California Policy and Politics Friday

Trump seeks $1-billion fine against UCLA. Newsom says ‘we’ll sue,’ calling it extortion -- Hours after the Trump administration demanded that the University of California pay a $1-billion fine to settle federal accusations of antisemitism in exchange for restoring frozen grant funding to UCLA, Gov. Gavin Newsom called the proposal “extortion” and said the state will go to court to protect the nation’s premier university system. Jaweed Kaleem and Michael Wilner in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 08/08/25

Canyon fire explodes to nearly 5,000 acres; thousands evacuated in L.A., Ventura counties -- Firefighters Friday were trying to make progress after the Canyon fire exploded to nearly 5,000 acres, forcing residents in northern Los Angeles and Ventura counties to evacuate. Clara Harter and Grace Toohey in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 08/08/25

 

Large number of voters undecided in governor’s race and about congressional redistricting, new poll finds -- Former Rep. Katie Porter and conservative commentator Steve Hilton are the only candidates in the 2026 governor’s race to have double-digit support among voters in a new poll. Voters are split about a Democratic proposal to redraw the state’s congressional districts that could appear on the ballot in November. Large numbers of voters are undecided. Seema Mehta in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 08/08/25

Lt. Gov. Eleni Kounalakis drops bid for California governor, will run for treasurer -- Kounalakis, a San Francisco resident who is the first woman to serve as lieutenant governor, said in a statement she felt she could make the greatest impact on “California’s financial future” in the treasurer’s office. Joe Garofoli in the San Francisco Chronicle$ Nicole Nixon in the Sacramento Bee$ Dustin Gardiner Politico -- 08/08/25

Democrats make a Trump-inspired U-turn on redistricting -- Former Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who pushed for national reforms, now says her party "cannot and will not unilaterally disarm." Nicholas Wu and Andrew Howard Politico -- 08/08/25

 

Trump orders colleges to prove they don’t consider race in admissions as three UCs face probe -- The order comes as the government accuses UCLA and other selective California campuses of illegally considering race in admissions. The issue of admissions is among the charges federal agencies made against UCLA when pulling $584 million in grant funding. Jaweed Kaleem in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 08/08/25

UCLA should not bend ‘on their knees’ to Trump in grant negotiations, Newsom says -- “We’re not Brown, we’re not Columbia, and I’m not going to be governor if we act like that,” Newsom said, referring to settlements the universities announced last month. “Period. Full stop, I will fight like hell to make sure that doesn’t happen.” Jaweed Kaleem in the Los Angeles Times$ Joe Garofoli in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 08/08/25

Fearing deportation, international students go silent at California’s universities -- After hundreds of international students lost their status this spring, then regained it following lawsuits, the uncertainty of it happening again has created fear. Some students say they’ve changed the routes they take on campus, the topics they research, and what they post on social media. Emewodesh Eshete Calmatters -- 08/08/25

Trump administration asks Supreme Court to lift temporary ban on roving immigration stops in L.A. -- The federal government on Thursday filed an emergency appeal with the U.S. Supreme Court seeking to lift a temporary ban on “roving” immigration sweeps. Wendy Fry and Sergio Olmos Calmatters Sonja Sharp in the Los Angeles Times$ Josh Gerstein and Kyle Cheney Politico Bob Egelko in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 08/08/25

 

California’s redrawn congressional districts could be bad news for these Republicans -- Newsom has said California’s redistricting plan will have a “trigger,” meaning a redrawn map would not take effect unless Texas moved forward with its own. Laura J. Nelson in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 08/08/25

Newsom brushed off the price of a special election. Experts say it’ll cost $200M -- Gov. Gavin Newsom has said a special redistricting election in November — his answer to Texas Republicans redrawing their congressional districts to favor their party — would require “significantly less resources” than a typical statewide special election because “many” local elections are happening at the same time. Kate Wolffe in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 08/08/25

