Trump Backs Off Sending Federal Agents to San Francisco
Wall Street Journal, JACK MORPHET, SEAN McLAIN, and ROSHAN FERNANDEZ: "President Trump said he has put a hold on plans to send federal agents to San Francisco after talks with the mayor and several Silicon Valley business leaders.
His administration had been preparing a Saturday “surge” in the California city, according to Trump. But he said he changed course after discussions with Mayor Daniel Lurie and phone calls with Bay Area contacts, including Nvidia Chief Executive Jensen Huang and Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff."
READ MORE on Trump vs. San Francisco: San Francisco mayor: Immigration raids called off after phone call with Trump, NICOLE NIXON and LIA RUSSELL, SacBee; Trump calls off 'surge' in San Francisco, JEREMY B. WHITE, Politico; Daniel Lurie has avoided picking fights with Trump — it may have stopped federal deployment to S.F, J.D. MORRIS, SF Chronicle; Trump calls off expected immigration show-of-force in San Francisco, CAROLYN JONES, CalMatters.
Lakers ‘unofficial coach’ allegedly traded info on LeBron James injury in NBA gambling scandal
LA Times, RICHARD WINTON and SALVADOR HERNANDEZ: "Federal prosecutors unsealed two indictments Thursday outlining an illegal betting scheme that has rocked the NBA and named current and former players, including former Clippers player and current Portland head coach Chauncey Billups, in one of the most brazen sports corruption schemes since online sports betting became widely legalized in the United States.
Prosecutors are accusing the Miami Heat’s Terry Rozier and Damon Jones, a retired NBA player and friend of LeBron James, of using private insider NBA information, such as when players would sit out, to help others profit in leveraged bets online."
U.S. Justice Department warns California officials: Don’t interfere with immigration enforcement
Chornicle, AIDIN VAZIRI: "The U.S. Department of Justice has issued a stark warning to California officials not to interfere with federal immigration operations.
The message, issued Thursday by Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche, marks the latest flashpoint between the Trump administration and Democratic leaders in the nation’s most populous state."
California gives Planned Parenthood $140 million boost to keep clinics open
CalMatters, KRISTEN HWANG: "After months of financial strain, Planned Parenthood will get a $140 million lifeline to offset losses it sustained after Congress in July cut funding for the health system, Gov. Gavin Newsom announced Thursday.
The money will help Planned Parenthood keep 109 California clinics open. In a statement, Newsom said the move reflects the state’s continued commitment to abortion and reproductive health care."
Abuse survivors accuse LA Co of victim blaming, seek AG’s help
Capitol Weekly, BRIAN JOSEPH: "In the months since Los Angeles County agreed to pay $4 billion to settle thousands of sexual abuse claims linked to its juvenile halls and foster homes, sexual abuse survivors believe the narrative has flipped to victim blaming – and they’re asking Attorney General Rob Bonta to do something about it.
Citing failed bills this year by Sens. Ben Allen (D-Santa Monica) and John Laird (D-Santa Cruz) to protect vulnerable public entities in the wake of the settlement as well as a recent Los Angeles Times reporting into a law firm that allegedly paid people to sue the county, five survivor groups wrote Bonta this month asking that his office launch a wide-ranging investigation into the systemic causes of decades of sexual abuse at the county’s three juvenile detention centers, in part to refocus statewide dialog on the victims."
Unions opposing Trump agenda pouring money into Proposition 50 campaign
LA Times, SEEMA MEHTA: "With the fate of President’s Trump’s right-wing agenda at stake, the California ballot measure crafted to tilt Congress to Democratic control has turned into a fight among millionaires and billionaires, a former president, a past movie-star governor and the nation’s top partisans.
Californians have been inundated with political ads popping up on every screen — no cellphone, computer or living-room television is spared — trying to sway them about Proposition 50, which will reconfigure the districts of the largest state congressional delegation in the union."
How much does California’s Prop 50 matter in the battle for control of the House?
Chronicle, SOPHIA BOLLAG: "California voters have a big decision to make on Nov. 4 with Proposition 50, which would temporarily redraw the state’s congressional lines to boost Democrats. But a bigger question looms if the measure passes: With Republican-leaning states redrawing their own districts, how much will Prop 50 matter in the battle over control of the House?
