California Policy and Politics Thursday

ICE arrests 15 people, including 3-year-old child, in San Francisco, advocates say -- At least 15 people, including children as young as 3 years old, were detained Wednesday during their scheduled check-ins at the U.S. Immigration & Customs Enforcement office in San Francisco, according to immigration-rights advocates. Jessica Flores in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 06/05/25

Fort fire growing in Grapevine triggers evacuation warnings near Interstate 5 -- A fire that broke out on the west side of Interstate 5 in the Grapevine has triggered evacuation warnings in Kern County. Joseph Serna and Summer Lin in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 06/05/25

‘Is that Beyoncé?’ Kamala Harris makes her latest cameo at a high school graduation in LA -- The California Democratic Party did not make Kamala Harris’ calendar — but the graduating high school seniors at Compton High School did. Melanie Mason Politico -- 06/05/25

 

Trump’s high-speed rail attacks are boosting Democratic support -- President Donald Trump is about to snatch $4 billion away from California’s high-speed rail project — and all that’s doing is reinforcing Democrats’ iron-willed support for the beleaguered venture. Alex Nieves Politico -- 06/05/25

High-speed rail was supposed to signal S.F.’s downtown renaissance, now it feels like a mirage -- When Gavin Newsom served as mayor of San Francisco, he imagined the city not only as a Paris of the West, but as the terminus of an epic rail line that stretched from Anaheim to South of Market. Rachel Swan in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 06/05/25

Workplace

Supreme Court makes it easier to claim ‘reverse discrimination’ in employment, in a case from Ohio -- A unanimous Supreme Court made it easier Thursday to bring lawsuits over so-called reverse discrimination, siding with an Ohio woman who claims she didn’t get a job and then was demoted because she is straight. Mark Sherman Associated Press Adam Liptak in the New York Times Justin Jouvenal in the Washington Post -- 06/05/25

Wildfire

Bass wasn’t the only one deleting texts during the firestorms. Supervisor Barger did too -- Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass has come under heavy scrutiny for deleting the text messages she sent during the region’s disastrous January firestorms. But she wasn’t the only elected official expunging her correspondence during those history-making days. Julia Wick and Rebecca Ellis in the Los Angeles Times -- 06/05/25

‘Unfortunately, Altadena is for sale’: Developers are buying up burned lots -- Developers are buying up Altadena’s burned lots. It’s a doom or boon for the community, depending on whom you ask. Jack Flemming in the Los Angeles Times -- 06/05/25

State lawmakers considering policy changes after L.A. wildfires -- Nearly six months after a firestorm ravaged communities across Los Angeles, California lawmakers are crafting legislation to try to protect the state insurance program for high-risk homes from financial collapse. Sandra McDonald in the Los Angeles Times -- 06/05/25

 

Microsoft sues San Francisco over $14 million tax dispute -- Microsoft Corporation has filed a lawsuit against the City and County of San Francisco, seeking a refund of nearly $14 million in taxes, penalties and interest paid under protest. Aidin Vaziri in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 06/05/25

If you’re in Walnut Creek for two hours, the city is tracking you. Should you be worried? -- Any time you spend two hours in Walnut Creek, local business leaders may be tracking you. The city’s Chamber of Commerce has paired with a tech company to clock visitors as they move in and out of the city. Katie Lauer in the San Jose Mercury -- 06/05/25

Candidates for California governor face off about affordability, high cost of living in first bipartisan clash -- The first bipartisan gathering of 2026 gubernatorial candidates unfolded Wednesday evening. While the six candidates who took part largely aligned with their respective parties’ views, there were moments of differentiation. The primary is scheduled to take place exactly one year from Thursday. Seema Mehta in the Los Angeles Times -- 06/05/25

South: Newsom will loom large over ’26 race -- Think what you will about Newsom’s personality, policies or politics, he is a charismatic, commanding figure and an exceedingly articulate and masterful communicator. Gary South Capitol Weekly -- 06/05/25

 

Livermore community demands father be returned from ICE detainment -- At least 200 residents and demonstrators Wednesday night gathered at a rally to demand the release of a Livermore father who was detained by immigration officials last week. Kyle Martin in the San Jose Mercury -- 06/05/25

