California Policy and Politics Friday

Immigration enforcement ‘surge’ called off for rest of Bay Area -- Federal officials have called off a planned immigration enforcement action for the entire Bay Area, Oakland Mayor Barbara Lee said Friday. Dominic Fracassa, Kate Talerico in the San Francisco Chronicle$ Shomik Mukherjee, Sierra Lopez, Jakob Rodgers in the San Jose Mercury$ Kevin Rector in the Los Angeles Times$ Lia Russell in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 10/24/25

‘Make or break moment’: Supreme Court is set to rule on Trump using troops in U.S. cities -- The Supreme Court is set to rule for the first time on whether the president has the power to deploy troops in American cities over the objections of local and state officials. A decision could come at any time. David G. Savage in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 10/24/25

Inside the Tech CEO Campaign to Stop Trump From Sending Troops to San Francisco -- Sam Altman, Jensen Huang and Marc Benioff helped Mayor Daniel Lurie to persuade the president not to deploy the National Guard. Keach Hagey, Sebastian Herrera and Robbie Whelan in the Wall Street Journal$ -- 10/24/25

Trump’s DOJ is sending election monitors to California with voting on Prop. 50 underway -- It’s common to see election observers at voting stations, but generally less so for them to come from the federal government. Some from the Trump administration will be on the ground in several California counties next month. Maya C. Miller Calmatters Lia Russell in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 10/24/25

The five California Republicans who could lose their seats in Congress if Prop 50 passes -- Currently, only nine of California’s 52 House members are Republicans. If Prop 50 passes, five will see their districts redrawn in ways that will include more registered Democrats, putting their re-elections at grave risk next November. Paul Rogers in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 10/24/25

UC must publicly release Trump administration’s $1.2-billion settlement proposal -- UCLA must release the Trump administration document that outlines the terms of the $1.2 billion settlement proposal at the center of talks between the University of California and the federal government, the California Supreme Court ruled Friday. Jaweed Kaleem in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 10/24/25

2 injured when security personnel open fire on truck at site of Oakland protests -- Security personnel opened fire Thursday night at a U-Haul truck that had been backing up to the entrance to Coast Guard Island, where protesters spent the day rallying against the planned arrival of federal immigration agents. Jakob Rodgers, Shomik Mukherjee in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 10/24/25

Shots fired at site of protest outside Coast Guard base near Oakland -- Video footage by the television station KTVU showed armed officials at Coast Guard Island firing shots at a U-Haul truck that was driving backward toward them. The officials appeared to have shouted at the vehicle, which was driving on a bridge that led to the base around 10 p.m., but the truck didn’t stop. The item is in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 10/24/25

Unions opposing Trump agenda pouring money into Proposition 50 campaign -- Labor unions and other special interests with business before Gov. Newsom have donated tens of millions of dollars to the main campaign committee supporting Proposition 50, the congressional redistricting proposal on the Nov. 4 ballot. Seema Mehta in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 10/24/25

Federal judge issues tentative ruling ordering that immigrant detainees have access to legal counsel -- The preliminary injunction would essentially extend a temporary restraining order that U.S. District Judge Maame Ewusi-Mensah Frimpong issued in July, requiring federal immigration agencies to allow legal visitation at the B-18 detention facility seven days a week. Brittny Mejia in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 10/24/25

Gavin Newsom cited 3 main reasons in his vetoes this year. Trump was one -- The analysis highlights how Newsom uses his veto pen to assert authority over a Legislature his fellow Democrats control while rejecting bills he deems too costly, redundant or politically risky. Newsom cited fiscal implications dozens of times in his veto messages, reflecting the challenges of a tough budget year. This year’s vetoes also gave him a chance to throw some shade at Newsom’s biggest enemy: President Donald Trump. Ryan Sabalow Calmatters -- 10/24/25