Republicans push to redraw election maps in multiple states -- The GOP seeks to create new red seats in Missouri, Indiana, Ohio and Florida ahead of next year’s midterms, even as legal hurdles await. Kadia Goba, Natalie Allison and Hannah Knowles in the Washington Post$ Adam Wren and Andrew Howard Politico -- 08/08/25

 

Not running for president (yet), Ro Khanna visits the fire zone -- U.S. Rep. Ro Khanna came to Altadena last week to hear about fire recovery challenges. He got an earful: about balky insurance companies, charred businesses still not cleared away and how President Trump’s tariffs on Canada will drive up the price of lumber for rebuilding. James Rainey in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 08/08/25

Pelosi won’t discuss her political future — or endorse Zohran Mamdani -- Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi said Thursday her priority is helping Democrats win back the House in 2026 but declined to discuss whether she will be among the candidates. Sara DiNatale in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 08/08/25

In tentative ruling, judge dismisses sexual harassment lawsuit against Nathan Fletcher -- The sexual harassment lawsuit that pushed former San Diego County Supervisor Nathan Fletcher from his career in public office appears likely to be terminated in its entirety, if a tentative ruling issued late Thursday stands. Jeff McDonald in the San Diego Union Tribune$ -- 08/08/25

Climate

Energy secretary says Trump administration may alter past National Climate Assessments -- His statements came after the Trump administration in April dismissed more than 400 experts who had already started work on the sixth National Climate Assessment, due for publication in late 2027 or early 2028. The administration in July also removed the website of the U.S. Global Change Research Program, which housed the reports. Hayley Smith in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 08/08/25

The start of California’s fire season has moved up 6 weeks since 1990 thanks to climate change -- You are not imagining it. Fire season in California is indeed starting earlier and lasting longer in virtually every region of California than it did two decades ago, researchers have found, thanks largely to human-caused climate change. Corinne Purtill in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 08/08/25

EPA eliminates $7-billion rooftop solar grant program -- The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency on Thursday announced that it will eliminate a $7-billion grant program designed to help low-income households install solar panels on their homes. Hayley Smith in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 08/08/25

Develop

Tech companies are taking over this S.F. neighborhood as OpenAI closes in on new space -- OpenAI is reportedly close to taking space in a fourth building in San Francisco’s Mission Bay that would add to its growing campus in the neighborhood that stretches along the city’s waterfront. Laura Waxmann in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 08/08/25

Medicaid

Bay Area county could raise taxes to offset Trump Medicaid cuts -- In response to recent federal legislation that cuts billions of dollars to Medicaid, Santa Clara County supervisors on Thursday unanimously voted to add a ballot measure to November’s special election that would increase local sales tax by five-eighth cent (0.625%) for five years to try to backfill some of the projected lost federal revenue. Catherine Ho in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 08/08/25

Workplace

Stater Bros. reaches tentative deal with union after months-long dispute -- Grocery store chain Stater Bros. and the union representing 12,000 workers across Southern California have reached an agreement on a new contract, averting a possible strike. Piper Heath in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 08/08/25

Trump says Intel CEO is ‘highly conflicted,’ calls for his resignation -- Chipmaker Intel is the latest tech company facing political pressure from President Trump. On Thursday, Trump called for the immediate resignation of Intel Chief Executive Lip-Bu Tan, who took the helm in March to turn around the beleaguered company. Queenie Wong in the Washington Post$ -- 08/08/25

How Intel’s CEO Helped Create China’s Chip Industry -- Lip-Bu Tan’s U.S.-based venture-capital firm supported some of the biggest names in China’s chip industry. Stu Woo and Yang Jie in the Wall Street Journal$ -- 08/08/25

Education

Newsom announces agreements to embed AI products from Big Tech into state colleges, high schools -- Gov. Gavin Newsom on Thursday stood atop Google’s waterfront offices in San Francisco beside higher-education officials and technology-industry leaders to announce a new partnership to embed cutting-edge artificial intelligence products into the California State University and California Community College systems. Ethan Baron in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 08/08/25

