Supreme Court rejects Trump’s tariffs as illegal import taxes
DAVID G. SAVAGE, LAT: "The Supreme Court ruled Friday that President Trump’s sweeping worldwide tariffs are illegal and cannot stand without the approval of Congress.
The 6-3 decision deals Trump his most significant defeat at the Supreme Court."
Furious with Trump, California Democrats plot election strategy in San Francisco
CALMATTERS, MAYA C. MILLER/JEANNE KUANG: "California Democrats this weekend in San Francisco have an opportunity to set the tone in a pivotal election year when their voters could decide control of the U.S. House.
As Democrats across the country push to harness dissatisfaction with the Trump administration into a transformative November midterm, all eyes are on the nation’s largest state party as it chooses who to support in California’s June primary."
One lawyer could take down California’s abortion shield. His star client is a convicted abuser
CHRONICLE, RAHEEM HOSSEINI: "Before he was the star plaintiff in an audacious lawsuit targeting a Bay Area doctor and interstate access to abortion medication, Jerry Hernandez Rodriguez was somewhere in Texas ducking a warrant for allegedly beating his girlfriend.
It was Nov. 7, 2024. Rodriguez, previously convicted of assaulting one woman and threatening to kill another, phoned the Webster Police Department to call his latest accuser a liar. When a detective answered, department records show, Rodriguez told him he was aware of the felony arrest warrant, but wouldn’t divulge his whereabouts."
Skiers in deadly Tahoe avalanche appear to have taken route rated most dangerous option
CHRONICLE, MATTHIAS GAFNI: "The 11 skiers and four guides hit by a deadly avalanche after leaving backcountry huts near Donner Summit appear to have taken a route out of the wilderness that includes terrain that had been rated significantly more dangerous for such slides than that of a longer, slower exit route, interviews and documents show.
Nine members of the group were confirmed or feared dead, including six women friends from the Bay Area, Tahoe and Idaho, and three employees of Blackbird Mountain Guides."
READ MORE -- A fatal avalanche put a spotlight on the risks of backcountry skiing. Here’s why people will keep going -- LAT, JACK DOLAN
Newsom appoints a new utilities regulator with a mandate to cut costs
CALMATTERS, MALENA CAROLLO: "The state’s primary utility regulator is under new management. Gov. Gavin Newsom promoted Commissioner John Reynolds to president of the California Public Utilities Commission this week as part of a “new phase” of Newsom’s effort to address sky-high power bills.
Former President Alice Reynolds will be reassigned later this month to a board of governors position at the California Independent Systems Operator. The two Reynolds are not related."
Capitol Briefs: The bill intro deadline and more Epstein fallout
CAPITOL WEEKLY, STAFF: "Today is the deadline to introduce new bills and lawmakers have been rushing to finish off their 2026 legislative packages. And the heat keeps building on L.A. Olympics chief Casey Wasserman to step aside over is connections to Jeffrey Epstein.
The Wasserman Watch: Sexual abuse survivors joined Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass and area state lawmakers this week in calling for Casey Wasserman to be removed as head of the 2028 Olympic Games, saying his relationships with Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell are disqualifying."
California expanding services for immigrants amid Trump’s deportation push
CALMATTERS, WENDY FRY: "Gov. Gavin Newsom plans on Friday to announce the allocation of state funding to help immigrants impacted by detention and the Trump administration’s massive deportation agenda.
His office is releasing $35 million that the Legislature set aside in the state budget to help philanthropic partners connect immigrant families with food assistance and other basic needs."
Exclusive: CBP asked a California county for info on all of its property owners
CHRONICLE, SOPHIA BOLLAG: "Customs and Border Protection has requested information on every parcel in San Diego County, including who owns each one, an official with the agency that handles the county’s property data confirmed to the Chronicle on Wednesday.
CBP did not say why it was seeking the information, but told county officials it was not for enforcement, said Tod Chee of the San Diego Geographic Information Source, which maintains property data for the county."
Modern parenting means apps for sports, school and more. Where is the data going?
CALMATTERS, ADAM ECHELMAN: "For every aspect of a student’s life, there’s a tech company trying to digitize it. Inside the classroom, online tools proctor exams, create flashcards and submit assignments. Outside, technology coordinates school sports, helps bus drivers find the right route and maintains students’ health records.
California has a number of laws aimed at protecting children’s data privacy, but those laws have exceptions that allow many tech companies to continue packaging and selling students’ personal information."
More rain and frosty temperatures. Here’s when the storms will end
LAT, SUMMER LIN: "California’s week of soggy weather continued Thursday, with forecasters up and down the state predicting more rain and cold temperatures before a gradual drying out over the weekend.
Showers moving into the region from the Central Coast brought steady rain to Ventura and Los Angeles counties Thursday morning, with frosty temperatures pushing snow levels lower than normal, potentially affecting commuters along the Grapevine, according to the National Weather Service."
Yosemite National Park closes because of snow
CHRONICLE, KURTIS ALEXANDER: "Yosemite National Park took the unusual step of closing its gates Thursday afternoon because of snow.
Park officials said snow-covered roads, falling trees and the threat of avalanches have made the park unsafe for visitors. People currently in the park are being asked to leave."
US economic growth weaker than thought in fourth quarter with government shutdown, consumer pullback
AP, CHRISTOPHER RUGABER/MATT OTT: "U.S. economic growth slowed in the final three months of last year, dragged down by the six-week shutdown of the federal government and a pullback in consumer spending.
The nation's gross domestic product — the total output of goods and services — increased at a 1.4% annual rate in the fourth quarter, the Commerce Department reported Friday, down from 4.4% in the July-September quarter and 3.8% in the quarter before that."
After a Super Bowl sex trafficking crackdown, NorCal authorities gear up for the World Cup
LAT, CIERRA MORGAN: "Santa Clara County law enforcement officials are preparing to combat sex trafficking ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
After the Super Bowl at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, the Santa Clara County district attorney’s Human Trafficking Task Force reported that law enforcement across 11 Bay Area counties had arrested 29 traffickers and recovered 73 sex trafficking victims. Ten were minors. One was a 12-year-old being trafficked in Oakland."
CHRONICLE, CHRISTIAN LEONARD/HANNA ZAKHARENKO: "California still has the highest cost of living in the U.S. And it’s not just because of housing.
The state’s prices in 2024 were about 11% higher than the national average, once again the highest cost gap in the nation, according to new data from the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis. The data, which serves as the federal government’s most comprehensive measure of regional cost-of-living differences, are published on a lag, so the most recent estimates available are for 2024."