times -- 06/03/25

What EPA’s gutting of environmental grants means for Southern California communities -- The grants were dedicated for projects meant to improve minority communities impacted by pollution, climate change and air and water quality issues. Ryan Carter, Kaitlyn Schallhorn in the Orange County Register -- 06/03/25

Company knew it would lose negligence case in deadly CA fire, court docs show -- Filed court transcripts show an Oregon-based timber company was aware that previous fires in a giant wooden warehouse at one of its facilities would cause them to lose a negligence case after a 2022 fire ripped through a small town in Northern California, killing two women and destroying numerous homes. Rosalio Ahumada in the Sacramento Bee -- 06/03/25

Crypto billionaire offers $9.4 million to overhaul S.F. police tech hub -- The donation, which is made up of funds linked to Ripple co-founder Chris Larsen, would relocate San Francisco police’s Real-Time Investigations Center, which oversees its work with drones, surveillance cameras and automated license plate readers, from the SoMa Hall of Justice to an office at 315 Montgomery St. in the Financial District. Megan Cassidy in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 06/03/25

Trump administration reverses USDA office closures in California -- The federal government has rescinded termination notices for eight of nine USDA offices slated for closure in California. The decision comes after California lawmakers argued that closing the offices would burden farmers. Hayley Smith in the Los Angeles Times David Lightman in the Sacramento Bee -- 06/03/25

Garofoli: Foul-mouthed, frustrated Democrats seek a spine -- California Democrats have learned one lesson from last November’s national loss to Republicans: Voters want to see them fight. Especially for the working class. Their next challenge is actually doing it. And California Democrats have a prime opportunity to do so in an upcoming budget fight in Sacramento. Joe Garofoli in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 06/03/25

Is it sex education or porn? Huntington Beach comes to blows over library books -- Huntington Beach will vote next week on whether to repeal a community review board for library material. It’s a test of the conservative city council’s growing clout and the national movement to restrict access to sexual content in children’s books. Alexei Koseff Calmatters -- 06/03/25

Walters: Los Angeles County’s chief executive will be one of California’s most powerful political gigs -- After California became a U.S. state in 1850, its Legislature grappled with how state and local governments would be structured. One decree was that counties, beginning with Los Angeles, would have five-member boards of supervisors. Dan Walters Calmatters -- 06/03/25

San Diego OKs sweeping parking price hikes, from paid Sunday parking to $10-an-hour meters during Padres games -- City officials say they're also close to finalizing plans to start charging for parking at the San Diego Zoo and the rest of Balboa Park — but details must still be decided. David Garrick in the San Diego Union Tribune -- 06/03/25

Water

Metropolitan Water District and San Diego end battle over Colorado River water — and set price -- The Los Angeles-based Metropolitan Water District of Southern California and the San Diego County Water Authority announced Monday that they have settled a legal dispute spanning 15 years over the exchange of Colorado River water. The item is in the Orange County Register -- 06/03/25

Insurance

State Farm lists 17 activities it says are too risky to insure under key California policy -- What do corn mazes, mushroom farms and professional athletes have in common? They all have the dubious honor of being considered too risky to insure under a State Farm policy that offers extra liability coverage, per a filing earlier this year. Maliya Ellis in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 06/03/25

Guns

California gun ban still alive. For now -- A divided U.S. Supreme Court on Monday allowed states to continue to ban semiautomatic AR-15-style rifles, which can be fired repeatedly without reloading and are owned by millions of Americans. But the issue is far from settled. Bob Egelko in the San Francisco Chronicle Adam Liptak in the New York Times -- 06/03/25

Recession

Recession indicator? People are cooking at home at the highest level since COVID -- For a rising share of Americans, it’s something they made themselves. That’s according to the most recent earnings call for Campbell’s, where the CEO of the food giant said they’ve seen more people opting for a home-cooked meal than they have since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. Jessica Roy in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 06/03/25

Consumers Are Financing Their Groceries. What Does It Say About the Economy? -- Increased use of “buy now, pay later” loans may signal shifting consumer habits, but could also be a troubling sign of financial stress. Julie Creswell in the New York Times -- 06/03/25

Dollar General Shares Zip Higher After Retailer Raises Outlook -- Dollar General raised its outlook for the year after assessing the impact of tariffs on its business and consumer behavior and better-than-expected first-quarter results, sending its shares 11% higher in premarket trading. Denny Jacob in the Wall Street Journal -- 06/03/25

Environment

Sargent Ranch: Landowners who proposed quarry sell large chunk of property in Santa Clara County -- $25 million deal for nearly 2,500 acres south of Gilroy comes as landowners ask to suspend controversial quarry plans. Paul Rogers in the San Jose Mercury -- 06/03/25

Street

9th Circuit deals blow to qualified immunity, revives lawsuit against LAPD officer -- A federal appeals court has reversed a ruling that shielded a Los Angeles police officer from liability in a fatal shooting, a decision that experts say could have broad implications for future cases in which law enforcement officials attempt to claim protection from civil lawsuits under the doctrine known as qualified immunity. Connor Sheets in the Los Angeles Times -- 06/03/25