Glendale jail is holding ICE detainees, an outlier in California, as immigration arrests rise -- Immigrants detained by federal agents in Southern California are being housed at the Glendale City Jail, making the Los Angeles suburb one of the few, if not the only, known jurisdiction in the “sanctuary” state to sidestep rules prohibiting local law enforcement from assisting in federal immigration enforcement. Rachel Uranga and Melissa Gomez in the Los Angeles Times -- 06/05/25

California Democrats push to block ICE from schools, hospitals and shelters -- Highly publicized immigration raids have rattled the community and prompted lawmakers to push for more laws protecting immigrants. Jeanne Kuang Calmatters -- 06/05/25

Guatemalan man deported to Mexico returns to US after court orders Trump administration to do so -- The man, identified in court documents by initials O.C.G., landed in California via a commercial flight and made contact with his legal team while waiting in line to go through U.S. Customs and Border Protection, said Trina Realmuto of the National Immigration Litigation Alliance. Jennifer Sinco Kelleher Associated Press -- 06/05/25

San Diego judge rules Trump administration is violating family separation settlement -- The Trump administration has breached two provisions of a historic legal settlement in a San Diego-based lawsuit that in part required the government to provide immigration legal services to thousands of parents and children who were systematically separated at the border during President Donald Trump’s first term, a San Diego judge ruled Wednesday. Alex Riggins in the San Diego Union Tribune -- 06/05/25

 

California court says holding phone for maps while driving is illegal -- California law prohibits “operating” a mobile phone while driving. And that makes it illegal for a driver to hold a cellphone in order to look at a map, a state appeals court ruled Wednesday. Bob Egelko in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 06/05/25

Newsom seeks to delay law requiring more emergency backup power for nursing homes -- Gov. Gavin Newsom wants to block a California law from taking effect next year that will require nursing homes to have a 96-hour backup power supply, potentially giving the industry a reprieve from having to spend over $1 billion in capital investments. Annie Sciacca in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 06/05/25

Federal appeals court rules San Diego’s controversial yoga ban unconstitutional -- The ruling says city officials have failed to show how the classes threaten public safety or prevent enjoyment of the city's shoreline parks. Classes must be allowed to resume immediately. David Garrick in the San Diego Union Tribune -- 06/05/25

San Francisco wants to use AI to save itself from bureaucracy -- San Francisco’s municipal code runs about the same length as the entire U.S. federal rulebook — that’s 75 “Moby Dick"s and counting. No lawyer, or even a team of them, could ever muck out all the redundant and outdated sections contained in it. Chase DiFeliciantonio Politico -- 06/05/25

Barabak: As Trump fights diversity, this Black lawmaker is making history in Marin County -- Brian Colbert ran on a parochial platform focused on garden-variety local issues. He said he’s the product of ‘hope’ harbored by his grandparents and others oppressed by Jim Crow. Mark Z. Barabak in the Los Angeles Times -- 06/05/25

Walters: California’s deficit dilemma: Cut spending, borrow money or raise taxes? -- The California Legislature has just a few days to pass a 2025-26 state budget to meet the state constitution’s June 15 deadline. The deadline will be met, if for no other reason than legislators would, at least theoretically, have their salaries suspended were they to miss it. Dan Walters Calmatters -- 06/05/25

Rooftop Solar

State Supreme Court appears to back rooftop-solar owners in rates dispute -- The state Supreme Court seemed sympathetic Wednesday to arguments by environmental groups that California regulators are overcharging the 1.5 million users of rooftop-solar electric systems in order to cut costs for utility companies. Bob Egelko in the San Francisco Chronicle Melody Petersen in the Los Angeles Times Malena Carollo Calmatters -- 06/05/25

Oil

Legal setback forces firm to delay offshore oil restart near Santa Barbara -- For the second time in a week, a judge has sided with environmental groups who are challenging an offshore oil operation along Santa Barbara County’s coastline by granting a temporary restraining order against the company. Grace Toohey in the Los Angeles Times -- 06/05/25

