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California Policy and Politics Thursday
Trump calls off planned federal ‘surge’ in S.F. but plans for Bay Area immigration crackdown unclear -- President Donald Trump said Thursday morning that he was calling off plans for a “federal deployment” in San Francisco this Saturday after talking to tech leaders who assured him the “surge” wasn’t needed. Ko Lyn Cheang, Sophia Bollag in the San Francisco Chronicle$ Jeremy B. White Politico -- 10/23/25
Protest of Bay Area immigration crackdown met with apparent stun grenades at Coast Guard base -- Tensions flared early Thursday as protesters attempted to block U.S. Border Patrol agents from entering a U.S. Coast Guard base near Oakland that the Trump administration is staging as an operations hub for an anticipated immigration crackdown on the Bay Area. Michael Barba, Sarah Ravani, Kate Talerico in the San Francisco Chronicle$ Rick Hurd and Sierra Lopez in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 10/23/25
Judge orders UC to release Trump UCLA settlement offer at the center of private negotiations -- A state court on Wednesday ordered the University of California to release the $1.2-billion UCLA settlement proposal from the Department of Justice, handing a victory to faculty members who are pushing UC for more transparency in its negotiations with the Trump administration. Jaweed Kaleem in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 10/23/25
S.F. Mayor Lurie punches back at Trump’s surge of federal officers in the Bay Area -- San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie delivered on Wednesday his harshest condemnation yet of what he called the Trump administration’s “playbook” in Democratic-run cities in anticipation of the administration’s imminent deployment of more than 100 federal agents for a major immigration enforcement operation in the Bay Area. Ko Lyn Cheang in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 10/23/25
S.F. DA Brooke Jenkins says she’ll prosecute federal immigration agents who cross the line -- District Attorney Brooke Jenkins is sending a tougher message to Trump and his invasion force: She said Wednesday she will not hesitate to prosecute federal agents who cross the line. Joe Garofoli in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 10/23/25
Newsom asks California to ‘remain peaceful’ as feds prep for San Francisco deployment -- California Gov. Gavin Newsom confirmed the deployment in a social media post to his personal account: “We know his playbook. We know what’s next.” He told reporters Wednesday afternoon in Stockton that what was next was “absolutely predictable. It’s a script that been written for centuries.” Rosalio Ahumada and Lia Russell in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 10/23/25
Newsom accuses Trump of using Border Patrol to suppress votes, Trump warns him ‘be careful’ -- President Donald Trump and Gov. Gavin Newsom’s traded insults and threats Wednesday after the Chronicle reported the federal government is planning a Bay Area immigration enforcement surge. Sophia Bollag in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 10/23/25
Reported immigration crackdown alarms Bay Area leaders, immigrant advocates -- Bay Area leaders reacted with dismay and defiance Wednesday to the specter of an intensified immigration crackdown involving scores of federal agents that could begin as early as this week, following through on President Donald Trump’s recent threats to target San Francisco. Jakob Rodgers, Shomik Mukherjee, Grace Hase and Ethan Varian in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 10/23/25
How California is trying to keep the National Guard away from Trump’s immigration crackdown -- Attorney General Rob Bonta’s team was the first to challenge Trump on taking over control of the state National Guard under a rarely used law that allows the president to do this in times of invasion, internal rebellion or when U.S. laws cannot be executed with “regular forces” — a contested term. Mikhail Zinshteyn Calmatters -- 10/23/25
9th Circuit rethinks ruling that bolstered Trump’s authority to deploy troops -- Three of the country’s most powerful judges met in Pasadena on Wednesday for a rare conclave that could rewrite the legal framework for President Trump’s expansive deployment of troops to cities across the United States. Sonja Sharp in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 10/22/25
He tracked and posted videos of ICE raids in L.A. Now this TikTok streamer is in federal custody -- Carlitos Ricardo Parias had been tracking ICE raids around South L.A. and posting videos on TikTok for months, gaining hundreds of thousands of followers who looked to his social media accounts for vital updates on where federal immigration agents were. Brittny Mejia, Ruben Vives and Salvador Hernandez in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 10/23/25
