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

California Policy and Politics Thursday

L.A. street life ‘paralyzed’ as ICE raids keep shoppers away, close businesses -- With federal immigration sweeps showing no signs of slowing across Southern California, there is growing concern from top officials, spiritual leaders and business owners that a climate of fear was sending more people underground and changing the rhythm of city life. Salvador Hernandez and Grace Toohey in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 06/19/25

‘It’s a risk to come to work’ Terror and a touch of desperation in L.A. -- Traffic may still be clogging Los Angeles freeways during rush hour, but in many sections of the city, daily life as it once was has come to a jolting halt. Salvador Hernandez and Grace Toohey in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 06/19/25

From San Diego to the Bay Area, California restaurants are on edge over immigration raids -- Some food trucks, farmers markets and small restaurants are temporarily closed, while others are shielding workers and raising funds to help. Levi Sumagaysay and Lauren Hepler Calmatters -- 06/19/25

Elected officials voice outrage after reports of immigration raid at bus stop in Pasadena -- Reports of federal agents detaining people at a bus stop near a Winchell’s Donut House in Pasadena spurred outrage among some elected officials in Los Angeles County. Rong-Gong Lin II in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 06/19/25

Protesters are chasing federal agents out of L.A. County hotels: ‘A small victory’ -- In hotels across L.A. County, federal immigration agents come face-to-face with a public that is often highly critical of their enforcement actions. Connor Sheets in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 06/19/25

Tensions flare as agents arrest another U.S. citizen for interfering in immigration arrests -- A 20-year-old Walmart employee, Adrian Martinez, was returning from break on Tuesday when he saw Border Patrol agents taking a worker cleaning the shopping center parking lot in Pico Rivera. Rachel Uranga and Brittny Mejia in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 06/19/25

U.S. congressmen, state lawmakers decry ICE deportation of beloved Livermore father -- Vowing that “we’re not going to forget him,” Congressman Eric Swalwell this week slammed the Trump administration’s deportation of a Livermore father and winery worker, mere hours before a judge said the man should remain in the country. Kyle Martin, Jakob Rodgers in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 06/19/25

ICE wants to expand detention capacity in California. This new facility will be the largest in the state -- Private prison and detention contractor CoreCivic has reached an agreement with the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement to convert its 2,560-bed California City facility into the state’s newest and largest migrant detention center. Gabrielle LaMarr LeMee in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 06/19/25

Total number of troops supporting federal missions in Los Angeles remain at 4,800 -- A spokesperson with the command responsible for the federalized forces deployed in the Los Angeles area by the Trump administration in the wake of recent immigration enforcement protests clarified on Wednesday, June 18, that the number of troops in the Southern California area remains at 4,800 — 4,100 Army National Guard soldiers and 700 Marines. Erika I. Ritchie in the Orange County Register$ -- 06/19/25

Arellano: Archbishop Gomez starts to stand up for L.A. right when the city needs him -- For years in this columna, I have repeatedly posed a simple challenge to Archbishop José H. Gomez: Stand up for Los Angeles, because L.A. needs you. Gustavo Arellano in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 06/19/25

'Abducted by Ice’: the haunting missing-person posters plastered across LA -- The handmade posters of immigrants have become a symbol of quiet resistance. Their creators reveal the story behind the project. Matthew Cantor The Guardian -- 06/19/25

El Cajon manager admits hiring undocumented workers. Judge who signed warrant says SWAT-style raid was ‘surprise’ -- Former general manager at San Diego Powder & Protective Coatings given unsupervised probation following raid by heavily armed ICE and HSI agents. Alex Riggins in the San Diego Union Tribune$ -- 06/19/25

 

TikTok and Sabrina Carpenter: Inside Gov. Gavin Newsom’s social media strategy -- Just hours after President Donald Trump said on June 7 that he would send the California National Guard to Los Angeles, Gov. Gavin Newsom’s press office launched a steady stream of TikTok, X and Instagram memes, videos, fact-checks and GIFs cutting the administration down to size. Lia Russell in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 06/19/25

Police, DA refuse to release records on Latina senator’s DUI arrest near Capitol -- Sen. Sabrina Cervantes’ attorney says she was targeted for DUI without cause because she’s a Latina member of the LGBTQ caucus. Authorities are refusing to release records that could show who is telling the truth. Ryan Sabalow and Jeanne Kuang Calmatters -- 06/19/25

