California Policy and Politics Friday

‘I don’t know what we’re going to do.’ Californians fear loss of food aid as shutdown drags on -- More than five million low-income Californians are expected to lose their CalFresh food assistance benefits starting Saturday. States are suing the Trump administration to reinstate aid. Ana B. Ibarra, Deborah Brennan, Phoebe Huss and Chrissa Olson Calmatters -- 10/31/25

Judges order USDA to restart SNAP funding, but hungry families won’t get immediate relief -- Two federal judges told the U.S. Department of Agriculture in separate rulings Friday that it must begin using billions of dollars in contingency funding to provide federal food assistance to poor American families despite the federal shutdown, but gave the agency until Monday to decide how to do so. Kevin Rector in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 10/31/25

Newsom Turns a California Election Into a National Platform -- In Iowa, a retired math teacher clicked a link in a text message and donated $35. A school secretary in Las Vegas pitched in $50. An interior designer in Pennsylvania, an insurance agent in Chicago and a ski instructor in New Hampshire each gave $100. Their small donations all went to California to help Gov. Gavin Newsom try to flip five congressional seats for Democrats. Laurel Rosenhall in the New York Times$ -- 10/31/25

How Newsom has capitalized on anger with Trump in California ballot fight -- The strategy has fueled a stark fundraising advantage and polling lead that Democrats hope will help deliver a concrete rebuttal to the president’s redistricting agenda. Maeve Reston in the Washington Post$ -- 10/31/25

Groups spent $26 million to sway voters over Prop. 50, more than any ballot measure in state history -- As election day approaches, nonprofits, political parties and a billionaire have spent nearly $26 million on ads and other communications in an effort to convince voters to support or oppose Prop. 50 – the most of any ballot measure in recent state history. Jeremia Kimelman Calmatters -- 10/31/25

Fresno will deploy poll observers in Prop. 50 election on top of federal monitors -- The City of Fresno will deploy election observers to all city polling sites during Tuesday’s special election to decide Prop. 50, on top of federal and state monitors, city officials announced Thursday. Liliana Fannin in the Fresno Bee -- 10/31/25

Is that election text legit? Where to find info you can trust -- The message may appear official. It includes the voter’s name and address and links to an official website providing information on early voting and vote-by-mall ballot drop-off locations. But it’s not from the state, and officials urge caution. Karen Garcia in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 10/31/25

News Analysis: Prop. 50 is just one part of a historically uncertain moment for American democracy -- Amid a swirl of high-stakes political standoffs from Sacramento to Washington, the future of U.S. politics and democracy has felt wildly uncertain of late. Kevin Rector in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 10/31/25

Austin Beutner assails Karen Bass over rising city fees he says are ‘crushing families’ -- Los Angeles mayoral candidate Austin Beutner took aim at the rising cost of basic city services Thursday, saying Mayor Karen Bass and her administration have contributed to an affordability crisis that is “crushing families.” David Zahniser in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 10/31/25

Garafoli: Scott Wiener has a tightrope to walk until Nancy Pelosi makes her intention clear -- City Attorney David Chiu was revving up the campaign kickoff rally crowd Wednesday night for state Sen. Scott Wiener, his friend of 30 years who is running for the House seat that Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi has held since 1987. He asked the audience to shout the one word they all had in their head to describe Wiener. Joe Garofoli in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 10/31/25

2 California ICE shootings in nine days: Latest confrontation leaves bloody scene -- The incidents reflect an escalating pattern of aggressive confrontations between federal immigration officers and suspects across California and other states in recent weeks. Rachel Uranga and Brittny Mejia in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 10/31/25

In response to fears over ICE enforcement, Bay Area cities assure that everyone will be protected during Halloween -- Amid nationwide fears over federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement activity during Halloween, Bay Area cities assured the public that everyone will be protected, emphasizing that all are welcome. Hema Sivanandam in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 10/31/25

Edison increases compensation for Eaton fire victims, but some say it’s not enough -- Edison expanded its Eaton Fire compensation program after resident feedback, nearly doubling smoke-damaged properties eligible and raising child payouts to $75,000. Victims accepting payments must waive legal claims against the utility, drawing criticism from state officials and survivors who say compensation falls short. Melody Petersen in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 10/31/25