Housing

Sacramento labor, housing groups push back on multimillion-dollar Railyards deal -- Sacramento labor and housing advocates pushed back this week on a financing package to develop infrastructure in the Railyards, arguing that the city hasn’t bargained hard enough for affordable housing or union agreements — and that the deal comes as the council is expected to finalize budget cuts and fee increases. Annika Merrilees and Mathew Miranda in the Sacramento Bee -- 06/05/25

Homeless

Berkeley moves to clear one of its largest homeless camps before judge halts sweep -- The judge issued an emergency order Wednesday afternoon, but most of the camp had already been cleared. Ethan Varian in the San Jose Mercury -- 06/05/25

Environment

Lethal algae bloom is over, but sickened marine mammals aren’t safe yet -- This is the fourth consecutive year a lethal algae bloom has occurred along the Southern California coast, fueled by an upwelling of nutrient-rich waters from the deep ocean. Research teams are studying whether debris runoff from January’s wildfires may have contributed to the bloom’s intensity. Corinne Purtill in the Los Angeles Times -- 06/05/25

Education

Trump’s budget would reduce Pell Grant awards and work-study programs -- The Trump administration is proposing the biggest cuts in a half-century to federal financial aid by reducing Pell Grant award amounts for low-income college students, plus the government’s contribution to the Federal Work-Study program. Fewer students will likely enroll in college and achieve a degree as a result, college officials say. Betty Márquez Rosales, Michael Burke, and Amy DiPierro EdSource -- 06/05/25

California Department of Education urges school districts to resist Trump’s threats over transgender athletes -- California Department of Education vows to protect “all students’ access to participate in athletics in a manner that is consistent with their gender identity.” Karen D'Souza EdSource -- 06/05/25

California bill would allow slavery legacy to be factor in college admissions -- Affirmative action for racial minorities seeking admission to college has been barred by California's voters and, more broadly, by the U.S. Supreme Court. But legislation approved by the state Assembly seeks to find a way around those restrictions by allowing the schools to give preference to descendants of slavery in the United States. Bob Egelko in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 06/05/25

Street

The Man Who Unsolved a Murder -- If you’re accused of a crime, will someone investigate your side of the story? In California, there’s no guarantee. Anat Rubin Calmatters -- 06/05/25

California is failing to provide a vital safeguard against wrongful convictions -- A CalMatters investigation finds a dangerous shortage of defense investigators across the state. Anat Rubin Calmatters -- 06/05/25

Palm Springs accomplice fled to Europe after supplying ingredient for bomb, feds say -- Federal authorities have arrested a man at JFK airport in New York who allegedly provided bomb ingredients to the suspect responsible for last month’s attack on a fertility clinic in Palm Springs. Richard Winton and Brittny Mejia in the Los Angeles Times -- 06/05/25

Sheriff’s deputies flee moving truck as man hijacks department vehicle in downtown L.A. -- A man carjacked an L.A. County Sheriff’s Department bucket truck early Wednesday morning while a sheriff’s deputy was precariously positioned high above the ground in the bucket, authorities said. Clara Harter and Richard Winton in the Los Angeles Times -- 06/05/25

 

POTUS 47

Trump threatens to cut Musk’s government contracts as their public feud escalates -- Hours after Trump lamented his breakup with Musk and said he was “disappointed” in his former backer and adviser and Musk responded on social media, Trump escalated the feud by threatening to use the U.S. government to hurt Musk’s bottom line. Michelle L. Price Associated Press -- 06/05/25

Trump and Xi Talk as Fragile Trade Truce Starts to Fray --Chinese state media said President Trump and China’s top leader, Xi Jinping, spoke by phone, as a fragile truce in their trade war showed signs of unraveling. David Pierson and Ana Swanson in the New York Times Rachel Siegel and Christian Shepherd in the Washington Post -- 06/05/25

Millions Would Lose Their Obamacare Coverage Under Trump’s Bill -- Though Republicans are not explicitly trying to repeal the Affordable Care Act, a series of small, technical changes would substantially reduce enrollment and increase the cost of coverage. Sarah Kliff and Margot Sanger-Katz in the New York Times -- 06/05/25