US Justice Department lends support for Huntington Beach’s lawsuit challenging California sanctuary law -- The U.S. Department of Justice on Tuesday said California’s so-called sanctuary law that puts limits on local law enforcement assisting federal immigration officials is unconstitutional, filing a statement of interest in Huntington Beach’s lawsuit attempting to overturn the state law. Michael Slaten in the Orange County Register$ -- 06/19/25

California decarbonization projects are among two dozen eliminated by Trump’s Department of Energy -- California Democrats are denouncing the Trump administration’s decision to terminate $3.7 billion in funding for two dozen clean energy projects, including three in the Golden State. Hayley Smith in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 06/19/25

California’s economy expected to slow as unemployment rate rises -- California’s economy is mired in “economic doldrums” this year, with a recovery not expected until next year, a new report Wednesday by the UCLA Anderson Forecast said. David Lightman in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 06/19/25

Map shows California public lands that could be sold off under Republican budget bill -- Republicans in the U.S. Senate have proposed selling millions of acres of public land as part of President Donald Trump’s “big beautiful bill,” including areas near such noted California sites as Lake Tahoe, Yosemite and the Trinity Alps. Kurtis Alexander and Emma Stiefel in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 06/19/25

No more federal money for California high-speed rail, Trump says -- “We’re not going to fund that….it’s out of control.” That was President Donald Trump Wednesday talking about federal aid to California’s high-speed rail line. David Lightman and Erik Galicia in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 06/19/25

California lawmakers decline to audit $20 billion Delta water tunnel -- Despite the proposal receiving some bipartisan support Wednesday afternoon, lawmakers on the Joint Legislative Audit Committee stopped short of recommending the project be audited. Kate Wolffe in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 06/19/25

Water

Trump admin eyes Mojave Desert groundwater as potential source for arid Arizona -- It is boosting a longtime political hot potato — pumping water from underneath the Mojave Desert. After trying and failing for more than two decades to pump ancient groundwater from beneath the Mojave Desert and sell it to Southern California water districts, the controversial company has set its sights on new customers over the border in the Grand Canyon State. Annie Snider and Camille von Kaenel Politico -- 06/19/25

Distress

Climbers find upside-down American flag signaling ‘distress’ on Tahoe summit -- Visible from Meyers and the Echo Lake trailhead into Desolation Wilderness, the flag appears to be part of a broader wave of symbolic protest on public lands. Aidin Vaziri in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 06/19/25

Workplace

Will employers be targeted for hiring undocumented workers? -- President Trump’s crackdown on immigration has spared small and large U.S. employers that rely on thousands of undocumented employees, even though hiring undocumented workers can be a criminal offense. Caroline Petrow-Cohen in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 06/19/25

All the Hollywood Action Is Happening Everywhere But Hollywood -- Like in New York and Silicon Valley, jobs in Los Angeles’s core industry are moving elsewhere in search of lower costs and incentives. Greg Ip, Adam Amengual in the Wall Street Journal$ -- 06/19/25

Hundreds of union workers strike at UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital Oakland -- The workers say their take home pay would drop significantly, and are suing over the move to become UCSF employees. Harriet Blair Rowan in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 06/19/25

Clock ticking on CMF jobs program -- Some 60 workers with disabilities and service-disabled veterans are urging state legislators and representatives from the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) to preserve their jobs at California Medical Facility (CMF) in Vacaville. Robin Miller Vacaville Reporter -- 06/19/25

Education

‘There was a lot of fear’: Central Valley immigration raids drive up absences in schools, study finds -- Immigration raids in California’s Central Valley earlier this year caused enough fear to keep nearly a quarter of the students in five districts home from school, according to a report released Monday by Stanford University. Diana Lambert and Lasherica Thornton EdSource -- 06/19/25

District loses appeal, must pay $1 million for El Segundo middle schooler’s year of torment -- A California appeals court sided with a former middle school student who sued the El Segundo Unified School District six years ago for failing to protect her from verbal and cyber bullying. In losing the appeal, El Segundo Unified will have to pay Eleri Irons, now in her 20s, the $1-million jury verdict she was awarded in 2022. Andrew J. Campa in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 06/19/25

