2025 in review (and a peek at 2026), with Chris Cadelago of POLITICO (PODCAST)
CAPITOL WEEKLY, STAFF: "Hosts Rich Ehisen and Tim Foster are joined by Politico’s Chris Cadelago for a look back at the Top 10 California political stories of 2025 – and a look at what’s coming next year."
What did California lawmakers talk about this year? These 10 bills sparked hours of debate
CALMatters, RYAN SABALOW: "Most bills in the California Legislature are barely talked about in public before lawmakers take action, often after secret negotiations with lobbyists.
But a handful of controversial proposals broke through the usual rushed process, drawing hours of testimony and intense public lobbying from some of the state’s most powerful organizations that spend millions of dollars to get their way, according to an analysis of CalMatters’ Digital Democracy database, which tracks every word spoken in the Legislature."
The Micheli Minute, December 29, 2025
CAPITOL WEEKLY, CHRIS MICHELI: "Lobbyist, author and McGeorge law professor Chris Micheli offers a quick look at what’s coming up this week under the Capitol Dome."
Judge blocks release of Rob Reiner and Michele Singer Reiner autopsy findings
LAT, RICHARD WINTON/HANNAH FRY: "A Los Angeles Superior Court judge has agreed to bar the release of Rob Reiner and Michele Singer Reiner’s autopsy reports at the request of law enforcement investigating the death of the Hollywood legend and his photographer wife.
In a prepared statement, the Los Angeles County medical examiner’s office said that it received a court order last week initiated by the Los Angeles Police Department to place a security hold on the cases. The order, signed by Judge Deirdre Hill, restricts the public release of “any investigative information, notes, reports or photos” related to the death investigation, according to the document obtained by The Times on Monday."
Reputed Mexican Mafia ‘shot caller’ wins California Supreme Court fight over fines and fees
LAT, SONJA SHARP: "California civil liberties groups cheered a decision by the state Supreme Court that wipes out hundreds of dollars in fines for a reputed Mexican Mafia member — a move advocates say strengthens protections for indigent defendants in other cases.
“This holding is a meaningful step toward a justice system that does not punish people for poverty,” said Kathryn Eidmann of Public Counsel, whose landmark 2019 victory set the stage for Monday’s decision."
Ex-Sunset supervisor sued over alleged unpaid pet shop rent
CHRONICLE, LUCY HODGMAN: "A Sunset District property owner has sued former San Francisco Supervisor Beya Alcaraz, claiming she still owes rent for the pet store that catalyzed the abrupt end to her week-long term.
The owner of the storefront is seeking about $9,500 in unpaid rent, according to a lawsuit filed earlier this week. Alcaraz sold the business, the Animal Connection, this spring, but the complaint alleges that her name is still listed on the lease. Alcaraz said a reporter was the first to alert her to the lawsuit, the details of which were first reported by the San Francisco Standard."
Sacramento County faces million dollars budget shortfall for CalFresh admin funds
SACBEE, EMMA HALL: "The federal government’s cuts that affect California’s food assistance program, leaves Sacramento County dealing with a possible budgetary shortfall in the millions of dollars.
A county spokesperson said Sacramento County faces a funding reduction of 50% to 25%. The budget legislation — called the “One Big Beautiful Bill” — cut $1 trillion in federal health care programs. As a result, the county Department of Public Health is projecting a shortfall ranging from $6 million to nearly $24 million for administrative CalFresh funds, according to Ethan Dye, the director of the Department of Human Assistance."
California regulators order Edison to look for fire risks on its old transmission lines
LAT, MELODY PETERSEN: "State regulators ordered Southern California Edison to identify fire risks on its unused transmission lines like the century-old equipment suspected of igniting the devastating Eaton wildfire.
Edison also must tell regulators how its 355 miles of out-of-service transmission lines located in areas of high fire risk will be used in the future, according to a document issued by the Office of Energy Infrastructure Safety on Dec. 23."
Why California is ending coverage for weight-loss drugs despite TrumpRx price cuts
LAT, DON THOMPSON: "Many low-income Californians prescribed wildly popular weight-loss drugs will lose their coverage for the medications in the new year.
Health officials are recommending diet and exercise as alternatives to heavily advertised weight-loss drugs like Wegovy and Zepbound, advice that experts say is unrealistic."
