California Policy and Politics Saturday

Newsom, California Legislature reach $351.7-billion budget deal -- Gov. Gavin Newsom and Democratic lawmakers struck a $351.7-billion budget deal that taps an income-tax windfall to avert major cuts while boosting childcare and affordable housing programs. The plan increases revenue through taxes on corporations, software and managed-care organizations, saves billions in a new reserve account, and asks voters to expand California’s rainy day fund in November. Taryn Luna in the Los Angeles Times$ Stephen Hobbs in the Sacramento Bee$ Kaitlyn Schallhorn in the Orange County Register$ -- 6/27/26

State Superintendent will no longer manage California schools under deal Newsom cuts with Legislature -- The department’s control will shift in January to a new Director of Education, who will report to the governor, under a deal announced Friday as part of budget negotiations between legislative leaders and Gov. Gavin Newsom. The Legislature is expected to approve the plan, along with the 2026-27 state budget bills, on Monday or Tuesday. John Fensterwald EdSource -- 6/27/26

Voters nearly had a chance to gut the ‘mansion tax.’ Now, L.A. approves $544 million in spending -- The spending plan, set to be distributed during the 2026 fiscal year, is the largest allocation of Measure ULA funds so far — roughly 28% higher than last year’s budget. It calls for $381 million toward affordable housing programs and $163.3 million for homelessness prevention programs. Jack Flemming in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 6/27/26

Bianco’s silence on primary results tests GOP unity in tough governor’s race -- More than three weeks after Republican Chad Bianco placed a distant fourth in the crowded primary, the Riverside County sheriff has yet to formally acknowledge his loss or back rival Steve Hilton, who will face Becerra in the November election. Ben Paviour in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 6/27/26

Quicker count, bigger turnout: L.A. County certifies 2026 primary election ballots -- Twenty-four days after the polls closed on election day, Los Angeles County officials have certified the results from the 2,227,461 ballots cast. Despite questions raised about the pace of the vote count, a Times analysis found ballots this June were tallied faster than in previous cycles. Vanessa Martínez in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 6/27/26

 

An explosion scare, then a warehouse fire: Californians want answers about hazardous chemicals -- The Boyle Heights and Garden Grove emergencies are raising questions about emergency planning, inspections and accountability. The real test of California’s chemical safety system comes after the smoke clears, experts say. Alejandra Reyes-Velarde Calmatters -- 6/27/26

They asked 6,000 Californians about inequality and learned how we live with it -- A conversation with G. Cristina Mora and Tianna S. Paschel, authors of “Normalizing Inequality: How Californians Make Sense of the Growing Divide” Wendy Fry Calmatters -- 6/27/26

LA28

L.A. finally reaches a deal for recovering its Olympic costs -- Los Angeles officials have reached a tentative agreement with organizers of the 2028 Olympic Games laying out the process for reimbursing the city for potentially hundreds of millions of dollars in public services. David Zahniser in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 6/27/26

Marketplace

Meta asks California lawmakers for shield from child harm penalties -- Social media giant Meta is pushing California state lawmakers to shield it from pending legislation that would increase legal penalties in child-harm cases, according to two people familiar with the effort. Tyler Katzenberger Politico -- 6/27/26

Workplace

Cisco to lay off more than 400 workers in California -- Cisco’s layoffs in California impacted workers in its San José, Milpitas and San Francisco offices. The company cut a variety of roles in software engineering, product management, design, business operations and other areas, the notices show. Queenie Wong in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 6/27/26

Education

What California’s all-gender restroom law means for Sacramento schools this year -- California schools are required under state law to have at least one all-gender restroom on each school site by July 1. Passed in 2023, Senate Bill 760 was signed by Gov. Gavin Newsom as part of a set of legislation supporting the state’s LGBTQ+ community. Chaewon Chung in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 6/27/26

San Jose school district weighs buying downtown tower for employee housing -- A South Bay school district that closed five elementary schools earlier this year because of declining enrollment is exploring whether to buy a 337-unit downtown San Jose condo tower and turn it into housing for its workers. George Avalos in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 6/27/26

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Trump Threatens 100% Tariff on European Countries That Impose Digital Services Tax -- Threat comes a day after European Union approved tariff reductions on U.S. goods. Gavin Bade and Kim Mackrael in the Wall Street Journal$ -- 6/27/26

How the Reflecting Pool Turned Green: Missing ‘Bubblers’ and a Rush Job -- Bulky “nanobubbler” machines were carted off ahead of a promotional event for President Trump’s Ultimate Fighting Championship birthday party. Maxine Joselow and Luke Broadwater in the New York Times$ -- 6/27/26

JD Vance Compares Himself to Richard Nixon and Plays Down Watergate -- Vice President JD Vance minimized the Watergate scandal, stating it would be a “12-hour news story” today. Natalie Andrews in the Wall Street Journal$ Emily Davies in the New York Times$ -- 6/27/26

