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California Policy and Politics Monday
Staffing issues trigger temporary ground stop at LAX -- Nearly four weeks into the federal government shutdown, a staffing shortage at Los Angeles International Airport prompted a temporary ground stop Sunday morning affecting flights at the West Coast’s largest and busiest airport. Stacy Perman in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 10/27/25
Newsom, Harris both considering runs for president in 2028, a sign of California’s political clout -- In a sign of California’s rising status as a major hub of Democratic politics, Gov. Gavin Newsom said Sunday he’s considering a run for president in 2028 — just a day after the news that former Vice President Kamala Harris made the same pronouncement. Jenny Jarvie in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 10/27/25
California Latinos take pride in casting ballots in person. ICE at polls could deter that -- As in-person voting begins in California’s special election on redistricting, Gov. Gavin Newsom has repeatedly asserted that the Trump administration could send immigration agents to polling places in an attempt to intimidate voters and depress turnout. Maya C. Miller Calmatters -- 10/27/25
Trump, contradicting the California GOP, opposes early and mail-in voting in Prop. 50 election -- President Trump urged California voters on Sunday not to cast mail-in ballots or vote early in the California election about redistricting — the direct opposite of the message from state GOP leaders. Seema Mehta in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 10/27/25
White House targets voting. But Trump is sitting out California’s redistricting war -- But aside from the monitoring, the White House has been backing away from campaigning against Democrats’ efforts to redraw California’s House map, appearing largely resigned to the idea it will pass given Democrats’ strong polling advantage. Alex Gangitano Politico -- 10/27/25
Skelton: Trump’s antics helping supporters of Prop. 50 -- Gov. Gavin Newsom’s anti-Trump, anti-Texas congressional redistricting gamble seems about to pay off. Newsom’s bet on Proposition 50 is looking like a winner, although we won’t really know until the vote count is released starting election night Nov. 4. George Skelton in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 10/27/25
Newsom, Harris both considering runs for president in 2028, a sign of California’s political clout -- In a sign of California’s rising status as a major hub of Democratic politics, Gov. Gavin Newsom said Sunday he’s considering a run for president in 2028 — just a day after the news that former Vice President Kamala Harris had made the same pronouncement. Jenny Jarvie in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 10/27/25
Workplace
As California’s storm season begins, weather office short-staffing prompts fears -- National Weather Service offices in California are scaling back operations ahead of the critical winter storm season, as federal cuts and staffing shortages take a toll. Anthony Edwards in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 10/27/25
Hollywood’s romance with micro dramas is heating up. Will it last? -- Hollywood’s major studios — including Disney and Fox — are investing in micro dramas, the fast-growing format of vertical smartphone episodes generating billions globally. Micro drama productions are filming hundreds of projects in Los Angeles, creating jobs for struggling actors, writers and crew members amid industry slowdowns. Wendy Lee in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 10/27/25
Sora app’s hyperreal AI videos ignite online trust crisis as downloads surge -- OpenAI’s Sora app hit 1 million downloads in a week, but backlash erupted over unauthorized deepfakes of celebrities, dead figures and copyrighted characters. Celebrity families and studios are demanding that OpenAI protect likenesses after videos of Robin Williams, Martin Luther King Jr. and other figures circulated without permission. Nilesh Christopher in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 10/27/25
PG&E sees major growth potential in San Jose as electricity demand rises -- PG&E is focusing expansion and upgrade plans in the San Jose area as officials predict the South Bay’s need for electricity will far outstrip a projected jump in demand within its service territory, the investor-owned utility’s chief executive said in a wide-ranging interview. George Avalos in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 10/27/25
More Big Companies Bet They Can Still Grow Without Hiring -- Part of that thinking is the belief that artificial intelligence will be used to pick up some of the slack and automate more processes. Companies are also hesitant to make any moves in an economy many still describe as uncertain. Chip Cutter in the Wall Street Journal$ -- 10/27/25
‘No Idea How Long People Can Hold Out’: Federal Workers Feel Brunt of Shutdown -- Some are turning to side hustles like delivering food, walking dogs and selling personal items to bring in a bit of income. Others are relying on food banks that have been hastily organized to provide federal workers and contractors with free groceries — efforts that community service providers say reflect a broadening food insecurity caused by the shutdown. Eileen Sullivan and Drew Atkins in the New York Times$ -- 10/27/25
