California Policy and Politics Sunday

Why S.F.’s ‘remarkable’ drop in fatal drug overdoses has proved to be short-lived -- The regression in San Francisco appears to fall in line with national data released in June by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, indicating fatal drug overdoses are rising for the first time in a year. Maggie Angst, Christian Leonard in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 07/06/25

NIH budget cuts threaten the future of biomedical research — and the young scientists behind it -- Researchers at every stage — from graduate students to senior faculty — have been forced to shelve experiments, rework career plans, and quietly warn each other not to count on long-term funding. Some are even considering leaving the country altogether. Niamh Ordner in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 07/06/25

How this shift in weather can spark California wildfires -- California is a thunderstorm desert. Lightning is less frequent here than nearly everywhere else in the United States. But on occasion, California gets a taste of tropical weather during summer. Anthony Edwards in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 07/06/25

‘I want my vote back’: Trump-voting family stunned after Canadian mother detained over immigration status -- The family of a Canadian national who supported Donald Trump’s plans for mass deportations of immigrants say they are feeling betrayed after federal agents recently detained the woman in California while she interviewed for permanent US residency – and began working to expel her from the country. Ramon Antonio Vargas The Guardian -- 07/06/25

Runners protesting ICE cover 15 miles through immigrant communities -- Runners expressed a mix of outrage, heartache and defiance as they jogged in the hot sun for 15 miles through neighborhoods where raids have happened or that are important to immigrants, from streets lined with sidewalk vendors in Koreatown and MacArthur Park to Dodger Stadium, Chinatown, the Fashion District and the city’s historic core, a few blocks from the Metropolitan Detention Center where immigration detainees are housed. Tyrone Beason in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 07/06/25

What the data say about who ICE is arresting in San Diego -- In the first six months of the Trump administration’s push for mass deportations, more than half of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement arrests in San Diego and Imperial counties were of individuals with no criminal charges or convictions, according to data from the federal agency obtained by the Deportation Data Project. Alexandra Mendoza in the San Diego Union Tribune$ -- 07/06/25

In Pasadena, a community comes together for a 14-year-old street vendor -- Chris Garcia began selling tamales on behalf of his mother, a legal resident who was caught up in an immigration sweep two weeks ago at Villa Parke in Pasadena. Ruben Vives in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 07/06/25

No holiday for ICE, as immigration raids continued on July 4 -- On the July 4 holiday, federal agents arrested more immigrants as part of ongoing raids that have rounded up more than 1,600 for deportation in Southern California. Colleen Shalby in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 07/06/25

Northern California fireworks explosion: 7 bodies have been located -- The remains of six individuals have been recovered from the site, while crews are currently recovering the body of the seventh person, Lt. Don Harman of the Yolo County Sheriff’s Office said Saturday. Tom Li in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 07/06/25

Workplace

Companies keep slashing jobs. How worried should workers be about AI replacing them? -- Workers are anxious that artificial intelligence could wipe out their jobs as layoffs continue and employers are cautious about hiring. Tech executives, economists and other experts say that AI could automate mundane and tedious tasks and also create new roles. Queenie Wong in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 07/06/25

$12,000 a month in California? See 10 state jobs with work-from-home perk -- Despite Gov. Gavin Newsom’s return-to-office order going into effect in July, several state jobs still offer remote work. The plan to bring California state workers back to the office four days a week on July 1 has been pushed back by a year for most employees covered by new union deals. Angela Rodriguez in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 07/06/25

How cuts at the federal level can affect finding answers to the Esparto explosion -- In June, the White House announced it was eliminating that agency, the U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board. That could leave the bulk of the work to the state Division of Occupational Safety and Health, better known as Cal-OSHA, which has said it would issue a report on the explosion within six months. Joe Rubin in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 07/06/25

Only one of Bay Area’s three main downtowns has bounced back to nearly prepandemic levels -- As the Bay Area’s three major urban centers — San Jose, Oakland and San Francisco — struggle to rebound from the lingering effects of a pandemic that emptied their downtowns, the one place most often overlooked for its vibrancy is, in fact, the one that has managed to bounce back the quickest. That would be San Jose. Julia Prodis Sulek in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 07/06/25

Water

Hydropower saps flows from the mighty Kern River. Rafters want their whitewater back -- The diversion of water for a Southern California Edison hydroelectric plant reduces the flow of the Kern River for nearly 16 miles. Ian James, Carlin Stiehl in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 07/06/25