California school district faces sex abuse lawsuit. Did L.A.’s $4-billion payout open floodgates? -- Five California women sued a Fresno County school system Wednesday, alleging officials brushed aside claims they were being sexually assaulted by a second-grade teacher who was later convicted of similar abuse. Sonja Sharp in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 06/19/25

Walters: California politicians agree on school money, but poor test scores need attention -- Historically, the annual process of writing a state budget has often stumbled over how much money California should spend on its public school system and its nearly 6 million students. Dan Walters Calmatters -- 06/19/25

Wildfire

PG&E: These parts of the Bay Area could see power shutoffs as wildfire season arrives -- Pacific Gas and Electric Co. warned Wednesday of potential power shutoffs for parts of the Bay Area and Northern California due to strong winds in the forecast this weekend. PG&E said on its website the utility company would likely shut off power to Bay Area customers in parts of Alameda, Contra Costa and Santa Clara counties from Thursday to Sunday. Jessica Flores in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 06/19/25

They can’t get fire insurance. So California wineries are seeking out fire trucks and military tech -- Wineries are hiring private firefighting forces, buying professional equipment and training their vineyard employees to operate it. Some have installed underground bunkers for water storage to supply their extensive sprinkler systems. Esther Mobley in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 06/19/25

Lakers

Lakers selling majority ownership of franchise to Dodgers owner -- The Los Angeles Lakers, a family-run business since Jerry Buss purchased the franchise in 1979, will be sold to Dodgers controlling owner Mark Walter and TWG Global, according to multiple people briefed on the deal. Dan Woike and Bill Shaikin in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 06/19/25

Street

Hunger strike begins as California prisons hand down biggest restrictions since Covid -- Nearly two dozen state prisons last week imposed sweeping restrictions on their incarcerated population — including shutting off all outside communication. Now, hundreds of prisoners are reported to be on a hunger strike to protest the system’s largest restrictions since the pandemic. Cayla Mihalovich Calmatters -- 06/19/25

LAPD sergeant struck Tustin pedestrian while driving drunk, left him to die, prosecutors allege -- A Los Angeles Police Department sergeant who Orange County prosecutors say struck a 19-year-old pedestrian in Tustin while driving drunk and left the young man to die in the street is now facing felony DUI and hit-and-run charges. Sean Emery in the Orange County Register$ -- 06/19/25

Also

No more fireworks? Big change coming to 4th of July at Pasadena’s Rose Bowl -- Marking the end of a longtime tradition, the Fourth of July celebration at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena will not feature a fireworks show this year. Instead, there will be a drone show. Rong-Gong Lin II in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 06/19/25

Once there were only 22 condors left on Earth; the L.A. Zoo just hatched 10 chicks -- The Los Angeles Zoo announced this week that 10 healthy condors were hatched, making them eligible to be released in the wild to help replenish the state’s depleted condor population. Summer Lin in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 06/19/25

‘We are still here, yet invisible.’ Study finds that U.S. government has overestimated Native American life expectancy -- Official U.S. records dramatically underestimate mortality and life expectancy disparities for Native Americans, according to a new, groundbreaking study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association. Marcos Magaña in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 06/19/25

Endangered fish saved from the Palisades fire were just returned to their Malibu home -- Hundreds of tiny endangered fish slipped from orange plastic buckets into a glittering lagoon in Malibu on Tuesday, returning home five months after being whisked away from threats wrought by the Palisades fire. Lila Seidman in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 06/19/25

POTUS 47

DHS tightens rules for congressional visits to ICE facilities -- DHS said that while Congress members have the right to make unannounced visits to detention facilities for oversight, ICE field offices “fall outside” that purview. Vivian Ho in the New York Times$ -- 06/19/25

This Is Ground Zero in Trump’s Trade War -- The nation’s largest ports, in Los Angeles County, are a bellwether for the economy. They are being whipsawed as President Trump reorders global trade. Ana Swanson, Mark Abramson in the New York Times$ -- 06/19/25

CEO economic outlook sinks to five-year low -- Economic sentiment among America's top CEOs plunged to the lowest level since 2020, according to a new survey by the Business Roundtable, first seen by Axios. Courtenay Brown, Neil Irwin Axios -- 06/19/25