Trump calls off San Francisco ‘surge,’ but East Bay braces for action as protests erupt -- President Trump said Thursday that he had called off a planned federal “surge” into San Francisco after speaking with Mayor Daniel Lurie and other city leaders — a detente that officials and activists in the East Bay said they were not welcomed into and which some saw as potentially enlarging the target on their own communities. Kevin Rector and Jessica Garrison in the Los Angeles Times$ Ethan Varian, Shomik Mukherjee and Caelyn Pender in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 10/24/25 Nicole Nixon and Lia Russell in the Sacramento Bee$ Jeremy B. White Politico Jack Morphet, Sean McLain and Roshan Fernandez in the Wall Street Journal$ Heather Knight, Soumya Karlamangla and Shawn Hubler in the New York Times$ Carolyn Jones Calmatters -- 10/24/25

Daniel Lurie has avoided picking fights with Trump — it may have stopped federal deployment to S.F. -- The bet that San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie made to avoid picking a fight with President Donald Trump appears to have paid off — at least for now. J.D. Morris in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 10/24/25

Bay Area protesters were ready. But billionaires got to Trump first -- San Francisco had won, at least temporarily, not with massive demonstrations like the 50,000 people who peacefully marched, chanted and waved “No Kings” signs Saturday, but with the brute financial muscle of Silicon Valley. Rachel Swan, Joe Garofoli in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 10/24/25

Why Trump spared San Francisco -- The San Francisco mayor’s quiet diplomacy helped defuse a federal surge in a city bracing for confrontation. Dustin Gardiner and Jeremy B. White Politico -- 10/24/25

Are undocumented immigrants responsible for higher crime rates? Here’s what studies show -- But study after study has shown that immigrants do not commit crimes at higher rates than native-born citizens. If anything, the opposite is true, as research has often found immigrants commit crimes at lower rates. Susie Neilson in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 10/24/25

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$ -- 10/24/25

Asylum seekers face deportation over failure to pay new fees — before being notified -- Trump administration’s new asylum fees left immigrants confused about payment methods and deadlines, with some facing case dismissals before payment options existed. Advocacy organizations are suing, arguing the chaotic rollout violates due process and unfairly threatens asylum seekers navigating an ‘unnecessary bureaucratic mess.’ Andrea Castillo in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 10/24/25

Skin color

Can ICE Stop People Solely Based on Their Race? -- For decades, federal officers have had to rely on more than race or ethnicity to stop and question someone over citizenship. That is now being tested. Jazmine Ulloa in the New York Times$ -- 10/24/25

California gives Planned Parenthood $140 million boost to keep clinics open -- An injection of public funding means the nonprofit organization can keep primary care clinics operating. But with more financial troubles looming, lawmakers say there’s more work to be done to protect reproductive health services. Kristen Hwang in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 10/24/25

Should billionaires pay more? California unions want voters to decide -- For years, Gov. Gavin Newsom has staunchly opposed increasing taxes on wealthy Californians even when the issue repeatedly reared its head during recent tough budget years. But faced with deep federal cuts to social services programs, labor and health care groups are asking voters to circumvent the governor – to tax a very small number of people. Kristen Hwang Calmatters Kate Wolffe in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 10/24/25

Santa Clara County will lose $223 million this year in Medicaid revenues as a result of federal cuts -- It’s the first wave of what is expected to be several rocky years financially for a county that operates four public hospitals and 15 clinics in the wake of Republicans’ decision to slash $1 trillion from the federal Medicaid program over the next decade. Grace Hase in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 10/24/25

Marines fired 30 100-pound artillery shells over I-5, train lines with no warning to commuters -- New questions are emerging about why there were no public warnings before the U.S. Marines fired over Interstate 5 and a major regional commuter rail line as a test run a day before the 250th birthday celebration for the Corps at Camp Pendleton. Hannah Fry and Rong-Gong Lin II in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 10/24/25

Climate change and wildfires divide California gubernatorial candidates at forum -- Four of California’s gubernatorial candidates tangled over climate change and wildfire preparedness at an economic forum Thursday in Stockton, though they all acknowledged the stark problems facing the state. Dakota Smith in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 10/23/25

