California Policy and Politics Wednesday

California seeks buyer to save Bay Area refinery as gas prices soar -- In a rare move to safeguard California’s fuel supply, state officials are actively seeking a buyer for Valero Energy’s Benicia refinery, according to a report Wednesday from Reuters citing sources familiar with the matter. Aidin Vaziri in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 07/23/25

Bomb squad initially thought grenades that killed 3 L.A. deputies were inert, search warrant says -- Bomb squad technicians who responded to a Santa Monica townhome complex where a resident reported finding grenades X-rayed the explosives and told city police they believed the devices were inert, according to a new search warrant in the investigation into the explosion that killed three Los Angeles County Sheriff’s detectives last week. Richard Winton, Hannah Fry and Christopher Buchanan in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 07/23/25

Menendez brother hospitalized in ‘serious condition’ ahead of parole hearing -- Erik Menendez, one of the two brothers convicted in the notorious 1989 murders of their parents in Beverly Hills, was hospitalized with a serious medical condition, his family confirmed Tuesday. He is currently receiving treatment for kidney stones, according to TMZ. Aidin Vaziri in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 07/23/25

A Times investigation: As west Altadena burned, L.A. County fire trucks stayed elsewhere -- Data obtained and analyzed by The Times show that during a critical moment in the Eaton fire, only one L.A. County fire truck was west of Lake Avenue, where nearly all of the deaths took place. Rebecca Ellis and Sean Greene in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 07/23/25

Eaton fire could wipe out California’s $21-billion wildfire fund, documents show -- If Edison is found responsible for igniting the Eaton fire in Altadena, “the resulting claims may be substantial enough to fully exhaust” California’s wildfire fund, state officials say in newly released documents. Insured property losses alone could amount to as much as $15.2 billion, the documents show. Melody Petersen in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 07/23/25

FireAid’s concerts raised $100 million for recovery. Six months later, ‘there’s still such significant need’ -- When the wildfires ripped through the Pacific Palisades and Altadena in January, Michael Flood, chief executive of the L.A. Regional Food Bank, knew the demand for aid would explode. August Brown in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 07/23/25

Six months after L.A.’s firestorms, the remains of a 31st victim are found in Altadena -- Like all but one of the victims of the Eaton fire, this person died west of North Lake Avenue, which served as a dividing line between those who received evacuation alerts before the flames arrived and those who did not. Terry Castleman in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 07/23/25

ICE raids put a chill on L.A. high school football: ‘I’ve never experienced anything like this’ -- On the day immigration agents swooped through MacArthur Park in armored vehicles, wearing tactical gear and riding on horseback, Contreras Learning Center football coach Manuel Guevara said more than 20 of his players skipped summer practice. “Kids were messaging me their parents don’t want them to leave their house,” Guevara said. Eric Sondheimer in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 07/23/25

Legal help in immigration court fades as Trump administration ramps up arrests -- Posters inside courts offering immigrants legal assistance have been taken down, replaced by ones that encourage them to “self-deport.” The help desk for children that once stood in one of the many hallways of the West Los Angeles Immigration Court no longer operates. Rachel Uranga in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 07/23/25

Latino tenants sued their landlord. A lawyer told them they would be ‘picked up by ICE.’ -- When a Latino tenant filed a lawsuit against a landlord and real estate agent for selling the home she was evicted from, an opposing lawyer suggested she’ll likely be deported by ICE before trial. Jack Flemming in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 07/23/25

ICE releases deaf Mongolian immigrant after holding him for months without interpreter -- A deaf immigrant who sought asylum at the California-Mexico border was released from detention after a federal judge ordered authorities to provide him with an interpreter. Wendy Fry Calmatters -- 07/23/25

Latino neighborhoods overwhelmingly targeted in immigration raids, rights group says -- In an analysis of immigration raids in Los Angeles County since June, federal agents targeted in Panorama City the most often, according to the rights group CHIRLA. The 10 zip codes with the highest number of raids were in heavily Latino neighborhoods. Zurie Pope in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 07/23/25