Alarming levels of ‘airborne’ radioactive materials detected at former Navy shipyard in S.F. -- Alarmingly high levels of plutonium-239 have been detected at the long troubled former Hunters Point Shipyard, prompting the San Francisco Department of Public Health to warn community groups about the contamination threat and press the U.S. Navy for answers about its ongoing cleanup of radioactive elements on the site. Laura Waxmann in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 10/31/25

California and major truck companies clash in clean emissions lawsuit -- A judge in Sacramento federal court will hear a lawsuit Friday from four major truckmakers challenging California’s authority to enforce its Clean Truck Partnership, which commits them to cut pollution from heavy-duty vehicles and back the state’s zero-emission goals. Chaewon Chung in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 10/31/25

Water

Los Angeles will nearly double recycled water for 500,000 residents -- The recycled water will allow the city to stop taking water from creeks that feed Mono Lake most of the time — which promises to resolve one of California’s longest-running environmental conflicts. Ian James in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 10/31/25

Food

CalFresh halt triggers disaster response to Sacramento, foothills food insecurity -- Sacramento County officials activated their emergency operations center earlier this week, not because of a wildfire or a flood or a power shutoff. This time, the emergency is hunger. Cathie Anderson in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 10/31/25

Santa Clara County will give $4.5 million to Second Harvest of Silicon Valley ahead of lapse in SNAP benefits -- With roughly 133,000 Santa Clara County residents expected to lose their federal food assistance benefits next month amid the government shutdown, the county is giving $4.5 million to Second Harvest of Silicon Valley as the food bank braces for a surge in demand. Grace Hase in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 10/31/25

A massive hit to SNAP benefits is coming for California even after the shutdown ends -- Even once the looming funding lapse for federal food assistance is resolved, hundreds of thousands of low-income Californians and millions more Americans could still lose their benefits in the coming months because of changes to the program adopted this summer by Republican lawmakers. Alexei Koseff in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 10/31/25

Another Bay Area county is sending millions to support SNAP recipients during shutdown -- Santa Clara County is allocating up to $4.5 million to support food aid for about 130,000 residents likely to see their federal food assistance disrupted in November if the federal government shutdown persists, county officials said. Brooke Park in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 10/31/25

These Bay Area businesses rely on SNAP customers. What happens when food benefits end? -- Two days before SNAP food assistance benefits were set to expire, Oakland Chinatown grocery store owner Pei Ming Qi was worried. Ko Lyn Cheang, Roland Li in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 10/31/25

Health Insurance

Rude reality check for Californians on insurance prices as shutdown drags on -- State regulators estimate premiums will nearly double on average for the nearly 2 million people who buy health care coverage through the state’s marketplace, while some Californians are seeing more drastic price jumps. Rachel Bluth Politico -- 10/31/25

Workplace

Universal Music Group settles with AI music startup Udio -- Universal Music Group said Wednesday it has reached licensing agreements with artificial intelligence music startup Udio, settling a lawsuit that had accused Udio of using copyrighted music to train its AI. Wendy Lee in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 10/31/25

Amazon’s mass layoffs hit 1,450 California jobs, including hundreds in Bay Area -- The Seattle-based giant plans to cut about 14,000 corporate positions worldwide by early 2026. According to a new filing with state regulators, it includes more than 1,400 jobs in California. Aidin Vaziri in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 10/31/25

Marketplace

Why prices keep going up for streaming services -- Once seen as a cheaper alternative to cable, the cost of a streaming subscription for the top platforms continues to rise, much like higher prices for groceries, gasoline and housing. Wendy Lee and Stephen Battaglio in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 10/31/25

Headstart

Government shutdown chokes off funding to Head Start -- Four Head Start programs serving nearly 1,000 of California’s most vulnerable children will not receive their annual federal funding on Saturday because of the U.S. government shutdown. One of the programs has already closed temporarily. Diana Lambert EdSource Jessica Flores in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 10/31/25