Trump’s Iran threats set off scramble to protect Americans abroad -- Tehran is weakened, but it still has options to attack U.S. interests. Nahal Toosi and John Sakellariadis Politico -- 06/19/25

In Los Angeles, Iranian Jews Dream of an Iran They Could One Day Visit -- Home to the world’s biggest Iranian diaspora, ‘Tehrangeles’ community monitors Israel’s attacks with concern, and some hope for ‘a Berlin Wall moment’ Sara Randazzo in the Wall Street Journal$ -- 06/19/25

Trump Travel Restrictions Bar Residents Needed at U.S. Hospitals -- Limits on travel and visa appointments have delayed or prevented foreign doctors from entering the country for jobs set to begin in weeks. Roni Caryn Rabin in the New York Times$ -- 06/19/25

 

California Policy and Politics Wednesday

• Trump Suggests He May Withhold California Disaster Aid Over His Feud With Newsom -- President Trump suggested on Wednesday that his feud with Gov. Gavin Newsom of California over immigration protests in Los Angeles could affect whether he approves disaster funding for the deadly wildfires that swept Southern California in January. Laurel Rosenhall in the New York Times$ -- 06/18/25

 

People detained in LA Ice raids held in deplorable conditions, say lawmakers -- California lawmakers who toured a detention facility where people arrested in sweeping immigration raids at workplaces across the Los Angeles area are being held, have reported deteriorating conditions, including a lack of access to clean clothes and towels. Maanvi Singh, Raima Amjad, Sam Levin The Guardian -- 06/18/25

What we know so far about how Trump’s deportation effort is unfolding in the Bay Area -- Advocates estimate dozens of people have been arrested in the Bay Area this month in stepped-up operations by federal immigration authorities amid a deportation push by the Trump administration. Sarah Ravani and Megan Cassidy in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 06/18/25

Alex Padilla: ‘Not shocked in the least bit’ about Brad Lander’s arrest -- California Sen. Alex Padilla dominated headlines last week when he was handcuffed for disrupting Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem’s news conference. Melanie Mason Politico -- 06/18/25

Americans split on deportations, oppose workplace raids, Pew finds -- A survey of over 5,000 U.S. adults released Tuesday found that public opinion is nearly evenly divided on using state and local law enforcement for deportation efforts, with 50% in favor and 49% opposed. Russell Contreras Axios -- 06/18/25

Can undocumented immigrants vote? Fact-checking Trump’s false accusations of voting fraud in L.A. -- After nearly a week of protests in Los Angeles against recent federal immigration enforcement sweeps in the city, President Trump doubled down on his administration’s efforts to detain and deport immigrants without documentation, claiming they are a key voting bloc in Democratic cities. Karen Garcia in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 06/18/25

 

California’s economy will contract due to immigration raids and tariffs, UCLA forecast predicts -- President Trump’s trade war and recent immigration raids are expected to deliver a one-two punch to California’s economy. Kaitlyn Huamani in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 06/18/25

Mass Deportations Would Take a Major Toll on California Economy, Report Finds -- The study released Tuesday details the degree to which immigrants are critical to the state’s economic health. Undocumented residents make up 8% of the California workforce, according to the report, which found that federal policies focused on deportations could cost the state’s gross domestic product output $275 billion in wages and “other direct and indirect economic activity.” Alexander Gonzalez KQED -- 06/18/25

As the summer harvest season launches, confusion and uncertainty hang over California fields -- As the crucial summer harvest season gets underway in California’s vast agricultural regions, farmers and their workers say they feel whiplashed by a series of contradictory signals about how the Trump administration’s crackdown on illegal immigration might affect them. Jessica Garrison and Melissa Gomez in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 06/18/25

Trump’s Conflicting Messages on Workplace Raids Leave Businesses Reeling -- “One minute you have a message saying they won’t go after agriculture, the next something else,” said Manuel Cunha Jr., president of the Nisei Farmers League, a growers organization in the Central Valley of California. Mr. Cunha said it was causing “tremendous havoc” in the country’s largest agricultural region. Tyler Pager, Miriam Jordan, Hamed Aleaziz and Emmett Lindner in the New York Times$ Lauren Kaori Gurley and Mariana Alfaro in the Washington Post$ -- 06/18/25