‘Pity the nation’: City Lights Books displays banners warning against tyranny in San Francisco -- In San Francisco’s North Beach, where the Beat Generation once gave poetry a megaphone, a familiar voice has returned to the facade of City Lights Books. Aidin Vaziri in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 10/23/25
Voter turnout exceeds expectations in California’s Prop. 50 special election -- More than 3.4 million mail ballots have been returned in California’s Proposition 50 special election, matching presidential election turnout despite the esoteric topic of redistricting. Seema Mehta and Dakota Smith in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 10/23/25
'Democracy is worth fighting for': Obama rallies California redistricting supporters -- Barack Obama joined Gavin Newsom to rally supporters of California Democrats’ congressional redistricting ballot measure as the Nov. 4 special election nears. The former president during a Wednesday call with volunteers painted Proposition 50 — a bid to change California’s congressional lines mid-cycle and pick up five Democratic House seats next year — in stark terms. Lindsey Holden Politico -- 10/23/25
Newsom: Trump’s GOP allies will ‘have a lot to reconcile at the pearly gates’ -- “To see people in positions of power and influence do absolutely nothing when they must know better — and I believe they do … Boy, they’re going to have a lot to reconcile at the pearly gates,” Newsom said at a press conference Wednesday during the California Economic Summit in Stockton, part of California’s Central Valley. Juliann Ventura Politico -- 10/23/25
Former Biden surgeon general backs California ballot initiative targeting AI chatbots for kids -- Former Biden administration U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy and a leading kids online safety advocate announced they are filing a ballot initiative in California with the goal of shielding young people from artificial intelligence chatbots and holding Big Tech companies accountable for any harm they cause to kids. Chase DiFeliciantonio Politico -- 10/23/25
It’s official: Scott Wiener is running for Nancy Pelosi’s seat in Congress -- State Sen. Scott Wiener of San Francisco launched his campaign for former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s seat. His long–awaited announcement comes even as Pelosi demurs on whether she’ll retire or run for a 19th term. Maya C. Miller Calmatters -- 10/23/25
Malibu residents flee as international buyers snap up burned-out lots -- Wood frames are rising from the ashes of burned-out lots in Pacific Palisades, signaling the start of a new era for the fire-torn community. But down the road in Malibu, the scene is bleak. Jack Flemming in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 10/23/25
Government shutdown could soon leave hundreds of thousands of San Diegans hungry -- Kimberly Hjaltalin’s job is to feed the country’s troops in training, serving meals to military recruits at San Diego’s Marine Corps Recruit Depot as early as 4:15 a.m. But with her employer three weeks into a government shutdown and Congress at an impasse on how to end it, she’s worried about how she’ll feed herself. Hjaltalin relies on CalFresh — California’s name for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, also known as food stamps — for the federally funded food benefits that help low-income people eat. Kristen Taketa in the San Diego Union Tribune$ -- 10/23/25
Bay Area town poised to ban all tobacco and nicotine sales — a first in Northern California -- The Marin County town of Tiburon is poised to become the first jurisdiction in Northern California — and just the third statewide — to ban the sale of all tobacco and nicotine products. Catherine Ho in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 10/23/25
What went wrong when Marines fired over Interstate 5? California leaders demand answers -- Several California lawmakers are demanding answers from the Trump administration after shrapnel rained down on Interstate 5 over the weekend during a live fire event that was part of the Marines 250th anniversary celebration. Deborah Brennan Calmatters -- 10/23/25
Workplace
AI Workers Are Putting In 100-Hour Workweeks to Win the New Tech Arms Race -- With expertise in the field scarce, workers in Silicon Valley are pushing themselves to extremes day after day. Bradley Olson and Meghan Bobrowsky in the Wall Street Journal$ -- 10/23/25
Meta reportedly just laid off 600 people in AI — but its hiring spree isn’t over -- The cuts will hit several teams within Meta’s Superintelligence Labs, according to an internal memo reviewed by media outlets. The division leads the some of the company’s most advanced AI work. Aidin Vaziri in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 10/23/25
