California Policy and Politics Monday

L.A.’s Iranian community grapples with reactions to U.S. military attack -- Iranian Americans described ‘very mixed and complicated’ feelings over the U.S. bombing in Iran, torn between revulsion for the government in Tehran and concern that escalating conflict could have deadly consequences. Daniel Miller in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 06/23/25

With 40,000 troops in the region, U.S. braces for response as Iran weighs its options -- Fallout from President Trump’s historic gamble to strike Iran’s nuclear facilities reverberated across the Middle East Sunday, as Washington braced for an unpredictable response from a cornered but determined Islamic Republic. Michael Wilner and Nabih Bulos in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 06/22/25

‘Hands off Iran’: Hundreds of S.F. protesters condemn Trump for bombing -- Hundreds of protesters condemned President Donald Trump’s decision to bomb Iran during a rally Sunday at San Francisco’s Embarcadero Plaza, with many speakers accusing him of war crimes. David Hernandez, Warren Pederson in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 06/22/25

Coast Guard suspends search for 2 people missing in deadly Lake Tahoe capsize -- The U.S. Coast Guard suspended its search Sunday for two people missing after a sudden, violent storm Saturday afternoon churned up 8-foot swells and howling winds, capsizing a powerboat, killing six people and injuring two others. Jess Lander, Aidin Vaziri, Annie Vainshtein in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 06/23/25

Harris gives California governor’s race a serious look -- Kamala Harris is leaning toward entering the California gubernatorial race, sources familiar with the former vice president’s thinking tell The Hill. While the sources caution that Harris hasn’t made a final decision yet and is still considering all her options, they say she has made it clear that she is not done with public service and is giving the race strong consideration. Amie Parnes The Hill -- 06/23/25

Survey shows Californians want ballots in more languages -- The vast majority of California voters support expanding access to translated ballots for people who speak limited English, an effort that would likely increase turnout, a new poll found. Phil Willon in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 06/23/25

Skelton: Big state budget questions linger about crime, Medi-Cal, Delta tunnel -- California really does still have a Legislature, even if you haven’t been reading or hearing much about it. In fact, it’s currently making a ton of weighty decisions. George Skelton in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 06/23/25

ICE

Immigrant father of three Marines is violently detained, injured by federal agents, son says -- Video of a landscaper being taken down, pinned and repeatedly punched by masked federal agents in Orange County has gone viral online, and Alejandro Barranco finds it painful to watch. The Marine veteran says his father, Narciso Barranco, was working outside of a Santa Ana IHOP on Saturday when several masked men approached him. Kaitlyn Huamani in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 06/22/25

‘I feel betrayed,’ California Marine says of seeing his father punched by federal immigration agent -- A former Marine says he feels “betrayed” by the U.S. after seeing a video on social media of his father being pinned to the ground and repeatedly punched by a federal immigration agent in Santa Ana on Saturday. Mona Darwish in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 06/23/25

As ICE raids intensify, how do San Diego employers know if their workers are legal? -- E-Verify, the government’s voluntary immigration status verification tool, is highly effective in confirming a person’s right to work, but few employers use it. Lori Weisberg, Roxana Popescu in the San Diego Union Tribune$ -- 06/23/25

‘People don’t want to go out of the house’: Fear of ICE drives immigrants away from Bay Area restaurants -- Crowds of laborers in stucco-splattered work pants and high-visibility neon shirts are, normally, a common sight at Kelly’s Deli, a lunch counter outside Home Depot in Emeryville known for hot cheeseburgers and hearty breakfast burritos. Mario Cortez in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 06/23/25

Agents, some in unmarked cars and street clothes, are arresting L.A. immigrants. Who are they? -- Immigration arrests in Los Angeles have been headline news and the subject of legal disputes for the past few weeks, but Angelenos watching the drama play out on television and in their communities may be confused about who exactly is putting people in handcuffs and hauling them off. Karen Garcia in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 06/22/25

‘I’m scared to death to leave my house’: immigrants are disappearing from the streets – can US cities survive? -- Heavily immigrant towns and cities in California resemble ghost towns as fear of Ice raids grip local residents. Cindy Carcamo, Dianne Solis and Alfredo Corchado The Guardian -- 06/23/25

Housing

Home values in this hypercompetitive part of the Bay Area are starting to dip -- For the past two years, Silicon Valley home values have soared to record highs, with one of the country’s most expensive housing markets becoming even more so. But recently, that trend has begun to curve downward. Christian Leonard in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 06/22/25

Altadena

‘I’m not going anywhere’: For one Altadena fire survivor, the math makes sense to rebuild -- While some fire victims are opting to sell their lots in Altadena, one woman is choosing to stay and rebuild — and she’s trying to do it as quickly as possible. Jack Flemming in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 06/23/25

Measles

California has had more measles cases so far this year than in all of 2024 -- While the outbreak in Texas is slowing down, California already has more cases than last year. Harriet Blair Rowan in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 06/22/25