Food
For OC nonprofits that address hunger, a tough future could be starting now -- Congress chose to cut the social safety net. That could mean big changes, starting soon, for agencies that help lower-income people in Orange County. Andre Mouchard in the Orange County Register$ -- 10/27/25
Education
Big Tech Makes Cal State Its A.I. Training Ground -- Spurred by titans like Amazon and OpenAI, California State wants to become the nation’s “largest A.I.-empowered” university. Natasha Singer, Philip Cheung in the New York Times$ -- 10/27/25
Inside California’s high school of the future: It’s clean, no one cuts and biotech is a class -- CART High offers work experience, academics tailored to students’ interests, stronger personal connections with staff and multidisciplinary courses that link directly to careers and community needs. Carolyn Jones Calmatters -- 10/27/25
White House visa fee hike could weaken California’s teacher pipeline -- A White House decision to add $100,000 to the price of a work visa, allowing employers to hire from overseas for hard-to-fill positions, has California’s technology industry and other businesses reeling. But another group is also on edge: the state’s schools. Diana Lambert EdSource -- 10/27/25
How much more money do UC alumni earn with graduate degrees? Here’s the data -- Fifteen years after graduation, the average University of California bachelor’s degree holder earns about $125,000 a year. But students who go on to pursue a graduate degree make even more, especially in one standout field. Hanna Zakharenko in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 10/27/25
Fewer San Diego County kindergarteners are getting vaccinated each year. Here’s what the data shows for every school -- Dozens of local schools reported immunization rates below 80%, and the countywide rate for measles has slipped below the herd-immunity threshold. Kristen Taketa in the San Diego Union Tribune$ -- 10/27/25
Also
We Traveled the Real California That ‘One Battle After Another’ Imagined -- Paul Thomas Anderson’s film spotlights unseen corners of the state. To find them, our photographer traveled California from tip to tip. Adali Schell and Matt Stevens in the New York Times$ -- 10/27/25
POTUS 47
6 ways the shutdown is about to get worse -- Popular programs that provide nutrition assistance, early childhood education and air service to rural communities are now among those about to run out of money. Jennifer Scholtes Politico -- 10/27/25
Voters are about to speak. What they say might not end the shutdown -- Statewide elections in New Jersey and Virginia are being closely watched but seem unlikely to break the Washington impasse. Nicholas Wu, Jennifer Scholtes and Mia McCarthy Politico -- 10/27/25
Political peril spurs Trump to act on beef prices even as ranchers rage -- The average price for a pound of ground beef is $6.32, up about 14 percent since Trump took office. Myah Ward and Grace Yarrow Politico -- 10/27/25
The Effort to Court Trump Abroad: Deals, Flattery and Jet Fighters -- Lavish welcoming ceremonies and nominations for the Nobel Peace Prize are part of foreign leaders’ charm offensives when the American president comes to town. Alexander Ward, Gabriele Steinhauser and Meridith McGraw in the Wall Street Journal$ -- 10/27/25
Food Banks Brace for Overwhelming Demand as SNAP Cutoff Looms -- Growing need and decreased resources are squeezing the charitable food system beyond its capacity, leaders say. Chris Hippensteel in the New York Times$ -- 10/27/25
Trump Says a Recent M.R.I. Scan Was ‘Perfect,’ and He’d ‘Love’ a Third Term -- President Trump made the comments on the second day of his trip to Asia. The Constitution limits presidents to two terms, but Mr. Trump has suggested he might try to circumvent it. Katie Rogers in the New York Times$ -- 10/27/25
Trump ‘would love’ unconstitutional third term but rules out running for VP -- Donald Trump said on Monday morning that he would rule out running for the vice-presidency in the 2028 US election, an unorthodox approach that some of his supporters have floated to allow the Republican US president to serve a third term in the White House. Tom Ambrose The Guardian -- 10/27/25
Trump told Pence ‘you’ll go down as a wimp’ in January 6 phone call, book says -- Those details were revealed on Sunday when ABC News published a preview excerpt of an upcoming book by its political correspondent Jonathan Karl. The book, titled Retribution, cites Pence’s notes from the 6 January 2021 phone call with Trump, who was purportedly trying to shame his vice-president into refusing to certify Joe Biden’s victory weeks earlier in the White House. Ramon Antonio Vargas The Guardian -- 10/27/25
Musk back in Trump’s good graces after summer of public feuding -- U.S. president confirms he and the billionaire have been chatting again since last month, marking a revival of a key alliance. Sophia Cai Politico -- 10/27/25
California Policy and Politics Sunday
Newsom says he’ll consider presidential run after 2026 midterms -- In the CBS interview, Newsom was asked whether he would seriously consider a presidential bid after next year’s midterm elections. “Yeah, I’d be lying otherwise,” Newsom told the interviewer. “I’d just be lying. And I’'m not — I can’t do that.” Cynthia Dizikes in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 10/26/25