Trump proposes policies that would increase the soaring national debt -- President Donald Trump is pursuing an agenda that would add trillions of dollars to the soaring national debt, ignoring warnings from Wall Street, Republican deficit hawks and his outgoing cost-cutting champion. Jacob Bogage and Theodoric Meyer in the Washington Post -- 06/05/25

Trump announces travel ban and restrictions on 19 countries set to go into effect Monday -- Some, but not all, 12 countries also appeared on the list of banned countries in Trump’s first term. The new ban includes Afghanistan, Myanmar, Chad, the Republic of Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen. There will be heightened restrictions on visitors from Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan and Venezuela. Chris Megerian and Farnoush Amiri Associated Press Myah Ward Politico Michelle Hackman in the Wall Street Journal Hamed Aleaziz in the New York Times David Nakamura, Emily Davies and Marianne LeVine in the Washington Post -- 06/05/25

Judge rules Trump’s deportations to El Salvador under Alien Enemies Act were illegal -- A federal judge ruled Wednesday that nearly 140 Venezuelan men flown from the U.S. to El Salvador in March based on a wartime power invoked by President Donald Trump were deported illegally, but the court stopped short of ordering the Trump administration to seek to bring the men back. Josh Gerstein and Kyle Cheney Politico Mariah Timms in the Wall Street Journal -- 06/05/25

 

Trump Restricts Harvard’s International Students From Entering U.S. -- President Trump said on Wednesday that he would prevent Harvard University’s international students from entering the country, announcing an aggressive move six days after a federal judge said she would halt the administration’s efforts to disqualify those students from receiving visas. Michael C. Bender in the New York Times Natalie Andrews and Douglas Belkin in the Wall Street Journal Susan Svrluga and Emily Davies in the Washington Post -- 06/05/25

Trump Administration Attacks Columbia’s Accreditation -- The move significantly escalates the government’s fight with the elite university. Douglas Belkin in the Wall Street Journal -- 06/05/25

Trump’s Crackdown on Foreign Students Threatens to Disrupt Pipeline of Inventors -- Many immigrants who started companies or devised important innovations came to the U.S. as students. One, Ajay Bhatt, invented the USB. The Trump administration is considering stricter visa policies for foreign students, potentially affecting U.S. innovation. Paul Kiernan in the Wall Street Journal -- 06/05/25

 

Businesses are raising prices after tariffs — even on unaffected goods -- Businesses say they're raising prices on goods unaffected by tariffs, according to surveys and anecdotes released by the Federal Reserve on Wednesday. Emily Peck, Courtenay Brown Axios -- 06/05/25

U.S. Is Trimming Back Its Collection of Consumer Price Data -- The cutbacks would have “minimal impact,” the government said, but economists warned of reduced confidence in inflation data produced by a struggling statistical system. Ben Casselman in the New York Times -- 06/05/25

Republican Policy Bill Would Add $2.4 Trillion to Debt, Budget Office Says -- The estimate from the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office is all but certain to inflame an already intense debate inside the G.O.P. about the fiscal consequences of its bill to enact President Trump’s agenda. Andrew Duehren in the New York Times Jacob Bogage and Theodoric Meyer in the Washington Post -- 06/05/25

 

Trump launches investigation into whether Biden aides concealed alleged decline -- The investigation will look into whether Biden’s aides “conspired to deceive the public” about Biden’s mental and physical state. Ali Bianco and Kyle Cheney Politico Chris Cameron in the New York Times -- 06/05/25

Trump Is Losing Patience With Musk’s Outbursts Over Megabill -- Tensions rise between Trump and Musk after Musk criticizes the Republican tax and spending bill as a ‘disgusting abomination’. Musk was angered by Trump’s decision to withdraw Musk’s ally’s nomination to lead NASA. The White House dismisses Musk’s criticisms, suggesting he is prioritizing business interests. Brian Schwartz, Natalie Andrews and Olivia Beavers in the Wall Street Journal -- 06/05/25

Top CDC covid vaccine adviser quits after RFK Jr. ended recommendations -- A top coronavirus vaccine adviser at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has resigned, citing concerns that she could no longer help vulnerable people after federal health officials rescinded long-standing recommendations to immunize children and pregnant women. Lena H. Sun in the Washington Post -- 06/05/25