Trump administration sows panic at California universities after revoking over 100 student visas
The Chronicle, ANNA BAUMAN/ST. JOHN BARNED-SMITH/BOB EGELKO: "Federal officials have terminated visa eligibility for at least 121 international students across at least a dozen college campuses in California since last week, a move that immigration advocates denounced as an unlawful attempt to intimidate foreign students into leaving the country.
California State University confirmed Tuesday that the government revoked visas for 36 current and former students, while the University of California said roughly 50 students and recent graduates had their visas voided. Representatives from several California universities said they were not provided detailed reasons for the terminations."
‘It’s a shambles’: DOGE cuts bring chaos, long waits at Social Security for seniors
LAT, JENNY JARVIE/NATHAN SOLIS: "When Veronica Sanchez called a Social Security hotline Thursday, she waited two hours before her call was abruptly disconnected.
On Friday, she was on hold for six hours and still did not get through to anyone."
The Latest: EU members approve new tariffs on $23 billion in US goods
AP: "European Union member states have voted to approve retaliatory tariffs on $23 billion in goods in response to U.S. President Donald Trump’s 25% tariffs on imported steel and aluminum.
The tariffs will go into effect in stages, with some on April 15 and others on May 15 and Dec. 1. The EU executive commission didn’t immediately provide a list of the goods Wednesday."
U.S. stocks quiver but hold relatively steady as bonds show more stress following tariff escalations
LAT, STAN CHOE: "The U.S. stock market is quivering but holding relatively steady in early Wednesday trading after other markets worldwide swung sharply as President Trump’s trade war keeps escalating.
The S&P 500 was nearly unchanged after futures markets had earlier indicated it could be heading for a much steeper loss. It swung between gains and losses in the first five minutes of trading. The Dow Jones industrial average was down 170 points, or 0.5%, as of 9:35 a.m. Eastern time, and the Nasdaq composite was 0.5% higher."
READ MORE -- Trump tariffs bring anxiety to Costco aisles: Cut back or stock up before prices soar? -- LAT, KAREN GARCIA/SALVADOR HERNANDEZ
Mayor Karen Bass is looking vulnerable. But will anyone challenge her in 2026?
LAT, JULIA WICK/DAVID ZAHNISER: "Mayor Karen Bass appeared to be on the path to an easy reelection, with no serious challengers in sight after a relatively drama-free first two years in office.
But that was before a wildfire annihilated swaths of Pacific Palisades, putting Bass’ leadership under a national microscope, and before the city slid into a major financial crisis, with Bass searching for cuts to close a nearly $1-billion budget gap."
Californians need tort reform now (OP-ED)
Capitol Weekly, GREG VAN DYKE: "California is known for its dynamic economy, constant innovation, and entrepreneurial leaders — from small businesses to global brands. However, undermining this success is the state’s skyrocketing cost of living.
A significant factor driving California’s affordability crisis is the explosion of frivolous lawsuits. While California only makes up 11 percent of the U.S. population, our state hosted 30 percent of the nation’s lawsuits filed under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Unfettered lawsuit abuse is causing higher prices for everyday goods and services — from the groceries we buy at the store to the care we receive at the doctor’s office."
Dentists turned them away. Now, disabled Californians are gaining new access to care
CALMatters, KRISTEN HWANG: "Martha Rodriguez spent years searching for a dentist. Several turned her away because she has Down syndrome, and they felt they could not accommodate her.
Her plight, “broke my heart,” said Dr. Maxmillian Chambers, an Imperial County dentist who agreed to treat her."
Their work in peril, UCLA researchers decry Trump administration funding cuts at protest
LAT, DANIEL MILLER/JAWEED KALEEM: "Ushered down the street by sympathetic drivers honking their car horns, hundreds of protesters from UCLA marched through Westwood on Tuesday as part of a national day of demonstration against the Trump administration’s cuts to National Institutes of Health research funding.
The “Kill the Cuts” gatherings, organized by a coalition of labor unions, unfolded at 37 sites across the country. They were meant to draw attention to President Trump’s decision to halt billions of dollars in funding from the NIH. As with other institutions of higher education, the University of California has relied on these and other federal funds to power research on cancer, diabetes and many other diseases."
Guns, knives and fentanyl overdoses: Safety worries spike at Bay Area school district
The Chronicle, JESSICA FLORES: "Students caught with weapons. Drugs on campuses. A gun found in a satchel. Gang violence. Bullying. Stabbings in classrooms, one deadly. Arrests.
The spate of jarring incidents at schools in Sonoma County’s largest school district over the last two years — and the district’s response to them — has prompted some parents to call for stricter security, more transparency from district officials and additional resources for students. The fatal stabbing of a 16-year-old student during a classroom fight in 2023 propelled the Santa Rosa City Schools board to bring police officers back onto school grounds, reversing a 2020 decision to dismiss officers from campuses."
Supreme Court immigration ruling: Due process in theory, deportation in practice
LAT, ANDREA CASTILLO: "The Supreme Court’s ruling allowing the Trump administration to continue deporting immigrants under an 18th century wartime law was hailed as a victory by both the federal government and those challenging the deportations.
The high court left many questions about the law unanswered, experts said, which explains, in part, the contradictory reactions to Monday night’s ruling."
Miles of Delta levees are at risk of floods. Repairs could cost $3 billion
CALMatters, ALASTAIR BLAND: "As winter storms soaked California in early 2023, the Sacramento River swelled toward flood stage. Levees protecting large expanses of farmland and many towns sprung leaks. At one site, response crews drove metal sheets into the earthen berm and lined the levee face with heavy rock.
The work cost almost $700,000, paid by local farmers who had to take out a loan."
Legendary California beef rancher fears for the future of Point Reyes
The Chronicle, TARA DUGGAN: "Bill Niman has lived through a lot of changes since he first started ranching in Point Reyes in 1969. And what especially irks him is seeing areas that were once grassland dotted with cattle now choked with coyote brush.
“That’s how quickly the land can go back,” said Niman, co-founder of the sustainable meat company Niman Ranch, as he drove past acres of brush that he said hadn’t been grazed since the National Park Service took it out of agricultural use in the late 1980s."
Tax Day is almost here in California. What to know about deadlines, refunds and more
Sac Bee, CAMILA PEDROSA: "Tax Day is just around the corner.
Whether you’ve already filed your tax return or haven’t gotten around to it yet, the deadline to submit your paperwork and pay outstanding taxes is looming."
Will Congress give Californians tax breaks for disaster-proofing their homes?
Sac Bee, DAVID LIGHTMAN: "Upgrading a roof, air filtration or other items that will help protect your home against fires, storms and other disasters? Republicans and Democrats are proposing a tax break for the projects.
The Firewall Act, sponsored by Sens. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., and Tim Sheehy, R-Montana, is aimed at encouraging preventive measures against disasters."
California insurance regulator likens State Farm financial situation to Titanic
The Chronicle, MEGAN FAN MUNCE: "Should California’s largest insurance company be allowed to raise prices for consumers to preserve its financial viability?
That question is at the heart of a highly unusual, multiday rate hearing in Oakland that kicked off on Tuesday, with consumer advocacy group Consumer Watchdog as the sole party advocating against a major rate increase, and State Farm and the California Department of Insurance in favor."
READ MORE -- Hearing begins on State Farm’s home insurance price hike. Here’s what’s been said -- Sac Bee, STEPHEN HOBBS