California Policy and Politics Saturday

The Founders Are Why America Is Rich. That Legacy Is at Risk. -- Checks, balances and trust in personal agency made the U.S. a haven for entrepreneurs and wealth creation. Greg Ip in the Wall Street Journal$ -- 7/4/26

China-backed AI tool behind fake Brad Pitt fight making Hollywood inroads -- Backed by low prices and striking realism, Chinese AI video tools such as Seedance are luring independent filmmakers in Cannes and L.A., reshaping workflows and fueling hybrid productions. Nilesh Christopher in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 7/4/26

Want an AI-proof job? New research says you may be safer at companies embracing the technology -- As workers around the world worry about being replaced by artificial intelligence, two recent studies have shown how humanity’s competition and collaboration with bots in the office are evolving. Nilesh Christopher in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 7/4/26

How the FIFA World Cup is providing a boost for L.A. businesses -- Last year, Beig’s Beverly Hills-based company, Dioz Group, won a $2.5 million contract with On Location, FIFA’s hospitality partner, to design, manufacture and distribute uniforms for all employees working at FIFA World Cup venues this summer. Annika Duneja in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 7/4/26

The World Cup’s big winner so far: Bay Area businesses -- Hotels, restaurants and bars, both in the South Bay and San Francisco, have been flooded by tens of thousands of fans looking to dine, shop and party. The winning U.S. match against Bosnia-Herzegovina drew massive crowds Wednesday, both at the stadium and throughout dozens of local watch parties. Roland Li in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 7/4/26

After Trump axed federal employees running climate site, thousands crowdfund its comeback -- Federal employees who were axed during waves of cuts by the Trump administration have fought back against the dismantling of a key climate science website, Climate.gov, and put up a new site, Climate.us, that can now do everything the original did. Mack Baysinger in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 7/4/26

Top science research jobs lack diversity. A California college program aims to curb that -- The climate of STEM higher education programs can be unwelcoming for some minority populations. A state-funded program is trying to change that by providing mentors, relationship-building and financial assistance to California college students. Brittany Oceguera Calmatters -- 7/4/26

Gas prices are high for July 4. California’s price-gouging fixes are still on the shelf -- California’s gasoline watchdog found Chevron stations charged the highest average price of any major brand tracked in late May. A new lawsuit and new bills are pushing the state’s gas-price debate beyond refineries, toward retail pricing, algorithms and brand contracts. Alejandro Lazo Calmatters -- 7/4/26

Housing

It’s not just S.F. anymore — rents are rising across the Bay Area -- Rents in Oakland, which until just recently had plunged further than in any other major U.S. city, are now climbing again — and faster than anywhere else except San Francisco. Christian Leonard in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 7/4/26

Also

Arellano: The sad inevitability of Justice Alito’s birthright citizenship dissent -- In 1913, Antonino Alati left southern Italy to find a better life in a land where many people regarded him as little better than scum. Gustavo Arellano in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 7/4/26

POTUS 47

How Trump took over America’s 250th -- America turns 250 on Saturday. But the celebration Americans will see isn’t quite the one organizers spent the last decade planning. Sophia Cai Politico -- 7/4/26

Trump Targets Not Just Georgia’s Vote, but Also Trust in Elections -- The president has sent 260 F.B.I. analysts to Georgia, repeating his baseless claims of fraud in 2020. But critics say the intention is to undermine overall confidence in the electoral process. Zolan Kanno-Youngs in the New York Times$ -- 7/4/26

At Mount Rushmore, Trump Veers From Patriotism to ‘Communism’ -- Four months before tough midterm elections, President Trump used the backdrop of Mount Rushmore one night before the nation’s 250th birthday to characterize his political opponents as “godless,” “evil” communists. Shawn McCreesh in the New York Times$ -- 7/4/26