California Policy and Politics Saturday

Newsom pardons Cambodian immigrant facing deportation, among other Easter clemency actions -- Gov. Gavin Newsom on Friday offered clemency to 25 felons, including a Cambodian immigrant facing deportation, in a series of pardons and commutations issued before the Easter holiday. Taryn Luna and Sandra McDonald in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 4/19/25

Outraged senators urge DHS to end ‘welfare checks’ following unannounced L.A. school visits -- California Sens. Alex Padilla and Adam Schiff gave Trump administration officials until May 2 to answer questions about why federal agents attempted to speak wit h students at two Los Angeles elementary schools last week. Andrea Castillo in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 4/19/25

Californians support funding health care for undocumented immigrants, poll finds -- The Politico-Citrin Center poll showing majority support for the program comes as it faces scrutiny from Washington and growing calls to cut back amid California’s budget shortfall. Rachel Bluth and Emma Anderson Politico -- 4/19/25

 

California could lose 20% of its refining capacity in a single year. Drivers will feel it -- Two major refineries are poised to depart or make major changes: Phillips 66 has decided to shut down its Los Angeles refinery complex by the end of this year, and Valero Energy Corp announced this week that it may close its Bay Area refinery in Benicia. Julie Johnson in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 4/19/25

 

Trump administration asks to move Newsom’s tariffs lawsuit out of California -- In a 22-page motion filed Thursday in the U.S. District Court of Northern California, DOJ attorneys argued that the federal trade court based in New York City should oversee the case, because it has exclusive jurisdiction over tariffs. Lia Russell in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 4/19/25

Newsom taunts Trump’s DOJ over tariff lawsuit request -- California Gov. Gavin Newsom was quick to pounce on news that the Trump administration is trying to move California’s lawsuit over the president’s tariffs to an out-of-state court. “You scared?” Newsom posted on social media in response to a news report about the administration’s request. Eric He and Daniel Desrochers Politico -- 4/19/25

How Trump travel restrictions could affect Bay FC, Valkyries international players -- Expected travel bans and worry about immigration statuses under the Trump administration are forcing professional athletes to reconsider their ability to train with their national teams while leagues grapple with their respective responses. Women’s soccer has been affected the most so far, but the WNBA is also heavily international, and many American players spend their offseasons playing in overseas leagues as well. Marisa Ingemi in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 4/19/25

Arellano: Trump’s cruelty to migrants reminds us what Easter is about -- Easter is supposed to be a happy time, but all I can think of is the people who persecuted Jesus. At a time when Christians are called upon to embrace Jesus’ message of love and charity, our president continues to revel in a cruelty that’s, well, biblical. Gustavo Arellano in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 4/19/25

Barabak: Alaska Republican speaks truth about Trump: ‘Retaliation is real. And that’s not right.’ -- Sen. Lisa Murkowski has consistently refused to bend to Trump, winning reelection despite his opposition. “I’m oftentimes very anxious myself about using my voice,” she tells an Anchorage audience, because of Trump’s spite. Mark Z. Barabak in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 4/19/25

 

Barbara Lee wins Oakland mayoral race -- Barbara Lee, the former congresswoman and progressive stalwart, has been elected Oakland’s next mayor, resting her legacy on turning around a city now embroiled in crises, including mass homelessness, the indictment of the previous mayor on corruption charges, and daunting financial challenges. Sarah Ravani in the San Francisco Chronicle$ Shomik Mukherjee in the East Bay Times -- 4/19/25

Democrats say Rep. Valadao moves to ‘shut down America’s schools.’ Is it true? -- Rep. David Valadao has joined a “move to shut down America’s schools,” the Democrats’ congressional campaign arm says. He hasn’t. David Lightman in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 4/19/25

Altadena

Altadena suffered a ‘catastrophic failure.’ Did unincorporated status hurt fire response? -- Altadena residents, who would see the worst damage from the Eaton fire, also experienced the most issues with evacuation alerts. Was the community at a disadvantage during the L.A. firestorm because of its government structure? Grace Toohey in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 4/19/25

Breathe

Why California air quality — and allergies — could be extra bad this year -- A new drought outlook, released by a coalition of state and federal agencies, paints a concerning picture for California’s spring: worsening air quality fueled by dry soils, gusty winds and an uptick in airborne particulates like dust and pollen. Greg Porter in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 4/19/25