San Diego County to train small businesses on how to respond to workplace immigration raids -- The county Board of Supervisors voted 4-1 to approve a new know-your-rights program aimed at employers and workers who may encounter ICE at work. Alexandra Mendoza in the San Diego Union Tribune$ -- 07/23/25

An Inland Empire Republican lawmaker wants to update rules for immigrant workers. Will Trump listen? -- State Sen. Rosilicie Ochoa Bogh, the daughter of immigrants, has urged Trump and other fellow Republicans to consider work permits for undocumented worked considered essential workers. Deborah Brennan Calmatters -- 07/23/25

Garofoli: Trump takes credit for lower egg prices as he sues California over rising costs -- Republicans appear to have their messaging scrambled when it comes to eggs. Joe Garofoli in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 07/23/25

Barabak: Gavin Newsom is threatening to end-run California voters. It reflects a terrible trend -- Around the country, lawmakers are seeking to undermine or nullify voter-approved ballot measures. California’s voters took redistricting away from the politicians. Newsom wants it back. Mark Z. Barabak in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 07/23/25

Planned Parenthood of California loses $300 million in federal funding under court order -- Only a handful of Planned Parenthood organizations will continue to receive money from the federal government. None of them are in California. Kristen Hwang Calmatters -- 07/23/25

End of transgender care at Children’s Hospital L.A. signals nationwide shift under Trump -- The closure of the renowned program signals a wider unraveling in the availability of care for trans youths across the country, experts said. Sonja Sharp in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 07/23/25

Would Kamala Harris sail to victory if she runs for California governor? -- Democratic donors, political observers and potential rivals are waiting — with waning patience — for Kamala Harris to decide whether or not she will run for governor. Nicole Nixon in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 07/23/25

Workplace

H-1B visa: Trump administration signals major change for controversial foreign-worker program -- The administration of President Donald Trump plans to change the criteria for awarding the controversial H-1B visa, intended for foreign workers with specialized skills, and heavily used by Silicon Valley technology companies. But the nature of the change remains unclear. Ethan Baron in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 07/23/25

Genentech announces another round of mass layoffs in South San Francisco -- According to a WARN notice filed with the state of California, 87 employees are slated to be permanently laid off starting in the fall. The terminations are scheduled to begin on Sept. 15, with additional separations expected through January 2026. Aidin Vaziri in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 07/23/25

As bargaining concludes, CA’s labor agreements save now, create future liabilities -- The budget bill passed by the Legislature saved the state $800 million by broadly reducing payroll expenses that the state would have paid in the absence of recent deals with public employees’ unions. William Melhado in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 07/23/25

‘It’s insulting’: LA Times owner stuns staff with plans to go public -- Staffers at the Los Angeles Times say they have become accustomed to hearing announcements about the paper from outside media, rather than from their billionaire owner himself. Will McCarthy Politico -- 07/23/25

Levi Strauss layoffs hit San Francisco headquarters after Dockers sale -- The layoffs affect 44 employees at the company’s headquarters at 1155 Battery St., with roles ranging from designers and product developers to senior executives such as the CEO of Dockers and the brand’s global head of merchandising. Aidin Vaziri in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 07/23/25

L.A. entertainment production fell last quarter, even as TV started to pick up -- Hollywood production faced another challenging quarter, as on-location shoot days from April to June decreased 6.2% compared with the same time period last year, according to a new report. Samantha Masunaga in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 07/23/25

They built their careers in network TV. Then they started a production company for the influencer age -- Jeff Kmiotek, Michael Zinman and Andrew Watnick have been in unscripted TV production for decades. Leila Berger in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 07/23/25

Education

LAUSD test scores hit a new high, erasing pandemic lows with a second year of strong gains -- Scores went up in all tested grades for the second straight year in Los Angeles. Six years after the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, test scores have recovered. Howard Blume in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 07/23/25

Their families keep California farms running. Trump cuts just stripped a ‘lifeline’ from them -- Migrant Education programs serve students whose parents work in California’s agricultural fields, dairies, fisheries and timberlands. Carolyn Jones Calmatters -- 07/23/25