Education

LAUSD confronts looming fiscal crisis in debate over $18.8-billion budget -- The Los Angeles Board of Education on Tuesday is slated to vote on an $18.8-billion spending plan for the next school year that officials say will keep cuts and layoffs at bay for exactly one more year. Howard Blume in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 06/23/25

These LA community college students are getting paid to go to school. Here’s how -- A pilot program by the Los Angeles Community College District pays $1,200 a month to students pursuing health fields. By helping with living expenses, the district hopes the guaranteed income will help more students complete their health care workforce development programs. Amy Elisabeth Moore Calmatters -- 06/23/25

Trump sues to end college tuition benefits for undocumented students. Could California be next? -- The Trump administration has sued Texas and Kentucky over laws allowing undocumented students to pay in-state tuition. Students wonder if the federal government will target California, which passed its law in 2001. Jaweed Kaleem in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 06/23/25

Street

Anaheim police recover stolen sculptures worth more than $2 million -- Anaheim investigators have recovered two sculptures by Sir Daniel Winn, the newly appointed art commissioner of John Wayne Airport, that are valued at more than $2 million combined, days after the valuable art pieces were stolen from a secure facility. Sean Emery, Sydney Barragan in the Orange County Register$ -- 06/22/25

Six SoCal teens, as young as 14, shot at party, police say. Five suffer life-threatening injuries -- The victims’ injuries were described as “life-threatening” after they were treated at the scene and taken to a local hospital. A sixth male teenager who arrived at the hospital separately with gunshot wounds was later determined also to have been involved in the incident. The age of the victims ranged from 14 to 18 years old. Carlos De Loera in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 06/22/25

PG&E

PG&E is hiring an executive bodyguard. Combat shooting experience required -- PG&E has twice hired executive protection staff in the last three months, raising questions about the threats it faces. Malena Carollo Calmatters -- 06/23/25

Also

Habeeb: We overcame disabilities, addictions and trauma. Now we’re fighting to save our jobs -- I’m one of 60 people who clean the California Medical Facility in Vacaville. We are veterans, people with disabilities and people who have overcome addiction and trauma to build stable, self-sufficient lives for ourselves and our families. Ameer Habeeb Calmatters -- 06/23/25

POTUS 47

Oil prices jump as market awaits Iran response to attacks -- A move by Tehran to disrupt oil shipments could mean sharply higher prices at the pump in the United States. Ben Lefebvre Politico -- 06/23/25

The 6 Miles of Water Keeping Global Markets On Edge -- Oil traders see it as a worst-case scenario. Pentagon officials have long warned against it. Vice President JD Vance believes it would be suicidal. Yet Iranian lawmakers on Sunday reportedly threatened a closure of the Strait of Hormuz, a strip of water connecting the energy rich Persian Gulf to global markets, after the U.S. joined Israeli strikes on Tehran’s nuclear facilities. David Uberti and Costas Paris in the Wall Street Journal$ -- 06/23/25

Iran Has an Oil Card to Play. So Does the U.S. -- America’s fracking revolution blunts dreaded oil chaos that could come from Iranian closure of Strait of Hormuz. Spencer Jakab in the Wall Street Journal$ -- 06/23/25

Trump Picks a Side on Entering the War in Iran, for Now -- Even as he announced the strikes on Iran, President Trump appeared to be rapidly trying to get himself back to the middle by insisting the operation was a one-off. Luke Broadwater in the New York Times$ -- 06/23/25

Officials Concede They Don’t Know the Fate of Iran’s Uranium Stockpile -- Both Vice President JD Vance and Rafael Grossi, the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency, acknowledged questions about the whereabouts of Iran’s stockpile of near-bomb-grade nuclear material. David E. Sanger in the New York Times$ -- 06/22/25

Trump Says It Is Time for Peace With Iran. It May Not Be Up to Him -- The course of the conflict and whether it is settled on the battlefield or at the negotiating table will hinge on at least two key variables. First, how badly have the U.S. and Israel damaged Iran’s nuclear capabilities and, second, will Iran choose to retaliate and how. Shayndi Raice and Sudarsan Raghavan in the Wall Street Journal$ -- 06/22/25

‘There is not a singular voice’: On trade, countries don’t know who in Trump’s circle to listen to -- The president has deputized three Cabinet members to lead trade talks. They’re bumping into each other — and gumming up negotiations. Daniel Desrochers, Megan Messerly and Ari Hawkins Politico -- 06/22/25

Missteps, Confusion and ‘Viral Waste’: The 14 Days That Doomed U.S.A.I.D. -- The rapid dismantling of the global aid agency remains one of the most consequential outcomes of President Trump’s efforts to overhaul the federal government, showing his willingness to tear down institutions in defiance of the courts. Christopher Flavelle, Nicholas Nehamas and Julie Tate in the New York Times$ -- 06/22/25