Chobani CEO Says Food System Needs Immigration to Function -- Chobani Chief Executive Hamdi Ulukaya said that the Trump administration’s stepped-up immigration enforcement poses risks to the food supply chain. “We need to be very realistic,” Ulukaya said at The Wall Street Journal’s Global Food Forum in Chicago. “We need immigration and we need workers for our food system to work.” Owen Tucker-Smith and Patrick Thomas in the Wall Street Journal$ -- 06/18/25

In an Era of Upheavals, Los Angeles Restaurants Are Banding Together -- Last Tuesday, Valerie Gordon made an Instagram video about new signs she had posted around her small Los Angeles restaurant reading “Private: Employees Only.” She explained that they marked all nonpublic areas of the restaurant that would be off limits to Immigration and Customs Enforcement in a raid. Meghan McCarron in the New York Times$ -- 06/18/25

Downtown Santa Ana businesses say they’re reeling from federal immigration raids and protests -- During a typical lunch rush, Perla Mexican Cuisine in downtown Santa Ana would seat around 50 diners. But on Tuesday, more tables sat empty than filled, with just a handful of patrons stopping in for a bite. Hanna Kang in the Orange County Register$ -- 06/18/25

LA County Board of Supervisors moves to measure economic fallout from ICE raids -- The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday, June 17, approved a motion to study the economic impact of stepped-up federal immigration crackdowns across many of the county’s 88 cities and communities. Anissa Rivera in the Orange County Register$ -- 06/18/25

 

Padilla says in Senate ‘it’s time to wake up’ after forced removal from Noem’s event -- Sen. Alex Padilla on Tuesday encouraged Americans to peacefully protest against President Donald Trump’s administration and said it’s “it’s time to wake up” in his first extended remarks in the Senate since he was forcibly removed from Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem’s press conference in Los Angeles last week as he tried to speak up about immigration raids. Mary Clare Jalonick and Michael R. Blood Associated Press Lauren Gambino The Guardian -- 06/18/25

Images of Handcuffed Democrats Start to Pile Up in Trump’s Crackdown -- Federal agents have arrested a growing number of the party’s elected officials, fueling liberal outrage and conservative accusations that Democrats are carrying out publicity stunts. Katie Glueck in the New York Times$ -- 06/18/25

Many here wanted Trump to enforce immigration law, but ‘it’s going overboard’ -- Interviews with more than four dozen people in this swing region encompassing northern Los Angeles County show how much tactics matter in the immigration debate. Maeve Reston in the Washington Post$ -- 06/18/25

Bass Lifts Curfew in Downtown L.A. -- Mayor Karen Bass of Los Angeles ended a curfew that began last Tuesday when federal agents, local police officers and protesters clashed on the streets. Shawn Hubler and Jesus Jiménez in the New York Times$ -- 06/18/25

 

California Republicans hate government ‘overreach.’ Most are quiet on Trump’s military in LA -- California Republicans who agreed to speak with CalMatters endorse President Donald Trump’s military deployment in Los Angeles as necessary to save the state from its Democratic leadership. Yue Stella Yu Calmatters -- 06/18/25

Why are so many Democrats running against California GOP Rep. Ken Calvert? -- In recent years, the lead role in Democrats’ efforts to oust Inland Rep. Ken Calvert was never in question. But heading into the 2026 elections, it’s an open casting call as to who gets to take on Calvert, R-Corona. Jeff Horseman in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 06/18/25

Barabak: As the Senate loses luster, more members run for governor. Is there a takeaway for Kamala Harris? -- As many as three sitting U.S. senators may run for governor in 2026, the most in at least 90 years. Pete Wilson, who served as a senator and California governor, says the jobs are vastly different. Mark Z. Barabak in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 06/18/25

States are trying to save local news from Big Tech. Trump isn’t helping -- Blue-state lawmakers are increasingly turning to tech giants for cash to save struggling newsrooms, fearful that President Donald Trump’s policies could crush already reeling local news outlets. Tyler Katzenberger Politico -- 06/18/25

Former California and Los Angeles Democratic Party chair Eric Bauman dies at 66 -- During decades as a Democratic Party operative, Eric Bauman built a reputation as an old-school leader who fought for every seat in every election. Bauman resigned his post as one of California’s most powerful political leaders amid allegations of sexual misconduct. Laura J. Nelson in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 06/18/25

