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California Policy and Politics Tuesday

Appeals court panel appears to back Trump's national guard powers -- A federal appeals court seemed likely Tuesday to allow President Donald Trump to keep National Guard troops on the ground in Los Angeles to protect immigration agents against protesters and reject, at least for now, California’s argument that the president is exceeding his authority. Bob Egelko in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 06/17/25

Trump officials reverse guidance exempting farms, hotels from immigration raids -- ICE agents have been told to continue conducting enforcement operations at agricultural businesses despite concerns about negative effects on the food industry. Carol D. Leonnig, Natalie Allison, Marianne LeVine and Lauren Kaori Gurley in the Washington Post$ -- 06/17/25

Confusion reigns as Trump threatens to intensify L.A. sweeps days even as ICE vows shift -- Confusion reigned Monday over the federal immigration crackdown after President Trump vowed to ramp up deportations in Los Angeles and other Democratic cities just days after officials signaled they would stop arresting workers in This is how you stop data trackers from sucking up your health dataome economic sectors. Hannah Fry, Grace Toohey and Richard Winton in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 06/17/25

Can Trump keep troops in LA? Gavin Newsom’s case goes to appeals court today -- Gov. Gavin Newsom’s legal team calls President Trump’s arguments for deploying troops to Los Angeles “terrifying.” The 9th Circuit Court of Appeals today is hearing the case. Mikhail Zinshteyn Calmatters Charlie Savage, Laurel Rosenhall and Richard Fausset in the New York Times$ -- 06/17/25

ICE raids leave people ‘scared to leave the house’ in town that launched the Beach Boys -- Immigration enforcement raids in the city of Hawthorne have sparked outrage, fear and anxiety in a town that is half Latino. Ruben Vives in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 06/17/25

Arellano: History shows mass deportations don’t work. So why does Trump want them? -- Donald Trump campaigned on a promise to wage war on illegal immigration the likes of which the United States has never seen. His first big campaign — launched against Los Angeles and its surrounding communities, of course — has proceeded with predictably disastrous results. Gustavo Arellano in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 06/17/25

Economy

‘It reminded me of COVID’: Mayor Bass decries economic effect of immigration raids on L.A. -- Mayor Karen Bass visited small businesses in Boyle Heights on Father’s Day morning with Assemblymember Mark Gonzalez. The pair found local gathering places far emptier than normal. Immigration raids have had a profound chilling effect in parts of the city, with Angelenos staying home from work, school and other outings. Julia Wick in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 06/17/25

How Mexican supermarket chains, food merchants are standing up for immigrants -- The Northgate and Vallarta supermarket chains, both L.A. immigrant success stories, voiced their solidarity with immigrant communities in recent days. Lauren Ng in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 06/17/25

Immigration raids ratchet up anxiety, empty some businesses of customers and workers -- From car washes to restaurants and swap meets, people are avoiding businesses as leaders advocate: "Defy MAGA with your money" Anissa Rivera, Christina Merino and Beau Yarbrough in the Orange County Register$ -- 06/17/25

Gardeners on ICE raids: ‘People are afraid, but they still have to work’ -- Although federal officers have been spotted near their regular worksites, some gardeners can’t afford to stop working, leaving them in a harrowing position. Even workers who are citizens are worried. Jeanette Marantos in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 06/17/25

Newsom gave his political rival a $380k job. See the special interests who paid for it -- At the request of Gov. Gavin Newsom, a nonprofit paid former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa more than $380,000 to advise the governor for about 10 months on how to overhaul California’s approach to major infrastructure projects. Alexei Koseff and Byrhonda Lyons Calmatters -- 06/17/25

Elon Musk gave $1 million to Donald Trump voters. California lawmakers want to ban that -- Elon Musk, the world’s wealthiest man, gave out $1 million checks to gin up support for Donald Trump. California lawmakers want to ban big cash payments to registered voters. Ryan Sabalow Calmatters -- 06/17/25

Walters: Gavin Newsom finally admits he’s contemplating a run for president -- In a flurry of media interviews keyed to anti-Donald Trump demonstrations in Los Angeles and elsewhere, Newsom has acknowledged what everyone in and around national politics had already assumed — that he’s entertaining a White House bid. Dan Walters Calmatters -- 06/17/25

Workplace

Union launches dueling ballot measures, escalating fight over L.A.’s tourism worker wage hike -- The hospitality union that won a major increase in the minimum wage for Los Angeles hotel and airport workers is escalating its fight with a hotel and airline industry group, which recently launched a campaign to repeal the wage hike. Suhauna Hussain and David Zahniser in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 06/17/25

As college graduates hit the job market, here are the lowest- and highest-paying majors -- Surveys show that job prospects and future pay are major parts of college decisions for students. New data reveal which majors make the most money as debates over the value of higher education degrees continue. Jaweed Kaleem in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 06/17/25

California lawmakers want to ban toxic PFAS from firefighters’ protective gear -- There are inherent risks that come with being a firefighter. But the people who knowingly assume those risks in order to save others’ lives never bargained for becoming sick from the very gear they wear that is meant to protect them. Linh Tat in the Orange County Register$ -- 06/17/25