H-1B visa: Many foreign workers, and students, exempted from $100,000 fee -- This week, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services issued an advisory saying the fee — paid by employers — would apply only to new H-1B visas issued to workers who are outside the country. The levy will not be imposed for workers switching to an H-1B visa from other visas, including the F-1 student visa, the agency said. Ethan Baron in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 10/23/25
Health care
Health care costs and mental health access weigh on Californians, poll shows -- No surprise that the California Wellness Foundation poll found that nearly 80% of voters are worried by the cost of health care. Mental health access is a worry too – and immigration is worsening the problem. Ana B. Ibarra Politico -- 10/23/25
California Forever
Bay Area business heavyweight joins California Forever team -- After 22 years as chief executive officer of the Bay Area Council Jim Wunderman is stepping down to become the head of public affairs for the proposed megadevelopment. J.K. Dineen in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 10/23/25
Aliso Canyon
10 years since Aliso Canyon: Disaster was wake-up call for U.S. on dangers of underground gas -- Despite earlier promises to close the facility by 2027, regulators recently voted to extend its life and increase its storage capacity, citing California’s energy reliability needs. Some residents say justice remains elusive. Hayley Smith in the Los Angeles Times$ Linh Tat in the Los Angeles Daily News -- 10/23/25
Street
LA County moves to limit license plate tracking, citing CalMatters report -- Drivers in Los Angeles County have a powerful new privacy advocate after the Board of Supervisors pushed to restrict how their license plates are scanned by law enforcement. Phoebe Huss and Khari Johnson Calmatters -- 10/23/25
Arellano: Sanctuary policies and activists aren’t endangering lives during ICE raids — ICE is -- After an ICE agent opened fire in South L.A., the Trump administration blamed “sanctuary” policies and activists — but critics say ICE’s tactics created the danger. Gustavo Arellano in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 10/23/25
Also
New Trump rule may require airline travelers to assign themselves a gender -- Air travelers with a gender-neutral “X” on their passports may now be asked to assign themselves “male” or “female,” under a Trump Administration executive order that took effect this month. Rachel Swan in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 10/23/25
NFL says Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl Halftime Show will ‘unite’ fans, despite MAGA outrage -- The NFL is standing by its decision to have Bad Bunny perform the Super Bowl LX Halftime Show, despite heightened pushback from President Donald Trump and his supporters. Zara Irshad in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 10/23/25
Walters: Ballot measure would broaden reform of California’s key environmental law -- Former Gov. Jerry Brown once referred to overhauling the California Environmental Quality Act as “the Lord’s work” because, he said, it made building much-needed things — housing, transportation improvements, water storage, etc. — too difficult and too expensive. Dan Walters Calmatters -- 10/23/25
POTUS
Trump Said His Plans Wouldn’t Touch the White House. Then the East Wing Came Down -- President Trump initially said the ballroom construction would not dismantle parts of the White House. His officials now say it was cheaper and more structurally sound to simply demolish the East Wing. Luke Broadwater in the New York Times$ Heather Richards and Michael Doyle Politico -- 10/22/25
Trump defends East Wing demolition, raises ballroom price to $300 million -- The president said the new building would be connected to the White House with a glass bridge. Dan Diamond and Cat Zakrzewski in the Washington Post$ -- 10/23/25
Five Major Changes Trump Is Making to the White House -- In less than a year, President Trump has already significantly remade the White House. The Oval Office is decorated from top to bottom in gold. The Rose Garden’s lawn is paved over. And this week, the entire East Wing is being torn down as Mr. Trump’s ballroom project forges ahead. Ashley Wu and Marco Hernandez in the New York Times$ -- 10/23/25
Trump Administration in Talks to Take Equity Stakes in Quantum-Computing Firms -- Several quantum-computing companies are in talks to give the Commerce Department equity stakes in exchange for federal funding, a signal that the Trump administration is expanding its interventions in what it sees as critical segments of the economy. Amrith Ramkumar in the Wall Street Journal$ -- 10/23/25
As Shutdown Drags and Trump Flexes, Congress Cedes Its Relevance -- “It’s like we have given up,” one Republican lawmaker said. Carl Hulse in the New York Times$ -- 10/23/25