 

New signs at Manzanar internment camp urge visitors to report ‘negative’ portrayals -- Following an executive order from the Trump administration, new signs have gone up at national parks encouraging visitors to report information at the sites that is “negative about either past or living Americans.” Molly Burke in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 06/18/25

Tech-savvy California is still figuring out data centers -- For a state that considers itself a leader in both tech and climate, California is falling behind in both building data centers and putting guardrails around their environmental impacts. Camille von Kaenel and Tyler Katzenberger Politico -- 06/18/25

Wildfire

California’s 2025 wildfire season was already going to be dangerous. Trump has made it worse -- President Trump has weakened three federal agencies that play key roles in the state’s ability to prepare for and respond to fires. Experts say changes at the U.S. Forest Service, FEMA and NOAA could put California at a dangerous disadvantage during fire season. Hayley Smith in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 06/18/25

Water

The West’s Climate Mayors call for federal help as Colorado River flows decline -- The mayors of Los Angeles, Phoenix and other Western cities are calling for the Trump administration to help the region address the Colorado River’s chronic water shortages. Ian James in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 06/18/25

Transit

Metro scrambles to find funding for massive bus fleet that is the heart of its Olympics plans -- The Olympics are roughly three years away. Challenges over funding and timing for Los Angeles County’s public transit plans remain. Colleen Shalby in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 06/18/25

Walters: Bay Area transit systems want more money. But their payrolls soared as ridership declined -- When the COVID-19 pandemic hit five years ago, the state forced countless businesses to shut down and told millions of California workers to stay home. Dan Walters Calmatters -- 06/18/25

Workplace

California prison union strikes $600 million contract with Newsom that includes furloughs -- The union representing 25,000 California prison guards struck a deal for a new contract that gives Gov. Gavin Newsom some financial relief in the short term but includes a mix of bonuses and raises that would kick in over the next three years. Nigel Duara Calmatters -- 06/18/25

Amazon CEO tells employees that AI will shrink its workforce -- Amazon chief executive Andy Jassy told employees in a Tuesday memo that he expects artificial intelligence to thin their ranks, reducing headcount at what is now the United States’ second-largest private employer. Caroline O'Donovan in the Washington Post$ -- 06/18/25

The Biggest Companies Across America Are Cutting Their Workforces -- It isn’t just Amazon. There’s a growing belief that having too many employees will slow a company down—and that anyone still on the payroll could be working harder. Chip Cutter and Lauren Weber in the Wall Street Journal$ -- 06/18/25

Amazon-owned Zoox just opened a 220,000-square-foot manufacturing facility to build its robotaxi vehicles in California -- The opening of the 220,000 square foot facility in Hayward, Calif. paves the way for Zoox to eventually assemble more than 10,000 of its robotaxis each year, the company said. But it may take some time before Zoox runs the facility at capacity, as it has yet to even launch commercial operations. Jessica Mathews Fortune -- 06/18/25

S.F. union members arrested after halting City Hall meeting with rowdy protest -- Police handcuffed and removed 11 union workers disrupting a San Francisco City Hall meeting Tuesday in a protest against Mayor Daniel Lurie’s proposed budget, which they said unfairly targets workers and critical services, organizers told the Chronicle. Aldo Toledo in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 06/18/25

Intel to lay off up to 20% of factory workforce, cutting 10,000 jobs worldwide -- Intel, the Bay Area semiconductor giant, will lay off between 15% and 20% of its factory workforce beginning in July, a move expected to eliminate over 10,000 jobs globally in one of the largest workforce reductions in the company’s history. Aidin Vaziri in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 06/18/25

Prop 36

Who should pay for Prop. 36, California’s new tough-on-crime law? -- When California voters overwhelmingly approved a ballot measure to toughen penalties for low-level theft and drug crimes last November, it became law without any funding to cover the costs of locking up more people or ordering them into treatment. Ethan Varian in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 06/18/25

Klamath

First Time in 100 Years: Young Kayakers on a Ride for the Ages -- With dams removed from the Klamath River, a group of Indigenous youth is on a journey to descend the full length, through Oregon and California. John Branch in the New York Times$ -- 06/18/25