Workplace

Hollywood Weeps as Warner Bros. Hangs a Sale Sign -- Hollywood mourned in 2019 when 20th Century Fox ended its 84-year run as a stand-alone studio — for the jobs lost, for the proud legacy ended. But it was measured grief, the kind that quickly fades into acceptance. An atmosphere of bereavement returned this week, as Warner Bros. headed to auction. Only this time the sadness is much more profound. Brooks Barnes and Nicole Sperling in the New York Times$ -- 10/24/25

Silicon Valley tech giant to cut more than 1,400 jobs despite record revenue -- Applied Materials, one of Silicon Valley’s largest semiconductor equipment makers, plans to lay off hundreds of employees worldwide, the company disclosed Thursday. Aidin Vaziri in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 10/24/25

LAFD union president accuses Mayor Bass of ‘retaliation’ in wake of firestorm, files claim -- After the Palisades fire broke out in January, the head of the powerful firefighters union, Freddy Escobar, quickly got on the news and continued to say what he always had: The Los Angeles Fire Department was underfunded. Noah Goldberg in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 10/24/25

EV truck maker Rivian is laying off hundreds amid a slowdown in demand -- Irvine-based Rivian plans to lay off more than 600 workers, a company spokesperson confirmed, or about 4.5% of its workforce. The company had just under 15,000 employees at the end of last year. Caroline Petrow-Cohen in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 10/24/25

SNAP

Federal freeze on money for food could hit more than 300,000 in Orange County -- State officials expect SNAP benefits to go dark starting Nov. 1, though U.S. senators might cut a deal to keep funding in place. Local food banks are bracing for impact. Andre Mouchard, Claire Wang in the Orange County Register$ -- 10/24/25

Education

‘You’re in!’ S.F. State launches guaranteed admissions plan with City College, S.F. schools -- San Francisco State’s enrollment is in free fall — but the university is banking on a new agreement with the city’s school district and City College of San Francisco to help all three institutions. Nanette Asimov in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 10/24/25

Wildfire

U.S. senators ramp up Palisades fire probe but give Eaton fire short shrift -- Two U.S. senators sent a letter to the L.A. City Council seeking records. Officials in L.A. County, where the Eaton fire burned, say they’ve received no request. David Zahniser, Grace Toohey and Ana Ceballos in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 10/24/25

Street

Deputies in L.A. County jails to be equipped with body-worn cameras -- The L.A. County Sheriff’s Department said the rollout of body-worn cameras by deputies in jails began Oct. 1. Connor Sheets in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 10/24/25

Driver accused of causing the collisions that killed 3 on the 10 Freeway was in the country illegally, fed officials say -- The San Bernardino County District Attorney’s Office announced, also on Thursday, Oct. 23, that Jashanpreet Singh, a 21-year-old from Yuba City, is charged with three counts of vehicular manslaughter with gross negligence, and one count of DUI causing injury. Sydney Barragan in the Orange County Register$ -- 10/24/25

Also

Melanie Winter, who fought for embracing nature along the Los Angeles River, dies -- Winter worked persistently for nearly three decades to spread her alternative vision for the river and its watershed, calling for “unbuilding” where feasible, removing concrete and reactivating stretches of natural floodplains where the river could spread out. Ian James, Robert Gauthier in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 10/24/25

Joshua Tree’s short-term rental frenzy cools. But the gold rush changed the desert forever -- Operators are fleeing the Joshua Tree Airbnb market after a short-term rental boom. Area residents are grappling with how the rental surge reshaped their towns. Alex Wigglesworth in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 10/24/25

Arellano: From L.A to New York, bumbling, aggressive ICE is its own worst enemy -- From Los Angeles to Chicago, Portlandand New York, the evidence is ample enough that wherever Trump sends in the immigration agency, people get hurt. And not just protesters and immigrants. That includes 13 police officers tear-gassed in Chicago earlier this month. And, now, a U.S. marshal. Gustavo Arellano in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 10/24/25