The shutdown cliff that could hit Democrats hard -- The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, which helps feed more than 40 million people, will start to run out of funds Nov. 1. Meredith Lee Hill Politico -- 10/23/25
Health insurance sticker shock begins as shutdown battle over subsidies rages -- Many states have shown rising premiums ahead of open enrollment for Affordable Care Act plans. Congress is deadlocked over extending covid-era subsidies that bring costs down. Paige Winfield Cunningham in the Washington Post$ -- 10/23/25
Trump targets Atlantic and Pacific coasts for new oil drilling -- The move would reignite a fight with coastal state governors — particularly California’s Gavin Newsom — who forced the president to back down in his first term. Ben Lefebvre Politico -- 10/23/25
Trump beats the drums of war for direct action in Venezuela -- The administration has surged warships, planes and troops to the Caribbean for drug interdiction. Some see the ultimate goal as toppling Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro. Karen DeYoung, Warren P. Strobel, Susannah George and Ana Vanessa Herrero in the Washington Post$ -- 10/23/25
Kristi Noem pledged to boost the nation’s cybersecurity. She gutted it instead -- But over the last nine months, a key cybersecurity agency under Noem’s command has had its staffing slashed by more than a third, axed funding for election security programs and scaled back its support to state and local governments to protect against cyber threats. Maggie Miller and Eric Bazail-Eimil Politico -- 10/23/25
California Policy and Politics Wednesday
Major federal immigration operation headed to San Francisco Bay Area -- The Trump administration has dispatched more than 100 federal agents, including from U.S. Customs and Border Protection, to Coast Guard Base Alameda and they will begin to arrive Thursday, according to the U.S. Coast Guard and a source familiar with the operation. Matthias Gafni, Michael Barba in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 10/22/25
Federal agents heading to San Francisco — an attempt by Trump to invoke chaos, Newsom says -- Federal agents are en route to San Francisco amid President Trump’s sweeping immigration enforcement efforts. Gov. Newsom says the deployment is deliberately designed to create chaos so that the president can then send in the National Guard. Clara Harter in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 10/22/25
Videos obtained by The Times show ICE raid that left deputy U.S. marshal, TikTok streamer shot -- The Times has obtained videos showing the incident Tuesday in South Los Angeles that left a deputy U.S. marshal and a TikTok streamer wounded during an immigration enforcement operation and its aftermath. Ruben Vives and Brittny Mejia in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 10/22/25
California insurers set to charge homeowners for L.A. County fire costs -- California homeowners face surcharges averaging $50 to help insurers recoup costs from January’s devastating Los Angeles County wildfires. State Farm and other major insurers received approval to charge customers for portions of a $1 billion FAIR Plan assessment. Consumer Watchdog sued Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara, calling the surcharges an illegal bailout of the insurance industry. Laurence Darmiento in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 10/22/25
Newsom to deploy CA National Guard after millions at risk of delayed food assistance in shutdown -- Now in its third week, the ongoing federal government shutdown will likely delay food benefits for millions of Californians — prompting Gov. Gavin Newsom to set aside $80 million in state support and deploy the California National Guard to assist food banks. Lynn La Calmatters Lia Russell in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 10/22/25
How the Insurrection Act would change what troops could do in San Francisco -- Federal troops, if deployed, could presumably arrest suspected drug dealers under U.S. narcotics laws as well as violators of immigration laws and other federal statutes. They could not issue traffic tickets, arrest suspected shoplifters or sweep homeless encampments. Bob Egelko in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 10/22/25
California ready to sue ‘immediately’ if Trump sends troops to S.F., Newsom says -- “We’re standing up to this wannabe tyrant,” Newsom wrote in a statement. “The notion that the federal government can deploy troops into our cities with no justification grounded in reality, no oversight, no accountability, no respect for state sovereignty — it’s a direct assault on the rule of law.” Sophia Bollag in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 10/22/25