Suspect in killing of Baldwin Park officer lived with mother, had no criminal record -- Officer Samuel Riveros was rushing to help a fellow officer who was under fire while responding to a call in Baldwin Park on Saturday night when a gunman fatally shot him, a law enforcement source with knowledge of the investigation told The Times on Monday. Richard Winton, Christopher Buchanan, Matthew Ormseth and Hannah Fry in the Los Angeles Times -- 06/03/25

How L.A.’s new top federal prosecutor erased felony verdict in deputy’s excessive force case -- Los Angeles County Sheriff’s deputy Trevor Kirk was sentenced Monday to four months in prison. He had previously faced up to 10 years in prison, until a federal judge granted the government’s request to dismiss the felony charge. Brittny Mejia and James Queally in the New York Times -- 06/03/25

L.A. County to pay $2.7 million to teen assaulted in ‘gladiator fight’ -- Video of a 2023 beating, captured on CCTV, launched a criminal investigation into so-called ‘gladiator fights’ at the troubled Los Padrinos Juvenile Hall. Rebecca Ellis in the Los Angeles Times -- 06/03/25

Also

Photo Essay: A transgender high school athlete navigates a fight she never asked for -- On the morning the Trump administration threw its weight behind a local lawsuit challenging California rules that allowed her to compete on her high school track and field team, Abi had more pressing concerns. Gina Ferazzi and Kevin Rector in the Los Angeles Times -- 06/03/25

British Airways flight attendant found naked and dancing on San Francisco flight to London -- He was eventually located in the Club World cabin bathroom, where, according to one colleague quoted by the Sun, he had turned the space into a “one-man disco.” Fellow staff reportedly dressed the man in first-class pajamas and restrained him in a first-class seat for the remainder of the 10½-hour flight. Aidin Vaziri in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 06/03/25

Two United flights out of SFO diverted in two days amid safety concerns -- Two United Airlines flights departing from San Francisco International Airport were forced to divert over the weekend in separate midair incidents, the latest in a string of operational disruptions involving the carrier at SFO. Aidin Vaziri in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 06/03/25

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As Trump Says He’s Stamping Out Antisemitism, He Advances Similar Tropes -- President Trump’s effort to punish Harvard over antisemitism is complicated by his own extensive history of amplifying white supremacist figures and symbols. Peter Baker in the New York Times -- 06/03/25

As Courts Call Tariffs Into Question, Trump Again Turns to His Favorite Tool -- The president is set to raise tariffs on steel and aluminum this week, even as the courts are challenging the legitimacy of other levies. Ana Swanson and Tony Romm in the New York Times -- 06/03/25

White House vows no Medicaid cuts — except to those who don’t deserve it -- Trump aides say those cut from Medicaid as a result of the GOP megabill shouldn’t have had it in the first place. Adam Cancryn and Jake Traylor Politico -- 06/03/25

Insurers, states warn of Obamacare chaos due to GOP megabill -- A last-minute change to the House bill threw a curveball to Obamacare insurers who already set their rates for 2026. Robert King Politico -- 06/03/25

The Trump Organization Has Expanded Globally Since the 2024 Election. See Where -- Since the November election, the Trump Organization, the family’s flagship real-estate firm, and its partners have publicly announced 12 international projects including residential high-rises, hotels and golf courses—far outpacing the two overseas deals announced during his first administration. Brenna T. Smith, Peter Grant and Daniel Kiss in the Wall Street Journal -- 06/03/25

Trump’s approval among Latino voters is crashing, new poll shows -- Throughout the president’s first few months in office, his favorability among Latinos is crashing, especially among independents and women, according to a new poll conducted by Global Strategy Group and commissioned by Somos Votantes, a Democratic-leaning group that focuses on Latinos. Andrew Howard Politico -- 06/03/25

U.S. Scientists Warn That Trump’s Cuts Will Set Off a Brain Drain -- As the United States cuts budgets and restricts immigration, China and Europe are offering researchers money and stability. Kate Zernike in the New York Times -- 06/03/25

After Staff Cuts, the National Weather Service Is Hiring Again -- The agency plans to hire more than 100 people after nearly 600 were laid off or retired as part of the governmentwide cuts this year. Judson Jones in the New York Times -- 06/03/25

Trump Talks a Lot About Antisemitism, With a Notable Caveat -- The president made no reference to Jews after the Colorado attack. Tyler Pager in the New York Times -- 06/03/25

White House Unveils a New, Darker Presidential Portrait -- The official portrait, released on Monday by the White House, features a somber Mr. Trump against a dark backdrop. Ali Watkins in the New York Times Niha Masih in the Washington Post -- 06/03/25

He Built an Airstrip on Protected Land. Now He’s in Line to Lead the Forest Service -- Michael Boren, nominated by President Trump, is accused of threatening trail workers with a helicopter, building an airstrip without a permit and putting a cabin on federal property. Hiroko Tabuchi in the New York Times -- 06/03/25