It’s Official: Streaming Is Now the King of TV -- In May, more Americans watched television on streaming than on cable and network television combined, Nielsen said. It is the first time that has happened over a full month. John Koblin in the New York Times$ Meg James in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 06/17/25

When is Juneteenth? Who gets the day off work? What to know about CA holiday -- Here’s what that means for California workers and who qualifies to take the day off: Angela Rodriguez in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 06/17/25

Street

Press groups sue LAPD over use of force against journalists during protests -- The federal lawsuit, filed Monday by the Los Angeles Press Club and investigative reporting network Status Coup, seeks to “force the LAPD to respect the constitutional and statutory rights of journalists engaged in reporting on these protests and inevitable protests to come.” Libor Jany in the Los Angeles Times$ Scott Nover in the Washington Post$ -- 06/17/25

L.A. immigration protest costs reach nearly $20 million for police and city repairs -- So far immigration protests have cost the city of Los Angeles nearly $20 million. Most of the money has been spent by the Los Angeles Police Department. Dakota Smith in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 06/17/25

Can state make officers show their faces during protests? Experts appear doubtful -- As officers across California clash with protesters of immigration raids, two Bay Area lawmakers proposed legislation Monday that would make it a crime for state or federal police to wear masks. Bob Egelko in the San Francisco Chronicle$ Sandra McDonald in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 06/17/25

South L.A. mother deports herself to Mexico amid Trump’s immigration crackdown, family says -- The Mexican native said she self-deported to Mexico because she didn’t want to be deported against her will A Trump administration program is offering undocumented immigrants $1,000 if they self-deport. Summer Lin in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 06/17/25

ICE is using no-bid contracts, boosting big firms, to get more detention beds -- The federal government has signed a deal with the private prison firm CoreCivic Corp. to reopen a 1,033-bed prison in Leavenworth as part of a surge of contracts U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement has issued without seeking competitive bids. Heather Hollingsworth, John Hanna Associated Press -- 06/17/25

No Kings

More than 140,000 protesters attended No Kings protests across Bay Area -- About 5 million people are estimated to have attended the protests nationwide. Caelyn Pender in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 06/17/25

Friends ID woman hit by SUV at ‘No Kings’ protest: ‘She was so proud to be out there’ -- The Riverside Police Department is seeking help from the public two days after the driver of a black SUV rammed through a group of demonstrators in downtown Riverside, running over a young woman who remains in critical but stable condition. Ruben Vives and Howard Blume in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 06/17/25

Your Health Data

We caught 4 more states sharing personal health data with Big Tech -- Health care exchanges in Nevada, Maine, Massachusetts and Rhode Island shared users’ sensitive health data with companies like Google and LinkedIn. Colin Lecher and Tomas Apodaca Calmatters -- 06/17/25

This is how you stop data trackers from sucking up your health data -- The Markup and CalMatters found multiple ways consumers can block the trackers quietly sending your data to tech companies, including those used on state-run health exchange websites. Tomas Apodaca and Colin Lecher Calmatters -- 06/17/25

Housing

San Diego reins in controversial bonus ADU incentive -- San Diego capped the number of backyard apartments that can be built on single-family lots Monday, a long-awaited effort to prevent developers from building dozens of backyard apartments on relatively small lots. David Garrick in the San Diego Union Tribune$ -- 06/17/25

New Laws

These are the new laws Californians must start following on July 1 -- Beginning July 1, a new wave of California laws will go into effect, impacting everything from court access and student mental health to pet insurance regulations and local minimum wage hikes. Aidin Vaziri in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 06/17/25

IVF

California’s IVF coverage mandate may be delayed until 2026, leaving many in limbo -- California lawmakers are poised to delay the state’s much-ballyhooed new law mandating in vitro fertilization insurance coverage for millions, set to take effect July 1. Gov. Gavin Newsom has asked lawmakers to push the implementation date to January 2026, leaving patients, insurers, and employers in limbo. Sarah Kwon in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 06/17/25

SALT

Senate bill would keep limits on SALT deductions — a problem for California -- State and local tax deductions on federal income tax forms would remain capped at $10,000 under a plan released Monday by the Republican-led Senate Finance Committee—a limit with significant implications for California taxpayers. David Lightman in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 06/17/25

New language

Experts decry new language in tax-cut bill, say only billionaires could challenge U.S. government -- Senate Republicans have shelved, at least for now, a provision of President Donald Trump’s tax-cut bill that would prevent enforcement of some past court orders against Trump. It has been replaced by a provision that could make it virtually impossible for average Americans to seek injunctions against the government for violating their rights. Bob Egelko in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 06/17/25

State Farm

State Farm accused of ‘illegal scheme’ that left California wildfire survivors underinsured -- State Farm General, the largest insurer in California, stands accused of orchestrating a “multi-faceted illegal scheme” to underinsure California homeowners in an effort to grow its market share, according to a lawsuit brought by Los Angeles wildfire survivors. Susie Neilson, Megan Fan Munce in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 06/17/25