As Trump targets SF, other Bay Area cities say no indication of National Guard deployment -- Officials across the region, including in San Jose, Oakland, Concord and Berkeley, said they’ve received no indication of the military’s imminent arrival in their jurisdictions. Ethan Varian in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 10/22/25
ICE agent wounds deputy U.S. marshal, TikTok streamer during Los Angeles operation -- A deputy U.S. marshal was wounded by a ricochet bullet from an ICE agent during an immigration operation in South Los Angeles on Tuesday morning. The suspect, wanted for illegal entry, allegedly tried to ram law enforcement vehicles and was shot, according to federal officials. Ruben Vives, Richard Winton, Brittny Mejia and Rachel Uranga in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 10/22/25
Security planning for Bay Area hosting Super Bowl and World Cup weighs grim specter of terrorism -- Security consultant says that threats to send ICE to Bad Bunny halftime show creates, not solves, problems. Julia Prodis Sulek in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 10/22/25
It took a village to free this L.A. grandma from ICE detention. They celebrated this week -- Family members greeted Emma De Paz with tears, hugs, signs and bouquets of flowers on Monday when federal immigration agents freed her after four months of detention. Melissa Gomez in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 10/22/25
Scott Wiener is running for Congress. Nancy Pelosi won’t say whether she’ll be his opponent -- State Sen. Scott Wiener, who has represented San Francisco in the Legislature and on the Board of Supervisors since 2011, officially announced Wednesday that he would do something he promised not to: seek a seat in Congress before Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi announced her retirement. Joe Garofoli in the San Francisco Chronicle$ Scott Shafer KQED -- 10/22/25
Pelosi to announce plans after California election in November -- Nancy Pelosi, who has come under increasing pressure from fellow Democrats here to retire, will make an announcement about her plans after California’s election on a redistricting measure early next month, according to an adviser. Dustin Gardiner and Jeremy B. White Politico -- 10/22/25
Does early voting data on CA Prop. 50 provide a hint at whether it will pass? -- More than 2.4 million California voters have already weighed in on Proposition 50 – about one in 10 active registered voters in the state. Nicole Nixon in the Fresno Bee -- 10/22/25
Barabak: She was highly qualified to be California governor. Why did her campaign fizzle? -- Tony Atkins knows her way around the Capitol like few others, having served as Assembly speaker and Senate president. Her know-how didn’t translate into the piles of cash needed to win a statewide race. Mark Z. Barabak in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 10/22/25
Workplace
Tech giant cuts nearly 250 Palo Alto jobs days after OpenAI deal -- Broadcom is cutting nearly 250 jobs in Palo Alto just days after revealing a high-profile partnership with OpenAI to build custom artificial intelligence chips. Aidin Vaziri in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 10/22/25
California retiree group launches independent investigation into CalPERS -- Through a fundraising campaign, the Retired Public Employees Association has raised more than $181,000 to investigate the California Public Employees’ Retirement System’s use of private equity and the fees paid to money managers. While some individuals have contributed, most of that money has come from RPEA. William Melhado in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 10/22/25
Meta Plans to Cut 600 Jobs at A.I. Superintelligence Labs -- The cuts will not affect Meta’s newest A.I. hires, who are in some cases being paid up to hundreds of millions of dollars. The layoffs are focused on correcting an earlier hiring spree. Mike Isaac in the New York Times$ -- 10/22/25
Catalytic converters
Spiking cost of catalytic converters is shocking car mechanics. Experts point to one likely culprit -- But even Lin flinched when he saw the invoice that arrived with his most recent supply order. It showed that the list price for the Generation 2 Toyota Prius catalytic converter had soared to $3,038.76, up from $2,466.69 last December. Rachel Swan in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 10/22/25
Water
This Northern California reservoir has pioneered a way to store more water -- A decade ago, when one of California’s worst droughts almost dried up Lake Mendocino, dam operators at the reservoir 125 miles north of San Francisco faced criticism for not storing more water in rainier times. Kurtis Alexander in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 10/22/25
