California Policy and Politics Friday

Trump says he wants to send federalized troops to L.A., San Francisco -- Courts have ruled against Trump’s use of federalized troops, which were originally deployed to quell protests and protect federal buildings amid major immigration enforcement campaigns last year. The White House did not respond to questions about whether any current plans exist to redeploy troops in California. Gavin J. Quinton in the Los Angeles Times$ Alexei Koseff, J.D. Morris in the San Francisco Chronicle$ --3/27/26

Trump administration threatens to cut funding to Stanford, UCSD, Ohio State medical schools -- The Trump administration is demanding that three medical schools — Stanford, UC San Diego and Ohio State — provide detailed admissions data within the month or risk a loss of federal funding, the U.S. Department of Justice confirmed Thursday. Nanette Asimov in the San Francisco Chronicle$ Jaweed Kaleem in the Los Angeles Times$ --3/27/26

Trump administration to investigate California over trans prisoner policy -- The Trump administration is accusing California of exposing women in prison to violent assaults by allowing trans women to transfer to women’s prison facilities. Bob Egelko in the San Francisco Chronicle$ --3/27/26

Treasury plans to put Trump’s signature on U.S. bills in first for sitting president -- It’s the latest instance of Trump putting his name and likeness on American cultural institutions, following his renaming of the U.S. Institute of Peace, the Kennedy Center performing arts venue and a new class of battleships, among other tributes. Fatima Hussein in the Los Angeles Times$ Alyssa Lukpat and Richard Rubin in the Wall Street Journal$ --3/27/26

 

Becerra, voting rights group challenge GOP sheriff’s ballot seizure in state Supreme Court -- Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco’s seizure of more than 650,000 ballots from the November 2025 state election was challenged Thursday by a voting-rights group and a rival candidate for governor, who asked the California Supreme Court to order Bianco to return the ballots to the county registrar. Bob Egelko in the San Francisco Chronicle$ --3/27/26

California sheriff says his seizure of more than 600,000 ballots is ‘normal law enforcement’ -- Riverside Sheriff Chad Bianco says it’s coincidence he got a California ballot seizure warrant from a judge who praised him and whom he endorsed in 2022. Jeanne Kuang Calmatters -- 3/27/26

Lopez: Yes, a Republican could be California’s next governor. And a recall would begin immediately -- Under the rules of California’s top-two primary, the two Republicans could face off in the November election for governor. Experts said a Republican, if elected, would quickly be targeted for recall in a state dominated by Democrats. Steve Lopez in the Los Angeles Times$ --3/27/26

San Francisco’s establishment moves to sink a progressive House candidate -- In the race to succeed Nancy Pelosi, tech centimillionaire Saikat Chakrabarti has power brokers in San Francisco on edge. Dustin Gardiner Politico -- 3/27/26

 

Gavin Newsom to ban California officials from insider betting on prediction markets -- Newsom framed his plans as a counter to the Trump administration and to growing concerns about insider trading on the fast-growing platforms. Christine Mui and Tyler Katzenberger Politico -- 3/27/26

 

A tech boom like no other: How AI could save or sink Daniel Lurie’s mayoralty -- The inextricable link between San Francisco and its homegrown artificial intelligence sector is a source of pride for Mayor Daniel Lurie. J.D. Morris in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 3/27/26

Newsom signs bill officially renaming Cesar Chavez Day -- California will officially celebrate Farmworkers Day on March 31, after Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a bill Thursday renaming the holiday previously known as Cesar Chavez Day. Sara DiNatale in the San Francisco Chronicle$ Brock Hrehor Politico --3/27/26

Tech giants are spending more than ever to shape California politics -- Tech giants involved in AI and cryptocurrency spent $39 million last year to influence lawmakers and policy. It’s the start of what could be a spending blitz in the upcoming election. Jeremia Kimelman Calmatters -- 3/27/26

California blew a hole in environmental planning law. Now, lawmakers are trying to fix it -- In a last-minute budget deal, California legislators accidentally exempted a broad category of industrial facilities from environmental review. Alejandra Reyes-Velarde Calmatters -- 3/27/26

Walters: Newsom may spend $19 million to sugarcoat California’s stalled economy -- California hasn’t had a truly balanced state budget for four or maybe five years, and the current one continues to overspend its revenues. Dan Walters Calmatters -- 3/27/26