Water

Trump promised to break California water. So far he hasn’t -- Five months after Trump issued a pair of directives for federal agencies to overturn state and Biden-era rules limiting water deliveries, the federal government has done no such thing. Instead, it’s quietly increasing water flows following the very rules Trump once railed against — at least for now. Camille von Kaenel Politico -- 06/17/25

Clean Energy

Many Hoped Senate Republicans Would Save Clean Energy. They Mostly Didn’t -- A Senate tax package softens some blows imposed on renewables by a House version of the bill. But it still terminates many credits for clean power. Lisa Friedman and Brad Plumer in the New York Times$ -- 06/17/25

High Speed Rail

California high-speed rail officials say feds’ audit is ‘outright misleading’ -- Officials at the California High-Speed Rail Authority defended the project from a scathing federal audit they say is “an inaccurate, often outright misleading, presentation of the evidence.” The Federal Railroad Administration’s 310-page report report, released last week, laid the groundwork for the Trump administration to pull $4 billion from the state’s bullet train project in the coming weeks. Erik Galicia in the Fresno Bee -- 06/17/25

Develop

Silicon Valley entrepreneur pushes plan for huge tech enclave on Bay Area waterfront -- The pitch for Frontier Valley, a 512-acre waterfront complex that combines dense residential buildings with space to launch drones and rockets, surfaced on social media Sunday and instantly went viral. It confounded officials in Alameda, who said the project’s founder, James Ingallinera, had not contacted them about his proposal. Rachel Swan in the San Francisco Chronicle$ Ethan Baron in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 06/17/25

Tahoe

Lake Tahoe mystery: Why aren’t the lake’s famous waters getting more clear? -- After decades of work, Tahoe’s beloved waters aren’t becoming more healthy, or less healthy, new study shows. Paul Rogers in the San Jose Mercury$ Aidin Vaziri in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 06/17/25

POTUS 47

Trump’s Iran Choice: Last-Chance Diplomacy or a Bunker-Busting Bomb -- Iranian officials have warned that U.S. participation in an attack on its facilities will imperil any chance of the nuclear disarmament deal the president insists he is still interested in pursuing. David E. Sanger and Jonathan Swan in the New York Times$ -- 06/17/25

Immigrant protests, unrest in L.A. reverberate in Mexico -- The action may be on the streets of Los Angeles, but fallout from the immigrant protests is roiling politics in Mexico at a delicate moment — days before Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum is expected to meet President Trump in their much-anticipated inaugural face-to-face encounter. Patrick J. McDonnell in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 06/17/25

Trump’s focus on blue state deportation belies a red state problem -- His allies acknowledge Republicans are divided on how to handle undocumented labor in the agriculture industry — and Trump himself has listened to both sides. Samuel Benson, Myah Ward and Jake Traylor Politico -- 06/17/25

Trump Struggles to Press Deportations Without Damaging the Economy -- President shifted his strategy after complaints that workplace raids were hurting businesses—but some in his administration still argue for an aggressive approach. Arian Campo-Flores, Rebecca Picciotto, Patrick Thomas and Tarini Parti in the Wall Street Journal$ -- 06/17/25

CDC official in charge of Covid data resigns ahead of vaccine meeting -- Fiona Havers says she does not have confidence data will be use to make ‘evidence-based vaccine policy decisions’ Johana Bhuiyan The Guardian -- 06/17/25

American Bar Association sues Trump administration over executive orders targeting law firms -- It claims the executive orders pursued by the White House have cast a chill across the legal industry. Gregory Svirnovskiy Politico Devlin Barrett in the New York Times$ -- 06/17/25

Trump fires nuclear regulator as White House seeks to soften oversight -- NRC Commissioner Christopher Hanson, who chaired the agency under President Joe Biden, says his dismissal is illegal. Evan Halper in the Washington Post$ -- 06/17/25

Generic Drugmakers Resist Trump’s Calls for More U.S. Manufacturing -- Companies say further domestic investment is too risky in such a low-margin and unpredictable business. Jared S. Hopkins in the Wall Street Journal$ -- 06/17/25

36 More Countries May Be Added to Trump’s Travel Ban -- The Trump administration is considering expanding President Trump’s new travel ban to as many as 36 additional countries, most of which are in Africa, according to a June 14 cable reviewed by The New York Times. Charlie Savage and Edward Wong in the New York Times$ -- 06/17/25

China Is Unleashing a New Export Shock on the World -- As President Trump’s tariffs close off the U.S. market, Chinese goods are flooding countries from Southeast Asia to Europe to Latin America. Alexandra Stevenson in the New York Times$ -- 06/17/25

GOP budget bill faces nearly 2-to-1 opposition with many unaware: Poll -- A plurality of voters oppose the sweeping tax-and-spending legislation, with mixed opinions on specific provisions, according to a Washington Post-Ipsos poll conducted earlier this month. Brianna Tucker, Scott Clement and Emily Guskin in the Washington Post$ -- 06/17/25