California has struggled to track water use. A new system should fix this -- How much water is used in California? Well, the answer can be murky, owing to old, often ill-defined water rights and a flawed system for tracking water use. Kurtis Alexander in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 10/22/25
Malibu
Locals are leaving, permits are few. Malibu is suffering a post-fire identity crisis -- Nearly a year after the Palisades fire, Malibu has issued just four rebuilding permits compared to hundreds in Pacific Palisades. Property values are plummeting as burned lots sell at 20-60% discounts, with frustrated homeowners choosing to sell rather than navigate stringent permitting. Jack Flemming in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 10/22/25
Housing
California business leaders want voters to expedite state’s environmental review process for housing, infrastructure -- The California Chamber of Commerce introduced a ballot initiative to overhaul the state’s landmark environmental law with strict new review deadlines. The proposal would impose a 365-day limit on environmental reviews for essential projects including affordable housing, clean energy and wildfire resiliency. Grace Toohey in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 10/22/25
Why California’s historic housing law gave activists a new reason to battle the bus -- Opponents to dense housing developments in Los Angeles turned their attention to transit after Gov. Newsom signed a law encouraging construction near bus and rail lines. Ben Christopher Calmatters -- 10/22/25
Develop
This is what could replace the Phillips 66 oil refinery in Wilmington -- Oil giant Phillips 66, operator of a massive oil refinery near the Port of Los Angeles, has unveiled plans to replace its belching smokestacks and hulking steel tanks with stores, restaurants and soccer fields. Roger Vincent in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 10/22/25
Guns
Madera County is now a ‘Second Amendment Sanctuary.’ What does that mean? -- The resolution, approved on a 4-0 vote Tuesday by the Republican-majority board, does not change law and is largely symbolic. But it does reflect strong feelings about gun policies championed by democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom. Erik Galicia in the Fresno Bee -- 10/22/25
Street
Lack of public defenders forces S.F. courts to release jailed defendants -- San Francisco Superior Court officials said Tuesday that judges will soon begin releasing some indigent criminal pre-trial defendants from jail because there aren’t enough lawyers available to represent them. Aldo Toledo in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 10/22/25
S.F. streets are getting filthier, new data shows -- The amount of feces, graffiti and illegal trash dumping on San Francisco sidewalks slightly increased over the past year, according to a recently released city report. Jessica Flores, Sriharsha Devulapalli in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 10/22/25
California officer, 25, is struck and killed as she stops to help at freeway crash site -- La Mesa Police Officer Lauren Craven, 25, was struck and killed while stopping to help at a crash site on Interstate 8. Both Craven and the driver of the overturned vehicle she was assisting died in the incident in San Diego County. Terry Castleman in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 10/22/25
Education
UC and CSU researchers caution against blanket cellphone bans in schools -- As schools across California prepare to limit students’ cellphone use during the school day by July 2026, new research by the University of California, Los Angeles cautions school leaders that completely banning phones on school grounds can cause more harm than good and deepen existing inequities among students. Molly Gibbs in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 10/22/25
Also
Silicon Valley startup admits its balloon may have struck United jet, forcing emergency landing -- WindBorne Systems, a Palo Alto company that operates long-duration “smart” weather balloons, said Monday it believed one of its devices struck United Flight 1093 as the plane cruised at 36,000 feet on Oct. 16. Aidin Vaziri in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 10/22/25
Nobel winners and celebrities challenge Silicon Valley’s vision for the future -- Humanity isn’t ready for AI “superintelligence,” signatories including Prince Harry and actor Joseph Gordon-Levitt said in a statement. Gerrit De Vynck and Will Oremus in the Washington Post$ -- 10/22/25
The world’s largest wildlife crossing is finally getting plants. Animals are a year away -- The Wallis Annenberg Wildlife Crossing Native Plant Nursery has only one function: to grow hyperlocal native plants for the world’s largest wildlife crossing over the 101 Freeway in Agoura Hills. Jeanette Marantos, Al Seib in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 10/22/25