Trump Administration to Investigate California’s Powerful Coastal Agency -- Howard Lutnick, the commerce secretary, has accused the state of “environmental extremism” amid a federal push for oil production. Soumya Karlamangla in the New York Times$ -- 6/27/26

 

California Policy and Politics Friday

Mistrial declared in Palisades fire arson case, a stunning blow to feds -- A mistrial was declared Friday in the federal trial of a 30-year-old former Uber driver accused of setting what would become the most destructive wildfire in Los Angeles history. Jonathan Rinderknecht was on trial for destruction of property by means of fire, arson affecting property used in interstate commerce and timber set afire. Brittny Mejia in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 6/26/26

Overgrown lots in Altadena, Palisades pose fire risk. L.A. County is pushing to clear them -- But over the nearly one-and-a-half years since the 2025 mega-fires, native and invasive grasses, bushes and trees have begun to regrow, weaving flammable greenery across the landscape. Connor Sheets in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 6/26/26

California voters face 14 ballot measures in November. Here’s what they would do -- While control of Congress and the race to succeed Gov. Gavin Newsom will draw much of the attention, California voters also will decide the fate of 14 ballot measures in November, the most in any statewide election since 2016. Paul Rogers and Grace Hase in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 6/26/26

Controversial billionaire tax will appear on November ballot -- A one-time 5% tax on California billionaires’ assets is headed to the November ballot, pitched as a way to backfill Trump-era healthcare cuts despite fierce opposition from powerful Sacramento interests. Seema Mehta in the Los Angeles Times$ Sophie Austin Associated Press Ben Paviour in the Sacramento Bee$ Kristen Hwang Calmatters Paul Kiernan and Laura J. Nelson in the Wall Street Journal$ Hannah Knowles in the Washington Post$ Laurel Rosenhall in the New York Times$ -- 6/26/26

Newsom pitches federal tax on ultra-wealthy while opposing a levy on California billionaires -- After facing criticism for opposing a California billionaire’s tax, Gov. Gavin Newsom is proposing a new federal tax on people making over $100 million, his first major national proposal as he gears up for a possible presidential run. Sophia Bollag in the San Francisco Chronicle$ Lia Russell in the Sacramento Bee$ Melanie Mason Politico Jonathan J. Cooper Associated Press -- 6/26/26

Newsom blesses Uber ballot measure truce — but fight over car crash lawsuits continues -- Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a bill Thursday that takes aim at inflated medical billing in personal injury cases. The legislation is a compromise between Uber and the Consumer Attorneys of California, a trade group for plaintiffs’ lawyers. Rebecca Ellis in the Los Angeles Times$ Tyler Katzenberger Politico Levi Sumagaysay Calmatters -- 6/26/26

In California governor’s race, voters face stark choice on immigrant healthcare -- California’s governor’s race has become a high-stakes referendum on taxpayer-funded healthcare for immigrants without legal status. Democrat Xavier Becerra vows to preserve and stabilize Medi-Cal coverage for roughly 1.4 million immigrants by raising revenue, while Republican Steve Hilton promises to end it and redirect savings to citizens. Christine Mai-Duc KFF Health News in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 6/26/26

Venezuela was hit by two huge earthquakes seconds apart. Could that happen in California? -- Yes, at least in theory — though if two megaquakes occurred on Bay Area faults, there would likely be a bit more time between them than in Venezuela. Greg Porter in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 6/26/26

Rotting meat, foul smell at site of Boyle Heights warehouse fire -- The fire may be out, but Boyle Heights is now dealing with massive amounts of rotting meat and a foul smell as the cleanup phase from a weeklong fire at a massive cold-storage warehouse begins. Alex Wigglesworth and Salvador Hernandez in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 6/26/26

In a no man’s land for law enforcement, hundreds of disabled veterans are moving in -- As the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs prepares to build housing for thousands of veterans its West Los Angeles campus, security has become a challenge for an unincorporated area that is miles from the nearest Sheriff’s station. Doug Smith in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 6/26/26

 

Jury appears deadlocked in Palisades fire arson trial, signaling possible mistrial -- After more than 13 hours of deliberations, a federal jury says it is at a standstill and cannot reach a unanimous verdict in the Palisades fire arson trial. Brittny Mejia in the Los Angeles Times$ Jaimie Ding Associated Press -- 6/26/26

Trump budget request omits funds for L.A. fire relief, prompting criticism from senators -- California’s two Democratic senators on Thursday criticized the Trump administration after it requested $87.6 billion from Congress to address some of the nation’s most “urgent needs” but omitted funding for victims of last year’s Los Angeles wildfires. Ana Ceballos in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 6/26/26

Water

‘This is terrifying’: The Colorado River, a lifeline for seven states, is drying up at its source -- The lack of water is hitting Colorado ranchers and farmers hard, and reservoir levels are dropping. Scientists say the entire Southwest needs to permanently adapt to having less water as the warming climate dries out the region. Ian James, Robert Gauthier in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 6/26/26