North Carolina lawmakers on Wednesday adopted new congressional maps designed to flip a seat from Democratic to Republican control, joining Republicans in Texas and Missouri who have already done the same. Texas maps are designed to flip five seats, while Missouri’s maps are designed to flip one."
Bay Area protesters were ready. But billionaires got to Trump first
RACHEL SWAN and JOE GAROFOLI, SF Chronicle: "When the Chronicle broke the news Wednesday that the Trump administration planned to send federal agents to the Bay Area, activists thought their moment had come. Five thousand people gathered on Zoom that night to talk tactics.
It stood to be the biggest test yet for a region with a history of confronting right-wing figures. They knew their demonstration would have to strike a delicate balance, showing strength yet remaining calm, so as not to incite more federal militarized pressure to quell what Trump would surely characterize as “violent protests,” as he has in other cities."
He tracked and posted videos of ICE raids in L.A. Now this TikTok streamer is in federal custody
LA Times, BRITTNY MEJIA, RUBEN VIVES and SALVADOR HERNANDEZ: "Carlitos Ricardo Parias had been tracking ICE raids around South L.A. and posting videos on TikTok for months, gaining hundreds of thousands of followers who looked to his social media accounts for vital updates on where federal immigration agents were.
As masked federal agents detained people in Los Angeles streets, Parias was often there streaming and recording. Known by several people as “Richard,” “El Señor Richard,” or the “Tiktokquero,” Parias became such a reliable source for news and information for residents that the city gave him official recognition in August for “keeping the South LA community informed empowered and protected.”
Shots fired at site of protest outside Coast Guard base near Oakland
Chronicle, JESSICA FLORES: "Gunshots were fired late Thursday at a protest outside a U.S. Coast Guard base at the edge of Oakland, where demonstrators were rallying against Immigration and Customs Enforcement in the Bay Area.
The shooting happened around 10 p.m. when a driver in a U-Haul truck drove backward toward Coast Guard security personnel, who shot at them after issuing commands to stop, according to a statement from the U.S. Coast Guard and video footage by the television station KTVU."
Should billionaires pay more? California unions want voters to decide
CalMatters, KRISTEN HWANG: "For years, Gov. Gavin Newsom has staunchly opposed increasing taxes on wealthy Californians even when the issue repeatedly reared its head during recent tough budget years. But faced with deep federal cuts to social services programs, labor and health care groups are asking voters to circumvent the governor – to tax a very small number of people.
Service Employees International Union-United Healthcare Workers West and St. John’s Community Health in Los Angeles want voters statewide to approve a “billionaires tax” to help prop up the state’s health care and education systems."
‘Billionaire tax’ ballot measure seeks to avert CA health care collapse
SacBee, CATHIE ANDERSON: "A new campaign is underway in California to make the state’s wealthiest residents pay to help rescue its health care system, with organizers filing a ballot measure that would impose a one-time 5% tax on billionaires.
Two health care industry players — Jim Mangia, chief executive of St. John’s Community Health, and Suzanne Jimenez, chief of staff for Service Employees International Union-United Healthcare Workers West — on Thursday formally filed the 2026 Billionaire Tax Act, a proposed statewide ballot measure that would tax billionaires with a net worth of more than $1 billion."
U.S. senators ramp up Palisades fire probe but give Eaton fire short shrift
LA Times, DAVID ZAHNISER, GRACE TOOHEY and ANA CEBALLOS: "The firestorms that broke out in January ravaged two distinctly different stretches of Los Angeles County: one with grand views of the Pacific Ocean, the other nestled against the foothills of the San Gabriel Mountains.
But so far, a push from congressional Republicans to investigate the Jan. 7 firestorm and response has been focused almost exclusively on the Palisades fire, which broke out in L.A.’s Pacific Palisades and went on to burn parts of Malibu and surrounding areas."
4 found dead inside Fullerton home after friend reported mass drug overdose, police say
LA Times, HANNAH FRY: "Four people were found dead inside a Fullerton apartment after a friend reported they had overdosed and were not breathing, police said.
When authorities arrived at the residence in the 100 block of Wilshire Avenue about 11 a.m. Tuesday, they discovered the bodies of four adults. Detectives have launched a death investigation."