Workplace

Slump deepens: Bay Area, California lose thousands of jobs in March -- The Bay Area and California both lost thousands of jobs in March, in fresh signs that the statewide employment picture has darkened as the dismal hiring trends of 2025 worsen. Both California and the Bay Area have lost jobs all three months of 2025, kicking off the year in brutal fashion. George Avalos in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 4/19/25

Gavin Newsom’s return-to-office order may violate law, labor board attorney says -- The top attorney for a California board that enforces labor rules said Thursday that Gov. Gavin Newsom’s office may have violated state law over its handling of an order directing many public employees to work in person four days a week. Stephen Hobbs in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 4/19/25

Feds must tell workers they weren’t fired for performance, S.F.-based judge rules -- The San Francisco federal judge who previously ordered the rehiring of 16,000 federal workers who had been fired by the Trump administration told federal agencies Friday to notify the workers that they had not been fired for poor performance — as claimed in the government’s form letter — but as part of a “mass termination.” Bob Egelko in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 4/19/25

POTUS 47

Supreme Court blocks, for now, new deportations under 18th century wartime law -- In a brief order, the court directed the Trump administration not to remove Venezuelans held in the Bluebonnet Detention Center “until further order of this court.” Justices Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito dissented. Nicholas Riccardi and Mark Sherman Associated Press Rachel Uranga and Andrea Castillo in the Los Angeles Times$ Michelle Hackman, Mariah Timms and Jacob Gershman in the Wall Street Journal$ Ali Bianco, Hassan Ali Kanu, Kyle Cheney and Josh Gerstein Politico Marianne LeVine, Jeremy Roebuck, Spencer S. Hsu and Aaron Schaffer in the Washington Post$ Alan Feuer, Hamed Aleaziz and Abbie VanSickle in the New York Times$ Philip Marcelo Associated Press -- 4/19/25

Trump Officials Blame Mistake for Setting Off Confrontation With Harvard -- Harvard University received an emailed letter from the Trump administration last Friday that included a series of demands about hiring, admissions and curriculum so onerous that school officials decided they had no choice but to take on the White House. Michael S. Schmidt and Michael C. Bender in the New York Times$ -- 4/19/25

In Trump Attack on Harvard, Punishment Before Proof -- In the White House’s campaign against Harvard University, the punishment came swiftly. The Trump administration has frozen $2.2 billion in grants to the school, while seeking to exert unprecedented control over hiring, impose unspecified reforms to its medical and divinity schools, block certain foreign students from enrolling and, potentially, revoke its tax-exempt status. Jonah E. Bromwich, Alan Blinder and Sarah Mervosh in the New York Times$ -- 4/19/25

Trump Is Taking On America’s Institutions but Resistance Is Building -- In moving to accumulate unprecedented power, President Trump has bulldozed his way through the traditional constraints of presidential authority with such force that institutions including universities, law firms and parts of Congress have been left reeling. This week, some started fighting back. Sadie Gurman, Aaron Zitner and Meridith McGraw in the Wall Street Journal$ -- 4/19/25

Trump Advisers Took Advantage of Navarro’s Absence to Push for Tariff Pause -- On April 9, financial markets were going haywire. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick wanted President Trump to put a pause on his aggressive global tariff plan. But there was a big obstacle: Peter Navarro, Trump’s tariff-loving trade adviser, who was constantly hovering around the Oval Office. Alexander Saeedy and Josh Dawsey in the Wall Street Journal$ -- 4/19/25

Tomatoes Become One of the First Everyday Casualties of Trade War -- New fees will hit fresh tomato imports from Mexico starting in July unless a new agreement is reached. Kristina Peterson in the Wall Street Journal$ -- 4/19/25

Immigrants prove they are alive, forcing Social Security to undo death label -- Immigrants falsely labeled dead by the Social Security Administration are showing up at field offices with documents proving they are alive, leading staff to reinstate nearly three dozen people over the past week, according to records obtained by The Washington Post. Hannah Natanson, Lisa Rein and Meryl Kornfield in the Washington Post$ -- 4/19/25

How a defunct gang registry helped deliver Kilmar Abrego García to a Salvadoran prison -- Federal officials have launched a full-throated effort to label Abrego García a gang member and “a terrorist,” an argument based on a gang survey that was decommissioned amid questions over racial profiling. Katie Mettler, María Luisa Paúl, Jasmine Hilton and Lateshia Beachum in the Washington Post$ -- 4/19/25