Cash-strapped campaign against California’s Prop. 50 goes out with a whimper -- In the crucial final days before voting ends on California’s redistricting ballot measure, the Republican-backed campaigns opposing Proposition 50 are just about out of cash to spend. Nicole Nixon in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 10/26/25
‘Yes on Prop 50’ campaign vastly outspends opponents as Election Day nears -- With a national fundraising blitz in full swing and Election Day just around the corner, Democrats stumping for Proposition 50 have far out-raised and out-spent their opponents — even though a California megadonor with Republican ties single-handedly spent $30 million to defeat it. Grant Stringer in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 10/26/25
Bay Area partisans are fired up over California’s Prop 50 contest. Others? Not so much -- Republican Max Hsia and about a dozen of his South Bay Patriots group gathered in the San Jose parking lot of Bass Pro Shops, donned their red MAGA hats, hung their “No on Prop 50” signs on a pop-up tent and tried to encourage a Charlie Kirk-style “Prove Me Wrong” debate with passers-by. Julia Prodis Sulek in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 10/26/25
For this Bay Area mother and son, Trump’s Medicaid cuts could shred a lifeline -- Like millions of American parents with profoundly disabled children, Jill has come to rely on federal, state and local support programs to make their life manageable in the small Sonoma County community where she now lives with her son. The resources allow Jill to care for Luca and keep him home. Erin Allday, Anna Connors in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 10/26/25
Strings attached to bills Newsom signed on antisemitism, AI transparency and other major California policies -- Though hailed by some for signing new laws to combat antisemitism in California schools, Gov. Gavin Newsom expressed enough reservations about the bills to urge state lawmakers to make some changes. Katie King in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 10/26/25
Dozens of Northern California immigrants abruptly summoned to ICE office for weekend check-ins -- Federal agents ordered dozens of undocumented immigrants to report for check-ins this weekend at an Immigration and Customs Enforcement office in Stockton, immigrant advocates told the Chronicle. St. John Barned-Smith, Brooke Park in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 10/26/25
Undocumented CA woman suing ICE contractor for harassment is deported -- Silvia Reyna, a Sacramento-area undocumented woman who is suing a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement contractor for sexual harassment, was deported to Mexico early Saturday morning before her lawsuit could be heard in court. Marcos Breton in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 10/26/25
FBI says U-Haul driver shot by Coast Guard outside base near Oakland is now in custody -- U.S. Coast Guard personnel fired gunshots during a protest outside of a base at the edge of Oakland, where demonstrators were rallying against Immigration and Customs Enforcement in the Bay Area. Jessica Flores in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 10/26/25
L.A. County moves to limit license plate tracking -- Drivers in Los Angeles County have a powerful new privacy advocate after the L.A. County Board of Supervisors pushed to restrict how their license plates are scanned by law enforcement. Phoebe Huss and Khari Johnson in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 10/26/25
Exxon sues California over new laws requiring corporate climate disclosures -- ExxonMobil has filed suit in federal court challenging two California laws that would require the oil giant to report the greenhouse emissions resulting from the use of its products globally. Doug Smith and Susanne Rust in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 10/26/25
Even the proposed receiver for LA County’s juvenile hall feels unsafe inside it --Michael Dempsey, the veteran corrections officer the state wants put in charge of L.A. County’s juvenile facilities, has spent 40 years in the industry, including running a maximum security juvenile facility in Indiana, but, like many of the staff working at Los Padrinos Juvenile Hall, even he fears for his safety during visits to the troubled facility. Jason Henry in the Los Angeles Daily News -- 10/26/25
Newsom and Ontario premier make wager, pan Trump’s tariffs in World Series video -- Ontario Premier Doug Ford and California Gov. Gavin Newsom are raising the stakes on this year’s World Series, which tees off as President Donald Trump stews over an Ontario ad campaign that invoked former President Ronald Reagan to argue against his tariffs. Gregory Svirnovskiy Politico -- 10/26/25
Wildfire
‘It’s still smoldering.’ A hiker’s video of Palisades fire raises questions about state’s responsibility -- The video of smoke on a hillside above Los Angeles’ Pacific Palisades was shot by a local resident above Skull Rock Trailhead at 11:30 a.m on Jan. 2 — nearly 36 hours after the Lachman fire ignited and long after the Los Angeles Fire Department deemed the fire “fully contained.” Jenny Jarvie and Noah Haggerty in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 10/26/25