 

California Forever pushes Newsom to ease hurdles for proposed new city -- Backers of the plan to build a new city in Solano County say they are in talks with Gov. Gavin Newsom over legislation that would ease regulatory hurdles for the company’s planned development of a dense, walkable city and a shipbuilding facility along the county’s waterfront. Laura Waxmann, Sophia Bollag in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 6/26/26

Workplace

Cisco to lay off 471 workers at 3 Bay Area offices -- Cisco plans to permanently lay off 471 workers across three Bay Area offices in July, giving the first detailed breakdown of local job cuts the company announced last month as part of a global restructuring. Aidin Vaziri in the San Francisco Chronicle$ Queenie Wong in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 6/26/26

Gov. Gavin Newsom releases first-in-the-nation tool to track AI-related job losses -- As the artificial intelligence industry continues to grow, Gov. Gavin Newsom on Thursday announced a first-in-the-nation tracker to monitor AI-related job losses, with the initial released data showing no statewide surge in unemployment in at-risk fields. Grace Hase in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 6/26/26

Supreme Court ruling bars California law on guns in businesses -- Hawaii’s attempt to restrict firearms in stores, hotels and other business establishments in the state was struck down by the U.S. Supreme Court on Wednesday, a ruling that also applies to a similar law in California. Bob Egelko in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 6/26/26

ICE

California, Santa Clara County ask court to stop construction of ICE facility near Gilroy -- California and Santa Clara County asked the District court to stop construction of ICE facility as they sue the Trump administration. Luis Melecio-Zambrano in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 6/26/26

HSR

Data centers ‘will be a big issue’ for CA High-Speed Rail. Officials debating idea -- Some California High-Speed Rail Authority officials appear to be reading the room when it comes to data centers — though they haven’t said they outright oppose using them for the benefit of the train project. Erik Galicia in the Fresno Bee -- 6/26/26

Street

California library shooting suspect flashes apparent white power sign in court, held without bail -- Bradley Scott Sayer appeared in Butte County Superior Court in Oroville on two counts of murder in the shooting Monday at the Chico branch of the Butte County Library. Aidin Vaziri in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 6/26/26

Also

Walters: What the federal probe of Newsom and the first partner means for his presidential ambitions -- Gavin Newsom has rocketed to the top of the shadow campaign for president. A federal investigation into the Newsoms could either boost or torpedo his ambitions. Dan Walters Calmatters -- 6/26/26

Vice President JD Vance talks faith and politics in Orange County -- Vance also reminisced on the 2024 election, telling the crowd he figured out in the moment that the vice presidential debate between him and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz was a success because he saw his wife “with the biggest smile on her face,” while Walz’s wife looked like she had “just shown up at her dog’s funeral,” he said. Charlie Borla in the Orange County Register$ -- 6/26/26

Giant nude sculpture near San Francisco’s Ferry Building is up for sale -- A 45-foot nude sculpture that became one of San Francisco’s most debated public artworks is now available for sale or lease as its temporary run near the Ferry Building approaches its end. Aidin Vaziri in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 6/26/26

It’s now illegal in California, so why is this drug still available all over the Bay Area? -- California officials say the common gas station drug is illegal. That has done little to keep it off shelves at Bay Area convenience stores. Maggie Angst in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 6/26/26

Snap CEO Evan Spiegel and Miranda Kerr help erase $550 million in medical debt for Californians -- The couple donated millions of dollars to Undue Medical Debt, a national nonprofit that helps pay off medical bills. The gift will affect more than 261,000 Californians in medical debt. Queenie Wong in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 6/26/26

Snap sued by parents of girl who was raped by man she met on Snapchat -- The 111-page lawsuit, filed this week in a Missouri Circuit Court, alleges that Santa Monica-based Snap “enabled and facilitated the grooming, exploitation, and sexual abuse” of the minor who is referred to as “J.F.” Queenie Wong in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 6/26/26

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Iran Attacks Cargo Ship, Testing Trump’s Deal to Reopen Strait -- Attack takes place hours after Iranian warning to ships not to use routes that the regime hadn’t sanctioned. Shelby Holliday and Rebecca Feng in the Wall Street Journal$ Peter Eavis, Farnaz Fassihi, Jenny Gross and Euan Ward in the New York Times$ Todd C. Frankel and Tara Copp in the Washington Post$ -- 6/26/26

Oil Prices Make a Stunning Retreat to Prewar Levels. Where Do We Go From Here? -- While a surge of tankers have exited the Strait of Hormuz, the market is expected to tighten again. Collin Eaton and Benoît Morenne in the Wall Street Journal$ -- 6/26/26

Supreme Court’s ruling to end protections for Haitian, Syrian immigrants could have broader impact -- The reach of the Supreme Court’s decision allowing President Donald Trump’s administration to end temporary legal protections for Haitian and Syrian immigrants may extend to many other countries. Gisela Salomon Associated Press -- 6/26/26