Workplace

Trump Administration Plans to Require Higher Wages for H-1B Visa Holders -- Labor Department proposal is latest effort to wean U.S. tech companies and other employers off skilled foreign labor. Lauren Weber in the Wall Street Journal$ --3/27/26

ICE

DHS attorney said agents in Los Angeles should have ‘started hitting’ protesters, emails show -- After an anti-ICE protest last June, the top Homeland Security attorney also said federal agents should have arrested ‘everyone that couldn’t get away.’ His comments were obtained by the nonprofit watchdog American Oversight through the Freedom of Information Act. Andrea Castillo in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/27/26

LAUSD

$22 million siphoned from LAUSD in record-setting scam, D.A. says -- A former LAUSD employee is accused of directing $22 million in district contracts to a tech company owner who allegedly funneled $3 million back to her. L.A. County Dist. Atty. Nathan Hochman called it the largest money laundering scheme in the school district’s history. Clara Harter in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/27/26

Also

The Bay Area’s most expensive cup of coffee costs $105 -- In recent years, Bay Area cafés have made headlines with $16 coffees, $20 flavor-blasted cups and $75 pours. Now, a downtown San Francisco shop has reached what appears to be a new high water mark: a single cup of coffee for $105. Mario Cortez in the San Francisco Chronicle$ --3/27/26

POTUS 47

Stocks fall and oil prices rise after Trump’s latest delay in the Iran war fails to raise much hope -- U.S. stocks are falling Friday as Wall Street stumbles toward the finish of a fifth straight losing week, which would be its longest such streak in nearly four years. Stan Choe Associated Press -- 3/27/26

Trump faces new oil shock threat as Iran eyes second strait -- A major shipping choke point on the Red Sea could come under Iran-sponsored attack to further disrupt global energy supplies. Scott Waldman Politico -- 3/27/26

Global Food Supply Faces a Dangerous Bottleneck as Iran War Persists -- One of the biggest economic casualties of the U.S.-led war in Iran has been the global fertilizer supply. Shipments of it have piled up on the wrong side of the Strait of Hormuz. In India, Algeria and Slovakia, fertilizer plants have shut down or slowed their output because of rising natural gas prices. Ana Swanson in the New York Times$ -- 3/27/26

Senate agrees to end shutdown for most of DHS -- After two months of unyielding negotiations, both parties gave up early Friday on reaching a grand accord to reform and fund the Department of Homeland Security. Instead, Senate Republicans accepted what Democrats have been offering for weeks — cash for all of DHS except for ICE and part of Customs and Border Protection. Jordain Carney and Jennifer Scholtes Politico -- 3/27/26

Trump projects confidence, claims Iran is ‘begging’ for deal, but war exit remains murky -- Trump claims Iran is ‘obliterated’ and seeking a deal, but Iranian forces continue launching attacks and threatening vital oil routes. Republicans on Capitol Hill emerged from war briefings frustrated by a lack of clarity on an exit strategy and ground troop deployment plans. Kevin Rector and Ana Ceballos in the Los Angeles Times$ --3/27/26

Pentagon Weighs Sending 10,000 More Ground Troops to the Middle East -- The Pentagon is looking at sending up to 10,000 additional ground troops to the Middle East to give President Trump more military options even as he weighs peace talks with Tehran, Defense Department officials with knowledge of the planning said. The item is in the Wall Street Journal$ --3/27/26

Trump Says He Will Order T.S.A. Agents Paid as Funding Deal Stalls -- President Trump said on Thursday that he would sign an emergency order to pay Transportation Security Administration agents who have gone without compensation for weeks, as senators struggled to strike a homeland security funding deal that could end the intensifying crisis at airports. Michael Gold and Megan Mineiro in the New York Times$ --3/27/26

‘Because I’m President’: Trump Defends His Use of Mail Voting -- President Trump wants to restrict voting by mail, which he says amounts to “cheating.” But he defended his own use of the practice in a special election this week. Erica L. Green in the New York Times$ --3/27/26

Judge blocks Pentagon order branding Anthropic a national security risk -- The artificial intelligence lab argued that the Trump administration was punishing it for speaking about the risks of its technology. Ian Duncan in the Washington Post$ --3/27/26

Iran images appear to show land mines scattered by U.S. forces, a first in years -- Images posted to social media Thursday show what experts said are U.S. land mines dispersed across a residential area in southern Iran, in what appears to be the first instance in more than two decades of American forces using the weapons. Meg Kelly and Alex Horton in the Washington Post$ -- 3/27/26