Shutdown Brings More BASE Jumpers and Drones to Yosemite Skies -- Emboldened by the lapse in government funding and employee furloughs, some visitors are brazenly betting that they won’t get caught for breaking the law. Gabe Castro-Root in the New York Times$ -- 10/22/25
Walters: Bay Area transit measure will test voters’ taste for higher sales taxes -- The three largest sources of revenue for California governments are taxes on personal income, real estate and retail sales — and increasing them ranges from difficult to bordering on impossible. Dan Walters Calmatters -- 10/22/25
Baseball Has a New Evil Empire -- With a record $350 million payroll and a roster stacked with high-priced stars, the Los Angeles Dodgers have looked close to invincible as they close in on back-to-back championships. Jared Diamond in the Wall Street Journal$ -- 10/22/25
POTUS 47
Trump is demolishing the entire East Wing to make way for his White House ballroom -- As roaring machinery tore down one side of the White House, President Trump acknowledged on Wednesday that he was having the entire East Wing demolished to make way for his $200 million, 90,000-square-foot ballroom, a striking expansion of a project that is remaking the profile of one of the nation’s most iconic buildings. Luke Broadwater in the New York Times$ -- 10/22/25
Trump Said to Demand Justice Dept. Pay Him $230 Million for Past Cases -- Senior department officials who were defense lawyers for the president and those in his orbit are now in jobs that typically must approve any such payout, underscoring potential ethical conflicts. Devlin Barrett and Tyler Pager in the New York Times$ Perry Stein in the Washington Post$ -- 10/22/25
Trump Empowers Election Deniers, Still Fixated on 2020 Grievances -- The president has placed proponents of his false claims into government jobs while dismantling systems built to secure voting, raising fears that he aims to seize authority over elections ahead of next year’s midterms. Alexandra Berzon and Nick Corasaniti in the New York Times$ -- 10/22/25
Trump Dismisses Another Inspector General, Fueling Oversight Concerns -- With the firing of the Export-Import Bank’s inspector general, the president has sidelined around two dozen of the watchdogs who seek out fraud and mismanagement in federal agencies. Luke Broadwater in the New York Times$ -- 10/22/25
Trump put a new fee on asylum seekers. Many say they don’t know how to pay -- The Trump administration imposed a new annual $100 fee on asylum seekers earlier this summer. But more than three months later, immigrants and their attorneys say they can’t figure out whether they owe the money or how to pay the fee. Myah Ward Politico -- 10/22/25
Indiana Republicans don’t have votes to back Trump’s redistricting, Senate leader spox says -- Indiana Senate Republicans say they do not have votes to pass mid-cycle redistricting despite a pressure campaign from the White House, according to a spokesperson for Senate President Pro Tempore Rodric Bray. Adam Wren Politico -- 10/22/25
Trump beats the drums of war for direct action in Venezuela -- The administration has surged warships, planes and troops to the Caribbean for drug interdiction. Some see the ultimate goal as toppling Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro. Karen DeYoung, Warren P. Strobel, Susannah George and Ana Vanessa Herrero in the Washington Post$ -- 10/22/25
Ingrassia withdraws nomination after racist texts -- The 30-year-old lawyer nominee to lead the Office of Special Counsel was slated to appear before senators on Thursday. His move comes after Politico reported comments he made in a text chat. Daniel Lippman Politico -- 10/22/25
White House expands East Wing demolition as critics decry Trump overreach -- Much of the structure was torn down Tuesday to make way for President Donald Trump’s planned ballroom, despite complaints about the project’s lack of transparency. Dan Diamond, Jonathan Edwards, Maureen Linke and Tim Meko in the Washington Post$ Zachary Small and Ashley Wu in the New York Times$ -- 10/22/25
What to Know About Trump’s Plan for a Triumphal Arch in Washington -- President Trump has proposed construction of an arch in the style of the Arc de Triomphe in Washington in the lead-up to the nation’s 250th anniversary. Aishvarya Kavi in the New York Times$ -- 10/22/25
Trump-pardoned Jan. 6 rioter arrested for allegedly threatening to kill Jeffries -- A man pardoned by President Donald Trump for storming the Capitol on Jan. 6 was arrested last week for allegedly threatening to kill House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries. Kyle Cheney Politico -- 10/22/25
Trump Says Ukraine Summit With Putin Would Be a ‘Waste of Time’ -- Administration concludes Russia is clinging to territorial ambitions that make peace deal with Ukraine impossible. Alexander Ward, Robbie Gramer and Alex Leary in the Wall Street Journal$ -- 10/22/25