How S.F. schools are changing the way they teach math -- Adults raised on the drill-and-kill math of the past might not use the word “fun” for long division or algebra. But school officials want to ensure they teach math that’s relevant to the world. Jill Tucker in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 08/08/25

Parents favor four-year college for children — but Republicans show more skepticism -- Six out of 10 parents hope their child will attend college, according to a new survey by Gallup and the Lumina Foundation. The survey, conducted in June, comes out at a time when the value of a college degree is the subject of public debate. Emma Gallegos EdSource -- 08/08/25

Street

Law firm in L.A. homelessness case bills the city $1.8 million for two weeks’ work -- A high-profile law firm representing the city of Los Angeles in a sweeping homelessness case submitted an $1.8-million invoice for two weeks of work in May, according to records reviewed by The Times. Andrew Khouri and David Zahniser in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 08/08/25

Two more Dublin prison guards plead guilty in sexual abuse scandal -- Two more former officers at the federal women’s prison in Dublin pleaded guilty Thursday to sexually abusing inmates, prosecutors said. They are the eighth and ninth officers at the now-shuttered prison, including a former warden, who have admitted to or been convicted of sex crimes against inmates. Bob Egelko in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 08/08/25

Also

Rat infestation wreaks havoc on California almonds, industry suffers $300M in damage -- A massive rat infestation is wreaking havoc on almond orchards across California’s San Joaquin Valley, with crop losses and infrastructure damage now estimated to exceed $300 million, according to a new report from the Almond Board of California. Aidin Vaziri in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 08/08/25

The Rise of Silicon Valley’s Techno-Religion -- The Rationalists, a community focused on the risks of artificial intelligence, regularly gather with tech figures and other like-minded people in a complex that covers much of a city block. Cade Metz in the New York Times$ -- 08/08/25

Russian superyacht, with helideck and marble fireplace, was seized. Now you can bid on it -- The $300-million-plus Amadea is currently sitting in a San Diego harbor. The superyacht is being auctioned; the bid deposit is $10 million. Andrew J. Campa in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 08/08/25

POTUS 47

Trump announces federal law enforcement will patrol DC -- The move comes one day after President Donald Trump threatened to take over the city’s police force in response to an attempted hijacking that left one Trump administration staffer injured. Ben Johansen Politico -- 08/08/25

Trump Turns the Screws on the Fortune 500 -- Trump has systematically taken on every institution he’s come across — academia, government, the legal system, and the media — and bent them to his will. Now the Fortune 500 is being put through the wringer. Charlie Mahtesian Politico Chip Cutter and Amrith Ramkumar in the Wall Street Journal$ -- 08/08/25

Trump says he’s ordering new census -- The attempt would likely face a flurry of legal and logistical challenges should the administration move ahead with it. Nicole Markus Politico -- 08/08/25

Here’s What Could Get More Expensive Under Trump’s Tariffs -- The tariffs are driving up prices on everyday goods as businesses warn they can no longer absorb costs, leaving consumers to foot the bill. Kailyn Rhone in the New York Times$ Abha Bhattarai and Jaclyn Peiser in the Washington Post$ -- 08/08/25

‘This is sending a message’: DOJ moves to sanction lawyer who took pro bono deportation case -- The move comes after Trump directed the department to seek to sanction lawyers “who engage in frivolous, unreasonable, and vexatious litigation.” Josh Gerstein Politico -- 08/08/25

Justice Department Subpoenas Office of Letitia James, a Trump Nemesis -- Ms. James, New York’s attorney general, won a civil fraud case against President Trump that is on appeal. One of the two subpoenas is related to that case. Jonah E. Bromwich, Devlin Barrett and Santul Nerkar in the New York Times$ -- 08/08/25

Epstein victims speak out: This ‘smacks of a cover up’ -- Several victims have sent letters to the judges who will decide whether to grant DOJ’s request to unseal the grand jury materials in their cases. Erica Orden Politico -- 08/08/25