Sell or stay: Malibu locals face costly regulations as international developers buy burned-out lots -- Nine months after the Palisades and Eaton fires, the choice of whether to sell or stay has bewildered many homeowners. In Malibu, the situation is even more dire as international buyers and developers have snapped up properties while residents struggle with costly regulations. Kevinisha Walker in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 10/26/25
Water
New way to turn sewage into drinking water could transform San Diego’s Pure Water behemoth -- San Diego may shift the second phase of the city’s Pure Water sewage recycling system to a more efficient purification method that could save billions of dollars, preventing steep jumps in local sewer and water bills. David Garrick in the San Diego Union Tribune$ -- 10/26/25
Downtown Law
Judge tapped to vet $4-billion sex abuse settlement; L.A. County urges bar investigation -- L.A. County is bringing on a retired judge to tackle a $4-billion question: How can officials ensure that real victims are compensated from the biggest sex abuse payout in U.S. history — and not people who made up their claims? Rebecca Ellis in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 10/26/25
Street
Lacking funding, Proposition 36 puts burden on most defendants to find drug treatment -- Proposition 36 was built on the idea that consequences would drive recovery, but it came with no funding to expand treatment slots or coordinate referrals. Meanwhile, the law is scooping up people with long histories of addiction, repeated jail stays and failed attempts at sobriety. Kelly Davis, Teri Figueroa in the San Diego Union Tribune$ -- 10/26/25
Education
California sued over bond program that sends more money to fix facilities in wealthy school districts -- Districts with the smallest tax bases per student — and generally the most low-income students — have gotten less state money for school upgrades. Districts with the most taxable property per student can afford bigger school construction projects; they’re often first in line for state aid. John Fensterwald EdSource -- 10/26/25
Also
Barabak: A youth movement is roiling Democrats. Does age equal obsolescence? -- Nancy Pelosi is facing the first serious challenge to her election in decades. Veteran politicians say there’s virtue in experience but differ over the need for term limits. Mark Z. Barabak in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 10/26/25
We listened to all the podcasts from 2028 candidates. Here’s who stood out -- When California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) launched a podcast seven months ago, he was tapping into a broader trend. Politicians, who once saw podcasts as fringe or risky, now see them as an opportunity to connect with voters in a more casual setting and relish the chance to talk for hours at a time without a filter. Dylan Wells in the Washington Post$ -- 10/26/25
Can Anyone Rescue the Trafficked Girls of L.A.’s Figueroa Street? -- Inside the effort to pull minors from ‘the Blade,’ one of the most notorious sex-trafficking corridors in the United States. Emily Baumgaertner Nunn in the New York Times$ -- 10/26/25-- 10/26/25
A deadly history haunts this imperiled California lighthouse. Here’s why fans want to save it -- Restoring California’s St. George Reef Lighthouse will cost at least $10 million and helicopter access. It’s a race against time -- and rising seas. Hailey Branson-Potts, Caleb Lesher in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 10/26/25
Big wave machine — by the sea — rolling into El Segundo -- The El Segundo surf park, which has yet to be named, will hold about 5 million gallons of water in a 2.2-acre lagoon. Roger Vincent in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 10/26/25
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How Trump Barreled Through D.C.’s Bureaucracy to Get His White House Ballroom -- The president realized his longtime dream by remaking a planning board and taking advantage of permitting oddities; ‘you have zero zoning conditions’ Annie Linskey, Josh Dawsey and Will Parker in the Wall Street Journal$ -- 10/26/25
How Trump’s ballroom will dwarf the White House -- Trump’s new 90,000-square-foot White House ballroom would be almost as large as the rest of the complex. Aaron Steckelberg, Manuel Canales, Maureen Linke and Javier Zarracina in the Washington Post$ -- 10/26/25
Trump Announces Tariff Increase on Canada Over Reagan Ad Spat -- The ad, which will stop airing on Monday, used audio of a 1987 address by Ronald Reagan making a case against tariffs. Matina Stevis-Gridneff in the New York Times$ Maegan Vazquez in the Washington Post$ -- 10/26/25
U.S. Stocks Are Breaking Records. The Rest of the World Is Doing Better -- Mounting concern about the U.S. economy’s growth prospects and a continuing trade war have led more investors to look beyond America’s shores for stocks at attractive prices. In fact, those international stocks are on pace to outperform their U.S. counterparts by the widest margin in 16 years. Krystal Hur in the Wall Street Journal$ -- 10/26/25