‘This business killed my son’: A California hospital empire rises as patients suffer
CHRONICLE, CYNTHIA DIZIKES/JOAQUIN PALOMINO: "“Mom, I need help,” Raymond Jimenez had confided to his mother as he struggled with suicidal urges and repeatedly cut himself. “I’m really scared about my thoughts.”
Raymond’s parents had found a psychiatrist and therapist for the 15-year-old, and had tried to reconnect him to things that once brought him joy: skateboarding with friends, playing the keyboard and training his pet songbirds. At night, his mother would watch over him while he slept."
Measles case reported in East Bay: Here’s where the infected person shopped before Christmas
CHRONICLE, ERIN ALLDAY: "Public health officials in Contra Costa County reported a case of measles on Monday, warning that the individual was in public places in Walnut Creek before being diagnosed and likely exposed others to the virus.
The report comes amid a massive U.S. measles outbreak, which topped 2,000 cases on Monday, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. That was the most cases since 1992."
11 new laws that will impact California schools in 2026
EDSOURCE, DIANA LAMBERT: "California students are likely to see fewer cell phones and more gender-neutral bathrooms next year as new state education laws go into effect.
Protecting students from immigration raids was a priority for state legislators this year, resulting in several new laws, including one prohibiting school staff from allowing immigration officers to enter campuses or providing student or family information."
Here are five climate issues facing California in the new year
SACBEE, CHAEWON CHUNG: "As climate change continues to threaten California in 2025 — from devastating wildfires, declining kelp forests and struggling salmon runs to shrinking snowpack in the Sierra Nevada — the state has rolled out a range of measures to confront the crisis. These efforts come at a time when the federal government has prioritized fossil fuels and questioned the scientific consensus on climate change.
At the same time, California itself has faced growing scrutiny over policies critics say fall short on climate considerations, particularly those aimed at boosting the tech sector and accelerating development at the expense of environmental protections."
In a nutshell: Five of the top Sacramento business stories of 2025
SACBEE, ANNIKA MERRILEES: "In 2025, Sacramento’s largest businesses made moves that will influence the region’s landscape and economy for decades to come.
Tax incentives for long-awaited development in Sacramento’s Railyards district were the subject of debate, protest and litigation. Officials confirmed plans to eventually shutter the Blue Diamond plant in midtown — one of the last vestiges of the city’s food manufacturing history, and a 53-acre campus with a likely complicated path to redevelopment. Macy’s, an anchor for the Downtown Commons since the 1960s, pulled up stakes in Sacramento and Citrus Heights."
Talk of California’s ‘billionaire tax’ sparks social media class war, threats of tech exodus
CHRONICLE, RACHEL SWAN: "Taxing the rich to fund social services is not a new idea. But an attempt to do it in California has met an unusually potent backlash.
That’s because the proposed 2026 Billionaire Tax Act has split two of the most powerful forces in California politics: unions and Silicon Valley. The division became clear last week, when tech influencers clashed online with elected officials and labor leaders who support the wealth tax."
READ MORE -- Who would a California wealth tax impact? Here’s a list of the state’s billionaires -- CHRONICLE, CHRISTIAN LEONARD, HANNA ZAKHARENKO
As job market tightens, more Californians are heading back to college
LAT, ADAM ECHELMAN: "If you want to gauge the health of California’s economy, start with its community colleges.
“When the economy is doing well, our enrollments are down, and when the economy is in a tough stretch or in a recession, we see our enrollments go up,” said Chris Ferguson, an executive vice chancellor with the California Community Colleges Chancellor’s Office, which oversees all of the state’s 116 community colleges."
Southern California has an unlikely AI mecca: the very industrial Vernon
CHRONICLE, NILESH CHRISTOPHER: "Five miles south of downtown Los Angeles, a single industrial block in Vernon is drawing as much electricity as a small town.
Inside a three-story, 242,000-square-foot building known as LAX01, rows of advanced artificial intelligence chips hum across six data buildings, consuming enough electricity to power more than 26,400 homes for a year. The processors are part of a fast-growing network of data centers reshaping this rusty industrial corner of L.A. County."
Speed limits, e-bikes and fines: What’s changing for California drivers in 2026
CHRONICLE, AIDIN VAZIRI: "California drivers and residents will see a wide-ranging set of new traffic, safety and consumer protection laws take effect in 2026, affecting everything from school zone speed limits and electric bikes to autonomous vehicles and license plates.
State officials say the changes are intended to improve safety on roads and sidewalks while updating long-standing rules to keep pace with new technologies."