Housing

‘Uncertainty creates paralysis’: San Diego home sales tumble during peak season -- Sales are down 9% year-over-year in San Diego County. Median home price remains unchanged. Phillip Molnar in the San Diego Union Tribune$ -- 07/23/25

Street

Suspect in ‘American Idol’ exec killing called 911 from victims’ home, but police didn’t find bodies for four days -- The man accused of killing “American Idol” music supervisor Robin Kaye and her rock musician husband, Tom DeLuca, in their home in Encino allegedly called 911 after the crime, the county’s top prosecutor said, yet it still took four more days to discover their bodies. Richard Winton, Libor Jany and Hannah Fry in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 07/23/25

Driver in East Hollywood nightclub crash charged with 37 counts of attempted murder -- Fernando Ramirez, who allegedly slammed his car into a crowd outside Vermont Hollywood nightclub after he was kicked out early Saturday morning, now faces 37 counts of attempted murder. James Queally in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 07/23/25

Tesla

Tesla’s sales in California drops for seventh straight quarter -- The number of new Tesla Inc. vehicles registered in California fell once again as the company continued to lose ground in the largest US market for electric vehicles. Kara Carlson, Bloomberg in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 07/23/25

POTUS 47

Justice Department Told Trump in May That His Name Is Among Many in the Epstein Files -- Bondi also told president at the meeting that Justice decided to not release more Jeffrey Epstein documents because of the presence of child pornography and the need to protect victims. Sadie Gurman, Annie Linskey, Josh Dawsey and Alex Leary in the Wall Street Journal$ -- 07/23/25

Trump Escalates Attacks on Obama and Clinton as Questions Swirl About Epstein -- President Trump deflected questions about the disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein by lashing out at his perceived enemies. Luke Broadwater and Julian E. Barnes in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 07/23/25

4 key questions about DOJ’s move to interview Ghislaine Maxwell -- What’s in it for her? And what might she say? Erica Orden, Kyle Cheney and Josh Gerstein Politico Michael Wilner in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 07/23/25

‘POTUS is clearly furious’: White House is frustrated by all-consuming Epstein coverage -- Officials and allies close to the White House detail the mood inside an administration haunted by a notorious sex offender who died by suicide nearly six years ago. Dasha Burns Politico -- 07/23/25

Democrats fan Epstein flames -- It’s the fixation of Washington. Now Democrats from coast to coast are plotting how to capitalize on the Jeffrey Epstein saga. Jeremy B. White, Shia Kapos, Lindsey Holden, Nick Reisman and Natalie Fertig Politico -- 07/23/25

Chabria: 3 things that should scare us about Trump’s fake video of Obama -- The president is known for his prolific posting of misinformation and disinformation. But an AI-generated video he posted this week of former President Obama being arrested is a new level of trouble. Anita Chabria in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 07/23/25

Republicans Rely on Trump’s Promises to Grease the Path for His Agenda -- G.O.P. leaders scrounging for the votes to push through the president’s priorities have increasingly turned to him and his team to win over holdouts with special carve-outs and commitments. Catie Edmondson in the New York Times$ -- 07/23/25

EPA drafts rule to strike down landmark climate finding -- The agency proposes to overturn the 2009 “endangerment finding,” which underpins limits on greenhouse gas emissions for vehicles and power plants. Jake Spring in the Washington Post$ -- 07/23/25

FEMA Urban Search and Rescue Chief Resigns, Citing Agency ‘Chaos’, Colleagues Said -- Ken Pagurek had told colleagues the Trump administration was causing ‘chaos’ inside FEMA and creating dangerous delays in disaster response. Lisa Friedman in the New York Times$ -- 07/23/25

Tulsi Gabbard’s ‘seditious conspiracy’ claim is based on thin gruel -- The DNI’s announcement flies in the face of the conclusions of four previous investigations totaling more than 2,500 pages. Glenn Kessler in the Washington Post$ -- 07/23/25