Education

Lawsuit says federal government discriminates by funding Hispanic-serving colleges -- The group whose lawsuit resulted in the US Supreme Court striking down affirmative action in college admissions is behind this challenge which could affect dozens of California colleges. Denise Amos Calmatters -- 06/18/25

Health Care

A California county may lose its only hospital. How a dispute over roads is endangering it -- Glenn County’s only hospital may be forced to close because a federal agency is removing its “critical access” designation. Patients would have longer waits for ambulances and longer drives for emergency care. Ana B. Ibarra Calmatters -- 06/18/25

Why a Vaccine Expert Left the C.D.C.: ‘Americans Are Going to Die’ -- Dr. Fiona Havers is influential among researchers who study immunizations. The wholesale dismissal of the agency’s scientific advisers crossed the line, she said. Apoorva Mandavilli in the New York Times$ -- 06/18/25

AI

California governor Gavin Newsom seeks AI guardrails -- Artificial intelligence could cause “irreversible harms” without proper safeguards, a report commissioned by the governor of California warned. Silicon Valley makes California ground zero for the AI regulation debate: US Republicans have proposed banning states from regulating the technology for 10 years. Tom Chivers Semafor -- 06/18/25

Street

‘Largest jewelry heist in U.S. history’: Thieves in big Brink’s job indicted -- In 2022, a Brink’s big rig transporting millions of dollars of jewelry was burgled at a Grapevine truck stop. The daring, late-night heist captivated the Southland. Daniel Miller, Brittny Mejia and Richard Winton in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 06/18/25

Man arrested on suspicion of defacing S.F.’s iconic Pink Triangle installation -- San Francisco police said that officers arrested a 19-year-old on suspicion of defacing the Pink Triangle memorial art installation on Twin Peaks on Tuesday. Annie Vainshtein in the San Francisco Chronicle$ Rong-Gong Lin II in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 06/18/25

Also

California court upholds John Eastman’s disbarment for role in Trump 2020 plot -- Eastman’s “false narrative” about the 2020 results undermined American elections and the legal system, the court wrote. Kyle Cheney Politico -- 06/18/25

Pope Leo Takes On AI -- The new pope is making the potential threat of artificial intelligence to humanity a signature issue—but Silicon Valley is trying to win him over. Margherita Stancati, Drew Hinshaw, Keach Hagey and Emily Glazer in the Wall Street Journal$ -- 06/18/25

POTUS 47

Industry leaders plead with White House on relief from raids after setback -- Industry and business groups that depend on immigrant workers are scrambling to respond to President Donald Trump’s heightened deportation efforts, after winning a partial reprieve on raids last week that was reversed days later. Lauren Kaori Gurley and Mariana Alfaro in the Washington Post$ -- 06/18/25

Trump’s Tariff Clock Is Ticking After G-7 Fails to Yield Deals -- Leaders from some of America’s biggest trading partners traveled to the Group of Seven industrial nations summit in Canada this week hoping for deals with President Trump. They left empty-handed. Kim Mackrael, Vipal Monga and Natalie Andrews in the Wall Street Journal$ -- 06/18/25

House Policy Bill Would Add $3.4 Trillion to Debt, Swamping Economic Gains -- The updated findings from the Congressional Budget Office amounted to the latest dour report card for the president’s signature legislation. Tony Romm in the New York Times$ -- 06/18/25

How the Trump Era Changed Trump -- The president is still the attention-loving, payback-obsessed main character that he was in 2015. But his four years out of office drove him to turn grievance into vengeance. Jess Bidgood and Maggie Haberman in the New York Times$ -- 06/18/25

Trump approval steady at 42%, support weakens for his immigration policy, Reuters/Ipsos poll finds -- The six-day poll showed 42% of U.S. adults approved of the job the Republican is doing as president, unchanged from a prior Reuters/Ipsos poll conducted May 16-18. Trump's ratings have been largely stable since February and are only down modestly from the 47% approval score he got immediately after returning to the White House in January. Jason Lange Reuters -- 06/18/25

Poll: GOP budget bill faces nearly 2-to-1 opposition, with many unaware -- A plurality of voters oppose the tax-and-spending legislation, with mixed opinions on specific provisions, according to a Washington Post-Ipsos poll this month. Brianna Tucker, Scott Clement and Emily Guskin in the Washington Post$ -- 06/18/25