Education

As feds plan new measures to prevent financial aid fraud, colleges hope real students still enroll -- Asking students to jump through additional hoops to prove their identity could be a barrier, officials say. Michael Burke EdSource -- 07/06/25

S.F.’s ethnic studies flip-flop: Critics still fear rogue teachers, politicized kids -- As the U.S. splits into divisive camps over racial issues, transgender rights, the war in Gaza, women’s health and more, the teaching of ethnic studies is among the most contentious educational fights in California and other states, dividing communities and turning formerly friendly PTA parents into adversaries. Jill Tucker in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 07/06/25

Millions in grants cut at Fresno State, CSU schools. ‘It’s a great loss to society’ -- California State University campuses have lost millions of dollars in federal grants through Trump administration cuts and freezes and policy changes targeting diversity, equity and inclusion policies and education, science and technology programs across the nation. Robert Kuwada in the Fresno Bee -- 07/06/25

Street

$1 million in cash in a downtown L.A. bodega: Inside the crackdown on retail theft ‘fences’ -- They entered the stores with shopping bags already full and left empty-handed, sometimes counting cash. Matthew Ormseth in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 07/06/25

Also

Is Hollywood inspired by the CIA, or the other way around? -- Though it rarely gets the spotlight, there’s a revolving door of talent between the country’s premiere intelligence agency and its entertainment industry, with inspiration and influence often working both ways. Michael Wilner in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 07/06/25

Big Bear’s famed bald eagles flew the coop after July 4 fireworks -- Big Bear Lake’s famed bald eagle couple has flown the coop, and naturalists are pointing to the city’s Fourth of July fireworks celebration as the likely culprit. Jaweed Kaleem in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 07/06/25

POTUS 47

As Floods Hit, Key Roles Were Vacant at Weather Service Offices in Texas -- Crucial positions at the local offices of the National Weather Service were unfilled as severe rainfall inundated parts of Central Texas on Friday morning, prompting some experts to question whether staffing shortages made it harder for the forecasting agency to coordinate with local emergency managers as floodwaters rose. Christopher Flavelle in the New York Times$ -- 07/06/25

Trump’s economy remains pretty strong, but some warning signs are flashing -- Nearly six months into his second term, President Donald Trump has imposed global tariffs, orchestrated a crackdown on immigration and pushed a sweeping tax-cut bill through Congress — moves that could significantly alter the U.S. economy, but haven’t yet. Rachel Lerman in the Washington Post$ -- 07/06/25

How Trump's megabill could slam the job market -- The solid monthly job gains that the White House is touting as the “Trump effect” are in danger of fading as the president’s hardline immigration policies chip away at the supply of foreign-born workers. Sam Sutton Politico -- 07/06/25

Trump team moves goalposts on tariffs again -- Tariffs will revert back to their April 2 rates on Aug. 1 for countries that fail to nail down new trade deals with the United States, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said Sunday, just three days before the Trump administration’s initial July 9 deadline for tariffs to return. Ari Hawkins Politico -- 07/06/25

Trump Promised ‘No Tax on Tips.’ Then Came the Fine Print -- Among the particulars restricting the reach of the measure: Only the first $25,000 in tips are free from income taxes. Tipped workers will still face the 7.65% combined payroll taxes that fund Social Security and Medicare. And workers won’t be able to benefit if federal officials say their type of service job doesn’t qualify. Josie Reich and Richard Rubin in the Wall Street Journal$ -- 07/06/25

From Court to Congress to the Mideast, Trump Tallies His Wins -- There are serious questions about the wisdom and durability of President Trump’s policies, but on his terms, he can point to a string of accomplishments. Shawn McCreesh in the New York Times$ -- 07/06/25

6 of the biggest challenges facing Musk’s new political party -- The richest man in the world said Saturday he has started a new U.S. political party, which he says will represent “the 80%” of voters “in the middle.” Maegan Vazquez in the Washington Post$ -- 07/06/25

Elon Musk’s ‘America’ party could focus on a few pivotal congressional seats -- The new US political party that Elon Musk has boasted about bankrolling could initially focus on a handful of attainable House and Senate seats while striving to be the decisive vote on major issues amid the thin margins in Congress. Ramon Antonio Vargas The Guardian Brian Schwartz in the Wall Street Journal$ -- 07/06/25

How the Trump administration is already cutting off climate research -- President Trump’s efforts to freeze climate spending have sparked warnings of rippling consequences in years ahead. For many climate scientists, the consequences are already here. Scott Dance in the Washington Post$ -- 07/06/25