Walters: California’s gerrymander and generational rift could shake up its Democratic hierarchy -- Democratic politicians throughout California — those already in office and those who want in — assume that voters will rearrange the state’s 52 congressional districts next month and create new career opportunities. Dan Walters Calmatters -- 10/24/25

Matt Gaetz’s appearance sparks protests at GOP’s anti-Prop 50 rally in CA -- Merced GOP hosted a rally with Matt Gaetz and Matt Schlapp backing Vin Kruttiventi. About 100 attendees heard populist, pro-Trump speeches and anti-Prop 50 appeals. Counter-protesters objected to Gaetz's record with past probes. Caleb Sprous in the Fresno Bee -- 10/24/25

POTUS 47

U.S. Inflation Picked Up to 3% in September -- Annual inflation picked up slightly in September, though not as much as economists expected. However, government data show inflation remains a sticky issue, with price increases above where policymakers want them. Food and gasoline prices rose from August, while pressure on housing costs eased. Konrad Putzier and Harriet Torry in the Wall Street Journal$ Colby Smith in the New York Times$ Andrew Ackerman in the Washington Post$ -- 10/24/25

The Peril of a White House That Flaunts Its Indifference to the Law -- The White House has made no legal argument explaining its bald claim that the president has wartime power to summarily kill people suspected of smuggling drugs. Charlie Savage in the New York Times$ -- 10/24/25

A Pile of Rubble: After 123 Years, the East Wing Is Gone -- Mourners are outraged over President Trump’s demolition of the East Wing to make way for his $300 million ballroom. Others say it was time for change. Elisabeth Bumiller in the New York Times$ Jonathan Edwards, Dan Diamond and Olivia George in the Washington Post$ -- 10/24/25

Trump Pardons Convicted Binance Founder -- President Trump has pardoned Changpeng Zhao, the convicted founder of the crypto exchange Binance, following months of efforts by Zhao to boost the Trump family’s own crypto company. Rebecca Ballhaus, Josh Dawsey, Patricia Kowsmann and Angus Berwick in the Wall Street Journal$ -- 10/24/25

Trump says he’s ending trade talks with Canada over TV ads -- Trump ended all trade negotiations with Canada over an Ontario ad he says fraudulently used Ronald Reagan to oppose tariffs and influence courts. The Reagan Foundation confirmed the ad misused Reagan’s 1987 speech without permission, escalating tensions as the countries prepare to renegotiate a major trade deal. Will Weissert Associated Press Alex Leary, Gavin Bade and Vipal Monga in the Wall Street Journal$ Ana Swanson and Matina Stevis-Gridneff in the New York Times$ Andrew Jeong in the Washington Post$ -- 10/24/25

Republicans are barreling toward an Obamacare subsidy cliff — with no unified plan -- The White House has shown little urgency in extending the subsidies until shutdown ends. Alex Gangitano, Meredith Lee Hill, Mia McCarthy and Myah Ward Politico -- 10/24/25

Government Shutdown Will Hit Air-Traffic Controllers Soon -- Lawmakers failed to provide a last-minute reprieve for air-traffic controllers and other federal workers who are set to miss their next paychecks due to the government shutdown, with legislation failing in the Senate and Republicans warning they didn’t expect any financial rescue from the administration. Anvee Bhutani and Siobhan Hughes in the Wall Street Journal$ -- 10/24/25

President Won’t Go to Congress for Cartel Strike Authorization -- President Trump said that he would not seek congressional approval to carry out military strikes against drug cartels that traffic narcotics to the United States, even as he vowed to expand the operation from attacks at sea to targets on land. The item is in the New York Times$ -- 10/24/25

Frustration grows over Trump bailout of Argentina -- Republican officials are speaking out, but Trump says cattle ranchers don’t understand how much his policies have helped them. Natalie Allison, Abha Bhattarai and Riley Beggin in the Washington Post$ -- 10/24/25