Street

Drugged women, secret photos: Horrific details emerge as USC grad student confesses to police -- Sizhe Weng, who recently earned a Ph.D in electrical engineering from USC, confessed to drugging and sexually assaulting three women. Investigators found explicit photographs, leather straps and syringes in his home. Richard Winton and Hailey Wang in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 10/31/25

Also

Walters: Even California’s iconic industries are cutting back in this sluggish economy -- As Gov. Gavin Newsom ramps up what appears to be a 2028 White House bid, a mainstay of his pitch during television interviews and social media appearances is California’s economy. Dan Walters Calmatters -- 10/31/25

Salmon have flourished since California dam removal. But some may be swimming too far -- This month, workers at the Klamath Drainage District observed chinook salmon in their irrigation complex, a grid of canals and ditches that forks off the river near Klamath Falls, Ore., nearly 250 miles from the river’s mouth. Kurtis Alexander in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 10/31/25

Frank Blackburn, whose S.F. fire ‘genius’ saved Marina after Loma Prieta quake, dies -- When the Loma Prieta earthquake sparked a massive fire in San Francisco’s Marina district on the evening of Oct. 17, 1989, live images of the blaze transmitted from the Goodyear blimp to the TV monitors at Candlestick Park — where Frank Blackburn, an assistant chief with the city fire department, was attending Game 3 of the World Series while off duty. Sam Whiting in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 10/31/25

Can Trump move the Olympics out of LA? -- The answer is no, but the president still has plenty of leverage over the LA Games and next summer’s World Cup. Scott M. Reid in the Orange County Register$ -- 10/31/25

POTUS 47

With China Truce, U.S. National Security Controls Now Appear Up for Negotiation -- Some analysts say Beijing won a major victory in its trade talks: Getting the U.S. to withdraw a national security measure that previously was not under discussion. Ana Swanson in the New York Times$ -- 10/31/25

Americans blame Trump and GOP more than Democrats for shutdown, poll finds -- Independents hold Trump and Republicans responsible for the shutdown by a 2-1 margin, according to a poll conducted by The Washington Post, ABC News and Ipsos. Jacob Bogage, Riley Beggin and Scott Clement in the Washington Post$ -- 10/31/25

Democrats plot messaging blitz ahead of Obamacare hikes -- On Nov. 1, millions of Americans can begin purchase more expensive Affordable Care Act insurance. Liz Crampton Politico -- 10/31/25

DOD can’t say who it killed in military strikes against drug smugglers -- Defense Department officials do not know precisely who they have killed in multiple military strikes against alleged drug smuggling boats in the Caribbean that have claimed the lives of at least 57 people, according to Democratic lawmakers who attended a classified House briefing on the issue Thursday. Leo Shane III Politico -- 10/31/25

U.S. Eyes Striking Venezuelan Military Targets Used for Drug Trafficking -- The Trump administration has identified targets in Venezuela that include military facilities used to smuggle drugs, according to U.S. officials familiar with the matter. Shelby Holliday, Lara Seligman and Vera Bergengruen in the Wall Street Journal$ -- 10/31/25

ICE made expansive request for taxpayer data amid IRS pushback -- New court filings reveal previously undisclosed details of officials' discussions over a controversial information-sharing agreement. Danny Nguyen Politico Richard Rubin in the Wall Street Journal$ -- 10/31/25

Trump’s Vow to Resume Nuclear Tests Leaves Experts Puzzled -- A day after President Trump vowed to resume testing of nuclear weapons, the White House wasn’t answering questions about the details, leaving members of Congress, experts and even the administration’s nominee to command U.S. nuclear forces uncertain what he meant. Michael R. Gordon and Robbie Gramer in the Wall Street Journal$ -- 10/31/25

Kennedy Center ticket sales have plummeted since Trump takeover -- Nearly nine months into the president’s oversight, sales for orchestra, theater and dance performances are the worst they’ve been since the pandemic, according to a Washington Post analysis. Travis M. Andrews, Jeremy B. Merrill and Shelly Tan in the Washington Post$ -- 10/31/25